Fell off the face of the earth...

So it may seem like I fell off the face of the earth, but the truth is...

* Had some great company from Georgia for a week...how refreshing to see my sweet Hannie =)

* Spring break for the kids...no break for mom ...lol

* Puking and fevers.. seem to run wild through the house all spring break.

* From the above stuff added together = tired mommy ;)

* Went to the doctor today and found out Brandon needs his tonsils removed. Seems the little guy was blessed with ENORMOUS tonsils, which is not good...so Ear Nose & Throat doc appointment is to be scheduled tomorrow when they call.

* Only 4 days till the 3 year anniversary of losing my momma, my best friend, my biggest fan, my sounding board, my rock, my first love.... so be patient if I seem pretty freakin emotional....WARNING....WARNING...(this usually comes out most during praise & worship at church)

Here is my promise to blog more faithfully! Now, as long as I don't end up with a list like above, you should hear more from me more often...lol

Keeping our mouths shut

Pastor preached a really good sermon today, focusing on our words:


Acts 8:32
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Matthew 27:12-14
When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you? But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge....

Pastor went on to question how we react ... it says Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge.... Pastor asked "Have you ever been mis-understood? and after the person has really let you have it, how much does your flesh cry out to jump right back, claws out, ready for a fight."

The point of the his sermon was, sometimes the Holy Spirit will tell you to just BE QUIET, shut that mouth of ours, and make no reply, not even to a single charge.

My Georgia Girl

I've known Hannah since she was in 5th grade... about 10 years old, I babysat her brother Alex who was 4 at the time, so Hannah would get off the school bus at my house after school and help me and play with all the kids I was watching (one day there were 10 yes TEN kids I was keeping) Normally I had my 2 little guys (Darian was not quite 2 and Gavin was a newborn), Jonathan was age 5 & Justin, Alex & Devin were all 4, and Elizabeth who is about 6 months older than Gavin. Anyway... all that to say, Hannah and I have remained close through all these years. She really is our long lost daughter...she fits in the family soooo well, and I just love being with her (especially coffee time in our pajamas in the morning..lol) She goes home Saturday (boo hoo boo hoo) and I will miss her HORRIBLY!!!!
We've got such a great relationship and she's such a sweet, sweet, loving person. She's one of those people who are SO EASY TO LOVE!!!!!! But I know even when she leaves, we'll stay in touch like we always do, and I just have to be patient until next year when she comes back =) She's so good and patient with kids, and yet such a pleasant young woman to talk to as an adult! I'm gonna miss you Hannie! We've been through thick and thin, and never once have we had any kind of mis-understanding or any problems between us whatsoever. She's never short or snappy or grouchy or vindictive... she loves me no matter what, always has and always will... and the same goes right back to her!!! I adore this girl!! and so do all my boys ;)

Daily Bible Verse

Every morning I get a new Bible verse for the day. Everytime my computer comes on, my homepage is set to Christ Notes. This was today's verse and it really touched me.


"I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."
Isaiah 12:1-2

I know sometimes I really let God down. And though I know he's compassionate, I know sometimes I feel like He's kinda ticked at me. Here in Isaiah, it first starts with I WILL PRAISE YOU... something I need to remember to keep first in my heart.

Then I like, "your anger has turned away and you have comforted me"... reminds me of when I discipline my own kids, or being disciplined as a child by my momma.

I love the way this verse ends... the LORD is my STRENGTH and my SONG, and my SALVATION.

Especialy on my worst days, I know that He is my strength and my song

THIS IS HOW...

John 13:34 & 35
Jesus says:

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

When I start wondering off and thinking I'm making no difference in the kingdom, the Lord seems to always bring me back to this verse. He whispers to me... You want to make a difference? A real difference? Do you want everyone to know that you are MY disciple? Do you want to show the world that your whole life and heart are dedicated to me? Then do this one simple thing Angie.... LOVE

I can still LOVE .. even when I'm broke...lack of money doesn't change that
I have nothing but time on my hands... what better way to spend it
He's given me so much and all he asks in return is LOVE? And this love is shed abroad in my heart by him, He is LOVE. Sometimes I think we make faith to hard...

Pre-K Screening

Brandon had his pre-k screening today. I have to admit it was pretty cool to watch and see how your child reacts. Here they are brought into a room with a bunch of different kinds of toys....about 4 or 5 adults who are trying to play with them and ask them questions... it's kinda funny. Brandon and I had been talking about him going to "school" for a day so I had been working him up to the thought of playing with other kids and being a big boy. He did pretty well, at first he didn't really want to leave my side...even for all those toys. That didn't take long once mommy walked him over to some toy food and started showing him stuff, then I went back and sat down, and he was fine. It was hilarious though, because #1.. Brandon is funny, he's gotten to where he knows I ask him over and over "what is this?" or what color is this? so now, he's started asking me questions... he'll bring me a letter off the fridge and ask me "what's this?"; "what letter is this?"; "what color is this?". SO, of course ask one of the ladies what asking Brandon what something was, he asked her "what do you think it is?"...lol He finally warmed up some, and did great. There was one puzzle they did that had shapes, and the lady asked him what the shape was that he was putting in the puzzle... he had no problem with the circle, the triangle, the square, and when they brought out the stop sign piece for him to put in she asked him if he knew what it was and he said "octagon".... every adult was speachless, except for one that asked.. Did he really just say octagon?
It's amazing to think he's not even three yet and he went from infant to smart little guy in what seems like the blink of an eye. We'll see about Pre-K, they said he's not "needy" as far as education, so then it depends on how many spots are left open, and he'd be going to mainly learn the routine of school, and help him come out of his little shell. (which doesn't usually take long)
So, either this fall, or next fall he could be going to big-boy school as he calls it. Gosh, where has time gone?

Words of Wisdom

My momma used to always say "This too shall pass...". All of us kids, and even Amber the oldest of the grandkids holds this saying very close to our hearts. I miss hearing her voice say that as she hugged me in some things I went through in life. She would always somehow point out the lesson in whatever I was dealing with, but at the same time giving me hope and freedom knowing "this too shall pass".. it all goes away baby...big one day, gone the next... her way of saying God's mercies and his grace are new every morning.... he takes it away and forever it will be gone. It's getting close to the three year anniversary of my momma going to heaven, the three year anniverary (birthday) of Brandon coming into our lives. in the blink of an eye

Church

Today we had a small presentation from our teens who had attended a conference on puppets/black-light specials/dramas...the list goes on and on. Anyway, it was great to hear everyone talk about the conference, but I have to admit it was awesome to watch Jarrad with his illusions. The confidence he showed, the way he flowed with things and had fun was incredible. It's neat to have been going to church here long enough to watch Jarrad turning into this incredible young man who is responsible, intelligent, God-fearing and at such a young age!!!!! Just wanted to give Jarrad some serious kudos he has deserved for a very long time =) (but he secretly knows he's our favorite...lol*******)
Jarrad is sweet enough to sit through a 5th grade musical just for Darian! SUCH DEDICATION =)
(and shows up looking like Dave's wife carrying a diaper bag and.... lol that was SO FUNNY!)

Brandon and Mommy playing while we waiting patiently for Daddy to get done with work so we could go to church...I think that is the first time in FOREVER that Sheldon Carver was late for church (me, that's a whole other story)

Through the motions

New Matthew West song... Through the motions

the chorus says so much:

I don't want to go through the motions
I don't want to go one more day
without your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't want to spend my whole life asking
what if I had given everything...
instead of going through the motions



I pray Lord for a deeper love..... your all consuming passion

Never too late to say thank you

I think we take for granted sometimes what a wonderful Pastor we have. His birthday is tomorrow, and it got me to thinking about a time when he didn't have so much gray hair (lol) when we first starting coming to Faith Fellowship...which makes me wonder if we had a HUGE part in his hair graying ;) What a great teacher, friend, mentor, leader, shoulder to cry on.... so many many things. He has been such a blessing to our family... taking us by the hand when mom died, staying with us through Brandon's emergency hernia surgery when he was just 8 weeks old and having somebody else preach that night (it was a Wednesday night) so he could stay with us until everything was done and momma, daddy and baby were back together. The questions I've asked, the questions I've re-asked..lol Life would not be the same without Pastor Kim being such an important man in our lives. I have to say this goes for Jen and Karen too =) It's just not their birthday..lol

Great Book

As a busy mom I read when I can... I've been working on Max Lucado's "Facing Your Giants" Just wanted to share something that really hit home with me...

"You'll never know that Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have."

These words were spoken by a gentleman who spoke at Max Lucado's church right after he buried his wife, and his daughter was growing sicker by the day....

Having dealt with the emotional roller coaster of losing my mom and having Brandon at the same time, I can remember KNOWING that as I went to sleep crying God was holding me in his arms, and when I woke up, he was the one giving me the strength to face this new life without my momma and learn to take it step by step holding his hand the whole way.

Lord my prayer is that I remain humble before you knowing you are all I need, and that with you I can do all things.

Gotta give kudos..

Since I'm at home 99 percent of the time, I have to really take this minute to give serious KUDOS and props to those working mommas. I have found that even being surrounded by these same walls 24/7 my laundry piles up, my dishes need done STILL, my house still needs serious spring cleaning done (though we've knocked out 2 rooms so far!!!). I don't know how you working mommies do it...I'm surrounded by it and I can't get it done in a day, yet you working mommies manage to squeeze in everything I do and have a whole other life to juggle. I love being here with my boys, I love being here while Brandon grows up, but I look up to you young and not so young ladies who everyday go and deal with an outside world that sometimes I'm really glad I can keep my door shut from! Just wanted to give a pat on the back to all of my great friends who do sooooo much!