Fun Flag of the Week

I came across this picture, and it was too sweet not to share.

This is from 1942, and the little boy is celebrating hs fifth birthday. The V on the side of the cake is for Victory in Europe and also the Roman Numeral for five. I love how patriotic the cake is. The little soldier is holding one flag and there are three more flags that I can see on this cake.

I hope you enjoy this moment of patriotism and nostalgia. In case you're wondering, this little boy is my dad, Richard Lutz. Have a great week!

I am Second® - Tony Dungy -

With the Superbowl coming up, I decided to share Tony Dungy's talk.

Ezra-God Has Not Forgotten You

Last week I visited a new church and was pulled into the pastor's sermon right away.

I'd like to share a bit of how it affected me. In Ezra, God told the Israelites to return to Judah and rebuild His temple. He said go, and they went.

Tim and I were shocked this fall when we heard God calling us to South Carolina. We were true emptynesters an life was good. After much prayer and discernment, Tim took the job and moved to South Carolina to begin his work.

I'm still in Kentucky at this time waiting on our home to sell.

When God's people got to Judah they struggled to rebuild what had been destroyed. Ezra declared God had not forgotten them.

I needed to hear that because sometimes I feel like God has forgotten me. I know He hasn't though.

Tim has used his time to fully immerse himself into his new job. He's spent time with residents and employees and worked long hours. I've used this time to study for the exam I need to take to become a pharmacist in SC. Last Sunday night I discovered, by the grace of God, I passed. My next hurdle was to meet with the board of pharmacy for an interview. I learned this happens once a month, and last Friday was the day. So I caught a flight and met with them on Friday, January 13. When I left the meeting, I was licensed to practice pharmacy in South Carolina.

During this time, a family has shown interest in our home and looked at it twice. I don't know if they'll buy it, but I do know God has not forgotten me.

If you feel lost or forgotten, please believe me. God has not forgotten you.

I don't know why I'm still in Kentucky, and I don't know what your struggle is. But I believe Romans 8:28. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Believing God at the Beach

I looked up the word believe in Merriam-Webster and here's what I found.

intransitive verb

to have a firm religious faith
to accept something as true, genuine, or real (ideals we believe in)
to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something (believe in exercise)
to hold an opinion : think
transitive verb

to consider to be true or honest
to accept the word or evidence of
to hold as an opinion : suppose




(These beach pictures were taken in Maine.)


I believe in God, and I believe God. I think one of the reasons I love the beach is it draws me closer to God. I can sit and watch the ocean. It's easy to see how people used to believe the world was flat. I look out and the water goes on as far as I can see. The waves come crashing onto the shore, and I see God's mighty strength and beauty.

Then as I walk along the shore and pick up shells, I see how much he cares for little sea creatures. He one has a little shell it wears for a time. God didn't have to make the shells so beautiful, but He did.

Maybe because of the wonder of God's awesomeness, I stop and absorb how amazing God is. And I think we all need times and places where we can stop and think about our amazing God.

In chapter one of James we read, "6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." NIV

Where do you feel closest to God?

Time Management

One of my goals for 2017 is to manage my time better.

Driving back from South Carolina I talked to Scott about time management goals.

I'm most creative in the mornings, so anything I can do the night before when I'm less creative will make better use of my time. I can lay out my clothes the night before. I can also lay out items to make preparing breakfast quicker and even supplies to make my lunch for work.

Scott told me he never hits the snooze button on his alarm and stretching gives him more energy. I'm still trying to come to grips with never hitting the snooze button. Maybe stretching will come.

Scott also shared that if he's in charge of preparing dinner, he washes dishes as he goes along. While the meat is on the grill, he'll wash the dishes he's already gotten dirty. When they finish dinner there's less time wasted cleaning up.

I love to listen to music, but certain songs distract me from my writing. I need to work with no music or play instrumental CDs that won't interrupt my concentration.

Also, if I'm stuck, it's good to move around for a few minutes and come back. This year when I get mentally blocked, I'll take the dog out for a short walk.

What about healthy eating? Are you more productive when you eat healthy foods? I think I work better if I don't eat high fat foods.

What about you? Do you have any tips to share?