Happy Birthday to You!

Yesterday was the birthday of my youngest. I can hardly believe she's 21! Now all my kids are offically grown up. :(
It seems like only the other day, I was pregnant on Christmas, living in Alabama....we had a fire in the fireplace on Christmas morning and had to put it out and open the doors by noon because it was so warm. I wasn't due until Jan.16th so no huge baby rush was on...we had been caught up in the Christmas season and hadn't had much time to focus on new baby with 2 little ones already running around. Suddenly only 4 days after Christmas, our third child decides to make her appearance....this was before the days of multiple ultrasounds so we had no scientific idea of the sex of our baby...but I was sure it was a boy. I had felt the same confidence on our first two and had been correct so I was very shocked when Dr M. announced that our new little one... was a girl. What?? are you sure?? I asked several times, in the muddled state of a woman just giving birth. :-) Yes, indeed...he was sure....we had a beautiful little girl. We named her Kathryn Alayne which means Pure Light and she has indeed been a source of pure light and joy ever since.
In those days the traditional hospital stay was 3 days.....before we got home with her the weather had changed, in typical Alabama style, to 10 degrees, and we were iced and snowed in for a week after bringing her home. Her siblings had the flu just before and her dad caught it just in time to welcome Katy home...and a fun time was had by all...lol....well it was memorable at the least. :)

She has since grown to be a beautiful young woman who is stopped on the street by talent agents and model recruiters. She is a wonder in business and has landed an incredible job, putting herself well on her way to a profitable career. She is also a fabulous mommy to my equally as beautiful Jadabear. Loyal, affectionate, considerate and thoughtful, she is a joy to know. Blessed are those who call her friend. I consider myself so fortunate to have her as my daughter and thank the Lord for her daily.

I love you Katybug, my joyful surprise! Mom & Dad are SO proud of who you have grown up to be! HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY!

There's Got to be a Morning After

Well, not exactly the morning after...but you get the point. :) the shopping, cooking, wrapping, eating, and gift giving is over, I'm back at work(boo), the kids are all on their ways back to their respective abodes..love, love, love this time with my family but now....time to chill out! That's what I love about New Year's. I don't owe it to anyone, I'm not responsible for anything, I don't have to do anything or go anywhere...its a free holiday! And because it falls on the weekend...I get Monday off too! Yeaah!
Plans?? well...we'll probably go out to dinner on Sat. and maybe a movie, I have an awesome book lined up to read since the house will be very quiet with even Bek gone to see her Navy boy, and perhaps a trip to our Gerogia mountians on Monday...just for fun. Hubby is off too so we may just ride up there and cruise around. Oh yeah, I do have to take the Christmas decorations down...hate that part.... :)

So what are your plans for the New Year's Holiday?

Lyrics for the Week

Please take a moment to read these words. They are so powerful and strong. Merry Christmas to you all!

Mary Did You Know?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered will soon deliver you.
Mary, did you knowThat your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Did you knowThat your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you knowThat your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little boyYou’ve kissed the face of God, Mary, did you know?

The blind will see, the deaf will hear, and the dead will live again
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak the praises of the lamb!

Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Did you know that your baby boy will one day rules the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect lamb?
and this sleeping child you’re holding....Is the great I am.

Buddy Green, Mark Lowry

Sidebar from Christmas....

My brother-in-law is an Army officer who served last year in Iraq and is still active but now stationed stateside. The letter below is one he received last week from an Iraqi accquaintance after their historic elections. This is not media, left or right...this is not propaganda...this is not one of those chain letters you receive that you have no idea where they come from or if they are true... this is pure correspondence between two persons actually involved that I just happen to know. It speaks volumes....

Dear Sir;How are you? I wish you are well.A long time has passed before I hear fromyou.Today is the 15th Dec.Iraqis are going by hundreds and thousands to thevoting centres.It is a historical moments.If you see how the Iraqis worktogether with the Americans to secure people and their freedom to vote,youwill realize how great is your mission in Iraq.The Americans distributeAmerican candies and gifts to the Iraqi kids and even to men and women.Ourpeople is very grateful.Day by day ,the insurgents and terrorists becomemore and more isolated.Many of them returned to the lap of the free Iraq andannounced their repentance and are now fighting beside us against theAl-Qaida terrorists.They are doing a very great job.You remember the lastelections how the Sunnis rejected the election process claiming that theycannot vote under the shadow of the occupation,while now they urge thepeople to participate saying it is a national and religious duty.Many oftheir leaders adm! itted that they made a mistake by bycotting the lastelections.I think these elections will make four main blocks inside theparliament.They are :Al-Iatilaf (the Shia coalition),The KurdistanCoalition,Al-Tawafuq Al-Iraqi(Representatives of Sunnis)andAl-Iraqia(representatives of the liberal Iraqis).
Regards and Compliments to Sydney and Sharon.
Sadiq

May God Bless our troops and their efforts abroad. I am proud of them and of our nation for standing for freedom even when the going gets tough.

Christmas Quiz

Are you up for a little Christmas Quiz?? Stole this from Muriel. :-)

Hot Chocolate or Egg Nog?
Hot Chocolate
Does Santa wrap the presents or just set them under the tree?
Definitley wraps them
Colored or white lights on the tree/house?
Colored...I'm thinking white in future when I don't have kids to please
Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope, I kiss who ever I want when ever I want in my house! :-))
When do you decorate?
Thanksgiving weekend, of course!
What is your favorite holiday dish/goodie?
BarBQ(yep its a Christmas Day tradition)
Chocolate peanut butter balls- YUMMM
Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Caroling through the neighborhood and having a neighborhood open house every year.
How and when did you learn the truth about Santa?
I was 6-7...my cousin broke it to me...I didn't believe her for a while at all. :)
Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve?
Sibling gifts only!
Snow! Love it or hate it?
Love it...for a while...:)
Can you ice skate?
Nope....but I can ski
Do you remember your favorite gift?
A huge brown teddy bear as a child and
An Atensio garnet ring, necklace and earring set as an adult
What is the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Remembering my Lord, time with my family and the gift of giving
What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
Caroling and reading the Christmas Story from Luke 2 on Christmas Eve then watching my husband remind the kids (& now grandkids) of it on Christmas morning before they open their gifts. Their faces are amazing as they listen in awe every time...even now. :)
What type of tree? Live or Artificial?
Live- inspite of the mess :)
Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Giving!
What is your favorite Christmas Carol?
Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!

How 'bout you? Wanna play?

Morning Monday

The weekend flew by in a blur...Sometimes you just have to grab a moment and hold on to it so that you can remember you even had such a time. :)
Got lots done.... gift shopping, (almost done!), returns, groceries, out to lunch with Mom and Bek, work 5-10:30, sleep in 2 days, sit by the fire, replaced non-working lights(previous post) :-)....hung the last garland, wrapped some gifts, worked 2-7:30 hubby made a wonderful gourmet dinner and had it waiting when I arrived home at 8pm, addressed last Christmas cards, shower, crash, up again at 6am and back to work!
Its the 7th day of Christmas! Only 5 to go! Kids arriving Thurs and Friday! Yeaah! Whew! Glad when they get here so I can relax. :)
Have a lovely Monday!

Check out some of the adorable ornaments I got while in Pigeon Forge: The bear for Jadabear, and two for Bek...flip flops for her (she wears them til frost) and her sailor boy, of course. :)

Check out this blog if you want to rekindle some great Christmas memories...She's up to #8 I think and each one takes me back...Maybe they will for you too. :)

Merry Christmas!

Lyrics for the day....

Believe

The Polar Express

*******************************************

Children, sleeping.Snow is softly falling.

Dreams are calling, Like bells in the distance.

We were dreamers,not so long ago.

But one by one, we all had to grow up.

When it seems the magic slipped away... We find it all again on Christmas Day.

Believe in what your heart is saying, Hear the melody that's playing.

There's no time to waste, There so much to celebrate.

Believe in what you feel inside,Give your dreams the wings to fly.

You have everything you need, if you just believe.

Trains move quicklyTo their journey's end.

Destinations...Are where we begin again.

Ships go sailing,Far across the sea.

Trusting starlight, To get where they need to be.

When it seems that we have lost our way...We find ourselves again on Christmas Day.

Believe in what your heart is saying, Hear the melody that's playing

There's no time to waste, There so much to celebrate.

Believe in what you feel inside, And give your dreams the wings to fly.

You have everything you need, if you just Believe.

If you just believe.

If you just believe.If you just believe...just believe...just believe.

**********************************

I love this song...I especially like the lines that say

"Believe in what your heart is saying, Hear the melody that's playing.There's no time to waste, There so much to celebrate." and also "When it seems that we have lost our way...We find ourselves again on Christmas Day."

When I hear this song I always think of my Lord who is the true dream giver and when ever I have lost my way in life or in pursuit of the dreams He has given, I find myself again "when I just believe"... in Christ. He is the melody playing in my heart. He is worth celebrating!

*******************************************

May you find the courage to Believe in the Dream Giver this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas!

TO DO LIST

List of things to do this week....week half over already

Work extra hours at job #1
Re-work the budget
Shop
Make Christmas goodies
Shop
Re-work the budget
Mail out "Save the Dates" for the wedding (past due)
Work job #2
Replace non-working string of lights before kids arrive
Shop
Re-work the budget
Sleep.....naaaah... X that til after Christmas

1st Day of Christmas!

Yesterday was the first day of Christmas!....well depending on who you ask... but for me, definantly!
If you haven't do so yet...get to celebrating!

Hearing the words

For sometime I've been wanting to start regular postings of song lyrics. As some of you may have picked up on, I love songs and to sing. To me, songs express the deepest thoughts and emotions that I myself have no words for...and I'm pretty darn wordy...:) I think that in our society we take very little time to really hear most songs, to realize their point...especially ones we have sung for years because they are catchy or cute or are just traditional. Perhaps if they are printed out in front of us, maybe in a context we had not thought of before....they can really speak to us and we can grasp their true meaning. Words are powerful things and I would just like to take this opportunity to give some powerful songs their due. I'm going to steal an idea from a fellow blogger and try to have a regular lyric post each week. If anyone thinks of a catchy name for it like WBW or something let me know. :)

Here's my choice for this week:

Hark, the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!" Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies. With the angelic host proclaim "Christ is born in Bethlehem". Hark, the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!"
Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord. Late in time, behold Him come, offspring of the favored one. Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity. Pleased, as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel! Hark, the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!"
Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace, hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. Hark, the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!"

Now this is good :)

Never read this guy before but I do like today's entry and yesterday isn't bad either. Check it out....he certainly has a point. Thank goodness Christianity is still scary to somebody!

Joy to the World!

You know, I keep hearing this stupid commercial on the radio and its bugging me. You may have heard it, its the "Rooms to Go" ad that says...."You find the room you want, the joy is real". It irks me every time I hear it.
That joy is not real!
Neither is a trip to the Bahamas or the perfect new car or pair of great shoes. This, my friends, is not joy!
This is just pleasure...pleasure is such a soulish thing...and don't get me wrong...I find just as much pleasure as anyone in the smell of new leather, a great vacation or a delicious meal...:-) All completely justifiable as pleasant.....But please don't tell me this is joy!
Please don't sully true Joy with such insignificance!
Joy is something spiritual, a higher thing. I have real Joy inside me all the time...sometimes I feel it more strongly than at other times, but it is there nonetheless, like a quiet undercurrent waiting to burst forth. I feel it when I am with my brothers and sisters...or my husband and children..and Jada, of course. :), or in the giving something of myself to others. I know real Joy when I create- something from within is brought to life and shared with those around me.... this is the experiencing of true Joy and it is a glorious high thing. It is so much more encompassing than mere pleasure.
Sharing life with others, giving of myself, reminds me of the Father bringing forth His Son and sharing His Joy with the world... Of course I can experience pleasure at the same time as Joy but the two are definitley not one and the same. Sometimes I feel deep Joy for no reason at all other than the simple fact that Joy Himself lives inside of me. Joy is so much greater, higher, and deeper than poor pleasure! ....As a matter of fact...Joy is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. The Father gave His own Joy to us! Let us not settle for living from our soul, let us soar in our spirits.
Let everyday be "JOY to the World!"

Leaf Jumping As Promised :-)

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I met him when I was 10 years old. It was the brief but strong encounter of a child on the verge of puberty, recently gone through the trauma of her parents break up and a bit on the emotional side. He was sweet and gentle and comforted me. He was a friend during a hard time in my life. We remained friends, more acquaintances really, for the new few years, chatting now and then when we would bump into each other or perhaps I would seek him out when some uncomfortable period of adolescence arose in my life. He was an ever present comfort always standing by when I needed him but not thought of too often in between. At 15 or so I began to see him as a possible long term companion. Of course teenagers are so romantic and tend to see everything through a haze of extremes, either bliss or despair. Our relationship went accordingly, up and down with myself being very off and on again as to how involved I really wanted to be or wanted him to be. He was patient and didn't press me but never went far away, always the gentleman but making it clear that he wanted to be with me, not just when I was in the mood, but all the time. He is very persistent. By my sixteenth year we had become inseparable. I must say, it was a wonderful, exciting journey and I never wanted it to end.....never imagined that it could.

But sadly...all good things do come to an end....By now I was in my 20s, married, a young mother and our relationship just wasn't enough, wasn't fulfilling, wasn't meeting my needs. To be honest, I hated our relationship. I felt terrible about it. I was a failure. I had tried so hard to be good, to do it right, to be everything I thought he wanted me to be but to no avail. It seemed to me that he was demanding and rigid and I just wasn't cutting it, we weren't going to make it. And yet there he was, so patient, so kind,... so infuriatingly immovable. He wasn't going anywhere. If anyone was going to give up or stop trying it was going to be me.

Finally that day came...I guess I was 23 or so, I was at the end of my rope...... After thirteen years of friendship and affection and connection and trying so hard to please... and failing...I gave it up. I remember crying my eyes out and telling him that I just could not do it anymore. That I wanted out. I remember saying to him that if anything was going to change it would have to be his doing cause I wasn't able anymore, never had been really but finally had realized it. Always before when we'd had those deep dark conversations of failure and change I had gotten back up, brushed myself off and gone forth with a new determination and zeal to "do better". But not this time...I finally realized the truth.... I could never, ever, as long as I lived "do better". . I had seen myself as I truly was and it just wasn't in me. I stopped struggling, stopped fighting, stopped everything and let go.....

.....I simply walked away.....

Then a funny thing happened...I walked right into his arms :) because he is everywhere I turn and I can never get away from him. :)

From that day forward he took over everything....little by little I began to see changes, not in him...but in me! Over the next couple of years I began to see him as he really was. Gracious, accepting, merciful, strong, humble, capable, and incredibly loving...everything I was not, yet he was sharing it with me, and always always pursuing me even as he had when we first met.

The day I gave up has come to mean everything in my life....everything changed that day...it became the basis of our relationship, our entire future together....That is the day we truly became one and nothing has ever been the same.
*********************************************************************

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! I don't have to live up to some high standard....You actually do the living in me and You are making me into the person I always hoped to be!

"What's your story...about His Glory?
Find your place... in the history of Grace"
Matthew West

Regrets

Instructions:1) Call the meme "Regrets - I've Had A Few"2) Always refer (and link back) to the blogger who tagged you3) Always tag (and link to) at least two new bloggers4) List as many regrets as you like, but list a minimum of one (even if you have to re-interpret the term 'regret' because you feel strongly that you don't have any)5) Include these five rules in each post as the meme instructions.
I'm taking the tag from Amberdusk....

Hmmmm...lets see...Regret #1
That we didn't buy a house sooner. We were married 10+ yrs and into our 30s before we bought out first house, consequently each house has been the house we really needed a few years before...like a 3 bedroom when we needed 4 and a house with a family and living room after our kids were in college...duh! Now we have a huge 4 BR house and a pool with one kid living at home...when will we catch up and get it right??

Regret#2 I never tried out for Broadway...:)

Regret#3 That my kids live all over the country. Although I'm proud of their independence....I really miss them.

Regret#4 The fact that I cannot eat onions...they just don't like me very well. :(

Regret #5 I never took dance lessons...Hey I think I'll remedy this one and take some lessons in time for Beks' wedding!

Tag to anyone who wants to play.

My Incredible, lovely girl!

I can't believe it! Today Bekah is 23 yrs old! How did that happen? Only yesterday I was painting the room in our new house where our new baby would sleep. Then she surprised us and came early! 2 weeks early! arriving in time for Thanksgiving in 1982. I so wanted a girl and there she was! She was average sized with trouble falling asleep, a tendency to be colicky at dinner time and very strong willed...somethings don't change :) She is still a nite owl, chatty at dinner and very focused when she gets her mind set on something....I love this girl! She is a strong and beautiful young woman. With college and our moving to GA, I consider myself so blessed to have her physical presence in my house once again if even for a short time. Her wedding in April will send her on her way offically into the big wide world and though I rejoice for her, I mourn for my self and all that has passed never to return again. My little princess, with long flowing blonde hair and toe shoes, sleepovers and barbies, has grown up!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Bekaboo!

JADA

Here she is folks! The most beautiful in the whole wide world! (that's what I tell her) and she says..."I de mos beautiful". :-) She will be here next week, with her equally as beautiful mommy, for Thanksgiving weekend! I can't wait!

Love this time of year with the holidays round the corner and the air crisp, a fire in the fireplace. It surely is the best. I'm saving the leaf raking til she gets here cause there aren't any piles of leaves for her to jump in in Florida. She and I will have a blast. I'd say the leaves are about 6 inches deep in my back yard right now. LOL My girls will probably get in on it too. :) Maybe I'll get some help out of them....naah probably not. :) they will be too busy shopping, baking, decorating the tree.... I think I feel a strong urge to hire the neighborhood middleschooler to do some raking ...right after Thanksgiving!

Can I say it yet??? HAPPY HOLIDAYS!....Almost!!!

Life Song

This song is in my heart today...may it be so every day...

Let my life song sing to You,
Let my life song sing to You.
Let me sign Your Name at the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my life song sing to You!

Casting Crowns

Home with pics!

I'm back, we had a lovely time in TN. Must have been the peak weekend for fall foilage. It was stunning and everyone in the southeast was in Pigeon Forge to see it I think. :) Truly it was a sight to see this year. Strange how God made Autumn, the season of dying, to be so beautiful. Does that parallel our lives, do you think? Or possbily what He values. Death always brings new life in His realm and nothing can be gained without it. No wonder He makes it beautiful in this realm to mirror His thoughts on the subject.
It seems that we, as humans, shy away from talking too much about death but He is not afraid of death, in fact He conquered it completely and set us free, free from even the fear of it.

I know from my own life experience that there is no gain without loss and I am so thankful to be dead in Christ and raised to new life in Him. As the seasons change I am reminded that what He values is foreign to us but as we live in Him we gain His perspective on some of these things. Truly death and dying whether it be to sin or to self or to our own desires, is a victory in His eyes and worth celebrating. Laying down our lives in exchange for His is always, like the Autumn leaves...a beautiful thing to behold.

Away Again!

Signing off for the weekend. I'm just a travelling girl these days.
We are having a "cousins" get together this weekend in Pigeon Forge, TN. Can't wait! Gonna eat out a little, shop a little, see some fall foilage, laugh til it hurts, maybe cry a tear or two... gonna be great!
There will be at least 8 of us and thats all the girls except for one who has a newborn and one who is having surgery.. I don't think the boys were invited...:). This is the first time we have ever done anything like this and I am looking forward to it very much. I'm sure we will all be young and silly together and feel like the teenagers we were the last time we were all together. Should be a blast!
I am so thankful there will be none of the tension and high drama that seems to accompany so many people's family interactions. We are very blessed. We have always been very close even when miles have seperated us and I' m bettin that every one of them is looking forward to this every bit as as much as I am. Have a great weekend all my bloggin friends....
Ciao!

Toasters in Toronto! Ska is Dead Tour :-)

So sorry! I guess I'm just the proud mamma and can't help myself but here are some great pics from my son's latest tour.
Scroll down til you find the link for Toasters sets 1 & 2. He's the cutie in the red T-shirt with the saxaphone. Love that kid!

Halloween Pets??

These are hysterical! Enjoy!

Eventful week

We've had an eventful week around here! Hubby and I spent a long weekend in the beautiful Georgia mountains celebrating our wedding anniversary. (we've been married a looong time) It was wonderful! We still like each other. :-) Turned out to be chilly and sunny, an awesome combination! We hiked and took a scenic train ride...shopped and had hot drinks...rode bikes and ate out...and throughly enjoyed our time. Our cabin was incredible! the view! the fireplace! the hot tub! yes...I want one! And all only 1.5 hours from home, now that's really nice and easy. Having a cabin in the mountains is definitely on my list of things to do.

We finally booked a site for Bek's wedding! Yeaah! We are under the 6 month window and I was getting worried but this place is awesome. http://www.deercreekclub.com (how do you rename these things??) We liked it better than anything we had looked at and we can afford it! I couldn't believe it was still available. Now we can relax and do fun stuff.... like choose florists and photographers...lol

Bekah got a second job...big event since she has been looking since May...yeah. Now she can help pay for this wedding! :)
Jeff is home from tour for a couple of weeks. I think they leave for Europe in Nov. sometime. Got to chat with him by phone for a while yesterday. He's good.
Kate and Jadabear are fine too. Jada lost her balloon and was quite distraught...bad mommy for letting it fly out the window! I had to console her over the phone and hear all about the pumpkin she made for Gigi and Poppy at school. Love my little Jada pumpkin!

All in all, feeling pretty good about the week. Not much time to relax since we got home from the mountains but the weekend's coming and not much is planned, thank goodness. Perhaps I will get to work in my yard or watch a movie....nah....probably more like catch up on laundry and grocery shop. We'll see...
Oh I did get a new fall flag over the weekend and got it hung yesterday...as I was bringing my plants in to keep them from freezing...I can fly it through Thanksgiving anyway. Very fally around here, yummm!

Scent of Remembering

The smell of dirt...
The smell of cedar...
The smell of cigars...
The smell of cocoa...

They say that smell is the sense most directly tied to memory...
Just today I have been taken with these above named scents...For no apparent reason I have been acutely aware of them, ...each an isolated incident...distinctly and clearly defined...Strange that the memory that has come to me with each different scent is of My Lord.

How is that possible? How can cocoa remind me of Him?

But somewhere inside myself I know its true...
I have played in the dirt with Him by my side, experiencing Freedom as only a child can... inhaled deeply the scent of cedar as I cleaned up wood chips from my grandfather's carpentry and felt Security there......I have rested in my earthly daddy's lap with cigar smoke encircling my head and known Complete Contentment....I have made cocoa for my children on cold winter days and felt such Wholeness....

No wonder I thought of My Lord...all these scents speak to me of Comfort, Peace, and Joy....deep feelings inside...
So of course...they lead me back to Him!

Because I'm in Him

Last night in our sisters meeting I heard the Lord speaking something to me which came back to me this morning. He said "Dwelling in Me, you transcend the written word. Dwelling in Me, you dwell in the Living Word." Amazing to think that we as believers actually live inside the Word of God. Way better than just reading a book, eh?
Then I heard this chorus this morning on my way to work and thought it apropos. I might have modified it a teeny bit. :)

Because You're in me,

I will worship You!

Because You save me,

I will praise your name!

Creator of all things,

I will sing Your praise.

Because You chose me

I belong to You.

Lucky Girls

My engaged daughter sent this quote to me....
She obviously feels she has found just such a man. I am happy to say that she is marrying a guy much like her Dad in these respects....all except for the calling back when I hang up on him...lol...

Find a guy who calls you Beautiful instead of Hot,
who calls you back when you hang up on him,
who will stay awake just to watch you sleep.
Wait for the boy who kisses your forehead,
who wants to show you off to the world when you are in your sweats,
who holds your hand in front of his friends,
who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on.
Wait for the one who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares about you and how lucky he is to have you.
Wait for the one who smiles, turns to his friends and says..
"THAT'S HER!"

I love my husband!

I'm back. No probs, just busy....:)

Hi All,

We went down to Jax this past weekend to try and make some wedding headway. Its not going very well. Every venue we've looked at is either not right or not available. We've been looking for 3 months and time is running out! Yikes! This is WORK!

We brought our JadaBear home with us. She has grown so much in just the few weeks since we have seen her. She is talking a blue streak...She says "my name is Jada Moore" "I'm 2!" :-)

She loves her Poppy and her doggie, Trooper and her Bekah and her Gigi...everything is hers, personally. :)
Be back soon with photos, I hope...
In the mean time, please give me some tips on stress management during wedding planning! What did ya'll do? (my Southern is showing... hey, I'm tired.... :)

Ethics

Yes, I have removed such a depressing, non-edifying post....
My wonderful hubby, who has no knowledge of blogging :), has pointed out how it could be misunderstood by many...even hurtful to some...
and I wouldn't want that.....
I was venting, really years of frustration, and the situation has nothing to do with anyone in my immediate circle. Some reading this may realize that I have a wide range of contacts and hear from people literally all around the world.
This doesn't mean that I feel that the issue of ethics shouldn't be addressed in our circles, I do....just not from an anger standpoint. :)

My Wonderful Son!

This is my baby boy performing with his band, the Toasters, here in Atlanta last winter. He's the white kid, 3rd from the left. :D
I am so proud of him and his talent! He is living his dream and seeing the world (from the back of a van) :-)
He is an incredible musician and learning to be a good business man too. - His singing isn't too bad either. :) Guess he takes after me in that department. lol
Plus he still loves his Mommy! Now that's the good stuff.

Awesome Song in my heart today

We delight ourselves, in You, Lord
Rejoicing in You always..
We've lost all trust in the flesh
And we're completely
Dependant on You.

We sing "You alone are good
You alone are worthy
To the glory and the honor
and the praises of our God...

We Live! We Live! We now live."

My Beautiful Princess!

We did it! We ordered Bekah's wedding gown!
Oh my goodness, she was so beautiful in it! She has searched extensively, (she's one of those who has to look at all her options then go back to her first choice :) ) and decided upon this gorgeous creation by designer Maggie Sotterro (sp?) Of course that was the dress she "knew" was "the one" the first day. And Oh Baby, is it ever! So lovely and so flattering...so expensive! Diamond White and Frost are the correct terms, I believe. Her figure is outstanding anyway so she could wear anything but this one is killer. And she's old-fashioned enough to not want her groom to see her in it until the moment she comes down the aisle. He's gonna be blown away...as should be. :) and her father will be blown away when he gets the bill! LOL
she says its the dress version of her ring. :) and you know, they really do look alike...well enough...I'll post a pic after the blessed day so fiance won't have a prayer of seeing her in it early. haha

From the mouth of babes...

Love this quote from one of our Albanian brothers....

"Bread of Life is Ecclessia, like Lord Jesus Christ Himself"

She is a beautiful thing to behold...and possibly more like Her Lord than we suspect. :-)

Cheers! Its Friday!

Appreciation

I've been thinking about how to enjoy more of life...Someone whose blog I read had asked the question of how to seize and enjoy a moment in time when all kinds of other distractions are going on around you. You're having breakfast with your mom but you just graduated school and don't know where you will be working or living and the big situation totally eclipses the moment of breakfast with your mom. Or the day is lovely but there are so many bills to think of that you don't notice. The question came up again last night at the weekly sisters meeting of our house church...how to hear the voice of the Lord in the bustle of your life...or see a saint in need when your own needs are overwhelming....is life just one big rush to the finish?

It has been a habit of mine, I don't know when it really began but it seems to work for me....I stop...just for a minute sometimes and take notice. And somehow the moment seems to be saved in my mind, heart, spirit...like a photograph. I've often wondered what makes photography such a striking and powerful element as compared to film or video. My husband said recently to me that photography captures a moment and forces you to look at it rather than rushing onward visually and mentally. I think that is what I try to do with the moments I want to keep....
Our lives are so forward moving, so fast.... our senses are so bombarded by life and the world and all we see and hear.....
if I can only stop time for one moment and really look at something...the blue sky, 15 minutes chasing my granddaughter around on all fours, a breezy car ride with my husband - windows down-radio up, a quick turn to the Lord in the middle of a busy day...life has more meaning.
Here is what I do...
I say to myself...I want to enjoy this thing, person, event, moment in time....I look at it with knowledge that I am doing so.
Remarkably they become as a photograph in my mind or spirit and I appreciate them. I think it is something to do with the act of appreciation.
I know that the world will keep turning and my life will continue to move forward. Situations will arise, bills will come, trouble will come, things wil be super busy...
But by the simple act of knowingly and intentionally stopping to appreciate the moment...I experience and enjoy more of life, more of love, more of the Lord.

Generations

>I was talking the other day with my brother about the path the children of those of us in the non traditional church have to travel... we agreed that the next generation will have a strange and difficult road. As if our generation was and is not strange and difficult enough. :)
He commented on an interesting conversation he had with a 20 something yr old brother who has visited several of our churches and been around a bit. > He said that he wants church life and has seen a lot of the churches in our circles, but they don't seem to really work.
I think that is an interesting observation or thought. This young brother said that we( my generation)have taken a lot of ground and that he hopes that they (the next generation) will take a lot more. He said that they (the next generation) needs us. Our experience was and is of great value and he hopes that we could find the next mountain peak together. My brother (of the older generation) was encouraged to see the interest and conviction, the desire that some young believers have to press on into the heights and depths of Jesus Christ, as am I.

Yes, our generation, and I'm not really talking about age here but about life experience in the church, has definitley taken some ground but the taking isn't over for us. Some of us are still pressing onward. Funny that that younger brother (or anyone we know in our circles for that matter) is looking for something that "works". I guess I did too at his age. I wonder what "success" he is thinking of? Probably a visible one...which is not really a very good measuring stick since everything we "see" with our natural eyes is temporary anyway. Even the "mountain" image and the "taking ground" implies "getting somewhere" or success. But I think it depends on whether or not you have eyes to see - spiritual eyes...Every day I see saints who are finding Him, knowing HIm, and breathing Him into their daily lives. They are being built together into a House for God Himself to live in, they actually make a difference in unseen realms and sometimes in visible ones.
When you see with natural eyes it seems that God is always starting over and never accomplishing very much but maybe that is just how things appear in the visible realm, eh? Could it be that His building and purpose are unseen by human eyes?.....
So I'm not really sure that attaining something or finding something that "works" is truly the goal for Him or for us in this life. I think of the words of a song written in the heart of the church during a time of deep discovery of the Lord.... "success means nothing, failure the same".

Perhaps it has nothing to do with visible attainment, success or failure...perhaps it is the pursuit of Him.

May the generations that come to follow after us in the pursuit of our Lord be less focused on accomplishment and actually "see" more of the invisible building and purpose of God.

Independence

I love that my kids are so independant and I hate that they are so independant!

My little girl is getting married! I can hardly believe it. Seems like only yesterday she was worrying about toe shoes and playing softball. (yes she did both) Or acting in the school play or going to the prom...now she's out of college and engaged! My how time flies,... whether you're having fun or not. lol
Her fiance, a future Navy pilot cutie, is visiting this weekend and there is much work to be done. Registrys to be filled and photographers to discuss and guests lists to compile. I think he will be glad to get back to his day job. :) Seriously though...he's a great guy and she's a lucky girl. I expect they will have a great life together. They will be off and running after the wedding with the Navy dictating the next several years of their lives but they are well equipped to handle it.
All 3 of my kiddos are making their own ways and doing just fine.
They are very independant, which is good, I raised them to soar!.......but like puppydogs..(see earlier post) they love their mommy and daddy. For this I am eternally grateful!

In Response

In response to Sarah's post- http://sarahhero.blogspot.com
...more musings on the subject of growing kids.

Someone once said that kids are like dogs and cats....
when they are young they need everything, to be trained, walked, fed, bathed, cuddled and in return you have their absolute devotion and adoraton. They are delighted when you come in and sad when you leave and under foot in between. They love to be petted and come to the table when called. Just like a puppy dog. haha
But when they become teenagers...well things change...
and like so many kittycats..they become "their own personalities" coming and going as they please - forget training! Appearing to eat when they choose then disappearing again into their rooms or out with friends, withholding their affection until they desire to be touched, holding themselves cool and aloof.
Don't worry though...those days pass and if handled with care...when they turn 20 or so,(I know, its a long time to wait) they miraculously return to being the wonderful puppydogs we once knew. Loving and affectionate and actually desiring the company of their families.

Miracles do happen.. :) This one I have actually seen with mine own eyes.

Surviving

Well, we are surviving.
How lame is that to think that what we personally are going through has any resemblance to the survival that is going on in this nation!
Gasoline has stablized at $2.99 per gal. for regular gas and we aren't seeing too many closed gas stations. That's pretty much it for Georgia, thank goodness, but the drama of the past week has been overwhelming as we have watched it unfold. Of course our little survival is nothing compared to that of hundreds and thousands across the southeast. The shelters in Atlanta are overflowing with evacuees and I personally do not see hope of them returning to LA for a very long time if ever. Its a strange thing to hear disagreement on what to even call these poor survivors...refugees, evacuees, displaced...how silly to waste time on such things at a time like this. As for the finger pointing...I think there will be enough blame to go around...

"Lord! Our neighbors and fellow Americans are suffering, please have mercy. Only You know why and we will probably never understand but please have mercy, Lord. Perhaps the masses will turn their hearts to you in this time of distress. May it be so."

Onward we go... He is blue skies!

Not a good day

I'm not doing very well today folks...
is it PMS? or the hurricane disaster?
or the fact that it took me 1 hour to get home from work, normally a 25 minute trip but the gas lines around the gas stations were ridiculous and the prices were even more so...$3.98 for reg. as of 5:30pm in good old Hotlana, well the burbs at least.
Was it the fact that I'm missing my beautiful Jada and my beautiful Kate, her mommy?
Was it the fact that I definitley took some negative vibes at our sisters meeting last nite ( some of you know exactly what I mean)?
I just can't pin it down to one thing..oh yeah, and there's more...we have to cancel our Labor Day weekend trip (yeah, gas prices)
I have just felt like crying all day. I know...when you put it down in black and white...its all pretty minor, after all I don't have waterflooding my house or worse yet, no house at all, and all of my family is alive and well and we do know where we will get our next meal ( a roast my mom is cooking downstairs). we can still get to our jobs and we even have gas in our cars although at these prices we won't be buying much more, we'll be car pooling!
Over all things are fine..weird and overwhelming, but fine. I look at the news and I am overwhelmed but then I look around myself and I am reminded to be very thankful.

"Thank you Lord for this day that you have made. I can rejoice in You even when I am stressed and overwhelmed. You are bigger than the wind and the waves and my hormones and my sadness and the gas prices in Georgia! You are bigger than anything!"

I've been tagged!

I've been hit by the "5 Random Facts" fairy! It seems that its my turn to tell all...well, not allllll. :)

Virginia has tagged me in a little "Sarah game" so here goes...

1) I absolutely adore shoes...as Sarah may attest...flats, heels, stilletos, sneakers, boots, you name it, I love em! and my closet is full...
on the other hand .....I absolutely detest wearing shoes...I am a firm believer that if God had intended us to wear shoes we would have been born with them...now you figure that one out....lol

2) I love to eat a salad made of lettuce & green onions with hot bacon grease drizzled over them....yum!
I first tried it at my grandmothers table as a child and I know it sounds bad- but my, my, my, is it good!

3) I never think to take an umbrella with me unless it is actually raining on my head when I get out of the car.

4) Washing feet or kissing toes has never bothered me.

5) Sometimes I forget that we have a moderate income and live like we are in poverty.....
and sometimes I forget that we have a moderate income ...and live like a queen!
(do you think the one pays for the other?? I hope so!)


Goody ....you're it!

The Weekend

Well we have several guests and new people around the hood this weekend. Three families visiting from around the community and 2 sisters from Florida coming up to see the church plus the 3 new families we have who have recently moved into the church. The brothers are having an overnight retreat thing sort of, anyway they will be out of the neighborhood so the sisters are entertaining the guests except for the local brothers who will be going over to the retreat at least for Sat nite's meeting.
We have lots of plans including eating, eating and eating. Can anyone relate??? fortunatley we do have a little bit of spiritual content planned on the sisters side of things :) and the brothers will get plenty of spiritual content in their retreat....As usual we will trust the Lord to reveal Himself in the daily events of our lives and for our visiting sisters and brothers to see Him in new ways - He is always gracious to reveal Himself. Plus we will have the awesome opportunity to partake of Him together and share Him among ourselves. One thing for sure...we will have loads of fun and enjoy being together as always and hopefully Christ will be seen by all!
Have a great weekend!!

Beautiful

Lyrics from the new Bethany Dillon song -Beautiful

"You make me beautiful

You make me stand in awe

You step inside my heart, and I am amazed

I love to hear You say

'Who I am is quite enough'

You make me worthy of love and beautiful"

And He does!

Sisters

I have some very special people in my life. They are my sisters..well I have lots of sisters, in the Lord, but these two I am thinking of are my flesh and blood. There is nothing like a sister who is also a sister! :)
They are both unique and wonderful in their own ways.
T is caring and honest and generous to a fault. She is funny and can really make you laugh with her stories. She is beautiful and always looks good no matter how much weight she gains or loses or what kind of a hair day she is having. :) I can count on her to be beside me through thick and thin and in all the highs and lows of her life she continues to hold tightly to her Lord. She knows that He will never leave her or forsake her even when the world throws her curves.
J is very beautiful(we're jealous, shes the youngest too) and fun and caring and a very good listener...:) As a matter of fact sometimes she listens til her head is spinning. :) She is incredibly patient and hospitable and full of wisdom...especially for a youngun. She also has stood with me through some of life's toughest moments and with a touch or word encourages me and reminds me that knowing the Lord is worth all.
I have a deep love for my sibs but I also have a high respect for them and their walks with the Lord. There just arent' any more like them! I love you 2! and I miss you lots!
My Sisters-My Friends

Today's the day

Today is the day my baby moves out. Well, the big moving truck day will come in a few weeks after she has secured an apartment and funds to rent a truck, but today is the last day she will call my house her home. I'm very sad, although I know she must grow up, it just seems very quiet in my house already. Its not just her departure either...she is taking my wonderful granddaughter with her. Not just across town either but all the way back to Jax. Happily Jada is staying one more night with her Gigi. Her other grandmom is coming tomorrow to pick her up. We have a great bond, my Jada and I. She loves me and knows she is treasured in return although when asked she always says..."Poppy love you", referring to what her Poppy always says to her. :)
Not that I won't enjoy having time to pursue other things but you know what they say, "I'm rocking my baby and babies can't wait". I will be sorry to miss all her little everyday cutsie exploits and they are plentiful and I'm sure when I see her again, in even a few weeks, she will have grown and be doing new things.
I'm having a teary day but I'm also very proud of my babygirl. She's been bumped around by life already at 20 and she just keeps on moving forward - making me proud. She's really getting very grown up. All my kiddos are and it won't be long until Poppy and I are completely on our own once again after all this time. I guess we'll see what comes next. :)

Visions of Sound

Lately I'm having thoughts, impressions, visions...whatever... of sound.
Of waves and swelling and bursting and explosions. I know that sounds strange, but how to explain the voice of the spirit inside of one? the impressions and pictures of seeing with His eyes from inside your spirit. Of sensing what is going on inside the Godhead......

He is the visible expression of the Father, the outraying of His glory, the word of His power...
When the Father speaks, Christ is what we hear, what we see

He is the sound of the Father's voice,
He is the Words the Father speaks
His is the image formed inside of us at the sound of the Father's voice
His is the face we see at the words of the Father
He makes His Father hearable and seeable

And upon the hearing & the seeing...
Christ, formed in us, grows. Ever expanding and reverberating in power and visibility.

Chains fall away!

Seasons

Well, summer is almost over...or is it? We have had the weirdest weather this summer with lots and lots of rain and cool weather and now that school has started back, yes, our poor kids :), the sun has decide to shine and its a regular 90 every day. Just like summer is supposed to be...whats up with that??? I have only been to the pool 5 times this summer...3 this past week...it just weird I tell you. In a couple of weeks it will be Labor day and all you can buy in the mall will be sweaters. Yuck!

Happy days! Both of my daughters have become gainfully employed in one day! Yes, yesterday they both received the news that they are being offered the positions of their dreams. Well not exactly...Bek...she will be managing the labs for private school until she gets married next spring and they didn't even seem to mind that she won't be around for the whole school year. Her dream job involves CSI type gooky stuff...yuck! She'll have to wait til she and hubby are settled somewhere to get into that.

Kate on the other hand is very excited, she is returning to Jax and has landed a very nice position with a good company with bennies and bonuses and such. We are very sad to lose her but you have to follow your heart you know...She's doing alright for a 20 year old kid. We're very proud of her, but we wll miss her and little Jadabear dreadfully!

T and I are reeling from all the changes and I suppose will look back on this season and only remember a blur of events and this season (in our lives but probably not in the weather) looks to last til at least next April when the wedding is planned. Its even weirder than the weather has been.

For now I will try to adjust to the sound of silence in my house.

Mountains for relaxing

Hubby and I went to the mountains over the weekend. Yes, we have mountains in Georgia...well big hills at least...It always relaxs me. something about drinking in the views. the beauty of it all takes my breath away. Some day I'm gonna have me a cabin in "gloryland" and I ain't talkin heaven baby! For now I'll content myself with shopping all those cute little mountain stores and dreaming of the day I'll have my own stone fireplace and rocker on a porch facing some incredible view. In reality, I still have to have a dining table for my regular everyday house and a chair or two for the living room I already have. We have barely settled into our new house here. But its nice to dream and relax. This current life is far too busy and overwhelming for relaxing.
The girls came home from Jax on Sunday and Mom came home from SC so the house is full again. Busy and noisy but I wouldn't want it any other way. When I start getting too overwhelmed and tired with all the activity of my normal life I try to stop and think of the scripture that says "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean" and remember that I am blessed to have the mess and the stress. :) Some day all will be quiet as everyone goes on about their lives and I can relax....but I'm in no hurry...really - I love for my crib to be filled. :)

My Song

I love to sing.. as many will attest, and my song changes from day to day, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, cheerful or silly or forlorn, but these are usually just the songs of my soul. My true song is hidden deep in my spirit and sings all the time. Sometimes quietly, somtimes loudly but always there. Sometimes I can't seem to hear my song or remember the words and I need to be reminded or have my hearing fine tuned or something.......

I found this wonderful quote online today while researching wedding stuff.

"To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have forgotten. "

That is incredible and so true to me! I find that my brothers and sisters in the church know my song, it is theirs as well, and they are faithful to remind me when I am forgetful or distracted or my song is drowned out by the cares of my life. They sing to me!
Thank you, all you beautiful saints out there!

Ahhh, its another Monday morning.

Oops, I didn't get this posted on Monday. I'm slacking already on this blogging thing!
What a weekend we had! Very busy with sister's sleepover, cleaning and Jada's birthday. Jada is turning 2 this week. Can hardly believe it. She has grown so much this past year and is so cute. I have to get a photo of her online to share. Today or rather last night was a veggie nite. By that I mean that I vegetated! No cooking or cleaning or anything. I delegated dinner preparations to my daughter and retired to the great outdoors to read a magazine and relax. It was finally sunny and positively gorgeous weather after days of rain and thunderstorms and I needed to enjoy some of it. Later I soaked in my beautiful new garden tub for an hour or so and almost fell asleep. A good nights sleep completed the prescription for relaxation. I feel much better today...which is actually Tuesday. :)

Hello & Seeing Sound

Well, this is a first for me. I am blogging, imagine that! I've named my site Cheryl's Treehouse since my new house sits among the trees and is full of monkeys. :) Not really, well it is a full house, my hubby, my mom, my 2 daughters and my little granddaughter all live with me in my nut (oops, I mean tree) house. Its actually a lot of fun. We all do dishes and laundry and chase after Jadabear, the 2yr old. Its a very busy life with jobs and chores and a wedding in the works and of course there is always the thread of the life of the church running in and about and through everything. We, my hubby and I, are very involved in the church and give a lot of priority to that but mostly we give priority to our Lord. Whatever He wants, He gets. :)
I have been thinking lately about His voice. I have learned that sound can actually be seen, science has proven it. But I really already knew it inside myself. I already knew that when He speaks I see Him and when His church speaks, I see Him and upon the hearing Christ is formed in me. Science suggests that sound is possibly the basis of everything. Perhaps this is true. It lends a whole new meaning to "In the beginning was the Word" and "He upholds everthing by the word of His power" Something inside me says "Amen".
Hmmmm, now who said that?