Home Plate

It all starts at Home Plate.

The baseball hits the bat with a “crack!” and the hitter is off and running. He watches the ball soar into the air and becomes more confident with each passing second. Sure enough, it’s a single and the crowd cheers! Like that hitter, we’re at home plate looking down the baseline, ready to make the hit!  Over the coming weeks, we’ll see how to run the diamond, but...
before we push off from home plate, let’s be sure we’ve got this: Home plate is our connection and dependence on God. It’s where He grows us up spiritually. He wants more for us and loves us more than we can possibly imagine. Learning about God through consistently reading the Bible and communicating with Him through continuous prayer gives us strength to live a life for His purpose, by His power, trusting and depending in Him alone. Growing up spiritually is the opposite of growing up in the world. In the world, growing up means becoming more independent. Spiritually, growing up means becoming more dependent on God. When we start there, we have all that we need to make it to first base and beyond.

But it all starts at home plate and then the bases are followed in order to live life to the fullest. After all, a player would be thrown out of the game if they decided to run the bases backwards or out of sequence. Similarly, as Christians, home plate needs to be established first, as this is the foundation that everything else is built on.  

So, what are we waiting for? We have the knowledge and tools to score big, to bring lives to Christ and to bring glory to God’s name.  

READ, THINK and LIVE… Read and apply the Bible.

1. Jesus highlighted the greatest commandment and our main purpose in life when he was speaking with the Pharisees.

Question: What is your main purpose in life? How can understanding that purpose help you get to first base?

Matthew 22:37 (New Living Translation)

Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”

Answer:

Think back over this week. Is God prompting you in any particular way to act or think differently? What verse or key thought has impacted you the most?

PRAY… God, what do you want me to know and do?

Ask God to reveal to you where you are in “the game” and how you can progress to the next base. Thank Him for giving us a perfect example of a home run life – Jesus Christ.

Questions for Discussion— Try these in a group, with friends or at the dinner table.

1. Do you have an event or moment from your past that seems to be defining your future? A dream that hasn’t been fulfilled, or is now dead or dying? What was it and what has been your response?
2. Barb shared that living a Home Run Life starts at home plate with our connection to God. If you were asked to describe your spiritual batting average, where 1.000 means you feel connected to God 100% of the time and .000 means you have never felt connected to God, what number would you say describes you? Explain.
3. Which best describes the way you‘ve been approaching life up to this point? Discuss.

– The EMPTY life (Your purpose with your power).

– The UNFULFILLED life (Your purpose with God’s power).

– The FRUSTRATING life (God’s purpose with your power).

– The FULFILLING life (God’s purpose with God’s power).

4. What do you think it will take to trust God more, to start at home plate in the way God desires for your life?

Prayer Is the Mental Game

Big Point: Persistent prayer is the key to overcoming frustration in life.  Mistakes or errors occur every day in baseball, but many players don’t have the mental game that allows them to let go of errors and this hurts their chances for success.  —Mike Edger

Mike Edger, writer for Sports Psychology today, shares in his article, “Letting Go of Errors and Mistakes”: Errors such...
as missing a throw, botching a simple ground ball, striking out at the plate, or dropping a pop up occur all the time in baseball. Nobody is perfect, therefore errors are just another part of the game. However, these errors often become a huge mental barrier for athletes who cannot cope with mistakes, and as a result it affects their performance. In many cases…these athletes will become frustrated and shut down for the remainder of the game.

Hanging onto our sins can have the same effect in our life and it usually snowballs. By taking time to pray though, we can keep our focus.

Prayer is the true connection with God. Combine that with spending time in His Word and you are learning how to communicate and connect with God. We have to talk with Him. At first, this can seem intimidating but with practice, it gets easier. A simple, easy to remember prayer model and acronym to use is ACTS: for adoration, confession, thanks and stuff. Myers shares that a friend started by spending two minutes on each prayer area and, at first, two minutes seemed REALLY long. But after awhile, it wasn’t enough time to even scratch the surface.

When we pray and give all of our mistakes to God, accepting His grace and forgiveness in return, we can move on and live a better life. The key is to keep your focus on Him. What an amazing feeling to know that you can say anything at all and you will be understood, empathized with and forgiven.

READ and THINK….What does the Bible say?

1. In this verse, the apostle Peter is telling us that we can trust God with all of our worries, concerns and cares.

Question: Who are we to give our worries to? Why?

1 Peter 5:7 (New Living Translation)Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Answer:

2. In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he is talking about daily life and the way to live it with Christ at the center. The point is not that men should do nothing but pray, but that nothing else we do should hinder prayer.

Question: When should we pray? When should we stop?

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (New Living Translation)Never stop praying.

Answer:

3. Here, Paul is telling us that no matter what our circumstances might be, God will give us peace if we invite Him into the situation.

Question: What will happen if you present your problems to God? 

Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version)⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Answer:

LIVE … What will you do now?Based on the verse from 1 Peter, what approach should you take with your worries?

In what way can the ACTS acronym be either a starting place for prayer or a way to deepen your current prayer life?

What situation in your life do you need to invite God into today? How can you do that with thankfulness and gratitude?

How would your frustration and stress level change if you completely trusted and took the advice in these verses?

PRAY … God, what do you want me to know and do?Spend two minutes in one of the areas of ACTS (adoration, confession, thanks or stuff.) Set a timer if you need to. If prayer is already a regular part of your life, spend time in an area where you typically don’t spend as much time.

How Exciting - I Just Had to Share

Young Living is thrilled to announce a brand-new interactive tool for our customers that will help share the benefits of Young Living Founder and CEO D. Gary Young’s Raindrop Technique^® with the world. Come experience RaindropTechnique.com, an...
intuitive, informative website that offers detailed instruction, as well as historical background and product information related to this transformational essential oil technique.  RaindropTechnique.com is a great way for you to showcase the amazing benefits of Gary's exclusive technique with your team and with contacts. The site is an immersive experience for all levels—from beginners to those who want to brush up on their Raindrop training.
 
Be sure to explore this exciting new resource where you can get valuable information that will help you share the Young Living message in a new way. For more information about the products used for the Raindrop Technique, please visit YoungLiving.com.
 
Best regards, 
The Young Living Team

Welcome to the...

Young Living Raindrop Technique Website

*          *          *          *          *

I've told you how much I love the Young Living Raindrop Technique and how much it's done for me over the years...now you can read all about it by following the link above.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

Have a blessed day!

How To Make Your Own Personalized Favicon Tutorial

Oh, I had so much fun making this Favicon {while my Pups are away being groomed by Aunt Linda}, which I use on my Blog...and anywhere else I can.  First thing I did was dig through png(s) that I've purchased of crowns and Pups...and I found one pup that looked like 2 of mine...and it was an outline and easily converted into a png.  Google "making a png" on whatever Editor you may have.  I used Photoscape, which is Free and easily downloaded to your computer Here.  I've used Photoscape for years and get their...
updated versions and they always work.  

Open PicMonkey and click on Design.  Select Transparent Canvas and Apply.  Click on the Butterfly (overlays) in the left column and then click Your Own...and then select the location (mine were on My Computer) and select your first photo.  In this case, it was my crown.  Repeat for a 2nd overlay, like my Pup.  I applied my Pup to the Crown, adjusting to get sizing correct.  Then I cropped the photo in a square...mine was 380x380.  And I saved it.  To make it small enough for a Favicon, I resized it to 100x100 and also saved that image.

Then I went to my Blog Layout...Favicon in the top left and uploaded the smaller image...and Presto, there it is.  If you have a Blog Roll on your Blog and have Icons selected to appear, you will see my Favicon and all of the other Favicons other Blogs use.  I like them, because I can always quickly scan my Blog Roll, for my Favorite Blogs!  I actually wish more Bloggers used these little things.

While I was on PicMonkey with the Favicon, I decided to make a Watermark for my Pictures that appear on my Blog.  This is what I came up with.

 

And a couple of pictures with these applied...

Have a wonderful day!

Adorable Paintings - Cindy Austin

For my first Fun With Friends Post, I'd like to introduce you to Cindy Austin's beautiful Art!  It's the cutest I've seen in a long time.  And it's Farm Animals!  I love the Lamb with the curly hair, looking between the fence slats...and the Cow is especially cute, too!  If you love these 2 paintings, be sure to check out Cindy Austin's Etsy Shop - She also has a Blog called Cindy's Fractured Fairy Tale.  If you love the 2 paintings I've shared with you here...

from her Etsy Shop...you'll want to find out how Cindy Austin begins one of her paintings...and all that goes into finishing it too!  AND...while you're there you HAVE to meet "Lily and Estelle" - they are friends.  You will find them Here.

Dealing With the Ruts

by Ron Rose 

The LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says:] "For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert!" (Isaiah 43:19NLT

Hear the story

"If Ed, or I, got sick, we'd be in big trouble." Maura began. "I'm a...
waitress at a steak house,  plus I do catering jobs when I can. My husband owns a small auto body shop, and we have two sons, eight and ten. For most of our married life it's all been about working hard and paying bills. It's the same old thing every week."

Like millions of people Maura and Ed have it just good enough that they pray daily that nothing changes. Their life is like a dance routine. Everyone has to know the steps.

Then one morning it happened. Maura didn't want to get out of bed. She wasn't tired, mind you, her "want to" just stopped working. She felt trapped in a giant rut. "I wanted to scream," Maura said. "I felt like this was it, nothing was ever, ever going to change, because nothing can change."

She began having fantasies about walking away from the whole thing. She'd hear about towns in the news, an explosion in Cheyenne, or a teacher's strike in Baton Rouge, and she'd wonder what it's like to live there. But her secret boredom was about to break into the open.

One day, Maura was having lunch with a group of ladies and out of nowhere Liz blurted out, "You know sometimes I could just scream. I'm soooo bored."

The light was turned on and secrets revealed. All of them were bored ... literally to tears.

So they started talking about what they were going to do about it. They filled the lunchtime with crazy dreams of things they could do to get out of boredom. It was exciting, but no one really did anything.

Then weeks later, Maura took some little steps. She joined a gym in the next town, and signed up for classes. She cut her hair short and planned a girl trip to New York. They saw a show, shopped on Fifth Avenue (window shopping). And, they all scared their husbands a little. "I think God was telling me something in all those little things," Maura said. "He doesn't want us to get bored with life. He made us for joy. I just needed to feel a little more of that joy. So God opened my eyes."

Maura got the ladies to form an "Out-of-the-Rut" lunch group. Once a month they meet and do something new (for others). They do "off-the-wall secret projects" for people they hear about. Don't tell anybody. Oh, and they have fun, lots of it. 

Find the story

 Get together with a group of friends and talk about ruts. Call it a "getting out of the rut" evening. Listen to the stories of routine and the hints of boredom.

Discover the "out-of-the-rut" strategies that have worked for others. Begin a list of these ideas and keep adding to them. 

Be the story

 Some people like it in the rut.  Use Your Imagination. Ask "What If?" Be a little more wacky. Break the rules — try a different approach. Combine Ideas. Think Like a Kid. Pause and pray.  You can't get out of the rut doing the same things over and over expecting the results to change. To get out of the rut you have to go 90 degrees one way or the other. Be different. Try it ... look for God's hand and take it. 

Quote of the week

 Some people like it in the rut. They always know what to expect. In "The Making of a Mediator," by Michael Lang and Alison Taylor, the authors encourage the readers to change their thinking of the rut ... they ask that we think of it as a groove.

The best footballer, the best ballerina and the best musician can have marvelous days and off days. They have performances or matches when they are constantly brilliant and others where they can't seem to get their feet untangled. So I don't think about the goal of achieving perfection, but as a commitment to lifelong learning; of always being open to new experiences, new ideas, and new tests for each of us.... There is always something more to learn.

So, if we like the ruts, does that mean we are closed to new things? 

Ron's Faith Challenge

Several years ago, Roger von Oech wrote his famous "A Whack on the Side of the Head" book. Through the years, he has helped thousands to discover creativity. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in a self-conceived interdisciplinary program in the History of Ideas.

Although this book is not written with the goal of growing faith or experiencing God, it is a valuable read. The chapter on cultivating imagination is especially helpful.

He suggests that each of us should set aside time to ask ourselves "what if" questions. In order to move beyond everyday thinking, we are also encouraged to develop the explorer's attitude: Wherever you go, there are ideas waiting to be discovered and cultivated.

That's life with God ... I think!

Von Oech also loves using metaphors and proverbs in his book. One of my favorites, used in the chapter titled, "Don't Be Foolish" is: The nail that sticks up will be hammered down. How many times have you felt like that? Many times, the nature of one's thought process is to not be known as the "odd ball." Too many times we react in a conformist fashion, limiting the possibility of an "unthinkable" idea.   

_        _        _        _        _

Know what I'm doing this week?  

I'm asking myself some "what if" questions - looking for new experiences and getting out of the rut I've been in for years.

How did I get in this rut?

Well, it all started when I got Bell's Palsy...when I was too sick to move, much less do much of anything.  It developed into my staying at home ALOT!  Not going out of the house often!

It continued because it felt safer, because I was here for the Pups and I didn't have to leave them with Hubster.

I know there are many things that I've allowed to hold me back...something I've never done at any other point in my life...and I don't want that to continue!!

What do you want to change in your life?  What "What If" questions will you be asking yourself?  Please share with me.

xoxo

Wayfair Shopping Review - Accent Chest

I'm in LOVE with this beautiful Pulaski Furniture, Artistic Expression Hand-Painted 4 Drawer Accent Chest.  I found this beauty at Wayfair - on-line, never having to leave the comfort of my own home!  [I absolutely love shopping on-line!]  As you can see, it has 4 drawers and a pull-out shelf at the top.  It's color is Black Onyx, with this gorgeous Bronzey-Gold hand-painted design [in person, it's not quite as pronounced design as shown here].  But, that's OK, I really had hoped it would be a little less brilliant when I got it.  It is very well made and has antique brass hardware.  Delivery was very quick...

 I ordered it late on the 18th and it was here on the 23rd.  Its' dimensions are 31" H x 26" W x 17" D and it weighs a whopping 81 pounds!

 

 

There were, however a couple of problems with the chest when it arrived.  There was a nasty looking repair done to the front of the top drawer...and it was very gray looking, rather than the Black Onyx {pix #1 in collage}.

I sent the service department an email with a couple of photos and quickly received an apology and was told that they would be shipping a new chest to me and that I'd receive the tracking information on it when it was delivered.  

A few days later, it arrived.

Sadly, it had more problems than the first one {see photos with red areas in 4 photos in collage}.

I was able to take the top drawer of the 2nd chest and use it in the 1st chest - but the design pattern didn't line up from the chest to that drawer very well...but it looked OK.

 {excuse the lighting in these photos in a dark room...and the dusty white stuff all over...it's from the packaging materials}

I wrote back and told them that...and asked what they were going to do about the damaged chest, since they hadn't mentioned anything and I was told to either toss it or donate it, whatever I wanted to do with it, because the service department didn't want it back.

So, I figured I had nothing to lose...and I took the damaged drawer, that matched Chest #1 and worked on it...using Annie Sloan Dark Soft Wax and a cloth and rubbed a bit on to the damaged area of the drawer...and then buffed it out.  It pretty much hid all of the damage...but a bit remains {see the larger photo in the collage above}.  Perhpas I'll try rubbing some more on the spot tomorrow.  However, the chest doesn't face the light from a window and even in lamp light in the room, it's fairly well concealed.  I'm happy with that.  I even fixed another mar on the side of the chest with the same wax.  I had mentioned trying that to Wayfair Service and they said that wasn't necessary that they would just send a new chest.  Here's the photo - same shot as above minus the damage.

So, with the other badly damaged chest, I guess I'll try my hand at fixing it...or maybe even painting it.  We'll see.  You can never have too many chests with drawers around the house.

Overall, I had a great experience with Wayfair and will shop there again.

I did NOT receive anything for this review...these are my true feelings about this shopping experience. 

Look What I Woke To This Morning...

Not what I wanted to see again this Spring!  We won't get much, it's supposed to change to rain...but it will be colder for several days, only making it to the low 30's.  This winter has seemed so long...between all that's happened here at Jan's Place with Doctors' appointments and all of the snow and shoveling.  It just seems like we've had snow most every day.  I know we haven't, but it feels that way.  I can't wait for warm weather and clear blue sky...

and the sun.  I also can't wait for health to return to my hubby.  Come on Spring............Get Here!

Alert to Satan's Tactics

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God... in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes (Ephesians 6:10-13; 2 Corinthians 2:11).
Comedian Flip Wilson made a fortune with this line: "The Devil made me do it!" And I...

for one will not deny that Satan seduces, captures, and enslaves people by his crafty schemes. He can seduce us into horribly bad situations.

What I can't accept is that he wreaks his havoc independently of our human wills. I don't grant the claim that he moves in and takes over a human life without an individual's "permission" — whether overt or, more often, implied.

I'm no expert on the Devil. (Who would want that distinction!) But I am convinced that his best work is subtle, indirect, and masked with respectability. He doesn't just work "out there" in the world but shows up in our churches more regularly than some of our members do.

He is there to remind us of hedonistic pleasures still there for the taking. He stirs up ego and initiates power plays. He tempts us to betray our covenant commitments as the bride of Christ and wants to spoil our relationship with God by luring us into a romance with the world that amounts to spiritual adultery.

Satan wants us to believe that church attendance makes us very religious, even though some may be deeply unspiritual as racists or sexists in the way we see and deal w

ith others.

I don't grant the claim that he moves in and takes over a human life without an individual's "permission"!

Old Scratch would like for you to be viewed as a dynamic and respected leader in your community while you are unloving, detached, or abusive at home.

Satan whispers the lie into Christian ears that we can teach and counsel others with Scripture and then justify ourselves for not living by it personally.

The Prince of Darkness loves people who can quote Scripture with chapter-and-verse accuracy but are oblivious to their bad tempers or harsh and judgmental spirit.

Beelzebub is never offended by the people who volunteer quickly and appear cooperative at church but grumble and complain the whole time they are following through.

Satan's wicked intention is the bad news. The good news is that Satan can't make you go there.

You have the choice to "resist" his advances — with the promise that he will then flee from you. Two things will always mark effective resistance to the Devil. First, all excuse-making and defensiveness ends. Second, passionate love for God compels you to draw near to the one who has already loved you enough to die for you.

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world (James 4:7-8 NLT).

Cinnamon Vanilla Whipped Body Butter

Jody Smith from A Cultivated Nest Blog has made this yummy sounding Body Butter and shares the Recipe with us...TUTORIAL