Precious Memories

Although they'll be around a few more weeks today was our youth pastors official farewell. John did an incredible job this morning preaching his last sermon for the congregtion. I hope one day he'll come back on his speaking tour and share with us as he defends the faith to the nation. Christian Apologetics. That's what's in His heart and he'll be fantastic in this field.

It's been a whirl of seven years. SEVEN YEARS! Where has the time sped off to? They have a new little guy on the way and he will be the first one I wasn't there when he came into this world. La, get to the hospital quick, at the first pain! And don't let them start an iv until someone that knows what they're doing can do it. After they have given you something that makes you delirious. Okay?

When John was preaching this morning, alot of memories came rolling past. I'll never forget the first time I met La, big belly and sweet smile. John David was born the next month. Remember the townhouse? All the people there to help you move in. I think there were more people there than helped us move in! The girls next door, they were a rowdy bunch! And those guys down the street! We've seen alot of changes in the last seven years. It was fun and we will miss you. I know God is in this change and He has wonderful plans that lie ahead. It's exciting when He moves. When we get out of the way and wait with anticipation. Follow His open doors guys. Listen to His still small voice.

Father go before them and be their rear guard, open doors and help them find favor with man and use them in an incredible way to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of You to this world.

Overshadow them.

I love you all.

Legacy

I just sat down and read blogs. The last one was rw's. Thank you for reminding me what life is about. Not the hurry. Not the busy. Friends & family, love, laughter, memories made, adventures, moments...

That's what life is. I know I'm mid-way through my life and hopefully far from the end, but one thing I know is that life is not about making it to the next stop or goal, it's about the actual journey. What happens between stops. So don't live your life waiting to get from point a to point b, but enjoy the time in between. Take time along the path to pay attention to what's around you. Life passes so fast. I look back with regrets at how quickly my life has passed and the amount of time I wasted on piddly things, like worrying everyday about what I weighed, while in that process gaining 60 pounds or so and losing it a million times. Or worrying about a dirty house that no matter what never stayed quite clean enough. Or fretting over people and what they think or do and most of them are long gone from my life. Focus everyday on what is important. People, family, Jesus. Be in the picture whether you feel fat that day or not. Go swimming with your kids no matter what you look like in a bathing suit. Ride the scary rides with them at six flags no matter how scared you are. Snow ski even if you're a coward. Jump in the ocean in spite of the sharks. Snorkle, you'll figure it out. Don't let an adventure leave you behind.

Years down the road, when your kids and grandkids read your diary, let them say Zowie!

Check out our newest blogger...dawn's daze.

Pictures Anyone?

If you took any pictures at the Overshadowed Retreat I would love to have a copy! I never even got my camera out. Took a video of the speakers, some worship, and La's drama. So if anyone would like to have a copy I'm sure we can work that out.

I burned a cd for the retreat for the bonfire and quiet times, aside from the Overshadow Worship. And I finally got to listen to it on the way back from Brownwood the other night. I'm calling it "Overshadow Whispers" It is perfect for a quiet, intimate time with the Lord. It took me from Brownwood to my front door. Talk about a time me and Jesus had in that car alone! I have made some more copies of it if anyone would like to have one. Let me know.

I am still living under the shadow of the Almighty...

Happy Birthday Scotty!

26 years ago today, my best friend, Pam, gave birth 17 hours after I did, to a beautiful baby boy named Nathan Scott. We had the same doctor, same hospital, and were in the same room. It was just pretty cool, actually. We dressed them like twins for months. Poor babies. And we always had their birthday parties together. They never have let a year go by without calling each other on their birthdays. While we were driving to the restaurant last night, Scotty called. Just pretty cool. All our kids are the same age and were raised together. They are like siblings.

Wish I was there to wish you a great birthday in person.

Happy Birthday Scotty, I love you sweet boy!

Happy Birthday Kylah Jo

God has blessed my life in so many ways. One of those blessings came 26 years ago today. Oh my, how could 26 years have passed so quickly? This weekend I opened my Bible and it fell open to Haggai chapter 2. So I read. Under the heading "Promised Blessing." That caught my eye because we all desire a blessing. The prophet was preaching to the Jews and stirring their hearts to return to their purpose. He made a proclamation concerning their blessing. This is what it says...Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the fouondation of the Lord's temple was laid - consider it...from this day I will bless you. Beginning September 24, 1981, and from that day forward, God has blessed my life in a way I never imagined, when my beautful baby girl came into my life, after a critical pregnancy where the enemy tried to take both our lives. The Lord waa definitely overshadowing both our lives for a purpose. Never could I imagine the amount of joy she has brought into my life.

She is strong, independent, confident, sweet spirited, loving, loyal, compassionate, sensitive, and loving. She is a perfect daughter. She is my best friend. I miss her. Especially today.

Happy Birthday baby girl! May your day be full of joy! Marme wishes she was with you!

I love you more!

Overshadowed

I'm home and have had a 2 hour nap followed by a little mac in my tummy. Exhaustion hit as I hit the edge of town and by the time I had unloaded at the church, my behind was dragging behind me. I downloaded pictures from Jo's camera before she headed home and tried to let them roll through and kept waking up as my head would fall to the side. Zapped!

All the hard work over the last month culminated into a wonderful weekend retreat with 32 precious ladies. What a glorious time we had with each other and our Lord. He met us there. Lives were changed. New friends were made. Long time relationships refreshed. Promises made to meet again next year.

We had five incredible sessions. Tammie, Christal, Dawn, Angela, & Pattie...WOW! That stands for the Word they brought to us and what this retreat was all about...When Women Worship. Alot happens when women worship.

When we truly grasp how Accepted by Christ we are, how His gaze is upon us...when we are completely Willing to love Him and worship Him...when we become Broken before Him...when we open up our heart with a Vulnerability like never before...that availability leaves us Overshadowed by the presence of the Almighty.

In a nutshell...God met us there. The retreat center was outstanding. Picture a large ranch style house with a BIG front porch filled with tables and flowers. The grounds were covered with oak trees and green grass with a big pond not a hundred yards from the house. A cross was set in the east at the base of a hill. The perfect place for worship at sunrise. The memory of women of God covering the grounds, on quilts under trees, on secluded benches, perched in trees, laying at the foot of the cross, walking with Jesus, worshiping with complete abandonment, as if it were them and Jesus, floods my soul even now. It was hard for me to focus on my quiet time with Him at times because the tears would flow just watching what He was doing, what was happening when women worshipped. It was a beautiful sight. It made all the work worth it. Completely.

It was peaceful. restful. anointed. restoring. memorable.

The cross now has stones, stones of remembrance, piled at the foot, covered with the tears, burdens & inhibtions of broken hearts...even the oil of Mary's alabaster jar.
A memorial of past wounds and present healings. New commitments. Brokenness at it's most wholeness. Love at a depth never before experienced. Be it unto me...

I am overwhelmed
I can hardly take it in
I can hear Your still small voice
Whisper in the wind
Whisper in the wind

I am so afraid
Can this really be?
But according to Your word
Be it unto me
Be it unto me

Overshadow me
In the shelter of Your wings
Holy Spirit cover me
Overshadow me.

Overshadow me.

May your overshadowing cover us, each of us. May we abide in Your presence. May we daily choose to say...Be it unto me...

Great Weekend!

The house is quiet again :(

Everyone left this afternoon and early evening. michael & kylah with the pickup loaded down, matt, mandy, sarah & ellie, soon as the cowboys WON! It was hard to let my ellie go. She had grown so much and changed...

She is doing so much. About to crawl! What a time I had with her. My dad and wesley came for the day, and tammie, terry, & amy came for saturday so it was a full weekend, but it was so good to have all of them and I loved it!

She's Coming!

Yes Ma'am, she's coming! Tomorrow night!

Mattie text me yesterday saying "I need roast, potatoes, & carrots!"
I replied, "If you bring your sister and neice this weekend, I'll cook you some."
Mattie: Okay!
That was way to easy. I think I've been snookered! But I don't care, my ellie, sarah, mattie, & mandy are coming to see me!

And...Jo & Michael are coming as well!

Wow, if only Lando was coming!

I can't wait!

Heartache!

I miss my Ellie girl so bad! And it doesn't seem I'll be seeing her until after the retreat. Unless...my girls come to see me for the weekend. Now that would be a great idea. Who thinks so? RALLY!

If not, I'm outa here really soon after the retreat. I bet she doesn't even know me anymore. By that time it will be like 2 months since she has seen me or heard my voice. :(

I would post a picture...but I have no recent ones.

Does anyone out there have a recent picture of my baby grand?

I'm Here!

Okay, I know I haven't blogged in what, a day or two, okay, maybe 3, but I have been so busy. My mind has been so occupied with the retreat, and then this morning I actually cleaned my house for the first time in weeks! WEEKS! You'd have been disgusted! I feel much better now. Except for my room. Don't go in there whatever you do! Really. Then about 11:00, Jo and I went shopping for decor for the bathrooms at the church, and table deco for the Missions Luncheon at Fall Council Monday. Then to the church to dress up the women's bathroom. Haven't got anything yet for the men's. Just can't make up my mind. Check out the ladies' and see what you think. I just got home at midnight and decided to post a few lines anyway to let you know I am alive...barely, but I am.

Maybe later my mind will jumpstart again and I'll have something interesting to say.

Locked Out!

I still can't get on Kimmie's blog even though she says she fixed it so EVERYONE could. Well, obviously, I got on or I wouldn't know that, however it wouldn't allow me to comment because I'm not a registered guest.

I'm getting a complex.

A Mighty Fine Evenin!

My life is so busy right now, getting ready for the retreat and all. So forgive me for not being much of a blogger lately. I got home tonight about 9:00, cooked my honey and me a "round-house egg" with a couple of slices of crispy bacon! Man, I'd been wanting one of them real bad! You do know what that is, don't you? My mama always made them for me. I found some of that english muffin bread in the bakery at walmart. now that is good! just cut a circle out of the center of your bread with a biscuit cutter, throw some butter in the skillet, stick that bread in the hot butter then crack your egg in the hole, salt & pepper and put your circle from the hole on the side and toast it while your egg is frying up. cook both sides of each and then toss it on the plate and top the egg with the round toast. drop a scoop of jelly on the top of the round toast as an added bonus. now be sure and cook your egg to medium so you have some good egg juice to sop that toast up in. hotdog, that's good!

Now you finish that off with the best "little homemade from scratch all the way fried apple pie in texas" that your dear, dear, most precious friend slaved over, actually sacrificed for, and brought over to your house. Now that's some mighty fine vittles! Thanks Ree! Now I told ya, you gave me something to blog about!

I've determined after reading all the blogs and commenting, that I really have nothing interesting to say. What interesting thing could be said in this house without kids around! I may as well hang it up! And no wonder I have nothing to blog about, I say everything in my comments. I'll be typing along and think, I should be making this my post, it's sure long enough. and by the time my mind thinks that much, I have nothing left for my blog. oh well...go read comments.

Then! I start getting phone calls left and right wanting to know why I haven't told them. Told them what I say. You know what. No, I don't know what.

What?!!! My daughter's pregnant?!! So I get on the blog and there it is those two little words that have spawned so much... "p.s., guess what?" come on jo, you can't do that. fix it. course your friends didn't help! ha. or not.

last... I go to my friends blog and that mean message said, "sorry, (loser) you're obviously not an invited guest to this cool person's blog. if you think this is a mistake, take it up with the cool lady in charge." WHAT, well of course it is a MISTAKE. FIX IT!

LOVE TO ALL.

p.s., guess what?

Vacation