Thanksgiving Memories...

Here are a few of our Thanksgiving Memories...

Our day was spent in the country...

The weather was wonderful...

We spent time visiting and playing with family...


Eating some delicious home cooked foods...


Riding a 1949 John Deere bulldozer...


The boys were in heaven! Especially when they started moving some dirt...


I enjoyed time with my man!

Learning to skip rocks...



Preparing for adventure...



The boys thought the cows wanted to eat them!


Isn't that calf just precious?


Fun in the pasture with Paw-paw...
we even went through a creek to get to another pasture!

And me and my honey had fun on a 4-wheeler all by ourselves!!

Giving Thanks!

As we approach Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wanted to take the time to list some of the things I am thankful for...

• I am thankful for my salvation through Jesus Christ and his unselfish death on the cross for me;
• I am thankful for the Word of God... what a treasure we have in the Word!
• I am so thankful for the faithfulness of God, for His mercy, His amazing grace, and His unending love;
• I am thankful for the gift of the Holy Spirit and how He leads, guides, and convicts me;
• I am thankful for my family, for my wonderful husband and my precious little boys, and even our cat!
• I am thankful for my parents and my sister, for the family I inherited when I married my husband, and for all my aunts, uncles, and cousins;
• I am thankful for our home, I love every nook and cranny in it, but what I love most about it is that it is a home filled with love, joy, laughter, and peace;
• I am thankful for my church family, and for our pastor and his precious wife;
• I am thankful for my freedom, and for all those who are and have fought to defend our freedom;
• I am thankful for food to eat, clothes to wear, cars to drive...
• I am thankful that we are able to go out to eat sometimes;
• I am thankful for friends, those who have been in a my life for a season, and those who are friends for life;
• I am thankful for good books to read;
• I am thankful for good music that turns my heart and my eyes to Jesus;
• I am thankful for the opportunity to blog and the friends I have made doing it;
• I am thankful for modern conveniences... washing machines, dishwashers, garage door openers, and on and on;
• I am thankful for the gift of life, here, now on this earth, and the promise of the eternal life I will have with my Lord when my life here is done.

I could go on and on, as I am sure you could also. May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and may you find a tiny bit of quiet time amidst the festivities to give thanks to the One who has given us so much to be thankful for! Be blessed...

Word-Filled Wednesday

Give thanks to the Lord! I pray you all have a wonderful thanksgiving! Tell someone how thankful you are for what the Lord has done in your life this past year! For more WFW visit 160acrewoods.


photo courtesy of Heartlight.org

Wordless Wednesday #38

I...

I........

am... a child of God, saved by grace, in love with and in passionate pursuit of my Savior and Lord.

I want... to live my life in a way that draws others to Him. I want my “life to be an exhibit to the value of knowing Him” (Jim Elliot).

I have... been blessed beyond my wildest dreams, with a wonderful husband and twin boys. I have all my needs and even lots of my desires graciously met. I have a tremendous amount to be thankful for.

I wish... I did not get hormonal or moody. I also wish I could have a weekend at home all by myself! Oh the things I could get done!

I know... I am loved, appreciated, and needed.

I hate... clutter and a disorganized home and life. I also hate Satan and his attacks on families!

I fear... something tragic and painful happening to one of my children or my husband.

I hear... my children talking with their daddy. This weekend they have wanted daddy lots more than they have wanted me! It has been a much welcomed mental break from all the many questions they ask!

I crave... chocolate, and Mexican food; not necessarily at the same time.

I search... for lego pieces all over the house so I do not vacuum them up.

I always... plan my day and have a schedule of things I would like to get accomplished.

I usually... clean something in my house everyday.

I am not...artistic, although I would love to be.

I miss... our old neighbors who moved this past January; our old church family in Trussville before we moved south.

I love... this life that God has blessed me with. I would not trade it for anything!

I never... ever dreamed I would be the mother of twins! And twin boys at that! I always thought I would have girls…

I rarely... have time to be all by myself, so when I do I take full advantage of it.

I cry... at the drop of a hat! Especially lately… life has been hard this year and I find that I am just so emotional, especially at church or when in prayer. But really even the simplest thing can make me cry, a good book, a song, a good movie, or just sweet things said by my husband or children.

I lose... my glasses around the house all the time. I need one of those old lady chains you hang your glasses on!

I should... make a better effort at staying in touch with friends who I do not see as much as I used to.

I worry... I try not to worry… instead I try to give it to God in prayer. That feels better than worrying.

I dream... of sitting at the feet of Jesus for eternity, where there will be no more… no more pain, no more heartache, no more tears! And I dream of worshipping Him in Glory, where I will have a beautiful voice and can sing, and sing, and sing!

I was... tagged for this by Prairie Chick. If you think this would be a fun exercise, (it was for the record), then consider yourself tagged! Such a fun and simple way to get to know each other a bit better.

Thankful Thursdays

"But I have trusted in Thy lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.
I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me."
Psalm 13:5-6

I am thankful for:

• The opportunity to see tender hearts touched and begin to be changed by the Word of God and our Living Savior;
• The occasional moments of quiet and peace that sometimes come along during my day;
• My crazy cat, who at this moment is climbing into a drawer that I left open on the filing cabinet!
• The fact that we have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a home to enjoy;
• My husband's job, even when he has nights when he has to work late, at least he has a job;
• Good books to read;
• Hearing my children sing;
• The peace and joy that can only come from a relationship with my Lord and Savior;
• The way others have blessed my life... one such example from this week, a young man in our church told me Sunday night that he had something in his truck for me. He ran out to get it and brought it back to me, it was a poster with all the many names of God on it. He said he had seen my Bible cover which has some of the names of God on it and it reminded him of this poster. He took this poster down from his bedroom wall and gave it to me! I am planning to hang it in our library, where I usually have my quiet times. I was just so touched that this young man would be moved to do something like that for me, what a blessing that was and is!
• Family traditions...

Have you made a list of things you are thankful for lately? If not, I encourage you to do so. It helps to get your mind off your problems and focus on what really matters and all that you do have to be thankful for. For more TT posts visit Grace Alone.

Word-Filled Wednesday

Oh, the power of God's Word! Have you spent time in His Word today? It has the power to break strongholds and the chains that bind, give it a try! For more WFW posts visit 160acrewoods.

Wordless Wednesday #37

The picky eater gobbled up broccoli and asked for more! Who would have ever guessed? Will it ever happen again??

Life...

With all the “stuff” life has thrown at me this past year, some of which has been mentioned here in some of my posts, and others that I have not been at liberty to share publicly, I have spent some time lately pondering “life” …

Life can be excruciatingly hard at times…

Life can be unsettling and heart breaking…

Life can just be stressful and wearisome…

Life can make you scream “WHY!!”…

BUT, I know that Jesus came to give us life, and to give us life abundantly, even in the midst of hard times, so…

I turned to God’s Word to find out more about what the Giver of life says about life, and here is what I found.

Life is from God

• Gen. 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

• Job 12:9-10 “Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?”

• 1 Timothy 6:13 “I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things …”

• John 5:21 “For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.”

• Romans 4:17 “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;”

Life is given through and from the Spirit

• 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

• Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

• John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

Life is precious

· Psalm 139:14 “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.”

Life is fleeting

· James 4:11 “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

· Job 7:7 “Oh, remember that my life is a breath...”

· Psalm 78:39 “For He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again.”

Life is sometimes hard

• John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

• Psalm 91:14-16 “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.”

• 1 John 5:5 “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

• Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Life is found in the The Word – Living and Written

· Psalm 119:49-50 “Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.”

Life is found in the wisdom of God

· Proverbs 8:35 “For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD;”

· Ecclesiastes 7:12 “For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.”

Life is more than food and clothing

· Luke 12:15, 23, 31 “And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." … Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. …But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Life is in Christ

· John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

· John 6:40 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

· 1 John 5:11-12 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Life is a choice

· Deuteronomy 30:19-20 “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

Life is lived by faith in Christ

· Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Life is not to be lived for ourselves

· 2 Corinthians 5:15 “and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”

· Romans 6:10-14 “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

God’s Word always helps me to put things back into the right perspective. It helps me direct my focus back to my Lord and Savior and away from all the many things of and in this world that fight for my time and focus. Life is not always easy, but several things I do know… I will always have Jesus, no matter what! No one and nothing can take Him away from me, and absolutely nothing can separate me from His love. He has been, is, and will always remain faithful! He will never leave me, forsake me, or abandon me – no matter how alone I feel. He is in Heaven right now preparing a place for me… and He is coming soon to take me there! And once there, there will be NO MORE… no more heartache, no more tears, no more disappointments, no more sickness, no more pain that won’t go away… no more! What a day that will be, when I can truly sit at the feet of Jesus and worship my Savior, the precious Lamb of God!

The Winner Is......

And the winner of my 1st giveaway is DeeDee from No Greater Joy! Congratulations DeeDee! Everyone stop by her blog and congratulate her on winning my giveaway in honor of my blogiversary!

What a blessing DeeDee is! And I am blessed to know her in real life! I have learned so much about being a wife, a mom, and a Godly woman from her Bible studies and from sweet times of fellowship. She is a blessing in my life! Congratulations DeeDee, I will bring your package to church on Wednesday night!

A forgotten giveaway!!

Well, a week ago this past Monday I celebrated my 1 year blogiversary and posted a post about selfishness; and in an effort to intentionally do things out of selflessness instead of selfishness I stated that I was going to do a giveaway!

The day after that our family was hit with some very hard stuff and I totally forgot about the giveaway that I was supposed to draw for this past Monday... I woke up in the middle of the night last night and remembered. Isn't it funny how we do that.

Anyway, I am extending the giveaway until this next Monday, the 17th. Please go here, read the post and leave me a comment, and I will enter you in my drawing. If you have already commented you do not have to do so again, and I am sorry I forgot about my giveaway. Just check back on Monday the 17th and I will post the winner!

Thankful Thursdays

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13

Today I am thankful for:

• Hope, and that by the power of the Holy Spirit I can abound in the hope that comes from believing in God... what a wonderful thing hope is!
• Joy and peace, and that we can have those even in the midst of heartbreaking circumstances all because of our relationship with Jesus!
• The power of the Word of God! This past weekend and earlier this week I felt very heavy with despair. I found some time on Monday evening to spend some lengthy time with God and in His Word, and He lifted that cloak of despair from me! Praise Him! I do still have times of sadness and get emotional, but that overwhelming feeling of despair has been lifted!
• God's provisions for us, He continues to provide graciously for our needs and even for some desires, what a wonderful Heavenly Father we have! This week He has provided us with a free meal out and me with a free babysitter so I could join some friends for lunch and shopping this week!
• The funny things my children say. David looked at me with a very serious face the other night at dinner while holding up a carrot and said, "Mommy, this is too expensive to eat." It was hilarious, and no he did not get out of eating his carrot.
• Lazy days... we are having one today and so far it has been wonderful. It is overcast and foggy outside, the boys slept late and so did I (which is very unusual for me), then they came and snuggled in bed with me, we had breakfast, played go-fish, and now they are painting masterpieces!
• My friends here in blogworld, you all have been such a blessing to me with your emails and your comments, many of your kind words came just when I needed them. Thank you for reaching out to me in my time of heartache and grief... I feel I have been ministered to more by my blogging friends than by people I physically know, God has used you to meet a need in my life, the need to know that someone cared, and I thank you for that!
• The release of stress that comes with exercise! It has been wonderful to get out and run in the cool air this week!
• Hot chocolate on a cold afternoon... yummy (It is even extra yummy with an ande's mint melted in it!)
• The completion of my study of Lies Young Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free, with some precious young girls. We finished our study of the book last night by sharing something the Lord has taught us or done in our lives through the time of this study. It was a sweet time. Next week we have a party complete with food!

So what are you thankful for today? No matter what is going on in your life, no matter how hard, or how heartbreaking it is, you can still find things to be thankful for if you lift your eyes up to Him, I am proof of that this week. I encourage you to stop and make your own list of things you are thankful for, then head on over to Grace Alone to see what others have found to be thankful for!

Word-Filled Wednesday

How thankful I am that when we diligently seek the Lord we will find Him. How wonderful to rise in the mornings to hear His lovingkindness and to lift my soul up to Him, for He always hears me and He always is ready to meet with me... have you met with the Lord through His Word and prayer today? If not please find time to do so, you will not be disappointed. For more WFW posts visit 160acrewoods.

I want to thank everyone who has prayed for our family this past week. It has been a very emotional and heart-wrenching time, but your prayers have and continue to be felt. Thank you for taking the time to pray for us! Please continue to do so as the Lord prompts you to.

Wordless Wednesday #36

In Memory of ...

Chaelson Andre

February 19, 1974 - November 3, 2008

Chaelson was a wonderful daddy, son, husband, nephew, grandson, cousin, friend, brother-in-law

He was a committed and dedicated Firefighter

Please keep his family in your prayers as we grieve his death...

We love you Chaelson and miss you tremendously...

Thankful Thursdays

"Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ."
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

This is my verse for the week, as my family needs the comfort of Christ in abundance...

I am thankful for:

• The comfort of Christ, and that our God is the God of all comforts...
• That His grace is sufficient for EVERYTHING...
• That God is the great I AM...
• That in Christ I have hope...
• That I have the Word of God to turn to whenever and wherever I need it...
• And that the Word of God is living and active and at work in my life...
• The body of Christ and how they come through when one of their own is hurting...
• The power of prayer...
• Memories...
• Family...

Please pray for our family today. We are traveling to go to the funeral of my cousin... it is and will be a heart wrenching and extremely emotional time. Thank you.

For more TT posts visit Grace Alone.

Word-Filled Wednesday

"Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ."
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

I am so thankful that through Christ our comfort from God is given in abundance, our family is in need of that comfort right now and we greatly appreciate your prayers.

For more WFW posts visit 160acrewoods.

Wordless Wednesday #35

Prayer Needed....

Our family is grieving right now and our hearts our broken, we are very much in need of prayer...

My cousin committed suicide last night, leaving behind his parents, a sister and her husband and son, and a wife and a daughter.

Please pray for his family and for all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as many friends who are grieving his death.


He is a fellow believer in Christ, so we "do not mourn as those who do not have hope" (1 Thes. 4:13)


Your prayers are greatly appreciated...

A Year of Blogging!

Yesterday was my 1 year blogiversary...

I began blogging as a way to share with others what God is doing in my life, what He is teaching me, and just how wonderful He is. Through sharing the joys of life as well as the trials and hard times, I have desired for my words to be a testimony of His goodness, His love, His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness, His faithfulness, His provision. As the quote on my sidebar states, I have desired that my life, and here in blogland, my blog and it posts, be an exhibit to the value of knowing God.

That is the purpose of my blog... to brag on our magnificent Lord and Savior, and hopefully, to impart to whoever reads my blog a hunger and thirst for Him and for righteousness. For in Matthew 5:6, our Lord states, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Are you hungry for more of our Lord?

Today I wanted to share what the Lord has been speaking to me about lately... selfishness. Does anyone else struggle with this? Please do not tell me that I am alone!! It seems that the more I long for God, the more I seek Him, and the more desperate I become for Him, the more my flesh fights it! And then I get so frustrated with myself because I long and desire to live in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Why is it that more often than I like I allow my circumstances to dictate how I respond rather than allowing the Spirit of Christ in me to control my responses? Just yesterday our pastor preached a sermon about whose kingdom are you living in and seeking, our own, or that of our Lord? I had to apologize to my husband after church because on Saturday I was definitely living in MY kingdom, and I was not pleasant to be around... thankfully he willingly and graciously forgave me, and confessed that he struggles with the same thing.

Our Sunday School lesson was on prayer, and how all of our battles need to be fought on our knees, and how we need to pray unceasingly. If we are praying unceasingly, we are constantly focusing on our Lord and Savior, we are in constant communion with Him, and that gives our stinky flesh less opportunity to rise up and jump out! It made me think of the book by Brother Lawrence, Practicing the Presence of the Lord. We need to practice and live like we are in His Presence at all times, we need to be resolved to do this, we need to do this intentionally or it will not take place. So that is what I have been trying to do since yesterday, trying to keep my mind and thoughts focused on Him, trying to be in communion with Him, whether I am listening intently for His voice, or sharing my heart with Him.

This morning the following was in the devotion book I am reading, just thought I would share it...

No matter how resistant we may be to the call, our road to true greatness is also the highway of humility. At times it too will involve suffering, rejection, betrayal, and yes, even death - to self. The question becomes, "Is He worth it to us?"

Without a doubt, one of the primary works God has sought to accomplish in me is to help me get over myself. The process has been excruciating and will no doubt be lifelong, but I have never been more thankful for any work in my life. I know no other way to say it: God finally got me to a place where I made myself sick. Oh, I still get plenty of glances at my self-centeredness, but never without a good wave of nausea. God and I now have a term for it in our prayer time. Don't expect something deeply intellectual or theological. We just call it my "self-stuff." Almost everyday I ask God to help me address any active self-stuff and nail it to the cross. I literally name everything He brings to mind and look it straight in the face even if it makes me cry. ....

Here's the big lie: Satan has convinced us that laying down our self-stuff is some huge sacrifice. Oh, beloved, what deception! Our self-stuff is what makes us most miserable! What an albatross our self-absorption is.

I cannot stress strongly enough that getting over the self-stuff is a daily challenge. As long as we inhabit this tent of flesh, it will rise up in us. We must choose to "deny [ourselves] and take up [our] cross daily" (Luke 9:23). The challenge demands total honesty before God. Remember, God never convicts us to condemn us. He wants to liberate us. Oh, God, so deal with self in each of us that when You read our thoughts You will find stronger and stronger evidences of Your own.

(taken from New Every Morning, devotions by Beth Moore, pages 75-76)

Anyone have any thoughts to share...

Back to this blogiversary for a bit... I have been tremendously blessed by this blogging adventure! What wonderful blogging friends I have made, friends who have encouraged me with their words, both in the comments they leave and in the words on their own blogs, and who have lifted me up to our Lord in prayer. Thank you to each of you who have allowed the Lord to use you to touch others lives, you are all truly a blessing straight from Him! As an act of selflessness, the Lord has laid it upon my heart to have a giveaway!! I will be giving away some Therapeutic Bath Minerals by Beauticontrol that I bought for myself and just absolutely love! But I am trying to not be selfish, so I am not going to keep them, I want to bless one of you with them! (They are brand new, I have not opened them yet :) just in case you were wondering!!) Just leave me a comment by next Monday the 10th, and I will enter you in the drawing. I will draw on Monday night the 10th! And I may try to get a few other goodies to send with the bath minerals!!