Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

40 Years Ago

Two became one

forty years ago today

Their names

Robert William and Patricia May

She was a beautiful sight

he remembers so well

He was handsome indeed

She will always tell

Their first year was tough

learning to give and take

But all and all

they didn’t make a mistake

The first baby came soon

and oh what a joy

But let’s try again

look now it’s a boy

Their family of four

was perfect no less

Their love for each other

was always the best

They’ve had twists and turns

like most people do

But never gave up

and kept their love new

God put them together

till death to they part

When that day comes

it will break my heart

Looking back I see

their love has grown

And Christ is their center

I’ve always known

I’m so glad you married

so long ago

You’ve showed me how love

is supposed to go!

Happy 40th Anniversary

Love, Elizabeth, the one that’s been with you the longest!

Happy 39th Birthday!

Wow, who doesn't love Facebook on your birthday! I'm very thankful that Facebook does the birthday thing. I don't think I've ever had so many people wish me a Happy Birthday in the 39 years I've been around. Thanks so much!

Reflecting back some of my best birthdays were as a child. My parents always did a great job of letting me know that I was special and important to them. My mom would always bake me a cake and turn it into whatever form I'd like....a clown, a teddy bear, a cat. Thanks Mom! I also remember that I could have friends over and have decorations and the like. My dad would be a clown at many of my parties or he would bring the firetruck home so we could play on it. Dad, thanks for always being the life of the party! My brother would always get to bring "one" of his friends to my party. He's a cool guy and I love him alot. Thanks Billy, for being the best brother a sister could ask for!

I think after I had my Sweet 16th Skate Party at Skatetown things started to change after that.

What is it about getting beyond 16..... I think birthdays change.

I remember my 19th birthday because I was a new mom with a beautiful baby girl that was 3 weeks and 2 days old.

I remember looking forward to my 21st birthday, so I could legally do some things that I was already doing. What's funny is after I turned 21, those things weren't that big a deal after that.

Age 30 wasn't that big a deal, probaby because I was still 17 in a lot of ways in my mind.

Age 32, I remember being in Fredonia, New York, which is where I'm originally from with my parents and my new husband, Daniel Bennett. He bought me a pair of gold hoop earrings that had a row of diamonds in them. I loved the gift so much that when I lost one of them at Destin Beach a year after, I had the other one made into a ring so I could wear it on my finger. It's the only other ring that I wear other than my wedding ring. Went to Niagara Falls with my parents and got to go up into (can't remember the name) this really tall restaurant that overlooks the falls on the U.S. and Canada sides. My parents watched Breeanna so we could go up there.

I remember my 35th birthday, my husband threw me a surprise party at the church. I'm thankful that I'm still friends with all the people that were there.

I started writing a journal July 2006, so I do have a journal entry for my 36th birthday. It doesn't say what I did but it does show me that I was questioning who God is and what I mean to him.

What I remember about my 37th birthday, because I have pictures, is that I had a mickey mouse cake made by Marilyn Gingerich. She makes the best cakes, Sorry Manga!

Last year, my 38th, I went to work with Daniel and got to go shopping. The only reason I remember that is because I made a journal entry about it.

So, in hopes to not forget today.......Today, my 39th birthday, I woke up knowing that God loves me even before I was made, Daniel loves me even if I don't do one thing for him today, my parents love me even though I know I've disappointed them throughout the years, my children love me even though I'm not a perfect parent, my grandson loves me because he thinks I look funny and he knows I'll feed him when he's in my care, my friends love me because if you are my friend then I've shared my inner thoughts with you and you still want to hang out with me and thanks to Facebook, I know that people are thinking of me today!

I woke up at 6:00a.m, took a shower, walked into kitchen to a fresh cup of coffee and 2 cards. One from my parents, who are in New York, that had the flash dance music inside and one from my husband that had Simply Irresistible music inside. I might be an 80's kid!

I went to work with Daniel today. (I'd much rather work with him on my birthday then be without him!) We rode to Mobile, Alabama so he could go to the Choice Books warehouse and load up on books. Breeanna was with us. I enjoyed checking my husband's phone periodically to see who on Facebook wished me a Happy Birthday. Last count was 30 people. Wow.

Went to KFC for lunch, what's cool about that is I remember my Grandpa Pelton taking me to KFC alot when I was little, so it was good to think of him today.

Went to the Belair Mall in Mobile and bought 2 shirts from the Disney store for $3.20 a piece, went to New York and Co and bought a dress and an outfit with money from my parents. Bree was my assistant. She picked everything out for me to try on, she is a card!

Left the mall got in a traffic jam trying to get out of Mobile. Talked to Dianna, my 20 year old, on the phone and she said, "Did you see what I posted on my Facebook wall this a.m.?" No, I didn't, so I checked that out and got a little teary eyed. She wrote, "So let's see....39 years ago today one of the most amazing women EVER was born. She's a beautiful woman of God, a devoted wife, and one of the best moms that my sister and I could have ever asked for. (And yes, in that order!) She has always supported me and loved me unconditionally no matter what. She's honest, passionate, perfectly imperfect, and still is living loved by the King!!! I love you, mom!! Happy Birthday!"

That was cool!

Received an e-card from Dara which was very funny!

Received a phone call from Chris P.

Again, received many Happy Birthdays on facebook and some very sweet comments from some very great friends!

Met my brother, Billy, his wife, Dee and my niece, Lily at Cancuns Mexican Restaurant in Chipley for dinner. Yes, I wore the hat and they sang to me! I got 2 cases of pepsi products from my brother, Go Pepsi and Go Billy and Go Dee for the sacrifice! LilyAnna made me a card with the help of her mama!

Breeanna, my 8 year old, asked me if I had a good day. I said, yes, because I spent it with 2 of my most favorite people. She said, "You mean 3, God, me and daddy."

Finally, back home at 9:00p.m. Reflecting.....

I woke up this morning not expecting anything and God allowed this birthday to be the best birthday I've had yet because HE showed me through the people that I do relationships with that I'm getting something right. This is so awesome because I am someone who wants to get it right but never thinks that I have. Thank you God for making me!

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it.......You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!" Psalms 139 13-18 (NLT)

Living Loved,

Elizabeth-7-16-09

Mrs. Fix It!

When I feel like I've overcome something in my life it's hard not to want to fix that same trait in someone else. I've been pondering this.....

Why do I want to fix it? Because I think I can.

Why do I think I can? Because I've been there, done that.

Have you been exactly where that person is? Well, No, Not EXACTLY.

Who fixed you? Um?, myself? No, wait, the Holy Spirit.

How? Through books, other people.

When? I saw the inside instead of the outside when I looked in the mirror.

Why? I didn't like what I saw.

Who showed you your true self? Holy Spirit.

It wasn't a friend nagging you? No!

You see, I want to boast that I fixed myself so that gives me right to fix someone else but as we can see from my conversation with God this morning that the reality is it took the moving of the Holy Spirit within me to change me. The only way I can change is from the inside out and I have no clue how to do that except to pray...

ALOT!

I'm reading this book called All of Grace by C.H. Spurgeon, he quotes, "It would be very wonderful if one could stand at the foot of Niagara Falls and speak a word that would make the Niagara River begin to run upstream and leap up that great precipice over which is now rolls down with stupendous force. Nothing but the power of God could achieve that marvel. Yet that would be more than a fit parallel to what would take place if the course of your nature were altogether reversed."

"Photo of Niagara Falls, taken from the Maiden Mist by me, last July"

It's by the grace of God that I am who I am today, not perfect, but I've come along way....ooops, I mean Jesus has drug me along way, kicking and screaming, to be at a better place today.

So, why do I think or expect someone else to change because I give a pretty darn good argument and speak truth?

Just like married people can't change their spouses, I can' change anybody either. All I can do is pray that the Holy Spirit will change me and my heart.

"God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord."" 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NLT)

Living Loved,

Elizabeth

Living Loved

Our perceptions or paradigms on life determine so much about how we live out our lives.

I would say that my life has been driven by pride in accomplishments and fear-if I'm not accomplishing then I won't get noticed or be significant.  So I guess that means that "getting noticed" is what has been driving me.

Here are some lies I've been telling myself for years....

I want to win and if I'm not the winner then I'm the loser.

I have fear that if I'm not winning then I'm no good.

If I don't do this or do that, then the outcome won't be good.

If I'm the best then nobody can take that away from me.

I have to provide for myself.

I have to grow myself, change myself.

I CANNOT depend on anybody.

If I want to be loved then I have to perform in such a way.

I second guess my decisions because if I make the wrong one then God won't be with me.

That's kinda a crazy way to live considering I'm a professed so called Christian, right?  We'll maybe I wasn't meant to get it until recently....

A very dear friend of mine named Laurie Hyrons gave me 2 books to read a few months back.  

One of those books is "He Loves Me" by Wayne Jacobsen.  In this book the author talks about God's love for us.  He talks about how living in God's love can change the way we do life on a daily basis.  The book made a whole lot of sense to me, this is what REALLY stood out:

"Our only choice is whether or not to live loved, trusting that his eye is on us and that he can work out in us everything he desires.  That is the challenge of life in God's kingdom.  He has done everything to demonstrate his irrefutable love, but he will not make us live there.  We can still live less loved, pursuing our own agenda with our own resources and in the process not only destroying ourselves but hurting others as well.  

The choice is yours, and it can't be made once for a lifetime.  The choice is made every day in every circumstance in which you find yourself.  Do you trust that he loves you even in this, or will you fall back on your own wisdom and desires?" (Emphasis added)

I'm still very much choosing to do things my way in many areas of life.  I'm still learning in each moment to remember that I'm loved by the king of all kings.  The One who created both man and woman.  The One who created me and all of my weaknesses and strengths.  

I want people to look at my life and know that I'm Living Loved by the King of all Kings because I'm not driven by fear.

I want people to look at my life and know I'm not driven by exposing other people's weaknesses against my strengths so I can be better.

I want people to look at my life and know I'm not driven to win because I need the significance.  

I want to be driven by being loved by God because there is no fear in God's perfect love.  So, I'm trying in each day and in each circumstance to live loved!

Most importantly, I want God to know that I know he loves me and I know that I can trust him no matter what because he can see that I'm living out- living loved!

And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.  Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  Ephesians 3:18-19 (NLT)

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.  1 John 4:18a (NLT)

Living Loved,

Elizabeth

Who da judge?

We've all heard of the phrase or scripture of "the measure you judge others you shall be judged."  Well, I've been processing this off and on for sometime now and I believe that I've had some insight over the years on the subject. My first thought was~okay, if I look at people and think, "oh, they are so overweight" then people are going to look at me and think, "oh, she is so overweight" My second thought was~okay, if I look at people and think, "I can't believe that she/he lied to her kids", then God is going to look at me and say, "oh, I can't believe that she lied to ___." I was reading in Matthew the other day and came across the scripture that deals with this which is Matthew 7:1-2.  Do not judge others and you will not be judge.  For you will be treated as you treat others.  The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. (NLT) Okay, who exactly is going to be judging us?  Others? God? or...... Ourselves!! Yep, that's it.  The standard that I use in judging others is the standard by which I will judge myself.  So what EXACTLY does that mean??? It means that when I have a change of thought about any circumstance in my life it changes how I judge myself and others or (let's reverse the order) others and myself.   For Example:  When I hear someone gossiping about somebody else I think, "that is so wrong, they should not be talking about that person", then the next time I am gossiping, I think, "oh, I should not be doing this."  I'm no better than so and so.   Don't we all strive to be better than somebody?! I don't know about you but I like to win and I promise you I am da judge.  I just hate that I'm the judge for you and me.  Mmmmm?? Now, if as YOU read this you thought I was talking about YOU in my example then to what measure are YOU judging yourself?  Gotcha! Living Loved, Elizabeth

Challenged!

A friend of mine who cares for me deeply introduced an idea to me based on a book she has been reading recently.

The IDEA:  You, as a married woman, have been created to be your husbands help meet.  In doing so, your job and purpose in life is to be a helper to your husband.

My thoughts:  I've been mulling this over for about a week and this is what has happened.

I like lists so here we go:
1.  I can win at this!  I'm the only wife to Daniel Bennett so therefore, I'm going to win.  I am pretty competitive in life.
2.  I feel significant.  I strive for this in a lot of areas.  
3.  I have purpose.  
4.  I am living in God's plan for my life and fufilling his purpose for me, as my man's woman.
5.  I am really good at this!  I struggle with feelings of inadequacy, that I'm not real good at any one thing.

I decided this morning that I needed to really ask God what he thought about all this.

My Question:  "God, is this really what you designed me to be?  My husband's help meet?"

His Answer:  Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper who is just right for him.  Vs 20 He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals.  But still there was no helper just right for him.  VS 22  Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib and he brought her to the man.  "At last!" the man exclaimed.

My Application:  I am Daniel Bennett's helper and I am made just right for him.  Today I will help Daniel Bennett in anyway that I can.  Dear God, please empower me to do just that.  Help me to be Daniel's helper.  Help me to see clearly that this is your plan for me as a woman and help me to honor you by helping my husband today.

You can see now why I titled this blog:  Challenged!