Skipping Stones

Skipping stones
Across the lake
Two- three- four- plop!
Small, round, flat, smooth
Cast them out!
Some go far
Some drop hard
Some skim the top layer of water
Bouncing, flying, gliding
PLOP!
Again and again
We search for the perfect stone
To toss, to skip
Competing against ourselves
And the last stone tossed.
Hunting for the next with purpose
Excited, hopeful when it’s found
Will it soar?
Skip more?
Go the distance?
We choose carefully
Aim intently
Casting the perfect
Casting the chosen
Out of our hands
Propelling it into the distance
Loosing
What we earnestly sought
Tossing
What we once had found
Holding nothing back
Two- three- four-five
PLOP!
We start the search again
Hoping-
The next one will skip more
Believing-
it will go the distance.
Praying-
it will stay a little longer above water
Before it sinks
Like a rock

CJB

Worthy of mention

This whole week my girls have been off school. Alastair and I did not have vacation time so my parents offered to take all four girls to Atlanta, Georgia for a visit. They have had so much fun! They have been to a water park, they've been shopping, catching sun rays on my parents back deck and mining for precious stones at a local gold mine.
I am so grateful to my parents. The girls are having a great time.
More pictures on Flickr!!

Words of Faith

I'm a Beth Moore groupie. I don't belong to a fan club but if there was one I would sign up. Beth Moore is a bible teacher who has inspired many women to dig deeper into the word of God. She by example with a gift of transparency, encourages everday women to apply scriptures to their lives, to live out what they say they believe.
On her blog recently I read something that spoke to my heart directly. At one of her recent weekend ministry events the women stood and spoke out these words to each other and over themselves. I found them very helpful, I've recieved them as a word of comfort and strength for myself and wanted to share them.
Here they are:

Count it a joy,
Dear One
When life gets hard.
God is doing something huge!
He is also proving
That you are NOT a fake.
Be brave, Mighty Warrior.
Your God is with you!
When waves are crashing,
Stand to your feet,
Throw your head back
And feel the wind of the Spirit!
God is painting a masterpiece
With multi-colored trials.
Go forth and display
Divine special effects
To the great glory of God.
YOU CAN DO IT!

Hope you are blessed by them.
Speak them out!

James 1:2-4 (NIV)
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

NJ - Youth Councils 07

Just got back from the weekend. God's Spirit moved ! Praise HIM!
I may write more about that later but right now I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine who has just started blogging.
He has posted something new while at Youth Councils and I think there are people out there who would have some comments to throw his way.

His name is Charles Kelly aka "CHIP"

Here Chip is with my husband behind bars.
We should have left them there!

Check his blog out and leave a comment!

The newest Sr. Soldiers of Montclair

Ronnie Williams,Courtney Scheibner,Karin Tillsely,Heather Bate (my daughter),Stephen Johnson

Don't they look great!!

What can I say? It was a great Easter Sunday!!

The enrollment was going smoothly until I looked at my firstborn standing before me in a uniform under the flags. I was overwhelmed and almost unable to speak. It was a "Mom moment". Snap shots flooded my mind of her dedication under the Army flag when she was a baby, then flashed to the future and all the Lord has planned for her. Unfortunately for the rest of the congregation, I was officiating the ceremony when this emotion caught me off guard!

I choked back the tears and carried on as best I could.

As I look at each of these young adults I imagine all that the Lord has for them and all they have to give to the Lord. My prayer for them is that God will sanctify them through and through. That their whole spirit, soul and body will be kept blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls them is faithful and He will do it!!

I believe it!

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."

Rock of Ages 1987 NYSB

The Salvation Army's New York Staff Band sings William Bearchell's arrangement of "Rock of Ages", led by band chorus leader Major Thomas Mack in this 1987 broadcast.

My Dad is in this!!

Thanks Stephen for sharing this on facebook!