Just Sayin....

4.04.2009

More from Esther...

Let me share a little more with you from my study on Esther...

Sometimes God reserves the right to tell us what happened without telling us how He reacted to it. God is so wholly secure in His own spotless integrity that He feels perfectly comfortable giving us an account of something without making Himself accountable to us.
Those of us who know Jesus personally live under divine rule where all us girls get to be princesses anyway.
Never underestimate the impact of God-driven, Scripture-quickened people skills even in the most uncomfortable human encounters. Despite the scowled-faced disapproval of the unbearably religious, we neither have to be carnal to be likable nor insincere to be endearing. We can love God and still be liked by people.
One good thing about living in an increasingly crude world is that a woman with manners, even one who simply knows how to make introductions or host gatherings can stand out like a rare gem in a barrel of coal. God can grant her favor that a woman with a wall covered in credentials may never gain.
Esther managed to walk the fine line of moderation without making others feel judged because they didn't.
Sometimes providence can be defined as times when God trumps your perfectly good plan with one of His own...then seems to disappear from it. Take heart! He's right there and He's there right.
It's tough being a woman in a mean world!
God is as purposeful in what He doesn't reveal in His Word as in what He does.
I don't know how God perfects plans that seem so bleak to us in process, but these two things I know: He never takes His eyes off of us or off the clock ticking over us.
Every hope and every victory the enemy thinks he has is maddeningly thwarted at the perfect time. Satan can't win and you can't lose.
Remember what God has done for you! Rehearse the story again.
Let's learn to be thankful every time we feel sorry for even our smallest offense toward someone. God designed conviction to be uncomfortable so that we'd hurry to repentance and find relief in restoration. Feeling is a good thing. Nothing is more frightening than a seared conscience.
The same judge who sat on the bench on the day the wrong was committed will be sitting on the bench the day of sentencing.
It will often be a crisis that God uses to pivot our direction.
It's tough being a woman thrown a giant sized weight!

4.02.2009

Good news on Brandon's adoption process! Tracy signed the papers this week officially taking him out of foster care! He isn't an official Handley yet...but we are one step closer and thankfully that is the next step!! Its been a long four years with this adoption process and we are glad there is an end in sight!!!

3.28.2009

My Photo Booth

As I sit here bored out of my mind at the Tampa Airport waiting to fly home from an event, I thought I would post some photos I have been meaning to do for awhile now. I have been needing a new computer for about a year and have wanted a MAC for about a year now as well. So, I decided to go ahead and "bite the bullet" when I got my tax refund. My family has had a blast with the Phone Booth Application that comes on the computer.

I have hundreds of photos from the Photo Booth on my computer. I will post a few every need now and then. Brandon has had the most fun with the photo booth!!!

He loves the double image the best

Ella doesn't quite understand it...

3.16.2009

Esther

I have been doing Beth Moore's Esther Bible Study, It's Tough Being A Woman, for about a month now...its a great study and I highly recommend it.

I thought I would give you some things that I have underlined and that have stuck out for me from weeks one & two...

Esther isn't about the miracle but God working through the natural
Seek Him and God's Will will find me!
When we trust our lives to the unseen but ever present God, He will write our lives into His story and every last one of them will turn out to be a great read with a grand ending.
We have a sovereign God who reigns over all and is threatened by none.
It's tough being a woman in another woman's shadow!
In God - your past and future share the same root - Jesus!
Sometimes God reserves the right to tell us what happened without telling us how He reacted to it. God is so wholly secure in His own spotless integrity that He feels perfectly comfortable giving us an account of something without making Himself accountable to us.
Those of us who know Jesus personally live under divine rule where all us girls get to be princesses anyways.
Never underestimate the impact of God-driven, Scripture-quickened people skills even in the most uncomfortable human encounters. Despite the scowled-faced disapproval of the unbearably religious, we neither have to be carnal to be likable nor insincere to be endearing. We can love God and still be liked by people.
One good thing about living in an increasingly crude world is that a woman with manners, even one who simply knows how to make introductions or host a gathering can stand out like a rare gem in a barrel of coal. God can grant her favor that a woman with a wall covered in credentials may never gain.
We can become so steeped in our culture that we are almost indistinguishable from the world. We can lose our sense of identity and forget who we are. Indeed, the fact that we can hide our Christianity assumes a certain amount of assimilation. We need to recapture our identity and identification as His children-not so we can be obnoxious but so we can be influential.
Praise God for a King who gives a woman dignity instead of taking it, a righteous King whose commands are always for our good and whose ways are always toward our wholeness.
A woman who can win the man and her female peers is in a class almost by herself!
Esther managed to walk the fine line of moderation without making others feel judged because they didn't.
Our rebellious human nature makes us resistant enough to doing what we're told that over time the effort to go against the grain - to choose the excellence of Christ over the minimalism of man - will distinguish us from countless peers.
Only a person strong in character and steadfast in spirit can follow someone else's instructions for long. Ironically her dependability earns her double the workplace significance of those who won't risk it. If long-term persistence doesn't win the favor of an earthly supervisor, trust the God who sees and who is by no means limited to one channel of favor toward you.
Sometimes providence can be defined as times when God trumps your perfectly good plan with one of His own.
It's tough being a woman in a world where beauty is a treatment!

3.12.2009

More Photos of Smoky Conference

More photos from the Smoky Conference held in January...

Snow in Pigeon Forge!! Leo was from Brazil and this was a new experience for him

Kristian Stanfill and Tim Gibson leading worship - they are the best!

Joe Thibodeau from Kristian's band

David Nasser mugging for the camera!

Tami and Larry having fun with a flashlight

Matt Papa leading worship

Jon Walden emceeing the Big Night

Shane & Shane

Jeremy Camp

me and Jonathan with Jeremy Camp (HAHA)

some of our great volunteers!
Catherine, Trey, Emily, Jonathan and Davis-Ann

more great volunteers!
Carmen, Courtney, Molly, Hali, Brittany and Karen

This is what we feel like by the end of the weekend...poor Brownie

Loading out in the snow!

"the after party" for Brittany's birthday - the Copeland twins sang Happy Birthday to her...her face isn't normally that red :)

Ms. Gail reading a poem to our volunteers (it was about how wonderful they were)

a fantastic (and silly) conference team playing in the snow!

3.11.2009

Smoky Mountain Student Conference

I am finally posting photos from our Smoky Mountain Conference. Life has been busy since January. It was a great conference - over 6,000 students with hundreds of decisions made for Christ! I have more photos to post - but here are a few from the weekend!