More Mission Articles

Hey! I have a few new articles out ... some great mission stories around the globe and home.

"Yes, They Can!" in South Africa

Rain from Heaven in South Asia

A Karenni Child Says, "Jesus"

I know you'll be blessed!

Love, Shelli

I Needed to Lose a Few Pounds

- "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13, NIV

Y'all, weight loss is a topic I never thought I'd be writing about. But I have had some great success over the last month, and I believe in sharing anything that might be helpful to others. If you have health issues, you may want to ask your doctor. This may not work for you, but it has worked for me.

First of all, those who know me well know I've never had a real weight problem. But I have slowly put on 3 pounds here, and 5 pounds there (free Disney dining at Disney World ... may have been free, but it's costing me now! Grin!) ... and well, I have a real hard time losing even three pounds (or I always have in the past).

Nitty gritty: counting calories is everything. I am eating a 1,000 - 1,200 calorie a day diet, and I am taking a daily brisk 20 minute walk around my neighborhood (but not on Saturdays or Sundays). Y'all, in one month, I have lost 9 pounds and am almost at my "normal" weight. I know that doesn't sound like much ... but like I said, losing weight has always been difficult for me. Luckily, I never gained it too quickly. But, age is taking a toll.

I am choosing healthier options, but the good thing with this plan is that you really can eat what you want, as long as you stay under your calorie limit. This is what I've been eating ...


Take a multivitamin

Breakfast: 110 cal Yoplait yogurt and 1/4 cup honey nut Cheerios

Mid morning snack 100 calories

Lunch: 1/2 can chicken noodle soup and 25-50 small pretzel sticks, sugar free jello (try to keep lunch at 200 calories) * my favorite lunch lately has been 1/2 sandwich (1 slice of bread or 1/2 med sized sub bread with chicken sandwich meat), 25 pretzel sticks, sugar free jello, and 50 calories of cookies!

afternoon snack of 100 calories

Supper: you have 500 calories here or more. Easy to stick to that. (healthy meal)

Evening snack under 100 calories * I have actually been skipping this lately, and I am dropping weight a little faster than before; the last few weeks,  it was taking a week to lose 1 lb., but this last week I dropped 2 lbs in a week after I stopped the evening snack.

You can vary this any way you need to ... just stick to the calorie count. If you need to eat items with less sodium, do that.

I have been snacking on popcorn (1/3 of a bag), sugar free popsicles (15 calories), and sugar free jello. And I never drink sodas with sugar. I stick to water, unsweet tea, or diet soda.

And when I started out a month ago, I tried my best to eat things that I knew the definite calorie count. If you need to know calorie count, acaloriecounter.com has been very helpful for me (especially where fruits, vegetables are concerned, etc.).

And stick to it. When you see the pounds dropping off, you will be encouraged as I was. I have been keeping a chart to record my weight daily. My scale shows your weight down to the ounce. There are days when I remain the same, but give it a day or two, and it drops another two ounces.

And here is the thing that I love the most ... this is a way to eat for life. Light. Those Starbucks, blizzards, basket of chips & salsa, etc. were pushing me over my calorie needs, and that had to stop!

I will say that when I first started the only time I was really hungry was at night (and it did hurt) ... especially if I'd had caffeine and couldn't sleep well. So limit caffeine at night, and you'll sleep thru the hunger! But I also know that if I'm a little hungry at night, more than likely I will be a little lighter on the scale in the morning.

And the other thing that I love ... I don't have to exercise myself ragged. A 20 minute daily brisk walk is working for me. Of course, the more exercise, I'm sure the quicker the weight would come off. But I am not a huge exercise fan (I'd rather eat less than exercise more ... just being honest here).

Other positives: I feel like I'm eating all day long (more than I was, just choosing differently), and there are no costs for meals, joining groups, etc.

And for those times when you have to eat at McDonalds ... a kid's 4-piece chicken nugget meal with tiny fries and apples is only 300 calories (so skip your 100 morning or afternoon snack that day and have 1/3 bag of popcorn instead!). My recent meal from Chili's lasted me three meals!

Anyway, just wanted to share this. Hope this might be helpful to someone! The more you adjust to the plan, you won't have to count the calories as much ... you will just know.

And disclaimer ... I am not a health professional, nutritionist, etc ... this is just what is working for me. And when I reach my goal, I'll be able to add more calories to my diet to maintain my weight ... yahoo!

And if you think I'm bizarre, well, you might be correct! But I'm 9 pounds lighter from just one month ago! My favorite blue jean shorts fit me loosely again! Yea!

Love, Shelli

ps. And if the next time you see me I'm heavier, you'll know I stopped counting calories! So, your prayers won't be wasted on me!

(and obviously, if you are a man reading this, you need more calories!)

Update: At the start of week 7, I am down 12 pounds! (4/30/2012)

Update 5/25/12: I have not lost anymore. I think I have hit bottom unless I start working out more. I'm okay with this weight and hope I can maintain it.

And one more thing ... I have found a website, Loseit.com ... it really helps you keep track of your calorie intake and is very encouraging to me.

Missionary Snapshot Articles

Hey! Just wanted those of you who love to read on missionaries to know that I have a few new articles out.

Up on the Roof in South Asia - http://wmu.com/index.php?q=blog/adults/feature/roof-south-asia

The Deliverer and Texas Port Ministry - http://wmu.com/index.php?q=blog/adults/feature/deliverer-and-texas-port-ministry

Reaching Middle Easterners in the Heart of Dallas - http://wmu.com/index.php?q=blog/adults/feature/reaching-middle-easterners-heart-dallas

Be ever so blessed by these precious missionaries here in the U.S. (NAMB) and abroad (IMB).
Love,
Shelli

Happy Valentine's Day ... Contentment and Chocolate

Y'all, I wrote this poem on "contentment" several years back. I thought it might bring you a good chuckle on this Valentine's Day. We all face hardships of all kinds ... some easy/ some so hard we aren't sure we can press on. In the midst, we often find it hard to be content, and we grumble and complain. Who doesn't want life on easy-street?! But when we seek God with all our heart, through the hardship, we discover that the hardship brings us closer to Him and allows us to know Him in a way we would have never known Him on easy-street.

Being silly, as usual, I broke the word “con-tent-ment” down to define what “discontent” means:
Con - feeling like a prisoner

Tent - stuck in a tent (prison)

Ment (mint) - wishing one was in a hotel room with a pillow and a mint!

God, I don’t like this tent I’m in

Cause it’s cold outside and I’m shiverin’.

You know I don’t want to be known as a complainer.

But I’d rather be in a hotel room for the remainder.

Cause there’s so much left of the night to go.

I’m freezin’, Lord, cause it’s eight below!

The dust on this old air mattress is making me cough

And I roll on the floor when my husband gets off!

My toes are cold, and my poor ol’ back aches

And I think my husband forgot the tent stakes.

The tent has even fallen down a time or two.

Now, honey, I’m not pointin’ the finger at you.

And I know I look silly in hair rollers of blue.

The curl probably won’t stay anyway cause of the dew.

And I’m afraid of having to go to the potty at night

Cause there are too many critters in Texas that bite!

And the fire has died down …

Oh … what was that sound?!

I feel stuck like a prisoner cause the lightnin’ has changed its direction.

And every time I try to use the cell phone, I lose my connection.

I just don’t know that tent camping is for me.

I’d even be happy with a slightly used RV.

Oh Lord, I’m trying so hard to be content.

But, I’d rather be in a warm hotel room with a pillow and a mint!

Okay, how silly can this poem get?! (pronounced "git" ... Texas slang)

- By Shelli Littleton (copyright)

Y'all, when we begin to see God work through our hardships, being in the tent (our hardship) suddenly won’t be so bad; we’ll trade the hotel room and the chocolate mint because we won’t want to miss out on what God has in store for us.

Psalm 61:14 says, “I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” Then we will be satisfied and content. Psalm 145:16 says about the LORD: “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”

Dwell with God in your tent … His tent … and He will provide a shelter for you that cannot be shaken, and you will be content. In fact, your idea of what brings contentment may even change. Suddenly, we realize: God is all we need. That realization is sheer deliverance.

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”

Psalm 34:7

Celebrations

2001 Katelyn recovering from surgery

Y'all, we just returned home from Disney World with many things to celebrate - our 25th wedding anniversary, our youngest daughter being 10 years cancer-free, and our oldest daughter becoming a teenager (13).

We walked ourselves ragged through the Disney parks having the time of our lives. One day, after tormenting the girls at Hollywood Studio's Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster (my favorite!) rides, we sat down to drink a coke and when our youngest daughter plopped herself down, she said, "I want to sit on something that doesn't move!" Brian and I laughed ourselves silly over that!

The fireworks at Magic Kingdom from our balcony.

Katelyn (cancer-free), Minnie Mouse, Karalee (teenager!) and Shelli 2012

Brian & Shelli after 25 years. Wonder how long I'll be able to sit "criss-cross applesauce"?!

Our anniversary cupcake from Tigger, Eeyore, Pooh and Piglet!

We left Saturday returning home. We noticed huge smoke off to the distance. After arriving home, we discovered that there had been a horrible accident with 11 people killed on the very interstate we traveled the day prior. The smoke from brush fires had come over to the interstate, and in the wee morning hours, cars entered into that area and couldn't see anything. You probably heard about it on the news. Huge car pile-up. So tragic. I turned on my computer today to see where a young teenager was the sole survivor of her family of four because of that car pile-up.

Also on the way home, along I-10 in Louisiana, we heard gunfire. I immediately had the girls duck down. Brian said he saw the light from the gunfire in the car ahead and to the right of us. He said it appeared they were firing away from the interstate. Y'all? Why would anyone do something like that? Scared me to pieces. Never heard or saw anymore. I'm thinking that area should be called "The Big un-Easy!" Grin!

We all know it, but it just makes you realize all the more how fragile life is. We celebrated our 25th anniversary, but we know tomorrow is not guaranteed. I pray we are able to celebrate our 50th anniversary one day. But this is a reminder to handle this fragile life with care and to live each day with celebration in our hearts and gratitude to God.

Human Trafficking

I have a new article out on human trafficking - Human Trafficking: Are you Willing to Risk the "Dare"?

And if you get a chance, read this older article (Not for Sale: The Fabric of One Cambodian Woman's Life) that I wrote about how women are taking a stand and saying, "I'm not for sale and neither is my family."

Love, Shelli

Disaster Relief - In the Name of Love

My first "cover story" is here! How thrilling! Call 1-800-968-7301 (Woman's Missionary Union) if you'd like to order one or more copies of this February issue of Missions Mosaic! Y'all ... in case you ever doubted for a second ... God is so awesome! And again, thank you for your precious prayers while I worked on this. You will meet four amazing women ... one survived the Alabama tornado and three served the survivors.

Missions Mosaic (WMU) February 2012 Issue


There is also an amazing article on Dr. Martha Myers written by Ann Knowles called "Living the Dash." Martha Myers (1945 - 2002) ... she was slain because of her love for Jesus. You will be greatly blessed by this article.

Order Your Copy, "The Preacher's Wife" & Merry Christmas!

I feel incredibly blessed to be writing for Woman's Missionary Union. My favorite part is delving into missionaries' lives and sharing with our world what they are doing or experiencing - their courage, their unselfish love for others, their hardships, their triumphs. It usually goes like this: I receive a connection with a missionary ... I send them a questionnaire ... they return their answers ... tears well-up in my eyes as I pour over their precious answers ... I beg God to give me guidance on how to write about their amazing, sacrificial lives ... and God always delivers. He is our Deliverer, in every way.

I am now writing for WMU's magazine, Missions Mosaic. I have a cover story coming out February 2012, and because so many of you were praying for me as I endeavored to write this, I wanted to let you all know in case you would like to order a copy. Go here if you would like to order a subscription. I have never ordered a single copy before, but there is a phone number to call if you just wanted one issue instead of a year.

Our Christmas tree -
courtesy of Karalee and Katelyn

Without revealing too much, I will let you know that I was very blessed in this article to interview some very special women, including a very special lady, Lisa McKay. Some of you may better know her as "The Preacher's Wife." She is an author (You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes), a beautiful lady, and a survivor of the terrible storms and tornadoes that tore through Alabama April 27, 2011. I know you will be blessed by this article ... blessed by her story. And sweet Lisa, thank you for trusting me to share a fraction of your story through your storm.

I just received my Missions Mosaic January issue ... so the February issue will probably be out in only four weeks. So, act quickly. And remember when you support WMU, you support IMB and NAMB missionaries. A subscription also makes a very nice Christmas gift for a loved one or yourself; I just ordered this as a Christmas gift for my mother.

Christmas lights barely hanging on. Courtesy of Aslan.

I am showing you a picture of our Christmas tree that our girls assembled almost entirely by themselves. The bottom branches are extremely low, courtesy of our two cats (tree-climbers), Aslan and Lucy. And if you wonder why the tree isn't lying on the floor, that is courtesy of my husband who made a cement block years ago to maintain the tree (the tree pole is "stuck" in the middle of that cement block). The cement is sturdy and keeps the tree upright, regardless of the critter that ventures to climb it. The limbs may sag, but that tree is not going anywhere. We desperately need a new tree, as this one is fairly old, but we are sentimental souls. The girls have been leaving their marks with colors on the Christmas tree box since they were babies. By the way, do you see the kittie under the tree posing as a Christmas gift (in picture to the right)?

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

May you know Jesus today as your Counselor, your Fortress and Deliverer, your Father, your Knight in Shining Armor. And may the Lord be the one who maintains you this season, regardless of surrounding circumstances. And if I'm not back on here before Christmas, I wish you a very "Merry Christmas."

With all my love,
Shelli

Carrying On with Carrie McDonnall

Here is another older article that I meant to post on my blog.

Blazing gunfire and shrapnel landed Carrie McDonnall critically injured, widowed, and the sole survivor of a terrorist ambush while on an Iraqi relief mission on March 15, 2004.

I didn't realize till after I had written this, that Carrie had actually been in my Sunday school dept at my church before all this happened in her life (before we moved to Fort Worth). She was a blessing to interview and has an amazing story of courage and God's faithfulness.

I know you will be blessed by her story.

My Romeo!

I do love a good surprise!

Yesterday my husband spent the night with his aunt and uncle. After work, he drove straight to their house. The evening prior, knowing us girls would be all alone, he moved Karalee's twin mattress into our bedroom so we three girls could sleep in one room while he was gone. That meant him sleeping on Katelyn's bed the evening before he left ... and us girls had two nights in one bedroom together. The girls love that! Slumber party!

The evening before he left, he went to the store after we girls were already tucked safely in bed. Karalee happened to get up and noticed him gone. Nothing gets past Karalee! I told her to leave him a note saying, "Caught you!" She did. We fell fast asleep.

Next morning, that very same note had a reply from dear old dad saying, "Call me at 6pm for the clue!" Clue?! Aha! Let the games begin. It must have gotten the best of him because it didn't take long for him to call me that morning and give me a clue. He said, "Sit in my rocker/recliner, look at the TV, and think 'Mad Hatter.'"

We did exactly that. Both girls crawled up into my lap, and we followed his instructions. Nothing came to us. We thought, "It couldn't be watching Alice in Wonderland ... we've seen it a dozen times ... that would be nothing new and exciting." I thought, maybe he wants us to rent the movie Rango that has Johnny Depp in it. But when I asked him about that, he said "No." Plugged In with Focus on the Family gave Rango not-so-good reviews, so we have yet to see it. We were at a loss.

Finally, we get up and start snooping around the entertainment center ... looking for any clue. Nothing. I reached way up high and felt ... nothing. I walked into my room. In a minute, I hear, "Mom ... I found it" from one Karalee! I walked in to find her with a hat box open ... the movie Gnomeo and Juliet, popcorn and three boxes of candy (peanut butter M&M's, peanut M&M's and Junior Mints)! We love chocolate, so that by itself was a wonderful surprise!


I texted him and wrote, "You have two very smart little girls." He immediately called to see if we had found it. Then let us know we still had to wait till 6pm to see the movie! Ha!! (His way of providing us entertainment in his absence) At that time ... I still had no idea how the present had anything to do with "Mad Hatter." So I asked him. He said, "I put it in the hat box!" Silly me!! Okay, I get it now! I may be a bit slow ... but I'm not slow at realizing I have one sweet husband, and I cherish the silly rascal! He is my Romeo.

Wonka Golden Ticket Winner!

Well, almost! The other day, the girls and I were checking out at Target. You know how there are always coupons that print out, and the cashier hands you the coupons with your receipt? Well, I received a coupon for a FREE 3.5oz Wonka chocolate bar. This made my day! I stuffed the coupon into my purse and couldn't wait to go back to cash it in.

In the meantime, my sweet momma came for a visit. She stayed three glorious days, and we had so much fun relaxing and swimming, then relaxing and swimming. Spending time together. We girls decided to take her to the Target we always go to and get her a salted pretzel and cheese (our favorite!). I thought ... for dessert, I'll go cash in that coupon for the candy bar, and we'll savor the flavor after our pretzel! So, while the girls and their Gran-Gran were waiting for our pretzels, I ran to grab a candy bar and began the check-out process. I was in shock when another coupon for a FREE Wonka candy bar printed out again!

I went back to the snack bar and gave my report! I just got a free candy bar and a coupon for another one. Giggles and more giggles from two young girls. I was dying inside to find out if I went and checked out another candy bar with this "Free" coupon, would another "Free" candy bar coupon print out? The girls begged me to go find out. So, sheepishly, I did. I went to another cashier because I was so embarrassed! Lo and behold, another "FREE" candy bar coupon printed out. Guys, these candy bars are almost $2 each. So, I have two free candy bars (3.5oz, mind you) and another "FREE" coupon in my hand! I can't wait to go back to find out what happens next.

Either I have totally won the Wonka Golden Ticket ... or I am being secretly experimented on! Let's see how many times a woman will go back to Target to get free candy bars?! My mom said, "This is their way of getting you hooked on their product so you'll start buying them!" I totally agree. It's really good!!


But, here's my philosophy on it ... I think it's a sweet blessing from the Lord. Why? Because He can! Because He loves me and because I love Him ... I totally won (inherited) the Golden Ticket!

Come and See: Pondering Nathanael, John 1:46

I had the sweetest quiet time this morning with the Lord. Katelyn ended up joining me. We looked at the wildflowers (my husband would call them weeds!) together and thanked the Lord for making them ... for making the birds sing.

I was reading John chapter one. After Philip was called by Jesus, he ran to tell his friend Nathanael about Jesus. Nathanael joked that nothing good could come from Nazareth! He wasn't quite convinced. I love when Philip says to Nathanael, "Come and see."

And Nathanael had a sweet encounter with Jesus. He came and saw. Jesus told him that he'd seen him while he was under the fig tree ... before Philip had even come to him to tell him about Jesus. My NIV commentary says, "The omni-present Lord was with him under the fig tree." I love that! Nathanael then declares that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus told him, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that."

I saw that Philip became a disciple of Jesus ... but what about Nathanael? He wasn't mentioned in the Matthew 10 list of disciples. My mind: how could he have such a sweet encounter and not follow Jesus like his friend Philip. I looked up "Nathanael" in the back of my Bible (Ryrie NIV) and beside his name it says, "Probably 'Bartholomew'" ... and then I was led to John 21:2 where Nathanael is actually listed among the other disciples.

I am no theologian ... but it looks pretty promising to me that Nathanael may very well be Bartholomew, and that he did follow Jesus. I'm counting on my theologian friends to tell me what they know!! I asked my mom if she had heard that ... she's been in church all her life, and she doesn't recall ever hearing anything about him. I love the things that the Lord teaches us, or at least has us ponder, as we spend time with Him ... the one true God. He is with us. All we have to do is, as Philip so sweetly said, "Come and see."

"... For you yourself have taught me." Psalm 119:102

**And just for further studying ... In John 21:2 where Nathanael is listed among 7 disciples ... he was among the 7 out fishing and catching nothing, when Jesus called to them from the shore and told them to throw their net on the right side of the boat and they would find fish (after Jesus had been resurrected). I love when they finally reach the shore ... reach Jesus ... and Jesus says, "Come and have breakfast." "None of the disciples dared ask him, 'Who are you?' They knew it was the Lord." Jesus beckoned them to "come to him" once again ... and Nathanael was a part of that! By the looks of it, Nathanael did see "greater things." He knew the Lord, and the Lord knew him.

Sunscreen - A Mild Form of Punishment!

School's out. I've been taking the girls to the pool all week. Other kids must still be in school because we've had the pool all to ourselves. It's been nice.

Yesterday I realized our sunscreen was getting a bit low, so last night I ran into Albertson's for a few other items and decided I would check the price on their sunscreen. I've been enjoying the spray-on type. The bottle doesn't last as long, but it is so quick to use compared to the lotion type - girls are sprayed with sunscreen, in the pool, over and out.  I saw a brand I had not heard of, but it was $7.99 and buy one get one free. I thought that was a fair price for the sunscreen and would last me quite a while.

Arriving at the pool today, someone would have gotten a good chuckle watching me try to figure out how to get the sunscreen to come out of the container! It's normally a no-brainer ... mash the top and the sunscreen sprays out. I tried everything. Handing it off to my 13 year old, I knew she would eventually figure it out ... accidentally squirting some in her hair, she figures it out the hard way. She said, "Mom, you just have to mash 'really' hard." It was so hard to get out of the bottle. I almost had to use two hands to mash the cap in order for the sunscreen to come out. I know there is a thing called "freedom of speech," but I'm afraid to mention which brand it was. I do not recommend it ... I will say this: stick to what you know is good ... Banana Boat, Coppertone! It's worth every dime.

Moving on ... I manage to get the sunscreen to come out, and I'm trying to get the girls covered. When I get to their little backs ... their shoulder blades squeeze together like the sunscreen is so cold and they can just barely take it. I say, "Don't do that ... keep your back flat so we don't waste it." I have always said that to them!

So before the girls get into the pool, I asked them if they would "try" to spray my back. I had used Hawaiian Tropic tanning lotion yesterday, and I managed to get a little sunburned. So I figured I'd better go with the sunscreen today. The girls were giggling their heads off trying to spray the container ... really working as a team to get it on me. The first squirt came out ... it was so cold I couldn't help but wince a little. The next spray ... I'm almost in tears. I am exaggerating a tiny bit ... but I was jokingly crying out loud and that just made the girls laugh even harder. I  couldn't help but say, "This feels like a mild form of punishment!"

I've never understood why the girls acted so silly when I sprayed their backs with sunscreen ... now, I know! And I say all this as a reminder that ... it's so easy to judge others ... we do not always understand what someone else is going through until we get the chance to swim a mile in their goggles! The sunscreen was a definite reminder for me.

Andrew Arthur is Planting a Church in Urban Seattle

I have another article out on a precious couple, Andrew and Kim Arthur. They are from David Platt's church in Alabama ... the author of Radical. David's heart is spreading the gospel to our world, and Andrew and Kim are following in those steps. God has moved in their hearts to share Jesus, and they are planting a church in urban Seattle, where, according to Andrew, only 10% of the population is actively engaged in an evangelical church. I am amazed at what God has already done through them, and I am so excited to see what God will do through them in Seattle. I know you will be blessed by their story. And please keep them in your prayers.

A Cupcake Disaster!

Just prior to Easter, the Lord spoke so sweetly to my heart over Psalm 23:1. My mom gave me an oil painting that quoted the scripture, "The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want." Those four last words stuck out at me: I.Shall.Not.Want. But in order to "not want" the LORD has to be our Shepherd. Those four little words kept ringing in my ears.

Easter morning started out so sweet. The girls looked so pretty in their new dresses. We drove to our favorite donut shop to discover they were closed that morning. I'm glad they were closed ... they were celebrating Easter. But we all missed their donuts! So we detoured to Whataburger for a quick bite.

We arrived at church early. I toted in my 30 cupcakes for my Sunday school class. Our first 5th grade girl came up to me and said that she wouldn't be able to stay for class. I asked her if she'd like to take a cupcake with her. Of course, she did. As soon as she started walking away, the cupcake slipped out of her hand and landed on the floor. But the icing was still firm enough that it remained in tact; she picked it up and walked out happily. Five second rule applied.

An hour later, Sunday school is over, and my co-teacher reminds me that our time is short to eat the cupcakes. I get up and quickly walk over to the cupcakes. I picked up the platter off the floor, intending to walk them around the class to let the girls pick one, and half of the cupcakes slid off the tray and fell onto the floor. By this time, the icing was not firm ... it had softened ... and icing smudged all over the floor (carpet). I had a total disaster on my hands (I wish I had a picture for show-and-tell). I still had half the cupcakes, but I was three short for the girls to have one each. And I have this disaster before me. I stood up and just laughed ... saying, "What do you do?!"

I.Shall.Not.Want. ringing loudly. I tell you, I felt pretty needy at the moment. Immediately several girls said, "It's okay; I don't want one." Their hearts are bigger than you could imagine; I love this group of girls. This is my second year of working with them; but they had my heart on Day 1. One girl (little angel) helped me pick them all up; another little angel said, "It's okay Ms. Shelli; we all make mistakes." And my co-teacher handed out the remaining cupcakes to the girls who did want one. Then the teacher from next door walked in with her group of girls to deliver Easter packages full of candy to our girls. I was not feeling needy any more, a little embarrassed, but not needy. I was not in want. The Lord had surely covered me. Thankfully, I wasn't covered by icing!

Because of Him, "I shall not want." And I plan to take a package of icing-free cookies to Sunday school this coming weekend so those girls shall not want! I certainly owe them.

Following Jesus ... doesn't mean that hardships won't come. Oh, they will. We all need teachable moments. And we can't stay the way we are or we'd never achieve the goal of becoming more like Jesus. We have to go through change, and usually hardships/trials are the way change is accomplished in our lives. My husband always teasingly says that I like things "sugar-coated." It's true ... guilty as charged! But with God, even our hardships/ our disasters can be good/ used for good when we are following after Him ... He "is" the sugar-coating to all our problems.