This morning, bright and early, Frank and I left to go to the GA-GT game with our friends, Patrick and Elizabeth. 6:30am early to be exact. The day was dreary. It rained on us just about the entire trip. And the closer we got to Athens, the colder it got. So, raining AND cold. Fortunately, P & E had box seats (I had never sat in box seats before!! It was awesome!) so the weather was not a factor for us. The game was TERRIBLE!! Terrible in the fact that we just did everything we could to give that game away! I really think the reason that Georgia lost was my fault.
I think I jinxed the team. See, we played an awesome first half. And close the the end of the first half I mentioned that I have never been to a GA game where they lost. I KNOW!! I should have waited until the game was over to mention that piece of information!! But, I didn't. And the minute I said it I wished I could take it back. The second half of the game was when we gave it away. Several times.
But, even though it was a sad day for the Dawgs... we still had a blast anyway. It was fun just hanging out with P & E. They are a trip. There were several times in the truck that I laughed until I cried. I'm just glad I contained the kind of laugh where you snort. Because a few times I could have. I was laughing that hard. It was a great day. Frank and I are so lucky to have friends like them.
And, of course, things happend here at home while we were gone. Aunt Jan kept the kids for most of the day and they took advantage of the situation. They LOVE her to death. But they like to use that time to do things that I wouldn't normally let them do. Like Jackson and Wyatt both "took a nap" in my bed. First of all, Jackson doesn't take a nap anymore and Wyatt is not allowed to take a nap in my bed. I just got new bedding for one thing and he won't sleep if he is downstairs either. Mallory didn't wear a pullup for her nap, so she peed and pooped in her pants and bed and all over her favorite blanket. They played in my jewlery (also not ever allowed), they took ornaments off my tree, and the best thing was that Wyatt flushed both of the socks he had on today down the commode. Great. I am sure I will be calling the plumber next week.
Anyway, I am off to bed now.
Patrick, don't forget your, um, kitty cat...
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving Thankfuls
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!! I hope that everyone enjoys their day with family and friends and lots and lots of turkey!!! Here are just a few things that I am thankful for in my life. I am thankful for...
MY HUSBAND
MY CHILDREN
MY SALVATION
MY FAMILY
RYAN AND STEPHANIE :)
SCOTT AND JULIE
PATRICK AND ELIZABETH
THAT MY HUSBAND PINS HIS DRESS SOCKS TOGETHER BEFORE THEY GO IN THE WASH
LOOSING ALMOST 60LBS (NOT COUNTING TODAY)
COOL WEATHER
MY HORSES
MY HEALTH
MY FIREPLACE IN THE WINTER
A WARM COAT
CINNAMON BUN CREAMER FOR MY COFFEE
THAT HUSBAND PULLED OUT 10 BOXES FROM ATTIC FULL OF CHRISTMAS
DECORATIONS
MY CHRISTMAS TREE IS UP AND DECORATED
IN SPITE OF MY MANY FAILURES EVERYDAY, GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON ME
A PANTRY FULL OF GOOD FOOD
WE ALL HAVE CLOSETS FULL OF CLOTHES
MY CHURCH
THAT MY HUSBAND IS A FABULOUS SINGER AND PIANO PLAYER (MAKES ME SWOON :)
CARAMEL CAKE
HOT SOUP ON A COLD DAY
THAT MY HUSBAND IS THE IRONER IN THE FAMILY
AND FOR THE MANY FRIENDSHIPS THAT I HAVE IN ALL OF YOU. I CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW IT BLESSES ME TO READ SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU POST. I LAUGH, CRY, AND LEARN SO MUCH FROM YOU GUYS. AND I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU TOO.
HAPPY TO KNOW WE ARE ALL IN THIS THING CALLED LIFE... TOGETHER
SIT DOWN AND TELL GOD WHAT YOU ARE THANKFUL HE HAS BLESSED YOU WITH...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Love Dare Day 37
Matthew 18:19 If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father.
Today's dare: ASK YOUR SPOUSE IF YOU CAN BEGIN PRAYING TOGETHER. TALK ABOUT THE BEST TIME TO DO THIS. USE THIS TIME TO COMMIT YOUR CONCERNS, DISAGREEMENTS, AND NEEDS BEFORE THE LORD. DON'T FORGET TO THANK HIM FOR HIS PROVISION AND BLESSING.
Okay, honestly, I think this is where Frank and I fail the most. We do NOT pray together on a regular basis. We each have our own individual prayer time, but not together. Every so often, we will start to and we will do it for a little while. But for some reason we stop. The mornings are too crowded with kids and noise. And at night, we are so tired, we forget. Pitiful, I know.
Within marriage, praying together can work wonders on every level of your relationship. The unity that grows between husband and wife who regularly pray together forms a bond like no other. It's hard to stay mad at the one you are praying with... and for.
Praying FOR your spouse leads your heart to care on a deeper level for them. And God is pleased when He sees us humbling ourselves before Him... together.
I am sure that you all have heard the phrase "agree to disagree"? Well, that doesn't always work at my house (usually on my part. Frank doesn't really have a problem with this). But when we agree together in prayer, even in the middle of a disagreement, it puts us back on common ground and helps us to remember what really matters.
I don't know why we have such a hard time doing this. Really I don't. I DO feel that it is extremely important to pray as individuals AND as a couple. I want God to bless every nook and cranny of my marriage. No stone left unturned. So, no more lame excuses... well, no more excuses period...
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Love Dare Day 36
Today's dare is: COMMIT TO READING THE BIBLE EVERYDAY. FIND A DEVOTIONAL BOOK OR OTHER RESOURCE THAT WILL GIVE YOU SOME GUIDANCE. IF YOUR SPOUSE IS OPEN TO IT, SEE IF THEY WILL COMMIT TO DAILY BIBLE READING WITH YOU.
Well, this dare was easy. I already have a quiet time daily in which I read my Bible. When I am not doing a Bible study at church, I do Bible studies by Max Lucado on different books of the Bible. Right now I am in the book of James. But I will be starting the Esther study in January!!! (I am SUPER excited about that!!!) And I always have my handy dandy commentaries nearby. Those have helped me tremendously.
If you don't have a regular quiet time, let me encourage you to do so. I always thought that I didn't have time. My kids are very early risers and once everyone is up it would be kinda hard to do it. I always had an excuse during their nap times. I mean, after all, that was the ONLY real time I had to get any housework done. So, I settled on bedtime, or after the kids went to bed. But, after the kids went to bed, I still had things to do... kitchen to clean, lunches to make, bags to get ready for the morning... And once I got into the bed... FORGET IT!!! All I want to do is veg out when I get in the bed. Too tired.
So, I wasn't having a consistent time with the Lord. And I wondered all the time why I constantly felt overwhelmed, tired, and out of control. Pretty dumb, huh? And then one day it just kinda hit me. I always would say, and I hear many others say, "I need to make my quiet time more of a priority". But what we don't get is that He is not just "A" priority... He is THE priority!!!
We make everything else sooo important. We put so many things above Him. And He gives us all of those things that we make so important. He can just as easily take them away to help us re-prioritize... I don't want that to happen. Do you?
Jackson has to be up at 6am to get ready for school. The bus comes at 7:05... So, I am up early (okay, well, it's early to me!!). I am already struggling to get up that early, so trying to get up even earlier is an attempt at futility for me. After I get the boys up and dressed and get them their breakfast, I sit down and begin my Bible study. Then, usually, Frank takes both of the boys outside to wait for the bus about 10 minutes or so before the bus comes. (remember that Wyatt likes to ride his bike in the mornings) During that time I use the quiet to my advantage. That is when I go over my prayer list.
Now, it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes, I don't get as long to do my Bible study for whatever the reason. Sometimes (occasionally) I get longer. The point is not to get so legalistic about what your quiet time/Bible study has to look like. The point is to get started. Today. It will make a difference in your day!
Well, this dare was easy. I already have a quiet time daily in which I read my Bible. When I am not doing a Bible study at church, I do Bible studies by Max Lucado on different books of the Bible. Right now I am in the book of James. But I will be starting the Esther study in January!!! (I am SUPER excited about that!!!) And I always have my handy dandy commentaries nearby. Those have helped me tremendously.
If you don't have a regular quiet time, let me encourage you to do so. I always thought that I didn't have time. My kids are very early risers and once everyone is up it would be kinda hard to do it. I always had an excuse during their nap times. I mean, after all, that was the ONLY real time I had to get any housework done. So, I settled on bedtime, or after the kids went to bed. But, after the kids went to bed, I still had things to do... kitchen to clean, lunches to make, bags to get ready for the morning... And once I got into the bed... FORGET IT!!! All I want to do is veg out when I get in the bed. Too tired.
So, I wasn't having a consistent time with the Lord. And I wondered all the time why I constantly felt overwhelmed, tired, and out of control. Pretty dumb, huh? And then one day it just kinda hit me. I always would say, and I hear many others say, "I need to make my quiet time more of a priority". But what we don't get is that He is not just "A" priority... He is THE priority!!!
We make everything else sooo important. We put so many things above Him. And He gives us all of those things that we make so important. He can just as easily take them away to help us re-prioritize... I don't want that to happen. Do you?
Jackson has to be up at 6am to get ready for school. The bus comes at 7:05... So, I am up early (okay, well, it's early to me!!). I am already struggling to get up that early, so trying to get up even earlier is an attempt at futility for me. After I get the boys up and dressed and get them their breakfast, I sit down and begin my Bible study. Then, usually, Frank takes both of the boys outside to wait for the bus about 10 minutes or so before the bus comes. (remember that Wyatt likes to ride his bike in the mornings) During that time I use the quiet to my advantage. That is when I go over my prayer list.
Now, it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes, I don't get as long to do my Bible study for whatever the reason. Sometimes (occasionally) I get longer. The point is not to get so legalistic about what your quiet time/Bible study has to look like. The point is to get started. Today. It will make a difference in your day!
A Sneak Peek
Kim just called me and told me that she has posted some of our pictures!!!! So go HERE and take a sneak peak!!!! She did a fabulous job and she had some extreme conditions to work in!!! She never complained!! We love you Kim!!!!
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Blog Frog
If you haven't noticed this cool little gadget over on my sidebar, go take a look. I love it. I can't always tell on my traffic feed WHO it is from a particular place that has stopped by. But, I can look over at my cool blogfrog and see all my peeps that stop by all the time. I am not sure how to get everybody on there yet, but I love seeing all the faces on there when you come by. Head on over HERE and check out all the cool things that the Frog offers!!!
Love Dare Day 35
Dare for today says: FIND A MARRIAGE MENTOR-SOMEONE WHO IS A STRONG CHRISTIAN AND WHO WILL BE HONEST AND LOVING WITH YOU.
Before Frank and I came to our current church about 4 1/2 yrs ago, things on the home front were not great. I'm not saying we were headed for divorce at that point, but if things had kept going much longer the way they were, it certainly could have ended up there. The friends that I had surrounded myself with, although they were good and kind, did not give me the kind of advice that I really needed. But I turned to them often because they supported my poor way of thinking. Everything was Frank's fault. He was the one that needed to change, not me. He was the problem.
One of the things that I prayed desperately about was for the Lord to send me some really good Christian friends. Friends that desired to go deep with the Lord. Not surface dwelling Christians like I had been. But those that truly applied the Word to their life and would challenge me to do the same. When Frank and I started attending our church that we are part of now, the Lord more than answered that prayer.
He surrounded me with the dearest friends that I have ever had. And I mean that. These friends will not hold back on the truth. They don't just tell me what I want to hear very often. They will not allow me to continue in wrong ways of thought. They call me on the carpet when necessary.
It is important to surround ourselves with these kinds of friendships. Although I have a handful of people that I consider to be my nearest and dearest, I have one in particular that I go directly to whenever I am having issues in my marriage. Because I know that she will point me to what the Word says is my responsibility in the situation. Even when I don't like what she has to say. And that has been often. Don't we oftentimes just want someone to support our bad way of thinking. We will just keep on singling people out, bending their ears UNTIL we find the one that agrees with us? THEN that is the person whose counsel that we choose to seek out.
This is not what the Word tells us is right. Proverbs 12:15 says The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel. Wise people are those that seek counsel AND receive it. Foolish people never seek it and then ignore it when it's given. So what do we need to look for in someone to take marital advice from? Well, first of all you look for someone who has the kind of marriage that you want to have. Someone who has a heart for the Lord and always puts him first. You seek out someone who doesn't live by the way they "feel", but by the Word of God.
If you don't have someone like this in your life, start praying NOW for God to send you the person you need. I can honestly say that these friendships that I have made a world of difference to my marriage.
Hebrews 3:13 Encourage one another day after day... so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Before Frank and I came to our current church about 4 1/2 yrs ago, things on the home front were not great. I'm not saying we were headed for divorce at that point, but if things had kept going much longer the way they were, it certainly could have ended up there. The friends that I had surrounded myself with, although they were good and kind, did not give me the kind of advice that I really needed. But I turned to them often because they supported my poor way of thinking. Everything was Frank's fault. He was the one that needed to change, not me. He was the problem.
One of the things that I prayed desperately about was for the Lord to send me some really good Christian friends. Friends that desired to go deep with the Lord. Not surface dwelling Christians like I had been. But those that truly applied the Word to their life and would challenge me to do the same. When Frank and I started attending our church that we are part of now, the Lord more than answered that prayer.
He surrounded me with the dearest friends that I have ever had. And I mean that. These friends will not hold back on the truth. They don't just tell me what I want to hear very often. They will not allow me to continue in wrong ways of thought. They call me on the carpet when necessary.
It is important to surround ourselves with these kinds of friendships. Although I have a handful of people that I consider to be my nearest and dearest, I have one in particular that I go directly to whenever I am having issues in my marriage. Because I know that she will point me to what the Word says is my responsibility in the situation. Even when I don't like what she has to say. And that has been often. Don't we oftentimes just want someone to support our bad way of thinking. We will just keep on singling people out, bending their ears UNTIL we find the one that agrees with us? THEN that is the person whose counsel that we choose to seek out.
This is not what the Word tells us is right. Proverbs 12:15 says The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel. Wise people are those that seek counsel AND receive it. Foolish people never seek it and then ignore it when it's given. So what do we need to look for in someone to take marital advice from? Well, first of all you look for someone who has the kind of marriage that you want to have. Someone who has a heart for the Lord and always puts him first. You seek out someone who doesn't live by the way they "feel", but by the Word of God.
If you don't have someone like this in your life, start praying NOW for God to send you the person you need. I can honestly say that these friendships that I have made a world of difference to my marriage.
Hebrews 3:13 Encourage one another day after day... so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
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