Marilyn's Mussings

I left my house this morning and followed a pick-up truck for about three miles. The truck was completely white and had the little Japanese happiness sign on the back. There was a ladder pocking out of the bed of the truck and it had something hanging off the end. For most of the three miles I tried to figure out what was hanging from that ladder! Right before he turned, I was able to see it and I laughed out loud! It was a big scrub brush! What a package!! A ladder and a scrub brush in a happy, white truck! Do you think he climbs up a ladder to use that scrub brush? Or do you think he just grabbed any old thing and stuck it on the ladder only to satisfy the law? Have you ever taken your scrub brush up to Father God to get a good cleaning? David did. It was not law but love of the Father that drove him to pray in Psalm 51. " Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. . . wash me, and I will be whiter than snow ." Once he was clean, he looked to God for the happines...

I have lived in Montgomery, Alabama, Topeka, Kansas, Amarillo, Texas, Vancouver, Washington, Yakoto, Japan, Dover, Delaware, Prattville, Alabama, Columbus, Mississippi, Wellington, Alabama, Jacksonville, Alabama Anniston, Alabama, back to Montgomery, Alabama, Gadsden, Alabama, and now Birmingham, Alabama. Every time I move my heart breaks for the friendships I have to leave. We always say we will keep in touch but the truth is life carries us on to the busyness of the day and all that screams to be handled in the immediate present. Last week I was reminded of the hope that friendships remain. I had lunch with my dear friend Judy from JSU. She was in town with her husband and we took a couple of hours to catch up. I didn't know Judy well until not long before I left JSU but my spirit bore witness with hers and I will always cherish her friendship. Then I spent the afternoon with Susan, my roommate from Mississippi State. Susan and I lived together, were in each other's weddings ...

I love a good fiction book and Karen Kingsbury can write them faster than I can read them. I have dear friends who have been so involved in her books about the Baxter family that they have had to stop themselves from requesting prayer for them! I knew this was a family I needed to spend some time with so during my move I became acquainted with the Baxter family. It all started with the Redemption series. I was a little out of touch with my "real" friends so bonding with them was easy. There are five books in the series. One of the saddest things about fiction is getting involved in the lives of the people in the book and then leaving them when the book is over. Not so with the Baxters! As soon as I finished one I dove right into the next! Then, I found that at the end of the Redemption series, there was yet another series about the Baxters! The Firstborn series which included five books also! I just finished the last of those five books and I am now completely involved in ...

More than thirteen years ago, Jerre and I were in Nashville and went by the LifeWay store. A real treat for me! While there, I happened upon a new in-depth Bible study written especially for women. It was by someone I had never heard of, but the title tugged at my heart: A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place. A friend of mine had done a few studies for women at church so I asked her about leading that particular study. My motive was purely selfish. I wanted very much to do the study. She agreed but sometime along the way, God moved her and left the study in my care. Oh my! What a journey we have been on since! God used Beth Moore and that particular study to stir something in me that He is still stirring! I pray He never stops! Since then, we have done study after study. As fast as Beth Moore could write them, we were studying right behind her. In between, we would go through A Woman's Heart and Breaking Free again. Then other women authors' studies became available. ...

There is nothing else like joining fellow believers in worship of the one true God. Yesterday I drove back to Twelfth Street and enjoyed worshiping with my dear friends. Today I was in Birmingham worshiping with a whole bunch of complete strangers. In some respects, I felt at home in both places. I miss my friends terribly but there is a bond with these strangers too. Jesus. He is our focus no matter where we are. But finding a new church is hard . . . not because there are not any "good" churches in Birmingham, but praise God, because there are many! Jesus Christ is alive and doing a great work in Birmingham, Alabama! It is very exciting to see all the Lord is doing and I am looking around thinking how fun it is to visit everywhere! But that's not His plan. . . He picked out the church for us before He moved us. That's where we want to go.

Yes, I said eight. I know you only see seven, but there really are eight! Stephen and Kassi are expecting! My first grandbaby was born February 5, 2009. My next grandbaby is due February 11, 2010. If I had a new grandbaby every February it would be ok with me!

But you aren't my Bible Study ladies, are you? You are His !  I thank God for you and I praise Him for the privilege of serving Him along side you for the twenty-one years we were at Twelfth Street Baptist Church. Oh my, what a journey this has been! Almost thirteen years ago, Jerre and I were in Nashville and went by the LifeWay store. I found a women's Bible study on the old testament tabernacle called A Woman's Heart by Beth Moore. I was eager to do the study so I encouraged Donna Conrad to lead it. Before the study was finished however, God moved Donna to Georgia, leaving me to finish the study. Wow! That was a long time ago.  Those first years I tried so many different ways to teach! I studied and my heart was so full! Every study that we did I wanted to study more than the last. I prayed that God would make me hungry and He did! I just could not wait to tell you all that I learned, but I struggled with the delivery. The suggestions in the book didn't work for me...

So I completely missed God on this one. But the good news is God is completely capable of correcting me! And praise Him, He has! We have been on a winding road and I keep hearing that one phrase from some old song . . . "the long and winding road." Amazingly, our new-new house really is at the end of a long and winding road!! I was convinced that we were buying the house that God intended for us. As the closing date approached, we became uneasy about the fact that the house was not complete. No amount of prodding had changed anything. The contract had been mutually accepted four weeks earlier but nothing had been done on the house. We became suspicious that God was blocking us for some reason. Sunday afternoon we had an open house at our Rainbow City house and decided to drive to Birmingham. It was less than 24 hours before closing and the house looked the same as it did when we placed the offer. We were just sick. We talked, we prayed, and we tried to sleep. When we were n...

In this house, you both grew up. You grew up physically, mentally and spiritually. You were fed a steady diet of chicken fingers, math, and Bible, laced with lots of love and laughter. We played every board game out there (even dominoes), sang karaoke', and bowled with Wii. (I heard you also slid down the banister with the babysitter!) We watched lots of movies and yes, reality television! You both learned to drive. Many dance pictures were made by that pink chair! We celebrated birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We dyed Easter eggs and you tried to sell rocks. Lots of people have spent the night here: Disciple Now, Acteens, Continental Singers, and many, many friends. It was always fun. Our New Years Eve celebrations sometimes lasted until daybreak and we looked forward to them every year. We spent much time talking and praying. We had Bible study and prayer meetings. We grieved over lost love and lost loved ones. We saw God answer prayers and direct our desires. You both fel...