Seasons and changes

Fall colors have been simply stunning! These leaves are on a tree two houses down the street from us.

Reds, oranges, yellows....beautiful!


We hung new curtains in our living room!


Paul and I found one more thing we agree on: We both love autumn! It's our favorite season, and we are trying hard to make time to go for walks through our neighborhood to enjoy the stunning colors of fall before...brrr....winter sets in.

A lot of change has transpired in our lives this fall; Paul is student-teaching, and any teachers out there know that while it can be wonderful, it is a LOT of work and can be very stressful! He has 6 weeks remaining before we get to CELEBRATE his completion of his Masters in Elementary Ed! Woo hoo! (Now we just need to pray the Lord opens up HIS perfect job for Paul!)

I have taken on more students through Writeathome.com
and I am enjoying the challenges that brings, including the challenge of needing to get out and be social since this is an online job. I'm also enjoying ministry with Theophostic Prayer Ministry as well as the various other doors the Lord continues to open ministry-wise.

We were blessed with an unexpected surprise from the IRS and so were able to get a few new appliances for our kitchen, which we really needed since some of the ones we replaced were quickly becoming less functional. God is such a great provider at just the right times!

Finally, I want to give a shout-out to my precious friend Kati, who called me when she was in the U.S. and made my entire week! Thank you dear one! The only thing that would have made it better would have been to see you face t0 face, but I will take what I can get!

Thriving in challenging times

All of us are feeling the crunch of life as we now know it, which is very different than even three or four years ago. In the midst of this new way of life, I've found a wonderful way to take care of my own family, bless others, and be healthy in the midst of it.

Enter Thrive Foods and Shelf Reliance. Yes, I realize this sounds like a plug for my new business venture, and in a way it is. Why? Because for someone like me, who sees the rising food prices, who regularly ends up tossing food out from the fridge because it goes bad, and who wants to be a blessing to others, this business is a great one.

Reading in Proverbs 21 this morning, the last verse in that chapter says, "The horse is made ready for the battle, but deliverance comes from the Lord." I stopped in my tracks, so to say, and meditated for a bit on this verse, especially the first half. 'The horse is made ready for the battle.' A horse must be prepared. He cannot sit in the barn all day eating, standing, sleeping, and being lazy if he is to be prepared for battle. Likewise, we must be prepared for battle, whether it is the battle of every day life, or the battle of when the power goes off for 3 days or a week or even longer. What about the battle of when I or my husband no longer has a job? Or the battle when the stock market plummets again and people's savings are gone? There are battles that cannot be imagined or even fathomed, and are we prepared?

I love the second part of the verse too: 'Deliverance comes from the Lord.' Yes, indeed, God will deliver, and I know this. However, to me it appears the verse teaches that there is preparation of the "horse" involved as well.

Enter Shelf Reliance and Thrive Foods. This is the simple, straight-forward way of preparing for the battle, while recognizing that deliverance is from the Lord. I don't know about you, but I want to be a blessing to others in times of need and not a deficit. I want my 'horse' prepared in the form of good-tasting, nutritional food and water and emergency supplies so that when the battle hits, and others are hurting and in need, I can be a blessing as a child of God, who brings ultimate deliverance to them and me.

So, without belaboring the point, have a look at my website here
and if you find yourself interested in ordering or even becoming a part of this ever-growing network marketing company, let me know. We are so blessed, so let's look to be a blessing to those around us!

Former student's thoughts

When I walked in the 10th grade English classroom at The Covenant School in Charlottesville, VA, I distinctly remember one young man who greeted me with a winning smile, a genuine heart and a true love for Jesus.

I encourage you to read his blog here: http://www.jrbriggs.com/

I was especially encouraged by his entry about discipleship. Our church is going through some stretching and growing, desiring to live intentionally, just as Jesus did with everyone He met. my former student, J.R. Briggs, is living out life with intentionality.

Fall pix

While Paul was repairing the gutter on our home, he spied this Monarch butterfly feasting on our Zinias. :-)

The holidays are just around the corner

It's only October, and yet 2 weeks ago, at the beginning of the month, I walked into a CVS and saw CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS for sale! Ridiculous I thought, but in reality, people love to get a jump start on the holidays.

To that end, I want to encourage you to click on the title of my blog above. It will link you to a site where you can shop online, book travel for the holidays, and save money. Why should you shop on this site? Well, first, you receive discounts on everything you purchase. Second, it's a conglomeration of MANY stores so it is easy, one-stop shopping. Third, you would be helping me and Paul as this is a business for us. Fourth, you can save time and money and get a head start on all your holiday shopping needs while never leaving your home!

Have fun and thanks for at least checking it out, even if you don't decide to buy anything. Feel free to bookmark the site so you can come back to it later if you decide to do so!

• http://www.chazzuu.com

It's Autumn in KC

On the way to Shiloh.

Taking time out of our busy days to be with each other and enjoy God's sweet creation!

This picture doesn't do the colors justice! :-)

Paul, collecting cat tails!

I continue to find that America is a very busy nation. One can run and run and run days on end without stopping if one is not careful. I'm so thankful to be married to a man who enjoys the outdoors and takes time to rest, rejuvenate and relax. We so needed this afternoon at Shiloh, taking a walk and enjoying the change of seasons.

My friends ministering in Bulgaria

Please click on the title of this blog or on the link below to see stories from my friends, Cindy and Steve Seabury who are ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Turkey and Bulgaria! Let this encourage your hearts to pray and be SENDERS!

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Some thoughts from morning prayer at Deeper Waters

I love my Deeper Waters family! Whenever I am able to attend morning prayer, I go and every time, God shows up and blesses me and everyone in the room! This morning was no different. I'm tossing out some thoughts that were spoken, for readers to ponder:

"The enemy tries to defile what God has declared to be good."

"When a thought enters in or a word is spoken, stop and ask: 'Is that really a thought-pattern from God?'"

"There was an energy from heaven that moved the Son of God, not an adrenalin rush."

"A doctor in a psychiatric hospital in Germany reported that half of his patients have been healed through adoration of the Lord."

Father, we want to declare Your goodness in the land of the living, to those who ARE living, and to those who are struggling to live. May we adore You first, last and in between with everything within us, to the glory of Jesus alone, amen!

The Gospel and the Kingdom

We were challenged this morning to communicate the Gospel to someone in just 30 seconds. Could you do that?

Second, what does it look like to live out the Kingdom of Jesus Christ here on earth?

Would love to hear some comments!

Love and honor

Nearly two and a half years ago now, groups of friends in Szeged, Hungary loved me well. I had a number of "circles" of friends as a result of teaching in a local high school, helping to lead an international Christian fellowship, serving at a local children's home, and serving local churches. If I remember correctly, three different very special going-away parties were thrown for me by various circles of friends. I was reminded of those parties this weekend as I helped to throw a going away party for friends here in Kansas City.

I supposed I was struck this weekend, in a positive way, by how amazingly I was loved by my Hungarian and international friends in Hungary. I knew that and know that still, but was made acutely aware of it again as we celebrated these wonderful Kansas City friends.

I remember walking through the gate of my friends' home in Hungary and being greeted by over 75 people from various churches across the city as they sang a worship song and surprised me with my first of the three parties. I stood and cried, feeling very loved by all of these precious friends. Similarly, I recall arriving at my friend Krisztina's home, walking through the gate to their backyard and hearing "Surprise!!" yelled by more than 20 colleagues from my school...Again, I stood there, humbled, completely surprised (which is hard to do) and feeling super loved.

These memories came flooding back because I was loved sooooooooooo well by all of these people....SO WELL. At the time, I don't think I realize just how well I was loved and honored. That reality of honor and love came screaming back to the surface this weekend as my precious friends here, who are moving away, were loved and honored by some of their friends.