That moment when.....

....you are discussing all things Biblical at Life Group and you ar overwhelmed with thankfulness that you took that crazy step of courage and made a change.

And then you wish you could go back in time to the first mentioning of church- changing when you were terrified to leave your comfort zone so you could whisper, "It's gonna be better than ok to do this, Angie Good."

Better late than never, she smiles.

Since October...

I've been nervous about blogging about life since October.  Isn't that just ridiculous?  I guess a part of me realizes that blogging about this journey God has put me (and my family) on will make me (us) vulnerable.

The past couple of weeks the Lord has put this on my heart to blog about this journey because we are not the only ones going through this type of situation.  Yes, it's my (our) journey but I (we) am not alone.

I'd like to begin this post by thanking God Almighty for coming alongside of me (us) and taking my (our) hand...walking beside me and upholding me.

God has put some very dear people in my life that have kept tabs on me...that have supported my parents...that have cared A LOT about my sweet brother.

In October my brother underwent a conundrum of sorts. 

On a Sunday evening when I normally turn off my cellphone at circa 9 p.m., God mercifully kept me awake later than usual...and He through a miracle in-and-of-itself worked out every detail so that my cellphone would be left on later than usual.  He gave me the wherewithal to contact my dearest friend who was brave enough to call complete strangers and ask them for a favor.  These same strangers opened up their house to my brother.  Angels surrounded my brother's car as he maneuvered it to said friends' home.  Through another serious of amazing events - God brought my brother to a place where he could get care.  

The events that surrounded Columbus Day 2017 will forever be a memorial in my heart of God's amazing faithfulness, goodness, and mercy in watching over my sweet brother.  {Much like the memorial that the Children of Israel built so they would remember.  I want to remember God's amazing blessings.}

The biggest change in my current relationship with Bryan is that he no longer refers to me as "Sis."  He has also voiced that he does not want to travel with me ever again.  Both of these things have caused me to ugly cry more times than I care to count.  

The biggest blessing through all of this has been seeing my dearest friends come alongside me and walk with me through this.  

In talking to others who have walked a similar journey, it's a true mourning of the sibling I have grown-up with and the accepting of this new normal.

Two years ago, I walked with my friends as their son/brother/nephew was in Madison's Children's Hospital.  I remember not knowing what to say and asking God to help me just BE THERE for them.  

I have a handful of BE THERE friends and family in my life.  People that don't throw out trite sayings and that don't try to turn every opportunity into a let's-have-a-revival moment.  The people who see my red blotchy eyes and give me a hug.  The people who listen to me ramble about "times past" when I was Sis and Bry was Chunk.  People who stop in to my office and ask how I'm doing and when I fall apart, they just listen and offer their silent support.  Simple little "thinking of you" text messages.  Private Facebook messages.  These little snippets of grace have reminded me that I'm loved and cared about and prayed for. 

Some people ask me how I'm doing with all of this...  It hits me when I think about planning future adventures.  My traveling partner-in-crime no longer wants that role.  God can change that and heaven know that my 2018 Italy calendar is a testimony to my trust in God's ability to heal my brother's brain.   Reality is that he does not want to travel the world with his Sis. 

It also hits me when I want to call him and tell him something funny that happened at work...like this past week when we had a situation with a dynamic duo wanting to be the self-appointed lunch police special task force.  My brother would've gotten a kick out of it.  

I'm having a hard time saying "goodbye" to my old brother and embracing my new brother.  It's hard.  Soooo hard.  God is good.  God can orchestrate Bryan's healing.

Please help me (us) as I (we) walk this journey.  It's a little rocky and sometimes I (we) stumble and get fearful.   

Sincerely,
The girl who misses her sweet brother & finds herself ugly crying

A favorite song of mine...

This We Know

Lyrics by: Kristian Stanfill

You are who say You are
You'll do what You say You'll do
You’ll be who You’ve always been to us
Jesus

Our hope is in You alone
Our strength in your mighty name
Our peace in the darkest day remains
Jesus

This we know
We will see the enemy run
This we know
We will see the victory come
We hold on to every promise You ever made
Jesus, You are unfailing

Our God through the wilderness
And our joy in the heaviness
Our way when it seems there is no way
Jesus

This we know
We will see the enemy run
This we know
We will see the victory come
We hold on to every promise You ever made
Jesus, You are unfailing

We trust You
We trust You
Your ways are higher than our own

A very Veggie confession

I like listening to singing vegetables.  Let me clarify - singing cartoon vegetables.  Also known as Veggie Tales. 

A song I have yet to figure out - and it's probably because I haven't watched this particular episode of the Veggie Tales - is the song Larry sings about his love of Barbara Manatee.  What is that?  He's in love with a manatee and she's the one for "me."  I'm so confused when I listen to this on Spotify.  Mostly because...Larry is a cucumber and Barbara (if the lyrics are accurate) is a manatee.  I should ask the Google about this...  

Two particular favorites of mine are...
1. God is bigger than the Boogie Man.  The song begins with Jr. Asparagus being frightened and Larry asks him, "What are you going to do?" And sweet Jr. Asparagus says, "I think I'm going to call the police."  I QUOTE THIS ALL THE TIME AT WORK!!!!  Whenever the copier jams and I am called upon to un-jam this contraption, I ask the paper jam notifier, "What are you going to go?"  They never reply "I think I'm going to call the police."  Just once I want this to happen!  I will totally blog about it.

2. I love a song in the Dave and the Giant Pickle.  Pretty sure it's Laura Carrot and Larry who are singing about loving your neighbor.  I love this because at one point Laura (or the Laura Carrot-sounding imposter) sings, "Your hair is curly.  My hair is not."  

And now that I think about it - I have 3 favorites...sorry.
3. The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.  This song is hilarious.  They are veggie pirates who don't want to work.  Sounds familiar, eh?  

I'm not sure if was from listening to the singing produce, but there's some reassuring when I remember God is bigger than anything I'm about to face...and I need to love my neighbors even when they are playing the role of the pirates in song #3.  

Google the Veggie Tales.  I promise you won't be disappointed. 

P.S. Check out "He loves his cheeseburger" and "Dance of the Cucumber."  In the first, a gourd with a gold tooth sings about his love of fast food.  I can picture my brother singing this song.  {Note: My brother does not have a gold tooth.}  In the second Larry sings in Spanish about a dancing cucumber.  

Who I am in Christ...

Today we were reminded of who we are IN Christ...

I am the salt of the earth.I am the light of the world.
I am a child of God.
I am part of the True Vine, a channel of Christ's life.
I am Christ's friend.
I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit.
I am a slave of righteousness.
I am enslaved to God.
I am a son (daughter) of God; God is spiritually my Father.
I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him.
I am a temple - a dwelling place - of God; His Spirit and His life dwells in me.
I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him.
I am a member of Christ's body.
I am a new creation.
I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation.
I am a son (daughter) of God and one in Christ.
I am an heir of God since I am a son (daughter) of God.
I am a saint.
I am God's workmanship - His handiwork - born anew in Christ to do His work.
I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God's family.
I am a prisoner of Christ.
I am created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now.
I am hidden with Christ in God.
I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life.
I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved.
I am a son (daughter) of light and not of darkness.
I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling.
I am a partaker of Christ; I share in his His life.
I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house.
I am an alien adn stranger to this world in which I temporarily live.
I am an enemy of the devil.
I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when he returns.
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.
I am not the great I am but by the grace of God, I am what I am.
I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession.

Mukwonago, Wisconsin

A week or so ago, my crafty friend Nancy asked me to join her on a fun card-making adventure in Mukwonago, Wisconsin.  

The card-making merriment was to commence at 1 p.m.  A class demonstrating the use of  blendable Norwegian markers. They are the rage.  

Mukwonago is a about an hour plus 10 minutes from Rockford especially when we are starting out in the heart of the city - not where I reside near the interstate.  I forgot we would be leaving from the heart of the city.  *sigh*

Two days before our adventure my traveling companion called to reserve our seats for the marker class only to learn that the class actually begins at 9 a.m.  Said traveling companion called to be the bearer of bad news...well, well, well...guess who was delighted by the early morning traveling?  The caffeine-loving gal who is blogging.  YES!  I love mornings.  Yep, I'm on of THOSE people...a morning person.  Give me a mug of coffee and a shower and some nice praise & worship music and I'm delighted with early mornings.  Take away a third of that mixture and, well, let me quote Mr. T, "I pity the fool..."  What fool?  The fool that would remove a third of my equation.

So when Nancy said we would need to leave at 7:30...I'm not going to say that I was jumping up and down with excitement...I'll just say I was happy that we were getting an early start.  Also it should be noted I was happy to know that I had a FREE drink coupon (that replaced my icky-made-with-cow's-milk-latte).  So there's that.

We headed out a smidge later than we intended because how was I to know that the coffee establishment would be busy on a Saturday morning.  I guess I just assumed it was only busy on week days.  I'm so fickle and nonsensical before proper coffee consumption.

The beauty of hanging-out with Nancy is that she's hilarious.  

I spent 3 hours total (2 classes each 90 minutes in length) laughing at her absurd remarks.  

Stickles is a product that puts a semi-clear coat of glitter on cards and notes and scrapbook pages.  Nancy told our corner of the table that she sometimes puts the Stickles on her glasses.  People who do not know Nancy are not fully aware of her sense of humor.  So for her to say that she was putting a semi-clear film of sparkles on her glasses, the teacher just stared.  I, on the other hand, died laughing.  STICKLES ON YOUR GLASSES!!!!!!  Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

Another funny moment in the classtime was that the class pretty much behaved like arts-n-crafts e in 2nd grade and / or children's craft time during VBS.  

Half of the table listened and jotted down notes.  The other half...well, the other half had a crafter who glued her hanging-from-a-tree-limb sloth upside down.  As in the sloth was stamped holding on to the branches and she turned him (holding the brand) upside down...think a sloth "standing" but his appendages were hanging...or supposed to be hanging.  AS ALL SLOTHS DO...?  

So many other funny things happened...someone impaled a bottle of Stickles-like sparkles so of course the double-holed bottles was then leaking the sparkles.  

I wanted to stand-up and tell the class, "Ok.  Everyone put your supplies down.  Stop talking to one another.  Hands in your laps and let me see your eyes."  And then I thanked Jesus that I'm not a crafting instructor and that my new church does VBS during the daytime when I am at work. I forgot how difficult it to lead a group during crafts.  And apparently kids or adults - crafting is complicated.  :) 

We made 6 cards.  Three were embellished with die cuts and three were the Norwegian markers.

I'm thankful we took the class...especially the marker class...because I now know I'm not a marker shading kind of gal.  In my head, the markers blended better.  In real life, they do not.  I prefer my PrismaColor colored pencils and blending tools.

This is a good thing because I already own said colored pencils and the Norwegian markers are quite costly.  

Look at me - not getting hooked on pricey markers.  :)

Between our classes, we ate lunch at Fork in The Road.  It's a local establishment.  My shaken salad (yes, shaken - not tossed) was deeeelish.  Black beans, chicken, Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, a yummy dressing - all shaken in a huge clear container.

After our classes, we went to a cute local grocery store called The Elegant Farmer.  It was quaint.  I told Nancy it reminded me of a country-fied version of Whole Foods.  They had so many unique things.  I got artichoke spread, some apples, 2 pretty red peppers, and a hankering for apple crisp.  I blame Nancy for the latter...as we were walking through the store looking at jars of apple sauce and other almost-Fallish items.  You know what?  The store reminded me of a grocery store meets the apple orchard.  Yes!  That's what it reminded me of.  It was lovely.

We then traveled home omitting a stop at the Goodwill we could see from the road.  We'll save the Goodwill for our next adventure.

Since I'm not sure how to add the audio recording of today's sermon....

Several years ago during a revival meeting message, the evangelist (and please don't ask me WHO the evangelist was because my brain cannot remember) prayed for our hearts to be stirred and shaken and changed.  I've never forgotten that prayer and when I take the time to remember to pray that way - it seems like GOD does something amazing to remind me that He's in control and I don't need to worry.

I currently have a tricky situation in my life that my best attempts to rectify the situation have just brought on more frustration.  

Today's message...the message that I asked the Lord to stir-me-up with was titled, "Love like God."  Pastor John's text was Luke 6:27-38.  It reads:
Love Your Enemies
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” 

If Christ is raised from the dead, I am to love like God loves.
1. What?  Love our enemies with a committed love.  Committed love is a love without emotional attachment.  It's loving without anything in return.  It's love that works to benefit others.

2.  How?  How do I love my enemies?
     A. in action - do good
          Ex. David and Saul - I Samuel 24:8-22
     B. in speaking well of them
          James 2 - the power in my tongue:  to build up or destroy
          Jesus is saying (in Luke 6 passage) to not be passive.  Jesus says to bless and not curse.
          I Peter 2:23
      C. pray for those who mistreat you
          - This will internalize love and it will intensify it.
          Acts 7 - Stephen prayed for his enemies who were casting stones at him.

* For the sake of the Gospel, 

I need not fight for my rights.  

I represent Jesus Christ. *

       D. give to the taker.
            My treasure is in Heaven.
       E. leading - Luke 6 is about leading with love.  
            Do not expect love in return.
            Lead without expectation!!!

3. Why?  Why I should I love my enemy?
     Loving only friends and family is natural.  It's easy.  Loving your enemies is supernatural and is done only by an overflowing of God's love into my heart.  I am a channel of His love.

Do not ration love.  Pray for overflowing and abundant love.

The Holy Spirit's abundance of love ------>  ME! --------> My enemies and persecutors

Philippians 4:19, 20  When I love my enemies, God the Father gets the glory!!!

I will respect the Shunner.

Dear Shunner,
I'm at a point in my life now...and maybe it had something to doing with turning the big four-oh, I don't know really...but I'm at the point in my life where I will now respect shunners.  You don't want to talk to me...you want to make it seem like this is some sort of 7th grade drama where you think I will run in my raspberry pink corduroy pants to my orange locker and write a note to Robyn that says, "Oh my goodness - so-and-so won't talk to me"?!?!  It's not going to happen.

You want to shun me.

I will respect that. 

I will respect your boundary.  I won't fight for the wall to come down.

The Bible says to be kind.  Part of my being kind and extending grace to you is respecting that.  

Sincerely,
The Shunned

4

Four bids.  We opened 4 projects.  Three of the 4 have a lot of paperwork and follow-up that needs to get done by Monday.  *insert nervous laughter*

This is what happened tonight...
Bryan:  "What are you doin' tonight, Sis?"

Me:  "I am at Woodman's with an 'Against the Grain' frozen pizza in my hand and I am headed to the Coconut Bliss strawberry ice cream."

*silence*

Me:  "Are you there?"

Bryan:  *very serious*  "Are you ok, Sis?"

Me *laughs hysterically*

Bryan:  "Ooooooooooooh, I see."

#frozenpizzapizza #strawberryicecream #TGIF

May 17, 2017

My mom gave me the heads-up about tonight's storms.  (Note to self:  Watch more local news, Angie Good.) 

I very wittily replied back, "Just like Queen Esther going before the King, " 'If I perish, I perish.' "

As the storm was raging and the siren was sounding, I said to Celia (who was sitting on her perch watching the outdoor action), "Well this is great.  I could perish and my mom's last text will be me crazily quoting the Bible."

Celia meowed.  So judgy.

#wedidnotperish

Melatonin

There's a bird that loves singing at 3:26 a.m.  It has sung every single morning for the past 4 mornings.  (Those mornings have been WORK mornings for yours truly.)

What kind of bird is awake and singing before the sun is up?  I tell you what kind of bird - the kind of bird that wants to go to the rainbow bridge.

Tonight I am taking a double-dose of melatonin = 10 mg.  It is natural...infact our bodies make melatonin.  As we age, our bodies don't make as much.  I also read that in a study they found that people who were healthy & ate healthy but died of a heart attack had a decreased amount of melatonin in their body.

My bottle of 180 capsules is right around $8 on Amazon. 

Melatonin also is a radical scavenger naturally produced in the pineal gland and present in high amounts in the gastrointestinal tract.  It is involved in many of the body, brain and glandular biological functions including regulating sleep/wake cycles, regulation of the immune system, and maintenance of my gastrointestinal lining. 

And let's be honest - for 30ish years, the gluten I consumed ripped up my poor gastrointestinal tract.

I love that melatonin helps heal and will regulate my mini-coma-ish sleep cycle tonight.

And with you and God as my witness:  If the 3:26-singing-fowl wakes me up, I will be purchasing a small pellet gun and I will find the perp.

SURPRISE NAVY SANDALS!!!!

I love Amazon...in that, when I am searching for something or on the fence about making a purchase, I can just add the item to a list for future consideration.  This saves me from making a purchase that I don't want or really don't need.

The last couple of weeks I have been searching for navy sandals.  I want a wedge (or slight wedge) heel.  I don't want fourteen gazillion straps nor bling.  My feet do not need to the blinged.  

I found a cute pair of strappy navy sandals and must have placed them in my cart and not on a list.  

The other day I checked-out forgetting that I needed to move the navy sandals to my top secret "maybe purchase" list...

Two days later a box was outside my door and to my surprise - it contained those super cute navy sandals.

Now what's a girl to do?  Send the shoes back to the cold, empty shoe warehouse OR keep the shoes here since they are already pretty much at home?  I decided to try them on... *sigh*  They fit and they are comfy.  

Now that I've tried them on, we are friends.  The shoes will stay.  What a lovely little surprise.  To me from me - XOXOXO!

 

Resurrection Day: "If Christ be raised..."

Happy Resurrection Day!!!


Three things to consider "if Christ be raised..."
1. Jesus ~John 20
If Christ has been raised, He is the Son of God.

2. Lazarus ~ John 11:1-44
Martha is a perfect example of statements getting ahead of our hearts.  In one breath, she is telling Jesus that her brother is sick but she believes Jesus is the Son of God...and the next breath (or some 20ish verses later) at Lazarus' tomb, she is telling Jesus that her brother has been in the tomb for 4 days and he stinks.  Martha knew Jesus had power to make her brother well...but she had never witnessed Him raise anyone from the dead.

My statements (like Martha) get ahead of my heart.

3. Thomas ~ John 20:19-29
Thomas said he would never believe unless he could put his hands in Jesus' wounds.

I want the Resurrection to change my life!  

Two mornings without my beloved

Monday evening as I ground the last of my regular coffee beans, I thought to myself, I sure hope I remember to buy more coffee! and then I laughed because that's just absurd.  Like I, Angela Good, would ever (EV-ER) forget about coffee.  Psh! 

Apparently absurd notions (like forgetting coffee) and I go hand-in-hand like Rhonda & Angie @ the thrift, Pammy & Jim, peanut butter & jelly, fish & chips, guacamole & chips, so on and so forth.

Tuesday night was our tutoring finale!  The children had been working all school year earning "Walmart dollars."  We loaded up the church van & other vehicular transports and took the 18 (or so students) and adults to Walmart where the children got to spend their hard-earned giftcards.  

We spent 40 minutes in Walmart and buying coffee never once crossed my pretty little head.

Perhaps the thought never occurred to me because the tutoree I was shopping with wanted to stay in the craft section.  *sigh*  A girl after my own heart...craft supplies.

Needless to say - I did not remember the lacking regular coffee until I was already home, my face was washed, and I was in my jammies.  

To get dressed and go back out???  Hmmmmmm...

No.  I decided I would suck it up and have decaf in the morning and hit the Dunkin Donuts by my place of employment and BONUS -- I had a free drink receipt!!!!  

I love how careful Dunkin Donuts is about gluten.  They have signs "Tell us about your food allergy."  At the one by my place of employment, they wash their hands and wear gloves.  The afternoon gal (we are practically friends) talks about her mom's gluten allergy.  This gal even goes so far as to wipe down the major parts of the machine.  She whispers, "I take no chances with that evil thing!"  It warms my heart...figuratively and well, the coffee warms it for real.  Wait - does it really warm my heart or does it just cause my heart to happily beat?  Hmmm...that's something to think about.

Any-whooo...  

Wednesday night when I was done babysitting the fabulous Delaney kiddos, I ran to Meijer to get catfood and a hilarious Easter card for a friend.  And guess what I left Meijer without?  COFFEE!!!  And when did I realize the missing coffee...when I was home, showered, jammie-ed, and ready for bed.  

*sigh*

Thursday morning would be a green tea extravaganza!!!  I mean green tea has some caffeine in it, right?  RIGHT!!!!  And I love the antioxidants.

Thursday morning - 2 mugs of green tea and I'm not going to lie...I stopped at Starbucks.  Why regular coffee?  Because Wednesday around 4ish, I had a slight freak-out (READ:  NERVOUS LAUGHTER FOR LIKE AN HOUR!) because we get Good Friday off and I realized I did not get everything done...even though I spent the day performing task after task.  I was checking stuff off my to do list like an OVER-CAFFEINATED rockstar that I sometimes am.  Also - it should be noted that due to the ridiculousness of my to do list, I wrote "DRINK COFFEE" at the very top so that at 8:07 a.m. I could check something off.  It was a total sense of accomplishment.  

And now it's today...Friday.  Since I'm off today, I got up early and went to Woodman's before (as I told my mother) "it gets nutso there!"  Morning grocery shopping is my preference...and make no mistake, I WANTED SOME COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Done.

It means "complete" or "finished."  

I'm done.

My superhero cape has been removed.  It's been laundered and is neatly folded and tucked inside my dresser drawer.  I'm going to give it a rest for a bit.  

I have no intention of putting it on.  I'm going to turn back into a girlie version of Clark Kent and put on my nerd girl glasses and sit back and watch what happens.  

Being an observer is fantastic.

It takes the heat off of me to save the day.

It puts the world into another rhythm where I don't have to save the day.  It reveals the facts - so many facts about what really happens in the real world.

If I'm not wearing a cape, I'm just Angie Good...the girl who loves Jesus, coffee, and the thrift.  I'm not trying to save the world, one file at a time.  

I'm just making copies and answering the phone and directing people to the proper forms.

I like this non-superhero Angie.  I like that she's relaxed.  I like that she's going to observe.  I like this being done-ness.  

It's a relaxing, slightly invigorating feeling.

I'm going to run with it.  RUN!  Hahahahahahaha...no, not run.  I don't run. 

I'm going to sit back and watch things unfold.  I'm going to watch the TRUTH come forth and I cannot wait to have a front row seat for this show!!!

The weekend

Since it's the official ending of the weekend and a new week is just about to begin, I thought I would recap the past 2.5 days.

Friday - after wrapping up my work week, I bypassed the gym and went straight home and cleaned out my guest room closet.  It needed to be cleaned out because over the course of three years, it has become a catch-all...and I knew there was stuff hidden in the depths that I had not used nor needed in the last 36 months so why in the world am I holding on this stuff?  No idea.  

My first task was to pull out 5 plastic stackable storage containers.  I went through them and moved Christmas gift bags to the Christmas box.  I sorted through all my birthday gift bags and threw out torn or ripped ones.  I threw out other random things that were not worthy of the thrift.  

Three trash bags and I unearthed something maybe growing in the corner.  {Before my sweet mother has a coronary, I have since scrubbed the spot with some cleaner and it's fine.  The growth has been removed.  Ick!}  

I went through and removed 3 I-won't-wear-this items from my spring/summer wardrobe.  This wardrobe for the most part is housed in the guestroom when not in my closet.  

Somewhere inbetween the sorting and throwing away, the sun came out from behind a weeks-worth of clouds.  IT WAS GLORIOUS TO SEE THE BALL OF FIRE IN THE SKY!!!!!  

My wild Friday night ended with reading.

Saturday dawned bright and early and full of coffee.  After proper caffeination, I headed to Meijers and then Woodmans.  After Woodmans, my sweet little Corolla brought me home to put away the groceries and whatnot.  After grocery putting away, I ran to Ulta where I was disappointed.  From Ulta, I went to the library.

Have I mentioned just HOW MUCH I love the library????  I do.  I do so very much love the library.  I checked out three books although my heart wanted a dozen.  My brain said, "You do not have time for that!"  My heart said, "Oh come on, they're books!"  My brain won this battle but I know my heart will win the war.

After the library I ran home and whipped up (for the first time in life) egg salad.  Here's the deal - I love egg salad.  I have no idea why I'm my current age and I am just now making egg salad.  I made egg salad with avocado.  Thanks Pinterest!!!!!

After egg salad, I broke out my springy cotton yarn.  This reminds me that I forgot to mention that after my Ulta disappointment, I went to Hobby Lobby and picked-up three skeins of cotton yarn.  It might seem more expensive than Sugar and Cream cotton yarn, but the Hobby Lobby stuff has more yardage which means MORE DISHCLOTHS!!!!!  I opted for a springy rainbow.  I have 4 dishcloths.  Yeah, I binge-knitted.  I will probably be one of those old ladies with claw hands (picture me doing lobster claws with my hands).  Maybe if I am struck with claws, I could come up with some cool claw mittens.  I COULD KNIT THEM...you know since I'm going to take one for the team and be clawed.

I digress.

At 3ish I met my coworker/friend at Rock Cut State Park and we walked the paths for almost 2.5 hours.  We didn't really track how far we went...it's just safe to say that we went quite some distance because one of us had flaming sore feet while the other one had a really sore ankle today.  It was glorious to be out-of-doors on a sunny Saturday.  

Saturday night was a rager.  All the knitting and reading and Netflix half-watching/half-listening.  

Sunday morning church was a such an encouragement.  Pastor John ended the James study with the last 2 verses.  *sigh*  I love James.  He casually mentioned he might recap the whole book next week (YEAH!).  

After church since my ankle was bit sore from all the trail walking, I ran a couple smallish errands (went back to Meijer for gas and for 4 things I forgot) and then I came home and painted my toenails.  YES - SPRING IS FINALLY HERE!!!!!  Since it has arrived, I thought what better way to welcome spring than to paint my toenails a lovely springy coral-orange color.  

Once my toenails were painted, I kicked back and relaxed the afternoon away.  Kicked back and relaxed is code for knitted and enjoyed the quiet.

Tonight my small group met at Culver's for supper and then we went to church for an hour of prayer for Easter.  It was such a wonderful encouragement to come together as a church family and pray interspersed with praise and worship songs.  My heart is full.

And now my coffeemaker is ready for its big debute tomorrow morning when it brews me some liquid love in a pot.  

I should pick out what I'm going to wear tomorrow...I have an idea, mostly because I hear Rhonda (which last weekend Starbucks wrote her name as "Honda" and I cannot stop laughing about that!) saying, "Do yourself a favor and wear a skirt!!!!!"  Such wonderful words of wisdom.

Oh and it should be noted - I exercised great amounts of self-control this weekend when I did not once darken the door of a thrift.  I wanted too...but then I remembered the upcoming sibling shenanigans and Bryan's research showing many lovely consignment shops interspersed amongst the very vintage-yet-Hipster downtown Boston.  Yes, BOSTON!!!!  Forget pronouncing R's cause we are going out East!!!!  Pak the cah in the yad.  :)  

Thessalonians

Earlier today I was reading Titus 2 - I've been there for some time now; my life group has been studying this Epistle (it's an Epistle, right?) since the first of the year and now Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth's book Adorned is delving into Titus in my ponder-this time.  When I finished re-reading Titus 2, I turned back a few pages and began reading I Thessalonians.  I'm not really sure why I went to Thessalonians.  Probably because it was not so very far away from Titus and I do like Paul's letters.  

Thessalonians - what a little goldmine of truth.  I got through the first three(ish) chapters.  It warmed my heart to read Paul's letter encouraging this church to keep on keeping on.  Isn't it what we need TODAY?  Just keep on keeping on.  And then the Titus study about adorning the Gospel.  Wow!  Just wow!!!!  

This morning was one of those mornings full of coffee and a not-rushedness and leisure Bible reading.  I had no place particular to be until noon-ish.  

Quiet, coffee-filled, Jesus-filled mornings are my favorite weekend mornings.  

Contentment

While catching-up with two dear friends on Friday evening, one of them was asking about any prospects at my new church and if I had considered online dating.  I smiled and said, "No and I'm ok with it."

She paused and then sweetly said, 

"Contentment looks 

good on you, Angie."

Creative juices

Before you check out my very artsy Sunday afternoon picture, I want you to know the truth.  

The picture you are about to view is not my attempt at showing you that I, Angela Good, have my life together. 

It is not to make you think that I have arrived.

It is not to say to the world that I did my devotions today.

This picture represents a weekend of me embracing the REAL me.  The girl who needs to escape from work responsibilities.  The girl who needs to meander through a craft show.  The girl who wants to mark up and make creative notes in her Bible.  The girl who wants to know more about Jesus and journal her journey for the likes of the younger gals who come behind her. 

Yep.  That's it.

That's me.

Just a girl and God's Word and some amazing craft supplies...just growing in grace and drinking decaf coffee.

Our mouths are attached to our hearts.

Do you ever sit in church service listening to a message that intertwines with your heart and convicts you on a level that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God gave that message to your pastor so that he in-turn would speak that message to you?  

This morning Pastor John picked back up in James chapter 3 and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that today's message was specifically for ME and my sinful heart.  

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.


Things to consider...
1. (v. 1)  Limit your audience.  
- Right from the get-go, teachers will be accountable with a greater strictness.  Why?  Pupils are vulnerable.  They are easily swayed. 
- Remember your audience on all forms of social media.  On social media, I am a representative of Jesus and all He has done in my life.

2. (v. 5)  Get to the heart of the tongue..
Dynamite comes in small packages.  Little things do matter. It's not that the writer of James just blows it off by saying, your tongue is small so don't worry about what you say.  No - quite contrare!  God gives us examples of fires and ships.  Both are effected by "small things."  Our "small words" matter.

Luke 6:45 states: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Clearly we cannot separate our tongues from our hearts.  They are intertwined.  

Slander and gossip are destructive.  Both actions do not represent the heart of God.  As a Christian, I represent God.  My representation of Him should matter to me.

3. (v. 9)  Repent of your divided heart.  

- Unruly means restless

Do not bless God and curse people made in His image.  This is why I love the thought-provoking sentiment near the end of the passage that asks if a fountain can contain both salt and fresh water. 

Repenting of my divided heart is a choice.  

A. Do not excuse your sin under Romans 3:23 "All have sinned..."  Yes, all have sinned but shouldn't my heart's desire to be to represent Jesus to the unsaved world?  

* God is offended when I hurl arrows at others. *

B. Acknowledge my divided heart as the sin that it is.  Realize I cannot change my divided heart...only God can change me.  Only God can help me.  

I am saved and am not Home yet.  My "job" is to put God on display!  I'm His ambassador here!