Yesterday

Yesterday was wonderful! We had a get to know the doctor appointment (our last family doctor left town in Nov. to live closer to his daughter). Then we went to Walmart to get highlighters. The two big boys have decided that they need to start highlighting verses in their new Bibles. Like I can say no to that. While at Walmart RC called me and asked if I wanted to go eat lunch at Applebee's for my birthday. I replied that I didn't think we had enough money to go there and he said that a friend from the church had just brought by a $25 gift card to there. It wasn't for my birthday, but RC was willing to spend it on me!=) I had the smothered, grilled chicken and the loaded mashed potatoes! It was GOOD! You might be thinking "I thought God had freed you from overeating?" Well, He has and I was perfectly content eating only half of the food on my plate and taking the rest home for later. Then of course they brought out desert for my birthday (yes, RC told them) and the kids shared the desert and I had two bites at the end. It was such a joy to be able to go to a restaurant, eat what I wanted, and leave without a hint of defeat or condemnation. God is so good!

After Princess had her nap we went outside to play. The day was literally perfect. I'm not sure of the temperature, but none of us wore jackets and there was hardly any wind and lots of sun. Bobo has been trying to learn to ride his bike without training wheels for a while now. I know, it is ridiculous that my third grader doesn't know how and I am fully aware that it is my fault. Frankly, with my anger issues our practice sessions never ended well and I stopped wanting to practice. I think Bobo did too. So, yesterday I remembered some advice a friend had given me about teaching her son to ride his bike. I took the training wheels off Bear's bike (smaller) and Bobo practiced on it. Within two tries he was riding like a champ! Yay for no training wheels!

Also, Bear has mastered the art of tying his own shoes! This is something we make a big deal of and he is very proud of himself.

My husband came home to lots of goodies in the mail that he had ordered with our tax return (more info in a future post) and my MIL got me a strawberry cake for us to celebrate with at dinner!!! It was one of the best strawberry cakes I've had, YUM! (and I'm gonna have another piece tonight=))

After dinner we went to life group and I knew that God wanted me to share my story. Well, the ice breaker question was "What has God done in your life recently?" Ha! God was not going to let me get by without sharing! It was wonderful to share my story with our new "family" because back in January I had asked them to pray for me concerning my strongholds and they were thrilled to hear of God's faithfulness! Life group really has become that for us: "LIFE". Being in community with other believers who can share burdens and victories and life. Thank you, Jesus!

This was without a doubt the best birthday I've had!

One last thing...I mentioned Galations 5:1 in my last post, but I didn't post all of it. It says: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

This is my prayer, that I stand firm. I refuse to wear the yoke of slavery again. Please join me in praying this for me! You cannot know how much I covet your prayers! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

Yay! I'm 29! =)

RC leaves for work at 5am every morning and I haven't been getting up till 5:30am so we don't see each other in the morning anymore. But...this morning when I got up and came out to my desk to have my quiet time there was a sweet note on my computer! It said:

Roses are red
Your eyes are blue
Just wanted to say
Happy Birthday!...

And I love you!

I know! He is very sweet and affectionate! God knew that I relied alot on affection and chose my husband accordingly.=)

Well, I just have to say it again PRAISE GOD, I'M FREE!!!!!

This is without doubt one of, if not the, best birthday I have had so far! So if the Son sets you free, YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED! John 8:36

I was thinking about something last night because ever since I wrote the previous post I have had multiple sensations of fear and an urgency to delete the post. Obviously, the fear is not of God b/c God does not give a spirit of fear. (1 Tim 2:7) It is still hard for me b/c I can so easily picture you all thinking I am ridiculous.

Anywho...back to my thought last night. If I was battling some horrible disease, or had been badly injured you all (I think) would be reading this blog eagerly awaiting the post that shouted: "I'M HEALED!" Well, folks, that is what has happened! I am free from strongholds (diseases) that have kept me from living the abundant life that God has for me in Christ Jesus! Halelujah!

I will never stop talking about this b/c I have lived life on the other side way to long and am way to familiar with it! Praise God He has set me free and I can live (God willing) much longer in freedom than I did in captivity! All I can say is "GLORY!"

You must know, You must know (Pride and Prejudice) that this freedom is for ALL!
Galations 5:1 It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free!
Paraphrase(by Beth Moore): Don't you realize that Christ gave up everything so that you could be free?
And After the temptation of Jesus in the desert He returns "in the power of the Holy Spirit" and at Nazareth goes into the Temple to teach. He is handed the scrolls and opens them to what we know as Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim FREEDOM for the captives and RELEASE from darkness for the prisoners."
This is what I know deep down into my marrow...God wants to set you free! If God can and will set me free I KNOW that He will do the same for you! You are NOT the exception!!!! God will set you free! If you want to talk to me more about this then shoot me an email so we don't share more than we're supposed to.:)

Maybe God already has set you free. Praise His Holy Name! If so, please, please, please share your story with us! Take the two minutes to set up a Google account and leave a comment so others can rejoice AND witness God's faithfulness!!!

Yay for being 29 and Yay more for being free!

P.S. sorry I used so many caps and bolding and exclamation points. I'm a little excited. (As if you couldn't tell)

I refuse!

Tomorrow is my 29th birthday. While I'm not overly excited, I'm not dreading it. Some of my friends who are already in their thirties are having a blast and so I am looking forward to entering this new stage of my life. No, I'm not there yet, but I'm close. And therefore I'm thinking about it.

This next part is hard for me to say, and I feel silly writing it, but I feel like I'm supposed to.

When I was in high school I told people when asked that what I wanted to do when I grew up was sing. But thinking back I'm not sure I ever believed God was going to let me. When I went to college I chose to rebel and faced the consequences of my rebellion. I assumed that for sure now my chances of God using me this way were over. Of course, I occasionally let myself hope, but deep down I expected nothing. I stopped telling people that was my dream and starting looking for another way to serve the Lord.

In the summer of 2004 I was asked by our then Pastor what I wanted to do and before I could think about my answer I replied, "I want to sing." From that point on God started fanning the flames of my desire and began opening doors. My husband and I began leading the contemporary worship at our church and I was lead singer. The road was hard and sometimes the only thing that got me up there was focusing on Jesus, but I loved it.

Last summer God called us to leave that church, move back to RC's hometown and not have a leadership role in church. Our opportunity for music seemed to be diminishing, but as time has gone on God has still opened doors, provided much encouragement, and spoke very clearly to me that this is it. The reason I am writing this to you all is because I find myself still battling doubt.

Is God really commissioning me to do what my heart most desires?
What if I fail?
I'm not even close to the best singer out there. What if no one else believes?
What do I have to offer?

The last question is the only one I can answer: JESUS. I think God has been bringing me to this point the last ten years. In my Bible study we just learned about the spoken word and how much power it contains. More so than thoughts. I know I'm taking this verse out of context somewhat, but God has been telling me to SPEAK THIS. In 2 Corinthians 4:13 it says: It is written "I believed; therefore I have spoken." (Psalm 116:10) With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak.

So I am CHOOSING to believe God and speak.

Something else I must speak. This past Sunday was intense at church. The Spirit of the Lord was near and it was good!!! God spoke a Word over our congregation and asked us to respond. The response God wanted from me was to go down to the front of the church during prayer/ministry time. This is not easy for me. I can ask for prayer in small groups, specifically life group, but going to the front of the church is not something I do often. I finally decided that I wanted what God was offering more than my own comfort so I went down. Without something specific to ask prayer for I just started praying and telling God that I was believing Him to give me what He said He would if I would just step out and come down. A friend came down and started praying for me. God kept telling her "RELEASE". I believe that God is releasing me from some strongholds and that He is releasing His purpose for my life. I believe; therefore I speak.

I know that sharing these things is an invitation for attack from Satan. He wants none of this, but I also know that I am NOT going to live my life in unbelief. I refuse!!! And if I have to make a fool of myself so be it. I already have been experiencing freedom from the strongholds of overeating and anger and I KNOW that God has set me free! In Joshua 6:2 God tells Joshua "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men." God tells Joshua this BEFORE they even begin marching around Jericho. God tells Joshua that the victory isn't coming, it's IN HIS HANDS! God has told me the same thing and I am choosing to believe it! The victory is in my hands! Glory to God!

I say all of this for two reasons:
1. I feel God wants me to. (I've tried to quit multiple times tonight and can't)
2. God wants to say to all of you "The victory is in your hands! See what Jesus sees! Look with eyes of faith and go conquer!!!"

I have so much more to say, but can't seem to get it out so I will just leave it at this.
Good night and love to all.

Deposits and Withdrawls

Our Pastor gave what I think is one of the best reasons for reading the Bible frequently today.


Besides the fact that God tells us to, (Study the Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. Joshua 1:8), the example our Pastor gave has put a picture in my head that I think you all can appreciate as well.


Jesus told his disciples (and meant it for His future disciples as well) in John 14:26 "But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative - and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit - He will teach you everything and will REMIND you of everything I myself have told you." Our Pastor pointed out that for the Holy Spirit to be able to REMIND us of something He has to have said it to us first. God speaks to us through His Word and if we are not listening to Him by reading the Word, studying the Word, memorizing the Word, listening to the Word, then how are we going to have anything for the Holy Spirit to remind us of? Our Pastor's example was this: You can only withdrawl from the bank as much money as you put into it. If I only put in $1 then I can only withdrawl $1. The amount of money that I have to deposit into my bank can be limited by many factors, but the deposits I make into my spiritual bank are only limited by my willingness or lack thereof to make Jesus Christ and His Word priority in my life.


It is my prayer that we all will make DAILY deposits into our spiritual banks. My recommendation is to start reading the gospels. Want to know Jesus better? That is a great place to start. Read one chapter in the morning, think and pray about it throughout the day, and then reread it before you go to bed. I began doing this last summer and it became a catalyst for my hunger for God's Word.


We might not have fat bank accounts in this world but we have no excuse other than ourselves for not having a fat spiritual bank account. Our God is supernatural and I cannot explain with words how this will change your life, but I can guarantee you that it will.

Hebrews 4:12 For the Word of God is full of living power.

Cool Running

Haggai 1:4 Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?

Back in January God led me to read Haggai. It is about the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem after the exile. God has brought the people back to Jerusalem and told them to rebuild the Temple, but for some reason they are saying 'It is not yet time to rebuild the Lord's house-the Temple.' (v.2) God then asks them the above question. The rest of the book of Haggai proceeds to point out their suffering do to disobedience and reminds them of the promises that come with obedience.

After reading through the whole book (it's short, just 2 chapters) I asked God what He was telling me through this passage. The only thing that was coming to my mind was that I spent a significant amount of time thinking about and planning how to decorate my home, yet my body (the temple of the Holy Spirit) was lying in ruins. I wasn't convinced that this was what the Lord was wanting to tell me so I asked for confirmation. Well, about an hour later a friend called and asked me if I wanted to go to the gym and exercise with her. This was a new friend and we had never talked about going to exercise together before. She told me how she felt God was telling her to live a healthier lifestyle and I felt this was confirmation.

At the beginning of this week my sister called and asked me if I would be interested in walking/running a half marathon with her. I told her I would pray about it. ;) No, seriously, I'm trying to schedule my life around the Lord's will and I wanted to make sure that I could fill a weekend with a half marathon and schedule the training time I would need. So, on Wednesday at Life Group the ice breaker question was "What is one thing that makes you really happy?" We weren't allowed the standard family, spouse, children answers. A newcomer said that running and reaching that point where you feel like you could run forever and your mind is really clear and your body feels really good makes him happy. Well, I told God I had caught that, but that I still wasn't convinced. So yesterday I was reading the comments on a blog I frequent and a comment caught my attention so I went to the commenter's blog. She proceeded to tell a wonderful story about God showing up during her daily run. Ok God, I'm catching on.

Well, the marathon my sister is talking about is the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Marathon. I got online this morning to find out more information and to make sure I was hearing God correctly.=) The marathon is the last weekend in April. Exactly 9 weeks away. You can run the full marathon, (26miles) a half marathon, (13 miles) do a relay with a 5 person team, OR you can do the 5K walk/run that is for families and very novice runners. I wasn't sure exactly how long a 5K was so I googled it. The first website listed was called CoolRunning.com and they have a workout schedule that is for 'couch potatoes' (their words) who want to begin running. They say that you can be running a 5K in...

You guessed it! 9 WEEKS!

And the best part is that it only requires 30 minutes a day / 3 days a week! I can totally do that!

So here I go! I will be running the OKC Bombing Memorial 5K and I'm even praying about having Bobo and Bear run it with me. Runner's Digest says that this marathon is a "must run" for all runners so I am excited. This will be my first one ever and might even lead to a lifestyle of running. Who knows?

P.S. a 5k is 3 miles, just FYI =)

To God be the Glory!!!

I am smiling and laughing and my eyes are watering because I am so excited to share this news with you!

MAKENNA HOPPED OVER TO THE RECLINER YESTERDAY AND PULLED UP TO STANDING!!!

Oh my goodness, I am so excited!!! God has told us that He is healing Makenna and it is so wonderful to get to see it happening! She proceeded to repeat the process many times last night! Her big brother was so cute and starting yelling "Oh my word! Oh my word!" when he saw her do it the first time. Seriously, check out her site www.caringbridge.org/visit/makennajohnson and look at the pictures and read what her mom had to say!

Psalm 89:5-8 NLT
All heaven will praise Your miracles, Lord;
myriads of angels will praise You for Your faithfulness.
For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord?
What mightiest angel is anything like the Lord?
The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God.
He is far more awesome than those who surround His throne.
O Lord God Almighty!
Where is there anyone as mighty as You, Lord?
Faithfulness is Your very character.

Go back, Stand still, Hurry up

I haven't been saying much about what God is teaching me these last few weeks. It's not because He isn't saying anything. It's because it has been personal. While I love sharing about what God is doing in my life, God asked me a couple of weeks ago if I only liked hearing from Him so I would have something to blog about. Heavens NO!!! I love my God and desperately want to hear His voice. After some self evaluation I realized that I don't share with you everything RC and I talk about. I don't share with you everything my best friends and I talk about. I felt like God was telling me that not everything He says to me is for everyone else also. I was so blessed by this. God is intimate with us. Not for the sole purpose of us doing things for Him and telling others about Him. For the sole purpose that HE LOVES US.

God was providing me with a motives check. And I believe He was preparing me for what He was going to share with me. I am trying now to use more discernment about what God releases me to share and what He wants me to hide in my heart.

Here's something I want (and feel I can) share.

Have you ever had God tell you to do something that is hard or scary to do? You start off obeying and as you go along you start questioning whether you heard God correctly? You start looking back at where you left and all you can seem to remember is all the good stuff and when you look forward all you can see is uncertainty and mountains?

Did you know that God didn't just part the waters once. He parted them twice, a different set of waters mind you, but He parted the waters for the Israelites twice. Twice He made a way for them to walk across on dry land. If you aren't very familiar with what I'm talking about check out Exodus 14 and Joshua 3.

I'm going to focus on the passage in Exodus for a moment. The Israelites are standing on the bank of the Red Sea and Pharoah and his army are after them. The Israelites start whining about how God has brought them out into the desert to just let them die. Ridiculous! The Israelites solution to their problem is to GO BACK. Moses knows that God did not bring them out into the desert to let them die. In his effort to be obedient his solution is to STAND STILL. While God says loudly HURRY UP! If Satan can't get us to go back then he will try to get us to stand still. But if we listen to God it is likely we will hear an "I told you what to do, now HURRY UP." God has told me what to do. In fact, He told me what to do last fall and in my attempt to wait for confirmation I ended up standing still even after God confirmed what He said. He has told me again very clearly and now I am trying to HURRY UP. Mind you, our idea of HURRY UP and God's are usually not quite the same. This process that God has called me to is going to probably take months, but the problem was that I was standing still.

The other side of the coin now. If you want direction from God on something specific and you ask and ask for an answer and He remains silent then DON'T MOVE. In the summer of 2006 we (RC and I) had some doors of opportunity open to us. We stood in the doorway and asked God if we could go through. He said nothing. Some people think that this means that God is letting us choose and He is okay with whatever we do. I disagree. I believe God is waiting to see if we will wait on Him. RC and I didn't realize it at the time, but I believe God was testing us. We chose not to go through the door because we didn't have a clear answer from God. I am so glad we waited. While I don't believe that path would have been sin, I do believe it would have only been God's permissive will instead of His perfect one.

If you think that you need to just do something and trust God to work it out you probably don't agree with anything I've just said. All I know is that when I have chosen to wait on God I have never been disappointed. I can, however, tell some stories about going my own direction (and I'm not talking about sin here) and ending up in less than land. I can promise you that less than land doesn't even begin to compare to God's perfect will. I can speak from experience.

So I'm hurrying up and heading toward the unknown. I'm excited, nervous, and unsure of myself. But I am completely confident in my God. I'm following His orders so I have nothing to fear.

Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish INFINETLY more than we would dare to ask or hope. Ephesians 3:20 NLT

Princess

My Nana sent the kids Valentine Cards and Princess got stickers with hers. This is what she did with them. This was Friday morning last week. We were finishing up some school stuff and Princess had to have her workbook too.

Last night around 10:30 I was trying to burn some pictures onto a cd for a friend. I couldn't get it to work (surprise, surprise) and so RC had come in to rescue me. While we were working on it Princess walked out into the living room. The house was pretty much dark and since RC was doing most of the work I took Princess back to her bed. When I got there I noticed my old makeup bag on her bed with all it's contents spread out on her bed and makeup everywhere. Well, I told Princess "NO" then spanked her hand and sat her down so I could clean up the mess and change her bedding. While I was busy she went back out into the living room and I hear RC say: "Babe, what's all over Princess?" I walk out into the living room to find that her bed was not the only thing covered in makeup. All we could do was laugh. =)

RC cleaned up the bed while I bathed Princess. Oh, the joys of children!!!

All clean after my shower and trying to smile.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I know that I am a day late, but I am celebrating Valentine's Day today. RC's parent's booked us a night's stay at the brand new Hampton Inn in town for tonight! I'm so excited! I get to sleep in! We are gonna go see Fool's Gold and then eat at Applebee's. I can hardly wait!

My friend, Marianne, posted this story on her blog. I am stealing it for mine. Enjoy.

The Legend of Saint Valentine says that there was a Christian named Saint Valentinus who lived during the reign of the pagan emperor Claudius II Gothicus. Valentinus continued to worship the Lord and continued his Christian practices even though Claudius ordered that all of Rome worship idols.
There was a jailer for Claudius who as a last resort, came to Valentinus in hopes that he could help his little daughter, Julia, who was blind. Valentinus did all he could and quickly developed a sweet friendship with the little girl. She had a quick mind and Valentinus taught her arithmetic, history, and of GOD.
"Valentinus, does GOD really hear our prayers?" Julia said one day. "Yes, my child, He hears each one, "he replied.
"Do you know what I pray for every morning and every night? I pray that I might see. I want so much to see everything you've told me about!"
"GOD does what is best for us if we will believe in HIM," Valentinus said.
"Oh, Valentinus, I do believe," Julia said intensely. "I do." She knelt and grasped his hand. They sat quietly together, each praying.
Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned because of his Christian faith. On the eve of his death he asked for a pen and paper and wrote a note to Julia. When the jailer went home, he was greeted by his little girl. The little girl opened the note and discovered a yellow crocus inside. The message said, "From your Valentine." As the little girl looked down upon the crocus that spilled into her palm she saw brilliant colors for the first time in her life! The girl's eyesight was restored! It was a miracle!

Happy 50th, Mom!!!

OK, so surely by the title you know what this post is going to be about. My mom's b-day isn't till tomorow, 2-16, but I won't be able to post this first thing in the morning (see post above) so I decided to post it early. I don't get to see my mom on her birthday so I have decided to write her a love post.

Mom - here are 50 things that I love about you!

1. You (along with dad) are the one who led me to Jesus

2. You are my biggest fan

3. You went without so I could do all those extra activities

4. You were at all my extra activities

5. You were my 10th grade geometry teacher

6. You were my cheerleading coach

7. You are 50 and can still do amazing toe touches!

8. You can't ever just sneeze once. It must be in a grouping of 4 or more

9. Your sneezes are LOUD

10. You married a guy with nice hair =)

11. You sang with me in the car when I was a kid

12. You love shopping for pageant dresses

13. You filled out all my pageant apps

14. You took me to all my pageants

15. You had leg slapping contests with me in the car at lunch

16. You taught at the highschool I went to (still do)

17. You let me keep my books in your classroom instead of my locker

18. You let me eat lunch with you

19. You let me not eat lunch with you

20. You were aware of the gifts God had given me way before I was

21. You gave me sisters

22. You let my friends hang out at our house

23. You let us sleep with you when dad was traveling

24. You would let me stay home from school if I had a really exhausting week

25. You let us see you reading the Bible

26. You took us to Sunday School and church

27. You went with us to Sunday School and church

28. You love my children

29. You would lay out on the trampoline during your lunch break

30. You picked up Andre for school everyday

31. You picked up Mike for church on Sunday and Wednesday

32. I (everyone) can see the difference God is making in your life

33. You taught me to serve others by example

34. You love dad

35. You respect dad

36. My kids call you TamTam

37. You taught me how to clean

38. You took us swimming almost everyday in the summer

39. You were home with us every summer

40. Your love language is service

41. You're a great mother-in-law (RC added this one)=)

42. You root for Oklahoma State

43. You root for Oklahoma State even though you cheered at Oklahoma University

44. You love diet coke

45. You instilled in us the motto: "You are blessed so be a blessing" (Andrea helped with this one)

46. You continued to spot Andrea's tumbling after her elbow hit you in the eye not once, not twice, but THREE times. (Andrea helped with this one, too)

47. You and Kara look just alike

48. You like naps now!

49. You (and dad) opened your home up to Nana

50. You love to laugh (particularly at yourself)

I love you, mom! I'm so glad God gave me you! Hope your day (tomorrow) is great!!!

Valentine Dinner

The youth at our church host a Valentine Dinner each year as a fundraiser. Some of the youth babysit the kids while the others cook and serve. They have live entertainment and a dance floor. It was Sunday night and it was FUN!

Jason and Katy, our new friends

Dick and Opal, our pastors

Chris and Heather, our not as new friends (in our life group)

Rudy and Diane, our friends and life group leaders

Jessie and Michelle, more new friends (lead their own life group)

He asked me to dance!

leading us in Y M C A

our live entertainment

Brenda, Toby, RC, and Me. RC and Toby have been friends since childhood. Both do music and are BIG goofballs!

Computer illiterate

Sorry, folks. I can hardly bear to read the last post for all the typos and misspelled words. I don't know what I did to mess things up but now when I try to edit the post I can't see anything but the pictures. I really am not that ridiculous and do know when I am making a mistake. I just can't correct it this time. Like I DO know how to spell definitely!!! And I know that & is not a percentage sign!

Anywho...please don't let all these typos lessen your opinion of me. Let the fact that I am computer illiterate and don't know how to fix them lessen it. =)

Saturday

I'm tired of looking like a slob. I'm not happy with my physical appearance and so I tend to dress casual way to often. While I am working on living a healthier lifestyle, obviously it doesn't happen overnight. Well, I fell into some money (Thanks Nana). So I decided the best way to spend it was on some new clothes. RC (my DH) works every other Saturday and this past Saturday was a working one. I had determined to get out with all the kids anyway b/c I had afternoon and evening plans that would keep me from being able to go when RC got home. Also, RC and I were singing in church on Sunday so I really wanted something new for that, too. (Sorry, I don't know why this is underlined and I don't know what to do to make it go away.)

Well, about 8:45 am RC's Nana calls and asks if she can stop by after her hair appointment to borrow some movies and drop off a children's magazine that she gets for the kids. She would be by between 10:30 and 11:00. I knew I couldn't finish getting ready, go shopping, and be home by then, but I decided I could just be ready to go as soon as she left and we could eat lunch out.

When she got here and we were visiting one of the kids asked about our errands that I had told them we were going to run. Nana asked what I needed to do and when I told her she offered to stay home with the kids and let me go shopping by myself!!!

I was planning on going to Maurices (remember, this is Altus, America. not alot of options outside of Walmart)=) but felt God leading me to start at Stage. I got there and they were having a sale! I found four sweaters that I loved, but I wanted to look at Maurices first. I was really needing a new pair of jeans and some black dressy/casual shoes and I wanted to make sure to get those first. Well, at Maurices I found a pair of really cute LONG jeans for $29 and I got two neclaces just for fun. They were BOGO 1/2 off! Then I ran to Payless (all these shops are in one shopping center) and found a really cute AND comfortable pair of black shoes for $12.99! So I headed back to stage to determine how many of the sweaters I could afford (I was shopping with cash so I wouldn't spend more than I had). The lady rang up all four and said "28 Dollars." I said "For all four?!" She said "Yes!" So I said "Put them all in there!!!"They were all 75% off plus an extra 20& off of that! Praise the Lord! I know some of you might think this is very trivial and it is. But, frankly, I'm very much a girl and love sales, my family lives on one income with four children so new clothes are most definetly not an everyday occurance, and I felt the presence of God delighting in this with me. It was a really fun morning!

So...as soon as Rc got home we made a quick trip to an even smaller town next to ours and looked at a furniture store. I found a dining table that is exactly what I would buy if money was no issue! It is gorgeous, has a story, and comes 10 ft long!!! It is perfect for my dream house. I do have to note here that if my dream house is not God's perfect will for our life then I will gladly pass it up and I do mean gladly. But it is fun to decorate it in my head!=)

After that my mother-in-law and I went out to eat and then to the Miss Altus Pageant! It was so much fun and so very girlie!!! Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007, was there! For those of you who don't know (which is probably most of you) I used to do pageants. (I visualize many of you laughing right now) Seriously though, the only pageant I ever won afforded my college tuition. (which is where I met RC) I had some personal issues I was dealing with at the time that kept me from being able to really enjoy doing them and to really put my best effort into them, but God has freed me from so many of those issues now that I can look back on them and remember the good things. Like getting all my mom's attention for one whole weekend.=) And the awesome evening dresses I got to wear. My mom doesn't really like to shop except for evening dresses. Must account for the 7 or 8 I aquired during my short pageant career.=)Anywho...one thing that was really fun was that Miss OCU Teen was a guest at the pageant. That is the title I held that gave me my scholarship. Of course, I greeted her after the pageant and told her I had been Miss OCU Teen 1996! I'm laughing as I type this, she was so sweet and even acted happy to meet me. Man, 1996 sounds so long ago and I am such a different person now, yet somehow the same. Enjoy the pictures!
Mom, Me, Dad, Grandma, Kara, Andrea, Nana and Papa, cousin Jennifer (peeking between Nana and Papa), Aunt Donna (dad's sister in the black and white stripes) and family friend Donna(far right)

Mema, Me, Grandad, and Eloise (Mema's parents)

Katrina (I don't remember her last name) =( and Me. I got to go to the Miss OK pageant and support Katrina. She got 2nd runner up and I got to wear fun cocktail dresses all week with my tiara! :-)

Makenna update

Got the blood test results back and there was no trace of medicine in her system. That means that she is metabolizing it very quickly, too quickly, so the doctor increased her dosage. Matt and Marianne are increasing it a little at a time. Makenna had a good day yesterday and was happy when she left for school this morning. Good news.

If you want to keep up with what God is doing in Makenna's life then just check out her Caring Bridge site. It's listed in the post titled Perspective.

Goodbye Tiny Faith

I'm just gonna let this be what it is and let God speak to you whatever He wishes.

Without Faith

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. Romans 14:23

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Whenever God reveals something, He expects us to believe Him and adjust our lives accordingly. What does this mean? It means we trust Him implicitly for all of our needs because He says He will provide (Philippians 4:19). It means we approach crises with the assurance that God will bring good from them (Romans 8:28). It means we overcome anxiety during stressful situations because God instructs us to bring our requests to Him (Philippians 4:6). It means that we never worry that we are alone because God said He would never leave us or forsake us(Dueteronomy 31:6). It means that despite what happens in our lives, we will never doubt God's love because He has told us that He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).
At times we try to justify our lack of faith! We know what God has promised, but we doubt that He will make a practical difference in our life. We are filled with anxiety and excuse ourselves by saying: "I am just a worrier!" We become bitter during a crises and reason that "God could not possibly bring anything good out of this pain!" We appeal for help from everyone around us when we a have a need; then we explain: "I know God can provide for my needs, but I think I should do everything I can, just in case." God calls this faithlessness. Faithlessness is sin. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

From Experiencing God Day-by-Day by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby pp.38


Say Goodbye to Tiny Faith...
You have read all of the scriptures about God's faithfulness, learned of His promises to help, and seen God take care of situations in the past. But this time is a different story. You prayed sincerely. You believe what you have asked for is God's will. You have been patient and searched your own heart. But nothing has happened.
What do you do when prayer doesn't seem to work? And, how do you answer all the questions and doubts that have risen in your heart and mind? The answer is unwavering faith - faith that hangs on through the toughest questions and the longest waits. Faith that surrenders your understanding to His matchless wisdom.
So let go of your tiny, little faith and replace it with great faith, unwavering faith, faith that expects miracles no matter how long the wait!
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

sent in a email

San Antonio

We had a GREAT time in San Antonio! It was a fun mini vaca and God just kept showing up! Tears are stinging my eyes right now as I think about it. Our VERY BIG God chose to meet with us in very regular ways all weekend!!! How GREAT He is!

My mom called me on the Thursday a week before we were to leave on Friday. So on Friday morning during my prayer time I asked God if it was His will for me to go. I asked Him to give me an answer soon so that if His answer was no my sister would have time to make other plans. During my prayer time God reminded me that my sister-in-law lived in San Antonio (no, it hadn't crossed my mind before then) and I felt a peace about moving forward with the plans. Then, Wednesday night at our Life Group the Pastor was leading it b/c our leaders were sick and He talked about going to see the Ten Tenors group and how God wants us to do fun things and I felt like God was confirming that He was taking me to San Antonio for a fun weekend with my sisters, my daughter, and Him. Our God is not all business and this weekend was a reminder for me. In one of the small towns we went through on the way down there was a hair salon located inside a Union Pacific freight car. My dad is an Engineer for Union Pacific and just got a promotion to be a Manager of Engineers. Anywho...we felt a picture was necessary.=)

This is our dinner stop at McDonald's on the way down. I told Princess to scoot next to Kara for a picture and Princess put her arm around Kara, put her cheek next to Kara's and said 'cheese!' She's got the girlfriends pose down already.

On Saturday morning we headed to the airport to pick up another cheerleader (Alicia) and then headed down town for lunch with the team. We arrived early so we walked through the Alamo and around the Riverwalk. Yes, I dressed Princess like me. What can I say? I'm very proud of my daughter and wanted everyone to know she was mine.=)

We ate lunch at a restaurant called Dick's Last Resort. If you don't know anything about this restaurant then let me tell you. The staff is mean. Yes, I'm serious. They tease you and yell at you and this is their 'thing'. Well, we weren't really excited about eating there, but it ended up being pretty fun. They really are mean in the nicest way. They make hats out of big rolls of paper and write insulting things on them then put them on people's heads. This is a picture of one of our waiters and the hat he made for Princess. It says: Princess Poopie Pants =) Princess loved it!

This is Kara's picture with her hat. It says 'Sometimes I pee when I laugh'. He made me one too, but me head is so big it wouldn't stay together. Mine said 'I'm in heat.' Haha.

Here is Princess with Aunt Molly. Notice the fuzzy blue slippers. This is one place God showed up. That morning when we went downtown for lunch I didn't realize that the shoes I had put on Princess were too small and she got blisters on her heals from all the walking. Well, even her shoes that fit hurt and so when we got to the competition we found these slippers for sale for $10.00. They fit her perfectly, didn't hurt her heels, and saved our backs! As I'm writing this Princess is standing next to me pointing to the screen and saying 'Jimmy!'. That is Molly's husbands name and for some reason Princess has started calling Molly Jimmy. She can say Molly just fine and will when we tell her to, but she just loves calling Molly Jimmy instead. =)

Here we are at 9:30 pm waiting for Kara and Alicia to meet us at the top of the escalators. The cheer team did great at prelims, but we are very tired!!! Kara brought her very first cheer uniform for Princess to wear at the competition. Princess loved having a shirt like KK's!!

Here we are Sunday afternoon after the awards. Kara's team won! Yeah!! The jacket Kara has on is the jacket they give the winning teams. It says National Champion! This is Kara and Alicia's SEVENTH jacket! Amazing! On Saturday at the competition I spent alot of time tallking with God about church the next morning. When we were making the plans it looked like it was gonna work out for us to go to church with Molly Sunday morning and then go to the competition after. Well, when we got there we realized it would not be so. I really wanted to go to church and was asking God what He wanted me to do. Church or Cheer? Saturday night after the competition Kara had all the information and we realized the It would work out for Kara and Alicia to drop Princess and I off at church (Molly is the Youth Pastor and has to be there way early) and then Molly would let me drive her car down to the competition. Praise God! He worked out a way to do both. Then when I got downtown I asked God to help me park near Kara. I couldn't get a hold of Kara to find out where she had parked b/c our original parking plans didn't work out. I never saw Kara's car and wasn't even sure she was in the same lot, but trusted God would work it out. Even if we got in Molly's car and I drove them to theirs. After the competition we were walking to our cars and you guessed it! We were parked 5 spots from each other! Can I get a GLORY! Alamodome parking lots don't even faze our God! Also, by the time I got there on Sunday they had stopped making you pay for parking! Free Parking!!! Yippey!

Here is Princess and Kenna! BFFs!!!! On our way home on Monday we stopped in Waco. What a blessing! We only got to see Marianne, Marlee, and Makenna but it was wonderful. Way back in the day when I only had Bobo and Bear and Marianne only had Micah we literally spent every day together. She would either come to my house at 10am with a lunch for her and Micah or I would go to her house with a lunch for my crew. It didn't take us long to become best friends from the first time we met and though God has moved us far apart He continues to keep us close at heart. The last time we saw each other was September 27, 2005. I was very pregnant with Princess and on my way back to Montgomery, TX from OK. Over two years, folks! This was Marianne's first time to see Princess in person. It was hard to leave, but God is good and I'm trusting He will continue to keep us together and perhaps even will us to live near each other again someday.=)

Here we are: Marianne, Makenna, Marlee, Me, and Micaiah! Yes, I know I just put her name. It won't become a habit but with all the Ms I wanted to.

God was with us and making His presence known the whole time. These are only some of the things He did. If you've never taken a trip with God then make sure to invite Him along next time. Or better yet, wait until He invites you on one with Him. I gaurantee it will be a blast!!!

It was a great trip, but I'm glad to be home! Thanks for praying for us! It was a huge blessing!