Updated....

It seems like my blog is lagging behind the times. In the grand scheme of things, it is not so important....and there are just too many other things to do lately. I do miss posting, but it is something to set aside until the time is right!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior! Isn't God's love amazing?

What Do I Know of Holy?

What Do I Know Of Holy?
by Addison Road
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8fSjtPLuBQ

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

(CHORUS 2)
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life it's name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

You know....not a lot to post about lately.....

Life is pretty much the same day to day. God is busy doing some refining work in my heart in an area or two! Of that fact, I am grateful! Life is still super, ubber busy these days, but next week my hours of working are decreasing, and I'm excited that I'll have a bit more time to fit a few more things that I've been missing into my days. That is the kindness of the Lord! Today, Gene had a meeting at 8:30, Chelsey had a meeting at 9:30 and I had one at 9:00. Chelsey and I had the opportunity to go have breakfast together before our meetings, and we had a great time. I asked her if there were things about me that she had ever wanted to ask about or to know, but just hadn't for whatever reason. So it was a good time to share some past history with her, and even shock her a bit I think. I think she had never imagined that mom's past would be interesting in the least! The best part was just our time together -- something we haven't had the opportunity to do in a while with our busy days. I really like Saturday mornings!

Has it been long enough???

Yep! It's been long enough....probably too long. I just can't seem to find time to update as much as before, but that's ok too! Soooo....let's see....the routine is much the same - life is busy and changing! I think the main thing is that the Lord has this "theme" going on right now....trust and His sovereignty. I'm just realizing that there are many times when I am anxious....even in really small things, that I didn't realize. I love God's faithfulness to uncover stuff in my heart that I probably knew I put there, but never really thought about it before. Our care group ladies are reading Jerry Bridges book Trusting God. I'm not sure how many times I've read it, but that's just what is so great about the Lord....there is always more to learn and uncover about Him and how He is working in my life at any given time. So yesterday, I had to confess my anxious heart again as our computer is having some major problems, and I didn't know what we were going to do so that Chelsey could get her homework done and I can work today. So....I still don't know what is wrong with it, but right now it is working....an hour from now it may not. We really need to figure out how to get this one fixed or a way to purchase a new one.....can you hear the anxious thoughts running around in my head? I am so grateful for this opportunity to have my sin exposed and to confront it head on....and the even greater opportunity that God is sovereign and totally knows how it will all work out and that I have another opportunity to trust Him instead of myself and "my world". PRAISE GOD!!!

Sometimes.....

I take for granted all that the Lord has done for me. It's kinda sad that it takes a beautiful day like today, the freedom to linger a little longer in my quiet time and mostly a fresh desire for the Lord in my heart to breathe deep and look at everything with refreshed eyes. I have so much that I so often complain about....the question is....Do I spend more time complaining than I do expressing the gratitude for the many things that happen each day in my life? Well....can you guess what the answer is? Those complaining words often hit me like a brick wall! So my desire is to continue growing with eyes that a fresh each day to all that the Lord is doing and how I can better respond to each thing that comes my way. So, life is busy....nothing new there, and no new things added in at this point in time. I am grateful for that too. I hope that you all are enjoying this beautiful day as I am!

I never realized......

Since life has gotten so busy for me the last few weeks, there are lots of things that I never realized over the last 18 years. I never realized how much time I actually had for myself and the many ways that I spent that time....some lazily, some foolishly, and much more of it was quite well spent on home, family and friends. Trying to find time to have coffee with a friend or do something fun with my daughter (who is also much more busy these days) is a challenging find. But it is also filled with grace. God provides moments at just the right time to sing or pray or read or talk to a friend or even to update my blog. I am grateful! New seasons....they challenge me....my goal.....not to complain but to be awed by the grace for the season and the promise of mercies anew with each new day.

Here He Is -- Such A Cutie!!!

He's just a sweet, cute baby boy.....not much else to say....enjoy the pics!

He's Here!!!!

Yep....grandson #2 has arrived! No pics yet, I'll post those when I get them. Landen Xavier Wilfong arrived this morning....08/08/08 weighing in at 6 lbs 7 oz. Everyone is doing great! Shelley was only in labor for 4 hours and pushed for 15 minutes and he was here! What a blessing. Don't know when our crazy schedule will allow us to visit. Hopefully Gene will get a
peak at the little man this afternoon before he comes home! Yea!!!

Chelsey Says I Need to Update.....

Ok...I don't think I have much to update, other than to say, I think my calendar has exploded! It has been a challenge to add this job to the mix, but it is a blessing in many ways other than the obvious. I am learning how lazy I had gotten about getting things done in an orderly way, and needing to really look at my time management. It has been a blessing to be able to get things done in a short amount of time and still have time to relax with my family. I'm still adjusting, but God has been so gracious in all of these adjustments. Being purposeful about my time and what I do with it and making sure that nothing gets left out is essential. I'm grateful for this season of growth. I might -- well, probably wouldn't -- have chosen to do it this way this quickly, but God does know me so well! So posts are probably slack, but the more important stuff in my life is getting done when it should! I'll try to update on a regular basis, but if I don't....you know why!

A New Adventure...

Well....I'm on a new adventure.....maybe I should say that differently. Let's just say it's been a while, but I'm working again! This time, I'm going to be able to work from home. I'm just trying to figure everything out this week. How it all will work, what the schedule will look like, the number of hours I'll work and all of that, and what life will look like from this point. I'll be doing phone calls -- call center followups for Great Direct Concepts/Auto Lending Network. I've been looking for something to do from home for a few months, and this one seems like it is going to work out well. I'm hoping so. It's kind of a good feeling to know what I'll be doing now that homeschooling is over. I'm sure the Lord has plenty in store for me, and I look forward to this all fitting together. Very interesting!

One Season Ends, A New One Begins.....

Well, once again, it has been forever since I last posted! As of Saturday, we have officially ended the high school years.....with the conclusion of Youth Camp 2008. It was a wonderful time! The presence of the Lord and the work that He was doing was evident. I'll post more on that when I get all my thoughts together. So now we move on to the college years and M28. With Chelsey now working, and today, we got her registered for the last class she needed for fall at CPCC, the busyness of life looks different. We are still praying for God's provision for a car for Chelsey to be able to use for her many destinations as they increase in the months to come. It is exciting to see how she is also changing, maturing and realizing how much she must trust the Lord in many areas of her life. It is also a new season for Gene and I. We have the opportunity to spend more time together alone and do things together. What a change! I tell you what -- those 17 years since we were last alone have flown by! I am just so grateful for all that the Lord has done through the years to teach us and grow us and draw us all closer to Himself and continue His sanctifying process with an abundance of grace! So here is my question I pose to the Lord now.... Now what do I do? That is where I am....trying to figure it all out and hear from Him. I'm looking forward to whatever is next.

Deep *sigh*

Well....for now, all the things on my plate are done.....referring to graduation, youth banquet, anniversary celebrations and mom's bible study. I really enjoyed all of them! Still can't believe that Chelsey is actually done with homeschool. I think in my mind I never thought that we would make it through to the end. Yea God! He did many awesome works in the two of us.....there was definitely a lot of character growth that took place, and as a family, He has been faithful to keep us drawn to Him. So now she must decide what she is going to do next. She has some really mixed feelings about whether she wants to start school in the fall, or whether she just wants to work. She is really enjoying working at Chick-fil-A. I can't decide if she really likes it or if she just realized how cool it is to get paid and enjoy the work at the same time. Today she made a huge investment. She bought herself an ipod. She really had a tough few moments of justifying spending that much money. I'm grateful that she doesn't want to spend all of her money. I pray that she stays with that mindset.

The youth banquet went very well. I think that was very and there have been lots of compliments. I am very grateful to everyone who contributed! The place was beautiful! Kendra did a great job with decorations, and many ladies did a fantastic job with the food. AND, M28-ers we can't do it without them! Their servant hearts on Thursday and Friday were outstanding. What a wonderful evening! Congrats to Mark and Chelsey for receiving the Quest Awards this year. What an honor. It will be exciting to see all that the Lord has in store for the youth, and how He will draw them as they enter college and M28.

Anniversaries....well Gene and I celebrated our 21st....I think we celebrated several days. Shelley reminded us that not only was Chelsey's graduation taking over our anniversary, but her high school graduation was also on our anniversary....that was 12 years ago! Wow! But Saturday we drove to Greenville (SC) to Gene's sisters....she and her husband were celebrating their 50th anniversary. Their kids threw dinners and receptions all weekend. We were so exhausted, we only made the Saturday afternoon reception. It was really nice. There were folks that we got a chance to visit with that we don't see very often. Gene's sister from Iowa, his nephews from Florida and Pennsylvania. AND, Gene's mom returns from her winter in Iowa back to SC. It was great to see her...we haven't seen her since last year! WOW!

Sunday, needless to say, we crashed. It was a very nice day, Gene put up the hammock and took his nap outside in the breeze. I made it to the couch! It was a great day of just relaxing!!!

Monday....I worked on the bible study for my mom's WOC (women of the church) meeting that was today. I emailed Gene in the afternoon to ask for prayer because my brain felt like mush and I just couldn't decide how things were going to turn out....but I did know that I just needed to trust the Lord for what He wanted me to share. So I took Chelsey to work and when I came back home, was able to get it done without a lot of trouble. And today, I was able to trust the Lord for the delivery! It was nice to be able to share what the Lord had shown me with these ladies.

So that's what I've been up to lately!

Quick Post -- More Later

It has been a crazy busy couple of weeks culminating in this past weekend. Friday night was the Q222 End of Year Banquet......then a Saturday trip to Greenville, SC for Gene's sister & husband's 50th anniversary reception, home again and then finally a very relaxing Father's Day. That was very nice! Today I have to prepare for a Bible study that my mom asked me to lead at her church for a small group of ladies tomorrow morning......this is the 2nd time that I have done this.....anyway, I have a short passage about Elijah that I am to focus on.....I would definitely appreciate any and all prayers during my preparation time today and presentation tomorrow. Sooo, I'll give a more detailed post in the next couple of days....but for now.....praise be to God! His mercy and grace abound!

Memorial Day

I hope you all had a great day! Gene and I sure did! Our anniversary is this coming Friday, but since we are steeped in graduation rehearsal and then graduation, we took yesterday to celebrate! We took a day trip to South Mountain State Park. We drove through the countryside rather than taking the interstate, and it was a wonderful drive! We got there and hiked for a while and enjoyed the beauty of the trail. After we left there, we stopped at a small winery about 20 minutes from Stone Mountain. It is a very small place, a family run business that started out of a son's effort to find some heart healthy ways to help out his dad who has heart problems. We had a wine tasting and saw where they make their wine and store it and listened to how they developed their flavors and all that. They also have parties and weddings and receptions at their facility which is very nice. After that we drove back to Charlotte, went out to eat and then home to relax. It is such a blessing to spend the day with my honey! And he's been all mine for 21 years now! Time does go by sooo fast! But I know this....I am blessed!!!!!

A Good Movie...

Last week we rented a few movies with a gift card that we received over Christmas. One of the movies that we rented was August Rush. I must say, it was a movie that all three of us enjoyed tremendously. Maybe it is because we all love music, but it is rare that we rent a movie that all of us like. Gene usually falls asleep because the movies are too "girlie". BUT, he really enjoyed this one....the music and the story. I think we may end up purchasing this one as a keeper. Chelsey enjoyed it so much that she purchased the soundtrack with some of her birthday money. All this to say....consider it!

What movie have you seen lately that you really enjoyed? That could be a current movie or video that you have seen. Thanks for sharing!

An Update.....

I have been pretty slack in posting, and thanks Erin for asking how my dad's surgery went. It went really well. It took a little longer to get the graft because of a lot of scar tissue, but it is done, he is doing well! He doesn't have to go back to the doctor until next week.

Us kids & grandkids surprised my parents at their church today. We had flowers in the church and a little message in the bulletin to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary which is this Thursday. That is a really long time! What an example! I think they were really surprised. One of my nieces and my nephew & his family were able to go to church with them too. We were going to take them to lunch, but it didn't work out today because of too many conflicts. We will try for that on another day this week. They brought the flowers home, and literally, they take up the entire dining room table.

Wasn't it great to see the Kauflin family today at CWCC? I'm sure some of the GCC people saw them on Saturday. It was just so good......makes me realize just how much I've missed them. It would be really great to be able to sit down with them sometime one on one and hear all that the Lord is doing in their lives and just catch up.

Onward! Finishing up school for Chelsey, finishing up graduation stuff. It is working out good, and not too stressful....God is so faithful!!! What a blessing!

Well...it's late.....and I think I'm ready to sleep! Y'all have a good week! Oh...and Kendra.....I think it'll be David Cook!

Happy 17th!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHELSEY!!!

Thank you Lord for Chelsey! She is a blessing and a joy. Yes, there have been plenty of times of strife and plenty of times of anger and harsh words and many raw emotions, but they do not equal the times of sweet talks, lots of laughing and just the joy and cheerfulness that you birthed in her before time began. Best of all, she does love and desire to follow her Savior and worship Him with a passion. Thank you for blessing our lives with this beautiful young woman! Our prayer is that you would continue to grow her in You and may the spark of passion for You be fanned into a blazing flame. May she daily be filled with your Spirit so that she can honor and serve you with power from above and not in her own strength. May her witness be of You and may Your hand be on her life to lead her, to guide her and provide for her all of her days. Thank you Lord, for the privilege of being her parents and blessing us in this sweet, sweet way!

Happy Birthday Babe!

We Love You Bunches!

The Deep Deep Love of Jesus

The great messages we've heard at church in the last couple of weeks and studying Hosea for care group tonight have given me lots to think about (oh...picture is not mine, but looks like something I'd do!). Just thinking about God's compassion and love for me with new insights, has just opened a deeper level of understanding of His grace to me and just how wonderful His love for me is....not to mention a fresh awareness of how undeserving I am. I can reflect on many things I've done in my life.....I guess you would call them my "bigger" sins are enough to make His love for me unwarranted. But when I think of the little things....the "little" sins.....things I do or say or think without any effort at all, those make His love for me amazing......something that I don't deserve. As I studied the relationship of Hosea and Gomer and how that is a reflection of God's love for His people, then just make that application to my own life...I am blown away! What an amazing God! And to think, my understanding only scratches the surface. The depth of His love, I cannot begin to fathom.

May is Full!

The month of May is full .... or so it seems! Lots of good things! First we get to celebrate the end of school! Well, CPCC is all done, and homeschool is almost done.

THEN....we get to celebrate this:

Chelsey's birthday is next week! What a blessing and what a joy she has been! And my niece's b-day is two days later.

Then we celebrate Mother's Day....that's always a fun day. (And we get to hear CJ speak at church again!)

Next, my Dad has to undergo his 14th eye surgery! Pray that the skin graft for his cornea takes and heals completely without any complications (his only other option is to lose that eye).
Then we get to enjoy having Bob Kauflin at church for a visit and speaking to us.

On the 22nd we will celebrate my Mom & Dad's 65th wedding anniversary. (I won't add their picture again.) That is so amazing that they have been married for so long! What an example!

Then there is the Memorial Day holiday.

And then Gene & I celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary.....it sure doesn't seem like it has been that long but I am so blessed! (well, I think we both are) -- not sure when we will celebrate though since graduation rehearsal is that evening!

And then Chelsey graduates from high school......followed by the closing of our home school. And she will be off to CPCC.

Many celebrations and also many changes! So much to be grateful for! God is very kind and gracious to allow us to experience all of this! What a month! I'm excited to see it all unfold because I know there are many things yet to be discovered!

Isn't She Lovely?

There is a lot of hustle and bustle around here.....finishing up CPCC for the semester, finishing up high school forever, starting a new job (Chelsey), getting graduation "stuff" done -- on time!!! One of the most pleasurable things of late has been Chelsey's senior pics.....they are wonderful and so many to choose from. Chelsey really enjoy this time and is thrilled with the outcome. Her life is getting so busy. It is so fun to watch all of the things that are happening in her life. And yes, it does bring a tear to Mom's eye knowing how sweet it is and sad that my "little girl" is quickly maturing into a beautiful, passionate and godly young woman. We have been so blessed to be chosen as her parents!!! Chelsey and I have definitely had our trials as we battled the sinful character in both of our lives, but I don't think I would ever ask to change anything....even the times that I sinned against her -- ways too numerous to count -- and I say that because, the Lord has used these times to humble me and bring me to repentance before Him and before Chelsey and Gene. If those times had not occurred, my life would probably not have changed as it has and I would not have grown in grace. God is kind!!!

So yes, homeschooling is coming to an end for me. That is odd to think about since I've been doing it for a long time now....I know, not as long as some, but still..... Homeschooling has been a mixed bag of emotions for me and it, too, has proved to be a tool to work on my character. Gene and I were both in agreement that we desired and wanted to home school Chelsey. But I tell you what....there were times when we went so far as to get an application to private school. It was tough. We were not sure if the battles were worth it. And as most, there were so many times when I felt so inadequate in teaching her. I really had to trust the Lord with that because there was no other way to walk it out. There is a lot about homeschooling that I just didn't like at all. And there are things that Chelsey probably would have learned more about in another classroom, but there is one thing that I am confident in......she would not have learned as much about the Lord or about grace as she did right here at The Oaks (our homeschool). I am also confident that she has learned by God's grace and that she has taken in all that she needs during this time. Oh, I can think of plenty of areas that she can still learn in and will continue to grow in over the next few years. Praise God! He has seen us through and Chelsey will graduate on May 31st! What a blessing and a testimony of God's grace in all of our lives.

LOOK!!! A new post =)

Well.....life is certainly busy! My days are filled with what has become "normal" for me. I have to be careful not to be lulled into complacency or driven into complaining. It is a season of change I think.....Chelsey is getting ready to graduate next month, so there are lots of things to do to finish up our homeschool in order to close it down....lots of things to do to prepare her for officially entering college.....graduation pictures....announcements.....preparing for the actual graduation at church on May 31st.....keeping up with her schedule, my parents schedule and my schedule and Gene's too. So it is also a time to really press into the Lord to see what He has for me next. I have plenty of ideas of my own, and it would be easy to run ahead, but I don't think that would be too wise! So I just want to be prayerful and diligent in seeking His will in this season.

Last weekend we went to The Rebelution conference in Hickory. It was a good time. I think it was really great for lots of the kids and many have changed lives because of the Lord working through this event. But I believe, there were a lot of adults who were also impacted by what was taught and what the Lord was doing in their hearts as well. I know that for me, there was one short phrase that brought clarity to an issue that I had been struggling over. I didn't think that it really had anything to do with "Do Hard Things", but as I spend more time thinking about it and searching Scripture and digging into my heart, I believe it is a hard thing for me. And soon, I think it is something the Lord will have me share with a few other specific people. It will be really interesting to see how it all works out.

Grace Community Church has started, and it is the kindness of God that He would send people to a new place to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It has been a great process. It is amazing how my sinful heart and mind can lead me places that I do not want to go and think things that are really untrue. I'm really excited for both churches because I know the Lord has great things to do in us and through us. I think one of the first things is experiencing His grace and growing in faith to trust that He knows our direction.

Last week Gene got an unusual phone call. When he was in the Marines and down at Goose Creek (SC), one of his buddies and his girl decided to get married on the spur of the moment, and he was the best man. Doug & Sandy were only married a short time before he was sent to Vietnam. She was pregnant, and from ultrasound/amnio process, they learned the baby had a heart defect. Doug was trying to get home before the baby was born, but was killed. Anyway, after 43 years, Sandy had searched and found him. Gene had been named the god father of the baby girl. So he finally got to see her through pictures at the age of 42. It was a good phone call for both Sandy and Gene. So we've shared some pictures and Gene has had quite a story to share with people. He has often wondered what had happened to Sandy and the baby and it is nice to now know.

Well...I guess you are all caught up for now. Maybe I'll try not to wait another month before I post again. I always have something to say it seems, but sitting down here and actually doing it is another thing......I just don't want to keep repeating myself.

I hope you are all experiencing God's grace in your lives in many ways.

Oh....one more thing.....we did find out that grandson #2 will arrive in late August. Can't wait! Check out the baby blues on Carter.

Good Friday ......... Easter

Amazing

Grace!

Still Here......Occasionally!

I'm loving the bright sunshine and the warmer days and signs of spring that keep popping up all through the yard. It has to be one of my favorite times of year.

So it has been busy as usual around here with doctor appointments for my folks, school for Chelsey, planning for graduation, preparing transcripts, getting taxes done, filling out financial aid forms for our soon to be (in the fall)full-time college student, practice SATs, helping someone move, trying to keep the house in a semi-descent state for us to live in, helping prepare for the upcoming women's conference this weekend, beginning to plan and recruit people to help plan & carry out the Q222 end of year banquet, keeping up with exercise, keeping clothes clean, oh, and remembering what I need to get at the grocery store when I leave my list at home......but other than that, there really hasn't been much going on at all. In all honesty, I don't know what I would do with myself if my life was not busy and filled with all that the Lord has entrusted to me. I am grateful that I have the energy and the ability to do all of these things, and I think I have the ability to do them better than I do, and definitely can grow in that area of my life.

So now, the next thing I'm up for is to gradually begin some spring cleaning.....that would not be one of my favorite things to look forward to, but I think I am this year. I'm just not going to try to do it all at once.....which I have done several times in the past. There is plenty to do, and I'm really looking forward to doing it this year. I'm grateful that the Lord has blessed us with all that we have and I want to really make sure I keep that in mind while I'm doing the cleaning so I don't bend to grumbling and complaining.

On with the day!

Tagged by Marge.....

I've been tagged!!!!! I'm not sure if I have answers to these....here goes:

5 places I'd like to see some day:

1. Heaven

2. Italy

3. Greece

4. See.....I'm already drawing a blank!!!!

5. ???????

Places I'd like to see again:

1. Jamaica

2. Black Mountain

3. Sunset Beach

4. Key West

5. ???????

I'm sure I'll think of some other places, but that's as good as it gets for now.

Signs of Spring

There are signs of spring all over the place here. There are daffodils blooming, the redbud bush is blooming, some of the forsythia are beginning to pop, wild onions are popping up all over the yard, including through the leaves yet to be mulched, and Chelsey's nose is responding to this outburst of spring. I love that the days are growing longer, and they are beginning to warm a bit, but the nights are still quite chilly! I am definitely not a cold weather person, and I'm always so excited as the signs of spring begin to appear......even poor Chelsey's sneezes. I pray one day the Lord will relieve her of her allergies.

It has been an amazingly busy last couple of weeks with my parents. Between the two of them, there have been doctor appointments everyday for 2 weeks except Tuesday of this week. Some are general, others are very specific. It is a new season, when the tables are turned, and we begin to care for the two people who have taken care of us through our lives. In many ways you can see similarities between caring for them and caring for a small child, but the one difference is that they "know" and a child doesn't "know" the things of living. It has to be a whole different level of thinking, of being sad, of many new frustrations.

So in the days when things are coming out new again, there is a lot of growing old that is happening at the same time. God is amazing when you think about some of these things that He created.

Quick Update

My week is jammed.....busy with Chelsey and with my dad.....if you think about him, please pray for him. He has had a hole open up in his cornea, and if the current treatment doesn't work, he will have to have a transplant. This would be about the 14th eye surgery he has had, he can't see very well at all anymore and is just weary of all of the doctors and surgeries and eye drops and everything. Thanks folks!

Do I Blog????

Well...yes, it has been a while! It seems I'm on the computer lots, but haven't had the time to blog. Busy looking up how to sign Chelsey up for the ACT, looking at what and how and when to apply for scholarship funds for CPCC, checking out recipes....looking up books, putting them on hold and all the while trying to keep the house tidy, laundry clean, prepare meals, get my folks to errands one day, grocery store another day. Ahhhh...it seems like all I have to talk about is just normal stuff. BUT, in all of that, I feel so blessed! God has been so kind. I spent some time this morning in my quiet time recounting God's blessings and kindness just since the first of this year. WOW!!! It has been amazing! It has also been exciting, because some of these things were answers to prayers that have long been prayed for and others just seem like a miracle designed especially for our family. I just get excited thinking about how good God is and how He cares for each one of us. So often I forget to think about these things. Why does it have to be so easy to complain and let those things come to the forefront rather than God's goodness? I know He has so much for us all. I want to pursue Him more and just be more and more aware of how He is at work in my life. Yea God!

SNOW!

OK...so everyone (well several people are) is posting about the snow! I personally could live without it, but for all you snow-loving people, I'm glad you had this blessing! I have to admit when it is snowing, it is beautiful, but I am a warm weather girl! It is fun just to be inside staying warm.....I hope you all were able to do that. The only thing better would be if we had a fireplace to have a fire! Now that I could get used to easily!

We do actually have to go out in a while....Chelsey's first evening at Dance Camp is this evening. We may stay for the time of worship tonight. Can't think of a better way to spend a Thursday evening than worshiping the Lord!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Still Alive

Daily blogging just doesn't seem to happen for me. So it has been busy as usual. Planning meals, washing clothes, appointments, shopping, turning 50 and having fun! I had a great weekend. Nice and quiet and with the 2 people I love the most! We went out for a special lunch since youth meeting was Saturday night. All in all...it was a great day! The best part of the weekend was a brief visit with the Pittman's. Mike even made it to church for worship.

This week is equally as busy since CPCC classes have started back, dance has resumed, dental appointments, dance camp on the schedule and a doctor visit for my dad, grocery shopping and care group leaders meeting. That pretty much fills this one up! BUT, with Chelsey at classes and dance, I have a few hours on my own 3 afternoons a week, and she is gone ALL day on Friday and most all of Saturday.

I love how the Lord orders every part of every day and fills it with all of His plans. Sometimes they are not what we want or like, but in the long run, God's wisdom and His plan far outweighs my likes and dislikes. Trusting in our glorious Lord!

Just Rambling a Bit

Well...I had to get my license renewed, showed up at the Express DMV office at a couple of minutes before 8 and was out by 8:30 and that was with 11 people in front of me, and home before 9. Not too bad!!! Now I don't have to renew my license until 2016. There was a time when I thought that any year in the 2000s seemed so totally far away that I would never see that time, and here we are!

Today I will be taking my parents to do some things that they have been wanting to do. Check on some stuff for the car, shopping at Wal-Mart and whatever else they might need. Then home, needing to do some things here. Not real exciting stuff, but just life!

Still Thinking......

A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble. Charles Spurgeon









God's name is written on our hearts as soon as we accept Him. And in His word, God instructs us to share the gospel with others, so in essence, we are to touch the lives of people and as Mr. Spurgeon says so wonderfully, "carve your name on hearts not marble." So when we "carve" our names on others hearts, we are in essence carving God's name instead of our own. And just because our character touched someone elses life, shows how much God touched our own and how much He cares for us and others too. Just like this song sung by Janet Paschal (as part of a Gaither Homecoming show) says:

VERSE 1
In letters of crimson God wrote His love
On a hillside so long, long ago
For you and for me Jesus died
And love’s greatest story was told
CHORUS
I love you, I love you
That’s what Calvary said
I love you, I love you
I love you written in red
VERSE 2
Down through the ages God wrote His love
With the same hands that suffered and bleed
Giving all that He had to give
A message so easily read
CHORUS
I love you, I love you
That’s what Calvary said
I love you…
Oh precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount’n I know
Nothin but the blood of Jesus
CHORUS
I love you, I love you
That’s what Calvary said
I love you, I love you
I love you written in red

NOTE: This post is a joint effort.....Chelsey and I have been talking about my previous post, and these are some of the things that came out of those conversations. Chelsey has put together the majority of this post as we talked and picked out pictures and songs and stuff like that! She is a pretty amazing daughter........I am very blessed!

Happy New Year Everybody!

Well, it is 2008! Chelsey and I stayed up and watched the new year come in....Gene gave up and went to bed at 11:30.....I probably would have joined him but didn't want Chelsey to be alone to celebrate. Then we had a leisurely day today. Chelsey got an AMC gift card for Christmas, and she treated us to a movie -- National Treasure 2 Book of Secrets. What a fun movie. It was just enjoyable without all the objectionable language and intimate scenes. If you've seen the 1st one, I definitely recommend it.


Yesterday, Marge (click here) posted about what you would want someone to say about you at your funeral. Well....I have to say, after listening to Mickey's message on Sunday at CrossWay ( click here to listen) and then Marge's post, I've been thinking about that. I began thinking about the kind of things that people say to me or about me now. Those things are very encouraging, and a blessing to me, and I treasure them all, but the one thing that I would want people to say about me first and most often is this: "She really loved the Lord." Now I know in my own heart that I do not love the Lord as much as I really want to, and that really struck me as I walked away from church on Sunday. Sooooo, all this to say that this is what I want to focus on for the new year....I want to grow in my love for the Lord. I know that I can't do this completely in this life, but I do want to grow in loving the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind. That's a lot, but that is where I want to be.