Intentional Intentions

I've been intending to write this post since the weekend after Thanksgiving. That's at least how long I've been thinking about it. (I'm still trying to find my rhythm again, but working on it).

I intend to do a lot of things that I never get around to doing.

And you know what they say... the road to you-know-where is paved with lots of good intentions.

Then there are things that I do that have nothing to do with original intentions.

Like this, for example.
This is one of my precious Fiesta tumblers. The intention of its creation was to hold a fruity, breakfast beverage. I put pens and pencils in it.

There are other pieces in my Fiesta collection that also don't get used for the purpose they were intended. Like my pitchers. I couldn't find any pictures of my own pitchers (OK, I didn't really look very hard), but a quick Google image search tells me there are others who also misuse their pitchers.
Fiesta pitchers make very lovely vases. I think I've used my Fiesta pitchers as vases more often than I've used them for liquids. The only thing I really ever use a pitcher for is iced tea, and if you're going to make tea you need to make at least a gallon and Fiesta pitchers are just too small for that. So, in my house they hold flowers.

I looked around my computer desk and found a couple of other unintended things.


I've already admitted that I have a issue with pens (you can read about it here). That's another story. Today it's about the cups. And the pitchers. And all the other things not serving their original purpose because I've filled them up with something else. I fill them up and call it creativity and resourcefulness.

Like I said, I've been thinking about these intentions since the weekend after Thanksgiving. That's when we decorated our church sanctuary for Christmas. The people in charge of decorating the sanctuary for Christmas really take it seriously and it always turns out lovely.

The building structure is very traditional Baptist architecture built in the middle of the historical district of an Old South rural town. That's a blessing and a curse. It's a rectangular sanctuary with tall ceilings and large stained glass windows. There are wooden pews with dark red velvety cushions. The pews are in three sections with the center section being the widest. No center aisle. Up front on the altar/stage/I-never-know-what-to-call it section there is white, heavy, wooden pulpit furniture. There's a huge proscenium arch, behind which is a cove that houses a cranky, old pipe organ and some more wooden pews for the choir. Behind the choir pews and elevated above everything else is another recess - -the baptistry (spellcheck wants to make that baptistery, but that just doesn't look right to me).

The baptistry has tall, white, wooden doors. I'm not sure why. To keep people out? To keep people in? Well, back to that in a minute...

Here's a visual peak just to get some perspective. That's Rhonda back there standing behind the tree (and she's not a short person), just so you can see how large that evergreen is.


Now. Here's where the pens in the cups and tumblers come in. And the creativity and resourcefulness. I present to you, The Baptistry.

We close those doors, hang a 10 lb. wreath on them, cover the ledge with red, satiny cloth and holiday poinsettias. It's beautiful. And well done. That's the real thing too, no tacky plastic here. It's creative. And resourceful.

And not at all what it was intended for.

That's the part that makes my heart hurt.

We truly have paved the road to hell and shut the door to heaven with our good intentions and filled it up with our own creative and resourceful purposes. Those doors should be open. It should be filled with water. The water should be warm from the frequent use and cloudy from all the sins that have been washed away.

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10).

That is Christmas.

But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:19-20

Homer Laughlin has my heart

OK, ya'll. You don't have to wonder anymore. You can go here and buy all my Christmas, birthday, anniversary, get well, sympathy, Hanakkuh, Kwanzaa, and any other holiday or excuse gift. 'Cause look what they have:

Homer Laughlin Fiesta heart dishes. In eight different colors. That makes me so happy. I feel like they made them just for me. Too bad my bank account would not agree.

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. James 5:13

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

And in my experience, Virginia IS Santa Claus. Actually, we call her Ginger, but I'm pretty sure her driver's license lists her as Virginia.

If you read my letter to Santa, you might already know that I asked him to bring me Christmas Tree Fiesta dishes. Well, he obviously delivered them to Ginger's house and being the sweet friend that she is, she wrapped them up and made sure they found their way to me.


It was the Sunday after Christmas. We had just come back from a holiday visit out of town while Ginger and her husband were packing up to leave on their own trip, plus she had other family coming over. We didn't have a lot of time, so we drove over to their house and just stood on the sidewalk for a quick visit. She put the beautifully wrapped gift in the back seat of my car.

Scott and I had several places we wanted to go that day. When we left their house we didn't go home, we just set out from there. So, the unopened gift sat in the back seat of the car all day long.

It was dark and late when we finally got home. One of the last places we went that day was the grocery store, so we had all those grocery bags to unload as well as some other things we'd gathered that day, including the gift box from Ginger. Then I had to put the groceries away, tend to the cat, make some phone calls before it got too late, and God only knows what else I busied myself with. I still hadn't opened the gift. And really, that's not like me at all. I usually can't wait to unwrap a gift, or at least peek in the gift bag.

On top of all that we had planned to do that day, it was also the day of my Christmas crash. You know, the big let down after a month of all the extras: extra family visits, extra food, extra choir rehearsals, extra mail, extra boxes and tape, extra programs, extra activities, extra decorations, extra emotions, extra sentiments. And then all of a sudden, boom, it's over. Hurry up and clean up and pack up and straighten up and tighten up and wake up and go back to work.

My crash was not as much physical as it was emotional. I was already over the edge and heading down when I finally got around to opening the box from Ginger that night. I don't think I've ever cried over dishes before, except maybe some broken ones, but these Christmas Tree Fiesta dishes made me cry. They made me cry because they are perfect. Beautifully perfect in more ways than one.

I don't deserve such a sweet friend. When Ginger and I first met at church, she made an extra special effort to become my friend. We did some Bible study and choir things together, then one day she invited me to her house for lunch. That was a couple of years ago. Since then she has become my weekly prayer partner and scripture memory encourager.

Ginger chose me to be her friend. Ginger knew my heart and made the special effort to fill it. Those are things Jesus would do. Ginger has shown and been Jesus to me.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:15-17

A festive fiesta!

Dear Santa:

I've been pretty good this year. Good at what, I'm not exactly sure. And if I haven't been good, I've at least thought about being good. Does that count?

I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really want some of these:

Isn't that just the most festive fiesta you have ever seen??!!

You can get them here. (OK, so they've already taken the picture and link off the website. Let's hope they haven't sold out already! You can use the search function at the bottom of that page for "Christmas tree")

I want the luncheon plates, but I'll take any of the other pieces too.

And if it's not asking too much, how about an early delivery? They won't be quite as much fun after Dec. 25. Plus, I'll need something to put cookies on Christmas Eve (wink, wink).

Love and hugs to the misses, all those little elves, and the reindeer too.

Nancy

The Mother of all Fiesta Platters

OK. It's confession time. I have done something absolutely crazy. It's something big. I mean really BIG.

We got on the interstate this morning and drove an hour south to a place we don't travel to much. We were just looking for a change of scenery.

We did a little shopping at a store we don't have where we live. Scott got a new pair of socks.

I bought the biggest Fiesta platter ever made. I had never seen a Fiesta dish of this size...and I've even been to the factory where it's manufactured. But when I saw it, I had to have it. I just couldn't go home without it. It cost me almost a week's salary. Well, not quite - it was on sale and then I got an extra % off coupon. Still, I paid way too much for a dish that will be on display way more than it will ever be used for containing food.

I'll have to put it on the dining room table because I have no where else to store it. It's so big it won't fit anywhere else. It might actually get a little more use if it's actually out on the table. Except, now that I spent all my money on the dish, we're going to be eating nothing but peanut butter sandwiches for a while.


That's a LOT of peanut butter sandwiches.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16

Setting the table of grace

A couple of years ago we had a yard sale. In preparation, I went through all the closets, an outside storage building, and the attic taking stock of things to sell, keep, or throw away. I used my living and dining rooms as the staging area for the big day and began to corral all the ‘sell’ items there to sort and price. It wasn’t long before there was no room to walk in my house. There were six coffee makers, four bedroom comforter-dust ruffle-sham sets, a stack of board games, and several shelves of books. There were three or four sets of decorative glass bake ware that were still in original boxes. We received those as wedding gifts 20 years ago. Never used. There was an extra computer, a couple of radios, and all kinds of electronic gadgets and toys. And of course, there were all the clothes that had been shrunken by the dryer. Oh, and a car.

The more I piled up, the more mortified I became. How can two people have this much stuff that they don’t use? It was ridiculous. I became embarrassed about having so much. I kept thinking about all the other people in the world who had to live on so much less. I was all the more ready, then, to just get rid of the stuff.

The reason we wanted to have the yard sale in the first place was to make a little extra money. We wanted the extra money to buy more stuff. What in the world?! When it was all over, we made about $1,400 but I honestly can’t remember how we spent it. What I will never forget is the impression God made on my heart to loosen my tight grip on the things of this world. He’s given me his priceless kingdom and that’s what I want to cling to.

I still have some work to do in that area, but I’m getting there. Last week when I broke my lilac Fiesta pie baker, I was sad. A couple of years ago I would have bawled like a baby about it since a replacement would be hard to find and expensive. At least this time there were no tears.

For a place at His table, I’ll trade all of these:

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:32-34

Our Wild Ride

Sunday
UP: We went to an evening revival service at another church. Monty Hale from the South Carolina Baptist Convention was the guest speaker. Very powerful message about being led by God, or more accurately, letting yourself be led by God. Joshua 3 was his text. Go and stand in the water. Go. And then see what happens! Wow. I couldn't wait to jump in.

Monday

DOWN: I'd been uncertain about some things that had been on my mind all day long and it was weighing heavy on me.

UP: My friend Ginger showed up for the women's Bible study group that meets at my house. She felt led to miss her sign language class to come. She brought such words of encouragement that I found myself being lifted higher and higher.

Tuesday

DOWN: An influence that Satan has used in my husband Scott's life and ministry to bring discouragment and defeat for the last 10 years showed up in full force. Unexpectedly, of course.

UP: We went back to the revival. The ladies group I sing with was providing the music and Monty Hale delivered another moving sermon. Text was Acts 2. He described the tongues of fire from the Holy Spirit like eating jalapenos. It causes your eyes to water and makes you want to say out loud to everyone around just how hot and powerful it really is. I think he ate jalapenos for dinner before he came because he was speaking my language and it was obvious he was on fire!

Wednesday

DOWN: Satan brought a reminder of Scott's discouragment and defeat back around. Not in full force this time, but just enough presence to say, "Hey, I'm still here."

Thursday

UP: For the first time in 10 years Scott and I both told Satan that he's going to have to find another avenue to defeat us 'cause this one he's been using just isn't going to work any more. We finally gave it up and gave God the glory.

HIGHER UP: Late in the day, Scott recevied a phone call that brought some unexpected and encouraging news regarding his ministry. Even if it's only temporary, it was still good news for today. See what God does when you let Him lead?!

Friday

DOWN: We got an early morning phone call. Our church had been broken into overnight. Scott needed to get there as soon as possible to identify things missing from his office. His nice, new computer that he uses to do all things creative and muisc-related was gone. Vandalism, theft, and attempted arson. It gave us all a creepy second-guessing feeling all day long.

UP: My father-in-law went home this morning after a 10-day visit so Scott and I got to enjoy a quiet night on the couch with a $6 frozen pizza (well, I did COOK it before we ate it) and a free movie rental (Movie Gallery had left us a voice mail stating that we hadn't been there in a while so they were offering us a free movie to entice us to come back). After being spent emotionally all week, it was nice to just have a cheap, stay at home date.

DOWN: When we stopped by the grocery store to buy the pizza, we also bought a cherry pie (for Scott) and vanilla frozen yogurt (for me). In the process of getting it together, I dropped my discontinued lilac color Fiesta pie baker dish. It broke into several jagged pieces. I know it's just a thing, but it still made me sad.

UP: At least the pie wasn't in the dish when I dropped it.

DOWN: It's 4 AM Saturday and I'm still awake.

UP: Waiting to see..........................

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Prasie Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.