One Word At A Time: Porch

By Ginny (MAD21)

I love porches. I've always dreamed of having a house that had a nice front porch with comfy places to sit and enjoy God's creation, watch the world go by, or just sit with friends and family to visit. I envision a porch to be a place where a lot of memories are made, everything from finding some peace and quiet, to watching kids build things and pretend their toys are in far away places, to finding that perfect perch to nail someone in a water balloon fight.

I still haven't lived in a house that has had the porch from my dreams (though my back yard deck works as a good substitute), and while I would still like to have one some day, I heard a song a number of years ago that gave me an entirely different perspective.

The first thing I thought of when I saw our One Word this week was a song recorded by Lonestar back in 2003. It's called My Front Porch Looking In, and I LOVE it. Honestly, I don't think I could write anything for this post that would be better the words in this song and the message they convey. So please take a moment to listen. I hope it reminds you, as it did me, to remember which side of the porch is more important, and that no matter how much you enjoy "seeing the whole world," there is a reason we "can't wait to get back home." It's family, love and a sense of belonging.

 "Yeah the view I love the most
Is my front porch looking in

I see what beautiful is about
When I'm looking in
Not when I'm looking out"

My Front Porch Looking In was written by Richie McDonald, Frank J. Myers and Don Pfrimmer.

This post is a participant in a blog carnival over at Peter Pollock's place.
After you finish here, be sure to go and check out what everyone else wrote on: Porch

God Says... "I have given everyone a measure of faith."

By Jason S (Connecting to Impact)

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

According to this scripture, I'm two for two. I believe He is and that He rewards those who seek Him. That means I'm pleasing to God. That means I have faith. If you're a believer, you're probably with me.

Honestly though, it seems like many times this can't possibly be enough or more accurately, that the little faith we have can't possibly meet the huge challenges we face.

I can find myself saying, "I don't have enough faith." But the Father sees something different, something we don't see. He gave us each a measure of faith (Romans 12:3) and as we exercise it, that faith grows.

Years ago, I faced a decision for me and my family to leave the job I had been working and work full-time for our church as an associate pastor. Ours was not a large church and the questions surrounding this seemed so much louder than the direction God was speaking.

I knew where the Father was leading, but I struggled with the idea of my own faith. Could I really do this? Would my family suffer? Would my marriage suffer with this strain? How would all this work?

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Fingerprint Friday: Purple Violets & Ninja Cats

By Ginny (MAD21)

I was admiring how beautiful the flowers were on my violet plant. I don't think I've ever seen that many blooms on it all at once. I took the first picture and looked down and noticed my ninja peering up at me from the shelf below. I am so very thankful for the beautiful flowers that God has created for us to enjoy, but I'm also very thankful for how much fun my cat can be. I pray she never stops stalking me. So... thank you, Lord, for both fingerprints this week!

Fellow blogger Beki at The Rusted Chain has a really great weekly post she does every Friday called "Fingerprint Friday." We are to look around and see where we can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Anywhere? Go find out where Beki saw God this week, and be sure to check out the other bloggers who linked their stories as well.

Tasty Bites: Mom's Creamy Coleslaw

By Beth V

This recipe has been probably been prepared upwards of 50 times over the years by my sweet mom. She is known for her delicious coleslaw and potato salad. Generally, when asked for a recipe, it goes something like this… add a little of this, until it looks right, then add some of that, taste it and add a little more until it tastes right…you get the idea! So, I undertook to translate her recipe into a written form with actual measurements. This is such a simple and delicious recipe.

Start with 1 average-size head of cabbage. Peel back the tough outer leaves. Cut off the stem and cut the head in half. Cut out the solid white crispy core. Lay the cut-side of the head flat in the cutting board and cut into very thin ribbons.

Turn the cutting board, then cut across going the other direction so that your cabbage is finely chopped.

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God Says...

By Ginny (MAD21)

Awhile back, I was discussing topic ideas with the guys who have been writing for my series on Mondays. We had started organizing one of the ideas but stopped when Jay came across a fabulous article on faith by Donald Borsch, Jr. called, "Sonship: The Reality of Faith." After reading his post and seeing the "God Says" list he included, we decided we wanted to expand on what he shared, by making his list (and a few more we added) the topic for our next series.

We are told in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 that even if we can do all kinds of amazing things, if we do them without love it means nothing. The lesson here is obvious. But when preparing for this series, I read: "if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." I wondered... what if you love, but you lack faith? What happens when you've been beaten down by a situation so far, for so long that you really begin to question how strong your faith is?

We have all been there. That place of doubt.

"I'm not good enough."

   "It's impossible."

      "I can't."

         "I'm afraid."

            "I can't resist."

               "I can't forgive."

                  "I want."

                     "I feel all alone."

Many of us put on a good face no matter what we are going through in our lives. I think for the most part we all just "go with the flow" and deal with things as they come along. But there are those times when doubt, or a lack of faith, get the best of us. It can last for a moment, a day, or much, much longer. It's for those times that we must prepare ourselves. We must work hard to build our faith before it's tested, before we face the challenges. If we can build that strong foundation, it won't matter what comes our way. Because with faith comes it's companion: hope.

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