Happy New Years!

Wow! Its already 2011. Can't believe how fast time flies by. I feel so blessed this year thus far. Even though it is only day 1, a journey has begun.

Billy Graham Library had a Christmas program that was life changing for me. I went there with my husband and daughter and our best friends, Jackie and TJ, with their kids. I went there under the thought of just having Faith and the kids see Christmas lights, and my heart grew. I have been for awhile struggling with my relationship with Christ. Feeling this emptiness inside that I cant explain. I was going to church but not recieving anything. But at this Library, I felt a fire burn. I felt a growth inside. I was in there trying to figure out my emotions. I left there and was happy. My heart glowed of warth in knowing that God still loves me.

Jadd, me, and Faith went to another church today. And again, I felt it. And I felt a relief almost in knowing that tomorrow is not promised. And that I have today to allow God to enter in and change me. But I have to know that I have to change myself. I can not continue to live a life just going through the motions. I ahve to let God help me.

Jus t want to say....... HAPPY NEW YEAR

Christmas Story

Mary, a virgin, was living in Galilee of Nazareth and was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her and explained to her that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and she would name him Jesus.

At first Mary was afraid and troubled by the angel's words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, "How will this be?" The angel explained that the child would be God's own Son and, therefore, "nothing is impossible with God." Humbled and in awe, Mary believed the angel of the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior.
Surely Mary reflected with wonder on the words found in Isaiah 7:14 foretelling this event, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)   While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel disgraced. He knew the child was not his own, and Mary's apparent unfaithfulness carried a grave social stigma. Joseph not only had the right to divorce Mary, under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning.        Although Joseph's initial reaction was to break the engagement, the appropriate thing for a righteous man to do, he treated Mary with extreme kindness. He did not want to cause her further shame, so he decided to act quietly. But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to verify Mary's story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. The angel explained that the child within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that his name would be Jesus and that he was the Messiah, God with us.

When Joseph woke from his dream, he willingly obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. Perhaps this noble quality is one of the reasons God chose him to be the Messiah's earthly father. Joseph too must have wondered in awe as he remembered the words found in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)     At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Probably due to the census, the inn was too crowded, and Mary gave birth in a crude stable. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.   Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child.   There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable. After their visit, they began to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.
 
HOPE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY!!!!
                                             FROM THE STONES
 
 

 

Tristian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY TRISTIAN POOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow!!!! I don't even know what to say.... This boy........... to funny............. for being 8, he is a character. Whenever I get around him all I do is smile. Tristian has a way of being the funny man. Whenever my husband and his dad are around each other, Tristian listens and sees what makes them laugh and then he mimics it. He had us laughing one day about "CUP" .. LOL.... still laughing when I think about him doing it.

Tristian scared us all one day. We were eating dinner at his moms and we were all talking and I went to the bathroom. I saw Tristian in the kitchen but didn't know what he was doing. My husband was sitting at the table and his mom was on the couch. He went to her and she didn't know anything, but she thought he was going to throw up so she told him to go to the kitchen. But Tristian was so smart. He went to my husband and he said to him are you ok. Then that is when mom instincts kicked in. She came hit him in the back and found out that a peppermint was stuck in his throat. Thank you God!!! What would have happened if he had went upstairs or into the kitchen where nobody could see him. Thank God mom knew what to do. But I was int he bathroom for all of it. So when I got out all I could see is my buddy sad because he thought we were mad at him.

But I want to let you know Tristian, we love you! And I know that I wouldn't know what to do if you were not in my life. I love you!

Te'Ana

I have never met someone who is a teenage who goes beyond what ordinary is! In a good way!
     Te'Ana is spunky, fiery, and the most beautiful girl I have ever met. her mom jokes with me a lot about saying that I think everyone is pretty but I think this time she will agree with me!!!!!

    Te'Ana is so smart. She is the tinest thing in the 10th grade and carries herself with so much respect. She can have moments where she doesn't want to be bothered but like I said about Talen, what teenager does? She is one girl who I know will achieve all her goals and then be successful.
 She is my baby girl, although I am not mom, I always think about her! 24/7 and hoping she is doing good and wondering what she up to.

She is going to get me but I have to say this. She is now at the age where mom has allowed her to have her first boyfriend that we know about ( it better be the only boyfriend ) ..LOL......
Te'Ana has been so responsible that I am hoping very soon to meet this young man. Like I told her, I met my husband at 14 and she is almost 16!!! But her mom said NO!!!!!!! That is still her baby!

But Te'Ana, I love you! I want you to know I love everything about you and all that are you are becoming.

Talens Big Day!!!

                      I can not begin to tell you about a young boy who has stolen my heart. Talen is the sweetest, most wonderful  boy I know. He is my best friends son. He is 13. He has a heart of gold. I can keep going on and on about him, but he is just that sweet. 
                     Talen has this character of Christ that I cannot begin to understand. In meaning, he is always so kind. He always thinks of others. Talen can be hard-headed sometimes but what teenager isn't?                 
                   Talen loves sports. He loves all of it. He is very athletic and strong behind his skinny frame. He can play anything and be great at it.  
                  
                   His big day came two days ago! His mom texted me and said he didn't make it and it broke my heart. Talen was trying out for his middle school basketball team. he loves basketball!!!!!!!!!! So when I got the text me and my husband texted back to do better and practice harder and next year he will make it. His mom called me and in the background I hear his sweet voice yelling I MADE THE TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to ask his mom was he for real and then I started screaming. I was so happy for him.

              This I believe is something that I know he will work hard for and will be great at. He is my angel and I support him at all he wants and dreams. Yes he has a wonderful mom and a wonderful father, but he also has me..... His biggest fan!

Zahra Baker

             I wanted to address this situation when I had my emotions together. I don't want to dwell long on this but I had to say something.....


           Zahra baker was a gift from God. She was a beautiful, young little girl who's life was taken short.

          As a mother of a little girl, I can't explain how a mother should feel, but I know I would be crazy. Just hearing the story has made me cry a couple of times. When they first were looking for her I was scared that this was not going to be good. The call that her FATHER made to the 911 was hard to hear. How does a father who loves their child, call so calmly, not emotion, no nothing. That was what worried me already. Then the ransom note that came as well. The story he had made me already think that she was gone. But I was praying. So many children have been taken away. I can not help but cry when I think of Zahra. In all the media videos they have her, she was always smiling. She seemed like a little angel. She would never hurt anyone. But now to know the details of her death, has made my stomach turn over and over again. How in the world could someone hurt her? I will not go into details about her death. Everyone upon their own will can research her story.

         I wish that they would close this case and get justice for whomever did this to her.

       Now, I look at my child, my angel, the being that I brought into this world, I could not dare think of EVER hurting her. How can a someone kill a child? Anybody?

   So I ask, that we come together and pray for all the missing children in the world and pray that justice comes on time!

Thoughts For Thanksgiving

          Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. But this year was very different for me. This Thanksgiving has opened my eyes to the gift of thanking and giving. Something we should do daily.
          This Thanksgiving I was able to prepare a meal, a feast, for someone else. With that said, this was my first time ever cooking a turkey and a huge meal all by myself. Every year I have spent Thanksgiving with my husbands family in Knoxville TN. But this year we are glad to be soon welcoming a new addition to the family.My husbands sister Tiffanie is expecting a baby girl in Jan. She will be here soon so we could not make the journey over the mountain with her so close. So this year, we stayed here.
         This gift was bigger than anything ever.I was able to prepare a meal, or should I say feast for someone special to me. I was able to make this a memorable Thanksgiving for my dad. I made a meal that he would be able to eat on for days!!!! 
        The point is. I was giving back. Although it was a meal, I was giving more than that. I gave love, friendship, laughter, joy, peace, and happiness. As I dissect that word and what it means to me:

THANKSGIVING

THANKS:

Being thankful for life, health, and strength. For my wonderful husband who gave me the idea to make the meal so good for my dad. My husband Jadd, for being such a amazing dad. I'm thankful for my precious baby girl who has changed me in many ways. I'm thankful for all of my family.

GIVING:

Being able to help if I can.Share love, laughter, and happiness with anyone who I come in contact with. Being able to give back when ever possible, no matter how big or how little.

 

             This is the blessing of Thanksgiving. And I am so thankful for the giving spirit.

             What was your most memorable Thanksgiving? And what does it mean to you?