The Miracle in Three

Hard to Say Goodbye.....

2009-10-23T15:57:00.002-04:00

You know, it really is difficult to say goodbye to someone you love so much. But as a believer...you also want them to go so that they can be made whole and be in the presence of the Lord for eternity. As my Dad lies in his hospice bed, it is sad, but it is good too. He has been a most wonderful dad on this earth. A very humble and gentle man...and I look forward to recounting all of the great stories that everyone has to remember. But my wonderful and loving husband has captured such truth as he shares below. Thanks honey for loving me, and loving my family and serving them so well all these years. Thanks for your wonderful tribute to my dad. I love you!!!

“What a blessing it is to see a righteous man die.”

That statement may seem quite morbid but watching an elderly man with a gaggle of family hovering about his deathbed is a beautiful thing in itself but to know this man and to know his Lord is truly amazing. I am writing about my father-in-law of over twenty years and someone I have gone to church with for almost forty years. I have watched him live out what he believes and the proof of the pudding is watching him come to the end of his life. He is ready to go! What holds him back is his love of family and still making sure that they are all right and taken care of. I have seen this in my own father and had to convince him that we would take care of things and that he could go home.

ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) has attacked Cam’s throat and pallet making it impossible to swallow and speak. Over the years he has lost sight in his left eye and his right eye is not much better, yet his desire to “DO” is only now crawled to a halt. He has gone from home, to hospital, back home, to hospital, to rehab center, back home again, to hospital, and now to a Hospice house in only two months with no hope for another physical move. This time the transition will be from life to life eternal and from sinful, failing flesh to a new body that is free from sin and in the presence of his Lord Jesus.

Although medication has him groggy, he still gets his point across with grunts, hand signals, and a pad to write on. His mind is still in fairly good shape. One day in the hospital with nine of us in the room, he took his pad and marker and wrote, “I love y’all” and signed it. My wife absconded with that treasure and is trying to preserve it. He gives us the thumbs up and raises his hands into the air letting us know that he is ready to go. A few days ago I was in the hospital room with just he and his bride of sixty-six years. He was making a continuous sound but it was not like a moan. Evelyn started to sing an old hymn and that is what he was doing. He was singing and all I could do was listen to the two of them sing praises to the one who had given them this kind of peace. I still break into tears every time I think about this moment because of the great assurance that we have in Christ Jesus through his saving grace. This is not death…but a graduation into the glory that faith in what the Precious Lamb of God did for us on the cross has assured us. Not works, although this man was a laborer for the Lord, or being good but only the Blood of Jesus Christ can deliver this kind of rest when coming to the end of your life. What fear other men must have at this hour, not knowing what is next and fearing their rejection of what might just have been truth.

Now you know how I can say what a blessing it is to see a righteous man die. As hard as it is to say good by to Christian friends and Christian family…there is truly assurance that with that last breath comes the moment that every believer longs for…that moment when we can look into the eyes and are embraced by the One who saved us. We have fought the good fight and are truly at home, no longer aliens in this world, but home. Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ!!

Halleluiah and Amen!

Muahaha....

2009-07-22T11:08:00.002-04:00

Ha! I'm hijacking my mom's blog! I keep telling her to post but she says there's nothing to write about...psh yeah right...there's always something to write about in this family!!!! =D Love you mom!!!

Well, I think the last time my mom posted, my dad's car had officially died and he was driving the company truck. Well, since then, we have acquired 2 more cars. So now we have the silver van, the silver ford, and the silver saturn (which is not drivable at the moment because my dad was in a wreck....my dad is fine, and we're just waiting to hear from the insurance peoples) I'm seeing a silver trend here :D Also, I have my license so mom no longer has to cart me places...just her parents.

My granddad still isn't doing well, we recently learned that he has ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and he has what's called Bulbar Palsy...which affects his swallowing and talking. I think they are going to give him a feeding tube eventually since it's really hard for him to get all the nutrients he needs. So mom is still taking them to doctors appointments like usual. She really is such a role model to me because she gives of herself all the time and rarely complains about it.

I've kind of abandoned mom and dad this year...first I went to Rekindle, next NEXT, and then MEXICO! All of my trips were pretty amazing and I can't wait for the next time...but I know that mom and dad miss me when I'm gone...or at least I hope so :D

Anyway, I'll try to get mom to fill in some more soon, but that's all for now. Have a good one! ~ Chelsey

Yep, it's really an update....

2009-02-20T22:11:00.008-05:00

Uh...2 months....this is crazy. Blogging just seems to take more time than I'm willing to put into it right now, so you get what you get whenever it fits. Let's see....life is pretty much the same. Busy days with taking Chelsey to/from school & work and M28 activities.....taking the folks to dr appointments and errands.....work and the usual home stuff. Gene's car officially died in January. His company is graciously allowing him to drive a company truck until we are able to replace the Ford. God is good and we know He is sovereign in this process. Some days are more difficult than others when you just want things to be more "normal" whatever that is. So....here are pics of the grandkids....Carter (2 yo) and Landen (6 mo):

Updated....

2008-12-23T14:21:00.002-05:00

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?

2008-11-01T17:51:00.002-04:00

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.....

2008-11-01T17:31:00.002-04:00

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???

2008-10-03T08:40:00.002-04:00

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.....

2008-09-06T12:21:00.002-04:00

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......

2008-08-26T10:43:00.002-04:00

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!!!

2008-08-09T08:43:00.006-04:00

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

He's Here!!!!

2008-08-08T14:20:00.002-04:00

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.....

2008-08-05T10:06:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-07-16T08:59:00.003-04:00

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.....

2008-07-07T20:47:00.002-04:00

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

2008-06-17T19:20:00.002-04:00

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

2008-06-16T09:07:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-27T17:57:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-05-21T19:36:00.002-04:00

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.....

2008-05-18T23:33:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-05-07T08:27:00.003-04:00

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

2008-05-04T16:41:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-04-30T19:56:00.012-04:00

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?

2008-04-23T13:25:00.004-04:00

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 =)

2008-04-12T15:24:00.005-04:00

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

2008-03-21T18:58:00.005-04:00

Amazing

Grace!

Still Here......Occasionally!

2008-03-11T09:52:00.002-04:00

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.....

2008-02-18T20:38:00.002-05:00

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

2008-02-15T15:38:00.002-05:00

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

2008-02-05T12:40:00.001-05:00

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????

2008-01-25T15:11:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-01-17T14:37:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-15T20:47:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-09T09:06:00.000-05:00

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......

2008-01-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-01-01T19:42:00.000-05:00

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.

Shopping with My Sweetie....

2007-12-29T15:47:00.000-05:00

Today was a fun day. When I go shopping by myself, it is just in and out of stores to get exactly what I went for and nothing else.....there's always so much to do, I think I feel a bit guilty if I spend too much time just looking.....AND, when I go shopping with Chelsey, it is normally just for her and so we spend lots of times in her favorite stores and the junior departments of stores. BUT TODAY.....I got to go shopping with my sweetie! Just him and me......we had some Christmas money to spend too, and we hardly ever go out shopping together because I usually do the necessary shopping while he is at work. Today it is too wet for him to be tied to the yard and the massive amounts of leaves waiting to be mulched, so it is one of those times we go out and do things we don't normally do. Chelsey has some things to do at the house, so it was just the two of us, and we had a really great time together and accomplished a lot. What a blessing to be able to do some of the simple things in life together and just enjoy the company!

A Little Normalcy.....

2007-12-28T09:15:00.000-05:00

Well, the rush and busyness of the week are winding down, and it is beginning to look and feel more "normal" around here. The tree is down, decorations and gifts put away. The only thing that remains are all of the extra foods. It has been a great week, we feel so blessed by this time, especially as we were able to focus on Jesus.

We were able to spend time together, with extended family, and with friends from church. We had a good time with this. We were even able to get together with Shelley & her family in their new downtown high rise condo -- they live in a building on West Trade Street on the 26th floor. It is definitely an amazing view of the city. AND....their surprise.......

............Yep.....we are going to have a new grandson or granddaughter in August. August is crazy! The baby is actually due on Shelley's birthday.

Well...onward and upward to a new day! Blessings everyone!

TSO

2007-12-22T00:12:00.000-05:00

Tonight (well, technically Friday night) I was treated to the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert by two ladies in our care group. We had a great time. The TSO was great.....lots of music (3 hour concert), lots of lights, lots of fog, lots of laser light shows and pyro-technics and even snow! and at times really loud! But it was so fun! Our own Rebecca Swan was one of the local musicians in the orchestra. Now that it is late...I'm trying to wind down....it may take a while!

At Last!

2007-12-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

Today was a day to stay at home. This is definitely not a complaint about all the busyness of life, but I love the opportunity to get to stay home for the entire day!!! It is rare these days! Sooo, I spent most of the day doing some last minute things in preparation for Christmas....along with the usual chores such as laundry, cooking and general cleaning. I'm finding I enjoy these more when I don't feel like they have to be done in a rush.

Tomorrow I will try to complete my grocery shopping so that I don't have to hit the stores again before Christmas. I'll get what I need thru Christmas, and while everyone is out doing the "day after" sales, I'll go grocery shopping....I do this at Thanksgiving and Christmas....the stores are nearly empty, but the sales remain the same!

Christmas morning we will be gathering the family that live here in Charlotte for Christmas breakfast. My contribution is Monkey Bread. It is easy, and it is sooo good when it is still warm, so I'll be getting up and baking it Christmas morning.

I've been trying to spend some time recounting the kindness of the Lord to us this year....and I am overwhelmed. I think I need to do this monthly rather than waiting for the end of the year. All I can say is -- Isn't God Good!

Ungodliness

2007-12-19T08:52:00.000-05:00

This morning as I was reading Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges, what he said about the sin of "ungodliness" was so good that I thought I'd share it with you. It is a bit long, but I hope you will read it anyway.

"For the godly person, God is the center and focal point of his or her life. Every circumstance and every activity of life, whether in the temporal or spiritual realms, is viewed through the lens of this God-centeredness. However, such a God-centeredness can be developed only in the context of an ever-growing intimate relationship with God. No one can genuinely desire to please God or glorify Him apart from such a relationship.

If you have followed my reasoning this far, you can see that no Christian is totally godly, and to the extent we are not, there is still some degree of ungodliness in us. The question we should honestly and humbly ask is, How ungodly am I? How much of my life do I live without any regard for God? How much of my daily activities do I go through without any reference to God?

Total godliness and utter ungodliness are the opposite ends of a continuum. All of us are somewhere between those two extremes. The only person who ever lived a totally godly life was Jesus. And probably no true believer lives a totally ungodly life. But where are we on the spectrum? As you think about your own life, remember that we are not talking about righteous versus wicked behavior. We are talking about living all of life as if God is relevant or irrelevant. Survey after survey continues to inform us that there is little difference between the values and behavior patterns of Christians and non-Christians. Why is this true? Surely it reflects the fact that we live so much of our ordinary lives with little or no thought of God, or of how we might please and glorify Him. It's not that we consciously or deliberately put God out of our minds. We just ignore Him. He is seldom in our thoughts.

I stated at the beginning of this chapter that I believe ungodliness is our most basic sin, even more basic than pride. Think how it would curb our pride for example, if we consciously lived every day in the awareness that all we are, all we have, and all we accomplish is by the grace of God. My wife and I were lamenting over two otherwise nice, decent people who are living openly immoral lives and relishing it. And then I reminded my wife and myself that "there but for the grace of God go we." Self-righteous pride, one of the more common of our acceptable sins, is a direct product of our ungodly thinking.

Sins of the tongue, such as gossip, sarcasm, and other unkind words to or about another person, cannot thrive in an awareness that God hears every word we speak. The reason we do sin with our tongues is due to the fact that we are to some degree ungodly. We don't think of living every moment of our lives in the presence of an all-seeing, all-hearing God.

I believe that all our other acceptable sins can ultimately be traced to this root sin of ungodliness. To use a tree as an illustration, we can think of all our sins, big and small, growing out of the trunk of pride. But that which sustains the life of the tree is the root system, in this case the root of ungodliness. It is ungodliness that ultimately gives life to our more visible sins.

If ungodly habits of thinking, then, are so commonplace with us, how can we deal with this sin? How can we become more godly in our daily lives? Paul wrote to Timothy, "Train yourself for godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7). The word train comes from the athletic culture of that day and refers to the practice athletes went through daily to prepare themselves to compete in their athletic contests. It implies, among other things, commitment, consistency, and discipline in training.

Paul wanted Timothy, and all believers of every age, to be just as committed to growth in godliness, and just as intentional in pursuing it, as the athletes of that day who were competing for a temporal prize. But I suspect that most Christians seldom, if ever, think about how they can grow in godliness.

I could not help but contrast our anemic desire for godliness with the attitude of young men in our city who recently camped out all night in snow and cold at the entrance to a local electronics store. They wanted to be sure they would be able to buy one of a limited supply of a new video game system. One young man arrived at 9:30 Saturday morning to wait for the doors to open at 8 a.m. Sunday. Would any of us have that kind of zeal for godliness?

Our goal in the pursuit of godliness should be to grow more in our conscious awareness that every moment of our lives is lived in the presence of God; that we are responsible to Him and dependent on Him. This goal would include a growing desire to please Him and glorify Him in the most ordinary activities of life.

............

Because ungodliness is so all-encompassing, it will help to identify specific areas of life where you tend to live without regard to God. Theses might include your work, your hobbies, your playing or watching sports, or even your driving. Scripture texts that might be helpful to memorize and pray over include 1 Timothy 4:7-8; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 1:9-10 and 2:23; as well as Psalm 42:1-2; 63:1; and 27:4.

Above all, pray that God will make you more conscious of the fact that you live every moment of every day under His all-seeing eye. While you may not be mindful of Him. He is certainly aware of you and sees every deed you do, hears every word you say, and knows every thought you think (see Psalm 139:1-4). Beyond that, He even searches out your motives. Let us then seek to be as mindful of Him as He is of us."

Rest....

2007-12-18T08:31:00.000-05:00

This week so far has not been and should not be quite as busy as the last month has....a nice break and a bit of rest. It has all been good! We are blessed.

So, now I can't believe that Christmas is almost here. I think I'm through with my shopping, but I haven't wrapped a thing! We will have Christmas with my family at my parents house on Saturday. I have to think up some sort of food dish to take over. We mostly just do finger foods, so I'll have to come up with something good. Maybe I'll go over to Trader Joe's and find some-thing that is different from the normal stuff I usually fix. That would be fun. We have some very picky eaters, so I'll see what I can find that us yummy, quick and easy to make. On Christmas day, all of the family that is still in Charlotte always gets together for breakfast at someones house. This year, we are going to my nephew's home. His wife Torrie is a good cook, and lots of fun, we are looking forward to that! Then just relax the rest of the day and enjoy.

Sooooooo, what are y'all doing for Christmas?

Giving Jesus

2007-12-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

It certainly has been a beautiful week! It has been kinda nice not to have to bundle up to go out. It makes all the errands a bit nicer. I certainly haven't gotten into this blogging on a regular basis. Maybe after the holidays it'll be a bit easier. It is still hard to believe that it is almost Christmas. But I've been thinking a lot this week about just how great it is that I can daily celebrate Jesus! Not just His birth....that is amazing, but His life, His sacrifice, His humility, His love, His teaching, His rejection, His pain, His death, His resurrection and the very fact that He is ALIVE! Wouldn't it be great if we could gift wrap Jesus and give Him as a gift to those we share the holidays with each year? Something to think about......just how could I do that? Gotta go....got some things to think about and things to consider giving to others!

Busy Baking....

2007-12-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

Well, after a busy but wonderful weekend, the start of the new week has brought 80-degree weather (sure doesn't make it seem like Christmas), Christmas shopping with Chelsey, and a week of baking. Last night I made party mix...2nd batch! I just can't imagine where it disappears to so quickly! Today I made granola...which we will give to our care group....it was a special request this year! And I tried making biscotti for the first time. I found several recipes that I would like to try and give some of these as gifts as well. Today I made gingerbread biscotti. It was easy, so I'm looking forward to making some other kinds tomorrow. Chelsey has some cookies to bake for a party on Friday night, and we will be making sausage balls for a couple of parties this weekend. It is so kind of the Lord to bless us with electric/gas ovens for baking...can't imagine what it would be like without them!

Deaf Community

2007-12-07T22:12:00.000-05:00

Tonight, CPCC's Interpreter Club held a Christmas dinner for the members of the deaf community on the Central Campus in appreciation for allowing students in the American Sign Language (ASL) classes and the Interpreter program to participate in their weekly/monthly activities. Chelsey has benefited greatly from interacting with them on a regular basis. There were probably over 150 people there....both deaf and hearing along with students and faculty. It was amazing to watch as people interacted, and I was in awe of just their ability to communicate. My mind doesn't work in a way that can watch and think without distraction. Hearing is definitely a gift from God. He has also blessed the deaf community with a common way to communicate. Chelsey is doing very well with only one semester to her credit. She is able to communicate and enjoy the interaction with the people around her. Gene has attended several events with her and he has enjoyed getting to know a few of the people as well. One guy, Dave, has really challenged him to learn enough to communicate. I met Dave tonight. He is a special man, easy to talk to and understand. The whole evening was very encouraging!

Christmas Everywhere!

2007-12-07T14:48:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the annual Christmas Gift Wrap Outreach in front of Toys 'R Us across from Concord Mills. I don't really know when the first outreach was, but we have been participating every year from year one. It is great fun. We are always busy and we meet many new people. It is so neat to see how people are moved that we would do this for free. I'm not sure how many actually ever come to church, but it is great to know that whether they do or not, the Lord used this small act of kindness to touch their lives. It is amazing how fast our 2-hour shift goes! Gene is greeting, Chelsey is greeting and then caroling, and I'll be wrapping gifts once again. I'm really looking forward to it, and althought the morning is supposed to be a bit chilly, it is supposed to be a beautiful day.

Once we finish our shift, we are going to go and get our Christmas tree. This has become our tradition of sorts. We pick it out,

get it home,

and Gene will put it in the stand. He and I will get the lights on the tree,

and then while we attend the leaders' banquet tomorrow night, Chelsey will decorate the tree (and anything else she can think of).

It is nice for me....just to be able to come home and ta-da.....decorated tree!

Now....this was last year's tree....but I'm sure this year will be equally as beautiful!

Sigh

2007-12-05T13:55:00.000-05:00

Life at the Miracle Place seems to continue to be quite busy. But today was Chelsey's last class at Central....she's a little sad, because she was having a great time hanging out with people from church for about an hour at the Bojangles on campus. I'm really glad she got to have some time to develop these relationships. It was always fun to pick her up laughing and hearing about the fun they had together.

Yesterday I spent most of the day with my Mom & Dad with a doctor appointment and then a couple of short errands, then some shopping. It was only a start on their Christmas shopping, and we didn't make it to the grocery store since all the shopping tired them out. We will continue that adventure on Friday.

This weekend is once again very busy. Chelsey will be babysitting on Friday morning while I'm shopping again, and then on Friday evening, she is going to a Christmas party that the Interpreter Club/Program at CPCC holds for the deaf community as a thank you for allowing the students in the ASL/IPP program at CPCC to participate in their weekly & monthly activities. Chelsey has benefitted greatly from these interactions. Her favorites were the deaf Bible study group at First Baptist Church downtown (Gene enjoyed that one too) and the group that does league bowling. She found these groups the most helpful and willing to take time with the students and to draw them in to the activities.....more so than the silent dinners at the mall. Anyway, that is Friday's schedule so far. Then, on Saturday morning all three of us will be at the gift wrap. Following that we will go and get our Christmas tree. Gene gets it in the stand and makes sure it is straight and all of that, then he and I put the lights on. Chelsey gets to decorate on Saturday night while we are at the leaders banquet at church. Then Sunday is church and couples care group.

The following weekend will be just as busy! Chelsey has been hard at work planning a Christmas party for the high schoolers at church on Friday night. It has blessed us to see how she has taken the responsibility to make sure that she has secured the proper authority and guidelines for planning this event. She had to write a proposal and submit it to the pastor over the homeschool group, plan and line up the activities and entertainment for the evening, contact people to help with refreshments, plan decorations, line up adults willing to be there to supervise the event and answer lots of questions from parents as well. We are hoping that everyone will have a great time that evening. Then on Saturday, she and I will be at the church at 9am to help with the door hanger invitations. (Gene has a meeting elsewhere). Then we will go back that evening for the Caroling/Outreach at the Trailer Park. And Sunday is church and our care group Christmas party.

All of this activity, and a picutre of a bare tree.....Gene is just wondering when he is ever going to have time to work on the 2 acres of leaves that are laying on our ground (plus the ones at my mom and dad's house next door)! God is good though. I think by the time he is able to get on the mower and start mulching up all the leaves, they will all have fallen to the ground, and he will be able to take care of it in a couple of Saturdays.

So I have to work in some time for Christmas shopping and making goodies and all of that stuff. It will be nice since CPCC morning classes are done....that will definitely make a difference! It is nice to be busy. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that so that I don't go down the road of complaining because I just want to "sit down and rest or read or something".....I still have time for that too. I am grateful for the ability to do all of the things that we have to do! Praise God for life and health and the mind to think about how good He is to allow us to have so much, so many friends to do things with, and the joy that comes from only Him! I am grateful for all of these things and more than I have time to post or that anyone will ever want to read! Well...I think I need to go get some of these things done!

Quick Post....

2007-11-30T14:58:00.000-05:00

I have just a minute to post! *deep breath* Today is the beginning of a really busy weekend. I was at the church this morning decorating for a wedding, home to get an installation taken care of, quick shower and we have to be back at the church at 6. It will be a late night, but with some good friends, it will go quickly, I'm sure. Then back to church tomorrow by noon for the wedding. Clean up comes next, then home for a quick change of clothes and back for the parent/youth meeting tomorrow evening. Home and a good night's rest and heart preparation for Sunday church and care group meetings. *sigh* God is good! Imagine if I did not have the breath or energy or ability to do all of these things. Now there is something to thank the Lord for His wonderful care of me! Y'all have a great weekend!

Back in the Groove

2007-11-26T15:50:00.000-05:00

Well....the wonderful long weekend is over, and it was good to get up this morning and get back into our "normal" (if you can call it that) groove....CPCC, homeschool, laundry, cooking (still) and all of the normal things our day holds for us. The hardest part is Gene having to go back to work. I just love when he can be home with us for extra time! It is fun, even if we aren't doing anything special.....it's just always special to have him home. I think the cloudy, rainy day helped to be able to focus on the fact that we return to the normal. I love watching it rain....both water and leaves in our yard and have a great cup of coffee or tea.....I do miss being able to sit by a fire and watch....Marge...I'm glad you have one to enjoy!

So this week may not be sooo normal and this may end up being my only post for the week! I have to help get the church ready for a wedding on Saturday. A couple in our care group are getting married and it should be a fun time! Chelsey is also trying to plan a Christmas party for all of the high school (9th-12th graders) that are home schooled at church, so she has me involved in ideas for decorating, food and what to do. She really just wants the high schoolers to have an event that will encourage relationships and be fun at the same time. She has some good ideas. So she is trying to line up adults to help, entertaining things to do, of course, good food, and people to help set up and clean up. She has done a great job in just following guidelines and submitting a full plan to the pastor and administrator and home school group leaders. I think this has been good for her to learn how to submit things and patiently wait for a response.

I love watching our kids as they grow and begin to take on new levels of responsibilities. I think I can stand in awe of what God has done in their lives....in our case with Chelsey, in spite of me!
I mean we can train them as best we can, but we are still such sinners!!!! At least I am! And the grace and mercy of God abounds in our children's lives as we entrust them to Him and allow Him to bring them along and reveal Himself to them. Praise God! He can do it all, and He doesn't need me to tell Him how to fix anything!!! =) I just know I'm blessed to have a daughter who really loves the Lord!

Well....there are my ramblings for now.....I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Second Saturday

2007-11-24T12:14:00.000-05:00

Well, yesterday seemed like Saturday, so today is a 2nd Saturday. We are enjoying just being together as a family and relaxing. Gene is trying to decide whether or not to work in the yard today. It's pretty chilly outside, and we're not a fan of the cold! So staying warm is good! I didn't do any of the black Friday holiday shopping.....I did my grocery shopping! It's great....there are VERY FEW people doing grocery shopping the day after Thanksgiving, and you get the same great sales! So today we are just hanging out! Stay warm!

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T18:04:00.001-05:00

Well.....we are all sufficiently stuffed! We had a great time with family at my niece's home in Belmont. We were all supposed to bring one side dish....well.....in this family, one side dish never happens. I think everyone brought 2 or 3 side dishes and desserts too, so there was TONS of food to munch on. The best part was that most of hit was really very healthy! We didn't have so much "filler" stuff beforehand and that was great! It was such a nice day that we were able to sit outside for most of the afternoon and enjoy the fire pit by some beautiful landscaping with a little waterfall and pond that my nephew put in himself (he has his own landscaping business). It was fun to be by the fire, laughing at memories and catching up with folks and playing with all the dogs.

I have one niece who lives in the eastern part of the state and holidays are about the only time we get to see her, so today was a treat! We had a fun time, talking and just being with family. For some reason this year was more pleasant than some of our gatherings in the past. That is something to be grateful for in itself!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving day and have been able to recount the many blessings that the Lord has sent your way! Many blessings to you all from the Miracles!

The Little Man is Growing Up

2007-11-21T19:41:00.000-05:00

Well....it's been a while since we've seen Carter, but here is a picture from about a week ago. It is fun to see how big he is getting! If you don't know who Carter is....that is our grandson!

Hope everyone has their cooking well underway for Thanksgiving. We will be going to my niece's house in Belmont for the afternoon.

May be Lord bless you all and enjoy making new memories, remembering old ones and being grateful to the Lord for all He has done!

Happy

Thanksgiving!

Thanks...

2007-11-20T12:31:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who lifted up a prayer for me this morning. My time of sharing went very well. There were about twelve ladies there, and I just enjoyed listening to them talk and then being able to share what the Lord had given me for them. By His grace and for His glory, may there be fruit that bears in due season. What a privilege it was to be in this position. I was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I am truly grateful that I was able to be serving the Lord in this way! You know, I was thinking about this last night when I went to bed. I've been thinking about evangelism. Sharing the gospel more. I'm one of those people who .... well, let's just say I'm no Adam Campbell or Larry Malament. BUT, that doesn't mean that I can't share the Gospel like them or as well as them. So I've been asking the Lord, what does evangelism look like for me? Well, today was one of those days, where I was able to share the gospel. There was still some comfort to the time today....I knew most of the ladies there, it was in a church, that sort of thing. But I cannot take for granted that all have heard the gospel or have received salvation. So this little group setting was a really good way for me to share the gospel today. I pray that God will be glorified in this time shared.

Please Pray!

2007-11-19T13:55:00.000-05:00

Speaking of stepping out of my comfort zone....I'm putting the finishing words to the message that I am giving at my mom's women of the church meeting tomorrow morning. I would really appreciate your prayers -- anytime now through about 11:00 tomorrow. These ladies are used to about a 10 to 15 minute devotion, but I couldn't get what I wanted to share with them to less than 30 minutes. Pray that these ladies would be able to hear the gospel as I speak about Remembering to be Grateful. I'm really kinda looking forward to this opportunity. Most of these women are my probably 75+ in age, and most of them at some point in my life were Sunday School teachers, some relatives and/or scout leaders or had some other part in impacting my life. It is the grace of God that I would be able to look back and share with them and be able to express thankfulness at the same time.

Comfort Zones

2007-11-18T23:30:00.000-05:00

So, after hearing Brent's message, and reading and discussing Chapter 6 in Why Small Groups, I was just wondering.....what comfort zone do you have that God is maybe asking you to step out of for the sake of the Gospel......or even just in general?

BEAUTIFUL!!!

2007-11-14T13:15:00.001-05:00

Isn't it kind of the Lord to give us such BEAUTIFUL fall days?!?!? It is so wonderful. It helps me to look at God's creation and be more grateful for all that he has made. You know, most days I can honestly say that I don't think about creation much.....I guess I'm mostly just taking it for granted. I don't want to do that anymore. God is loving and kind, and He made the created world for His glory and He made it as provision to each of us. I mean, just think about it...if we didn't have the natural resources that the Lord was kind enough to create, we would not have the wonderful conveniences that we have now. When you think of how things are made and what they are made from, without the natural resources, it would be very different. And God created everything else BEFORE He created us. So we begin to also see that God has created order. Certain things have to come first before other things can happen. I have been doing a study on gratefulness, and it has drawn my attention to how little I stop and think and thank the Lord for just everything in my life. In Luke 19, Jesus is entering the city (Palm Sunday story) and the disciples are praising and honoring him......

37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
40"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

Jesus tells us that even the stones are ready to cry out if no one else is praising him and giving him the glory. I think there may have been lots of stones around me at numerous times praising God because I wasn't! That's sad!!!

In Revelation 5, John speaks of every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea praising God (won't that be an amazing site?).....

13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

14The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

So I want to have an undercurrent running through my mind, my heart and my soul.....an undercurrent of gratitude and thankfulness and praise.....I want it to be in my actions and in my words......I want to be louder than the stones crying out! Praise be to God! Thank you for the things you have done!

Productive Day

2007-11-13T14:39:00.001-05:00

Today has been one of those productive days....very busy, but in a great way! Chelsey has been babysitting all day (sorry Meghann, I wanted to invite you and the little man over for lunch but other plans were already in place) -- she actually left last night (sure do miss her when she's gone that long!). So this morning I had coffee with a friend at Panera. We haven't talked in a REALLY long time, so it was great catching up with each other. We had some good biblical fellowship along with just some chatting time. Then I had a return to make...quick in and out, not allowing myself to get distracted----such a temptation sometimes! Home to clean the house -- the basics today -- bathroom, dusting, vacuming and the usual walking the dog! Walked to visit a neighbor, but she was busy as well. Came home made dinner, did some school planning and investigation (CPCC books are really expensive!!!). Made some email contacts for care group purposes. Called a couple of ladies in the care group to check on how they are doing. It will soon be time for Chelsey to return, and I'll get a chance to catch up with her and then Gene will get home. Soon it is suppertime and we grab a quick dinner and off to CPCC to drop Chelsey at her ASL class and Gene & I will have a date night at Jackson's Java. Home around 9 and begin to wind down! It's busy, but it has been good! I have a lot to thank the Lord for...because He has blessed me and allowed me to be able to do all of these things! He's awesome!

My Girl!

2007-11-12T12:28:00.000-05:00

This is my girl! She's great! We have had many battles in her 16 years, but in the end, God has been kind because through them He has changed us. We still have an occasional argument, but to see us both growing in God's grace as we interact together is something that truly excites both of us because we know without a doubt that we would not be able to stand where we do today without that life-saving and life-changing grace. It's amazing!

So now, she is a concurrent enrollment student at CPCC, and she is being challenged in different ways, but she absolutely loves going to classes, meeting new people and sometimes even getting to hang out with people from church....people that she might not hang out with on a normal day. Today she had to meet with an advisor as part of a class that she is taking. She was very disappointed because she was told that since she was a concurrent enrollment student that they couldn't help her. I don't know if anyone else has gotten that response, but it didn't make a lot of sense to me. So we are going to have our own session later today since we are going to plan her next semester classes.

It's funny....she was talking about how she wished that she could have gone to maybe a private school during her senior year. She thinks that would be so much fun. I had to remind her though that she can easily "glamorize" that scenario just through some of the books or movies that she has read/seen and everything seems so wonderful. I just reminded her that those books and movies forget to put the real life hard work that goes into school. She just really enjoys being around people so much....more because she is an only child and partly because she is a very outgoing person. I'm really glad she's not shy! She has been blessed this semester to have met some great Christians in her classes. It is something that she hasn't taken for granted and I'm glad about that.

Well....that's my girl! I love her and am blessed by her!

Seasons

2007-11-09T15:06:00.001-05:00

I'm really looking forward to the women's meeting tonight. I know there is lots more to learn. Chelsey is 16, but she is graduating from high school this year and I just want to be able to focuse the next few years on her heart for the Lord, for her future husband---hopefuly that is part of His plan, and for her future home. Isn't it such a blessing to be a mom?

A "Becky" inspired repost ---

2007-11-09T14:46:00.000-05:00

When I read Becky's post, or should I say re-post of her random things about herself, I was inspired to "do better" on my own post of 8 random things about myself (although some I might keep)....so here goes.

1. Born and raised in Charlotte....the only place I ever moved was to college!

2. In first grade I hated school because I couldn't be home with my mom and do all the fun stuff and go all the fun places that we used to before school.

3. When I was in elementary school, I fell off a bike and knocked out my front teeth (permanent) -- the dentist LOVED me!

4. I met first met Gene when I was 12....that means we have known each other for almost 38 years! You do the math!

5. My first job was in a toy store.

6. Do any of you remember leg wrestling? I was the champ in our youth group, and could even throw the advisors!

7. I didn't know what to major in when I was in college, so I majored in psychology.

8. I worked for 10 years as a systems analyst for a computer company.

Tagged......

2007-11-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

OK...so Lindsay tagged me on these 8 random things....I think I would have done better with the children's books than this one....here goes.....

1. Born & raised in Charlotte.

2. The house we lived in was built by my grandfather.....and you can really tell!!!!

3. This is my last year of homeschooling.....we made it all the way! She graduates in May (on our anniversary)!

4. I'm the youngest of 3 kids.....Gene is the youngest of 3 kids.....and the age difference between siblings in both families is exactly the same.

5. I'm a grandma!

6. I'm probably the only person who doesn't get on the interstates or freeways to navigate to and through downtown Charlotte.

7. I've been to Jamaica 4 times.....all b.C. (before Chelsey)......and we ate lots of strange things -- like curried goat --which was after the goat races & the loser was .... well, you know --- actually quite tasty!

8. This was really hard to come up with 8 things....as Chelsey says....I'm not a very random person!

OK....done with that! Moving on......AND....I think everyone else has probably been tagged, except for maybe Chelsey

Growing

2007-11-07T15:06:00.000-05:00

At this time of year, you don't see a lot growing. BUT, as I read through many of the blogs of faithful posters out there, I'm seeing that there is a lot of growth going on. That is such a blessing; it is an encouragement! God is at work!!! What better news? Just yesterday, Chelsey was sharing with me some verses that she had read in Lamentations and one in particular in Jeremiah, and then she sat down and wrote out some of her thoughts in a Word document. What she wrote, I could not have said better myself, so I'm going to share them with you here. I told her to post them on her own blog, and she probably will, but her thoughts were great encouragement to me. As we all keep seeking the Lord and allow Him to grow in us, we grow in Him!

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick who can understand it?(ESV)
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?(NIV)

One verse, two versions, same meaning. Desperately sick? Beyond cure?! How hopeless does that seem? As we look back in time and remember things we’ve said or done, this verse makes sense… "I can’t believe I said that to her! I must have some kind of evil or twisted thinking!" No…not evil or twisted thinking but a desperately sick heart that is beyond cure.

So does this mean that we can just give up? "My heart is beyond cure…its useless to keep fighting when there can be no cure…right?" No way! Just because there isn’t a cure doesn’t mean that our condition can’t improve. Just like in the medical world, there are many diseases that are incurable but with the proper care and medicine, the condition will get better and sometimes even disappear…that doesn’t mean that the disease is gone…its just being held back by a stronger force.

So what is our stronger force…our medicine? The only thing that can help us is prayer and diving into the word, reading your Bible daily as if it were a life-saving pill. That’s what it is in effect…a life-saving and life-altering pill. We could not have come this far without it…think about it, becoming a Christian was our first dose of healing ointment. And every new day that we draw breath and every time we meet with God in prayer is proper care for our desperately sick heart.
So think of it this way…I have a desperately sick heart that is beyond cure, I’m waiting for a transplant that I can only get when I go to heaven. I have to do regular check-ups and sometimes even surgery to help keep my heart healthy. Prayer is my proper care; the Bible is my medicine. With that combination, there IS hope.

Lamentations 3:20-24 "My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!"

So we have our prescription and we have our medicine. Let us not fail to take it faithfully until the day when God calls us home for our new heart. Faithfully read your Bible and meet with God everyday, this is the only medicine that can help. Yes our hearts are desperately sick with sin and worldliness and pride and yes it is beyond cure BUT with the right medicine and the proper care, we can fight this battle!

The Little Things

2007-11-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

The little things in this life can be quite comforting....a cup of coffee, a good book, a loving husband, children....some of those are really huge things but they are all a comfort. Sometimes it is the little things in relationships that turn into huge things. I was talking with a friend last night about some of those "little things" that have become so HUGE that they are affecting the way she thinks about things. It's these "little things" that God uses to reveal what is in our heart. The sponge is getting squeezed! It not only changes the was we think about things or people, but if left to continue growing, these "little things" -- OK these issues (usually sin) -- reveal our heart and our attitude toward just about everything we do! We get frustrated, things hurt us that shouldn't, we become bitter and resentful and unforgiving. We can ruin relationships this way. Soooo, we need to make sure that we deal with the"little things" in our lives. We need to be continually pursuing the Lord over these "little things" that bother us. We need to let the Lord reveal these areas of our hearts to us and deal with us in a significant way. Don't ignore them....just be amazed that God is gracious enough to show us what we are really like and then let us repent and apprehend the grace that He is extending to us to grow and move on to even more things -- some still little, some more important and some even greater. Let us be captured by His presence in our day to day lives.

Care Group

2007-11-05T11:41:00.000-05:00

I love our group! We have lots of fun together, and everyone is getting pretty comfortable with one another it seems! We still have lots of growing to do in our walks with the Lord and in our group. We did have a great discussion last night about caring for one another.

So, now it is Monday and the start of a new week! Very kind of the Lord to make it sunny and bright! Right now, it seems like there will just be lots of normal things going on this week...school, laundry, writing & study for bible study, cooking, cleaning, and the week to week errands. Tonight I'm meeting with one of the ladies from our care group for a couple of hours. I pray the Lord will use that time in a meaningful and specific way.

Chelsey is wanting to go shopping sometime, so I have to see if I can work that into the schedule soon. I'm not much of a shopper anymore! It is fun to take her though, and sometimes I will have her ask a friend to go along so that they can have some shopping fun! Tonight though, she is off to babysit for the Seavers -- at least that's the plan!

Poor Gene...he gets abandoned tonight! Sometimes he just needs that time too! Never fear...I'll be home before you know it!

Posting

2007-11-03T10:58:00.000-04:00

So I'm probably a bit out of the norm with posting.....I just don't have lots to say on a daily basis. Well, maybe I should rethink that statement! I probably have plenty to say, but I just don't have the time everyday to post on this blog. So as irregular as my posts are, it is still fun...but it may be a bit boring to most of you. Sorry for no pics....I don't have a digital camera....Chelsey is the photographer in the family. Maybe I'll have to get her to take a few I can post along the way!

So yesterday was a little out of the norm for us as well. Chelsey babysat all day. She actually spent the night on Thursday night with the family because they had an early appointment. So she was gone from about 8:30 on Thursday evening until about 6:30 Friday evening. Now, those days are, for right now, out of our normal routine, but it is definitely a picture of days to come. The house is so quiet when there is no one here but me! Some days, I'm very diligent and productive. Others, it seems like I waste a lot of time. And still others like this seem to be a combination of productivity and total relaxation. Yesterday was a more productive day. I spent all morning out with my Mom since she had several errands that she needed to accomplish. It is funny, some days we have lots to talk about and other days, we are pretty quiet, each of us lost in our own thoughts. It was still an enjoyable time. After I got home, I was able to get a good bit of cleaning done, interrupted by only my own thoughts and distractions (rather than those of someone else). And I actually got to cook a great meal for my family. Lately, we've had a lot of quick meals due to Chelsey's classes where we have to be out of the house by 5:30 and other nights somewhat rushed because of other meetings with people and/or church. So I really enjoyed my time in the kitchen yesterday!

Here's a question for you readers: What are some quick but good meals that you have in your recipe file for those days when we are eating in a rush? I'd love to hear some of your suggestions.

Last night we got to just hang out as a family. Another thing that is rare in this season since Chelsey has two nights that she is in class. We chatted and watched a movie. Today Chelsey is taking three classes at CPCC's Free College Day. She took a Genetics class at the Central Campus at 9 this morning. Since the class is only an hour long, I either go to Starbucks or go sit and read at the Burger King nearby (I know...yuck....Burger King --- but I have found it to be a more peaceful place to sit and think or get something done than Starbucks which is fast-paced and loud!). Her class was to end at 10, but did not end until about 10:10. Her second class started at 10:30 at the Cato Campus. NO problem!!! Did you know that on Saturday, you can make it from the Central Campus to the Cato Campus in 10 minutes???? Amazing!!! I know you can't do that on a weekday! She is taking a Forensic class called "So you want to be a CSI?" She loves forensics for some reason, but doesn't particularly like a structure science class. She loves a good mystery! CPCC is providing lunch for the people who take their classes today for free. So she will have lunch and probably sit and read a bit or if the lab is open, she will work on her ASL Lab until her class at 2:30. She is taking an Interpreter class called "A Day in the Life of an Interperter" taught by our own Pam Morris. I'll pick her up at 3:30, and come home so that she can shower and we will have dinner and then it is off to Q222 meeting at about 5:30. So our day is quite full!

So while she is in class, I'm going to work on my Bible study for the women's meeting at my Mom's church in November. It is coming along.....I'm really excited with the direction and study that the Lord has me doing. It is about Remembering & Thankfulness. Very appropriate for this time of year. Pray that I'll be able to communicate effectively!

Gene is going to be working on his lawn tractor today. The last time he was using it, the frame broke. Yikes! He has made a couple of braces for it and has started to put them on. We are praying that these repairs will hold it together and allow him to keep using it for a while longer since there is no money in the budget for a new riding mower. Y'all can pray with us that the Lord would allow it to hold together during leaf season...and also pray for His provision for a new or used one. Gene not only has our lawn/yard to take care of but my parents as well. That makes for 3.5 acres to mow and keep up. Thankfully my parents yard doesn't have as many trees as ours does! God has been good to provide for us, and I'm sure that He will again. Hmmmmm.....makes me think of the song Sarah Groves sings....He's Always Been Faithful! I'm so glad we serve the ONE true God who know our every need!

I don't always look forward to the holidays. I enjoy seeing all of our families, but there are many times when I really desire to be able to do things with people from the church. I have been married for 20 years, and have NEVER cooked a Thanksgiving dinner. Now....don't get me wrong, I always prepare some dishes to share and I have even cooked a turkey, but I have never cooked a Thanksgiving dinner completely by myself....and I am quite capable of doing so... and had people in our home for Thanksgiving. We are always either at my folks house with my family or in Greenville, SC with Gene's family. So sometimes it seems like our little family of 3 has never really established any holiday traditions of our own, even though going to grandparents and relatives are our family tradition. I look forward to when we have the opportunity to include our church family in our holiday traditions.

OK....so I have rambled on to make up for a week of posting. You folks have a really great weekend! Be blessed!

Curve Balls

2007-10-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

So, as I looked at my week yesterday, it was looking pretty nice! There were not a lot of EXTRA things going on other than the normal CPCC classes for Chelsey. That meant that I would be able to just be home a bit more and do some things that I need to get done. THEN, God throws me a curve ball! I know that things often pop up unexpectedly....that's my curve ball! The question then becomes.....here comes the curve ball, how are you going to handle it? So this morning as I was thinking about the curve ball I had been thrown, I realized that even though I didn't verbalize my response, the response was still in my head and in my heart. Basically it was a quiet little tantrum because I was going to have to do something that I didn't really want to do at all. Was there ever any question that I had a choice in how to respond? Well, yes there was, but it was rather lop-sided. I really had to respond only one way. Last night, in my heart it was more just a resignation that, yes, I have to do this even though I'd rather not. This morning, by God's grace, I am able to see that it is an opportunity. I want to remember that throughout the day....because I know my mind will go back to what I'd rather be doing. But God has something for Him that I need to be doing. So I want to be looking throughout the day as I make this road trip to Spartanburg for the opportunities that may be there from the Lord. It may be nothing more than what has already occurred in my heart, and I can rejoice in that. But if there is more, I sure don't want to miss it!

It's Raining!!!!!

2007-10-25T11:11:00.000-04:00

The rain started coming down yesterday....we need it so much! We have the window open in the bedroom, and to go to sleep and wake up to the sound of the gentle rain is so pleasant. Thank you Lord for the rain! Yesterday morning Chelsey had class at Central and afterwards, we stopped by the Junior League Warehouse, a thrift store a block from her class. We didn't take a lot of time to look, but it is more upscale clothes. Some look really nice.....others remind me of my grandmother's closet! Funny how I classify things....Chelsey too. Last night Gene and Chelsey went to the deaf Bible study at First Baptist Church downtown (I know everyone calls it "uptown".....but for me a life-long Charlottean, it has never been uptown). Gene as even been enjoying this time. Chelsey is getting pretty good at communicating with people and she is really enjoying the interaction. They came home laughing and telling all kinds of stories last night. I haven't been with them yet, I usually just enjoy a couple of hours of quiet here at the house. Anyway, there were a couple of 3rd year ASL students at the meeting and they invited Chelsey to the Interpreter Club meeting today at Cato. So I took her over this morning, did some shopping for my parents and came home to do some chores here until she is done. She has already called to tell me of others from CWCC that she has seen this morning. I have a feeling that Gene and I might lose our extra date nights next semester!

The Gift of Gifts

2007-10-24T10:58:00.000-04:00

O Source of All Good,
What shall I render to thee for the gift of gifts,
thine own dear Son, begotten, not created,
my Redeemer, proxy, surety, substitute,
his self-emptying incomprehensible,
his infinity of love beyond the heart's grasp.
Herein is wonder of wonders:
he came bbelow to raise me above,
was born like me that I might become like him.
Herein is love;
when I cannot rise to him he draws near on
wings of grace
to raise me to himself.
Herein is power;
when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart
he united them in indissoluble unity,
the uncreated and the created.
Herein is wisdom;
when I was undone, witih no will to return to him,
and no intellect to devise recovery,
he came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost,
as man to die my death,
to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
to work out a perfect righteousness for me.
O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,
and enlarge my mind;
let me hear good tidings of great joy,
and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father;
place me with ox, ass, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer's face,
and in him account myself delivered from sin;
let me with Simeon clasp the new-born child
to my heart
embrace him with undying faith,
exulting that he is mine and I am his.
In him thou has given me so much
that heaven can give no more.

The Valley of Vision

2007-10-23T22:55:00.001-04:00

God's grace is sufficient. Today was busy as usual....but enjoyable. First was the dog's visit to the vet....thankfully the vet is close and this trip was very brief. Next was taking my parents to the grocery store. I was able to accomplish a couple of things while they were shopping. A brief stop at home allowed me to do a couple of "home" tasks and then it was off to take my dad (well my folks) to an eye appointment. Home again, time to fix a quick dinner and then take Chelsey to her class at CPCC - Cato Campus. One of the best parts about her class is usually that Gene and I get 2 date nights each week. Tonight, Gene was meeting with a guy in the care group so two of the ladies in our care group met me for coffee. What a fun time! We talked and laughed and had a great time of fellowship, including some biblical fellowship which makes our time even better! Chelsey's teacher was sick or something, so her class was actually canceled. She called to tell me and several of her fellow students went to interact with the deaf community as they had their league bowling. I picked her up there later. She had a great time and is beginning to be able to interact comfortably with people. She even had the opportunity to tell someone about the church and invite them for a visit. So we all had a great evening even though we were in three different places --- that seems to be happening more as Chelsey's activities are taking her in new directions. God's grace is sufficient for each of us in each place we are throughout the day. God's grace is amazing, God's grace is sustaining and God's grace is far greater than I can comprehend and far greater than I deserve.

New Day...

2007-10-22T13:37:00.001-04:00

Mondays seem to come too fast, but I like remembering that God's mercies are new every day! This weekend was a great time of serving our dear friend Pat, throw in a little relaxing time, church and care group was a great time to pull together and realize just how much we need to step up in owning our group and not just owning it on Sunday evenings, but every day of the week! I was certainly challenged once again to look at ways that I can do more at building these relationships! I really appreciate the folks in our group and am glad to serve along side of them!

Serving

2007-10-19T14:25:00.000-04:00

Another busy week is quickly coming to a close. God is good and gracious in every aspect of our lives! I am grateful! My thoughts are just about serving. It is such a privilege to be able to serve others whether at home or outside of the home. I am also aware of how many times I choose selfishness over serving. So throughout the day today in preparation for serving the ladies tomorrow I've been lifting them up as well as the team of people serving. I hope that all of you who are serving will pray in preparation, and for those who can't serve this particular weekend in this way, please pray for those serving and the wonderful ladies that God has given us the opportunity to serve. May the gospel shine brightly tomorrow and open many doors of conversation no matter where you are!

2007-10-17T13:53:00.000-04:00

This morning, Chelsey began her 2nd class at CPCC. This one is at the Central Campus. I dropped her off and went down the street to plant myself at the Starbucks. I love watching people. My original intention had been to read, but I decided to do a crossword .... easier to watch people. Everyone is just in such a hurry. I enjoy just sitting still and watching. There are lots of people from all walks of life. It seemed to be mostly business people this morning and a couple of medical professionals from the hospital nearby. One thing that all of these people had in common......all are in need of a Savior. Hummmmmm......I wonder if, over the course of the next couple of months, I just might have the opportunity to share Jesus with someone. That would be really cool! Now, I'm off to make a pot of chili.....yum!!!

2007-10-16T08:32:00.001-04:00

There is never a day that is not busy.

There is never a day that God did not create.

There is never a day that I do not sin.

There is never a day that I am not forgiven!

There are plenty of days that I complain.

There is plenty of time that I waste.

There are lots of times when I am ungrateful.

There are too many times that I lose my focus.

BUT....

There is always time to rejoice.

There is always something new.

There are always people to be met.

There is always Jesus to be shared.

I don't always have the strength,

But it is always available!

I don't always have the time,

But it is there.

Lord make me more aware of You

At work in me and

At work in those around me.

Make me more aware of You than me.

Wondering What to call this post!

2007-10-09T14:42:00.000-04:00

I guess it's just a random post! It has been another busy Tuesday. Chelsey and I had a trip by the hospital to drop off some information to a friend there, then over to the library so Chelsey could pick up some books on hold, and then over to Plato's Closet where she put in an application for employment. It will be interesting to see what happens. Then we came home, and I've been pricing "stuff" for a yard sale on Saturday. My niece is having one at her house in Belmont, and so I'm crashing and joining her and her sister....at least that is the plan today. Now it is time to start getting something ready for dinner tonight....something quick so we can take Chelsey to her class at CPCC. She is taking American Sign Language, and really enjoying it. She is doing well so far. This class meets at the Cato Campus. While she is there, Gene and I go to a coffee shop either near the university or in Harrisburg and drink coffee and play cards or something else. It has been a great time just to go out and be together with nothing calling our name around the house. Next week Chelsey starts her second class on Monday and Wednesday mornings at the Central Campus. I'm looking forward to hanging out at the Starbucks that is just down the street and getting some extra reading time! That will be nice! Well....I guess I've spent enough time here today...better move on!

So....what's your response?

2007-10-05T22:44:00.000-04:00

So, what IS your response to a church plant out of our church with Brent leading. It kinda took me by surprise initially, and I have had very mixed feelings. But the more I think about it, the more excited I am, whether we are called to go or to stay! God has a lot for all of us to learn! I'm just really looking forward to that!

Nothing in this World Compares.....

2007-10-03T17:43:00.000-04:00

Today I had the pleasure, honor and blessing of sitting and fellowshiping with a friend for several hours. In today's world, there is nothing much that compares to having good friends and being able to fellowship with them. My fam is most important, but I so enjoy the days that I can afford to pull away. I am also grateful that it is not a one-way relationship. I appreciate the fact that friends are asking me what's happening in my life and how the Lord is at work. What a joy to be able to share those things together. Happy days!

One More Thing......

2007-10-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

It's allergy season, and I know that Chelsey is having a terrible time with hers today, so if you think about it, pray for her and all the other allergy sufferers out there.

A Busy Week & As Always....Lots to Think About

2007-10-02T13:18:00.000-04:00

Day 2 of the blog! It is a busy week around here, but then again, there aren't many weeks that are not! This week just holds lots of preparation for a shower on Saturday, so that's my extra that makes the week a little more busy than normal. But there is grace for all of that as well! It is very kind of the Lord to have other things slow down a bit with there is something new and temporary to deal with at the present.

I've had 2 situations in the last week come up, some of it being asked for counsel. So I've had lots of thinking running around in my brain on the circumstances in others lives and how I can best serve them and seeking the Lord as to how He would have me speak into their lives. Both are very difficult situations that are easy for me to make judgement on, difficult to relate to and that puts me in a place where I absolutely have to wait on the Lord and seek good input from my husband along with the mountain of printed resources that might bring light and truth. It makes me realize just how dependent I am on the Lord for answers that don't come easy. While I'm eager to hear from the Lord, waiting patiently at His feet challenges me.

This was pretty interesting. My mom asked me if I would do a little bible study at their women of the church meeting in November. I didn't know what to think at first. And Gene reminded me what a great opportunity this would be to share with these women....all of whom are older women and many have been my teachers in the past. I don't know what I will do, but I'm confident that the Lord will show me something.....and I'll take suggestions too!

Now....back to the kitchen.....lots of goodies to make!

Monday Again!

2007-10-01T13:46:00.000-04:00

Monday's always seem to come too fast! Someone said to me this weekend, you need to start your own blog. Maybe because I've been posting comments and I'm always "Anonymous". OK, so here I am....I don't know how consistent I'll be at this or maybe whether it is worth it or not. But I'm giving it a shot! I hope anyone who visits will be blessed....I know I am to have friends who will even come to visit! Have a great week everyone!