Color Outside the Lines!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. The day started out so special. Two little girls woke me up saying, "Mom, we made cinnamon rolls for you." My first words, "You used the oven? Did you use the pie pan?" (they turn out best in the pie  pan!) Of course. Yes, they are 12 and 10 and quite capable of cooking, but this mom is always afraid to let them because I'm afraid they will get hurt/burned. I want to be there to watch every move they make to ensure their safety, and I have to admit, perfection. I have to tell you this precious action of theirs has to be credited to my husband, Brian. He's not afraid to let them try things like I am. He loves coloring outside the lines!!

Early in the day, my husband says to me, "Shelli, let's let the girls color underneath our dining room table. No one will be able to see it. Only we will know it's there. Their drawings will be special memories down the road."

Now, our dining room table is fairly new. It is the nicest dining table I have ever had. When Brian and I first married, he was an enlisted airman in the Air Force, and believe me when I say our pay was little. I was thankful to have a small table all those struggling years; buying a dining table was not high priority. We actually didn't have a dining table until a precious elderly friend passed away and left us a monetary gift. When we lived in Fort Worth some twenty years ago, she was our neighbor. Brian always mowed her yard for her and wouldn't take a dime from her. She found a way to pay him back!! So with that gift, we decided to buy something that we needed, that would be around a long time, and that would always remind us of our precious neighbor. That was our dining table.

Color on the dining table? Really? I'm such a color-inside-the-lines type of person, but I'm so thankful for a husband who loves to color outside the lines.

The mural began!

I crawled underneath my dining table last night, and this is the first thing I saw:



Karalee's handiwork

Then I looked and saw this: (Grin.)



from my flower girl, Katelyn

When my eyes focused on "Believe in the Lord" ... I knew this was the beginning of an amazing Masterpiece. Karalee will look back at this one day and see that her thoughts were on God that Thanksgiving Day. And I'm so thankful that my color-inside-the-lines personality didn't cause me to miss out on something so special.

Color outside the lines? You bet!

The Promise Keeper

This is the time of year when people start thinking about what they are thankful for. As I was putting on my make-up this morning, it came to me: I am so thankful that our God is "the" Promise Keeper! He is not wishy-washy, or indecisive like we can tend to be. He does not wake up on the wrong side of the bed. He is faithful. He is the reason I can smile today; and the reason tears can well up in my eyes at the thought of where He has brought me and what He has seen me through, in spite of me. Oh, I love Him.

I thought I'd share two of my favorite promises:

1. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

2. "Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

Happy Thanksgiving.

Project HELP

I have another article out regarding what WMU is doing to prevent human exploitation. This sweet lady, Sheryl Churchill, actually grew up in Fort Worth and attended Travis Avenue Baptist Church (where we go). Speaking with her was such a blessing for me.