Allie's Way

A Chill in the Air

October 23, 2013alliewayLeave a comment

The past 8 weeks have flown by for Derwin and I. We left our youngest in Florida and I think she fell in love with the warm weather and the University of Tampa. She seems to have adjusted well! As the fall comes marching in we are looking forward to Thanksgiving and having both girls home with us even if it will be brief. I want to enjoy the fall air but Christmas will bring a new family as Hannah will officially be a college graduate. Wow! I can not believe she is almost done, yet this semester seems to be wearing her down. She has so much on her just to get herself out the door in December, but I know our girl and she will succeed as always and proudly be a Carolina Tarheel Graduate.

Before the girls make their way home, Derwin and I will celebrate 25 years a little early with a trip to Belize. So warm weather here I come….

As I ponder all this I sit with Harley on my lap. She came into our lives almost 5 years ago. It is hard to believe she was once so little and that 5 years have gone by …. Today is her birthday, so Happy Birthday Harley!

I do want to share the heaviness that God has laid on my heart lately. Just when I want to feel sorry for myself, God points me toward someone who is in a worse predicament yet fully praising God through all their adversity. These Christians remind me to always glorify the Lord, but more importantly to be thankful for everything Christ has given me. Once again I am reminded of the church sign from the summer. I know it is a message for us all.

Working on that change!

It’s Official She is a UT Spartan! Florida is our new Second Home.

August 29, 2013August 29, 2013alliewayLeave a comment

We took the week of Aug 19th to travel to Tampa, Florida and settle Jesse into her new home. She was so excited and even today seems very settled in her new location. I guess Florida agrees with her… I am sure the free golf does. We can’t forget the drive in this tale. We pulled a camper to leave in Florida and since we planned to be gone a week we took Harley along for the long ride. She was a trooper but always wanted to sit on Derwin’s lap.

After the 12 hour adventure to Ruskin, Florida we arrived and settled into our new home away from home. For sure Harley settled in…

Moving day arrived and it was quite a confusing disaster, but patience won out and we made it. She is moved into her HUGE dorm room! It is a little big compared to anything we have ever moved Hannah into except maybe her apartment off campus.

I was able to snap some shots of the dorm as I stood watch on the curb. Yep! crazy here is my guard duty job.

Finally it all made it upstairs, elevators, through long lines to her dorm room…. The final product is a great room.

I can’t stop with the dorm room without also sharing the view. The only better view was probably Hannah’s Sophomore year when she could watch Carolina Baseball from her Dorm porch.

This was a long day, but a successful and sad one as we said our first real goodbyes to Jesse. So hard to believe as I type this she is over 8 hours away and not in her room behind me.

Now Derwin and I needed some down time so off to the Gulf beaches. We saw some awesome things. Horses swimming in the bay, some beautiful beaches and the Skyway Bridge to name a few.

I must admit my favorite part of the whole week were the sunrises over the Little Manatee River. We were told these were beautiful and the truly the pictures do not do it justice. Although every morning was walk with Harley around the docks, we did catch two actual sunrises.

This is the first sunrise Derwin and I watched on the day we moved Jesse in…

As beautiful as that is the last morning as we prepared to leave was the most spectacular with the colors and clouds.

My favorite is the panoramic that Derwin was able to capture with his iPhone5

Then the week was over we loaded up and headed home leaving Jesse settle in and ready to move forward into a new time in our lives. As I look forward to this time with Derwin, I will also long for the times when all four of us together again!

Oh yes and Harley too…..

Life Changes….

August 12, 2013alliewayLeave a comment

It seems like only yesterday that I was the mother of two little girls, who are now all grown up and moving on in the world without me. Some days this is really hard, but other times it is awesome to know that they are strong enough to make it own their own – and seek this for themselves. Watching Jesse graduate from high school this past June and then pack her car and head to beach almost does not seem real.

For some reason letting Hannah go was easier maybe because Jesse was still home and she might just come home to see Jesse. Soon this will not be a reality. Derwin and I know that we are entering and exciting yet emotionally hard time in our life. We are excited to be empty nesters but will covet the times we have the girls with us together from this point forward. Derwin and I know the future holds good times, good friends, and lots of fun! We are proud of the two girls we have raised but now it is time for them to spread their wings and fly! God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” I know that God holds their future because they believe he does!

University of Tampa here we come with our baby girl!

Am I Captivating?

July 22, 2013alliewayLeave a comment

Funny how things always seem to tie together. I have been studying the heart in scripture as I shared on this blog last spring, but my exploring did not stop there God just directed me down different paths. One such path was to pick up and read the book Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge. My daughter had given me this book to read about a year ago, but I guess God needed me to wait in order to fully feel the power of this book. It is one of my all time favorite reads and I can not wait to read more of their work as well as this one again and again. Of course, the book lead me to their website where I explored around and subscribed to a daily email. These daily readings have been a blessing for me. Amazing how they speak right to me when I need it the most. Each reading is an except from one of their books, but is a devotional that sets my day and my life in order. John and Stasi keep me thinking about how I love God, serve God, worship God, and live God! I just wanted to take the time to share how much their writings have added to my scripture study on the heart. Continuing to challenge yourself to grow in the Lord is hard sometimes. We all get wrapped up in the day-to-day life and forget the passion we should have for Christ each and every day. As God takes and creates a new heart for me, may I be bold enough to follow him and his call in my life. May I share his love in my life each day, so that others see his work not mine.

Searching for a New Heart part 4

April 17, 2013alliewayLeave a comment

God takes action and knows our heart, but it is still our heart. Scripture does provide me with so much hope for a heart that can be renewed! Reading how God works in our lives provides so much hope and comfort to me. Especially in an evil world where our hearts can run wild. I am typing this two days after the bombings in Boston. Watching this horrific tragedy unfold makes me thankful that I am putting my heart in God’s hands. I fear the evil that it can bring. The joy of Boston is the goodness of people. The stories of heroes and compassion touch my soul and my heart. God is Good! I pray for a heart like Lydia from Thyatira. Acts 16:14 tells us of her heart, “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” My prayer is for an open heart to hear God! God opens hearts and hardens hearts scripture tells us, so pray for an open heart from God. As I have said earlier our heart leads us and shows us what is important in our lives. Just thinking of the bombers and their hearts should have us all stop in our shoes. Where are their hearts? God has searched them just as he has ours. 1 Chronicles 28: 9 reads, “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought.” I am shaking. Be Still. Lord please open my heart and make it yours to love and understand. I want to pass the “heart test” found in Jeremiah 12:3 “But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you…” I want to pass that test for the Lord. I know there is much work to be done in order for me to pass such a test. The Lord’s testing sometimes is difficult. But he always knows! He knows where our heart will take us. He knows us through our hearts. Psalms 44:21 reveals this secret to us; “would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.” I want God to look at my heart and see Jesus holding it in the palms of his hand. I want my heart to lead me to Jesus and his Father. 2 Corinthians 4: 6 shares with us the light God wants to shine from our hearts. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” I want to be enlightened by my Father, and for that to happen I must also be patient and willing to wait on my Lord. The Lord has work to do in my heart and I must trust that work. In Psalms 27: 14 it is written, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” I am waiting Lord and will be still and follow my heart that I give to you. I will wait Lord in order that Jesus has prepared my heart for you. I have opened my heart to be yours….. In closing today I want to share one last verse from 1 Thessalonians 3:13, “so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” May God’s will be done in my heart and yours!

April Weekend

April 15, 2013alliewayLeave a comment

Taking a break from my heart research to just be a proud Mom! This is your warning not to keep reading because I am heading back to the sharing of my life blog. This past weekend was a whirlwind for Derwin and I but one that we will cherish for a long time. The weekend began Friday night with the first sunset cruise of the summer. It was awesome. We went with some wonderful friends and grilled steak before the sunset. A glass of wine to close the day and watch the sun go down. Notice in the second picture that the moon is above the sun as it sets behind the trees.

It was a gorgeous evening and a needed one before the chaos and excitement of the rest of the weekend. Saturday morning brought prom preparations and packing up the trailer of furniture and supplies to move Hannah into her first apartment. So Prom First! Jesse spend the day getting herself “prettied” up. She was beautiful! Yes I am biased! Here are a few pics of her and her friends of the evening. Special shout out to Kristin Broome for hair!! You did an awesome job!

There she is!

The one above is my favorite!!!!

Saturday complete! The girls were gorgeous and the Prom was a success now the big move……

Sunday morning came quickly after having a house full after the prom. Derwin and I sat out on a 12 hour round trip day to move Hannah into her first apartment. I am certain that better pictures will come later, but it is ready for her live in now and she is excited. It is a cute little apartment with a great view from the living room and deck.

Finally bed, table, couch, supplies, etc, (books of course) were all unloaded and in the apartment. Aldo got the new TV set up and she is ready to move in! Long day and Long weekend. Literally we can say it was all about us this weekend. Derwin and I are very proud of our two girls!

Searching for a New Heart part 3

April 1, 2013allieway1 Comment

During this past week I have meditated and read the scriptures on the heart constantly praying for more guidance by the Lord both from scripture and a renewal in my heart. Fully understanding what must take place in my heart means I must fully understand my heart and how it works in this world where the devil lives and works. As I look back at Jeremiah 17:9 the verse that really began this walk for me, I decide to look it up in several versions. One I like is the ESV it reads, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Reading this verse again I really start to realize not just how I need to be focused on my heart but how hard it is to understand others especially when the heart is full of such wickedness that no one can understand it maybe not ever the person whose heart is consumed with wickedness. That is a scary thought. Not just for those I love but as well for me. Romans 1:21 in some ways expresses this even among believers “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” The frightening impact of that verse is that even those that know God may not choose to honor God because of their heart. I pray that will not be my heart. Lord I ask that you lead me to a new heart, and one that loves and prays for the hearts of those who are lost. It is sad that man had to find this wicked path, but on a day like Easter Sunday as I study the heart, I realize the impact that God has had with the gift of Christ to save us from our sins. I can feel hope in his resurrection that my heart can be resurrected from the wickedness that it bears. From the fall man has had wickedness in his heart. Genesis 6:5 reads, ” The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” These words bring tears to my eyes to know that God has endured so much pain by man that he loves so much, and that love provided a sacrifice in Christ that would save us all from our wicked hearts. Acts 7:51 reads “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” The evil in man has been for so long sometimes I think it is even hard for us to see it. People who have uncircumcised hearts have hearts that are not purified and heathen. An uncircumcised heart leads to a hard heart which leads to no relationship with the Lord. Ephesians 4:18 says, “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” May God give the wisdom not to be ignorant so my heart my live and rejoice in the Lord. Ignorance that has a heart like the one in 2 Peter 2:14 “They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!” These verses take me back to Proverbs 16:5 and the pride God hates in our hearts. Searching I found Jeremiah 49:16 which speaks of more pride and how the Lord will still hunts us “The horror you inspire has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, you who live in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle’s, I will bring you down from there, declares the Lord.” Even full of pride the Lord can bring us to our knees. Yes that is what he has done to me. I refuse to have a hard heart one that is spoken of in Romans 2:5 “But because of your heard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed.” I want the heart of Matthew 6: 21 that is full of treasures in heaven – “For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.” On this Easter Sunday may my heart and my treasure be full of the resurrection of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is spoken of in 1 Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed! Praise God – He is Risen!

I have the same prayer for you and your heart!

Searching for a New Heart part 2

March 31, 2013alliewayLeave a comment

I am continuing to search and put more puzzle pieces together in order to understand my heart and how to fully allow God into my heart. I closed my last post dealing with doubt and fear in my heart. Today I begin my search with thoughts and how the heart is connected to our thoughts. Doubt and Trouble come from our thoughts and since they are connected to the heart so our thoughts must be. The verses I actually found on this topic first was Mark 2:6,8. Verse 6 reads, “And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,” followed up in verse 8 “But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, ‘Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?” The scribes were full of pride, lets remember that for later in this post, and in their hearts they reasoned that Jesus healing was sinful. In Matthew 9:4 Jesus even says on the same occasion, “But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts?”. Evil comes from the heart then through our thoughts, but there is good news! Psalm 19:14 says “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” We can ensure that our thoughts are good and acceptable to God. We must focus our heart or lead out heart toward good and God.

Now looking back at the prideful scribes who allowed the pride and sin in their hearts to cloud their judgement on Jesus. Pride evokes fear in me and my heart as it should after reading Proverbs 16:5 says “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.” That is a powerful verse that makes you stop in your tracks. How many times have we been overcome with pride. How often do we want things our way and fail to consider everything because of our pride. How often do we want to be praised for what we do instead of serving for the Lord and him alone. Pride an abomination to the Lord brings silence to me right now. I wait for God to move. Leviticus 19:17 mentions hate in the heart. It reads, “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.” God commanded his people not to hate their brother.

I tremble before the Lord as I read these verses because I know that God can withdraw himself from my heart if I do not keep my focus on him just as he did with Pharaoh first stating in Exodus 4:21 “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand, But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.” God allows hardening of the heart when he is not living in your heart. When God is living in our hearts we have purpose. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says ” So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” We have purpose we give from the heart which leads to rejoicing from the heart. Acts 2:26 tells us ” Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.” These verses give me hope that the wickedness of my heart will not win out over the Lord living in my heart.

Several verses that I really hold close to my heart I want to share as I close today. We read earlier that God does not like hate in our heart and commanded it of his people. Jesus brought a new commandment found in Mark 12: 30-31,33. In verse 30 -31 Jesus says, ” And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength,” This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” This is finalized in verse 33 showing Jesus as the one true sacrifice where we can find such love in ourselves and our hearts. Verse 33 reads, ” And to love HIm with all the heart, with all the understanding, with the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” These commandments and the love I want to hold for the Lord and others in my heart are summed up in Matthew 6: 19-21. My focus is really on verse 21 but I feel the verses as a whole really shows me that I need to focus on the Lord so my heart is lead to my treasures. Otherwise my treasures will be evil and sinful and of this world. Beginning in verse 19, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where the moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20)but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21)For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I want my heart with the Lord and my treasures in heaven. I pray God will help me focus on a new heart.

Searching for a New Heart

March 28, 2013allieway4 Comments

Sometimes I sit in awe of the Lord and how he leads us and draws us near to him. Recently I have been praying and asking God to help me let go of some things which were causing me to become a person I did not want to be. It is funny sometimes how something you have always known just really comes to light and you have to accept it for what it is. I guess the finality of acceptance is something we as humans try to avoid. I know that I have in many areas of my life. As God recently opened my eyes to this ugly person I did not want to be, he sent me searching through scripture and everywhere I turned he introduced me to my heart. Not this heart that I can be proud of but the real heart inside of me. I will get to that. I feel lead to share where God is leading me on this in-depth discovery of the heart. I long for the new heart the scriptures speak of but to have that heart I must understand the heart as a whole.

The heart can be root of both Good and Evil, but more often the heart will lead us down the easiest road and usually that is not where we truly want to go. As I read various scriptures, I decided to turn to Strong’s Commentary for some guidance and here I found a plethora of verses that speak of what is seated in the heart. I was lead to all this because I felt like things were not right and I quietly and silently began really listening to God. He began to show me so many things about myself through a variety of means as I read the scripture. Everything kept leading toward the heart and that caught my attention. Specifically I began a 6 day devotional study on Love & Marriage I found and guess what Day 1 was on – you guess it – the Heart. This first devotion is the initial cause of my digging. I felt God calling me to the scriptures for more. One of the verses shared in the study on day 1 was Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” I felt completely and utterly a failure because following my heart without God would always lead to wickedness because the heart is wicked. Who can know our heart that is simple only God and he knows all our wickedness. So begins this journey to know my heart.

I have been visiting verses lately that speak of what is rooted in the heart. These verses can sometimes seem good but if you really look at what can come from the heart you see the wickedness.

The first verse listed was from Jesus in Matthew 5: 28 “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” So our sin before it is revealed has already been committed in our heart. But what of lust as I noticed a verse was listed that spoke specifically to this word found in Romans 1:24 “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves.” So God pulled away and their hearts took over which lead back to Matthew 5:28. What of our desires? Romans 10:1 says “…my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” At first read this sounds good but looking deeper I see that we have to have control of what our heart desires. Left alone we become the heart in Matthew 5 and Romans 1. As I sit speechless and pray that the Lord will help me find my new heart with him. I am almost afraid to continue on but the draw is powerful to read more. What more words did Jesus have to say about the heart?

Mark 11:23 reads in the words of Jesus, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” This verse sounds so awesome, but to have this faith. It is so easy to say yes Lord I have this much faith when really my heart doubts. Jesus says in John 14:1 ” Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” I must not let the trouble and doubt fill my heart just the Lord so my faith can overcome the wickedness my heart’s desires. These words are similar to those from Isaiah 35: 4 “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with a vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” With such words from our Lord why do I let me heart be my guide? My prayer is that God will be my guide and work in my heart. May he also be yours.

Time to meditate on these words from scripture. Putting this puzzle together is encouraging but also brings me to my knees in need of prayer. Before seeking more it is time for prayer. Time to start seeking my new heart.

University of Tampa

February 18, 2013February 18, 2013alliewayLeave a comment

Last weekend Jesse and I visited one more time the University of Tampa where Jesse has decided to attend next fall. Wow what a beautiful weekend the Florida sun provided for us in the middle of February. It was great to break out the flip-flops and short sleeves in the middle of winter but made it really hard to come back home. Jesse and I were not alone as my parents made the long trip with us just to get a glimpse at the school that Jesse has chosen. I think they were just as impressed. We arrived Friday at lunch and got our first glimpse at the Bob Martinez Athletic Center that was under construction last summer. Wow is all I can say… But here are some pictures.

Just inside the entrance is the National Championship Display with a Spartan similar to the one that is found just outside the main entrance.

Looking down the hall just inside the front entrance. Displays on the right of all sports and their accomplishments and just to the left is an awesome Study Room for Athletes. Also to the right is the new gym complex and through the doors at the end of the hall you find all the coaches offices.

Over the gym doors

Now through the doors to meet with Missy Jones – Jesse’s new golf coach

Jesse was super excited after this meeting again. The coach really had her pumped up and ready to go! She wanted to move in right away and get started in Tampa!

We finished our trip on Sunday with an Honors Breakfast for students admitted to the Honors program and Open House with sessions with professors from departments of your choice. Jesse visited with both English and Business and was again pumped about the school. I have to admit I was also impressed with professors and a school that really puts teaching students above their own success. They are successful because the students they teach are successful! What a new philosophy for professors at the university level. I too am excited about this adventure Jesse will soon begin. Some pictures from the breakfast which was first class. Our room overlooked downtown Tampa and we could see out to the bay.

Yes the Bay is out there straight ahead and downtown was just to our left out the windows. Gorgeous room and setting for breakfast.

This is Lianne from Massachusetts she is a sophomore in the Honors Program. We all ate breakfast with her and Jesse learned so much about the university from her.

After Breakfast we headed back over the Bob Martinez Athletic Center for the Open House to begin and I got some shots of the gym. First the students tour guides doing some Gangnam Style

After some great information both here and with the professors we were ready to head home knowing that Jesse will soon be a UT Spartan!

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