Belated love story

I told you I had a story from Valentine’s Day (here) ….
Well, here it is.

As usual for a Thursday I was working but I needed to get some things at the store for a dinner I was hosting Friday night so I left from work about 10 a.m. or so to run to the store. The Valentine’s aisles had been picked over really well and I looked over with amusement at the card aisle:

There was a bunch of guys climbing over each other to get a card (here) for their special someone. I saw no women – they tend to be better at planning ahead (not all but most I know).

That’s when I really started thinking that Valentine’s is blatant reminder that I am single. Many friends and family members over the years – and some complete strangers – have felt the need to share with me over the years my need to get married, to have children.

But I really enjoy being single, most of the time. My friend, Kevin (here and here), a missionary in the Philippines (here), is one of a few people I know that call Feb. 14 Singles Awareness Day.

As I was shopping, I picked up some tulips (here) – one of my favorite flowers, even though I’m allergic to almost everything – as well as some food items I would need the next day.

I went back to work and had a productive day and left work to go to class.

As part of a special treat for our class, Mrs. Cindy Bush, who recently lost her husband L. Russ Bush (here), brought in treats.

Dr. Bush is well-known on campus and in Baptist circles. He was admired by many. I never had him for a class nor had I actually met the man. Mrs. Bush always came into her husband’s classes at least once a semester to bring treats to the students as well as to get to know the students her husband was teaching.

What a wonderful tribute to a life of giving … that even after her husband’s death on this earth, Mrs. Bush chooses to serve others.

May God bless her ministry.

Stay tuned for more stories in the coming days.

Next week I’ll be highlighting the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (here). I hope to post daily blogs to highlight missionaries who are serving on the field.

On a roll

Sometimes you are present and sometimes you're not ... that's just the way life goes. Being a full-time student, I do my best to make it to every class on time and somewhat alert and prepared. Most of my professors take roll by sending a sign-up sheet around the room for us to put a check by our names.
As I was celebrating Single Awareness Day yesterday (a.k.a. Valentine's Day), I went searching around blog world for new updates. I found my blog had been added to my my blog friend's Blogroll. Dorcas Hawker has added me to her people list. It's great to be loved or at least read.
My friend Kevin has a post about Single Awareness Day. Check it out. He's also written a book.
I have a special story about yesterday but I need some time to formulate it -- as opposed to this obviously well-written, well-thought-out post. ;)

Pray for Kenya

From Bert Yates, missionary in Kenya:
Nancy and Bob Calvert have worked for many years with the Maasai.
This is Nancy’s view of how to pray for our local problems and another story of how Kenyan Christians are responding as God’s ambassadors:

Please continue to pray for peace in this country…the larger issue is the tribal strife that is building in the hearts of the common man. Even if a conclusive agreement were signed today…the amount of resentment and anger against people from other tribes will take a long time to resolve.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have been driven from their homes and are living in make-shift crowded camps are asking to be moved to the “ancestral homes.” The problem is that one tribe's ancestral home is often now the home of another tribe. The threat of more unrest hangs heavily in the air.
Bob has been meeting with Maasai Baptist pastors and they have chosen to help the IDPs by giving firewood, a daily need in the camps. Today, Bob and some pastors filled up the trailer and dropped off a load of firewood for the IDPs at the Tigoni Police Station. The Red Cross and other volunteers were just beginning to hand out the evening meal and needed dry wood to keep the fires burning. They were grateful for the gift from the Maasai Christians.
This is important on two different fronts. One is to show the love of Christ and give a small testimony. The second is to show that not all Maasai are like those who recently chased other tribes out of a nearby town with bows and swords, but some love Jesus and want to be His hands and feet to the hurting of Kenya. Forgiveness is a choice first, but then can be a l-o-n-g process. This will be particularly true in view of the level of passion, attacks, and retaliation we've seen expressed across the country...We pray God will receive glory in this - only our great God in His power can turn a conflict so devastating and evil into good for His glory.

Now for an update: The group that made the survey trip to Kisumu returned to Nairobi safely, but exhausted this morning. Pray for them as they process all the information they received and plan their response. Join them in praying for the IDP’s at Mbale (near Kakamega) who have been waiting over a month at a police station for a lorry (large truck) to take them to Nyandaura. Pray for hundreds of IDP’s from Naivasha and Nairobi who are arriving daily into all parts of Nyanza Province. They are not moving into camps, but into the homes of relatives, friends and well-wishers, often swelling households beyond coping abilities.

Thank you once again for praying and for the assurance that we have lots of prayer power for the new praises and requests we share, Bert Yates

Newsletter

For the January (belated Christmas) newsletter, check out my web site, www.diannacagle.com. Click on newsletter above to go there.
I think I have managed to send it to everyone on my mailing list (e-mail and snail mail). I apologize if I left someone out.
Part of the newsletter will be updated because a change has occurred.

Seven Wonders Of The World

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the current Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids

2. Taj Mahal

3. Grand Canyon

4. Panama Canal

5. Empire State Building

6. St. Peter's Basilica

7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the student if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. to touch

2. to taste

3. to see

4. to hear

5. to feel

6. to laugh

7. and to love

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous.

The most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man. God has provided the true wonders of the world.

And the greatest wonder of all is God's amazing love for mankind in sending His only son, Jesus, to set us free and give us everlasting life.

--Author Unknown

Human life

As the anniversary of Roe v. Wade passed this week, it sent my brain reeling back to college.
One Tuesday night I was sitting in the Baptist Campus Ministries worship service when I felt an overwhelming urge to pray for a friend of mine. I thought to myself that I would do so — after the meeting. I tried to push the feeling aside but could not.
I stepped out into the entranceway trying to figure out what was going on.
I went to a room we had set aside for prayer and began to lift this friend up. I don't know how long I prayed.
I called and left a message for my friend and began to pray again.
Later, when I talked to her about that night, she shared with me a story of heartache that still deeply influences me today.
When she was in high school she got involved sexually with a fellow classmate. She conceived a child and had an abortion. For years (it had probably been about four years) afterwards, that decision created an emotional roller coaster for her. It influenced her self esteem, her relationship with others.
I don't know where this woman is now, but I still pray for her. Having an abortion is not as easy as the doctors and clinics make it out to be. They don't warn of the lasting effects on a person.
Please pray for more awareness about what happens during and after an abortion.
Please also check out these other blogs about sanctity of human life:

http://www.downshoredrift.com/

http://www.thinklaughweepworship.blogspot.com/

Weight Watchers points

While I was in South Carolina I learned a lesson in Weight Watchers math. If you eat a serving of Progresso soup, it is 0 points. Each can of soup has two servings, however, and this proves too much for my brain. In Weight Watchers math, 0 + 0 = 1. If you eat the whole can of soup, a whopping two servings, it is 1 point. How does that work?
Both of my lunch companions I was discussing this with shared the reason: the S.C. public education system. I couldn’t believe it ... usually Alabama is the first to get blamed for that kind of stuff.

Beauty of Scripture

One of my professors, Dr. David Alan Black, posts online occassionally. Today I was looking around the web and found his recent post. I thought it was a wonderful testimonty about the beauty of God's Word. In his post, Dr. Black also talks about God's creation and shares photos. I am sharing a photo from a recent flight from Birmingham to Raleigh that I thought was a wonderful painting by my Father.
Click on the title above to go to Dr. Black's post. His web site can be found at: www.daveblackonline.com.

Semester over

I don't know if any or many of you saw "Grease II" — the hit movie back in the '80s starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caufield (sp?). But there's a song at the beginning that's called "Back to School." I think of it often when I'm in school because the lyrics include, "Whoa, whoa, I gotta go, back to school," lamenting the end of freedom of the summer.
As I finished my last final Thursday, Dec. 13, a huge sigh of relief came over me. It's such a relief to just have one thing to do — my full-time job.
I remember when I graduated college in 1996, I said I was done. I'd never go back to school again.
But God likes a flexible and willing servant. I'm thankful I was obedient but it is a lot to tackle.
Thank you to all of you who are praying for me. It means a great deal to have such a huge support system.

Christmas newsletters

I am mailing newsletters after Christmas this year. Please forgive me. I want time to put something together for you. I will be updating my website and this blog as well over the holidays and into the new year.
Until then, keep your mailboxes clear ...

Grading on a curve

All my life, grades were important to me. It was a way to stand out … and at times above others. Some subjects just came naturally to me, but others I really had to work hard to get good grades.
Now that I’m in seminary, the grading scale is even tougher. Most of my professors require a 95 to get an “A.”
Especially for those who have supported me financially for school costs, I thought I would post my grades from the 2006-2007 year.

Fall 2006
Baptist History — A
Biblical Hebrew I — B
Introduction to Biblical Counseling — C
GPA — 3.0

Spring 2007
Counseling Individuals with Addiction Problems — A
Biblical Hebrew II — B
Christian Ethics — B
GPA — 3.33

Cumulative GPA — 3.17

Thank you so much for those who have supported me through your financial gifts and your much-needed prayers. Working full time and going to school full time takes a lot of effort. God continues to supply me with whatever is needed — sometimes through people like you.

It’s a perfect day … nothing standing in my way

For some reason the song that’s featured in “Legally Blonde” has gotten stuck in my brain this afternoon. My day, while far better than any I’ve had this week, is by no means perfect.
I’m very thankful, however, that I now have this song stuck in my head instead of the other one that has been repeating since Tuesday night: Mama’s little baby, loves shortenin’, shortenin; Mama’s little baby loves shortenin’ bread.
Many of you are already wondering how that one got in there. I blame my new Greek professor, who thought that it was the perfect tune to add the Greek alphabet. He had us singing “Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon …” Since then, it’s been stuck in my head. I’m still working on learning the alphabet so sometimes I just mumble through the song. I can hear it during our quiz next Tuesday now … all the students will be humming the song under their breath to try to figure out which letter they are missing.
What fun? And welcome back to learnin’, seminary style.

Is the doctor in?

Recently, I went to see a new doctor. I had some problems with my last one, and I wasn't feeling well.
Some of you know that I spent much of my teen years sick -- traveling to various specialists, subjected to numerous tests. I still get a little anxious any time I visit a new doctor.
God says that He knows the plans He has for me .. not to harm me but to prosper me. Sometimes it is hard to trust in Him. Even after all He has done for me. He works a miracle in my immune system daily. Because of my white blood count, I should be sick all the time, yet most of the time my ills are not because of colds or the flu or anything contagious. I have allergy issues, head aches, etc.
At the end of last semester and up until a couple of weeks ago, I was exhausted. I thought I was having issues with my thyroid but my recent visit proved me wrong. (Yes, I'm admitting it.)
Anyway, my doctor put me on a different allergy medicine which seems to be working a lot better than previous ones. I am still getting head aches but they are much more dull than the sharp, piercing ones I was getting with my old medicine.
God is so good.
Newsletter update
I am in the midst of writing my newsletter to send out. I'm hoping to get that updated this weekend. I'll be sending out e-mails shortly to notify people of the changes and where they can learn more.
Thank you for praying for me.

The Bible is amazing. The book stands the test of time.

Excerpt from: I Married Adventure: Looking at Life Through the Lens of Possibility
By Luci Swindoll
2002, W Publishing Group, Nashville

The Bible is an amazing volume of work — like no other! In sixty-six books there is a perfect historical continuity from the creation of the world to the new heaven and new earth. Truths constantly unfold, prophecy is fulfilled, and the most perfect Person on earth or in heaven is anticipated, presented, realized, and exalted. This collection of authors — kings, peasants, philosophers, physicians, fishermen, statesmen, poets, and plowmen — couldn’t have known much about each other because they lived in various countries, and their writings extended over sixty generations of human history, representing sixteen hundred years … yet it all fits together. The book is a phenomenon without question, and it is utterly inexhaustible. It sweeps across the heights of heaven to the depths of hell, tracing the works of God from beginning to end. Voltaire, the French infidel who died in 1778, predicted the Bible would be obsolete within a hundred years, but here we are in the twenty-first century proving him wrong. The Bible endures. And not only does it endure; its truth continues to transform lives.
(p. 139)

Alabama, here I come!

Finals finished; vehicle packed. Today I leave for my home state with a stop in South Carolina on the way down and back up. I apologize for not writing in so long. I have been sooooooooooo busy! Was that enough 'o's'?
I was flipping through the channels recently and "Sweet Home Alabama" -- the movie -- was on TV. Of course, the movie has the song in it! I just started grinning from ear to ear because I knew I was going to get some REAL barbecue!
I'll be in my home state for a week to visit family and friends as well as do some manual labor at my parents' house. I'll send some photos soon and plan to be updating my web site while I'm home.

The fern and the bamboo

One day, I decided to quit. I wanted to quit my job, to quit my relationships,
to quit my spirituality; I even wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to
have one last talk with God. "God", I said, "Can you give me one good reason not
to quit?" His answer surprised me. "Look around", He said, "Do you see the
fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I
gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its
brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I
did not quit on the bamboo."
"In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again,
nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo."
"In the third year there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would
not quit."
"In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. Still, I
would not quit."
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the
fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the
bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots.
Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not
give any of my creations a challenge they could not handle,"


He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been
struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the
bamboo. I will never quit on you! Don't compare yourself to others. The bamboo
had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.
Your time will come," God said to me. "You will rise high."

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes", He said, "Give Me glory by rising as high as you can. And remember...I
will never leave you, nor forsake you. I will never give up on you. I will
never, ever quit on you."

Everyone has days when they want to "quit". When there are struggles...obstacles
in life, remember we're just growing roots!! God has a purpose in mind for each
one of us and we need to talk to Him and let Him help us realize that purpose.
Always remember, He'll never leave us, He'll never forsake us, and He'll never
quit on us.

— Anonymous

Strength in Adversity

In the last few days, God has been teaching me about strength through adversity. A friend of mine lost her home and most of her possessions last Thursday in a fire that destroyed 27 homes. Today, I was doing some research on verses about adversity. Please be praying for Andrea and all the others who lost their home.
For a story about Andrea, click on this link: http://rdu.news14.com/content/your_news/triangle/?SecID=512&ArID=100924.

Please read carefully the promises God has made for His children:

He heals the brokenhearted, and binds their wounds.
Psalm 147:3 NASB

Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 KJV

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed….
2 Corinthians 4:8-9KJV

They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.
Psalm 112:7-8 NLT

Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

Single person's fear

There's the old saying: If a tree falls in the forest, and no one hears it, did it fall?
Well, one of a single person's greatest fears is hurting yourself severely or dying and no one noticing. Recently, that happened to an older gentleman living in New Hampshire. Click on the headline above for one of the first stories.
Matthew 22:30 tells us of the second greatest commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself.
What a comment on his neighbors?
He wasn't found for a year ... I'm wondering how his power stayed on ... if he had family ...? All kinds of questions come to mind.
Please don't get so caught up within your own stuff that you don't realize what is going on around you.

Here is an updated story about the deceased man.

Signs of the church

I wanted to share with you this that I found on Christianity Today's web site. You can use it to update your church signs.



PUT DOWN THE NEWSPAPER—Good News delivered here.

LONG-STANDING PROBLEMS? Get down on your knees.

EXERCISE DAILY—walk with God.

HAVING TRUTH DECAY? Brush up on your Bible.

WE'RE too blessed to be depressed.

THE MORE we thank God for what we have, the more we have to thank God for.

PEOPLE who look down on others live on a bluff.

WHY DIDN'T NOAH swat those two mosquitoes?

ADVICE IS FREE. Only the wise profit from it.

PUSH: Pray until something happens.

STOP WHINING about your church. If it were perfect, you couldn't belong.

ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE placed side by side as one in the church—God's patchwork of love.

TITHE if you love Jesus! Anyone can honk!

THERE ARE no amendments to the 10 commandments.

IF YOU WANT the rainbow, you've gotta put up with the rain.

THERE'S no shortcut to anywhere worth going.

MADNESS in the name of God is still madness.

EXPERIENCE is a hard teacher. It gives the test before the lesson.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.

CHILDREN learn more from models than from critics.
DON'T GIVE UP. Moses was once a basket case.

FORBIDDEN fruits make many jams.

IF YOU'RE HEADED in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns.

SIGN BROKEN; come inside for message.

GOD MENDS torn hearts.

THE DEVIL wants your soul to ruin; we want your soul to mend.

GOD GIVES the shoulder according to the burden.

A FRIEND WALKS in when the rest of the world walks out.

MUD THROWN is ground lost.

TALK only if you can improve the silence.

GOD GRADES on the Cross, not the curve.

Christ’s birthplace

Even though many know who Jesus is, Americans vary on what they believe about Bethlehem.
The RNS report said that only 26 percent of Americans know that Bethlehem is a Palestinian city within the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to a survey
conducted by pollsters Zogby International for the group Open Bethlehem.
Nearly 60 percent of those polled thought Bethlehem was in Israel.
What do you know?

New year, new you

That phrase you usually hear a lot this time of year. It brings a lot of questions to mind for me. Exactly how quickly do we expect change?
For many of us, especially as a spoiled American, we want things right now. Immediacy makes its mark on those of us who prove to be impatient — about everything. Even fast food is not fast enough any more. Why?
First Corinthians 4:5 says: “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”
First Thessalonians 5:14 says: “And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
God’s Word tells us to be patient, but oh, how sorry we are at this task. There’s been an increase in cases of road rage, school shootings, murder-suicides, etc.
Recently the International Christian Concern ranked the world’s worst persecutors as: North Korea, Iraq, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Iran, Eritrea, China, Vietnam, and Pakistan. The report was issued on the ICC web site www.persecution.org.
Please pray about those who are being persecuted. We have representatives in a lot of these places, people who risk their lives and their families sharing about Jesus.