Yay

It's a three day weekend.  We don't have any plans - just being home and relaxing.
Charles has a sore throat.

Shave and a Haircut

Chuck got a haircut this evening.  Becca made a cool cover for one of her binders.
Charles changed the battery.  Major got a new baby - its a toucan (one of Becca's hand me downs).
I picked up Becca's glasses from the eye doctor and ran into Mrs. Woodson while there.

Went to Youth Group tonight

because I was feeling young.  Ha Ha - not really - I wanted to hear the guest speaker. Ergun Caner came to speak to our youth - it was very interesting and inspiring.  He shared with the kids learning how to communicate with all people to lead them to Christ.

Our teens are awesome - I also enjoyed their praise and worship time.

Remote Control Fun

Do you remember what I mentioned the other day?  We have a new cable provider and Charles was discovering all the new features.  That thing that made us laugh was that he can control all boxes from his ipad.  The kids were in the other room watching a show - it was the perfect opportunity.  He pulled that tv up and changed the channel.  They changed it back.  He picked another show and switched it again.  Again they put it back.  We laughed and laughed.  We let them in on the fun - Chuck said he knew it had to be his dad ;0)! 

Back to the grindstone

We had such a nice time with the Petty's visiting Lindsay.  We hope to do this again soon.  Thank you Lord for the opportunity to go and for getting us there and back safely.   It is always hard to get back to work after a vacation.  Busy season should be hitting soon - hopefully it wont hit to hard today.

The Lightning Strike!

Lindsay and Becca came back and had breakfast with all of us.

Said goodbye, packed up and headed home.

A Bull on the Roof

We ate lunch at Arby's in McAlester, OK

Once we got in TX the rain poured down.

It was raining so hard the cars were pulling off the side and driving very slowly.

Collette slowed way down as a semi was coming by us when there was

A BRIGHT FLASH accompanied by a LARGE BOOM!

Lightning struck the road right in front of us.

It sounded like an explosion.

It scared us to death -thank the Lord, Collette slowed down or it may have struck the car.

We weren't sure if our tire blew out, our car was hit or what was going on for a minute.

We pulled off the highway to wait for the rain to let up a bit.  There was a flash flood warning where we were in Denison, TX and also down the road in Sherman.

 
The downpour

We headed out and needed to pull over in Sherman for another potty break.

We pulled in to Wendy's.

Becca came running back out a few minutes later and said there was someone in there that we knew.

The Demay's were there - all except for Lexi.

How weird is that - what are the chances that we would be there when they were there. What a small world we live in.  I ran in and said hi for a second.

We were back on the road and arrived home safe and sound.

It was  a good and fun weekend getaway.

The boys were home and surprised at our early arrival -they thought it would be much later.

They had a couple surprises they were trying to prepare for us.

Our garage refrigerator bit the dust awhile ago.  They went and bought a beautiful replacement.

Our over the stove microwave bit the dust a few years ago - they have one ready to install.

Our portable phones fizzled out and we finally now have one that will not make us sound like robots talking to you.

It was a wonderful weekend and I'm not quite ready for it to end!

Weekend visit

Jonathan and Benjamin

Benjamin and Becca

Stopped at a G-Rated Wendy's on our way  for a potty break

first time I've seen a "rating" for a restaurant

makes me wonder who was frequenting the Wendy's in McAlester, OK before they hung their sign up

We stopped at the Amish Family Restaurant in Muskogee, OK for lunch

It was delicious.

The store in the restaurant had fresh butter by the roll.

We stopped by the Walmart service center before leaving Muskogee to check on a wobble we were feeling before lunch.  We weren't sure if it was from the wheels, shocks, road or rainwater causing it.

They couldn't really help us - therefore we prayed and Collette mentioned that maybe the Lord was just trying to prevent us from something ahead.  We decided to head on to see Lindsay - it was about another hour and a half to Siloam Springs.  

Not five minutes up the road there was a back up.  They were cleaning up this accident.

We were so thankful that we were not a part of the accident.

A funny rooster on the roof

We've Arrived!  Off to see Lindsay's room - she has it decorated so cute.

We then went to Walmart - Collette bought Lindsay a few things she needed.

We ate dinner at Zaxby's.  It chicken joint in town which was very good.

We all headed back to the hotel room to talk and hear stories about Lindsay's first week.

I can't believe this is the only picture I took of Lindsay.

Chillin and messing around with her brothers.

 
some goofy boys!

We all enjoyed coffee, hot chocolate, tea, conversation, giggles and fun!

Lindsay and Becca headed back to the college to hang out with friends and to watch a movie and get back to the dorm room.

(The boys are back in town and going to their Fantasy Football draft today - I'm praying they win!)

Don't overstay your welcome

Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
Proverbs 25:17

I've been taught the concept of not overstaying my welcome, but didn't realize it was from the Bible.  It makes me think of one of my childhood friends.  They had a neighbor that was always at their house.  She was sweet, and they liked her - but they dreaded her too because of her continuous presence.

Pink Unicorns and Perfect Curls

Seems like there is always some sort of drama going on....

my co-worker often says....

if we only lived in a pink unicorn and perfect curls sort of world!

An interesting vehicle I saw at lunch today!

Baseball

Tim, Misti and Becca went to a baseball game tonight in Grand Prairie - they went to see the Air Hogs play.

They had fun, Becca even returned with a baseball.

Kim's niece sung the National Anthem before the game beautifully.

The girls baked some delicious chocolate cupcakes today too.

.

Switched and Enjoying the Slow Down

    We recently switched cable providers and Charles was looking at the features.  He is good about reading the instructions on new things and learning all the features.  The kids are like him - they figure out all the features on their phones and know how to do practically everything.  I must admit - I'm not too good about this - I usually know only the features that the family have showed me and the few things I learn as I go.  We had a good chuckle this evening about one of the features.  I will share it in the future after he applies it - it will give you a laugh too. 
    I was a nice refreshing rainy day today, for which we are thankful.
I was irritated at work today - working in an internet based program - which was moving at a snail's pace.  The paperwork in my tray kept growing and the more it grew, the slower my computer seemed to move.  There are times/things in life that force us to slow down and this was one of them.  My wise son said, there was no reason to be frustrated - the speed of that program was out of your control.  Your wrong reaction was not going to increase the speed.  He was correct.  Sometimes, it just is what it is, and there is not much we can do about it.  I should have enjoyed the relaxed pace but was restless and wanted to speed it along. 
Oh well, we live and hopefully learn.  Today is a new day...maybe I will finish the project, if not I am looking forward to a day filled with bursts of rest while completing my task. 

Broccoli & Cauliflower Recipe

We made a new side for dinner last night.  I wouldn't say it was at the top of the healthy chart,
but would say it was high up on the tasty chart! ;0)

Broccoli & Cauliflower Creamy Goodness

2 Bags of Broccoli/Cauliflower Blend
1/2 Stick of Butter
Half and Half to cook in (instead of water) - didn't measure it just poured maybe 1/4- 1/2 cup
Bring to boil - then reduce heat to low
Simmer with lid on for 10-15 minutes
Stirring occasionally
Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Lay 3 slices of swiss cheese (sandwich slices) over veggies
Seasoned with Mrs Dash, Salt, Pepper, and Peppercorn Medley
Replace lid and simmer another 10 minutes
Stir occasionally
Remove from heat - Serve and enjoy!

We all enjoyed this with our fish and okra tonight!

Love is in the Air

This was the month of weddings.
Happy Anniversary Gramma and Grampa. We hope you had a special day!

Becca and I worked on organizing her schoolwork.

The family watched Hunger Games.
It was ok, we all felt like it was a little overrated, the hype and hooplah was a bit much.

Playin in the Rain

Thank you Lord for the showers you sent today. 

 I remember liking to play in the rain when I was young.  Chuck and Becca liked being out in the rain too.  There was nothing like stomping in the puddles and seeing what kind of a splash would come from it.  Throwing your head back to catch a drop on your tongue, sitting down with containers to make a few mud pies and watching the ripples grow as they plop down into that body of water nearby was always so fun.   There was a day that one one of my friends and I got into a little trouble.  It was winter time, maybe early spring - and we went over to her grandparents house.  They lived on a rather large farm.  Their field was covered with water and ice, and we decided we wanted to go play outside on that field.  We stomped across the ice to see how far we could get, knowing there wasn't really any danger since the ice simply covered huge puddles from the plowed rows in the ground. As we walked the ice and stomped a tad bit, it would brake causing our foot to crash through and waterto gush into our boots.  Smiling and laughing and having a grand time, we stomped and stomped until our lower halves were soaked.  Her parents and grandparents had know idea the "fun" we were having out in the field, until they called us in to the house.  Her mom could have died.  She couldn't believe the state we were in.  The danger wasn't in the depth of the water, but in the temperature in the air combined with the wet we had become.  I have know idea how long we were out there, and thank you Lord, for keeping us safe from frostbite.  Her family had know idea that we had ventured out into the field to explore the water and ice or they would have called us in much sooner.  I remember her mom apologizing to my mom when they dropped me off for the state I was in.  I'm sorry Sharon for putting you in that position, I understand better now how you must have felt.  Thank you to Christine for one of my many wonderful memories with you, there were so many, and I'm thankful to call you friend.  Mom and Dad thank you for putting up with and surviving all of our many antics and your example, teaching me how to one day react to Chuck and Becca's adventures.

I wanted to add a cute picture of a youngster enjoying the weather. 

I searched google & came across a fabulous illustrator

- Joseph Cowman. 

 If I had any type of artistic talent

this would be something I would love to draw.

http://josephcowman.blogspot.com/

Praying for the Pettys today

They took Lindsay to college for her first year away.  She is going to do great and have a blast! 
I bet Aunt Collette is already planning something fun for the next time she sees her.
I know they got up there safely - praying they get back without problems too.

It was a good day at work for all of us.  '

We had a nice breakfast this morning and even got to meet a new friend - Kim - that Cheryl brought.  She will be taking Sarahanne to college tomorrow - praying for her too.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to UNCLE JAMIE and AUNT RHONDA!

Happy Anniversary

Happy 21st Anniversary to the sweetest husband in the World!

I love you with all of my heart and am so glad that you are mine!

Trimmed up Trees

The Trees are trimmed up nice and here is

a small pile of brush ready to be picked up!

Thank you for your love of landscaping  Mr. Timotheus!

Light as a Feather

There are few ladies that recently have had things weighing them down.  Each burden on their shoulders was bringing them down not only emotionally but physically.  It seemed like a ton of bricks were just dumped on them.  I know of one of these ladies that is standing a little taller and feeling better because that weight has been transferred.

Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

²² Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

I listed both verses below - it would be interesting to study the original scriptures. 
The way I understand the KJV version as I read it is... this...."I removed his shoulder from the burden."  That makes me think "I" am putting the effort into it...it is all me taking on whatever the burden is...it is my work, and my effort, my strength.  If he removed my shoulder from the burden - he has shifted the work, effort from me to Him - it is now His strength handling my burden.

Psalm 81:6 KJV

I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

 

The way I understand the TNIV version as I read it is... this...He took the burden from my shoulders.  That weight has been removed.  I guess the end product is the same - the burden is no longer there weighing me down - let me know your thoughts.  I can't wait to pick Charles' brain about this.

Psalm 81:6 TNIV

"I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.

 

All this to say - I have recently seen someone dear experience the removal of burden.  She felt lighter, free, better, rejuvinated and fresh.  Satan will use that burden to make you think you deserve it along with all the worst feelings you can imagine.  Depression, guilt, shame, despair, hopelessness and more.  He will point out everything that you do wrong and try to keep you down. Don't you let that old devil do that to you.  The Lord does not want that for anyone.  He will take that burden, if you will pass it over. 

 

^{Matthew 11: 28} “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

He will give you rest - it is easy and light with HIM.

1 Peter 5:6-8(KJV)

⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
⁷ Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Let HIM care for you!  You will be light as a feather and feel like you can fly!

 

 

Old Friends

It is so exciting to find old friends.  I am back in touch with a few of my friends from the college days!  It would be so fun to have a reunion one day. 
My heart is a little bit heavy regarding a few of them.  I'm blessed with the hope of our final reunion with so many friends and family, but don't have that comfort regarding a few of them. 
Praying for change in those who don't believe - so that one day we will see each again.

It was a nice night - we are watching lots of tv - trying to get thru some of our recorded shows because we are changing our cable/satellite provider.
Spaghetti and texas toast for dinner - yum!

Family Fun

Thank you Misti for inviting us to have Red Lobster with you for your birthday!  We had a nice time with all of you!  I can't believe how fast yall are growing up.   

Becca and I went and got a few school supplies.  Summer is almost over, time sure flies!

The Day

Happy Birthday Misti- Becca Slept Over - Tubing at the Lake - Misti got a green car
Tim's Racing Stats for last night - 4th and 7th
Saw a friend - Cheryl
Movie with the boys - In Time - we all liked it

Breakfast Club

Our Friday morning breakfast club is growing.  We have a few more ladies that have been joining us.  It is always a blessing. I'm so glad we started meeting up with each other.

Excited about a find regarding my previous employer!

Sacrifices Cont'd

Cain's "sacrifice" made me think a little. 
He was well aware what the Lord expected him to bring to the altar as a sacrifice. 
Pride and jealousy seemed to be a huge factor.
He may have had the most beautiful, plump, luscious fruits and veggies.  They were probably the best imagined - bright and beautiful, flavorful and delicious.  It may have been the best crop ever harvested. BUT - there was a problem with this marvelous fruit.
That is not what the Lord told Cain to bring Him.
The Lord provided all that Cain had - the perfect crops as well as the animals.

How many times have we done the same.
He provides so much for us.
There are times He lays something specific on our heart that He wants us to sacrifice for him.

It might be that He wants us to sacrifice some time for Him.
We may respond - oh no Lord, I just don't have time to do that for you, or to spend with you, etc - but, I have all this money - I will just give more.

It might be the opposite - He may be saying - I want you to give $____ for this need. - and we may be saying - I am so good at that, or I will do it, I just don't have the money - You know I have this bill or that thing coming up - I just don't have the extra.

He may have given us a talent...singing, art, technology, teaching, preaching, praying, etc. He may have told you  - I would like you to bring that "sacrifice" of the talent I gave you but something may be stopping you.  Sometimes it is fear, pride, selfishness or jealousy that prevents us from acting.

There are times we bring the wrong sacrifice to the altar or don't bring one at all. 

I know I need to pray about this - I want that thing I give up to be something the Lord wants and will accept.  How sad is it when we are doing what WE think is best and actually giving up at times for naught, when if we just listened and did what HE wanted the results would be incredibly amazing.

The definition of sacrifice is an act of offering to a diety something precious. 

Praying to know that precious thing He wants from me and you

Forgiveness

Awesome song - Forgiveness by Matthew West

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Lu5udXEZI&feature=related

Sacrifices

Something really jumped out at me as I read about Cain recently.

A few things that Cain battled with were pride, rebellion, selfishness, jealousy.

He decided one day that he would sacrifice what he wanted to sacrifice to the Lord - not what the Lord had taught his father to sacrifice.  He wasn't about to do it that way.  It was as if he thought he knew better than any one else, even than the Lord.
I will sacrifice what I want to sacrifice.  I will give up what I want to give up.  These seemed to be his thoughts.  He took his crops to the altar and laid them before the Lord.
Guess what - nothing happened.
The Lord did not accept them.
This affected Cain's attitude even more.
...

Yoga

Misti surprised Becca with a yoga mat this morning. They are really doing great at sticking to their exercise routines!

Thank u Chuck and Becca for helping me finish up the dishes tonight, I appreciate your help especially when I know u were tired!

Currently reading a book written about Genesis.

Sunday

Becca and I went to Sunday School - she learned about choices and I learned about covenants, faith and talked about Abraham and Noah.  Both were good!
Saw Collette across the parking lot :0)

It was kind of a lazy day - we watched tv and I shouldn't have - but napped and woke in my fog.

Chinese from Chan's for dinner and a movie with the family.

Gettin things done early

I like it when we get our errands run early on the weekend.  It seems like everyone is out after noon and it takes twice as long.  The roads were empty, and the stores weren't bad.  We were home by 11:30.

Sample sale

Had a sample sale at work today...it's always nice cleaning up and getting organized.
Subway for dinner and a movie

Haircuts

Gave Charles a haircut which cooled him off on these hot days.

I went to Claudia and received a trim too.  It was good to get those dead ends trimmed off.  I now have a few layers back in my hair but kept most of the length.

Charles, Becca and I spent a nice evening watching the Mentalist - we just recently started watching it.  Charles actually discovered while in the hospital.  His options were limited with no dvr, and after watching several episodes, he was hooked.  Now we all are!

Chuck was working and had a busy, but nice night at work.

Worn Out

I think it is a little bit of everything going on this last week.
It has worn me out. 
I'm sure these 100+ days are doing a number on us too. 
It was a busy day - work, then home, off to pick up some grub, stop for batteries, to church - then I headed to World Market - didn't really find much - but is always fun to look - did a little reading - home then I passed out as soon as I hit the bed. 

KJV - Isaiah 40:29
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Oh Be Careful

<sup>Do you remember that little song - Oh be careful little ...eyes what you see....ears what you hear...hands what you touch...mouth what you say?   For the Father up above is looking down in Love, oh be careful....


I recently had a friend hurt by words that were spoken from her friend that wasn't careful with the words she said.  I then read a post to another friend after another tragedy that was so flippant.  I have been on both ends of this scenario. 
     I have been the one letting words fly out of my mouth without thought.  Sometimes without care, and other times thinking I'm helping but yeah, NO, it wasn't helpful but ended up hurtful.   
     I have been the one hurt by words from others too in both regards.  
Words are a powerful thing.  The Lord has much to say about the tongue.  


Be careful what you say and how you say it - ask Him to keep the door of your lips.


Lord, help me to build others up with what I say and to be an encourager!


Psalm 141:3</sup> Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.