Rambling.... I am good at doing that

So, I was sitting here at the computer and I thought that I would just post some of the thoughts that were going through my head right now. Do you ever have those times when you have so much going on, that you don't have time to stop and ponder one thing? I feel like that is me right now.

First thing that is going through my mind is that I am having a yard sale on Saturday and I really don't know how ready for it I am. I am not the only one working on it, so that helps, but still. I want to make sure that I have everything ready. It is mainly clothes that I am selling, but there are other things here and there that I want to sale, so I want to make sure that I don't forget anything. If I do, then I think I am just going to throw whatever is left away, that or take it to Goodwill.

Next thing....We are having a graduation ceremony for Chris and a few other people at our Church next Sunday, and I really want it to be special for him. He deserves so much. He worked so hard for his degree, and I want this time to be so special for him. Nobody knows how hard he has really worked, but me and I know that through his years of being in school, and out of school he has had his trails, but has overcome them all!! He does not allow the devil to get the best of him, and even at his lowest times, he still carries on, it amazes me. So hopefully that will all go well for them on Sunday. We won't be having an evening service that night, which will kind of be nice too, because then I can come home and begin packing, or at least the process of packing anyway.

Which leads me to my next thought. VACATION is not that far away!!!! WOO HOO!!!! No, I am not excited about that at all. ;) We leave a week from Wednesday, and I am ready for it. I told Chris that I hoped this week goes fast, the last thing that I want is for it to drag on and on. I am sure that it will go fast, but you know how it is when you are looking forward to something so much, then the closer it gets the slower time seems to go. It should be a good time, and I know that we are all looking forward to just having a break. It's nice to get away, but then it will be nice to get back home too. There is a lot here that we want to have a break from though, so the longer the better is what I think sometimes. :)

Next thought...remembering old friends. There are few people that I keep in touch with from High School...and trust me, I am OK with that. I know that the Lord wouldn't want me to associate with those people anymore anyway. Well the other day I got this e-mail from an old friend of mine just simply saying hi. I was so taken aback by this e-mail, and at first I didn't believe it. Although now I can say that it is nice talking to him. It's nice to see where people are in their life since High School, and you only hope that they are living a life as good as you are. Or that they are as happy as you are. It's nice to catch up with people and then tell them how great your life is. There is nothing I like more than to tell people how happy I am in my marriage, life, etc. I am happy, sure there are times that I am not that happy, but those times are few and far between. I love being a wife, mother, and a Child of THE KING!!!! There is nothing better in life than that. I hope that people can tell how happy I really am when I write them back.

Well I guess that's all for me tonight. I will stop my ramblings now, and I think that I might head off to bed. Remember to thank all the people who are in the service that you know for your freedom!! Let's all remember the Vetrans who deserve our thanks tomorrow on Memorial Day. Good night everyone!!

To ALL the Armed Forces.......... THANK YOU

You know as this war is going on, I don't think that we stop long enough to really think about the people over seas that are fighting for our freedom. I have a nephew (in-law) that is over in Iraq right now. The other day his unit was hit by a roadside bomb. It destroyed the unit in front of his, but his unit got hit with shrapnel. By the Grace of God they weren't seriously injured. He is alright, and we Praise God for that. I received an e-mail yesterday that had a poem in it that was written by a marine. It really touched my heart. They are fighting for our freedom, and I realized that I need to be more thankful for all that they are doing over there. Here is the poem:

THE MARINE

We all came together
Both young and old
To fight for our freedom
To stand and be bold.

In the midst of all evil
We stand our ground
And we protect our country
From all terror around.

Peace and not war
Is what some people say
But I'll give my life,
So you can live the American way.

I give you the right
To talk of your peace,
To stand in your groups
And protest in the streets.

But still I fight on
I don't complain, I don't whine
I'm just one of the people
Who is doing your time.

I'm harder than nails
Stronger than any machine
I'm the immortal soldier
I'm a U.S. MARINE!!

So stand in my shoes
And leave from your home
Fight for the people who hate you
With the protests they've shown.

Fight for the stranger
Fight for the young
So they all may have
The greatest freedome you've won.

Fight for the sick,
Fight for the poor,
Fight for the cripple
Who lives next door.

But when your time comes
Do what I've done
For if you stand for freedom
You'll stand when the fight's done.

By: Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert, US Marine Corps
USS SAIPAN, PERSIAN GULF

So if you know of somebody who is fighting for our freedom right now, make sure you take the time to say THANK YOU too them. They are fighting a battle for us so that we can have our freedom, and I am so grateful for that. Pray for their safety while they are over there too, and that they will be able to come home to their families soon.

Reflecting on Life....and my babies

Well here you see my little guy. This is my youngest son, and he is 6 years old. As I was teaching him today I realized that he is so close to reading, and that brings me so much joy. He should be reading very, very soon. I think that is the biggest joy that I have as being a teacher, is being able to teach the kids how to read. I really feel as though I have done my job, when they can read. (Isn't he cute??) I thought that I would have such a hard time teaching him, because he never sits still, but he has been fairly easy to teach, and he is so eager to learn. Praise the Lord for that!! I didn't want him to be hard to teach, and the Lord answered my prayers on that one. Next year he will be in first grade!! Where does time go? (I hate that his birthday falls so late.) They grow up so fast don't they??

Here is my oldest son. (yes he looks just like his Daddy) He is in second grade, and I hate the thought that he is getting older. I wanted him to stay little, (isn't he cute too??) but I know that is not how it is. He will be 8 next month, and that is just plain crazy to me!! 8 years old, where does the time go?? I mean really. I can remember people telling me to cherish it while they are babies, cause they grow up so fast. In return I would tell them, they don't grow up that fast, do they?? Well in answer to that, YES THEY DO!! Here is my first child, and he is just getting older and older, and it makes me sad to think that he is growing up so fast. I guess that is all part of the process of life though. It's just something that they have to do, and something that I have to let them do, there is no stopping it that's for sure. I can and do praise the Lord that they have both accepted Christ as their Saviour and they are both on their way to Heaven. That is such a relief to know that both your children are saved and should something happen to them, it's OK, when they die they will be with the Heavenly Father!! Praise God for that. God is so good to us, and He has been so good to us over the years. I hate that they are getting older, but I know that there isn't anything that I can do about it, so I have to accept it and cherish every moment that I have with them. They are my babies, and they are a blessing from the Lord to Chris and I. (Plus I think that they are pretty cute too.)

Vacation CAN'T come soon enough....

OK.....So I am soooooo beyond ready for a vacation, and we are going on one, it's just not coming fast enough for my liking. We are leaving in June to go to El Paso, TX. which is where we are originally from. Our Church there is having their 50th anniversary. My Preacher has been there for 50 years, and they are celebrating it in June. I am so excited about going, and I know that it is just going to be a great time!!!! My husband is going to be able to preach there, and he is so excited about that. (this picture was taken last year in the car on the way to El Paso...isn't he cute)He is living one of his dreams by being able to Preach in the place where he surrendered his life to the Lord. God has provided this for him, and I am so happy for him. We need a break.... Life right now is kind of crazy. It's not bad, it's just draining at times. Right when you think that things are looking up, things change. And it's OK they are just things that you have to live with and learn why it is that the Lord is having you go through them.

Next weekend should be fun. We are taking our Youth group to a place called Fun City in Iowa. It has go carts, black light bowling, and lazer tag. We are hoping for a big group, but whoever shows up, we will have a good time with. Normally we have a big group of girls that go, and only a few boys. Which I tend to think that is how it is in a lot of Youth Groups. We have a good group of kids though, we really do. (here is a picture of me with some of the girls that went on our last activity.) Don't mind the rough looks on some of them, they had just gotten done playing an hour (if not more) of lazer tag. We have a good time with them though, and it helps that my husband and I are still young (although sometimes we feel old....LOL) at heart. Chris has a good time with them, and he is able to make them laugh and have fun. He makes serving the Lord fun and enjoyable to them, and that to me is important. So I guess that is all for me right now. I am off for tonight. Hope that everyone is doing well. Pray that the month will go faster, and June will be here soon. :)

Life & being mad at it

*SIGH* I seriously don't understand why it is that life has to be so complicated. It is really beyond me. Why can't we go through life and just live happily ever after?? Wouldn't that be nice. I think it would be anyway. Today has been a real downer for me and for my husband. We are truly feeling very discouraged from every angle possible. From Church, to life, to family, etc. You name it we are feeling it. The great thing though, is that we are not discouraged with each other!! That's always great.

You know you think that you can always depend on family to be there for you, and that they shouldn't let you down. They should accept you for who you are, and as you are. So why is it then that family is always the ones that hurt you the most??!!?? We are facing battles right now with our family members that we should NOT be facing. Uggghh!!!! It really makes me mad. Right when you think that you have something to look forward to, something happens, and reality strikes, and you realize that you don't have anything to look forward to at all. Life can be so discouraging sometimes. It's beyond me why the Lord allows you to go through trials, and valleys but I do realize that you have to go through them sometimes, and learn why it is that you went through that. All the while trusting the Lord to see you through it. You know my favorite poem (if you will) is Footprints in the sand. And as the man is going through rough times, he asks the Lord why was it that in the hardest times in my life, I see only one set of footprints. The Lord replys: My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. In the times of your trials and sufferings, when you saw only one set of footprints, IT WAS THEN THAT I CARRIED YOU!! I absolutely love that. And how true it is. The Lord carries us through so much, and I think that we lose sight of it all.

So I guess that even though I am going through a valley, that I need to trust in the Lord to carry me through, and I need to realize that in this time it is now that He is carrying me. He will see me through into the other side. I will come out of this valley, it is just a matter of time. And until then I remain safely In His Grip!!

Computers.... love to HATE them....

Or should I say you love to hate the server!! Uggghhhh I am so annoyed right now with our provider. We have cable modem, and they are doing "repairs" on them right now. My e-mail is down, and that is not a good thing. There are few things in life that bring me sanity during the day, and my e-mail is one of them. (Not to mention that we have been bickering back and forth with the stupid people today about our account.) If it's not one thing it's another. I don't know what the deal is with it, I really don't. All I can say is that I hope by tomorrow it is all fixed. So there is my extra ramblings for today...Now let's hope tomorrow is better.

My joy in life

You know I have been having a really rough time the past week or so, and I am having a hard time finding joy in things. But if you look to the left, you will see what is my true pride and joy in my life!! My family is by far the biggest thing that makes me happy. (Well the Lord makes me the happiest, but my family is next in line) My husband is so great and wonderful and I love him with all my heart and soul. The Lord truly blessed me with a wonderful man of God!! The Lord has also blessed me with two precious little boys. My kids are my pride and joy. I absolutely love being a wife and a mom. I was telling my husband yesterday that hearing your children call you Mommy or Daddy, is the best sound in the world to me. I absolutely love being called Mommy. That is such a sweet sound to my ears. I never wanted anything more in life then what I have now. A wonderful realtionship with the Lord, an excellent marriage, and being a Mommy. There is no greater joy than that in life.

I think that we can sit there and sulk, (and sometimes we may have too), but either we move on, OR we fail in everything. Even though the past week has really been draining on me, I realize that either I work on what is bothering me, have a breakdown, and really tell God what is bothering me, OR I can sit there and continue to dwell in it. Either way, I think that I am going to try to move on. I have to focus on the good, and with a family like mine, how could I go wrong?? I HAVE to focus on what the Lord has done, and is going to do in my life, instead of focusing on what is going wrong. I found a saying that I heard a Pastor say once, and it really struck home to me. It says this :What has your heart, has your life. If the Lord doesn't have your heart, then He doesn't have your life. You know sometimes we let other things have our hearts, instead of allowing the Lord to have it, and I think that is my problem right now. I don't always allow the Lord to have my whole heart, and I have to start allwoing Him to have my everything. So that's my two cents for today.

Today is BLAH day

Today is a day of just plain BLAH. Nothing special to look forward too or at least it doesn’t feel that way, just the same old same old. You know your normal every day run of the mill things to do. For me that’s (in no specific order) making breakfast, cleaning up, checking e-mails, stopping the boys from fighting, laundry, baths for the boys, lunch, more cleaning, school work, shower for me, getting ready for Church tonight, figuring out what’s for supper, and the list goes on and on. And in the midst of all this trying to figure out why your heart is so heavy.

Being a woman gives you such liberty to feel so many different emotions (even when you can’t explain why), and wondering at the same time, why you are having those emotions. (Or at least I think it does) The other day I was talking to my husband and I was up one minute and down the next. He said I don’t understand you… and to that, I responded as any other woman would… I don’t get it either, but I am a woman and I am allowed to act this way. (probably not true, but it sounds good anyway..LOL) :) Well today is one of those days too. I have such a heavy heart, and I don’t know why. I thought well maybe it is the weather…and I don’t think that’s it. Then I thought maybe I just feel overwhelmed, and I do. I just feel like bllllahhhhh. I truly hate feeling this way, because when you do, you tend to take it out on the ones that you love. But how do you find the time to talk to someone and tell them how you are really feeling. You know that as a wife and a mother, you are always there to listen when someone has a problem. Even as a Youth/Assistant Pastors wife, you have to listen. None of these things bother me; it is what I live for. I want to help people and I want to listen to everything that they have to say, especially when it is my family, but then how do, you explain to everyone else how you are feeling and have it make sense?? Maybe one of these days I will figure it out. Until then….I am going to go on and have a BLAH kind of day. :{

It's Been A Good Night

Doing the will of God sometimes has such great rewards. Tonight was a good night, and I am on cloud nine right now. My husband and I and our two boys went to a Preachers meeting with Dr. Tony Hudson. What an awesome man of God!! (Plus he is from the South, and how can you go wrong there??) You know I think often times we loose sight of the fact that as Christians (who have the Lord in their hearts); we forget that we need to be separated from the world. We need to have higher standards, and I have to say that tonight I was really challenged to begin to start living a better life. It was a great night, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

After the service, we went to go and get some dessert. We went to all these places, and they were all closed (by minutes). So we ended up going to Baker’s Square (that’s like a Village Inn for y’all from the South.) I got pie and it was so yummy. Well we were the only ones in there, and the manager came and asked how everything was. My oldest Dylan said that the pie was great (not as good as Mommy’s though…He loves me). He went on and on about how great the pie was. Well the manager walked away, and then he came back with a pie box in his hands. He told Dylan we are going to play a game; think of a number between 3&5….Dylan took a few moments and said 4! The manager said, you win, and he gave us a FRESH strawberry pie, the whole thing!!!!!! Praise the Lord!! People would say well that was just happen chance, no...That was God giving us a blessing!! It was a great night, and now I am going to go to bed. Good night everyone!!