"Take a Look at Our Celebrated Weekend We Shared!"

This past weekend we celebrated the man I love most's birthday!! Rather than just tell you about it - I wanted to share with you, through pictures as well, of all that we enjoyed.

David planned our trip, in honor of his birthday, for us to share. He did an excellent job too....as always! Friday morning, we hit the road for Lake Charles, Louisiana. It was a beautiful drive. David loves to drive and I love to ride. . . so we make a really good team! Once there, we found the LauBerge Du Lac Casino and went in to see the sights as well as find some lunch. The "sights" were nice, but the people inside the Casino itself were quite a different story. Everyone looked so pathetically HOPELESS and LIFELESS! No happiness anywhere really. If gambling is supposed to be some happy thing (like the billboards portray) well these people didn't show it!! What a sad world. Anyways...we found a nice buffet lunch to try. I ate alligator for the very first time as well as key lime pie and ONE prune. In order of like I would rate the pie first, prune next and alligator LAST...it was disgusting!! : P

Afterwards, we went to the golf course to tee off at our posted 2:oo time. We did find Tee 1....finally! It was a very nice golf course. I compared much of it to Walden (back home) and found I preferred this one even if it did have alligators on it. : ) Yes there were two as a matter of fact! I found them exciting and adventerous as I made way, little by little, to get the best picture of one almost on the greens!



Come here gator, gator, gator. . .



Here are some shots of the Casino as we are on the golf course looking back.

The wind was something else!! I was hair beaten from all the wind, so trying to just see the ball was a task for me. We were able to take our time and go slowly which made it nice. Two holes past our usual game of 9 - - I was tired and getting cold. I became solely the golf cart driver as well as ball retriever/finder while David played the rest of the 18. He did well and had a great time, which made it all the more worth any discomforts I felt. :)

After our game, I was in dire need of a pitstop. David drove us back to the Casino part. As he did I questioned his action to which he said "You need a bathroom." Umm...yes dear I need a bathroom, but have you taken a look now at your wife who resembles something out of tornado herself?? I didn't feel "suitable" enough the first time we went through there to eat lunch....there was no way I could enter now looking the way I did! I quickly told him no and that I would prefer something down the road. So he lovingly consented all the while he half heartedly wanted to go back and try a hand at the gambling. . . as I would learn on down the road. He just couldn't convince himself though as we had earlier seen such despair in these people's faces. So not worth it.

Sooo...we traveled up the road to a town called Jennings. We found a very NICE Hampton hotel there. Checked in and I got a hot shower....YAY!! Then we set off to find some real Cajun food. I on the other hand would be happy with just a simple and much loved Subway sandwich! Poor David traveled up the street and down the street in search of something good to try. I say street, as in singular, because the other side of the highway was pretty much pitch BLACK! The closest thing he could find was ..... Popeye's Chicken. . . which had a super bonus because right next door was ...... a Subway!!! Yup, I got my Subway and took it inside our "Cajun" restaraunt. Hey the cup did say "Louisiana Kitchen" right on it....that counts right?! Afterwards, we went back tot he hotel and had some super YUMMY cookies complments of Hampton. We also played our new game, that we had bought just for the trip in case got bored. It was very nicely titled "Smart Ass". Fun game too!! Haha! :)

Next morning, we ate breakfast at the hotel and set off for the Plantation Homes tours. These were a good 2 hours up the road, so we had another nice drive. We arrived at Oak Alley Plantation and let me just say here - - WOW WHAT A PLACE!!! Words don't do it enough justice! We ate lunch in a nice little house on the plantation grounds. It was absolutely PERFECT! They sat us in a little room with windows all around that looked out to the home and ground itself. It was as if we were literally sitting outside underneath one of the beautiful oak trees! And the meal?? Like nothing I have ever tasted so amazing before! I ate all kinds of animals. . . alligators (fried this time and it was so GOOD!), duck!!, catfish, and chicken! The gator, duck, and catfish each had it's own dipping sauce too.....so wonderfully good!! Finally....David had got his REAL Cajun meal....and I was SO happy for him!

This was a picture taken of our view, as we ate, at the lunch place.

We still had some time before the next tour started, so we walked around taking in all of this majestic place. The trees themselves were what made this place so gorgeous and full of history as well!! These next few pictures were what they called the "Baby Oaks" which were no babies to us, but in comparison to the ones planted in the front.... they were! These were planted in the back of the house and where many of the slave houses originally were.





These are the BABY oaks!!



Now it was time for the Big House tour!! Once inside we learned all about the timeless history that this once thriving home had. I so love History and am beyond blessed to have a best friend who allows me not only to enjoy every moment of it.....but also enjoys it himself!!



Oak Alley Plantation. Built 1837-39.

If you look closely you can still see the ghost of the lady who once long ago lived here! I'm kidding....she was a tour guide. :)



This was Mamie and she did a very fine job of sharing her knowledge of days gone by.



The parlor where we learned many interesting facts of  how parents handled courtship of their sons and daughters. I think we should still practice them today!! Ha! 





The Dining Room and more interesting facts!



I didn't continue taking pictures throughout house because I wanted to absorb all the history she was sharing with us. There was many interesting stories throughout the home though.



These next pictures are of the front and the most majestic of the oak trees planted! They were planted some 300 years ago, by an unknown settler, who planted 28 evenly spaced trees (each 80ft apart) leading out to the mighty Mississippi River. Planting these trees would assure him to bring in the cool air right off the Mississippi to cool his home which was a quarter mile back. These mighty oaks have a life span of 600 years old so these are just considered middle age at 300!! 

If pictures could only do justice!! This is looking towards the  front of the home.

This is a view from the balcony looking towards the Mississippi River. In warmer seasons it is beautiful and green.

Me standing in front of one of the mighty oaks!

I told you it was B I G!!

We later returned for a night shot of the place.

Next, we traveled up the road to the next Plantation we would visit. This one was not as majestic and was really of a different lifestyle all it's own. It was a Creole Plantation. But what it lacked in majestic scenery was made up for in more history about a family and the life they led so many years ago. Very interesting indeed!! What they did have in common with their more majestic neighbors would be both were sugar cane plantations harvesting crops by slavery.

This was called the Laura Plantation. Built in 1805 by slaves.

And this was our tour guide, Bryan, who was a real Cajun and his 8th great grandfather owned this property.

This was an original slave house on the property! Two families would be given this house to live in! It was basically a 16ft X 32ft house with a wall down the middle. If it was cold you ALL slept in the attic. If it was warm you all slept outside. If it was too hot you ALL slept inside the one room. And I thought our home was too SMALL sometimes for 5 people living in it at 2,500ft!!

I absolutely LOVE this picture!! It just seems so perfect in it's rare form of history. Once again another slave house. If truth be said, I see this house just as majestic as the Oak Alley Plantation one....for it held a family inside it's walls just as the Oak Alley once did. A family of no lesser value in the eyes of God Himself. Both families faced hardships, victories, sadness, happiness, lonliness, and acceptance. There was no difference.

We would leave our enchantment with the days of old to return to the present.

Once again on the road. We traveled back, towards home, for two hours for our dinner. David had been wanting pizza and remembered a nice little place in Lafayette. We had a delicious meal! Then it was time to decide where we would stay for the night. There was a toss up between the Holiday Inn Express right across the street which would give us a better breakfast in the morning than at previos Hampton. But then the Hampton, in Jennings 30 mins down the road, had mouth watering cookies and a really NICE room to stay in as well. We decided on the Holiday Inn Express.....bought a room.....walked up stairs to check out the room.....found hair in the bathroom across the tub......walked back down the stairs....said No thanks! .....and set off down the road once more. I thought that meant we would stay at the Hampton now, but Mr Moore was missing his o so comfy bed and decided he could be home by 12:30am. Soooo....the car didn't even slow down going through Jennings.....and we did in fact make it at 12:30am......on the dot!

All in all it was an absolutely wonderful time to share with this most beautiful man I know. . . .

I am most blessed to call him my own.

I am so thankful that we share the same interests in life and can enjoy our time together in sooo many ways as well! :)

And that is the story of how we celebrated my best friend's 49th birthday!!

"Ever Have One of THOSE Days?!?!"

Ever have one of those days. . . .

When you wake up at 6:05am to get the boy up for school. . . . and you have NO idea what lies ahead of you, only to be "pleasantly" surprised as you meet your challenges of the day head on? Let's just say I'm thankful not everyday begins this way!

In a "shortened" and not so detailed story - I will tell you that I was met with cat vomit as I proceeded downstairs. Not just cat vomit alone, but smeared in cat vomit on my beautiful area rug, as well as other various nice places around the downstairs. Seems Heather came in last night and unknowingly walked right through it. *YUCK!* Going back upstairs I also noticed the nice little kitty hit my other area rug 3 times as well. Well, now I'm trying to best decide how to clean up this whole mess. I grab 2 bottles of spray, a knife, paper towels, plastic bag and go to work. One spray was for the wood floor and the other was for the carpet rug. You know when they say "Test spray in an unconspicous place before using." <<They ain't lying. Without seeing any such place on this rug I grabbed a bottle and begin to spray. Not knowing I grabbed the wrong bottle! I blotted that up quickly and used the UN-tested one. As David says . . . it's not noticeable unless you're looking for it. Well. . . .

Mess #2: Levi needs Mom to clean up a bed sheet and his clothes. Seems he fell asleep yesterday after school with GUM in his mouth. When I asked him HOW do you get gum everywhere while sleeping, his simple reply "Gum stretches when you take it out of your mouth and unknowingly leave it in your bed....half asleep." Thank you dear son.

Mess #3: After taking boy to school, I return to go back to bed. When I get up for a second time, I met once again with the O so lovely vomiting and this time it's WORSE. He has now managed to hit even more nice rugs as well a path around the entire downstairs - which I had just freshly mopped yesterday. At this point I had to make a decision of Vet or no Vet. We have not had very good experiences with Vet dealings so I was really un-decided. I went with Vet seeing this just wasn't going to stop. I once again start cleaning,  mopping, and vaccuming.

While I'm talking on phone with David relaying the run of the day so far, our pet bird KiKi decides to take a nose dive in her cage to the bottom of the floor. This is NOT a usual occurence and usually means it is in distress. I recently even went through an episode with it where it was rolling around sqwacking in pain with blood getting everywhere. I had NO clue whatsoever to help him. All I could do was pray for him. God very graciously took care of him for bleeding stopped and wounded leg healed by itself by next day. As I'm telling David about nose-diving bird who apparently is going to die now while I'm on the phone, I remember that it was late in the morning well past feeding time for our two dogs and I hadn't fed them yet! Our oldest dog had recently knocked on death's door as well and we thought this was it. God also very MIRACULOUSLY turned her around 180 degrees and she is doing much better.....if she is fed that is. Ha!

Now we have 1 dying cat, 1 dying bird, and 2 dying dogs < due to starvation. As sad as that all sounds, it really hit David and I as funny. Funny in that David said "Well, I guess I know where we are going for my birthday in a couple of weeks - Romance, Arkansas." We have a new show that we have started watching. The guy runs a taxidermy place in Romance, Arkansas and it's not your ordinary taxidermy. He also is called a Pet Preservation guy. He stuffs people's dead pets so they can keep them around forever. Actually, we find it rather comical, so you can see why the comedy here. Well, maybe you can. :)

I made it to the Vet and of course they gave me "We have 2 options...the conservative and the aggressive." speech. I had told David before I went that I was choosing the conservative view. . . and I stuck with it. The doctor had informed me that she hadn't seen this kinda mass in the stomach area before and that it was very firm. She went on to say "if it were a 18 year old cat we would call it Cancer, but not necessarily in a cat this young." Hmmm.....
I get cat home and read her remarks on paper of which state that she thinks the treatment we chose will help him feel a little better but not solve the problem. She leaned more towards the X-rays and possible surgery instead. Did I choose the right decision?? God knows. I'm trusting God to take care of him and to guide us. So far all he has been doing since coming home is . . . .sleep. He is supposed to be getting medicine but I NEVER have been good at waking up sleeping people or pets. Haha!

Later, David comes home and gets ready to go golfing with me and Levi. I decided my day had already been a little TOO eventful and chose a nice hot relaxing tub instead. Yes, Mother.....a hot bath.....your remedy for ALL things known to mankind. :)

Now - - I tell you all that story to share with you that even during all of the chaotic messes and decisions to be made, God helped me to keep a right perspective. He even influenced that perspective when earlier this morning I could hear that familiar song by Mandisa playing on the radio - "Good Morning".
It's a good morning!
Wake up to a brand new day
This morning,
I'm stepping, stepping on my way
Good morning,
You give me strength,
You give me just what I need
And I can feel the hope that's rising in me.
It's a good morning

It was a brand new day! And I was stepping, stepping (although carefully) on my way! God did give me strength and gave me just what I needed to accept the challenges before me and carry on. He has given me hope that he will see us through. . . .and it was not just a good morning but pretty darn good day too!

So, my friend, what is your perspective of your day? Are you bogged down by all that you see, hear and feel or have you chosen to turn to the One who can give you the strength to face come what may? Amist the chaos you too can feel hope rising up. Let go and let God.

Maybe this was why I came up empty this past weekend when I sat down to Blog and nothing came. Possibly it's because I was supposed to wait. . . .wait to give you a perspective check and maybe even a laugh or two! :)



Before being so sick.
I love this picture. . .
Ever feel like you're being....WATCHED?!
I looked up from where I was sitting in kitchen to see this! :)





"Hey Did You Know?!"

Hey did you know that God is a God who sympathizes and identifies with our weaknesses and suffering? In Hebrews 4:15 it lets us know that. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin."

God really made this verse stand out to me yesterday as our pastor shared the real meaning of what it's saying. I am no pastor, but I will try to put into words what I learned through this message. . .

When we hear this verse it can almost seem cold in a way. . . as if God is seated on his mighty throne in Heaven looking down us with our pain, sickness, struggles and says "You poor thing. I see you from way up here and you look miserable. That's a pity. Not sure what it's like, but I will say a prayer for you."
But that's not it at all!

God came to earth as Jesus himself and has lived YOUR life. Some may say well he's never been married to my spouse or had my children to deal with. . . and this list could go on. And although those could be true statements, that hasn't stopped him from having every single feeling you have, every single thought you have, every single challenge, every struggle, every fear, every doubt, and even faced the same temptations you have. He lived through it ALL as a human here on earth.  He knows. He is not some distant God who is unable to identify with all that we have ever been through and will go through. Let me say it again. . .He has lived YOUR life.

God not only knows, but he even gets in our weakness with us when we are experiencing the pain, suffering and struggles of it! He feels it with us and doesn't just leave us on our own to figure it all out! How amazing is it that we know he doesn't just know. . . but he feels it along with us?! He feels sadness, pain, fear, lonliness, rejection, worry right along with us.

The second part of the verse "but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet was without sin." lets us know this >> God has lived our life and he aced it! When he walked here on earth and was faced with all matters of fears, doubts, worry, struggles, challenges - he made the right decisions. He made the right choice, took the right path, chose the way that led to righteous living, freedom. And as the verse said he was without sin - he led a sinless life.

So in understanding all of this we see that: 1. God sees our struggles. 2. God came to earth and lived your/my life....feeling every pain, sorrow, doubt, fear, worry. 3. God gets in our struggles with us NOW. 4. In living and knowing, all the while living a sinless life,  he is able to navigate us through them and out of them!

God gets you and me, my friend. He understands. He isn't someone removed from knowing all the pains and struggles of our life here on earth. Trust him to navigate you daily through this journey of life. Draw near to him. If it has been awhile since you have, it's never too late to do so. If you have made wrong choices in life, God was/is with you in those times and he can and will lead you out of them. No life is ever too wrong, too distant, too messed up to turn to God and tell him "I messed up. I need your help."

O and an add on here: God not only shares and feels our pains and weaknesses, but he also shares and feels our JOY, our VICTORY, our HAPPINESS, our FREEDOM right along with us as well!! So rejoice in and with him today!

Thank him for not only knowing, but leading us through too!! :)

"Miracle Number 3!"

Three significant miracles have taken place, in our family, over the last 2 weeks. . . and yesterday was one of them! All three of our children not only came to church with us, but they even rode with us in the same car. . .my little Dodge Neon no less! I wish someone could have taken a picture of us all packed in the "little yellow car that could".

Going as a family to church may sound trivial and something to be taken for granted, but NOT in this family. It rather is, as stated, something no less than a miracle!! I know that God needs absolutely NO help from me, but this Mom stuck to her guns and didn't back down when setbacks that tried to step in. There was no setbacks going to happen - - we were going to church together. . . period.

I was so thankful that I even documented the miracle with picture taking too!





I pray daily for these three gifts in my life. They have each been raised in a solid christian atmosphere where God was/is leader of our home. They have attended church during their growing years, but somewhere at some point got mixed up. Moreso my girls. Now church is a place where people judge you, people are hypocrits, people don't accept you as you are, people are unfriendly, and people are boring. I know very well that God can remove this thinking and open their blinded eyes and softened their hardened hearts. I truly believe....no question about it. And in His timing - - He will. 

I say those very personal thoughts to share with you an incident that occurred during our Sunday morning miracle.

I share this incident with limitations, for I do not wish to show anger or rudeness. . . because it could turn that way. Rather I give an account of something we all need to be aware of and careful with. While the service progressed, Savannah had a slight cough. As she coughed, I began noticing a lady seated in front of her. The lady was beginnng to seem agitated. Let me say here that Savannah's cough was in no way loud, she wasn't leaning forward when she coughed, nor was it constant. She would cough just every now and then. At one point, the lady in front of her turns herself completely around, sitting on the edge of her chair, gives a look that said "Did your really just cough?!?!?" and turns herself around. My daughters found it amusing and rude. As time went on, I saw the lady close her Bible with a little added force, grab her coat and her purse. . . and continue to sit there. I knew she was on the verge of leaving by now....rather obvious. Well, as you guessed it.....Savannah coughed once more as time passed by. Lady jumps up, sitting on the 3rd row from the front of church, says to her friends with a look of disdain "I can't take the coughing anymore."...... and leaves.

As a protecting mother, I was mad << best word to use. But as a positive mother, I chose to tell my kids that this lady was looking for a way out beforehand and she found one. She must have felt uncomfortable, out of place and needed an escape plan.....Savannah became her ticket out. My kids, of course, didn't see it that way. As I related the incident to my Mom later, she said something about praying for the lady and going on. I told her right away "I didn't pray for her!" This was an example of someone living out in the flesh exactly what I had been trying to guard my kids from seeing.....making what they think of christians today and churches all around.....the truth!! How could she?! But as time passed and I thought about what my all so wise Mother told me, I decided I WOULD pray for this lady.....for only God knew of any pain she may have been feeling, what fears she may have been experiencing, what problems she may have been facing.

As I did pray, my thoughts changed to a more positive thinking. I know because of this incident my kids are not damaged and in time will return to church again. I also know that I canNOT nor have I ever been able to guard them from really anything in this world. What I can do is to keep praying for each of them to have their eyes opened, their ears opened, their desires to be God's, and their fellowship- with a God that loves them more than I do- to be R E A L.

So please the next time you may feel the need to be annoyed by something, don't like the way someone is dressed, tempted to say an unkind word, don't approve because they aren't like YOU.....take a moment and realize that this someone may be needing God and a closer walk with Him and your disapproving may be the thing that steps in and hinders that from happening.

In the front of my Bible I have written these very true words: God is infinitely more concerned over my children than I ever could be. He IS abundantly able to care for them in any and every situation.  The same applies for your children {no matter the age} as well, my friend! :)

As always.....thanks for letting me share!

"My Gift to Me and How We Met!"

As the Christmas season is in full swing, we eagerly await the big day when we can share our love through gifts with those we cherish. If your family is like my family EVERYONE but the baby is the hardest to buy for! Nonetheless....we attempt to please and hope that it will be the thought, love and time put into our endeavor that wins them over. :)

I want to share with you what my biggest and BEST gift is this year and every year. . . simply put. . . .my David. For all of you who may want to say "Not another my David bragging story!" go right ahead. I don't mind in the least. You see my David is everything to me apart from God Himself! In fact, if truth be told, David is the highest example of God to me in my life. Don't get confused....I'm not calling David - God! What I am saying is that David is love to me, forgives me, forgets my wrongs, believes the best in me, encourages me, strengthens me, gives hope to me, accepts me as I am, and is solid FAITH to me. I pray with all my heart that someday God WILL bring a man such as David into my daughter's lives!! I will smile with the biggest SMILE and thank Him always when He does! :)

I always LOVE to hear how couples met! So maybe you would like as well for me to share how my David and I came to be. . .

Hope I remember the details right!
Way back in March of '85, I was invited to go and watch a co-ed church softball game by my then boyfriend , Jim Allred. It was then that I was introduced to David Moore. David Moore - the guy you would've never guessed today was the HYPER guy who never sat down, never even stood still at a game. He was either swinging his arms wildly coaxing the players around the bases or jumping up and down in one spot because he had so much ENERGY! He ran so FAST that no one wanted to be batting in front of him. He was lightning fast as I called it! Watching him run was so graceful and exciting!! haha!

Jim and David were good friends. . . David once said "If I had a friend at that time, I guess I would call him Jim." {That's a compliment, Jim, if you're reading this!} He never was much on having a so-called main friend in his life. Mike Webster and Jim are about the only 2 ever mentioned in fact. In time, David took a liking to MY friend, Tammy Sparks Glover. And thus began the 4sum dating....Jim and Debby, David and Tammy. We had some really great times together!

Jim was a absolute wonderful first real boyfriend. I believe I loved him with a sincere different kind of love apart from the "I want to be with you forever" love. He was kind, gentle, loving, caring and he would be probably the first to notice that someone was beginning to come into a clearer picture in my mind. I will forever and always hold a special and dear place in my heart for this boy who as he says "set me free to see if I would come back and when I didn't ..... knew that I was not his to have." He would even be the one to encourage David to ask me out for he knew what his heart probably didn't want to tell him.

Tammy was the fun loving friend that we knew and loved too. She would go away to college that Fall. She would soon meet her future husband there as well. As Tammy was in college, time was moving on, and things between Jim and I were thinning out. I think it was on Labor Day that the official end to our realtionship between Jim and I would end. And as you can guess, David and Debby would come to be as well as Ron and Tammy too. November 23, 1985 I drove my car down David's street. I had my brother, who is 7 years younger, with me. When I saw David I told Dan to duck down....I tried ducking too! LOL! It was a small neighborhood street and I felt very noticable! I took Dan home and told my Mom "David is outside...he's outside!!" She said "Well, go see him!" So I drove my car right back to his street and parked myself right in front of his house! He was out still (thankfully). He came over seemingly happy to see me, we talked for awhile, he invited me inside his house. Continued talking. . . . His mom later cooked tacos for us and afterwards we would go out on our first official date that has not stopped 26 years later!

Sidenote: After my Mom told me to go see David that day, she would not see me return until after 2am that following morning after my Dad was sent to retrieve me. Haha! Hey she just told me to go see him....she didn't say when to return!! :)

It was a bit awkward at first being as though Jim and David attended the same church. Previously I would go with Jim to church as a couple....and now it would be David and I. The intial shock and reality of it set in for Jim one Sunday when David had to come and say to him "Hey guess who I'm dating now?" I know it hurt. . . and I did not want to see him hurt. But in time, with this being God's plan, Jim would accept it being the sweet friend he was to us both. . . and I thank him for it. He remained our faithful friend throughout time as well Tammy did too....we are blessed with their friendship!

David and I were best friends from the start. The only time we were ever apart from that November day was he or I went on family vacations. We have never tired of spending each and every hour possible together. I would rather be with no one else on the face of this planet than my David. That is why I find it so weirdly ODD when couples speak of needing breaks, day offs , etc...from one another! With as much time as we already do spend together, I look forward with great anitcipation to the day when he retires and not even something called work will separate us!! :) We got engaged in February of '87. I remember this well. We had already talked about marrying, even went and picked out the rings together. So I knew it would happen soon....just wasn't sure when! One night he invited me to a very NICE restaurant ....it was fancy....SOMETHING was about to happen! :)) Years later we would go back and I would take a picture of the very seat (I guessed) we sat in as my sweet David proposed to me! After the proposal, my family and I were going on a skiing trip with our church. My Mom always said it was a bad idea from the start to take that girl away from the man who just proposed and gave her a ring! He was all I though about and when I was able to finally reach him on the resort's phone (no cells back in the dino days) it was pure heaven to me! As our bus returned back home, following the forever loooong week, he would be the first I would see waiting in the parking lot for me! I was overJOYED!

As we prepared for our wedding, I remember taking David WITH me and my Mom to pick the wedding dress. We chose a store, found the dress and I went to try it on. The saleslady found out that David was the fiancee and told us in no uncertain terms that he was not supposed to be there! I quickly handed the dress back to her and said "If you don't want him here you don't want me here! Goodbye!" She quickly changed her mind and stood back. WHO was this dress for afterall??? It wasn't for anyone in the world except my David...he should be the one to pick it out!! :)

The beautiful day arrived on August 15, 1987! We were the first family from my home church to be married in our new location and sanctuary! My favorite, very much loved pastor and friend, would marry us. Pastor Rodger Phillips and his beautiful wife, Martha will forever be remembered in the hearts of those who knew and loved them....which are many of my FB friends. There will never be another.
And remember that first boyfriend I told you about - Jim? He was right there in our wedding with us! :)

Fast forward to April 29, 1988 and that day would make the union of two people become that much more stronger and sweeter as we welcomed our first baby girl into our world and forever in our hearts! Heather Marie.

That is how God brought two people together and blossomed a lifetime of love . . . forever.

(This is an awesome video of describing what a wonderful GIFT my David is to me. Please watch it!!)

"And You Thought It Was Impossible!!"

My Blog is unbelievably short this time....short and to the point..... and it only has ONE point!!

1. Our God can conquer ANYTHING in YOU!!!!

Fear. Doubt. Worry. Anxiousness.

{and the list goes on. . .}

Is anything too hard for the very Creator of our lives and the world as we know it??

No - for He is Sovereign and He is God. "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" Jeremiah 32:27.

God and God alone has the power to do that which we cannot for ourselves! We are not consumed by these negative things for they hold no power over us. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassion never fail. They are new every morning great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23. When we fully understand that we are not alone in our desire to be healthy and strong, and that the Lord is our strength, we begin to trust in His faithfulness.

When we seek Him and swing wide the doors of our heart to Him - it is then that His life changing power enters in and does for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you." Matthew 6:33. Then step by step, moment by moment He begins a good work in us. Things we do not need in our lives {fear, doubt, worry, anxiousness} are cut out. Discipline is applied where needed. Priorities are rearranged. In some areas He works quickly. In others, painfully slooooow. But His timing is PERFECT! "I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3: 24-26.

So take heart, my friend, for there is HOPE! If you struggle with these area{s} then seek God and His power to remove them from your life. And remember. . .  in some areas He works quickly. . . and in other areas He works slooooow. Nevertheless trust Him and His perfect timing! "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped." Psalm 28:6-7. "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27: 14.

"Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security." Jeremiah 33:6.

YOU are no challenge for almighty God!!



"Sharing Twice. . . One Year Ago. . . ."

I shared this Blog one year ago and I felt led to share it again. Hopefully God will lead new readers to share in it as well.

In the hustle and bustle of  the holiday season do you ever stop and ask yourself  "What is this all about? What does it all really mean?" I believe that Thanksgiving as well as Christmas are totally a time to see God in everything. We see Him in the time of Thanksgiving being totally the reason we are so very thankful for how He has blessed our year throughout with His provisions of grace, mercy, forgiveness, blessings and love. And we see Him in the time of Christmas, of course, because it is centered on Him coming in the form of a baby to save us all. It also reflects on the gifts of sharing our love with those we love because He loves.

But, this Blog isn't really about what I think of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's about knowing the Maker of  Thanksgiving and Christmas in a personal relationship. I will say that most likely all my FB friends know Him in a personal relationship....but there may be just that one who isn't sure or doesn't know Him that way....and for that one I share the following.

Have you ever heard the question asked "If you were to die today and went to Heaven and God stopped you and said 'Why should I let you into my kingdom?' what would you say?"  Many people have what they feel are genuinely perfect answers for this and many consist of them being simply good enough to earn their way in. Or. . .  Church membership. Baptized. Family heritage. Giving enough money. Others may believe that a loving God could never send anyONE to such a horrible place as hell and therefore make their way in as well. Well, sadly...none of this thinking is right. There is only ONE way and ONE way only....and that being through the perfect blood that Jesus shed on the cross for our salvation. Through His sacrifice for our sins, we receive the grace that He freely gives. We receive it through faith and faith itself is also given to us by and through God.

I could really draw this blog out with more lengthy discussions. But I believe that salvation is simple and therefore should be presented in a simple manner. That statement reminds me of a very special Christian kindergarten teacher I had a long time ago. I had asked Jesus into my heart at the age of 5 (also being the time of attending her class). She had ran into my Mom years later and had heard that I was struggling with doubts of my salvation. She replied to my Mom "Tell her to quit making it so HARD." Salvation is not a complicated thing...but sometimes we as humans tend to make it hard.

First, know that we ALL have sinned. If you have broken just one commandment...and we all have....then you are guilty of sin.
Romans 3:10 - "As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one."
Romans 3:23 - "For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 5:12 - "Therefore just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam) and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because ALL sinned."

Second, the price has been paid!
Romans 6:23- "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!"
Romans 5:8- "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Third, how we receive our gift!
Romans 10:9-10 - "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

It's as simple as ABC!
A= Accept that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour!
B= Believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead!
C= Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and call upon Him to save YOU!

Lastly, we know that when we call - He hears!
Romans 10:13 - "For EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord will BE saved!"
Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that NOT of yourself, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no man can boast." If it were by works anyway...someone would ALWAYS be better than you. . . and whose to say where the line would be drawn?? Side tidbit there. :)


There are many more proofs of God's love, His forgiveness, His grace and His salvation in the Bible. If you have a question regarding this topic, I would gladly TRY and seek an answer and get back with you. So ask! I don't have them....but I know WHO does! :)

Thanks for letting me share something SO very important with you!

And remember.....you are never too far gone, too bad, too unforgivable for God to pick up, dust off and say "Welcome my son/daughter!" He loves you that MUCH!