April fools day

Tomorrow will be mine and Joey's 27th wedding anniversary. As I think back over these years they have been pretty good ones. While we all have our bents and baggage, Joey and I have worked pretty hard at trying to have a good marriage. While there have been times we have gone to sleep mad at each other, I know they say don't do that. But sometimes you can't fix it at 11:00 at night and fix it right. There have been times of loneliness and sadness, there have also been times of great fun and truly feeling loved. The one thing I would impress on today's young marriages is, it is very hard work to be and stay happily married. Don't assume because you love each other in the beginning you will always love each other. Work at it....put in your mind and actions that you are to be together no matter what, even when you don't particularly like the other one. (and there will be days that you will ask yourself what did I see in him or her) Remember on those days what it is that you did see in him or her in the beginning that made you love them. Work at it......

I am so thankful that Joey has grown as a man throughout our marriage, that he has chosen to love me even when I can be unlovable. God has blessed and I will try not to take it for grant it.

Storms

Last night, wow what a track of storms. Our little kids at church were so scared, they just wanted to go home to their moms. But through it all God was very gracious. We went through Welcome on our way home and the ice on the road was an amazing thing to see. We got home and Joey and I were alittle sad because of all the hard work we had done in our flower beds were trying to wash away. Joey went out on the porch just to check and see how the storm was doing and I heard him holler OK God that's enough rain, about that time a lightning bolt shot from the sky and it was so loud...... Joey came in pretty fast and said I don't think God wants my opinion. God knows what we need and when we need it. Thank goodness I don't have to be God......... Enjoy the beautiful pictures, I took these Saturday, I'm not sure how they look today after last nights storm.. This is the blooms from one of my plum trees, it looks like I will have a lot of fruit this year

I love pink cherry willow trees

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty

I have been reading today in Isaiah 6, "I saw the Lord seated on the throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. The seraphs were calling out to one another, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory." All of creations shouts out his glory. I love to read this verse, it makes me feel very small, humble and broken. I think of the King on the throne and how his robe is flowing through out the whole temple, if fills it up. And I try to imagine hearing the angels sing so strong and loud that it makes everything shake. They are telling us how Holy is our God. Enjoy this song on utube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmQg-j7Wm08 is Holy, Holy Holy by Donnie McClurkin.

De'Mere & Hyacen

Last night Joey and I started our new little job at church. I have become pretty lazy on Sunday's, I like not going to church on Sunday nights, however our youth pastor still has youth events every week. He has started taking our church vans around to the neighbor that our church is in. We are a all white church right in the middle of a lower income, multi-racial community. When we first started going to church their, one of the reason we chose this church was because we wanted our children to know that they live in a big world not just what they went to school with. Their are many children out there with great big needs. Our youth pastor at the time was a missionary from Africa and he had a passion of the kids of this area. After he left no one picked up his passion until now. Our new young youth pastor wants to really get in there and minister to these kids, so Joey and I decided instead of talking the talk we had better get off our lazy butts and walk the walk. So last night was our first with the elementary aged kids from the neighborhood. It went really well, we only had two girls for the first night, the rest of the kids they picked up were middle school. So Joey and I just got to know them alittle bit and gave them snacks. They always love food....It always gives me a profound deep sadness when we are with these children. My children have been loved, cared for, accepted and taught well and sometimes have taken that for grant it. I look at these little girls (De'Mere & Hyacen), they are shipped to school, sent to church with whoever will pick them up and live a life my children or myself can't comprehend. So I should make an effort to show them that God loves each of us and that we should love each other, I have no excuses since I have been so blessed....

Spring

These are some pictures of my azaleas from last year. I can't wait for the flowers to start blooming There is something wonderful about spring. It gives you a sense of hope.

That after a long hard winter that there is beauty and freshness to life again. That we can get out from under this cloud and see the sun, blue skies, white puffy clouds and beautiful colors of pink, yellow, and shades of green. Thank you God for giving us all the wonderful colors of spring.

I pray

My friend, I was awaken this morning at 5 and you came to mind. So I prayed..... This verse I heard yesterday also came to mind. So I read....."The Lord himself goes before you (marches ahead) and will be with you; he will never leave your nor forsake (abandon) you. Do not be afraid (intimidated), do not be discouraged (worry)" Deuteronomy 31:8 I leave this with you today to encourage you and know that the Lord has put you on others minds and hearts and we know he will be with you and for you today....Love

Rejoice to day

This is the day that God has made so let us rejoice(be glad) in it. Amen.....Warm weather, frogs singing, Sun as bright as ever, birds chirping what else could you ask for.....Enjoy

Bone Crusher

Let me hear joy and gladness: let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Psalm 51:8 in my ladies small group this is one of the verses I had to breakdown its meaning. I have never broken a bone before, but my friend Katie did the other week in the snow and ice. She talked about how it throbbed and the pain she was in. We casually read this verse and go on,but when you break it apart you realized that it is saying, when things are painful, hurting, distressed, uncomfortable, impaired, or difficult, I need to rejoice. I need to be joyful and glad. The verse also states that God has crushed the bone. Sometimes he has to break us so that we can rejoice. A small verse with alot to think about.

Popping Up

This is what will be popping up in a few days, I saw the beginning of growth yesterday as I messed around in the yard. I love spring......Flowers, Blooming Trees and warm air. I love the smell of a fresh mowed lawn.
I was listening to Beth Moore and James Robinson last night and a verse that I have put on my desk a few weeks ago keeps popping up. I am assuming God is bringing this before me for a reason. I shared it with you about a month or two ago. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, spirit of love and a spirit of a sound mind" Timothy 1:7 I ask myself once again why does this verse keeping popping up around me. I believe he is trying to teach me not to be fearful, fear is something I battle regularly, if you know me you might not believe it because I try not to show it. I also think he is talking to me about love. I don't love easy. I don't trust many and without trust lots of times it hard to love. I work at trying to have a sound mind, but with doubts, fears and no trust sometimes it takes alot of hard work. They were talking about how sometimes we play things over and over in our mind. That situations just pop up out of no where and grate on us so much that we can't let it go. Satan is trying to kill our progress and we let him by not letting go. That, I believe, is where the spirit of power comes in from this verse. We all know about fear, love and a sound mind, but what about the power we have. Do we really tap into this or do we think we are not worthy or capable to
use this power that God tells us he has given us. As I think of this verse today, I hope to gain more understanding to its meaning for me....

water-logged

Well today I finished my try at swimming the Yadkin river in two months. At the Y every year they set goals in the pool. This year was 29 miles, starting in January ending February, however with all the snow they moved it back 1 week. I only made it from Yadkinville to the Davie County bridge, I was short 2 1/2 miles. Just so you know one mile is 36 laps down and back. A mile usually take about 50 minutes to swim. Lets just say I am water-logged. I am tired of swimming. Last year we tried to swim 53 miles which is the length of Lake Ontario. Suffice it to say, I only made it to 46 miles. My sister, Leigh Anne has completed both tasks and has gotten the reward from the Y. A perfectly ugly T-shirt. As you can read I am not your typical type-A personality. I have alot of those qualities but not all. But I don't have to finish every single thing I start. I can tell you that I probably will not be swim for a few weeks, my hair, skin and biceps need a rest. My next goal is to try to start jogging, I am told this is about the only way I am going to lose weight. So we are going to try....

Buster

This is Buster.....He is telling me I am tired of this white stuff, it keeps me confined And Lazy......

That is how I am feeling right now, I need spring temperatures. I need warm fresh air.

I have alot more energy when it is warmer outside. When it cold I want to hibernate.

But here in NC we have it all, the great 4 seasons, mountains a couple hours away, the beach a little bit further. When I think about how blessed I am to be living where I live and know that there are others who don't have what I have. Shame on me for ever complaining. We have had missionary convention this week, and last night we saw once again the trash dump in Peru, About 30 of our people went last summer to work there, so I had seen the pictures my daughter-n-law brought back. It reminded me how blessed I am that God put me here with this family, I could have been born there. He has given more than I can imagine as he has with many of you. Pastor Rich challenged us to give to the least of these, here in America, there in Peru, and the many other places we can give. When we are looking into the eyes of the Poor we won't have time to be complaining(SIN) and as the man who lives at the trash dump says, there is always someone more poor than me.

Whiter than Snow

They are calling for snow here today, March 2. I think I have finally had my fill of snow this year, I can't believe I am saying this. As Joey and I were riding this weekend in the snow, I had one of my weird questions pop in my head. When did the folks of the Bible see snow first, It talks about how we can be whiter than snow. But Noah, had never seen rain till the flood. I know it doesn't snow much in Jerusalem.(I don't think) In 2 Samuel it talks about going out on a snowy day to kill a lion. Job talked alot about snow. Psalms and Proverbs talks about snow.The New Testament has 3 verses with the word snow in it. This is just one of the ways my mind goes in directions with no particular reason, just curiosity.

More Snow and Its Cold.....Brrrrrrrr

We decided to go to the mountains again to check on everything, as you can see these poor people have not seen dry ground since Christmas. They had just plowed the road again that morning, so to the left of me is all the snow from the road it was amazing to see.. Just a beautiful old home place, our neighbor in the mountains grew up in this house

Joey decided I need to take an adventure, so we went to take down his hunting stands from this picture you can see the mountain we climbed. Now it was 27 degrees, wind blowing like crazy and I am getting ready to climb this mountain.

We finally make it to the top and here is the great hunter and the best snow driver God has ever created(That is what he tells me every time we ride in the snow) Climbing to the top to start taking down his stand. He accidentally dropped the metal seat and about had a heart attack he thought I was standing under him and that he had dropped the seat on my head. He dropped a electric screwdriver on our son one time and the screw part landed in his leg from the top of a tree stand so I knew to pay attention. The thought of him carrying me down the mountain was a something I did not want to experience.

This is the scenery at the top of the mountain I climb, God sure does create beautiful views. I know you probably can't see it but the old home place from before is in the center of this picture.

Sometimes problems and life situations seem really big like that big old house up close but when you step back it can seem pretty small in the big picture of life. So don't let problems weigh you down, try and look at the big picture and see the beautiful views God gives us.