Friends!!!!

I wanted to write a short little blog today about my friends. I have been blessed with some incredible friends!
Over two years ago, I had written an email to two of my Pastor's at church in regards to my inability to make friends at church. Not the superficial, "only see ya on Sunday" kind...but deep, stink together, family kind! I was so frustrated and discouraged about that. It is hard to live away from family and raise your child on your own.
Today I can say all has changed! I have some very close friends that I just consider part of my family. Today I want to write a thank you to them and give a shout out about how awesome they are!!!
I leave Saturday for Ukraine for a short term mission trip. Lindsey is staying home. But she is not alone. Last night I sat in the foyer area of our church with most of the members of our worship team all crowded around me...some where rubbing my back( they could tell I was feeling the physical stresses of the day and the trip coming), others were imputing on how they would like to help with Lindsey, others still were giving me financial blessings for my trip, others were sharing phone numbers amongst each other in support if the need arises that Lindsey needs anything at all. There was encouragement happening, and comfort being given...and I was totally blessed!! I have an awesome family, and a GREAT friend Amanda, and these awesome friends as well!!!!!!!! As I took this all in last night I was reminded of that email I sent to Pr Travis and Pr Bob those couple of years ago...and realized that God had taken that great heartache of mine...and not only healed it...but granted me an abundance!!!!!!! So today I say thank you, I love you and God bless you, to each one of them!!!!!! Here are their names:
Greg and Amy
Tony and Beth
Laura and Paul
Donna
Laura
Jean
Stacy
Wanda
Pam
Pr Bob
Jodie
Peter
Amanda
Chantel
Mom
Dennis
Pr Bill and Melanie
Dad

and I am sure I have missed someone...and this extends to all the rest of my family, co-workers and friends I am just beginning to know!

God bless each of you and thank you for your commitment to me and Lindsey!!!!!!!!!
What an honor and privilege I have to go to Ukraine and not only work to help these flood victims, but I GET to share who God is...How much He loves them, what He has done in my life and to leave with them His message of hope and love!!!! I get to also lead worship with this team and the villagers in their church....I am soooooooo humbled!!!!!!!!!! When God called me to sing, He told me something was coming and He said "I need you to be there when you need to be there." And I have prayed that prayer of "Lord help me to be there when you need me to be there", completely not knowing what "there" or "it" was...until God revealed that to me the other night....this opportunity is the "there and it"!!! I am humbled!
Thank you all so much for loving me, loving Lindsey and praying for us....and especially for not just making us friends...but family!!!!!!!!!!
Lots of Love
Lorrie

Zephaniah 3:14-17:
Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel!Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!The Lord has taken away your judgements, He has cast out your enemy.The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;He will rejoice over you with gladness,He will quiet you with His love,He will rejoice over you with singing.


Isaiah 43:18-19
18 " Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

Bent like the pipes under my sink!

I am sitting here in front of my computer bent like the pipes under my kitchen sink. I am so angry right now that I have been sitting here literally saying out loud...."it is okay Lorrie...some people are just lost and clueless." But needless to say...that has not abated my anger. I should probably pray for all of the people who in their ignorance do not know any better than to criticise and judge the character and integrity of others...when they A: do not know them...B: never walked in their shoes...and C: idolize themselves as the "AUTHORITY" on morality, character and parenting. Yep, you could say that someone started my fire and it is flaming!!!
Over the past couple of days, since John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate, there has been an incredible amount of talk on TV, in the papers, online and on the radio about who she is, and can "SHE" as a woman lead....after all...she is a woman...a mother of 5 and her daughter is pregnant....she must be a BAD MOM!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can expect this type of discussion from a male dominated media...I see and hear it all the time. I even see and hear it in my job...."Oh they let women drive the ambulance???" or "oh...are you a nurse??" Here is one...Amanda...you and I hear this one all the time...."wow...you girls can lift this....must have eaten your Wheaties..." and we answer..."we have to take the same physical tests the guys do." and people are just amazed!
So what lit my fire??? The comments about how Sarah Palin must be a bad parent because her teenage daughter is pregnant...and that means she could never lead this country. Really??? REALLY!!! Seriously...people have been saying that. So if a woman's child gets pregnant and isn't married...that is a tarnish on her(the mom's) character...but if the PRESIDENTS of the United States....a.k.a....Bill Clinton, JFK...ect....can have flings....and that doesn't tarnish their character....what gives!!!!!
Don't get all defensive that I am slamming the Democrats either....this isn't political...it is moral!
So let me lay it out there .....I was raised a believer in Jesus Christ....was raised by parents who loved me and set up good moral values in our home. I grew up knowing right from wrong...and what sin was and that it has consequences....and yet...at 19 I was at college and met a guy...dated...had sex...bang...got pregnant. Consequences!!!! I had grown up a very intelligent young woman...who at 19... made a very adult decision...and found out that I wasn't such a grown up after all. What did my parents do....they told me they loved me...that they would support me....but that I had to now enter this phase of adulthood, parenting and marriage as an adult. And I did! Does that mean that my mother's character was bad??? That she wasn't a moral person..or that she should never be viewed as a person worthy of leadership??? All because of my choice???? Sounds a little silly when I say it like that doesn't it!
What about this...after 3 children, a marriage lasting 16 years...a divorce..and now a single mom for the last 8 years...does that make me a woman of lesser character???? I went to school full time, worked full time and raised a family full time....when my marriage ended...I still supported my children, and myself and paid my bills and was responsible...all by myself. No welfare...no food stamps....I worked. Did I struggle...yep. Was everything always easy...nope. Is is always easy in the best of marriages??? Nope. Do children always listen to their parents??? Nope. So who are these people who stand in judgement of a woman's character??? Now I am not saying that people can't or shouldn't voice their opinions...cause that would generate a whole string of nasty comments about "constitutional rights". Believe me...I get that people have those rights...cause I have to keep my mouth shut and smile and be nice (ignoring my constitutional rights) when anarchists shout their rights and throw rocks...poop....urine at people all because they have the constitutional rights to freedom of speech.(show me where is says in the constitution they people have the right to throw poop! really!!)
What I am saying is that right now there is a media storm that is leading the charge to question a woman's character and ability to be a leader...all because her daughter, not the woman...the daughter is 17 and not married and pregnant. Yet those same people will over look the moral actions of Bill Clinton or JFK...in fact...JFK has been idolized and celebrated as a womanizer!!! Hello..........are you really that hypocritical???? This is where I am now going to through in the comments of political party....people are so biased by political party that they idolize the who they think are the "Heroes" of their political party based only on that person being a liberal or conservative...and trash the moral character of those not of their "party" and make excuses for their own party's candidates...leaders...Presidents...."but they did a great job with the economy" but look at that Republican....her daughter got pregnant....bad person!!!! What is that?!
So...I got pregnant....and my mom isn't a morally corrupt woman....I am a single mom...and I am not a morally corrupt woman....(yes I sin and am not perfect but I am not a morally corrupt person...lacking any morals or values!) and my oldest daughter is the mother to an incredible two year old girl...and her and her boyfriend have lived together for 7 years....so that makes me someone who shouldn't be in a position to lead...or have authority??? Wow....the next time someone calls 911...I better just say..."no...I can't go....I can't make any decisions in authority or leadership or live saving skills...I got pregnant at 19, I am a single mom...ect..........." Now how stupid does that sound? Exactly!
Billy Graham's son, Franklin, was a drug user when he was a teenager....so that meant that Billy Graham was someone that lacked moral character and it was his fault that his son did drugs???? Really??
Laura and George Bush's two girls did some things that got them into trouble in their teenage years...so Laura and George Bush are bad parents???? Really???
Your moral character can only be judged by your own actions. Not those of your children.

Yes we all know about the double standards that exist in our world. If we have the constitutional right to freedom of speech...why not actually use it to stop the double standards instead of adding to them just because you are a supporter of another political party. Think about it....how quick are we to spout off about the things others do...or their children do...all while refusing to talk about the decisions the person we think is sooo perfect is making. We excuse who they support and defend....but trash the opponent on the lack of moral character ???? Double standard...and it is pathetic.
So that is my rant today.
Oh and about a woman's ability to lead?? Check out what the Prophetess Deborah did in the Bible. Or Queen Esther. Or Naomi and Ruth. Or some of the women of the New Testament.
That's where I look when I want an example of moral character!
Thanks for enduring that fiery rant....
Lots of Love,
Lorrie

Built with Stones of Tourquoise

Isaiah 54: 11 states...I will build you with stones of Tourquoise.

Interesting...at least that phrase is interesting to me. I make jewelry and I am always looking at a new way to make something or a new "signature" piece for something I am making. I am always checking out what others are wearing, or what is in the stores. In fact, many of my friends have oooed and awed over things we see in the stores only to hear me tell them..."I can make that for you if you would like". So I am always looking for the interesting, the unique and the unusual. And many of those who see the jewelry I make ask if I can make them one...and I usually answer "sure but I would like to make it special for you and not just a copy of what I am wearing." I want that jewelry piece to speak something about them. To be an original...just as they are an original made special and unique by our God.
Well this morning I was reading over my devotional for yesterday (yep...didn't get to this one yesterday morning) in Streams in the Desert. And there is the scripture that I wrote above. Tourquoise is a very unique stone...not one piece is the same as another. I like that about stones. Just the other day I got a beautiful Lapis ring at the Farmers Market...and it too is the kind of stone that is not like another piece of Lapis. That is what I like about both types of stones....anyway............back to the message here...
So I am reading the message for September 1 and I just marveled at how it applies to each one of us on this journey in life....and I loved the idea of being a stone of Tourquoise. Let me pass along to you the message and then you will see what I mean.
I will build you with stones of Tourquoise (Is 54:11)
The stones in the wall said, "We have come from mountains far away---from the sides of rugged cliffs. Fire and water have worked on us for ages but have only produced crevices. Yet human hands like yours have make us into homes where children of your immortal race are born, suffer, rejoice, find rest and shelter, and learn the lessons that our Maker and yours is teaching. But to come to the point of being used for this purpose, we have endured much. Dynamite has torn at our very heart, and pickaxes have broken and split us into pieces. Often as we lay disfigured and broken in the quarry, everything seemed to be without design or meaning. But gradually we were cut into blocks, and some of us were chiseled with sharper instruments until we had a fine edge. Now we are complete, are in our proper places, and are of service. "
"You, however, are still in your quarry. You are not complete and because of that, as once was the case with us, there is much you do not understand. But you are destined for a higher building, and someday you will be placed in it by angelic hands, becoming a living stone in a heavenly temple."
In the still air the music lies unheard;
In the rough marble beauty lies unseen;
To make the music and the beauty needs
The master's touch, the sculptor's chisel keen.
Great Master, touch us with Your skillful hands;
Let not the music that is in us die!
Great sculptor, hew and polish us; nor let,
Hidden and lost, Your form within us lie!

So that is a rather interesting way of looking at who we are...and what our lives are like, and can be like through Jesus Christ our Lord...the Great Master, the Great Sculptor.
When we look at a beautiful stone...whether diamond, emerald, ruby, topaz, lapis or trouquoise...we always marvel at how beautiful it is...yet it doesn't get that way by accident...great force, elements and sculpting went into making that stone a beautiful gem....why not us too!!!
Things to think on maybe???
Lots of Love!!
Lorrie
Oh and 11 more days til I leave for Ukraine!!!! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!

She's not heavy....she's my sister....

Okay those are not the right words...I know...the real ones are...he ain't heavy he's my brother....but I thought I could borrow the words and tweek them for what I wanted to say today.
Over the last couple of days, several of my close friends..and myself too...have made the comments that they feel weary. Thus the use of the word heavy to substitute for weary. So it might be a stretch but go with me on this okay? Even my youngest daughter has mentioned lately she feels really tired and a little out of sorts. Hmmm...another interesting phrase..."out of sorts". So we have weary and out of sorts. Well, I got to thinking about this. I am staying home tonight because I just want to "veg" out and relax cause I have been so weary and out of sorts. Well, so I am sitting here checking emails, reading up on online devotionals and inspirationals that I didn't read yesterday and today...and guess what....I read about being out of sorts!!! Hahaha....not a coincidence...cause God works in all things!!!
Let me share a little how.
I am reading an email by a friend of mine with a very troubled heart. She is asking for prayer and I have been praying for her. I am suddenly led to Isaiah 55. Yep the whole chapter...and I sit back saying WOW!!!! Not only did I feel led to pass on God's message to her...but I knew I needed to heed the reminder as well and really hold on to it. Especially Isaiah 55: 8-11, which may seem to be a familiar scripture to many of us.
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Pretty cool reminder huh? Yeah, I thought so too. I know that many of us have desires we are placing before God as requests and at this time we are not seeing those desires happening. I can say that for me too. I have prayed about a number of things that at this time I am hearing the words "wait" from God. I have blogged about the waiting in an earlier blog so I won't go into detail. It can be frustrating and the wait can seem FOREVER!! But in some of those areas God has actually taught me to trust Him and I am feeling contentment right now about those prayer requests and the waiting. Anyway..after sending this scripture out to this friend, I found myself reading another encouragement from Proverbs 31 ministry...and that took me to one I get from another ministry...and that one was on being weary and out of sorts...hmmmm....smack in the middle of my forehead!!!!
So I am blogging about this and the messages I have been blessed with today!!! May the scripture above and the message below meet you in your weariness and waiting and out of sortness (don't know if that is a word...but it is today!!! LOL).
Lots of Love!!!
Lorrie


You're Not Yourself 08/26/2008
Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. (1 John 3:2 NLT) We have an expression that we use to describe someone who’s out of sorts, who’s not acting like the person we know her to be: “She’s just not herself today.” It’s a marvelous, gracious phrase, for in a very real way, no one is quite himself today. There is more to us than we have seen. I know my wife is a goddess. I know she is more beautiful than she imagines. I have seen it slip out, seen moments of her glory. Suddenly, her beauty shines through, as though a veil has been lifted. All of us have moments like this, glimpses of our true creation. They come unexpectedly and then fade again. Life for the most part keeps our glory hidden, cloaked by sin, or sorrow, or merely weariness. When I see an old woman, doubled over with arthritis, the hard years etched into her face, I want to cry, Eve, what happened? How truly wonderful it will be to see her in her youth again, the full flower of her beauty restored. When the disciples saw Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, they got a peek at his glory. He was radiant, beautiful, magnificent. He was Jesus, the Jesus they knew and loved—only more so. And we shall be glorious as well. Jesus called himself the Son of man to state clearly that he is what mankind was meant to be. What we see in Jesus is our personal destiny. (The Journey of Desire , 116–17)

Ping Pong anyone?

How many of you have ever played ping pong? I did growing up. Mainly in the youth room at church. Once I got to college, I found that it was a pretty fun game to play while on a date. My boyfriend at the time,(then husband..then ex-husband) and I would go play the game along with him trying to teach me how to play pool. Well, remember how you start the game tinking the ball back and forth at each other? Then pretty soon you are going a little faster and next thing ya know, someone, either you or your opponent, suddenly slams the little ping pong ball to try to win the point. Two things can happen. One, you win the point. Two, you lose the point. So what does this have to do with anything?
Well, think about it in regards to our daily lives. Most days we are tinking our way through. We tink the ping pong, then someone else tinks back..aka..life....then suddenly slam!!!! And you rush to win the point. Sometimes you win...sometimes you don't.
Well, this week I have actually felt like the ping pong ball itself. Tink....busy at work. Tink....training at work....Tink....meetings for the mission trip...Tink...picked up an extra shift at work....Tink....got sick....Tink...have meetings lined up this week to learn the sound equipment for the dinner on Saturday...Tink...have to sing at the dinner...Tink..still sick....Tink...stressing a little and not sleeping...Tink...suppose to sing Wednesday night...Tink...feel yucky......SLAM!!!!! I have had enough! Time out...okay...regroup...stay home Wednesday night and relax...the group can do fine without me...called Pr Bob, Stacy and Karen G to talk about situations...asked for help...and asked for support...prayed...ate Chicken Fried Steak for supper too!!!
So...what is my point? Sometimes we are just tinking along, working, and living, and soon we have a few more tinks back and forth with added responsibilites and activities...and we keep tinking along until we are overloaded with them and the tinks suddenly become one big slam!!! What do ya do???
Well...I prayed and I called upon people to help lift me up and give me advice....and then I defused and regrouped....thus the relaxing and the Chicken Fried Steak (ya I know it isn't a weight watchers food...but it was GOOD!).
And I sought God's Word...this is what I was reminded of in
Lamentations 3:21-26

21 This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

24 “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“ Therefore I hope in Him!”

25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.

26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

For the salvation of the LORD.

So this is the message I have and will continue to meditate on this week...and with God's help...I can win the next point, the game, the set and the match of Ping Pong!

God Bless!

Lorrie

Crash

I have been a paramedic for 10 years. I have loved it! I have hated it! I have seen more death than I have ever wanted and yet I have seen more miracles as well! I am the one who comes to bring others comfort and help. When we do this job we know there will be days when we don't save everyone, and when we have to deal with people who take out all their anger or anguish or pain on us. We also get to share in the successes of the life saved and the people we have helped. Today was suppose to be no different. There is a little saying in this job, "You do this job long enough..you get into an accident." Yep. We did. Someone took a chance and went for the intersection even though they knew we were coming. They hit us as we were responding lights and sirens to an emergency call. Thank God we are all okay. My partner, who was driving, was pretty upset and rightly so! The woman who hit us was too and was so very sorry. Me...I was shaken. I am still shaken. Unnerved maybe is a better word. Shortly after the accident we took the ambulance down to our maintenance shop downtown, and on the way, a very unnerving incident happened as well. Someone came from the left lane, swerving through traffic all the way over to my may so they could make the exit...causing all the other vehicles in their way to swerve..right towards me...and I hit the shoulder...that shook me. 2 incidents in less than one hour. Can you say sick to my stomach and horrible headache???
I know from doing this job all the physiological effects from these type of incidents, but how often do we ever allow ourselves to give into those things?? Rarely...even when we are freaked out by the bad calls we are on...we must try to maintain our composure..we are afterall...the rescuers!!! Right??
Even on the accident...I had to keep composed and evaluate the woman who hit us...when really all I wanted to do was either cry or throw up. Being hit by a car that is going +45 m.p.h and when we are going about 25-30...that is a bang! When that ambulance rocked side to side...I was scared. When the traffic all swerved towards me less than an hour later...I was scared.
I have been in several accidents in my life. I have suffered some injuries in my life. I have taken the risks and gotten into a helicopter and flown many times...knowing that if it crashed...it would be bad...so why today am I unnerved?
I have been sitting here at home tonight waiting for the tears and yet telling myself to get a grip...be tough...I am okay so what is my problem??? Knowing I have to tell others that I am fine..cause if I tell them that it scared me...well..that sounds kind of silly coming from someone who drives a big ambulance 8o miles an hour through traffic and arrives on the scene to say..."Ta Da!!! Have no fear the paramedics are here!" (Okay..well I really don't say that..but the public thinks that about us sometimes...) So tonight I wrestle with these thoughts and emotions. Do you know what I want to shout!!!????
I am a woman who feels!!!!!! Not a robot or a machine that is detached from emotions. I didn't like this today. It scared me. But what scares me more is how often we tell ourselves in this job not to feel...not to be scared and not to cry.
I bleed red just like the rest of the human race. And I get scared. And I cry.
And tomorrow...the sun comes up!!! :)

Here was my devotional for today....what a reminder...

From Streams in the Desert

July 28
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm (Nahum 1:3)

I remember when I was a young person attending school in the vicinity of Mount Pleasant. One day I sat on the side of the mountain and watched a storm as it moved through the valley. The skies were filled with darkness, and thunder began to shake the earth. It seemed as though the lush landscape were completely changed, and its beauty gone forever. But the storm passed quickly and soon moved out of the valley.
If I had sat in the same place the following day and said, "Where is that intense storm and all its terrible darkness?" the grass would have said, "Part of it is in me." The beautiful daisy would have said, "Part of it is in me," and all the other flowers, fruits, and everything that grows in the ground would have said, "Part of the storm has produced the radiance in me."
Have you ever asked the Lord to make you like Him? Have you ever desired the fruit of the Spirit and prayed for sweetness, gentleness and love? If so, then never fear the fierce storms that even now may be blowing through your life. Storms bring blessings, and rich fruit with be harvested later. (Henry Ward Beecher)

The flowers live by the tears that fall
From the sad face of the skies;
And life would have no joy at all,
Were there no watery eyes.
Love the sorrow, for grief will bring
Its own reward in later years;
The rainbow! See how fair a thing
God has built up from tears.
By Henry S Sutton.

So as I think on those words...yeah..the tears come... and they really do feel good. God always knows the way to help, heal and comfort His children...and even though I am a big girl...and am still His child.
Lorrie

AND

And I chose to post a draft I had written in june...yeah so it was posted way down near the bottom of my blog.........whatever!!! It is titled Worship Warrior....guess I should have just posted the day I wrote it!!!
Man sometimes this internet thing is just diseased....it eats bloggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For those of you who have heard me quack...you will get this!!! The rest of you.....I am really okay!!!! :)!!!!!