Spring & Queen Bee's

Spring has arrived! 

That grand announcement means that...

Side view of my  west side neighbor's beautiful historic home 

Side view of my south neighbor's historic bungalow and my gorgeous tree in bloom

• I can drink coffee on my front porch for my devotional time each morning
• I can drink decaf hot tea on my front porch in the evening as I contemplate the day
• The trees are were simply stunning
• New tall-rectangular planters have been purchased for my front porch steps
• Greenfield's Greenhouse sold my planters some beautiful, colorful salmon geraniums, yellow lantana, dark forest green spikes, airy asparagus ferns, and dual-colored yellow and pink/salmon zinnias. 

Flowers with new planters 

Tomorrow, VWC celebrate's the Queen Bees (mothers) with a Queen Bee's Brunch for Moms and kidlets. The men and young men of VWC have graciously offered to cook & serve this momentous event. Stay tuned as I "intend" to post pics ASAP after the event. 

ARGH....I must get better about my URGENT and IMPORTANT lists in my life. I am so guilty of allowing myself to get stay caught up in the "tyranny of the urgent." 

The Urgent list is usually someone else's bidding for my time. You know them--Please drop everything you're currently doing and get to work solving my problem--or helping me--or can you do this for me?...RANT over. 

The Important list is supposed to be MY MOST important things in life: family, house, short-term goals, long-term goals, hobbies, life dreams and bucket lists, etc. 

I will improve! With God's great help, I surely will! 

But, I digress...

The QBB--will no doubt go down in the history books as a super-fun event at VWC. We are planning a pancake bar with toppings, a yogurt parfait bar with toppings, and a scrambled egg bar with toppings. At each place, there will be a specially-ordered donut with either blue or yellow sprinkles. 

(The back story--we'd intended to make blueberry and peach muffins. But, as the team shopped last evening, we decided--AHHHH--that's just too much money and time! Kids will like donuts better anyway! So, this morning, one of the problem-solvers called our illustrious donut shop entitled TURTLES. Problem solved--we have 84 donuts on order for 8 am tomorrow morning!) 

We have center pieces with the saying, "My mom's the BEE's KNEES!" along with metal art bees and yellow, black, royal blue table covers. oh and yes...bit-o-honey candies!! 

Random tree on my way home from the doctor's office

My dear Mom and I have invited any and everyone at VWC who didn't have kids to bring or didn't have a mom to come with her. Our table will be full of wonderful ladies! 

Also--shhhh....I will be surprising my Dear Mom with a gorgeous purple orchid corsage. I thought she'd enjoy wearing it both to the QBB and to church on Mother's Day Sunday! 

My friend over at Kelley Highway bought this planter for me several years ago!
I just stuck the asparagus in it for a fast pic

One last thing...Sunday is our monthly bake sale for Missions. This month, I am intending to bake muffins in large, stand-on-their-own cups. I will be folding a delicious mix of mixed berries into the muffin mix. Along with sprinkling some decorator's sugar crystals on top! 

My other plan is to try some English Muffin bread. I have already purchased the rapid rise yeast and the bread flour for that very purpose! 

Enjoy your Mother's Day wherever you might be! 

Drink a LATTE coffee...or iced coffee! 

:) Hugs! 

Kisses from Katie: a new discontent

Some books are good reads,

 

Some books teach me new information,

 

Some books are classic literature.

 

Then, there are some books that

 

simply mess up

 

BOTH my heart and my mind.

 

Kisses from Katie was exactly that type of book.




Katie Davis' organization is called Amazima

It happened so simply....my sister in law Janet gave me a copy of the book at Thanksgiving. I read a page here and there and laid it aside, planning to read it soon. That was three months ago.

Well, I finally read it on my Kindle/iPad mini this past month, finishing this week.

Welcome to my new state of discontent...

HOLY Discontent is defined by Bill Hybels as the following:

"What is the one aspect of this broken world that, when you see it, touch it, get near it, you just can’t stand? Very likely, that firestorm of frustration reflects your holy discontent, a reality so troubling that you are thrust off the couch and into the game. It’s during these defining times when your eyes open to the needs surrounding you and your heart hungers to respond that you hear God say, “I feel the same way about this problem. Now, let’s go solve it together!” As you live from the energy of your holy discontent, you’ll fulfill your role in setting what is wrong in this world right!"



The front gate at Katie's house is always open!

Bill Hybels coined the term holy discontent in his book by the same title. That is the only term I can think to explain how I have felt since I began to read about Katie Davis and her life in Uganda.

How can I possibly go on with my entitled life of obvious luxury when I read of someone like Katie living out Jesus to everyone she meets? Everything I do...every action....every "necessity" I think I "have-to" have to live....pales in comparison to Katie's everyday world with her girls in Uganda. Read more about Katie's story HERE.

                                               Hear Katie speak of her burden for Uganda

Every moment since I finished the book three days ago has been spent with this agonizing thought:

What on earth am I doing to show the love of Jesus Christ in my everyday life? 



Katie and her girls' precious feet

I'll be completely honest here....I do NOT have an answer to that question. As much as I try to show kindness and love to people on my job, at the store, etc. it somehow just pales in comparison to what Katie has done....is doing. I have never sat with anyone dying of AIDS, picked "jiggers" out of anyone's toes, cooked beans for 200, 300, 600 kids over an open fire, brought sick people into my home to care for them just because no one else will.....the list is endless!

 

My friend Kelley, over at Kelley Highway, asked me the question,

"So what did you learn from Katie?"

Here are a few of the lessons I learned from Katie:

• love everyone in your path
• feed the hungry people in your view
• make sure that kids are getting an education
• do something about what you see
• don't worry about the rules of what's expected--just love people
• don't be afraid to bring people into your home and care for them
• realize that God's your source of strength
• go after what your heart tells you--no matter how crazy
• love unconditionally
• leave the front gate open--you never know who might need a place
• carry first-aid supplies in your car to bandage people up wherever and whenever
• notice poor, shivering little children in the rain--get them supper
• be willing to live with rats and roaches to love orphans
• how to have a heart big enough for 600+ children--everyday
• not to worry about how everything will unfold--just focus on the one face in front of you

                                                 watch to find out more about Amazima

To sum up my experience with Kisses from Katie, here is a quote from Katie, mother of 13 Ugandan daughters:

“People tell me I am brave. People tell me I am strong. People tell me good job. Well here is the truth of it. I am really not that brave, I am not really that strong, and I am not doing anything spectacular. I am just doing what God called me to do as a follower of Him. Feed His sheep, do unto the least of His people.”

My question to myself is...
 

Am I feeding His sheep

and

doing it unto the

least of His people?

 

Am I doing what God has called me to do as His follower?

 

 

 

Feel free to comment as I'd love to hear what you have to say about Katie and her work in Uganda.

Please comment and let me know if you've also read the book.