Letting Go

I thought you might like a little preview of Anthony Evans before Deeper Still!!

I had to post about Deeper Still because it is in a week and I am so excited that I needed to let a little bit of it out!!!!!! If you haven't checked out the Deeper Still blog go here http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/deeperstill/. I can't even imagine 22,000 women and a few brave men coming together to worship God and devour His Word together. The lives that God wants to change, save, heal, restore, redeem, to bring freedom to. There is alot going on in Nashville next weekend, Deeper Still event, Titans game on Sunday and Alabama and Vandy playing on Saturday. (at 12:30) . Be careful as you travel into Nashville and may God bless you, delight you beyond anything you are expecting at this conference. Dori and I and my best friend Cecelia are encouragers at this event. It would be an honor to pray with you! See you next week!!

Sandi Patty His Eye Is On The Sparrow

God would not let me rest until I posted this. If this is for you, God has not forgotten you!!

A Siesta Fiesta

Oh my goodness, I was over at the LPM Blog and they have announced the 1st Siesta Fiesta of next year. Head on over and check it out. Girls, we have to go. May God provide a way for all of us to attend this fiesta!!

I can't believe Labor Day weekend is almost here and summer as flown by. I haven't written very much over the past two months but as I have said before, Thankful Thursday is one of my favorite things to do in blogland. Summer has been busy and at times stressful but it is during those times that naming our blessings and thanking God for them can encourage us and those around us, looking back at the things God has done for us can increase our faith and it brings honor to God. As I write this God has laid this verse on my heart:

Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name. (Malachi 3:16)

I am thankful for God's Word, it is life to us. His very own breath. Intimate times with our God and his Word cannot compare to anything this world has to offer. Thank you for speaking to us!!

I am thankful we are getting rain today.

I am thankful for God's provision. He meets all our needs and in different ways. I am thankful the bills are paid, a place to live, a car to drive, .......

I am thankful for the Deeper Still tickets God provided for me and my friends and for allowing me to help others get tickets to this event. I am thankful for what God has already prepared for us at this conference and the word he has for each person coming. He is a God of Providence!!

I am thankful for friends who pray for me. Knowing I am being prayed for gives me the strength I need to press on.

I am thankful that in a week I will get to meet Kim(Connorcolesmom) and Jan(ThreeMenandaMom) and Lisa (the Preacher's Wife) and TammieFaye(my twin) and many others at Deeper Still. Jan is my new blogging friend and she makes me laugh!! I love her. Kim, has been a great encourager for me. She is very special to me and I thank God for directing our paths to each other and I can't wait to meet her!! Tammie just brings a smile to my face. Tammie if you are reading this, the Deeper Still Blog is giving directions to the closest Starbucks around the arena!!

I am thankful for laughter. God has the best sense of humor!!!

I am thankful for my salvation. Thank you Jesus for saving me, for loving me uncondtionally. For being our witness and advocate in Heaven. Our Intercessor, Friend, Redeemer, Forgiving my sins, Restorer.

Have a fun day with Jesus!! I pray He delights you with many surprises this weekend!!

It's Football Time in Tennessee

Now that I have that out of my system I can get on with it! I think I will decide to type the rest of the post in orange. I love this time of year. We get crazy in Tennessee with our Vols. I am caught up in the whole football game day thing. A typical football day, get up early morning and shower(because we are clean fans) and put ALL your orange and white game day apparel on. This could include VOLS jammies and shirts, socks, undergarments, blah , blah, blah. Oh, and orange polish on your nails. If we happen to be watching the game at home in Hi-Def (the only way to go) it is so much fun to invite friends over to "tailgate" indoors. (if we are grilling we do keep it outdoors, just in case people have the wrong idea about Tennessee Vol fans) I love deciding on the menu and decorating for the party and you all have seen some pics of my house, you know how dedicated I am to the orange and white. It is fun to watch all the other SEC teams because I think we have a great and strong conference. I root for the SEC teams to win(except when they play us) and I must confess there is one SEC team I never root for but I will leave that out of this post. Not hard to figure out. If going to the game(oh say it's so) then I love getting there early and finding a place to park(that is at least 10 minutes close to the stadium) . We do have one of the largest football stadiums and let me say when 104,000 plus fans get together on a beautiful Saturday, parking becomes a sport in itself. Our stadium is located near the river and we have the ever loyal VOL NAVY supporting us. I love to tailgate. You get to meet interesting people along the way and just maybe talk your way into free food(not that I would do that ;) There is the VOL WALK and of course our great band and ROCKY TOP. They only play that song here , maybe a cajillion times through out the year but I love it and considered having that song played at my wedding reception(if in fact God allows me to marry again) a friend gave me a U.T. bride and groom cake topper. I can insert what you are thinking here . Hmmmmmmm........ she needs therapy or a life. LOL!! I love the tradition of football and for no other reason than it's fun!! I enjoy competition and even though our team has hit rough spots over the last couple of years, there is hope for a new beginning, a new season!!! I will post a few pictures of the team, of the fans, etc... and although you may not be a fan, I hope you enjoy the pictures. I do pray that God will protect each player on each team and as we do enjoy football or whatever you enjoy in this country, thank you God for this great Nation, for the men and women who protect this Nation and other countries. May God surround them with a hedge of protection as they serve and provide and protect their families in their absence!! Thank you God for our freedom!!
Have a blessed week and thank you for putting up with me!! :o)
Love,
Patty

I Introduce you to Daisy

Over at the LPM Blog they are asking us to share about our pets on our blogs and post a comment on their blog if we are going to and I had to share a few pics again of the newest addition of the family. We rescued her from the local animal shelter a few months after my Jack Russell Terrier (14 years old) had died. Daisy looks like a yellow lab that I had for 15 years and I just had to pick her and take her home. My brother and friend Georgia was also there and it took me awhile to warm up to her because I was used to my terrier. This dog is the funniest animal I have ever had. She is a beast!! She gallops toward you and in a second is standing on top of you and she likes to be above our heads looking down on us. She has multiple chew toys and can entertain herself for hours. Let's see, she has chewed on my coffee table, the deck, huge sticks, shoes, pine cones, chairs, she loves to play chase in my day lillies and has ruined my flowers by the pool. She plays a game at the stairs of the pool. she runs as far as the steps and throws her head under water and then runs around the pool barking at us while we are in the pool. We have a big float that my sister bought and leaves over here and Daisy loves to climb on that and she wants us to push her around the pool. This dog loves outside and really enjoys it when we are all outside with her. She gets excited when we come home and watches out the window until we return. I am not to excited about that because she gets excited when the pizza delivery person shows up!! Go figure. She watches t.v. and she her favorite place to sit is on top of the couch. She also likes to sit behind my head when I am on the couch eating. She is a beast but a lovable beast and she brings a lot of laughter to our home. Lastly, I entered Daisy's picture with her wearing the orange goggles in a photo contest and we are in the finals and they are going to publish her picture in a book. I hope we win. How fun would that be?!!! I hope you have enjoyed meeting our Daisy!!!

It's HOT so I am going to write about Fall!!!

It has been so hot for the last couple of weeks and humid and it makes me long for Fall. It is my favorite season. I love to decorate my home during this season and I have a collection of all kinds of fall stuff. I have seen a few leaves turning to bright orange and red colors and that gets me excited because I live near the Smokies and it is so pretty at that time of the year. I wish it would drop down to the 60's and that just puts me in the mood to cook and bake. I love making pumpkin bread and banana bread, chili and homemade vegetable soup, chicken and dumplins (we say it that way in the South) of course the tailgating, football party food, chicken wings, and my cheesy, bacon , potatoes, and my chocolate reese cake and homemade rolls etc...... my family is cracking me up because they are starting early this year talking about my turkey I make at Thanksgiving. I have to say it is so good and I don't take the credit over anything I cook, I pray and ask God to make it good and He does!! That is a lot of pressure they are putting on me by talking about my turkey and it's August. Last year I cooked a 25lb. turkey!! Anyway, off of food a second, I love driving around and looking at the fall leaves and I like the cooler weather, I love my fall/winter clothes, mostly my sweats and my VOLS clothes. I have to support my team. I love football and I am ready for college football!! I am a longsuffering fan of my team but I love them. I can promise you if you dislike football and I took you to a football game at Neyland Stadium (one of the largest college stadiums ) you would enjoy yourself. I love the tailgating and getting to know new people and I love the food and wearing your teams colors. I have people stopping me in the stores that are visiting Tennessee and they ask me about the orange and white and tell me they have never seen a state support a team like we do. That cracks me up. Anyway, I know I am boring most of you now, sorry!! Fall is also the time for new Bible studies at church. I love to start a new study and this year I am facilitating A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place, again. We did this a long time ago but it is revised and we are excited! Also, we have a conference coming up in September and I feel that God is up to something that is bigger than we can imagine. A lot of women that are going are going thru giant trials BUT God.........HE is in control and HE is our Divine Warrior!!! I know I have rambled enough. I will post some pics of my house and show you my U.T. Vol stuff . So, what do you like about Fall or what is your favorite season? I wanted to say that I uploaded the pics after I wrote the post. The sign that says reserved parking for U.T. fans is hung in the downstairs bathroom by the toilet. ;o) .

Lesson 11

Burning Questions
1. When is the last time you encountered a Fist Shaker? This may be a stranger to you or as close as a loved one in your own home. Does anything in our description help you to understand their animosity towards God? Are you able to have more compassion towards them? I guess I would have to say it was a loved one. It was pretty recent. The reason they shake their fist at God is the fact they want to live apart from God's Word, do as they please etc... and pretend to love God and pretend a certain love for God but clearly far away from God. This person told me he understood he had a lot of sin before God but he guessed he would just spend eternity in hell. A very scary remark to make. I pray for this person everyday or I should say when God burdens me to because I plead for God's mercy. We can be shocked by statements like that but God isn't shocked at all. He can take it. His animosity towards God is more towards himself and what he has done. He doesn't understand the mercy of God, the no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. The anger toward God is what you were saying about not being in control. He wants to be in control of his life and do what he wants and still be right with God. That has helped me so much in knowing how to pray for him!! No one, even a fist shaker is beyond God's touch!!! Thank you Jesus.

2. Does anything about Rahab's redemption strike a nerve? This may be a question you would like to ponder privately. Sexual sin and/or victimization can be an area where Satan has an enormous stronghold because it can hold so many painful and shameful memories. If Rahab teaches us anything, please know God can redeem any life and any situation, no matter how heinous it seems, and plant you unashamedly 'in the midst of Israel'. Rahab deserved death according to Mosaic Law, however she was shown nothing but lovingkindness by the God and nation of Israel. { It doesn't strike a nerve with me. What is does is make me want to fall face down and thank God for his redemptive mercy on me. I am a sinner saved by grace. We like to put sins in different catergories but sin is sin to God. Her story should offer encouragment to any of us that God can redeem and deliver us out of any mess, clean us up, and use us mightily to accomplish things for HIM. At any time any of us are capable of committing any sin but by the grace of God go I. Praise God that Jesus died for ALL !!! }

3. Is there an area of your life in which you feel you have come full circle? Where you've come to a place where everything and nothing are the same? (I'm thinking Lord of the Rings when Frodo goes back to the Shire after his long adventure. You have no clue what I just said if you are not an LOTR nerd so just ignore this if it doesn't make sense! :) Yes I have and it is hard to put into words but to know that God has brought me full circle and the fact that I don't have to understand it all is very liberating to me.

4. When you were born again, did you gain a new appreciation for your surroundings as Rahab did when she received the Promise along with the Promised Land? Has some old place, object, or relationship been redeemed by now serving a 'high and holy purpose'? I was born again at an early age and I can't comment on that. I am in a situation now that I believe God is bringing redemption and is serving a 'high and holy purpose'. Even though I was saved at an early age I have gone astray from God (years ago) and I am thankful every day that God forgave me and gave me a new beginning in Him. That part I don't take for granted. I love how God works. I really dig that about Almighty God.

'

5. Believers can still be Fist Shakers. Do you have circumstances in your life in which you find yourself shaking your fist at God? Something He has asked you to endure, asked you to do, seemingly taken away from you? Can you see how shaking your fist is keeping you from your Promise? (I'm not talking eternal security here - Only abundant living.) I have shaken my fists before and God quickly got me back in line. Where He has me now is this, I have said this time and time again, Nothing can happen to us without ot going thru God's hands first. That has been so liberating to me. He knows, nothing surprises him and before the trial or problem was ever manifested God had prepared a way out, prepared a provision, a healing..... I am not saying I don't whine sometimes when I am going thru a trail but I really am trying to learn what he is teaching me thru the hard times.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Last night as I was trying to decide between t.v. or going to bed I went to my bookshelf and grabbed Joyce Meyer's book, The Battle Belongs to the Lord and God truly minstered to me in that book. The entire time I was reading this book I was thinking of you all, the ladies that have told me they are going thru battles and I felt led to share a little with you all. As we get closer to going to Deeper Still in Nashville the enemy is going to continue to pester us enough to get us all worked up and he is trying to get our focus off of God and onto our circumstances. I have been beat up and so have you all but it is time for us to stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord!! God moves on our behalf when we focus on Him instead of our fears. God tells us to fear not, because He knows that fear will try to stop us but he encourages us to be strong and full of courage and keep going forward.

It was told to Jehoshapthat, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the {Dead} Sea, from Edom; and behold they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi.

Then Jehoshapthat feared, and set himself(determinedly, as his vital need) to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all of Judah.(2 Chronicles 20:4-6)

When he was told the "ites", were coming against him, the first thing he did was fear. But he did something else, he set himself to seek God. He was determined to get a Word from the Lord and he proclaimed a fast. He needed a battle plan. God's plan.

We should develop the habit of running to God when we have fear, trouble instead of people. If the battle begins in the mind we should seek God rather than our own minds or other people's minds. Joyce says, ask yourself, do I run to the phone or to the throne? God might directs us to a person/s for advice but we should always go to God first. You may be in a situation where you need to hear from God. Maybe God is calling you out to do something for the kingdom that seems impossible to man, to you, maybe someone is causing you grief or trouble, whatever the problem God has the answer, your very own personal battle plan. God wants to speak to you more than you want to hear from Him. If you go on to read the whole story about Jehoshaphat, he also leads his people to sing and praise God. Singing defeats the enemy in our lives. God is teaching me so much about praising him and worshiping Him and then we are ready for the victory. If you read verses 7-11 in this chapter you will see that Jehoshaphat goes on to acknowledge how great , awesome, powerful and wonderful the Lord is, he began talking about specific things God had done for them in the past. After doing all of this then he presented his request and told God the enemy was attacking them BUT he knew God was in control and could take care of the problem.

I think God is encouraging us to combat our fears with His Word, with praising Him and saying outloud how awesome He is and repeat all the things God has brought us thru in the past and placing our confidence in the Lord. Singing, praising God defeats the enemy and brings us the V.I.C.T.O.R.T.Y God has a plan for deliverance before the problem ever appears to us. He is not saying, oh no what am I going to do. He is not wringing His hands trying to figure out the solution. Our word for today is focus. Focus on God and worship Him and praise Him his for His solution . I have to think that if we say outloud all the ways God has delievered us the enemy won't stick around to hear it!!

Have a blessed day!

Stressed or Desserts.... I choose Desserts...

I really don't know what else to title this post. My mind is a scary place at times and this may be a time of bouncing all over the place. It has been awhile since I posted and there has been a lot going on in my life. I am still excited about seeing my friend Denise and thanking God for working in our lives. I have been busy preparing lessons and teaching them on Sunday mornings and Sunday nights. We are going over When Godly People do Ungodly Things in Sunday school. Very heavy lessons and we need them to guard us against the seduction by our enemy. I am preparing to teach my youngest son in high school. The time has flown by. Summer is almost over and yet it has been 100 degrees in east Tennessee and it feels like it is just beginning. The pool feels great and yet I have been it it once.(I mean once this month) Go figure. The pool being warm is monumental because our backyard looks like we are in the mountains and thereby shading the pool somewhat and causing frigid waters at times. SO, the pool is so nice and I really want to swim and relax but that is a tempatation because I have other things to do. As I have written before, God has laid on my heart to write a book. I have 6 chapters written and I haven't written in a long time. God is calling me to make better use of my time. I know He wants me to finish this book before I turn 90 and he is teaching me how to better priortize my time. Actually, He has been moving on my heart for two years to write this book. I have struggled with the why me, and I don't have that talent, blah, blah, blah......the excuses go. God is faithful and he will complete the work in me but I have to be obedient. I may not get to be on here as much as I like and I don't mean on my very personal blog but reading your blogs. One of my favorite things to do. Holly and Connie give me a Word every single time I read their blogs. I don't always comment but I do sit and digest what God is speaking thru them. Of course, Dori, my sweet friend and more like sister is a profound writer and what she wrote the other day spoke right to my heart. Our blogs can and should minister to others. So, thank you ladies for sharing your hearts and teaching me!!!! I receive it in Jesus name.

After returning from Nashville the enemy has really been attacking me on several levels. When God blesses you and speaks a Word over you the enemy doesn't like it and tries to come in and steal the Word and the blessing God gave us. That is what has gone on. Actually, that is one reason I haven't been on in weeks. These are battles that God will have to fight, the kind where I sit still and watch the deliverance from the Lord. Dori called me a few weeks ago and she said she knew something was wrong and I told her everything going on and I was at the point of shutting down and getting away from people and that is a trap set by the enemy. I thank God for Dori and her obedience to call me. IT really helped me. This time it is many battles, different battles going on at the same time. I know God has a unique calling on my life and I am trying to figure that out. I should say I am praying about that and praying I hear God clearly. In just a few short weeks I will be spending my 43rd birthday in Nashville at Deeper Still. I know God has prepared something unique for each lady attending and I am so excited it starts on my birthday. I think God is preparing a surprise party for 22,000 of my closest friends!!! I just hope there is cake involved. Actually, give me the icing, you can have the cake. Speaking of cake....... I learned today that stressed spelled backwards is DESSERTS!!!! SO, I think I would rather have the desserts instead of the stress in my life. A BIG FAT Piece of chocolate , texas sheet cake. Seriously, here are our desserts that we can feast on and not gain an ounce......

"For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory" (Deut. 20:4)

With God we will gain the victory , and he will trample down your enemies. (Ps. 60:12)

"All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. (Is 41:11, 12 )

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Ps. 73:26)

Eat up and enjoy. Actually, in Ez. 2:8, God says we are to devour His Word. So, devour the Word, better to have desserts than having a stressed life!!!

One more thing that I will end with: B.A.T.T.L.E

Bringing

Attention

To

The

Lord's

Excellence!!!!

Have a great weekend!!!

Long Time no Write......

Hello to all my sweet siestas!!! I don't have but a second for now but I wanted to drop in and say hi and that I will be posting tomorrow. I will be emailing everyone who wanted a shirt tomorrow morning. I hope you all have a wonderful evening!!