Contest Winners!!!

Are you gonna eat that?

Congratulations Christy, May 10 @ 11:01 P.M. Send me a mailing address and you bounty is in the mail.

Our random winner is: Chris, May 11 @ 5:33 A.M. Wear the bikini top with pride. Or don't. In either case, send me your address.

stacyasmall@att.net

Facebook: stacy a small

Twitter: @stacyasmallSFL

Thanks to everyone who played along. Putting together the prize packs for you all is a highlight for me. I consider myself privileged to have such great readers who share this site with me. I love having fun with you!

Contest Prize Pack

I've been known to pack lots of laughs into SFL giveaways. But never before have I packed so much love into one. Without further ado I give you...

The Random Prize Pack of Dumb!!!

Party Bikini Top - Isn't there a little hula curious in everybody? Used to be you had to wear a coconut bra and grass skirt to be legit. Luckily the rules have relaxed a little. (Which is a relief. The husk on those things causes serious fiber chaffing, or so I've been told.) So here's a party bikini top just for you. Notice I specifically did not choose a pink bikini top, you know, just in case a guy won.

Generic Frog Peep Candy - Green and yellow in color, never before has a candy company successfully marketed a sugar-rolled loogie. Three hocks per box.

OR

A left over Kentucky Derby cookie. It has icing. Let's move on.

Cast Awana, The Movie - The less heard of spin-off of Cast Away, both staring Tom Hanks. Speaking of Tom Hanks, what if Forrest Gump wandered into the Cast Awana movie? Imagine Forrest Gump in his Sparks vest, "I many not be a smart man Jenny but I know what my verse is." Precious.

OR

Left Behind II Tribulation Force - Starring Kirk Cameron. Here's what the box says, "Left Behind will have you jumping out of your seat and shouting at the movie screen, as you feel compelled to join the Tribulation Force." Join them? What?? Oh, wait. I get it. Join them to make a better movie. Plus, I've added Mr. Miyagi commentary: "You no kick your way into heaven. This movie very sucky-son."

The Redneck Spoons Playing Kit - Because what else are you supposed to do dressed in your bikini top, eating snot candy, and staring at your VHS box? It comes with spoons, which is spectacular. I took it out of the box and tried to play. I knew I'd be extra super good at it when the first instruction was "sit". If you could manage to be barefoot and pregnant while playing spoons, all the better.

Both winners announced Wednesday.

Caption My Photo Contest

One woman's carnage is another woman's inspiration. At least that's what I keep telling myself. So here you have it, straight from my asphalt to your computer screen: The SFL Photo Caption Contest. (Yes, I took this picture myself.)

There are 2 ways to win. First, come up with the most creative caption for this photo. Or, leave your name and a lame excuse as to why you can't bring it to captionville. There will be one winning caption, and one randomly selected SFL reader. I've never done a contest this way but I think it will be fun.

You have until Thursday to enter the contest. Prizes will be posted later this week.

Game on!!

Jacked Up Jack-O-Lantern CONTEST WINNER

Founding Member Pumpkin
This pumpkin eats pastors for breakfast, and because he is one of the founding members of the church everyone lets him. Founding member pumpkin has not found a pastor yet that he didn't like to chew on, and he has spit out every pastor the church has had since the first one in 1953....

Congratulations Steve, you are the official winner! It was a tough call. The vat was so thick with sarcasm that I could scarcely lift the ladle. But when all the judges had sampled their fill of mockery, Founding Member Pumpkin came out smelling....well, like pumpkin guts, actually, which is good in a rotten vomit kind of way. E-mail me at stacyasmall@att.net to claim your mullet gift o' rama. And I think I speak for all SFL readers when I say please, please assemble the costume and send us a picture.

Honorable Mentions:
Jon Acuff gave props to Rob's "When Church Janitors Go Bad"
MCTC loved mistymorningmountain with the Joel Olstein/John Piper parody
SFL would also like to recognize Miss Hannah for the Home School Mom bit (classic AWANAs)

On a side note, SFL has been up and running for almost 3 whole months. You know, readers, you mean so much to me. It's time you knew just how much...(dim lights, cue Luther Vandros music)...



I feel so much better about myself...

CONTEST LOOT & Judges: It's Not Too Late!!

It's not very often that a pumpkin can change a life. Until now. Here you have it - The Jacked Up Jack-O-Lantern Contest Prize. Let me outline for you the ins and outs of the prize pack:

1 Mullet Wig
That's right, you read it correctly. Say it with me, like it doesn't hurt to own up to it, "Mullet wig!" Often defined as "Business in the front. Party in the back." This wig is your ticket to the high life. ("high" as in drug induced stupor) But like all good Christians we must take the concept of the mullet and put God sauce on it. So, I submit to you, "Mullet: Presbyterian in the front. Pentecostal in the back." There. I feel more holy just typing it.

1 Screaming Pop-Up Plush
Complete with rubberized hair and super loud, electronic high pitched cackle this is the most annoying thing I could send in the mail besides myself. The best thing about the laugh is that it will serve 2 functions:
1) It's perfect in tone and pitch for women's ministry events. That doesn't mean you have to attend, I'm just saying...
2) Use it in church service every time your pastor tells a lame joke. Let this thing laugh for you and trust me, he'll stop. Or quit. Use your own judgement here.

Zit Poppers Candy
The package reads, "Plump & Rich, OOzy Gushy Goo Filled Zit Gummies You Can Burst In Your Mouth. Zitlicious!" You can actually take these candies and pop them near your friends and strawberry flavored puss will fly out. Trust me, people, you can't buy this kind of popularity. (Or maybe you can, at Target.)

Then there are other goodies like Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape, Happy Bunny Stickers, and a Hose Nose slime filled candy that was left over from the Bible College survival pack. And other various crap, too.

Meet Your Contest Judges:

Jon Acuff of Stuff Christians Like
Dan Small, CPA
More Cute Than Crazy, a suburban housewife living the dream (with the help of an occasional margarita)
Stacy From Louisville

In the event of a tie all judges and contestants will meet at Big Lots in Milwaukee. All contestants will be blindfolded and tied to each other with bungee cords. The prize pack will be thrown up in the air and all contestants will be left to their own devices. No shoving or swearing, we will be in public.

I'm extending the voting until Monday at midnight! It's not too late to caption the pumpkin.

Winner of the Jacked Up Jack O Lantern will be announced on Tuesday.

Jacked Up Jack-O-Lantern CONTEST

(This is a contest, ergo "contest" in the title. Read through the post and find your assignment at the bottom. Good luck!)

I don't know if Little Boy Jesus ever went Trick or Treating. There's just some things Scripture doesn't speak to. But I can imagine LBJ (Little Boy Jesus, not Lyndon B. Johnson) dressed as a camel or Buzz Lightyear or Gene Simmons. (or not) He's carrying his empty gourd hoping to score some mad candy and hummus as he celebrates Halloween, Nazareth style. Surely, though, there were some people who weren't into Halloween, even then. No pumpkins, no costumes, no candy, no nothin'. I have this theory that's what initially caused the rift between Him and the Pharisees. Yep, I'm blaming anti-halloween stingy candy uppityness. Cheating LBJ out of taffy and tootsie rolls was a big mistake. Huge.

Fast forward 2000+ years. The same thing happens, but with a holy spin. At church last week I overheard one woman talking to another, saying, "I take the pumpkin, carve a cross instead of a face, put a lit candle inside, then turn off all the lights and pretend we're not home when people ring the doorbell. That's how we do Halloween." It was a really animated conversation. Though I can't be sure I think I saw her pull the template out of her bootleg Coach purse. If I would have been thinking I would have snapped a pic with my camera phone. I always miss out on the good stuff. Dang it.

If there's one thing we need around Stacy From Louisville (besides common sense) it's a shout out for Pumpkin Carving Ministry. It's a spiritual gift, but a secret one. It's true. Okay, it's not true but it sounds good so I'm going with it. The point is, pumpkins, like any good squash or root vegetable can represent cross sections of Christian culture. For example...

Pumpkin a la Women's Ministry
See how happy and smiley? It wants to hug you and help you find a pretty corduroy jumper for your next night out with your husband. Sexy. If this beautykin could talk she'd say, "Hope to see you at the fall women's retreat!" To which I'd probably tell you it's okay to convert, just until the first snow falls.


Church Greeter Pumpkin
This smile, permanently plastered to his face, is there just for the purpose of saying, "Good Morning!" 50,000 times in a row. Plus, he spits a little every time he talks. Nice. If you don't have a good experience at church he'll find out about it and force happy pills down your throat until you change your story. But be careful! If he spots a visitor, or - heaven help us - a nonbeliever, it's all over. They'll need to pull out the pepper spray and run. Fast. This is church. You're going to be happy and like it, or you're gettin' jumped by this guy. P.S. He's got bad post-communion breath. Aw snap.





Youth Group Pumpkin
Oh, for shame! You mutant, hormonal, sarcastic teenagers. You won't get into any notable Bible Colleges if you keep this up. And girls, you can just forget marrying a pastor with pumpkin posterior humor. This is serious. I'm taking away your pot if you don't stop. (Not that I advocate pot. I only advocate mooning pumpkins statues.)



Pastoral Staff Meeting Pumpkin
Are you in vocational ministry? Do you ever feel misunderstood? Ever long for the safe haven of your office where you can surf SFL archives? I know your pain. I used to be on the vocational ministry fast track. It never worked out for me, though. To this day I still can't figure out why...


Caption Contest Pumpkin
Now it's your turn. Caption this pumpkin scenario. Be creative, or sarcastic, or whatever it takes to win big. You've seen in the past that I do some fun contests. ("Blog Fodder - Contests & Giveaways" will show you what I mean.) So here's your chance. Contest runs until midnight Pacific time on Sunday (October 19). Judges will be announced and a picture of the prize will be posted over the weekend. Here's hoping....

Bible College Survival Pack Update

Here's a shout out for Bub. He leaves some great comments but that's not what makes him famous. He won a SFLBC Survival Pack. Click over to God, Me & Poker for a pictorial journal showing him putting his gift pack to good use. When I saw it I laughed out loud, doubled over, in hysterics. Here it is, Mr. Postman.

Here's a shout for Dog Snob, who also won a Bible College Survival Pack. Lucky girl laid claim to a personalized "Wide Hips Increase Fellowships" hankie. With the nation in such financial upheaval you can imagine what it's like for her to have such a national treasure. She took some great pics, too. Venture over to What's In My Head... Interesting Candy.

Enjoy!!!

P.S. I'm making some changes to SFL. Thanks for your patience. As I'm sure you can imagine changing the template was a major undertaking. Beads of perspiration dot my forehead from all the concentration. So, tell the truth, do you like the green? Dan hates it. I don't. He had no real reason for hating it other than hating it. I reasoned, "I like it because my eyes are green so it all coordinates." Overwhelmed by my logic, he said, "Goodnight, My Green Eyed Goddess." Okay, I made that last part up, but still, he went to bed. Don't be afraid to side with him, even though he is wrong. And don't mind affirming my choice since I hold the purse strings on the give aways around here. Hint, hint.

SFL Contest Winners Make Out Big! (but they don't make out with each other - it's not one of those kinds of sites)

Once, I dated a preaching major. For graduation he wanted a day timer so he could record his sins as they occurred. He wanted to make sure he was always on top of whether or not he was saved, cause (according to him) you just never know. I told him, "I'm pretty sure you're not saved in the first place." Surprisingly, we broke up soon after. It's been at least 15 years since that happened. He never calls or writes.

Hooray for the "Guess My SCL Blog Contest". Just as a reminder, here are the winners:

Bub
Dog Snob
Sam - who I don't think he realizes he won, but he did!!! Lucky ol' Sam.

(If you haven't already sent me your address shoot me an e-mail so I can get your gift to you.)

Because the gift needed to reflect the blog content, each winner will receive a Bible College Survival Pack. Here's a picture of what our contest winners will receive:



Here's the explanation for each piece of the gift:

1 Perfect Preacher Pocket Protector (don't panic, it's colorless so don't worry about it messing up your fashion statement)

1 red pen (because Jesus spoke in red ink and so should you)

1 highlighter for especially notable sermon illustrations

2 pens

1 set of floaties for safety while baptizing, which is a danger often overlooked

2 packs of grape Kool Aid for making communion on the go (Now I realize there are some denominations that use red wine for communion. Trust me, I would have sent it but I don't have a multi-state liquor liscense. Yet...)

1 stack of mini post it notes - for recording sins throughout the day so that you don't forget to repent

1 pack of pantyhose

1 lip gloss with a key chain that reads, "I heart Boys", signifying that if you were a Bible College chick trying to land a preacher you'd be more than happy to try your best to birth him some sons so they can go off to Bible College, become preachers, and make the family proud by wearing the same suits to class dear ol' dad wore 20 some years ago

1 pack of post it notes for writing down your sins, like my former preacher pal

1 Hose-Nose Mask - strap it over your own nose, remove the cap and green slime candy drips on your tongue - yummmm

And perhaps my favorite prizes are handkerchiefs that I personalized for each of my winners. Here are the super special personalisation messages:

Bud - S.F.L.B.C. Class of '08 Professional Pulpit Hog &
I heart B.C. Babes

Sam - Homiletics Hottie &
S.F.L.B.C. Class of 2008, Bible Banger
(Notice how Sam's handkerchief is misspelled? That's why it's best for everyone concerned I married a CPA. Not that I can add either.)

Dog Snob - my only female winner gets special hankies...
May I Water Your Camels? &
Wide Hips Increase Fellowships S.F.L.B.C. 2008

That's right, folks, I'm dangerous when it comes to puff paint. Also, notice that I have started the official Stacy From Louisville Bible College. Surely the great thinkers of all Christendom will flock. I can't guarantee you'll be accepted, but if you'd like to apply please - in 3,000 words or less - leave a comment that tells me why you might be worthy to attend such a prestigious institution. Remember, at SFL I do have standards. I just forgot where I put them.

And here's a little extra somethin'-somethin' to thank all of you for being such a good blog audience. I think I went to school with the mailman, but I can't be sure.



Don't forget to apply to SFLBC when you're done...

A Correction AND A CONTEST!!!!!

We have 2 orders of business:

1) I will not be posting on SCL on Wednesday. I will be posting on THURSDAY. I thought I would step in and save you some grief. I can't imagine the rioting and looting that might ensue if you went over to SCL looking for me and I wasn't there. Imagine the disappointment for Idaho, only in it's infancy on this site. Idaho, let me tell you what everyone who reads my site regularly already knows: a) I need therapy for narcissism and 2) I don't lie to my readers, ever.

But in light of the confusion I'd like to make it up to you....

2) A CONTEST! A CONTEST!! A CONTEST!!! And right on the heels of "The Trash Can of Terrific"! (Which really ended up being a "Pencil Cup of Crap". But, don't tell the contest winners. I'm pretty sure they don't have their gift yet, but only because it's still sitting on my kitchen counter...) Since it's fairly obvious that Jon Acuff has gone utterly postal and decided to let you-know-who post on his site I think we need to have a contest. All you have to do is guess what topic I'm writing about for his site on Thursday. I will watch the comments for this post from now until Thursday, 12 a.m. on the West Coast. You may ask me "yes" or "no" questions to help narrow down the topic. The 3 people who either guess the topic or guess closest will win. For example, imagine you ask, "Is the topic related to missions?" (which it's not but play along) and I say "yes", that's not enough to win. You have to break it down, piece by piece..."Is it about ethnic food?" Yes. "Is it about fried Gopher?" No. "Is it about getting sick?" Yes. "Is it about getting a parasite on a mission trip?" YES!! YOU WIN!! The first 3 people who guess the right answer will win, based on the time their correct answer was posted to blogger.

I can't reveal what you will win because it is directly related to the post topic. I know that's risky but since when don't you like free stuff?

So here we go... You've got a day and a half starting NOW.... Let the questions begin!!!!!

Where Is Stacy? And A Big Secret

The remnants of Hurricane Ike passed right through Louisville with 80 mph winds. There are over 200,000 homes in Louisville without power since Sunday. There is more damage to the city than in over 30 years of tornadoes. Businesses are closed, gas stations are out of gas, street lights don't work, schools are closed. Luckily, we still have power and no trees down in our yard, which separates us from most.The city needs help, especially since we sent many relief workers to New Orleans and the Houston area. We had 13 friends over to our house for dinner and a cell phone/laptop charging party last night, which was fun.

I'll post again later today so check back then. I got some crazy that's ready to hit the screen but I gotta go be mom first - schools are closed for the week! (PRAY!) Readers, I love you for how you support my site. You haven't been forgotten!!!

Before I get my son out of time out I'll let you in on a secret. Jon Acuff of Stuff Christians Like is going out of town Wednesday. Guess who's doing a guest blog on his site? Come on! Guess! I know who it is but I'm not going to tell. Let's just say that on Thursday I'll meet you at SCL and we'll see what happens.

More later, I promise!!

Contest Winners!!! And another giveaway SOON!!!!

It was a close competition for sure. Who knew Idaho was so lovable? Well, apparently all of you! Here are the contest winners:

Kristel, September 8 @ 2:03 P.M.
Kristel loves Idaho because of this t-shirt. Thought I'd pee my pants when I saw it. You go, girl!


Sara, September 8 @ 1 P.M.
I love Idaho because there is a law that forbids a citizen to give another citizen a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds.


Eastern KY Pastor , September 8 @ 8:18 P.M.
Who loves Idaho because they have blue AstroTurf.

I would like to give an honorable mention to Teamstrand who made perhaps the most thought provoking comment of all:

"Idaho has a junior senator named Senator Crapo."

Congratulations official contest winners! E-mail me soon: smallworld18@iglou.com

ANOTHER GIVEAWAY! ANOTHER GIVEAWAY! ANOTHER GIVEAWAY! ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!

October 4th is my 34th birthday. You get a gift. More details coming soon.

IDAHO! IDAHO! IDAHO!

A couple of people from Idaho have visited me, but I don't know who. Well, I would love to personally welcome you to Stacy From Louisville. We have a grand old time nearly once a week ranting and raving. If you leave your name and tell me your city in Idaho I'll send you a very fantastic gift. Really, when was the last time your computer hugged you? I say it's about time you got the recognition you deserve.

Tickled to meet you,
Stacy

Oh! Ah! SFL Trash Can of Terrific Sneek PeeK

Here it is my friends, The Trash Can of Terrific, in all its glory. Notice the "Hottie" magnet thrown in to sweeten the whole deal. And there are more surprises awaiting you. Really makes you want to come up with another reason to love Idaho, doesn't it? Well, it's not too late! There's still time for you to post to your heart's content. I do have some bad news, though. When I went to the store to purchase the trash cans they were out and I had to settle for a pencil cup. But don't hate on me. God's favorite desk accessory, next to your senior picture of course, is a pencil cup. That's where He keeps His long feathery writing plume and parchment post its. Oh, and another thing, I decided to change the rules - instead of 2 prize levels, they're all top notch Trash Cans of Terrific! I'm just so excited that I had to share the love and go a little overboard with my first giveaway. I hit nearly every clearance bin Wal-Mart had to offer - only the best of the best for SFL readers!!!

Contest ends tonight at midnight, eastern standard time. Get your thinking cap on and let's love on Idaho!!!!

SFL's FIRST CONTEST! YOU COULD WIN BIG!!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head were the synthetic vegans that rocked my childhood toy box. Like many children of the '70s I would sit for hours, probably picking my nose, while dressing the Mr. and Mrs. for various work and Happy Hour functions. It smelled all new and plasticity, a mixture that today would be called asbestos, PVC, and lead. Ahhhhhh. Catch a whiff of that retro spud love. It didn't matter that all the nose picking made me a bit of a preschool outcast. I had a plastic mustache to stick in the orifice of a fake root vegetable. I wanted for nothing. (And yes, I have always been just that spectacular.)

But my love for potatoes didn't end there. For years I have been a faithful consumer of nearly any potato product. Fried, mashed, baked, Au gratin, roasted, curly fires, tots, twice baked, chips. In soups, stews, pot pies, casseroles, shepherd's pie. With roast beef, lamb chops, baked chicken, fish, and pickled bologna. Potatoes with cheese, sour cream, butter, garlic, bacon, onions, olive oil, gravy, ketchup, salt, pepper, paprika. Need I go on? Friends, it's a love affair that won't be ending anytime soon.

And where do the best potatoes come from? Well, Idaho, of course. I have it on good authority that at least one of my thigh bulges represents about 2.6 farmer's yearly income from potato sellage. So, accounting for all the bulges, you'd think the entire state would be grappling to thank me. But, sadly, no.

It has been an entire month of posts for this little ol' blog. In that entire month I have heard from every state in The Union, save one: Idaho. That's right, not even one person from Idaho has stopped by Stacy From Louisville. But why?

This blog has been read in some crazy awesome countries. I gotta give a shout out to Tanzania, Uruguay, Egypt, Japan, Hawaii, Australia (a country and a continent all wrapped into one Aboriginal package), Mexico, most of the Canadas, France, England, and Fiji. Hey guys! I heart you!!!

But still, no Idaho. What do I have to do to get some Idaho love? Well, having a contest is probably the best route, so here we go.

The Stacy From Louisville Idaho Love Contest, or The SFLILC 2008.

There will be 3 winners, and 2 different ways to win. Here they are:

1) Leave a comment on my site listing what you love most about Idaho. Even if you've never been there I must believe you can come up with something. You can list up to 4 things you love about Idaho, even if it's completely nutty or unfounded. For every reason you love Idaho - that isn't already mentioned in another comment - your name will go into a hat. On Friday of this week I will randomly draw one name from the hat and that person will win. This is prize level I.

2) Now for the big guns. If you know someone from Idaho, have them log onto this post at my site. All they have to say is, "Hi Stacy. I live in Idaho. (your user name here) told me to stop by." Then, your name and your friend's name go into a hat (on the same piece of paper) and I will randomly select one set. Once the names are selected I will publish a post of the results on Friday by noon, eastern standard time. To verify that said person is actually from Idaho I will ask him or her to send a street address (I won't publish the address!) so I can send the gift. This is prize level II.

So what do you win?

Prize levels I and II will both receive what I call "The Trash Can of Terrific". Yes, I know that sounds super unbelievable, but just wait till I tell you what's in it. The trash can itself is about 8 inches tall, and every winner gets one. (Extravagant, I know.) Levels I and II will receive a package of Kleenex that has a nun printed on each tissue with a caption that says, "God Bless You" and some wicked sarcastic Happy Bunny Stickers. Level II winners will also receive 3 whole packets of Kool-Aid, 2 Fisher-Price Little People, a snack size bag of potato chips, and some other mind blowing amazingness that's too good to mention.

You have until midnight, eastern standard time on Thursday to play. Once the names are selected I will publish a post of the results on Friday by noon, eastern standard time.

So come on SFL fans. Let's love on Idaho.

On your mark...
Get set....
Comment!!!....

Someone broke into our house...

Do you ever sit back and wonder what you will do if someone should ever break into your home? Of course you do. Like me you probably imagine that you will be spectacular at defending yourself. No one imagines suddenly morphing into Pizza the Hut. No, maybe you're a Ninja. Or Wonder Woman. Or Jan Crouch from TBN. (Okay, maybe the last one is just me.) In your delusion, perhaps you're strong, or crafty, or exceedingly ambidextrous. No matter because everyone knows that this is a fantasy and this will never happen to you. But then, it does...

Someone broke into our house Friday night. Seriously.

I slept through the entire thing so I feel I have the duty to piece the story together, grossly exaggerating the parts that are unclear to me.

OKAY this all happened really fast, so read really fast and imagine lots of shock and adrenaline:

Dan wakes at 3 a.m. to find a criminal exiting our home. He has taken Dan's wallet and car keys. Dan runs through our front door to find the thief is backing our car down the driveway. Dan runs after him, "GET OUT OF MY CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Then Dan starts running down the street behind the car.

Thief Dude stops the car and gets out, holding his hands in the air. He starts running away. Dan chases him. Then he catches him.

Dan: GIVE ME MY WALLET!

Dude: I don't have your wallet!

Dan: Get back over to my house! NOW!

The guy starts walking back to our house, which is really polite in a felony kind of way. He wasn't a very smart felon, however, because he didn't put our car in park when he got out and started running. Consequently the car was rolling down our street. When Dan went to get it the perpetrator took off. Dan called the police.

No one was hurt. The kids and I slept through the entire thing, including the police searching our home looking for clues. When Dan told me later the next morning, long after it had all happened, I lost it. All the "what if" scenarios washed over me like a wave crashing against a rocky shore. My knees literally buckled under the pressure.

In the limited amount of time I have had to process this, I keep coming back to the idea that I could have lost Dan. I mean, really, my husband chased down someone who was brazen enough to break into our home. There are so many things that could have happened. If I dwell on them too long, the tidal wave crashes all over again. That wave renders me defenseless against the demons of my mind. All the horrible "what if" situations are Satan's way of distracting me from what God did in and around me that night.

His provision is best summed up like this: My kids and I slept peacefully in the midst of real danger. We found safety in the form of pillows, blankets, and the shelter of God. We pray His protection over us all the time, so why should I be surprised that He did just that?

Looking at all of my life I have to wonder about the times I let the "what ifs" rob me of what God was actively doing around me. For me, I can easily get lost in the dungeon of my mind, shackled to fear, or at least indecision. There is nothing Satan would like more than to immobilize me. Being stuck in one place keeps me from moving toward God.

It has taken me a few days to process everything, which is probably normal. But today is Sunday, and it's over. God is here and together we're up and walking.

What about you? Are you stuck, or are you walking it out?