So blessed...

Do you ever wonder why you are so blessed?  I do.  I was given 3 gifts recently, and I just want to share them...

This cute polka dotted cup - was given to me by Jenna, a blogger
who is my daughter, Jill's friend.  She was at the Beth Moore conference
and she gave each of us one of these cups!  I've used mine twice already,
so cute and it's my own, personal coffee cup - a first for me.

Then Melinda brought me....

This wonderful patio garden pot!  (Pray I don't kill it!)  I love it.  It adds
beauty to our plain exterior.  I am not a gardener although I love flowers!

And lastly...

on Sunday night, the Bible study ladies presented me with...

this awesome metal basket with Citrus Plum scented potpourri,
room spray and candle!  It was encased in cellophane and had a
beautiful bow - but I tore into it to smell before I thought to take a
picture.  (just more proof I am not a full fledged blogger yet)
Anyway, it smells heavenly.

I do not deserve these gifts...and everytime I look at them, I feel very
graced.  I so appreciate the givers and remember how God loves me.
"Every good and perfect gift comes from God."

Thank you, Ladies...thank you, Jesus!

The Whole Earth Praises

I woke at 4:45 this morning and you know what I heard? 

This...

Birds singing, singing, tweeting, chirping...did I say singing????

Did I mention it is DARK outside?  But out there in the dark...the birds are singing their little hearts out. 

They are praising God...first thing in the morning...before the sun even begins to light the sky.

I jumped out of bed...ran to the kitchen...and looked out.  I couldn't see the birds...they were nestled in the branches of the trees...but I could see the trees with their limbs and leaves ...waving in the breeze....praising the Lord.

Different thoughts from scripture began to flood my mind...

• Let everything that has breath...praise the Lord!
• If we won't praise Him, the rocks will cry out His praise ( I wonder what this sounds like)
• Praise, ye the Lord!
• He is worthy of all praise!
• The whole earth is full of His glory!

So, I have grabbed my yogurt...some delicious caramel vanilla coffee (thank you, Pillie)...my Bible and my notebook...my new bible study and I am about to have some praise time!  I am going to join the birds and the trees and all of creation.  I am going to stop the rocks from crying out this morning.

Praise the Lord!  Creator...Giver of Life - Eternal!...the Lover of my soul...Holy, Holy, Holy...my Redeemer and Friend...Praise!

Driving, Driving, Driving

No pictures this week - too busy.  Have driven many miles this week.

I worked Monday...then drove to Batesville and picked up my Mom....then drove to Little Rock.  Mom had surgery Tuesday morning - I do not know the technical term - but she had one blocked carotid artery.  Well, no more!  Cleaned out and good to go.  Had some bp issues, so did not get discharged until almost noon yesterday.  3 days in bed had taken their toll, so she decided to stay at Kevin's for a few days.

I started my journey home, driving first to Batesville to leave Mom's car and pick up mine.  Then across to Osceola once again.  Got home about 7:30 and felt a little weary.  Good night sleep and now I am loaded
and about to leave to meet Joy and Jill in West Memphis and head for Atlanta, GA to hear Beth Moore.  I am so looking forward to hearing the WORD and worshipping with other women and Travis Cottrell as our leader.  Joy said we're going to "get fixed" - LOL!  The Word is definitely good for whatever ails you.

The "new" Word that God has thrilled my heart with this week is from Psalm 50, verse 5: "Gather my saints together until Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."

Glory!  That's me!  The Word says those who trust in Jesus are saints!  And my covenant (contract) with my Jesus is based on His supreme once for all sacrifice of Himself...satisfying God's justice...giving me access to the Father through Him. 

I am just waiting for the gathering together...even so - come, Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Psalm 68:6a

I have heard many who are single cling to this verse as their promise of a future marriage and family.  Tonight as I reflect on the weekend...I realized that God sets everyone in a family.  We all start out solitary.  When we marry - we are no longer alone...and then He blesses with family, the heritage He gives.

This weekend, I was blessed to continue enjoying the family God has placed me in.  Chris and Kerri came to spend the night, bringing Kandace for us to love and enjoy.  She is now 18 months old, and talks a mile a minute.  There's only one tiny problem...no one knows what she is saying.  Oh, once in awhile, she speaks English.  She gets silly and giggles and does this fake laugh - and of course it all makes us laugh.

Here are some highlights...

Loving some green beans...

She's tickled...

This is what fighting sleep looks like...poor baby

Bath Time!

Backpack on...ready to go!






Then we went to Cary and Sara's so big brother could check out little brother's new place...

Landing on bottom at the slide's bottom!

Wagon ride...

Up and down, up and down, up and down...the stairs










And, Jackson chillin' with Dad in the fold-out chairs and ice tea...

I did cook this weekend...pecan crusted chicken...mashed potatoes,  slaw, and my new favorite

sour cream cornbread, from Tricia Yearwood's new cookbook...

Well, it's way past my bedtime...and this post must end.  Thank you, Lord, for the family placement. 

Love, laughter, food, hugs and kisses = family.

Blessings!

This is what I've been doing...

First...my jam arrived today!  Thank you, Rebekah!  I can hardly wait to try it (Jay has sneaked a taste).

Yesterday, I got up...showered...got dressed...drove to Blytheville and picked up these two characters...

              Millie Elizabeth and Jackson Luke

Aren't they precious?  So, my day was filled with laughter, diapers, bottles, snacks... did I say laughter?

I truly laughed until I cried, over and over and over.

I think there is nothing better than children.  Sweet kisses!  Laying down to go to sleep at naptime.  Singing "The Wheels on the Bus". 

Jackson...posing.  This is one smart cookie, let me assure you.  He never forgets anything!

Knows Granny has gum in her purse...fruit snacks in the pantry...loves his Jungle Babies book.

We had baths before putting on jammies and heading home...

What a blessing and a joy!

Now, Friday... this little lady will arrive

Kandace April







More laughter, kisses and joy!

I Never Win

Sweet Rebekah, whose blog I read very often, hosted a give-away.  This is what it was...

Her own homemade strawberry jam!  Yummy.  She also posted the recipe with step by step directions.  I have made strawberry jam many, many years ago - and now I may be inspired to do it again.

Anywho...I never win anything.  Seriously.  Never.  Ever.

So, you can imagine my delight when I got an email from her requesting my address so she could send my jam to me...because I WON! 

So, I now have to revise my earlier statement to say....

I seldom win anything.  Seriously.  Seldom.

But this one time is something so wonderful...it makes up for all those never...evers.

You can check-out Rebekah's blog, all about trying to live as a godly wife and mom to 3 little boys at...

thedisheroons.blogspot.com

You won't be disappoined, you will be blessed.

Easter Week

Preparing for Easter is a little bit like preparing for Christmas...without the shopping and the crowds and all the family being together...okay - maybe it's not like preparing for Christmas at all!  But we had family coming!  This is special because our family is now divided by a 3 hour drive and as everyone is active in
their own church, we are not together on many Sundays.

On Monday, Jay and I were at First Christian Church bright and early - he preached and I sang...yes, at 7 a.m.!  A good start to Easter week!

On Tuesday, Melinda and I went junk shopping - we call them antiques - and I found a very neat old crystal platter with it's own carrying handle - and I created this Easter arrangement for my dining table...

See the glass handle in front of the cross?  Cross, grass, candy, empty egg (symbolizing the empty tomb),

and the little bird - new life!

Late in the afternoon on Friday, this arrived...

From my sweet brother, Kevin and his wife, Sandi.

The card had Happy Easter and all of Acts 1:11

handwritten on it...I cried.

Friday night, Andrew and Elaina arrived.  It was Andrew's birthday and I had made

his favorite...

Lemon Bars

Oh, I forgot, earlier...the doorbell rang and our new neighbor brought this...

We had taken food over to welcome them...and she wanted to reciprocate...wasn't that sweet?

On Saturday, we were lazy ...

while Jay made a flying trip to Cave City to perform a wedding...and back....

Then we took Andrew and Elaina up to see Cary, Sara, Jackson and Millie in their new home.  Sara made birthday cake for Andrew...

Yes, he is blowing out votive candles...Sara is resourceful like that...

Then we made a flying trip to Sikeston, MO to Lambert's, home of the "throwed roll"...

Sara

A & E

Sweet Jackson Luke












Millie Elizabeth









Sunday morning was a flurry of baking...

Pecan Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Banana Pudding Pie
(courtesy of Lick the Bowl Good)

Green Bean Bundles






I won't bother to post the potato salad with the almost raw potatoes that everyone politely ate.  :)

And saving the best for last in this long, long post....

We worshipped our Lord and Savior on this special day we set aside
to celebrate His resurrection from the grave - EASTER.

He lives!  Hallelujah!

Every Sunday we celebrate the resurrection...but on Easter...it takes
front and center stage. 

What a Savior! 

An empty tomb! 

Angels!

Power over death, hell and the grave!

Because He lives...I will never die...end of the story.
John 11:26.

Andrew

Tried to post this earlier but google did not cooperate.

                        

                          Andrew and Elaina

Today is my baby boy's birthday (shhh, don't tell him I called him that).  Andrew Jay made his entrance to this world 29 years ago.  It's so hard to believe my youngest child is 29. 

What can I say about Andrew?

• Brilliant...understands concepts I can't even begin to see
• Talented...self-taught guitarist, music writer, singer
• Creative...designs houses, designs & builds furniture, designs & installs audio-visual systems,     creates awesome ppt programs
• Tender-hearted...tries to hide this one
• Courageous...the meaning of his name - takes a stand for his convictions

This is just a few of the things that make Andrew who he is.

Happy Birthday!
I am SO thankful God sent you to us and I love you dearly!