I had another blog here tonight.  Then, I came across these words to a song over on another site and they just touched me in a powerful way so, I feel led to share them with you.  Satan is sly, he is slow to strike.  We  must be careful.  The way to be careful is to be in the Word and to be in prayer.  If our eyes are on him we are less likely to be tempted.

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Slow Fade by Casting Crowns

Be careful little eyes what you see.
It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings.
Be careful little feet where you go.
For it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow.

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away.
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray.
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid.
When you give yourself away.
People never crumble in a day.
It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade.

Be careful little ears what you hear.
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near.
Be careful little lips what you say.
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray.

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away.
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray.
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid.
When you give yourself away.
People never crumble in a day.

The journey from your mind to your hands.
Is shorter than you’re thinking.
Be careful if you think you stand.
You just might be sinking.

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away.
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray.
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid.
When you give yourself away.
People never crumble in a day.
Daddies never crumble in a day.
Families never crumble in a day.

Oh be careful little eyes what see.
Oh be careful little eyes what you see.
For the Father up above is looking down in love.
Oh be careful little eyes what you see.

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Find of the day is this neat kitchen gadget...I'll call them spaghetti cuffs!

Prayer to me is the gift of conversing with God and listening for his instruction.  Prayer is knowledge and it is peace.  Here is a little "5 finger" prayer "list" we share with our Sunday School children.

1. Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C.S. Lewis once said, "A sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger. It is the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

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Found this awesome video.  Follow this link for a blessing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJhxmdyGC5c

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Often we do not understand why things happen in our lives.  We learn that when one door closes, God opens another so...I like this pewter paperweight as my find of the day today!  

Today we went to Lubbock to get Clinton's new suit fitted at HG Thrash Clothiers.  Brad Andrews sold it to us a couple of weeks ago.  It had to be ordered and when it came in was about the time of my knee surgery so, today was the day.  Clinton was NOT excited either time!  Today I bribed him with getting to eat lunch at El Chico.  This is his favorite place to eat the enchilada dinner.  I must say that they make the very, very best quesadillas anywhere and I have eaten them all over the place.  They are soooo good.  Mine today was perfect!  As we were leaving I saw this bumper sticker....

and we do love to eat there.  Since we rarely go to Lubbock, it was a real treat!!!

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I'm enjoying the look of these colorful tubs.  My find of the day are "Tubtrugs"!!!

I'm not sure if you ever get this way, but there are times when my heart is out of sync with God.  Like a cell phone when the battery is on its last "bar."  Our faith can be like the voice on the other end that keeps cutting out, fading into nothingness.  In Psalm 66:18 the psalmist said, "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear."  I think in these times not only does the Lord not listen when I "nurture" sin, he doesn't talk much either. I know there have been times when it is almost like my receptors have been sin-dulled. Maybe I have just tuned God out and have my "station" on some other talk host...and it is a challenge to find that faith station again.   It seems that in those times that I hear, "you really don't want to live this life without my help."  I know I can't.  When I stray, it isn't far and I am thankful for that.  God is faithful. He has never failed me.  He brings me out of valleys with such joy and assurance that I know, that I know...that I know, for whom I am created to serve and through my acceptance of Jesus Christ, I am redeemed!

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Saw this find of the day over at swissmiss and just love it.  What a fun place to sit and think about all the God has blessed us with!!!

Hey, do you use hospital or military corners with your top sheet & blankets when making your bed?  My dad's sister taught my cousin & me this trick long ago and I use it today.  Do you change your sheets weekly?  Do you wash your sheets in hot water?  All tips we learned from her.  She worked for the hospital here and we sure took in all her health tips!

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I think this would be so fun.  I "self-portrait" mirror with a twist.  Each time you look you have a guest or are costumed.  Check it out in the sidebar!

Today was the pre-centennial kick-off honoring the Wayland family at WBU.  It was a wonderfully marvelous day.  I do not know that anything could have been better.  Hope & Teresa did a great job.

I decided while they took the family on the people mover and did a tour that I would get all our event rooms emptied & things put away.  I think I made 100 trips in and out in the cold getting things packed up, cleaned up and returned to their appropriate places.  Can you believe it really is winter?  Anyway, it wasn't too bad!  Most theafternoon was really pretty out, just chilly!

It has been a long day so I believe I will retire and get some zzzs.  Check out the new WBU pre-centennial photo album in the right sidebar. 

Okay, sweet dreams!  May you feel the warmth of God's love tonight!

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Find of the day today is this great eagle necklace.  I like!!!

Well, today was TC and Peggy's anniversary.  With my additional job I did not get anything done for them.  I feel badly, but it has been a busy, busy week!  Anyway, Happy Anniversary to Peggy and TC!!!  If you see them, tell them!

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Today is my 600th post on my personal blog!  WOW!!!  I had no idea!!!

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Find of the day for me are these cashmere socks.  They come in several colors.  I have a pair of cashmere socks that are so wonderful.  One of my friends blessed me with them. 

I was looking for my passport the other night and as I was shuffling through a photo drawer I came across this picture of my dad.  John Dayton.  He died January 29, 1995.  It has been 13 years.  If you ever bought appliances at the "old" Sears store then you most likely knew him.   He was a kind man.  Never knew his parents, my grandparents, but I know I would like them.  He was good to us and I know I was his favorite ;o)  I was the youngest, 7 years younger than my brother, and I was HIS little girl.  Does anything else compare?

It is never easy to lose someone we love regardless of the age they are when they die.  When we are older than Methuselah, we expect it, when we are young we are shocked by it and when it is a child we are distraught about it.  It hurts regardless! 

They got a call at church from my mom that something had happened to my dad.  I knew when they came to the Sunday School room door that he was gone.  I just needed to get to my mom to help her.  My dad had been in the hospital here in Plainview and nothing was wrong.  They dismissed him and that Sunday, he did not wake-up. 

I got in the car at church and headed to my mom's house.  I could NOT get there.  I made every wrong turn.  I drove way out of the way.  I ended up having to come back several blocks to finally get there.  It seemed like it took me forever.  I am usually very good in crisis situations until afterwords...not this Sunday morning...I got lost in my great need to be there.  Once I got there my mom had it all under control.  Then, I jumped into leader mode and relieved her of some of the stress that comes in these times.

I'm just telling you this to say that if you are ever the one to tell me that something has happened to someone I love...please don't let me drive!!! ;o)

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Find of the day is this magazine/catalog recycling rack.  You can string them when it is full.  Not sure about you, but I get a ton of catalogs!!!

This morning at church we had several members give their testimonies regarding how prayer was instrumental in their travel in and through a valley in their lives.  Travis was out of town performing Jess's (Jessica Kaufman's) wedding.  By the way, did you see her picture in today's  Plainview paper?  It was beautiful!  Anyway, these members shared and their words were very emotional.

I have traveled through many dark valleys in my 52 years and God has always been faithful to my calls of despair. I am often asked if I could change things would I?  I would change it for others, but for me I would not change the growth I had in my spiritual journey during these times.  I know and see things much more clearly after each time.  I am so dependent on God to lead me that I am like a child.  I keep it simple and close. 

I know that no matter what I might face that I will grow.  Through adversity comes growth.  It is not only in these times that I grow in my love for my Lord, but through his faithfulness in the joy of answered prayer.

Praying fo those who may come here to read...that God will bless you this week in a way that leads you to his calling.

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I'm not into predictions at all, but I feel I need to share these.  Now I am a believer in these predictions!!!

THE TOP TEN PREDICTIONS FOR 2008

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost.

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Find of the day is this pretty wooden game.  I'm not sure if the game would even be fun to play, but it is made from wood and it would look pretty sitting out as an art-form! 

Mr. Blackwell has issued his “Worst-Dressed” list for 48 years.  It has been widely anticipated, watched and talked about among fashion followers for just as long. He began his career in the 1950s, has had his own clothing line for 35 years and designed for vintage stars Jayne Mansfield, Peggy Lee and Jane Russell, to name a few.

We met Mr. Blackwell on one of our LA trips a few years back.  Here is my mom and Marie Tom with THE Mr. Blackwell at an event to save the dolphins!!!

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And, if you haven't read who he selected for 2007...here ya go.  Why would anyone care is my question???  I don't even know who most of these are!  Maybe I should start that for Plainview.  What do you think?  I'm thinking I just might be on it. ;o)

10.) Alison Arngrim: “Little Nellie of the prairie, looks like a 1940’s fashion editor for the Farmers Almanac.”

9.) Lindsay Lohan: “Lindsay the fashion frenzy strikes again! Lohan takes fashion to a new low.”

8.) Jessica Simpson: “Forget the Cowboys. In prom queen screams, can it get any worse? She’s a global fashion curse!”

7.) Avril Lavigne: “Gothic make-up courtesy the mad spatula-Fashions provided by.. The house of Dracula!”

6.) Eva Green: “Stuck in neon nightmares not fit for the sane. Fashion this loud could give Bond a migraine! A profusion of confusion from toes to nose!”

5.) Kelly Clarkson: “Her heavenly voice soars above the rest… but those belly-baring bombs are hellish at best! She may be the queen of ‘Pro-Active’ – but that wardrobe looks downright radioactive!”

4.) Fergie: “Another style-free ‘Fergie’ in fashion’s hall of shame? Yes, when it comes to couture chaos, guess it’s all in a name!”

3.) Mary Kate Olsen: “YIKES! In layers of cut-rate kitsch, Mary Kate’s look is hard to explain… she resembles a tattered toothpick-trapped in a hurricane!” (Ed. note: If Mary-Kate warrants all-caps, then I’m quite certain she also warrants the top position. Rules are rules!)

2.) Amy Winehouse: “Exploding beehives above…tacky polka-dots below… she’s part 50’s car-hop horror.”

1.) Victoria Beckham: “Forget the fashion spice - wearing a skirt would suffice! In one skinny-mini monstrosity after another, pouty posh can really wreck-em.”

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I'm liking these chopsticks for children.  We have so many "oriental" places here to dine in and I know the kids would love using these!!!