Come with me by yourselves to quiet place... Mark 6:31

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Launching Tailored for Education

Hello Coffee, Tea and Thee readers!

I am not sure how I can follow up such a fabulous introduction by my amazing Fairy Godmother, but I am extremely honored to share my new venture with you today. Suzanne, my fairy godmother, has been right beside me (physically or virtually) for every important moment of my life (and some not so important fun ones as well) so it is very fitting that I am guest blogging on the same day I launch a project that is very near and dear to my heart, Tailored for Education.



After completing graduate school, lucky to have a job I love in a big city I love even more, I needed to do something to help someone other than myself. While discussing this feeling over dinner, my friend Elaine casually asked if I knew about the minimal cost ($16- $22) needed to provide a child in Tanzania with a school uniform. My mind raced the next day as I researched and learned that in a number of countries around the world children are required to wear a uniform to school and that it is one of the only things their family must pay for. I was shocked to learn such a small thing could keep a child from being able to attend school. I had certainly taken for granted the 12 years I spent putting on my plaid uniform each morning and going to school. After telling Jess, my close friend and colleague, we decided to see what we could do to fix this problem. We were about two weeks into our search for information and schools that might be in need when I read this post this post of Suzanne's. Instantly, I knew we were on the right track.

Now seven months, several IRS forms, hundreds of emails and conference calls later, here we are officially launching Tailored for Education. We are now a 5013c registered charity with a mission to provide children with uniforms in order to increase enrollment rates in schools globally. All of the uniforms we provide are made in the local country in an effort to increase jobs and vocational training. We have learned a lot, first and foremost that there are over 100 million children not enrolled in school worldwide, with a majority of the these children living in war- affected, poor countries. We have also learned that for a minimal cost we can change these statistics. We all know the impact education has had on our lives, but for a child in a poverty stricken area it might be their only hope at breaking the cycle of poverty. Studies have shown that women who receive an education are less likely to become mothers too early and more likely to prevent the transmission of HIV.


As a test run we funded our first school back in August and provided 200 children in La Vallee, Haiti with uniforms for this school year. As you can see in the picture, it was a success. Since then we have developed partnerships all over the world, working with other nonprofits to provide uniforms. At this time we have identified almost 30,000 children between Haiti, Cambodia, Rwanda, El Salvador, Congo, Lesotho and India that could benefit from Tailored for Education. Our goal is to provide at least half of these children with uniforms for the 2012 school year.

I can not tell you how excited I am about this project and the impact I know we can make on the lives of countless children. As you saw by yesterday's post the bond I have with my Fairy Godmother and her daughters is beyond wonderful and today like many other days, I have been carried by their love and support!

If you are still reading, thank you. You are all troopers! Feel free to take a look and see what we are up to. Please like us, follow us, blog about us! Anything to help us spread the word!

Suzanne, thanks for being the author of this fabulous blog which is a calm during many stormy days, thanks for inviting me to guest blog today and tell MY story and most of all thanks for loving me and being the BEST fairy godmother!

xo, Megan

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Meet Megan Kelly

If you know me, you have heard about my precious God-daughter, Megan! And I do mean a gift from God! It all started fourscore and twenty years ago (just kidding) when my best-college-friend married Ben's best-college-friend. During our college freshman years, what we thought were crazy college days actually were the beginning of an incredible lifelong friendship. I hardly know where I leave off and the four of us begin.

We dreamt of alot, but never did we dream our girls would grow up to be such good friends, and our college-day foursome would turn into a now-day fivesome.

Molly, Megan & Sarah at Echo Lake, about 4 years old

Molly, Sarah, Anna & Megan in Oxford a year or so ago

the five of us in July at Sarah's wedding

now this is a good friend... Mike fixing Ben's tie before he walked Sarah down the aisle...
Just when I am sure we could not possibly grow any closer, Megan tells me of her new venture that connects so closely to my heart it can only be God's work. All this to say she will be my guest blogger in the next few days telling you her story.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3: 20-21


the entire Kelly family at Thanksgiving still cheering us on!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Coffee Tea and Thee Studio

Am I living in a dream? Today I moved into my studio! A gorgeous day, shirt sleeves in December, Ben's truck loaded, my car full, a rickety freight elevator, new digs! We unloaded art supplies, books, easels, my mother's old couch, chair, and shelves to my new home away from home! Just a block or so from downtown, I now have a place to paint, write, and light.

The first thing I planned to do there was pray, but I kept getting interrupted by the man putting on a new lock and doorknob. So I cleaned and polished and febreezed. Plenty of time for prayer there.


108 Woodson, 2nd floor, in a room off the back hall in the architect offices of Matheny Goldmon...

Don't you love the awesome windows... and how my easel forms a cross...

Mom's old furniture never looked so inviting and certainly never smelled so good - orange oil!

The very first thing to grace the walls - not a painting of mine, but words from Joshua.

I'm so excited!
After the first of the year I will establish office hours and I promise to invite you in for a visit!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

River of Life

A friend of mine writes a blog titled River of Life. Her post yesterday made me want to say, Yes, sister! Finally somebody understands how I feel! And we are not supposed to feel this way at Christmastime. I hate feeling how we are 'supposed' to feel!

I have her permission to post it here, but check out her blog from time to time. She is real. And she has a way of mixing real life with a heart of praise to our God.

Wednesday, 7 December 2011
A saga followed by a litany of praise....

Last night the Christmas tree fell. I was in one of those deep sleep times that come only rarely. My heavy heart welcomed the rest. So, when I am awakened by a combination of water pouring all over the living room floor and the crash of the tree, my heart picks right back up on the sadness and feelings of despair.

I am only worried about the fragile hand painted egg ornament given to me by my bible study leader eleven years ago when Hannah was born as a baby gift. In the most delicate artistry, painted is a baby in a cradle with a beautiful array of color and the scripting from Matthew...let the little children come to me...Hannah's First Christmas 2000. It is the only ornament every year that gets its own special box and tissue paper. My prayer is that Hannah can always have her egg as a keepsake. Lawren, my 19 yr old, who has been awakened as well, finds the egg resting sweetly in a chair atop of a pile of unfolded laundry.

We have mice....and not Christmas mice...at least two of them...one that hangs out in the kitchen area and another that stays in the back of the house. It is so bad that the bedroom mouse made a nest in my son's dresser drawer and ate a hole in his Ocean City, Maryland lifeguard shirt. The critter had to pick a fave shirt:(

I pay Cooks $31 a month for pest control. That's $372 a year on a single mom's budget. I don't feel as though this fee should require I scout out mice poison from Wal-Mart and I do not care for cats. So today I will call Cooks AGAIN but I will most likely stop for pellets because I am feeling so desperate in general and need to be rid of the mice. The story about them being friends with Hannah's hamster Squirt just isn't washing anymore.

I had to work a twelve hour day yesterday after a ten hour day on Monday. I am tired.

Forgot to mention the dishwasher leaks...in a family of six that is crisis overload. We eat a lot and often. The struggle to be green sets in and I refuse to purchase paper plates but the kids are not stepping up to help wash dishes, saying, "that's not my chore". I try to talk to them about honor and consideration and they look at me like I am an alien. TODAY I FEEL LIKE AN ALIEN...A NON VISIBLE WOMAN who feels completely alone.

Oh yeah, and one of my closest friends has recently moved to Arizona...ARIZONA for goodness sake...across the country. She is the one whose shoulder I cry on over coffee, the one just one step ahead of me in parenting and grace who listens, cries too, and encourages me. AND NOW SHE IS NOT HERE.

I am sure these are issues that shepherd boy/King/man after God's own heart David never dealt with. He was too busy running from enemies, sleeping in fields, fighting his battles and leading his men.

Yet, the emotional gamut that runs through our souls as we walk through life parallel each other.

May I, like David, finish the day in praise:

Litany of Praise (based on David's Psalm 105)

How great is my God, and how I love to sing His praises.
Whereas I am often frightened when I think about my future, and confused and disturbed by the rapidly changing events about me,
My heart is secured and made glad when I remember how He has cared for me throughout the past.

When I was brought forth from my mother's womb,
God's hand was upon me.

Through parents and people who cared,
He loved me and sheltered me and set me upon His course for my life.

Through illness and accident
My God has sustained me.

Around pitfalls and precipices
He has safely led me.

When I became rebellious an struck out on my own,
He waited patiently for me to return.

When I fell on my face in weakness and failure,
He gently set me upon my feet again.

He did not always prevent me from hurting myself,
but He took me back to heal my wounds.

Even out of the broken pieces of my defeats,
He created a vessel of beauty and usefulness.

Through trials and errors, failures and successes, my God has cared for me.
From infancy to adulthood He has never let me go.

His love has led me, or followed me, through the valleys or sorrow and the highlands of joy,
Through times of want and years of abundance.

He has bridged impassable rivers and moved impossible mountains. Sometimes through me, sometimes in spite of me.
He seeks to accomplish His purpose in my life.

He has kept me through the stormy past.
He will secure and guide me through the perilous future.

I need never be afraid.
No matter how uncertain the months or years ahead of me.

How great is My God, and how I love to sing His praises!

Monday, December 5, 2011

The House that Built Me

For any of you who get nostalgic at Christmas... count me in. I miss everything. I have a crazy desire to go to Nashville and just drive around. I miss Mom, Dad, aunts, uncles and cousins, jam cake with caramel icing, going caroling on Christmas Eve, and my house. My cousin was recently sharing with me her same feelings and she told me about this song. Although I've yet to listen to it without crying, it makes me feel closer to home and very grateful for the home I had.
Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!
Psalm 90: 1

Friday, December 2, 2011

One Reason for This Season


I am usually so behind that I never make it to send Christmas cards, but this photo at Thanksgiving certainly prompted me to send them this year! Ben and me with our precious Anna and Caroline Turner (3 and 1), and Baby Benjamin Matthews (2 months).

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Funniest Comment of Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving! Everyone in my family considers it my holiday. My sister visits every year and always brings games and prizes. This year no exception... the games were Christmas Trivia and Bible Trivia. I felt sure I would win the Bible Trivia... Not.

Okay, check yourselves. Here were our 10 questions:
1. What did Mary ride on her trip to Bethlehem?
2. How many days did it take God to make the earth?
3. What sign did God use to show he would never destroy the earth by flood again?
4. What was rolled away when the tomb was discovered empty?
5. God told Abraham he would have more children than _____ and _____.
6. What bird flew from Noah's ark to find land?
7. Who is considered the strongest man in the Bible?
8. What were the names of Adam's first two sons?
9. How many disciples were there?
10. What animal tempted Eve in the garden?
And our bonus question: Name any book in the Bible named after a woman.

Answers:
1. donkey, everyone got this one, thank goodness
2. 6, you can imagine the discussion from all the Bible scholars in the room
3. rainbow
4. stone
5. stars in the sky and grains of sand, since I was the only one to get this I thought for sure I'd win
6. ugh raven, not dove
7. Sampson
8. Cain and Abel
9. 12
10. serpent - Steph was relentless and would not take 'snake' as an answer

And here is where we all fell out... the bonus question. Of course we all cried out 'Ruth' and 'Esther'. Several of the men in our group looked completely dumbfounded, so I just happened to ask my son what book he had put down with a woman's name. He answered... Bathsheba! Are you kidding me! We all roared! I'm signing him up for Men's BSF right away!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Blog Exercise #9 and #10

Join a forum and start participating. And set up alerts for your blog.

Do you think we will ever finish with the series, 31 Days to Build a Better Blog? We will. It will give me something to write about all winter.

This week I want to think about, so that means write about, Thanksgiving... things I am thankful for. And there's more I want to tell you that will have to wait... like my studio decision, Christmas gift lists, and announcing a new ministry.

Here, let's knock out two more creative ideas that support a fantastic blog.

#9 Join a forum.
Find out where your potential readers are already gathering online. When you know your blog niche and keep up with what is happening in your genre, your blog is automatically strengthened. Don't try to be all things to all people. It never works in any situation. To get a good overview of forums, read this article: How to Use Forums to Drive Hundreds of Thousands of Readers to Your Blog.

#10 Monitor what is happening in your niche.
This keeps your posts current, keeps you on the crest of any breaking news, gives you ideas for new posts and sometimes you hear what others are saying about you. Set up a variety of alerts or watchlists for your blog’s niche. A few services are: Technorati Watchlists, Twitter Alerts and Google Alerts.
Setting up alerts is fairly simple:
List keywords that are relevant to your blog.
Once you have the list, start typing them into the alert tool that you’re using to see the results.
If you’re unsure what alert tool to use, start with Google Alerts.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Going Deeper

I am still getting email comments about our time spent in Hosea. I readily admit - Hosea is a powerful book and just when I think I've 'got it' someone takes me deeper.

One blog reader sent me a poem she wrote a while back. God continues to take her to Hosea 2: 14-15, and her poem is a work in progress. She so gets it. Her honesty and vulnerability have incredibly blessed me. I pass the blessing on to you.

No Longer Called a Harlot

free. free. i've been set free.
my life has been redeemed
from death to life, pain and strife,
i enter whole and new

despite my constant prostitution
the Father desired not my retribution
i thought His love would fade
instead, down His life He laid

i ran away and caused Him grief
but then turned over a new leaf
He continued loving me just the same
He even knew my name

yet once more i took on other lovers
i slept beneath another god's covers
i turned my back again
he kept being there--forgiving all my sin

i should have been condemned
i should have been killed for my sin
but i enter in and we begin again
His grace for me will never end

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Guarding Marriages

Over the last few weeks I have become increasingly burdened over marriages. It started with a heavy conversation, followed by another sad conversation, tears and heartbreak. As I was writing the Nourishment devotional, I included a section on guarding our bodies, the temples of God's Holy Spirit. 'Guarding' has been on my mind. Finally, through a God-led sequence of thoughts, I was led to review my 2011 prayer journal. I was shocked at how many marriages I've been praying for - including my own and those of my children.

The reason I am burdened is because I believe marriages are exposed. Sitting targets. Our unguarded flank. Think about it: we guard everything! Millions of dollars are spent on guarding things... our bank accounts, our computer files, our cars and houses and belongings, our children. I can hardly think of anything that is not guarded... except my marriage. I came to the conclusion that we are attempting to guard our family from a variety of potential future occurrences such as natural disasters, terrorism, or the collapse of America - but are leaving our marriage wide open for attack!

Here's my question... How are you guarding your marriage? Please let me know - let us all know. And if guarding your marriage is a new thought, like it is for me, well then... What do you believe would guard your marriage?

Ask your friends, co-workers, parents, couples with great marriages, couples you are praying for, and see what they say. I'm making a list of what people tell me and I am learning so much. I'll post the list later, but ladies, this is one hot topic!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

All Day Nourishment

My burning first question... Is there anyone who still has their envelope sealed? One friend opened hers in front of me today and I had a time of sweet thanks that the things so in the forefront two weeks ago were no longer. With me, my envelope was full of schedules and 'worries of the day'. I am sorry to admit that my 'To Do' list rules my life! Sealed away with God is where it needs to stay a lot more than I let it. Lesson #1 for me.

One of you wrote this...
Haven't opened up my envelope. I can't really even remember each thing I put down. Maybe that's good! But I do know that I'm not pretending that those issues aren't there. They are. But I don't have to think about them 24/7. Especially if I will in faith believe that He can actually carry my envelope and carry my burdens at least for a little while before I "force" Him to give them back to me to carry! Ha! How foolish of me. I would much rather He be the one to carry the "envelope" for me. I'm weary of carrying it.

Isn't that so true. If we learned anything two weeks ago, it surely is that we're tired of carrying around all our own stuff!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11: 28

Next question... Where in Hosea have you camped out? Or maybe another Scripture. Where has God kept you in His Word and what have you learned?

Hosea 6:1-3 really spoke to me about being torn into many pieces but put back with His refreshing and restoring and the REWARD of forgiveness. That part of the retreat spoke to my heart that the hard work of confession was ultimately the completeness I can enjoy in Him and was/is so worth it.

Jeremiah 15:19: Serving Him with a repentant heart and He will bring fruit. Rewards of confession/repentance/forgiveness. That's truly what my heart desires to do. Confession, repentance and forgiveness. Such a fruitful cycle!

I've been pondering Hosea 12:6 for the last 2 weeks:"But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always." I'm a list person so I'm drawn to the simplicity of this verse. I love the instruction and encouragement found here. The part of this verse that I have trouble embracing is the waiting. I strive to live my life to the fullest, but I've always been waiting for something...a better job, a sign from God, a raise, a husband, a vacation, the next tragedy...waiting for both the mundane and the miraculous. I am grateful I'm aware of the Lord's presence in every area of my life, but the waiting is draining me. I guess my question for the ladies who've been on this journey longer than I have is, how do I balance contentment with waiting on the Lord?

Ladies, we are going to stop here for a bit. This is a profound question. Would you care to comment and encourage this sweet seeker?

See you in a bit... more comments and emails please!


10:00 am
Where are you, friends?

Another question for you... What sins have been revealed to you?

One of the key points in asking God to develop in us a repentant heart, is asking Him to reveal our sins to us. Here's a partial list of mine. Mind you, this is not my full list - some things are just between God and me.
self sufficiency - thinking I can handle it
hating interruptions - loving my 'list'
love of money
wanting to be well thought of
stubborness
favoritism
judging
envy and jealousy
a shallow love and

a shallow view of sin
hard heartedness


Yours?

2:00 pm

I told you I was stuck in Daniel 9. Here's a good recap of what Daniel confessed as sin:
rebellion
scorn for the prophets and God's Word
refusal to listen
disloyalty
disobedience
turning away from God
refusing to listen to His voice (Daniel mentions this several times)
refusal to seek mercy
not recognizing His truth

In Lesson 3 Digging: Weeping Over our Sin the last thing we are asked to do is pray over each of our family members and ask God to give each one a heart of repentance. Can you imagine the fruit in your family and in your life when God answers this one prayer?

I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord my God... Daniel 9: 20

4:00 pm

Another comment... No- I didn't open my envelope. The Lord can handle it better than I can!

And one more... LOVED the Daniel 9 passage in session three. Well, loved might be too strong since I'm weeping over my sin! Or realizing that I do NOT weep enough. I certainly have prayed for family members and their relationship with the Lord. But never have I thought I should/could be in the role of asking God to forgive, confessing THEIR sins, and asking Him to turn their hearts to repentance. If I weep over my sin, then it will be a natural overflow to weep over the sin of others--especially those that I love.

last thought for the day...

One of you wrote this... My extended family situation is in shambles. The cycle of unconfessed sin and actions are beginning to catch up with this generation. It's almost as if the sins have come from generations before us. That may sound a little farfetched but I sense that maybe there are some sins that we are experiencing the consequences of generations later. The cycle has to be broken. Possibly I am part of breaking this cycle as I stand in the gap for extended family members and ask God to have mercy of them and turn their hearts back to Him in repentance.

This is articulated so well, and I wholeheartedly agree. At times in the past, when my family has experienced an outpouring of unexpected blessing and favor, it has crossed my mind that we may be the recipients of prayers from the faithful in our family that have gone to Glory ahead of us, like my mother and Ben's grandfather. Not that they are praying now, but that God is still honoring their prayers from then. I also believe the opposite is true. Sometimes in those seasons of hard hits, we may be the recipients of generational sin. Friends, let's not just pray for our own repentant hearts; let's pray for our children, grandchildren, and generations ahead of us!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Saturday on the blog

This Saturday Coffee Tea and Thee will host an all-day ongoing blog post as a wrap-up to the For It Is Time retreat at Asbury two weeks ago. Here's how it will work...

Wherever you are with the Nourishment devotional, email me a few of your comments... swm0804@bellsouth.net
Along with some of my ponderings, I will post comments by topic, and throw out a few questions of my own. You may comment straight to the blog or again, email me, and I will edit and post your comments during the day.

You do not have to sit at the computer all day. I won't either. But I will be responding to the dialog, and hopefully some of our hard work the last two weeks will give us closure, as well as focus our commitment to go the distance for repentant hearts. It is so worth it!

You may be on lesson 1 or have finished all 5. I have to admit I've gotten stuck in Daniel 9 and I'm not finished with lessons 4 and 5. But I still have plenty to share and plenty of questions I'd like to ask.

Remember it's all confidential unless you choose otherwise. Thank you for your wonderful responses and ladies, let's finish this thing!

Monday, October 31, 2011

A House of Stone

These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. Matthew 7: 24-25 The Message



No, this is not my new house (wish, wish)... Matthews Stone & Supply (Ben's business) is announcing a new website! Please take a look and pass along our name and site to friends and family who are building a house, planning to build a house, doing some remodeling, doing an addition, or might want to add some stone to the exterior, build an outdoor fireplace, retaining wall or entrance.

We are going into our third year in the stone business. We had no idea what to expect starting out in this economy, yet God has blessed us. Ben has done a fantastic job in knowing the product, timely delivery, and customer service. Next to THE ROCK, he is my rock and, honestly, this business fits him perfectly. Enjoy the pics here and in the gallery here.


Thursday, October 27, 2011

Nourishment... instructions

For those of you at the Asbury retreat last Friday night, you know what I'm talking about.

I hope you have started Nourishment. Have you ever seen anything like the speed in which our world gobbles up God's seeds? We may have a fantastic pulling-away time with God and two days later we hardly remember the gist of it. I can remember coming home from several mountaintop experiences, only to be robbed of almost every bit of it by the middle of the week following. I have learned that follow-up and accountability are essential to my growth.

If you and I just complete our exercises and never have the opportunity to talk about them, some of the depth is lost. Since we cannot meet again and have a follow-up retreat, this blog is hopefully going to provide us the forum to voice some of our struggles and our victories as we pray and work toward a repentant heart.

Here's what I'd like you to do. As you diligently and prayerfully begin Nourishment think about questions your would like to ask others, as well as personal things you would be willing to share. We need to hear from each other. I need to hear your heart and share mine. I desperately feel that my own personal prayers for a truly repentant heart will be aided by your journey to do the same.

Over the next week, email me your thoughts. My email is swm0804@bellsouth.net or listed on the blog sidebar. I will collect and group your comments and, without using any names, publish them on Saturday, November 5th. For that day only Coffee Tea and Thee will post a running dialog with comments and further questions.

Is this too much truth-telling? I hope not. I do not in any way want to interfere with your solitude or the private things that remain between you and God. But please do not let some of the lessons He teaches you go unspoken.

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27: 17

Monday, October 24, 2011

Blog Exercise #8

Interlink your old blog posts.

Did you think I had forgotten? Nope. I just got a little sidetracked the past few weeks.

Interlinking previously written posts in your archives builds a better blog. The main reason is that it simply provides a better experience for your blog readers. If a reader comes to your blog and finds a post that not only answers their question, but also provides further reading and suggestions on where to explore related topics, they’re more likely to go away satisfied. A satisfied reader is more likely to return (it makes your blog “sticky”) and tell their network about their experience. Secondly, search engines (SEO's) look at the links within a blog to find content to index but also to work out how to index and rank content. Links from other blogs to your blog are the ultimate way to start ranking highly in Google but internal links also count.

Here's are 2 ways how to do it:
1. In Post Links—the most natural way to add links to an old post. All it involves is making a keyword (or words) in your post into a link that points to another post on the topic of that keyword.
2. Further Reading—many blogs have a Further Reading section that appears at the bottom of each post. In most cases this is a list of related posts that are automatically generated using a plugin. While this can sometimes provide readers with relevant results, I find that adding manually chosen links for further reading can produce a more relevant experience. You can add these suggested links both at the end of the post and throughout the post itself.

3 Quick Tips on Interlinking Posts
1. Try to build this task into your daily posting schedule. It takes a little discipline to get into the rhythm of it but it can have some real benefits if you do.
2. For bloggers with large archives who can't remember every post they've ever written, one way to help you find your previous posts is to have a “related posts” plugin on your blog. These will often present you with suggestions on older posts that might be relevant.
3. Also, if you have a lot of content that you've never interlinked before, start with the most popular posts.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Bleary-eyed Bliss

But then I will win her back once again.
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her there.
I will return her vineyards to her
and transform the Valley of Trouble
into a gateway of hope.
Hosea 2: 14-15 NLT

Ladies, I am laying low today. How about you? I am bleary-eyed tired - so tired if my husband asked me to buy a double-wide and move to the farm (my absolute worst nightmare), I might say yes.

Wasn't it wonderful! Worshipping, making journals, visiting, getting to know Hosea, hearing from God.

I'm praying for you today. I'm praying your thoughts will swirl a little longer, then sit and settle. I'm praying you leave your envelope sealed a little longer with God. I'm praying tomorrow or the next day you will begin Nourishment. I so need it and I need to do it alongside you.

I loved being with you. Rest! Be blessed!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

For It Is Time... to prepare our hearts

Just a few days and we will be at retreat. I want to tell you that the Asbury team has planned an excellent conference. No matter that it is only five hours long - they have put prayer and dedication, heart and soul, into the five hours we will spend with each other and with the Lord.

I have been asked many times what is the best way to walk into a retreat... meaning what is the best way to prepare ourselves for hearing from God. If you have read the previous blog posts, you have already prepared your eyes by skimming the 14 chapters of Hosea. You have prepared your mind by learning of the man, Hosea. These last few days are the days to prepare your heart.

Prayer prepares the heart. Pray the soil of your heart is plowed up and fertile and ready to receive God's Word. Come expectant that He will speak directly to you. Come clean.... confessed up. Come ready to hear God and obey quickly.

Don't be surprised or alarmed this week if hurdles crop up to stand in your way or even cause you to reconsider coming. Pray first! Recognize the enemy's attack. Today Jesus Calling says, If you focus on the obstacle or search for a way around it, you will probably go off course. Instead, focus on me, the Shepherd who is leading you along your life-journey. Before you know it, the "obstacle" will be behind you and you will hardly know how you passed through it.

Pray for me. Pray I also come clean, ready to speak what God wants spoken. God has filled my heart to overflowing with the story of Hosea and the parallel truths applicable to our day. I have a feeling that some of the things He wants to say will be a surprise even to me! Pray that I can walk that sometimes scary place of being on the edge of the Holy Spirit's promptings.

I can't wait to be with you. God bless your days until it is time to together seek the Lord.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

For It Is Time... to prepare our minds


Hello ladies! Have you been reading through Hosea? At first glance it looks pretty depressing, right? Thank goodness for chapters 2, 11, and 14!

At retreat we will not have time to study the entire book of Hosea. Our theme verse is Hosea 10:12...
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord until he comes and showers righteousness on you.

We will camp out there and in Hosea 6: 1-3.

While we are preparing our eyes by looking over the words in Hosea, I would like for us to prepare our minds with a character sketch of the man, Hosea. Here are some facts about this incredible servant of God:
Hosea was named "the prophet of Israel's zero hour"
He was young when God called him
His ministry lasted 66 years
His ministry was during the most turbulent time of Israel's history prior to captivity
During his ministry the Northern Kingdom (Israel) was taken into exile by Assyria
Hosea was called to do some very hard things and say some very harsh words (we have seen proof of that as we have skimmed the book)
He was strong, committed, trustworthy, and patient
He suffered
He was obedient to God above all else
He had a rocky marriage
He portrayed God's love for Israel

There are several things about Hosea I simply cannot quit thinking about.

Firstly, his absolute obedience to God. God told him to marry Gomer and that Gomer would prove unfaithful. He did. She was. Two of her three children were not Hosea's. She left the home leaving her children with him and ran after other men, what the world had to offer, and a new god, Baal. At first it appears her life was going well, but after time she slipped further and further into poverty and desperation. But she did not come home.

Secondly, his absolute obedience to God when it must have been humiliating beyond measure. God told Hosea to go into the most desolate part of town where Gomer lived with her lover, meet the man, and offer the man provisions for his wife, without her knowing it. Hosea did it. The man took all that Hosea offered and they used them to worship Baal.

I want to ask you something... Do you know a man like Hosea? Was Hosea injured? Yes! Was he angry? Yes! Did he want to retaliate? Yes! But does he? No! He remains faithful to God, faithful to Gomer, and seeks to reconcile. I may know a few men like Hosea, but sadly, it is only a few. (Sidebar: Lord, please help us to raise our boys to be this faithful to YOU!)

Thirdly, God could trust Hosea with just about anything. So He trusted him to portray His Son.
More time passed. Hosea is still raising all three children and Gomer has sunk lower and lower into the pit of sin. She has become a slave. In those days one could become a slave by birth, by conquest, or by debt, and it appears debt was the culprit. Gomer was going up for auction and God told Hosea to go into the marketplace and buy her back. So he does. Slaves were sold naked and Hosea placed the highest bid, bought her, took off his robe, clothed her, took her home, and commanded her to never again live the life of prostitution. I assume she was so broken she complied. Surely later she found the deepest gratitude and love.

This takes us straight to the cross. Jesus walks into the marketplace of our lives and we are on the auction block of sin. Naked. The world is bidding like crazy for us. Jesus makes a bid and the auctioneer says, "Sold to Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God, for the price of His blood!" There is no greater bid. He then clothes us with His righteousness, takes us home, and commands, "Sin no more."

Do we see ourselves as Gomer? Are we offended or grateful?

That's chapter 1-3, and we will pick up from there at retreat. It's alot to ponder isn't it? It puts the meaning into 'unfailing love'. See you precious friends next week!

(commentary from Hosea by Dr James Montgomery Boice)

Saturday, October 8, 2011

A Day in Franklin

Gorgeous fall day. Very near home sweet home. Antique-ing in Franklin. Shopping. Finds. Quinton. Blessed by her. Graduation gifts. Birthday gifts. Finding Leiper's Fork. Ahhh the art. Eating. Stories. Jobs. Family. Past. Present. Future. Now an annual event.

Now this is a bakery!


Main Street, Franklin

cool stuff we found



she ended up getting the aqua table above and the white side tables below

labrador art

I love wire art and I want this calendar!

next stop - Leiper's Fork

Puckett's Grocery - famous for the music and everything else in town

Leiper's Creek Gallery - oh my!


Pam Padgett

Helli Luck and if you are wondering who I'd like to paint just like - Pam Padgett and Helli Luck!

Pam Padgett

Helli Luck

the most fantastic Roger Dale Brown I've ever seen!

all packed up headed home

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

For It Is Time... to prepare our eyes


Ladies! Friends! I am so excited to be with you on Friday night, October 21st, at Asbury United Methodist Church. Leading up to the retreat I will be writing three brief blog posts, one each week, to help each of us prepare for what God will teach us from the book of Hosea.

In Hosea 10:12 God says, ... break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord.
Our immediate unplowed ground might just be that we are slightly unfamiliar with the book of Hosea. Many of us know the first three chapters, but not so much the rest of the book. This blog post is to urge all of us to prepare our eyes by feasting upon the words of Hosea.

For the next week skim the 14 chapters. Throughout the book God shows His heart toward Israel - and toward us. No matter how far they strayed, God's desire was to bring them back.

This week, if you need an extra reminder of God's love, camp out in Hosea 2: 14-20.
As we shake our heads and wonder why our nations and our lives are in upheaval, reflect upon Hosea 4: 6, 14 - my people are destroyed by lack of knowledge... a people without understanding will come to ruin.
Hear God's call in Hosea 6: 1 - Come, let us return to the Lord.
Read Hosea 10: 12, the theme of our conference.
And don't miss, It was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness. Hosea 11:3-4.

Wherever we are, far or near, He is calling us back!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Birthdays and Birthin's

Wednesday, September 28 - to Oxford for Caroline's First Birthday!






Thursday, September 29 - to Huntsville for Benjamin's birth!
Benjamin Robert Matthews - 3:51 PM, 8 lbs 10 oz, 21 inches long!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!




Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Blog Exercise #7

Write a link post.

Someone asked Darren Rowse (the author of this Build a Better Blog series) how readership was built at first on his blog. One of the answers he gave was that he was generously linking to other blogs. Seven years ago blogging revolved around the link. One blogger would write a post and hundreds of others would link to it with posts that built upon the initial post’s ideas in some way. The result:
* Ideas spread across the blogosphere quickly
* Relationships between bloggers grew with each link
* Everyone’s blog grew
Nowadays Facebook and Twitter have taken over the social networking role and bloggers rarely link to other blogs on their blog because they’re either doing it elsewhere or they feel they’d be helping a competitor. Me... I'm still terrified of Facebook and Twitter and would love to let you know what I read weekly.

I have found that I am not alone in the fact that my evenings are spent catching up on emails and blog posts. While Ben is watching football and hunting shows, I sit right beside him on the couch and read blogs.

First, I check in with Sweet Mondays, to snag new pictures of Anna and Caroline.
I have to see what Shay Brannon 's thoughts are, To See the Nations Worship, and also Olivia's (Shay's daughter) ongoing recap, Chronic Collegiate Senioritis.
Dedra Herod's Just a Chick has one of the best blog rolls ever titled Love These Voices and includes The Preacher's Wife, I'm Just Saying, and A Holy Experience.
Beth Moore's blog is great. She calls her readers 'siestas' because at the beginning she was writing ' dear sistas', as in 'sisters', and the internal spell check inadvertently changed it, ha!
Style Blueprint gives me my hometown Nashville fix and is a blog award winner.
Tina Adams really helps my pitiful wardrobe skills. This girl is good!
Nancy Franke's Musings on Painting inspires me.
Joel Rosenberg teaches me.
Voice of the Martyrs keeps me out of my comfort zone.
Ligonier makes me want to read and take anything RC Sproul teaches.
Urban Grace makes me want to redo my house.

Are you a blog reader too? Please send me some of your favorites!

Monday, September 26, 2011

A few more details



Here are a few more details regarding the Asbury Women's Conference to be held Friday evening, October 21, 6:00 - 11:00 PM.

The conference is titled FOR IT IS TIME... to seek the Lord, based on Hosea 10:12. I will be speaking twice that evening. Both talks will be on Hosea and the seriousness of our day, our time, and the need to return to our God. Starting next week, I will post weekly on Coffee Tea and Thee to help prepare for the teachings from Hosea.

Tickets are $5.00 and you can get yours by going by the The Dwelling Place (Asbury's Bookstore in the Hope Building) or online here. You sure get a lot for you money - great worship and fellowship and we'll practically have a slumber party together. I hope to see you there!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Blog Exercise #5 and #6

Email a blog reader. And a few must-read tips and tutorials for bloggers.

It will strengthen your blog to comment to a commenter. When you pay personal attention to a reader it significantly increases the chances of them not only returning to your blog, but also spreading the news of your blog through their network. Email them or respond to the comment ON your blog. Sending the email is great for making an impression on the individual person, but leaving a comment in your own comment section shows other readers that you’ll engage in conversation. It also helps build comment numbers, which can build social proof and show your blog is active.

One day when you need mindless information to accumulate in your brain for future reference, have fun with these blog experts.

Seth Godin's blog - How to get traffic for your blog

Skelliewag's A Complete Guide to Finding and Using Incredible Flickr Images
and 25 Paths to an Insanely Popular Blog

Liz Strauss from Successful Blog 10 Reasons Readers Don't Leave Comments

Jeremy Schoemaker from ShoeMoney My Top Ten Worst Ideas to Make Money

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Blog Exercise #4

Analyze a top blog in your niche.

As little as 15 minutes and the questions below can help shape your own blogging strategy. Strong strategy lends to blog success.
First, select a successful blog on the same subject as yours or a related subject. Analyze, using these questions:
What topics are they covering?
What topics are they ignoring?

What voice/style do they post in?
How often are they posting?
What topics generate the most conversation?
What styles of post seem to connect with readers best?
What questions are readers asking in the Comments?
What complaints do you see readers making in the Comments?
What’s your first impression from their design?
What have they done well? What have they done poorly?
What options do they give readers to subscribe?


Two quick words of warning:
1. Maintain the Focus on Your Own Blog.A trap some bloggers fall into is spending so much time watching their “competitors” that they spend less time actually building their own blog. This analysis is useful to do every now and again, but don’t let it be at the expense of other core activities on your own blog.
2. Be Unique.Another trap some bloggers fall into is virtually replicating every aspect of another blog. While there’s a lot we can learn from others and lessons we can take from what others are doing, if you simply copy everything another
blog does you fail to differentiate yourself and potential readers have no real reason to read you instead of others.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Blog Exercise #3

Promote a blog post.

The Premise: If you select one of your best blog posts and promote it, your blog will take an upward bump in readership. And, some of those readers will stick around.

The Promotion: 11 Ways to Promote a Blog Post
Note: please be careful in using these techniques. Don’t use them all with every post you write. Choose your best posts and promote them selectively, in ways that are helpful to other people.
1. Pitching to Other Bloggers—ask another blogger to consider linking to your post.
2. Social Messaging-like Twitter and Facebook.
3. Social Bookmarking
4. Internal Links
—rather than just promote your post on other people’s sites, think about where you can link to it from within your own site. Perhaps you’ve written on the topic before and can add a link for further reading, or maybe adding a section in your sidebar for “Latest posts” could work.
5. Newsletters
6. Other Blogs’ Comments Sections and Forums
7. Email Signatures
8. Follow-up Posts
—write a new post on your blog that picks up where your last one left off. This builds momentum and if you inter-link the posts, drives more page views.
9. Advertise Your Post
10.Pitch Mainstream Media
11.Article Marketing
—if you do this do not submit exactly the same article you’ve posted on your blog to article marketing sites (this can get you into trouble with Google where you could face penalties for duplicate content).

Hands down the best post I've ever written is Peanut Butter Balls in June of this year. I'm not comfortable with very many of the above suggestions, but I did create an email signature with my blog address, as well as an internal link. If you missed the post, settle in for a good read!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Mark Your Calendar

Hold on to Friday night, October 21st and more details to follow...

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

My List Post

Gifts: Top Five Faves

I love gift giving. It is one of my love languages. Better than receiving, I like to give gifts... especially little gifts, treats and surprises, in fabulously wrapped packages. Yet, sometimes I draw a total blank, run out of ideas, run out of time (or money), or simply do not know the recipient very well. That is when I default to my trusty list of best gifts ever. Here are favorites in no particular order to give you ideas for your next occasion.

Wedding Gifts

1. Michael Aram - any piece at all; Harpeth Gallery in Nashville, The Registry in Franklin
2. An oil painting - especially for the kitchen
3. McCarty Pottery - worth a trip to The Gallery in Monteagle, Tennessee
4. Monogrammed pillowcases - Sarah got two sets, I was so envious!
5. Southern My Way by Gena Knox - my new favorite cookbook, tie a Rosti spoon or two on top

Birthday Gifts

1. Tin birthday cake carrier by Department 56; on ebay, everywhere I take mine I get compliments!
2. Tea towels - by Le Jacquard Francais; Lawren's
3. Leather jewelry roll - from Pottery Barn; find someone who does leather stamping to add a monogram
4. Lafco candles - the best! Named for rooms in the house - try Master Bedroom, Power Room or Den
5. Tervis tumbler - everyone needs one!

Baby Gifts

1. Sleep Sheep - babies love the sounds and it's cuddly
2. Bla Bla knit stuffed animals - whimsical, fun, and for lots of babies I know this is their favorite hold-onto
3. Little Giraffe blanket - the softest there is
4. Sleep sack - I've bought several and they come in three weights and 2 sizes; Helen's in Nashville
5. Judy Toles' taggies and burp pads - adorable!

Sympathy Gifts
This is where I use my list often... when I am always caught off guard and always in a hurry!

1. Apricot pound cake - I keep a yellow box cake mix and apricot nectar on hand just for this recipe
2. Books - you can't go wrong with these - Good Grief; A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis; A Year with C.C. Lewis, devotional; The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion; Moments with the Savior by Ken Gire, Recovering from Losses in Life
3. Roses - take a clay pot you already have, put in a big cube of soaked oasis, buy roses and galax leaves, cut roses short, overlap galax leaves around the edge, stick roses in side by side starting in center(use an odd number), and there you go!
4. Paper plates & napkins - always appreciated and needed
5. Handkerchief - include a verse about tears... The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces Isaiah 25:8

... and finally Things that fit in a card
Sometimes you just want to send a card with a little extra.
1. Bookmark

2. Cross - there are lots of little ones that fit in an envelope
3. Starbucks gift card - $5 treats your friend to a cup of coffee or tea on you
4. Thymes bath salts - they come in an envelope that easily fits ion an envelope
5. Gigi’s Cupcakes gift card - $3 and delicious