Thursday, January 29, 2009

who is the help mate?????

I have about 5 or so different post that I have done over the past few weeks but non of them have actually made it on to the blog. They are saved for the time that it will be appropriate to have them be seen. My family is entering into a season that is harder than anything we have ever gone through and after the year i just had that seems doubtful. Well it's true that each trial just prepares us for the next thing we will need to endure. For privacy reason I need to wait a bit to display them.......so this leads me to this post. I read this little devotion this morning and was reproved so much. Now if you know me at all, you know that if I have to hear the truth than I'm gonna pass it on. I'm sure that's one of the things my friends complain most about me - o well ;0)

so this devotion really made me take a look at how often I expect my husband to bail me out of a tough situation with Aaron with schooling. I need my husband to..... and ......and ....... ouch this one hurt. Bobby requires so very little from me and yet somehow I think he is my helpmate. He will be getting a big apology tonight. Yes dont' worry I ask for forgiveness from God first. Please know that I'm not saying that husbands shouldn't do XYandZ but I think we all know when we have crossed the line. Well never mind my input read this for yourself, Just don't throw eggs at me when you're done.

Who is Supposed to Serve?
In the past couple of decades, there’s been a movement challenging men to love and serve their wives. Every woman I know is very encouraged when we see God turning men’s hearts toward the Lord and their families.
We need to remember that God didn’t make men to be helpers to their wives. God made the wife to be a helper to her husband. In today’s evangelical world, it’s “politically correct” to challenge men to go home and serve their wives. It’s not so popular to talk to women about their responsibility to serve their husbands.
If we as women focus on what we think we deserve—what men “ought” to do for us—we’re likely to get hurt and resentful when our expectations aren’t fulfilled.
If your husband’s learning to serve you, that’s great. But remember, you’re never more like Jesus than when you’re serving other people.

Monday, January 12, 2009

You better get one more complaint in before reading this.

I get many little devotions sent to me like so many of you. Often they are perfectly timely. I've always wondered how God does that ;0) Then I realized that we just basically struggle with the same sins, just varying degrees of them. Anyway this one came my way this morning as I was in the thralls of doing the very sin it deals with. So you can imagine how that felt. So here I am sharing my conviction with you - enjoy!


January 12, 2009
Perfect Peace
Nancy Leigh DeMoss: If there ever was a woman who had it rough, it was Hannah Whitall Smith. This author from the late 1800s was married to a preacher who proved to be emotionally unstable and was repeatedly unfaithful. Two of her five children died of scarlet fever. One daughter left a husband and ran off with an artist. Another daughter married an outspoken atheist. Hannah herself suffered from crippling arthritis.
In the midst of all these problems, here’s what she wrote:
Hannah Whitall Smith: We must choose, without any regard to the state of our emotions, what attitude we will take toward God. We must recognize that our emotions are only the servants of our will.
Nancy: Hannah Smith refused to let her life become controlled by her emotions no matter what the circumstances. Are you letting your emotions control you? Or are you letting God control your emotions?

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

one of many things I am thankful for for 2008

As I do every year I recap my 2008 in a thank you letter to Jesus. I wanted to share a small yet extraordinary story with you from my 2008 letter that will give you a glimpse of how God showed His love to me through a couple of extraordinary woman that I am so greatly blessed to call friends.

On May 28th the Lord took one of the good ones home to be with Him, Peggy Evans. Peggy and I have been friends for many years and she was my spiritual Mom mentor for about 11-12 years. Losing this pillar in my life here on Earth was a very difficult one. For my birthday this past year my dear friend Stephanie Finn bought me the most meaningful gift. I'm not a real gifty kind of gal because I find the most joy in knowing that someone is praying for me more than anything. But this gift was more from Jesus through the thoughtful hands of my friend. I opened the first Willowcreek statue and it said celebrate. I thought how sweet is that a Willowcreek to celebrate my Birthday. Then I opened the other one and it said one for "Peggy too" and it said "Remember". Now for some this might not seem significant but I couldn't believe that Steph had considered my lose and wanted to bless me with a small token of remembrance of Peggy. With joy I placed them on my mantle and everyday when I see it I think of Peggy and the blessing she was and is through her legacy to my life. Well that leads me the next picture......

So October 16th the Lord took MY GIFT, Donna Thompson home to be with Him. There was this one day right after she was gone that I was looking on my mantle at the 2 figurines that represented Peggy and I. I began to cry - the first day of real grieving that I had done up to that point. 'Jesus I don't have one for Donna" I cried over and over again. Sure it may sound silly but it was the thing that broke the flood gates and the tears wouldn't stop. I held those two figurines crying for quit awhile. Fast forward two days later......................Stacy Richards a dear friend for many years who my Jesus used during the ending days with Donna to love on me and encourage me in ways that could have only been dictated by the heart of the Lord, came by Church on Saturday and called me out side. She said i have something for you and I could see the emotion build up in her that she was being sent by God. It was one of those moments that is so overwhelming you feel like you just might combust. She went to her car and came back with this gift bag. She didn't even have to say anything as I knew what it must be. She went on telling me that she was shopping for a friend at the Bible Book store and God showed her this and told her to buy it for me. She was going to wait until Sunday but He said no to go to the Church now and give it to her. What she didn't know is I needed to feel the Lord so much that day. I felt like I was drowning in sorrow that I couldn't let out. I needed to find Jesus that's all I knew. She walked away and I still hadn't opened the gift up. I knew what it would be and I couldn't believe that the God of the Universe with all the huge things to deal with would orchestrate such an act of love to me as if I was the only thing that mattered to Him. Shaking I opened the gift and cried tears of happy tears, tears of great joy and overwhelming love. This beauty is called "Happiness" there she was my Donna standing in the presence of our King with complete Happiness - the tag said live laugh dance - o how this is Donna. So here they all are standing together on my mantle as a perfect remembrance of Peggy and Donna from 2 beautiful friends that allowed God to use them in such an extraordinary way - - for me!
Thank you Jesus for Your love


The Lighter Side of My resolutions for 2009

So this new year I have made some resolutions like so many others. Here is a picture of one of mine. - NO I am not gonna join this hobbie with my boys. I am gonna let my frustrations go. Find the joy in their obsession. So here are the positives that I will focus on.
- They have this bond that is deep because of this hobby ( I can't even bring myself to call it a sport).
- It gives me alone time and don't we all love having that.
- My son is learning skills that will surely come in handy with the way our country is heading.
- When Bobby and Aaron sit after a long day of paintball and take their guns apart to detail clean them and put them away in a very organized manner, I realize that Aaron is learning some valuable lessons there as well.
- I always new Aaron would be a soldier for the Lord I just never thought it would be molded in this manner.
- Yesterday when this man came walking in our backyard it took Aaron 2 min. to put that gun together and stand to defend me - okay fine it was the Edison man but we didn't know that at the time - I was impressed with his desire to protect me though. I'm sure the man thought we were lunatics and it had nothing to do with the fact that I told him I didn't trust him and anyone could get a vest like that on eBay and that I might need to take his picture and get his drivers license number - poor Bobby he just shook his head - besides this man told me he was coming back with a crane to take this electrical box out of my back yard and replace it. HE WAS A VERY VERY VERY BAD MAN telling me i would have no power for 3-4 hours. Maybe I will let Aaron shoot him ( good idea) - I'll let you know how it goes - what do you think yellow or green paint?
- last but not least this makes my boys happy and why would I want to be a thorn for my husband with this argument - i love him to much

so all this to say with my head held high
YES WE ARE A PAINTBALL FAMILY!!! - clap clap clap calp calp clap calp clap.....

Friday, January 2, 2009

Arizona is a strange place


It has a head, shoulders and feet and a couple of hands - i didn't dare feed it for fear that it would multiply and if there was one thing i knew for sure was i definitely didn't want it to multiply. It was thirsty but I saw gemlins so there was no way I was gonna take a chance at something like that happening.
Arizona is sure a strange place with odd creatures.
I'm glad to be home

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Pix from AZ

In Arizona for Christmas was a good time - lazy - relaxing - just what this girl needed - enjoy a few pix from our time there. great fashion sense - for Josh it's all about shock value - whatever it takes to make someone laugh is his lifes goal ALWAYS!!!!!!!
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Hannie and Daddy (Brian) Christmas morning


cute boys



the kids stockings




Here is my girl Hannie - isn't she cute. It was so great to spend time with her. She is so smart and well spoken. She must get it from her auntie (he-he)





Now here is frick and frack - never a serious moment with these two. The one on the right is my "super star" the other is my sis'~~~ we were killing time in the parking lot of Khols taking pix with sign post - I should post the rest of them it really was funny.






Aaron and his style - it was a miracle we got him to sit for this pic - you have no idea!!!








Happy Birthday to our blessed Lord Jesus!

If you look real close you can see Joshie blowing out the candle in the back.






Now you gotta know that he thanked me for that gift but made sure I knew that the Madagascar one would have been better. This child cracks me up. He is a young Jim Cary (sp) 24/7. My poor sis.






The face is a constant - remember what I said above. Poor Hannie she just goes along for the ride. As if she has a choice. - Hang in there girl.



Bobby building the bike - I suppose the years he spent building bikes for Toys R Us came in handy - he's such a great uncle.




Most of you wont get why this is so funny but trust me it was hysterically funny. He wore it with pride!!!


Exactly what the boy wanted a white tie. Don't let the fake smile fool you , he really was so happy to get that thing.



Hannie and her first Doll that she ever really wanted. She is not a doll kind of gal but this year she wanted an American Girl doll so bad. Maybe she'll con it into cleaning her room for her.


My two sweet babies - Geoffrey and Hannie - aren't they the sweetest.




Just a typical moment in the life of Josh and Aaron - these two are trouble let me tell ya.





and it goes on and on and on and on........................




who does she look like here????





Eating at Red Robin - where else? o wait a min. we ate at like 50,000,02 restaurants while we were there. Yes Mom Tammy cooked we just ate out alot too.