I did it, I actually did it!

I did it, I broke down and did it. I did it on Monday evening. My sister asked me to. The sister who needs to lose the weight in her big toe only. I know Lori, "you don't see me naked in the mirror every morning".....thank goodness for that! Anyhoo....

I joined Weight Watchers. I am gonna do it! Well, actually I am doing it, right now, since Tuesday really. I am excited about it. I already feel better physically, more energy, not nearly as tired as I was. And I am not just saying that! I have found several good food finds, but if any of you out there have any great and awesome ideas for low point meals or snacks (cuz,I love snacks), please let me know your secrets. I am thinking about maybe posting my weight loss (ok, just so we are clear, I said my 'loss', not my weight!), not that any of you really care, but it will be another accountability route for me. Just 'thinking' that you guys are helping me keep track I think will help. So bare with me, please!

Don't forget, let me know if you are doing Weight Watchers or if you know of any good food finds.

2996 Tribute, join in!

I have joined in, have you?

Please go to this site and commit to pay a tribute to a victim of 9/11 on 9/11/06. They are trying to get 2996 bloggers by 9/11 and are 20% of the way there. This is a really great thing and I am proud to be participating. Just go to the site and make a comment requesting the name of a victim and they will email you a name. Then all you have to do is honor them on 9/11/06. Very simple actually and very moving to see the list of victims to be honored.

Ok, what are you waiting on, GO!

Kid Fiesta

I posted about the seedlings on Sunday and how proud I was of my daughter for being so bold with her faith, and I promised pictures of the Fiesta. I must say the kids had a really great time.

These are my 1, 2, 3 going down the really big water slide. A great way to cool off in this awful heat...I did actually think about going down it, but I didn't...my kids would have died, plus I am not sure I could have pulled myself up to the top. A couple of years ago, me and my friend Gena went down another one....I think everyone witnessed that one. Ugh!


This is my nephew, Brandon in the dunking booth. Going, going, gone! The water was so cold that his lips were blue and his teeth were chattering. He was sucha good sport though. He has a twin brother, Dustin, and they are going on a mission trip next month to the Ukraine. They are such great boys! They are 16 years old and are both supervisors at Chik-fil-a....if only!


This was a pretty cool little thingy, (I am not really sure what you would call it). I told the kids to make sure they went down this one before going home so they wouldn't have to take a bath. (Just kidding, we had church the next morning so they had to take a bath at home!) They loved it, they don't know it, but we are going to another party with this same thingy on the 4th. (I may do it then!)


Dontcha just love the way Jess throws the basketball, no wonder she missed. Then she is trying to knock down Mr. Matt, our Pastor of Music, in the dunking booth. I said trying because she missed...about 15 times. (And she is a pitcher in softball...ha!) Then Jordan is standing with her friend Kayla as we are waiting on Jackson to finish something so we can go home.

The first one is our Senior Pastor sharing the gospel. They shut down all the fun stuff and food boothes few different times so that they could do this. Since we have a lot of visitoring people who come for the fun (free) stuff, it is a perfect time to do so. Several children were counseled on this day as well! Then, that is my nephew, Dustin (Brandon's twin) with Jess. Jess was trying to get him to try some kind of Mexican fruit, he didn't like it! (Can you tell by the look on his face?) Then the next one is for Blest, this is the back of the new building. I know it is hard to see because it is through the trees. Do you notice something missing? 12 Oaks was moved to the back of the campus...ugh! The whole building moved.

So this is it! I have other pics but I really don't want to bore you with them all! We had a great day! And we won a few more lost souls to the Lord at the same time! What could be better than that?

Sin is sin, right?

A little rant for today.....
As a lot of you know my husband is in prison (if you don't then you can start here, then come back). We struggled through some really hard times. And yes, there were many times that I just wanted to give up on him and walk away from our marriage and our vows. But, I am so thankful that I didn't. You see, he is now a man of God. He is still in prison and he is sharing the gospel with other inmates. His favorite book of the Bible is 2 Timothy. Yep, you guessed it, he can kinda relate to Paul being imprisoned. I know, not all the same circumstances, but nonetheless he is trying to win lost souls to Him. (I borrowed the picture from my Daddy, it was taken from his trawler...the White Horse.)

The first time he led an inmate to Christ, he called and was so excited. I mean more excited about anything I had ever seen in his life. He said "I just saved someone." His exact words. Of course after we talked a little I explained that he did not saved him but Jesus saved him. Remember He is only a baby Christian himself. And everything he has learned thus far has pretty much been on his own, crouched up in his 8 X 8 room in a bunkbed. I was very proud of his boldness about his new found faith to say the least. And he has shared with many, many more since that day.

So on with my rant....I was approach by someone not too long ago, a former friend of my husbands. (I say former because after hubs left we quickly realized who his real friends were.) This person could not believe that I had stayed with him after everything that he had done. (Mind you, this guy was a big part of my husband's past lifestyle!) So this hypocritical statement really made me quite angry. Not to a point of lashing out at him, but to a point of letting it bubble up and fester in my heart which led me to this post. Yes, I was mad and hurt. And if you know me personally you know that I do get my feelings hurt quite easily and I tend to back down very quickly. I guess I am very tender-hearted. And that is exactly where this person was hitting me, right in the heart.

When I got home I started thinking, you know Angie, sin is sin no matter what. Some will say one sin is worse then the other but I remind you that in the sight of God a.sin.is.a.sin, none greater or less then the other, and when compared to our Savior we all will fall short. (Romans 3:23) Then I was reading through Timothy and came upon this verse...

1 Timothy 1: 8-11
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

And HELLO, wham boom bam, clear as day. So, in closing think about this verse the next time you are judging someone and remember to think... what makes you holier than them to judge, because in the Lords eyes we are all short, and should only uplift our fellow man and not tear them down. (Of course, I know that my whole 3 regular readers would never do this!) I am gonna leave you with a little bit to chomp on for the day.

1 Timothy 3:16
Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Where I Am From

I am from a peaceful, small lowcountry river town; from shrimp and grits
and ketchup breakfasts.

I am from a small home with a large family, dirt roads and barefeet, kick the can under the street light, three wheelin' down the deep hole, gas in the ear.

I am from trawlers and baby goats and Rainbow Brite and Rick Springfield posters; from Brownie uniforms and Halloween carnivals taking 1st place dressed as a 2 headed person with my best friend Marcy.

I am from Sunday morning church, big deep dimples and pear trees;
from old weathered Bibles of those gone ahead and trips with my MaMa
to visit my cousins.

From Little Miss Sunbeam, Happy Rain and Romper Room...I see___; from Wizard of Oz coming on TV once a year and snuggling up in my PJ's to watch with the rest of my family.

I am from Southern Baptists and organists; from ordained pastors and pot-luck dinners every week.

I'm from Graves and the land of cotton, Dixieland, peach cobbler and shrimp and gravy.

From the World War II veteran with lots of stories to tell; and the candy man in the big red van with lots of candy to share.

I am from beaches and lighthouses, treehouses and zip glides; from docks and crab pots, marshes and oyster beds.

I am from God, I am a child of His.

Seedlings

Well guys, my daughter planted a seed this past week. It started sprouting around the middle of the week. And Friday we witnessed the first bud. And today we witnessed the second bud.

My 10 year old daughter, Jess, invited an entire family of 3 kids to Vacation Bible School this week at our church. This is a family that we have asked to church several times in the past. Well, more like the kids did the inviting. My little Jordan, almost 8, is best friends with one of the little girls. Then Jackson is the same age as the other little girl. Then Jess is the about the same age as the boy. And me and the momma have the same name....funny, but anyhoo...

Jess decided that she wanted to try to invite them again, so she called them Tuesday afternoon. Later that evening the mom called me back to get all the info and asked if she could follow me the following morning. So, she did.

The kids had a blast, as usual. I am sure that there was close to 400 or more kids at this VBS. The theme was Viva Latin America. They spent a lot of their time in tents all over the campus that represented different countries. It was quite educational. They learned about different countries, my kiddos were in Mexico. They ate different Latin American cuisine, learned some great songs, even a Spanish song. They got to do tons of neat crafts, like this. All totally educational, as well as spiritual. Of course the leaders shared the gospel with the children throughout the week and Friday in the closing rally one of the pastors shared it again for everyone. Afterwards, he asked for the children who would like to know more about Jesus to follow their leaders to the front foyer where they had counselors ready to answer any questions they may have.

So, I was sitting in the back of the church and saw the boy that my daughter invited walk back to speak with the counselors. It was a very emotional moment for me for many reasons. For one, I could see my daughter trying to find me in the crowd as she was beaming with excitement. I could tell that she was very touched too. Then when the rally was over, the Mom came up to Jess and hugged her and thanked her for inviting them. She was also in tears. I think she may have seen her son walk back too, not sure though. But then she hugged me and said that this had been an amazing week for her kids. And that she was going to be at church on Sunday morning.

Saturday we had a big Kid Fiesta at the church to close the week out. We had gigantic jumpies, huge waterslides, a dunking booth, games, food, and tons more. She brought her kids to the Fiesta and stayed the whole time. She herself heard the gospel presentation twice, in 2 different ways.

So this morning, she once again followed us to church. We sat near the back with all of the kids, 3 of mine and 3 of hers. When the Pastor had finished preaching and gave an invitation, she walked forward and had invited Jesus into her heart right then and there. I sat back and tears just started rolling down my face. At that moment I got a new sister in Christ.

So now I have 2 prayers, one is that she will continue to come. We have a bunch of fun things coming up, which helps sometimes with getting to know other people at the church. After church was out she came with me to my Sunday School class, which is an all ladies class. But our church has a new believers class, Discovery class, that helps the new believer learn more. So, next week she wants to go to that class. I pray for her family as I know that they have had a pretty hard life these past few years. I pray for her husband who I think may come with her next week.

My second prayer is for my daughter. I am so proud of her and her boldness for the Lord. I pray that she continues to show Christ's love to others by inviting them to church. I pray that this becomes a habit for her, that she would never become nervous or scared about sharing her faith with others. That she would not have a fear of rejection, as I do. I pray that as she sees these seeds grow that she planted, that she will become stronger in her faith. And that it is not her that gets the credit, but the Lord because He is the One who bore our sins for us.

I took some great pictures yesterday at the Fiesta but I will post them sometime this week.
Can you believe that I just dropped my kids off again for another week of VBS at my aunt's church? They love to go, this is their 3rd week of VBS, 3 different churches. So another fun filled week ahead of us! Hope everyone has a great Sunday evening. I know I am, it is so quiet around here, not really sure how to act with nobody here but me. I should be doing something constructive I'm sure. Alright already, I am going!

Jackson's Proverbs...

Ok, I saw this on an email and thought that I would let my kids give it a whirl...call it a MeMe for the kids. Ya never know, we Mommies (and g-daddy's) may learn us a thing or 2. I gave them the first half of a well known proverb and let them finish the last half.
So today I am gonna let my 6 year old, Jackson be the first to bless us with his youthful wisdom. Ready, set, hit it Jackson....

1. Don't change horses.......when you go.
2. Strike while the......ball goes by.
3. It is always darkest before.....the light.
4. Never underestimate the power of.....Mommy. (that' right...uh huh!)
5. You can lead a horse to water but ......do not let him go in it.
6. Don't bite the hand that.......hurts.
7. No news is....good TV.
8. A miss is as good as a......mister.
9. You can't teach an old dog new......things.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll.....get licked.
11. Love all, trust......God. (awww, he has been listening)
12. The pen is mightier than the.....pencil.
13. An idle mind is.....off.
14. Where there's smoke there's ......a grill.
15. Happy the bride who......kisses. (said with giggles)
16. A penny saved is ......in my new bank.
17. Two's company, three's......2 + 1.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what.......what your Mom wants you to do today. (that's my boy)
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry.....and you will need tissue.
20. There are none so blind as......Mamaws. (sorry Mom)
21. Children should be seen and not.....quiet. (huh?)
22. If at first you don't succeed......ask Mom. (Trust me, I never said that!)
23. You get out of something only what you......want.
24. When the blind lead the blind....they fall.
25. Better late than......never. (he musta heard me say that one a time or two)

The kids thought that this was fun (me too). They especially like it that their's will be featured on mommy's blog. So, next we will hear from Jordan, 7 almost 8.

Happy Birthday Jackson!

Well, today is not only the first day of summer, but it is also my baby's birthday! Jackson is my little monkey! He is 6 years old today and going into the first grade. He loves school so much that he was very sad when it was over for the summer break. Luckily, he is in year round school and will be starting back next month. Anyways, in honor of my little monkey's birthday I am gonna tell you a little about him.

He was born on the same date as his Uncle Larry, my husband's brother. He and Uncle Larry always call each other on their birthdays. It's kinda like a competition now as to who calls first!

He is very bright and extremely handsome. He is quite athletic like his daddy. And he can run really fast (especially when he has his new Nike shoes on)! He taught himself to ride his bike without the training wheels. He loves to sing and he is a very picky eater, very! He loves to say the blessing at the table and he loves to hear Bible stories, especially the manly, man stories!


He loves to lounge around the house with his shirt off like his big brother does. He still takes a nap just about everyday, even though I don't require it anymore. Everyday when he gets home from school he crawls up on the couch and falls asleep for about an hour and then pops up and goes about the rest of the evening and still goes to bed on time! (I love him for that!)
He stands up for his sister on the bus. When a big ole 5th grade boy was picking on his 4th grade sister, he decided to give him the number 1 sign, if ya know what I mean. He has no idea what it means but he knew it was bad. (I honestly do not know where he got that from, really I don't, I would never!) He got suspended from the bus for doing that. So did the 5th grade for hitting his sister. He did not get in trouble by me for defending his sister, he got in trouble for the finger thing! (Still don't know where he got it from!)

He told me a few months ago that he wanted to marry me when he got older. (cue the awww's) He is a clean freak. He keeps his room cleaner than his sister's rooms. He loves to help me clean house. I'm sure that that won't last long! He loves to read the Napping House at night before bed. And he still sleeps with his "baby" ( a froggie blanket buddie), it is pretty frazzled on the ends now. I think he is trying to wean himself from it, but I keep putting it in bed with him. (He is my baby!)

And I will leave you with a funny story. When he was about 1 and a half we started going to our current church. There is a duck pond in front of it and he loved to go see the ducks before and after church. One evening while watching the ducks, I asked him what the duck says and he responded with "Aflac". (Ok, it was then that I realized he had been watching too much TV.)

So, Happy Birthday to my baby boy! Mommy loves you all the way to the moon and back!

Got chaos?

A Mother's Dilemma
by Harriet Rukenbrod Day

Baby's in the cookie jar
Sister's in the glue
Kitty's in the birdie's cage
And I am in the a stew!
Time for Dad to come to lunch
Someone's spilled the roses
Breakfast dishes still undone
The twins have drippy noses.
Junior has the stove apart
Dinner guest at eight
Neighbor's kids swoop in like flies
How can I concentrate?
Telephone keeps ringing wildly
Someone's in the hall
Fido's chewed the rug to bits
The preacher's come to call!
Would mothers like to chuck their load?
They couldn't stand the rap
Easy, mild existences
Would cause their nerves to snap!

I found this poem a couple of days ago and thought it described the chaos in my house to a "T". There are times when I absolutely think that I am gonna lose my motherly mind. The kids are fighting, argueing, noisy and competitive. But then, I know that when I do get a break, which is very rare considering I am the only parent at the time, that I usually do not know how to act. I feel out of sorts. I know that when the kids are going at it I wish for quietness and peace. But when they are not here, it feels as if something is wrong. Sound crazy?

Right now my 2 boys are not here, and I am feeling a little lonely. Even though my 2 girls are still here. They are even argueing right now in the living room about something, but it just doesn't seem right without the boys here too. It is almost like there is too much oxygen floating around that normally isn't here. Of course it is always crazy and I long for a break, but when I do get alone I can't function normally. Normal is my chaos!

So, I have tried to come up with some ways to have control amongst my chaos. First, I always start my day in prayer. Even if it is just a few seconds, I do it. And then throughout the day, under my breathe even, I say little prayers. "Lord, please make them stop fighting." or "Father, help me be wise in my choices of punishment." Whatever is going on at the moment, that is the prayer. God can hear us even when we are not on our knees with heads bowed. And I have noticed that the days that I do not start with prayer are really extra hard on me!

And of course the standard things to do to cope with the stress of constant chaos. Drink lots of water, eat healthy, breathe (long, controlled deep breaths), and take time for yourself to read or drink a cup of coffee or tea or whatever. Know your limits, and limit what you take on. I am really bad about this one. I am the type that does not know how to say no to anyone. (Although I am learning!) Keep communication open with your husband, very important. Whether he is in the home or not, let your kids know that Mommy and Daddy both will hold them accountable. Even though my husband is in prison, we stay in close communicatin about our children's behavior. We have family meetings at our visits, just so he can help reinforce our rules. They are literal round table meetings. They are good for us and the kids. I am sure that we will continue to do this when he gets home.

Stay loose, adjust your expectations as you go along. Consider it a good day when you get yourself and the kids fed. And make friends, go out to dinner or lunch or coffee with friends as often as you feel you can. Adult conversation is very important, at least to me since my husband is not here in the home.

Enjoy the noise and enjoy the excitement that your kids bring into your lives because oneday the house will be quiet and orderly and you will miss that (a little)! Remind yourself that these times too will pass and oneday they will have chaos of their own. You know, "you just wait till you have a family of your own!"

This picture was taken a couple of years ago, but is my favorite because they actually look like they love one another!
How do you cope with your stress and chaos? I would love to hear your ideas and solutions.

The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

I love you and am so proud of you!

Isn't he handsome?

(This picture was taken in 1972ish, I think, correct me if I'm wrong!)

I am inviting you all to go to my Daddy's Blog at Fisherman For Christ and read the very touching poem that my Daddy wrote about his Daddy, my PaPa. Our PaPa passed away in January, so this is his first Father's Day without his father here. We all miss PaPa so much!

PaPa and MaMa

Nickiehokiemambo to you all!

Recap...

First, we went to the Artic Edge this week at VBS.

Then, Saturday we went to the chicken fights.

(my child is the one getting her head clawed and the one holding the head clawer)

Then, we went to the beach.

(those are my 2 cuties' backs)

And I would like you to meet "Joe Cool", he was there too!

And then, we went to the drive-in movie tonight to see CARS.

(patiently, waiting for the movie to start...)

(and here we go!)

Cars was a really cute movie, I would highly recommend it. It got, let's see, 12 thumbs up from all of us! I also loved going to the drive-in. So cool! We went to the grocery store before the movie and bought all kinds of junk food and sodas and camped out. Jackson conked out about a fourth of the way through it in my lap, he missed the whole thing. I guess he had a busy day today, well, all week. And we have to get up early to go see our daddy for Father's Day. We can't wait till he gets home, glad he is only 25 minutes from our house though. That makes it alot easier!

So, what did you do this weekend?

Time Apart

This poem is in honor of my anniversary today. My husband wrote it for me last year. He has been gone 3 years tomorrow, so we have 18 months left until he comes home to us.
I love you honey, Happy Anniversary!

As each day the time goes by,
It seems as if I should cry,
But I think of the happiness to be,
Which includes you, the kids and me.
I can't think about the days that went,
So I think about the future,
And I'll give you a hint.
It's joy, peace and most of all love,
Which has been sent from Heaven above.
As we wait for the time for our new start,
We must first pass this test of our time apart.

Written by JLBIII

Tagged....

I was tagged by Tania at Faith Prints to do this meme, so here goes!

7 Things to do before I die.
1. See my husband "walk the aisle" at church to make his confession public and then to get baptized.
2. See all of my children grow in their walk with the Lord and get baptized.
3. See my brother healthy and freed.
4. Become debt free.
5. Go to New York City.
6. See my Daddy with his own church to Pastor.
7. See my Mom stress-free and worry-free.

7 things I cannot do.
1. Make my brother give it over to the lord!
2. Be in 2 places at one time.
3. I cannot believe that my husband has been gone for 3 years!
4. I cannot believe that he only has 1 1/2 years to go before he will be home again!
5. Dive into a pool.
6. Keep my kitchen floor clean.
7. Get ahead!

7 things that actually attract me to my husband.
1. He is strong.
2. He is caring.
3. He perseveres.
4. He is finally a believer. (Praise God!)
5. He loves his children.
6. He has an awesome sense of humor.
7. He likes to snuggle. (at least I hope he still does!)

7 books or series of books that I love.
1. The Bible, of course.
2. Shepherding A Child's Heart
3. A Mother's Heart
4. The Lily Series...It's a God Thing. (with my daughter...awesome series for girls 8 and up...I mean awesome!)
5. A Woman's Walk With God
6. The Napping house (with my son)
7. Making Your Children Mind Without Losing Yours (very good book too)

7 movies I'd watch over and over again.
1. Steele Magnolias
2. Grease
3. Fried Green Tomatoes
4. Top Gun
5. Sweet Home Alabama
6. YaYa Sisterhood
7. Hope Floats

7 people I'd like to tag
1. Lori
2. Sandy
3. Laura
4. Anyone else who hasn't done this one.
5. Anyone else who hasn't done this one.
6. Anyone else who hasn't done this one.
7. Anyone else who hasn't done this one.
Let me know when you do it! This was fun, thanks Tania!

Welcome Daddy Goat!

Hey guys, I have finally got my Daddy blogging! If you have a minute today, go over and give him a great big blogosphere welcome! He wrote his first post on failure. First you need to go here and read what my sister wrote about him, then go see him at Fisherman For Christ. It kinda goes together!
Maybe you are wondering about the Daddy Goat title? Well, he has always called me his Baby Goat, so he is the Daddy Goat! I am so proud of him, go see why!

Happy Birthday To My Mom

I want to send a great big Happy Birthday to my Mom! I love you! I am so thankful that God gave me to you! I feel like 1 of 5 luckiest kids on this whole planet! You are the best!

_________________________________________________________

Can you believe that this woman has 10 grandchildren? I am proud to say that I have her genes! My sister made a tribute to a part of her too by sharing about the man she loves, my daddy! If you would like to see it then go ahead! While you are there, check out her new "dress". She just got it today! I must say it looks quite nice on her! Thanks Susie for hooking her up. And speaking of Susie, she has a contest going on at her new Bluebird Blogs....Go check it out! You could win a free blog design!

Well, I hope that you all enjoy the rest of your weekend, I am signing out....

Did I mention that I love my Mom?

Wonder who this belongs to?

Anyone wanna claim it?

Fun in the Sun

Busy, busy, busy is all I can say about yesterday! Just take a look...

We started out with a trip to the beach...lots of fun, but right after I took this picture of my baby the batteries in my camera died! The kids swam all day long. I went in the water for a minute but it was too cold for my blood! We went with a couple of my friends and their children. We had a great time. During summer break we like to go at least once, sometimes twice a week. After this long day at the beach we ran home took quick showers and off to.....

....Jordan's piano recital.

She is the only student. It was so much fun. She did such a great job, I was so proud of her. She played three selections. She was very secretive about her selections and never let me hear her practice those particular ones. 2 of them she played with her teacher and the last one was a solo. She was very proper, I loved it!

Look at all my sun-kissed babies! I told you they were a good looking bunch! So, afterwards we enjoyed dinner out! We really had a great, long day. And I will leave you with a couple of awesome pictures taken by my oldest son at sunset. This is a typical lowcountry sunset! I can say that this is truly one of God's greatest creations! It amazes me everytime I witness it!

"God made this!"

How beautiful is that? Does it amaze you as much as it does me?

This post is brought to you by the letter F!

GiBee over at Kisses of Sunshine gave me the letter "F" so I can do this mememememememe (sang in an opera voice!) We are supposed to pick 10 things that start with the letter and write why we picked that word! If you want to play then let me know and I will assign you a letter.
She gave it to me in honor of my Four children, so this meme is brought to you by the letter "F".

Four children-They are my four blessings, I was gonna say 'little' blessings, but Ryan, who is 15, is taller than I am and I am 5'11". And I am sure that the rest of 'em are gonna be the same way. Jessica is 10, Jordan is almost 8 and Jackson will be 6 in a couple weeks. They are my life. I am so thankful that God gave them to me, they are really great kids! And, if I do say so myself, they aren't too bad looking either...look to the right sidebar...agree?

Faith- My faith has been tested more times than I can even count. Hasn't the devil realized that I cannot be swayed to the "dark side"? Leave me and my family alone! Go away!

Family- I have to say that I have got the best, most supportive family in the whole wide world. (Sorry guys but they are mine and you can't have 'em!) They ALL mean so much to me! Hugs!

Friends- I love my friends! I would do anything for them! And now I can say that you guys out there in the blogdom are considered my friends too! (So sappy!)

Father- Both my Heavenly father and my Daddy father. Heavenly Father...well obviously He is the best! My Daddy is the strongest, most awesome guy that I know. He has had a hard life and overcame so much. (He and my Mom have been married almost 4 years, try to figure that one out!) He is a shrimper and has been since before me, and now he is a Fisherman For Christ, winning souls to the Lord. I am trying to get him to start blogging, kinda like Rev-Ed. He reads mine (Hey Daddy Goat!) and would be really good at it I'm sure!

Food- 'nuff said!

Fabric-The vain of my existence. I have tons of it. I love searching out new fabric patterns. I make purses and diaper bags and coming soon to a website near you...I will be adding hostess aprons! Yay! Can I get a woo hoo?

Fruit- I LOVE fruit! Apples, oranges, bananas, I just ate watermelon and fresh pineapple..mmmm and I so love strawberries!
Also, I am studying the Fruits of the Spirit in my women's Sunday school class, just started, can't wait!

Flip Flops- My favorite type of shoe. I wear them year round! I think I even wore them Christmas Day to my Mom's...God, I love the South!

Feet- I have a foot thing...I cannot stand for anybody to touch the bottom of my feet! It is making my throat close up right now as we speak just thinking about it! Ugh! I'm weird, I know! I get it from my grandfather, Skeebo (that's what we call him), he is the same way!

This was fun, thanks GiBee!
Let me know if you want a letter too!
Oh, BTW, just in case you were wondering about my parents, they used to be married, were apart for 20 years and then remarried and all 5 of us kids got to be in the wedding...so cool...so special!

What awesome faith!

I am amazed at the strength and faith I am witnessing as I had been reading the blog that has captured the world's attention. It is amazing because both of these families have grieved and rejoiced, yet they still hold true to our Lord.
It is the case of mistaken identity. The young woman who was fighting for her life, being called Laura VanRyn who was found out to be Whitney Cerak, who they thought died in an accident. The VanRyn family started a blog to keep updates on. Even since they have discovered that their own was actually the one who died in the accident they are still maintaining their faith and the blog for the Cerak family. Their faith has been in all the papers, from East to West, national and local. Not only has their faith been shared but Jesus has too. It is not being denied because of this horrible mistake. They are sharing Jesus worldwide and it is not being distorted or made into an ugly bitter scene. This is the faith that I can only hope and pray I would have if something similar were to happen to us. Faith so strong that it takes your breathe away.I am rejoicing with the Cerak's and mourning with the VanRyn's, because they are family, the family of God. This woman is going to do great things for the kingdom of God and so are these families, that already are setting an awesome example. And I pray this verse for both families today,

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

So, grab a cup of coffee and prepare to be amazed by reading this awesome display of faith.

Blogging Chicks

I forgot to announce that I am now a 'blogging chick'. (Aren't I cute?) If you want more information on it then look here. You could be one too!

That's me, so here I am!

( Alright, kids...dinner is coming in a minute...hold on, I am trying to concentrate on my post....wait a minute, I am right in the middle of a great comment...ok, here I come...oh wait Aunt Lori posted?...I'll be right there..ok...oh wait..her too?...and her...and her...and her...and her...and her....and her...ok, just through a Hot Pocket in the microwave!...I may be here all night!)

Do YOU have a washing machine?

Did you know that in parts of Mexico there are hot and cold springs side by side? It is a part of nature that the women there take full advantage of. They can boil their clothes in the hot springs to get them clean, then rinse them in the cold springs. This is a way of life for them, they do not know any other way. Can you imagine?

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will
remember your miracles of long ago.

Psalm 77:11

So often we compare our lives to other people's lives around us or that we see on TV or read about or whatever. We compare what they have in contrast to what we have. Or even what they are that we aren't. I can say from my personal experiences that these feelings will leave you feeling rejected or left out or even cheated. We (I) have to make an effort to steer clear of these bad emotions or we (I) can become very bitter.

Sometimes, we are so busy adding up all our troubles that we forget to count all the many blessings that we encounter EVERY SINGLE DAY! We have so much to be grateful for.

For starters, God gives us a new day everyday for us to have a brand new start! And He loves us as if we were the only person He created. He is always there for us when we need to talk. He is forgiving. He promises us that we can live for eternity with Him in Heaven. He understands everything we are going through better than anyone else can, even ourselves. He loves us so much that He sent His own Son down to die for our sins.

These are just a few things that He has done for us, His children. Look at how huge that is. That is huge!

I, for one, have so many things to be grateful for. I am grateful for the life that I have. I am grateful for my husband and children. I am grateful for my family, my Mom and Dad, my sisters and brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles...you get it, right? I am grateful for the things that I have had to endure to get to were I am today. I am grateful for my brothers and sisters in Christ and my church. I could just go on and on, but you get it, I hope.

I am going to make a deal with myself to make a conscience effort to be thankful and grateful for all things around me. Check out the definition of conscience....1. the awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong, and 2. the part of the superego that judges the ethical nature of one's actions and thoughts and then transmits such determinations to the ego for consideration. I am gonna be aware, very aware!



So, tell me what are you grateful for? Count your blessings! I am gonna start by thanking God that I have a washing machine. I hate doing laundry, but I cannot even imagine having to actually do the laundry. Now I am wondering why I ever griped about that? (Can you imagine what those ladies are gonna do when they find out that there is a machine that can do all that work for them?)

Welcome Home!

Welcome Home Little One! We are so gald that you are feeling better!

If you would like to join our "Welcome Home Party"for MomRN2's daughter then please visit Carol at She Lives. If you haven't read MomRN2's story then please do, it is amazing at how the Lord works! It all started 2 weeks ago on May 18th at My Quiet Corner when she made A Plea for Prayer! She got 127 comments on that plea....unbelieveable! It still amazes me! I truly feel like we are apart of one big family that pulled together in a time of need! Hey, we are...the family of God!