Gone Fishin'

I saw this over at The Preacher's Wife.
IT"S OK TO LAUGH OUT LOUD!!!!



I hope you enjoyed it!

Spring Reading Thing 2008

Katrina at Callapidder Days is hosting her bi-annual reading challenge.
And since I love to read, I thought I would join in!
Here are the books that I hope to read this Spring:

**UPDATED**
True For You But Not For Me by Paul Copan ~Completed April 5
The Shack by William Young ~Completed March 29th
Dangerous Surrender by Kay Warren
The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace (I'm reading this along with other bloggers. Go here if you want to join us.)
What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa Terkeurst
Preparing Your Daughter for Every Woman's Battle by Shannon Etheridge ~Completed April 8th Highly recommended for mothers of daughters!!!

Other Possible Reads:
Just Beyond The Clouds by Karen Kingsbury ~Completed April 3rd
Mistaken Identity by Don & Susie Van Ryn, Newell, Colleen and Whitney Cerak ~completed April 16th
Jacob's List by Stephanie Grace Whitson~completed May 3
Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury ~completed May 7
Becoming a Woman of Beauty and Strength by Elizabeth George ~completed June 10th
(Stepping Up Bible Study By Beth Moore ~completed May 7


Happy Reading!

Happy (late) Easter!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter. We sure did!
I tell you what, my preacher was fired up yesterday!!
Here's a picture of Caleb in-between the sunrise service and Sunday school.

After church we had wonderful dinner with our friends, Sean, DeeDee, Kiara and Jacob.
Then when Emma and Dougie came home from their dad's, we all headed over to the Williams' family get-together. Now we are not part of the Williams family by blood but we sure do love them like crazy!
Their home is out in the country so the kids hunted eggs, rode golf carts, jumped on the trampoline and basically had a blast!
While the big kids were running around, Caleb had his way with the candy in their baskets. I think I have pictures to prove it!







Emma and Brookes. Brookes will be heading to UGA this summer, we're going to miss her!!

This is my sweet friend Debbie. She is my prayer warrior!

Love Jesus, Love Starbucks

Anybody who knows me IRL (in real life), knows that I am addicted to love frappuccinos. Now let me give you a little disclaimer. Because of the rural part of Ga. that we live in, I can't just "swing" by and pick up a coffee. There is a S*bucks, 35 miles south of us and one north of us oh, about 50 miles away. The only way I can get my fix enjoy my frappuccinos is thanks to Fred's, cause they're they only place in town that sells those sweet little four-packs.
So I said all that to say, Caleb, my 18 month old, has never been to or even seen a S*bucks. The only thing he's ever known of S*bucks are the bottled ones I drink every morning while I'm meetin' with Jesus. And here lately, he walks up and points to it and I'll say, "That's mommy's coffee." To which he replies, "cawkee."

So yesterday, Steven Caleb and I drove north to the "big city" to do a little shopping and to mainly use a Longhorn gift card. (yummy!) As we were driving to Target, we passed a S*Bucks store and from the of the back of the van I think I hear a little voice say,

"cawkee."

Surely not! I looked at Steven and asked him if he heard it. He said he wasn't sure what Caleb said. So I let it go.

We walk into Target, which has a S*Bucks in it and as we're putting Caleb in the buggy, he begins pointing and saying, "cawkee....cawkee.....cawkee!"

Y'all! My 18 month old saw this

and knew that it meant coffee!!!

I can't decide if he's a genius or if I've totally warped his mind by my addiction love for S*Bucks!
I know I'm suppose to train him up but I think this is going too far!

Love y'all,

Happy Birthday!!!

Ok, so today isn't an official birthday but today, Caleb is 18 months old. And as any mother of toddlers knows, 18 months is a big deal! Your baby is now officially entering toddlerhood and is rapidly approaching the terrible twos! The desire for independence is growing stronger by the minute yet the clinginess is enough to almost drive a mother mad! The vocabulary is astonishing but yet there are many words that only a mother can understand.

In honor of your 18 months on this earth, here are 18 things about you!

*You now weigh 24 lbs.
*You love to wrestle with Daddy and "brodher." (brother)
*You have the cutest smile that lights up a room.
* You LOVE to eat! Your first words each morning are either, "hungee" or "eat"
*You have a barney book that you call your "bibul." (Bible)
*You love to walk down stairs (holding mommy or daddy's hand) and with each step say, "big boy!"
*You don't really have a favorite food, one day you'll love something, the next you won't touch it! *No one can make you laugh like Emma!
*You say amen and the end of every prayer no matter who's praying!
*You love to put on your "chews" (shoes) but love even more taking them off in the van!
*You love and I mean love, to sing!!! Your favorite songs are "Na-Na" and "de-de" (Every Move I Make and Uncle Charlie's Deep Deep Down Down)
*You love to go to church and see "e'rbody."
*You really enjoy being outside with Jack (our dog) even though you don't like it when comes up to you.
*Your favorite shows are (and this is how you say them) "Elmo Word", "Wiiiiguls" and
"Pe-tales" (Veggie Tales)
Here are some funny things you say:
*"hamicher" (sandwich)
*"hairbrusher (hairbrush, thanks to veggietales)
*"ha-u-jah" (hallelujah) and you throw your hand in the air when you say it!!!
*You never meet a stranger. You smile at people in the grocery store. You wave at cars passing by. You say hello to anybody that walks by.
I have seen you melt the heart of the most angry looking people. I have seen brighten the day of a stranger with your sweet "hey." God reminds each and every day that you are not only a gift to your daddy and me but that your are a gift from God to each and every person you meet.
Welcome to toddlerhood, my sweet baby Caleb!
I love you,
Mommy

My little missionaries!!!

We began our revival services yesterday morning and it has already been amazing to see how God is working. When we got home yesterday afternoon, Emma took it upon herself to create a flyer to invite people to our revival. She printed them out and then her and Dougie spent their Sunday afternoon walking around our neighborhood inviting people to church!!!!
Needless to say, we were so proud of them!
And when we went to church last night, a lady who had received one of the fliers came to our service!
FYI- Did you know that the majority of SBC missionaries gave their lives to Christ between the ages of 4 and 8?
If you have children or plan to have them someday, read Deut. 6:6-9.
Our children have to see that being a Christian isn't "playing a role" but it's "living a a life."
Love y'all,

After we got home yesterday, I was thinking about all that had happened and I began thinking about how we, as parents, should be able to understand God's relationship with us, His children. I know that some of you are probably thinking, duh...and I'm sure I've heard this illustration before but it was so real in my life and it was like a light bulb turned on.

As Caleb was lying on the table for his chest x-ray, he was looking to me for relief, a way to get out of this horrible situation. I not only had to watch him endure this but had to hold him down until the test was done. I knew that it was all being done for his best interest but it still broke my heart. In his little 17 month old mind, he couldn't understand or comprehend that what I was doing what was best for him and that it wouldn't last but a few moments.
As soon as the test was over, I scooped him up and wrapped my arms around him. I held him close and just kept telling him, "Mommy's here, it's ok." With all his unconditional love, he too put his little arm around me, patted my back and between sobs would say, "I ok, I ok."

PRECIOUS!

So often we view our trials the way Caleb did. We just want God to get us out, rescue us. And sometimes we even look at God and wonder, "why are you doing this?" In our finite minds, we can't understand that God has our best interest at heart. We can't see that what we're going through will only last for a while. But we can know that when we're hurting, God will be right there with us and in His timing He will scoop us up into His arms and comfort us as only He can.
And in the end we will be saying through our tears, "I ok, I ok."

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;

perplexed but not in despair;

persecuted but not abandoned;

struck down but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Love y'all,