"DELIVERANCE"

That's us!!!!! The "new" Deliverance!!! God is sooooooo good!!!! Up until Thursday, I didn't have much of a voice from all this allergic reaction stuff that's gone on with me, but God in all His goodness, allowed me to have enough voice to do the concert on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon!!!!! I'm so grateful!!! I'm even more excited about June 6th. We went to the Christian bookstore last week and had a shopping extravaganza!!! We bought new music for the concert in June!! We had such a great time picking out the music. As a matter of fact, me and Sami were having such a good time dancing and singing in the middle of the store, we didn't realize that we had an audience!!!! Two of our friends walked in while we were in the middle of our "performance!!!!" Then we proceeded to "hog" the stereo's!!!! We tried to share.......really we did!!!!!

Our concert on Saturday night at Kolas' was great!!!! I think they said they sat up chairs for 70 and they ended up having to put more chairs out!!! We were so excited!!! I'm sure there were some poor unsuspecting souls that came not knowing what they were in store for, but they got it anyways!!! We had a great time in the Lord and you could just feel the Spirit!!!

Sunday was great too at Grace Baptist in Portage. I just love those people!!! They are so great!!!!! There were lots of people there too. We had such a fun time and was blessed so much!!! I look so forward to the times we get together at those singings. It's one of the highlights of my life!!!! Of course, then again, as one of my friends tell me.........life is a song to me!!!!! Everything is a song!!!!! I live to sing. I'm just praying that I find out what's causing all these allergic reactions and I can get them under control. Not having health insurance makes that kind of hard though. I'm just trusting God to take care of it........just like He did this time!!! I guess as long as I have a voice to sing when I need to, I'll be ok!!! My family loves it when it happens, but not me!!!!!!!!! It's encouraging to me though to know that I will indeed be able to be in Heaven for that 30 minute silence!!!!!!!!! :-) When my hubby was explaining about my voice loss yesterday there were some "hearty" Amen's that I heard!!!!! I know exactly where they came from too!!! :-) I took names!!!!

Dentists......*UGH*

Four hours in a Dentists chair is enough to unnerve anyone. It's not a pleasant experience for me to begin with and it takes 2 Valiums to get me to sit still in the chair without causing bodily harm to the Dentist or his Assistant!!!! And tonight was especially bad when I smelled "BLEACH!!!!!" As if I haven't had enough "allergic" reactions lately, while the Dentist was working on my mouth all of a sudden I smelled bleach very strongly. I couldn't talk so I motioned for a pen so I could write but I managed to get the word bleach out of my mouth and the dentist replied "yes!!!" My heart nearly beat out of my chest. Sheer panic and fear fell over me!!! He rinsed out my mouth and immediately I said: "I'M ALLERGIC TO BLEACH!!!!!!!" That was my first experience with my throat closing....using bleach one day to clean the tub with!!!! He began to tell me it was a very watered down version and that he had "always" used it when he worked on my mouth. I NEVER recall smelling it before and just the thought of knowing when I had inhaled it caused my throat to close, I couldn't imagine what using it in my mouth would do!!! Surely I would die in the Dentist chair!!! He sent the assistant to get the Benadryl and asked me if I was itching and I said: "No it doesn't make me itch, it makes my throat close!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" At that point I could see the despair on his face and in the sound of his voice as he told me not to worry they had every thing they needed including the adrenaline!!!!!! Yeah......remember me mentioning that in a previous blog!!!? As if I wanted that, right!!!??? He quickly told her to pull my entire chart and I'm sure at that point he was probably contemplating calling the Paramedics!!!! I know it was rushing through my mind!!!! Needless to say, he quit for a few minutes and the assistant kept a close eye on me as all the while I was praying for peace and calm.............I just kept thinking of the verse Shelley had shared with me all day long: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (II Timothy 1:7.) That helped tremendously!!!! Peace fell over me like a blanket. It was great!!! And every time I got scared again, I would quote that verse in my head and ask for that peace again. And, every time it was granted!!!! God is so good. Needless to say, I made it through the appointment and now am the proud owner of a new set of "temporary" crowns!!! The real ones will be in by the 16th of April. Yeah!!!! In time for June 6th!!!! New pretty teeth like I used to have!!!!! Well, the Dentist didn't use that solution on me anymore and he notated my chart not to use it again!!! Thank goodness!!! More so I'm grateful to God that he grants peace and comfort right when I need it the most and NEVER fails!!! Although unworthy.....He still hears and answers me!!! What a great God we serve!!!!


So since I did survive my dental ordeal I'm trying to s-l-o-w-l-y eat some baked chicked and cheese potatoes I made for dinner...........while I'm still numb...........and slobbering!!! :-) YUM!!!!!

Allergic!!!!!

I am so tired of being sick this year and losing my voice!!!! I'm not sure what's going on with my body these days (the first one who says the "age" word is gonna get it!!!!) , but I sure am tired of it!!!! This is like the 3rd or 4th time I have lost my voice this year and it's only March!!! I know......I know......some of you would say God is trying to tell you something!!!! Yeah, I kinda got that!!!! Anyways, I just can't figure out why all of a sudden I am allergic to everything!!! This time it was because I bought a new lipstick made by the same maker of all the other make-up I use!!! I never imagined in my wildest dreams it would be something as simple as that. Normally it has been "smells" that get me and cause my throat to get tight and lose my voice, but lipstick!!!!! And NO, I'm not about to quit using make -up so don't anyone say it!!!!!!! The saying is: "every old barn needs a coat of paint now and again!!!!!" Well, this ol' barn needs a couple of coats every day!!!!!!!!!!! I heard that "AMEN!!!!" I am proudly tagged as "Tammy Faye" by some of my dearest friends.........and foes!!!!! :-) I just wish I knew what was causing all this!!!! The first time I realized I was allergic to something it was bleach when I was cleaning the tub with it one day. I ended up in the ER with my throat literally closing up!!! What a scary experience that was!!! They gave me a "cocktail" to drink.....trying to make sure it wasn't anything to do with my heart and that was awful because I already felt like I couldn't swallow the way it was and that thing numbed my throat making it all the more worse!!! I really felt like I couldn't swallow or breath then!!!! BUT, the second trip to the ER was even worse.......they gave me a shot of adrenaline. One minute I thought my heart was gonna beat out of my chest and the next minute I thought it was gonna stop!!! I hope I never have to have that again!!!!! And then I realized I was allergic to candles, with the exception of "Party Lite" candles!!! Thank goodness I know two distributors!!!!! And then not to long ago, it was those "plug-in" things that smell good!!! At least God is giving me the good sense to realize early on what's happening and has given me a wonderful ENT who will just call me in a script for what I call my "FAT" medicine!!!! That Medrol-dose pak. You know, the one you start out taking 6 in one day and work your way down to one on the last day. Literally, I gain 15 to 20 pounds in one week!!!!!!!!!!! And people wonder why I have so many clothes!!! I have to keep a wide variety of sizes on hand!! :-) Yeah, cuz that's the reason!!!!!!!!! Thankfully within about a week or week and a half it all goes away!! Unfortunately, we have two concerts coming up in the next few days and I will have to wear one of my "fat" outfits. So much for the 15 real pounds I have lost lately!!! :-) I'll be happy to wear the fat clothes as long as I get my voice back to sing!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to all of you who have prayed for me.....just keep it up!!!!

"Wake-Up" Call!!!

I just read one of my girlfriends blogs. It showed a picture of our current President at some type of sporting event with a glass of beer in his hand!!!!! Although that did not shock me in any way, it startles me that this picture would be available for "normal" people like us (well.....Wanda, you and I are far from normal, but anyways........) to get our hands on and be able to post. Of course, there's a lot out there that people can get ahold of these days, but really, to take a shot of the President of the United States.......the leader of our Country.....drinking a beer? Come on. I'm sure there are other more important things he can be doing. I'm just startled at the fact that we, as Christians, teach our children that alcohol and drugs are wrong and then have to have them exposed to pictures like this of one who is in a position of such high authority that encourages what we try to discourage. Then again, he does not claim to be a Christian either. But he is the leader and he should set a good example. I'm sure that picture would not not phase most people and probably not even many Christians, which is sad, but true. Somehow we've gotten away from our true roots and core values of what's right and wrong!!! However, we need to realize as Christians, there are going to be a lot of things this President does that we will not agree with.............hence, our tax dollars now paying for abortions!!! Abortion is murder no matter how you cut the cake. Some people argue that point..........there is NO argument about it!!!! The Bible says it is, therefore, it is!!!!! Well, that's an entire different subject to post for another time!!! As time goes on, Christians get your head out of the sand; realize what's going on!!! I did not vote for this man, but I sure lift him up before a Holy God who is in control of everything no matter what we do!!! And.........as I see things happening I am encouraged!!!!!! After all, the Bible says: "lift up your heads, redemption draweth nigh!!!!!!!" Signs of the time are everywhere!!! Jesus is coming soon!!!! Get ready!!!! That's my daily prayer!!!!!!!

“OBEDIENCE”

Usually from the moment a couple conceives a child they begin to speculate who the child will look like, the color of its hair or the eyes. Will it be a boy or a girl? Will the child be healthy? Most likely they decide they will have to move to find more suitable housing for a “family.” They talk about the location they might possibly move to, the foods they will feed the child, what activities they will involve the child in. They begin to talk about the process of raising that child. The rules they will have, etc. As I have gone through some terrible growing pains, (due to a Revival I attended, some devotions I have read of late and some sermons my husband has preached) in the last few weeks I began to think of how God had my life all planned out before I was even a thought in the mind of my parents. He had the course all set of where I would be, what I would do, where I would live and who I would be with. He had the rules in place. The Ten Commandments were already “set in stone” so to speak before I was brought into this world. We, as parents, have certain standards we set for our children and we put rules in place we expect for them to follow. In no uncertain terms we lay down the law and we expect them to obey! We explain to them if they follow the rules there will be privileges given and if they do not there will be consequences to pay. God has done the same for us. He gave us rules to live by and set a standard for us as His children and even gave us the Bible as the Plumb line for our lives. He gave example after example of how we are to live. He promised blessings if we obeyed and warned of consequences for disobedience. Sometimes in life when things do not go exactly as we expect we try to change the rules to fit our own needs and desires and if it’s not in line with God’s way, we sometimes find ourselves the victim of circumstance. Many times those circumstances come our way with no warning. They were not pre-planned; they just fall into place. However, the outcome, whether blessing or burden, all depends on how we deal with the situation. Sometimes we willingly turn a blind eye and do as we please. We make excuses and try to justify our actions to fit our own selfish desires. We put other things and people before God and His service, thus disobeying His commands. We stupidly think our way could somehow be better than His!!!! BUT, we can make wise choices in wrong circumstances and still come out on the winning side. We must remember that what satan means for bad God can completely turn inside out and make it good. What satan twists and binds God unwinds to make it perfect. When we fall into sin and temptation we have been given a way out of it, but when we willingly continue to stay in the way of it, we reap the consequences. We have to diligently seek God’s direction and ask for forgiveness of the wrongdoing on our part and then run the other way. We need to repent and begin to seek the right way. Sometimes obedience can be difficult especially when it doesn’t feel fair or right to us. We need to realize just because it feels good or right does not mean that it is, understanding satan is very cunning and clever to deceive us into thinking it is. If we do not obey God’s leading we become a slave to sin and once sin is conceived it gives way to death. (James 1:15) But if we begin to come under subjection to the Holy Spirit and seek His guidance and repent from our wrong doing and thinking, He will reward us with His righteousness. I, myself, want all that God has to offer me and all the blessings that He has promised to send my way if I will but humble myself to Him. Therefore I have made the conscience decision to obey God. Although at times obedience may seem difficult, I know the outcome will only be for my benefit and my growth.

“Do you not know that if you offer yourselves

to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves

of that one you obey--either of sin leading to death

or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
Romans 6:16