I've decided to move my blog to another hosting site. It has some cool utilities that I'd been wanting to utilize. Over the next week or so, I'll work on migrating all my journal entries over to the new blog site.
Until then, here's the new blog site if you'd like to update your bookmark:
http://solideogloria.typepad.com/all-my-life-in-all-i-do/#tp
November 9, 2010
September 30, 2009
Radio Silence
I love y'all for emailing to make sure all is well.
As you know the wonderful people of Akron, Ohio sent me home Sunday morning with a horrid cold that turned out to be a sinus infection. Well three days, a doctor's visit, some drugs and a few good night's sleep later, I'm feeling much better. I even tied on the running shoes and hit the road for a slow and steady run today.
All that to say, now that I'm not a comatose zombie who's dead to the world, I'll return back to my daily discipline of keeping you updated on what God's doing in my life and the wonderful messages the Holy Spirit is speaking into my world.
Thanks for the emails and your concern and prayers. See you back here tomorrow.
-N
As you know the wonderful people of Akron, Ohio sent me home Sunday morning with a horrid cold that turned out to be a sinus infection. Well three days, a doctor's visit, some drugs and a few good night's sleep later, I'm feeling much better. I even tied on the running shoes and hit the road for a slow and steady run today.
All that to say, now that I'm not a comatose zombie who's dead to the world, I'll return back to my daily discipline of keeping you updated on what God's doing in my life and the wonderful messages the Holy Spirit is speaking into my world.
Thanks for the emails and your concern and prayers. See you back here tomorrow.
-N
September 27, 2009
Akron Recap
After an exhausting weekend, I am finally home!I spent most of the day today sleeping trying to shake a cold that was a gift to me from the lovely people of Akron, Ohio. Seems damp weather and high 50's/low 60's kinda weather doesn't sit well with this Texan.
Thank you all for your prayers!
I relayed the marathon (26.2 miles) with four other wonderful runners. My leg of the relay was the second leg and it was 5.7 miles. I came out of the hand-off much faster than I'd planned and had to pull way back to get myself back on the pace I was shooting for.
I met some wonderful kickrunners from all over the U.S. and Canada. And I learned some good stuff about my run pacing that will help my coach adjust my training plan as she works to prepare me for my next major race, the Rock 'n Roll 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles) in November.
It's good to be back home, and I so look forward to the next kickrunners gathering! What awesomely wonderful, crazy, insane, loving, kind, compassionate, neurotic, encouraging, funny, long-suffering, demented, giving folks runners are!
September 22, 2009
A lil' help from a friend
As pathetic as this may sound, when it comes to coordinating clothes, I am a functional illiterate. It is for this reason that I stick to what I know (since Garanimals does not have an ‘adult’ line), I wear all solids. And of those solids, I prefer the colors, red, orange, yellow, brown and white. To give you a better understanding of the depths of my patheticness, I stepped inside my closet and took a pic for a visual illustration.
I’m afraid to buy patterns for fear that I’ll pick something that looks hideous on me and I’m petrified that one of my well meaning friends will submit my name to the television show, “What Not to Wear.” So I stick with what’s safe. Red, Orange, Yellow, brown and white.
A couple months ago, I joined a new home team where I slowly began to meet and make new friends. Although it’s a bit hard to believe, I was petrified to go by myself to someone’s house and sit with a bunch of people I’d never met. That’s just not my style. I avoid those situations like I avoid my bathroom scale on “I feel fat” days. But I continued to attend every meeting faithfully.
I’m afraid to buy patterns for fear that I’ll pick something that looks hideous on me and I’m petrified that one of my well meaning friends will submit my name to the television show, “What Not to Wear.” So I stick with what’s safe. Red, Orange, Yellow, brown and white.I happened to share my shortcomings with a close long-suffering friend of mine who promptly took me under her wing as her own personal ‘project,’ plying me with fashion magazines and suggestions on what to wear. She also reached into her own closet to supplement my monochromatic wardrobe, pulling out pieces that if I were to see them on the rack, I’d never give them a second glance.
One of my prayers when I relocated to North Dallas earlier this year was that I would form deep and meaningful relationships with a handful of women, and that these women would be women I could trust, that would hold me accountable, and that they would be women who followed as hard after God (and even harder) as I did. I had one close female friend, but wanted to relieve her of the daily “Novia” burden and find a few more. A couple of weeks ago that prayer was answered through my home team, a place I’d faithfully (and uncomfortably attended) over the past couple of months.
In that small group I met three amazing women. God placed in my path, a recent college graduate who although she is incredibly beautiful and presents herself as a confident woman, struggles daily with some pretty wicked issues. He added to the college graduate a school teacher who graduated from a state college that I’d rather not mention on my blog for fear that uttering the name would sully the upstanding reputation this blog carries. When I first met her, her gentle and quiet demeanor made me immediately mark her off my list as a potential ‘running mate,’ because I knew I’d never be able to relate to her on any level. And then to show he really has a great sense of humor, he adds to my rag tag group of confidants, a Cajun who when I heard her testimony of what God has done in her life just in the last year, I shake my head in amazement that she’s still standing upright and breathing.
Each one of these women, I’d never have thought I’d be close friends with, but only God could orchestrate such a coming together of four people with such different backgrounds, yet such similar stories. Had I had my druthers, I probably wouldn’t have shared my story with any of them, but it just so happened that one asked another and that other asked another, and we all ended up together around a table one evening. Four misfits that the more we got to know each other, we found out fit perfectly together when joined by God.
Today, I wore a PURPLE PATTERNED top that one of my precious confidants farmed from her own closet and surprisingly enough, it looked GREAT on me! I guess when it comes to clothes, I’ll have to rely on my friends. And when it comes to divine guidance in all things, I’ll continue to rely on God.
September 13, 2009
That's When God Showed Up!
A friend of mine who’s a high school football coach has had a rough couple of weeks. His first game, his team lost 64-0. His second game, his team lost 49-0. Suffice it to say, he wasn’t looking forward to the third game. He’s never started a season 0-2, let alone 0-2 and not having scored any points.
Yesterday morning while catching up with him on what’s going on in his world, I asked him how he was doing and told him that I’d read on Dallasmorningnews.com that his team was down 27-0 at the half on Friday night. His response, “oh girl, I’m fine, ‘cuz at the half, that's when God showed up.” I paused for a moment and then began to laugh as he explained to me that the storms that had cancelled/postponed many of the games in North Texas on Friday night, finally reached their field during half-time, causing the refs to call the game.
I laughed because so many times in my life, that’s exactly what happens! It may have taken 2½ games for God to ‘show up’ with thunder and lightening to have mercy on a group of high-school football players that have yet to score this season, but hey, what counts is that He showed up!
I smile now as I think about the countless times I’ve begged God for mercy, beat my head against numerous walls, thought He’d forgotten me, but then when I least expected it, my 11:59:59 PM God shows up in high fashion with thunder and lightening and I (like those football players) with much relief, hustle off the field to refresh and regroup.
On my iPhone, my signature line includes the scripture Isaiah 49:15-16 as a personal reminder that God has not and will not forget me, that he will ALWAYS show up. Something I need to hear sometimes at least three times a day.
I encourage you, if you’re struggling, and the ‘other team’ seems to be using you as their proverbial mop, stay on the field, don’t give up, you may lose a few, but know that you know that you know, that God WILL show up!
Heavens, raise the roof! Earth, wake the dead! Mountains, send up cheers! God has comforted his people. He has tenderly nursed his beaten-up, beaten-down people. But Zion said, "I don't get it. God has left me. My Master has forgotten I even exist."
"Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I'd never forget you—never. Look, I've written your names on the palms of my hands."
Isaiah 49:13-16 (MSG)
Yesterday morning while catching up with him on what’s going on in his world, I asked him how he was doing and told him that I’d read on Dallasmorningnews.com that his team was down 27-0 at the half on Friday night. His response, “oh girl, I’m fine, ‘cuz at the half, that's when God showed up.” I paused for a moment and then began to laugh as he explained to me that the storms that had cancelled/postponed many of the games in North Texas on Friday night, finally reached their field during half-time, causing the refs to call the game.
I laughed because so many times in my life, that’s exactly what happens! It may have taken 2½ games for God to ‘show up’ with thunder and lightening to have mercy on a group of high-school football players that have yet to score this season, but hey, what counts is that He showed up!
I smile now as I think about the countless times I’ve begged God for mercy, beat my head against numerous walls, thought He’d forgotten me, but then when I least expected it, my 11:59:59 PM God shows up in high fashion with thunder and lightening and I (like those football players) with much relief, hustle off the field to refresh and regroup.
On my iPhone, my signature line includes the scripture Isaiah 49:15-16 as a personal reminder that God has not and will not forget me, that he will ALWAYS show up. Something I need to hear sometimes at least three times a day.
I encourage you, if you’re struggling, and the ‘other team’ seems to be using you as their proverbial mop, stay on the field, don’t give up, you may lose a few, but know that you know that you know, that God WILL show up!
Heavens, raise the roof! Earth, wake the dead! Mountains, send up cheers! God has comforted his people. He has tenderly nursed his beaten-up, beaten-down people. But Zion said, "I don't get it. God has left me. My Master has forgotten I even exist."
"Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I'd never forget you—never. Look, I've written your names on the palms of my hands."
Isaiah 49:13-16 (MSG)
September 10, 2009
Ugly Praise
As you know, I’m not one to post other folks’ words in my blog too often, but when I do, it’d be best if you sat up and took notice.
The following is an excerpt from Jentezen Franklin's sermon "Ugly Praise" a deep soul-wrenching teaching on Rachel and Leah and the line of the Lion of Judah.
I listened to this on the way home from work a couple of days ago, and almost had to pull my car over to raise some Judah of my own!
Click Here to Hear the whole message, or enjoy an excerpt of the message below.
Now I will praise him. You cannot produce enough works or self-righteousness to get God to join you. When you can’t see God, when you can’t hear God, when you can’t feel God there’s one thing you’re supposed to do, you’re supposed to give birth to Judah which means praise.
When you make up your mind now, not when things get better, or when it looks like you’ve got the majority on your side. No, Now, you make up your mind that you’re going to give birth to praise, then suddenly God hears you, he sees you. As long as you tell God about all that you’ve been doing right, he’s going to say “it’s not by works.”
But when you shift and say “I’m going to give birth to Judah,” when you say “I’m gonna praise the Lord,” God the husband will then see you, hear you, join himself to you.
He is your source your healer, your deliver your God. Notice the pretty sister didn’t give birth to Judah. It was the ugly situation that brought out Judah.
When life is pretty and pleasant, you can praise God then and that’s a good thing to do. But when everything is ugly and you’ve been rejected and put down, but right in the middle of it you say, “NOW I will praise the Lord, I’m not going to be depressed, or go around talking about how miserable I am, or how bad things are. But I’m going to go around talking about the fact that you’re my God and you died for me and you’re coming back for me and you are all I need.”
You can praise him when life is pretty, but it took the ugly to give birth to Judah. After she gave birth to Judah, Judah had a son named Jesse and Jesse had a son named David and David had a son named Nathan and Nathan had a daughter named Mary and Mary had a baby named Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Inside your praise is your deliverance, your victory, your needs met and the worst thing you can do when you have a need is to sit around waiting to see something, or waiting to hear something before you praise, or waiting for everything you need to hook up. Now if you wanna give birth to a miracle. If you want our heavenly Father
to join himself to you, then you have to in ugly situations in life be like Job, the Lord gives, children dead, family dead, finances messed up. The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, now I will praise the Lord, blessed be the name of the Lord.
The following is an excerpt from Jentezen Franklin's sermon "Ugly Praise" a deep soul-wrenching teaching on Rachel and Leah and the line of the Lion of Judah.
I listened to this on the way home from work a couple of days ago, and almost had to pull my car over to raise some Judah of my own!
Click Here to Hear the whole message, or enjoy an excerpt of the message below.
Now I will praise him. You cannot produce enough works or self-righteousness to get God to join you. When you can’t see God, when you can’t hear God, when you can’t feel God there’s one thing you’re supposed to do, you’re supposed to give birth to Judah which means praise.
When you make up your mind now, not when things get better, or when it looks like you’ve got the majority on your side. No, Now, you make up your mind that you’re going to give birth to praise, then suddenly God hears you, he sees you. As long as you tell God about all that you’ve been doing right, he’s going to say “it’s not by works.”
But when you shift and say “I’m going to give birth to Judah,” when you say “I’m gonna praise the Lord,” God the husband will then see you, hear you, join himself to you.
He is your source your healer, your deliver your God. Notice the pretty sister didn’t give birth to Judah. It was the ugly situation that brought out Judah.
When life is pretty and pleasant, you can praise God then and that’s a good thing to do. But when everything is ugly and you’ve been rejected and put down, but right in the middle of it you say, “NOW I will praise the Lord, I’m not going to be depressed, or go around talking about how miserable I am, or how bad things are. But I’m going to go around talking about the fact that you’re my God and you died for me and you’re coming back for me and you are all I need.”
You can praise him when life is pretty, but it took the ugly to give birth to Judah. After she gave birth to Judah, Judah had a son named Jesse and Jesse had a son named David and David had a son named Nathan and Nathan had a daughter named Mary and Mary had a baby named Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Inside your praise is your deliverance, your victory, your needs met and the worst thing you can do when you have a need is to sit around waiting to see something, or waiting to hear something before you praise, or waiting for everything you need to hook up. Now if you wanna give birth to a miracle. If you want our heavenly Father
to join himself to you, then you have to in ugly situations in life be like Job, the Lord gives, children dead, family dead, finances messed up. The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, now I will praise the Lord, blessed be the name of the Lord.September 8, 2009
Something Good
When I was 2 months old, my mother packed my sister (18-months older than me) and myself into her VW Bug and fled from her abusive husband (my sperm-donor).
Through the help of family, friends, and an underground network of battered women's shelters and private homes, my mother divorced her husband, left Illinois and relocated to Missouri where she finished her Masters Degree at the University of Missouri.
When I was three, she met my dad, Al Plummer.
When I was five, she married my dad, Al Plummer.
When I was nine, my dad, Al Plummer, legally adopted my sister and I.
This fall my passport comes up for renewal. Because I'm going from a Diplomatic Passport to a regular civilian passport, I have to provide all kinds of documentation that I am who I say I am. One of which is a birth certificate. And because I also need to provide information for an I-9 form at work, that same birth certificate will come in handy.
I've never seen my birth certificate.
Last week I wrote the Madison County Clerk in Edwardsville, Illinois and requested a copy of my birth certificate.
Tonight it came.
Listed on my birth certificate, my mother, Sheila Y Plummer age 22 and my father, Alvin A Plummer age 25.
Seeing that, finally after 30 some odd years of him being the only father I've ever known made it real.
I've put him thru a lot from stealing the family car and wrecking it, to running away, to getting arrested and being put on probation and having to live in a halfway house, to lieing and cheating, to working for the enemy (George Bush)...but every step of the way he's unconditionally loved me as his own.
He's never turned his back on me, or reffered to me as 'her child', nope, he's taken many major lickings from me and for some odd reason he's still ticking.
As I stare at this paper that states "This is to certify that this is a true and correct abstract from the official record filed with the Illinois Department of Public Healthm," I realize that this paper in his mind is thicker than any blood could ever be!
Thank you and love you Daddy!
Through the help of family, friends, and an underground network of battered women's shelters and private homes, my mother divorced her husband, left Illinois and relocated to Missouri where she finished her Masters Degree at the University of Missouri.
When I was three, she met my dad, Al Plummer.
When I was five, she married my dad, Al Plummer.
When I was nine, my dad, Al Plummer, legally adopted my sister and I.
This fall my passport comes up for renewal. Because I'm going from a Diplomatic Passport to a regular civilian passport, I have to provide all kinds of documentation that I am who I say I am. One of which is a birth certificate. And because I also need to provide information for an I-9 form at work, that same birth certificate will come in handy.
I've never seen my birth certificate.
Last week I wrote the Madison County Clerk in Edwardsville, Illinois and requested a copy of my birth certificate.
Tonight it came.
Listed on my birth certificate, my mother, Sheila Y Plummer age 22 and my father, Alvin A Plummer age 25.
Seeing that, finally after 30 some odd years of him being the only father I've ever known made it real.
I've put him thru a lot from stealing the family car and wrecking it, to running away, to getting arrested and being put on probation and having to live in a halfway house, to lieing and cheating, to working for the enemy (George Bush)...but every step of the way he's unconditionally loved me as his own.
He's never turned his back on me, or reffered to me as 'her child', nope, he's taken many major lickings from me and for some odd reason he's still ticking.
As I stare at this paper that states "This is to certify that this is a true and correct abstract from the official record filed with the Illinois Department of Public Healthm," I realize that this paper in his mind is thicker than any blood could ever be!
Thank you and love you Daddy!
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