Thankful Thursday

Today's Thankful Thursday's theme is ~ Looking Back

I have to admit that I have a difficult time looking back. I am grateful that the Lord always steadies me for today and reminds me that He never changes and will be with me today and I'm not to worry about tomorrow. I hold fast to those promises.

However, to look back with thankfulness is a different story. I am thankful for so many things in this last year. I have read through the Bible once again and feel like I found things hidden in God's Word that have helped me immensely.

I am thankful for the opportunities to share my faith with the people we have come into contact with while volunteering at Angel Food Ministries.

I am thankful for my husband and his walk with the Lord being strong this past year. It has blessed my son and I in amazing ways. I am also thankful for his employment and that being such a blessing to him.

I am thankful for my son learning to take time to be with the Lord on his own. And the admission that when he fails to do so, he is not the same and has a harder go of things in this life. I am thankful for the tender Spirit that God has cultivated in this young man.

I am thankful for the diagnosis given of my heart condition and the promptings that it has given me to pray harder for my daughter to come home to the Lord.

I am thankful for bloggy friends. There are some special Christian women out there who have touched my heart. When I began the journey of blogging I did not think that was possible because of past hurts but if I've said it once, I've said it 100 times...God is so good!

These are some of the things I am thankful for in 2008. If you would like to join in this Thankful Thursday post...our hostess is Iris at Grace Alone.

May God bless you this upcoming year. Hugs to you, my sisters!

A beautiful day on the lake!

It was just a beautiful day on the lake today. We have been blessed the last two days with having our son's very good friend, Joseph, over. And the blessings with beautiful weather allowed us to throw on the spring suits and head out to the lake.

Yes, the water was a little cold, but just beautiful! Kimmy, if this doesn't get you here, I don't know what will! lol

This is me snuggling up to the Captain....isn't he a cute guy!!


Joshua stood up on the knee board and tried to pull a 360....he did rotate a few times but didn't come back with the rope! lol Joseph was such an encourager!

Joshua standing on the knee board.

Joseph and Joshua.....they had a blast!

Joshua landed this 360.

The cute Captain and his crew. Would you just look at that sky the Lord made for us today! He is so good!

My beloved and me. Again, the Lord is so good.

This is before we left for the lake.....the boys are both Charger fans. I'm so not understanding how my son got wired incorrectly. lol However, we got Joseph this Charger jersey for Christmas and they were outside throwing the football...wearing their jerseys...and talking a whole lot of 'smack' about next weeks game. You see, next week the Chargers play my Colts.

Hey Ang, I had to deal with this all day! I would have been so happy if I could have taken pictures of them in Colts jerseys like you do your Things. lol On a more sincere note, my father's team is also the Colts and Joshua has arranged to take next Sunday off of work and go to spend the day with my father and watch the game with him. He is also buying him a Colts jersey because my Dad does not have one.

I am happy for my son's relationship with my Dad. It warms my heart.

I pray you have had a blessed day in the Lord knowing He is good. Hugs to you!!

Happy New Year

Christmas Greetings

I will be out for the rest of the week so ~ From our home to yours ... God bless you and Merry Christmas!!

Happy Sunday

Blessings to you today!!

Praises to our King

Thank you Jesus, for all of Your mercies, in every form they come!


Blessings to you this wonderful day that our Lord hath made! He is so good!

Friday Funnies

Happy Friday! My sweet friend, Kim, over at Homesteader's Heart hosts Friday Funnies each week. This is such a fun meme. If you would like to join in, click here.

In one way, I really like this little cartoon...I think it's cute that a reindeer truly does get it and is explaining it to Santa. In another way, I am hopeful this is a good reminder that Jesus is the 'better plan'!!

Blessings to you today! ((Kimmy, I'll see you soon))

Weariness

I've heard it in so many conversations and in people's voices these past few days. Weariness.

My beloved read to me from 1 Timothy this morning and then we read our Proverb of the day ~ Proverbs 18:10 " The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe".

If you are weary ... run to the Lord. He is your strong tower.





Blessings to you today!

Word for Wednesday

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth"

Blessings to you!

Tuesday Tidbits

I don't know about you, but I think we should put these signs up everywhere! What is it about this time of year that brings out the "mean" in drivers?

Jay and I actually saw a flashing highway warning sign that said "PATIENCE - HOLIDAY DRIVERS". lol

Let's try to remember that there are older people driving out there who are going shopping who may not ordinarily be going out driving...and be patient. Let's remember the new driver that is still trying to recite all the rules in his or her brain and try to look 'cool'...and be patient.

Let's try to yield to other drivers even if the light may turn red...and use that time to be patient and remember someone to pray for ... maybe the person who you just yielded to, or the person next to you who looks frustrated.



1 Corinthians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

Blessings to you sweet sisters!

Joshua's Christmas Party

Joshua had a formal Christmas party Friday night with his youth group. I took a few pictures before we left. I really wish I knew how to operate a camera better. I had him in the shade and forgot the flash inside. lol

At any rate, he had a really great time. The party was set up as a progressive dinner so they went to a few different homes. He said each home was great and he loved all of the food!! They did have a gift exchange and when he saw me at the close of the evening he handed me a great big Hershey chocolate bar.

Yep, he gave it to me. Is it any wonder that boy has my heart!!!


May your day be blessed. ((hugs)) to you!

Happy Sunday

Blessings to you this day!

Then Sings My Soul Saturdays

Today, Amy, hosts us for Then Sings My Soul Saturdays. I have chosen Faith Hill singing "A baby changes everything". My friend, April, posted this song a few weeks back on her blog and it touched my heart then and I have been singing it since.

Thank God for Jesus ... this baby changed everything! Hallalujah! Enjoy!




Blessings to you!! Debra Kaye

My Husband Rocks

Today, Katy Lin, our hostess for My Husband Rocks, has asked us if we would like to share a favorite Christmas memory that we have with our husbands.

I believe I have mentioned that my husband, Jason, is a drummer. Our first Christmas together was in California and he had thrown many a hint that he wanted a new drum set.

I found him a white Pearl drum set and bought it. I hid it in the cubby beneath the stairwell. He was absolutely shocked on Christmas morning! He loved that drum set. And he played it constantly.

When we moved to Florida, he packed it ever so carefully. He polished them and took care of them and played them with love. I'll never forget that first drum set that I gave him or the joy it obviously brought him.

We hit a very tough spot financially many years later and my beloved husband felt the Lord laying it upon his heart to sell those drums. He put an ad in the paper and had them sold for 3 times the amount I paid for them and we had provision for at least a month.

I know it must have broke his heart but he never complained. He kept saying the Lord told him to do it and the Lord would provide another set when the timing was right.

It would be a couple of years. The Lord honored that sacrifice and brought forth another set at a very reasonable price, however, Jason bought it for Joshua and thus began the next generation of drummers in our home.

Jason & Joshua both have drum sets now. And guitars. They love music. And I love them.


This is our attempts at getting a picture for a Christmas card. I'm tellin ya, my friends, he is a card!

I'm pretty sure Joshua thought he was never going to get out of the stairwell!

I really do like this picture! I think this was right before he started cracking up laughing again!

Or...he might have been doing this.... one can only speculate! haha

At any rate....my husband definitely rocks! And I thank God for him.

Thankful Thursday

Thursday's are the day we link up with Iris at Grace Alone and share the things we are thankful for. The theme this week is praise.


I am thankful and I praise the Lord for this time of year where we can be mindful that the King of Kings stepped down from the Heavenly realms and became a baby because of His great love for us. I know I can never truly comprehend it, but I am eternally grateful.

I am thankful and I praise the Lord for my husband, children and my family. The sound of laughter is plentiful and it warms my heart.

I am thankful and I praise the Lord for my church home. The sounds of praise to my King on Sunday morning are beautiful and encouraging. I love that the worship team incorporates an older hymn into the service.

I am thankful and I praise the Lord for encouraging words from my sweet sisters. I am amazed at the outpouring of prayer support and love when I am not feeling well. The blog community is truly a great community.

Blessings to you today!!

Wednesday

1 John 1:5 "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" Amen

Blessings to you!

So blessed! Thanks, gals!!

My new bloggy friend, Momstheword, awarded me with the Butterfly Award. I love it and think it's beautiful. I'm to link it back to her - check. And pass it on to ten others and let them know they have been awarded it on their blog by leaving them a message. I'm going to pass it on to the first ten people who respond to this post so consider yourselves awarded if you are numbers 1-10! Awesome.

Then I get a note from my pal, Peggy, treating me to a Lemonade Award. The same rules apply. Nominate ten. That Peggy..she has a big heart and nominated much more than ten...I'm tellin ya, I feel the same way...If you are here today and visiting with me, please grab that Lemonade Award.

Then there is sweet Alicia over at More thanWords. She awarded me the Kreativ Blogger Award. It comes with a Seven Things Meme, and here there are:

SEVEN THINGS I DID BEFORE (personally, I think this statement is vague...tee hee)

1. I worked as a Fedex Trainer and Dispatcher

2. Identified my job with my personal success as a person

3. Could not conceive of being a stay at home Mom...I know, I know...I so love it now!!!

4. People pleased everyone in my life

5. I was a cheerleader in high school (have I mentioned how vague I think that question is?)

6.

7.

SEVEN THINGS I DO NOW

1. Daily Devotional

2. Homeschool

3. Rent movies

4. Blog

5. Have date night with my hubby

6. I volunteer at a food bank

7. I dance in the kitchen when I want to make my guys laugh

SEVEN THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO

1. Go on a mission trip

2. Get my house sold

3. Be debt free

4. Move to a Tennessee cabin and have all the bloggy gals over for coffee! PS..Kim & Kathy are cooking .... obviously!

5. See my daughter come back to the Lord

6. See Alpesh (my son's adoptive child)

7. Be the best wife I can be to my hubby

SEVEN THINGS THAT ATTRACT ME TO MY HUSBAND

1. He loves loves loves Jesus

2. He has the best smile in the whole wide world

3. He wants to be a cowboy so bad! He wears a hat & boots like nobody's business!

4. He calls me "Peach"

5. He cooks for me on the weekends

6. He has the most wonderful disposition. Truly. Makes us laugh. Keeps us sane.

7. When all is said and done, he makes me feel safe.

SEVEN THINGS I SAY MOST OFTEN

1. Josh, have you started that report yet?

2. Truly, you think this room is clean? You're killin me Smalls!

3. Procrastination is a friend to failure....start your reports!!!

4. Love you more!! ! Love you most!! I love you so much it's an emergency. In text form that is 1-13-911 (stands for 1 Cor 13 ... the love Chapter...smart, huh?)

5. Josh, give me the Blue Steel (look from a movie)(I told ya, we are famous for one liners)

6. Somebody is calling me (when the dryer buzzer goes off)

7. That's one Mac!!

SEVEN PEOPLE I'M TAGGING: Beth in NC, Debbie, April, Bethany, Kelly, Denise & Sheryl

And if that wasn't enough, I was blessed by Denise with 'Your Blog is Fabulous' Award. That sweet sister always blesses my socks off. She is so fabulous so to have her give this to me is ...well, fabulous! I am to fess up to five addictions and then pass on to five other Fabulous Sisters. Five addictions...easy! #1 Jesus #2 Jason #3 Josh #4 blogging #5 sweet tea w/lemon. I'm addicted to 'em all...especially #1 & 2. Can't get enough of them! Now to nominate five Fabulous Women...#1 Jennifer (she is a new bloggy sister and she touches my heart) #2 Kim (my fabulous friend that I get to meet in 10 days...sorry LauraLee...kinda) #3 Sunny (yes, Sunny, you are fabulous) #4 Tarah (you will love her fabulous style..trust me on this one) #5 Kelly (i actually got to meet this fabulous gal at church...check out her blog...fabulous)

Whew! Thanks for sticking with me. Blessings to you all. Sorry if there are spelling errors...my brain is not functioning very well this evening. lol

Truth for Tuesday

It never ceases to amaze me how good God is. I have a terrible migraine this morning but my beloved who is on his way very early to Tampa called to check on me and pray with me over the phone. He is truly compassionate and caring and I'm so blessed. Thank you, Lord, for this man who You have joined me to. I am humbled and grateful. Amen.

Note to my sisters today ... Jesus loves you and so do I. ((hugs)) to you!!