And...You Decorate My Life...

Keelea, Big, Bold and BLUE

Chateau de la Barre

(House of Witness)

Ooooh, la la (my spa bath)

Ashton is bright and Orange

And then there was PAINT!

Isn't it a wonderful thing when the carpenters finish the cabinets and trim, the painters show up to paint it, the tile guy starts installing the tile, the concrete finishers start forming for the driveway entrance, the termite guys do their treatment thing, the air conditioner dudes attach the thing on the wall that will house the electric for it, the electricians put in all the light switch plates, and ALL your friends from work drop by to see how the progress is going...

Isn't it a wonderful thing?

I love my life!!

What a Beautiful Day!

Today was absolutely beautiful here is SWLA. I started my day by attending Sunday School and took my turn in Extended Session. I don't think you ever graduate from working in the nursery once you sign up because there are always children being born and there's always a need to serve there. Ragan used to be my partner in there, but since she's moved to Ruston, Ashton is now old enough to help me out. So we served together in the 2 year old class.

Then we went to eat at one of our favorite BUFFET mexican restaurants and I only ate one plate so I didn't feel like waddleling out of there. And finally, I was able to come home and indulge in my "Sunday Siesta." It is a standard treat for me, as I don't like to do anything right after church except sleep. So now I'm just waking up and had to log on...

Have you had a chance to think about the question in the last blog? Do you find that you are searching for happiness?

Well I'd like to dig a little deeper and pose this next question...
If you are searching for happiness, do you feel like you deserve it?

This is a two part question, in that you may really want it, but don't feel like you deserve it. Or you may be happy for the moment, but you think something might happen to it and it will be taken away from you because you don't feel worthy of having it.

These are important questions that once answered will help us get to the bottom of why we aren't living a life of abundant joy and happiness every single day of our life. I want to help you find happiness, but I remove myself from the responsibility of making you happy. No one can make us happy, or mad, or sad, or depressed... We have to take that responsibility ourselves and then if we are ready.... to CHANGE our situation...

I pray we can go together on this journey to true happiness.
Have a Happy Sunday Siesta!
Lea Anne

Freedom through Obedience

Freedom through Obedience... This phrase has captured my heart over the last few years and I feel the desire to write a book devoted to reaching out to people who may be suffering from severe oppression or depression. I will take this step by step as it plays out in my mind and would welcome any comments in agreement or disagreement from any of you. It will actually help me in my research on this topic. I can also take constructive criticism, so lay it on.

First of all, I want to pose a question. Just something for you to think about... If you feel led, leave a comment if not, then just answer the question in your mind and heart.

Do you feel like you are searching for happiness?

I will let you think about this for a while as I prepare for what I feel the Lord has laid on my heart to share with you.

Until then....
Lea Anne

It's the Weekend

Today is Friday! I love Fridays... I always look forward to Saturdays... I can sleep late, or in my case until 7:30 or so, then I always like to tune in to HGTV's groundbreakers and Rip and Renew.. By the time those are over and I've had a pot of coffee, I like to take a nap... I so look forward to Saturdays...

So today, Dana and I went and bought ALL the light fixtures for the house... We had 3 flats loaded at Lowes this morning. I had to rush back to work for noon deadline stuff, and then was able to go check out all the goodies at the house... I'm so excited. Most of the painting is finished and the flooring is going in and the other details are being finished up and it is truly amazing that we have this opportunity to build this house. I will post pictures as soon as I'm able to take them with lights on... some of the rooms are too dark to see.

I hope you all have a great weekend... Update those blogs so we can catch up with everyone since August....
See you,
Lea Anne

Eat, Drink (or don't) and Be Merry

I want to say a quick word of encouragement to any of you who may be struggling with an addiction of some sort. I've recently had to deal with a friend and a relative with the problem of alcohol addiction and both are seeking help for this problem... I want to say that I have dealt with this issue in a very personal way because of my father's addiction problem when I was in high school. He battled it for over 20 years before he finally gave it up and within 6 months of him putting down the bottle, he had a massive heart attack and died. This is no laughing matter. Alcohol is serious stuff... It is a demon that comes in and takes over a person's life. You can't beat it, you have to STOP it... I ran across this verse last night and I feel it is needed for someone who is battling this or something like this addictive disorder.

1 Peter 2:1-3
So get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing.
You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness.

Remember in one of my other blogs that I asked you what Spiritual Milk was in the scriptures? It is the unfailing, everlasting, breath of God inspired, TRUE, Word of God...The Bible.

I want to help you get through this time of defeat if you are facing an addiction... Please cry out for help. Other people have been where you are and can relate to how you feel... We can help.
Please ask for it. Call on Jesus to deliver you from this stronghold.

I love you all and thank God for you every day.
Lea Anne

Not Another Catchy Blog Title

It has been a week since I've written anything on the blog, and to tell you the truth, I have bloggers block! Is that a phrase? Anyway... I just wanted to send a shout out to all out there in blog land...
Until inspiration hits again, Adios, Amigos!

Drink More Milk...

Okay...Okay... OKAY!! I get it already! I've learned that when God lays something on my heart and uses 3 different situations from 3 different people relating to the same scripture that he's trying to teach me something. I am then suppose to tell it to someone else. What is the purpose of a tree bearing fruit? Is it for the benefit of the tree or is that fruit for the benefit of someone else? I hope this resonates with someone who may be struggling with knowing how to find balance in life.

I will be very general in what's led me to today's tidbit. Over the last week or so, I've been burdened with the threat to marriages... Three different people talked to me about their marriages and the gist of the conversations were that one is getting a divorce, one is dating someone but thinking of breaking up because marriage is expected, and one of them has a husband who's trying to get custody of his children... I thought the lesson that I was being taught was about marriage. I was even led to 1 Corinthians 7, the whole chapter is related to marriages, if you'd like to read it. However, I've just made a connection to another topic that I've also been hit over the head with recently and have realized that this is the lesson learned that I'm suppose to talk about.

1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 1 Corinthians 3:1-2

You may ask... How did I draw a connection between marriage and drinking milk?
The connection is between RELATIONSHIPS and SPIRITUAL GROWTH. Let me explain... I believe the Bible is 100% true. Every word is used to teach and instruct people in how to live a life pleasing to God. As great as the Word of God is, sometimes it's hard to know how to apply the scripture to every day lives. So what do you think MILK means in this scripture?

Milk means "The Message" The message of God... God's commands... The Bible is not a list of do's and dont's that God inspired to make us "toe the line"... It is God's love letters to us that tell us the things that please the Lord and also lists the things that grieve the Lord. Our free will allows us to choose whether we will do what pleases or do what grieves the Lord. It is our choice. But how do we know what pleases the Lord unless we read the Bible.

Point 1: Spiritual growth starts with a foundation of faith based on what we believe to be true about God...

The Bible is God's foundation for our faith... Nothing else will give us the direction that the Lord gives us through His Word... So I'm just going to be bold here and say regardless of whether you believe the Word of God to be true... It is the ONLY foundation we can build our faith on... We can't depend on what WE think about something to establish our faith and belief on... We have to use the Word of God as a guide to teach us what pleases Him.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

As with a baby, they start with milk to drink, then they add a little cereal, and next comes solid food. The Bible is a double edge sword, meaning it has a practical side and a spiritual side to its words. So from the Practical side, we've just determined how a baby grows, and let's say they drink milk but never grow bigger... never move on to the solid food phase...they just stay the same size... Wouldn't we be concerned about their lack of growth? It's the same in the spiritual realm. If someone is a true, born again Christian and they never go to the next level of faith... Shouldn't we be concerned?

If you aren't a Christian this won't apply... If you are then I'm going to ask you one question to see if you've started eating solid food and are growing in your relationship with God.

What is your priority in life?

If you don't know what your priority is, then answer this... What dominates your thoughts? What do you watch on TV, read about, or talk to a complete stranger about? Here's an example... Your work revolves around the weather... so you watch the weather channel, you check out the weather around the country, you go on-line and check out the forecast, and when you talk to strangers, you talk about the weather. So here's the deal... Weather is a huge priority to you... maybe even the #1 priority... then you go down the list of other things you think about daily. Could be your spouse... your kids... your job... your friends... your hobbies... vacations... Oh and YEAH, God, church, reading your Bible, that kind of thing...

Do you get my drift? We have to know what we consider to be the most important thing in our life in order to know what we need next in life in order to grow...
Knowing your priorities is the only way you can have balance in your life and if God ISN'T a priority... you are a baby Christian still drinking milk (or you're not a Christian at all)... you will not progress to the next level of faith until you get your priorities in line with God's priorities. So how do you know what God's priorities are? You open up the Word of God and read it. Learn what pleases the heart of God and GROW UP by moving on to solid food.

I cannot express deeply enough how much I care for all of you... I also know that if I don't speak what's been laid on my heart by God, that I'm not doing the Will of God and that is not a place I want to be... Outside the Will of God... If you have anything to add or need to talk about how to have a relationship with God, PLEASE don't hesitate to ask me or someone you trust who loves God...

Until next time...

SWLA at its Finest

I have to admit that we don't see alligators every day in SWLA but on occasion they do come out of the waters... but this one was trying to stay dry after all the flooding in Sulphur from the Hurricane. I just wanted to share this photo with everyone. If you are interested, we have a viewer net site set up on KPLCtv.com that you can log onto and see photos from the area. Take care and stay safe.

A Long Uninteresting Day

It's pretty much uninteresting here at the house right now. Ragan was going to come home for a visit this weekend, but because of the storm, I told her to stay put in Ruston. We just have to sit around and wait now. I personally don't have any water around my house, but I've seen pictures on the KPLCtv.com website that shows ALOT of water around town... I hope we can get out and about tomorrow or Sunday. Oh well, I didn't have much to say as I haven't really had any interactions with anyone today. If I think of something, I'll log back in.
Talk to you later.

The Cone of Uncertainty

I've been hearing this phrase a lot lately and it got me to thinking about how we live in the Cone of Uncertainty on a daily basis... I wanted to be light hearted and upbeat with this email because the hurricane stress already has people on edge. It is a storm for sure and it will probably rain a lot and flood and there will be wind. But I want to reemphasize the importance that God is in Control. We are to be wise and live with a little bit of good sense and I pray for that ability even now as I make preparations for the storm. I did go to the store yesterday and I got gas in my truck and food in the pantry and a generator on stand by because we know we'll lose electricity, but I will just have to hunker down until the storm passes... Is hunker down even a word... I'm going to google that now to see....
Hun´ker down v.
1. to crouch or squat; to sit on one's haunches.
2. to settle in at a location for an extended period; - also (figuratively) to maintain a position and resist yielding to some pressure, as of public opinion.
3. to take shelter, literally or figuratively; to assume a defensive position to resist difficulties.

I guess it is a real word... That's what I'll be doing over the next few days, and I'll let you know how things go afterward...
Ya'll take care and I'll see you on the other side of the storm
Lea Anne

Letting Go

I have to comment on the email I received this morning from Jessica about crying when her son left for work... I have also faced the reality of my daughter leaving for school, although I didn't cry, there is still a segment of our lives that is different now. I don't remember it being that difficult on me when I was that age. Maybe it's denial? I don't know, maybe kids really do adjust and can handle change better than someone that's 30 something!!
I think I can relate to the question about how our parents let us go… It seems like a lot of us, got married or had kids right out of High School and like me, I don’t remember it being such a big deal… Our parents were probably crying behind their doors… I also see the things we took for granted.. Like our parents’ marriages always staying together… I wonder how many of our folks got divorced right after we got out of school? Huh? I don’t want to bring up bad memories, but I figure it happened to most of us… I guess I’m saying all of this because we are at that same stage in life where our kids are getting older and are becoming adults themselves, and some of the things we seem to just have put up with over the years in our marriage, are at a point that we don’t want to put up with them anymore… I challenge us all to stick it out just a little longer… I think most people start getting a little itchy about this age in life, because I’ve never been more secure in who I am and know what I want than at this time in my life, and I think that is a dangerous position to be in…. We should all be dependent on our spouse for companionship at this time in our life… Just think, when all the kids are grown up and gone on to their lives, we can have a wonderful down time with our spouses instead of feeling at a loss as to how to start over.… If you are involved with a blended family, like I am, it isn’t any easier dealing with those problems than it is dealing with the problems you’re getting out of... Just wanted to share my thoughts and believe me, My own parents divorced at about this exact time in their lives, so I understand that some things may not seem like they’re able to overcome, but with Christ, all things are possible… Just a thought…

A Direct Hit - to my heart

I am going to start out by thanking the Lord that Hurricane Gustav didn't directly hit Cameron Parish and that nothing was amiss when we returned to Lake Charles on Tuesday... I am then going to ask for prayer for the families that were affected by the storm in other parishes.
I'm torn as to how to pray for the next storm that will head our way because I know that it will happen... And as far as the activity in the ocean right now, it could be as early as next week. I just hope that because this hurricane wasn't as severe as they expected, that people won't plan to ride the next one out...
We all know how destructive nature can be and the fact that we have more storms now than when we were growing up, is a true sign that the Word of God is real... It does speak of increased famine and earthquakes toward the end times in Matthew 24. I don't know exactly if the Bible mentions Hurricanes, but it ranks right up there with Earthquakes in my book.
I do know that God is in control of the waters and the wind and the heavens and the earth. I will leave it to His discretion to send a Hurricane where ever He feels it needs to go.
I imagine that if we find ourselves at an inconvenience with as little as no electricity or with as much as the loss of our home... it is only because God wants to get our attention. Have you sought after God today? Or are you like many, that it takes a natural disaster for God to get your attention!
Are you feeling a little like a lost soul?
He is anxiously waiting to have a conversation with you.
Have you opened the Word of God today?
God wants you to walk with Him and talk with Him and have the kind of relationship with Him where He shares Himself with you and tells you things you didn't know before and wouldn't know unless He revealed them to you. When you get close enough and quiet enough, He will whisper a secret to your heart and it will change your life. Has this happened to you? Share with me on this blog a way that God has whispered to you a secret...
Do you want to know mine?
It's happened many times, but I'll tell you about this one time over 8 years ago...
We had pretty much lost everything we had when the racetrack went south... Our home, our business, our vehicle, our lifestyle... Everything... We had to practically start over and I was devastated... Then one night I opened the Word of God and I read Isaiah 43:18-19...

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I instantly felt secure that God was in control of the situation. I didn't have to dwell on the past mistakes. I did however, have to take responsibility for them and acknowledge that I tried on my own to make it a success. I needed to look ahead to what God had planned next in my life...
Then, as Paul Harvey would say... And now... the Rest of the Story...
I got this great job at KPLC and my life was turned on a different track... I've never looked back... Only look forward to what God has for me in the future.. Knowing that I put my faith and trust in HIM for every minute I'm given on this earth... He is in control.

I challenge you to find a scripture that speaks to your situation today. God is the Great I AM! He is everything to us... so what do you need Him to be to you today?
I hope that first and foremost He is your savior...
Then He can be your friend...
Or whatever you need Him to be.

I thank you, Lord, that you spared Lake Charles from the hurricane this time. I pray that you will spare us in the future hurricanes, but I know that you are in control. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Talk to the Lord today and ask HIM to talk to you. I love you!!!
Lea Anne

Just Hanging Out

Not much to report on.. We update pictures of Ragan's move in at college as soon as I get them downloaded.