Just When You Think.....

Thinking, that was the first mistake, right? LOL Anyways, we thought there was going to be extra money this week after paying the bills. And there was. But, you know God has perfect timing. Josh's retainer broke and it ain't cheap! But I'm so glad that God knows everything and He is the one Who made sure the finances are there for that. I'm so glad that I serve a God Who takes care of His children! Most people will say that this is life and there is always something, and that is true. But, when life happens and God takes care of it before I even ask......well, that's just awesome!

Romans 8:28   "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

I have seen this verse tried and proved in my life so many times! This is another one of those times. Praising God for His promises. Every one is true!

Prayer

Prayer is one of my most valued treasures. I enjoy talking to my Lord! I know He knows every single one of my needs, but He also wants me to come to Him for each one. God desires fellowship with His people. We touch the heart of God when we pray. But, I do look forward to the day when I will no longer need prayer. That day, I will be able to talk to Him face to face! Oh what a day that is going to be! Of course I will no longer have any needs except to be with Jesus and to praise Him. Prayer is where it all begins. You have to pray to be saved. I'm so glad and thankful that God gave us this treasure!

Restin' Up!

We just got back from Royal C Ranch Youth Camp this past Friday. There was a lot of great preaching and lots of fun. I am very tired but it is a good tired when the work is done for the Lord.

This week I am resting up and trying to get some housework and laundry done because Vacation Bible School begins Sunday in Sunday School and will end Wednesday night! Be praying for the Lord to work in every child that attends our VBS. Oh and be sure to pray that the girls win the Penny March Contest!  I will be teaching a class on Wednesday, so please pray for me to teach it right and to say just what the Lord wants me to.

I will rest up a bit more before our church ladies go to a Ladies' Retreat at Royal C Ranch. I'm looking forward to this retreat. I have only been to the youth camps and I just love the people here.

I get three or four days to rest up from that trip, and then right back to Oklahoma for the Heartland Baptist Youth Conference.  This was awesome last year! So I am looking forward to attending again this year. I enjoy working with the teen girls.

And of course, I will get three more weeks to rest up and then school starts. I am homeschooling my son this year, his Senior year. It wasn't the easiest decision we made, but it is the best for us. We will have this entire school year with Josh before he graduates and goes to college. I am so excited for him!

Whew! I need to rest after just thinking about all of that!

Until next time.....

Sunshine, Roses, & Thorns

I love to work in my flower bed. It can be a lot of work, but it is worth it. I have to put the plants or flowers in the right place because some flowers need more sun than others, and of course, I have to coordinate my colors! I have a lot of fun. But, I started thinking about how we are all roses in God's flower bed. I have a few rose bushes, and these are some things that I have learned from them. 

1.  Roses need sunshine. If you will pay attention some day, you will see that plants of all kinds grow toward the light. My roses sure do.  I read that roses need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. We are the same, except we need the light of God's Son. Just like the roses, our Special Sonlight draws us to Him. As God's child, we need to establish our roots in His Word. Therefore, as we feed from the Bible, we are drawing toward the Sonlight.
2. Roses are distinct flowers. I don't think I know anyone who has to ask what kind of flower is that when they see a rose. They are easy to identify by their appearance and character. That's how a Christian should be.  A complete stranger should know that I am a Christian just by appearance, countenance, and behavior. The Bible gives clear instruction in every aspect of life. 
3. Roses have thorns. I see two sides to this point. The first is that thorns hurt. Even when you are trying to be careful, sometimes you still get stuck. I can think of a few thorns that hurt us. How about not reading your Bible or going to church? Or maybe telling that "white" lie just stuck you. Thorns hurt, huh? Well, guess what?! So does sin!!! Satan makes sin look attractive and he even makes it easy to do. Then you get stuck. That thorn is the consequence you pay for disobeying God. Secondly, thorns protect the rose. God has placed those protective thorns in our lives. Your pastor and church are a hedge God has placed around us. Staying in the Word builds another hedge about you.
You are a beautiful rose in God's garden. He has provided the Sonshine for you to grow. The Bible provides the armor you need to face the fiery darts. Lastly, God has strategically placed people in our lives that will lead and guide us in His ways.

Hello!!!

It has been a long time-six months and 8 days-since I have blogged last. So much has happened and yet not much has happened. Most of the past six months I have been tired. I go to bed later than I should and get up way too early. Of course I was getting up so early because we had to be at school in Rendon by 7:45. It takes 45 minutes from my house to Rendon.  That was a hard trip, but we made it.

Speaking of school, I will be home schooling Josh his Senior year. OH MY!!! My one and only baby is graduating next school year. So hard to believe. Is it real that he is this old? Oh if only I could stop the clock and then allow it to go forward when I'm ready. I'm excited to be teaching him for his Senior year. There were many reasons for us to choose this plan and I know it will be hard, but it will be so worth it. I will have him all to myself his last year with before he runs off to college. Don't get me wrong, I am so proud of Josh, but I'm just not ready to let him go. Thank God I still have 13 1/2 months to try to ready my heart for this.

This is such a busy summer for us. We just got back from our vacation to, you guessed it, Port Aransas. We had a great time and appreciated the time away from the hustle and bustle of work and bills and laundry and dishes and so on.
Next week we are off to Eufala, Ok to church camp. Royal C Ranch Youth Camp has been a favorite of our young people ever since we went for the first time. I love it, too! We missed a couple of years, and we are all so excited to go back. I am looking forward to God moving in our teens' lives.
When we get back from camp, we will have a week off to rest up for Vacation Bible School. After that, the ladies of our church will be off to Royal C Ranch for a Ladies Retreat. Then we turn around and go right back to Oklahoma to Southwest Baptist Church for the Heartland Youth Conference. We had a blast at this last year and I know it will be great again this year. And then of course,  we get ready for school. Whew, did I get to rest during all that? Sure hope so!

I'm thankful for things of the Lord to keep us busy. I don't want to ever be idle when it comes to the Lord's work. We keep saying this in our church right now, but it is true. Serving the Lord is fun!

Till next time!

Christmas!!!!!

It's my favorite holiday! It is so humbling to think that God's Son would choose to leave all his glory in Heaven to come to this wicked world to be born in a barn. Even then, the world had no room for Him.

I love decorating my home for Christmas! All the decorations bring me such joy. But as much joy as they bring me, I am always glad to put them away! Crazy!

I especially love being with my family! Great times and great memories!

Enjoy your Christmas! But remember the Reason for the Season! Without Him, there would be no Christmas

Hello!

This summer has been so very busy! Wow! Josh had summer school at home to finish Algebra I. So glad I don't homeschool. Josh also began parent-taught Driver's Ed. That is going really well and I am proud of him. He really wants to drive. LOL! Josh also began his junior year in a new school. He also lost a week and a half of his summer, too. :) The new school began on August 23.

Our church took our teens to a Youth Revival at Parkside Baptist Church. They heard some awesome preaching there! Then we loaded them up in the van and took them to Oklahoma a week later for a Youth Conference at Southwest Baptist Church. There they had more awesome preaching and fun activities. Our youth department has really been saturated with the Word of God this summer!

We took Josh and a few friends to Six Flags! I love roller coasters! Rob says he thinks he may be too old for Six Flags, but I hope I never get too old for Six Flags! I always have a great time there even in the heat. And it was 102 degrees the day we went! It's almost torture, but here in Texas, you ain't at Six Flags if it ain't hot!

After Rob and I made the decision to enroll Josh in Bible Baptist Christian Academy in Rendon, we began to pray for a job for myself. We wanted something along HWY 1187, anywhere from Crowley to Mansfield. It was my plan to try to start working in a bank again. Almost two weeks before school started, one of their administrators called me and offered me a job to teach in their school! We were so excited! Only God drops a job in your lap like that. And we knew right away it was the answer to our prayer! God is always right on time.

So, I guess I have you caught up on everything. Until next time..............

Not Sure How To Feel...

I kinda feel a little lost, a lot sad, and a little bit of all emotions. It is really strange. Fundamental Baptist Academy closed its doors for the last time this school year. Even though I understand all the reasons and even agree with some, it is hard to take in. The academy has really been my life the past nine years. I can only imagine what the other ladies are feeling since they have been teaching there much longer than me. I graduated from this school. I trust that all this will work together for my good because God promised me it would. Romans 8:28.

I'm not sure what I am going to do with myself now. Maybe I will get a job. Rob thinks I may want to because he thinks I will get bored at home. I sure will enjoy finding out if that will be true. LOL!

My Mother's Day

My day actually started on Saturday. That's when they gave me my gifts. After many years of asking for a corning wear cooking set, they gave me one. LOL! That's ok, at least they knew what I wanted. :) Josh gave me a pink zebra striped phone cover for my cell phone. Love love love that!
Later that night, I went to the Mother's Day Banquet with our church ladies. It was a wonderful night!
After church, we hosted a cookout with our family. Lots of good food and good times.

There are three weeks of school left! I cannot believe it. This year has gone by so quickly and we have experienced some changes. But, God always knows what is best.

Hello!

This computer is not shutting itself off right now,so I am posting. Woo Hoo! LOL! Mother's Day is Sunday. I would like to take the time to wish Lisa a Happy Mother's Day. She isn't my mom, but she "inherited" five grown children when she married my dad. Thanks for being so good to Dad. Most of all thanks for making him happy. Love you, Lisa.

I have been missing my mom a lot in the last week. Not because of Mother's Day, but I think because the anniversary of the death of my dad-in-love. That is today. It's been 2 years. It's funny because the anniversary Mom's death came and went and I was ok. Bud's is here and I want them both back. But I could never ask for them to return here. They are with the Lord and have perfect bodies without cancer! I love that part best for both of them. I remember when Mom passed. Josh was two. I was sitting in a chair and crying. Josh came over to me and patted my knee and said,"Granny has a perfect body with no cancer." Right out of the mouth of a babe! I always talked to him about Heaven. Who knew that God would use that to give me comfort thru my baby? God is so good.

Hug your mom.