So Are The Days Of Our Lives......

Time is a funny thing.....

When you are a kid it seems like time passes so slowly....creeping away.

I can remember anytime I was anticipating anything, the last day of school, my birthday, the holidays...a date...time did not even seem to move.

Waiting....waiting....waiting.........dreaming of being all grown up and able to come and go as I pleased.

I can remember feeling like I could just be living on my own, making my own decisions and doing my own thing. And I was absolutely sure that I could do EVERYTHING better than my parents.

It didn't take long with me actually being out on my own for me to realize how wonderful things were at home.

I saw that whole thing again when Denise turned 18...I could read it in her eyes, in her actions. What a dummy I was...man, we were just holding her back from growing as a person....

I think she sees things a little different now.

And here it is, Ethan's turn....and it's there again....that urge to try out wings that are being clipped by parental ties. Not that I expect him to try to fly away any time soon, but it's in the air.

When I was a young girl of almost 21 I had a baby girl. I went to stay with my Mama since I knew literally nothing about having no baby. And my Mama that I was so anxious to leave patiently walked me through every aspect of care for the tiny life now in my charge.

She gave me the best advise I ever received from her as we were waiting to leave the hospital, she said "Make memories."

I have tried to do just that.

But, time is a funny thing....it keeps spiraling away from me....rushing away at a breakneck speed and I can't keep up with it.

And it seems that with every passing day the days pass faster and faster.....

Just like sands through the hour glass of time.......

Material Girl....

We are living in a fast paced world....cruising on the information highway. Almost everyone now has access to their family and friends 24/7 via cell phone, Internet, etc.

And yet, with all of these ways to reach out and touch each other we are sadly touching each other less.

I have seen it around me, probably in my own home....well, definitely in my own home....

I have seen the need for more STUFF!!

Now, I like stuff. I enjoy my cell phone, my iPod, my iMac. But, it is just STUFF.

I can continue to build up my own personal arsenal of gadgets and devises and surround myself with every modern convenience. I would never have to see anyone face to face again.

Why, I can even sit right in the comfort of my own home and *attend* church! cough cough

Speaking of which, we had an awesome service last night. Bro. Wood preached to us and I want to be "In Position for the Mission" that is coming for me.

It was during that message that he mentioned Elisha, leaving his STUFF behind so that he could follow Elijah. He not only left it behind, he sacrificed it. And at the time of Elijah's departure to Heaven in the chariot he asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit...

And he got it.

I tend to believe it was because he sacrificed what he had to serve.

And as I thought about Elisha I remembered the rich young ruler. He asked the Lord "What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17)

Jesus asked him if he knew the commandments. He responded he had followed them since he was young.

Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsover thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shall have treasure in heave: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
*Note that Jesus saw him there in his sincerity to reach the mark, and He LOVED him, even though He knew he would walk away....WOW....there's a message in there*

This young man had a different reaction that Elisha.

He was grieved because he had many possessions.

I can imagine a young man of our time...

"Sell my STUFF! You have got to be kidding! I NEED this STUFF! I can't live without it!"

Now, I like my STUFF, but I would hope that in that position I would have been an Elisha.

Lord, give ME a double portion of the spirit of my Man of God! Give me his vision for the work waiting to be done. And if he says to me, "you have to lay some things aside," Lord, let me be willing. It's only STUFF, and I would that no material possession would keep me out of Your presence.

The Greatest Bargain

I love to shop, love to dig through the racks and find the best price I can on an item. I don't shop a lot, although my husband would probably argue that, but I like it. Finding a skirt marked down to $7 from $40 when you have otherwise been having a crummy day can be a little thrill.

Maybe that makes me dumb, but it is fun to me.

I can go to Belk's when they are having a really good sale and get dress shirts for my guys for next to nothing! Love it!!

I don't mind if it's not name brand, who cares! Never been into that stuff anyway.

Now some things you have to have the name brand, no ability to skimp. Some medications are better in the name brand, that's just a fact.

I know I will only take name brand for my thyroid problem. It cost more, but it works so much better for me that it is worth the extra cost. If I am able to function and not feel like a slug, well, that means more to me than a few extra dollars.

There was a time when I was wasting my life, throwing away day after day on things that didn't even matter. Searching everywhere for something I could get to fill the emptiness inside of me.

But, you know what, I only felt emptier.

Now, I know there are those who would look at my life and think, "Why would anyone want to live that way? Look at all that she has given up, at everything her choice has cost her."

And that is true. I don't do some of the things I used to think were fun. I don't go some of the places I used to go. And I have, along the way, lost some of the *friends* that I at one time thought I couldn't live without.

I remember the life that I used to live, not with remorse, but with sadness for the time I wasted. And regret.

My energy, my focus could have been so much better spent if I had focused on what is really important.

And what is really important is who I am, who I am to my family, and to those around me. Because, you see, I am not my own. Someone paid the price for me.

1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Don't feel sorry for me. Don't look at me and think of all the things that YOU think I am missing out on.

I assure you, I am quite happy.

Sure, I don't do some things anymore, and to some it would seem to great a price to pay for the peace that I have.

But, as my Pastor recently said, "Heaven is a bargain at ANY price!"

And I love me a bargain!!

Are You For REAL??!!??

I attended a funeral this week for a man that I deeply cared for. Distance has kept us from becoming as close to him as we would have liked, but we did love him.

It grieved me to watch his family deal with the loss, but they did so with grace and strength.

As usual, when I attend funerals, my thoughts drift to when it will be my own time. I am hoping I still have many years left. Although I don't think I will have as many grandchildren as he did, I would like to live to enjoy the ones I will have.

But, still....my heart longs for home.

And I thought while I was sitting there listening to others describe this man's life, "What will be said of my OWN life when it is over?"

What is the most important thing I want people to remember about me?

I, of course, want them to remember that I was once a young girl, with young girl dreams...and that some of those childish dreams came to pass.

I want others to remember that I was a wife, although not the best one on the planet, I have loved the same man for almost 25 years. And I'm planning on continuing that tradition for many more.

I want others to remember that I was a mother, and I want it to be known without being said how very much I love my children.

I want to be remembered for my career as a nurse and how much I enjoy caring for others.

But, above ALL of that, I want people to say that I loved the Lord. Really....Really

Because it is through my love for Him that I am a decent enough wife that my husband has not run over me with the car (yet).

It is through Him that I am the kind of mother that I want to be, even in my failings, and there have been many.

It is through Him that I can excel and become the type of leader that I need to be.

And, hopefully, through Him, when that day does come (and it will) there will be those sitting out there that will say, "She won me to the Lord. She gave me a Bible Study. She prayed for me. She inspired me."

When it is my turn and I have passed from this world to my Home with Him, when this body is lowered into the ground after my family has said their final goodbyes, when my time is at hand, I want someone to think "she loved the Lord with everything that she had."

I want people to know this is REAL for me, not something I do on Sunday's or when I am in public...

I am in love with this Truth...in love with my Savior...

What about you? When your time comes what will those you leave behind be thinking?

Are YOU for Real??

Long Distance Relationships

Growing up it was always "us 5 and no more." We lived in a variety of places, and only for a very short time in my existence were we in the same area as family. It was always my parents, my brother, my sister and me. And we became accustomed to life that way.

I have lived away from my brother and sister since 1990. I moved with my own little family to Troy, Alabama in September of that year, just 2 days after giving birth to my son. We have been apart every since.

My parents moved to Douglas back in the beginning of 1990 and after I finished college we came here (in 1995) so that we could be closer to them.

Now my parents are moving back to Louisiana and will be living next door to my sister.

And here we are, in Douglas.

It was always just us growing up, we relied on each other. We were our own friends, our own entertainment, our own family. One of the hardest days of my life was when my Mom loaded up and pulled away moving to Georgia. Denise was 2 and I started crying as they pulled away. One of my tears hit her arm and she looked at her father and said, "Mama spilled on me."

My family has always been a source of strength for me. But there has been a cost to the distance between us. So many things we have missed out on....

Our children have all grown up without really knowing each other. And we have missed so many events, graduations, and in my case, births. I have 2 great nieces now that will probably never know just how much this Aunt loves them.

It's not only the miles, that can be overcome. It's life that gets in the way, creating the biggest gap of all. It leaves a chasm that cannot be crossed between me and those that own my heart.

Oh, how I would love to have a nice Sunday Dinner after church with my brother and his family, or go camping with my sister. Wouldn't it be wonderful to spend the afternoon babysitting one of my new babies?

If I could change one thing, this would be it. I would be surrounded by my family. I don't want it to be "us 4 and no more" here in Douglas. I want to have a relationship with those that mean so much to me.

And so it is in my walk with God. Sometimes I let life get in the way. And before I know it there is a chasm between me and the One who means more to me than ANYTHING.

So I am changing things because although I cannot change the physical distance between me and my family, I can change the spiritual distance between me and my Father.

I can bridge that chasm on my knees, I can touch Him through His Word. I can know Him by spending time in His presence.

Because the distance between me and Him is in my control. And I want only to be at His feet.

Sno 2 Geaux (go)

In case you did not know, we have a new venture at the Boulet House. We are in the Sno Ball Business!! Growing up in South Louisiana I ate a LOT of snow cones, or snow balls as they are referred to in New Orleans.

I WANTED a good snow cone, and NOW I can get one!!

Most Saturday's will find Sno 2 Geaux at the Farmer's Market here in Douglas serving up such flavors as Cajun Red Hot, Cookie Dough, Buttered Popcorn, Nectar, Tidal Wave, and MANY more!! But we also do some special stuff. We will be at the Wiregrass Arena in Nicholls on August 22 and also at Budget Car Sales on the same day!! That's a lot of ice!!

You can follow us on twitter, visit our website (sno2geaux.com) or become a fan on facebook!

Who knows where we are geauxing to be next!!

Holiness is Right

In order to save time and money the automotive industry has come up with a plan. With the lagging economy they have met to look for ways to cut cost, not only within the industry, but also for the cities and states that have all the enormous expense of upkeep on highways and roads.

The first thing is to do away with seat belts and air bags systems in all vehicles. Also, they have decided that it would be cost effective to remove the lights from the back of the vehicles, eliminating the need for blinkers with this move.

Next, in order to cut down on the need for patrolling the highways, they will remove the speed limits and red light/stop signs, etc. This will invoke a system where the individual driver will be truly in the driver's seat, going when he is able instead of waiting.

It will be up to you, as a driver to decide if the vehicle in front of you is just slowing down, or stopping, and you will have to use your own judgment as to whether they are turning or whether you have time to go before another car does. There will be no rules to guide you, no safety measures to keep you from crashing and burning, just you against the other motorist on the road, kind of like every man for himself.

It is thought that with these few adjustments the industry and the country as a whole will save millions upon millions of dollars.

Sounds ludicrous doesn't it?

To me too. But so many times I hear the words from people, "all of those things from the Bible were for that time, not for now," or, my personal favorite, "that doesn't matter anymore."

Poppycock.

Without guidelines we are wandering around with no real purpose, nothing to save us from the world, or OURSELVES.

Is it important to look different than the world? Absolutely. I have heard so many say Holiness is inward. Indeed, it is! But as your inward self changes you should see a reflection on the outside also! There should be a notable change. Your entire countenance should be changed!

The world would have us believe that rules and guidelines are passe', that they no longer matter. But the Word of God has not changed, there has not been a re-write of the Bible, it is the same as it was yesterday, the same as it will be tomorrow.

And there is a reason behind it, just as there is a reason we have tail-lights and blinkers. It is a protecting us from crashing and burning. The Bible is not a suggestion, there is no guessing about which direction to take. It provides us with a perfect road map to help us arrive at our desired destination.

Do you want to make it all the way? Then follow the path. Stop where it says stop, turn where it says turn, yield where it says yield, and go where it says go. Keep your eyes on those around you. Don't allow them to run you off this road.

I have told the story before of my patient many years ago. After a confrontation with someone who wanted me to detour off my path I was downhearted. My prayer before leaving the house that morning was "Lord, I need You today, I need to know You are with me."

My patient suffered from Alzheimer's and was having a bad day. But as I was caring for her she grasped my hand and looked at me with suddenly clear eyes. She said, "You are on the Highway to Holiness. Don't let anyone or anything take you off of the path."

And then, she was gone again, but I was found!

Isaiah 35:8-9 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness: the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there.

Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

"There's a difference between wrong and right,
There's a difference between darkness and light,
There's no compromise, we must draw the line;
Sin is still our reproach, but holiness is right.

Now the world is living all kinds of lifestyles,
But the life of a Christian should be pure and undefied.
Everybody has faults to repent thereof,
And then walk in the light because holiness is right.

God is God, and He'll always be the same,
His word is the law, not one tittle will ever change.
We must distinguish between clean and unclean,
And then walk in the light because holiness is right."

There IS a difference!! And holiness IS right!