The First Corinthians 13 Woman

Jul8

You may have heard a lot about that Proverbs 31 woman and all her worthy accomplishments.

But the woman that I aspire to be is the First Corinthians 13 Woman. I want to love like God loves because He doesn’t focus on my performance.

He loves me Just the Way I Am!

13 If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such [a]as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 And if I have prophetic powers ([b]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).

3 Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or [c]in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing.

4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy ([d]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

9 For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).

10 But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

12 For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as [e]in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand [f]fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been [g]fully and clearly known and understood [[h]by God].

13 And so faith, hope, love abide [faith—conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope—joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love—true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.

This entry was posted on July 8, 2021, in Uncategorized.

1.2..3…4…. BREAD

Dec31

Enjoy Fresh Bread

Enjoy Fresh Bread


This Lady of Leisure is all about the EASY way to do ANYTHING. Lazy is the true mother of invention. So here is my Super Easy Lazy Leisurely Bread. No Kneading…at all. Really.

1 tsp salt -plain old Great Value Iodized Salt
2 tsp yeast -Fleischmann’s Instant Dry Yeast. I bought it in a 2-pack at Sam’s Club for about $4
3 TBS sugar – Crystal Sugar that I buy at Sam’s Club in the 10 pound bag
4 cups bread flour – I buy Bakers & Chef’s bread flour at Sam’s Club, too.

The flour is sifted straight into my big stainless steel bowl. Because the sifter holds 2 cups, I fill it twice and sift it into the bowl and stick the sifter right back in the bag to store it.

Add 1, 2 & 3 to the flour. Boil 1/2 cup water. Add to 1 1/2 cups cold water. Use a plastic spatula and stir the water into the flour mixture. Stir until it’s all wet and then cover with a cloth in a warm spot and wait. Meanwhile butter your loaf pans. We use Blue Bonnet sticks at room temperature.

Bread Ingredients and Tools and Equipment

Bread Ingredients and Tools and Equipment

Put a little oatmeal in the bottom of your loaf pans if you have trouble with the bread sticking. It will pop right out!
In about an hour, divide the dough into your two loaf pans. I just cut it with the plastic spatula about in the middle and roll each section into each pan. Cover again. In about another 30 minutes to an hour, put into the preheated 425 oven. Turn it down to 350 in 15 minutes. Then another 15 minutes and its done.

Everything's Better with Blue Bonnet On it

Everything’s Better with Blue Bonnet On it

Take a stick of blue bonnet and rub it all over the entire surface of your bread loaves. Turn them out onto a rack and wait as long as you can stand it.

Cut and enjoy. I dip it in honey. I eat it with butter.
I just sit and smile at it because it really IS that easy.
1.2..3…4….BREAD!

2014 in review

Dec31

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here's an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,500 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 25 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

This entry was posted on December 31, 2014, in Uncategorized.

Hope Restored… again.

Nov14

And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You.

When my life seems to be getting de-railed and I cannot figure out what to do to get it back on track, I go back to my life verse:

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
Hebrews 11:6

It is a CHOICE to believe that God exists AND that is is the REWARDER of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him and I CHOOSE to do that now.

In Today’s Daily Lift, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin says, “Each moment you make three choices. You choose your thoughts for the moment. You choose the words you say or don’t say. You choose the actions you will or won’t take.
Choose wisely. It would be wise to ask yourself frequently, “What is a wise thing to think now?” “What is a wise thing to say now?” and, “What is a wise thing to do now?”

So today, I will again Choose Life and Choose Hope and Choose to go on. God has taught me to seek Him early and often. He has prepared Friends for me and rescues me. He leads me and I will follow. He has His eye on me.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8)

This entry was posted on November 14, 2014, in Uncategorized.

Mama’s Soul Markers

Nov9

There are moments in life that are Markers on my soul.

December 1981, I held in my arms my first child, Melissa Anne. Allen tells me that
I was in labor for over 31 hours without any kind of help for the pain. I only remember how beautiful she is and has always been. A perfect beautiful little red head who reflected back all the adoring looks we gave her. Fiercely loyal and strong, she demands peace and will settle for nothing less. Her daddy laughingly told her once to put a 55 gallon drum in the back of his truck while he ate lunch. He was being funny but when he went back, she had done it. It never occurred to her that she could not. That remains her attitude about anything she intends to do.

March 1984, I had the shortest labor ever and I say truthfully that Holly Elizabeth has never given me any pain since the day she was born. The medical personnel forgot to come back for us so I lay in the recovery room alone with her, clutching her to my chest, amazed at this tiny and perfect little blonde baby. Faith-filled and confident of provision from the day she was born, she refuses to worry and never lets her circumstances dictate what she will do. She once travelled with a mission group across three countries without a dime in her pocket and typical Holly, she called to say she was bringing home a few friends for Thanksgiving. She brought home, fed and housed 27 people.

February 2, Allen Lynn was taken to NICU and I could only hold his tiny toes as they took blood and kept him in his special bassinet so he could breathe. Praying and believing that the LORD would heal him for two weeks before they finally placed him in my arms, a miracle and my first son. We took him home in a little white tuxedo onesie. We call him the perfect man because he controls his tongue and never wastes his words. His siblings count on what AJ says because he does what he says he will do. He expects no less of others and if he shows up at the house, things that need doing will be done. He never leaves without giving both of us a good strong bear hug, a gift from this child who does not give affection or smiles liberally or lightly.

May 22, Thomas Glynn made his premier, happy and friendly from the moment he was placed in my arms. He was named for favorite uncles on both sides of our families prophetically –he is a family man, a loving father now himself. My favorite memory with Tommy was the day he took his Daddy and I on a tour of his school. Only in Kindergarten, he knew the names of not just his teachers, but the cafeteria ladies and the people up and down the halls. He greeted them all by name with compliments and favor flowing from his lips. Every one he meets matters and family is blood.

September 17, Jackie Leon was tiny and Daddy and oldest sister had to take care of him while I recovered in the hospital from a serious infection. Named for my daddy, Leon, and his daddy’s best friend. My favorite picture of Jackie Leon is the one where he is standing in his daddy’s boots. We all made our way to South Carolina to watch him graduate from Basic Training. He serves his country and his family, following in his daddy’s footsteps. Like his daddy before him, sleep is not important if there are things to be done and it is not unusual for him to have three jobs if that is what it takes.

January 19, Sandra Denise made her debut into our family and into stardom. She was the only one born in the hospital her Dad was born in and starred in a television commercial when she was only hours old. A little girl after three boys, she was a girly girl and petted by parents and siblings alike. She is positively positive and gave me my iconic “Never Give Up” poster and attitude. Times got tough but she was my built-in personal and family cheerleader. Her naturally nurturing nature will come in handy now that she has started her own family.

September 13, Matthew Ryan was born on Friday the thirteenth. His umbilical cord had a square knot tied so tight that the doctor sent it to a lab because he could not believe this healthy bouncing baby boy could have gotten any blood through that cord. Blessed of God, Young King. He is the only boy that looks like his Mama. Matt takes the initiative to do what needs to be done and has the kind and gentle heart that befits a King.

June 8, Sarah Michelle was the only child that loved Mama more than Daddy. She was my little Princess with her Daddy’s thick curly brown hair and big beautiful eyes. She was my ego boost because she adored me for no reason at all. Quiet but not really shy, she developed her own personality and strong individuality in spite of being eighth of ten. Drop her into a crowd and she becomes the center, making everyone think she has been their friend for a long time even if she just met them. Sarah is my sidekick; she loves to work outdoors beside me and also loves to sit and read for hours at my beloved public library.

March 2001. Jonathan Hunter. It was hard to understand how people could think that losing this son would not matter since I had so many other children. We have no physical mementos at all to remember him except the note to my employer from my doctor saying I had lost him and a sympathy card from one close friend. My last son was the first child to go to our LORD but I look with hope to the day I will at last meet him in Heaven.

January 8, Zelma Grace. Named for Allen’s mother and for the comforting joy that she brought so soon after our loss. She has a different mother than all her siblings because the loss of Jonathan changed me completely. Zelma is proof that Grace nurtures us into our full potential and my only sadness is knowing that my other children were not reared in the same freedom that has caused her to flourish. She is creative, invincible and boldly expectant of favor as we all should be.

My children. Markers on my Soul. I cannot love you less. I cannot love you more.

You have all my love always.

A Short Parable about a Tree and Fruit

Jul27

My mother tells a story on her blog over at BlantonSharplinFarms.com about one of her neighbors stopping to meet her because of her fruit.

Mama planted a peach tree but she cut the limbs and fruit off each year for quite a while. Mama pruned it so it would become strong enough to carry the fruit well. Finally one year the tree was strong and Mama let the peaches grow.

The neighbor had seen the tree but to her it looked like any other tree. She had never talked to Mama about the tree until she saw that fruit. She was attracted to the sweet fruit on the tree. It prompted her to stop and ask Mama if she could have some fruit. Mama told her all about the tree and invited her to come back when the fruit was ripe.

To the neighbor, the tree was like any other tree until the fruit appeared. She wanted the fruit that Mama had grown and Mama was happy to share and tell her all about the tree.

Keep pruning your tree until it is strong enough to grow good fruit and soon your neighbor will stop by to ask you for some fruit. Then you will have an opportunity to tell your neighbor all about your tree.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. [ John 15:4-5 ]

Five Really Easy Ways that You can Build a Strong Relationship

Jul26

Scriptures: Use an Inspirational Verse to Remind you that Love is Eternal and to act in a loving emotional way toward your partner. Love Never Fails is a great one but My verses were Ephesians 5:33 & 1 Peter 3:2. These are the verses written into my husband book beside one of my favorite pictures of Allen.

Admire Him

My Husband Book

In the picture, he is dressed in his biker gear and I particularly admire him for how he looks in the photo and also because of what he was preparing to do, go minister with the Christian Motorcyclists Assocaiation. It reminds me of a moment when I respected him, admired him, enjoyed him. Although he is preparing to leave me at the moment the photo was taken, he was being all the things I (in the human sense) adored about him. It reminds me of other moments when I can indeed act out this verse with regards to my husband.

Time: Invest minutes to Earn years. Do something that takes a moment that will build up long term value in the relationship. When Allen left for work every day, I stood and watched him until he was completely out of sight. I watched for him when it was time for him to be home and jumped up to run and greet him when he came home every day. I really did not take it for granted that each moment would not be our last. It became something much more than just a few moments each day. It became a routine he depended on as he realised just how important he was to me. Those few moments every day became a cornerstone that represented loyalty and faithfulness over our years together.

Romance: Be what He saw and See what He can Be. Let yourself Enjoy both Planned and Spontaneous phyisical Pleasure. Share your Vision of your Relationship at Opportune Tender moments but Relish Touching and being Touched. Say Yes even when it is Inconvenient and Surprise yourself with some Exciting memories.

Now: Just like the manna, Today is the only day that this moment can Nourish your relationship. Treat REGRET as a Strength Building exercise instead of Endurance Training. Let it build Muscle in an area that needs improvement instead of spending time with it just to build up your stamina. How can you live in the NOW moment with the lesson it gave you? How will you act NOW differently than then so your relationship can be improved? Never let what you or your partner did in the Past keep you from having the day you want Today.

Grace: Give what you need; compassion, forgiveness, romance, passion. Give what you need to your partner but also Give what you need to yourself. Ask instead of assuming your Significant Other knows what you want. If you need a romantic moment and your partner really just wants to watch television, then spend a little time with your memories of other great moments instead of spending it with bitterness or regret. Instead of nursing a grudge or expanding the gap with indifference or anger, Use the time to rehearse your Victories by going through photos or meditating Successes.

Rehearsing Victories

Rehearsing Victories


[My Husband Book was created Just for these Growth Moments. More on that in another post.]

When your partner does give you what you ask; time, romance, passion: Enjoy it and Encourage it. Give up your preconceived notions of how it should go and make the effort to Just Enjoy what it is.

…and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly]. | …When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him—to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband]. [Amplified Bible]

We Believe…

Jul5

In one God, who exists in three Persons—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is loving, holy and just.
That the Bible is God’s Word. It is inspired and accurate. It is our perfect guide in all matters of life.
That sin has separated us all from God, and that only through Jesus Christ can we be reconciled to God.
That Jesus Christ is both God and Man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He led a sinless life, took all our sins upon Himself, died and rose again. Today, He is seated at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest and Mediator.
That salvation is the gift of God to man. This gift is effected by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and it results in works pleasing to God.
That water baptism is a symbol of the cleansing power of God and a testimony of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
That the Holy Spirit is our Comforter. He guides us in all areas of our lives. He also blesses us with spiritual gifts and empowers us to yield the fruit of the Spirit.
That the Holy Communion is a celebration of Jesus’ death and our remembrance of Him.
That God wants to transform, heal and provide for us, so that we can live blessed and victorious lives that will impact and help others.
That we are called to preach the gospel to all nations.
That our Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again just as He promised.

This entry was posted on July 5, 2014, in Inform.