The smell of her Bible

This week I had to get my Bible rebound, so I have been reading Mom’s Bible.  I enjoy looking at all of her notes she has written in it and looking at all the verses she highlighted.  I have her Bible, but she is having a blast in Heaven serving Jesus!  The smell of Mom's scent on her Bible brings back memories of her.  I miss her!

Revelation (part II)

At a time when I should be freaking out about the future of my shop and not having any more money, I am at rest.  If someone would have asked me a question about that yesterday, I would have had a totally different answer.  I was freaking out and fretting.  The shop is my life.  I don’t want to teach anymore, and my book is still in the future.  My passion for now is my shop.  If I lose the shop, it will also be like a death.  I can’t go there thinking about it because it brings tears to my eyes.

I took my revelation outside with me to my front porch with my iPod.  What song did I listen to over and over?  Revelation by Third Day.  I was refreshed and enjoyed feeling the feelings I felt today.  I haven’t had a day like today probably since the last writer’s conference.  The wisdom He has given me lately and the free advertisement the shop got on TV last week is an indication to me that He wants to keep the shop open.

Another thing the Lord has been dealing with me lately is pruning me to become more like Him especially in the area of the TV shows I watch.  Two shows that I enjoyed watching, I can no longer watch because it is not right for me any longer.  I think He is pruning me and getting me ready for my book to be published.  I will have to be held to a high standard and those standards right now have to be raised.

Revelation (part I)

Today was a neat day.  I talked to Elizabeth, a good friend of mine, for an hour and a half.  It very much was the encouraging talk I needed.  I came to a revelation today.  It took six years of waiting and asking the Lord for His wisdom, especially in the form of how I should advertise for the shop.  I had always said the cookie shop was the Lords but not until last week did I completely relinquish the shop totally to Him.  This first revelation came in talking to one of the people I advertise with.  I was depending on her advertisement to be my “Savior” to help my shop make it.  The Lord got me to a place where He showed me that I totally needed to depend upon Him to keep my shop open.  The day I met with her, I realized I wasn’t there yet.  My back is totally up against the wall.  We don’t have any more money to keep the shop open.  It has to sustain itself. 

The second revelation came today as I was talking to Elizabeth.  The Lord had to get me to a place where I was praying and totally dependent on Him or He would not have revealed His concept of Brothers for Businesses.  This concept is totally His idea He gave me one morning to help my business and the others businesses within my church.

If I did not run out of money and totally need to pray and depend on Him to keep the doors to my shop open then the concept for Brothers for Businesses would have never come to fruition.  I know this concept will greatly help the businesses within my church.  I hope that it is not too late to help my shop, but I do not think it is.  I don’t mind being transparent with the church if I have to get up in front of them and explain why the Lord gave me this concept. 

****Photo of a child having fun decorating a cookie in the Kiddie Korral.

The “death” of my cookie shop? (part II)

The Lord has answered my prayers so many times when I have asked Him for wisdom concerning the shop.  An idea He gave me one morning as I woke was Brother for Businesses.  It is a listing of the member businesses within my church which is placed on the church’s web site so the members can use it as a resource.  Businesses are reviewed by the church’s administration and must meet certain criteria for inclusion in the Brothers for Businesses Directory.  Owners of each business in the listing have pledged to operate using the highest Biblical and ethical standards.  It is in it’s infancy but will bloom and help the businesses within my church.

Another way He answered my prayer as I sought His wisdom about the shop is through the sororities at UGA.  One of my workers invited her friends on facebook to like our shop.  From that one nice gesture, it turned into me going to the sororities during their chapter meetings.  I introduce myself, tell them about my shop, and take them cookie cakes and a few goodies.  As I was running out of contacts with whom to get in touch with next, the Lord would send another person my way.  I asked Him twice if He wanted me to do the work, or if He was going to and both times He sent more people for me to contact.  He has such a sense of humor and would constantly let me know He was in control.  It was neat to see Him work!

In the spring of 2008, I set my foot in the “classroom” for the last time as a teacher.  Giving up teaching to run the cookie shop was also a death to me; it makes it even harder to possibly move the shop.  I have given up so much for the shop.

So, here I am with my Isaac to sacrifice.  If it is necessary for me to sacrifice my shop to help someone reading this book, I will do it.  I would just love for the Lord to bring the business we need to the shop so we can stay.  It will take a miracle, but I believe in a God who does miracles, and He does them well.

U  What “Isaac” may you need to sacrifice?  U

 

****Photo of our hand decorated bouquet of cookies.

The “death” of my cookie shop? (part I)

Tonight I prayed, and I said to the Lord, “Lord, I’ll sacrifice my Isaac.”  My Isaac is my cookie shop.  It is my third child.  Even though it was not formed in my womb, and is not a physical part of me, to me it is. 

I remember sitting at my parent’s house with a piece of graph paper, laying out the design I wanted for the shop.  I created the “Kiddie Korral,” a neat place where kids can sit and decorate their own cookie.  We had some students from UGA paint a huge farm mural in the Korral.  We also have birthday parties and field trips in this area.

I put so much time and effort in creating this family friendly, unique shop.  Our chef’s sister also does interior decorating, and we had her decorate the shop for us.  The shop has neat vintage signs hanging on the walls.  I had a lady tell me one time I should charge people just to look around.

We not only sell ice cream and gourmet cookies, but we have many unique things.  One of the things I tell new customers about is our “Bessie’s Cow Patties.”  The customer gets to pick two of their favorite gourmet cookies, their favorite ice cream then I make their own ice cream sandwich.  We also had our chef create a baked shortbread cookie bowl dipped in different chocolates and topped with either M&M’s or Oreos.  We heat the cookie bowl and serve ice cream in it.

Our specialty is our shortbread cookies.  The kids can come in and eat a yummy cookie on a stick while their parents order a bouquet of cookies.  A bouquet of cookies is a gift similar to a bouquet of flowers except the customer gets a bouquet of hand decorated cookies arranged in a pail or mug..

Our shop was on its feet in 2007, and then the economy tanked.  We have used up our resources to keep the shop going, and now there is not enough.  We are seeking the Lord’s wisdom in what to do next.  I don’t want to move the shop, but the space we have has 1,300 feet of commercial space that is not generating enough walk in business.  We could find a smaller space, do our orders, and have a small area for walk in business. 

Finding the right location would be risky and another burden not only financially to build out the space again but time consuming as well.  Sub Way is coming next month in the space next to us that has been vacant for years.  Sub Way opening should help generate more traffic into our shop.  There are so many unknowns. 

**Photo of Bessie the Cow (our mascot) in the Kiddie Korral!  

While I’m Waiting

This song is written by John Waller and has been a favorite of mine for quite some time.  But, now the words have a new meaning for me.  The song was used in the movie Fireproof.  Go to the video and instead of watching it, close your eyes and listen to the words of the song!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6X71sXagUY

I need to play this song a million times a day.  I have parts of it down pat as far as following what the words say, but there are plenty of issues I need to work on.  I have been struggling during this past week on waiting to get my book published. 

This wait has been extremely difficult for me because as I continue to be obedient in what He asks me to do, I don’t see the end result.  Then I start to doubt myself and what I believe He wants me to do.  I have not been content in waiting on Him.  I need to rest in Him and be peaceful.  "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” (Ps. 37:7)  Lord, help me to do that!

U  What is the Lord asking you to wait for?  U

Brennan’s birthday

 

Last week Jamie, Kaitlin, and Juliette came to my house for the week because the girls had gymnastic camp at the University of Georgia.  I remembered Brennan would have been five years old on June 17^th.  I did not know what to do or say because Jamie would be at my house on his birthday.  I did not want her to think I did not know what that date meant, but I also did not want to upset her either.  I called Jennifer and asked her what I should do.  She suggested I not say anything unless she seemed upset.  Paul told me he would not say anything either.  So, I let the day pass without saying anything.

After she left, I debated or whether to call her or not and ask her what she would have liked me to do.  I knew you and I would gain valuable information if I did call her.  I prayed before I called her because again I did not want to say the wrong thing.  It took me forever to ask her what I wanted to because I was starting to get upset, and I did not want her to cry.  This was not an easy topic to talk about.

I told her I knew it was Brennan’s birthday, but I did not know whether to say or do anything.  I asked her if I remembered Brennan’s birthday again, would she want me to say anything.  She said I could acknowledge it was his birthday, but she would not want to go in an in-depth conversation about it.  She said they (she and Chris) mention it and talk about it as being his birthday, but they don’t do anything.  She also said she did not expect me to call.  Again the words to the song “Say” ring true to me.

U  What should be said or done if you are with someone on the anniversary of their loved one’s death, especially a child?  U

I also spoke to Evelyn and Cookie (Evelyn’s half-sister) about this topic.  They both basically said I don’t need to let the day go by unnoticed.  Cookie told me on the anniversary of her husband’s death, three friends call her.  One friend calls and says, “This is the day for me to call you.”  Another friend calls and says, “I was just thinking about you today.”  While another friend calls and says, “We need to go eat one night this week.”  They don’t really say anything else concerning it being the anniversary of his death. 

Get ‘er done (part II)

Dad’s scans came back fine which means the cancer was contained in his prostate.  Great news!  He has decided on the robotic surgery which will be April 1^st.  I went ahead and told the kids since Dad’s prognosis was good.  The phrase he has used the last couple of times I have talked to him was, “Get ‘er done.”  The four girls bought him a tee shirt with that saying on it to give to him along with some other goodies before his surgery.

I drove to the hospital in Atlanta where Dad was having his surgery.  Claudia, Jennifer, and Grady also came.  While sitting in the waiting room for Dad to get out of surgery, there were a lot of other people waiting for their loved one to get out of surgery also.  It was a big room, and it seemed very impersonal to sit and watch doctors come and go informing those waiting for their loved one’s prognosis.  A particular group of people were very loud and frequently laughed.  One lady was extremely loud.  I thought the lady should have had a little more respect for the other people in the waiting room.  Yes, her loved may have had a simple non-life-threatening surgery, but what about those around her?  Someone else’s surgery could have been life-threatening.

U  Are you being considerate of others as you are sitting in a waiting room?  U

Dad’s surgery went great.  The doctor took out Dad’s whole prostate.  He will have to come back for a follow-up visit and get his blood checked again.  When they check his blood, they use a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test.  The PSA test is the most effective test for early detection of prostate cancer.  The test measures how much PSA is in his bloodstream.  Dad’s PSA number came back .007, hardly detected at all.  He will have to continue to get his blood checked to make sure the cancer does not come back.  Dad said, “I didn’t get a get out of jail free card.”  I laughed!!