A Word for Wednesday-Gasconade

Romans 1:  16-17     

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

 gasconade [gas-kuh-neyd]

1. extravagant boasting; boastful talk.   

2.  to boast extravagantly; bluster.

not exactly a quality we’d like to develop.   nothing more irritating and cause for eye rolling. you know what i mean...that perfect mom who just goes on and on and on about those kids of hers and all their awards!  or that guy at work who just keeps ON talking about how great he is at this or that.   (well, ok, maybe I can gasconade for an hour or so about my beautiful intelligent gifted funny smart sweet sensitive generous loving kind cute amazing photogenic precious precocious unprecedented granddaughter.  but that's not EVEN the same thing.  it's not.  i checked.) 

There is one time we’re given special permission to gasconade and that's when it comes to who we are in Jesus. “May I never boast EXCEPT in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”  (Gal. 6:14) That's when we get to pour it on thick!  I mean.  He picked ME! That's a big deal.  I love the attitude found in this excerpt of a confession attributed to a young pastor in Zimbabwe who was martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ.  It was found in his study: 

"I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed! I have the Holy Spirit's power! The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made-I'm a disciple of His! I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, depend on His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.  I won't give up, shut up, let up, until i have stayed up, stored up, prayed up paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ.  I am a disciple of Jesus.  I must go til he comes, give til I drop, share til all know and work til he stops me.  And when he comes for his own, He will have no problem recognizing me....my banner will be clear."  

wow.  That's some pretty big gasconadiing right there.  I want to be able to say that.  to mean that.  to KNOW that.  To love Jesus so much because of all He has done for me that i gush about him even MORE than i gush about my Emma.  

A WORD on Wednesday-VULNERARY

A few years ago i had the responsibility to write a devotional series for an event.  Each one is in a "word of the day" format.  I ran across it the other day and decided to do a little tweaking and share one each wednesday.

Today's word is VULNERARY

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Hosea 6:1

Come, let us return to the LORD
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.

 vulnerary • \VUL-nuh-rair-ee\ adjective

        : used for or useful in healing wounds

Example Sentence:  Aloe vera is a vulnerary plant whose extract is widely used to soothe and heal burns.

Wounds.  they hurt.  cause all manner of problems-not just for the wounded, but often for anyone who just happens to be around.  some wounds are hidden.  known only to the soul who hurts in silence and solitude.  they have immeasurable causes.  some are accidents, some are intentional, some we ignore, some just never seem to heal. but the promise still stands.  Healing comes to those who allow the vunerary balm of God's presence to carefully wrap the wound in His love.  

When Aaron was about 4 we had a little accident.  Looking for something to cook for supper, i opened the refrigerator freezer then decided to pull something out of the big freezer in the laundry room.  Aaron spied a left over chocolate easter bunny though.  He asked for it but didn't get it.  it was almost supper time!  i ran out to the freezer and plowed through the frozen vegetables and thought, "that kid's trying to get that bunny."  i ran back in found the refrigerator freezer open the bunny on the counter and a knife beside it.  Aaron was nowhere in sight.  my heart dropped and i thought i would throw up.  I ran through the house calling him.  His tiny voice answered through the locked bathroom door.  I tried to calmly tell him he had to let me in.  He unlocked the door crying "I cut my finger off!!" "It's cut off, mommy! Go get my daddy!"  i was shaking.  He had wrapped his hand in a bathcloth and I could see some blood.  I don't do blood too well.  

"Let me see it son."  

"NO, I need my daddy."

"Daddy's not here, you need to let me see it."

"No. It's cut off. go get my daddy.  Please don't spank me."

"It's ok son, let me see it."

Very slowly and reluctantly he held his hand out to me.  And very slowly and hesitantly, I unwrapped his sweet little hand.  I honestly thought his finger was going to be gone.  Thankfully, it was still there and not nearly as bad as i thought.  yes, there was a little wound.  a small little cut.  with tears in both our eyes (mine from thankfulness and relief) i held my 4 year old so tight.  Again, he said, "please don't spank me" and that was the last thing on my mind.  even though he had been disobedient and caused this wound himself.  so gently i took his little hand and washed off the blood, put some ointment on his cut and put a spiderman band-aid over it.  he sat in my lap for awhile and kept saying "Momma I'm sorry."  I have no idea what we ate for supper.  it didn't matter.  we had all our fingers. 

today i am thankful that in the midst of my hurts and wounds, I have a Father who hurts with me, binds my wounds and wraps them in His love and grace.  He's not mean.  Even when it's my own fault.  When i finally let Him see it, trust Him not to hurt me more, then and only then is He able to fix it.  He is able and willing, but i have to trust him.

the curse of the cursor

curse you blasted cursor.  you mock me.  with every word.  with every line.  your stupid blinking lineage.  i have nothing to say.  no thing.  why did i ever think blogging would be a great idea? and this stupid line reminds me, blinking in time with the clock on the wall.

there's a little button on my lower right hand screen. i've never seen it before.    it says, "complain to Google"  i should.  i should press that little button.  i should complain to google about this stupid little line and it's incessant blinkingness.  but...Google and i have this temperamental relationship already.  He (she?) doesn't even let me in sometimes.  He spouts stuff about my not having permission and did i forget my password AGAIN.  He's so smug.  i should complain to google about his own pride and self importance.  ...he would probably get mad and change all my passwords to special characters.  just who do you think you are, mr. google?  highlighting my mistakes and squiggly lining my errors? have YOU never made a mistake?  have YOU never had something go wrong?  Maybe i should ask Siri?  hmmm? Hey Siri, is Google always right?? Wow, Siri really?  All this on google??? scandalous.  he would probably argue he's just the messenger.  and something about me not shooting him.  well i would shoot you google.  i will shoot you with this poison pen, this blame blinking cursor.  this is stupid.  i should just hit delete

And the LEIBSTER AWARD goes to....

I was nominated by none other than Mrs. Blaine W. Ledbetter for the Liebster Award! At first i thought it had something to do with lying so i wondered why she would nominate ME, but as i read her blog, i discovered no untruth telling is involved whatsoever.  Here are the rules:  (I love rules)

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asks.
3. Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 600 followers.
4. Ask those 11 nominees 11 questions.
5. Inform the bloggers you've nominated so the chain can continue.

I.  THANKS BLAINE!!
II.  Here's my answers to Blaine's questions

1.  What's the one place you've traveled to that you'd recommend to anyone, regardless of age, style, etc? 
Kauai! Go there! Go NOW



2.  Give a short and sweet explanation on your blog's name.
"Done with Tomorrow"  it's tomorrow and I'm done with it. Actually you can read that here

3.  Ever had a completely tragic Pinterest fail? Tell us about it!
Wait.  i don't get it.  you mean you're actually supposed to DO the stuff you find and re-pin on pinterest???? get outa town!!

4. What's one book you've read recently that you'd recommend to all of your readers right now? (Fiction or nonfiction)  SEVEN by Jen Hatmaker.  i know.  i'm still not over it.

5.What's one thing you really, really, REALLY want to do but don't have the courage, money, resources, etc. to do right now?  Buy my very own motorcycle (not one i have to ride on the back)

6.  What's your most favorite/greatest memory in the past year?
       Haiti Mission Trip for sure! followed by #emma&nonnieweek

7.  What's one piece of blogging advice you'd give to new bloggers?
But I am a new blogger so....???  But i still follow my favorite English Teacher's advice: KISS
Keep it Short & Simple!  Also, lists (like this) are a great way to get your point across.

8.  If you were given $1,000 and told to do what you want with it, what would you use it for? (be honest, you can be selfish this one time!)  a week at one of those SPA Resorts!!! ahhhh yes!

9. In the South, people are all about comfort food... what's your favorite comfort food/meal?
German Chocolate Pecan Pie
<-------- my daddy's recipe he saved in a cigar box

10.Where's the one spot in your house where you can totally relax, get away from distractions, and just have a moment alone?
Amy's old room-it's my new quiet time spot.  I love this room.  Antique furniture.  quilts.  rocking chair.  AND it usually always stays neat and tidy.

11.  Pretend you're being featured on Ellen, Live with Kelly & Micheal, or The Today Show (for example), what's one topic you'd want to discuss during your segment on the show?
It wouldn't be political that's for sure!  Maybe something light and easy like my favorite coffee drinks or what to do after you've eaten so much candy corn you could hurl. yeah that's real spiritual.  i know.  can't help it sometimes.

III.  My Nominations are: And since Blaine only nominated 5 instead of 11 i will follow her example and nominate a lesser amount than she did!

http://jasonandjennifermarshall.blogspot.com/
http://sundaytown.blogspot.com/
http://myjumpingjax.blogspot.com/
http://jcbowers.weebly.com/

My questions for the above mentioned Lovelies:
1.  What's the best job ever? And please give credence as to why you hold this view.
2.  Today is October 2, 2014.  Fall is oh so very close to us Mississippians.  What are your favorite fall activities?
3.  What is the one thing you know for sure Jesus will have waiting on you the minute you open your eyes in heaven?
4.  Best advice for a bad hair day?
5.  What one lesson have you learned the hard way? Please change names to protect the guilty.
6.  What caused you to start blogging?
7.  Christmas!  Name 2 traditions you will NOT let go of
8.  Name 2 Christmas traditions you no longer hold on to-maybe you had to compromise with a spouse
9.  Where would you HATE to spend a Christmas holiday? 
10.  Favorite CLASSIC novel
11.  what are your personal signs that you need to slow down and take a break?

Hope you all enjoy this as much as I have!!!

CAUTION: shameless nonnie post

i just got all panicky for a moment.  couldn't remember my login for my blog and it'd been so long since i posted google didn't remember me!  i really don't think google likes me very much.  but alas, i figured out which form of some random pet's name and which capital letter and which obscure number i had used.  so all is well with the world.  now if i could just figure out something to write that's worth anyone's time to read i'd be doing great...  i got nothing

so... here's some pictures of Emma and a short video of her saying "buzzad hed" which her T-daddy taught her to call her great-aunt Susan. The rest are from #emma&nonnieweek.  The most awesome week of the year while her mom & dad were in Honduras.  If you ask Emma today where her mommy and daddy are, she will still tell you they're in Honduras. 

i will say this was captured with absolutely NO coaching.  she's just that brilliant.

Friday Night Lights (she is SERIOUS about her football)

 Library! (they didn't have fun stuff like this at the library when i was a kid!!)

Aunt Baine (we don't say the L)

Finally! the TRAIN (note to self:  don't tell Emma she's going to ride the train then take her to your office to show her off to co-workers.  she will let you know "I NEEEEED THE TRAAAAAIIINNNN!!!!" And only non-mom-sanctioned treats will make it ok)

Artist at work

Please make those other kids stay out of my spot! 

"It's Tdaddy.  He's so cute"

Reading to Uncle Andrew