WOW!!!

Wow! It has been six months since I posted last! Then we were about to begin homeschooling. Now, we are almost finished. In twelve days, Josh will be finished with all of his work! I am on the countdown, but still trying to wrap my mind around this. It has gone by so quickly. Whew, it hasn't been a difficult job, but it hasn't been the easiest either. But, it has been worth every single minute I invested. 

It is time to order invitations, cap and gown, diploma. Plan the theme. Plan the ceremony. I want this day to be the most special day in his life up to this point. He has worked hard and we want to reward him for it. 

I ask for your prayers as Josh approaches his "big" day. 

Homeschool

I will begin homeschooling Josh on September 7. That is Wednesday. Five days from now my son will begin his Senior year! This past Wednesday, I sat down and worked out his goals for the year. I was excited when the end result had Josh finishing ALL of his work in March! I think he was even happy about that. :) The first part of the year will be tough because he has Geometry and Algebra II to do. But, Josh can do all things through Christ!

This week before we even started school, we discovered the convenience of homeschooling. Originally, we had planned to start on Tuesday, September 6. But, something that we had plans to do on the 5th had to be moved to the 6th. Plus, since my husband's work week is Tuesday through Saturday, his holiday for Labor Day is Tuesday the 6th. And with all of that, Josh has a doctor's appointment that afternoon. So, since it seemed that Someone was filling the 6th up for us, we moved the start date back a day.  I guess since he will be finished in March it won't hurt him to start a day later. ha ha!

I hope that you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend! Be safe and enjoy your family!

Great Family Time!

Last weekend, we took a short trip. Robert and I have been talking for a while about doing this, but the time never presented itself until this past Sunday. We were driving home from church Sunday morning and he says let's go to Abilene. Ok, let's go! We went home, had a lunch, packed, and then we were on our way.
Why Abilene? Because there is a classic car lot that Robert has been wanting to take Josh to. We spent the night there and then got up and went to see the cars. Josh really enjoyed himself and took lots of pictures. He loves cars. And that is probably the understatement of the year! Of course I love the 1965 Mustang. Oh and there was the coolest Chevelle! I lost interest after those two cars, LOL!
We left there and decided to take a different way home and I sure am glad we did! It was a beautiful drive. Texas has some of the prettiest scenery even when there is no rain. I love living in such a beautiful place. We drove through Gorman, a very small town, but every business there had something to do with peanuts. And of course there were peanut crops on both sides of the highway.
The next stop was Dublin. That's right, time for a Dr Pepper! We went into the old time soda fountain cafe and they made the Dr Pepper right in front of us. It was yummy! We took a few pictures and we were off again.
We stopped in Hico for lunch. My family lived in Hico when I was in Kindergarten or the first grade. I was pretty young so I don't remember much. I wish I did because Hico is a cute little town! We ate lunch at a place called Jersey Lily's. The food was great. Robert had a hamburger and french fries, Josh had tacos, and I had nachos. After we finished our lunch, we took a walk through town. We went into a couple of shops including Billy the Kid museum. There was much more to see than Billy the Kid memorabilia. Some people believe that Billy the Kid died an old man in Hico, TX. Wouldn't that be something?!
We're off again. We made a stop in Meridian to take a few pics of the courthouse there. Robert loves old courthouses, so when we go through a town with one we always stop and take pictures.
We are homeward bound from Meridian! It was a wonderful day spent with my guys. We had enjoyed it very much. So much that Robert said we need to take a trip like this once a month.
I'm ready! Let's go!!!

Fun....Not! Funny.....Yes!

That's right! Today we had a not so fun but funny experience. Crazy, huh? It was completely crazy! Today I "thought" I had a doctor's appointment and I noticed that the right front tire of the truck was low, so Josh took care of that for me. He is great at taking care of me. He was pulling the truck through the gate as I came out of the house. I asked him if he was gonna go with me and he said he was going to drive me. So I thought "Great!"  I asked him to put my purse in the truck while I locked the house. When I came back out, he was unlocking the garage. I asked him what he was doing and he said he is getting the Slim Jim. Of course I asked "why?"  Somehow when he got out of the truck he had accidentally locked the door and then closed it. But, wait, that's not it! The truck was running. He tried for a while to unlock it with the Slim Jim to no avail. The whole time saying, "Dad is going to kill me." Poor baby. I just knew he was right. LOL! He tries to run a wire into the truck. That didn't work either. Frustration is setting in and it doesn't help that Mom is pretty upset. Then the big idea comes to him. Oh no! I don't think Dad is going to like this. Josh gets his brand spankin' new ratchet and socket set and tries to take one of the half back doors off of the truck. He took the bolts out, but the door wouldn't come off. So he tries to run wire inside the cab of the truck to the door handle to pull it open. That doesn't work either. He is getting more anxious by the minute. Mom has calmed down now. By this time, I had already called my doctor to reschedule my appointment because, obviously, I wasn't going to make it. The receptionist informed me that my appointment was actually tomorrow. Whew! What a relief! But, now, it hits me that all this trouble taking place in my driveway is all for nothing! OMW!!! To make this story short, Josh did not get the truck opened. Dad called him while he was working on it and Josh had no choice but to tell him what was going on. Dad is pretty upset. Duh! LOL! Dad decided to chalk it up to a learning experience. I love what my husband told Josh when he got home. He said, "You can always come to me no matter what you do. I'm your dad and I will help you to the best of my ability. But, you have to remember to come to me. The child goes to the father, not the other way around. Just like we go to God. He doesn't chase us down to save us. He draws us to Him." What a great lesson Josh got!
Love my guys!!!

Blessed

God's been good in my life!
I feel so blessed beyond my wildest dreams
When I go to sleep each night.
And though I've had my share of heartaches
I wouldn't change them if I could
Cuz through it all, God's been good!

Isn't that true? I know it is in my life! God has blessed me so much that I cannot even begin to give thanks for it all. So, I just want to count some blessings for a moment or two.
1. I am blessed with salvation, a home in Heaven to forever praise my Jesus!
2. I have the bestest husband ever! He is my hero and I love him more than words could ever say.
3. I have a wonderful son! He loves me and takes care of me, and he even spoils me. His dad has taught him well. :)
4. I have a great church! My pastor preaches truth-the Bible! We aren't just a group of church members, but a church family.
5. My dad is the greatest! He always told us like it was, never minced words with us, and loved us. He is still the same today! He is also my hero!
6. I have 2 lovely sisters and 2 terrific brothers! So glad God chose them for me to grow up with!
7. My mom is in Heaven, so I will see her again!
8. Lisa is a great addition to our family! She is perfect for Dad.
9. Friends who love me.
10. The Bible to guide me through this crazy life!

I have been blessed!
God's so good to me!
Precious are his thoughts
Of you and me.
No way I can count them
There's not enough time!
So, I'll just thank Him
For being so kind.
God has been good, so good!
I have been blessed!

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!