Do supporters get paid?

My contract came in the mail today from from Lifeway for my article. My son David started reading the contract, his eyes glued to the amount I'd be paid and said, "Hmmmm, that's great mom. As a supporter of yours who has always had faith in you...I think my allowance should be increased from zero dollars, don't you think?"

I just love that kid.

Immediately a rooster crowed.

Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

As I sat at my radio console at work, in walked one of our community service officers. Working for the police department has its perks, joking and laughing with one another is one of them. The woman began to peruse the discarded newspaper until she found what she was looking for, the horoscope section.

As she went around the room from dispatcher to dispatcher, she would ask their astrological signs and in a playful way, would read them their horoscope for the day. Being the occasional zealot, I began talking to myself about what I was going to say when she came around to me. Not a hill to die on, but surely I could speak up. I don't believe in horoscopes. God makes it very clear in his word, not to even dabble in astrology, period. I didn't want to let Him down. Even joking around, I wasn't feeling comfortable with it. “My sign is the fish.” I thought I might tell her. Or maybe I could say, “I don't believe in the stars, I go to the very one who made the stars.” Yes, that would be the perfect response to her, I thought. Changing my mind again, I jumped up to take a bathroom break. Zealot-wimp that I am, I was hoping they'd be done by the time I returned.

No such luck.

As I sat back down at my station, all eyes were on me. “Ok Joanne, your turn. What is your sign?” She smiled, newspaper in hand. Here was my chance, my opportunity to stand up for my faith, to share in truth and love that this horoscope stuff was for the birds. All eyes in the room looking at me for my answer, “Aquarius.” I chimed.

Immediately the rooster crowed.

I felt so awful. I had wanted to say one thing, but in fear of looking odd, or sounding strange, I said the exact opposite. Turning back to my radio console I thought to myself, “I am such a weak Christian. Geesh, Lord, how will you ever be able to use someone like me?” While these thoughts painfully bounced around in my head, my 911 phone line rang.

For the next twenty minutes I worked very hard to convince a nineteen year old man not to take his own life. Since he'd called from his cell phone, we also had to find a way to figure out his location so we could get him help. My heart broke listening through his tears of despair. The lack of hope he had in his life was difficult to bear. “There is a plan for your life....yes, you are worth something....” I shared with him. Thankfully, he finally decided to stop at one location until officers could respond and ascertain his welfare. Before we hung up, I told him that I would be praying for him.

Only moments before, God heard my own despair. The rooster crowed and still He chose to use me. Reminding me that none of us are perfect, all of us are weak, yet chosen for such a time as this.

Spring Cleaning - Yard Style

We spent all day Saturday working in the yard. The kids pitched in and got a good workout too.

My girls are the ones who do all the necessary weeding in our yards. By some cruel twist of fate, all of the men in our family have allergies. Here are the girls in our front yard. Meg had her music on, so the girls were singing. (I weed-wacked and pushed our lawnmower around.)


The men were on the side yard. They were making me pretty happy over there putting in railroad tie steps. We have lived in our home for over seven years now, in that time I have wanted some steps down the slope that goes by my raised garden beds to our backyard. When company comes over in the summer and joins us in our backyard, this is how they usually come down. Watching people surf the dirt hill, slipping and sliding along the way, is not fun to watch. Paul as you can see is pointing. He makes a great dictator, uh, I mean supervisor. David worked so hard for his mom, bless his heart.


An afternoon of working very hard made the kids hot, tired and sweaty. They thought a dip in the icy cold pool was a great idea. They asked if they could jump in fully clothed in their dirty duds. We said, "Sure, why not? Go for it!" Their dad and I counted "One, Two, THREE!" about six times before they all jumped in together. I wish you could have heard them yelping from the cold when they came up for air. We just cracked up.



Ok, just one more picture for mom guys, then you can get your towels!

All play and some work...

Today I am at work with my husband Paul. I got all the housework done yesterday in three hours flat just so I could have some time to myself today. While getting the kids off to school I asked my husband what his plans were for the day. He told me, "Just going in to the office." I asked, "How would you like some company?" Paul is always leary about the company he gets from me at work. I am truly of no use to him at all. I am embarassed to admit that it usually takes me two tries to make a copy..."does the paper go face down or face up?!?" I yell to him each and every time. This morning started off with a trip to Starbucks. I was good and got a whole wheat imitation bacon (don't tell me what is in that stuff) and fake cheese sandwich with a non fat vanilla steamer. I wanted six of the pumpkin cream cheese muffins... Anyway, here I sit at his laptop while he is down at the law library. He said he would be about twenty minutes so I have only seconds left. He will come back and I will give him about ten minutes of uninterupted time before I almost burst with the question that has been burning inside of me since our trip to Starbuks..."Where are you taking me for lunch?"

I guess I shouldn't be surprised when he is hesitant to take me along to work with him, huh?

Is my conduct worthy?

“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ…” Philippians 1:27 nkjv

This week was a bit of a milestone week for me. After seven years of being an exclusive stay at home mommy I went back to work. Our youngest is in school for a full day now which gives me some time to have a part time job. (Plus I knew that if I was home my husband would expect our shower to be clean!) Actually it is an on call position which is even less demanding than a part time job. I am a police dispatcher. It is a job that I held for quite a few years while my older two children were babies and starting school. It is what I love to do.

This Monday began my training. For the past seven years I have been in a ‘Christian cocoon’. There has rarely been a Bible study or time our church doors were open that I wasn’t in attendance. Now I am back in the world. What an odd feeling it was to begin work with people who never speak His name or ever share with each other the joy they have in Jesus. The morning before I started work I committed my job to Him. When I had my time in the word, God was faithful to give me the above scripture. I have to ask myself every morning before I head out the door…is my conduct worthy, am I being a good example? Just yesterday I met another dispatcher for the first time. She had a cross on her necklace. My heart fluttered, I thought to myself, “Another Christian?” Then she proceeded to tell a story about someone and use a foul word. I was grieved. I wondered to myself about how many times God may have smiled upon something I was doing or saying and then just as fast I destroyed my own testimony by my actions or words.

Being a Christian at this new police department is much different for me. I was not a Christian when I worked as a dispatcher years before. I know God has placed me there for a purpose. His fingerprints have been all over my hiring process. I just don’t know what that ‘purpose’ is. So for now I will just be obedient, have faith and keep walking forward with Jesus right by my side.

I am off now to finish getting ready…my strength is in Him ,my mind is stayed on His word, and my silent prayer is "Lord, let my conduct be worthy, help me be a good example."