A Prayer of Peace through the HOLY SPIRIT

I just pray right now for whoever chooses to read this that you are blessed and changed for what God can and will do in your life. I pray your heart is now full of something that you want to share with everyone you meet. I pray that if you have not submitted your heart to Christ, you will do it now! What a blessing and a freeing thing that is. I pray for the peace of a calming sunset will overwhelm your heart right now and you will weep like a baby for what God is and has been.
AMEN!

What is God calling you to do today? Whose life will you change because you prayed this simple prayer?

Branching out...

For me, things sometimes are really hard to accept in the manner of change. I really want to change, but I always morph back into my old habits and feel like a total failure. Do you do the same?
God spoke to me so much today at church during the service. I sat surrounded by friends, family members, and some total strangers and cried like a baby. I was convicted, and for all the right reasons. I felt an amazing amount of love and compassion in my heart. I looked around the room and saw the faces of believers in Christ who just need to show the world that, "We WON'T BE QUIET, We are fallig for YOU hard and we can't stop!"
My heart is swollen and broken today for the mission of Christ. Jeremy and I have been led to start a Bible Study group in our home and we ignored it forever. But, the amazing thing was that God was speaking to us both, individually, and we both were fighting it. If we chose to step forward with it, we would have to step out there and put ourselves on the line and be held accountable. Our faults and fears would be open for the world to view and that is a hard bite to chew sometimes. We would have to accept that people may or may not come. And we may have to face a burden that so many leaders in a church face- the fact that it feels impossible sometimes when all you want to do is share the amazing message of Christ with others. You want to shout if from the rooftops!

The book of Ester

I bought a movie over the holidays called, "One Night With the King."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjLy-oYnXBo

(Watch this trailer for it! You will love it, I promise! I have it if you want to borrow it)

It is about Ester from the Bible. It broke a curiosity for me that I have been needing to scratch. Come to find out that the word GOD is not used in that whole book of Ester!

It is an amazing story about how the Jews pretty much are about to be annihilated (AGAIN!) and God intervenes by placing the right person in a sticky situation at the right time! She steps out on faith and listens to her heart. She even changed her name to Ester from Haddasah (a Jewish name) so that she would not be found out! But, in the end, things are turned towards her favor. If you have around 20-30 minutes, depending on how fast you read, check out the book of Ester. I would like to do a Bible Study on it some time. I am going to be studying in it and making notes and learning some things about it so that I can maybe teach it. We'll see!

You know, I chose to blog about this because Matt Pitts said to me one night, "Where are you in the Bible?" He said that Jack Alford had been his accountability partner on asking him where he was in the Bible. I liked that. People sharing what they are reading in God's word. That is basically what we do in our group when we meet on Tuesday nights!

Where are you in the Bible? Comment on this post and let the world know where you are in HIS WORD!

My latest photo shoot fun time!

I have someone I want you all to meet, his name is DJ Neal. DJ has been in our lives now for around 7 or 8 years. When I taught English at West Morgan High School, DJ was in the 7th grade. That was in like 2002. Time really flies quickly by!


DJ used to come by my classroom everyday and every free moment he had just see how I was doing! He joined up in the Drama Club that I had the extreme joy of sponsoring for 2 years. During that time, we had the opportunity to go to New York City on a drama/theatre tour! DJ got to go with us! You see, I have failed to mention up until this point that DJ is extremely talented. He can sing, act, and dance. He can belt out notes that make your heart melt and your ears beg for more!~

During our trip to New York, DJ shared with me that he always had a dream of singing on stage at the Radio City Music Hall of Fame. It came true! We were touring the place and I convinced the tour guide to allow DJ his time to shine! He sang the Star Spangled Banner and just brought tears to all of our eyes.

I was told in college when I was taking classes that I would look back over my career as a teacher and reflect on the rewards that I was allowed to reap from the lives of my students and the investments I sowed in their lives. I was very fortunate that I had all of those things early in my career. DJ was one of those life lessons for me. I am truly blessed to have learned so much from such a young mind!

He had the opportunity a couple of years ago to move to the Alabama School of Fine Arts where he graduated this past May. He then moved to New York to pick back up on a dream of singing and acting in the great city of NYC. He is living out his dream and living the starving artists' life in the process. He was able to come home at Christmas and we were able to spend some time with him. He met our boys and they made instant buddies! Sammy calls him PJ!
Me being me, decided that I had to take pics of him. He needed some head shots too, so here are a few of my favs. The light outside was a bit to contest with, but we made it work! Love ya DJ!

Jeremy and I are so proud of DJ. He stayed a constant in our lives and has been such a joy to know and be part of.

God Bless you in all you do!

Facebook

Okay, thanks Lynn Pittman!
I have obsessive compulsive disorder as it is and you had to go get me HOOKED on Facebook! I am hooked, like completely!
I may be riding the red eye express if I don't watch it!
Must go to bed, need sleep!
Seriously, Facebook is cool!
What next, Twittering?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Claws, balls, and a broken colon

Whew...
It has been a lot around here as far as pain in the lower regions!
On Christmas day, Jeremy began having pain in his lower right area and ended up spending a night in the hospital, AGAIN! Almost a month to the day that he spent two days in the hospital for pneumonia.

They diagnosed him with acute diverticulitis and sent him home armed with antibiotics that should cure him.

Well, that did not seem to work.

He began the weekend last week doubled over in pain and having three doctors telling him three different things: diverticulitis, gall bladder, or appendicitis.
Jeremy had a colonoscopy today that revealed he had diverticulitis of the sigmoid curve in his colon. The doctor had to stop the test because he could not get past the inflamed area. OUCH!

As if we did not have enough going on in our scope, we added Maximus to the list of doctor visits. On Wednesday, our 14 week old kitten was declawed and neutered. Again, I repeat, OUCH!

He is pitiful walking around here like he does not know what hurts worse, his lack of male jewels or his now naked paws. The baby got in the bed with us last night and wanted to be held all night long.
Last night was Maximus's night for snuggling, so I guess Jeremy having had his procedure tonight, will expect his snuggling...
The things we do for the love of a man in pain!

The Magic of Christmas Lies in your heart

On Christmas Eve Tristan was in full belief and comfort that Santa Claus would soon fill his sleigh and deliver the toys that were on his list to our house on Carpenter Drive in Decatur, Alabama. The pure joy and faith made my heart swell with remembrance of when I was a child. I tried to find one of my Christmas memories in my mind to ponder and rekindle in my heart. I flipped through the files of my memory and fell upon one of the last Christamases that I truly believed in Santa Claus. I remember the magic that I felt as the days wound down to Christmas Eve and the breath taking feeling that I had when I went to bed that night just knowing that something magical would take place that night around the soon-to-be dead tree we had nursed and kept alive for weeks in my parents' living room. I would dream of Santa navigating his way around the furniture to place newly wrapped packages by the calico decorated tree my mom always put up when my brothers and I were children. I had a vision of the wrapping paper that would bring joy to a child's heart just by the sheer awe of the magic that elves took time and care to know how to do it just right.

As I watched Tristan prepare for Santa by placing cookies and milk on the table in the living room by the fireplace and poor reindeer food on the front lawn, I felt a twinge of that old magic run through my heart.

Why is it that we learn the "truth" about Santa? Why can't we have that feeling of vulnerable innocence and always believe that there is a greater being out there that will always shower us with gifts and bring us special gifts that only we can desire?

My son Tristan believes in Santa Claus. Now, Sammy Cade is another story! He said time and again, "No Santa, No Santa come see me!" so we just dealt with it the best we could. He ducked around the living room and said he was "Scerred to see Santa" in his house and that he did not want toys!
The magic is there, it does not take much as a child. To have the child-like faith that there is something greater than all of us out there!

My Family!!!

I had the privilege of going to take pics of my family today.
Here are a few!
I have to say that I have such a gorgeous family!
Lighting was a bit of an issue at times, but I think photo shop took care of most of that!
Enjoy!

Back to work

Today I went on a field trip to the Wetland's Edge.
We got to see saltwater tanks full of exotic fish and local river fish and turtles. We also got to see a 7 foot Burmese Python. That was freaky!
I have a terrible fear of snakes and this big rascal liked my body heat, because all he wanted to do was come my way!
I took lots of pics, wish I could share them with you, but my students are in the pics and I can't share those with you!
The snake was freaky!
I confronted a fear of mine today. YAY! GO ME!
I think this little cartoon is funny because I love butterflies!!!! How can someone be afraid of something so docile and gentle? Snakes, I mean come on, that is a rational fear!!!!!

The man and his woman

Thought you would get a kick out of the pics from us shooting the other day!
We had a really great time until Matt shot himself!
See the blog below this one for that story!
Anyway, enjoy!
My mom said I looked like a bush woman in my camo boots!
She knows me all too well! I would rather be in the woods with a gun than in the kitchen with pot and pan!

Taking time to give thanks

I just want to take the national holiday of Thanksgiving to tell everyone how thankful I am for each and every one of you.
If I don't tell you personally how much I love and treasure you, then here it is!
I thank God for you and all the blessings that you contribute to my life. I love you and hope that you get the same thankfulness out of everyone that you meet and love too!

I thank God for Jeremy, Tristan, and Samuel Holmes. They are the light in the darkness and the path home for me.
I love you guys!

I thank God that a sense of humor goes a long way in this world. I hope that I can get a better grip on my sense of humor and laugh a lot more at myself and others. I thank God that Jeremy is an understanding, loving, and patient man. Without that, who knows what would be of us?!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday, hopefully a day off of work, and eat a lot of Turkey and take a big nap afterwards...