Fall pictures at Central Park

Went to Central Park the other day and tried to catch some good pictures of the kiddos. . . The last one is my favorite!

All Finished!

Well, I am completely finished with my book and am currently waiting on the 5 free copies I am supposed to receive. Some friends and family have already ordered the book, which is currently available on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. The title is, Brushstrokes.

I don't know where this journey will take me. It still may very well just be a test of obedience, it could be more. Only God knows that and I just pray I can hear His voice and obey whatever the calling is.

It's been quite a ride!

http://tinyurl.com/ydpshh5

Almost Ready for the Editor

For those that have been following the journey of my book, I believe it is ready to be sent to an editor.

Dennis did some research and has found a publishing company that will allow you to self publish a book w/0 having to commit to purchasing a couple thousand right off the starting block. They print books on demands for customers whether they want 1 book or 2oo books, they will do it. I get to keep 100% of the rights to my book, so if I ever choose to take the book to a different publisher, I can. We will see what happens.

The trick is finding the right editor. I've been in contact with one that is cheap. Cheap isn't always good, but her resume looks good, so we will see. I've turned my book over to a couple more people to get their insight and input to see if I've missed the big picture in an area. After I hear from them, I will proceed with editing. The editor commits to finishing the editing within 3 weeks, if I remember correctly. It can take 1 1/2 - 3 months for publishing to be finished.

I am a little nervous about the whole thing, but all I've lost is the time spent on it and even in that, the process has stretched me personally and spiritually, so really, nothing is lost.

I will keep you posted on the next phase of this adventure!

An Interesting Journey of Obedience . . .

I have been keeping a journal of some intersting happenings since shortly after the kids got out of school. Some of the dates are estimates as I didn't keep track immediately until I started noticing what was happening . . .

Beginning of June(ish): The whisper of direction for my life came early this month. I feel I am to write a book. I don't know what the topic will be, but I have said, "yes" to God and trust He will enlighten me on the topic soon. He has been working with me on choosing obedience, so I am going to obey.

June 13: God gave me the title of my book in church today. It will be called Brushstrokes though the topic is still unclear.

June 20: My dear friend Fanette told me today that God showed her I was being elevated to new things in my life if I would just step up on the platform and do what God told me to do. It was very humbling and a little scary. She has no idea at this point that I feel I am to write a book. I will be obedient and write this book, but I still don't know the topic. I am believing God will reveal it to me during my trip to LA. I have copied some pages from my blog to get the juices and ideas flowing.

June 27: God did not reveal the topic to me during my trip. :(

July 1: God gave me the topic today and my husband laughed out loud. The book is to be on obedience! Ugh . . . Not a "feel good" topic at all! This should be interesting!

July 6: Fanette came over today with tears in her eyes and gave me a worship CD that she had made at home for herself. After listening to it, God told her to give it to me. It is powerful and inspiring! I am absorbing it as I try to write.

July 10: I finished the first chapter this evening. As I was taking a shower, I was talking to God about authors and how it often takes years for books to come together. Before I could consiously have the thought of how long it might actually take me to get this thing written, He told me I had 3 weeks. Three Weeks! As impossible and ridiculous as that sounds, God reminded me of something one of the leaders said at the LA conference, "God doesn't ask us to do hard things; He asks us to do the impossible!" Well, He has!

July 11: Chapter 2 finished and Chapter 3 started!

July 12: God said to rest! I am starting a fast today as I need divine guidance for this project along with a financial breakthrough at Batteries Plus.

July 13: Chapter 3 finished!

July 14: Chapter 4 finished - these may be the shortest chapters in the history of chapter books!

July 17 & 18: Working on Chapters 5 and 6. Things are slowing down as far as ideas go. I ended my fast this weekend due to a family get together.

July 23: Chapter 7 done.

July 25: Working on a summary. Not sure if I'm finished or not. Oh my gosh! I just remembered that Pastor spoke on the #7 at leadership last week. It is the number of completion. Maybe I am finished and this week will be spent fine tuning grammar, expanding where necessary, etc. We will see!

July 26: Text a friend to see if I should give a copy to Pastor to look at since he has connections with people who have written books. The friend said they had connections too and that she and her husband would be happy to read it.

July 27: Added a paragraph to one of the chapters, but still feel I am basically finished with my initial draft.

July 28: Handed the book over to a friend and e-mailed it to my mom. Still praying for God's direction in what comes next - additions to the book, divine connections, etc.

Aug. 4: My friend said she loved the book - thought it was an important topic that had the potential to be freeing at the same time. She didn't think I was finished though. Suggested I put more of "me" into it. Praying for God to bring some personal stories to my memory that fit with this topic that will not just be stories, but be an impacting witness to God's amazing hand at work.

August 26: I've spent the last couple weeks expanding the book and putting more of myself into it. Dennis thinks he's found a company that will allow me to self-publish without the commitment of thousands of books purchased up front. I am currently e-mailing/interviewing a potential editor. We will see what happens next!

God Awareness . . .

Last night at our monthly women's meeting we listened to a video by Priscilla Shirer on being fully aware that God is right next to us. He will continually communicate with us if we would only listen and make an honest effort to be aware of Him and His presence. In my journey to be more in tune to what He is saying so I can be fully obedient to what He is asking me to do, this really made an impact on me. You know, most of the time we are obedient in the big stuff. We follow the 10 commandments the best we can, but are we listening to His whisper of daily things He has for us to accomplish? Maybe, but probably not completely. My goal is to become so aware of what He is saying that it is natural for me to just do it rather than contemplate whether He is asking me to do something or if it is just an idea I came up with. The other day we had some new neighbors move in and I felt like I was supposed to make some zucchini bread for them and go introduce our family to them to welcome them to the neighborhood. I contemplated this for days, but knew I was supposed to do it. After about a week, I finally made the bread, but something came up that night and I didn't take it to them. The next day I was going to run an errand, I left the house and realized I forgot my phone. I came back to the house, grabbed my phone, and it was as if that loaf of bread was taunting me. "Take me to the neighbors!" I stood in the middle of the kitchen contemplating taking it right then or waiting until the entire family was together. After arguing with myself on whether or not I was going to finally obey what I'd been told, I grabbed the bread, took the kids out of the car, and we went over to this family's house. This seems so ridiculously small, but in delaying my obedience, I was disobedient. I tell my kids that all the time, but I can't even follow my own rule! I ask them, "what is delayed obedience?" They respond, "disobedience." I'm sure as I travel down this road there will be more delayed obedience moments, but the goal is to get rid of them completely. I want to quit justifying that it's my idea or wondering if it is really God. If it's a good thought why even wonder whose thought it is? Obviously if you are married and the thought involves a significant amount of money, there should be prayerful discussion with a spouse, but making a loaf of bread and taking it to a neighbor should just be an immediate, "Yes, Lord! I will gladly do that!"

LA - God Chick's Conference

Into Eternity

Life is but a fleeting moment in time; a vapor;
An infinitely small speck in God's vast creation.
The forces of Light and Dark fight for your life, your soul, your spirit man.
Spiritual warfare wages in the Heavenlies and manifests itself on Earth.
Chaos consumes the mind.
But, if you listen, the still small voice of Father God is speaking to your heart.
"Walk with me. I love you. I created you. Salvation is through me."
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
The battlefield in the mind is confusing.
You're torn between here and there.
Will you take a chance; make a stand for Christ?
What will you do?
Where will you spend eternity?
Heaven or Hell? The choice is yours.
Whom will you serve?
Make the decision before it's too late,
And your heartbeat fades away. . .
Into Eternity.

Light Your Candle . . .

I was lighting a candle yesterday - something I don't do very often because, well, if I burn them, then I have to pay to replace them. Yes, I know, I'm cheap, but that's not my point today!

Anyway, as I was lighting the candle, God showed me a comparison between candles and people. Most people have candles for two reasons - 1 because they are pretty and 2 because they smell good. Now, you can smell a candle up close without it being lit, but the fragrance doesn't go very far. But, when you light the candle, the perimiter of the aroma is much greater - one candle can make an entire house smell good, thus making it more effective in it's purpose.

How similar are we when we think about showing the love of Christ to others. If we truly want to share the Good News of Jesus we have to allow the light of His love to shine through us. If we keep quiet about salvation we might look pretty on the outside like an unlit candle, but the full potential of our purpose will never be realized and many people won't hear the hope of Jesus Christ.

What if the person that shared Christ with you had never "lit their candle" and kept the gospel to themselves? They'd be "heaven bound", but where would you be? The goal of the Great Commission is to get the gospel to the entire world - it's going to take a lot of lit candles to get the aroma of hope and salvation that far.

I challenge you, if your candle isn't lit, go find a lighter and light your candle. Someone needs to see and hear the Good News - you might be just the one God wants to use to reach a neighbor, a co-worker, a family memeber, or a dear friend.

President Obama - "we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation . . . "

On April 6th, President Obama, while in Turkey said about America, "is ... we have a very large Christian population -- we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."

Now, in theory, I think I understand what he was attempting to say . . . and that is that America is a melting pot where all kinds of people, no matter what their faith, can come together and live in peace. Now, I don't guess I should be assuming to know what the President is trying to say. What I do know is this, he basically denounced God and tromped on the values and principles this country was founded on. We may not have Christianity as the national religion - that would go against the Constitution, however, the mere fact that he had the audacity to play down the role of our heritage and where the ideals and values he spoke about came from is incomprehensible and almost unforgiveable to me.

I was reading in Psalms the next night and found these verses, "Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples? Earth-leaders push for position, Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks. The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers: "Let's get free of God! Cast loose from Messiah!" Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first He's amused at their presumption; Then He gets good and angry. Furiously, He shuts them up: "Don't you know there's a King in Zion? A coronation banquet is spread for him on the holy summit." So, rebel-kings, use your heads; Upstart-judges, learn your lesson: Worship God in adoring embrace, Celebrate in trembling awe. Your very lives are in danger, you know; His anger is about to explode. But if you make a run for God - you won't regret it!"Psalm 2:1 - 6, 10 - 12

As a nation, I think we better do a pretty quick 180 degree turn back to God from where we are headed or we will indeed regret that!

Mr. Chet Edwards, Sir . . .

My husband, Dennis, just received a response letter from you regarding his encouragement of you to not vote for the stimulus bill. I find a few things interesting in your response. First of all, Congress and Senate is to be a voice for the people in the state in which they serve, not a platform to push through your own opinions. You wrote, "I respect those who might have honest disagreements with MY views on the economy or my votes on how to get our economy back on it's feet." Texas voted against Obama in this election 55% to 44% - you might want to pay attention to that.

Second, you discussed voting against the deregulation of Wall Street. You wrote, "If some businesses and banks are considered 'too big to fail', then they must either be far more effectively regulated or simply not allowed to become so big in the first place." It is NOT the government's job to run banks or businesses. That is the job of the private sector. If they fail, they fail. Will it be tough, ABSOLUTELY, however, I bet they learn their lesson. It's just like a kid who keeps making the same stupid mistakes over and over again. Tough love works - maybe that approach should be taken with banks and businesses.

Sir, you are gambling by borrowing against MY 3 kid's futures. It was a gamble far too risky to take. You need to listen to the voice of Texans, because most of them are not in agreement with trillions of dollars of debt. We are on a slippery slope to socialism and you are taking us there if you don't take a hands off approach to healthcare, the banking system, the car industry, etc. Free enterprise works and our founding father's would be sick at their stomachs if they could see where this country is headed. I highly recommend you rent the movie series called "John Adams". It is a painfully close resemblance of where exactly we are today. Then, think again about the philosophies you stand for.

EXTREME MAKEOVER Norris Edition

OH MY GOSH!!! That is all I could say over, and over, and over again when I came home from my Nebraska trip this past Saturday.

My husband, while I was out of town, got together with my best Friends - Kimberly and Fanette, our Pastor Janet, and a few other friends to redo our entire living room and kitchen area. The floors have been tiled and the rest has been rearranged and/or redone.

We had been talking about laying tile because of allergy issues in our home, so we thought this would be a wise move. However, the make-over part was completely and totally a surprise.

Thank you baby, for making me feel so loved!

What happened to inspiring people?

Barack Obama is my president. He is your president. If you live in America, whether or not you voted for him, he is our designated leader at this point in time.

That said, over the past month, I have been listening to him speak to the people of this great nation and all I hear is negativity. If I had a dollar for every time he said the words "catastrophe" and "crisis" this past month, I would be a wealthy woman. What ever happened to leading by example, by inspiration, and true hope. President Obama ran on "hope" and people bought into that vision of hope. Yet, when we listen to him speak now, there is no hope, it's all doom and gloom and how bad off we are.

I know Who I put my hope in. It isn't people, or policies, or projects, it is in the Lord Who created this great planet and on Whom this nation is founded.

I pray President Obama chooses to change his language and speak hope into the people of this day. I don't need the President to tell me how things are over and over and over again. State the facts and then let's move forward. Right now, he is stating the facts, but not giving vision for the future. The Bible said that without a vision people perish.

People keep comparing Obama to FDR. FDR tried to help the country out of recession/depression with the New Deal. Now, for the most part, the New Deal didn't work, but FDR was a person who spoke positively. He inspired the people of the day to look ahead, not give up, and not fear. Sadly, this president is choosing not to inspire.

President Obama, I ask you to cast vision. Speak with passion. Share the hope you promised.

The Fairness Doctrine - or should I say, the Censorship Doctrine

Here's a letter I've sent to both Senators and Congressman Chet Edwards . . .

I am hearing more and more lately about the possiblility of the Fairness Doctrine trying to be put back into place. I beg of you, not to vote in favor of anything that even remotely resembles the fairness doctrine.

This idea completely goes against free speach. All people have the same opportunity to be heard on tv, radio, or the internet - that's what is already fair. If they choose not to be heard through those outlets, that's their choice, but forcing radio, tv, or internet to have equal time on both sides truly becomes bondage and not freedom at all.

As a citizen who loves this country and the freedoms it stands for, I am asking again that if this issue comes up, you not support it in any fashion.

Thank you!
Lara Norris
College Station, TX

Leadership Excerpt from Andy Stanley

It was my turn to give the devotion before Children's Church and with all the crazy stuff going on in our country, this seemed an appropriate topic . . .

The Next Generation Leader
By Andy Stanley
(Ch. 13 paraphrased)

p. 131 “character is not essential to leadership”

- That may be a surprising statement at first, but I think this statement has been shown quite clearly this week. We have an Olympic swimmer who has “fallen from grace” with the picture of him smoking pot. We have people on Capitol Hill leading who have not paid taxes. The previous Illinois Governor has been impeached . . .and I’m sure most of us have had a boss or employer at some point who has had character flaws, yet they were still in charge.

p. 131 So, “character is not essential to leadership . . . but character is what makes you a leader worth following.”

p. 133 “Character is the will to do what’s right even when it’s hard. Character is about will because it requires a willingness to make tough decisions – decisions that sometimes run contrary to emotion, intuition, economics, current trends, and in the eyes of some, common sense. . . . As a next generation leader you must decide ahead of time what is nonnegotiable as it relates to right and wrong.”

P 134 “Character involves doing what’s right because it’s the right thing to do – regardless of the cost.”

p. 138/139 “Leading with character is not about doing right to avoid consequences. Leaders worth following do the right thing because it is the right thing. Virtue is not a means to an end. It is the end. . . . Leaders worth following acknowledge that their leadership skills and successes never give them the right to replace what God has put in place.”

p. 139 “Every leader wears two badges: one visible, one invisible. The visible badge is your position and title. (servant leader, captain, team leader, director, or pastor) The invisible badge is your moral authority. . . Your position will prompt people in your organization to lend you their hands on a temporary basis. But your moral authority will inspire them to lend you their hearts.”

- Isn’t that what we want in ministry – servant leaders who aren’t just lending a temporary hand, but are inspired to serve with their hearts?!

p. 140 “Moral authority is the credibility you earn by walking your talk. It is the relationship other people see between what you claim to be and what you really are. . . Alignment between belief and behavior makes a leader persuasive. You can manage people without moral authority, But you cannot influence them. . . John Maxwell was right when he said that people have to buy into the leader before they will buy into the vision. It is your moral authority that opens the door for the people around you to buy into your vision. You can pay people to work for you based on your position alone, but you cannot involve people in a cause or a movement without moral authority.”

When Dennis and I first became members of Covenant Family church, we had to “buy into” Pastors Danny and Janet before we bought into the vision of the church. It wasn’t until we did that, that we began to serve and help in Student Ministry. Then when we started serving in ministry, we had to buy into the people leading us before we bought into the specific ministry vision. People need to buy into you before their hearts will be inspired to buy into the vision of your area. Be that leader with influence. Don’t just have the “title badge”, wear the invisible badge of moral authority. It’s not always the easiest road, but it is an adventurous path worth taking.

As I was praying this morning, God also reminded me to make sure I am looking to Him for the perfect example of moral Authority. He will never let us down or make a mistake. People make mistakes. We have all fallen short or we wouldn't need Christ. So, don't put people on a pedestal where they don't belong. It's ok to have leaders you are following; in fact it's necessary to move forward in this life. Just remember, we are all human and Christ is the Ultimate example of a True Leader.

Letter to Senator John Cornyn

I found out this morning that the only Senator opposed to blindly handing over Hillary's appointment was one of our Texas senators, John Cornyn. I am so proud to have him in Washington! On his website, you can e-mail concerns or comment on issues @ http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Here's what I told him - it's short and to the point!

1. Thank you for standing up and voicing concern about the Clinton's and Hillary's appointment. It's nice to know that someone up there doesn't have "group think"!
2. I am severely opposed to Gov't funding for abortions! If Obama feels the need for Gov't to finance anything - finance helping families adopt, not destroying babies. Abortion is a moral issue, not a political issue, just as slavery was. All human life, no matter race or age is valuable. Abortion should be abolished.
3. I am for the fair tax!
4. I am opposed to the "fairness doctrine" - that is a political term for "sensorship" and I don't like it.
5. I am a free market capitalist - not a socialist. Don't let the government turn this society into France. I'm sure France is a nice place to visit, but I don't want to live there.

Senator, please be encouraged! Please continue to stand up for what is right. There are far too few true leaders willing to fight the good fight. There are people out there, like myself, who have true conservative values and believe in the free market system. I value the vision our founding fathers had and I feel that vision is slowly fading away.

Keep the faith! Stand Strong!

Lara Norris

Here We Go . . .

So, I just turned on the radio and heard that our new President is ready to repeal the abortion laws that President Bush put in place. In other words, President Barak Obama wants to allow Government money to help fund abortions.

I personally feel that abortion is a moral issue just like slavery was. It isn't a personal right and it most definitely shouldn't be government sponsored! Life should be valued from beginning to end, no matter how young or old, no matter what color your skin. Life is given and should be taken only by our Mighty Creator.

I think governement has no place in this issue as far as funding goes, but if Barak Obama truly wants to lower the rate of abortions and feels the government must help financially, how about a federally funded program to help families adopt rather than paying them to help kill their babies.

I fear this is just the beginning of even more severe moral decline for this country.

It truly makes me sick to my stomach and saddens me at my core.

Sick and Tired of the Wimps in Washington

First off, let me state straight up - I am not a political guru by any stretch of the imagination! This year however, I have become almost obsessed with the lack of moral values, character, and plain common sense of our so called leaders.

I think so much of this was noticed in the race for the White House. I am a huge Sarah Palin fan, simply because the lady has class, character, and courage. She also has common sense - something that so many people these days lack, not only in politics, but in life in general. She is an independent thinker; believes in what our founding fathers stood for, and fights for her people, not her platform.

This year, all the democrats and most of the republicans disappointed me. Now, as President Elect Obama is placing his team together, I'm even more outraged at our leaders for not calling "foul"! For insance, I am in awe at the harrassment, and downright meanness of the liberal media toward "Joe the Plumber". He was raked over the coals for having $3000 in back taxes that he says he didn't know he owed. Should he pay up? Absolutely - and I don't think he ever argued that point. But then there's Tim Geithner - the man Obama is appointing as Secretary of Treasury. He has over $34,000 of back taxes and the democrats are calling it a "mistake". And, the media isn't grilling him - they aren't even questioning it! And this is a potential leader in our country. This whole thing just has me puzzled, and quite frankly, pissed off.

I find it appalling the lack of moral character that is required anymore. I fear this great country has seen it's greatest days unless we learn to stand up, be heard, and uphold what is right. I keep hearing a song in my head by Casting Crowns:
"It's a slow fade when you give yourself away. It's a slow fade when black and white have
turned to gray. Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid, When you give
yourself away. People never crumble in a day."
I think the same could be said for countries or kingdoms - they never crumble in a day. It's a slow fade when we choose to take prayer out of schools, allow abortions, gay marriages, socialistic ideas. . . shall I go on? Over the years, it has been a slow fade. America is giving herself away and only a very few see it.

I see it . . . and it is unsettling. I have 3 beautiful kids whom I want to have the opportunity to grow up in a free, God-fearing society. That opportunity is slowly fading. It's my job to instill those priciples in them, stand up for what's right, and teach them moral and ethical responsibility along with character and integrity in their choices. I hope and pray that they have courage to stand up for what's right. I also pray that as we move forward as a country that conservative values are reignited. That won't happen though unless we communicate with our leaders. Send letters to your congressmen. Don't water down your values to "go with the flow". Walk out your faith to the best of your ability and let God shine through you. Change can come - but it's going to have to start wtih me and with you. Then it will flow into our families and overflow into the communities. That's change we can believe in!

Give Me A Revelation, Show Me What to Do . . .

The Christian music group "Third Day" has a song out called, Revelation. It's been out for a few months, but it seems to really be hitting me in the gut right now.

I posted a few months ago about not really being sure where I fit into the whole Batteries Plus thing. Back in September, the church called me and said they were looking to hire someone to work 20 hours a week doing Children's Ministry stuff along with some other miscellaneous tasks. I was glad to have an opportunity to do something different. The job could start in 2 weeks or begin after the first of the year. . . they weren't 100% sure. Dennis was excited for me and said to take it. As the semester moved along, I began to feel extremely uneasy about working at the church, which made no sense to me at all. I've always wanted to be on staff at our church. I love the people and what we do and why not get paid to work doing what you love and believe in? I started talking to Dennis over the course of a few weeks just to try and sort through why there was no peace in this decision. I finally verbalized to him that I felt going to the church, at least at this point in time, didn't feel like the right decision. He didn't question me, but said I needed to call our Children's Pastors immediately. I did so and they still love me. I feel bad that it's taken this long to get to a point of realizing that direction, for whatever reason, was wrong at this time. I still am puzzled by the whole thing, but feel at peace with the decision.

That said, God: Give me a revelation. Show me what to do, 'cause I've been trying to find my way and I haven't got a clue. Tell me should I stay here or do I need to move. Give me a revelation. I've got nothing without You. - Third Day

I don't know, maybe this is an obedience test. Maybe it has something to do with the challenges Caleb's had at school and I'm going to need to be more available for him. Maybe I'm still supposed to stand alongside my man rather than cheer from the sidelines. Maybe the timing is just off. No matter what it is, I feel at peace with the decision and that's a great way to begin this new year.

I love You, God and I fully trust you with my future. For I know the plans you have for me; plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11