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!

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.

GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!!

I know I said in one of my last posts that I would start posting more.  I'm so sorry I lied to you.  I really didn't mean to.  We have been having some issues with our computer.  Rob finally found a few problems and it is working fine right now.  I pray that it will continue to do so.  I checked my e-mail the other day and I had 687 messages!  OH MY WORD!  I may have wore that delete button out! LOL!
School is going along great.  I cannot believe that it is almost Spring Break!  January thru March is always the longest and hardest time for us at school because there are no breaks during that time.  Well, it went quickly and easily this year.  I think all this snow helped it along.  We have had 2 bad weather days.  I have been so excited because we are getting so much snow this year.  WE HAD A WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!  I never thought I would see that day.  It was beautiful.  Then, earlier this month, we got 8 inches.  That was a record breaker in these parts!  And of course last week we got another inch or two.  That one depended on where you lived.  LOL!  We really have had winter in Texas this year.  But, I have to say I am ready for Spring.

God's Been Good

God has taught me a great lesson in the last few months. My dad and his wife live in the Philippines. First, Dad gets put in the hospital for a week or more. I had to keep telling myself that we Americans aren't the only ones who can practice medicine. LOL! Then, I hear on the news that the Philippines is flooded. They get word to me that they are ok. Then he tells me a super typhoon with winds over 200 mph is heading their way. OH MY WORD! Not just a typhoon, which is bad enough, but a SUPER typhoon. Dad sent a text and told me they are ok, just getting a lot of rain from the storm, but that was it. Thank God.
My lesson? Trust God. I couldn't be over there when Dad was in the hospital. I could not stand not being able to know they were ok instantly. But, God let me know He is the One in control of life itself and even a typhoon. As much as I hated not being able to be there, God is the One they needed there in each situation. I could not have made him better in the hospital and I certainly could not have calmed a typhoon! Thank You Lord for working in me. And most of all, thank You for being the one in control.

Making A Comeback

That is what I am trying to do. Having your husband home can mix things up to say the least. My normal completely became obsolete. I have missed my computer time, since my hubby felt that time should be devoted to him. So it was. It's been great spending time with him, but it will be over on Wednesday. He will be back to work! I am praising God for it because the doctor said he could not believe the difference in his foot from just a few weeks ago. Only God can make that kind of difference. Now, we will be settling back into our "normal" routines. It is welcomed with open arms. Even Rob is looking forward to going back to work! LOL! I will be posting more often now. Woo Hoo! LOL!

Special Prayer Request

There are so many people praying for Kendrick Little right now as I am typing this. I have never met the boy, but I met his parents at youth camp one year. Our church boys know him well. LOL! Last year they found a tumor in Kendrick's brain stem. The Lord gave him and his family many more months to share and live life to its fullest. They took a few trips and did some things they always wanted to do. Now they are facing the end of Kendrick's life. The doctors are say two days or two weeks. They aren't sure I guess, but they know it's soon. Hospice has been set up for him. So please pray for this family. I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult this is for them. I feel so close to all of this even though I am not close to the family because Kendrick was kinda a "prayer mascot" for our school. Our students prayed and heard about the miracles God worked for this little guy. I pray God has another one for them. Even so I pray for peace and comfort as they go through this trial.

Oh Boy!

Robert will probably be back to work by the end of this month! His physical therapist and doctor both agree he will probably be ready by then. It has been a long summer. We have grown together even when it seemed we were going to pull out one another's hair. LOL!
School is shifting into third gear, by going into our third day tomorrow. I'm sorry to subject you to my bad, corny sense of humor. The students are all really doing well. We have three who have said their monthly Scripture memory passage and two of them said it the first day! That is very exciting for me because without the Scripture we are nothing more than a private school. We can't claim "Christian" as part of our description. A couple students have set some goals and are choosing their electives toward their graduation. I'm proud of our students and thankful that they have a Christian school to go to.