I just love him...

Caleb... what a SWEET, GENTLE, somewhat QUIET spirit!... Tonight the Lord allowed us to have some one on one time with Him... His choice everything.. he chose B & B pizza and the show "I shouldn't be alive".. such a boy thing!....  we had a great time all piled on the sofa and legs and arms just thrown on each other!..  It was sweet time and I am grateful!

111. Caleb
112. ordering pizza for the boys and the sandwich I ate!
113. getting elbowed or kicked because the couch is so full
114. talking with Joy this morning
115. recording Andrew saying "cars" on my cell!
116. a nice HOT shower, just what I needed.. don't let me take anything for granted
117. Lane being so happy to spend the night with Camille
118. Alexis spending some time with a friend from Griffin Christian that we don't see much!
119. open homes and open hearts
120. grace when I am hard on myself.. living in it!

Blessings list 94-110

94. great fishing hole
95. my Sunday school girls!
96. Jen G being available
97.my snoring husband.. means he is still breathing LOL
98. this blog to deposit my thoughts
99. standing and painting with Caleb for 3 hours yesterday
100. clean shower doors
101. clean shed... thank you Alexis and Doug
102. Lane painting the cabinet outside
103.a hubby who loves to "wet a line" aka fishing
104. yummy food tonight.. smoked Boston butt, ribs, corn, lighthouse coleslaw etc
105. temper tantrums .. he is developing correctly
106.the way Andrew says "cars" as we drive down the road.. he sounds like a bird!
107. healthy children
108. cooler weather.... I mean cold LOL
109. Alexis' 2 goals at her soccer game Saturday
110. Caleb giving 100 percent in his game...

Let me NEVER forget the blessings from yesterday, today or tomorrow!

I'm Available.....

I am quite often wondering what in the world I would do or whom would I share God moments if the Lord had not put certain people in my life.. I am so very blessed and thankful that I find myself thinking over and over the blessing it really is!!!!!!!!!!... Last week I had a field trip with Lane and all the time when I do things with her class I tag the other kiddos along and so I really NEVER get that one on one time with the kiddos... but thankfully Wednesday I was able to go on a field trip to the strawberry patch with Lane and no other kiddos in tow!!!!!!!!!!!!!  she was excited and so was I!... so here comes the I'm available... Jen G!.. I sent her a message 1 week prior to us leaving and she said ABSOLUTELY.. remember she has 6 herself!.. what a selfless person, mom, friend!... I am POSITIVE any time I have ask her to keep the kiddos it is ALWAYS yes!.. EVEN OVERNIGHT one time!... as Lane and I were at the strawberry patch we bent down to pick some more strawberries Lane looked at me and said "momma this is the best day"... my heart melted, it was not money or  possessions, it was TIME!.. I thank you Jen G for helping Lane have The Best Day!

3 outta 4 weeks.....

the last 3 outta 4 weeks we have spent with the Fredrick's...  it has just happened that we see each other and say something along the line of "hey lets get together!!!!" sooooo that has been what has happened.. We are sooo blessed by this family, they are just down to earth, funny, and the kiddos have so much fun when we get together.. did I mention that Jamie is a great cook and Jason has built the best fishing hole!... we have had so much fun getting to know them better.. see Jamie and I go way back... we worked at FUMP together but she worked downstairs and I worked upstairs. we would see each other briefly in the mornings and in the afternoons so it was kinda hard to REALLY get to know someone.. I remember when the Lord connected us back together ... Jamie and I have boys that are 1 year apart and her son Clayton wore clothes and then he would pass down the last season clothes to us, so Jamie and I would connect during "season changes" and so she had come to the house to bring me some "emergency" clothes, Andrew was growing alot and he had NO clothes so she went through her buckets and brought me some...  thankful!
That afternoon Jamie and I were standing on the back porch and we had a ladies event happening at SBG and I ask her if she wanted to come and she said "sure" and the rest is history! she went to the event and then they started coming to the church, she is now serving in the nursery, awana and where ever she is needed... what a servants heart she has!!!!!!!!!!!!... Doug has ALWAYS thought so much of Jason and wanted to get to know him better and what a better opportunity than around a fishing hole and a bucket!... so BLESSED by them... here are a few pictures!

gas, please.....

Glad the Lord provided!!!!! Dawn, my neighbor and friend today took the kiddos to Twin Oaks Farm to pick strawberries... we got in the car to take the other 3 kiddos to meet Jen G, BUT before we could meet Jen I needed gas in the van... I mean I NEEDED gas BAD, below the E.... so we pulled into the Shell station and as I reached for my purse I immediately realized I had forgot it at home :(  ugh oh!!!! I looked at Dawn and she said I can't find my debit card so she reached into her pocket and pulled out 2 dollar bills and 10 quarters....  just remember I had not even enough gas to get back home to get the purse and get back... so I pumped $4.01 in gas.....  ran inside to pay and the lady looked at me strange.. um it was weird... so as I ran out of the store this sweet man looked at me and said you must be in a hurry... I quickly said "yes, gotta get home to get my wallet and money for some gas".. he replied with NO hesitation, "you need some money".. I thanked him and politely told him I was gonna run home and get my purse... I was reminded yet again of God taking care of his people!... I was thankful that the man offered, thankful Dawn had the money, thankful for enough gas to get home and get back to station, thankful it was a memory that I will never forget :)

86. Dawn riding to field trip
87. JUST enough gas
88. sweet man who offered to give me money
89. sweet friend who kept my 3 plus her 6!!!
90.JUST enough money for one gallon of gas
91. Ms. Jan and Ms. Dianne from the preschool
92. the great playground at Twin Oaks
93. subway sandwiches

The Dream.... thankful he continues to lay this on our hearts!

I love when God just continues to lay things on your heart... not only good but not so good.. the good (won't talk about the not so good this time) is I had a dream last night that I was with Doug and we went to this place it was like a fairground of some sort... and there was thousands of people there, some with children, some without, some who were holding letters, some who were holding flags of the respective country... there were hundreds of orphans that were in these mini fenced yards and they would bring them out country by country and they would call out families name who were adopting these precious children..... it was chaotic to say the least, tears, shouting, joy and excitement... it was our turn and they called our name and we got a child from kazakhstan... then I woke up....  God I wanted to finish that dream!!!!.. I do remember right before they called us I remember seeing the eyes of the children from Uganda... oh how my heart wanted to take these HUNDREDS of children! I have thought about that dream much this morning and thought how must God feel when HIS children obey HIM... following scripture, understanding truth, praying for others, seeing others with HIS eyes.... oh what a glorious picture :) thankful he has laid this on our HEARTS!

66. motivation.. even if it is not me :)
67. bible study with Lori, Jenna and Jamie
68. a sweet boy who plays on the playground for 2 hours each soccer practice
69. a healthy body to run
70. mp3 player to fill my heart with Godly music and sermons.
71. facebook to minister to people
72. birds singing great praises to out Lord
73. total dependence on the Lord when you feel so alone
74. a hot shower
75. the talk of "a hamster"
76. grace that is sooooo freely given
77. a book, another book and Gods word on thankfulness (love how he weaves all it together)
78. discernment
79. Doug and his wanting to be home more
80. a full diaper.... means his kidneys  are working :)
81. dad falling and not being really injured.. just bruising
82. the yummy dinner we had last night...  Alfredo chicken and ww pasta
83. a clean school room
84. a steam cleaner to get up some of the dirt :)
85. a dream last night about getting an orphan from kazakhstan

It's good to say sorry to your children...

Last night was AWFUL... well if you lived in this household... I had spent 2 FULL days purging and a weekend with little time so I was exhausted to say the least!.. BUT no excuses here because my heart was just FULL of SIN...... I could name all the sins but I won't because THANKFULLY repentant heart covered those with GRACE!... the house was a mess and no one seemed to want to put anything away and I had a pity moment.... OH but what a God moment it was when we had a "family" meeting and I was able to apologize for my behavior and ask these BEAUTIFUL children for forgiveness!.. it blessed my heart for each of them to say "i forgive you!".. knowing that they can see me being restored and see that we all make mistakes and I am by NO means perfect!.. It did get Doug and I thinking maybe their hearts are a little unthankful, so we talked about that!....  mmmmm Jen G, we might have to start a thankful journal in our kitchen!

walk down memory lane.....

Thursday I needed to go help Lane in her class to make these t-shirts, they were SOOOOO adorable!.. anyway... Kathy and Mallory babysat Andrew while I went in and as I was driving down county line rd I went back to days that I worked at the preschool and had all three with me and remembering how blessed I was to have all those years there, I thought about the people, my students, their parents, and the memories that my kiddos experienced!... all in all it was a great flashback!..  I was reminded AGAIN that the time is sooo short here, and reminded AGAIN this is not our home!.. thankful for truths from scripture..
Later that afternoon a friend of mine called me and she has been going through some hard times lately and so she was telling me about her day and then she started walking down memory lane as to how we met, how we shared quickly with each other, one of the first things we talked about! It was blessed!.. I hung up the phone thankful, thankful for HIS love, thankful for friends, and thankful for memories!..

52. walking down memory Lane
53. working in Lane's classroom.. few and far between!
54. sleepover with 2 girls that have been BEGGING... thank you no soccer game!
55. a sweet boy who gets Doug's old military pants.
56. Lane snuggling with me this morning!
57. watching Doug sleep after his morning run with Jon
58. walking and talking with Faith at the soccer field
59.Caleb mowing the grass to bless Doug when he got home last night.
60. scripture and the truth it contains... Hard truths that sometime I just don't like BUT I know His word is Truth!
61. cereal kind of nights!
62.making cupcakes with Lane last night.. well she did most of it!.. STOP GROWING!
63.Jen G for watching the kiddos next Wed so I can go on a field trip with Lane
64. 3 day 2's being started for Andrew next year
65. a full fridge

sometimes you gotta let the house get messy.....

because people are much more important! It was a GORGEOUS day yesterday! one of those LAZY days, just letting the kiddos play outside, of course like kiddos should!. My neighbor Dawn came over after bringing Lane home from school and we had lunch and then her and I sat outside..  It was BLESSED time! The house was a wreck when we got home from Church but I would not change a thing about yesterday :)

41. Lunch, even if it was sandwiches!.
42. questions about things of the Lord
43. My sweet neighbor Dawn
44. no broken bones for Andrew
45. Doug and I laughing so hard before bed last night
46. Doug's job
47. the reimbursement for mileage.. lot of that lately
48. Caleb setting his alarm to get up this morning
49. our faith family!  love them
50. an invitation to go to a nursing home to see one of my Sunday School kiddos dance for the elderly
51. a MESSY kitchen!

10:25 and I should be asleep BUT

Do you ever have those restless nights.. well tonight is one... The Lord has sooo much on my heart and blogging does seem to "deposit" out of my heart and head to something like this computer.  As I have said before when I started blogging 2 years ago I could NOT keep up with scrapbooking and ALL the stuff that comes with it.. not only that the supplies are expensive :)  and I would go through spurts of making pages then four kiddos and there goes the time!... I have so enjoyed writing "my heart"  so that one day the kiddos will read each one and see where my heart was!.. hopefully they will see spiritual growth, ongoing activities, thankful spirit, hurts, and just my heart!.. As much as we would like to believe that the life of a Christian is easy let me assure you it is not!.. we face trials, joys and lots of rejection!... I am realizing (I have been a Christian for many years) more and more that I wanna be like Christ there is a cost!.. a heavy cost.. scripture says in

Mark 8:34 "And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

Luke 14:26,27 "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

I want my life to reflect these verses.. to the world it would look like hate.. But remember it is not literal hate it is LOVING God so much that the world would think it was hate..  Jesus wants our whole attention and devotion. It cannot go to another person or thing. There is an individual cost that each must give in order to pick up his cross.

As I enter each day I must lean on the scripture...
Hebrews: 12:2 " Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."

so as I carry burdens of others and lift others in prayer to the throne may I love Him so much more tomorrow than I do today! 

 more of my "thanks"

31.  unexpected call from Joy to make me laugh..
32. nice long drive to Callaway and listening and talking to Kathy
33. giggles in the back seat!.. 5 kiddos wow!
34. blog that reminds me of His faithfulness.
35.playing monkey in the middle with a soccer ball.
36. my run yesterday
37. friend who is feeling much better.
38. enough gas to get home so I did not have to stop
39. His protection as we traveled today
40. bible study last night at soccer field

Praise Him!...

What a BEAUTIFUL weekend, not only the weather but the weekend in which we celebrate our Risen Lord!... so thankful that the Story did not end on Friday because on Sunday he rose, so that we may have LIFE!!....  as I listened to Brother David yesterday I am AGAIN reminded that we all have a time that the Lord appointed us to Die, oh but for the believer it is not final, it is ETERNAL.. This should drive us to share the Gospel more because we know that we are living in a world where people are perishing and it is MY responsibility to share with them! If you are saved it is YOUR responsibility to  share!.. What GLORIOUS news this is!... Why hide it deep within you and not share, oh how selfish! living in the bible belt is at times oh.so.hard. we really live in a place where the word "christian" is so loosely used or Christ is so watered down. May we glory in Him, cling to Him, and let Him be the Lord of our lives. May we grieve our sins and sins of this world...  remember we are Pilgrims just passing through!
May I be one to be only about His business! not my agenda! 
May I be found faithful!
May He receive all the Glory!
May we be Gospel, Live Gospel and share Gospel!

18-30


18. Gospel of Christ
19. Clothes and shoes to wear
20. sun beaming on me while seeing my children play soccer
21. the military hat Doug wore Saturday
22. pillow to lay my head on
23. popcorn with chocolate chips
24. Family movie night
25. Friends to dye eggs with
26. laughs on the trampoline
27. the sound of Andrew saying "car"
28. computer that I use  to pray for others
29. a dad who is feeling better since the flu
30. Alexis' blond hair flowing in the breeze

11-17

11. beautiful almost full moon last night

12. a son who wants to earn money

13. a leg to touch in the bed every night, don't let me EVER take that for granted

14.freedom in Christ

15. my walk with Margaret this morning

16. streams of people lining the streets of Griffin to pay respects of a fallen hero

17. a momma who will come to your house to let you spend one on one time with your kiddos!

The "dare"

What a BEAUTIFUL, I mean BEAUTIFUL day here!...  grass is green, trees in FULL bloom, dogs crashed in the lawn, sun beaming and the smell of grass in the air!...  This morning as I finished getting the kiddos ready for their school day, I sat down for a few, and read more pages in a book called ONE THOUSAND GIFTS.. got this for my birthday from Michele (EVERYONE who has read this book says it is WONDERFUL!) so I started reading a few days after I got it but with busy schedules and convictions about not being in God's word (when I am reading other books). I mean my quiet time with the Lord in the morning still happens.. well I am just rambling..  all this to say I have ALWAYS felt guilt if I have time to be in a christian book then why not the bible...  well I know that there is no guilt in Christ, I mean it is OK if I read a book....  then you get into the book thing and I am a FIRM believer if it is not a book that will bring Glory to God then for me I just can't read it... I don't want my mind to wonder, I am visual and some of the images that seem to be portrayed in books today are not good for me, so i just focus on things of the Lord and then I can through the Spirit keep my mind pure!..  ANYWAY... this book has thus far been great! I am now at the part where she realizes her joy comes from things she already has, nothing new but what the Lord has already given her. Our society today is about more, more and more and this is not how it should be!.. so I will start the "dare"... have not got passed this part so don't spoil it for me :)

1. God and his perfection whom I have salvation through His Son
2. Doug and his unconditional love for me
3.Alexis who is beautiful inside and out
4. Caleb and his sweet and quiet spirit
5. Lane my free spirit cutie
6. Andrew and his sweet smile
7. Parents who love me even though I wanna talk about Jesus all the time
8. Kathy and the journey they are embarking on
9. friends who I can share things of the Lord with
10. friends who I love so much even if they are distant

Time sure is going fast

Last week we were reading a book as a family and earlier in the night I had told Alexis some things about growing up and of course she really "didn't" want to talk about it, so we hit on some brief things and went on about our nightly routine, so as we were about to start reading I made a comment to Doug in front of the kiddos that time sure is going by fast and that the kiddos were growing so fast.. poor Alexis I heard her just start sobbing and we as her why she was crying and she said she does not like us telling her that she is growing up too fast!.. we asked "Do you wanna grow up?" and her answer was QUICKLY "NO!".. thankful that she wants to stay young and just be a kid!

Our lives are really a vapor, may we LIVE CHRIST, BE CHRIST and OOZE CHRIST while we are here for a short time...

James speaks of this in 4:14...
¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes

Fun Friends Friday

What a FUN day Friday was!... It has been FOREVER since we have had a chance to "reconnect", what I mean by that is with 10 kiddos between you to and busy schedules that is what we did!... Jen G is so precious, I mean I just get so much JESUS when she is in my midst!...

back in the months that we were off of Sunday night services UNITE the Greenwoods and the Hendrixs and us would gather EVERY Sunday night around 5 ish and have a time for the kiddos to play.. remember there is 14 between us!... then we would sit ALL together and open His Word and which ever house we were at the dad would lead.. It was PRECIOUS time , now that is TRUE fellowship!...it would last up to an hour or more ...... then afterwards we (us ladies)  would get in the kitchen and cook PANCAKES and TURKEY bacon (it was a treat for real bacon).. this was a tradition that we LOVED... OHHHHHHHH HOW I MISS THIS TIME... our church started back with Sunday nights and 2 of the 3 men were deacons so we felt like we needed to support the church!..

so thinking of this on Friday I sat listening to Jen G and remembered our time around Gods word and thanked God for the time we had with them and the Hendrixs on Sunday nights...  HOPEFULLY during the summer we will be able to start back!!!!!!!.....  thankful for our children and their friendships and really you don't see them much when they are together and everyone for the most part gets along!....

I think about the friendships in our life and makes me think of the song "Friends are friends forever if the Lord is Lord of them"....  grateful!