Three more weeks...

I have three weeks left of my summer break! I am going to savor every minute! I am so thankful to have a job I love, doing speech therapy, with wonderful breaks, hours, and holidays! I am blessed. I truly have the best of both worlds. I love being a pastor's wife AND I love having a professional job as well. I do love the congregation of members at First Baptist and I am so grateful for the amazing friendships we have there. The people are what make up "the church" and we are blessed with so many kind and sincere people who are serious about joining God at work in Grand Prairie!
OK, three weeks left before heading back to my caseload on three school campuses with awesome co-workers and precious students to help! What do I want to accomplish before heading back to that routine?
I want to get Bill's desk chair recovered, the leak fixed in the study, and I want to stroll the Dallas Arboretum and have a picnic there again with Bill (if we can find a time it's not too hot!). I want to finish the book I am reading, "Take Four" by Karen Kingsbury. I want to go to Houston and visit my daughter and we are going to take in some Astro's games too! I have three days I have to attend trainings for work and we have one more summer wedding to attend. Oh, and my new kitchen floor goes in next Monday! Thank you Farmer's insurance after my old dishwasher ruined the old wood floor! I'd also like to learn to shoot a gun and eventually buy and pack a pistol just for safety when I am on the road to Houston or driving on my own around the metroplex but that is not urgent, just a "want". I may wait to fulfill that "want" until the Fall. My bigger brother finds this absolutely hilarious! I am so glad to give him a silly thought and make him laugh so hard he can hardly walk! His baby sister wanting to pack heat, makes him laugh until he cries! This makes me smile!
hmmmmm..... That was a huge sign of contentment. I am just so happy, content, relaxed, and thankful. I am proud of my husband and kids, I love my job yet I am thrilled with my plan to retire from TRS in 3 years and then work maybe just 2 days a week doing speech therapy. I am loving joining God at work in Grand Prairie and at FBCGP with such energetic and enthusiastic people who love God and want to serve Him. I am enjoying reconnecting and keeping up with friends from high school and from every church God has placed us in over the years, through Facebook.
These 3 weeks will go fast, I know, so I better get off the computer and get busy making the most of every minute!

This temple

I Corinthians 3:16 says, "Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of god dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy and that is what you are."
The body of a Christian becomes a literal temple or dwelling place for the Holy Spirit! How amazing! How wonderful and what a responsibility and privilege! After Christ died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins, the Holy Spirit was then able to actually inhabit us! There was no longer a need for the veil in the temple and that room called the Holy of Hollies where only the high priest could enter into. Christ death and resurrection changed all that! A new covenant of Grace began and at Pentecost our bodies became temples for the Holy Spirit!
I want to be a good steward of this one earthly body, this dwelling place for the Holy Spirit of the one and only true God! I want to do my best to care for the health of my body and make God proud! I want to do my part to live a long and productive life as healthy and vital as possible so I can do the things God has for me to do!
I grew up under the care and training of a wonderful mother who was also a registered dietitian! Dixie Ann modeled and lived out healthy balanced food preparation, presentation, and dining! Mom always cooked very healthy and tasty meals and even taught us how to do the same! She taught home management skills as she had learned at TWU and she modeled regular exercise and weight control as she had been trained how to manage the diets and meals for an entire hospital of patients who had everything from diabetes to renal failure. She was amazing and I am so thankful I had her has a mom! I knew the four food groups and how much of each you needed a day way back in elementary school years! She made sure we knew how to eat healthy and she provided amazing meals in our home. I have such good memories of smelling her cooking and it was always ready right after Walter Cronkite said, "And that the way it is" as he signed off.
As a result of Mom's training, I have always been aware and concerned with healthy eating, weight control, and exercise. In high school I struggled with my weight somewhat my junior and senior year but while at Baylor I became borderline anorexic my Freshman year. So many people said "you'll gain the freshman 10 or 15 off at college". That actually scared me so I set out to prove them wrong and developed some unhealthy habits of starving and over exercising. I lost 10 pounds that first year instead of gaining but my hair also began falling out and my hands turned orange from eating so many carrots and oranges! Mom had me meet with a dietitian friend of hers the summer after my freshman year of college and she taught me how to maintain my desired weight while still getting my nutritional needs and going about it in a healthy way. From that point on I was successful at maintaining a healthy weight that was even 10 pounds less than my high school weight. As I studied Speech & Language Therapy at Baylor I also learned more and more about our spiritual lives and through BSU Leadership Trainings, various Bible studies, Christian friends and my experiences there I grew and learned the importance of caring for our physical bodies not just for vanity but instead to be responsible stewards of what God had given us. This changed my motivation from selfish motives to scripture based motives.
Hebrews 12:1 & 2 "...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,..." and in 2Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith."
We have to be good stewards of our physical bodies if we are to run the race (live the Christian life) with all the gusto we can and at our very best! We can't be physical slobs and expect our bodies to perform at their best to do the tasks God has for us to do and for His glory! We can't fight a good fight if we are out of breath, sluggish, tired, lazy, over weight, drunk, unorganized, etc. We must be at our best to give Him our best!
In about 2002 or 2003, Melissa asked me if I would join Weight Watchers with her. She was in high school and we had just built this house and were adjusting to moving from Livingston to Grand Prairie. It was a very stressful time in our lives and I had gained about 20 pounds and Melissa just wanted to shape up and trim down a bit. We went together and it was the best thing we could have done! It as really funny at first, you sign in and pay, then you have a private weigh in and then you go to a 30 minute class. It must be much like AA because people share how their week went and if they lost or gained and what they struggled with that week. Recipes are shared and the teacher gives a very motivating lesson and pep talk and everyone claps for each person who lost weight that week! So funny but it REALLY WORKS! We didn't have much to lose and within months we were at our goal and became Lifetime members and I get to go for free now! As long as I am not more than 2 lbs over my healthy goal weight I am free and only go once a month to weigh and the psychology of it all just really WORKS! You can still eat the things YOU like and lose or maintain, you just count their point value and when you have eaten all your allotted "points" for the day you stop. It's that simple! Weight Watchers was life changing for Melissa and me both. We learned that when you get disciplined in one area of your life, it spills over into the other areas (physical, mental, spiritual, and social) and you get motivated to be the very best you can be in all four of these areas.
At church, our members that know Bill and I even just a little, know that I am the "dietitian" in our house and I keep a Weight Watcher friendly pantry and kitchen. We joke about it allot and people tease and try to sneak doughnuts and other sweet treats to Bill in fun! Our friends know I make Bill take the skin off his chicken and not eat it, won't let him eat fries, (when I am with him!) etc. I make him go to the doctor when needed and I tell him "thank you" for taking care of himself and in turn, he voices his appreciation regularly to me for taking care of myself as well. We walk/run 3.2 miles together regularly, he plays racquetball four or five times a week, golf when he can, I go to Curves and do my new elliptical regularly. We tease allot, splurge once in a while, but all in all we do try to live a healthy and active lifestyle so we can live long and serve God many years to come. We do take seriously the challenge to be good stewards of our earthly bodies or temples as we join God at work wherever He calls us.

My earthly house of this tabernacle! Lol!

2nd Corinthians 5:1 says, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens!" (I added the !) Isn't that nice to read and such a happy thought! Yes, I am constantly reminded (like it or not!) that my "earthly house" or earthly body is in a progressive state of dissolving or deteriorating! Lovely! Lol! And darn you, Adam and Eve! If they had been obedient and not given in to temptation to taste from the tree of knowledge of good and evil we would never have to age and grow old or even die an earthly death! Oh, well, I HAVE come to grips with growing old and I am striving to do so with grace! Maybe a little Botox, hair color, spray tans, and anything else I can afford to do within my means, but yes, with Grace! God does give us His Grace when we need it and in the exact amount we need!
Ok, so I go this morning to my final doctor's appt on my list of recommended things all 50 year olds need to start getting done every year! This was the Opthalmologist with full exam, eyes dialated and retinas checked for tears or possible beginnings of detachment, glaucoma screening, and vision prescriptions updated for contacts and for progressive bifocal glasses! I HATE getting my eyes dialated and I dread that glaucoma pressure screening where they puff that air in your eye and tell you not to jump! Yeah, right! Just like during that lovely mammogram when part of your body is smashed between two panels of plexiglass and they say, "now hold your breath and don't breathe or move!" Like I'm going to even if I could???? Oh,my!
Anyway, I did the full eye exam and all is well! Praise the Lord! I was a little worried due to some floaters and flashes I had in my right eye, and a well meaning friend said my retina may be about to detach! Yikes! I got right in! I went to the Kleinman Eangelista Eye Center in Arlington and love this place! All these very young people buzz around and make you feel very welcome! Then when I got in the little exam room to see the actual doctor this cute asian Dr. Tran comes in and does the exam, says my retinas look good and healthy, answers all my questions, updates my prescriptions and says, "the floaters are just normal age related symptoms!" I wasn't sure if I should slap him or spank him!! He himself looked like he was just in junior high and I could be his momma and he is making remarks to me about "age related" symptoms? Lol! No, seriously, I was relieved and he then very quickly said, "oh, I mean, this is just normal, you look much younger than your age!" God love this young doctor! He does have manners after all! Lol! Yes, it is a defining moment when ALL your doctors look like they are 16 or younger! Truly, I am so thankful to still be here and all kidding aside, I am so thankful to God to really have good health and to have a job with insurance and then I have additional insurance through my husband's job so I am 100% covered! What a blessing!! What do people do that don't have insurance and then need more serious intervention? I am grateful and SO very blessed!
I am now good to go for another year, before I have to do all the medical check up stuff again (but not the colonoscopy for 5 years!). I am renewing mine and Bill's commitment to "always have fun" everyday! We want to LIVE each day to the fullest, laugh everyday, tell our loved ones we love them, use our good dishes, wear my red dress (so to speak!), and dance with my husband, everyday! Life is short but God is good so I will seek to glorify Him by enjoying His blessings while I am still here!
Blessing to you and to yours!

We are like the woman at the well...

My favorite religion professor at Baylor was my New Testament professor, my uncle, Dr. W.J. Wimpee. The lecture I remember most was his teaching about the woman at the well from the book of John, chapter 4. We are so like this woman. Christ came to her, she a Samaritan, he approached her and asked her to "Give me a drink". Jews hated Samaritans because they were a mixed race. She was known to be living in sin and was in a public place. No respectable Jewish man would would talk to a woman under such circumstances. But Jesus did! The gospel is for everyone, no matter what race, social position, or past sins. We must be prepared to share this gospel at any time and in any place. Jesus crossed all barriers to share the gospel, and we who follow him must do no less.
Aren't we so much like her? We are sinful and in a disgraced position, yet He comes to us right where we are and offers us not only the most important gift of eternal life, freely given, but he offers us forgiveness, freedom, joy, hope, healing, peace, wisdom, all the spiritual gifts like mercy, exhortation, knowledge, miracles, discernment, prophecy, teaching, stewardship, ministry and more! The fruit of the Holy Spirit is ours to receive if we just believe He died to pay for our sins and we accept that free gift of eternal life!
Back to this fascinating woman sitting by this well of Jacob in Samaria! Jesus honored her and elevated her as a woman just by speaking to her! Then honored her again by asking her to give him a drink! Then He went on to tell her of living water, analogous to the gift of salvation! Our God, our Christ, models the honoring of women and demonstrates the act of lifting up the position of all women everywhere! He also modeled how we are not to discriminate based on race. Christ didn't harshly judge her for living in sin. She was amazed that he knew all about her private life yet he shared with her and challenged her to worship the Father in spirit and truth. She was quick to go back to the town and call others to come see "a man who told her everything I ever did!" Despite her reputation many took her invitation and came to meet Jesus. Perhaps we are ashamed of sins in our past but Christ changes us! As people see these changes, they become curious! Use these opportunities to introduce them to Christ!

When you "think" God is being silent...

A co-worker loaned me a copy of the book "You only think God is Silent - Hearing God in the defining moments of our lives", by Julie Ann Allen, shortly after he lost his mother to cancer. Little did I know I would suffer the loss of my own mother the following year to Leukemia.
Julie Allen lost her husband to a freak construction accident where he was accidentally buried under large pieces of cement that should have been carried off the work site along with tons of dirt. A track hoe driver failed to check for her husband's whereabouts before burying some large pieces of concrete in a trench. Julie shares in her book how God's Grace sustained her and "lifted her out of the muddiest, darkest, most pitiful, and sorrowful place she could have imagined. More than that, God, put a song back in her heart."
Julie now lives in Grapevine, Texas and has two children. She is a deacon in music ministry at the United Methodist Church.
Julie says she "learned what it was like to stand at a crossroad generated by tragedy and make a choice. That choice became a defining moment. She could either ignore God and/or blame Him for the tragedy, or hear God and rely on Him to sustain her, transform her, and reconstruct her life as she passed through this profound tragedy."
I keep these scriptures printed out and taped on my bathroom mirror, a copy in my Bible, and share them often with others.
My favorite scriptures are the ones she used throughout her book:

James 1:2-4 "My brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have it's full effect, so that you may be mature and complete lacking in nothing."

Psalm 59: 16-17 "But will sing of thy might; I will sing aloud of thy steadfast love in the morning. For thou hast been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my strength, I will sing praises to thee, for thou, O God, art my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love."

John 14:27 " Peace I leave you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid."

Romans 8:26 "In the same way the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

John 16:33 "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit."

Job 42 16-17 "After this Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died old and full of years."

Isaiah 40:11 "He will feed his flock like a shepherd/; He will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep."

Jeremiah 29:11 "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope."

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Psalm 23:4 "yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Psalm 37:5-6 "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this; He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."

Isaiah 55:12 "For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace."

Psalm 30:11 " You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have taken off my sackcloth and have clothed me with joy."

Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

Deuteronomy 31:8 " It is the Lord who goes before you; He will be with you, He will not fail you or forsake you."

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

James 1:20 "For man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God; will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

John 14:27 " Peace I leave you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Isaiah 40:31 "And they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."

Hebrews 12:1 "...Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Philippians 3:12 " Not that I have already obtained this or have reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Jesus has made me his own."

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Comforting the grieving

As a pastor's wife, I have had the blessing of visiting many precious people and their families at times of joy and at times of painful grief. As a young woman, I was unsure what to say but after many years of comforting others and then after losing both of my parents I have learned that the less you "say", the better. All you need to do is say "I'm sorry" and be present with them. Offer a hug and just be there. The majority of people fear going to the dentists, taxes, and attending funerals. Don't avoid going to funerals for loved ones of your friend and family. Go, no matter how much you fear going or just don't want to go, go. It means much more than you will ever know if you simple go, sign the book, say I'm so sorry, offer a hug and just do the ministry of presence. It will bless you more than you know and mean alot to the grieving person. They will remember you were there.
My daughter told me when she was first dating her now husband, Jonathan, that he was so thoughtful and good about going to funerals when he knew someone who suffered the lose of a loved one. She admired this about Jonathan.
I still remember how deeply it touched me to look up and see three of my dear friends from high school at my mother's funeral, Kelly Cole, Lisa Eady, and Dennis Vick all came to my mother's service. That meant so much to me. Also, our church ministerial staff came all the way from Grand Prairie to San Angelo to be at Mom's service! I just cried when I saw them. it meant more to me than I can express that they got up so early and drove 4 hours to come and show their support and care.
Don't be afraid, you don't have to know what to say, just say, "I'm sorry".
Accepting our own mortality, the fact that we will all die someday, is a big step toward mental and emotional maturity and health. Comforting your friends in times of need is a very healthy thing to do and just a part of life.
"And so, as those who have been chosen of God, Holy and Beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

Turn Up The Music!

Turn up the Music! I love the song by this title done by Point of Grace! It captures the essence of how I want to live! The chorus says, "Turn up the music, turn it up loud. Take a few chances, Let it all out!, You won't regret it, Lookin' back from where you have been, cause it's not who you knew, and it's not what you did, it's how you live!
The 2nd verse says, " Kiss all your children, Dance with your wife, tell your husband you love him, every night."
Isn't that just so simple and so easy! As Nike says, "Just do it!"
I am so blessed with a wonderful man and friend as my husband that I get to tell that I love him every night! Bill is the son of a wonderful Godly father, Irv Skaar. Irv was always teased by relatives that he had 4 "perfect kids!" Irv was always raving about his children and how perfect they each are. Well, it's true and I have the privilege and blessing of being married to perfect kid #1! I'll always remember how Bill made me laugh until I cried on a date to Red Lobster back in our Baylor/Waco days! He was telling me the cutest story about a resident named "Roy" who lived at the quarter house in Mexia, Texas where Bill was a weekend house parent. This helped Bill earn extra money for college. Bill tells how "Roy" would talk and dream of one day kissing a beautiful lady "right on the lips!" It's so funny and sweet to hear Bill tell it. "Roy" was an older resident with mental retardation and he had not yet had his first kiss with a lady. So sweet. I also remember so well walking across Baylor campus and it was almost as if God spoke audibly, in reply to my petition, asking God if perhaps Bill might be "the one" for me and God said "yes, my child, this is he. This is the man I have for you to spend the rest of your life with". Bill was the first guy I dated that I felt truly at ease around and loved unconditionally. He always was good at making me laugh and still is! I had written out a list of everything I wanted in a potential mate and he absolutely met everything I had written down! I still have that list in my wedding book. I am so blessed to be married to my best friend and lover. I am so proud of him and I love watching him minister. I also love being by his side at church, in hospital rooms, and wherever the ministry takes us, together. God is so good!
I am also very blessed to have an amazing daughter, Melissa Nicole! We had been married over 4 years and decided to start our family. It took over 8 months of trying to get pregnant that first time and we were so excited! I was working as a speech therapist and had to go on bed rest at 7 months due to pre-eclampsia. My blood pressure started spiking and my kidneys were having a hard time. Delivery of the baby is the only cure or pre-eclampsia. I was good and stayed in bed and carried her to term! She was so tiny! 4 pounds and 11 ounces when we took her home! She was practically bald until about 2 and then her fabulous hair came in and wow! My mom always called Melissa's hair, "God's abundance!" She was and is truly beautiful with big brown eyes and was so tiny but so articulate at such an early age, people were amazed wherever we took her! Here was this tiny baby girl walking and talking and displaying this gorgeous mane of hair! She looked much younger than she was, due to her tiny size, and she walked very early. Melissa is amazingly smart, if I might brag on her, and yet very kind and sensitive to others. I'll never forget one day as a poor preacher's wife in Brookshire, Texas, we were struggling to make ends meet and I was staying home with my toddler, money was tight. Our checking account had somehow gotten overdrawn and I was scared. I sat down and cried, overwhelmed and trying to figure out how this happened and what to do. I was thinking that Melissa was busy playing and wouldn't notice but I was wrong. She came near, climbed in my lap, wiped my tears, hugged me, and said, "don't cry mommy, it'll be ok!" Her sweet little smile, hug, and tender fingers wiping my tears was all the reassurance I needed and she was so right! It was all gonna be more than ok! Neither Melissa or I had a sister so I think that is why we are best friends and always were! Yes, I did fill the parent role when needed but we have always enjoyed the blessings of being "friends". She is beautiful inside and out and she is so much like her daddy! They are both "right" and they can both crunch the most complex numbers in their heads so easy! They both remember what they have heard! They are both great speakers and singers. They are both musical and amazing at math, history, words, trivia, debate, watching sports, golf, and leading the pack when we have a big or small group navigating a week at Disney World! I love Melissa so much and I couldn't imagine how I would have enough love for another child! (but I did!) I have to be careful to not just follow her around when she's here to visit now! I just want to soak up every second of her presence when she's here! I am now the only female in the house, since she married and moved to Houston. I miss her but I am glad she is now married to her best friend and has a great job.
4 years after we had Melissa we wanted one more child and it was easier and faster to get pregnant the 2nd time. Melissa was excited and Bill and I were as well! One more little Skaar on the way! We hoped for a boy but just healthy was fine, boy or girl. It was such an easy pregnancy this time, no blood pressure problems or kidney issues at all! Night and Day different! I worked out diligently and tried to get in top physical shape before getting pregnant the 2nd time and it helped for sure. I didn't have to have a c-section this time, like I had with Melissa! It was so different! I'll never forget my precious daddy sitting right by my side in Labor and Delivery the entire time! I didn't know until later that Mom and Daddy were so sorry they didn't come right away when I had all the trouble with my pregnancy and delivery with Melissa that they came a week before Brad's due date. They were right there with me to be sure I did ok having a v-bac. I didn't realize the risk of hemorrhage but Daddy did and he told me later he was going to scrub in if I ended up having to go into surgery. Thank the Lord, I didn't! 11 hours of mild labor and then ta da! A 7 pound 3 ounce baby boy! I'll never forget, we didn't know if it was a boy or a girl until he came and as soon as Dr. Cohen said, "It's a boy!" Bill looked at me and mouthed the words, "Thank you!!" So sweet! Brad was such an easy and good baby just like Melissa had been. My mom said I was so lucky to have had 2 babies that were so good! Bradley is an amazing young man. He was so cute and fun as a little boy and Melissa and I LOVED, absolutely loved, to hear him get tickled and laugh when he was little! As a little guy he had the most delightful and contagious laugh! He loved balls, hats, and playing outside! I really enjoyed sitting out on our driveway in Livingston and watching he and Bill play baseball as Bill would pitch to him and when he got a hit he'd run all three bases, then home and immediately say, "again, daddy, again!" Now Brad is a very handsome and kind young man who is fun to talk to and he still makes us laugh, often. Brad as a very quick wit and a sharp sense of humor. He is very intuitive of others feelings and perceptions. Brad is very tech savvy and is pursuing a career in the film industry. He is very creative and artistic and he helped me learn how to use my i-phone and how to sell stuff on e-bay! I love my son and it's fun being his mom!
The first verse of the song I referred to says, "have what you want but want what you have". I so have what I want, and want what I have!! Thank you God! I am so blessed, more than I ever dreamed!
Let's "Turn Up The Music, take a few chances, use the good dishes, wear your red dress, make a big mess and make lots of wishes!"