Last Sunday had a TCC University…it was about what gifts are giving to the body of Christ that benefit’s the church as a whole…stepping up getting involved in church and an acronym f.I.g.h.t. friendly -invite people-give to God-Help out-Talk to God….Pastor David McAllister always encourages people in church to “get in the game” …so many ways to serve and put your talent to use….He spoke that certain gifts are to edify the church ,like he discovered a long time ago to be a Pastor BUT teaching was not his cup of tea, so he has combined Pastor Teacher Counselor…..and I have to admit he wears it well….. He wanted a hands on approach and he has combined his gifts in a way that I myself feel that he not only cares but makes God Jesus and the Bible understandable touchable believable….thru movie clips or stories…..I can honestly say in the 2 ½ years I have been going to TCC I have never gotten sleepy, always always I have been affected by what Pastor tells us…and look forward to going even when I’m sick, kids are screaming, Eddie is angry….who would have thought that” I “would love church so much! I love church because the people there give me a taste of what heaven will be like! So Thank you Pastor Dave McAllister Pastor Andy Laurie the band an all the people who serve TCC….even Jaylee can not miss church, it would be unthinkable! I am so looking forward to worshipping God and Jesus for eternity,  and I confess I can’t wait! Jaylee was so funny today she had to dress for Halloween Parade at school, so were sitting in the bathroom and I am getting her ready for school we are doing “makeup” she prefers sparkles all over and I prefer sparkles on the lips only….such girl talk…I enjoyed it I must admit………I can see her character emerging…I pray it stays sweet….she picked her clothes and what she thinks a “princess” is…Eddie and Jaron have a specific idea and try and get her to conform by making fun of her, but she is adamant of doing it her way…oh well time to clean and cook early dinner so the kids can go trick or treating.

I was sent a book from Joni Earekson Tada “a step further” 3 months ago an am finally reading it……..and there is a wonderful poem that allows me to see Jesus and the work he is doing.                                                                                                                                                                                                            The Hands that shaped the flaming spheres and set spinning, vast light years away from Planet Earth, have laid aside the Robes of State, donned human likeness by the great indignity of birth, The Hands, responsive to Lord’s Plan. That formed the God-reflector, man, of dust and destiny, outstretched-by Man’s fierce hate impaled -wrought life anew, Love’s Plan unveiled upon Golgotha’s Tree. The Hands that found it nothing strange to pucker up a mountain range or ladle out a sea, that balance Nature’s systems still, and shape all History to His will, hold, and are molding, ME! By Marion Donaldson                                                                                                                                    As this journey continues and I am still learning who God is and what he wants from me I can easily have these pity party’s …..they usually start sparking when I have trials coming into my life. With my disability any deviations from normal usually involves me looking around going “oh know, oh know….what do I do” ….not much but hand wringing and crying out to God…..no answers and I get confused why doesn’t God here me? Pastor Scott Richards said once “trials and tribulations! 1 ok but when 4-5 are landing at the same time WOW it freaks me out!” …..I don’t know why but I end up listening to sermons that make me feel worse about myself because I haven’t done enough……I agree with Joni when she says “disability can make you think well I can get away with something because I need allowances to cope“…..God’s standard is the same whether you are able-bodied or not. Everyone has there trials….Eddie was out of town for 3 days…..his hours are dropping…..wall pipe leaking….damaged floors …..a plumber bill….Eddie is home now and …….well , it is comforting to know all these complicated things God has done , is doing ….but yet here I sit right in the middle of it and like these magnificent wonders he has wrought…..there sits me he is still shaping!….problems are landing before one is over with…….where does my help come from….the maker of heaven and earth  

Listening to 940 a.m. radio I so love to hear the voices of old! These would be the Pastors of old , Radio Missions Pastor Pendarvis and the Pastor who has since gone to heaven ..The "Voice of Truth" by the late Pastor L. R. Shelton, Sr. and the 15-minute "Trailblazer" sermons by Pastor Shelton. I really like listening to the old time preachers to see if anything has changed in the teaching done today as I hear it . I know that God never changes nor the bible it is the same as when Jesus died on the cross, teachings about God and Jesus thru Churches Radio and TV I question especially if it is new. I find it interesting though that the same problems then are occurring now,,,,,. When they speak of the bible and applying it to today’s world you can forget that they were speaking of there time 1940-80`s, same thing different time. Pastor Shelton was a preacher that rode on a horse from church to church. Anyways I never thought I would say this but when I first got saved I said I would never be glad I have this disease…..I was looking out my window this morning and I envisioned the word DISEASE in the glass ……that is how I looked at it straight at it…. dissecting it , trying to figure how to get around it ..over it…under it……then the words were backwards …ESAESID….and I was looking on the other side of the window….looking back on my life I would not have come to Jesus but for this disease…..it has been a struggle but it also has been the catalyst to propel me to God and Jesus. I can remember 10 years ago searching …..watching mediums…..songs…TV shows , Oprah, Dr Phil…..things on the surface very rarely delving into books…life would go on things would grab my attention and off I go walking thru life with a purposeful stride….I have since slowed down looking at my future my options……..this disease is very hard on Eddie….. but he really resents me being Saved and Jaron too for that matter….I don’t find things funny any more……lewd crude jokes TV programs cussing……It makes me sad, it makes me feel dirty, it makes me feel uncomfortable…...I assess everything…good or bad….observe…..spectator….I guess I have grown old…..I use to be young….so I am glad this disease has led me….. built that bridge to God…..so this is the good thing about having this disease, it actually helped saved me……it is sad though that the only way to hear Jesus was through a disease. That is all on me …a proud neck unbendable blind eyes stopped up ears…..in the bible it speaks of wicked man greedy , sinful , full of pride ,haughty , cheat, liar……I confess I didn’t think many of these applied to me…..ALL these sins and MORE they are my reality….they ALL apply to me….so as the Lord identifies these to me and how I need to fix them, I marvel at his patience and love towards me ….like my daughter says no and turns away her arms crossed on her chest her eyes closed…so have I been when God calls attention to my sins…..I think God sent Jaylee to be my mirror, she truly is God’s blessing to me.

The new church TCC… aka…. the cool church wow had a great Sunday . The band sounded really great and enjoyed the sermon. It was based on Joshua 7* 1-26 Why “nobody will ever know” never works. Pastor David always makes things understandable concerning what God wants from his children, he is teaching me to play God’s way instead of mans ways…..he spoke of growing up being the son of a pastor and being in a fish bowl. His dad would correct him and ask what’s your name ….pastor would say “David MaCallister??” and his dad would say……change your name…..or change your ways!!! When you are a Christian we are in a fish bowl to the secular world, and being God’s child it is time to change your ways to be salt and light to the world. He also spoke of the little sins that get us “sideways with God” and how serious god is about “that whole righteousness thing” and eventually will exact justice. Eddie is right next to me this whole time and I wonder when will he hear the voice of Jesus. …………….well Halloween decorations went up outside, I don’t say anything because he feels I am being “too religious”……I have been following the news but rather than get caught up in the woes of the “US” I watch Tlc channel “little people” “Jon and Kate plus eight” “48 hours” “flipping houses” …….I enjoy watching real people challenge thru life.

I love love my new windows! Wow I can actually open them!!! It has been cool 80 degrees! So its almost like being outside! The birds are always flying in to the windows…whats up with that!! But before it would scare me it was so loud…..now it’s a knock and that’s it……every morning I say a prayer of thanks to God because he heard…to my sister because she saw….to the men Ron Hess and Mark Tucker and their company’s Window Depot and Hymark Construction who so very graciously helped my family and me and their workers who made the windows to the men who installed them…….Sunday after church “the cool church eastside” moved into their brand new home!! “I” can now access the church in my wheelchair!! What freedom to move and see what I wanna see! I told my Pastor Andy I cannot wait to see the front of the church!. The other one had steps and there were tables of items and a place to eat outside but I never saw this, coming in back of the church. For preschool they have an area for play…. which Jaylee will not want to leave. It will be a challenge to get her in the car after church. Eddie and Jaron took a load to the new church…..I admit I pushed them into it…..I would have liked to help but everyone had there orders, so I kept looking into rooms. It looks great even the renovated house looks pretty terrific! A little froggie crossed my path on the sidewalk and I stopped to let it go by…..I am somewhat surprised because they live near water, apparently there was a cesspool that was a pond?? So they were displaced when the church was built. There is a 2^nd floor in the new church with a long banister and steps, that is open to the floor below……I always …….always wanted a 2 story home…so I could see the clouds better, kinda like floatin in the sky when you have a 2 story……..such dreams …..oh well I`m getting use to looking up in a wheelchair….but one of these days…..in my house now it is set up where people who access it can do it easily except for wheelchairs. The kitchen only room for one and my wheelchair to carry the stuff from the fridge and cabinets. I hang on to the wheelchair and counters to cook meals and clean up….I can be outside the rooms but not be in it……….I have noticed as the progression goes on the less I interact …..I hear but don’t touch, I smile but listen, only God knows only God sees only God understands……I use to think when you get married your husband becomes your everything…..so naive nancy …..that’s where God belongs….a relationship made in heaven =]

Sunday” pass the baton“. Like in a race….to the next generation ….growing up God’s children….I love going to church and know that every time I go I feel so lucky to be there. I am always emotional and it takes so much control not to cry…Eddie wouldn’t appreciate it, but it is out of happiness and being able to understand instead of being in the dark… Many disabled people feel out of place in a church, especially going by themselves. Every time I go I have to look around at the individuals and know we will be in heaven together. I always pray to Jesus, open my eyes to see, my ears to hear, my heart to feel, and drag my family to you. Change there hearts and open their ears to hear you………my mom prayed that for 25 years….all my family were in a Pentecostal church and my little brother Larry and I were out…..now we believe…and many in our family have stepped out…..they didn’t wait for us….so drag em Lord!…….Pastor David teachings *******so that you’ll be able to PASS THE BATON REALLY WELL ALWAYS in training (small groups, church, café nights fri-sat , serving at church etc…)IN TRAINING for the HANDOFF ..we are always ONE GENERATION away from DROPPING THE BATON …..simply CANNOT be an option…TCC had the UNIVERSITY and it was very good…..but there were 5 things to do to continue to junior level,……… after repentance, professing belief, baptism, prayer reading the bible ,service and involvement in church….one is being apart of small groups. I have to have Eddie’s cooperation to either drive me or stay at home and take care of the kids, make dinner clean up…driving at night….every home has a step up……..having a wheelchair in a home is like having a bike in the house, the wheels leave black marks everywhere……hallways are narrow, coordination and strength, drinking or eating (choking) bathroom facilities wheelchairs accessible handrails….carrying bible purse keys, pen glasses…..I have to think it out every step of the way….so the small classes are not doable now……I did learn some new areas of the bible and Pastor is really adamant about passing the baton on well to younger Christians. I have asked Jelly about why she loves Jesus. I think her understanding her grasp of how important Jesus is she doesn’t quite have. I did tell her though I would do somersaults in heaven with her…she understood that she has to keep Jesus in her heart and follow him. It is going to take a lifetime of learning and mamas prayers.

Okie dokie. Just a little time to write and heading out to bathe Jelly Belly! Last Thursday…..Thursdays are becoming busy! …….had the parent conference at school….carefully made my way out to the car, still 95 degrees whew……prayers and 940 am radio [sermons] got to the school …..hitting the brake a lot smoother, course the take offs throw me back to the seat!….the coordination it takes to drive who knew…..police car parked in the pickup zone so I parked in the lot [can’t afford a ticket now] I left early just in case, don’t you know 30 minutes to go so I waited in Jelly’s classroom. The kids were in the auditorium rallying to something……(the cherrydale fundraising activity}….I really don’t like having Jelly going door to door, but I understand the lack of funds that school needs…….the kids finally came back all staring but not one asked the most obvious question about the wheelchair. They did ask though “what do you want” “why are you here” ……to tell you the truth I was more scared of them! So I just sat and sat and waited finally class was over and Jelly sat on me telling me of her day…she wasn’t at all shy or embarrassed being around me or talking to me..….Jaron is very particular about me looking at or talking to him around school or friends, he is deathly afraid of being viewed as “different“. I suppose Jelly will come under peer pressure too….but for right now I’ll enjoy her company. Jell is behind on her numbers and letters including weakness in her fingers to write legibly. She must be getting mine and Jellys handwriting confused! I can only write 3-4 words legibly before they are unreadable. So I have my orders to get her going! On the way home she says come pick me up everyday for school mom…..you would think all the wobbling in the car would scare her…..nope…..what a funny girl she just starts singing and bobbing!~!….The windows my sister won for me, they came Tuesday 7:30am to 1130am all are in! I don’t have art on my walls but my windows frame the outside world, my art……a new view….didn’t hear the garbage truck except for a far off buzzing. Before, Every neighbors garbage when emptied I can tell bottles or cans……15 minutes…..even the UPS mans truck , can’t hear em either….the windows look so clean and modern and my utilities should be cheaper too……WINDOW DEPOT.....did all the windows installed double paned for 2000.00 ……..its is a real bargain. Triple paned windows [8] charges 10,000.-13,000. Whew!………..Thank you Pammy for thinking of me…..I prayed to God to put in a safer window when I fell out of it……he answered me =] ALL MY WINDOWS were replaced…….and even my doors!!****** The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

~ Psalm 37:23, NLT

I don’t feel deserving of such terrific gifts but Thank You for answering my prayer Jesus….