JuJu's Jewels

I'm Moving

2012-01-09T12:48:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't posted in a year and probably no one is even looking at this blog! But, I have created a new personal blog....really it is just for me, but I thought you might be interested in it. I have been looking for a way to hold myself accountable to daily study in the Word of God. I thought a blog would help me journal this progress and hold me accountable. If you're interested, check it out....

http://transformedjulie.blogspot.com/

Just a Card...

2010-12-14T10:21:00.002-05:00

Love, love, love this kid.

Thank you, Deondre, for reminding me of the spirit of gift giving, the power of a simple card and most importantly, the reason for which we celebrate.

His Life for Mine

2010-08-02T15:14:00.001-04:00

His Life for Mine
Words and Music by Rebecca Peck

His heart was broken, mine was mended
He became sin, now I am clean.
The cross he carried, bore my burden.
The nails that held him, set me free.

His life for mine, his life for mine
How could it ever be?
That he would die, God's son would die
To save a wretch like me
What love divine, he gave his life for mine.

His scars of suffering brought me healing
He spilled his blood to fill my soul.
His crown of thorns made me royalty
His sorrow gave me joy untold

His life for mine, his life for mine
How could it ever be?
That he would die, God's son would die
To save a wretch like me
What love divine, he gave his life for mine.

He was despised and rejected,
Stripped of his garments and oppressed
I am loved and accepted and I wear a robe of righteousness!

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe

His life for mine, his life for mine
How could it ever be?
That he would die, God's son would die
To save a wretch like me
What love divine, he gave his life for mine.

Saddle Ridge Ranch

2010-06-08T13:46:00.003-04:00

VBS is in full swing at AMRBC. Doing the music is awesome. It is such a blessing to see 400+ children praising the Lord! Here is a pic of our pastor on the first night getting into the "cowboy" spirit.
Thanks to Stacey for the pic I copied off of her blog!

Party of 19....

2010-06-03T13:47:00.006-04:00

This weekend our party of 19 became official!

My nephew Ben is engaged! We can't wait for the wedding next May.
Welcome to the family, sweet Abby!

We promise to keep Uncle Bob in check! ;)
He did a great job of picking out a ring!

Congratulations, Sally!

2010-05-28T10:39:00.002-04:00

We are in disbelief that she is old enough to be graduating from high school!
There is a new Gamecock in the family!
Sal Gal, we are SO proud of you and the precious young woman you have become.
WE LOVE YOU!!

PS...Aunt Pam and I will be moving to Columbia next year! ;)

First Coupon Adventure!

2010-02-27T20:56:00.011-05:00

Today I tried my hand at couponing! I worked for a couple of hours this morning getting all my coupons gathered and my list made.

I bought $283.89 worth of groceries for 163.05. I feel pretty good about what I got. I won't have to do any more shopping this month except for produce and maybe some more meat.

Here's my list of what I bought today:
4 cans of corn
4 cans of green beans
4 cans of french style green beans
2 Betty Crocker brownie mixes
2 boxes of Lipton tea bags
2 cans of PAM
1 can of Reddi Whip
2 tubs I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
2 bags of Kraft cheese
2 pkgs of Kraft sliced cheese
2 loaves of bread
1 box of Smucker's Uncrustable
6 cans of Hunt's tomato sauce
1 can of Hunt's pureed tomatoes
2 cans of Muir Glen organic tomato sauce
2 boxes of Uncle Ben's brown rice
4 boxes of Progresso broth
2 canisters of Progresso bread crumbs
1 bag of stuffing
2 bags of dog food (the most expensive item on my list!)
2 bags of Pedigree Dentastix
1 Pedigree Jumbone
3 bottles of Coffee Mate
1 jar of sugar free Polaner preserves
2 pkgs of Reynolds wrap
3 boxes of Cheerios
4 cans of Light Pringles
1 bag of Baked Lays
6 containers of Dannon yogurtP
1 carton of Eggland's best
1 Hillshire farms ham
1 Hillshire farms roast beef
1 6 pk of Scoot tissue
4 Pillsbury pizza crust
4 Pillsbury crescent rolls
2 bottles of Wish Bone light ranch
1 pkg of Pepperidge Farms deli flats
1 box of Heart Smart Bisquick
2 boxes of Ritz crackers
1 16 oz Breakstone light sour cream
1 Sobe Lifewater
4 cans of Progresso soup
1 Marie Callenders sesame beef
3 cartons of egg beaters
1 jar of peter pan peanut butter
1 pkg of boneless pork chops
1 pack of Bic ink pens
1 box of Fiber One toaster pastries

After Publix, I hit Bilo. I spent $40.74 for $61.75. Didn't do as well here, but I did earn double fuel perks.... Here's what I got at Bilo:

2 boxes of Rice Krispie treats
1 Special K fruit crisps
3 boxes of whole wheat pasta
3 No calorie powerade
5 Sobe lifewater
1 jar of Smucker's preserves
1 jar of apple jelly
2 boxes of Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets
1 bag of frozen hash browns
1 bag of tater tots
1 bag of guilt free dog treats
4 pkgs of Canadian bacon

Although it takes alot of time, the savings were worth it to me today!
Kim, I didn't do as well as you, but I feel good about my first attempt!

More snow pictures....

2010-02-15T12:41:00.002-05:00

Molly loved the snow. She was super frisky every time we went outside.

Looking for birds in the bushes.

Sweet beagle prints...

As always, with her nose to the ground!

Let It Snow!

2010-02-13T00:26:00.003-05:00

Molly stretching at the front door wondering what her Mama is doing outside.
View from the front porch.

Look at it pile up!

God is...

2010-02-03T10:48:00.003-05:00

The Times Square Church in NYC is placing this sign in the subways.

Click on the picture and you can see a larger version of it.

God is....and that's all I need.

Happy Birthday, Sal Gal!

2010-01-27T13:26:00.003-05:00

January 27th was a cold Monday eighteen years ago. Washington Redskins fans were celebrating their Super Bowl win over the Buffalo Bills. We were celebrating for a more important reason. We welcomed Sarah Clare Graham into the world. It had been over eight years since we had a baby in the family and she was the first girl after four boys. We were in awe of her and still are! The boys in our family say they didn't get any presents after Sally came along! It's not true, but we MAY dote on her a little more! ;)

Sally was a beautiful baby. She had the most adorable curls and sweetest smile. She is still beautiful, but now our baby is a young lady. She is kind, (especially to old people like her aunts!), compassionate, loving and smart. We all love her and the little girls think Sally is the best thing since sliced bread!

She is getting ready to graduate from high school (sigh and a tear) and start a brand new chapter in her life. I know God has great plans for her. She is going to USC (woo hoo) to major in nursing. Sally will be a great one. I can't wait to see how God continues to use her in the future.

Sal Gal, we are all so proud of you. We love you more than words can say!
Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

Our litte angels are growing....

2010-01-24T15:29:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to share some of the lastest pictures of our little girls. They are growing and learning so fast. They all bring such joy and happiness to our family and we love to spend time with them!

AC is the oldest by three weeks. She turned two in November. Some of her favorite things are milk, Mickey Mouse and colored pencils. EK turned two in December. Some of her favorite things are "prinpess" (princess) things, cheeseburgers and MOLLY! :)
She is modeling a "juju make" outfit. This was one of their Christmas presents from me.MA was ten months on January 9th. Some of her favorite things are music, cruising the furniture and wearing wigs. (you had to be there!)

Voices

2010-01-22T16:13:00.003-05:00

"The voices of the world are loud and sparse, but the voice of God is a constant whisper."
--Benjamin J. Elger

Thank you, Father. In the silence, I hear You speak. In the midst of chaos, Your voice comforts me. Heartache and grief cannot drown out Your ancient words of comfort and peace. In the voice of a cherished friend, I hear Your encouragement. When I lift my eyes to see the stars at night, I hear You say You are mindful of me. In fact, all of creation crys out to let me know You are there. Thank You, Father that there is nothing loud enough to drown out Your sweet voice and there is nothing strong enough to silence it. It is Your voice I cling to these days. It is the constant sound of Your voice which drives me to carry on because I hear Your words of hope and promise for mercy, grace and healing. I long to hear You speak. Father, help my words to be few.

Pictures...

2009-12-16T13:19:00.003-05:00

I love my cuz!

Sweet cheeks!

MA modeling the Christmas outfit I made for each of the girls.

Sweetest dog on earth!

Time flies....

2009-11-20T15:02:00.004-05:00

When I was younger, I heard the adults in my life say: "The older you get, the faster time flies". At the time I didn't really understand what they meant, but it is so true. I can't believe it has been almost two months since my last post. So much has happened in two months....

My sisters and three of my nephews celebrated another birthday. We enjoyed being together to celebrate these milestones.
I have been taking a technology class through our district. It is kicking my tail with all the work we have had to do! Final project is due Dec. 7th...can't wait to get this one done!
My two coworkers who were diagnosed with cancer and progressing well with their treatments and will be finished with them soon! Keep praying for them to be cancer free at the end of their treatments. Praise the Lord for his healing in their lives!!
Our school raised $1200 in four days for Relay for Life. We had a Clemson/Carolina competition to see which team could raise the most money. As you can tell from my header, Clemson raised the most money! I had to wear Clemson orange on Friday for a month! :( Today was the last day!
I am working with the preteen choir at AMRBC. They are an awesome bunch of 5th and 6th graders and have been a great blessing to me.

This weekend we are celebrating AC's 2nd birthday. Our little ones are growing up too quickly. They are all so precious and bring so much joy to our lives.

Hopefully it won't be another two months before I post again.

Fight Like a Girl...

2009-08-28T16:43:00.002-04:00

This is what we wore today to honor our coworkers in the fight....

Grandma Pearl

2009-08-27T22:10:00.001-04:00

My life was forever changed on August 28, 1903. Yes, 106 years ago my life was being shaped before I was ever born. On this day in history, my Grandma Pearl was born. In my eyes and heart, she was one of God's most beautiful creations. Because my dad's parents died before I was born and Granddaddy Patrick died when I was three, she is the only grandparent I ever knew. While I would have loved to have known my other three grandparents, she was enough.

One of my earliest memories of Grandma was on vacation in Daytona Beach. I am not sure how old I was…probably no more than four or five. I remember holding her hand in the ocean and she would help me jump the waves. When a wave would get me in the face, I would wipe my eyes on the skirt of her bathing suit.

Grandma could sew anything and could do it without a pattern. For years, she was the alteration lady at an upscale clothing store in Spartanburg called The Barn. She was famous for being able to fit a size 14 woman into size 10 clothes! While I was growing up, I wore many things she made.

Some of our favorite family memories of Grandma are the expressions she would use over and over. There is not a time we get together as a family that someone doesn't quote her using the phrase…"As Pearl would say…"

Here are a few of my favorites...

"On a galloping horse who's going to know the difference…"

"It's as wrinkled as a dog's hind leg…"

"He's as tight as Dick's hatband…"

"He's a good old plug…"

She had a million of them! Another thing Grandma was famous for was claiming to only have a twenty dollar bill or a check when it came time to pay the bill! "I would offer to pay but all I have is a 20 and I don't want to break it! Her son in law, my Daddy fell for that one all the time, but it was because he loved her like he loved his own mother!

In her later years, riding with Grandma was always an adventure. It was definitely a way to increase your prayer life! She had a tendency to drive down the middle of the road. I pointed it out to her one day to which she promptly replied, "As long as there is no one coming, I'll take my half in the middle."!

There are not enough words to express all that I learned from Grandma Pearl. She loved to talk about the Lord and how good He had been to her. She would ask folks in a minute…"Do you know my Lord?" She was a prayer warrior who talked to the Lord all the time. One time I asked her why I never heard her say amen. Her reply…"because I never stop praying". She loved us all, and she would call you out in a heartbeat and let you know in a hurry your behavior was unbecoming to a Christian. She taught me so much about faith in God and how to live placing your trust in Him.

She has been on my mind and heart all day and I have cried because I still miss her even though she passed away over fifteen years ago. But tears of grief can also be tears of joy. Our pastor preached a great sermon about death Sunday. While physical death defeated my Grandma's earthly body, she had placed her trust in the One who defeated eternal death for her. So tomorrow on her birthday I will remember her and I will celebrate the fact she is rejoicing and worshipping the One who created her.

I'm so glad He did. My life has been forever changed because she was my Grandma.

Rockin' and Rollin' at IIS!

2009-08-24T11:33:00.002-04:00

In order to kick off our theme at school this year TWIST, we dressed up like the 50's on Friday. Please continue to pray for our faculty members who are dealing with illness. We see your prayers working! Thank you for interceding on behalf of our school family!

A legacy of love...

2009-08-23T17:38:00.003-04:00

Last night we celebrated Mama and Daddy's 62nd wedding anniversary! Before the blessing, my brother in law Bob expressed some great thoughts about Mama and Daddy and how thankful we should be for being a part of our family. We have all been blessed to have them for parents, in laws, grandparents and now great grandparents. They are wonderful examples of how to love each other, how to be great parents and grandparents, but most importantly how to walk in faith and trust with our Savior. As I wrote in their card, I am so thankful God chose them for each other 62 years ago and I am so thankful He chose me to be one of their children. Mama opening her gift from her groom. Great granddaughter #1 helping "Bear Ma" open the presents.
Mama and her only granddaughter. I love this picture!

Mama and Daddy, we all love you very much!

WOW!

2009-08-22T17:03:00.002-04:00

We are getting together tonight to celebrate Mama and Daddy's anniversary. They will celebrate 62 years together tomorrow!

Trial Run with WORD 07…

2009-08-20T15:40:00.002-04:00

I have just discovered you can publish to your blog from Word 07! I am sure I am probably the last one to figure this one out, but it made me smile! This is a trial post, so it is going to be random.

Check out this 5 month old precious baby! She is an absolute doll and looks just like her daddy! I love the way she has her arm on the couch. Too funny. Pray for her Daddy. He broke his toe and has been out of work this week. L

Here is a preview picture from my trip to NYC this summer. This black lab is a bomb sniffing dog for Homeland Security. She was doing some drills at the Staten Island Ferry. I asked her handler if she could smile for the camera and this is what I got. She was so funny! I will write more about this great trip later. We saw God do amazing things!

Whew!

2009-08-20T15:14:00.001-04:00

Tired
Pooped
Worn out
Exhausted
Dog tired

Such is the life of a school counselor on the Thursday of the first week of school. I hope Molly wants to take a nap when I get home! ;)

Updates and prayer requests...

2009-08-18T22:11:00.003-04:00

This is an excerpt from the devotion I read today from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. As I read these words this morning, I was reminded of His sweet presence in my life and the lives of my friends. Please pray that the believers in our building would be able to walk with confidence and grace in order to witness to those around us what it means to rest completely in the shadow of His presence and in doing so, that we will bear witness to the endless grace and mercy of our great Savior. He is the God of healing and mighty to save!

"Anticipate coming face to face with impossibilities: situations totally beyond your ability to handle. The awareness of your inadequacy is not something you should try to evade. It is precisely where I want you-the best place to encounter Me in My Glory and Power. When you see armies of problems marching toward you, cry out to Me! Allow Me to fight for you. Watch Me working on your behalf, as you rest in the shadow of my Almighty Presence."

Revelation 19:1
Psalm 91:1

Update: Thank you for your prayers on behalf of my friend at school. My first phone call of the day at school was her calling to check on her class! Her surgery went well and the doctor is optimistic he was able to remove most of the tumor. She will begin radiation in a couple of weeks. Please continue to remember her in your prayers.

Two more requests:
1. Another precious friend at school was diagnosed with cancer on Tuesday. She will also be facing surgery and radiation in the coming weeks.

2. A precious friend's daughter had brain surgery yesterday and suffered a pretty bad siezure last night. She is doing better, but please remember her. She has been through a lot over the past two years treating her medical issues.

Thanks for being prayer warriors.

Difficult Times

2009-08-14T11:24:00.002-04:00

One of our teachers is facing a sudden, serious health crisis and once again our school family is facing another trial. As I prayed with our principal last night about sharing this difficult news with our faculty, I called upon the Lord to give us wisdom and the right words to say to our faculty. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is from Romans 8: 28-39.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. So much comfort here...my friend is a child of the King, so I know He has a plan for this trial in her life and the plan will be for her good because she serves Him faithfully.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? As His children, we are constantly being conformed to the image of His Son. There is no better "conformity tool" than the trials of life. Please pray for the Christians on our faculty that God would so allow us to walk through this difficult time with our friend to glorify Him to our faculty that do not have a personal relationship with Him.

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Enough said! How quickly I forget this. My God never sleeps, He is never caught off guard, everything that comes into my life has been sifted through loving and merciful hands. Knowing all this, can I not trust Him will all of my life?

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Not only that, Jesus sits at my Father's side and pleads His blood for me with the power of His resurrection!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Nothing is too hard for my God!

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen and amen!

Happy Fourth!

2009-07-04T18:17:00.001-04:00

We (the adults or should I say the old people) of our family are enjoying a cookout at Pam's house. Hope you enjoyed a great day with family and friends. Looking forward to celebrating the ultimate freedom of being a child of God tomorrow with my AMRBC family.

West Virginia

2009-06-25T11:31:00.013-04:00

I never cease to be amazed at what God can do when His people are obedient and answer the call to go and serve Him and His children. We had an awesome week in Milton, West Virginia. Here is the story of our week on mission with Him.This is the existing church building. As you can see from the date, God has been working in this church for a very long time. Many of the members have had many generations of their family worship and serve in this church family.The week before we arrived a group of folks from Alabama were already hard at work. This is what the site looked like the Sunday before they began work. Thanks to Janet, my new friend from Alabama for sharing her pictures with me!Wait until you see how God raised this church up from the slab in just two weeks!This is my roomie, Peggy checking her email after we arrived. You had to stand or sit in just the right spot to get a connection!This is what the church looked like when we arrived for worship on Saturday night.Our pastor, DJ, preached on Saturday night and Sunday morning. He is a awesome pastor. I am grateful for his passion for preaching the Word of God. He is doing an awesome series in Mark right now...it has been life changing and attitude adjusting for me!!The Susannah Missionary Baptist Church Choir. Man, these folks could sing. You could see their love and passion for the Lord as they lifted their praises to Him. Great time of worship and preaching on Sunday morning.
After church, we ate lunch at Sonic. All the ladies sat together so we could get our 2,000 words in. See Eric Glover if you need an explanation about that statement!

They did just as much talking as we did! :)These folks know how to host a party. I have never seen so much food in all of my life. This was the best thing I ate that night...homemade banana ice cream. Yummo!

During the week, I served on the kitchen crew. This is where we prepared all the meals...

May I add, no one was harmed in the process of my cooking! God is so good!

Breakfast one morning!

This is Billy, one of my most favorite people at AMRBC. Such a servant!

One of the best parts of the week was getting to spend time with some of the young families in our church. As you can see, we had lots of precious children with us. They had a ball looking for bugs, lizards, and such. They are getting ready to go on a hike in the picture. Amber, April, Laurel and Tammy, you are all great moms. It was a blessing to spend time with you and your families. We were also blessed to have some teenagers with us. This is Stephen and Alex (Vickie's son!) They did work hard too!
Jeffrey worked hard on the kitchen crew. He is a real grillmaster. Those pork chops were delicious!
Rachel icing a cake for dessert one night. Samantha worked hard in the kitchen too! Jennifer, Shannon and Vickie, I know raising teenagers is one tough job, but your children were awesome last week. I enjoyed getting to know them and watching them serve the Lord. Thank you for sharing them with us!

Some of our men working hard! They worked from 6:30am - 5:30pm every day in the blazing heat.
On Thursday night, the church fed us again. Did I mention these folks are great Baptists and know how to do a potluck supper. It was delicious! After supper we enjoyed a great time of worship. They sang The Anchor Holds...one of my favorite songs of all time.
After a great time of worship and sharing, DJ's dad, Johnnye, shared from the Word. He and his friend, Glenn, started the Central Alabma Christian Builders 20 years ago. It was a privilege to work with this great group of folks from Alabama!
The AMRBC group on Thursday night! I love all these folks. We had a great time serving the Lord together.
This is what thebuilding looked like on Thursday night. They continued to work on Friday through lunch. I had to leave to get back for a very special wedding, which I will share about soon.

The best way to sum up this week is to use the very words of God from Ephesians 3:20-21:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Home!

2009-06-19T20:50:00.001-04:00

I am home after an awesome week of missions in West Virginia. Can't wait to share all the great things God did while we were there! Going to Sterling's wedding tomorrow, so I will be back soon!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-06-10T14:08:00.003-04:00

We have three wedding anniversaries in our family over the next two days!

Congratulations to Pam and Bob, Patrick and Ali and Matt and Crystal!

It all comes back to Jesus...

2009-06-08T13:36:00.003-04:00

This week at AMRBC, we are riding the Boomerang Express. I borrowed this pics from Stacey's blog...(thanks for being kind, girl!) Every part of my body hurts from the aerobics, I mean, music fun we had last night!! Can't wait to do it again tonight!

This is the back of our VBS t-shirt!

Croccodile Dundee??

Proof that white girls can't dance!!! :)

Mary Alice's Baptism

2009-06-04T18:09:00.008-04:00

On Sunday, we traveled to Lexington for Mary Alice's baptism. Any day you get to spend time with your family is a great day!Look at this sweet angel sleeping peacefully on her big day!

Patrick, Ali and Mary Alice during the baptism.

This banner was at the front of the church. The proud parents and grandparents. You can't see Ali's dad in this picture. He is on the other side of the pastor. Ali's dad is a Methodist minister and he baptized Mary Alice.
The pastor showing our beautiful girl to the congregation. Patrick, Ali, Mary Alice and their church friends. Look at all the babies! :)Patrick, Ali and Mary AliceI look just like my Daddy! Grandad, GeGe, Patrick, Ali, Mary Alice, Aunt Sally & Uncle Ben
The Graham side of the family...The Stribling side of the family...The Towery side of the family...Three generations....My Aunt Pam loves me so!Uncle Bob entertaining Mary Alice.

Am I dead yet?

2009-06-04T14:44:00.002-04:00

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

I am teaching a ladies' Bible study in West Virginia. This is a verse God has been dealing with me about over the past several months. I am slowly, slowly, slowly learning to die to self. I have to confess that most days I start back at square one in this fight. While preparing for this particular lesson, I found this. I am going to print it and tape it in every location I can find to keep it before my eyes. It is SO not about me, but I still have a lot of dying left to do.

When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, and any raiment, and any interruption by the will of God, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you are forgotten or neglected, or purposely set at naught and you don't sting and hurt with the insult of the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinion ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend your self, but take it all in patient, loving silence, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder and irregularity, or any annoyance, when you stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus endured, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your own good works or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances. THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

ARE YOU DEAD YET??

Summertime's Calling Me...

2009-05-29T09:32:00.005-04:00

Just a few more days to labor...
and then....
School's Out for Summer

Here are my plans for the Summer of 2009...

First up, will be VBS @ AMRBC. My friend Joye and I are leading the music. Molly has been highly entertained watching her Mama learn the music and the motions! I LOVE the music. It has some great spiritual lessons for us all!

The Saturday after Bible School, I leave for Milton, West Virginia with around 40 other children and adults from AMRBC.

Main Street in Milton, West Virigina

Some of our group will be working to construct a building for a local church. I am going to help cook (please pause to pray for those who will eat my cooking!) and teach a women's Bible study. I am so excited to be a part of this trip.

When I get back from WV, I am going to Hartsville for Sterling's (our bass player @ AMRBC)wedding. I am so happy for he and Heather. They are a precious couple!

Then, I get a few weeks of relaxation at home. I have MANY projects to work on around the house and I love to piddle!

On July 18th, Sandra, Alice, Sally and I will board a plane to NYC! We will meet some great folks from Wellford Baptist, including Susan Dyar, there.
We will be doing VBS at the Brooklyn Tabernacle!

This is a dream for me. I LOVE the Brooklyn Tab choir and I have always wanted to worship there in person. On Sunday, July 19th, I will be there in person to worship and praise the Lord!

The outside of Brooklyn Tabernacle The inside....
Our hotel is right near the Brooklyn Bridge....

While we are in NYC, there will be time for sight seeing and Sandra and I are going to see
Guys and Dolls.

It's going to be a great summer!

Prayer and peace...

2009-05-28T22:11:00.002-04:00

Thank you for the prayers for my brother in law. He has an appointment with the cardiologist tomorrow. Continue to pray for good reports. I have another special person on my heart who is facing some tests tomorrow. Pray for my friend also. I have been singing this old hymn in my mind all day...

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.

With prayers comes the peace of knowing God is in control and I can trust Him.
I have been learning VBS music and these four lines are also working their way into my heart...

In all things I will trust Him
In all things I will love Him
In all things I will praise Him
In all things I will obey Him....

God is good!

Brother in law Bob...

2009-05-27T09:06:00.002-04:00

Please say a prayer today for my brother in law, Bob and my sister, Pam. He went to the ER yesterday with chest pain. Preliminary reports were good, but due to his family history, they wanted to do a stress test this morning. Thanks for being prayer warriors I can always call on!

Mary Alice's first professional photo shoot...

2009-05-20T14:18:00.004-04:00

Isn't she beautiful? I borrowed this picture from Mommy's blog.

That's a "Daddy face" if I ever saw one! Too cute!

Jake the Snake

2009-05-18T21:02:00.005-04:00

Ask anyone who knows me well...knows I LOVE dogs. We have always been a dog family. We were laughing the other night about all the dogs we have had in our family. In fact, everyone in our family has a dog and they are members of the family. Ben's dog is Jake. He is the most laid back beagle around. I call him Jake the Snake because it rhymes, but also because he can surprise you sometimes. He has been known to relieve himself on Mama's dining room table arrangement (it was sitting on the floor at the time), chew up flip flops, and leave his master little "presents" in the guest room floor. Jake joined us for our Mother's Day celebration and I snapped several pictures of him. He is just a good ole dog! Jake is always a happy boy!Daddy loves dogs and they love him. He gives good ear rubs and back scratches! A beagle's nose is always on the scent of something! Sweet boy!
Nothing like a great roll in the grass!

Rob and Jake bonding!

A whole week has "PASS"ed me by....

2009-05-17T20:03:00.005-04:00

This week has been a very busy one for all the students, teachers and counselors of South Carolina because of PASS (Palmetto Assessment of State Standards) testing. For those of you who do not have children or know a teacher, the PASS test is a HUGE deal and very stressful for all involved. Since I worked late every night this past week, I did not have a chance to post about Mother's Day. The ladies of our family who were able to attend enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the men of our family. Here are some highlights of the night!Getting ready to grill...John was in charge of cutting all the veggies!

Rob is teaching Bob about grilling corn on the cob. Ben is mixing the veggies in a delicious marinade before he puts them on the grill. Meanwhile, the moms are enjoying a night off!
The supper was so big, they had to use two grills! One for the chicken and steaks...

and another for the veggies...

Here's the finished product. It was DELICIOUS. Not only did they cook, they also loaded the dishwasher too. Way to go, men. It was awesome! This is my little bitty Mama. She is an aweswome Mama. When we were growing up, she was a firm believer (and still is) in tough love. She loved us enough to let us fall on our faces, our behinds, etc instead of coming to our rescue and I am so grateful for her tough love lessons. After our fall, though, she was always ready to listen and give us advice about how to work it out. Even when I made the worst choices and believe me, bless her, there were many, I never doubted my Mama loved me. She only missed one band concert in all my days as a band student and band director and it was for the birth of one of her grandchildren. My love for her grows each day. I know some days for her are tough as she cares 24/7 for my Daddy. But, she takes such good care of him and uses that tough love on him to keep him going. I am so glad God made you my Mama. I love you very much!

Celebrate good times, come on....

2009-05-12T20:02:00.002-04:00

This was a weekend of celebrating! On Saturday night we celebrated Matt's graduation from med school. Way to go, Dr Elliott!

Great Grandad and Mary Alice....love at first sight!

2009-05-08T22:49:00.006-04:00

After enjoying an exciting afternoon at Matt's graduation from med school, (see post below!), we spent a great evening at Mama and Daddy's house!Great Grandad meeting Mary Alice for the first time. It was love at first sight!Three generations...Daddy admiring his third great granddaughter!Great Grandma and Mary Alice
GeGe loving on her girl.

Mary Alice and Uncle Ben
All this loving wears me out!

Is there a doctor in the house?

2009-05-08T22:10:00.009-04:00

Yes, there is! Congratulations, Dr. Elliott!I am so proud of my Daddy!Dr. Matthew Patrick ElliottProud Mama and daughter!Matt, Crystal and EmmaThe Elliotts...we missed you Andrea & AC!The Elliott boysDr. Elliott and Crystal's familyOur family Dr. Elliott and one proud Gangie!

Dr. Elliott and his proud aunties!

Emma and Thad waiting for the festivities to begin. They were so good!

Relay Fun!

2009-05-04T14:20:00.002-04:00

Over the Top!

2009-04-23T12:43:00.006-04:00

Today was "Over the Top" Day at school to celebrate our students reading 5,000 books. Everyone was to dress like a movie star. Here's the office staff at IIS.

I think we are definitely off the chart for fabulousity!

From the heart of a servant...

2009-04-21T13:50:00.003-04:00

Several weeks ago, our choir hosted an auction for the youth choir's summer mission trip. We asked for donations from our church to auction off. This is one of the items I won. It is a beautiful sterling silver pitcher. It is definitely something I probably won't use very often because I don't do much entertaining and Molly would not be one bit impressed if I filled her water bowl with it! :) But, it will have a place of honor in my home because I bought this item to remind me of the person who donated it and the heart with which he did so. This pitcher was donated by Billy. He is a wonderful servant at our church. The day of the auction Billy and I pulled into the parking lot at the same time. He opened his trunk to reveal what he had brought to donate. Billy loves a good yard sale and had some neat treasures to share with us. When I saw the pitcher, I asked him where he found it. He told me it belonged to his mother. I immediately said, "Oh, Billy, we can't ask you to part with that." His response was, "This is for the Lord. I won't ever use it." Tears sprang to my eyes and I determined in my heart I would bid on it to remind me of a great lesson I learned in the parking lot that day.

I can't wait to hear what God does with the donation of a silver pitcher as He takes the humble offering of His servant and uses it to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T14:16:00.001-04:00

SIGH

2009-04-07T13:44:00.002-04:00

Two sure signs Spring Break is over:

You come in on Monday morning and find a subpeona waiting on you! Just one of the perks of being a counselor!
You sit down to eat lunch and the power goes out. Then you spend the rest of the afternoon on "flashlight" duty so kids can see to go to the restroom!

But, then two things happen to redeem the day:

You get to hear the awesome story of the cross with your d group.
You get to go home, pile on the couch with Molly and watch the Tarheels beat Michigan State like a drum!

Life is good.

SIGH

2009-04-01T14:28:00.002-04:00

Spring Break is good for the mind, soul and body. So far, this is just what the doctor ordered.

Monday, I enjoyed lunch with my favorite d group girls and some of their siblings. Good food and great fellowship with some awesome young ladies.

Yesterday, I enjoyed a shopping filled day with my sisters from Cowpens to Charlotte. Our first stop was Lillie Gardner's, a consignment shop on Main Street in Cowpens. It is a wonderful place to explore. They have everything from antiques to monogrammed items. I bought a baby gift for some friends. From there, we headed to Mary Jo's. Mary Jo's is a fabric store in Gastonia. If you can't find it at Mary Jo's it does not exist. I have been wanting to try my hand at some special sewing projects, so I found something to try. I will post the results when I get them finished....don't hold your breath, it may be awhile! :) We left Mary Jo's and headed towards Charlotte to IKEA. Oh, do I LOVE this store. It is massive. We enjoyed strolling around for several hours. I bought a cool light for my bathroom. It looks like a vase and is really pretty and it was only $6.99. I bought some little friends who have a new sister some prizes and got all of it for under $24.00. We left IKEA in search of Target, but ended up stopping at Crate and Barrel, another one of my favorite stores. For someone who doesn't cook too often, I have a fascination with kitchen gadgets, dishes and things to cook in! I bought a small casserole dish that will fix just enough for one. Our last stop was the best one. We went to pick up my nephew Ben and enjoyed spending time with him at O'Charleys for supper. He just bought a house in Rock Hill and we saw pictures of his new house and talked over paint chips with him!

Today, I have been to the grocery store and Dollar General. My part of supper for my friends with the new baby is cooking, Molly is snoring and I am getting ready to tackle cutting out my sewing project.

Spring break. It's a good thing!

Happy Birthday, John!

2009-03-28T19:37:00.004-04:00

Today is John, aka Granddaddy's 59th birthday. We celebrated last night at Mama and Daddy's with supper from Wades.

John is the quiet one in our family. I will admit is quite difficult to get a word in edgewise around all of us! Nephew Rob calls him Chuck Norris because he has the "gift of beard". John got some really "green" gifts last night, but I think this picture would describe his favorite gift this year.

Happy Birthday, John.
You are a great brother in law, father, son in law and now granddaddy.
I am so thankful God chose you to marry my sister!

Click here to see Mary Alice wishing John a Happy Birthday.
She is such a sweet girl!

I LOVE LUCY!

2009-03-23T12:50:00.001-04:00

I am using this video for a friendship lesson at school. It is one of my favorite episodes! Enjoy and thank the Lord for the Lucy or Ethel in your life! There's nothing like a great friend!

It's official!

2009-03-19T12:33:00.003-04:00

Matt, Crystal and Emma will be spending the next four years in Charleston!

Praise the Lord for answered prayer!

God is good!

Let the MADNESS begin...

2009-03-18T15:04:00.010-04:00

Please scroll down to the bottom for an update!

Tomorrow afternoon, March Madness will officially tip off.

My Yahoo bracket is done. If you have a perfect bracket at the end of the tournament you will win $1,000,000! Pretty sure I will be out of the running for that prize! ;)

I LOVE NCAA basketball and will watch as many games as I can.

My favorite basketball team, the Tar Heels take the court @ 2:50 tomorrow afternoon, so I will be able to get home and see most of the game. I have been praying for Ty Lawson's big toe....yes...his big toe! UNC really needs him on the court during this tournament or we might be one of the #1 seeds upsets!

These are the other ACC teams in the tourney:
Yes, I will pull for Clemson because of Ben, Crystal and Ray! But it really hurts!

I will pull for Wake Forest because of my friend Sterling.

Really not a BC fan, so it won't hurt my feelings if they get eliminated early!

I will pull for Maryland over a team from another conference, but their coach whines too much for my taste!

Florida State...not high on my list since they knocked the Heels out of winning the ACC tournament last weekend!

Ok, I will pull for Duke because Mary Alice & her mommy & daddy are Duke fans! ;)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-18T08:30:00.003-04:00

Did you get pinched today?

2009-03-17T12:24:00.003-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Click on the shamrock to read about the history of the day!

Where did the weekend go???

2009-03-16T12:58:00.002-04:00

Lots to tell, but have lots to do...Here's a snapshot of things to come...

Friday night...March Madness...gotta love it!
Saturday...Youth Choir Auction...BLOW OUT SUCCESS! Way to go, AMRBC!
Sunday...visit with Mary Alice...too PRECIOUS
Monday...PASS make ups....almost done! :)
Monday night....D group!

I will be back!

This is killing me....

2009-03-13T13:39:00.003-04:00

The Tar Heels are playing and I am at school. I am keeping up with the game on the internet as I monitor make up testing and trying hard not to yell as I watch the play by play pop up on the screen. I love March Madness!

The first "official" photo shoot...

2009-03-12T17:34:00.003-04:00

Gone are the days of the baby pictures in the little white t-shirt! ;)
Doesn't she look adorable in the dress GeGe bought for her?
God is good.

More Mary Alice pics!

2009-03-12T14:03:00.001-04:00

Click HERE to see more pictures of sweet Mary Alice

Good stuff!

2009-03-12T11:59:00.003-04:00

On Saturday @ AMRBC, the adult choir and orchestra are hosting an auction for our Youth Choir (Day6) to support their summer choir tour. We will be having a hot dog supper, silent auction, Day6 is going to sing and then let the bidding begin. Here is a partial list of some of the items to be auctioned.

4- One hour Ballroom Dancing Lessons
A vacation getaway to Clearwater, FL
A cut and color
A b'day party for 8 and free Icees from Monkey Joe's
Half price car wash coupons from Rick's Car Wash
A $50 gift certificate from Pump It Up
Dinner for Two with DJ & Laurel Horton
Dinner for Two with Kevin & Susan Harrison
Dinner for Two with Brian & Kimberly Hurry
Dinner for Two with Bucky & Julie Rogers
Dinner for Two with Stephen & Laura Timmons
Dinner for Two with Asheton & Tracey Amerson
Dinner for Two with the Wuenschels & Butlers
A "Healthy Living Basket" from Jimmy & Christine Moore
Bath & Body Basket
BBQ Lover's Basket
Cookies, Coffee & Chocolate Basket
"His" Basket
"Hers" Basket
"Theirs" Basket
Makeup/Spa Basket
A beautifully decorated cake for a special occasion
2 - Scenic Airplane Tours of Spartanaburg
2 Carolina Panther Ticket w/Tailgate from Bojangles (Home game of your choice)
1 Prom Tuxedo Rental from Sam Evatt's
2 Nights at a beautiful cabin in Pigeon Forge

There will also be LOTS of great items to bid on in our Silent Auction!
Don't miss this night of great fun, food, fellowship & great stuff...all for a great cause!

We're in love!

2009-03-11T09:25:00.008-04:00

Thanks, Aunt Kelly for all these great pictures!What a beautiful little face! When I look at her God shouts to me that He is still in the business of miracles! She is a precious gift directly from His Hand.

The Grahams!I love this picture. I am so proud of Patrick. He is going to be a great Daddy!

Mommy and Mary Alice. She is one blessed little girl.Aunt Sally

Uncle Ben

Grandaddy

GeGe and Grandaddy

GeGe is in love!

Check out these feet! ;)

Day Two....

Daddy changing his first dirty diaper!

He looks like a pro already!

Too bad no one loves her! ;)
Pretty Mommy and Mary Alice

I adore this picture of Aunt Sally & Mary Alice. Sally is planning to be a nurse and wants to work with the babies. I believe she will be a natural! She is so good with babies and children. It's hard to believe she is old enough to be thinking about college! It seems like just yesterday we were holding her like this!

The proud grandparents!

Mary Alice!

2009-03-10T09:02:00.004-04:00

Hey everybody...let's go meet my new cousin, Mary Alice!Here she is in the nursery.Check out her long legs!She was taking a nice nap! Our family just keeps getting bigger and bigger!Daddy is already a pro at taking care of Mary Alice!
Aunt Sally is checking out Mary Alice's hat with the pink bow!

GeGe is totally smitten with Mary Alice!

"Dat" is what I said when I saw Mary Alice. I can't wait to play with her!
I need to call Anna Camille and tell her about our new cousin!
We had fun at Sticky Fingers too!

We love you, Mary Alice. We are so thankful God chose us to be a part of your family.

You are another one of His greatest creations! He is GOOD.

500th post...

2009-03-09T08:43:00.003-04:00

Click here http://kellys-krazy-kids.blogspot.com/ to see a beautiful baby!

Mary Alice Update!
She weighed 6.5 lbs and was 18 inches long! She has her Daddy's nose and her Mama's long arms and legs! She and Mom are doing great! God is good!

I had planned on something else for my 500th post, but Mary Alice decided she couldn't wait until Thursday to make her appearance!

She was delivered this morning. I don't know all the details yet, but I will let you know as soon as I find out! I am headed to Columbia when school is out!

AMRBC Ribbon Cutting!

2009-03-06T11:27:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday night, we cut the ribbon to enter our new building for the first worship service. I "borrowed" these pictures off of Stacy's blog! Yea, Stacy for bringing your camera!! It was an exciting night for all of us. Anderson Mill Road is a very young Southern Baptist Church on the westside of Spartanburg. Click here to read the history of our church.

Pastor DJ warming up the crowd!Pastor DJ and Mrs. Sara Loudermilk. Mrs. Sara's husband, Rev. Floyd Loudermilk had a dream to start a church to serve the west side of Spartanburg. In 1988, He and 32 others met in his living room to make this dream a reality and the journey of AMRBC began.

Mrs. Sara cutting the ribbon.
A picture of our new choir loft! God has a mighty plan for our church. I can't wait to see people come to know the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in our new facility. On Wednesday night, three people were saved in our first service. GOD IS GOOD!

One More Week...

2009-03-05T20:47:00.001-05:00

and Mary Alice will be here!

Read all about it here:
http://aligrahamthoughts.blogspot.com/

Great niece #3! Can't wait to meet you, little angel!

Snow Pictures

2009-03-05T20:20:00.005-05:00

Notice all the doggie tracks! She ran all around trying to find a place to do her "business"!
Being a true beagle...with her nose buried in the snow. I never could get a picture of her nose covered with snow!

She would have stayed outside all day!

A view looking up the street...

My backyard...had to get a picture of the ladder I climbed to dust the snow off of the satellite about the time the thunder and lightening started...

My neighbor's tree...it was a beautiful sight covered in snow.

Exciting Days Ahead...

2009-03-05T15:53:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile since I posted. For some strange reason, my blog will not pull up on my home computer these days...not sure what's up with that.

I just got out of a meeting and I am sitting in my office surrounded by the quiet of an almost empty school, so I decided to take a minute to post about some exciting things going on around me!

1. I turned 49 last Saturday. OUCH! That is incredibly unbelievable to me. I can remember thinking 35 was old. HA! Only one more year to be 40 something!

2. Mary Alice's arrival is imminent! Ali goes to the dr. today. Can't wait to hear what he has to say. Another beautiful baby girl. God is so good.

3. We are moving into our new building on Sunday. We had a "trial run" last night. It was surreal. I felt like I was visiting another church. I can't wait to see it packed out for two services on Sunday morning. Again, God is so good.

4. Molly and I LOVED the snow days. An unexpected vacation is always a good thing. I have some great pictures of the beagle dog frolicking in the snow. She was hilarious, although she did miss her grass in which to do her "business".

Well, that's all the excitement I have to share. I know...I lead a boring life, but that's ok. I love it. My eyes are crossed from bubbling PASS tests for next week, so I am going home. I see some Andy Griffith in my future.

Another Relay deal!

2009-02-25T13:58:00.005-05:00

We are selling these lunch bags at school for Relay for Life.
The cost is $15.00. This includes the monogramming.
$5.00 of the purchase price will be donated to Relay for Life.

They come in these colors:
Hot Pink
Red
Black
Brown
Orange
Purple
Aqua
Royal Blue
Khaki
Navy
Kelly Green
Gold
Lt. Pink

You choose the color of your monogram!

Email me @ jkstrib@yahoo.com if you are interested in ordering a lunch bag.

BTW, we made over $230 on the pocketbook sale and we are still selling!
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATED POCKETBOOKS!!!

She is on her way....

2009-02-24T14:04:00.003-05:00

Read Ali's blog for some exciting news!

Come on sweet baby girl! We can't wait to meet you!!!

Directions to the Relay Pockebook Sale!

2009-02-19T11:31:00.000-05:00

If you would like directions to the Pocketbook Sale, please email me @ jkstrib@yahoo.com!

Youth Choir Auction & Hot Dog Supper

2009-02-19T09:22:00.002-05:00

The Celebration Choir will be hosting an auction & hot dog supper for our youth choir. In June they will be going on a mission trip of service and singing to Tennessee. There will good food with some of Mr. Wade's killer chili, good singing from our student choir, and lots of "stuff" to bid on. Here are the details:

When: March 14th

Time: 5:30 in the CLC

Supper Cost: $4.00 for a 2 hot dog plate with chips, dessert & tea

Family cap: $20.00

Where else can you feed your family for 20 bucks??

Tickets will go on sale soon!

Entertainment: DAY 6

Sunday School classes! This would be a great easy fellowship! Come sit together, enjoy a great meal and bid on some great items for a great cause that will impact the Kingdom!

Each of our staff members has donated a dinner for two with them, our students will be auctioning off babysitting, yard work and other services.

We would love for every adult SS class to donate a theme basket to auction off.

Here are some ideas for baskets:

Chocolate Lovers Basket

Book Lovers Basket

Game Night Basket

Pizza Kit Basket

Cookie Kit Basket

Gardening Basket

Movie Night Basket

Please email Joye Hall (auntiejoye@yahoo.com) or Julie Stribling (jkstrib@yahoo.com) to sign up to donate a basket.

Childcare will be provided for children birth to 5 years old.

Still looking!

2009-02-18T08:34:00.002-05:00

I am still asking for pocketbook donations! I have collected over 50 pocketbooks, but I would love to have around 100 - 125! Please let me know if you have pocketbooks to donate!! You can email me at jkstrib@yahoo.com! Remember, it's all for a great cause!

This post...

2009-02-16T21:07:00.006-05:00

is written due to the following comment a reader left for me:

Please share with the blogging world how you handle the stress of your job. The stress of being a teacher is beginning to really wear on me. I am ready to walk out the door and never come back. It's that bad. Is it because people everywhere are feeling the pinch of these tough economic times and so they take their frustrations out on the first person they come across? Why do I keep ending up in these people's path????? What is the Lord trying to teach me through all of this? I've cried, I've prayed, I've written a dozen resignation letters, I've sought the counsel of others who have gone this way before me. You seem so wise and so content with your job. What am I missing????? What is wrong with me????? If this is indeed my life's calling, why am I so miserable? Will it ever get better?????

I have prayed and prayed about my response to this reader. I so understand her frustration and wanting to throw my hands up and quit. I feel it most days too. For those of you who might not know, I am a school counselor. Each day I see children who are hurting deeply for various reasons. Sometimes they hurt because they lack the love and support of a caring, responsible adult in their life. Sometimes the pain is because grief as touched their life in a profound way at such an early age. Sometimes the pain is due to being harmed emotionally and/or physically by the one who is supposed to love you the most. But even though I complain about my job (just ask my family of educators!), it frustrates me to the point of distraction, it angers me and causes me to be judgemental and harsh about other people and the choices they make, I do love my job.

How, you say?

Because of an incredible journey I have been on for the past 15 years. I have to go back this far to share with you the way I can be content in chaos, distress & frustration.

Fifteen years ago, I was on the path of destruction...all the while working in a church and serving the Lord. The reason it was the path of destruction was because it was the path I had chosen for my life. My priorities were so skewed and my eyes were so blinded to my own sin, I could not hear the voice of God. I was living life for me and me only. In June of 1995, God set off a bomb in my life and blew all of MY plans right out from under me. I felt like I was walking around in a daze picking up pieces of debris and nothing was able to be salvaged.

In August of 1995, I walked through the doors of AMRBC and God began a new work in my life. It was absolutely one of the most painful, yet joyful and peaceful times of my life. He began to reveal to me sin after sin I needed to confess and taught me over and over I must die to self.

So to answer the questions of how I am content? It has NOTHING to do with me and EVERYTHING to do with the Almighty God I serve.

So are the things I have learned on this incredible journey of healing to this point:

It is so NOT ABOUT ME!
I have learned the true meaning of a worship lifestyle. Worship happens 24/7. Here's a quote that sums it up quite well: "Worship is an attitude of the heart that continually acknowledges God and values His character." When you claim God's all knowing, all seeing presence in your life and you come to know He is absolutely trustworthy in all situations, life's big struggles become small in HIS PRESENCE.
It is God who gives me the privilege of loving children, parents and coworkers with His eyes, heart and hands every day.
It is God who reminds me thousands of times a day how much HE loves the people I am so quick to judge and the judgement is to be left to Him.
It is God who allows me to work with difficult people with His grace and mercy. I do a lot of confessing here. Grace and mercy are not among my spiritual gifts!
It is His Word that gives me comfort when I fail (which is daily), forgiveness when I confess, strength in times of weakness, courage in times of fear and His sweet presence each step of the way.

Do I have everything I want? No
Do I have everything I need? YES!
Am I perfectly content everyday? No
Do I trust a sovereign God to work out my life for good? YES

The secret to success has nothing to do with me. Without Him, I am a pitiful, whining mess!
But with Him and the power of His resurrection, I am more than a conqueror.

This is the only advice I can give...taste and see that the Lord is good.

Tomorrow I will share with you the main points from Pastor DJ's sermon Sunday entitled "Being Dedicated in the Struggle".

One last bit of encouragement from His unfailing Word: Read Proverbs 3:5-6 and remember God always keeps His promises to His children.

I'm on the list....

2009-02-16T12:51:00.002-05:00

and on paper I look pretty good. What list am I talking about? The one in yesterday's paper (actually, I think I only made the website!) about the top paying positions in our school district. I only wish I brought home what it lists as my salary. After Uncle Sam, insurances, retirement, medical spending and the myriad of other deductions, I get about a 1/3 of what is listed on paper! ;) Oh, well, I definitely didn't go into teaching for the money!!!

Pocketbooks...

2009-02-16T10:45:00.002-05:00

I have collected almost 40 pocketbooks, but I need more! Contact me if you have purses to donate!!! It's all for Relay!

The Grandma-to-be and Tea!

2009-02-08T21:06:00.004-05:00

Pam, Mama and I hosted a Grandma-to-be Tea on Saturday for Alice. We are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of Alice's first grandchild, Mary Alice in late March. We enjoyed delicious food and hot tea at the Kingstree Eatery in Inman and the company was wonderful. It was a room full of great grandmas, grandmas and Mama...you could feel the love!

Of course, there were two sweet little girls in attendance of their first tea! Just last year we celebrated the same way for their Mimi!Aunt Alice has been getting some great practice with these little angels!

Mary Alice, your cousins can't wait to meet you!Aunt Alice with Emma Bug!

Aunt Alice with Millesy Cat!

Mary Alice, we are counting the days and we can't wait to meet you!
You will be blessed to have a wonderful grandma...on both sides of your family!

Molly...the saga continues

2009-02-06T17:46:00.003-05:00

Molly made her first appearance today as the reading dog of our school. We had scheduled a student for her to read with yesterday. I asked him if he liked dogs..."Yes m'am". You aren't scared of dogs are you? "No m'am!"

So, I run home after lunch and put Molly's IIS t-shirt on and we head back to school. The student comes in and immediately you can tell he is not really sure about Molly. She is sitting on the couch and I ask him if he would like to sit next to her...."ummm, not really..."

So, he sits in a chair beside the couch and begins to read. Molly really would like to be closer to him and trys to do so, but he wasn't having any part of it!

Oh, well....we are going to try again with another student!

But, while she waited on me to finish up schoolwork, my secretary's son and his friend took her to the playground and they must have played hard because she is sound asleep as I type this!

PS...sorry, no pics... I didn't want to post someone else's child on the blog without their permission.

Have a great weekend!

Prayer for teachers....

2009-02-05T15:22:00.002-05:00

Today I received something that burdened my heart for teachers. Please allow me the privilege to pray specifically for all my fellow educators.

Lord, I pray today for those who have been called by You to serve children every day. Father, I know this job is rewarding in so many ways. You not only give the privilege of teaching children academically, but you also give the joy of teaching them so much more. From teachers they learn so many life lessons and it is an overwhelming responsibility at times. I thank You especially today for Christian teachers who are salt and light to the young minds they influence each day. But, Father, You know their efforts are not always appreciated and sometimes they come under attack. Sometimes the attacks are verbal and aimed at them directly. Sometimes their character is attacked. There are many days when they leave the school building wondering if it is all worth the effort.

Father, today I pray You would remind them of the high calling You have placed on their lives. I would ask You to fill them with wisdom and discernment as they handle every situation they encounter. I ask You to remind them of Your constant abiding presence that walks before them, beside them and behind them. I pray You would remind them of Jesus and how He came to earth not only to save us, but so He would understand what it means to be human in a fallen world. Because of this, You understand all that we experience here. Help us to keep our eyes on You when we are rejected or attacked for what we do.

All praise is due to You, Almighty God. You are the Beginning and the End. You are the only one who is worthy of our praise. Thank You for Your saving grace the privilege of approaching the throne of grace with our concerns. I praise You for placing wonderful teachers throughout my childhood and the privilege of working with awesome teachers each day. I thank You because I know You will take care of what concerns each one of them. I place them in Your loving Hands knowing You will lead, guide and direct each one of them who calls you Lord.

Amen.

As I prayed this afternoon, God reminded me of one of my favorite Brooklyn Tab songs...Thou, O Lord. It is based on the following Scripture. Click the link to read it.

Psalm 3

"For Thou, O Lord are a shield for me, my glory and the lifter of my head!"

Pocketbook Sale Dates!

2009-02-02T13:42:00.003-05:00

Relay for Life Consignment Pocketbook Sale!
Inman Intermediate School

Monday, February 23rd

3:00 – 5:00(for consigners only)

Tuesday, February 24th

3:00 – 6:00

***All pocketbooks are gently used!***
***Every pocketbook will be $5.00!***
***ALL proceeds will go to Relay for Life!***

Come snag a bag for a great cause!

Molly's big audition!

2009-02-01T18:33:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday, Molly will be going to IIS to audition to be the reading mascot for our school! Our literacy coach is looking for some ways to excite children about reading so she asked if Molly could come to school and let children read to her. Molly is a little nervous, but she has been rehearsing for the big day at home. She has an IIS t-shirt to wear and her name badge is ready....she really wants the part!

She has her reading glasses ready!

She has been practicing with some books here at home. Molly likes fiction the best.

Just a side note...Molly will celebrate her 4th birthday sometime this month. This is picture taken the day she came to live with me. Mama, Daddy, Sally, Patrick and I rode to Woodruff to get her. I wrote a $40 check and she was MINE! She had several brothers and sisters. I hope they found good homes too. She cried and howled all the way home. I can still hear Sally in the back seat telling her there was no need to cry because she was going to be living the good life now! She only weighed 4 pounds when I picked her up that day. She was a good puppy and very easy to train. I hung a small wind chime on the back door to house train her. Now she knocks the wind chime with her nose when she needs a potty break....such a smart girl. Molly's only downfall is her nose....it gets her in lots of trouble. If she ever gets loose, her nose hits the ground and she if off and running! Once the nose is working, she becomes deaf, blind and very disobedient. Ask me sometime about the 30 mins I spent under the neighbor's house or the time I ended up at the bank down the street from my house in my pj's! :)

Baby Molly!

She has grown into such a big girl and she IS the bestest beagle around...unless you ask Sally or Ben....the proud owners of her beagle cousins!

Pocketbook Collection

2009-01-29T15:26:00.003-05:00

Thanks for a great response. I knew my blogging buddies would come through. You can bring pocketbooks to AMRBC any Wednesday night between now and February 18th. We are still working on a sale date towards the end of February. I will post the date as soon as it is definite! You are the best!

2009-01-28T15:31:00.001-05:00

Blogging friends, I need your help! We are trying to come up with some creative, cheap ways to raise $$$ for Relay for Life. We came up with this...donating good, gently used pocketbooks and host a "Relay Pocketbook Sale". We would sell ALL pocketbooks for $5.00 and all the proceeds would go to Relay.

What do you think???

Ok...here's where I need your help(if you live in Spartanburg or you are part of my extended family;)....check your closet and see if you have any pocketbooks you can live without and donate them to a worthy cause. I will come and pick them up and I will invite you to the preview sale, so you can snag a great bag for a great cause. Leave me a comment if you have some other ideas or would like to donate!

Seventeen years ago...

2009-01-27T18:59:00.006-05:00

was the day after Super Bowl XXVI. The Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24. We were pulling for the Redskins on January 26th, but the next day we were celebrating something much better...the birth of Sarah Clare...better known as Sally! Her birth was a planned C-section, so we all gathered at Mary Black and anxiously awaited her arrival. We couldn't wait to see this little girl. I remember looking through the glass at her and jumping for joy with Aunt Pam! She was so beautiful and with each passing year she has grown more beautiful! Here are 17 reasons I love my Sal-Gal...

1. She is a wonderful daughter. While she doesn't always agree with her Mama & Daddy, she honors them with her obedience!

2. She is a great sister and sister in law. She is always willing to help them...especially shopping for her 2 brothers!

3. She is going to be a wonderful aunt to Mary Alice. Sally, you will be the COOL aunt!

4. She doesn't want to go into education! Good girl!

5. She is an excellent student and works hard at it!

6. She is a great friend.

7. She loves to shop and shop and shop...

8. She knows how to accessorize. She is the fashion icon in our family.

9. She loves to eat at Wades. She was raised right!

10. Even though she was the only girl in our family for 16 years and spoiled rotten by all of us, you would never know it.

11. She loves her beagle Daisy! If I had not fallen in love with Daisy, there would be no Molly!

12. She knows how to power nap.

13. She has put up with the ridule and teasing of 2 brothers and 2 cousins for 17 years..."mullett baby" & "sally cat" are but two of the favorite nicknames.

14. She has a great sense of humor...it comes out at the greatest times...see this post for proof!

15. She is very loving to Ma and Grandad.

16. She is the most gorgeous, sweetest niece her Aunt Pam and I could have ever hoped for.

17. She loves the Lord and is actively involved in serving Him.

Enjoy a few pictures from our celebration

Sally and Emma

Enjoying supper from Wade'sAnna Camille is checking out the pictures from Sally's Sweet Sixteen!Blowing out the candles on her Key Lime Birthday Pie!

A picture of all the princesses in our family!

Busy weekend???

2009-01-23T22:48:00.006-05:00

This weekend is going to be filled with good causes, family, a birthday and celebration! It all starts at 10:00 tomorrow morning. I will be attending a team captain's training for one of my favorite events...Relay for Life. We have lost several family members and precious friends to this terrible disease. Last year our school raised almost $8,000 for Relay! Way to IIS!!!

After the meeting, I am coming home to make red velvet cupcakes for a special event. Yummo!

Then I am headed to Mama and Daddy's to celebrate a birthday of someone very special!

SALLY will turn 17 on Tuesday...so incredibly hard to believe. This is a picture of Sally a year ago with the 2 best beagles in the world, her Daisy and my Molly!! Where does Sal Gal want to go for her birthday? Wades...a girl after my own heart!

On Sunday we will be celebrating again...the impending arrival of Mary Alice with a baby shower! Hope everyone likes the cupcakes. They will have white icing with pink polka dots...just for Mommy Alison who loves polka dots!

Here's a cute picture of mommy to be!
Can't wait to meet great niece #3!

Hope you have a great weekend too!

This may surprise you....

2009-01-22T15:13:00.005-05:00

Those of you who know me well will recognize readily that there is not an athletic bone in my body! If you don't know me, trust me, I can fall walking through the living room. Clumsy is my middle name. But as unathletic as I am, I do love to watch college sports.

While I love football and was raised as a God fearing South Carolina Gamecock, my favorite sport is college basketball. I love the rise and fall of the game. Your team can be down by 20 points and the momentum shifts and your team fights and claws back into the lead. It really is not good for the blood pressure or Molly's ears when I watch MY team play!

Whose is MY team??Tyler Hansbrough...never gives up....

Disclaimer: I am the only one in my family who pulls for the Heels.

All the rest of the crowd pulls for this team:

I pray for them daily! ;)

I am already looking forward to the end of March for 2 reasons.

1. A precious little baby girl named Mary Alice is due to arrive.

2. March Madness!!!

Please note that I did not mention the defeat of a certain team in orange last night. Oh, no, not me!

Dare I say it....

2009-01-19T22:05:00.002-05:00

Snow? After enjoying a throughly relaxing looooooong weekend, dare I ask for another day? There's nothing like waking up at 5:00am for the first newscast and anxiously awaiting for Spartanburg School District One to scroll across the screen! The next greatest joy is being able to pile up and the couch and go back to sleep! Snow days are also guiltless...you can't go anywhere, so there is no reason to feel guilty for not going anywhere or doing anything! Besides playing in the snow, there are so many things I love to do like....enjoying a mug full of hot chocolate, reading a good book, playing the piano, working on something crafty or watching a good movie.

I have already been to the store for the milk and bread, so I am ready. I just hope I'm not disappointed!

Now I lay me down to sleep,
Lord, could you send some snow just for me?
It would be great if it were so deep,
That it hit me on the knee!
A day or two would be great,
No school for me is what I want from Thee!

Sorry. The forecast of snow make me a little giddy!

I'm a follower...

2009-01-14T17:35:00.003-05:00

All my blogging friends are doing this game of Photo Tag and it looked like fun!!

Here are the rules:
1. Go to your 4th picture folder
2. Use the 4th picture in the folder
3. Tell us about your picture!
4. Pass it on!

This is my nephew Ben's dog, Jake. Jake lives with my sister and her husband, so this picture was actually taken by my sister. They were celebrating Sally's Sweet Sixteen with the Grahams and she borrowed my camera. Jake is the most laid back beagle you have ever seen. He is a sweet boy.

Now you're it!

Need some encouragement?

2009-01-14T16:59:00.003-05:00

In Christ You Are...

Chosen Ephesians 1:4

Rescued: Colossians 1:13

Created for Him: Colossians 1:16

Reconciled: Colossians 1:20

Adopted: Galatians 4:5

Alive: Ephesians 2:5, Colossians 2:13

Freed: Galatians 5:1

Washed Clean: Hebrews 10:22

Blameless: Colossians 1:22

Beyond Reproach: Colossians 1:22

Firmly Rooted: Colossians 2:7

Complete: Colossians 2:10

Righteous: Romans 5:19

Loved: I Thessalonians 4:9

Humble: Philippians 3:12

Beloved of God: Ephesians 1:5

Temple of God: I Corinthians 3:16

Gifted by God: Romans 12:6

Accepted: Romans 15:7

Reconciled to God: 2 Corinthians 5:19

Child of Promise: Romans 9:8

Forgiven: Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 4:32

This is my church....

2009-01-11T14:55:00.004-05:00

was used as the catch phrase for some tv advertisements for my church. Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church is a great church. I have been a member since 1995. Wow, time flies when you are having fun. When I joined I was at an all time low. I (emphasis on I) had made some serious judgement errors about the path of my life at that time. God loving sifted MY dreams through the palm of His loving hand and changed the entire course of my life. At the time, it was heart wrenching and although I could not see it then, His plan was so much better than mine. As I look back now, I can see the way His hand worked every circumstance for my good. I have learned so much about how to worship God in the deepest valleys of life through so many people at church. The people of AMRBC embraced and loved me through this "not so pretty" time of life. Never did any one of them judge me for my mistakes or the fact that I was just an emotional mess. All they did was love me. Is AMRBC a perfect church? By no means because it is filled with sinners who have been saved by the grace of God, but who are still humans who stumble...(seems as if I am always brushing off my knees from a fall!)

God has placed His hand on this special place. It is a very young church by the world's standards...only 21 years old. What makes it special and unique? Here are a few things that come to mind:

The average age of our staff is about 29, but the level of spiritual maturity among our staff far exceeds their years.
The growth of our church has been phenomenal. Last year over 100 families joined our church.
AMRBC baptized over 25 people last year.
There many mission trips taken by AMRBC last year all over the world.
We are exceeding our budget needs each week!
Worship at AMRBC is awesome. Our pastor preaches BOLDLY from the Word of God each week and the musical worship is great!

What's the secret? God's faithfulness. Our pastor challenged us from Luke 12:48 last week. Hence our theme for 2008 is: "Much has been given, much is expected."

Over the past several years, we have been in the process of planning a new worship facility. In the fullness if HIS time, God will bring all of His plans to fruition on March 8, 2009. We were disappointed this morning because we thought our first Sunday in the new sanctuary would be February 8th. But I know He has a plan and it has been perfect to this point.

If you are reading this and you don't have a church home, I invite you to join us. Slip over to the church website and check us out. We have three services: 8:30, 9:30 & 11:00.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

To all my fellow bloggers who are members of AMRBC, leave a comment and tell why you love our church! :)

Toes, 20 bucks and Jesus

2009-01-09T13:49:00.002-05:00

I have a little self-indulgence I will never give up. I love to get a pedicure! There is a hair salon right up the street from my house. I walk there once a month to get my toes done. There is no big fancy chair and the "foot spa" is one from Wal-Mart, but I wouldn't go anywhere else because with every pedi comes great conversation about Jesus. As she massages those tired dogs and works on your toes, she is constantly talking about how good He is. We talk about what God is doing in our churches and we talk about our prayers concerns. I love to talk with her about heaven! She always asks about how my Daddy is doing. As I sat in her chair yesterday, the story of the Last Supper came to my mind. The Lord of the universe stopping to serve those who deserved it the least....a job that surely requires you to set aside all pride and clothe yourself in humility. Lord, help me to be a "foot washer" and throw aside the pride in my life that keeps me from serving just as you did.

Best 20 bucks I spend all month!

Funny pictures!

2009-01-04T17:45:00.004-05:00

These are my favorite funny pictures....

Whenever we get together someone always falls asleep on Mama's couch. This is one reason you might want to stay awake. Sally is giving Uncle Bob a hard time and entertaining us all in the process.

Sorry, Bob! I just couldn't resist!

This is Daisy, aka Crazy Daisy or Daisy Mae. I have titled this one "LL Cool Mae". Daisy is Sally's dog and the reason I got a beagle. She is hilarious. I am not sure Mae knows she is a dog. I remember laughing at my brother in law John on Christmas morning when he made the statement Daisy would be an outside dog. Yea, right...just like Molly is! :)

Here's a picture of Daisy at the kitchen table. She looks right at home, huh?
Can you believe Joye caught me with my mouth open? Imagine that! :)
This is for all my AMRBC buddies...this is Ray being Ray. He does a pretty mean Brian impression.

New Year's Day

2009-01-02T16:15:00.002-05:00

Molly and I spent New Year's Day at Mama & Daddy's. We enjoyed some good ole vegetable soup, toasted pimento cheese sandwiches & delicious apple pie Pam made. I didn't get there until around 11:30 and the score was already 14 -0. I knew then our Gamecocks were in trouble and boy, did it go from bad to worse! Then we watched the Clemson game and the Georgia game, flipping back and forth between channels. I missed most of the 2nd half of the Clemson game because the back of my eyelids proved more interesting! Even though the game was terrible, the company and lunch were first rate!

Today, Molly has spent most of the day on the couch. I have been washing and washing and washing clothes. I was so far behind on the laundry. I have to admit there have been a couple of "rest periods" for me too. I have a pesky stuffy nose and achy body I can't seem to shake.

Since this is my last day of "freedom", I intend to enjoy the slow pace as much as I can.
Hope you have a great weekend!!

The Year in Review & Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T22:26:00.015-05:00

2008 was an eventful year.

In January, we went to Washington, DC to attend the funeral service at Arlington National Cemetery for our beloved Aunt Nell.

Pam, Alice, Uncle Clyde and I before dinner following the service.

Our precious Sally celebrated her Sweet Sixteen.

I celebrated with the choir as my interim position at AMRBC came to an end!

Sally got her first car! :)

Emma was dedicated at Casey Creek Baptist Church.

We went to NYC to celebrate Sally's 16th and Pam's 60th.

In April we returned to Arlington National Cemetery for Uncle Clyde's funeral service.

Anna Camille was dedicated at Southside Baptist Church.

Our family with Mama on Mother's Day.

Three generations of mothers!
Mimi retired from education! WOOHOO!

In June I went to Puerto Rico with our awesome student ministry for World Changers.

This is Maria. She lived behind the house we worked on for World Changers. The Lord allowed me the awesome privilege to share His plan of salvation with her. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior in her backyard. This was the single best moment of 2008 for me!
In July, I vacationed in Villa Rica, GA with some of my best buds.

Daddy celebrated his 83rd birthday!

Alice and John celebrated 30 years of marriage.
Another best bud, Joye, celebrated her 40th. Welcome to the club, girl!

AC & Emma made Halloween fun again!

We are thankful for our new addition, Mary Alice(hiding behind the wrapping paper) who is due to arrive in March 2009!

We are thankful for our 2 little angels who make our lives so much sweeter!

Anna Camille turned one on Thanksgiving Day!

We celebrated Mama's 84th birthday!

Emma turned one!

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Day together!

As I look back over the events of 2008, I am again reminded of the blessings of God's Hand and the outpouring of His grace over our lives. In the times of great sorrow and in the midst of unspeakable joy, He is there gently leading and guiding each one of us.

What's my New Year's resolution? To simply know Him more...Paul said it very eloquently in Philippians...

7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Picnik....

2008-12-29T22:39:00.003-05:00

A couple of months ago, I found the Picnik site. I have not had any free time until now to play with it. It really is cool. You can use some items for free or you can pay a yearly fee to use all the neat things they have. Here are a couple of things I created tonight in about 30 minutes. What do you think?? The collages on my previous post were created there also. You can also print your creations as well. Check it out!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2008-12-27T22:16:00.003-05:00

Can you tell we had a wonderful day together? It was filled with love, laughter, great food and remembering Jesus, our Savior. It's hard to believe the day has come and gone and the New Year is just around the corner. These are precious times which create lifetime memories. Thank you, Lord for the opportunity to create great memories.

Emma's First Birthday!

2008-12-21T00:24:00.001-05:00

One year ago today, I made the trip down I-26 for the birth of my second great niece, Emma Katherine. She was supposed to be a January baby, but God sent her to us a little early! She and Anna Camille are such precious gifts from His hand and we anxiously wait for yet another in March, Mary Alice. He is good!

Happy Birthday, Emma Bug! Your JuJu loves you very much!

God's faithfulness...

2008-12-19T21:24:00.002-05:00

Two years ago, my friend Jed encouraged me to start a blog. So on December 14, 2006, the AMRBC Music Family blog was born. It was originally created to keep the choir and orchestra informed about the music ministry at Anderson Mill while I was serving as the interim choir and orchestra director. Since we now have a wonderful new worship leader, it has evolved into JuJu's Jewels!

As I sat tonight and looked through the archives, I read many posts that were written with a heavy heart due to overwhelming sadness and grief, while other posts were written from a heart filled with indescribable joy. In all of these posts, there is an underlying common theme: My awesome God is so faithful.

I have to be honest and tell you these past couple of months have been a struggle for me. There has been an unexplainable sense of sadness and fear within my spirit. I can't really explain why, but it's there. Even as I search His word and cried out to Him in prayer, God has seemed strangely silent and I have become more and more stressed about some questions and looking for His direction concerning these questions. After reading "my blog journal" tonight, He has once again reminded me to "be still and KNOW that He is God".

My God is faithful. He will take care of what concerns me. He left the splendor of heaven to become a helpless baby knowing it would cost Him his life thirty three years later. He came to understand what I go through in this human existence. There is not a feeling or emotion He does not understand because He was fully man, yet fully God. Why do all this for me? Love...

Did He do it just for me...no...He saw you too.

He is faithful.

Happy Birthday, Mama!

2008-12-19T11:35:00.002-05:00

We used to tease Grandma Pearl about having a child the week before Christmas, but I'm sure glad she did. I am so glad God chose her to be my mama. The older I get, the more I realize how very wise my mama is! As you can see, she is a tiny thing, but remember...dynamite comes in small packages. She is the strongest person I know. She takes care of my Daddy so well and I know she sacrifices alot to do this. She shows me every day what it means to love Jesus with all your heart.

I love you, Mama! Happy Birthday!!!

Family Pictures!

2008-12-12T23:24:00.007-05:00

What a hoot! The outtakes are hilarious! I'll share those in the future...
I never realized how difficult it was to get 17 people (2 of which are babies) to look at the camera, not close their eyes, etc....Thanks to my friend Joye for putting up with us! The whole family...

Mama & Daddy with all the grand and great grands....

Alice and her family...

Pam and her family....

I saved the best one for last. A precious picture of my Mama and Daddy.

First Birthday Party!

2008-12-11T23:09:00.001-05:00

I have heard it said many times, the older you get the faster time flies. Can I testify...it's true! I can't believe we are already celebrating first birthdays. We are an incredibly blessed family. God had been so good to us and we praise Him for the gifts of His loving hands.

Thanksgiving Memories...

2008-12-10T13:06:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe 2 weeks have flown by since Thanksgiving. We enjoyed a great day together as a family. We packed alot into the weekend! AC turned one, Carolina got whipped, and I spent 6 hours on Sunday trying to get to Charleston for a conference. Enjoy the pictures...more to come when I get a spare moment! ;)

Whew....

2008-12-03T15:20:00.002-05:00

It has been a whirlwind of activity since Thanksgiving, AC's 1st birthday, Clemson/Carolina game, extra Christmas rehearsal and a 2 day conference in Charleston. I am glad to be back at work so I can slow down the pace a little. ;) I hope to post pictures soon of some of the above so check back later. Hope you have a great night at church!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T01:15:00.004-05:00

It's 1:15 and I am waiting for the last layer of my strawberry pretzel salad to thicken so I can add it to the other layers. You're welcome, Pam. It's just for you! I am looking forward to having a great time with my family tomorrow. Lots of good food, laughter, napping and an attempt at a family photo! Poor Joye...she has
her work cut out for her.

Today is a special day for another reason. Our precious, Anna Camille is ONE today. The older I get, the faster time flies. We have been so blessed as a family this year with new life! First Anna Camille, three weeks later, Emma and in March we will greet Mary Alice. God is good.

Happy Birthday, Millesy Cat! JuJu loves you very much!!

JuJu's Jewels

I'm Moving

Just a Card...

His Life for Mine

Saddle Ridge Ranch

Party of 19....

Congratulations, Sally!

First Coupon Adventure!

More snow pictures....

Let It Snow!

God is...

Happy Birthday, Sal Gal!

Our litte angels are growing....

Voices

Pictures...

Time flies....

Fight Like a Girl...

Grandma Pearl

Rockin' and Rollin' at IIS!

A legacy of love...

WOW!

Trial Run with WORD 07…

Whew!

Updates and prayer requests...

Difficult Times

Happy Fourth!

West Virginia

Home!

Happy Anniversary!

It all comes back to Jesus...

Mary Alice's Baptism

Am I dead yet?

Summertime's Calling Me...

Prayer and peace...

Brother in law Bob...

Mary Alice's first professional photo shoot...

Jake the Snake

A whole week has "PASS"ed me by....

Celebrate good times, come on....

Great Grandad and Mary Alice....love at first sight!

Is there a doctor in the house?

Relay Fun!

Over the Top!

From the heart of a servant...

Happy Easter!

**SIGH**

**SIGH**

Happy Birthday, John!

I LOVE LUCY!

It's official!

Let the MADNESS begin...

Wordless Wednesday

Did you get pinched today?

Where did the weekend go???

This is killing me....

The first "official" photo shoot...

More Mary Alice pics!

Good stuff!

We're in love!

Mary Alice!

500th post...

AMRBC Ribbon Cutting!

One More Week...

Snow Pictures

Exciting Days Ahead...

Another Relay deal!

She is on her way....

Directions to the Relay Pockebook Sale!

Youth Choir Auction & Hot Dog Supper

Still looking!

This post...

I'm on the list....

Pocketbooks...

The Grandma-to-be and Tea!

Molly...the saga continues

Prayer for teachers....

Pocketbook Sale Dates!

Molly's big audition!

Pocketbook Collection

Seventeen years ago...

SIGH

SIGH