The Cowgirl Within.....

Hello ladies,

I promised a couple more pictures so here you go! I'm wondering if anyone of you have picked up on what a terrible speller I am! I feel sure every post I have ever 'posted' has had grammar & spelling errors galore! But, last post was one of the funnier ones! In case you missed it- my new babies name is not spelled 'Poke-O' but Pocco!! And, if your thinking I figured that out all on my own- well think again! My sweet husband clued me in after he had a good laugh! Oh well, if you get a good chuckle over my poor writing abilities- laugh on sister! Because I promise you- if I ever figure out that I've made a huge mistake in the area of spelling etc. Believe you me- I'm gonna do some laughin' at my own self! Ha! Sometimes we just need to 'not' take ourselves too seriously!

Well, in case you were doubtful about the 'cowgirl' waiting to come out in me- hopefully the pictures I've posted today will prove it to you! In case you all aren't aware- the Drain's live out in the country where real country folk live. And not only real country folk but real cowboys and cowgirls! I've decided it must have something to do with the name of the place we live because most everyone in our community either have farm land, a tractor, cows, sheep, horses, goats, and if not any of the above they own a really over-sized lawn mower! The only thing I can figure is it's all in the name-'Harmony'! (Now I know your laughing!) To tell you the truth it is not always harmonious in Harmony! (I'm not going to elaborate on the harmonious thing just yet.) But in an effort to fit into our community- the Drain's are working hard at 'becoming all things to all people'. No- really- I'm joking! We have great neighbors who have all been very supportive in helping us to ease into this cowgirl adventure! But, let me just tell you a few of them got a real belly laugh out of my riding attire! Shorts & books with white knee socks poking out of the tops aren't 'in' when it comes to the cowgirl way! (at least the shorts were denim-right? And I did wear real cowgirl boots- thanks to the best mother-in-law in the whole wide world!) I learned real quick that real cowgirls wear blue jeans no matter how hot it is! I figured that out when some of my neighbors drove by and blew their horn at me-and I turned to see them laughing their heads off! Plus, they took the time to call me & have a good laugh at me & with me at my expense!


Just so you know Shelby & I enjoyed our first ride together Sunday afternoon. We had a blast! Shelby is so much better at this cowgirl thing than her mother is! The only speed she knows is FAST and FASTER! Her mother, however, is still having a few issues! Do you have any idea how far away from the ground you are when your sitting on the back of a horse? And, not to mention how strong & powerful they are? And, we won't mention their big teeth or how tall they are when they stand on two feet!

You would have been so proud of me though- I actually got Pocco into a flat out run (for about 30 seconds- that was as long as I could hold on! ha!) And, to the Praise of God's Glory- Pocco slowed right down when I asked him too! He didn't even spook when I started screaming uncontrollably for him to stop! Do you know how hard it is to remember horse language when your going around 10 miles per hour on the back of a horse? I found out 'stop' isn't the proper response! ha! Really- he was great & I really didn't scream once. I slowed him down with a pull of the reigns and when I wanted him to speed up- I just spoke horse language to him. And- I would tell you what I said to him if only I knew how to spell it! I won't lie to you- during my ride & when I was just working with Pocco- I had a few moments when total fear took over! I just kept pushing through it & I did a whole lot of 'self talk' and everything worked out just fine! Praise the Lord!


Well girls- today all that is left to say is that God is Good! I've been looking every morning into our front field to see 2 amazing creatures that our Lord designed personally! Not to mention one quick gander at my children and I'm reminded of what an amazingly creative and unique God we have! And a God who has blessed us beyond measure! Enjoy your God today sisters- fill up! He is life and life to the full!

Love to all,
Lori Drain

Poke-O

Good Evening to all,
I'd like to introduce you to the new man in my life! This is Poke-O (see his pictures to the right). For those of you who may not know- my dear sweet husband gave me a birthday dream come true. And, I'm so excited! And- don't you know -I've been dying to tell you the whole story! Cause that's what girlfriends do! So here's the scoop:

The morning of my birthday I woke up and headed for bathroom first thing (as I do every morning) only to find 'Skinny the Stick Horse' waiting for me with a note attached to him. And here is what the note said:

"Hello, my name is 'Skinny the Stick Horse'. As a special gift for your birthday- you may trade me in at any time for the special horse of your choosing."

Chad told me later that he had so much fun purchasing Skinny. He said the lady at the check out counter said "Awe, you must have a little one at home you are getting this for?" Only to hear Chad say, "No, its for my wife." About that time the lady just gave him the strangest look. So he went ahead and said "Well mam, you know how high gas prices are these days. The way I figure it this stick horse will be a whole lot cheaper on me than my wife driving a car". Needless to say she really gave him a look then! Just so you know he did take the time to tell her the real truth and of course she thought he was just the coolest then!

Now I'm sure your wondering how many rides around the field with Skinny I took. Just so you know- I really felt like he was more my speed than a 'real' horse ever would be! And, I did consider several times just keeping Skinny & not trading him in! But what woman can turn down her own real horse- I mean- wasn't it every little girls dream to have a horse? And, aren't we all still just little girls trapped in women's bodies? Okay-I'm joking on that one!

Well, as you guessed it- I jumped at the chance to own my own horse! I didn't waste any time waiting around! I went straight to lookin' and gettin' the word out! And, it just so happened a week later some friends of ours had one to sell and after checking into it and checking him (Poke-O) out- we brought him home last night! We went ahead and paid for Poke-O with a 30 day return policy! If we find out we are not a match- we can take him back! But- Girls- I'm telling you- I'm absolutely nuts over him already! Head over heels for him! He is the sweetest, calmest horse I've ever seen! I just can't imagine ever taking him back! Nope- he has made is way straight into my heart & it has only taken 1 visit and 2 days!

The pictures really don't do him justice. Hopefully, I will get a chance to take some better ones over the weekend. In the first one he was moving around so I caught him without his head down! Even though he is a quarter horse he tends to keep his head up more than most do when he is moving about! He is sixteen years old and stands sixteen hands high. When I saddle him & get on- I feel like I'm sitting on top of a tall building! He is huge! He is solid black with a white patch on his face. And, he is a prince. Very well mannered and sweet! I hope sometime you all can come out & meet him!

Well, I just had to share with you today! Obviously, I'm about to bust with excitement and I couldn't wait to share my blessin' with my friends! Thanks for allowing me to overflow with you!

Love to all,

Lori Drain

Don't Miss Out on the Fun!

Good day ladies!

I hope each of you are having a great week thus far! I myself have been rather busy but I've made the time to think about each of you this week. I have been working on plans for this fall & thinking deeply about what's next for Women's Ministry at Harrison. I'm thrilled to tell you that we have another exciting fall on the horizon! I want to take a minute today to highlight some upcoming events in hopes that you will join me!

First, we are in the pre-registration stage of our Fall 2nd Annual Women's Retreat which will take place Oct. 24, 25, & 26. I personally can't wait for this weekend! There is nothing more fun than spending a weekend with the Lord and your favorite girlfriends! And as if that is not enough- add in a lot of DELICIOUS food cooked by our very own Chef Carol Cross, some awesome entertainment, and add a few games and you've got yourself a weekend of pure bliss! If you joined us on lasts years retreat you know what a special time with the Lord and each other that was had! Well, this year is shaping up to be even better than the year before! We even have some special guests lined up to join us for the weekend (and you have to come in order to find out who these guests will be- but I can assure you- your going to LOVE the surprise!)

We have had the pre-registration sign up sheet out for 2 weeks now & only a few of you have signed up. I have to tell you that if our numbers don't reach at least 25 we will need to cancel the weekend- so be sure to sign up. And, just know we have scholarships available so never let finances keep you away from an opportunity to kick back and enjoy Jesus & some great gals!

Secondly, we will kick off our fall small groups with an 'All Ladies Quarterly Event' on Sunday, August 17. This will be a night of food & fellowship so go ahead and mark your calendar & bring a friend!

Lastly, we will begin our fall Bible Studies & small group meetings on Sunday, August 24th. Small groups will be meeting on Sunday night, Monday night and Thursday morning. You may pick any of these 3 meetings to join in for our next Bible Study.

My prayer is that each of you will join in on all three of these events! As always it is my deepest desire to see every lady at Harrison (and beyond) connected with a small group of believers & growing deeply in God's Word!

If you have any questions please feel free to call me at the church office or email me!

Blessings to you all,
Lori Drain

The Queen of the Kingdom of Self

Good day Ladies,


I have been reading a book by A.W. Tozer called, 'The Knowledge of the Holy'. It is a marvelous book. Each word has pricked my heart in more ways than I can count. One idea inpaticular has stuck with me the most and it is what Tozer calls the "essence of sin". Sin at it's very core is the battle of wills. Our will- or God's will. Tozer says it this way:

"A moral being, created to worship before the throne of God, sits on the throne of his own self- hood and from that elevated position declares, "I AM". That is sin in its concentrated essence;"

When we choose our will over God's will we've climbed upon a stolen throne. We have elevated ourselves above God. How often do we steal His glory? How often do we try to orchestrate our own lives without even giving God a second thought? When we do Tozer says we have "dethroned God and made ourselves supreme in the little kingdom of Mansoul".


All this is a lot to take in. I've been going over it in my mind for days and weeks now. I would be ashamed to count the times that I personally have stolen God's rightful throne & place in my life. If you would allow me I would like to share a small storyline that I've been playing over in my head since I read these thoughts from Tozer (Keep in mind this is not really print worthy- but I pray it is thought worthy!):


"I climbed upon my throne first thing today. I placed the Royal Crown upon my head and put the Royal Scepter in my hand. Not only do I look the part- I can play the part well -for you see I have no need for help- I can do and rule things myself because I'm the Queen of the Kingdom of Self.

My job as the Queen of the Kingdom Self is to patton my world the way 'I' think it should be. And just so you know- everyone else in the Kingdom of self will want things my way too- because they are sure to know that I rule as the Queen of the Kingdom of Self. The first thing on my to-do-list is to get the Kingdom of Self in tip top shape- making everyone obey the rules I have made. And of course they'll all obey for I'm the Queen of the Kingdom of Self. Each person will bow to my opinion and fulfill my needs. In case they've forgotten I'll be sure to remind them that I'm the Queen of the Kingdom of Self and of course queens should be honored and obeyed.



Walking around my Kingdom today I'm beginning to get a bit dismayed for everyone is not bowing to my commands or even seeing things 'my' way. Trouble is beginning to brew in the Kingdom because everything is not going 'my' way. Oh, what shall I do? It's not supposed to be this way. Shouldn't the Queen of the Kingdom Self have everything her way? I'm really not sure what is going on-it seems that everyone else who lives in the Kingdom of Self wants things 'their way'. Weren't they told? Don't they know that I am the Queen of the Kingdom of Self? To my dismay I can't have things my way for it appears that in the Kingdom of Self everyone has their own throne, crown & scepter. How can this be? It seems that in the Kingdom of Self everyone is out for their own self."



The sin of self. When I really got to thinking about it in God's Kingdom there is no room for all of us to be wanting our own way. Just think how many things would go undone if we were all looking out for just ourselves instead of looking for God's best for ourselves and others- which in case you didn't know has everything to do with self denial. Remember the words from Jesus that goes like this "Anyone who wants to come after me he must deny himself pick up his cross and follow me".

Can you think what our families and churches would look like if we all took on the attitude of the Queen of the Kingdom of Self? Think through your average daily routine- who are the people you have contact with, think of just the normal stranger you meet in the grocery store, think about your co-workers, family and church family. Now, think for a momenta if every person you had daily contact with only fulfilled only their own interests and never the interests of another. What would your world look like? Scary when you really get to thinking about it! But, you know- our culture at large is teaching us that we deserve to have things 'our' way. Think for a moment about what television is like today, what advertising is like and think of the corporate world & how ruthless climbing the latter of success can be. We live in a world that many times can drive us to believe that we really should have things just the way we want them. God's Word tells us something completely contrary to what our world is dishing out. God's world tells us self denial and servant hood is the way to climbing the Kingdom latter of success. How opposite this is to our natural nature to look out for our own!

I could go on and on about the world of the Queen of the Kingdom of Self and how the Kingdom is a mess! How when we work against the will of God to push our will- we hurt God, ourselves and others. How destructive self can be!

I hope you will take some time to think about the ideas from this post! I've written them at a rather hurried speed but hopefully you can use them to think even deeper about the subject of self and its rightful 'crucified' place.

Blessings to all,
Lori

Dreams Really Do Come True

Hello ladies,
I hope each of you had a wonderful 4th of July. The Drain family had a rather laid back 4th after a very busy July 1,2, & 3!

I wanted to share with you how very full my heart is over getting to see a couple of dreams come true over the past week. First, the Drains got to help our dear friends & co-laborers in the Lord get settled into their new home away from home. We left Tuesday morning with the Phillips and Haan family and traveled to Wilmore, KY complete with U-Haul, 3 vehicles packed full, and 5 kids! We arrived late Tuesday afternoon & began unloading & unboxing. I wish you all could have seen us- we worked as if we were trying to put a fire out! We all knew the sooner we got done- the sooner we could commence to having some fun!

What stirred my heart over this trip is getting to see Robbie so excited over what is to come. It has always been a dream of his to get a Doctorate degree and he was in the beginning stages of seeing that dream come to fulfillment. What was even more wonderful is that the program is scholarshiped- an education for free! I have absolutely no doubt that God himself orchestrated this dream come true for my friend! How like our God to bless his children when their dreams include His dreams!

Secondly, my daughter had a 'dream come true' moment on this trip as well. As many of you know Shelby loves animals! Horses in particular and we managed to fit in a day at the Kentucky Horse Park just for her! We had a blast! Shelby was awestruck at all the different breeds of horses! And so were the rest of the Drain family! Shelby has asked for several years to make our vacation spot Kentucky so she could go to some horse farms- and we finally made it! It was a sheer pleasure watching her enjoy the day! As a mom nothing pleases me more than seeing my children enjoy life.

All of this dream stuff got me to thinkin'! I believe God has a dream for each of us. One He wants to work out in our life here on planet earth. This dream is a plan. It is a plan for our good- one that places us in a position to live life to the full. It is a dream that if we would let go and allow God to work the thing out in us- it would blow our minds!

I've wondered this weekend how many times I have lived out God's dream for my life. And, how many times have I totally NOT lived out his dream for me??? I've imagined what it would be like if one day God were to show me a Heavenly video tape, so to speak, of what my life would have looked like if I had only lived it out His way instead of my own. What would that look like? How many experiences would I have missed out on? How many relationships would I have had- if only?? How many people would have come to know Jesus -if only?? Beloved, God does have a dream for you. If only we would let go and let God. If only we would place Him before self! If only we would give in and trust Him with everything fully knowing that what He has in store for those who believe is far beyond anything our minds can fully conceive. If only, dear one, if only!

I hope this has given you something to think about today! I'm personally tired of living in the world of 'If only's'! I want to live life to the full with Jesus in full control of my destiny! Letting go is hard work- I believe, for me anyway, it is a daily decision. I can testify that the times in my life when I have fully given myself over to God for his purposes & will- He has proven time and time again that He is so very worth it! And, yes- He has totally blown my mind!

I'll end today with the words to a song by Avalon called "Dreams I Dream For You":

"Someday, I hope to completely let go of the reigns of my so-called destiny and allow God the opportunity to blow my mind."

You taste the tears

You're lost in sorrow

You see your yesterdays

I see tomorrow

You see the darkness

I see the spark

You know your failures

But I know your heart

You see your shame

But I see your glory

You've read one page

But I know the story

I hold a vision

That you'll become

As you grow in the Truth

As you learn to walk in love

The dreams I dream for you

Are deeper than the ones you're clinging to

More precious than the finest things you knew

And truer than the the treasures you pursue

Let the old dreams die

Like stars that fade from view

Then take the cup I offer

And drink deeply of

The dreams I have for you

Drinking Deeply,

Lori