Questions with no specific answer

I got an email the other day that literally had me in tears. No it wasn't one of those sappy forwards. You know the ones that have a tear-jerker story in them and you're supposed to forward them? Well this was an actual email from a very sweet woman.

And I found myself asking Why? Why was this happening to them? What is the lesson that we are going to learn by watching them with this struggle? How will it eventually glorify God?

I have no answers. I have deep admiration for them as they cling to their faith. But no hard and fast answers. And I don't understand. I know that for me, I'm going seek to gain understanding, even though I don't understand. I can only continue to pray and pray and love them and be inspired by their faith.


On a totally different note, I'm learning (and seeing) how God's will isn't exactly what I want. That didn't sound right. What I mean is that I have a very dear friend who has a very difficult time within the last eighteen months or so. And I know that I would selfishly pray for one outcome, but the outcome I'm seeing isn't the one that I wanted for her. But it's obvious that it's what God is wanting. And I'm ok with that. Especially since it seems that both she and her husband are growing.

Have you ever thought about it

Have you ever thought about the lives of the people who are mentioned in Hebrews 11, the By Faith chapter? I mean, what the people did what they did and had faith that God would do His part.

Abel - faithfully gave God his best. Sure he was later murdered for it by his brother, but he faithfully gave.

Enoch - the only person in the Bible to ever not die. Because God had him taken up. What was so special about Enoch? What sets him apart from the other prophets?

Noah - builds a boat in the middle of a desert. He stayed faithful to God despite what his family and friends probably thought of him.

Abraham - he faithfully moves from the land he'd been living in to follow God. He also faithfully places his son to be sacrificed, trusting God to somehow someway fulfill His promise.

Isaac - faithfully blesses both of his sons even though Jacob had stolen the firstborn blessing.

Jacob - blesses the sons of Joseph and still worships as he dies.

Joseph - has faith that someday the people of Israel will leave Egypt and return back to where the covenant between God and Abraham was made.

Moses - his parents faithfully saved their baby boy from Pharaoh's edict. He later faithfully listens to the words of the burning bush and then follows a cloud.

Joshua & the army at Jericho - were probably thinking that this was a crazy way to capture a city. March around it daily and then blow the horns.

Rahab - faithfully hid the spies and even believed in a God that was foreign to her.

And there are so many others. I wonder am I living my life in such a way that I'd someday be able to be listed as having lived by faith? If I'm honest with myself, then I'd have to say no. But wouldn't it be fun to be able to right now say that I'm living my life in such a way that no one would be able to doubt that I live by faith? Yeah that'd be cool.

Review of Dragons of Chiril

This is my first book to read by Donita K. Paul. Truthfully, it was very hard for me to get into. Though it did finally catch my attention about halfway through with the book. Tipper is a young lady who sets out on a quest to find and reunite three specific statues that her father sculpted. She is joined on this quest by a wizard, a librarian, an artist, a prince, a grand parrot (yes an actual walking talking giant bird!), her father, and four minor dragons.

Her father needs the statues reunited so that the gateway will be repaired and he can stop vanishing. Tipper's confused by the talk of this Wulder. He's evidently a God that her father has put his faith in. She and her friends are able to locate the statues from the people to whom they were sold. But when they find the final statue, they realize that the current owner is a very very evil man. Her mother joins them and both Tipper and her mother are kidnapped for the purpose of having Peg (Tipper's mother) rule the kingdom. Her friends rescue them and go along with the kidnapper's plan to have Peg appear at the Palace, but they do it only because the gateway has been messing with time and the wizard needs to repair the time shift. The prince, known as Paladin, takes the opportunity to share to the king and queen about Wulder's love and forgiveness. The book ends with Tipper still seeking answers but the universe having been put to rights.


I can't say that I really really loved the book. I do enjoy reading Fantasy but this one was truly just a mediocre read for me. I didn't hate it either. Since the ending did leave me hanging, I'll probably try to find the next one to read it. Overall, I'd have to give this book a 3 star rating out of 5.


I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Book Review of Tailor-Made Bride

This was such a delightful book! Hannah and JT are a couple that sees the faults in the other person but doesn't let that bother them. Sure Hannah has her dress shop that JT considers vain, and JT is a grouchy livery owner. But they both learn to look beyond the surface into the heart. This was a book that was fun to read, funny at times, and left me feeling really happy. As I'd rented this book from the library, I will be looking into others by Karen Witemeyer!

Goals & Dreams

Seminar was amazing! I learned so much and found myself setting new goals that I want to achieve in the next year.

Goal 1 - Deadline September 30, 2011. I will be in my red jacket by the end of September. What's that going to entail? Well it'll mean I add at least 2 more team members, Pam stays active, and I remain active. Because that MacKenzie jacket is mine!

Goal 2 - Build to car production. This is one that will be working on together with the third goal. I can start car production when I have 8 team members. Of course once I have 8, I can go with Laura to Atlanta in January for Leadership! That's exciting.

Goal 3 - Sell $36,000 in retail sales from July 1 - June 30th. When I do that I'll earn this fabulous diamond ring. 

Isn't it beautiful? And I've been told several times that the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. So here's how I'm going to earn this ring. All I have to do is sell $100 a day. Just $100 a day. That's basically a Miracle Set a day. I've already got in $275.00 retail. And I plan on writing $36,000 across a big sheet of paper in big black marker. Then every single time I sell something, I will subtract the sale from the $36,000. I can do it! I will do it! I will be walking across the Seminar stage next year in the Queen's Court of sales!!!!