What I'm Reading Now

I'll share some as I get further into this. So far, it's great!

Be Still Sunday

Wise Words

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
-- Author Unknown

Flying By

I cannot believe how fast time goes by. I can remember longing for the spring and now I am registering the girls for the upcoming school year. Things are going well in our household. The biggest drawback is my tendancy to clutter. We simply have too many things. My middle daughter Sky has been a gem and has been cleaning and organizing the den and kitchen. It feels so good to have a clean home.

The next projects are the classroom and basement. Ugh, they are so big they can be overwhelming. Well, who am I kidding? They are overwhelming and that is exactly why we haven't tackled them yet. I have such plans for my classroom. I want to turn it into a prayer room. I have to get it empty before I can paint and begin my venture though. I also have to tackle my own room. Meadow has worked hard on her room this week but she still has so many toys and clothes that need to go so that it won't be so hard for her to keep clean.

Decluttering. It is no fun but it is very rewarding when all the hard work is finished. If it were up to me I would back a truck up to the door and haul it all away. You can't do that if anyone is watching because there would be too many protests. No one wants to get rid of their things but if you didn't even know it was there for the last couple of years do you really need it?

Work is going well. I am planning to take at least one class this fall. Quite honestly I need to take two classes but I'm just not sure if I want that work load. If I can manage one class each semester I may be able to keep better grades. It is very hard working full-time, going to school, raising girls, being a wife and keeping a home. I like working though, I have to admit it has helped me to keep a better schedule and it helps me to feel better. Somehow I feel more accomplished. If left to the house for some reason I seem to fall back into my slump. I just can't seem to get myself motivated in spite of all the work that needs to be done.

I suppose that is enough for now. I look forward to posting about the completed project!

Meadow Turns 10

South Port, North Carolina

Answered Prayer

After weeks of hunting and haggling we finally found a car! I love it! We decided on the 2011 Nissan Sentra. I wanted the Altima, oh did I want the Altima, but I simply could not afford it at this time. Even so, I love the Sentra and I'm thankful to the Lord for helping me make the best decision for my family and not going over my budget. The temptation was hard but I stood firm and I feel really good about our purchase.

Father God, I ask that You place a hedge of protection around this car, that You would charge guardian angels over each and every mile traveled, in Jesus mighty name. I ask that You give this vehicle long life and that it would operate smoothly and efficiently as it was designed to do. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Car Troubles

I was so hoping that my car would make it to 200,000 miles. It has 115,000 now and that would have meant that we'd be together for several more years. I bought it used and had to replace the transmission. I think I've had it four years or close to it anyway. I loved it. It's a older Chrysler Concord but let me tell you, she would fly. She handled great. Living up in these mountains, the back roads are pretty fun to drive on. I really loved the power she had because when I needed to get up and go, she got up and went. She started over heating two weeks ago. She had a small gas leak too. So, we put her in the shop hoping to patch her up. We got the call on Monday that she wasn't repairable. She is pouring water that may or may not be coming from the internal water pump. The cost to pull the motor and repair with such high chances that it may be something else makes it just not worth the money to fix her. The garage flat refused to even tackle her.

So, I'm car shopping.

I hate car shopping. I despise car sales men, well especially the finance guy. Why do they always have to be such bull dogs? I hate feeling pressured when making such a huge purchase. I don't even know what I want.

I'm just praying that the Lord bless us with a car. I pray He find favor upon us, that He guide, lead and direct us to the one He has for us.

I'll let you know what we finally get. We are paying off a few bills before we make the trip out.

Put Your Praise On

Church this morning was absolutely fabulous. Pastor talked about the lives we have lived, our pasts, and how we allow our past to affect our futures. He told how often times we had thought that we had overcome but in reality all that tumbles from our mouths is what has happened to us or what we'd done. He taught us that we need to speak praises to our King in the midst of battles and once the battle was over to continue to praise our Father. Praise cuts off ties to our pasts that try to snare us again into bondage.

Pastor spoke about Jesus dying on the cross and how satan thought he had victory. If satan had known that he was sealing his own fate by crucifying our precious Savior he would have fought to have kept Him alive. The one thing that Pastor said that struck me the deepest was this, "Satan did not take the life of our Savior Jesus Christ, our precious Savior chose to lay down His life for us."

Yes, I knew this, but hearing it so plainly this morning it hit home hard. A true realization. My Savior gave His life for me, it wasn't taken. And I in turn wish to lay down my own life for Him. My life isn't taken from me, I give it. 

I'm so thankful to serve such a loving, merciful and forgiving God. A God that gives us a new start, throwing all of our ugly sin away, never to be remembered again upon our repentance. Our scripture this morning was Psalm 57 and our song was one of my all time favorites, How can I Keep From Singing by Chris Tomlin. I hope it blesses you as it blessed and strengthened me. How I long for the day that I will sing with the angels and the saints around the throne! 

Psalms 57

¹ Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
         For my soul trusts in You;
         And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
         Until these calamities have passed by.
        
 ² I will cry out to God Most High,
         To God who performs all things for me.
 ³ He shall send from heaven and save me;
         He reproaches the one who would swallow me up.  Selah 
         God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
        
 ⁴ My soul is among lions;
         I lie among the sons of men
         Who are set on fire,
         Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
         And their tongue a sharp sword.
 ⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
         Let Your glory be above all the earth.
        
 ⁶ They have prepared a net for my steps;
         My soul is bowed down;
         They have dug a pit before me;
         Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen.  Selah 
        
 ⁷ My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
         I will sing and give praise.
 ⁸ Awake, my glory!
         Awake, lute and harp!
         I will awaken the dawn.
        
 ⁹ I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
         I will sing to You among the nations.
 ¹⁰ For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
         And Your truth unto the clouds.
        
 ¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
         Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Home Sweet Home!

Alas, we are at home again! I so look forward to our family vacation each year. Well each year that we get to go. Sadly we haven't been the last two years so we were very grateful to get to go this year. We really didn't do a lot. We enjoyed the sand and ocean, we laid in the sun and watched the babies play, and we ate seafood! Mmm that is the best part for me! I tried oysters on the half shell this time. It was a first. They were delicious! I couldn't believe I liked them. After getting past the fact that they were cold and slimy they tasted marvelous! We took a lot of naps, read our books and watched movies. And yet we return home exhausted. I'm so glad I don't go back to work until Tuesday. Two days to rest. Ah...

Happy Anniversary Tony! 18 Years and Counting

I woke up this morning to sweet kisses from my hubby. Then he pulled out his guitar and began playing and singing the absolute sweetest song I've ever heard in my life. He'd written me this song.

Tony hasn't been playing long and he's worked so very hard to get where he is. I know what it took for him to write and play that song for me. Tony is the greatest man in the world. Money has never been something we have an abundance of, so Tony has always gotten creative for our anniversary. He looks deep into his heart and comes up with the most romantic ways to tell me he loves me. He's like a romance novel come true.

Real love.

Deep love.

True love.

I don't know what in this world I'd ever do without him. He's the greatest. I know God created us for each other. He knew exactly what I would need and I am very needy. Only the Lord could have so gracefully prepared a man such as Tony for a woman such as me.

Happy Anniversary baby. I love you more and more everyday.

Treyton is 1

I can't believe my grand son is turning one today. Time really flies by too fast. We are on vacation and I am enjoying my family. Heaven and her husband Matt, with Treyton, my mom and dad, my nephew Derron, my sweet husband Tony and my baby girl Meadow. (Sky stayed with a friend instead of coming with us. Teenagers!) We are all tired today from the trip yesterday and are lazing around. Below are a few pictures I've taken so far. Happy 4th of July everyone!

This is the view from our home.

 Heaven and my mom sitting on the front porch.

 Treyton pushing the stool around.

 Treyton in color.

 He is so beautiful.

 Laughing because he's ignoring me.

 My dad with Derron.

 Derron wanting to go to the ocean and my dad's is like, "Are you crazy? We just got back from down there! You are running me to death!" LOL

 The beautiful ocean.