October 9, 2008
Today is a good day to blog. The weather outside is cloudy, drizzling rain, and pretty much an inside day for work. I went out earlier this morning and got some things done and came back in for lunch about the time the rain began to fall. We went to the fair last night and the concert was wonderful. Mandisa and Matthew West did an awesome job. The weather was "blah" but the worship was AMAZING! Mandisa did all of my favorite songs and did a wonderful version of Amazing Grace. I would love to have her sing at my funeral (if any of you out there in blogging land have connections). Matthew West was great and he too performed a lot of our favorite songs including, Only Grace, You Are Everything, Next Thing You Know, and Something to Say. He also performed a song that is on his latest album release called The Motions. I really love this song. He speaks of the same discussion I had with my teen girls at my table in youth last week. Our relationship with Christ should be more than just the motions. The words say:

This might hurt, it's not safe But I know that I've gotta make a change. I don't care if I break, At least I'll be feeling something' Cause just okay is not enough . Help me fight through the nothingness of life I don't wanna go through the motions I don't wanna go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me. I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,"What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?" No regrets, not this time. I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind. Let Your love make me whole. I think I'm finally feeling something' Cause just okay is not enough Help me fight through the nothingness of this life' Cause I don't wanna go through the motions I don't wanna go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me. I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,"What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?" take me all the way (take me all the way)take me all the way ('cause I don't wanna go through the motions) take me all the way (I know I'm finally feeling something real) take me all the way I don't wanna go through the motions. I don't wanna go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me. I don't wanna spend my whole life asking, "What if I had given everything,instead of going through the motions?" I don't wanna go through the motions I don't wanna go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me. I don't wanna spend my whole life asking, "What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?" take me all the way (take me all the way) take me all the way (I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go) take me all the way (through the motions) take me all the way I don't wanna go through the motions.

There is so much truth in this song. We can get so consumed with our everyday lives and forget what our daily lives should be about. We should be doing God's work here on this earth while we still have the time in which to do so. I am guilty of this myself and I have opportunities and chances to witness to others and sometimes I walk away knowing that the Holy Spirit could have used me for a witness.

The kids seem to have a good time last night and enjoyed the rides. They rode even in the drizzle of the rain which was not that bad. Rachael and a few others got on this ride called Top Spin. This ride is unbelievable and my little daring, adventurous child stepped right up and got on this thing. It spins you over and over while the whole ride spins over as well. You have to see it to understand it but I know I would have to be knocked unconscious before I ever got on it. My crazy husband rode this thing last year with my sister and said he would never get back on it. Last night, I told him that Rachael rode it twice and he was said, "Your kidding, she got on that ride!" He could not believe that she rode it not once but twice. They enjoyed the concert as well and we had to make them leave the fair by 10:00pm so we could get them all home and in the bed for school today. Rachael got her first detention yesterday ever. She was humming in class. Yes, my child was humming. She has gotten into a really bad habit of humming and we are trying to break her of this habit. She hums when she eats, does her hair, brushes her teeth, and even when she does her homework. She saids she is not aware that she is doing it but we told her last night that it must stop. The humming is disruptive which is what the detention was written up for and Jimmy and I have explained to her that this is her one and only warning. She is serving her detention after school today so I am sure I will hear all about it when I pick her up from school. She will have to face the music with her volleyball coach as well because her detention time is also pulling her away from her vollyeball practice.
I still have my nasty cold and I asked Jimmy to make his wonderful chicken stew tonight because I love to have something hot on my scratchy throat. I can't seem to taste much of anything else and I am watching my points. I weighed in on the weight watchers and I go back next Wed. for my meeting. I'll blog my weight loss number (not my weight). If I lose, I'll post it and if I gain, I'll post it. Lets pray that there will be more losses than gains unlike all the people praying for the stock market. HaHa. Must go and get busy with more work.

Its that time of Year!

October 07, 2008.
Well, It's that time of year. You know, the time when the season changes and us allergy sufferers endure our first allergy cold of the season. I woke up on Sunday morning feeling as though my eyes were matted together and had that "blah" feeling. I climbed out of bed, my feet stood still, but the room was spinning. I took my shower and felt somewhat better so I prepared myself for church and Jimmy, Rachael and myself went to services. We had a very good Sunday school lesson. Jack Holt taught on the dangers of being led away by false teachers and how we as Christians should avoid these wolves in sheep clothing. I had nursery duty for the 11:00 am hour so I was not able to hear much of Pastor's message. I did see them do a memorial dedication to the members that had died in 2007 and my father's name was read and his surviving children were named. Jimmy accepted the carnation from the church and as I looked at the television monitor from the nursery, I began to cry. It was all so real that it had been 5 months to the day that my father died. I am thankful that the church recognized him during this special homecoming day and I will forever be grateful to my pastor and his wife. We came home and ate a light lunch and I started to cook for our homecoming celebration at 5:00 pm. The longer I stood in the kitchen, the worse I began to feel until finally I told Jimmy I just could not go back to church. I had a horrible headache that was followed by feelings of nausea. I went to bed and awakened about 6:30 pm. Jimmy and Rachael had stayed home also and I think we were all pretty exhausted. Rachael slept until around 7:30 pm and I made her get up and start her homework. I went back to bed and on Monday morning called into work and told them I was taking the day off due to my sickness. I slept most of the day and Yuri called a Sunday night and Monday to check on me. She is such a good friend to me and I love her dearly. God has enlightened me a lot of what defines Christian friendships. We are to uplift, encourage, and hold each other accountable as Christians. We are to bear each other's burdens and pray for one another. I hope that I am a good Christian friend to others. I fall short sometimes and don't always remember to call or send a card but the amount of love that I have for my friends is always in my prayers and thoughts. Rachael has a volleyball game today and the tournament is this weekend. We are going to Pastor's house tonight to enjoy some crab cakes and shrimp. Kim's Aunt is in for a visit and we all get together and enjoy her cooking. She loves to cook and is very good at it. Jimmy, myself and some other friends are going to see the movie, Fire Proof this weekend and I am looking forward to it. I have heard that every married couple should see this movie. The big news in my life right now is that starting tomorrow morning, I will be joining Weight Watchers. Yes, I have to do something about my weight so anyone reading my blogs, please keep me in your prayers. Pray that I will keep the strength to change my habits to healthy eating habits and that the LORD will provide all the nourishment that I need through his word and not through my own devices (food). Food seems to be my outlet for all my emotions, whether I am happy, sad, excited, bored, or just lazy. I love to eat good food that is not good for me. I know that I can do this. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. This is the verse which I will adopt as my verse to give me strength through this journey. Jimmy is going to do this with me and we are going to walk together and on the treadmill at home. A friend of mine at work, Wanda Holt, has been a big encouragement to me and is the one who finally just asked me to set a date to start. I need others to push me and encourage me. My middle sister, Lynn has just recently had some knee surgery done and I have been calling her to find out how she is doing but I have not spoken with her in about 4 days. This is normally too long for her and I not to speak. Growing up, we were probably the closest 2 out of the family. I looked up to her for everything. She is my "big sis" and always took care of me. We have been through some pretty tough times together and lean on each other for support. I don't know that she will ever realize how important she is to me. I pray for her and her family and she has shown tremendous strength throughout her life in dealing with some huge obstacles. She has won victory over some very bad things in her life and for that I am very proud of her. She knows the LORD and he is her strength. She has some beautiful children and grandchildren. Yes, she is a grandma and proud of it. Her youngest daughter, Katie is expecting a baby now and Lynn is handling this latest news well. As a parent, you choose to love them unconditionally just as Christ loves us unconditionally. She has great resolve in her life and she is the rock of her family. I love her bunches. Well, I must go and run some errands. I have got to get some things and work doesn't stop for anyone. I'll try and blog again soon.

THEY WON!

October 3, 2008 Friday.
Yeah, the varsity volleyball team won their game against Woodland Christian School. We needed this win in order to go to into the tournament. Rachael played a good game as so did all the girls. They were definitely on their game and playing as a team. They have struggled this year with coming together as a team and with the "heart" to play. They travel today to Cramerton which is down around the Charlotte area and I always pray for safety for them when they travel. I am not going to make the game because I have the RU daycare tonight. The people that were scheduled for the daycare this evening cannot be there so I will be taking the daycare this evening. I am looking forward to this weekend. Rachael and I are going with the Grove Girls to a corn maze in High Point on Saturday and it should be a great time. The Grove Girls is simply the teen girls that attend our youth on Wed. night. Tiffany Pollard came up with the concept of the Grove Girls and is actively getting them involved in different ministries so that we can all grow together as women in Christ. I love Tiffany. She is so sweet and her family has definitely weathered some storms. Tiffany's husband, Jeremy is the youth pastor for our church and his family was involved in a head on collision last year that almost took their lives. We as a church are so thankful that the LORD saw fit to leave them here to continue to do his work. They are such a blessing and Tiffany is pregnant again. She is expecting towards the end of October and I am excited to meet Caleb. Sunday will be homecoming day for our church and as Baptist, we will eat and we will eat well. I am looking forward to the celebration and the music afterwards. I have some things I need to get done this weekend around the house and maybe I'll find some time on Saturday after we return from the corn maze. Next week will be filled with volleyball games and on Wednesday I am taking Rachael to the Mandisa and Matthew West concert at the fair. They are some wonderful Christian singers. I don't normally not attend our youth group on Wed. night but I am at peace with this decision to take Rachael to this Christian concert and worship the LORD. Yesterday evening at the game, I got to hold Claire for awhile and she is so funny. She is the daughter of my Pastor and his wife, Kim and I love them dearly. Claire is precious and she is talking now. She saids "Ray Ray" for Rachael and I am trying to get her to say "Ang" for Angie. I chased her around the gym after the game and she just laughed. She has a really cute laugh. She loves her mommy and anytime we got near to Kim, she would say MaaaMa. They are so blessed to have her and went through some valleys before they stood on the mountain. God has blessed them with a beautiful adopted Japanese daughter and she is so blessed to have them as parents. I am happy for them and love to just watch them together as a family. It is literally watching prayers answered and reminds me of how GREAT OUR GOD IS! They have been such good friends to Jimmy and I and when my father passed on May 5th of this year, I could not have faced the days without the support of my close friends. Pastor and Kim came down to my dad's place the day we found him and I could not have endured the day without their support and prayers. Jimmy had called them and was on his way down from work and I felt so alone at that moment but gained comfort from God. There are no words to describe how anyone will deal with the death of a loved one. Whether your relationship is good or whether it is bad, the outcome is still the same. That person is gone from your life here on earth, never to see them or hear their voice again on this side of heaven. I cannot go into full details of my relationship with my father because that would be a book to be written. I can tell you that it had its ups and downs. There was a very sweet, caring, gentle side to my dad and that is the qualities that I choose to remember. I had taken the good memories like the ones of him playing "dodge ball" with us kids growing up, taking us the store each time he came home from a trip (he was a truck driver), taking us to Disney World, Six Flags over Georgia, the mountains, and making us candy. My dad made the best homemade chocolate candy. He would take a cast iron pan and put cocoa, peanut butter, butter, sugar, can milk and some other ingredients and constantly stir the pan until the candy started to hardened. He would then pour the batter into plates and put them in the refrigerator. I can remember the taste of that candy like it was yesterday. It melted in your mouth and sometimes he would add pecans. All the kids in our neighborhood would always ask, "when is your dad going to make some more candy?" I miss that. I miss him walking up to my front door with a bouquet of flowers picked from his flower bed and giving them to me. He loved to plant flowers. He loved to be in the garden. He could grow anything and had a giant green thumb. Growing up, our yard always was the envy of the neighborhood. He passed his green thumb onto my sister, Lynn, and her yard is always beautiful to look at. I have his stubbornness and determination. I know that and I don't try and deny it anymore. Jimmy used to say to me, "You can be just like your dad." That used to make me mad, because he would tell me that when he was mad at me and we tend to view the negative attributes of a person when we are in a spat with our spouse, but now I am okay with that statement. I know that I possess traits of my father just as I possess traits of my mother. I inherited my father's stubbornness but I also inherited his determination and brains. My dad was a smart man and determined. When he set his mind to do something, well, he just did it. I know I have that because I refuse to give up or give in. I look at the glass 1/2 full and I hope beyond hope. My sister saids I am always hopeful and that I never give up on our family. Psalms 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. My dad also loved "fireworks." He also did the best firework display on the 4th of July and growing up it was like being at a "national event." He did not hold back and we loved watching the show. He introduced my daughter, Rachael to his fireworks show in South Carolina in 2004 and she was just amazed. She said, "Did you see Papa and all those fireworks?" Dad loved Rachael. He was the 3rd person to hold her after she was born next to me and Jimmy. He always told her how proud he was of her. I never heard my dad say that to me until a month before he died. He called me over to the hospital and we had not spoken for over a year. He told me he loved me and that he was sorry for things that had happened with us. He then looked at me and said, "I am so proud of you." "You and Jimmy have raised a good child and she loves the LORD." That broke my heart that day. But I will never forget those words said in that hospital room. I know that father is in heaven and I look forward to the day that I see him again. He assured me, Rachael and my Assistant Pastor that he had accepted Christ as his Savior and he knew he would be eternity in heaven. Those were some of the last talks we had in the hospital with him. I am thankful that I had so many church family and friends to support me when he passed. Missy Hege came to my house that evening and just spent the evening at my house talking with me. She dropped everything that she was doing just to come to my house and to be there. Yuri called and just let me cry. I am just thankful there were good Christian friends to hold me and my family up in prayer. That was the hardest week of my life. But GOD was so GOOD to US and sent love to us in so many different ways. I probably will not post a blog this weekend because I have so much to do. If I get a chance, I will but if not, I will post on Monday. Hope everyone has a great weekend and a wonderful time of WORSHIP and PRAISE on Sunday.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

I had a good birthday celebration yesterday and it ended with my husband and daughter taking me out to dinner after church. It is a privilege for me to serve with our teen department at our church and we divide up into tables. I lead a table with 4 teenage young ladies (11th grade girls) and what a blessing it has been to serve with them. The Beverly twins made me a birthday cake (yum, it was very good) and I received lots of well wishes and hugs. I also got a nice gift from a really good friend (Patty Fletcher) and she is always thinking of others. God gave her the "gift of giving." I enjoyed my day and as my friend, Yuri would say, "it was all about me." This morning in my devotions I got a chance to really understand the value and importance of prayers. In I Timothy 2: 1-7, Paul stresses the importance of prayers and the 4 main components of prayers being supplication, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks. It is very important that when we pray that we have the faith that God will answer those things for which we are praying for and to give him the thanks before he answers our prayers. I am so glad that God does not always answer our prayers according to my measure of faith. Sometimes I believe I would fell miserably if my faith in my prayer was the only thing that God looked at before he decided whether or not to move on my behalf. That is why it is so important that Christians pray for one another, to lift up one another in prayer and to encourage each other in our faith. I am so in love with Jesus Christ and I am so glad that he loves me! Last night at our Teen meeting, the message was on the Holy Spirit and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In our table discussion after the message, I wanted my girls to understand how important it was that we not look at our relationship with Christ as a chore or duty but to fully understand that as Christians, we must love Jesus Christ and fall in love with him more and more each day. To just "do go" as one of my ladies stated is not enough. We must desire to serve him out of our love for him and this is accomplished by abiding in him. We must stay in the Word for the Word to stay in us. I am understanding this more and more each day with my walk in Christ. The more I abide in his word, the more I love him and see how his mercy and his grace is the abundance in my life. I really enjoyed the devotions this morning and it gives me the strength I need for my day. Jimmy and I are going to Rachael's volleyball game this afternoon and my step-son, Nick is going to come. I am very thankful that Nick stays involved with his younger sister and that his loves is evident for her. If anything were to happen to me and Jimmy, I would want Rachael to know that she can always turn to her brother and sister for the love, support, and comfort that she would need. Nick will soon be 28 and he is dating a school teacher, Melissa. We love them and look forward to many memories with them. Nick is a hard worker, very smart, and has a sweet and humble personality. He can worry too much though and we have to help him find peace at times with things but he always has good intentions. I do wish he would find a good KJV Bible preaching church to attend and as his stepmother, I have expressed these desires and prayers for him. I know that Nick is saved and I know that he loves the LORD. Sometimes we lose our way but I cling to the verse in Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Nick knows the truth. I love him dearly and pray for him daily. Kelli is my step-daughter and she turned 23 this year. She lives in Charlotte and we don't see her that much. Kelli is a private person and much like her father in personality. She has a lot of his features and is a beautiful lady. She works hard and is very ambitious. She knows what she wants and goes after it. We always thought that she would be the one we would have to "push" out of the nest and then help support. She proved us wrong BIG TIME! She went to college at UNCC and in 4 years, she a degree and continued to live and work in Charlotte. She has never looked back since leaving home for college and sometimes we have to remind her that she still has family back in Lexington. We are very proud of her and again like Nick, we express to her our desires that she get back in church. They were grounded in their faith as children by their acceptance of Christ, the faithfulness of their mother to take them to church, and I believe that God will bring them back to that foundation. Jimmy and myself had to accept our responsibility in not setting the examples before them that we should have in their childhood, and we have sought their forgiveness. When your lost and living for the world, you never value the importance of setting the examples for your children. My dad used to coin the phrase, "monkey see, monkey do." I never liked being referred to as a monkey but I get the gist of what he was trying to say. ?" That's why it is so important to instill in our children at the youngest age possible, the knowledge of Jesus Christ. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. We have to be the "example setters" as my husband would say. We must give them an example to follow. And as parents, we must never stop praying for them. I Thess. 5:17 Pray without Ceasing. I hope I did not "rattle" the cage too much but part of my blogging is to be honest. One day when God calls me home, I want my family to know the true feelings, desires, longings, and legacy that I pray I will leave with them. I've made plenty of mistakes in my past and I'm sure I'll continue to fumble my way through things in this world but the difference is that in 2001 I obtained the Pilot for my life, Jesus Christ!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Wed. October 1, 2008. Today is my birthday. Sounds kinda "korney" to wish yourself Happy Birthday but I woke up this morning singing to myself. Psalms 144: 15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD. Jimmy was next to sing and give me a nice birthday kiss. Rachael followed the room with sleepy eyes but never uttered the words. There are not many teenagers that I know that are morning people. She begins talking about the time I drop her off at school. Jimmy told me later, " don't be mad at her for not saying Happy Birthday because she has "big" plans for you later. " I'm not mad at her and even if I were, I could never stay that way. You see, Rachael is my joy, my sunshine, and the most precious blessing God has given to me. I remember when I found out I was pregnant with her. Actually I think I knew before it was confirmed. It was February of 1994 and I was flying back from San Diego, California with my mother. We had been on a week long visit with my brother and his family and were looking forward to getting home. I knew I still had a couple of weeks before I could "officially confirm" but I just knew. Sure enough, a couple of weeks later, I took a pregnancy test and it was official. I started my nine months of documentation, ob-gyn visits, and nesting syndrome. I loved being pregnant (at least for the first 7 months). My craving seem to center around chocolate milk. I would leave work at lunch and buy a 1 quart carton of chocolate milk and it would be gone before I returned to the office parking lot. At my 6 month check-up, I remember my doctor saying, "I don't know what you are eating, but you must stop eating so much of it. You have gained 7 pounds in 2 weeks." That would be the last time I would indulge in my milk habit. The memorable part of my pregnancy had to be my fall from the attic. Yes, I fell from the attic taking the attic frame and stairs with me. It was around the end of September and I was in my 7 month of pregnancy. My sister, Lynn was over for a visit and we were taking some items down from the attic that would be used for the baby. Without hesitation or thought, I climbed up the attic stairs and into the attic. Just as I had made my way into the attic, I heard a "popping" noise and down I went. I don't remember falling but I do remember the landing. I took the blunt of the fall on my elbows and behind. I remember thinking if I could just protect the baby. My sister screamed and soon was in a nervous shake, calling my husband to let him know what had occurred. I picked myself up from the floor and miraculously, felt fine. "God is Good!" I don't know how I managed to fall 9 feet from top to bottom, 7 months pregnant and not sustain any injuries to the baby or myself, but God does. He is always in control. Rachael was born in November of 94 and took our breaths away. She was a little over 7 lbs and was 21" long. She had no hair but was still beautiful to watch. Getting ready to take her home was a bit scary and I wasn't quite sure how to be a mom but as everyone told me, it will come to you naturally. The LORD must have known that Jimmy and I needed some lessons in patience because the next 6 months would prove to put us to the test. Rachael was "colic." She cried from the day we brought her home until 6 months later. The pediatrician said "it might go away in a couple of months or it could last a year." Thank Goodness, the Lord saw fit to teach us patience in 6 months. As much as she cried, she was still beautiful and she was coming into a personality of her own. She is daring, adventurous, sociable, talkative, hyper, determined, athletic, persistent, stubborn, and beautiful. She never slows down and she is sensitive to others. She loves children and the most of all, she loves the LORD. She witnesses to others and her dad and I love the way she brings up God in conversations with others. She once asked a cashier at the Dollar Tree, "do you have a church that you attend?" "Could I invite you to ours?" She begged me one evening after a long day at work to take her to the Sheets store so she could take tracts into the employees. I am so thankful that she desires to see others come to know Christ. She has to be reigned in from time to time (after all, she is a teenager), and times are not always filled with bliss in our home. She does get into trouble, mostly for not doing things that we have asked her to do and sometimes for expressing her opinion when no ones desires to hear it. But she is a hard worker, loves school, does well with her grades and loves sports. She sure can play some volleyball. She got her athletic abilities from her dad. It will be interesting to see what she has in store for me this evening. I'll post again tomorrow if the Lord allows me another day here. For now, I'll enjoy the blessings of today!