Fun, Friends, and new Family Pics!

Recently we have had some wonderful visits with friends and thought we would show you all some of those pics. It is fun to have the little ole' house on Haywood packed to the max with everyone laughing and enjoying eachother and the smell of pumpkin chip cookies.




Our sweet friends Jeff and Traci



Jeff and Traci and their cute kiddos, Mackenzie and Elliot


Anna hangin' out waiting to feed the fish!


The kiddos posin so cute.....



Love these boys of ours.....



Jeff snapped a sweet pic of us...thanks Jeff!




and another sweet pic of Traci and I!




This is how we found Jeff after he was nice enough to
let Traci and I slip out for a shopping spree!!




My adorably sweet friend Tam whom I would do anything in the world for!




Yep. We sure are cute.



The gang! Mrs. T, Tam, Me and Mary E! (You don't
mind if I call you that...do you Mary?? :)

So thankful for friends!!! Love 'em all!

I Corinthians 15:55

This last week we were thrilled to have a short but sweet visit with some friends of ours. They left us with lots of laughs, a ton of smiley cookies, an avalanche of girls clothes which I SOO appreciate, and even two new sweaters for me! (Yes I did go back and get the black sweater.......THANK YOU FOR THAT!!) While they were here we had a quaint photo shoot which resulted in many sweet memories and pictures to boot. While rummaging through them again today I just kept looking at Joel and I and wondering when it was that we became "thirtysomethings." This thought and a few new blogs I wandered into have sparked some soul-searching and deep, deep thinking. Like past the, "I would love a few more oreo's," thinking.

Today I was introduced, via the web, to two amazing Widowers. Both men have small children to take care of. Both had only been married a short span, and both are in their mid-twenties. Hearing and reading their stories brought tears of grief for them and began questions in my mind FOR THEM, as if I had to know why God allowed this for these perfect strangers. Being the person that I am I held all of my thoughts and questions in until Joel appeared with Caleb home from kindergarten. I think I hugged Joel tighter than I have in a long while.

I smelled his cologne and smiled. I rejoiced that I was alive, and that I was his wife.

I made him a sandwich and we chatted like we usually do, and like we just love to do everyday. In fact we love to talk all the time everyday to be exact. And for those of you who are thinking, "Poor Joel," :) I just want to tell you that last night I asked Joel what it was that he loved for us to do together and, you guessed it. He told me that he just loved when we talk for a good long while.

So talk we did. We talked about God having a predetermined time for us each to live here on Earth. We discussed the fact that heaven is our goal and that the only way to get there besides the Lord himself coming, is for Him to call us home. Then I listened intently as Joel, as only he can, relayed the fact that we are here, we are created, to bring God glory, and for some people God allows different things because He knows that in His perfect will and way He will receive the most glory from it.

Today is one of those days where what you KNOW finally makes it into your heart. I know that heaven is our goal, but for some silly reason understanding that to get there means death to your physical life here some how escaped my reasoning. In order to get to heaven and be with God....I HAVE to die.

The other light bulb moment was when I realized that there really is never a good time to die. If you die when you are young people lament the fact that, "they had so much life yet to live." If you die with small children under your watch care, "they will never know what their Mother was like..." and let's say you were the ripe old age of 96 and died. No one will ever say, "Wow, I am sure glad they died."

There will always be people to miss, and as selfish creatures death is an enemy to us, but death physically means to finally be living spiritually. To see God face to face and not "Through a glass darkly."

The facts are the facts no matter what and sometimes I need "just the facts," void of any emotion to keep headed in the right direction. The facts are: I am going to die. This death is a time of rejoicing because I then can worship my Savior face to face free from sin.

It is interesting that Paul states in the first chapter of Philippians verses 23-26:

"For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again."

Paul wants to be with the Lord, but realizes that the Lord still has work for Him to do. How many of us think to ourselves, "I would really rather be dead and alive in heaven, but for my husband and children I will stay and accomplish what the Lord has for me." Hmmmm.....

It is good to go into "the house of mourning," as Solomon states here, Ec 7:2 "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart." It is good for us, the "living," to remember that we do have an end and that we are only here to bring honor and glory to God with the few days we have allotted to us. I am reading a book in which this illustration was given. Say you were an extra in a movie. For a few seconds in the film you could distinguish the back of your head and that my friends was your claim to fame.

Now let's say for some odd reason you went about telling people that this movie was all about YOU. You rented out a huge theatre to host your friends and family for it's premiere all for them to see your fleeting appearance. As silly as it would be for you to think you were the star of a film in which you were merely the backdrop for not even a noteworthy amount of time, THAT is how silly it is for us to live our lives as if our existence is all about our own wants, wishes and desires.

Isn't that a great illustration????????????????????????????????????

Going into the house of mourning, reading about these two Widowers reminds me that in God's timetable I am a vapor. Jas 4:14 "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."

And it helps me see that I AM GOING TO DIE, but it is only through death that I can gain eternity, and so it isn't to be feared but embraced and left in God's hands as far as the timing involved. Our lives are not about us. The very breath we breathe is given by God's hand. We are only to use this short existence to do ALL WE CAN to glorify and magnify God whether it is at home in the lives of our family, in the world showing a real, loving Savior to those who long for word from Him, or even in a trial too heavy for us to bear.

Boy, when you think about heaven, think about what gain it will be for us (see there we are selfishly again!) it almost makes you envy those who have seen Christ face to face.......

doesn't it?

Pepperoni Rolls and Prayers of Praise

Mornin' y'all. Take a gander at the time. No really....go ahead. Scroll to the bottom. I'll wait for you here.


Yup I posted this at 2:30ish and No, it is NOT because this is the only time I can get some free wireless Internet, though if you could see me now you would so laugh! I have to sit just right on my bed and have a pillow shielding the computer screen so as to not wake up Hubby! What a sight. And NO, this does not fall into the "she rises while it is yet night to prepare meat for her household" category either.

Crickets make a nice backdrop for this post.

SO...... the real reason I am up at this blessed hour.















Um, it's the Holy Spirit.
















See I new you wouldn't be shocked.









Friends of ours are in town visiting us and of all things I had an idea to make homemade pepperoni rolls for a picnic lunch tomorrow at the park. This involves using frozen bread dough (ok ......SEMI homemade....smile) which needs to thaw a while.......like 5 hours or so a while...... and last night before closing my eyes to sleep I asked the Lord to wake me in enough time to get the dough out and thawing so that it would be ready to roll (ha ha good pun!) first thing when I got up. (meaning after I went to bed after thawing the bread and THEN got up for real. :)

So the sweet Lord tapped me on the shoulder a half an hour or so ago and I thanked Him for remembering my request and getting me up. I shuffled around the kitchen getting necessary pans and such and realized that God woke me up. Ok before you think I cannot think too clearly in the AM let me explain....

Alayna had not cried and woke me up needing to be fed. No one is stirring......"not even a mouse. The children are nestled all snug in their beds......." (Sorry I digress...) There was no other reason for me to be "bing-bang awake and whistlin' a happy tune." Goodness knows that I am hardly awake first thing in the morning WHEN I AM awake.....let alone sharp mentally and not even drowsy minutes after my feet hit the floor in the wee hours of the night! THIS is the Lord's doin'.

So I continued to get my dough ready, then made my rounds to check on all the chillin's. I head back to my bedroom and spot something.


It's the couch.


The Holy Spirit says...... "Why don't you spend some much needed praising time right there??"


I say, "Sounds good to me."



Lately I have had that feeling again. (No this doesn't involve butterscotch...) I mean that feeling that I blogged about a while back about that "getting on your face before God, speaking to Him and waiting on Him, praising Him, and looking semi-Charismatic" feeling. THAT feeling. Well here was my opportunity.

In a nook in my couch I buried my head and knelt before an All-Powerful God. The other night in bed I lay there wanting to be closer to God. Not in a "sin is separating me," way, but just closer. So while Hubby dreamed I reached as far as my arms could reach lying in bed and just closed my eyes and thought on He who is the Creator of all things. I was 2o odd inches closer to Him, closer to heaven and just talked with Him with my arms outstretched as if to welcome a heavenly hug at any moment. For me, bowing, kneeling, falling prostrate before Him is so important. It is my body humbling itself and reminding my spirit that I am just dust before a holy and just God. Some can sit and pray and some can even pray with eyes wide open.


Not me.

And especially when it has seemed like forever since I spent quality time with God. I need to humble myself and wait on Him, to fall on my face or knees and show my flesh that "we mean business." I tease and use humor, but this is serious to me. I am so full of pride that I HAVE to bow before God.

Back to the couch. I am beginning and the Holy Spirit prompts me to praise Him. I am not here to intercede for anyone. I am here to praise God. Right then in Heaven Jesus was pleased to tell his Father that 14 West Haywood says, "Thank you."


They thank you in the middle of the night for:

Hearing my simple request and waking me to prepare to try to be a blessing to my friends with a treat for lunch tomorrow.

Giving me this day, a wonderful new start.

Creating me and making me exactly the way I am, quirks and all.

The sweet lady at church who you impressed to give me vitamins I would not be able to afford to help me much physically.

This couch, this house that has welcomed all of my babies for 9 years.

My recent hardships that keep me dependent on you.

Daily bread.

Finances that again keep me needing you.

Political unrest that turns our prideful selves to you seeking help.

Discernment.

Wisdom.

The unconditional love of a good, kind man.

Isaac, Abby, Caleb, Nathan, Anna and Alayna.

Keeping air flowing through Alayna's lungs.

Stimulating her brain to remind her to breathe.

Providing for red carpet 10 years ago so I could get the same feeling I did when I was at the McNeilly's house.

Weaknesses.

Strength.

Hearing this tiny speck in a magnificent universe.

A love that only His children can know and experience and show to others, signifying that God does love them.

Drawing me to Him tonight and each day.

Sherri, Tammy, Val and Patty. Friends I hold dear to me.

This moment with Him.

Reminding me to share this on my blog.



Really there were too many things to list here, but these are some of them. I did not just now sit and think of them. These were praises I thanked God for while burying my head in the couch. Recently God has been answering my every request.....seemingly small requests......you know, those, "Please help me find...." requests that only mean the world to you. Those kind. Tonight I am in awe of an Omniscient God. a God who created me to praise Him and who thinks enough about me, for me, to wake me up to thaw dough for pepperoni rolls. THIS is the God I serve. The God I love. And He knew that once I realized at 2:30 in the morning truly what He had done for me in remembering my silly request, that I would praise Him for every single thing I could possibly think of and just enjoy His presence a bit while the people I spend so much time and effort ministering to were sleeping................... so He could minister to me.

Yes. He delights in us enough to wake us to hear us praise Him.

He missed me. And I am glad it took pepperoni rolls to remind me that I missed Him.

A Quick update!

Hello all! We have had some Internet issues and are not able to get on.....well at all really! I WAS able to snag someone else's Internet connection....thank you neighbor...... and wanted to send you a quick note telling you that we will, Lord willing, be back to regular posts soon. For now, we enjoy a simpler lifestyle where there was no Internet and use this time to look at our priorities, hug our kids more, bake bread again, and remember just how much we literally can accomplish without a computer on. Recently I have been challenged to REALLY look at my life and realize that time is life. What I spend time doing, I literally give my life to. When you think of it that way some things just seem to fall by the wayside in significance. Computer usage being one of them. Also, we are to do ALL to the glory of God and I am recommitted to using this blog for God's glory and not my own. Though most of you who really know me know that I have little to glory in, and also know that I am completely addicted to butterscotch. I digress.....

So.... enjoy some pics from our Old Fashioned Sunday last week and stay tuned, we'll be back!

A First, a Second and Two-Thirds!

Hey all, gotta get you all up-to-date in order for you to catch the theme of this post. A month back Joel and I were faced with a decision concerning the children's schooling. I have home schooled for two consecutive years and enjoyed it, and hoped that I would again be able to. We put off an exact decision waiting to see if physically I would rebound quicker than expected and could resume my title as "Super Mom." Well friends to put it grammatically correct, "It aint happenin'." I am doing much better, but am reminded how hard surgery was this time around and the magnitude of what I physically faced. I do have regular appointments with the Great Physician, so no worries. I will be back to my, "Teach the kiddos, plan dinner, sew a new outfit and rock the baby with my toes" old self in a little while. With THAT said, we decided to put the kids in school this year.

I was feelin' a bit down about it until Joel came home one day. Isaac and Abbs had just taken their placement tests needed to see where they stood grade-wise. Joel mentioned that Pastor House, our principal, would like me to call him regarding the tests at my convenience. GULP. Now who isn't rightfully scared of a Principal???? I called him and my fears turned to praises. To God that is. I am fighting my flesh at the moment because I do not want to pridefully remark on what grade level they placed in. I WILL say that he left me smiling with this last conversation between he and I. He began, "Deena, did anyone give you grief about deciding to home school??" "Not too badly, " was my reply. He then added, "Well if anyone did, THIS IS YOUR VINDICATION!" Enough said.....

So....today was THE DAY. The kids counted how many "sleeps" until school so many times that I WAS tempted to try the "sleeper hold" on them.

I so hope your first day of school was like mine, hence making me feel a tad more normalish. We awake to the baby crying needing fed. I feed the baby and hand her to Joel to burp just in time to greet Anna crawling up into my side of the bed with of all things, Joel's cell phone. She hops in bed with us totally FR-EE-Zing us with her feet. It is almost Norman Rockwell-ish. UNTIL....the baby spits up all over Joel, Anna begans to "SHHH" the now crying baby, I get a wiff of her "so not cute two year old" breath, and Abbs comes in the room whining of a stomach ache. There you have it. A new day has dawned. I pause to see if Joel is going to rise from bed with a chorus of "O What a Beautiful Mornin'," straight out of OKLAHOMA......nnnnno.

We decide to send Anna to do our dirty work for us, waking up the remaining kids. Joel pours cereal, heads in the shower, and I continue corralling our kids. I must interject here that yesterday when needing some necessary clothing for church we noticed that the things in the dryer were still damp. "A fluke," we thought. "Think again," this morning said to us, and off I was to dry my "necessaries" with my hairdryer. So I guess you can say I "raised the white flag" to rally the troops while in the bathroom. Sorry. Couldn't resist. While in mid hustle and bustle Isaac goes out to walk the dog and yells for everyone to come and see what he has found. I am thinking the raccoons got into the garbage again.

Not so!! A sweet someone left several bags of goodies on our back porch!!!!!! The Lord reminded me that this is the SECOND time that someone has treated us with bags and bags of groceries this Summer. Praise God! This is just a FRACTION of the goods bestowed on VERY THANKFUL us....A keen observer will note THREE packages of OREO cookies. Someone sure loves me. Now how can the day go bad after stumbling upon the Mother-load of goodies friends??? Might have to let them eat OREO's for breakfast one day this week....

So we then took the kiddos lunches out of the baggies I had them in because we could not bring ourselves to pay for the cool looking lunch bags, and packed them into the new cool lunch bags that someone gave us!! We then posed for a quick back to school pic,


And hit the road for school. Oh, I need to note that ONE of these cuties pictured here did end up with a back-to-school spanking. You guess who. I will divulge that it involved running and a pop-tart.....

Who couldn't smile seeing Caleb in his desk for his FIRST ever day of school??? He was too nervous to eat any breakfast, but did make sure to take an apple for his teacher.

We head over to peek in on our TWO THIRDS and they are already settling themselves into their classroom. Third grade already. We were falling back into nostalgia when Abby raised her arms to show us something. Joel and I cringed. Her jumper was a mite too short. We glanced at each other and said, "We'll take care of that tomorrow." I instructed her to sit still and not to raise her arms at all today......should be an interesting first day for her. Sigh.

While making our final rounds in the hallway we noticed that Joel's classroom was not even set up! We rush around moving desks and chairs and finally decide that we are ready to start the day.

I am wide-awake, holding the fort with the three youngins and trying to tell myself that there is some nutritional value in these Peanut Butter M&M's sitting next to me........

ONE school day down. That wasn't SO bad. Was it?

On Second Thought........

Life is full of second thoughts.

You are at the store checking out. The Holy Spirit prompts you. You look at the checker and smile and think, "Yes." You hand reaches past the check book to the little compartment in your purse where you keep your stash of tracts. Then comes the second thought and you realize that you are already holding a line of people up writing a check. Why hold them unduly trying to explain a tract?

You are at home. One of your hoolagins comes and asks you to "Weed" them a book. You stop and glance at the book realizing that it has been way too long since you spent some one-on-one time with this child. The Holy Spirit whispers that "They grow so quickly and need your affirmation today." You get ready to sit on the couch and just rest a minute when the second thought comes, reminds you of the late hour and the dinner time fast approaching. You tell them once again, "Not right now."

You are at church. You hear of a need for meals. The Holy Spirit awakens an excitement in you. You can be used! You in your mind plan out a spectacular spread. Your famous chicken that everyone raves about, mashed potatoes and of course your peach cobbler that is your trademark. You plan to contact the Pastor's wife after church and volunteer, yet somewhere between the announcements and the invitation you have a second thought. You think about all of the cleaning you need to do this week, the plans you have made, the money you do not have and you silently un-volunteer yourself.

You are at the park. You overhear two women talking about their difficulties. The Holy Spirit reminds you that you too had those same difficulties and He brought you through them victoriously. You smile. You remember and know that you and the Holy Spirit make a majority. You know how to help and for one instant you have the courage to speak out for Christ. But a second thought sweeps in and reminds you that, after all, you are only so-and-so and they probably wouldn't take you seriously anyhow.

Isn't it the second thoughts that get us in a heap of trouble? I was always instructed in school when taking tests that I should always go with my "first thought," because your first thought or guess is usually right. This week I was reminded of this thought in a sermon I heard and applying it to my life's events recently helped me see what God has been up to.

It is no secret that we have been in need of two particular things: a vehicle where we can legally store our hoolagins and a house large enough to declassify me as the "Old woman who lived in a shoe," where kiddos are popping out of every place. Well get ready to see how God has been working!

Last week we had meetings scheduled at a church an hour and a half away that we had been in preparation for, for some time now. It was a Holiness and Revival Conference and we absorbed each message trying to get all that God had for us each day. We knew it would be exhausting with the 3 hours total driving each night, but little did we know what an action packed week it would turn out to be! On Monday, the man interested in our van basically told us that he needed the van now or he would need to find another vehicle. Alright we said and sold him the van on Tuesday. The man (aka Mr. Habeeb) up the street was now interested in another house on the street because we were not in a hurry to move and he was. I in jest told Joel, "Alright if he really wants this house, tell him we can be out by the end of the month." Lesson number one: Don't jest. Turns out that is right in Mr. Habeeb's schedule! So in one day's time we sold our van and agreed to rent-to-own our house and be out in two weeks. Whew! If ever there was a need for chocolate.......

By Wednesday the shock of it all had set in and so had my second thoughts. Joel was dickering with a car salesman and we were praying like fiends that God would get us a newer larger van lickety-sizzle, and also a place to live. We had planned to make it to the special meetings that night though we would be a bit late. I sat at home with some of the hoolagins waiting on word from Joel about the meeting with the car salesman. I sat and the Holy Spirit spoke. We said to each other before Joel left, "If God gives us this van we definitely need to make it to the meetings." The Holy Spirit now said, "You need to make it to the meetings whether God gives you a van or not!" I agreed sitting in the blue chair. He went on. "Deena, if you had faith that God would indeed give you that van, you would be up and gettin' your clothes ready for the meetings." He was right. I needed to put feet to my faith and up I got and went downstairs to iron.

While at the ironing board, which seems to be where the Spirit speaks to me a lot these days, again the Holy Spirit met with me. This time it was regarding the house. "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness???" He asked. "What????" I replied. "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness???" again He asked. In my heart I told Him, "Yes, I believe God can," though again and again the verse fragment came back to me......"Can God furnish a table in the wilderness???" I quickly realized that the more He asked me, the less and less confident I really was. God was reminding me that He was in control and in these situations there was nothing I could do to assure myself of the outcome. I just had to rely on God leading my husband.

Tuesday reminded me that though in some la la land I pretend to be spontaneous, free spirited, ready for anything and welcoming to a new adventure, in reality here on Haywood I am nail it down, sign on the dotted line, promise me you will, and even a little, call me and tell me again what you are doing. (smile) When did I lose my nerve??? Well whenever I lost it, I think I lost a little of my trust in God.

Joel came home van-less (yes I know that is not a word..) and I met him coming up the stairs with my ironing in hand. I guess I somehow thought the Lord seeing me ironing would stop the sun or something. Joel confessed to me that on the way home, God spoke to him reminding him of, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together," and so it was settled. Van or no van we ARE going to the meetings. And go we did, and exhorted we were. We left believing God was going to do something.

Thursday Joel came home with a new-to-us van! Just our size and just our price range. Praise God!!! One need down one to go! Thursday night I finally found the context of my verse the Holy Spirit gave me. Remember I told you how He knows me and knows I need part of it now and need to look it up later???? Say it with me now..."I just love the Holy Spirit!" Sure wish someone would make me a T-shirt with that on there............ anyway........ when I found my verse I was amazed to find that the chapter it was found in was the chapter right after the one I had 3 years ago marked and claimed as my "Waiting on God for a House," chapter. I even wrote that over it. Here is the verse in it's entirety:

Ps 78:19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

I read the whole chapter out loud to Joel and noticed how many times "they", the Children of Israel forgot what God had done for them. This verse is their ingratitude speaking and it struck me like a knife through my heart. Nothing will ruin your day like being lumped in with the Children of Israel. How many times had I frowned on them as I listened to them being used as a sermon illustration? How many times had I said under my breath, "That no good ungrateful bunch." And now it was me. Had I remembered what God had done? How He brought me through 7 weeks of bed rest, providing not only meals every other day but faithful help each day with the children? Had I slighted how He gave me calmness of spirit during the scariest moments of my life? Had I set at nought His watchcare over me, over Alayna and His preservation of both of our lives? Had I simply forgotten the strength He alone gave me to make daily hospital runs, or the blessing He gave us at her homecoming???


Yes. I had. I had already forgotten and taken it for granted.


"Can God furnish a table in the wilderness???" He asked. What He really wanted of me was not an answer to the question. He wanted me humble myself and be thankful. And He wanted me to praise Him even if He never "furnished a table," for me.

Think you are thankful? Try this. At the dinner table tonight tell your children that when they pray they are just going to thank God for things instead of asking Him for them. See how quickly they thank Him and then turn around and ask Him for what they need.

I am going to stop and be thankful. I'm not even going to give it a second thought.

Alayna Ruth's home-grown photo shoot........

Last night Joel and I decided to attempt to get just ONE good pic of Alayna to send to our family. When Joel got the mirror off the bathroom wall for reflection and rigged it up with the living room lamp, I knew this was serious business....LOL With the crib sheet as a backdrop and bow on Alayna's head I thought to myself..."Yeah who needs those pricey photographers???"

And then I answered myself....."WE DO!"

Well no matter, she is our cutie!