Jean Stockdale...

More Please

Thank you, dear prayer warriors, for holding the ropes for me as I attempt to hit my deadline for the book of Esther. I have until Wed. to pull this off. It is going to be close but I believe I can do it~especially if you will pray. I have spent the day (Sat.) at my computer and I am brain-drained. The overall text of the work is done with the exception of one lesson that simply will not come together. I am proofing and reworking at this point. Thanks to Dianne Maybee for proofing for me. Jason is also going to take a look at it for me. Craig will follow him, looking for content and continuity. He knows how I think and can spot when my brain gets all sideways and I go off half-cocked. Anyways, please keep praying. I will work tomorrow after church, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then send it off to the publisher.

I will need to immediately begin writing on Philippians in order to stay on schedule. I think I have mentioned I am getting a new grand baby on June 28 and I simply must have time to breathe in all his new yumminess! Blessings.

Prayer Request

I am sorry I have been AWOL from the bloggy land. I have been covered up with a writing deadline. My study on Esther must go to the publisher on May 21 in order to be delivered in time to teach it at Bellevue Baptist in September. I have been writing 8-10 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week. To say my brain is a bit boggy is an understatement! But, praise the Lord, I have the end in sight. If I really push hard, I believe I will make the deadline and get the manuscript off. I will have several additional portions of the book to write, like the leaders guide, dedication, etc. but I am believing I can make it. I am asking you to pray for me as I come into the home stretch. Having raised my sons, I have turned my attention to raising the next generation of godly moms for Christ. I am rather serious about what I do and I want to "run well and finish strong", don't you know. So if you would pray for me...well, I would appreciate it. I will return to my blog soon and regale you with the nutty life that is mine. Until then...may the blessings of God reside upon you in abundance.

Whoa Baby!

Sweet bloggy friends-Can you just eat this face up with a spoon or what? Oh how my heart hurts when I see this face! Oh the joy!

Today I sent the final draft of Elijah to the publisher. It should be out by August. I am feverishly writing on Esther but I have 2/3 of it done. I am gaining on the May 21 deadline. On May 22nd I will begin to write on the Book of Philippians called "Joy in the Journey" unless otherwise directed. Whoa baby! I am spending many hours in my chocolate brown office with my cat on my lap and my fingers on my keyboard. God has blessed abundantly and I am forever grateful. Thank you for your prayers and loving support. For the joy of sharing God's Word with sweet mommies...well, I am forever grateful! Blessings.

Esther-Gen

My sweet bloggy friends, thank you for praying for me as I write the study of the book of Esther. The working title is "How to Live Like a Queen." I am over halfway finished and I think I will make my deadline of May 21 without blowing a fuse! I am loving the study and God is challenging my own convictions about living in soverignty and resting in His providence.

This much I know. I want to live like a queen. I want to live like the royal blue blood that I am in Christ, but there is more to this Chrisitan life than looking good wearing the crown! For heavens sake, this is work. Hard work. Putting the flesh to death, casting down vain imaginations and exalting Christ above all requires a disciplined life and it is hard. Hard, I say. Anyways, thank you for praying for me. Words are flowing and God is blessing.

The study of Elijah is at the publisher and will be out in Sept. The title is "The Secret to Supernatural Living-Fresh Fire for God's People." I have seen the cover and it is gorgeous. I will post it when I get the final copy. God is moving and I want to go on with Him! Come and walk with me! Blessings.

The Afterglow

I am still basking in the afterglow of my weekend at Black Oak Heights Baptist Church. The ladies were so very teachable and you know how I love that. God touched down with an unusual visitation of His presence. We had marvelous music. Michelle and Robin are memories there and have beautiful voices. The church obviously has alot of vocal talent and love to worship in song. I love that too. They invited Lois Jane, a sweet lady who is in full time Christan music ministry, to lead the music. She is extremely anointed in songs, which she writes most of, and in her testimony. If you would like to read more about her, click here. She is quite a lady. She had a career in the country music genre, singing with Dolly and Merle, before leaving it behind and doing only Christian music. It was altogether a glorious weekend.

I am pressing on with Esther and am approaching the half-way mark! Please keep praying. I need words, people, words. Not just any words. I need the mind of Christ! Blessings.

Home Again

Craig and I had a wonderful time in Knoxville. I spoke 3x at the Women's Retreat for Black Oak Baptist Church. Oh my, what a great group of ladies! Much love to Beth Ross for vision and hard work to bring this weekend to pass. She is surely a lifelong best friend that I did not even know I had! I love her passion for the Word of God and for women. I taught a series out of James which I entitled "Mirror, Mirror" and the ladies were so teachable. It was a great blessing.

I returned home with my sinus infection in tact but I managed to teach with great freedom. Thank you for praying for me. I did not want my physical limitations to distract me and God answered that prayer. I will pick back up on my writing schedule for Esther in the morning. Please pray for words to flow!

Declan is starting to make this face when I have taken a lot of shots in a row! He is anticipating the flash and makes the cutest face1 I just love it. He is a serious reader. After I took about 1000 pictures I sat the camera down and read to the child. I am such a good grandmother!Blessings.

A Little Prayer Support Please

Girls, I am headed off tomorrow to speak at a Women's Conference in Knoxville Tn. at Black Oak Baptist Church. I am so excited. I will teach one time on Friday and three times on Saturday. This is a new series for me called "Mirror, Mirror" from the book I wrote on James. I am so excited about it. I have taught the lessons before but not exactly like I am doing this weekend. I have been to the church 2 other times and they are big fun! My kind of sisters. Anyhoo, I have come down with a sinus infection. Just looking at the green grass through my window makes me seize up and sneeze! I went to the dr. yesterday and am loaded for bear with meds of all kinds. But I will ask you to kindly pray for me. I want to be at my best and not so blocked up I cannot hear or breath. You know who important it is for me to have air-lots of it-when I get jammin' about Jesus. So pray, will ya'? I needs it.

Two weekends ago Craig and I had the privilege of attending PJ Redmond's graduation from Flight School. He is the oldest son of our friends, Paul and Elesa Redmond. He graduated from the Air Force Academy and has been at Columbus, MS. in flight school for 18 months. It was quite a ceremony and a very patriotic event. He will be serving our country for the next 10 years, stationed out of N.M. for the immediate future. Craig and I are so proud. Sadly, I took alot of the credit for this child, although I have no right too! We are proud of P.J. and his younger brother, Grant.

This is Why...

This is why I cannot catch my breath. This is why my heart hurts for the joy of it all. This is why I am reduced to a big ole pile of mush when these blue eyes meet mine. This is why I am having deja-vu, seeing Jason when he was 10 months old instead of Declan. This is why I say this child is simply delicious.

Boy oh Boy!

On Saturday Craig and I got to see our newest grand baby via the 4-D ultrasound. Oh my heart! I thought I would melt into a puddle and run into my shoes when we got to see him for the first time. Although the images are blurred we were able to see his profile, his face, his perfectly irresistible mouth and his chubby cheeks. In my mind he looked alot like Dawson, although the shape of his face reminded me of Kathryn. As we watched, he yawned so big and his mouth nearly eclipsed his face! It was precious. Then he sucked all the oxygen out of the room when we saw him put his foot up to his face and suck his toes! Seriously. He is precious. Seriously people, he is precious; precious I say. Boy oh boy!

A Birth Announcement

I feel as if I have birthed a baby. Seriously. It seems like it has taken at least 9 months, but we are proud new parents of a bouncing baby boy-oh-boy website.

We are still tweaking a few little things but it is nearly complete. Soon, and very soon we will have an E-commerce page up. Credit card sales will be able to be made on-line for my books, Cd's and DDS. How cool is that?!?! And we are going to produce a monthly newsletter for all who register at Contact Information. If you have some time (who am I kidding-you mommas don't have any extra time!) click on www.jeanstockdale.com and browse the site. Let me hear from you. I want to know what you think. Blessings abound.