God Gives Us.....

On Facebook there's a picture with a statement on it, I absolutely love it. It says..

"Sometimes God doesn't give you what you think you want. Not because you don't deserve it, but because you deserve more." As sweet as this statement might be.

When we're born, we are born of the sin nature. Pure sinners, no doubt about it. As we live our lives day to day, we continue to sin. And you can't categorize sins into 'big' and 'little' sins. A sin is a sin.

So why would we deserve more? Maybe more punishment, maybe more hurt? Until, we accept Christ Jesus as our Savior. We are sinners. After we accept Him into our lives, we are forgiven of any sins. Fresh start, fresh new lives and a whole new perspective on life. How about that? I think that's awesome. 

Back to the quote. I don't feel I deserve more...at least not from God. I mean who am I to basically wait and demand for something better? I sin, I asked for forgiveness....by His grace, He forgives me. But do I deserve better or more? Absolutely not. 

God wants the best for us. He absolutely does. But what we do with His blessings is a whole other story. As a Christan you're supposed to let His light shine through you. Your actions, your everyday life should say "I follow Christ, He's my Savior, He's my friend and my Father." If your life and/or actions don't scream that to the world. Then you're not doing something right. 

God gives us His grace on a lot of things. But by His mercy, He doesn't give us what we deserve.  He wants better things for us. That could be a better girlfriend, boyfriend, friends, better jobs, better living arrangements. It could pertain to anything. 

So when He says no to something. He has something better planned for you. We should always praise Him, always thank Him. And lets face it. That trial you're going through right now...it will be a lesson learned later. Right now, you might be crying, hurting badly, sick, angry, resentful or whatever your challenge is right now. He always has better things for you. He always wants better for you. You might not see that now, but He truly does. He's a loving and wonderful God. He's our true friend! 

Live your life as if God is sitting right beside you every minute of every day. And just because you think you want something and you may even become sad or angry if you don't get it. He has better plans, He has better ideas. He is everything you'll ever want and need. But while you're here on earth. He still wants what's best for you. 

All At Once or Individually

In my lifetime, I've noticed that if you're going through something bad or having a real trying time. Usually, you're not the only one. When I was little, I had in my head. That bad or sad things only happened to one person at a time, so God could help one person at a time. Yes, I know...I was an interesting kid. I was raised to know that God helped everyone and was there for everyone at all times, any time and all at one time. I was raised in a Christian home. And I knew these things. Why did I have that in my head? Well, for one my brain never stops working. I'm always thinking, doing, thinking and doing. If something is making sense, I'll change it so I can figure it out. Or if something doesn't make sense, I'll try hard to figure it out.

Back to my point. I figured that if we all had trials, bad or sad times at different times. Then we could help each other through it. We could focus on that one friend or family member. Get them through this ordeal and then wait for the next person to take care of. Of course....doesn't that make sense?

Yeah, there's a few problems with my theory. First, God is an Almighty God. We serve Him and do things to glorify Him. And He has such amazing and awesome powers. That we can never fully understand how awesome He is. We're not meant to understand or "figure" God out. If we were that close to understanding Him or figuring Him out. We would be Him. And you know that will never happen, nor do we want that to happen. But He has such amazing powers that He can help everyone at the same time. And we need to lean on Him in good and bad times. We need to know that He is there, no matter what.

I've always taught my kids and my teens at church.That God does allow bad things to happen. Alot of people blame Satan for all bad things. But God does allow bad things to happen. Why? Think back in a time in your life when something bad happened, you got bad news, you got really sick, you lost your job or a loved one. What is something you most likely did first? You prayed! You prayed for God to heal you, you prayed for God to make things better. We've all done it. I sure have! When Sept 11th, 2001 happened, people were angry and sad. They wanted to know why this happened? Why wasn't God there for them? Guess what people? He was there! Yes, I said it...you read it correctly. After 9/11, church attendance rose and American Flags went up. A country based on Christianity and people finally needed God again. We wanted God in our lives after that, we wanted Him to love us, guide us and make us understand what happened. But most important we became closer to Him. We were thanking God for keeping our loved ones safe, thanking God that we had soldiers willing to lay their lives on the line for us. Thanking God that we still had our freedoms as an American citizen. Because we were scared, because we did loose loved ones and because someone tried to kill the American spirit. We became closer to Him.

He does and will take care of all of us at one time, individually and on His terms and time. But when we're going through hard times or sad times together and someone else is going through hard times or sad times. We become a stronger unit. We take the knowledge and strength God gives us and we help each other through it. Most important, we depend on Him even more. He wants us to depend on Him, He wants us to come closer to Him. And if He has to allow something traumatic to happen. Then He will.

We all have different names, different looks, different temperaments and different problems. But God is our link and God will bring us together and will always bring us closer to Him. He'll do it all at once or individually.

The Difference Between Boys & Girls and Moms & Dads

Here in the Shenandoah Valley, specifically Rockingham County,Virginia we raise some tough kids. On one hand, we like our girls sugary sweet, with bows in their hair and a little twinkle in their eyes. But on the other hand, we expect them to learn what being a Southern country girl is all about. We work on farms with the guys, we drive big trucks lifted so getting in and out can sometimes be a challenge. We can wrestle with the cows and calves like the rest of them. We teach our daughters how to hunt. And one of our favorite places to eat is at the Shenandoah Valley Livestock Sales. We also teach them how to make the best apple pie you've ever eaten and some mean fried chicken, mashed potatoes and home made gravy.

My Husband & I were joking one day about how he wouldn't mind seeing a picture of a pretty girl on the fridge (another story, another day). Instead of my daughters Barbie magnets. My daughter quickly told her Dad "Momma knows how to use a shot gun!" Wow, a girl after my own heart.

So where do we draw the line between throwing a bail of hay out for the cows and being called pumpkin, by your Daddy? Well let's start with the Momma and the Daddy's. As most of you know, Virginia has been clobbered with snow, snow, ice and more snow. Almost three months later the snow is still here. We live out in the country on back roads. And my Niece was leaving for school on a 2 hour delay, which after they finally got back to school after being off for a whole 2 weeks. 2 hour delays were very common. She left for school in her car. Hit ice, spun around and hit a snow bank and went into a ditch. She called her Dad, he came got her out and sent her to school. (You know, it's a guy thing). My Sister-In-Law who is sitting at home with a painful broken ankle calls my Niece to check on her. She's sitting down in Broadway crying. My Sister-In-Law tells her to come home (it's a girl thing). My Sister-In-Law and I got a kick out of my Brother-In-Law sending her to school. Why? Because this was devastating and scary to my Niece. To a guy, it's no big deal. To prove my point. Last summer my Son who is exactly 4 days younger then my Niece. Wrecked his Jeep. He was driving through the field, his tire blew, he hit a big rock (that's all we got out here) and flipped the Jeep. It messed up his Jeep real bad. He hurt his head, back, ribs, shoulder and legs. My Son other then hurting and being sore was okay with it. Hauled the Jeep closer to our house and went on with his friends. Me? I freaked out (its a girl thing). Is my Son okay, is he broken? Does he need a big hug from Momma? Oh no, he's fine. My husband (its a guy thing) laughed.

Oh yes he did. He laughed after he made sure he was okay. I still haven't laughed yet. We had to quickly take the Jeep to the junk yard to be crushed so I wouldn't have to look at it all the time.

We raise our kids in a Christ centered home, in church and surrounded by family. Not all of us turn out real good, but at least all the parents try. My Momma can weld just as good as any guy, maybe even better then some guys. And she can shoot a fox or deer whenever she wants to. But she'll turn around and get all dressed up in a pretty dress when need be. You gotta remember how, who and where we were raised. Especially who we were raised by; the Guys and the Girls. Sugary sweet and tough as nails.

Because They Know...

I was raised in a family that we hugged and we always said "I love you!" Even if at the time you didn't like that person very much, you still loved them. We were by far, the "perfect" family. Each individual has their bad things. But we always knew we loved each other. We always knew that no matter what we did wrong, who we hurt or who hurt us. The love was and is always there.

As I grew up and now that I'm older, I'm always shocked at families that never or very rarely say "I love you." I'm very close to a few families like that, but I know there's a lot more out in the world. And these are good families that are there for each other, help each other physically and mentally, the kids are good and they're for the most part well respected in their community. But they miss those three words.

I asked one of these people one time why they don't ever say "I love you." She told me "because they know." Now, I know that some people show their emotions and feelings differently. And if you weren't raised up hearing that all the time, that it is no big deal. But I know how I feel when someone tells me they love me. Don't get me wrong, I don't want everyone in the world, on Face book or off the street telling me they love me just so I can hear it. I know how I feel when my Husband, Kids, Parents or anyone dear to me tells me they love me. It gives me some type of reassurance that things in life will be okay. It gives me the sense of hey that person really cares about me. When we get off the phone with our loved ones or they're going somewhere or I am. We tell each other we love each other. A simple "love you", goes a long way. My Mom just left my house after visiting us for a short time, I made sure she knew I loved her. I simply said when she started to leave "love you Mom."

We don't know what will happen from day to day. We don't know if this will be the last time we see our loved ones, we don't know when Christ Jesus will come back, we don't know anything from moment to moment. So isn't it important to let your friends and family know how much you love them and how much they mean to you? If I die today, I don't want my Husband, Kids or loved ones to question whether I loved them or not. I want them to know 300% without a doubt that I love them.

Don't assume they know. Because they might not. Don't go another day without them knowing.

Ghosts Of The Past

I put myself in their position. I try to see what it was like being in that situation, at that time, at that moment and with the circumstances they were dealing with. You know what happen to them, you know the outcome. But it's still hard to let go and to not put yourself in their shoes. You want to be able to feel how they felt, to see what they saw and to ask them questions.

I remember sitting by their side, thinking what went wrong? What happen so bad, that the outcome resulted in this? But than others, I sat by their side thinking wow what a great life you had. How did you manage to pack so much into a lifetime? I wish I could have had more time with you or I wish I could have met you in person. I was told stories by family members of the type of person you were, the funny things you said and did as a child and as you grew up. I remember praying that some part of you was still in me. Some trait that would definitely define who I am today.

My career is to research family history. It's not only my career, but it's also deep in my heart. I close my eyes and imagine being with you at that moment in time. I grieve with you, when you lost your loved one in the Civil War. I remember tears quickly filled my eyes when I imagined you crying when they told you your son was killed in a war. I pictured you holding the American Flag so tight to your chest. I grieved with you when you lost your loved one in the fire. I felt your joy when your wife gave you a new baby boy or baby girl. I felt your pain when your wife died during labor. I felt your uneasiness while traveling from Virginia to Kentucky in the early 1800's. I felt how scary and sad it was to leave your family behind and to move on with your husband and children.

I remember tears flowing down my cheeks when you couldn't travel back home to attend your parents funeral. I feel the pain you felt during different trials in your life, I remember wishing I could have been there to comfort you.

I wonder if you were here today if you would think I look like you, I wonder if you would be proud of me? I wonder if you would say "wow, I used to do the same thing."

I research and my heart sinks in to every aspect of your life. Whether you're a grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, I still wonder about you and the life you lived. Sometimes it breaks my heart when I try to be apart of your life and I know the torture you went through. Or the tragic death you had or the tragic death of a loved one that you had to witness, or grieve for. When I sit by your headstone at the cemetery, I want you to know that although I may have never met you or you left my life too soon, my heart is still apart of you. I carry the same pain, the same happiness, the same moments you carried. That's why I continue to research about your life. So I can share it with others. So they too, can take a walk through a history that they may or may not have been a part of. So they can share the heart of a family member that shaped and formed the path that their lives have taken. Did a choice you made in the past, affect our family history? Did it affect the choices we make?

You're in my heart and always a part of who I am today!

Prayer...

As ya'll know I work with the teens at our church. Each morning, I'll take their prayer requests and their praise reports, than we'll start our lesson. I absolutely love working with the Teens because there's never a dull moment and I learn so much from them. When telling us what their prayer requests are, they're very open and honest with us. And in the years I've been doing this, you would be amazed at the very open and honest prayer requests we get.

These Teens take their prayer request, share with them with us and they give them to God. You listen to the prayer request and if you're a stranger to these Teens you might say "well, good grief that ain't no prayer request, there's nothing to it." But my Teens have learned that no matter what the prayer request, no matter how big or small. They know that God does hear their requests and in His will, will take care of them.

The Teens have also learned that it doesn't have to be about health issues, prayers for others all the time. They learned that it can be about events happening in their lives, things in school (grades, problems w/ classmates, teachers), things at home or just things. They know that whatever is in their heart that they feel the need for prayers for, they can come to God with the requests.

The prayer requests are different for guys and ladies. I found that alot of the time, the ladies will request prayers for sport events and health. Like several of the Teen ladies are participating in track and soccer. Their requests are usually to do good in their games/meets. One of the ladies requested that she get her resume done so she can find a job for this summer, she'll start college in the Fall. The Teen guys usually have requests for vehicles. Like one requested that his truck pass inspection this week, the other's requested that their derby cars get done in time for the derby this weekend.

To us these may be small and unusual requests. But to these teenagers, this is what's in their lives right now. That's what they need help with most. You have to understand...these teenagers are putting their full faith in God, they're taking every part of their lives and trusting that God will be there and God will have His will in their lives. They're not expecting God to zap a magical wand down and say your wish is granted. They know, it's God's will, not theirs.

What I've learned from them is God doesn't judge our prayers. He listens and has His will for them. I used to only pray about "important" things. Now I pray for about the tiniest things and huge things. They're belief and faith in prayer is so incredible to me. They know that their God is an Awesome God. They know that He is there for them 24/7. Whether it's a prayer about their family, friends, car, truck, homework, track meet, health needs or a date. They know He's there listening and guiding them. What an incredible testimony all these teens have.

Alot of people don't give teens enough credit. What more could you want? A teen with a big heart and the faith to match! I have such a big heart for teens and their willingness to put all their hopes, dreams, faults and everything about them on the line just to show God how much they love and trust Him. That is incredible in itself.

Psalm 118:24, 28

Today, well actually these past two weeks have been a few weeks that I'd like to forget. You know that kind of day or week when you just want to run in your bathroom, lock the door, sit in the tub and cry. I haven't done that yet, but I sure want to. Since I'm always on the go....my "crying place" is my van. It seems in every one's life when it rains, it pours. And if you ask anyone in this area...it sure ain't the rain that's pouring.

There's too much sickness to deal with, there's money issues to deal with, there's irate family members to deal with and kids just doing odd things. I must say my kids are pushing every button I have and I don't have many left to push. My daughter and I pick on each other all the time because she never stops talking and I never stop singing. When I'm doing stuff....I sing constantly. And she likes to come up to me and pretend like she's pushing a button on my arm. She calls it the "off button". I jokingly tell her I don't have an off button. Sometimes I wish life had an off button or atleast a "pause" button so you can collect your thoughts.

The past few weeks I've repeatedly (and regretfully) said "I hate this day". I even said it today and I text my husband and told him. All the while having tears running down my face. I've tried the psychological approach of "well others have it much worse, look at the people with cancer, those who just lost loved ones, etc" and that helps a little for a little bit. But selfish me....it all comes back to why I hate this day.

What happens every time I say that? Well, I get a little "nudge" or "feeling" from God. And God tells me "Hey, I made this day, I made everything, you should be happy in this day." Oh yes, He's right, Psalm 118:24 tells us "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it". What more could you want? I know, I know, I'm very selfish when I say that and I would hate to hear my kids say that. Because it is a beautiful day. It can be snow on the ground, thundering & lightning, hotter than a blue blaze or colder than Greenland...but its still a beautiful day and I should be happy in it. Whatever's going wrong in my life in any moment. I should still rejoice and praise God. Psalm 118:28 says "Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee." We have to remember these trials we're going through will only make us stronger (as my Pastor says).

Sometimes I just want to leave and run away from the world. Praising God in hard times isn't the easiest thing to do. You'd rather sit and feel sorry for yourself. But He always, always, always deserves our praises. Everything we do is to glorify God, not ourselves. If we're sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves...then we're putting the glory God deserves, on us. And honestly, do we want to steal God's glory? I sure don't. So for today, I rest my case of how insane my life is right now. Today, I will praise God for all He's done in my life, my families lives and my friends lives. Tomorrow I will wake up refreshed, praising God in a way that He deserves. And I will be glad and rejoice in another day He has given me.

Freedom Baptist Church

My Pastor has a new blog up for our church, I hope you'll go check it out.

He did a great job. Also below is our church website link.

http://blog.proclaimingfreedom.org/

www.proclaimingfreedom.org

Spring and Demolition Derbies

As you know from previous posts that our family is deeply involved in Demolition Derbies. And that's just not my immediate family, that's the extended family too and our friends. When Spring rolls around, we start to hear the roar of Demolition Derby Cars. Awww, what a sound! To some it might be a sound that you want to run and put ear plugs in. But to us, it's the first sign of Spring and Summer.

Our first derby of the season is at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg, Virginia. April 25th, 2009 at 4:pm. My son, brother, cousins and friends will be in this derby. Mangled Metal Productions is hosting this derby. If you recall last April they hosted one near Winchester, Virginia. This year they are coming down here. So it's still in the Valley just a little closer to us. But they did an extraordinary job and we were very happy with how everything was handled and quickly moved along. So we are very excited and look forward to this derby.

During the 'derby season' you'll always know where to find derby car drivers....faithfully working on their cars. After church, my son heads down to my brothers house to help them work on their cars and work on his own. They have such an adrenalin rush while their working on their cars, once their cars are ready and the biggest deal...before, during and after the derby. You cant get these guys to hold still during this time. It's so fun to watch them. They all have such an incredible passion for this and it's an awesome site to see.

Come join us at the derby in a few weeks!! It's awesome family fun and I guarantee you, you wont regret it!!

**please note, I do not or ever have worked for Mangled Metal Productions**

Check This Blog Out

Every once in a while I like to share a site and/or blog that I really like. Here's a new one for you to check out.

http://appalachianhistory.blogspot.com/

Empty Pockets

When you first read the title, you probably think I'm talking about having no money. Which than yes, my pockets are usually empty.

Today I begin washing clothes like I do twice a week, sometimes (usually) more. And I realized even more than I have before that I hate emptying pockets. I've always hated that job and I think I have a phobia about it. Why? Well, read on. Every time I empty pockets I usually find stuff I'd rather not touch or see. I'm sure some of ya'll can relate to this, especially if you're a Mom, Grandma or Aunt. I realize guys wash clothes too. But they don't get grossed out as easily as us.

Yesterday, my husband took our kids fishing. Okay, so I'm thinking you already have a smile on your face in which you're imagining what I found in their pockets. My kids are normal farm country kids. They like running out in the fields chasing cows, catching frogs, turtles, picking up worms on a rainy day and snails. They love mud boggin' and Tide is my hero for all of the above reasons.

I emptied my daughters jeans and coat pockets. Ummmm, snails and worms. Uggghhh! I emptied my sons jeans and coat pockets. Worms, fishing equipment, nuts and bolts. And some how big glops of grease stuffed in his coat pocket. Surprising my husband only had cough drop wrappers. But let's not forget the night before when he came home, like my son, covered in grease and mud. And over the years these are actually "mild" things that I've found. If I'd list everything I've found, I'd run out of room and time.

I love being a Mom and Wife. And I can honestly say it's never a dull moment and my kids keep my imagination running wild. Like, one day I have this very big image that when I empty their pockets out....nothing will be in them. Yes, I know....I have to use my imagination on that.

Share with us some "odd" things you've found in the pockets when washing clothes. I just want "empty pockets."

Gitchells Photography

My friend Christa has updated her website for her photography business. Go check it out, it looks great!

www.gitchells.com

Fear & Worry

Last night we had a Church Ladies Fellowship meeting at my house and I really enjoyed it. Our Pastor's wife talked to us about worry and fear, yes I have a lot of both. And she made a very direct point that hit home and hit hard. That if we are worrying and we have fears, we're submitting to satan....NOT God as we should be. And when she said that and it hit me, deep down I became panicked because I NEVER want to submit to satan. Intentionally or by accident. Okay, I don't know how I would "accidentally" submit to satan, but you get my point.

I tried to validate and tried to make some of my fears "okay", but it didn't work. Like I have a severe fear of fire. I can deal with fire, but you cant tell that my heart is racing and I could probably have a nervous breakdown when I'm around fire. My reasoning....I've had a lot of family members die in fires. And when I was a baby the furnace at our house blew up and caught the house on fire. My crib/room was right beside it. I have a fear of dieing and leaving my kids too soon. My reasoning...my Dad's parents were both killed when he was young. And I've seen how hard it was for him to deal with that.

After everyone left, I prayed, did my devotion, read my Bible and I couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation to hold onto those fears. Of course I'm still afraid of fire just because it's dangerous, but I'm trying and praying alot to let go of the reason I have for fear of fire.

As a human with sin nature, like we all are. I honestly will never completely stop worrying. I'm a Mom, Daughter, Aunt, Cousin, Friend, etc. so it's natural for me to worry. But when I do start worrying or fearing something, I have to remember to always, always, always, give it to God. And you know, after you do that you feel a whole lot better because you don't have that heavy weight of burden weighing you down.

I hope my Pastor's wife doesn't mind but here's some verses (along with the short notes I took) to help you with worry and fear, that she shared with us last night. I've seen them all before but it's a good reminder and pick me up.

Ephesians 5:21, 22....submit
James 4:7...if you have worry or fear, you're submitting to satan instead of God.
-resist fear and worry
I Corinthians 11:3...submit to God, give fears and worries to who they belong to, God.
I John 4:18...God = Love = cast out all our fears
Psalm 23:4...fear no evil
Joshua 1:9...be not afraid, have strength and courage
II Timothy 1:7,8...spirit of fear = satan, not from God. fear is never from God.
Philippians 4:6,7...don't worry about anything, pray about it and give it to God.
Matthew 6:34...don't worry about tomorrow
Philippians 4:13..I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.
Psalm 55:22...cast your burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.

Try to enjoy a worry free day! God bless ya'll!

I'm A Bad Mean Mom

I'm a bad mean Mom....so I'm told by my dear sweet kids. Yeah, I'm mean alright. Just like my Mom was mean. And still is. When my Mom reads this, she won't go into shock or horror about me saying that because she knows exactly how mean she is.

I'm a bad mean Mom because I make sure I know where my kids are 24/7. I'm mean because I make my kids wear their seat belts at all times when they're in a moving vehicle. I'm mean because any friends my kids have...I have to meet them, I need their parents names, their address, their phone number and cell number. I'm mean because my kids aren't allowed to sit on the computer all day or play on those game systems. They're allowed 1 hour a day on the computer and we don't own any of those TV game systems. Just to be honest my daughter does have a DS, but that's it. And we limit her time on that and yes you guessed it, I'm mean because of that too. I'm mean because they have to stay active from sun up till bed time. Except for when they're sick. No sitting around watching T.V.

I'm a mean Mom because their rooms are to be kept clean at all times, their bathroom must be kept clean. I'm mean because they're in charge of fixing one supper per week....with my supervision of course. I'm also mean because I make them go to church every week, I make them do youth activities every week. I'm mean because there's no question of whether we go to church....they simply know, we go to church. Just to be fair on this count too, they love going to church now since our new Pastor came. So I'm not as mean as I used to be on that part.

I'm a mean Mom because I'm very involved in my kids lives. I talk to them each day and see what's going on in their lives. I talk to them about everything and they're welcome to ask questions. I'm very mean because I'm too nosey. And I'm mean because in all their activities, I'm right there cheering them on or supporting them. I'm a mean Mom because if my kids are late for curfew, for every 15 minutes they're late. They have to be home 30 minutes early the next time. I'm really mean for that one.

I'm also mean because we sit at the table for our meals as a family. Some of my sons friends families don't do that, so I'm mean because that's embarrassing. I'm really mean because I make my kids eat healthy meals and I make them try every food at least once. Except for liver, my Mom didn't make us try that either. I'm mean because I want both my kids to know how to cook and to wash clothes so when they grow up and move out on their own, they're capable of doing that.

I'm really mean because when I ask my son who he's talking to on the phone and/or texting...I want an honest answer. I'm mean because my kids know I will call whoever to verify if they're telling the truth, if I feel the need to. I'm really mean because I don't take any crap from anyone when it comes to my kids. I'm mean because sometimes that embarrasses them. I'm mean because I love them too much and I'm too overprotective....so I'm told. Yeah, my Mom was real mean that way too.

So I'm mean, but my kids know I love them and one day....they'll be mean parents too, just as my parents were mean. Love you Mom and Dad!

Happy Birthday Cousin Emma!

Happy Birthday

Cousin Emma

~March 14th~

Happy Birthday Diana!

~*~Happy Birthday Diana ~*~

March 13th

The Passion of Young Love

I remember those days. Passion, hormones and insanity. And let's not forget; love. My husband and I have been married forever. And I can't say it's always been an easy road. But we always keep God first and that is the best thing everyone can do in a relationship. I'm not here to give relationship advice, because I am in no position to do that.

My cousin and I were talking today and we decided (again) that we're glad we're not teenagers again. I've written about this before, but this is a different perspective about young love. I absolutely love the passion that young people in love have. As you get older, get jobs, get married, have kids, you know all that "grown up stuff". Your passion for each other tends to disappear. Your everyday life sets in. And everything is pretty much normal and expected. If you have kids, you know nothing is normal and expected with them. I could write a thick book on just the antics and everyday life with my kids and the teens I work with. But that's a whole other story.

We get in a routine with work, meals, sleep, etc. And you simply become comfortable with your spouse. And that fire that got you all excited when you got to see your spouse in the first year pretty much fell asleep. When you both get home, get supper done, get the house cleaned, etc. and finally get to breathe. It's kind of like "oh hey, how did your day go?" And that's the bulk of the conversation.

Young people in love are so giddy with happiness that they're whole world is wanting to be with that person they're so in love with, so passionately in love with. They cant wait to see them each day. The first thought of the day is when do I get to see him/her? What are we going to be doing, what are we going to do this weekend?

They write love songs about each other, they write poems to each other. When you speak of that person, their eyes light up and they become even happier. When they introduce each other to other people, they can't stop hugging them, they cant stop smiling. They'll go shopping for hours just to make their girlfriends happy. The girls will sit through hours of watching him fix his vehicle, just so they can be together. Some will even defy their parents in order to be together.

I recently received a CD of a young lady in my class that will be married this year. I've prayed alot for this young lady and the young man she'll marry. And I truly feel God put them together and His hands will be on them throughout their marriage. The CD has songs on it that she wrote, sings and plays guitar. She's always been an incredible singer and musician, but on this CD you can hear the passion she has for her true love, you can hear how much her heart fills with joy when he walks in a room. It's a passion I wish all married people that have been married for a while could share and have again.

In some ways I'm jealous of this passionate young love, because they're still new, they're still learning about each other and they get excited to see each other. But then in other ways, I'm happy and madly in love with my husband. He's steady as a rock, he's hard working and he's compassionate. And yes, I am very comfortable with my husband...but in a good way. He's my best friend, he's my soul mate and God put him in my life for a reason. And I cherish the quiet times, I cherish the hurried times and I cherish the expected moments with him. But I do plan on bringing more "young love" back into our everyday lives.

If you're now in your "comfort zone" in your marriage. Think back to the "young love" time and how that felt. Bring back those wonderful times, be excited to see him/her when they come home from work or when you had a bad day. Let him/her be that "perk" that gets you back on track and happy to share your "everyday" life with your true love.

Gods Beauty

I must say, as much as I hate snow....this is absolutely breathtaking. God really has created an absolute beautiful earth. ((dont look at the time stamp, this camera...ummm set's it's own, lol))

Hope Seminar for Women Update

*Sorry this is kind of long, but please read it*

The Hope Seminar for Women was wonderful. Those who didn't or couldn't attend sure missed a blessing. Danielle is an incredible speaker and her testimony....had the whole room in tears. (Ladies, lol, go figure).

On a personal note, I had been sick with the stomach flu Thursday and Friday. I almost didn't go because I was pretty sick. But God kept pushing, so I took some medicine and made it through Friday and Saturday. Plus my husband really encouraged me to go (you'll read why in a little bit). I've been to ladies retreats/seminar's/conferences and they are all wonderful and they get right to the point. But even Danielle's testimony, although it were her own. Felt like she saw right into my heart and all the ladies there.

So back to why my husband was "encouraging" me to go. I have to laugh when I say that because my husband is a very easy going, tolerant person and he's calm about everything. Like Danielle's husband, my husband is steady at all times. I'd like for him to get excited at least once a week. LOL. But the past 2 weeks, I've been in my "selfish" mode. You know that mode, it's about ME, you're driving ME crazy, you're making ME mad, you're upsetting ME, you're wasting MY time. You get the point. And I felt like my kids and the rest of the family were intentionally getting on my nerves, intentionally ticking me off. But I got to the point...I just didn't care. I really felt like I was in a "rut". I felt like God had forgotten about "poor little me." And I wasn't trusting God enough to know that He is there, He never left and He still has me in the palm of His hands. It reminded me of that commercial where the man goes around with this huge red umbrella helping people and carrying them to where they need to go. Well that's what I envision God doing.

So I'm in the rut and you know... me, me, me and I realized that hey...maybe I am getting on every one's nerves, maybe I'M upsetting everyone...with my crappy attitude. (I know Mom...you don't like that word), but it's true. But I felt like I was going through so much at once. My Mom's sick (I've been worried about her), my Dad is always away traveling for mission trips, my kids have been sick for about 2 weeks, I'm always too busy and I think my "panic" button hit emergency mode and well, there's my reasons for my husbands "encouragement" to go. Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to go, but I was just sick. Even though for the past few weeks I turned into a maniac, he just was there. Bless his sweet heart.

I always felt like I was the only one feeling like I was in a rut, like I was the only one that felt guilty for not "enjoying" my wifely and mommy duties at all times. You know like on Leave It To Beaver when the Mom was always so happy, cheerful, dressed in a beautiful dress with pearls and the kids came home with homemade cookies and milk waiting for them. Oh, please. But I did feel like that. I felt guilty, I felt like a horrible wife and mom. I felt that God forgot me and I was going to be in a "selfish rut" forever.

It was because I wasn't trusting God enough, I was drifting far from Him. Although I do my Bible studies, I pray, I praise Him, etc. But I don't feel like my heart was in it. I finally learned that I'm a "normal" (well as normal as I can get) wife and mom. And if I don't spend time with God. I wont be closer to Him. As Danielle said "the more time you spend with God, the more you'll learn to trust Him." I always felt I trusted God. But when I felt He forgot about me, I learned that I need to be closer to God. He's our rock, He's steadfast, He's our anchor, He's our shield when life throws rocks at us, He's our shoulder when we cry, He's our strength when we're weak and He never ever leaves us. Like the song goes "Our God is an Awesome God". Praise the Lord. But Danielle taught me, I always have to have hope. I always have to have faith. Without faith, I cant be closer to God. Without hope, I cant know that life will go on and you will get through the storms as long as you have God as your shield and anchor.

I thank Danielle for a wonderful lesson and I feel refreshed, hopeful and I know God is there for me. Thank you for touching my heart and showing me that my feelings were normal, my reaction to situations are normal, my panic button that goes off often...is normal. I know each lady there had something on their hearts and I'm sure Danielle touched each heart differently. I have faith in God, I have hope in Him and I know He is always there for me. I pray that God really touches your heart tonight and I pray that each of you know, He is there for you.
Get out of the "rut" and get back in touch with God.

Evan Dyson

Okay, another site I love. I posted this before but he has more. Evan's one of my favorite Photographers and Photo Journalist. Go visit his site's and show your support. He's young, but very talented!

http://www.evandyson.com/

http://www.valleyobserver.com/

http://wildlifeinphotography.wordpress.com