Saturday, December 15, 2012

Happy Birthday Aaron

How I wish I was more dedicated to writing here on this blog. Seems like I always set out to do better and yet well...... just doesn't happen. My Baby just turned 15. CRAZY!!!! just doesn't seem possible. My beautiful little smiley boy is pretty much a man. It might be 5 days late on here but Happy Birthday Aaron. You are loved.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Freshman Football - my new life!!!!   IMG_1164

and so it begins.................

Thursday, August 16, 2012

A love note from Jesus!!!!

Maybe you can't see it but ooooooo how I could and it gave me the greatest heart smile I have had in awhile. This summer has come and just about gone with many different strong emotions. So many changes. So many endings and many new beginnings that have required me to take that step out on the Jordan not having a clue what I was getting myself in. Only trusting that it was God's plan and He wouldn't let me drown. Often times feeling alone yet not lonely. Last night as I finally after a long crazy day of drop off pick ups, I sat down and ask the Lord,' I know you love me Lord but tonight I just need that gentle reminder that you do and that you are in all these crazy decisions I have been making". I look out my window and this is what I saw. Can you see it, can you see the heart He made for me? He even painted it extra pretty last night. Love love love that He colors outside the lines - His way of reminding me that all these outside of box things in my life right now are by His hand. Talk about a giant heart smile that felt like I would burst with love. Pretty great that's who my Jesus is!!!!
I am the most blessed girl in the World - well at least I'm gonna believe that. 
Go have a blessed day and look for you love letter from Jesus - I bet He gives you one. And don't forget to share!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

He Would Beg To Differ on the Date - lol

So today or Tomorrow more like it JULY 15th  is 23years that I have been with this man I get to call my husband!!!
Bobby I love you, I adore you, I respect you, and need you like crazy. I am determined in the 23rd year to finally have you see just what a hysterically funny woman you married. I love how you allow me to make my mistakes. I love how you allow me to serve my Jesus. I love how I have never cleaned up after you except for the bathroom mirror. BTW what's up with that anyway??? When I hear other gals talk about socks left on the floor and shoes in the most peculiar of places. I wonder did these gals forget to wait for the guys who comes off that perfect Island. So sad for them but O so PERFECT for me. I love how kind you are to everyone, even the people that I don't want to be kind to. I recently was sharing with some friends how for years i was worried you were one of those people who was like a ticking time bombs AND AT ANY MOMENT YOU WERE GOING TO BLOW. Okay after 23years I am officially going to stop waiting for the explosion. You seriously are that patient, kind and gentle. Good grief when will you rub some of that off on me!!! I love how you serve my Jesus ok ok OUR Jesus. Never a no comes out of your mouth unless you are in a different state. AND THE CRAZIEST part of all you have such joy and love the whole time doing it. NO MATTER WHAT IT IS.  I love how you can sit there and think of NOTHING!!!!! REALLY how???? please teach me how. Now what I don't like so much is how my family likes you more than me. Good grief!!
Well I guess it pretty much comes down to this......
It's Bobby's World and I get to live in it - better yet I get to be married to the Bobby - Woot Woot!!!!
Forever Your Girl!!!!

Monday, June 18, 2012

New Season

So I really want to get back to this. Today is the official start to our Summer and the spoiled lazy days of my life are officially gone. I THINK I BETTER GO TO THE BEACH AND SIT FOR 4 HOURS AND WAVE THEM GOODBYE ! ;o)

Aaron has graduated Jr. High. I had no idea how my heart would rip out at that ceremony. So many mixed emotions. I was on the verge of the obnoxious ugly cry at any given second. Became crazy hard to get my mind off of the ceremony so that I wouldn't. 1st year in school and what a crazy ride it has been. He acclimated more than well and before I knew it his whole life became his friends and school. So blessed by Tuffree Jr. High - seriously a gift and answer to SSSSOOOO many prayers we have had over the years. As much of an academic struggle school is for him he still pulled off honor roll status all year. That was probably the most unexpected gift of the year. So now Summer before High School. Wednesday starts basketball camp for High School and in 3 weeks Football camp. We are so in it!




Sunday, May 6, 2012

I so need to catch up here but until I get that time this says MUCH


Butt Prints In The Sand

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.

But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord they are too big for feet."
"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."
"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know.
So I got tired, I got fed up,
and there I dropped you on your butt."
"Because in life, there comes a time,
when one must fight, and one must climb.
When one must rise and take a stand,
or leave their butt prints in the sand."

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

I DID IT !!!!!

So this morning I could have slept in a couple extra hours - I never get that any more however, the Lord saw better to get me up at 4:30am and get me about my day. I am really learning to go with these gentle nudges of His guidance. Learning that there is always some unexpected sweet blessing when I am obedient. So up at 4:30am, showered, coffee made, reading my weekly Psalms / Proverbs and now sitting here thinking I need to get on this blog more. Like I said before I spend most my time on the private blog that I just tend to forget this one. So what's been going on.........let me tell ya!!!
i ran my first 1/2 marathon !!!!!
yep I did, Sunday I was blessed to run in my friends, Michelle's place at the Tinkerbell Race at Disneyland 1/2 Marathon.
Unbelievable - to think 1 year ago come next Wednesday I started this crazy idea that I was going to be a runner or at least to do a 5k. Started "Couch to 5K"  and that first 60 second jog I new i was going to see my Jesus. Everything hurtful, horrible was only my experience for so so long on this road of running. Having gotten the word diligent at leader's retreat just days before that, I knew the Lord wasn't letting me off the hook. In some way I just figured if I did die running then at least people would remember me by at least trying. SSSSSSooooooooooo..... fast forward a few days shy of 1 yr and I am running 13.1 miles with 11,000 people.
So how was it you may be asking well let me sum it up this way:
Wonderful / Dreadful
Fun / Painful
Determined to quit / Diligent to not
Hot Hot Hot - dreadful hot!
The things the Lord had me deal with out on the street surrounding Disneyland was not pleasant at all. Only got honestly a few moments of enjoyment along that path and saying that I am sure I am exaggerating to the better - as I don't have to many memories of them. But having streets lined with people / bands / cheerleaders kept me going. It felt like a cloud of witnesses cheering me on. How surprised I was that all those thousands of people came out to cheer this 45yr old  woman on in her first half marathon. Yes I  know that all those racers think they were there for them but I know it was for me. OF COURSE IT WAS FOR ME!!!!!
A couple of months prior I had learned this amazing lesson through running that sometimes the entire run will SUCK but you need to finish get to the end - the blessings come rushing in after it is done. So spiritually profound in our trails that come our way. A lesson well learned out on the riverbed that morning, now here I am living it with 13.1 miles not 3 miles. Dreadful couldn't believe this was going to be my path for this race, yet the very day prior when a friend text me with such excitement that I was running, I told her I wanted to burst into tears I was feeling conflicted. It was hard to explain to her and she was thinking I was scared but that wasn't it. Looking back now I see that deep down I knew I was going to get out there and God was going to use it to strengthen me in ways that wouldn't be fun. Boy am I learning the really good learning curves are the really deep down ones that really cost something.
So how did I do - I finished and that is part one of the victory. AND I wasn't last.
9,000 out of 11,000 finished the race and in the 9,000 I was 44% or maybe it was 41% one of those honestly can't remember. 2hours 47 minutes. Seriously not bad when I think of the extra walk time I had to take to get my breathing under control those last few miles, the potty break and picture ops that couldn't go un-missed. Seriously I just kept thinking if I could only be under 3 hours then I can be proud of what I have done so to think but really figured it was more like 3 1/2 hours. So 2:47 was a happy surprised for sure.
So maybe I am going to lose 2-4 toenails as a result of this race ( yes gross ). But worth it!!
Thank you to my friend Michelle Tebbe who allowed me to run in her place. I know it had to be hard for her not to be there but I pray she is blessed like crazy for this gift she gave to me.
Isn't it funny I can call something that was so difficult a gift......hhhhmmmmm interesting!
LOOK AT MY MEDAL

Saturday, January 14, 2012

My 14 year old

17 years With this Man in Marriage!!!

Today marks 17 years of marriage with the love of my life, Bobby Ray Richardson.
Now total we have been 23 years together WOW that is more years than we have been alive. CRAZY where does all that time go. If you know Bobby then you know how utterly crazy blessed I am that this girl snagged him and got to keep him. He still takes my breath away when he comes in a room. The sound of his voice makes my heart laugh. The morning kiss on my nose gives my happy bumps on my arms. SURE I could make you all know he isn't perfect and share the things that make me bonkers, but the last time I did that God took me on a journey of change in my own heart and let me tell you I am going through it enough with other circumstances so NOPE not gettin' anything out of this mouth. lol.
Truth is he is pretty stinkin' great and the best part of all is how he loves Jesus and people. he takes the things of God with such ease and simple solid faith. me I take the complicated route always. He believes the best in everyone - I can't even get that to sense in my head. He forgives without even batting an eye, I wade through layers of complicated justification to get to forgiveness. He goes through life in complete abandonment in his endeavors not ever considering that people are watching him or feeling insecure. Me I crumble at the thought that anyone is ever looking at me - it keeps me paralyzed in steppin' out ( yes i am working on this but it is everything against my grain ). he looks at every opportunity to help ANYONE as a gift. I AVOID. He loves any and all social settings - they freak me out!!!
O how very opposite we are - people always say opposites attract and indeed they do but what I can say as solid wisdom after all these years is that I believe that is how God intends for it to be because that is where the biggest growth will come if we surrender to it's process.
It is sort of like our journey with the Lord  - O how opposite we are with Him. Yet if we stay in it and allow the challenges to come and not avoid them to strip self and gain Him we fall into a more beautiful union with Him.
Marriage really is just like this  - at least my story is.
I love you Bobby I'm the princess of the land having roped you.
Yes i am not in denial that i roped you - poor guy you didn't have a chance getting away from me - lol

I love you beautiful man!!!!

Friday, January 13, 2012

I never Get here anymore

Maybe not the best way to come back after a long hiatus form this blog BUT .......
I never seem to get to blogging here anymore. I guess for a few reasons:
 - I am doing a private blog with some gals, so i blog there. It's so great we are reading one of my very favorite books, "The Privilege" - by Kay Smith. We are using it as a tool to keep us in the sanctification process that the Lord has laid out for us.
 - Things i would want to blog about here might be a little to private - of course i would have no problem writing the things but i know that some may not like hearing what I have to say. SO YOU SAY 'since when has that ever stopped me before' LOL yep you're right NEVER. I guess I feel as if somethings have been a little more misunderstood then normal lately so i have wanted to be responsible. I don't know maybe it's just I'm tired of everyone being so stinkin' upset with me all the time.
DO you know how tired i am of people saying or implying how difficult it is to be my friend. Lately I have seen that it is mainly because people DO NOT like to deal in truth. Everyone comes to the table of confrontation with the #1 rule of self preservation and the fine art of doing it under the umbrella of spirituality.  Well me for one I'm  TTTTiiiiiiRRRRRRRReeeeeDDDDD of that. No real work really gets done and everyone leaves the table full of more delusion then when they arrive. I just can't do that and well there in lies the conflict that people have being my friend. I need progress - I don't want to live in delusion. I don't want to continue preserving self. I want to live allowing the Lord to deal with my deception and my junk and cleaning it up - I want to be of better service to Him and all that He is up to for each day. I can't bare the thought of self delusion - scares me!!!!
I can only imagine how crazy this all sounds as the hearer of this post. I'm really just venting this all out here and you have the honor of wading through the yuck of it. I just had this conversation on the phone so it is all just fresh and a bit hot in my head right now.
LET ME GET OFF THIS CRAZY TRAIN BUT LEAVE YOU WITH THIS THOUGHT.
Every time you have a conversation with someone and you sit there thinking how crazy wrong their thinking is - if you do not speak up in love and give a different perspective, but you allow them to leave the conversation thinking you are on board with their thinking ( because they will believe that if you don't speak up )  - then i ask you how responsible are you in what might come next in their actions with that thinking or even their next conversation and putting your name into it as a way to validate it even more.
So you see being silent is way more tragic then the difficulty of speaking up.