Prayer...What is it?

I struggle with prayer, what is it,what does it look like, what do we really do with it.  I know this sounds crazy but I am on a search of what is prayer from the biblical stand point, not humans or how I was taught as a child. But what does real prayer look like from God's point of view.  We pray if it be your will, what exactly does that mean to you or to God.  We pray over and over again like God didn't hear us the first time. We pray for safety, health, travel, our children, our friends, money, grandchildren, our church, missionaries, food, sleep, but doesn't God already know these things in our life and what exactly are we praying about these things.  I am taking a look at prayer and what it means to me so I will let you know what I learn on this journey. I pay alot of attention to how people pray, you can tell alot of things about them.  We have this man at our church, he is Audrey's boss alot of the time when she is not cleaning teeth.  He is a true Yankee, a man after my own heart, he can be rude, short tempered, and extremely caring. I listen to him pray during the college Sunday school class.  He is very humble, very thankful in his praying and I started paying attention to how he prayed the other week.  He does pray for people and their needs but there is a thankfulness in each request.
Thanks when I started thinking more on why and how I pray, truly I feel I am a horrible prayer warrior, Joey on the other hand is great at it.  So as I start my journey...Pray I figure it out!HA!!!!!

A few Christmas photos

Our Santa Baby

              We always take a family picture each year, one day I will compare pictures.

2011 Family Photo

Hospital visit

Today I went to the hospital to visit my friend Myra who went in on Christmas Day. I was so surprised when I got there she was alert and sitting upright talking to a girl from her church. These last few months she has been on so much medicine and in such pain that she really has not felt like talking. they have put her on a pain patch and started her on steroids and even though her cheeks are a little puffy she looked the best I have seen in months.  Some dear friend from high school drove all the way down from Pittsburgh just to say hey and Gray took him and his wife to lunch. I was glad to be able to see John  it has been about 10 years for me he was Gray's best man at their wedding. Myra and I had a few laughs about the past, growing up and staying at each others house when we were small. I was glad to have a few moments of smiles with her and not see her in such pain.  She has had alot of visitors from her church, while they are there she tries very hard to be there for them.  You probably wouldn't know how bad she feels or how tired she really is. She keeps doing the Pastor thing.  Gray and I got to have a serious talk out in the hall, and he reminded me once again to live for the day. To pay attention to what is going on around me, to love the people around me and to enjoy them. Sometimes we take the small things for grant it and assume it will be there tomorrow and you never know what a day holds.

Another Christmas

Wow!  whats with all the lights.

Another Christmas is here and I do think back over the last 12 months since the last Christmas. Joey and I are very blessed people.  We have our health this year, only 2 kidney stone attacks I don't consider these non-health just very irritating. Our children are growing and maturing probably further ahead than we were at their age. They both are starting out with new jobs, Audrey a hygienist  who loves to clean the YUK on peoples teeth, God Bless her somebody has to do it. Audrey's cancer on her foot we found early so that is being handle quickly and she is learning she can't stay in the sun much, she is not happy about that.   Josh whose Real Estate company has sold about  4 houses in the last 4 months in this slow economy, with that his construction company has remodeled a couple of these homes and he loves the creativity and  he is ADD and needs constant change so this works well for him.  Josh and Abby have that funny little girl in the picture who is more of a blessing that we can all believe.  It is fun to watch your children become parents, it changes some of their perspective on you. To see your son hug and kiss on that little bald head and see her smile at her Daddy brings tears to your eyes. Once again we are blessed.
We have been in our new church since August, and it has grown from regular attendance of 250 to last week we had 370, Praise the Lord.  We knew there was a need in that area for a church that ministers to children with all the young couples living around there. We have a great pastor who lets us be us.  When I am mad and fuss with him, I know he loves me and my family. We have a great young youth pastor that is spiritually way ahead of alot of youth pastors I have worked with.
We have the greatest friends in the world, new and old.  Once again I say we are very blessed!
So this Christmas thank the Lord for your Blessings and see what God has done in your life this last year.

What a divine night!

Enable or not?

Last night I had a major anger attack at my pastor and youth pastor.  We have neighbor children that we pick up sometimes for events at our church.  They like coming and their parents don't and won't attend.  I know as a church we are to help the needy, poor and widowed.  We are to be a shining light to the world.  But I questioned the youth pastor this morning on when and where do they (the children and their parents) have to take responsibility.   Are we the church teaching and training them in responsibility or we enabling them to expect to be taken care of without any participation on their part.  They don't ever have to work for the trips and events that they participate in.  The don't pay, someone else gives money for the church to that they can go and we never expect anything from them.  Are we teaching yet another generation to be taken care of, to be entitled to  and  some sense of disrespect and ungratefulness. We can look at their home life and say they have no idea how to live a responsible life, when their parents have no idea at the age of 10, 11, 12 who they are with or how they get there as long as they are out of their hair for a few hours. We as a church are to be a shining light to the needy, we are to teach them God's love.  But in the Word it says no work, no food.The Word teaches giving not taking.  We need to help them understand how to grow up to be responsible adults, different from how they are being raised, so that they can in turn help another child one day.

Complain or not complain that is the answer.

Do I complain, find fault in everything and everyone.  Am I never happy with things, is there always a I like this with a bit "but' that follows.  These are questions I am asking myself today.  I catch myself after being with others who are finding fault following in their footsteps.I have to look at my life and realize that I have absolutely nothing to complain about or find fault with.  I need to keep an account of my thoughts and criticism. I need to be more appreciative of others and find peace in this Christmas season with all that is great in my life.

Happy Anniversary

Here they are dating some 7 years ago

and how the time has flown

Now they are a old married couple

A sweet start to a big new happy family

                                                                    Happy 5th Anniversary

One of my all time favorites

Tragedy struck both the nation and the Longfellow family in 1861. Confederate Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard fired the opening salvos of the American Civil War on April 12th, and Fanny Longfellow was fatally burned in an accident in the library of Craigie House on July 10th. "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away" (James 4:14). The day before the accident, Fanny Longfellow recorded in her journal: "We are all sighing for the good sea breeze instead of this stifling land one filled with dust. Poor Allegra is very droopy with heat, and Edie has to get her hair in a net to free her neck from the weight."  . After trimming some of seven year old Edith's beautiful curls, Fanny decided to preserve the clippings in sealing wax. Melting a bar of sealing wax with a candle, a few drops fell unnoticed upon her dress. The longed for sea breeze gusted through the window, igniting the light material of Fanny's dress-- immediately wrapping her in flames. In her attempt to protect Edith and Allegra, she ran to Henry's study in the next room, where Henry frantically attempted to extinguish the flames with a nearby, but undersized throw rug. Failing to stop the fire with the rug, he tried to smother the flames by throwing his arms around Frances-- severely burning his face, arms, and hands. Fanny Longfellow died the next morning. Too ill from his burns and grief, Henry did not attend her funeral.
The first Christmas after Fanny's death, Longfellow wrote, "How inexpressibly sad are all holidays." A year after the incident, he wrote, "I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace." Longfellow's journal entry for December 25th 1862 reads: "'A merry Christmas' say the children, but that is no more for me." Almost a year later, Longfellow received word that his oldest son Charles, a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac, had been severely wounded with a bullet passing under his shoulder blades and taking off one of the spinal processes. The Christmas of 1863 was silent in Longfellow's journal. Finally, on Christmas Day of 1864, he wrote the words of the poem, "Christmas Bells." The reelection of Abraham Lincoln or the possible end of the terrible war may have been the occasion for the poem. . Lt. Charles Longfellow did not die that Christmas, but lived. So, contrary to popular belief, the occasion of writing that much loved Christmas carol was not due to Charles' death. "
Longfellow's Christmas bells loudly proclaimed, "God is not dead." Even more, the bells announced, "Nor doth He sleep." God's Truth, Power, and Justice are affirmed, when Longfellow wrote: "The wrong shall fail, the right prevail." The message that the Living God is a God of Peace is proclaimed in the close of the carol: "Of peace on Earth, good will to men." "For it pleased the Father that in [Jesus] should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the Blood of His Cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself" (Colossians 1:19-20).

Merry Christmas! And, may the Prince of Peace grant you His peace!

Pap-paw and Harper

Yesterday Joey came home early to play with Harper we haven't seen her much since last Tuesday.  I cannot believe how much love there is for this little girl. You love your children but with that comes responsibility and worry because you are young and don't know what your are doing

.
But with grandbabies your can just play and love on them.  She thinks her Pops, Grandpa, Pap-paw or what ever he is called is weird, but she likes her feet kissed...

Another great song from this CD

I am a Toby Mac Fan....

I like Michael

Don't you wish someone would sing to you every night with a voice like this 

In a Funk!

I am in a what you call spiritual funk....I don't care to read much, listen much, or pray much..I know to many of you, most people who are Christians don't like to tell others they are just not feeling it.  We had a couple over Saturday night for dinner and we were all discussing our ups and downs with Christ.  You know that for the last 3 years our life has had its ups and downs, serious and heavy duty thinking and depending on God every moment of every second of every day.  I told Keith, this last Bible study I taught has bored me to death, it was good, but I did not connect with it.  I told the group it is hard to teach something that you are not a all connecting with.  Keith's mother has been coming to our group, she is a wise and godly woman who I trust and am sometime intimidated by, so this made me even more nervous about not being as prepared for them as I could be.  He laughed and told me how much his mother as really enjoyed the class, and that maybe God was preparing me, I told him I hoped not.  It was on Jonah and running from God, and having a bad attitude about people.  I told him I think alot of my problem is that because I am such a thinker, that God knows I need a mental rest.  I need to be light hearted, carefree and not so responsible.  I am looking at all I do at church and what really matters, what needs changing, and what new things I might need to look at.  So I am on a rest period you could say and as a southern woman, I can't guilt myself into thinking that rest is a bad thing, saying no is bad.  We all need to rest and stop and look at our life and sometimes reconstruct and to do that you have to stop and look.

My snow baby

There is something that is so sweet about this picture, It like she is say, "Do What?"
I just want to kiss that cute  face....

Another great song of the season

I love this CD

I love this CD.....

What is in a day?

Joey and I discussed last night how our days fly by and somethings just don't matter anymore.  Like what my car says about me, our how I am trying to stay in style with my clothes.  I would rather buy clothes that I like the way they feel then if it is the newest trend.  How when it all comes down to things we have just one life to live, how our daily choices effect today and sometimes ten years from now.  How we need not worry over the little things, enjoy the family and friends we have and loosen up a bit.
For you out there who are a little ridged, up tight, orderly and precise.  When at the end of your life will that be the thing on your heart and mind at the time.  With the death of a precious young woman this past weekend and with visiting with Myra again yesterday.  I watched her sleep and thought how fast life can be and me worrying about all the dumb things I worry about.  How I get uptight over things that don't really matter in this world, like time, a clean house, and crazy drivers. How I think things should go a certain way and be done a certain way. Our friend Katie became a grandmother yesterday to a little boy named Cooper and Myra said I wish I felt good enough to  visit and enjoy her happiness.  That's when it hit me square between the eyes.  Life is for today, not yesterday which I have never been a big "past" type person, I have a tendency to live for the future and miss today.
So enjoy today, don't fret over yesterday, last week or last year and don't plan to far in the future you never know what it will hold.

What I am Thankful For!!!!

 I am very thankful for my family.   Josh talked Abby into going hunting with him the other week and she killed this eight-pointer. Since Harper's been born they haven't hunted together until that night. I am very thankful for a wonderful son and daughter-n-law.

 I am thankful for a great daughter and probably a soon to be son-in-law.  We just keep waiting on Wesley to get it in gear.

 Then there is this man, with his long hippy hair which I really like.  This is one of the few times I got a smile for no reason other than I was probably making fun of him. I can't tell you how much I appreciate and am thankful for him in my life.

And last but definitely not least, this girl.  Who brings smiles to my face every time I see her.

I visited and helped with a friend this past weekend and to say it was a little overwhelming is an understatement.  Myra was a little more frail than I had mentally prepared for.  She was a little sentimental, still humorous and extremely tired and in alot of pain.  I stayed tough and light while there but on the ride home I realized how things were a little worst than I had hoped for.  Cancer is straight from the pits of HELL and shows no mercy on individuals or their families.  Stress is not stated enough in these situations, life is draining and tiring on everyone involved.  And pain is all consuming that you can't think past it at times. I am thankful for Myra and who she is.  When I got there she said Tracy it is a sad day, I said Why?  She said let me show you, she grabbed my hand and led me to a table beside where she sits and sleeps most of the time.  I had painted her back in 1986 a ceramic Jesus praying at a big rock, Myra said Jesus face fell off can you fix it.  We both laughed, some men had brought her a new mattress and they knocked the figurine off and broke his face. We both agreed it had to be trashed. On those sad days, you have to look for humor, joy and peace in the midst of weariness.  I am so thankful for all God has given me.

4 months old

Little Miss Harper

                                                       She is 4 months old this week

I took her out yesterday and the leaves were blowing everywhere, She just smiled and laughed at the falling leaves around us.  It is great how innocent their little minds are and the joy they find in the small things.  What they can teach us and not say a word......

once again

Once again I have been fighting a kidney stone, this one is smaller because last Tuesday I hurt but not so that I could cry like the last one. The pain left me by Wednesday night so, I thought smooth sailing.  Everyday I have not felt 100% I knew something still wasn't right.  Yesterday I went to see my family Dr., she said I am sorry to tell you this but you do not have a bladder infection.  Yeah!!!! Most people are thrilled to hear this diagnosis but to me this means there is a rock rolling around in there,  that  little rock baby is still there trying to cause me discomfort and grief. I went to the Urologist and he said the same thing, try to give birth to the gravel, but if nothing happens by next Tuesday, call me. Sure I think, no problem, I just have to suffer for the cause, whatever that cause is..

Everything you do.

 

I love this song, we forget that in all things we do are to be for his glory. From being a stay at home mom, a ditch digger, a banker, a teacher, a nurse, a nursery worker, a Sunday school teacher, or the one who closes up the church. Everything we do can bring a smile to our creators face.

Happy Bee

I am a little late in the pictures, it took me a few days to get this from Audrey's phone and uploaded.
This happy bee is truly happy most of the time. Every morning that I get her, we first sing this:

I call her Happy Harper....

Grave stones

Joey and I were in the mountains this weekend, hunting season started there last week.  It was such a beautiful weekend I needed to get out but you can't go walking around in the woods, it is very dangerous this time of year. I raked leaves around the house on Saturday while Joey was up the mountain. In Virginia you can't hunt on Sunday, Joey hung out with me so we decided to walk down the road to one of the local grave yards to get my exercise in for the day. On this beautiful clear blue sky morning, as Joey and I had looked at all the dates and name on the grave stones I told him, wouldn't it  be really cool to be right here on this spot when Christ comes back for his saints.  The graves would start popping open and right there on top of this mountain in the middle of this field on a beautiful sunny day we would rise up and met him in the air.  It gave us both goose bumps.....

A Ford

I sold my trusty car 2 weeks ago and have been driving Joeys truck.  I do not like to drive his truck.  It is too big, it is hard to park, and I don't feel girly at all in it. He also does not like for me to drive his truck.  You see I put things in my vehicles everyday.  I keep a pretty clean car, but it has stuff in it.  His truck is always litter free.  He told me I don't care what you get just get one soon.  I looked online for two weeks, went to multiple dealerships, drove a variety of cars and suv's.  Buying a vehicle is a important decision.  We ladies have to like to look, the color, the way it drives, the radio, and for me right now how good is the gas mileage.  I don't care about the tires, the engine, or other manly things.  First and foremost, I have to like the way it looks. Well, I prayed and told the Lord how much I would like to spend on a car and no more, I called the Chevy dealer and they had a Ford of all things on the lot.  I liked, I offered them the amount I was set on and they sold it to me.  So now for the first time I and driving a Ford Fusion. Joey dropped me off at the dealership and said I hope you make it home, you know what Ford stands for don't you."Fix or Repair Daily" he is a true Chevy Man.

Cat changer

http://thebubble.msn.com/#/video/?id=180da74c-c5c7-4728-8031-3ed1ce4799e4
If you like cats you know that most are not this sweet.....

Harper Days

Here she is pretty happy.  I will not say that is the way she stayed all day.  Her auntie Audrey says every time she baby sits, she adds another year to her becoming a mother.  I think now she will be 32 before it happens.

                          You gotta love those sweet soft faces. 
We were talking in Sunday school about heaven here on earth and what makes you think of things God gives us to show us how great heaven will be and I do think that grandchildren show us his great love for all mankind. 

Fall Scenes

      Daniel 2:21, He changes times and seasons,he removes kings and sets up kings

      He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.

 The leaves were not that pretty this year in the mountains but I tried to find a few areas where you could see some of the bright colors.

My first picture of a real bear running in the fields.  At first I thought it was a baby cow because he was in a pasture near the other cows, but when he turned to run I knew that was no cow.  He stopped near the woods and I got this shot, he is about 150 lbs not a very big bear. This was about 6 in the evening.  I always know they are there but never get to see them in person.

Wedding pictures

                                          Here are a few from the wedding,

                                        My sweet children, I am glad they get along

This is Carson Simpson, Audrey use to love to play with him when he was a baby.

He is now growing up to be a handsome young man.

 I tried very hard to get a picture of Brent with his eyes open it took me 3 tries but a beautiful picture it turned out to be.

                          The nephew( Groom) Jarrett and niece, Taylor

I don't take pictures of myself but I wanted one with Kim (mother of groom) she looked so pretty.

Shake-up

Wednesday night we had small group and something came across that struck me and  I wondered your thoughts.  Priscilla Shrier was talking about how we are like a glass filled with water and when God shakes us the water can spill out.  I get that whats inside comes out theory.  My thought went to what she said next, that maybe the reason we are being shook is because we have not learned and some of the excess water needs out.  I get this theory also...  I asked the girls in class if they have noticed that alot of times the areas where we have struggles, no matter if it was today, yesterday or last month or even last year all seem to be the same.  I wonder if maybe I am allowed to go through somethings that seem the same but with different people is because I understand and can handle this situation better than someone else or have I not learned from passed mistakes and God keeps shaking my cup till I figure it out and he can empty the dirty water from me.  Something arose this last week that I thought was buried almost 4  years ago, I have been asking God why it is being brought up now, I have finally let it go, it is what it is, there is really not much I can do to fix the damage done because it started with someone else. What is the shaking for, did I not handle something right the first time, is he really convicting the other person, my mind goes to there is something else behind this, or is it that I know how to handle this situation and God is showing me step by step what to do.  Think about the valleys and pits you get in, are they of your doing or someone else's doing.  Does the same kind of problems keep happening? Maybe we need to ask ourselves what is the reason for this shake-up?

Interview God?

Someone sent this to me today, I liked it....

My babysitting days

                     Once a week I will post my wonderful days of babysitting

                                                      She was tired and ready for a nap

     I thought she was going to take a cat nap, she slept 3 hrs in her chair, I would have put her to bed

                                                        But look who is happy now....

I forgot how fun it is to take care of babies!!!!!!

As of tomorrow

As of tomorrow I hope to be a better person, isn't that what we all strive for.  But in and of myself it will never happen.  Praise God for the Holy Spirit...With him in my heart I can have self-control when I want it.  I can have hope for a new day.  I can live a joyful life no matter the circumstances.  The key to all of this is allowing the Spirit to work and me keep out of it. Tomorrow is always a new day to grow and to learn from the day before that maybe wasn't handle the way it should have been.

As of yesterday...

As of yesterday....
Audrey passed , we now have a full fledged dental hygienist in the house....YEAH!!!!!!
I had such a wonderful time baby sitting Harper, I was reminded of what my true calling was and why I had felt so lost these last few years.....
As of yesterday I started my exercise, it wasn't so bad I will try again tomorrow....

As on today...

As of today we still have not heard if Audrey passed her test...
As of today she has the most beautiful complexion except for one really large spot on her chin....anxiety
As of today I think I am going to try and start exercising again....
As of today I think I am going to try and start losing weight....
As of today I am going to tell Joey what a great husband and dad he is...
I already tell him this, I am just going to keep it up....
As of tomorrow, I get my first try at baby sitting my granddaughter, we are going through a trial run with Josh dropping her off, and Abby is going to get her a little later.....
Who knows what will happen today?????

Experimental pictures

I thought this was a beautiful sight outside our back door the last time we were in the mountains

 I have gotten hooked on wheat pictures

 From different times of day and angles, Really I am just try to figure out how this camera really works with all its different scene set-ups

 From night to morning, such clear skies.....

In all things great and small God's creations are wonderful

Interruption vs Divine Intervention

If you have done the Jonah series by Priscilla Shirer you know the difference between Interruptions in our lives and divine intervention. Saturday was a mix of both.  First we picked up Audrey's patient at 5 am in downtown Winston-Salem,  He went to the RUSH to exercise before we got there.  Can you imagine getting into a car with 3 people you hardly know and driveing with them to Chapel Hill for $50.
We left town and it started to rain about Burlington, Audrey has windshield wipers that have never been changed in 3 years,(interruption) to say her Dad was mad is an understatement.  He can't see well in the dark and rain anyway, but this made it 100 time worse.  We finally arrived at the UNC Dental school about 6:30 and dropped them off.  We had decided that we would have a date morning together to make the best of this situation so we headed off to find a restaurant to eat breakfast.  Finally found a Waffle House (Yuck). Then off to find a Auto Zone to get new wipers.  I laughed because the man who helped us didn't know what he was doing and took the wipers off before Joey could see and threw them away, Joey had to dig in the trash and get them out to prove to the man that one wiper was longer than the other.(interruption). We found out that UNC was having a early football game that day and we didn't know our way around real good so we decided to head back to the campus and find a parking spot and just wait for Audrey to finish.  Joey is not good with spur of the moments things, he functions much better on planning and preparing.  Thank goodness I was driving now, we pulled in at the building we dropped Audrey and Mo off at and parked in the Dean of Dentistry spot, this upset Joey, but I told him we can move if someone shows up, no biggie. Audrey called at 11 and said she was headed down, in the meantime Mo received a call from Winston-Salem police saying they had towed his car because of Rock the Block in downtown W-S for Saturaday night. (Major Interruption)  After many frustrating calls we found out that it would cost $175 to get out of towing and told him where it was parked. So we stopped for lunch in Burlington, they had not eaten all morning.  We found out from Mohammad (Mo) that his father was from Cairo, Eqypt and his mother from Knoxville, TN.  They met when his dad had a restaurant 28 years ago, married and recently separated.
His dad had gone back to Egypt to take care of family business and his mom had come back for a visit. I asked if he minded if Joey prayed for our lunch, he said no problem, we talked more and left.
When we got to the salvage yard, I told Joey that the owner had a christian sticker on the rollback truck and that maybe he should talk to him. (Joey had bucked me about praying at lunch and talking to the owner, but I pushed anywaynot that he minds praying he just didn't want to that morning)  When Mr. Davis arrived, Joey reluctantly went with Mo, they got to talking and Joey told him what a nice dog he had in the pen (German Shepard) the owner about fell out he said that dog could kill people and has hurt some, he was like a baby puppy with Joey. This impressed the owner, then they talked about how we are not here on this earth forever and how we should try and not worry about every little thing, Joey explained the situation to Mr. Davis and he said how about you just pay the standard $75 instead.  Joey then reminded Mo how we prayed at lunch things would work out for the best.  So instead of us paying the full amount he saved us $100.
(divine interrvention). Joey did not want to go with Mohammad that day, he said I knew he was probably Muslim, but after the days events, we know now that these events were for our God to show a fellow that we might never meet again how he is alive and still works today, in the small things of life. And for Joey to change his mind set of people.

Today I traveled

Today I traveled with Audrey to Chapel Hill to take her dental instruments to UNC.  Tomorrow we will travel again at 5 am so that she can once again take her state clinical exam to become a Dental Hygenist.
Let me tell you what is wrong with our world today....Like I said we drove all the way to UNC  just to drop off her instruments.  We could have taken them with us tomorrow, they need to be sterilized before use on her patient.  She could have done it here at Forysth Tech, but no, somebody somewhere decided that UNC is the only place this can be done. Tomorrow we leave at 4:45 am to pick up a patient that she just met Thursday, this is one reason we are going with her. His name is Mohammad, Mo for short, Audrey says he seems nice, but in today's world who knows.  After we pick him up we drive once again to UNC, because Audrey has to be inside the doors no later that 7 am or she gets locked out and loses her money for the exam.  Once there, she has about 40 minutes of paper work to do, so her patient just has to sit and wait.  After they tell her she can start she has 1 hr and 1/2 to clean on four teeth. She received an automatic zero the first time because she cleaned teeth around the ones they would be examining, which she found out later she was not suppose to do. It is amazing when you fail because of being thorough. After his 4 teeth are cleaned the judges will come in and make the decision on whether she passes or not.  Now let me tell you what is wrong with this whole thing and why goverment really doesn't care about me and you.
First she wasted gas for 2 trips to chapel hill, she had to take off from work, she has to find her own patient and pay them to go with her. The problem with finding your own patient, you don't really know until you get to Chapel Hill, if they will except your patient. Plus, you can only clean 4 of their teeth, how stupid is this.  You have criteria to following but in the end, they have the final say, you just hope and pray. The college can not help you in your decisions on patients and they can't give you advise. It cost $1,300.00 to take the exam, if you fail, you have to pay again $1,300.00.  Why wouldn't some fail, it creates revenue....
As you can tell, we in our household, believe without a shadow of doubt that this country is run by people who have never lived a  life among the average people.  They have never really had to work or sacrifice for what they have.  If they did they have completely been blinded by power and money and can't remember their own image in the mirror.
We know Audrey will be a great dental hygenist, she loves what she does, now we just pray for a passing grade so she can get a real job.....

Miss Harper

From this beautiful picture she looks alot like her mom

And this one she is smiling like her dad.

I have to say that I think she is precious know matter what....

Smile

I heard this early this morning and thought SMILE>>>>

what to do?

Are there days where you are tired of thinking.  I have had about 3 months of it.  It is time for me to get out of this.  I usually shut down in the summer from real deep thinking because  I have been at it all winter long. I usually get my brain on again starting in September.  I think it is like going back to school for me, I need my brain to rest every once in a while so that is why I enjoy summer breaks.  But September will be here tomorrow and I now need to get back into thinking again.  Small groups start back up at church next week, I am trying to decided whether to lead one again or not.  I know that I have my hands in too many pots and I need to let go of a few things.  But which ones are the question. At church I am on the general board, on the building committee, in charge of mime team, in charge of the connection groups that we have monthly, teach Wednesday night small groups, I am the church treasurer assistant, I teach Sunday school sometimes.I make up all the welcome bags for Sunday visitors.
When you look at this list only the teaching classes are what I call spiritual.  The rest are business, or busy work, in themselves there is ministry but in spiritual growth maybe sometimes but not as much as teaching.  So in writing this, I have answered one of my own questions. Don't give up the teaching, I will grow more there. 

Any suggestions

Something has happened to my being able to post videos from you tube, any suggestions. I cannot get it to save or publish.

Attitudes

Last night at mime practice one of the girls got an attitude because we changed a little of the routine near the end. Lots of times this happens after we learn the song and go and practice on the big stage. We never do a song that we don't change something before we are ready to perform. I noticed it happening, she got quiet, she crossed her arms, she had that look on her face, if you have children you know the look. Well to say it ticked me off is an understatement.

Here we are in ministry, we are together one hour a week and to have a attitude over something so trivial does not settle well with me at all. These are teens with parents at home, a nice house to live in, they all have decent cars, great clothes and food on the table. This is what I explained, kind of boldly and loud. There is no room for bad attitudes, I expect happy faces and willing hearts for this hour. After we left I felt bad for being rather harsh. Then it hit me, no what you said was right, their is absolutely no reason, we as Americans should whine about anything. We have it made here, we are just so spoiled, we forget how the rest of world really lives. So when I whine shame on me for not remembering how blessed I really am.

6am Walmart

Do you ever go to Walmart at 6 am. I do especially if I can't sleep. I love to go there in the am. They are stocking shelves so it is messier. There is no one there, this is what I love the most.

I can shop in peace and quiet. I can take my time and usually I am the only one in line at check out. I told the lady at check this morning that I know she would probably rather not be there but because of people like me she has to be a work so early. She told me she loved it there at that time of morning, for the same reasons I like it. Try it sometime you'll always want to shop at the pre-dawn mornings.

Satan

At church yesterday I taught Sunday School for the mime team, we had practise first then a little lesson. This is one day of the week I can usually get all the girls to church at one time. I was telling them how with this new church and them going back to school next week how Satan would be attacking. I know alot of churches today do not teach on Hell and Satan but I know because the Bible says so, that they are real. Also I have experienced some of Satan's attacks. This past week he has been at it again. Our storage facility was broken into, vandalized and robbed. I would have gladly given them the $1000 from our deductible, if they would just leave us alone. Joey and I discussed how is this really another attack from the enemy or is this just life as we know it today. Joey's commented that anytime evil is present it is from the enemy.

I told him I am becoming very weary from the attacks. When your children lose their jobs, when your friends are very sick, when you go to a fund raiser for a 26 young mother of cancer and her dad says Tracy we make plans but they change everyday because we never know how she will feel. You can become weary and Satan knows where your weak spots are. I told the girls in SS class. Know your weakness, Know your strengths. Satan does, he watched how you react to things. When you have new witness opportunities like we are going to be having, (everyone likes to try something new) Satan is going to try and distract you. So know he is there and know who your protector is and how powerful he is.

Beautiful Evening

Monday night a few men came over to start shooting their bows to get ready for the upcoming hunting season. These are some of the scenes from that night.

It is great how the colors change every little bit with the sun going down.

I love this tree and I don't know why.

Creation is such a gift from God.....

Beach Pictures 2011

I am still learning all the things on this new camera. My niece and her friend Haley

I was trying to use my motion sensor for their jumping routine

As you can see this needs no motion sensor. He was snoring.....

This is my new hippy husband. He is waiting on me to tell him to cut his hair, he forgets I like men with long hair and a tan.....

My little rock babies

Friday I got blasted.....I went in around 3:30 and by 7:00 I was headed home. I don't remember anything that happened, but the next day, I felt like I had been playing football and had been tackled with a helmet in the back. It looks like I have been snake bitten on my back there are these two little fang marks. Yesterday felt pretty good just sore, having a few of my little rock babies, I thought this isn't so bad. Today another story, I went to church, felt pretty good, still sore, then at lunch it hit. I went into my mini labor pains, I walked the porch here at home, drank about 6 glasses of liquid and finally passed another larger rock baby. I am hoping that this is the last one, never again to appear.

Back from Beach....and wore out

Let me tell you a funny story....Once again on my vacation I started out so excited, I was so excited that I could not sleep Friday a week ago. I wasn't feeling really well, so about 4:30 I got up and went to Walmart to get a few things to take with us to the beach. I thought I was coming down with the stomach bug. I finally got pack up and we left out about 7 am, I told my sister put me in the back, I didn't feel well and hadn't slept much so I would stretch out in the back seat. By Rockingham, I was feeling worse, I got out and walked around the parking lot a few laps, we got one of the best tenderloin biscuits I have ever eaten in a gas station of all places. Then it hit...

I crawled all over the back seat of my sisters car. My step-dad was following us and called to see what was going on in the back seat. Leigh Anne laughed and her friend Carolyn who went with us laughed and I cried and laughed. I stood, I rolled, my rear end was in all the windows so I know many cars were wondering what was going on. I finally told them once we arrived at the beach to take me to the hospital. You guessed it, another kidney stone, and I was delirious.

They were very nice and very busy with people who need to learn to handle pain, you don't go the emergency room for a cold, or paper cut. I was a roaring lion and wanted to tell these people that is why our health system is so messed up, but thankfully they took me straight back so I didn't get a chance to explain to them take cold medicine or put a bandage on it, but don't go to the emergency room. To make a long story short, today Tuesday, over a week later, I am still battling that 6mm stone. I am supposed to have it blasted before the end of the week..PRAISE THE LORD... I will have some beach pictures in a few days.

Mouthy

Do you ever feel what I call "mouthy". There are days when I can speak so fast that I can put you under a truck and run over you before you know what has hit you. That has been me this week.

I need a vacation and I am going to take a vacation next week. Sand and surf here I come. Last night I was suppose to go and paint some at the church, we are near the end of completion and plan on moving in the next two weeks. But I know me...I know that I still have some issues to work through in this crazy mind of mine. I knew that I was still as I call it "mouthy". I knew that if I ran in to some people and they tried to be fake nice that I don't do fake and that I probably wouldn't be quiet. So when Katie called to see if I was coming, I told her that growing old has given me a little wisdom, and I was wise enough to know to stay home and get my work done their instead. I know leaving and resting for a week will bring about a new outlook.As Joey said the Book Of James, Tracy, the Book of James. " Slow to speak, quick to listen." God knew Joey needed that so that he could share it with me for this week. If funny how God works...

Trust or Not

Trust or Not Trust that is the question..Do I trust that God wants what is best for me, my family. Do I trust that he knows what is going on even before I do. Do I trust that he is in control and that he will show me and my family the way. These are big questions that we all need to ask at different times in our lives. Do I really believe deep down in my gut that God will take care of me when it looks like things keep falling apart. I tell myself I do believe, I do have faith, I do trust him. Here it comes "BUT" why is this happening, but why am I being treated this way, but I have been faithful, but I have been obedient, but I just don't understand. Do you see yourself in any of these sayings. I do, I see myself daily saying I trust you Lord, then a hour down the road I am trying to figure out why this or that is happening. What can I do fix it, what can I say to try and change it. My friend said last night after her daughter found out while living alone in NYC that she was no longer employed as of Thursday in a job she was told would be a 2 year commitment. If I believe God is trustworthy, then I need not to worry or fret. My children are both in situations with jobs and I as a mother feel their pain and concern but at the same time do I trust God is wanting what is best for them, when all we see is confusion and fear for the future. Trust it is a big word, it means to be reliant on, to have hope in, to place confidence in. There it is - do I rely, hope and have confidence in my creator to take care of me and my family. That is a question I keep asking myself.

BOOK OF JAMES

Joey and I have these talks as we travel to and fro from the mountains. But lately he has been agitated with some people and has been what we say running his mouth a little to much. I told him on our trip, he wants them to think like him, they never will because they aren't like him. He wants them to do business like he does, they never will because they don't do business like he does. They probably think he is wrong because he isn't like them. It is a never ending circle. That night during his Bible reading he asked the Lord to really speak to him, he came back in the den and was telling about it, he said the only problem in asking to be spoke to is, he does. He said I got a major talking to about slow to speak and quick to listen from the book of James. The next morning as he was leaving for work, I asked if he need any scripture to put in the backhoe to remind him of all he read last night, he laughed and said just write on a sheet of paper, the BOOK OF JAMES- he said that would cover it all....

Miss Harper

I tried to get a picture of the family, but Josh kept moving his head. So all I got was his arm. When he walks in the room with that loud voice she starts looking for him.

She is a pretty relaxed baby, every time I get her she sleeps. As her dad says "no doubt one of the prettiest babies ever made"