Prayers For the family of Steven Curtis Chapman...

In a tragic accident, the youngest daughter of Steven and Mary Beth Chapman was killed. Her teenaged brother did not see her and ran over her in the SUV after his oldest sister's engagement party.

Here's a video of Steven and Maria filmed just two months ago.



To send condolences to the Chapman family, click here.

Mom's Impressive Job Description

Author and preacher Tony Campolo said that when his wife, Peggy, was at home full time with their children and someone would ask, "And what is it that you do, my dear?" she would respond, "I am socializing two Homo sapiens into the dominant values of the Judeo-Christian tradition in order that they might be instruments for the transformation of the social order into the kind of eschatological utopia that God willed from the beginning of creation."

Then Peggy would ask the other person, "And what do you do?"

—John Ortberg and Ruth Haley, An Ordinary Day with Jesus (Zondervan, 2001), p. 122; submitted by Dave Slagle, Lawrenceville, Georgia

HA! Top that one, anybody:-)

I'm Just Sayin'

Deena

I Want This T-Shirt!!

EMERGENCY ALERT. : If wearer of this shirt is found vacant, listless, or depressed, ADMINISTER CHOCOLATE IMMEDIATELY.

WHITE LIE CAKE

Have you ever told a white lie? You are going to love this, especially those who bake for church events.

Alice Grayson was to bake a cake for the Baptist Church Ladies' Group in Tuscaloosa, but forgot to do it until the last minute. She remembered the morning of the bake sale and after rummaging through cabinets, found an angel food cake mix and quickly made it while drying her hair, dressing, and helping her son pack for Scout camp.

When Alice took the cake from the oven, the center had dropped flat and the cake was horribly disfigured. She thought, 'Oh dear, there is not time to bake another cake.'

This cake was important to Alice because she did so want to fit in at her new church and in her new community of friends. So, being inventive, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it in the bathroom - a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and covered it with icing. Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it looked perfect.

Before she left the house to drop the cake by the church and head for work, Alice woke her daughter Amanda and gave her some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the moment it opened at 9:30 and to buy the cake and bring it home When Amanda arrived at the sale, she found the attractive, perfect cake had already been sold. She grabbed her cell phone and called her mom.

Alice was horrified - she was beside herself. Everyone would know! What would they think? She would be ostracized, talked about, and ridiculed! All night, Alice lay awake in bed thinking about people pointing fingers at her and talking about her behind her back.

The next day, Alice promised herself she would try not to think about the cake and would attend the fancy luncheon and bridal shower at the home of a fellow church member and just try to have a good time. Alice did not want to attend because the hostess was a snob who more than once had looked down her nose at Alice because she was a single parent and not from the founding families of Tuscaloosa. But, having already RSVP'd, she couldn't think of a believable excuse to stay home.

The meal was elegant, the company was definitely upper crust old South and, to Alice's horror, the cake in question was presented for dessert! Alice felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake! She started out of her chair to tell the hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, 'What a beautiful cake!'

Alice still stunned, sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say, 'Thank you, I baked it myself.'

Alice smiled and thought to herself, 'God is good.'

I'm Just Sayin'

Deena

Lesson Learned...

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies....

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

Creation Explained....Sort Of!

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then, using God’s great gifts, satan created Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and Krispy Crème Donuts. And satan said, “You want chocolate with that?” And Man said, “Yes!” and woman said, “and as long as you’re at it, add some sprinkles.” And they gained 10 pounds. And satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.

So God said, “Try my fresh green salad.” And satan presented Thousand Island dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, “I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them.” And satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake and named it “Angel Food Cake,” and said, “It is good.” satan then created chocolate cake and named it “Devil’s Food.”

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And satan created McDonald’s and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, “You want fries with that?” And Man replied, “Yes! And super size them!’ And satan said, “It is good.” And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

Then satan created HMOs.

The Fern and the Bamboo

THE FERN AND THE BAMBOO

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality....
I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me.

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the
bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. The same in year four.

"Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo.. I will never quit on you.

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me. And He will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life.

-- Author Unknown

I'm just sayin'

Deena

Please...

go here...and pray.

To good to not post...

Oh, and by the way...that borrowed tomb?

IT'S EMPTY!! HE ROSE AGAIN!!

It's Been Fun!

I'd like to thank all of my faithful readers of Wholly Devoted.

I've been able to share a lot of my thoughts, ideas, inspirations, and funnies, and I've loved every second of every minute.

But, as of today, Wholly Devoted will be no more.

I'm not dismantling the blog...but I will be rarely, if ever, posting here. Lots of my material is original, so I may print it out and scrap book the pages that mean the most to me. So don't worry about it going completely away.

My ego is too big for that!

But God has opened doors for me to do something that I have a passion for, and that is write reviews for Christian fiction and non-fiction. This has gone from hobby to ministry, and while it has it's controversial and frustrating moments, that is truly where my heart is.

Plus, with my various health issues, I haven't had a whole lot to say about me lately. I'm having surgery April 21st to take care of one issue, and my doctors are working on treatment for the other one I battle daily.

Still, God isn't done with me yet, and I may pop in from time to time to share something amazing He has shown me. You just never know...

So, thank you. Thank you for giving my voice a chance to be heard, for helping me realize yes, I do matter in the Kingdom, and for all of your encouraging and uplifting comments and emails.

I've had a blessed and fun time. I hope you have as well.

See you later, gater!

Deena

Why Is It...

...that often times those who are invalids feel invalid?

...that to be helpless can leave you feeling like you can help less?

...that the meaningless things in life aren't meaning less?

But isn't it great that those who are selfless think of self less?

I'm just sayin...

Deena

Another Verbal Faux Paux...

Time to press the old panic button again! Opened my mouth and out came something I didn't mean, expressed in the wrong way, and the moment to correct it was lost.

So, all of you have to endure my explanation, which I hope you will find as cool beans as I do:-)

A sister in Christ had asked for prayer at last month's Bible study (yes, we meet once a month for women's Bible study...that's an entire other subject...I'm working on it!), and my sister in law took that request especially to heart.

My sister (in law) had let me know before she left to return home that she was going to make it a point to pray for the hurting sister. She really connected with her request and the events surrounding it.

So, at Bible study, I let this sister know about that conversation, so she would know of the Spirit connection that was made that day. But what I said was "She's going to pray for you in this area, even if you don't need it!"

What I MEANT was "she will pray for you so faithfully, that even when God delivers you in that area, the prayer won't stop."

What God whispered to me while my face turned red and I felt stupid was this:

Even if we continue to pray for a need, and the need is met, and we continue to pray...He applies our soothing balm of healing prayer to another hurting area in the person's life. He knows our needs better than we do...and we may be praying in sincerity and in fervency for an area that has been healed...

But He won't waste a drop. Ain't that cool?? I thought so.

I hope you did too. Despite my faux paux...once again:-0

I'm just sayin'...

Deena

What's It All About...?

We just finished watching a movie tonight at our church. "Love's Enduring Promise", based on the books by Janette Oke. A bit cheesy, but it made a rather pointed...um, point.

That, coupled with the books God has led me to read lately, causes me to rethink some things. Things such as pain, loss and suffering.

We're told quite often, especially in James and I and II Peter to expect to suffer. "Count it all joy", "when trials come"--not if, "for your suffering builds" this and that and the other virtue.

But juxtaposed with Jesus' own promise that He "came to give us life, and give it to the full" (or as some translations put it--abundantly), how does it all fit? What's the answer to the age old question "why do bad things happen to good people"?

The answer lies in the definition of "abundance".

When Jesus promises us abundance, does He mean fat wallets, substantial bank accounts, full pantries, warrantied vehicles, and better homes (and gardens!)? Maybe...but not likely.

If you doubt me, read about Jesus' own life. If the King of Heaven lived like a vagabond and ate with others at their invitation, not the other way around...what can we expect?

I believe the answer to abundance is this...

When the diagnosis isn't good, and the worst possible could happen...knowing that to the believer, it is the greatest gain.

When your spouse or friend abandons you for no reason other than they can...knowing there is One who will never, ever leave...no matter what.

When the food supply dwindles, and your stomach growls...knowing that you can still feast on the Bread of Life that will fill your soul's content.

When you snap, crackle and pop without eating breakfast cereal every morning...knowing that one day a glorified body awaits you that will be friskier than any puppy, more flexible than any Olympic gymnast, and more limber than any deer.

When the clouds of depression refuse to part and let the light in...knowing that the joy of the Lord is your strength, and you don't have to dredge it up from yourself.

When evil seems to be overtaking the world and wounding those you love...knowing that He will ride in on a ride like no other and cry "It is finished!" and it finally will be as it was always meant to be.

When death takes a loved one and we grieve the loss...knowing that we are merely storing up our treasures in Heaven (if we will get busy sharing our faith).

When the things of this life pull, tug and lure you to the point of singing that old hymn "prone to wander, Lord, I feel it! Prone to leave the One I love"...knowing that one day you will sit at His feet with nothing else to do than to worship Him like you've always longed to do, with no distractions, no temptations...and No. More. Sin.

I think THAT'S the life abundant Jesus promised us.

Now, do I live it? No way, girlfriend! At least, not as much as I long to. And oh, how I long to live this way!!

And anyone who tries to convince you that they DO live this way, 24/7/365...don't believe it. We can't. We try. We fall. We get back up, and try again and again. And we live this life, knowing He knows we are jars of clay, holding the holy within us in His Spirit.

I'm trying. How about you? And isn't that what it's all about?

I'm just sayin'...

Deena

Know Crochet??

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover.

In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000. He asked her about the contents.

"When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.

"Honey," he said, "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"

"Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the dolls."

A Prayer......

Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man;
Love to forgive him;
And Patience for his moods;
Because Lord, if I pray for Strength,
I'll beat him to death, because I don't know how to crochet.

I'm just sayin'...

Deena

Who's Hands??

Lately, I've found myself in the midst of one health issue after another. I'm baffled, befuddled, mystified...and wearied of it all.

With this most recent one, I called my sister and told her I had an unusual prayer request.

"Please pray that the doctor will put me in the hospital," I cried. Then I proceeded to explain to her why that would be the wisest thing he could do. Made perfect, logical sense...and actually gave me a kind of peace.

Then she blew me out of my tranquil waters: "No, instead, I'm going to pray that God will show the doctor what he should be doing. We don't know if the hospital is the best thing or not."

Well, that sure rocked my boat! Didn't she hear me? Didn't she UNDERSTAND????

Yes, she did...better than I did. And I'm SO glad I called her with my hair-brained request.

I'm reading a book right now about a person who, out of fear, raced ahead of God and made a life-altering decision that had ripple effects in the lives of so many people. And no, it's not from the Bible...

But it could be. Remember Abraham? His race to prove God right gave us the turmoil in the Middle East. And remember Rebekah? Second worst case of sibling rivalry ever recorded (first was Cain and Abel), wasn't it?

And Peter...poor Peter. He always gets the bad rap...especially when he jumped the gun and cut off the guard's ear. Had he only waited a few more days, he would have seen Jesus rise and everything would have been okay.

Made me think of myself. Who's hands am I trusting in? Who's hands are my troubles in? Am I rushing out ahead of God, trying to make a way for Him? How ridiculous can that be?

But don't we tend to do that? Especially when we're in a situation that is just too big, too burdensome, too huge...too preposterous. That's when we tend to get out ahead of God and take matters into our own hands.

And that NEVER turns out well...ever.

I'm trying so very hard to lean on God and His wisdom through all of this. I'm trying to be patient, optimistic, and hopeful. But it is so hard. So very hard. And just when I think I have it figured out and solved...

He loves me enough to send me someone, like my sister, to gently say "Deena, put it back in My hands. Let Me hold it for you...it will crush you, sweetie. But My hands are strong enough, and I can see out far enough to know what is best for you."

It may not always feel like it...but I can't live on feelings. I have to live on faith.

I'm just sayin'...

Deena

I needed this one too...

...thought maybe...so did YOU:-)

I'm just sayin'...

Deena

Malachi 3:3

I needed this today...thought maybe you did too:-)

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it"

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Pass this on right now.

This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them. And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.

I'm just sayin'...

Deena

Wet Pants

Come with me to a third grade classroom.....

There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened.

It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, "Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat."

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.



As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, "Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!"

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out.

All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!"

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Susie whispers back, "I wet my pants once too."

May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good..

Remember.....Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

I'm just sayin...

Deena

Special Day At Our House!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my second daughter and middle child a very Happy Birthday!!

She turns 18 today, and is not too crazy about being labeled "an adult".

So, I'm letting her be a kid a little bit longer:-)

Hey, it took me 30 years to grow up:-) And I'm STILL working on it!

Her blog is Books 4 Teens--stop by and give her a shout out on her birthday:-)

I'm just sayin...

Deena

I did the Macarena with a goat because the voices told me to!

This is funny, don't spoil the fun, and keep it going............Type out the sentence you end up with, and put it in the comments...feel free to swipe it and post it on your own blog:-)


Pick the month you were born:

January-------I kicked
February------I loved
March--------I karate chopped
April----------I licked
May----------I jumped on
June----------I smelled
July-----------I did the Macarena With
August--------I had lunch with
September----I danced with
October-------I sang to
November-----I yelled at
December-----I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:

1-------a birdbath
2-------a monster
3-------a phone
4-------a fork
5-------a snowman
6-------a gangster
7-------my mobile phone
8-------my dog
9-------my best friends' boyfriend
10-------my neighbour
11-------my science teacher
12-------a banana
13-------a fireman
14-------a st uffed animal
15-------a goat
16-------a pickle
17-------your mom
18-------a spoon
19------ - a smurf
20-------a baseball bat
21-------a ninja
22-------Chuck Norris
23-------a noodle
24-------a squirrel
25-------a football player
26-------my sister
27-------my brother
28-------an ipod
29-------a surfer
30-------a llama
31-------A homeless guy

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:

White---------because I'm cool like that
Black---------because that's how I roll.
Pink-----------because I'm crazy.
Red-----------because the voices told me to.
Blue-----------because I'm sexy and I do what I want
Green---------because I think I need some serious help.
Purple---------because I'm AWESOME!
Gray----------because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.
Yellow--------because someone offered me $1,000,000 dollars
Orange--------because my family thinks I'm nutty anyway.
Brown---------because I can...
O ther----------because I'm a Ninja!
None----------because I can't control myself!



Now type out the sentence you made in the comments...I can't wait to see what you get stuck with.................


I'm just sayin'...

Deena