Amarillo today

I'm on for just a quick second (like I've been here so much lately...or not)while I wait for Jadee to come in from outside. Since she's just a baby and actually fell in the pool the other day I don't like to leave her out there too long by herself.

I'm headed to Amarillo in just a little bit. I'm flying - hallelujah! And, I'm not using that praise word flippantly. I mean it. Praise God for supplying me a way to fly instead of drive 6 hours, one way. The purpose of my trip is a basketball playoff game. The girls are in Amarillo tonight and the boys managed a home game for the first round, which is also tonight. Johnny and I will be texting scores back and forth during game time.

I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Though I actually think I might go into mourning when Fusion is over because I will miss it so much it has taken so much time since the beginning of the school year that it will be nice to be able to focus on another project. And, the kids have been doing extra-curricular activities since school started and I think they both decided not to play golf. I do love golf so if they decide to play it will be ok. It cannot possibly take as much time as basketball...

Ok, she's in and I've gotta run!

Happy Tuesday to ya!

Serving the King,

Jeanette

Jadee

Pronounced Jade-ee, like lady with a j. That's cuz we all have j-names. And she is adorable. We "rescued" her from the Arlington Animal Shelter on January 6th of this year. She was just a day shy of 2 months old. Someone got her for a Christmas gift then decided they couldn't keep her so they had the animal control people pick her up. She was at the shelter for only a couple of hours when we saw her. She is a mutt - Boxer, Plott Hound & who knows what else, mix.

She is a people-loving dog. The first few nights were a little rough because we are making her stay in a kennel. She didn't whine, she howled. She pretty much sleeps through the night now and is almost perfectly house trained. She already knows how to sit and play fetch. However, getting her to let go of the ball when she brings it back is something we still gotta work on. But, come to find out, the Dog Whisperer of our area just happens to go to our church. We hope he will come work his magic on our little pup.

She thinks she's a lap dog, which may prove to be a challenge in just a few months time. I think she might outgrow my lap. She has definitely won the hearts of her new family, though, and I just wanted to introduce her to you!

Blessings,

Jeanette

New Years' Resolutions and Goals

I did something at the beginning of this year that I've never done before. Oh, it's just a little thing but today's the day that I was reminded of it. At the beginning of this year I had a particular statement on my mind that I really wanted to stick with me through this year. As I contemplated how I would really use it to make a difference in my life, I found a tool on our email where I could set a monthly reminder for myself. I know you techno-savvy people are rolling your eyes about now but I'm just not that bright. Anyway, this morning I got an email from "Yahoo! Reminders" that simply contained that one statement that's mine for the year. It's what I hope to do, what I desire to be about. Because, truth is, life is stinking busy. I run to those necessary things that are on my agenda and sometimes forget what's really important.

A couple of weeks ago in our Life Group our lesson was from Acts 15, the all-important Jerusalem Council. One verse kinda tucked into the story has really stuck with me. Paul and Barnabas had been out on their first missionary journey and returned to their home church in Antioch. Because of some disagreements (without going into it because it is not the purpose of this post but you can check it out for yourself in Acts 15) Paul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem to the council meeting. Scripture records that as Paul and Barnabas were on their way to Jerusalem they passed through various regions and they were sharing good news and joy as they went.

Here's the message I got - sometimes I am so focused on the destination that I forget that there's ministry along the way. There are hurting people along the way. There are needs to be met along the way.

Johnny is more spontaneous than I am. I like to know where I'm going. Oh, I can be just fine without an agenda for each day and without a list of things to do to be checked off. The problem is, it seems, that most days my agenda is made for me. There are so many things that must be done. So, then, I am so focused on the must-be-dones that I am not open to spontaneity. If you have a need I'm sorry. It's not on the agenda.

But, that's completely in contrast to my statement for the year that came to me in a reminder from Yahoo! this morning.

Just like God's mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) it's not too late for me to have a new start. It's a brand new month and a great time to be reminded of who I want to be and what I hope to accomplish. Even if I failed miserably the entire month of January (I'm not necessarily saying I did but if so) then I'm making a commitment anew.

So, here goes. I'm getting back on track.

Blessings to ya,

Jeanette

Peace, Sweet Peace

I don't think that I've mentioned yet that I have had my oldest working on my blog layout. I'm not completely happy with this one but it is an improvement over the other. We'll be checking out some new options over the next few weeks until we settle into something. Notice how I wrote "we'll be checking." Actually, Josh does the checking and then asks what I think. Let me just add right here that the boy is learning patience! (ok, can I really keep calling him a boy? I mean, he's my boy and my firstborn but he will be 20 next month -- 20!)

I am leaving in just a couple of hours for the Peace Retreat. I am speaking at a retreat for my dear friend and the topic is peace. The theme verse is 2 Thessalonians 3:16 - "Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!"

There are lots of verses that contain the word peace. Peace, however, can only be truly given -- did you see that I wrote it had to be given or, as the NASB states it "granted" -- by the Prince of Peace. Ephesians 2:14 lets us know that "He Himself is our peace." There is no true peace outside of Him.

God wants us to total peace in every part of our lives. Even in the storm. Even in the chaos. If you are chasing peace then chase God. He wants to be found by you.

Going in peace,

Jeanette

Compassion for Haiti

Yesterday I went to a meeting that's subject was future relief work in Haiti. There will be need for relief work, rebuilding and restoration for years to come. It's overwhelming to even think about. Even though it will be a few weeks before regular people can get in to do any kind of work there are things that those regular people must do to prepare to go in. Getting training to go will be a priority for anyone planning to go to Haiti over the next year.

We talked about the word compassion a couple of weeks ago in Bible study. Compassion means that one sees a need and is compelled to act. It's not just feeling sad or sorry but having a desire to do something as a result.

The news out of Haiti is mostly heartbreaking. Yes, there has been news the last couple of days that a couple of people have been pulled out of the rubble alive more than 2 weeks after the initial earthquake. Samaritan's Purse reported on Twitter today that a baby was born - a new life begun. In the midst of the good news is an overwhelming amount of bad, awful, devastating news.

For now, what can we do? We can give -- make sure you are giving to a reputable organization like Samaritan's Purse or Baptist Global Relief or North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. These organizations are prepared and able to provide much needed physical and material help as well as the Good News of Jesus Christ. The next thing to do is pray. Actually, praying is the first thing we should be doing. I hope you are praying. Finally, if you think you might possibly want to go in the future then start preparing now. Look around for opportunities for disaster relief training. Make sure your passport is up to date. Check out the CDC website for required immunizations.

I'm sure I'll have more to write on this subject in the future -- I, for one, hope for the opportunity to go to Haiti!

Serving the King,

Jeanette

Marvelous Monday & Spaghetti Guidelines

Yesss! Today has been the first "normal" Monday since sometime way back in December. I truly love it when my kids are home and we have lots of family time but, good grief, we have been out of a routine for an eternity, it seems. With the days we had off due to the flooding at our school, finals were just last week so the younger two had half days off even last Thursday and Friday. This will be a crazy week - we have basketball every night this week except Wednesday - but, at least, I have my Monday. I will be missing the games on Friday night, however, as I am speaking at a women's retreat in East Texas. I am most excited about that. The retreat theme is peace (which, obviously, I have been in need of these days when we've been out of a routine) and I hope to share some things God has been teaching me in that area later this week.

Since my friend Julie commented that she wants my spaghetti recipe I thought I might just share what I will call my "spaghetti sauce guidelines" since I don't really have a recipe. I like to imagine that I'm a really good cook -- my family humors me much of the time when I make things without a recipe and they turn out pretty delicious. So, here's just a few things that I think you should know to make your own really terrific spaghetti sauce:

I start with ground beef (I prefer lean) and I brown it in my biggest skillet. I take it out of the pan to drain it. Here's what I think makes the sauce delicious - before I return the meat to the pan, I add a little olive oil (maybe a tablespoon or a tablespoon and a half) and some garlic that I have finely chopped. I saute that garlic - on low heat because you do not want it to burn. (Burned garlic is awful!) Then, you return the meat and add any combination of tomato sauce, tomato paste, or crushed tomatoes that you might have on hand. My family does not want to see anything that looks like a chunk of tomato so even if I have diced tomatoes in my pantry I will put them in the food processor before I use them. Then, you add the spices. Oh yeah, you could also saute a little chopped onion but my family doesn't like onion pieces either. I use onion powder, instead. Sometimes I will use the Italian Spices (the ones in the jar actually labeled Italian Spices) but the main ones I like are basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley. I also add sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I also like just a little crushed red pepper. When I have herbs growing in my garden then I like to add fresh ones instead of the dried.

You should just make the sauce, adding a little of the herbs that you like at a time until it taste like you want it to. Just remember, after you add the herbs you have to let it simmer for a while before you taste it or add more. I think it's fun to experiment. Plus, I almost always have the stuff on hand to make it so it's a great go-to meal when I don't have time to plan a menu.

So, that's my cooking tip for the day. I really like cookbooks (I got 3 new ones in December!), cooking shows, cooking gadgets, so I'd love for you to share your cooking wisdom with me!

Serving the King,

Jeanette

The Blog Break

I'm back...just in case anyone is still checking in. I've been on an unintentional blog break. I don't know what's been wrong with me except for the fact that it has been a crazy month. Everyone finally got back in school (Josh just moved back to college on Monday of this week) and we are settling back down into a routine. Sort of. Basketball keeps us out late and on the go. Tonight is my night to cook dinner for the boys' team. Coach wanted spaghetti and I fixed ... I can't believe I'm going to admit this in writing... sauce from a jar. SAUCE FROM A JAR! I never make sauce from a jar but, oh well.

In other news, I am excited about the recent election results and deeply saddened by the horrific circumstances in Haiti. I was invited to a meeting on Tuesday to plan and strategize for future work in Haiti. I'm very interested to hear what kinds of plans are being made. There will be relief work and rebuilding going on over there for months and months, maybe years.

The real reason I haven't typed a thing is that I completely don't know what to type. It's like I have a blog writer's block. I don't know what to put as my status on facebook and I don't have a decent tweet to twitter. Life is moving at such a fast pace and I want it to slow down. I need it to slow down. And, we aren't sleeping too much at the Dickerson house. It's the puppy. She whines and howls at night. Yes, she howls and likes to get up before dawn.

So, there you go. That's all I got. Besides, I've gotta get the garlic bread in the oven.

Serving the King,

Jeanette