blessings...

Look what was nesting in the bush...a dove! It's beautiful. Well, both of my dad's cancer doctors say that they don't think the spot on his spine is cancer. I'm sure my medical terminology is lame, but it's the best I can do. They are going to watch it closely. He goes back in two months for another MRI. Every prayer lifted up on his behalf is greatly appreciated. It means more to me that you'll ever know. Even if I've never met you. Keep praying, and if I can pray for you, let me know.

prayer for healing...

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." Matthew 8:17

Have you ever been shaken to the core? So much so, that it physically hurts? The kind of hurt that makes you cry…really cry…an ugly cry. You know, like Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give. That was me today. My mom called and said the doctors found a spot on my dad’s spine. I went to the prayer room at church. Mostly, just to have time to think and talk to God in a quiet place. On the way there, no sooner than the car door shut, it was on. The tears came, and they wouldn’t stop. I wailed a few times. I cried out to my Heavenly Father and asked him to heal my earthly father. He’s done it before. Two years ago, my dad was diagnosed with stage four head and neck cancer. God brought him through it.

In the prayer room, instrumental music plays softly. During my prayer, the words to the song that was playing came to me. I started whispering them.

He knows my name
He knows my every thought,
He sees each tear that falls
and hears me when I call

It was comfort when I needed it most. Please pray for him.

Confession: I've Got Skinny Legs...

You've got to listen to this! We had a guest speaker at church today, Wayne Cordeiro, a pastor from Hawaii. I had to keep wiping at my face to keep the tears away during the sermon. Finally, I couldn't fight them back any longer. I just bowed my head a bit so it wasn't quite so obvious tears were streaming down my cheeks. I've been running away from God lately. I justify it by telling myself I'm too busy to keep up with my daily devotional and Bible reading. I say I'll volunteer for another missions day the next time it comes around, and so on, and so on... I'm telling you, He was speaking to me today. And no, I'm not talking about Wayne Cordeiro. Click the link below and then click on the yellow circle with the picture of the t.v. When the media player pops up, it should start playing. If not, click on "The Divine Mentor" July 27, 2008. How do you use your pockets of energy? Today, I decided that I don't want skinny legs any more...

"The Divine Mentor"

If you don't live in the Jackson area, click here to get your Life Journal. If you do, stop by The Source at Pinelake and pick one up. We can start together! Also, check out the Life Journal blog for info on what we're doing. Look at the column on the right side of the blog. And by we, I mean you, too! It doesn't matter where you live or where you are in your spiritual life...

a little cajun fun...

A few months ago, we went to visit my sister and celebrate Alex's birthday. After the pool party, Seth had a crawfish boil at his house. It was sooo good...I love crawfish.


While the crawfish were boiling, we played a game...David says it must be a cajun thing. Have you ever played this game before? I don't even know what it's called! It consists of six washers and two homemade wooden boxes connected by a piece of rope. Whatever it is, it's fun!





Just add a little bit of Zataran's...


This is how you do it if you're not in the mood for a facial...


Guess what he got for his birthday? He's chasing Shelby around the yard and laughing so hard, he's about to pop a vein...




Look at the steam coming off that pile of crawfish! You can barely see Alex...

Francesca Battistelli...

This is the best...go to iTunes and listen to this girl. I love the songs Free To Be Me, I'm Letting Go, and My Paper Heart. And I thought my name was hard to spell...

summer...

We have spent several summer weekends doing this...pure, simple, no-frills fun!

love...

Look at Jordan. David loves his girls so much...I do too, but he just has an effortless way of showing unconditional love...sometimes it's hard for me to break out of "mom" mode and just roll with the moment...she's a seventh grader now. Are you wondering the same thing I am? Why is she fishing in flannel pajama pants and Sperrys in the middle of summer?

I'm Back!!!!!

I'm finally back after a self-imposed blogging ban! It didn't start out as such, but somewhere along the way, I decided to take a break from several things over the summer. This leads me to my question:

Do you have a place that is all your own...a place where you go for a little peace and quiet? A place where you read or think or just observe nature? Maybe it's a special spot in your house where you get up early and read your Bible. Maybe it's not so much a place as it is something you do, such as running or gardening. I have a spot that I go to whenever I need a little peace and quiet. I love it early in the morning and late in the afternoon. My green adirondack chair...I love to watch the birds, smell the herbs growing in the terra cotta pots, and think. Sometimes, I drink a Diet Coke and flip thru magazines for decorating ideas and recipes. Sometimes, I read my Bible and drink a cup of coffee. David has a hammock. That's also where the girls congregate with friends. I can't tell you how many times over the summer that I've looked out the kitchen windows to see girls swinging slowly in the hammock while talking and laughing. I often wonder what they're talking about. I think about how wonderful it is to be a child and how that one image so closely resembles the childhood I had. Do you have a spot to call your own or a certain thing you do to alleviate stress and retreat from the rat race we call life? If you don't, I encourage you to find one!

Family...

We went to Louisiana a few weekends ago for Alex's 4th birthday. After the pool party, Seth had a cookout for us...crawfish and the works! I'll post those photos a little later. I've got a picture of the crawfish that will make you drool! They were so good...Pictured above: Alex wrapped in his towel, Alex and Elizabeth, my sister and Seth, and Elizabeth, my niece

Here It Comes Again...

Here comes the ice cream truck playing THAT SONG again! Do your ears hang lo, do they wobble to and fro, can you tie 'em in a knot, can you tie 'em in a bow?... What is the name of that song? Please leave a comment and tell me if you know! I've been singing those lyrics for days now...just that one, lonely little verse...now you'll be singing it too...

I've Been Tagged...

Tagged by Emily Tate! Okay, here goes:

Maybe I should - clean my house, or maybe not...get a mohawk (says Shelby)...

I love the smell of - coffee, magnolias, anything spice-y that reminds me of the holidays...

People would say that I- am nosey, although I prefer to say that I'm curious!

I don’t understand why -old fat men wear Speedos on the beach...every time we go to the beach I see at least one old, wrinkly, fat man in a Speedo...it's like driving by a car crash...I can't help but stare...

When I wake up in the morning - I take my TriVita B-12 first thing!

I lost my willpower to - train for a half-marathon...

Life is - a gift...don't waste it on addictions, worries, or wanting to have it all...all of our material possessions and everything of this world will pass away...

My past made me - who I am today, the good and the bad...

I get annoyed when - adults have too much DRAMA going on and feel the need to share it with everyone...

Parties are not a good time to - get caught in a conversation with that one person who wants to tell you their life story...

Dogs are - an essential part of childhood. I remember certain moments in life by the dogs we had at the time...it all started with my dog Boo-Boo...

Cats are - worthless...

Tomorrow is - wide open...it's never too late to be what you might have been!

I have low tolerance for - bratty kids, people who cut me off in traffic, people who have a back car window full of stuffed animals, people who talk too loudly on cell phones while in a waiting room or restaurant when the conversation is pointless... Maybe I should stop there...

I’m totally terrified of - tornadoes, my children drowning even though they both can swim...

I wonder why I thought my life would be -normal... I don't think there is such a thing...what defines normal?

I always knew I would - have girls, still be clumsy and quirky...

Never in my life have I - funneled beer or gotten a tattoo...WHAT?! It's the first thing that came to mind, and it's the truth!

High school was - fun, but I'm glad it's over!

When I’m nervous- I do things way too fast...I have to tell myself to breathe and slow down!

One time at a family gathering - on Christmas Eve at my grandmother's house, her cousin stopped by for the usual holiday visit. He was feeling very reminiscent (had a little too much holiday cheer, if you know what I mean...if you don't know, that means he was drunk)...anyway, he was telling a story about the good ole days, cigarette in hand, while eating pieces of turkey off a tray. As he was telling the story, the ash on the cigarette grew longer and longer. As a bored twelve year old, this was amusing to me. No one else seemed to notice. Then, the tower of ash fell below onto the tray of turkey. He never looked at the turkey, only reaching over to fold a piece and bring it to his mouth. He never knew the long roll of ash was hidden in the piece of turkey he was eating. I watched in amusement as he ate the whole piece, ash and all. I still laugh when I think about it all these years later...

Take my advice - 1.) Take lots of photos of your kiddos while they are young and cute...before teeth start to fall out and they hit that awkward growth spurt...2.) Enjoy where you are in life...it goes by too fast to say, "I'll be happy when...".

Making my bed-is laughable...

I'm almost always - singing a song in my head, talking to myself (internal conversation) or talking to my Heavenly Father...

I’m addicted to - cracked pepper and olive oil Triscuits washed down with a Diet Coke (at first, you thought it said crack, didn't you?), my camera, my MacBook Pro, reading something, even if it's the back of the shampoo bottle...

I want someone to -take a road trip with...a girls only trip with no kids...

My Little Green Friends...

Ever had a surprise like this when you're watering plants? They love my urns...maybe because they're the same color as the creeping jenny!

My Other Kids...

Prissy and Jiggy...I don't think they know they're dogs...

"I Told You So!"...

Have you read the story of the ice cream truck? I posted the pictures, and in the rush of the last few weeks of school, never finished the post. I declare it finished! We are out of school, so I'll be posting more often! Read it below the ice cream photos...it is funny...

my beautiful girl...

"I Told You So!"...

Okay, funny story...I really think it's one of those "you-had-to-be-there" funny stories, but, nonetheless, I'll share it!
Alex was at our house a few weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon. He was on the back porch with the girls when, all of a sudden, he comes running thru the house screaming, "The ice cream truck! The ice cream truck is coming! I hear it! I hear it!"
Poor little man, he thought he heard an ice cream truck...little did he know that in the five years we've lived in this house, I've never seen an ice cream truck come down the street. I tried to break it to him as gently as possible, not wanting to crush his little spirit. After all, I'm the adult, and I know everything, right? How is it that in adulthood we sometimes lose that child-like sense of wonder? You hear music playing? It MUST be the ice cream truck!
Okay, back to the story...as I try to explain to him that there is no way possible it was the ice cream truck, he is assuring me that it is in fact, the ice cream truck. He was so certain, it broke my heart! He ran to the front porch and planted himself on the front steps, declaring that he would sit right there until the truck came by. I told Jordan and Shelby to stay on the steps with him, knowing that eventually, he would lose faith and come inside.
Then I heard it...music...that song...what is it? As the girls fling the front doors open, Alex is excitedly yelling, "I told you so! I TOLD you so!" David and I run to the front door. I look at him and say, "I think I heard it, too...could it really be...?" I look out and see Jordan and Shelby trying to hang on to Alex...it was like watching two girls trying to catch a greased pig! He was determined to break free and run for it! I rush over, pick him up, and we run across the street to the park. All the while, he's saying, "I told you so! OOOH! Get out of the street! He's gonna run over us, Ne-Ne!" I'm laughing so hard, tears are streaming down my face. Barefoot, still in my church clothes, and with Alex on my hip, I'm running toward the truck to flag him down. I point to our street and motion for him to come our way. I look around for David, realizing we're chasing the ice cream truck and have no money! He's one step ahead of me and runs toward the sidewalk, cash in hand.
As the ice cream truck turned down our street, we all stood on the sidewalk, cheering and waving. It must have looked like a parade. As the music played, one by one, each child went to the window to buy ice cream. With camera in hand, laughing and crying, I sat on the grass and watched as Alex smiled the smile of knowing for sure that he heard the ice cream truck...he told us so!

Remember that cute little banner Jordan and Shelby made me for Mother's Day? Well, this is what happened after the banner was finished...a paint fight...





If you look closely, you can see the black paint up Jordan's nose...
David's solution...hose 'em down!

Best Fruit Salad Ever...

Ingredients
2 and 1/2 pounds seedless grapes
8 ounces sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar


TOPPING INGREDIENTS
1 cup brown sugar, packed, to taste
1 cup crushed pecan, to taste

Directions:
Wash and stem grapes.
Set aside.
Mix sour cream, cream cheese, and white sugar by hand until blended.
Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl.
For topping: Combine brown sugar, and crushed pecans.
Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely.
Chill overnight.

If you're having a Mother's Day lunch, this is yummy! It has fruit, so...that makes it healthy, right?

Mo-Mo's Day...

I love my girls...I guess we're going to celebrate Mother's Day all weekend long...if so, that's just fine by me! Shelby made an amazing flower card...it touched my heart...she asked me why I didn't cry tears of joy, so I told her I almost did! She replied, "Well, I want you to!" She's so funny. Did you read the last part? I'm a gift from God? Sometimes I feel so unworthy, inadequate as a mother...then, I remember that every day is a new day! If I screw up, my children forgive me. God does, too. I love the fact that I'm clever, provide marvelous clothes, and a splendid home. Most importantly, she knows that I care and I'm there for her when she's scared. I am humbled that she says I'm a gift from God. It does make me want to cry tears of joy, and thank God for His goodness. Silly girl, she closed the letter with, "You(r) #1 daughter, Shelby"...Jordan made the cutest banner and hung it on the back fence. Happy "Mo-Mo's" Day...she always calls me Mo-Mo...I love it! By the way, later on, I did cry. It was mixed emotions of, "Father, I AM so unworthy, and so humbled that you love me, and that you have blessed me beyond measure. My children are blessings from God above and I thank Him everyday. Jordan and Shelby, you Are so amazing! Okay, I've got to go and pull myself together now!

Amazing...

Jenny made a heart-touching Mother's Day cd with the kids at school this week...it was a cd of each child reading his or her own hand-written letter of "I Love My Mom Because...". The background music was this song...Amazing, by Janelle. As the music plays and the children read a letter of love, a slideshow of beautifully colored pictures of mom and child play. What an amazingly appropriate song for Mother's Day! Read the lyrics, listen to the song on the media player over to the right. This part, You came from Heaven shining
Breath of God still fresh on you, will make you cry thinking about the birth of your own child!

The morning cold and raining
Dark before the dawn could come
How long in twilight waiting
Longing for the rising sun
Oh, Oh
You came like crashing thunder
Breaking through these walls of stone
You came with wide eyed wonder
Into all this great unknown
Hush now don’t you be afraid
I promise you I’ll always stay
I’ll never be that far away
I’m right here with you

You’re so amazing
You shine like the stars
You’re so amazing
The beauty you are
You came blazing
Right into my heart
You’re so amazing
You are, You are

You came from Heaven shining
Breath of God still fresh on you
The beating heart inside me
Crumbled at this one so new
Oh, Oh
No matter where, how far you wander
For a thousand years or longer
I will always be there for you
Right here with you
I hope your tears are few and fast
I hope your dreams come true at last
I hope you find love that goes on and on and on and on and on
I hope you wish on every star
I hope you never fall too far
I hope this world can see how wonderful you are

Amazing, Janelle

Every Man...

I'm the man with all I've ever wanted
All the toys and playing games
I am the one who pours your coffee, corner booth each Saturday
I am your daughter's favorite teacher
I am the leader of the band
I sit behind you in the bleachers
I am every man

I'm the coach of every winning team and still a loser in my mind
I am the soldier in the airport facing giants one more time
I am the woman shamed and haunted by the cry of unborn life
I'm every broken man, nervous child, lonely wife

Is there hope for every man
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
Is there hope for every man
Is there love that never dies
Is there peace in troubled times
Someone help me understand
Is there hope for every man

Seems there's just so many roads to travel, it's hard to tell where they will lead
My life is scarred and my dreams unraveled
Now I'm scared to take the leap
If I could find someone to follow who knows my pain and feels the weight
The uncertainty of my tomorrow, the guilt and pain of yesterday

There is hope for every man
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
There is hope for every man
There is Love that never dies
There is peace in troubled times
Will we help them understand?
Jesus is hope for every man

-Every Man, Casting Crowns

Joy in Praying for Others...

Please continue to pray for my mom, she's still in China. Last year, she was almost hit by a bus while there! This picture was taken at my mom and dad's house.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. Philippians 1:4

Lord, I thank you for the joy and privilege of praying for others. What a blessing to be able to intercede, to stand in the gap and move heaven and earth for those I love. In all my prayers for those I know, may I have a heart of joy. Bless my family and friends, Lord. Bless those who need You today. May I find satisfaction in lifting up prayers for others.