Wanda's Wacky Wonderful World

I woke up to cheerful birds singing this morning and remembered  an entry in my Gratitude Journal several years ago...  so I dug it out and decided to share it here. Today I am thankful for seasons - I love them all! I can never decide which is my favorite - Winter, Spring or Fall -  Oh maybe Summer in its radiance - toasting, melting, sweet - I enjoy the lazy evenings and walking in bare feet. But then the first fall morning dawns with a hint of crispness in the air and I'm sure I'd move to "Autumn" if I could make my residence there! The brilliant leaves and shrubs - the pumpkins and scarecrows - Fall festivals and candied apples - Tom Turkey - but don't you know... It happens late one autumn night - the temperature drops way down and old Jack Frost shows up to quietly paint the town.  Then I'm hooked - 'cause Winter's come and brought the Christmas Spirit! Oh yes, this season is so grand, with coats and hats and mittens! Fudge and...

Today, my precious husband, gave me a surprise College Graduation gift. A red, mustang convertible. Now, I know every girl in town is envious of me... I'm so blessed, excited and SHOCKED! Jeff Chavis is a very frugal guy, and for him to purchase this car for ME... well - I know it held a private message.  If you have heard my "red convertible" story - you know that for quite a while now - seeing a red convertible has been my "sign" from Jesus - reminding me to Let Him Drive! The story is so personal - I have only shared it a couple places upon God's leading. So here's my "Red Convertible" story... I was at our Ladies Prayer Retreat in October 2007. My sister Debbie led one of our devotions using an illustration from a Max Lucado book about "Tucker Town" - A town where all the residents pushed their vehicles around all day - with engines running... they just liked DOING THINGS for themselves! Of course, they were tired, wor...

Proverbs 10: 2  Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life. "Hi Mrs. Chavis", the lady sitting in the foyer of the restaurant said kindly. I greeted her and looked closely - trying to figure out who she was. She looked vaguely familiar, but my mind was drawing a blank. Her hair and clothes were disheveled and in need of washing. She looked to be in her 70's and was obviously not in good health. And was that alcohol I smelled on her? I pushed these thoughts out of my mind and stepped closer... "I'm trying to remember where I know you from, sweetie". When she spoke her name to me, I tried not to show my surprise. Could this be true? This was not an elderly woman! She was younger than me! My mind was flooded with the memories of her story... Living in a small town, you hear things about people... Her husband was one of the wealthiest and most prominent men in our town. He owned several properties and when he divorced his wife...

Happy New Year! Lamentations 3:21-23 has always been a favorite passage of mine- " This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope . It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed , because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."   And I am sure I've read that passage in context as I have read through the Bible many times.  Today I read it in "The Message" translation. Now, let me preface this by saying that I LOVE the King James Version - it is my #1 baseline translation of the Bible. However I do like to read parallel translations just to get a better grip on the meaning of a particular passage as I study.  I also consulted Matthew Henry's commentary and found this note: " Some think Jeremiah makes these complaints, not only as an intercessor for Israel, but as a type of Christ, who was thought by some to be Jeremiah the weeping prophet, because ...

I am innately a procrastinator... and I get sidetracked. I have been accused of having too many irons in the fire and not finishing projects. However, I will defend myself by adding to my list of confessions... "I work better under pressure!" Having said that - please understand - I LOVE the feeling I get when I have accomplished a task. I like to make "To Do" lists, mainly for the gratification of checking items DONE off my list! As this year closes, I am feeling immensely accomplished! I have finished my Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Alternative Medicine! Every day since my first class in August 2008 until my final exam on December 17, 2011, was a challenge. I learned to structure my time and LIFE to fit around an internet connection and the college deadlines I was given. We traveled more in ministry than we ever have before; and yet I managed to keep it all together. (Dare I mention that I made the Dean's List with a 4.0 every single semester? To Go...

The Third Dimension: Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall "The Girl Nobody Sees" (This is the last post in a series of four on this subject) This girl hides deep within your pain. Her image has been emblazoned into the core of your being by the people you love the most. She may occasionally show her face as:             Comedian             Rebel             Anger-Rage             Shyness As I mentioned in my first post in this Mirror, Mirror Series; the authors John and Staci Eldridge, in their book entitled, "Captivating", believe that every little girl is born with these questions burning in their soul... "Am I lovely? Do you see me? Do you want me? Am I captivating?"    Unfortunately, many times the people we lov...

Some of my earliest memories involve being in the car with my family. We lived in southern Ohio... very hilly terrain... which facilitated exhilarating rides when Dad was driving. One second, you're sitting mesmerized in your seat with the sun flickering through the trees - in an almost hypnotic daze - then suddenly the road drops out from under the car and your stomach is in your throat! There were no seat-belts in those old vehicles, and bodies would be catapulting into each other... and the silent meditative state was interrupted with little girls squealing and my Mom's sweet, but firm voice - "Stanley". That was always her response... just "Stanley"... (being interpreted as "Why in the world do you always speed over these dips when you know you're going to cause chaos?") Immediately, my sister Debbie would start begging, "Slow down Dad... please slow down!" (Debbie is four years older than me - and she was always trying to keep...