Phooey on New Year's Resolutions

I don't do New Year's Resolutions. I shatter them ten minutes into January 1st, then eat four brownies to try and drown my guilt. Then I can't zip my pants. So...

I settle for goals instead. They are gentler, kinder, and I can keep track of my progress on a paper tacked to my bedroom wall. Each time I put a check mark in a box next to a goal, I do the happy dance and eat one brownie to celebrate. With this method, I can still zip my pants up!

Do you make New Year's Resolutions, or goals?

Please share one or two with us.

Random, Crazy Thoughts

One of my eyes appear larger than the other because I wear only one contct lens.

It doesn't bother me.

Oh, I take that back. In photos, I look like I'm only excited on one
side of my face.

That's kinda nutty, don't you think?

I have an issue with enormous blow up toys in people's front yards.

It's really none of my business how they spend their money, but after all---what does a pink penguin in a tutu and angel wings have to do with Christmas?

My brother and I once thought a family of skunks playing in the leaves in our backyard were kittens.

When we hollored to our mom to see, she called an exterminator. I cried.
I've always hated to kill any kind of animal. Apart from bugs.



Gimme a random thought from your lovely brain today...

What About YOU? When Clothes Become Friends

Today's What About YOU question? Do you have items of clothing you think of as friends?

As I type, I am wearing a pair of baggy pants splashed with bright red Hawaiian flowers on a black background. They shout, they sing, they hula dance in the street. But they are comfortable, and I need that on days I color my hair (shhhh! Don't tell!!!).

I also have on a ratty, paint-stained, once-black sweatshirt with "I'M BLESSED" across the front in rainbow block letters. I never wear this out in public, or I might be arrested by the Classy Clothes Police.

What About YOU? Have you a secret garment or two that you heart like a friend?
Please tell.

True Confessions of a Hypocrite

Ever thought Christians were hypocrites? You're right.

Read what my husband said when I confessed to him how hypocritish I felt in this fun post at The Pastor's Wife Speaks.




P.S. I will be unplugged from blogging until after Christmas. I pray God's richest and best blessings for you and yours this Holy Season. I thank you for the precious gifts of your friendship and wisdom over the last year.


With Love in the Lamb,


Jen

Happy Birthday, Jesus

Happy Birthday, Jesus.



I love you more than

Having my own way;

All the kitties in the universe;

Coffee;

Voicing my opinion;

Chocolate;

Spending money;

My grandbabies;

Writing;

Apricots;

Life itself.

You are my life.

Thank you for coming.

Please come again soon.

Love,

Your Jeanette

--JEL, copyright, 2009

God's Measure of Success May Surprise You

From a journal entry dated 7-8-1994, long before I aspired to make writing my career:

"I measure success by growth, not by how many people know you. I give out rewards by what you did with what you had. The world emphasises the wrong things, and so does the church It's not how many books you've written, but do your kids come running to you when you get home from work? It's not what kind of car is in your driveway, but do you remain faithful to your spouse?

What you value shows your true worth, and I value character and love and obedience. Some people are gonna be very surprised at who gets the best seats in Heaven. And I'll just smile and say, "They were faithful with what I gave them."

So, don't be jealous of big names or even wish to be like them,. Recogntion from men is so empty and transient People are fikle, and easily turned this way and that, even Christian people who don't know Me that well and don't know their inheritance in Me.

You strive for the applause that lasts--My smile, My hug and My "Well done, good and faithful servant" is all you really need. I will make everything worthwhile and even in the end."

Doesn't it amaze you how timeless God's words are?

The Christmas Wedding Hero

Ever wondered where heroes get their courage?
If you ask me, I'll tell you there's a someone
behind that hero poking them in the ribs,
believing in thier gifts,
or both.




Please follow me to An Army of Ermas where I share my amusing, true story of The Christmas Wedding Hero, and the redhead that poked him to into action.

Baby Plans: A Surprise Up God's Sleeve

“I want another baby.”

My boss’s wife, Cindy adored their soon-to-be-teen daughter and son, but longed for a wee one to nurture. For months, Lance resisted her pleas. “Cindy, we have the perfect family: a boy and a girl. Let’s be content with that. Besides, I’ll be forty in a year. I don’t want people thinking I’m my kid’s grandfather at her high school graduation.”

Cindy was undaunted. Bit by “the baby bug,” she persisted in her heart’s desire for one more child.

Finally, Lance concocted a plan he was sure would discourage her. “All right, we can try one last time. But it must be a girl, she must be born before my fortieth birthday, and you need to have her on a Saturday, so I don’t have to take off work to go to the hospital with you.”

“Agreed,” said Cindy, humming to herself as she thumbed through a Babies R Us catalog.

Nine months later, Lance jolted awake when a finger gouged him in the rib. “Are you ready to go have this baby?” said Cindy. That afternoon, Tiffany June made her appearance. It was a Saturday, December 12, two days before Lance’s fortieth birthday.

When Lance related this story to me, I asked him if Cindy had prayed that he agree to another baby, or about the timing of Tiffany’s birth. “Not that I know of,” he said.

What? This really messes with my theology. I want people to have exactly what they want, when they want it, only if they have asked God for it. I certainly don’t believe luck had anything to do with Tiffany’s birth, so that leaves only one other answer: God did this as a favor to Lance and Cindy, simply because He loves them and wanted to bless them. Period.

Why does this bother me? Because I want my teeter-totter balanced. If I obey the Lord and honor Him with my life, I can expect Him to answer outrageous prayers like a girl baby born on a certain day before her daddy’s 40th birthday. But if someone who wants something a specific way gets it without even asking God, what does that tell me?

Not what you might think. Not that it doesn’t pay to serve God, or that we shouldn’t pray for what we want and need, but simply this: God is God—He can do whatever He wants. And I believe it tickled Him to give Lance and Cindy exactly what they wanted, because He likes to make people happy. He is a good God who does good things for everyone, not only those who ask.

Here’s a final thought: If God gave someone the desire of their heart when they didn’t even ask Him, how much more would He give someone who comes boldly to His throne and makes their requests known? Kinda makes you want to expect a lot more out of Him, doesn’t it?


*photos by flikr

Cheers for a Brilliant Lady

The Brillant Lady behind my new blog design is Melanie Moore from Elegant Custom Blogs. Isn't she creative?

Melanie has several packages to choose from, and also offers FREE blog backgrounds. I loved working with her--she bent over backwards to make this a place where YOU feel welcome and where my heart shines through.

Thanks also to Wendy Paine Miller from Thoughts that Move, one of my favorite blogs, for introducing me to Melanie.  This new look puts a smile on my face and fills my emotional coffee mug!

Don't you love it when God opens a door for you that you didn't realize needed opening?

A Prayer for Authors: My Christmas Gift to You

 As I Write: a Prayer for Authors

Word made flesh and Father of Lights

Put flesh on these shapeless thoughts,

Making them dance with the passion

That propels You to create.

Share the fire from Your endless soul

With my meager one today,

Melting my secret doubts in Your embrace.

Breathe upon my words,

That all who drink of them

May quench their longings

With the wonder of You.

Cause my gift of life-giving pen

To nourish, delight, teach, inspire.

And may I never seek

To lift my writing above Your message,

But draw seekers of truth

And those who know not what they seek

To Your throne of grace. Amen.

©JEL, 2010

If you are a blog follower and would like a copy of this prayer as my Christmas gift to you on a laminated ribbon bookmark, please send your address to jeanettelevellie(at)gmail(dot)com. Additional copies may be purchased for only $1.00 each. Color choices: lavendar, blue, pink, gray, or gold.

The Shocking Story of How I Became a PW

I love to see the raised eybrows when I tell people how I became a Pastor's Wife, and hear the giggles when I warn them against my unconventional method.

Please join me at The Pastor's Wife Speaks today, where I'll be contributing for the first time with my shocking little story.

What About YOU? Favorite Christmas Gift

photo by flikr

Today's What About You Question: What was your favorite Christmas gift as a child?

I was eight the year Easy Bake Ovens hit the stores. My mom, a single parent, could not afford a gift of that size. When I spotted a huge gift under my aunt and uncle's Christmas tree with my name on it, my heart leaped with hope.



photo by flikr

 Do you think I got my wish? Could this be why, forty-some years later, I still love to bake?

Your turn...

Do Your Gifts Outshine Your Character?



by flikr

 God interrupted the plans of a passionate young preacher when an older saint pulled him aside and said, “Son, you have an ocean of talent. But I’m afraid for you.”


“Why?” asked the young man.”

“Because your character is only a bucket or two deep—not nearly enough to sustain your gifts. If you’ll spend some time developing your character, God will be able to use your talents for His glory, and do mighty things with you.”



by flikr

 The young preacher was wise, and listened to the older saint. He spent the next few years developing his relationship with the Lord and his character. Now, when you hear him speak, it is from a heart of humility and love for his audience, not to display his great talent. God is using him to bless, not impress.

When I heard this true story, I wondered how I could develop my character, so the Lord would use me more.

Here is my short list of ways I need to grow:

1. Learn to wait with grace, finding ways to thank God and make myself useful in the meantime.

2. Love my audience: write, speak, pray, and sing to bless them, not impress them.

3. Develop a listening spirit to hear from God and readily obey His voice.

4. Stay steady in adversity, refusing to believe the lies of the enemy.

5. Grow in humility, realizing I’m not the gift, just the package it’s wrapped in.

6. Nurture a sense of security, so I don’t take criticism so personally.

7. Cultivate Godly wisdom, seeking His mind and heart at every turn.

8. Increase in self-discipline, not putting my flesh first.

9. Grow in diligence: the ability to stick to a task until it’s finished.

10. Mature in my trust and dependence on the Lord, not my own pea brain.





by flikr

I want to go farther, do more, and climb higher than I’ve ever dreamed, but not by myself. I want people to realize that if they see anything noteworthy in me, it’s because Jesus put it there. And I want them to want that same Jesus in their lives because of me.




Can you look back on your life and see areas in which your character has grown?

Dreams and Wishes: A True Story

When a friend gave me a stunning lavender-hued African violet, I thanked her warmly, but didn’t give much thought to the name of the plant: Dreams and Wishes. Until yesterday.


I received an email from my agent re: a pass from an editor on my newest project. It went something like this:

“Dear Jeanette: Mr. Boo-Boo from So-and-So Publishing Co. likes your writing, and the idea for your new book, but he is passing due to your lack of a large platform. I’m so sorry. It’s really tough right now for new authors, but we’ll keep trying.”

Although I’m getting used to this kind of letter after many such passes in the last year, it still stings when someone returns my proposal due to my lack of platform. I’m not a lousy writer—I’m just not famous enough.

I stewed and gritched all day about that email, vacillating between concocting ways to increase my platform (embezzle tons of money, go to prison, then write a book about a preacher’s wife gone bad?), and giving up on trying to get published altogether.

Then I spied the African violet in the window of our dining room.

I had moved the plant several months ago when it looked like it might be dying. Perhaps this western exposure will give it more direct sunlight, I thought. As I reached to pull the curtains down at dusk, I spotted it: a tiny lavender bloom. The first bloom in months. My Dreams and Wishes had come back to life. All it needed was a change of location, and a little time.

Okay, God, I get it. Don’t give up on my dreams and wishes, just because one editor doesn’t think I have the right exposure. I will keep writing for You, my audience of ONE, and wait a little longer. Eventually, I’ll see a bloom.

And you, my friend? What are your dreams and wishes,
that the Lord would have you hold onto just a wee bit longer?
Don’t give up just yet. Your blooming days may be just around the next sunset.