"In Other Words..."

"There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'"~ C.S. Lewis ~

I love a good tantrum! When I was young my mom would say, "You can get happy in the same pants that you got mad in!" To that I would so very smartly reply, "Well then I will just go change my pants!"

After reading the quote for the week, I started to reflect on how I react to God's direction in my life. If it is not what I want to hear I throw a fit before God. "BUT WHY???, " I ask. I can just imagine Him answering me the way my parents used to, "Because I said so!"

There is a popular saying among churches, "There is a reason for everything!" But what if you are sick of being the reason. Does anyone understand what I am saying here?!? Why do I have to be the one always being tested? Why is it that my life is always in a holding pattern? What are you doing here Lord?

I have been studying the life of Joseph the last few weeks. Imagine having your brothers throw you into a pit to later sell you into slavery. Years later he is accused of something he did not even do and thrown into prision; when the truth is he fled from tempation. While in prision Joseph interprets two men's dreams. He says to one, "My only request is that I not be forgotten when your position is restored." Yet two full years go by before this man remembers Joseph. How do you think Joseph responded? Did he say, "Thy will be done" or did he say, "All right then, have it your way." (Story of Joseph found in Genesis 37-42)

Forgive me for putting my own spin on it for a second. I believe Joesph probably replied both ways-he was human after all. Maybe there was a lesson to be learned in his two years in prision. Just like maybe there actually is a reason for this season of my life. God has something for me to learn. If you take a look at the story of Joesph, his character did a complete 180 before the story concludes. What happened to the teenage boy with the brightly colored coat? He was not the same man that went before Pharoah years later. God transformed Him.

The next time you find yourself in a "holding cell" ask God to show you why He has brought you here. Ask Him to reveal anything in your life that is not of Him. Ask Him to remove all angerness, bitterness and hurriedness to move beyond this moment. Instead adopt an attitude of praise knowing that God will direct your paths and lead you to a higher place when He sees fit.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."

1 Peter 5:6

Weekend Update

The family was in from California so we all got together for a small barbeque. We had to get a group shot of the smaller cousins unfortunatley they were not as excited as I was to get a picture. They did not want to be pulled away from the television (see picture below) so I bribed them by saying they could have dessert afterwards. It worked like a charm!
Little Gracen needed Grammie to help her-I couldn't let this photo op get away from me!

Gracen's unique style-she did not want to take off her red velvet dress (that's right-in the middle of summer) so she put her pink dress over the top and declared,

"That way you can see the red too!"

Check out her high heel shoes! I heard she went to the movies earlier that day wearing the red velvet dress with flip-flops. It takes a very confident person to pull that off!

The next day we cooked out with my brother's family! These kids LOVE pictures so they are happy to pose anytime-without bribing them with dessert. At the end of the picture-little brother started to pull his big sister's hair! They better watch out b/c he will be walking soon and coming after his sisters even more.
Little one sucking his thumb-his daddy did the same thing when he was a little boy. I guess you can say, "Like Father like Son!"

This weekend was busy but we wouldn't of traded a moment for anything.

We enjoyed spending time with our family from California and those that live close by.

We hope you had a great weekend as well! Summer is coming to a close way too quickly so we need to live it up while we can!

New Bible Reading Feature to the Blog

Bible Gateway offers this great feature for fellow bloggers and web hosters-it is an audio version of daily Bible reading a chapter a day. If you look to the right of my blog-above the picture of the "Christian Women Online" logo- you will see the speaker symbol. Click on it and you will be able to hear the Bible read by a guy with a great voice and expressive language.

The picture here is a picture of my great-grandmother's Bible I took this the other day at her house while celebrating her 97th birthday (See "Mom Turns 97"). I love to see the turned up edges and worn pages. Friends, that is what a Bible is supposed to look like. Of course the reason it looks like this is b/c she has read it daily for years each morning. It has not come from years of leaving it outside or abuse. I hope one day each of our Bibles will be a blessing for our next generation to look at-so they know that we loved and leaned on God daily!

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path!"

Psalms 119:105

Thursday Thirteen: 13 Reasons Why I love Deer Run!

In honor of my cousin Martha out at camp the last two weeks, I thought I would make my "Thursday 13" about Deer Run.

1. Pine Trees-"In the Pines, In the Pines where the sun never shines..." The smell, the cool breezes day and night, you just can't experience anything greater.

2. Starry nights-If you visit Deer Run, you must walk in the middle of the ball field at night-and take a moment to look up. It just does not get any better than than. You can't help but feel God's presence as he covers you with twinkling lights.

3. Hymn Time-30 minutes out of the day is spent singing praises to God. The best Hymn times were done during outcamping-underneath the trees-many times this was the coolest part of the day so it was refreshing-body, mind and spirit. Fellow Deer Runners: Remember singing "Lord Be There for Me" and "Someday" over and over again. I have chills just thinking about all of our voices blended harmoniously together.

4. Night games- Not be/c I am a game fanatic but because it was during night games one summer that I met my "Deer" friend Jodi. We snuck off to the woods and sat down to talk b/c neither one of us wanted to run around and get sweaty...we had to stay looking cute for the boys. After that night we were bonded for life!

5. Horses! Whatever! I hated riding horses! I always loved the counselors (who will remain nameless to protect them) that allowed us to sleep instead of ride. Most of the time we had been up all night laughing or playing pranks on the boys, so it was nice to have that hour nap.

6. Rolls of toilet paper- let me explain... one summer on staff the girls bathhouse had run out of toilet paper and it was late at night. So I took it upon myself to run down to the mess hall (dining room) to stock us up-didn't want a camper to go without. I did not have a flash light! (Young ones do not follow my example always carry a flash light at camp-esp the middle of the night) But b/c I did not have my flashlight I was able to sneak up on my two "Deer" staff friends kissing in the middle of the ball field. So I ran back to my cabin without toilet paper and when she came back to the cabin all googly eyed-I suggested she go get some more toilet paper in the mess hall-which she was happy to do b/c a certain someone had said he too we be hanging in the mess hall. Don't know if the toilet paper was ever really stocked up that night!

7. Quiet Time-15 minutes each day was taken for the whole camp to sit and spend time reading your Bible and praying to God. I think this is where I learned that I could actually sit and talk to God. I still have some of my prayer journals from that time-I prayed for patience often. Since I had the youngest cabin or the cabin filled with high maintenance 14 year old girls.

8. Crafts-"Let's get crafty!" I was craft mama whenever I was not counseling staff. I liked the younger boys cabins best. They were always making stuff out of rocks,wood and sticks. Big long sticks, were the item of choice. They would find them on the ground outside then paint them up real nice. They were so adventurous that it made me laugh! You never knew what they would come up with.

9. Sadie Hawkins Day-girls get to chase boys-need I say more!

10. Killi Creek-it's a camp thing-unless you have been there you won't understand. B/C to the untrained eye it is just dirty old water but through the eye of a Deer Runner-it has healing powers! No really, it does!

11. "Listen Freak Boy I don't need your help, I have got it all under control!" My Deer friend Seth who died of leukemia when we were sophomores in college-was always on my ball team as a camper. When it came my time to serve in a volleyball game he thought he needed to offer me advice. I could serve-just didn't want to (it was that not wanting to break a sweat thing) So one day I yelled out, "LISTEN FREAKBOY-I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP! I HAVE IT ALL UNDER CONTROL!" It stuck after that and now I am know as the girl that called everyone Freakboy!

12. Cousin Time-all my mom's cousins went to camp-all the cousin's kids went to camp and later worked on staff together. We had so much fun together. One Christmas Cousin Nancy bought us all shirts that said on the front, "You messin' with me!" then on the back, "You messin' with the whole family!"

13. Life long friends-thank you Deer Friends for all the great memories. I can't wait for all of our children to have the time together when they are all old enough to go.

Exaltation + Ego=Extravagant Humbling

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

Proverbs 11:2

Pride can be a dangerous thing-it sneaks up on you when you have your guard down and if you are not careful it could destroy all that is good in your life. I just got back from my trip to "Humbleville" so I can tell you first hand that this is not a trip I wish to take again. But I am sure that if I don't let God lead me daily that I just might find myself there again.

I have just finished week 7 of my 10 week study called "The Patriarchs" with Beth Moore. Every Tuesday I am up by 5:30 a.m so that I can partake of this study with some other ladies in the community. For me to get up at 5:30 a.m willingly you know it is good. We are studying one of my favorite characters in the Bible, Joseph. Maybe the reason I like him so much is because he too had his fair share of visits to "Humbleville." My favorite part of the story though is the end-when Joseph is reunited with his brothers. Hollywood couldn't write a better ending!

Here is what I have learned:

"God's exaltation of man is never for the man himself but rather to glorify God and to edify others. Dear one, let's allow this truth to abide in our marrow: If God ever exalts on of His own with position, wealth, talents, gifts or influence. His purpose is never-not ever-human exaltation. In fact, the exalted person would be the last one the exaltation was meant to serve...Exaltation + Ego=Extravagant Humbling!" Beth Moore

I must say-I have been on my knees every since I read this phrase asking the Lord to remove any desire for me to be exalted. (Side note: For those of you who know me and just read this and thought to yourself "Man, SHE did need to hear that!" Let me ask that you turn your attention not on my failures (there are many) but re-read it with a open heart, mind and spirit.

Is there something that God is wanting to reveal to you today?

Jeff's 36th Birthday Weekend

Happy Birthday Jeff!

So we started a new tradition in our little family of two. You can celebrate your birthday 48 hours in advance if you so choose to...so that is what we did. Our hope is that when our children come down from Heaven that we will start this with them as well, maybe give some fun gift or allow them to pick the activities for 3 whole days. Since your birthday only comes once a year-why not make it special.

We started off with a small surprise party for Jeff with our friends. We went to Las Hacienda Ranch for dinner and then we went to bowl at Main Event. Our friends Todd and Holly and Brandy and Tim helped me surprise him. Poor Jeff was so cranky on the way over but it soon changed when he saw that I had put this little shin-dig together for him.

The next day, his actual birthday, we had a barbeque at his parents house. Jeff's niece Hayley and cousin Caroline organized our games for the party. Balloon toss, anyone? You have not lived unless you have seen the Cherry Clan (our family name) toss "balloons" (ziplock bags filled with water) back and forth. What a hoot!!

Thank you everyone for making this day special for my sweet husband! He has said many times today, "Thank you for my birthday!" So I know we did it right! Because like I always say, "Everyone needs to feel special on thier birthday!"

I love you Jeff!
Susan 

Mom Turns 97!

**This was posted last week in the "Blossom Times" for my Great-Grandmother's birthday - so I guess you can say this is my first published piece of writing!!**

I am proud to announce that our "Mom" Bonner known as Kitty Orene Bonner to Blossom, Texas celebrated her 97th birthday Sunday, June 9th, 2006. There were 25 in attendance out of 3 kids, 7 grandkids, 15 great-grandkids and 3 great-great grandkids. This party was standing room only! Although it offically did not start until the Ranger game was complete.

We have been blessed to have Mom in our lives for all of these years. Her laughter is contagious and her smile is a constant source of comfort to us all. Her hugs run deep and fill you with strength to keep moving forward through good times and bad. What a joy she brings to so many!

Mom, we love you and are thankful for all that you have been to us over the years-heres to you!

Susan Young

3rd Annual 4th of July Party

Another 4th of July party at the Hickman's has come and gone. This year our crowd was a little smaller since some of us our on vacations (I wish I was crusing Barcelona or walking around Disney world with my just retired husband!) But it was a traditional party as we all gathered out back to watch Hayley and Caroline's latest show-they are very talented I must say. While we chatted-we kept Doug the "Grill Master" company-boy can he grill. During this time, we discovered that Aunt Sue has had a face lift by using a breathe right stripe to hold up her eye brows. I made fun of her at first but when I came home to set up my new blog-I soon discovered that I too could use a "Breathe Right face lift" among other things. The fireworks were great as always. We were afraid that we would get rained out but thankfully the rain did not come. Although the wind picked up and my glass fell over on me and so it looked like I wet myself. I swear I did not! My mom raised me better than that!!! Sorry that the fireworks came out like they did...Jeff printed up information for me on how to photograph fireworks so I am going to have to practice for next year. Maybe I can go to Disney to get some practice! My favorite picture of all is the girl's sitting in Caroline's tree house. They are so cute and growing up way too fast. Thank you Doug, Libby and Caroline for another great 4th party. You guys know how to throw a mean barbeque!!