Women of Faith Wednesday (on Thursday)

This week, Women of Faith asks:
During difficult times in life, who has supported you, or who have you supported?

Immediately, I thought of....

Edie.

Edie has been a part of my life for about 19 years. As my husband's cousin, she took me in as family when we first met and has always shown me love and kindness.

What can I say about Edie?

She has always been here for me.

When I first became a Christian, she was such an encouragement to me and I was blessed to attend my first women's Bible study with her. She later gave up several afternoons to attend a ladies Bible study at my house.

Edie is one to stop and drop everything when someone is in need. She has done that for me on several occasions. When my grandfather died back in 2006, she took care of my boys so that I could be with my family. Then when my grandmother died in June, she was there for me again.

Perhaps what I love most about Edie is her willingness to listen and offer sound advice. Regardless of what I'm going through, I can call her up and talk. We can talk for hours (and we have). I always feel so much better after talking with her.

Although things in her life have not turned out they way she would have liked, Edie is still a person full of joy and love. She is a wonderful mom to her beautiful daughter Lauren. She is dedicated to our church (singing in the choir, working in the nursery, and directing VBS). She is an amazing teacher to the students she has (just ask her Star Student Colin).

Edie is the sister I never had and I love her very much.

Women of Faith - Revolve Tour

This week, Women of Faith asks:
The Revolve Tour is back in 2011! Have you ever been to a Revolve event, or is there a teenage girl in your life who you’d like to take?


I have never attended a Revolve event. After checking out the web page, it looks pretty amazing and I can definitely see how important it would be for teen girls to attend. As a mom of 3 boys, it is probably unlikely that I could ever attend such an event.

I remember being a teenage girl, the awkwardness and unsureness of going from a girl to a woman, the struggles with friendships, relationships, and self image. Not an easy thing to go through.

There are several teen girls I know that I would love to go to one of these events with. I can picture some of us "older girls" (me, Brandy, Hilarie, Leslie, Edie, and Ginger), getting together with some of our youth (Lauren, Morgan, Jacqueline, and Megan) and their girlfriends. These girls and women are special and could certainly appreciate a night of learning more about God's love for them.

How We Keep Cool

This week, Women of Faith wants to know how we beat the heat.

With a new little one at home, it is hard to get out to swim with the bigger kids. Fortunately, their grandparents live next door and they are able to go to their house swimming.



Before leaving for Ft. Jackson, my husband bought them a little blow up pool for our backyard. My mother and father-in-law helped me put up our canopy to cover the pool. Not only does this let me and Carter get some shade, it also keeps the pool pretty clean from our shade trees and birds.


The boys also love their little yellow duckie sprinkler. We bought this when Colin was about 4 years old. The boys have such a good time playing in the sprinkler.

Perhaps our favorite way to keep cool is by going to our favorite place in the world, Chaney's Dairy Barn. The boys order their favorite, Blue Moon Ice Cream, with sprinkles. I enjoy my favorite too: Strawberry Cheesecake in a waffle cone. YUM!

Honestly, some days we are total bums and just watch TV and play in the house all day.

So, how do you keep cool in this heat?

Favorite Summertime Memories - Women of Faith Wednesday

Favorite summertime memory....Oh, what to choose???? I can't choose just one, so I'll pick four to share.

As a child, I always felt I was Pa Tootsie's favorite grandchild. Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't, but he always made me feel that way. Pa always had a way to make us feel special. What I remember most is how he would stash away our favorite treats for when we would come to visit. Anytime of the year, we would find peppermint sticks or rootbeer candy, but during the summer, we could always count on finding banana popsicles in the freezer. I loved watermelon as a kid (still do), and Pa Tootsie would buy me a watermelon and I'd get to come to his house and eat it with him. I'll never forget the summer he pulled out snow that he had put in Ziploc bags for us. You can bet we were the only kids in town having a snowball fight that summer! When Pa Tootsie passed away in the summer of 2006, I knew my kids would never get to enjoy those same treats from him. However, I remind them often of those times when we share a watermelon or banana popsicle.

In the summer of 1998, I went on vacation with my boyfriend and his family. When we finally arrived at the condo we would be staying at, he and I rushed down to the beach to watch the sunset. As we watched, he told me how much he loved me and I reminded him how much I loved him. Then he got to squirming around. I asked him what he was doing and he told me that his underwear were riding up. Little did I know that as I continued to watch the sunset, he was holding an engagement ring out in front of me. He asked me to marry him and I said yes (I still hadn't seen the ring and we had always talked about getting married, so I thought this was just one of those times). He asked me again and I finally saw the ring. I cried yes and we kissed. We will celebrate our 11th anniversary this year.

A few years after we married, my husband and I decided we wanted to start a family. Shortly after that, we were pregnant and found ourselves living with his parents after we bought a house that needed remodeling. Nine months and 52 pounds later, it was the middle of July. It was hot. I was HUGE. Our house was....not finished. Now don't get me wrong. I love my husband's parents dearly and I was very appreciative of the fact that they invited us to stay with them, but I was ready to get into our home and have that baby. I remember being in bed one night (did I mention I was 9 months pregnant?)praying, "God, please don't let me have this baby yet. I can't be living here and have this baby. I have to be in my house." Well, let me tell ya, God answers prayers. Even though there were countless times I thought I was going to go into labor at Lowe's, I didn't. We moved in on a Monday and I went into labor that Thursday at noon. My dear sweet Colin was born just after midnight on July 26, 2002. We welcomed him home a couple days later with our next door neighbors (my mother and father in law) there to greet us.

The summer of 2004, my life changed forever. You see, my husband and I had been church looking. We had gone to a couple and found ourselves at Calvary Baptist Church. That Father's Day, Dr. Copass would be doing a baby dedication. I wanted to participate with Colin, although he was almost 2 years old, and no longer considered a baby. I kept trying to call Dr. Copass at his office, but either I got no answer, or Peggy the secretary would tell me that he was not there. Then the Friday before Father's Day, I had some errands to run in town. I was trying to decide whether or not to go by the church to see if Dr. Copass was there. There was this battle going on inside me: one part insisting that he would not be there and it would be a waste of time and one part urging me to just give it a try. I was at the post office and the church was just 2 blocks away. I decided to give it a try. He was there. When I talked with Dr. Copass about the dedication service, he asked me something I never expected. He asked me if I were a Christian. Immediately, I began crying. There was his answer, no I wasn't. He asked me a few questions about what I knew and believed about Jesus. Evidently, I knew the right answers because the next thing I know I am praying and surrendering my life to Jesus. In that instant, I felt different. The battle that had been going on inside me earlier was over. I know knew what it was about. Satan knew what was going to happen to me if I went to the church and didn't want me to go. But because I decided to "give it a try," Jesus won the battle for my soul that day. I'll never forget that day. Every decision I have made in my life since then has been based on that decision to give my life to Jesus. Without this day, I would not have been burdened about the fact that my 80 year old grandfather who was dying of lung cancer was not a Christian. I prayed for his salvation and God answered that prayer. Without that Friday in July, my marriage would not be strong like it is. God is the center of my marriage. I seek his guidance in being the best wife I can be for my husband. My husband would not have been pushed down the aisle (that's what he says it felt like) when I joined the church. Without that glorious day, my children would not know the love of Jesus. Colin would not have surrendered his life to Jesus and my two other sons would not be learning of his love and how to live like Him. Without that day, I would be who I am today.


To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Women of Faith Wednesday: What's In Your Purse?

This week's question from Women of Faith is "What is in your purse?"

Actually, I am not carrying a purse these days.  When I'm out and about, you'll find that I'm carrying a diaper bag (either the one from the hospital, my blue one I got for Valentine's Day from the boys, or the Army one Ms. Joan from church made).  So, what's in side? 

Of course I am carrying my baby's essentials: Huggies size 1/2, Huggies travel wipes, at least 2 premade bottles, 1 bottle of warm water, two containers of formula, and at least one extra outfit for the baby.  You'll also find my wallet (with no cash), my cell phone, fruit snacks, and Carson's EpiPen. 

For now, my "bag" is not all about me, but what I need to take care of my little ones.

So, what are you carrying in your purse these days?



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Are You Good Enough for Heaven?

Today, I am working on managing my time a little better, taking advantage of each little nap and sleeping child.  I am starting a  new personal Bible study. I have completed several in this series, but today, I am beginning Receiving God's Goodness.

This morning before Colin left for school (and his big field trip to the Hot Rods game), I told him to be good.  One of the first things I ask my kids after we are apart is, "Were you good?"  I know my children (like me) are not perfect and we aren't always going to be good.  They may color their hands with marker at school instead of doing center work.  I may spend too much time on the computer instead of reading my Bible.  They may not share their toys and fight over them.  I may make too many trips to the candy basket to get a chocolate drop.  They may lose their tempers and hit one another. I may lose my temper and yell. 

Sometimes it is hard to be good and sometimes it is easy.

Regardless, no matter how my kids behave, I love them.  Nothing they do or could do will ever change that. They are mine. God blessed me with them.  I take pride in being their mom.  Yea, I get upset with them and discipline them, but I love them.  I'll forgive them time and again. They don't have to be good to be loved by me.

In the same way, we don't have to be good to earn God's love.  The Bible says in Romans 5:8, "But  God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Jesus didn't die for us because of our goodness. He died for us because we were are sinners. We could never be good enough to get into heaven. 

The last statement in the introduction to this week's study in Receiving God's Goodness is "Salvation isn't a matter of being good enough. It's a matter of God's goodness."

That statement is so true.  Time and again I have told you that I am not perfect (shocker, right?). If God expected me to be in order to spend eternity with Him, I'd never get there.  I try hard not to stuff my mouth with chocolate drops, but sometimes I fail.  I try hard not to lose my temper with my kids, but sometimes I fail.  I try hard not to get caught up in gossip, but sometimes I fail.  When I fail, it doesn't mean that God loves me any less.  He expects me to confess these sins to Him, to ask for forgiveness, to look to Him for the strength and wisdom of how to not fall to these sins again. 

He is teaching me how to make better grab and go choices throughout the day when I want to eat something yummy.  He is teaching me how to pick my battles with my kids (ignoring whining and complaining worked wonders over the last few days).  He has allowed me to surround myself with Christian women who are not interested in gossip and only interested in pleasing Him in our actions and words.  Are these the only areas I am weak in? Not at all, but God is helping me.

I'm not saying that we don't need to strive to be good. Please don't think that.  All I am saying is that we are going to mess up. We have to admit when we mess up and ask God to help us get better.  We are a work in progress.  God will reward us for our goodness only after we become His.

I am absolutely in love with the book of Romans in the Bible.  There are so many wonderful passages that show us God's love for us.  None of them has to do with being good enough, but they deal with God's goodness and love for us, especially when we receive His son, Jesus Christ. 

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1

"Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:24-25

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God." Romans 8:28

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:37-39

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10


Father, I thank you for Jesus, that He came to earth to die for me.  Lord, I know that if salvation was based on my deeds, I'd never be good enough to spend eternity with you.  I thank you for those who taught me about Jesus and the path of salvation. I know in my heart that there is no other road to You, Lord.  I pray that if there is someone trying to "work their way" to you, that you would stop them in their tracks and let them see that they will never be good enough to do that.  I pray that they would see the light in Jesus and by faith, open their heart to Him. Amen.