I've spent a lot of time thinking about the New Orleans trip and how amazed I was watching the teenagers serve....they served God, they served others, expecting nothing in return. No glory, no praise, no rewards. They smiled, they laughed, they made the best of what they had, they did without being asked, they loved the unlovable, and the perservered when situations were frustrating. Thank you God for teenagers that love YOU and WANT to serve you...it blows my mind. Please pray for these and others that have this heart to love and serve. Pray that they will stand strong in the years to come, that they won't be tainted by the world, and that their desire to know Him, love Him, and serve Him will grow stronger. Here are some of my fav pics from the trip.....

New O

I just got back from New Orleans last night...I wanted to post some blogs while there but there was no internet access and I must confess that was driving me crazy!...I guess I realize how attached I am to my laptop and God really did stretch me by taking that away. It gave me a chance to totally focus on Him and what was going on in New O. I was blown away by the teenagers and how Godly their attitudes were, how much they had servant hearts, and how willing they were to do whatever was needed. It gives me hope for the future of our church and I'm so blessed to be able to be a part of what God is doing at Grace and in our town. I will post a few of my fav pics from the trip later on once I get caught up with all the menial tasks one must do like laundry, cleaning, and trying to get some REST!! KJ and I are so exhausted but it was SO worth it. Praise God for allowing me to be able to go, to get excited again about missions and serving, and for allowing my daughter to see a part of it and be a part of it. She loved it and I know it's the beginning of stirring inside her a passion to serve and love on others as she loves God and learns more about who He is.

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a Francis Chan fan....Love this book, his sermons, everytime I've heard him speak, he's just amazing! Someone had this clip on their facebook and I took it from her...so cool. Take a look

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=115378537000&h=ZQnWR&u=iRlcP&ref=mf

By the way, people talk about him being 'extreme' and 'radical' but I totally disagree. I think he's living out life the way that Jesus would want us to and He gets passionate about God the way He would want us to...we call it crazy and extreme but I think it's the way anyone that's a believer and loves Jesus should be living, including myself. I pray that God will show me how to give 100 percent to Him and let all the things of the world go and just be crazy about God. He's so worth it....

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY10Mid-South?fr_id=19717&pg=entry

Walk for Strides is the cancer walk they do every year around October in Nashville. My first experience was two years ago. One of my mom's best friends has cancer and me, my sister, and my mom had signed up to walk. The walk was October 14, and my mom died unexpectedly on October 8. We still went to the walk. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I took a hankerchief with my mom's name engraved on it, and I reminded myself over and over that she would want me there even if I felt like crawling in a hole instead. My mother's friend was in a wheelchair that year. I'll never forget the look on her face when she saw me and my sister had still come to walk. It is forever etched in my memory. And it taught me that people CAN make a difference on this earth if they are willing to let God use them. My mother was a wonderful friend and she let God use her compassionate and loving heart to encourage and strengthen those around her. Her legacy was there that day.
We made it through and the next year my mother's friend was walking...she even beat our time! I was so excited for her, but honestly, in the depths of my human mind, I wondered, why did God heal my mother's friend but not my mother? The thought passed because I know the answer. God is sovereign and only He knows why He chooses to do things the way He does and I really wouldn't have it any other way. He is loving, kind, and gracious, and I trust Him in that He knew what was best.
Well all that I guess to say that the walk for strides is coming up again this year...it's a special event to me for many reasons. I put a link at the top of this post so if you're interested in checking it out please do. I'm looking for two things: people to donate money when I walk, or people to come out and walk with me. Even if you don't go all out and get sponsors and raise a lot of money, your presence there will mean a lot and raise awareness. If you're interested in either one of these, comment or email me.

I Love Being a Mom

I love that when I opened my purse today looking for my lip gloss I pulled out silly putty instead. I love that even after I've cleaned the house to my perfection my daughter has made some random creation and placed it somewhere in the house. I love that on the way to work this morning Kylie asked the question Why?? at least fifteen times and I finally had to say I don't really know,baby, and started laughing. She began laughing with me....just because. As hard as life is right now and as much as I am struggling to find joy, peace, and strength, God speaks to me EVERY day through my daughter. He reminds me that He is still with me, and He is blessing me with this amazing gift that I get to enjoy every day. May I never take her for granted, and may I never forget what a huge responsibility I have as a mother to help mold and shape her to be a Godly woman who has a heart for God, family, and those around her. What a huge task...I'm not up for it, but God is...so let's go!.....

4th of July

We had a great 4th of July...it was a blast just hanging out with the family, it's always entertaining:) We swam in the rain, laughed at the dogs in their 'floaties', and ate way too much. We were a bit disappointed that we couldn't do fireworks that night but that didn't stop us from doing them the next night. The guys were determined that they were going to light some things on fire and make a lot of noise! Kylie liked it for awhile but the noise got to her after some time so she and Lindsey went inside and watched from the window and ate cupcakes. I'm so thankful for my family and God keeps reminding me of how blessed I am to have them in my life. Pictures are on facebook if you want to check them out....
Last night Kylie wasn't feeling really well and she just snuggled up next to me and smooshed her face up against my cheek. I could feel her breath on me and her soft cheek against mine and I thought, who am I to deserve such a sweet moment, such a pure joy, as this?

I was just thinking about my relationship with God this morning and came upon this blog and thought it was quite profound....and actually describes my relationship with God at times, going back and forth and back and forth. But I've never come back not to find Him there ready to receive me, change me, teach me, and love me. Now that's GRACE.

Here's the blog I read this morning...it's a father talking about his daughter, The Brown One.


The Brown One.It takes her a while to warm up to you.It’s not that she doesn’t love you.She does.It’s that she doesn’t trust you.Yet.I’ve seen it happen everyday for the past 5 years.She grabs someones heart, only to crush it later, only to grab it again and make it melt twice as fast.It’s just what she does. She needs consistent relationship to trust you.
I know God loves me.I know He won’t ever leave me.I just wonder the feeling He gets when I come in and out of relationship with Him on such a regular basis.
Probably feels a little bit like my brown one.Yet He never flinches. And is Always waiting.Funny what a 5 year old can teach you about God’s love.

Went to Opry Mills on Saturday with my daughter and my dad...haven't been there in awhile. It was such a fun and relaxing trip...we didn't do anything special or that exciting. We just enjoyed the day together, talked, and laughed. It was a good reminder to me of the blessing of family. God brings family in our lives for a purpose and although I will never understand why He took two special family members from me when I felt like I needed them the most, I was reminded that I had it good for awhile, and I still do. I have been blessed beyond measure with family in my life. Lord, may I never forget this blessing that you have given me...may I not take it for granted, and may I soak up every minute of it knowing that we don't know what tomorrow brings but for today, life is good.