October 31

I am not one to Celebrate Halloween, when the kids were very small we would dress them up and take them to family, but I didn't get into very much. This year we are having a chicken stew for the church on Halloween night at a church members farm. We are having a blue grass gospel band, food, hay rides and a costume contest. I wasn't sure about the costumes because some people get upset, but we asked the church family, no scary costumes. What has been great about it, a lot of the older people are dressing up, sometimes we forget that as Christians we can still have fun and not represent the world. I love the fall with all the colors and I love to be outside smelling leaves burning, you know what time of year it is just by the smells.

I though these were a pretty representation of the colors of fall

carman's witch invitation

This weekend I went to see Carman. I was a little disappointed because I wanted to hear him sing a little more, but he did some preaching. I appreciated his message on "How are we to fight the devil, if we don't believe he is out there". So many people today do not believe that there is an devil and his angels roaming the earth. That he is here to steal, kill and destroy and unless we acknowledge this we don't stand a fighting chance. He will rob families, children and even churches of the peace and grace that God has to offer. So I picked this old video in this fall season to remind us that we have the power over the prince of this world because we are the "King's" real children.

Abby

This is my daughter-in-law, Abby. She is a girl we picked out for Josh when he was in high school. Joey was always very fond of her, so we mentioned her name often to Josh. He finally smartened up and called her. She is a very caring nurse who works at the cancer center in town. She is very girly in a lot of ways, but she is also very tomboy. She played sports in high school and was very good at it. She loves to go hunting with Josh.

Joey, Josh and Abby do alot of hunting together, this is from last year when they each shot a deer at the end of hunting season. She probably likes to hunt as much as Josh does, she just doesn't talk about it as much. Thank goodness!!!!

This is also from last year, one of her first bucks.

Yesterday she called Joey to see if he would go hunting with her. Josh was out of town hunting with her Dad in South Carolina, so she called Joey. Joey has been hunting in her stand on the days she has not been able to go and has seen a buck everytime, she goes and see nothing. So last night they went together, just the two of them, she spotted the buck first and then Joey "guided" her through. She shot a 9 pointer with her bow and arrow. I laughed and told her the deer smelled Joey in the woods and came to see him because they knew he wasn't going to shoot at them. After all the excitement was over I told Joey how wonderfully rare it is the relationship he has with his girls. He runs every other day with Audrey and goes hunting with Abby. He exclaimed how is that rare if feels normal to me. He really has no clue what a wonderful Dad he is, I have never experienced what my daughter or daughter-in-law has. They both have a Dad that not only loves them but likes them and likes to spend time with them. Abby's Dad is alot like Joey, he and Abby are very close. Audrey's boyfriends Dad, calls Audrey regularly and checks on her. So both are very blessed and probably think as Joey does this is how everybody is with there girls....

God You Reign - Lincoln Brewster

I love to listen to this song, no matter how you feel or what life is throwing your way, He still reigns forever and ever.

Friends since babies

This is one of Audrey's friends (Erica) since birth. They are just a month apart in age and I thought what a great picture of the two, beautiful women. This is one of Josh's friend (Brent) since they were babies. Two pretty handsome men. This is one of the only pictures I have of Brent since he is older with his eyes open. He has a tendency to close his eyes right before you snap a shot.

I saw these pictures today and thought of old friends we all have, these two for my kids have been around for 20+ years.

What can you say about God

As I was riding to the YMCA (Yuk!!) this morning at 5 am, I was praying about how I pray, about how God is God and how small my mind is, about what do I really know, and how can I tell God what to do. Then this song came on the radio, and I just sang out loud, in the dark and worshipped...Amen

Dinner with Friends

Last night we went to some friends (Jon & Diane) house for dinner. She invited Joey and me and Steve and Katie. We decided that we should just pay Diane to cook for us once a week. It was wonderful, she tried some new recipes on us. We had apple cinnamon sangria, we had a apple and walnut spinach salad, roasted carrots and potatoes, a fresh zucchini slaw with basil, a stuffed chicken breast with prosciutto, asparagus, and goat cheese, with pumpkin cheese cake for dessert. You talk about deliciousssssss. We have all had rough times this year and we depend on each other alot. Diane has been sick for about a year, while in the process of remodeling her whole house. Katie has had one daughter marry, one leave for college, one move out of the country for mission work, and now her mom is in ICU and not doing great. Joey and I are having major life changes that we need to decide on, while I am still trying to recover from being in pain for the last year, while Joey is struggle with some mind issues that Satan and his little demons keep throwing his way. So to say last night was something we all needed was an understatement..Thank goodness for friends I wouldn't trade them for all the money in the world.

Simple and to the Point

Praise the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me Praise his Holy Name.

Mean girl

After looking at the Beth Moore Esther video this week, I can say that I am a mean girl sometimes. If you come after my family, it kicks in like a raging lion. I have never thought of myself as a mean girl, one who needs alot of attention, goes after people for no reason, goes after other ladies men and that life is and needs to be about me. But in listening to the video, I do have some mean girls traits, I believe we all do, whether we will admit it or not. I realize that when this comes up that I need to identify the threat that puts me in this mental state. I came to understand myself better yesterday as I was praying about a situation that still after a year pops into my head. I was talking it through with the Lord, asking myself these questions of why I want to be a mean girl. I came to realize that I didn't get my say in the truth of the matter and this seems to always be important to me. I don't know why I feel the need to say what you said is wrong, and I am right and you have treated me badly. They probably haven't thought that much about what they have done and probably haven't cared. So why does it bother me so much. Satan....... he wants to rob me of my peace, joy, and communication with the Almighty.
So yesterday as I prayed, I still haven't been able to pray for this person to be blessed, but I am praying God will help me to feel that way someday.

Psalm 19

I have this Psalm is a picture frame in the mountains. "The heavens declare the glory of God: the skies proclaim the work of his hand. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display his knowledge" There is more verses to this Psalm however this picture reminds me of his work. I woke up to this beautiful sight Saturday morning, it's a little spooky looking.

As the day progressed and the sun came out I took this picture, the deer eat all my other flowers that I have ever planted, they don't like the smell of these. I went to the mountains to try and learn how to relax my body. The Physical therapist tells me how my back is all tight and knotted. I think I am pretty relaxed, but my body tells another story. So my goal was to enjoy the scenery and not be in a hurry.