Good Morning All....

Just thought I would stop in and say Hi to all of ya'll out there in blog land. We are getting ready for 2 family Thanksgiving meals today... my mother's family at noon and Eric's family later this evening. We are also planning a trip to Columbia so that the girls can see our new home. ..... We got the deed back in the mail yesterday so first thing Monday I will be going to the courthouse and to the bank..... I'm getting so excited. I'll be taking lots of pictures during the set up of our new home... and keeping all updated!!! So I'm off to finish with lunch prep!

Happy Thanksgiving

What a day the Lord has made! How wonderful that we have a special day put aside for us to think on our blessings and how thankful we are of them. I personally have been blessed so very much. I have a wonderful husband, four of the best children a mother could ask for, and all our needs are being met. What more could a person ask for on such a glorious day.....

I hope each of you have a blessed day and enjoy counting your blessings.

Friday's Fixin's ~ Caramel Cookies

Caramel Cookies



1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats

Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Remove from heat and mix with brown sugar and salt. Mix in oats.
Press onto a greased or parchment paper lined 9 x 13 inch cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until melted together and lightly brown, about 8 minutes. Watch carefully and don't let them overcook! Cut while hot.

These are also great with chocolate chips.

Thankful Thursday....

Counting Blessings is the fastest way in the world to relieve those deep blues for me.... and with Thanksgiving Just around the corner.... I thought I would get a good head start on the holiday.

* I am thankful that Eric is my husband. He truely is who God sent.

* I am thankful for our 4 wonderful children. They teach me each day to remember that God makes each of us different... even if we are from the same gene pool.

* I am thankful for our families and friends. Its so comforting to know we have shoulders to cry on, people to be there and so much love from these wonderful people.

* I am thankful that we are getting back on our feet with the help of God. He has been with us all the way.

Good start to a thankful heart.......


Thanks to Crystal at *God is in control....NOT ME! for hosting this weeks Thankful Thursday.

Wednesday's Word

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in work, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

This is the theme for the Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes
convention for 2008. Our congregation at Lomax is very involved in this program for our youth. Eric and myself have seen so many good things (just from our own children) come from this program over the years we have been involved. Over the next few months ~ until Convention (Easter weekend) ~ we will be very busy with all different types of practices and meetings. I am telling all of my blogging friends out in blogland this because I did not want anyone to feel that I may have dropped off the face of the earth. We are here ..... just very busy at the momment. I want to get on here and blog each and every day.... just seems so hard to do that right now.... so I will blog as I have the time.

Also, we are buying a new home. We have found a nice doublewide and are getting all in order to put it on our land here. So that is also taking up some of my time. Please bear with me for a few more weeks and I believe as things settle I will have more time to blog.

I know I've been M. I . A. once again....

Wow the time really does seem to sneak up on me... I was without my computer for the better part of a week then the family got sick and then we got really busy with church and looking for a home..... next thing I know I've been gone a month! How does this happen!

Well, lets see if I can catch us up on some recent news..... we are in the process of getting our permanent home! We are waiting on hearing from the bank and the surveyors about the loan and the land .... we are hoping to be in our new home by the end of the year!

The kids have been a bit sick... viral infections and such... nothing big just the normal sickies you get with kids.

Other than that our time has really been involved with church. We agreed to help with several youth activities and have been busy, busy, busy.... but we love it!!!!

Hugs to all ya'll and hope to be blogging on a regular basis again.

Sorry I was not on....

I had to send my new computer back to the company we bought it from.... they had sent the wrong hard drive in it.... so I have been away for a while, unable to get online for over a week now. Hope to post on a regular basis again in the coming days.

I missed ya'll!

Wednesday's Word....

Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments.
Psalms 119:66 (NKJV)

A busy and fun weekend....

Well, we have had such a great weekend here in Middle Tn ..... our congregation here at Lomax held our annual Kid's Rally ..... this years theme was .....GIANTS!.... the battle belongs to the LORD!. We had such a wonderful time. Our oldest 2 (Travis and Mia) were counselors since this was for grades 1 through 6. The children enjoyed activites, crafts, and wonderful Bible Lessons from our speaker. Eric worked in the audio/visual room and I helped in the kitchen , ran errands and cleaned the Christian Service Center Building after all was said and done..... what a blessing to our family that we were able to be a part of this special day.

Then today after morning services and a wonderful lunch (made by Mia) we went to my nephew's birthday party (he turned 10 yesterday) then came home and had a quiet afternoon.... I took a nice long NAP with Jed. Eric spent the afternoon watching football games.... he and Travis are in the Fantasy Football League at church..... and the older kids spent a quiet afternoon doing their own thing.
And finally, after evening services we had a teen social ...... had hot dogs, nachos, and desserts.... then the youth group played games. What a good finish to a wonderful weekend.

here are a few pictures of the weekend.....




Camp Lomax is ready.....




The counselors meeting....















Warming up the grill (we fed nearly 200)











Getting ready for a session....











Here are our "Giant Goalies" for a fun activity....















Amaris getting ready for her turn at charades....

Tuesday's IOW ~ roses and crowns

"They gave our Master a crown of thorns. Why do we hope for a crown of roses?"
~ Martin Luther ~






As I read the quote for this week I placed a picture (not much unlike the one above) in my mind of a rose... a thing of beauty...... and let my imagination form a crown. Oh how lovely and carefree it would feel to place such a crown on my head....so I again imagine placing this thing of beauty upon my brow. And that is when the pain comes.... sharp pricks from each thorn of the roses. My thoughts race back to Christ... is this the pain He felt as the soldiers set the crown of thorns upon my Saviors head? I quickly open my eyes and study the picture of the rose.... there on the stem are thorns..... often overlooked because of the beauty of the flower. But the thorns are there..... just as much a part of the rose as the bloom.



Think of how often we find joy here on this earth.... each day is full of blessings God bestows upon His children..... even in the midst of trials God wants to bless us. All we have to do is look to Him for that blessing. Will it come in the form we decide? No.... for God knows so much better than we – what it is we need.



Pro 28:20a A faithful man shall abound with blessings......

Is it wrong to ask for a crown of roses here in this world...... I think not..... as long as we are willing to endure the thorns as well.

Thanks to Iris at Sting My Heart for hosting this week.

And thanks to Karen's Whimsy for the rose image.

This week.....

....... has not been the best week ya'll..... I've been down with a kidney infection and Jed is sick with an upper resp. infection. So, needless to say I've done good to just get through my days these last few days. However, I am on the mend.... no sodas for a while .....booohoooo!!!! And Jed is on some meds and is mending well....last night after finally falling to sleep at 11:30.... he slept all night ..... yipee. Now, if all the rest of our bunch can stay well..

Wednesday's Word

Rom 6:8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him;
Rom 6:9 knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him.
Rom 6:10 For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11 Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.
Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:
Rom 6:13 neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace.
(ASV)

Friday's Fixin's ~ Honey Mustard Glaze

Honey Mustard Glaze (for pork or chicken)

1 cup honey
1 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Mix ingredients together and brush over meat.... then bake or grill. May repeat brushing throughout cooking time.

Thankful Thursday ~ the clay....

The Potter and the Clay....

Jeremiah 18: 1-6

1 This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah:2 "Go down to the potter's house, and I will give you my message there."3 So I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at the potter's wheel.4 He was using his hands to make a pot from clay, but something went wrong with it. So he used that clay to make another pot the way he wanted it to be.

5 Then the Lord spoke his word to me:6 "Family of Israel, can't I do the same thing with you?" says the Lord. "You are in my hands like the clay in the potter's hands."....



God sends Jeremiah to the house of the potter.... and what he learns there is profound.

Just as the potter is busy with the clay and keeps the end product in sight, God is busy with purpose for us. However, like the vessel is marred, we are stained by sin..... but, that does not mean we are to be given up on....no. Instead, God (just as the potter) remakes us into a new creation through grace in Christ. For we are His .......just like the clay in the potters hands.

I am so thankful that God takes such great interest in the clay.....




Please visit Sting My Heart for more Thankful Thursday thoughts.

Wednesday's Word

Isaiah 35:4 (NCV) Say to people who are frightened, "Be strong. Don't be afraid. Look, your God will come, and He will punish your enemies. He will make them pay for the wrongs they did, but He will save you."

In Other Words ~ Prayer

"Praying is no easy matter. It demands a relationship in which you allow someone other than yourself to enter into the very center of your person, to see there what you would rather leave in darkness, and to touch there what you would rather leave untouched. Why would you really want to do that?"
~ Henri Nouwen ~

Satan in on his toes in this world.... this is where he hits the hardest..... our personal pride. How can we let others know our needs so that they may join us in prayer when we are so caught up in “keeping it quiet” or “suffering in silence”? Why is it that we so often let ourselves be deceived into this way of thinking? We are told to bear one another's burdens and to share the load of others..... which by the way we are so willing and ready to participate..... when it is not us that is needing to release the burden to others for them to share. Sad really that all it takes is just a sprinkle of pride to keep us from sharing in one of the most blessed parts of Christianity. For it is not only a blessing for us to get the prayers we need for the situation..... but it is a blessing to those we have shared a request with. They get the chance to be God's vessel of ministry to us in our hour of need. God knows that prayer brings His people closer.... not only to Him..... but to each other as well.

Philemon vs 6 (NCV) I pray that the faith you share may make you understand every blessing we have in Christ.

Please visit Fruit in Season for more Tuesday's IOW.

Wordless Wednesday....Belated Birthday Wishes

**** not so wordless today

I am so glad to be back online again. Here is pictures from Jed's First Birthday Party. (His birthday was last month.)

Wednesday's Word

Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

Monday's Thoughts....

Well, we are here and getting settled a bit.... we are going to be looking for something more permanent.... but we need to get the kids on a school schedule for the next couple of weeks.... they are really glad to be back and are hoping to renew some old friendships and make some new friends as well. I am so excited for them all this year.

I hope that I will be getting myself on a much better routine as well..... these last few weeks have really gotten me out of whack..... and I am struggling to get back on track again.

Just checking in .....

I just wanted to give a update.... we are now in a rental house from a gentleman that we attend church with.... we have gotten all the water, elect., phone and such hooked up now and I am trying to get back on a routine once again. I hope that by this next week I will be able to do a daily post once again. I have missed blogging and all the wonderful bloggers that stop by so very much. And Angel..... I have especially missed you my sweet sister and friend!!!!

Some pictures I've been promising...

Here are some pictures of the family reunion and the Nashville Sounds game from July.

Now...they said they were just looking for craw-dads and minnows.....right
have cousins...will play





Would those faces tell a lie????







Eric and Jed are watching from a safe distance....


can you feel the love???
....actually they are trying to wrestle each other into the water.....teeehhheeeehhheeee



Nashville Sounds game......celebration for Eric's new job.




Lovin the snacks



but MOM...my mouth is full



Amaris' first ballgame

......mine too!




Sounds are ahead


The Sounds' Mascot.... Ozzie.....doing a jig.






Eric are enjoying the game???



.....he did.....and looked great doing it too.....





Its all about the staw......








One happy gal

Just stopped for a quick second....

to tell everyone that we are headed for a family reunion today. My dad's side of the family gets together each year down on the old home place..... I'll be taking lots of pics to post in the near future!!!!

Happy July 4th

Keeping America in prayer...... and remembering freedom is never free.

Playing Catch-up...

I have missed posting the past few weeks.... so I thought I would play a bit of catch-up for ya'll and let ya'll know what has been going on around here....

ERIC GOT A JOB.....PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!

(He starts next Monday)

Travis, Mia, and Amaris all went to Mid-South Youth Camp and had a wonderful time. (Mia also had a birthday last week.... she is now 12 years old.)

And we are now in the process of looking for either building our own home or putting a double wide mobile home on the farm here. We have a good piece of property here and are looking forward to having more privacy once again.

That about sums up the big stuff.... I had a wonderful visit this past Saturday with Denita.... girl I am missing you so very, very much!!! And Angel.... if you don't call me soon.... I think I will explode!!! Hugs to all of my wonderful friends.

Friday's Fixin's

Mashed Potato Patties.....(my family loves these treats)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups mashed potatoes (leftovers are great for this recipe)
1 egg, beaten
1 onion, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil


PREPARATION:
Mix together mashed potatoes, beaten egg and onion in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper and stir.
Over medium heat, heat olive oil in a medium size nonstick frying pan. Drop about 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the frying pan, patting it into 4 inch circles that are 1/2" thick.
Cook until bottom is browned and crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn the patty over and cook the second side until brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes. Serve with ketchup or salsa.

Thankful Thursday....how the Lord supplies

Php 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

First let me say... Sorry to have been gone for so long.... it has been difficult finding time the past couple of weeks for me to get onto the computer.

What a wonderful God we serve.... He surely supplies all our needs. How thankful I am to be called a child of God. Always has He been here for me with arms open wide in love to comfort, encourage, and even carry me when I could not go on. Knowing I can always find refuge in Him, I have become more steadfast in my faith and in my relationship with Him. Over and over again He has revealed to us that His time is perfect. And today I can say I am thankful that He has provided the perfect job for Eric. YES. Eric will start work on July 9th and will be working in the office of a small electronics company only a couple of miles from home. God is so good. Eric will be home early enough in the afternoons that he will be able to work on the farm each day and will be able to spend time with our children like he has been able to enjoy these past few months. God is so wonderful in His blessings.

Happy Father's Day...

I want to tell all the wonderful dad's in the world.... keep up the good job. I takes a real man to be a dad.

Col 3:21 Fathers, don't aggravate your children. If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying.

Thankful Thursday....

I am so thankful today that my children are growing to understand better how blessed they truly are.
We have so many wonderful people in our lives as a family that there is a pouring out of prayers, thoughts and well wishes for us during these days of dependence ( as I have started to refer to them ). How wonderful it is to see the realization of the sheer abundance of blessings put before them each day. They have become so much more thankful themselves for the little things in life.

2Co 9:11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.





Please visit Sting My Heart for more Thankful Thursday thoughts....

Wordless Wednesday ~ His Word

Wednesday's Word

Jer 17:10-12 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. "As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, So is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, And at his end he will be a fool." A glorious high throne from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary.

Tuesday's .....In Other Words....faith

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading."
~ Oswald Chambers ~


Sitting and thinking about this quote.... I had a familiar image flirt across my mind.... and just had to share ..... Eric (that wonderful man God sent to my door nearly 11 years ago) is 6 foot 5 inches verses my 5 foot 3 inches..... big difference, right? Well, I don't think of it much any more.... he is tall, I am short... end of story as far as all that goes. However, when we are in a crowd I take hold of his hand so that he can lead me. He can see where we are going so much better than I could in that situation.... so I hold his hand and trust in him to lead the way. He can see the way so much better than I can and I know he loves me and will not lead me in the wrong direction. Just as I know Eric will get us to where we need to be ......I know that I can hold onto my Heavenly Father's hand and know that I can completely trust that He only leads me to where I need to go even if I do not know why I am going through a given situation I can take comfort in the knowledge that He sees the direction much better than I can ever imagine. His love for me gives me the comfort of knowing that I can completely depend on Him to lead me safely through any trials that may come ..... knowing that as long as I am holding onto His hand I will never stray. What unspeakable joy it is to know that I don't have to know the direction God is leading my life in .......for as long as I am holding His hand it is where He wants me to go.

1Pe 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith; the salvation of your souls.

Update....

We are finally all settled and are getting into a regular routine.... I should have more computer time now and will hopefully be able to post more often.... missing all of my wonderful friends.

Thankful Thursday....doubts and comforts

Psalms 94:19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.


During trials and troubles it is so easy to let the world lead us into may doubts and anxieties that can affect our faith.... we often may ask ourselves 'why would God allow _______ to happen' .... we can all fill in the blank.... it may be different to each of us but the thoughts are all to often the same. For me, during this time in our lives I have caught myself asking that same question.... why is God allowing us to be so humbled during these past few months.... how can He bring us to a point that we are so dependent on others at this time.... others for housing, others for financial help, others for just about each aspect of our lives..... then I remember this verse.... 'Your comforts delight my soul.' God wants us to be dependant on HIM.... for HE wants to use others in our lives to help teach us more of HIS mercy and glory.... .we as HIS children have that great and precious promise of the Good News....and then when we have truly delighted in HIS comforts... and learned the lesson we so desperately need from HIM ..... then HE can use us in the life of another to help them learn more..... what a wonderful cycle of grace. I can say my soul is learning daily to delight in HIS comforts. I can say I am more thankful each day for the people in my life, for all that we can say we are blessed with and for God teaching me that my only relief is in HIM. And for the knowledge that adversities will not last always.... that there is a promised rest for all of God's people.

Wordless Wednesday ~ The sleepover...

Wednesday's Word

1Co 1:25-31 This "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength. Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom. As the Scriptures say, "The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done."

Tuesday's .....In Other Words....flaws....

"What used to make us stumble, God can use to make us stand. What once
made us bow our heads in shame,
He can use for His glory."

~ Joanna Weaver~
"Having a Merry Spirit"

I love the story of the 2 water buckets.... you know one had a hole in it and never arrived full.... one day it asked its owner why he did not fix the hole it had for it was ashamed ...... the owner took it down the path to show it that each day the hole in the bucket allowed the owner to grow a beautiful garden because of the water that escaped the bucket..... the bucket's owner made something beautiful from the bucket's flaw..... its a wonderful image don't you think?

And it is with us too....God takes our flaws and uses them to shape us...for if He burned away all of our flaws we would be nothing more than ash....Isa 48:10 I have refined you but not in the way silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.

So, instead of hiding or repairing our flaws He molds us around our flaws to be a much more effective example of His mercy and glory.

Moving update

Well, we are here and are getting settled.... we have really TRIED to not stress Mamma Sue (my MIL) out but when we started moving stuff in... most ended up in the middle of the living room floor until we could get room for it ....so for the past week she has been just a bit stressed...... we have worked really hard the past couple of days and we all are feeling much better about how things are looking and going..... getting the kids into a routine as well.... we warned them even before school was out that there would be very few days this summer of sleeping past 7AM ..... they grumbled but are doing fine with it..... what helps is that here in this county the school is funded to provide free lunches for kids throughout the summer during the weekdays..... each and every kid 18 years or younger can get a free breakfast and free lunch daily on weekdays.... wonderful!!!! There are 3 pick-up spots around town and one of them is just a few minutes walk from here! So the kids get up and make there beds, get dressed and walk over to get a free meal, come back and eat it... then we start our daily routine..... its been good so far!!!


Well, that is about all the time I have for an update right now.... hoping to have more time this week.....hugs to all my friends .... esp. Denita and Angel.... missing you both my dear sisters!

Wordless Wednesday ~ The Night Visitor

Wednesday's Word

Psa 37:18-24 Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive a reward that lasts forever. They will survive through hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough. But the wicked will perish. The LORD'S enemies are like flowers in a field- they will disappear like smoke. The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers. Those blessed by the LORD will inherit the land, but those cursed by him will die. The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.

Tuesday's .....In Other Words....

"Lower your expectations of earth. This isn't heaven, so don't expect it to be."
~ Max Lucado~


Are our views of heaven so skewed that we think that it may be anything like the most perfect day here? We all have been guilty of saying ..... just heavenly..... a little piece of heaven..... or other sayings to describe something here on earth.....we want to compare something that is so vastly different that nothing could ever compare......The world we live in is full of disappointment.... this is just not the same place that God designed in the beginning..... man's sin has brought all sorts of calamities upon this world. It has been made desolate and has been laid to waste by God's judgments. Period. Trials, heartache, pain, suffering, weeping, death...... the list could go on..... all exist because of sin. So why do we (even as Christians) want to expect this world to be “ a little piece of heaven”? The answer...... we desire heaven so desperately we want it in the here and now.

Speaking to my father-in-law about this .... he said that he felt that C.S. Lewis put it best when he spoke of joy being the economy of heaven..... that heaven will be nothing but pure joy. And we as Christians know a piece of that joy through Christ. And in knowing even just a faint reflection of that pure joy from heaven through Christ in us, we want to have the full experience of it here and now.

Oh how like little children we are....... have you ever heard of the marshmallow test? I saw it several years ago..... some study on how children related or some such..... a child was sat in a room at a table.... it had a large marshmallow in the middle of it and an adult was speaking with the child..... then the adult left telling the child they could eat the marshmallow but if they would wait until they got back that the child could have 2 large marshmallows instead of just the one..... well and overwhelming amount of the children ate the marshmallow before the adult got back in the room..... they needed that joy right then.... sound familiar?

Let us not get so wrapped up in this world (and wanting that “ little piece of heaven” here and now) that we forget to keep our eyes on the prize......

Php 3:14 I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.