Give Thanks Day 28

Yesterday I gave thanks for my children being such good students! All of them are or have been A B Honor Roll students... well, with the exception of Keat, they don't get letter grades in K or 1st grade. But, 2 weeks ago he was named a Terrific Kid (I already knew that, lol!) and 2 weeks before that he was Citizen of the Month. He does extremely well in school, we have some struggles that we are thankful for... he started reading when he was 3 1/2 so now he is reading way above grade level and the teachers, as well as us have to "think outside of the box" with him. I may have to have a tutor when he gets in Middle School, lol!!

Bub is ALL BOY, and we have to sit on him sometimes to get his schoolwork done, but he is very smart and is doing a GREAT job in high school. He is in the band and plays the drums loves the drums. Me, well I love him playing them, just not so much all the time...... He is all about some baseball, too..... can't wait til Spring to see him play!!

  

(He is the snare player on the right)

Sis was an Honor Grad and is doing well her first year in college. Its ALOT tougher than HS, but she studies and manages her time very well. She is very persistent about her studies, sometimes she lets this stress her out, but she always does her best.

June 2011

 Am of course is out of school, and in the real world, she is now a great nurse!! But, she too was an honor student not only in HS but at ECU as well.

December 2007

Oh, I know grades and school are not the most important thing in life, but I am very thankful that my children do not struggle or seem not to care about their school work. Life is hard and is even harder without an education. I pray that they continue to do their best and allow God to direct their paths.

Thank you Lord for some great children. Not only do they love you, but they do well in school. I pray that they continue to "do as unto you" in all they do in their lives. You have made such a difference in their lives, and best of all they are YOURS. They each have trusted you as their Lord and Savior!!! AND NOTHING can take that away!! Praise your HOLY Name!!

Give Thanks Day 27

Today I GIVE THANKS for REST......

Rest

• when I am tired
• when I am broken
• when I don't know what else to do
• when I am weary

Thank you Father for the rest that I find in you. I love to have a restful weekend, a laid back Sunday. A time of rest for my weary body. And most of all for those times when I cannot do for myself and I know that I can rest in YOU!!

Give Thanks Day 26

I want to GIVE THANKS for FAMILY FUN & JUST BEING TOGETHER!!

Yesterday was a great day. For us and our crazy lives we still had places to be and things to do, but it was good. We were all together, not half going one way and the other half going somewhere else. This doesn't happen very often around here, we are usually in several different directions at the same time. 

I enjoy watching my boys play basketball and one had a game early in the day and the other had one late. There is something about Pre-pee wee basketball that just makes me crack-up smile. Most of them don't have a clue and when they run with that ball like they are headed for a touchdown (dribble, ?? why do you need to dribble?? Lol!!) Sorry, I don't have pictures or a video. What kind of Mom takes the camera and never uses it? One day, maybe I will remember to video and share with you.....

In between the games we didn't really do anything. Now I didn't say we didn't have anything to do. We just didn't do anything. We needed to do lots around here, but it was just a hang out day until we had to leave for the next game. I don't have any pictures of Bub's game either. At least I am consistent.

After a supper with ML joining us we decided to go bowling. You have to know I am the homebody type so this was pretty out of my norm and to do something spontaneous is really out of my box. We had a good time. It's great to watch your kids & your husband have a good time. So what if I came in last??? And didn't even break 100?? I was a winner just being a part of our fun. I love my family and just being together was such a blessing to me. 

Thank you Lord for a day of family togetherness. It is wonderful to be able to just enjoy one another, hang out and have a laid back kinda day. Days like that don't happen very often and I am thankful that it was yesterday. It was a great way to spend the Holiday weekend. 

Give Thanks Day 25

Yesterday, I GAVE THANKS for ML. ML is Sis's boyfriend. Why would I give thanks for him? Well, he is a great guy and he makes Sis smile :). He seems to adore her and puts her before himself. Even though Dad doesn't like the fact there is another male in her life, he seems to tolerate him. lol!! He has such a heart for the Lord and he is a special young man. He wants to follow God's will for his life and that says A LOT for a guy his age. 

They have known one another since kindergarten and they have been friends for a long time. I can remember when Sis was in 5th grade (you know, when boys have cooties and they are really gross) she would come home and tell me she wished that ML and some other boys would leave her alone. I said, they just like you. She says, "well they can stop, cause I DO NOT like them." I said,"well one day you will" And she said, "NO WAY!!" (I wouldn't argue, cause Mom knows...)

As they got older they remained friends through middle school and high school. During their Senior year they began to get closer and he asked her to the Prom. From then on its been a sweet story. They didn't start dating til right before graduation, and the summer flew by. In August, he left for college almost 2 hours away. It has been tough on them, but he makes his way home pretty regularly. 

I don't know what God has planned for them and I just pray that each will keep God first in their lives. 

Throughout Sis's life we have prayed for her and that God would bring Godly friends into her life and ML is definitely one that God has placed in her life.  I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow! 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for ML. Thank you for bringing him into Sis' life. I don't know what the future holds for them, but You do. I pray that You are always in the center of their relationship and that they will keep focus on you. Thank you for working in his life at a young age and for his walk with you. Continue to work in his life. 

Give Thanks Day 24

 

Yesterday, I GAVE THANKS for THANKSGIVING!! Not the turkey, the ham or the scrumptious desserts, but the fact that we are so blessed and for my family spending this month being intentional about being Thankful. We included the rest of our family in our Thankful Time. I sat there thinking, while enjoying that time, I thought, we can plan on making this a tradition and doing it every year. How wonderful that would be?!! And then I remembered every person that was there right then, their names were on our Thankful Tree. At some point in the last 24 days I had been thankful for each of them. What a wonderful feeling that each of them were such a blessing in my life!! There will never be another Thanksgiving like yesterday! I didn't want anyone to leave, cause I love that we were all together. 

Thank you Lord for allowing most of my family to be together last night. Even today, tears of joy flow for the time we had together last night. I am thankful for our THANKFUL TIME for the love and the blessings that were shared!! Thank you for your many blessings on me!!!

Give Thanks Day 23

Yesterday I GAVE THANKS for answered prayers. You may ask, what about the ones He hasn't answered yet, or the ones that He said, "No" too, or the ones He said, "wait". Oh, yes I am thanking Him for those too. Looking back on my life a lot of my prayers were "in the now". You know the ones that are for whatever moment we are having right then. They are the prayers that are the ones that are more of a "wish" than a prayer. Our Heavenly Father is not a Magic Genie and that's not how He works. And I am soooo grateful for that. Seriously, if that was the case, my control issues would be more of a problem than they are now, lol!! Ok, today maybe I would be taller, skinnier, prettier, and bad hair days would be long gone. I would not have any issues, I would not complain over the little things, I wouldn't worry about my children cause they would be perfect, etc. Do you follow me?? I think of the song by Garth Brooks, (back in the day, I was a huge Garth fan) Unanswered Prayers, and I think of the things I prayed for as a teenager and young adult.

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

If He had answered those prayers, then I would not be where I am right now, my family would not be as it is..... I thank God for answering those prayers HIS way, not mine. I am blessed beyond measure!! Thank you Lord!!

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

Thank you Father for your many blessings on me!!!

Give Thanks Day 22

 Yesterday I GAVE THANKS for these SPECIAL FRIENDS!!!

Makes me smile!! lol!!

Several years ago, God moved their family from Texas to NC. I cannot imagine moving where I knew no one. But I sure am thankful that God in His divine plans brought them here and God placed them at WG. Since then, we have become very good friends!! She has become my bff and he and B are great friends too. They have a son and Kea looks up to him and they have become buddies. In life, there are those that you know that you can count on anytime of the day or night, and they are definitely those people!! I thank God for them each day!! They support and help us with the Children's Ministry (soo thankful God led them there too!) She is faithful to pray for me and encourage me. She influences me to keep my focus on the Lord!!! Love that we can share our struggles and our victories together!! We love to just hang out together, and B & C love to go fishing(with & without the boys!)! There is never a dull moment when we are together, lots of laughs and fun!!


Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for C, L & L!! I am so thankful that your ways are higher than my ways. Thank you for choosing them to be our friends and a special part of our family. Thank you for the friendships, the laughter and the love of our extended family. Lord, bless them as they grow closer to you, raise L in a Christian home. May you give them exactly what they are in need of!

Give Thanks Day 21

Last night I GAVE THANKS for Christian Radio. Where we live, we can pick up four Christian radio stations. Isn't that wonderful?? I love it all from Southern Gospel to Contemporary. So many times the words of a song, are just what I needed to hear. The encouragement and the passion of these stations and those that God has placed to work there is a great way to stay out of the world. From the music to the programming of those preaching God's word it never fails to be a blessing to me....so thankful the avenues God uses to reach me. I love to drive down I-40 in the mornings PRAISING MY HEAVENLY FATHER!!! I am the one with my hand raised as you are driving past me!! 

Below are the stations that I listen too....not all at the same time of course.... 

www.1069thelight.org

www.joyfm.org

www.klove.com 94.1 Lexington

http://tunein.com/radio/His-Radio-893-s30611/

                    
If you don't have one of these stations in your listening area.... you can listen online!!! 

Father, thank you for Christian Radio. I have been blessed time & time again by these stations. Lord I pray that they continue spreading the Gospel to a world that needs you desperately. So many times I take it for granted that I can listen to Christian music anytime, anywhere!!! Thank you for those stations, the artists that you have given talents to so they too can share the Gospel.! Thank you for giving me a reason to Praise You!! Just because of who YOU ARE is reason enough to PRAISE YOU!!!