Glory

This is my new favorite song. It's wonderful to think that one day we will get to be in Heaven with Jesus. The other day my daughter and I were talking about Heaven and I guess I'm a good salesman, because she was ready to go. It's actually not the first time she's said that. She realizes that this world is not that comfortable, and there is a better place waiting for us.

Dealing with Difficult People

God has been dealing with me lately about my attitude towards difficult people. I have no problem being patient and nice to reasonable and rational people, but ridiculous people--that's a different story. I feel like I've been overworked lately, and so when people get difficult, it interferes with me getting things done. When I say difficult, I mean complaining, grumbling, nagging, and unhappy. My husband has this saying, "they'd gripe if you hung them with a new rope." I've also realized that for some people, I could give them a million dollars and they would whine and say "how will I spend all that money?" Then I have those people who have to call me frequently to make sure I am getting their work done. I do need a reasonable amount of reminding, but today I had a guy call me 6 times--mainly to see if I had done what he'd asked me to do. Once I was in the process and had to stop so I could talk to him. I wanted to say, "I would have had it done a long time ago if you would quit calling me." This also makes me think of how I deal with other people in the public. Maybe I call and they are just overloaded, and can't get anything done. They aren't mad at me, but the fact that time just seems to slip away as they get more behind. I have another lady, who is gruff and unhappy. She needs people to care about her, but she's a prickly porcupine so nobody really wants to be near her.

So how do I deal with difficult people in my busy world. I pray. All I know to do is pray each day, "God help me show the love of Jesus." Today, I'm not sure I passed the test, but I tried. I didn't say what I wanted to say, but I'm afraid I wasn't very happy either. I'm sure my attitude was shining through. Dealing with difficult people is not something only I deal with, almost anyone who is in a profession that deals with the public knows what I'm talking about it. Most of us don't want to admit it, but we've been one of those difficult people at one time or another. We wanted something done faster than the other person was getting it done, and we just demanded our rights.

The verse I shared in class Sunday was "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3. I must put others ahead of myself, even when I don't want to. Even when it is inconvenient. Even when it would profit me if I didn't. God's rules are not easy, and living them daily in this world is not always fun, but the rewards we reap from following His way is immense. I've been blessed, and I know if I will learn this lesson--being a positive influence on difficult people--he will bless me again. He's just that kind of God.

Jochebed: Mother of Moses

I've recently began teaching a ladies Sunday School class/Bible Study at church. Our first two lessons were on Jochebed. Jochebed is a very imposing character. She seems to make all the right choices, have a mountain of faith, and be the perfect mother.

• 
  
  Jochebed chose to obey God rather than Man. Pharoah issued the order that all baby boys 2 and under would be killed by being thrown into the Nile River. Jochebed chose to hide Moses until he was three months old and then to place him in a basket in the Nile. She put him in the Nile, but with a little protection. Which leads to a point, God will protect us, but he doesn't want us to be careless and lay in the middle of the highway or ride motorcycles without a helmet, etc. Jochebed risked her entire families life because she knew that God's law was more important than man's law.


• 
  
  Jochebed chose to "stand out" rather than "blend in". It is likely that several generations had passed since Joseph and all his brothers were alive and the Hebrews had grown to mammoth proportions. They had begun to "blend in" to the culture and society of the Egyptians. Not only was Jochebed different from the Egyptians just because of her ethnicity, she was also different than many of her Hebrew family members. She made a choice to be different and serve the one, true and living God instead of the Egyptian gods.


• 
  
  Jochebed chose to have hope rather than wallow in despair. We can see that Jochebed had hope because she was useful and effective. When we have no hope and we give in to despair, we tend to be ineffective for God and our families. If I'm bound up in worry, I am unable to concentrate and do a good job on the things I have to do. We see that Jochebed was so effective at teaching Moses about the true God that despite the many years of teaching he received from the palace, despite the temptation of power and riches, he refused to turn his back on God.


• 
  
  Jochebed had a living faith rather than a dead faith. Jochebed could tell that Moses was "no ordinary" child and that he was anointed by God for something special. The only way she could have known this was by her relationship to God. She also didn't just sit and pray that God would swoop down take care of it. She listened to God. After three months, she got a "God Idea" and decided to build a basket and place it in the Nile. Then she taught Moses everything she could with all the fervor that she could in the time that she had. Her faith was not without wisdom and was full of action.

Many times we look at women in the Bible and think, they are just filled with some special power, but they didn't have the spirit of God living in them like we do today. In the Old Testament, the comforter had not yet been sent. Jochebed lived in a country with political unrest, her family were slaves, she was ridiculed for her strong faith, and she watched as friends mourned the loss of their babies. We in America are so blessed. We have great freedoms, that we don't even exercise. We are free to worship, to teach our children whatever we want, to vote for our leaders. I sometimes wonder if a little persecution might not give us more passion. I pray that God will convict you to choose the higher calling, because we always have a choice.

Older and Wiser

Today is my birthday--I'm thirty-five years old. It doesn't seem like I'm thirty-five. I really still feel like a teenager with a lot more wisdom. According to the Oxford University Press dictionary, being wise is having or showing experience, knowledge, or good judgment. I hope that I show more knowledge, experience and good judgment than I did when I was sixteen. I know that I've learned a lot about compromise, I've learned that I don't know everything, I've learned that people are passionate about their politics, and I've learned that I only have one chance to live today, so I'd better make it count. I've learned that some things aren't worth fighting for and some things aren't worth paying for either. I've learned that God is faithful, He's just, He's amazing, and He cares about the little things in my life.

Today I'm thirty-five years old and I'm happy that God loves me. I'm thankful for everyday that I've been given, and I hope I give him my best efforts on all the days He gives me hereafter. I thank God for all the blessings of my life!

Second Grade Here We Come

Hannah had some rocky times in first grade. She was troubled by some of the television that they watched during lunch, and very concerned that they would be showing it again this year. Thankfully the television is different this year, and she was much more relaxed about school this afternoon. Being a parent of a child that is anxious about attending school is not fun. I've never had to deal with that before. Hannah has always been excited about school and never seemed to miss me. This bothered me the first time I left her and she didn't even look back at me, but in the end I prefer that. It's much easier on me if I know she is happy and enjoying her day. I am hoping this year will continue to go well. I'm praying for it!

Simple, but Amazing

I've not blogged in a while. Summer is always just so busy, and this summer has been no exception. To update you on the kitten, she (it is a girl) is doing well. She does not appear to have rabies. She is full of life, and we have adopted her as our office cat; the Diggs Law Office mascot.

Hannah and I have spent 2 weeks at church camp at the Bogg this year. We just got back from Kidz Kamp last week. We really enjoyed it. It was different than West-Central Camp. There were some things that I liked better about West-Central and then some I liked better about Kidz Kamp. The preaching was so kid friendly at Kidz Kamp. I decided that sometimes even adults need the simple preaching. We sometimes forget that God has said that we must come to him like children. There are adults who want their sermons to be deep and challenging, and sometimes we just need to remember that Jesus is God and he died to save us; he has set me free. That is powerful! I was bound by sin, but because Jesus came and conquered sin, I can now stomp on Satan. It's simple, but amazing!

The Whole Kit-N-Kaboodle

Wednesday morning we headed for the car around 8:00 a.m., and when Terry started the car we heard this "meowing" start at a very loud and insistent rate. Terry turned off the motor, (I've heard horror stories about cats in the motor) and we raised the hood to see what we had. We had a tiny black and white kitten that was scared to death and ran up farther under the hood to a spot we could not reach or see. We got canned cat food and tried to lure it out, but finally had to get the water hose which obviously made it mad and it tried to run to the other side of the motor. Terry grabbed for the cat and he/she bit the fire out of him. Since it was a stray cat, we realized we had to keep it to check for possible rabies. We found out that we had to quarentine it for ten days to watch for signs of rabies. The only way to actually test for rabies is to kill it and cut off its head. Terry also had to get a tetanus shot. After calming down, and being fed, the kitten is just as sweet as can be. He/she has not hissed or acted the least bit wild. He/she just purrs and wants some attention. Hannah has spent every moment at the office sitting at his/her cage reading to him/her and showing the pictures, drawing him/her, and singing to the kitten. She has named it Star Dazzler Midnight. I think we may have us a new cat. It will not be joining our household cat, but may become an office cat. I've talked about getting a cat for the office because of our rodent problem--I guess I got my answer.

I Surrender All

Last week, Hannah and I attended West-Central Camp at Bogg Springs. We went with our church, Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, and we had a visitor that went with us--Tracy Gray. He is the son of Bro. Merwin Gray who is the pastor of Hilltop Missionary Baptist Church. Last Thursday during class time, Tracy (who is 14 years old) surrendered to preach. When we got home late that night, he told his dad and allowed several of us to look on. I captured the moment in a couple of photographs.

You whatttt????

I just can't believe it!!!

Reading and Relaxing

After the very busy, hurried week I had last week, I really needed some time to relax. Sunday, I started a good book, and I read it whenever I could yesterday and then stayed up until 11:30 p.m. to finish it. There is really something about a good book that just grips me. I get sucked into the plot and I just can't put it down. As a teenager, I remember spending my summer days reading. I would carry my book to the table and read and eat. I would carry my book to the bathroom and yes, I would sit and read. I've even read while in the bathtub. These days, I read in the car (while Terry drives), I read while I eat (if we don't go out to eat), and I read late at night after Hannah is asleep. Hannah has discovered the joy of reading too. She is reading on a chapter book right now, a Little House on the Prarie book, and she reads shorter books--usually over and over again. Today, we stayed home all day even though I wasn't sick. I didn't have a new book to start, and I also wanted to get some work done so I didn't want to get chained down to a book. I worked on some office work that needed some undivided attention, cooked some eggless chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, cooked a meatloaf, squash, mashed potatoes, and prepared some chicken to make enchiladas with tomorrow. I also washed some rugs, washed the dishes several times, vacuumed 95% of the house, and Hannah and I each painted two pictures (watercolors). It was just so nice to relax at home and not feel that I had to be somewhere at a certain time or do something every second. Oh, I almost forgot, I also took a nap for an hour. It's been forever since I've had a day like this, and I needed it. Next week, Barbara will be off work in order to prepare for her daughter's wedding. Terry is going to go camping--alone. Hannah and I will be holding down the fort at the office by ourselves. Then Hannah will be in the wedding (she's the flower girl) and on Monday after that we will be going to church camp. June has just dissappeared. So I guess I will go the Library and stock up on a few books, I will need to escape in the evenings. I highly reccomend it--it's a great way to relax!

Happy Father's Day!

I want to wish my father, my husband and my son a Happy Father's Day! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday Ashley!

I have a wonderful daughter-in-law--Ashley. Even though Hannah is just 7, she has a very wonderful sister-in-law. When Hannah was in Kindergarten, she told her whole class she had a sister-in-haw. Since Ashley has been in our family, Hannah has included her in all the family pictures she draws--in fact sometimes she forgets some of us. Ashley has been a part of our family for several years now, and we love her, and hope she has a beautiful, wonderful, excellent, exciting, marvellous, and remarkable birthday! Happy Birthday Ashley!!!

Pugsley

Hannah would love to have another dog, but we have four too many as it is. She did get to spend the evening with her Papaw this weekend and he has the cutest little pug puppy named Pugsley. They played together until they both collapsed on the couch. She is adorable!

How Can This Be?

I've always shared my life with everyone, mainly because I know that something I say might encourage someone else or help them to not feel so lonely. I understand this even more now as I am going through my current life crisis. Yesterday, I went to the allergy doctor and discovered that I am allergic to trees, grasses, weeds, lots of molds, milk, and eggs. I came away with three different lists of foods that I should avoid and what wasn't on one list--was on the other. I didn't know that being allergic to molds comes with a list of food to avoid. Apparently all the health problems I've been experiencing are rooted in my allergies. This obviously cramps my style just a bit. I love food and love to cook, and I have to get motivated to learn some new recipes and new ways of cooking. It is somewhat depressing, and today it was wonderful to run into my old friend Linda Louton. I used to work with Linda at the Garland County Library and I always thought she ate so plain. She would eat plain rice, a plain meat, and a plain veggie. She has lots of allergies, and I now totally understand her. I don't want to eat anything that I don't know what's in it. Eating, one of my greatest joys, has become my worst nightmare. Talking to Linda really

did help just to know that I am not alone.

I did have some wonderful dairy free ice cream this evening. Except for the fact that sugar grows mold, it was totally legal. It was called Purely Decadent and the flavor was Peanut Butter Zig Zag. It was chocolaty and peanut buttery--yummo!

I know in time things will level out after I get used to the medicines and figure out foods to eat that my whole family will enjoy. Life has taken an interesting turn!

Just Stress!

I've spoken about some health issues in the past and am starting to figure out some of my problems. For a little over a month, I thought I was allergic to some food that was causing me to have trouble swallowing. I was also still having my intestinal problems; therefore, I cut out all milk products and then all wheat products, but my problem just got worse. It started to happen when I drank cold water or would lay down. I finally told myself the obvious--this has nothing to do with what you are eating. I looked up dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) on the internet and realized that I was having esphoageal spasms. I went to the doctor and he ordered a barium swallow test to make sure I didn't have in strictures, lesions, or growths in my throat. I do not--I do have a very small hiatal hernia which should not be causing any problems and does not need to be treated.

So why am I having these problems with my esphoagus and my intestines? It's actually because of America's number one health problem--stress. Stress is the pressure or tension exerted on a material object; or a state of mental, emotional, or other strain. The problem with stress is that we endure it all day long. Our bodies are built to endure a certian amount of stress and actually it can make us more productive. We have just increased the amount of activity we acomplish in the normal routine of our lives, and if we throw in anything extra--a death, a flat tire, a sick child, a cold or flu, etc., then our bodies can hardly bare it. We are so busy running to and fro with our jobs, our extracurricular activities, and our children's activities, that we don't take time to rest and recuperate. I know that sometimes I work harder on the weekend than during the week at work. In Genesis 2:2, it says, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." Our bodies need time to rest and recuperate from the stress of our lives. The problem with causing your body to endure more stress than it is capable of handling is that you can get ill. Your muscles can spasm, which control many of your body parts. I know one lady who swells up and gets welps like she's having an allergic reaction. She's actually not allergic to anything--it's just stress. I read one article that said 75-90 percent of all doctors visits were from stress related illness. The doctor does tests and then tells you, "it's just stress." When maybe he should sit us and down and say, "You have a serious problem, and you need to take a break." Remember next time you feel guilty about taking the extra moment for yourself or when you take a nap in the middle of the day, that "just stress" can kill you.

Awards and rewards!

Hannah has been blessed and received 8 different awards yesterday at her awards ceremony. She has excelled in reading, math, science, and also received the Presidental Gold award. We are very proud of her and glad she is doing so well in school.

Regrets

How many times in life have I felt regret. I’ve regretted things I bought, things I did, and places I’ve gone. I not only regret things I do, but I also regret things I’ve left undone. If only I had not opened my mouth, or if only I had not procrastinated. The older I’ve gotten, I try my hardest to live my life with no regrets, but regardless of how hard I try, it is a rare day that I don’t have more than one regret when my head hits the pillow. I remember as a child playing with a paint can lid out in the back yard; I was flying it around like a frisbee. My little brother was in his wind up swing in the back yard and my parents were outside as well. My Dad told me to stop playing with the paint can lid because I was going to hit my brother. In my rebellion, I continued to throw the lid behind his back and what do you know, I hit my brother. I will never forget that day, because I got one more whipping. Paul says in Romans 7:15-17 "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me."

It seems I always say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing and go the wrong places. Hannah is always saying "I wish I could just start this day over." She will just keep digging her hole deeper–she’ll do something wrong, then lie about it, then get angry and throw a screaming fit because she got punished which only leads to more punishment. Sin just has a way of leading us down a long road. I don’t even have to try to be bad, it’s just my nature. Adam and Eve are the only ones in the world (besides Jesus) to know what it was like to live a day without regrets. They had a perfect world with no sin nature and life was grand, until the serpent tempted Eve and she gave in. Can you just imagine the regret she tasted that day. For the first time she felt shame, guilt, pain, heartbreak, and yearning. She had never felt those things before. She wanted to hide, but couldn’t escape the feelings. How many of you have hidden at home because you couldn’t bear to face someone? Have you ever walked down a different aisle at Wal-Mart because meeting that person brought memories you didn’t want to relive? Have you ever stayed home from church because you didn’t want to face God? He sees you regardless of where you are, and sadly, someday you will face him regardless of how badly you want to hide. One of my favorite sayings, which I’ve blogged about before, is "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it." God has given us the ultimate "new day" as spoken of in II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" I can only do my best, and pray that God will take the old nasty human part and use it as best he can. At the end of the day, I’ve got to give my regrets to God and move on to another day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL!

Will is 25 today and it's hard to believe he's a quarter of a century old. I've known Will for 17 years, and been a part of his family for 13 years. Will has had varied interests in his life and some of them were the themes for his past birthdays. He was into cowboys for a time, he was a magician, he was into the violin, and he's been into Sherlock Holmes. I've enjoyed being a part of Will's life and love to hear his laugh! That's what I miss most about him living at home--I don't get to here him laugh much anymore. Many times something funny will be on television and I will think, "Will would have laughed at that." I don't miss the fights and arguments that he and his brother were so famous for, and I'm sure they don't miss them either.

Will and Andy were probably about 11 and 12 here.

This picture was taken last October.

Precious Memories

Every year at Hannah's birthday, I think, "why did I get myself into this?" I always try to do something on her birthday and then something with kids on a more convenient day. I do it because I love her and want her day to be special. It's also an exciting occasion for me because it marks the time we've accomplished together. Some parents only have a short time with their kids, and many times after some tragedy they wonder why they didn't do more with the time they had. I know that in a flash my daughter will be gone, and I need to enjoy every moment and hold it as long as possible. I gave Hannah's two parties this year. One was just with family and the other was at church with 9 kids and their families. I didn't take any pictures of the second one because I was busy cooking the meal for 18 people and then organizing the party games afterwards. She says it was the best birthday ever--just like she says every year.

A Labor of Love

I decided I would make Hannah a special shirt for her birthday. It only took me about 2 1/2 hours of back breaking labor to do so. I only ruined two transfers and one T-shirt in the process. The look on her face when she saw it was worth the pain and effort. If you ever try to do iron-on transfers, don't read the directions. They will only confuse you. My common sense was much more help than that piece of paper!

Learning to Lean

The past few months I have had some health issues going on. I talked about it in a recent post, but I've not actually got it all resolved. I've been afraid that I'm possibly having allergic reactions to food--they do sometimes mimic the reactions of IBS. I have started having panic attacks when I've eaten something that I don't know what's in it. I have an appointment with an allergy doctor June 4 and hope to find some answers then. In everything I go through, I know there is something God wants me to learn or know in every situation or maybe he just wants me to understand others.

I have really gotten a better understanding of panic. I don't know that I had ever trully had a panic attack until recently. It can cause tingling, heart racing and trouble swallowing which just feeds on itself and causes more panic. I've done a lot of praying and begged for peace. In Phillipian 4:6 it says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." It is so hard to pray and then quit being anxious. I wish I could tell you I have a secret that can help you, but I struggle with it just like everyone else. The only thing I've found to help is to do something. If I'm at home and I can't call someone, I will listen to music, read the Bible, or watch a Gaither Music video. If it's during the day, I may call someone or just try helping someone out. All these things get your mind focused on something other than your worries.

I think about Abraham and how he must have felt when he was walking up the mountain with Isaac. Can you just imagine the butterflies he had in his stomach. Isaac probably could sense it too. Even though he was doing what God asked and he trusted in God, he still had to be a little anxious. We've all had those moments when we felt insecure and did not know what the future held, and couldn't quell that unsteady feeling in the pit of our stomach. Jesus knows your pain. He prayed in the garden three times that he not have to endure Calvary, but wanted to do the will of the Father above all. Jesus was fully man so he could feel pain, but he was also fully God so he knew before hand just how much pain and suffering he would endure. Yet His love for me was so great, that He was still willing to walk up Golgotha for me and for you. Are you thinking today that you couldn't possible walk that mountain Jesus has asked you to walk? Are you praying that God will not make you endure the hardships you see coming down the lane? God understands, but above all he wants you to say nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. For he trully understands and he's teaching you how to lean on Him.

Sharing the Word of God

Last Monday night, my husband was invited to become a part of The Gideons International. This organization was founded in 1899, and is still going strong in 180 countries around the globe and they print the Scriptures in more than 80 languages. I'm sure everyone has seen a Gideon Bible in a hotel where you have stayed. If you've been to the fair, you've probably also received a little New Testament. When Hannah found out they handed out Bibles to people who did not have them, she wanted to join up too. They actually have a Ladies auxilary, and hopefully we can get involved also. One thing we do know is that the word of God is powerful and will as he promised in Isaiah 55: 11, "not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

The Bible Is New and Fresh

It's amazing how many times I can study passages in the Bible and always learn something new. When I first started Bible Study Fellowship about 4 1/2 years ago, they asked to know what I thought my Bible knowledge was. At the time, I felt pretty secure in my Bible knowledge. I knew all the major stories of the Bible and could quote some scriptures, knew which book went with the old and the new, and could explain some of the more esoteric subjects. As I have studied the Bible a little more in depth over the past few years, I've discovered one very important fact. I know nothing! There are some many times that I read something and say, "Wow, how many times I have I read that scripture and just completely missed the meaning." It seems that every week in Bible Study, I learn something new that I had never discovered before. When I studied Genesis, I discovered that the Men of Faith from Hebrews 12 were just as flawed an sinful as myself. I learned from Israel and minor prophets that there really is something in those books that is useful to my present day life. In Matthew, I've read parables I never remembered reading before. I've also learned things about Christ's suffering and Crucifixion that I never quite got before. It is interesting to me how Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Jewish ruling council and he voted against the crucifixion of Jesus. It also says in John 19:38 that Joseph was secretly a disciple of Jesus because he feared the Jews. I guess the secret was out when Joseph asked for the body and gave Him a proper burial. Then Nicodemus, who was also a member of the council and a disciple, came along to help. Sometimes persecution makes you stand up and speak up, and sometimes it makes you want to hide (like Peter).

Above all, I've learned that God's Word is powerful. At times, I feel Him speaking to me from His word. I can almost here His voice say, "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Terry's Birthday Hike

Most of these pictures were taken by Ashley Diggs, a couple were taken by my daughter Hannah. I was at home babysitting baby Gracie. I had the best time of them all.

God Directs

As we approach graduation time, I can't help but remember my own graduation from high school which will be 17 years ago this May. I was so confused about what I should do and where I should go. My dad had recently lost his mangement position job and so my whole senior year was in a uproar. The scripture I clung to was Proverbs 3: 5-6

Trust the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not
unto thine own understanding.

In all thine ways acknowledge Him, and He
shall direct thy paths.

I know that over the years I have seen God direct my path, but I still haven't always understood what it meant for God to "direct" my path. It doesn't say that God will draw me a picture, speak in an audible voice and give me step-by-step instructions on where to go and what to do. It doesn't say he will send an Angel to tell me what will happening in my life. It doesn't say that I will get a neon sign informing me of God's next move. Webster's says that when used as a verb, direct means to control the operations of; to aim (something) in a particular direction; to supervise and control; or to give an order to." I think that all apply to God's directions. He should control the operations of my life, he has aimed me in the direction he wants me to go, he is the supervisor of my life, and he gives the orders. It doesn't mean that I always understand what he is doing or know what the outcome will be. He has just aimed me in the direction my path should take. I've always felt that my life with God was like a maze. I go this way and wham, there is a wall. I turn around and try another path. Sometimes those brick walls are there to slow me down. Sometimes God needs us to stop and listen as he directs. God closes doors and opens doors, it's up to us to walk through the open doors and to stop trying to break-in to the closed ones. He has given us a road map--the Bible. He has also given us a compass--His spirit. Stop, look around, and listen as God directs your path.

The Maestro

Tuesday, April 15, 2008, was not only tax day, but it was also Andy's Senior Recital which is apparently just as important. Andy started playing the piano about fourteen years ago. He began taking lessons from Velma Bever. She was an older lady who has since passed away, but she was a fireball. Andy very quickly started playing well enough to play in church and he did quite often. Although, in the beginning Andy was still young and he really didn't like playing in front of people. I remember pushing him to play because he was just so good. I told him it was a talent God had given him and he should use it. Andy makes playing the piano look easy, but being a very amateur piano player myself, I know it is not as easy as he makes it look. Andy has been my accompanist at church for sometime. He quickly learned how to transpose, and since I don't sing any song in the key it's written, he is able to fix that for me.

Andy got a music scholarship to Central Baptist College which is where this recital was held. For his recital, he played Sonata in F Major K. 280 by Mozart, Roumanian Folk Dances by Bartok, Impromptu in A flat, op. 142 by Schubert, and Scottish Legend by Amy Beach.

Hannah is lounging with her brother at the piano.

The Last Two Tears

Freddie Fikes left this life today around 3:00 p.m., and joined Jesus. As he took his last breath, he had two tears to escape his eyes. He has been at death's door since Saturday and very little, if any, recognition or emotion has been shown. But as he entered heaven's gates, God wiped away his tears and his last two tears seeped out. It says in Revelations 7:17 that, ". . .God shall wipe every tear from their eyes" It also says in II Corinthians 5:4, that "for while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened. . . " Bro. Freddie has battled cancer for ten years and has had a particularly harrowing fight the last two years. He has been burdened with pain and sickness, and he is finally well. God has healed him, just not in the way we had hoped.

Freddie loved God, his church, and his family. He fought to the last moment to stay with them just a little bit longer. In his later years, he surrendered to preach and traveled many miles giving back to God. Freddie was always a giver. He would help anybody. It didn't matter if they were a druggie, a thief, or a convicted felon. He believed that God could take you and totally change your life with His spirit. Untold hundreds of people have been helped by Freddie Fikes, and also attended church because that was one of the requirements of his assistance.

I have known the Fikes family all my life. My mom grew up with them and she doesn't remember not knowing them, and I am the same way. When my mother married my Dad, and I was about 2 years old, they bought Donna and Freddie's old house on Shady Grove road. I have memories of visiting them in their homes many times--I specifically remember going to their house on Sunday nights after church and this usually involved cheese dip or popcorn and a game of some sort. I remember they introduced me to Skip-bo.

For years, Freddie owned a car lot and he bought and sold used cars. He was also a good mechanic. When I was looking for a new car, he took me to a car auction in some other town and we tried some out, but he didn't think there were any there good enough (at least not in my price range). Then he heard of one that was owned by a man who had become ill and needed to sell his car and we went over and saw it. He finally decided that was the car for me and it lasted me for several years, one of which was spent driving back and forth to Arkadelphia to college. Then I passed the car on down to my brother who eventually wore it out. Freddie always had some advice to give me, I can't say I always took it, but I did always listen.

I lived with Freddie and Donna for 6 months when my own family was in turmoil, and one night in the middle of the early morning, Amber awoke to find her dog had died. Obviously, she was devastated, and Freddie stayed up all night crying with her. The Fikes family is one of the most close-knit families I know, and their home was always open to anyone. I wager to bet most of the people who know them, know where to find a key to their house and know they are welcome to come in if they need too. When I lived there, Donna told us we could have anyone over, so long as we (Amber and I) cleaned the house. I always tease Amber about how I just couldn't color code the towels in a way that would please her. There is a hole and an ache in my heart tonight. I will miss hearing Freddie's voice and listening to his advice. I will cry for the family who is going to miss him more than they would miss an arm. He was their heart, and it stopped beating today. I pray God will step in and fill the hole and bring them peace. I am comforted by the words to a song I remember he and Tawaynia singing so many years ago, "Tis so sweet, to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word, just to rest upon His promise, just to know thus saith the Lord."

The Circus!

Due to the heavy rain on Thursday night, the circus had to set up in the old Gymnasium in Glenwood and they were unable to use any animals in their performance. They did use dogs, and that was my favorite part.

My Problem

For years, I've dealt with lots of digestive problems. I've wondered if I didn't have some strange disease that was going undiagnosed. In 2003, I had a severe episode, which was much different than all the others. I had diarrhea for five (5) weeks, at 8-10 times a day before I went to the doctor. When I went, a blood test showed that my sed rate (measures inflammation) was high and the doctor sent me to a Gastroenterologist. I then had a colonoscopy and she found that my small intestine was full of inflammation. The doctor was sure I had Crohn's Disease, but after several other tests that proved negative she gave up. I took 16 Pentasa a day from July, 2003, until February, 2004. At that time, against doctor's advice, I began to wean myself off of the pills and on April 1, 2004, I took my last pill. From then on, I never had diarrhea that severe again. I did still have digestive and intestinal discomforts at times, but nothing that didn't go away in a day or two. Also, stress sends me to the bathroom, and has continued to do so. In February of this year, I started having diarrhea again and it became severe. Not only is it inconvenient, it's depressing, and usually painful (crampy). It seemed that the episodes were linked to what I was eating so I began to try to find which food it was. I finally settled on soy--since it's in almost everything I eat. But when I removed soy from my diet, I still had problems. So I finally went to the doctor. I went to my family practitioner and he said it sounds like you just have "Irritable Bowel Syndrome". My GI doctor had said there was no such syndrome only Crohn's, Colitis and a handful of other irritable bowel diseases.

After my visit to the doctor this week, I decided to investigate Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It was like looking in a mirror. I read this off of a website and saw myself.

I would bet you already know from personal experience that some foods nearly always cause IBS problems, while others never seem to bother you. On the other
hand, you've also probably noticed that sometimes a specific food will trigger
an Irritable Bowel Syndrome attack, while at other times you can eat the exact
same thing without difficulty. Odds are it doesn't seem like there's any rhyme
or reason to this. Odds are also that you've been wracking your brain to figure
out why.

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Sometimes, just knowing what you are facing can take away much of the fear. I have done a lot of reading the past several days and discovered lots of the foods that the doctor told me were good for me have actually been irritating my intestines. I also learned that many doctors don't recognize this disease because there is no test for it and because it was originally thought to be psychosomatic. The problem is that the symptoms are very real regardless of whether it's in my head or not. If anyone who reads this has suffered with problems that you think might be related to IBS please let me know. I am interested in talking with you. tammiediggs@yahoo.com

My Friend

This week has been harrowing week for a friend of mine. I've known the Fikes family for all of my 35 years of life. In fact, I lived with them for about 6 months when my own family was having hard times. Last week, my friend Amber Fikes Lamb came home from Tennessee with her husband Chuck. They were here to be with her Dad since he is fighting a battle with cancer. On Monday, they told the family that he had 1-2 weeks to live. On Tuesday night she spent the night at the hospital and her husband stayed at her parents home. On Wednesday morning, she went home to get a shower and found her husband dead in bed. I'll never forget driving up to her house and seeing all the ambulances, coroner, and Sheriff cars. She was in absolute shock for a time, and then it started to hit her. I don't think it has quit hitting her. On Thursday, she had to visit the funeral home which was definitely no picnic. It breaks my heart and I don't even begin to understand the mind of God, but I have found comfort in the words to the song "Trust His Heart".

God is too wise to be mistaken;
God is too good to be unkind;
So when you don’t understand;
When you don’t see his plan;
When you can’t trace his hand;
Trust his heart.

Sweet Gracie

We had a lovely visit yesterday evening with Will, Ashley, and Gracie. Gracie is just adorable. She was in a kissy mood and kept wanting to give kisses. She and Hannah played until 8:30 p.m. She is walking and loves to call herself Mama. She points to herself and says "Mama, Mama". I can't wait until we can see them again!

Miles Funeral Brings Reunion

Friday Was a Snow day!

Snow is so beautiful.

It makes the world look clean and covers a multitude of sins.

It also leaves a mess after it melts.

Hannah loved her snowman,

and she cried after it was murdered by one of the dogs.

They just knew the carrot nose and the raisin eyes were edible.

It's a snowwheeler.

Terry rode around in the snow on the 4-wheeler,

but he kept complaining of how cold it was.

Hello, it's snow!

My Lovely Daughter

My daughter has started loving to cook! She is learning how to read the recipe, measure flour and sugar, crack eggs (without eggshell), and use the mixer. She made some delicous cookies the other day. Today she made a strawberry cake to take to fellowship dinner at church.

God Grew Tired of Us

I watched a moving documentary this week about the lost boys of Sudan. If you want to feel guilty, blessed, disturbed, and grateful then I would suggest watching "God Grew Tired of Us". There were also humourous parts when the lost boys are integrated into the United States. On the airplane they ate their little pats of butter by themselves and the ketchup by itself. They said that the food on the plane just wasn’t as good as what they were used to. After you see how they had been living and eating, it makes this statement almost ludicrous to us. They had to be taught how to flip a light switch, use a trash can, go to the grocery store, etc. There was one humourous episode when a boy is smashing Ritz crackers with the handle of a hammer, then he added milk and boiled it into some sort of mush.

I have never really understood the whole situation of the lost boys, and I will try to impart the little knowledge I have gained. When Sudan began to have conflict a couple of decades ago, there was a decree made that all boys 12 years and under in the South of Sudan should be killed. Therefore, a mass exodus of young boys left and began a dangerous trek across the desert and into Ethiopia seeking asylum. Eleven and Twelve year old boys became the head of household and would have several younger children to care for. They walked for miles and miles, and many thousands of them died. Some of the boys were in charge of burying the dead. One of the lost boys was being interviewed some 17 years later, and he said, "we thought God had grew tired of us, and was punishing us for all the bad things we had done." He also said, "We knew God was with us, or we would have never made it through the desert." One of the lost boys also said, "Americans should be more grateful for what they have." I think if God has grown tired of anyone, it would be the ungrateful Americans. I pray that I will use the gifts God has given me more efficiently and effectively.

One Touch

In the Middle of His Will

While studying story of how Peter walked on water, I discovered a very important detail that I have always overlooked. It says in Matthew14 :22, "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side. . . . " Afterwards he went to a mountainside alone to pray, and they were in the middle of the lake when a storm blew up. What I learned was that you can be in a storm, and be right smack in the middle of the will of God. Jesus told them to get in the boat and go out on the water, and we know who controls the wind and waves.

How many times do I question where I am at when things don't go as smoothly as I think they ought to? I always think I missed the boat or misheard God's direction when I end up in a storm. I think I was listening to my own direction and not God's. Storms still come even when we are in the middle of God's will, but he will be there to help us, comfort us, and calm the winds.

An Example

Hannah was baptized last Sunday, and today I learned that even a six year old can be a witness. There is a little girl in our church who is four years old and she told her Grandma, "when I grow up, I want to be saved and baptized like Hannah." It always amazes me how we can have an impact on someone that we don't even know is watching us. When I was a teenager, a lady at my church told me that she had told her daughter to pattern her life after me. My husband had a colleague tell him he was making changes in his life because of the example he had seen him living.

Jesus says in John 13:15 that "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." God wants us to act in a certian way in order to show the world who He is. When I talked with Hannah about how we must follow God and do the things he wants us to do after we are saved, she said "how do I know what that is." I told her that we must study the Bible. In I Corinthians 10:6 it says, "Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they [people of Old Testament days] did." Not only do we have the example of Jesus in the Bible to show us how to act, we also have the example of many people who did the "human" thing; our example of how not to act.

Connecting With Old Friends

Somedays I just want to talk to old friends. Today I've talked to 4 of my old friends. I have known Amber since she was born, but I was just four months old when she was born. Although I do remember playing together when I was just 3 years old. I have lived with her and her family, and she is like a sister to me. She now lives in Tennessee, but we still see each other and talk throughout the year.

Bridgette lives in Hot Springs. She is married to a lawyer and works in the Garland County Prosecutor's Office. I have known of her since I was just a babe, but we have been close friends since we were about 12 years old. We have both married lawyers and work in the field of law. Who would have ever thought?!

I have two friends named April and I talked to both of them today. The first April I met in seventh grade. I moved to Lake Hamilton and she introduced herself and we've been friends ever since. She has adopted 5 children, and is an angel. She has blessed many children because of her big heart.

The second April is a couple of years younger than me and I've also known her since she was just a babe also. I haven't talked to her in a couple of years, but we reconnected tonight. She has recently become CFO of Farmers Bank in Magnolia Arkansas. She has a little boy that was born premature and I still remember holding him when he was as light as a feather. He is 5 now, and healthy as can be.

I have been very blessed to have lots of friends. Presently, Terry and I have some friends from our church who have decided to come and help us on our house, and they have been lifesavers. We actually have electricity now and we thought it was going to cost us $5,000.00. Good friends should be treasured and cared for. I've dealt with individuals who couldn't scrape up a single friend to support them in a divorce or in their time of need. I am so blessed that God has showered me with an abundance of friends. I actually talked to two other friends today that I see weekly. I talk to one friend everyday--sometimes multiple times. I love you all, and if you count me as a friend and haven't talked to me in a while--give me a call!

Baptism

A few weeks ago, I told you about Hannah asking Jesus to forgive her sins and be her Savior. Last Monday night on the way home from Bible Study, she asked me what Baptism was all about. I explained it to her, and she told me she'd been worried about it. She said that she felt like it was something that she needed to do. So Sunday she walked in front of the church and asked to be baptized. She will be baptized this coming Sunday. We will have lots of family there, and it promises to be an exciting day.

In other news, I still haven't actually gotten the check for my van yet. I am starting to get "antsy". She told me she would mail it on Friday. I am trying to be patient, but tomorrow it will be 5 weeks since I had my wreck. Normally these things go much quicker, and I would hate to have to find a lawyer to sic on them.

Finally!

In my last blog I said that I was supposed to learn on January 2 what I would be getting for my van. I'm glad I didn't hold my breath, because today is the day I learned. Thankfully, I get to keep my van and will get enough money to fix it.

We are also working on our house again, and after the many trials of 2007, I think that 2008 is looking better.

Hannah has decided she wants to be baptized. She is planning to go forward this Sunday. I guess we will see if she is still got her courage on Sunday. She was pretty sure of herself the other night. She wanted to be baptized, but was afraid she wasn't old enough. After I told her she was old enough--it was settled. I am so glad that she has such a soft heart. She wants to do the right thing. Like all of us, she doesn't always do it, but she has a good conscience.

I'm just glad that I can see better days ahead.

Happy New Year!

It's been many days since I've blogged--I've been hibernating. We always close the office from Christmas to New Year's and I always dread coming out of hibernation and back into the real world. I've hardly even been on the internet and haven't checked my email everyday. It's actually kind of nice to hide from the world every once in a while. Last night we went to the annual New Year's Eve singing at Mt. Tabor Community Church. We actually stayed to the bitter end--which was midnight. Normally Terry is in bed early on New Year's Eve, and it was nice to sing in the new year with friends and family. Hannah actually stayed awake for the entire evening, but she was ready for bed as soon as we got home.

I've spoken about my van, and that is a sore subject. The adjuster informed me last week (after I finally chased him down) that he was going to total my Van. I told him I wanted to keep it and he told me that I should learn the amount I will be getting tomorrow. I'm not holding my breath, because they haven't really done anything like they said yet. I didn't get a rental because they were going to charge me $13.00 a day to cover the full coverage insurance I do not have. I'm hoping things start looking up tomorrow.

So for the New Year, everyone is always making resolutions and vowing to change. My vow is to relax more and to let it go. Life is really about preparing for the hereafter and not about the stuff I can collect down here. I'm going to budget my money better, and serve God with more enthusiasm than ever.

I may also talk more about politics in the future, because I have become very convinced that based on the life of Jesus, those that have should share with those who have not. I know it's a very "democratic" idea, but I believe it is also biblical.

On that note, I will let you move on.