Can Hardly Wait...!

I know I haven't blogged any ornaments in a few. It's been kinda busy trying to finish up all the things that need to be done before...I GET TO GO TO FLORIDA FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!
I am so excited! I can hardly wait!! It's gonna be so great!!!
We have to make it through set up, a DOUBLE 18th birthday party(with about 50+ kids expected), a lock-in after the party of OUR youth group kids, a childrens church Christmas party in the morning, and a youth Christmas party. Once this is done, we will go home, sleep for a little bit, then take a trip to Florida!!!!
I am really looking forward to the parties...it will be fun. I just want to get on the road and head south!

I can hardly wait to get there and see my parents and my brother & his family!
I can hardly wait to see all our Florida friends! I can hardly wait to hang out with them all and enjoy some good fellowship and make some wonderful memories!!!!

Until then...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE! Remember how much God loved us to send us the precious gift of His Son for us~

R U still interested in my ornaments?!?

I know to some people collecting momentos from places you've been seems silly. For me, it's the memories that it brings back!

This ornament comes from Colonial Williamsburg, VA!

Our very first winter that we stayed here in NC, my parents came up to spend Christmas with us! Now, that was a HUGE DEAL to me! You see, I have a brother and sister-in-law who have given my parents 5 grandchildren (4 at the time!). For my parents to come and spend it with me and Claude was a priceless memory! Anyway, a couple days after Christmas, we went to Williamsburg together. None of us had ever been! It was alot of fun shopping, sightseeing, etc!

So, this little porcelain ornament reminds me of how much my parents love me! They gave up spending a Christmas with their grandkids to spend it with their daughter and son-in-law!

I love you, Mom & Dad!

Gotta love them ornaments!

Anyone who knows me fairly well KNOWS that I love CocaCola! I love the CocaCola polar bear even more! I have a hope chest FULL of CocaCola stuff and my spare bedroom & bathroom are CocaCola!

I have several Coke ornaments, but this one's my favorite!

I believe we got him on our trip to Atlanta at the CocaCola store! That place was AWESOME!!!

Ornament memories #7

This is not a very good picture of this ornament. It's "falling stars". I told you, I love unique ornaments! There were only 2 of these (again!) so i got both of them!

No real sentiment behind them either, just love the way they look on the tree! Like stars falling down the branches!

More Christmas fun!

This time, I'm gonn post 2 ornaments! they kinda go together!

I've been collecting ornaments every year since we've been married. Here are 2 of my favorite!

I'm not a teddy bear kinda girl, but I just thought this was sweet! This was from 2003!

The look in the eyes of these reindeer had me from the start!

This is me, looking all flittering eyed at Claude, who looks like a "deer in the headlight"!!!

This one from 2004!

Christmas, take 6

There's no real sentimental story behind this ornament!

I just thought it was unique! Instead of hanging from the tree, it looks as if it's floating and holding the tree limb up! I could only find 2 of this ornament...so I bought both!

I've had these for about 8 years! (I'm still amazed at how I haven't broken any of these!)

It's soooo pretty!

Christmas, take 5

For those who don't know, this is an Irish symbol, called Claddagh. The hands stand for friendship, the crown stands for loyalty, and the heart stands for love!

(The very first piece of jewelry Claude every bought me was an Irish wedding band, aka Claddagh!). I love the absolute beauty in what it stands for!

Everytime I pull this ornament out and hang it, I'm reminded of that first Christmas gift I received from my wonderful husband!

I am so blessed!

Christmas #4

While we were in Florida, Claude & I were heavily involved in the AWANA clubs. Claude was the AWANA Commander at our church & I was director of the 5th-6th grade girls.

We loved this ministry because we saw what a huge impact it made on kids!

After a few years of helping out with the ministry in Central Florida, the AWANA missionaries, Jim & Tara Lambeth, asked us if we would like to join the missionary team! We, of course, said YES!!!

Jim & Tara had an opportunity to go on a missions trip to India one year. They brought back this ornament. I just find it so pretty and, to know that it came all the way from India, is just neat!

Christmas #3

When we were in Florida, we became friends with a couple that, I must say, I NEVER SAW MYSELF being friends with! He was always so full of Biblical knowledge and so "deep" and she SEEMED like the submissive sweet wife!

Well, I was wrong! About a great many things when it came to this couple!

Todd & Diona Boyle are a unique couple. He actually IS very spiritual and deep. But, not in a pious or fake way. He truly loves the Lord and loves sharing what he's learned about Jesus with anyone who will listen! He's a kind and thoughtful man and I know Claude loved hanging out with him!

Diona...what can I say about her?!? We are ALOT more alike than I ever dreamed possible! Sweet...yes! Submissive...yes! But, definitely the feisty, stubborn one of the two! She was my "partner in crime"! Our motto was always "better to ask forgiveness, than permission"!!! You laugh, but we got ALOT more accomplished when we went with our guts than when we waited on the committees and red tape that sometimes go with Southern Baptist churches!!! I love her! She was the brains and I was the brawn! She'd have these brilliant ideas and it was my job to make sure that they happened!

For the entire time we've ever worked in childrens church, they have been the ONLY couple that was in there all the time with us. We've never had any other 2 people dedicate their time and their chance at sitting in a service to the childrens ministry!

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that they gave this ornament to us the year before we moved. It means so much to me bcause everytime I pull it out and hang it on the tree, I remember them and how much they love us and pray for us!

Thank U Todd & Diona! We will always love U and ur family more than we can say!

No ornament today...

I am having some difficulty getting my picture uploaded, so I decided to put something else on!

I was looking at animal videos on youtube and thought this was soooooo adorable! Hope u enjoy it!

I love Christmas #2

Claude didn't really see much need to put up a Christmas tree and decorate the house up since we won't be here for Christmas. But, somehow he understood just how much it meant to me so he pulled all the stuff out of the attic space and hauled it downstairs for me! I just adore that Man!

I love having a fake tree...I loved having a real tree. But, all in all, I love my fake tree better. It's just so convenient! When I'm ready to put it up, I don't have to go pick one out from Home Depot (NEVER LOWES!!! Got one with worms in it one year...NEVER AGAIN!). It's me, whatever works the most efficient. Besides, I got the tree 6 years ago from Walmart for $25!!! How can u beat that?!? A 7 1/2ft tree for $25 that I can use again and again!!!!!!

Anyway, I think it looks pretty real! And, I have a Yankee Candle that is evergreen/spruce scented so the house still smells like a tree is inside!

What do you think?!?

We love it!

Friends from Discovery Church gave this to us last year! Isn't it beautiful!?!

Thank U, Gar & Stacy!

"My" nativity scene! I know, I know...it looks like a child's toy. I just thought it looked so simple and yet it tells the story so beautifully!

OK, now for the ornament of the day:

This ornament is a door...the door to our new home in North Carolina, the door to a new life, the door to a new church, and the door to the new path that God gave us 4 years ago.

It symbolized so much for me that first year. I was excited, anxious, sad, happy, lonely...there were so many things happening and I just missed my family (especially during the holidays!).

God was faithful! He is still faithful! He will always be faithful!

So, the ornament means alot to me because of the MANY new doors that were opened that first year here!

I love Christmas time!

One of my favorite things to do is decorate for Christmas! It was always something we did as a family when I was growing up! Mom and Dad would get the tree up, then we'd each put ornaments all over the tree. We had lights, tinsel, ornaments, and sometimes garland!

I loved it!

Well, even though we don't have any children to pass this holiday tradition to, I want to keep doing that with my family (Claude!). So, I put the tree up and he helped with the lights. Then, I put all the ornaments that I've collected in our 15 years of marriage all over the tree!

I decided to blog ones that are special to me over the next couple of weeks.

I hope you enjoy it!

This was our very first ornament! "Our First Christmas Together - 1994".

A dear sweet lady at the job I had when I met Claude gave this to me right after we were married! A tradition I've started for myself is that THIS ormanent ALWAYS goes on the tree first!

I can't believe that throughout fifteen years of packing and unpacking, this porcelain ornament hasn't broken! It's sentimental to me because the lady who gave it to me was like a grandmother to me at work! She gave good advice, Godly counsel, and was always willing to lend an ear when I needed it! When I lost that job, she called me at home to make sure I was alright! Thank you, Clarice Harvey, for making an difference in my life!

Just another manic (poopy) Monday!

Ya ever have one of those days when you think it would've been smarter to just stay in bed?!?

So, I woke up this morning with church stuff going around in my head.  We have ALOT of things we are hoping to accomplish by the end of the year (mostly techno/financial stuff). 

I got my Bible and started reading Philippians.  I love Philippians!  It's such an enouraging book!  So, I read Philippians 4 and it talks about rejoicing in the Lord always.  Little did I know that God was gonna echo that back in my head the whole day!

So, I woke Claude up to go to the gym.  While waiting on him to get ready, I decided to put away the clean dishes out of the dishwasher.  I dropped a bowl from a top shelf and broke it all over the kitchen counter.  I didn't realize til later, but pieces of the bowl fell into the garbage disposal.  Yea, that was fun!  Apparently a piece was lodged in the disposal.  It was not pretty.  

Went to the gym and wasn't feeling well.  I think I'm trying to get sick.

Came home and realized we didn't have any milk or cereal to eat.  Made a sandwich with the last of the bread.  (Waiting for payday stinks!)

Went to work on several projects for church.  Just had a hard time focusing.  Another reason I think I'm getting sick.  

Got alot done (at least I think I did!).  Stopped around 3pm and vegged out for an hour then Claude went outside to put up my Christmas lights so I went out to help him.  

All day long, little things kept challenging me.  Things that would normally be nothing were enough to bring me to tears.  What's up with that?!?

With each thing that happened today, I kept seeing Philippians 4's words...Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.  

Thank you Lord for the good and the not so good things that come my way.  Each one of them are opportunities to rejoice in You.  So "...again, I say REJOICE"!

Blessed!

Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to all the family and friends that we have across the country!  

To our friends in Florida, we miss you.  We love ya'll and feel so blessed by God for each one of you!  

To our families in Florida, we can't wait to see ya'll over the Christmas holiday!  We love you!

To our friends in Kansas, we are rich to call you our friends!  We miss you all so much!  We love you!

To our friends in North Carolina, thank you for making 2009 a truly fantastic year!  We love you!

To our Discovery Church family... words aren't enough to tell you just how much we love and appreciate you!  We praise and thank God daily for each of you and for the blessings you bring to our lives regularly!  DC ROCKS!!!!!!

We hope that you have and your families have a safe and happy day today!  Take some time out from eating turkey to reflect on all of the wonderful things in your life to be thankful for!

It's Weird

It's weird how the older I get, the more nostalgic I become! It's also weird how the older I get, the more I realize just how precious family is. We are never guaranteed the next day with our loved ones. We are not given a promise that everyone will be together the next holiday. I am realizing how precious those moments with family are.

I talked with my Mom this evening. For those who didn't know, my grandmother (the same one who was in the hospital while Claude's brother was in a coma) broke her hip last week. She's 93 years old. She went to the hospital, they told her nothing was wrong. She went to a different hospital a couple days later and the x-rays showed she broke her hip. So, they did surgery and she's out doing well in her recovery. However, she's getting worse with her dementia; so being in a place that is NOT her home is very disturbing for her. My parents and my aunt & uncle are taking turns going up to the hospital and sitting with her so that she is not alone for too long.

It's times like this that I feel how quickly time flies by. My grandmother...

She's always been feisty and stubborn (probably where I get it from!). She's always been a very determined woman who alway knew her own mind. She raised 5 kids and has countless grandkids, great-grandkids, and great great-grandkids! (WOW! What a legacy!!!) I have distinct memories of sitting with her every Sunday morning in the back row of our church! My mom was always in the nursery on Sunday mornings so we always sat with grandma! I have such wonderful memories of her and our families getting together for holidays and bbques! It's an awesome blessing to have that!

Pray for her and her recovery. Pray that she heals enough to get moved to the rehab facility. Pray for my parents and my aunt & uncle as they share this honored burden of caring for her.

I told my Mom that I would be able to help if I didnt live so far away.

OK, I hear u Mom..."Be still and know that I am God".

Prayer changes things!

I've never been a "Prayer Warrior". I know several folks who are, but I can honestly say that it's not my strength.

However, I'm constantly learning how much I rely on God's grace and His mercy when I pray! He's always constant in His love for me. He has never let me go thru anything unnecessarily! Now, don't misunderstand me, I've gone thru things. But, in everything I've gone thru, I've come across someone who's going/gone thru it too and they needed someone who could understand and sympathize! Most of the time, I learn a great deal more from those folks than they learn from my experience! Isn't it amazing how God works?!?

So, I totally believe in prayer and the power behind it! I know that people pray for me and it's obvious by how God moves and works in my life! So, I'll say...let me pray for others the way that I know others pray for me!

God's blessings!

I've been reminded, yet again, by my wonderful friends how gracious and wonderful my Lord is!

He's blessed Claude & I with so much. The friends He's given us here in NC are AWESOME! I never thought I'd have such warm wonderful ladies here like I had in FL! Thank u Lord for your beautiful way of showing ur love through my Godly Christian ladies!

Lora, Laci, Kim, Chris, Hazel, Terry, Lisa, Diane, Amy C, Amy W, Laura, Suzanne...

So many wonderful ladies of Discovery Church! Too many to mention!

My fantastic FL friends who encourage me on a regular basis!

Mary, Cindy, Diona

My sweet KS friend who is the epitome of a Godly wife & mother!

Kathy!

The wonderful family that I have here in NC and back in FL! I'm blessed to get along and actually love my mother-in-law! I have a FABULOUS mother who LIVES OUT Proverbs 31's virtuous woman! I have a wonderfully sweet sister-in-law that I couldn't have chosen better if I'd been given the chance! BTW...congrats to Phil & Sarah on the news of baby #6!!!!! I am so excited for you! I love you both! I have a Wonderful father who has ALWAYS done his very best to love and provide for his family! He gave me the solid Godly foundation that I grew up on! There is no price and no words for how much that means to me! I have a terrific older brother that I adore. I wish he and his wife would move back to the US!!!

Thank you so much Lord, for the beautiful life you've given me. Help me to remember how much I love it when things go crazy!!!

His strength is perfect

His strength is perfect when our strength is gone.

He'll carry us when we can't carry on,

Raised in His power, the weak become strong...His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect.

I hear you Lord. Help me to trust in Your strength and to let You carry me.

The lesson to be learned

I am feeling a bit blah right now.  Yes, the rainy North Carolina weather is probably a factor, but my real blah is coming from our house.  

Several things actually...first off, we've had a mouse problem off & on over the last 9 months and it's "on" again.  2nite, our dog, Jack-Jack chased one under the fish tank.  Now, we put bait out a couple weeks ago and I thought we finally got rid of them (yes, THEM...we had a whole bunch of them in the garage eating our bird feed!).  So, imagine my frustration when I go to our pantry and find a rice bag with a hole in it yesterday.  Then, Jack chasing one...I've had enough!!!!!  

Second, this morning we woke up and found a leak in our ceiling.  One of the windows from the 2nd story is leaking.  It's pretty bad too.  The water is running inside the rafters, down the wood, underneath the popcorn ceiling, and under the paint on the wall so that it's bubbling up and peeling.  Now, I know that Claude could fix this with caulking the window.  However, the rain and wind are pretty bad and it's suppose to be this way for the next 2-3 days.  So, he can't get outside and fix the problem.  We've tried laying towels inside the rafter, under the window, on the loveseat to catch the water dripping down the wall (so that it doesn't get on the wood floor and ruin it too).   It's so frustrating.  

Now, I know that we can't control everything that happens.  And, I'm learning to let go of the little things.  God has been faithful in taking care of us and I know He will continue to do so.  I just feel a bit helpless right now.  Claude is stressed about it and a bit nervous over how much damage it's gonna cause/how much it will cost to repair.  I try not to worry about that, but it's something to deal with.  This morning, after Claude left to work and I was sitting in the living room, I started getting teary eyed about the situation.  Then, a small voice inside me told me to look around and be grateful for the roof OVER my head and for the warm cozy house that I was sitting in!  Be grateful for the truck in our front yard that, although needs a bit of work done, runs and is completely paid for.  Be grateful for a healthy loving husband who adores me.  Be grateful for a happy marriage that some people only dream of ever having.  Be grateful for my family and friends and for their prayers and love that happen even when I don't ask for it or realize I need it!  So, my lesson learned is that I have an abundance of things to be grateful for.  

We may not be able to go out and buy new things.  We may not be able to take vacations and little getaways.  We may not have expensive furniture or a even complete dining room set!  But, we are still blessed and I will thank God for the things He has done for us that we've asked for (and even some things we didn't!).

Please be praying for these things if you are reading this!  "The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man avails much"!

  

On a happy note, my puppy is so funny!  As I type, she is playing "follow the light" with Claude!  It always makes me smile!  Other than the surprise visit from my family 2 summers ago, she is the best birthday present I've ever received!  She is the gift that keeps on giving!!!

WOW it's been a LONG time!

So, does anyone even read my blogs anyway!?!  

I checked my last few blogs and no comments, so I'm not so sure there's much need for me to blog.  I think most folks are using facebook as their way to keep updated on the goings on, so I don't really know if I need to spend much time doing this.

If you like reading my blog and would like for me to continue, just let me know.  If I don't here much on the responses, I'll just figure there's not much need for this and kinda drop it.

thank you to those that have followed my ramblings of the past.  I do like to talk and blog!

Youth!

Had a great time at youth lunch today! I didn't get back til 2:30! It was so much fun just sitting and hanging out with the youth! We had 2 ex-youth (2 graduates from last year!) come to lunch with us! I miss them not being a part of youth. I know that's what's suppose to happen. They grow up and find their own path. It's hard to be left behind. I miss them! I'm still praying for them. I totally get what my mom means by you never stop being a mom. I worry over them even when they're gone.

Well, I'm looking forward to tonight's youth! We have a really "Cool" game we will be playing!!!

I will try to take pics and post them!

Later!

How quickly they grow up!

Do you remember this little bundle of energy?!?

All 2lbs of her?!?!?

The only time she was still was when she was sleeping!

WELL...She's gotten bigger!

She's still a bundle of energy! She loves to chase Jack-Jack!

Actually, the only reason she chases Jack-Jack is to take the toy away from him!

He tolerates her trying to get it away from him!

She's almost always successful!

When Dipstick wants the toy, she gives in!

Dipstick is still "safe" against Jack-Jack's attempts to take the toy back!

"Fine, I didn't want to play with that toy anyway!"

Their ALL TIME FAVORITE game to play is "Where's Daddy?!?"

Who will find Claude first?

She's so much fun! Jack-Jack is starting to show some signs of jealousy (or male domination, not sure which!)

We're hoping it will pass!

another reason I love my husband!

Last Christmas, we rented a car, drove to Florida and surprised my parents! It was awesome! I had such a great time! The only bad thing that came out of it was I lost my green iPod nano that Claude had bought me earlier that year. He had since bought me another one, a purple 4th generation nano. I like this one too, but my green one was sentimental! It was the color I chose and Claude went and got it for me as a surprise gift! Needless to say, I was bummed. I figured I left it in the rental car and some lucky person got a bonus when they rented it!

Well, Claude was cleaning out the backpack to take it to Catalyst & guess what he found!?!?

You guessed it...my GREEN iPod Nano!!!

I LOVE THAT MAN!

Welcome home my sweet!

Some cool things going on!

It's been a little while so I have several things to share!

First, we went to our local high school where most of our youth attend. It was Spirit Week!!

Do you remember how much fun Spirit Week was?!? I do! We went on Twin Day! All of our youth wore Discovery shirts! It WAS AWESOME! I loved seeing all the blue shirts! check it out!

This is 3/4 of our Sr High! Aren't they AWESOME!?!

I just love them to pieces!

We had to jump in and get a picture with them! These are "our kids"! Memories made!

They just love hanging out together! Beautiful memories and friendships to last a lifetime!

So after we hung out with them at lunch, we came back and took some more pictures! It was alot of fun! People were walking by joking about how many "twins" there were!!! (This all took place on Tuesday.)

Friday night, the ladies of our church had our monthly LNO (Ladies Nite Out)!

The theme for October was Murder Mystery! We got to dress up and play roles in a murder mystery game! It was so much fun!!!

Our "Miss America", Lindsay, was commenting on "Miss California's" boob job!

"Miss California", Sasha, used bags of pudding to make her more "voluptuous"!

We couldn't stop laughing over it! What an ingenious way to add to your...!

There was only one problem though! She leaked!

"Miss New Mexico", Laci, and "Miss Kentucky", Cessie, looked so pretty! They could really pass off as Miss America contestants!!!

"Miss Mississippi", "Miss Florida", and "Miss New Mexico"!

The bad thing about taking pictures is that I am almost always BEHIND the camera. I'm waiting on some pictures from some of the other ladies so maybe I can get some more of myself!

We had a blast!

Oh, and by the way, "Miss Arizona" killed "Miss Texas"!

this time of year

I love Florida!  I'm a Floridian and will always be a Floridian!  However, during certain times of the year, I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA!!!!!!  Actually, the only time I'm not real thrilled with North Carolina is the summer!  Let me tell you why...Florida's beaches are THE BOMB and North Carolina's "ocean" beaches just don't compare!  I love the Gulf of Mexico!  The water has beautiful shades of  blue and the sand is so soft and warm!  North Carolina's beaches are nice, but the water is nowhere near as pretty and the sand is HOT!!!  I mean, scorch the bottoms of your feet HOT!

So, the fall, winter, and spring are the BEST in North Carolina.  

In the fall, we get beautiful colors and cool days with windows down and breezes blowing thru them!  I love sitting outside in my swing and reading or playing in the backyard with the dogs!  I love to watch the leaves float down out of the trees in the backyard.  

In the spring, we get more beautiful colors and fragrances!  I sit on the front porch and watch the Bradford pear tree come alive with beautiful white flowers!  The Crepe Myrtle tree blooms with pinks, purples, reds, and whites all along the street!  There are so many different types of flowers along the different yards, I couldn't begin to describe the colorful canvas!  It's marvelous!

My favorite season has always been the winter.  I guess being a Florida girl, I didn't really get a real winter season until I moved up here!  I remember the first time I saw it snow here!  It was February of 2006 and it was 7am!  I know this because I was so excited that I called my mom & dad to tell them!!!!  I just stood outside and let it fall on me.  It amazed me.  I'm not sure why, it was just amazing to watch.  This last winter's snow was the most beautiful thing I've seen!  It was a blanket of beautiful white!  I made my first snowwoman!  I had a snowball fight with my husband!  I LOVED IT! 

So, this time of year makes me excited!  Some look at it and get a bit sad that the year is almost over.  NOT ME~  

A new one is right around the corner, so I'm gonna enjoy the days left!  

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!

Time to work!

Today, I have a full day trying to get things in order so that we can start working full force on our 3rd annual PARTnership Appreciation Dinner in November!  

I'm excited about it, but there's ALOT of work to do!  I've got some terrific friends who will be helping with party favors and stuff like that so it's gonna be GREAT!!!!!

OK, off to work I go...to my upstairs "office"!!!!!  I LOVE BEING A PORTABLE CHURCH at times like this!

Date Nite!

I got to go on a date last night! 

My husband came home, brought me flowers (ROSES!!!), and took me out to dinner and a movie!  Claude had planned a date night for us!  It was so awesome!  We spent the evening with no phone, no computer, no animals, no distractions!  He chose the movie!  I loved it!  AND, the neatest part was that we only spent $14 dollars!

We had a gift card for The Outback from a boy that Claude helped with his truck.  We had 2 movie passes that were given to us for something else as a thank you!  So, after the giftcard, we spent $7 at Outback!  And after the movie passes, we spent $5 on a large drink (I know, that was hard for me to do, but we "splurged").  

I was so excited!  I love spending time with my wonderful husband, but date nights are a rare thing for us!  Even though we don't have kids, we have ALOT of stuff that happens during the week nights.  And to be able to take a night with NO PHONE and NO COMPUTER!  It was so nice.  Then, topping it off with so little money out of pocket...what a blessing!  Anyway, I was just happy to have the nite!  

Thank you Dylan for the Outback gift card!  

BTW, here are the roses he brought me!  Aren't they beautiful!?!

Then & now pictures

OK, since March 16th, Claude & I have been working hard to get healthy.  I've been focused on losing weight, but lately I've not been worried about the number as much as the "muscles" I'm seeing!!!  It's cool to look at my legs and my arms and see muscles!  I feel so good about myself and I am loving the fact that NO CLOTHES fit me!!!  It does create a problem since we don't really have any money for me to get new clothes, but I don't even care about that!  I like to "window shop" and try clothes on because it makes my day to see myself in sizes I NEVER thought I'd ever wear again!  

So, here are some then and now pictures to show my friends & family that don't get to see me on a regular basis.  

THE "BEFORE" PICTURES

June 2008 

(Davey & Janelle Kolk's wedding)

July 2008

(at IHOP before my parents & niece left to go back to FL)

February 2009

(Valentine's 2009)

NOW FOR THE "AFTER" PICTURES!

May 2009

Childrens' Church 

September 2009

Marcus & Theresa Barefield's wedding

Aren't we so adorable!?!  Thanks to Chris Thomas for an amazing picture!

Thanks again, Chris, for taking the pictures!  I'm always behind the camera & forget to get pictures of ME!

So, I FINALLY broke 170lbs!  Yesterday morning, I was 169!  I've gone from a size 18-20

to a size 12!!!!!   I am so excited!  I want to be at 155lbs by the end of the year and in a size 10.  I know I won't be able to "get rid" of the "TOP" of me (some of us are just born "lucky" I guess!), but I'm still shrinking in the waist and hips!  So what if I'm a little top heavy!  There are worse things, like having nothing on top at all, right?!?

Anyway, thank you to all the friends and family who've been sending prayers and encouragement my way!  I'm so grateful!  

Little decisions, big consequences

It's funny how the little choices you make in life can affect you in big ways.

Yesterday, I made a wrong turn coming out of Target.  You see, I had a meeting with a lady from the Baptist Association @ 2:30 and so I figured I'd spend some time in Target looking then go to meet her.  When I came out of the parking lot, I went the wrong way.  "Oh well", I thought!  "I will just go around the block instead of doing a U-turn.".  Well, that choice cost me our minivan.

Yes, you read right, we no longer have our car!  I was travelling down the "wrong road" and the lady in front of me decided to stop in the middle of the intersection.  She slammed on brakes and I hit her.  Luckily, we weren't going more than 30MPH, so there were no serious injuries.  However, it did enough damage to our car that it's gonna cost more than we can afford to get it running again.    I was pretty shaken up.  I've never really had THAT kind of accident before.  The airbags deployed, my arms got bruised up and I cried my eyes out over my "paid for and still running" car.  I seriously understand how folks can be in shock after something like that.  I couldn't focus on anything that day.  

So, I started thinking today about the whole irony of this situation.  I considered it in spiritual terms to see what I could come up with and here's what I got:

1. Small choices make for changes/consequences in your life so consider your choices carefully.
2. Going the wrong direction with the intent of turning around will cause problems so make the U-turn as soon as you realize you're heading the wrong way!
3. Don't sweat the small stuff...after all, it's just stuff.  (although, I will admit that I cried today when we signed the title over.  There are alot of good memories from that van.)
4. You gotta have Faith!  I'm not sure what we're gonna do now that the trusty minivan is gone, but I'm sure that God will take care of us.  He's never let us down before so I know He won't start now!
   

Pray for us that something will come our way and that we will use wisdom to make the right decisions regarding our transportation!  Also, pray that my stiffness will work itself out.  My arms, shoulders, and neck are a bit sore.

Thank you, Kim, for calling me and checking to make sure I was ok!  You are so sweet and I love you, my friend!

Thank you, Jason & Lora, for the sweet flowers/candy/drinks to make me feel better!  The flowers made me smile, the candy...DUH! and the drinks...another DUH!  We love you guys!

shootin' the breeze!

I'm reading a book that we may be doing a girls' Bible study on and I gotta tell you, I can't seem to put it down!  The title is "Lies Young Women Believe, and the Truth That Will Set Them Free". 

I've been reading it for just a couple days, but it's amazing how on the mark the author is about what girls think.  I LOVE the fact that she backs up each Truth with scripture and then challenges you to commit it to heart so that you can bring it to mind when the "lie" resurfaces.  

Lately there have been quite a few "lies" that have reared it's ugly head in our girls.  I want them to be Godly, strong, confident ladies who know the Truth!  I don't want them to go thru years of questions & lies that so many women I know (including myself) have.  

You know, the girls of today may be struggling with the same GENERAL issues that we as adults struggled with, but with one major difference.  Satan is running out of time and he has to destroy and ruin as many lives as he can before the Lord comes back.  He's making a last stand to bring as many young girls down as possible.  My prayer is bold...I'm pleading with God to protect our young ladies until they truly understand that satan is a LIAR!  He will stop at nothing to ruin them.  Once they get that, then the Truth of Christ's love will be all they need to fight.

OK, now I will get off my soapbox and go back to some reading/studying!

There are times, believe it or not, when I am not sure what to say to people.  

When someone tells you that they almost always feel like they are on the outside looking in, what do you say?  

When someone tells you that it hurts them when others pick on someone that they care about and they can't understand WHY people just can't be kind and loving, what do you say?

When someone tells you that there is an issue going on that HASN'T been taken care of (and I thought it had), what do you say?

I'm at a loss.  I can only pray and cry out to God to show me how I can be a better example to those around me so that I CAN ANSWER these people, if not in words, in actions.

It breaks my heart to know that these folks are struggling with these specific things.  

I can relate to the first scenario because there have been times when I have felt like the outsider looking in.  So, I cry with them and silently ask God to help them see just how special and unique they are.

I am not as tenderhearted as I want to be so the second one is harder for me.  If it were me, I would want to fight!  I do occasionally get angry enough to cry, but not with such unselfish love as this person had for their friend.  So, I lovingly tell this person how much I envy her sweet, tender heart.  It truly is a gift from God.   

I am truly frustrated with the issue that has risen it's ugly head YET AGAIN.  I can't stop thinking about it.  The fighter in me wants to tackle it head-on.  Yet, I keep hearing my mom quote the scripture "Be still, and know that I AM GOD".  So, for now, I am praying and listening in hopes of hearing the Lord's voice telling me what I need to do (or NOT do!).

I am praying for guidance on how to better do what He has called me to do.  Please pray with me.

feeling behind

Ever since we got back from FL, I've felt like I will not be able to catch up on all the things that didn't get done while we were gone.  The church things don't bother me because I know I can pace myself and it will just happen.  It's the house stuff that frustrates me.  

The inside needs a thorough cleaning (3 weeks of no cleaning is NOT good for my sanity!).  There is junk EVERYWHERE!!!!  Mail that need to be gone thru, dog toys all over the floor, clothes that need to be washed, bathrooms that need to cleaned, floors to be mopped, and don't get me started on our lack of groceries!  I haven't been to the store yet.  All our regular groceries were no good after 2 weeks (eggs, bread, milk, etc).  Poor Claude has been sweet about allowing me to work around our limited food supply!

I need to get outside and pull weeds from the front yard.  Trim bushes and mow it.  (BTW, a HUGE THANK U to John Calhoun!  He mowed our front yard while we were gone!)    The backyard was so high that I had to set our mower on the highest setting (the grass reached the seat of our rider!).  Our raspberry bush has taken over the back of the house!  I need to trim it.  I need to trim the tree that hangs over our swing.  The branches are sitting on the top of the swing!  

There are quite a few events that are coming up in the next couple months.  I seriously need to get myself focused so that I can get everything done!  I hate feeling behind!!!!

Shoulda stopped while I was ahead!

OK, I don't know why I go to this man's blog.  Apparently, it's the fighter in me!  I get riled up reading his "rightly divided" truth.  So, I'm reading his blog and find that he has a tendancy to contradict himself and use scripture quotes to suit him when needed.  For instance, this is a quote from his post on August 1st:

This, like every responder so far has defended the Pastor and not, the doctrine. I know, it's not popular to actually be a Bible believer, or use the scriptures as they are intended to be used as 2ND Timothy tells us in....

• 
  2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:


• 2 Timothy 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Doctrine, reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness. Doctrine schmoctrine. Reproof, can't have that. Correction, no way, we can't offend the tithers. Instruction in righteousness, that one's okay as long as we follow Jesus. Burger King was not the first to offer a "have it your way" menu, churches have been operating that way for way too long. Perfect, furnished unto all good works cannot be accomplished until you get the doctrine right, and that requires reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. But who cares about the doctrine? Do you?

Then, his response (on August 5th) to comments made on this quote:  

If you misunderstand 2 Tim 3:16 in thinking all scripture is OUR doctrine, you have made an egregious error. All scripture is inspired by God, but not all scripture is our doctrine. It is so obvious if you compare and contrast doctrine for Israel and dcotrine for us in this present dispensation of the grace of God. 

 

I must say, reading his stuff confuses me and in no way is profitable!  Not for doctrine, reproof, correction, or instruction in righteousness!  I just need the simple truth of Christ, his love, his mercy, and the salvation He's provided to EVERYONE...including this man who is seriously lost in his interpretation of scripture.  

BTW, reading his "teaching" makes me think about Catholicism and the priority they put on Mary over Jesus...Paul over Jesus...get my point!?!  They may have great intentions, but can still be completely WRONG!

Back in the rythm...sorta

We got back home to NC Monday night around 7:30pm.  It was a LONG trip home.  Once we landed in NC (around 3pm), we had to grab lunch, then drive 2 hours to New Bern to drop Claude's mom off, then another hour to get back to Greenville.  WHEW!  I am sooooooo happy to be home!

Yesterday,  I spent the morning catching up on the financial stuff for church.  It was a long day there too!!!!  Then, last night, Claude and I went to ECW's (local wing joint) for his birthday dinner.  It's fairly cheap and he had a surprise waiting there for him!  The teenagers wanted to surprise him by coming to dinner too!  I think he really enjoyed it!  We had to say goodbye to 2 of our graduates who leave this weekend for college in Raleigh.  I was sad.  I love these girls.  Well, at least it gives me a GREAT reason to go "shopping" in Raleigh now!!!!!

This morning was HEAVEN!  Claude and I got up and went to the gym!!!!!  I know, I know! That sounds ludicrous!  But, it's been almost 3 weeks since we'd been able to work out and I really missed it!  We had a special bonus when we weighed in too!   Claude is down to 214lbs!  He lost 1lb while we were gone! (I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but considering how and what we ate while we were in FL, it's an absolute miracle!!!!)  I was nervous about getting on the scale, but I lost weight too!!!!  I am down to 172lbs!  I only have 7 more to go to reach my original goal!  NOW, my new goal is 155lbs.  It seems a bit out of reach, but hey...so did 165 when I started this!

Claude left today around 12:30pm.  He and Jason are now in Anderson, SC for a 1 day seminar at New Spring Church.  The pastor, Perry Noble, is one of my FAVORITE speakers!!!  He's a good ol' boy with a heart for Christ and he doesn't mind "telling it like it is"!  I hope they enjoy themselves and get alot from the seminar!  

Getting ready for bed now.  I want to get up early and head to the gym!  

A long 2 weeks...

It's been a long 2 weeks here in FL.  Claude's brother, Tony, is showing small steps of improvement.  We were told last nite from the neurosurgeon that he is pleased with the signs of progress he's seen.  We are still waiting for the drs. to put a trach in so that they can take Tony off of the meds that are keeping him in the coma.  He's opened his eyes a couple times, he's smiled and cried a couple times.  We are so grateful for the prayers that everyone has been sending up on his behalf.  Keep praying.  The waiting game is hard to do.  It's normally hard for me because I am NOT one to sit and do nothing!  It's really hard for Claude because he IS one to sit and wait, but he wants to fix this and he can't.  We are needing to wait on God's timing and when a loved one is involved, that's very hard!  

We miss being home.  We miss our family here, but our hearts miss our home and friends in NC.  It's nice to see old friends here and they have been coming out of the woodwork to see us. We just know that God MUST HAVE called us to NC because that is where our hearts are now.

My parents have been so great!  They haven't put any pressure on us as we come and go.  My mom has been my "Calgon"...you know, "Calgon! TAKE ME AWAY"!!!!!  She's pulled me away just enough so that I don't go stir crazy sitting in the hospital!  She's taken me shopping (which anyone who took my quiz about me knows is my FAVORITE way to relax!).  She's made sure that there's been food here for us so that we spend as little as possible financially.

Speaking of that, just be praying for our finances too.  We had money set aside for our "anniversary trip" at the end of August.  Well, obviously that's not going to happen!  We've used it for this trip.  Thank God that we had it!  Money is pretty tight.  We know that the Lord provides so we aren't too worried.  It's just one less thought to deal with!

One last prayer...my eyes.  They have been giving me some trouble over the last week.  They are puffed up and hard to open (especially in the morning).  I know it is due to stress and lack of sleep.  However, there's not much I can do about it down here.  I have some salve that I am putting on the lids to keep me from scratching/rubbing them.  It helps to some extent, but it's just VERY annoying!  

Thank you all for the prayers and the love!  We are so blessed to have the family and friends that we have!  We love you guys.  There really are no words to say how much we appreciate everything that's been done while we're gone!

interesting thought process...

Folks follow my blog, folks follow Claude's blog, folks follow Jason's blog, etc.  Well, I was reading Jason's blog and the follower that "pushed my buttons" was Dean.  I clicked on his blog to read the stuff he'd written recently.  He said something that made me think...

This, like every responder so far has defended the Pastor and not, the doctrine. I know, it's not popular to actually be a Bible believer, or use the scriptures as they are intended to be used as 2ND Timothy tells us in...

• 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:


• 2 Timothy 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

This is interesting to me because he's claimed that Paul's "gospel" is the gospel truth that we should be following and that basically the 4 gospels are "old testament" preaching.  

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that contradict itself?!?  You can't quote 2 Timothy 3:16 that states ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God and then turn around and say that Paul's teachings are what we should be following.  Paul's teachings are inspired by God, however, so are the other parts of the Bible!  You don't get to pick and choose what you want to believe. If we claim to be followers of Christ (NOT PAUL!), we must accept the Bible in it's entirety.  

I know it sounds simple-minded to some, but that's what I am...simple-minded.  The gospel truth is easy and simple.  Christ came and was born sinless, died, rose again, and is the only way to God the Father.  It's THAT SIMPLE!

And BTW, in Paul's words:

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.   Romans 15:4

God's grace and faithful friends...

Well, we've been in Tampa (acutally, Brandon) since Wednesday.  Claude's brother, Tony, is still on the ventilator.  They say if they take him off right now, he would not breathe on his own for more than a minute and would not make it, so they are leaving him there right now.  They have to do an EEG of his brain to check for brain damage, but they have to take him off of the meds in order to get a "real" brain scan (which makes sense, since the meds are dulling his brain right now).  They can't take him off the meds quickly.  They need him to slowly come out of the medically induced coma so that everything he's hook up to won't freak him out.  It's a long process and still a critical battle, but at least he is stable and everything so far has been for the good (as far as change).  

My grandmother is still in the hospital at UCH.  She is loopy right now from the meds they had her on.  The general practice MD said they found a hiatal hernia, ulcers in her stomach, and some mild lesions.  They believe this is what caused her to throw up blood, but the gastroenterologist was not making rounds while we were there so we didn't get anything definite from him.  They will keep her a couple more days to monitor her.  

Our friends in Tampa, Brandon, Valrico, Greenville, Winterville...THEY ARE THE BEST!  We have had so much going on that we haven't thought too much about anything else, but thank God, our friends have thought about everything else for us!  

Bethany - taking care of our home and "kids"!  U have no idea how much that means to me to know I don't need to worry about the animals!  Thank you and I love ya!

Jason & Lora - holding down EVERYTHING while we are gone.  You are the greatest friends we could ask for.  We love ya'll and miss ya'll so much!

Aron & Cessie - taking care of childrens church for us!  WHEW!  That's a HUGE blessing!  We were just going to have the kids go to big church!  Thank you both for doing that for us!  We love ya'll!

Emily Whitaker - allowing us to borrow her car while we are here so that my parents don't have to "taxi" us back and forth to the hospital!  We love you girl!  You are MY girl!!!!

Tamara Fish - for calling and offering to do anything we need.  This is a true friend!  We haven't seen each other in years, yet she is willing to do anything for us!  FOOD is always a great way to maintain friendships!!!!!

The Nassars - for the visit to the hospital to let us know that you love us and are praying for us!

We miss ya'll and we certainly miss hanging out and going out to eat with you~

Jim Bird - for passing the word around and asking our old church for prayers!  That was awesome man!  We love you!

Pastor Chuck - for coming to the hospital twice to check on us and see how Tony was doing!  Thank you for caring about your flock even when we aren't part of your flock anymore!  You truly love people and you certainly showed it in spades!!!!  We love you!

My parents - for allowing us to come and go as needed.  for allowing us to crash at the house and eat the food!  for taking care of our needs financially!  We love you so much and there are no words to say how thankful we are!

The CROSSLINK youth group - for stepping up and taking over the "Kearley move"!  We miss you all so much and love you guys!  We are so proud of you and the way you serve others!  

1 Timothy 4:12

There are others that I know I haven't mentioned.  Too many to remember them all, but we are so thankful!  God bless each of you for the blessing you've been to Claude and me.

We love you, Discovery Church!  We'll be praying for you this weekend.

A little steam

OK, my blog is MY BLOG...so I am going to blow off a little steam!  Bear with me and hopefully, you'll be sympathetic to what I am saying!  

One of the hardest things to deal with being a pastor's wife is the "talk".  You know what I mean!  Let's all admit it!  We've ALL talked about what our pastors are doing "wrong" and what needs to happen to "fix" the problems and issues going on in our churches.  I admit that I've done it.  I look back now and after walking just a short while in the "pastor's wife's shoes", I am SO SORRY that I ever did it.  

It's so difficult for me, the fighter, to sit back and keep quiet when people talk about Claude or people have issues with choices/decisions Claude makes.  I can't even imagine what my sweet friend, Lora, must go thru.  She's much more sensitive to others feelings than I am.  Most of the time, when it's an issue with something in the church in general, my thoughts are, if you don't have any positive input on how to correct the situation, keep your thoughts to yourself and pray about it!!!!

However, when the words are specifically directed towards Claude and what he "should've done", then I really get riled up!  I love him and I know his heart.  He tries with his whole heart to follow Christ.  Yes, he fails sometimes.  He IS human.  However, I know that when he does make a mistake, he takes ownership of it.  He's not afraid to say that he screwed up or it could've been done differently.  

So, people remember that God has called those in authority to be in authority.  You may not always like what is done.  You may not always agree.  You may even have a better way (if so, share it!).  But, if you're not praying for the leaders in your church and there are "issues" in your church,  you might be contributing to the problems!

Feeling blessed

I have to say thank you to some people in my life that, I hate to admit this, but I haven't told them enough how much I love and appreciate them.  

So, I am going to do some of that now.  There are dozens of folks that need a thank you, so if I don't mention you, please know that I am thankful for my friends!

My Mom, I don't think that there are enough words or even the proper words to explain what my mother is.  I know that she would deny it, but in my eyes, she is the epitome of a Godly woman.  If I could idolize someone, it would be her.  She loves her God, her husband, and her family with a fierceness and passion I admire!  I love her so much!

Lora, she's my encourager!  I know she gets tired of being the strong one sometimes, but she keeps on going!  She's my prayer warrior!  I love her!

Laci, the word for her is sweet!  OK, sometimes annoyingly sweet!!!!  I wished I could have such a sweet nature.  She always has a smile and a kind word.  AND, if she doesn't have a kind word, she bites her tongue!  Wish I could do that!!!

Lindsay, strong, resilient, kind!  I have been blessed to see her grow over the last couple of years and she is a beautiful Christian lady!  Hallelujah for the trials that come to purify us!  YOU GO GIRL!

Kim, thoughtful Kim!  She's kind and she's always thinking of others.  I admire and respect her so much for the way she cares about others.  She has a true heart for people!  

Lisa, FEISTY!  She just is!  I love that Lisa tells it like it is and she's not afraid to be bold.  She's learned how to be tactful and still be truthful!  What a beautiful woman she is!  

Jennie, this woman is so gentle.  Her words are kind and wise.  She's truly a beautiful woman, inside and out.  I admire and respect her!

My dearest friend, Cindy.  Man, do I miss her!  I love her so much.  She's my "Barnabas"!  I can be completely myself with her, not hold anything back, and she's ok with it.  She lets me cry, laugh, joke, be annoyed, be a jerk, (calls me on being a jerk!) be a girl!  I don't think I'd be where I am today if it weren't for my friend, Cindy.  I love her so much.

Hurdles to jump

I am lying here in bed amazed that God could possibly love someone with so many flaws and so much "baggage".  I was listening to a dear friend last night as she talked about how she always feels like she's never good enough at the things she does.  I kept thinking to myself, "WOW!  I'm not the only one who thinks that way about myself".  

As every year goes by, I am thankful for the time on this earth, but I question what I've done and what I've brought to those around me.  I, like my sweet friend, sometimes think that I am so inadequate.  I have always felt so "average".  No aspect of my life truly stands out as extraordinary.  I remember comparing myself to my younger brother and thinking that his life was so perfect and easy.  He's brilliant (seriously, he IS brilliant!  Top 10% of MENSA!)  He is a natural leader.  He's well liked by most who know him.  He has a beautiful, sweet, kind wife and 5 gorgeous kids!  Overall, to look at him you'd think he has everything any man would ever want.  Well, I learned something last year about my little brother.  He has always felt jealous of me and felt like I was the favorite of my dad.  He opened my eyes to something I had never even seen.  His "perfect" exterior covered up his inadequacies.  He has obstacles in his life that challenge him.  He struggles daily with things that I don't.  

So, I guess what I'm writing about is that we each have our own flaws and obstacles.  Some are physical, some are mental, some might even be emotional.  Whatever those obstacles are, as God's children, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made"!  He has loved us with a Love we will never truly understand while we're on this side of eternity.  You know why?  Because God IS love.  So, I will remind myself (and you should too) that if I am worthy enough for the King of kings to love me and care for me...how can I not love myself...flaws and all!  I will continue to work at becoming more like Christ.  But, when I fall down, I will cry a little while, then I will ask my Father to help me get back up and try again.  I will keep on going!  And hallelujah!  When I get to Heaven, I will be PREFECT - Just like Christ!!!!

Isaiah 40:31

They who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.  They will mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not be weary and they will walk and not faint.