Ty and Sissy do an experiment!

I'm sure to many of you the pictured toy above looks fun and easy!  It's a McFlurry machine where kids can make their own ice cream!  My cute nephew was given one for Christmas by some family friends.  After church today we got to looking at it and I knew I was in trouble when it took 30 minutes just to put it together.  Then it was nap time so he laid down and I had to run to the store to pick up some half and half for it.  

His sister was trying to nap in the living room so we go back to my mom's bathroom to make us some ice cream.  I've learned how to do this over the past few years thanks to some smart friends of mine.  How hard can it be?  I thought...  

We gathered all needed materials.  47 parts to the hand crank ice cream machine.  Ice, salt, warm water, half and half, measuring cups.  I get the machine reassembled from it's washing only taking about 15 minutes this time.  This will be a piece of cake!  We have all our stuff spread out on mom's bathroom counter.  We measure 1/2 cup half and half and pour it in.  

Next thing I remember is Ty hollering, "SISSY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"  I look down to see the counter top is now white from 1/2 of half and half being poured on it.  The half and half is now dropping onto mom's chair and onto the floor.  We grab wash clothes and start cleaning up our mess.  What the heck just happened?  I thought I put it together correctly.  I pulled a drawer out that was underneath our spill to realize that's what caught most of the half and half, gross.  Hopefully, that won't leave too foul of a smell.  

While I'm trying to take a part and reassemble the machine I send Ty into the kitchen to try and find us some help.  I heard him in the kitchen telling his mom and my mom exactly what I said.  "Hey, we need a clean up on aisle 12!"  He comes back with no help though!  By now I'm sitting by the bathtub with this machine in the tub with it still dripping milk.  

FINALLY, I figured it out.  The piece that's suppose to stop the half and half from free flowing out...  I had put it in upside down.  Oops.  If only the picture in the instructions were more clear!  

Just to be on the safe side I take all our ice cream stuff and put it on the floor by the shower.  Ty says, "Sissy, what are you doing?"  I said, "Come on and get in the shower."  He looks at me very puzzled then gets in.  To avoid another possible half and half explosion we're going to finish our "experiment" as Ty is calling it at this point where it doesn't matter if it leaks b/c there is a drain!  

We get all the ice put around the metal cylinder and only dropped a little salt into our actual ice cream mixture.  Finally we start turning to make ice cream.  Taking turns we finally produced some ice cream, after Ty making several more trips to get us some more ice!  

It filled approximately 1/4 of the cup that is shown in the picture.  BUT we did it!  Took about another 25 minutes to clean up our mess too!  

Unfortunately, later on in the evening Ty had a little belly bubbles explosion and his mom thinks it came from the homemade ice cream.  I'm not totally convinced.  But who knows...  I'm pretty sure by tomorrow morning the ice cream maker will probably not be in the house any longer.  

All in all it was fun spending that time with him.  I love making stuff! It was fun to make some with my Ty Ty!  

Yes, I took pictures and will have those up soon.  

Please don't waste your money on one of these machines.  Instead check out something like 

Cool Craft for kids

That was a great portion of my day today. If i had the chance to do it all over again tomorrow I would in a heart beat!  Only we'd just use a baggie, not the machine!  

This is how you know.

Before I came to Texas this time a friend called and said we were going to spend an evening out. Which for her is a big night away from her 18 month old.  She adores that kiddo and her husband but she just wanted to hang out.  

It's 6:05 and she comes over to the house.  My parents had just left to go out to dinner with friends.  She comes in I said we could go anywhere she'd like.  Making decisions isn't real high on her list.  I asked if she'd rather just go get a pizza and watch a movie here at my parents house.  She said that sounded great.  This is how you know you're not as young as you once were.  We laughed all the way to Pizza Plus about how times have changed.  We both agreed that going to dinner is nice but we would be just as happy staying in town and at home.  So that's what we did on our girls night out.  We stayed in!  There were 2 movies we were debating and the store and we couldn't decide so we just rented both.  We ate our pizza and talked at the characters throughout the movie like normal.  

Life really is about the simple things.   A pizza and movie, you just can't hardly beat that! 

I have arrived...

Back in Texas for the Christmas celebration!

The plane ride was lovely as always...  After an hour delay we finally left Knoxville.  Was seated next to some Asian lovebirds who all but made love there next to me.  Then as we get off the plane I realized it must have been father/son work day or something because that kid coming out of the cockpit was not old enough to fly a remote control plane let alone one with real people on it!  

Ty and Mom picked me up so that was an eventful ride home.  We stopped by to visit my Aunt in Carrolton.  Beau and Sara came over for dinner with cute Ainsley!  I watched a couple of comedy shows with Dad then went a visited with a friend for way too long.  Supposedly we're getting up "early" not sure by who's definition of early we're talking about...  But we've got to get food for Christmas eve and Christmas day.  Dad did inform us that we're suppose to get some precipitation from 3-9pm which means we might not go anywhere.  I'm sure it'll be fine though. 

Farewell for now.  I did not get my usual plane ride nap because I was way too into a book I'm reading.  As tired as I am right now I think I'm going to pick it up once more.  Just for a chapter.  :)  

This is great!

Today's post is compliments of one of the most amazing 11 yr. old little boys that I know.  If my mom were around him much I think she would probably say his actions and words are much the same as mine were as a child.  Oh wait.  Maybe some of mine now but that's beside the point.  

For Christmas his family is doing a recipe book of their favorite recipes for their grandmother.  Each child picked their own and wrote a short little blurb for Grandma to read.  Laughter to the point of tears and gasping of breath occurred yesterday as I was shown Christopher's recipe.  

Seriously...  I love this kid.  

I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  His mom said she typed it word for word what he was saying.  

Christopher’s Pickled Okra

I really like pickled okra. One day I decided I was gonna have me some pickled okra. So, I went to the fridge and grabbed the pickled okra jar. I had a pickled okra. Then about five minutes later, I was like, I gotta have another one. I went back to the fridge and got the pickled okra jar again. Then Jonathan walked up and I asked him if he wanted a pickled okra. He said, “Sure”. So, I got him one and I got me one. He ate his and I ate mine. I thought mine tasted odd. Then a few days later I told Mom that she needed to open up a new pickled okra jar because the other jar was empty. She asked if I ate the pepper out of the old jar. I said, “So, that’s why it tasted funny”. So, now I will make sure that the okra doesn’t have a long stem.

Christopher

1⁄2 c pickling salt

1 pint of white vinegar

1 pod of hot pepper

1 garlic bulb

1 sprig of dill weed, fresh

1 1⁄2 quarts of water

Fill clean pint jars with okra, pepper, garlic, and dill. Set aside. 

In large pot on stovetop, mix water, salt, and vinegar. Bring to boil. Pour into jars over okra and other stuff. Seal. Process the okra in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Let them sit for about a 1 week for best taste.

Did you know this?

1) If you own a 69 VW and the hood is popped up for better ventilation, it creates a huge gap for leaves to fall down where the engine is.

2) When enough leaves accumulate and enough oil leaks onto those leaves...  it will make an awful smell followed by smoke billowing forth from the engine compartment!  :)  

Just in case you did not know those 2 things...  

Now you do!  As do I as of tonight.  Smelled the funny smell and when I got out at the church noticed the trail of smoke floating from my car.  So what do I do.  Take my wallet from the car and go inside!  

Told my friends to follow me home because the smoke did concern me a bit.  Actually I was more concerned about getting stranded because it's cold outside.  Then I realize I have absolutely NO clue how much gas is in the car so I stopped by to put some gas in.  My helpful friend gets out to check the engine as to possible causes of the smoke, which is coming out again...  That's when we find the tree inside!  I said, "How could there be that many leaves I've only had it out of the garage the past 2 days?"  My friend says, "Yes, but you've had it parked under the big tree for 2 days with leaves falling."  Oh yeah.  

Leaves were removed.  

Smoking stopped.

Problem solved.

It's always a smart thing to surround yourself with smart people.  Didn't actually occur to me when I first saw the smoke to check the engine.  I just walked off and went to church.  Praise the Lord my car didn't catch on fire!  Oh well.  I was smart enough to at least take my wallet inside just in case it did go up in flames.  

Oh yes...  As to my other smart moment earlier this week with the paper towel thing...  Another smart friend offered a wonderful suggestion to avoid those flames in the future.  Wax paper or parchment paper.  Of course this help was offered several minutes after she stopped laughing at my less than fortunate moment!  

Live and learn. 

I'm going to be a little more careful this week.  

Did you know?

That a paper towel will scorch and burn if you put it in a toaster oven?  I did not know that...  Until today!  :)  Left my camera in Texas or I would willing share a picture.  

Need to laugh?

Note to self

Never cook liver inside your house!  

GROSS SMELL...

:(

Ran out of dog food.  Was a reminded by a friend that he put some liver in the freezer at camp for my dog.  He said just to boil it for her.  He did NOT tell me the smell would make me want to vomit and sleep somewhere other than my house!  Next time the dog is eating raw liver or I'll cook it on the eye of my grill OUTSIDE.  

Somewhat of a Texas recap

I wrote this entry last Saturday night.  Am just getting around to put it up.  I apologize I never got a chance to put up a picture of the tree mom and I decorated.  I'll get one up when I'm home at Christmas.  Sorry, this one got lengthy and is a bit choppy...  Oh well, it's my Texas adventures!

I’m back to the hills of Tennessee! Actually, I’m writing this while down in south Georgia. I arrived back to my house around 11:30pm Friday night and left the house again Saturday morning around 8:45am. A church that we’ve worked with for a few years now had asked for my boss, his family and I to come spend a weekend with them. This was the weekend we planned to go.

I apologize to several in Texas that I did not get to see! December 22-30 will be my next trip for Christmas. I look forward to getting my daily hugs and I love you’s. Those are greatly missed living so far from home.

This trip was extra special because I got to make up for some lost time with the world’s cutest niece and nephew. Praise the Lord that my 7 month old niece, Ainsley Grace, came right to me when I first saw her. And throughout the next week we spent quality time together from around 7am-5pm. My nephew would hang out with us too. My dad would bring us all breakfast EVERY morning. Consequently, this morning I woke up rather hungry in Tennessee, nothing in the fridge and no delivery coming my way. Back to reality…

My niece is precious. By far though the favorite thing to watch was how Ty, my nephew, interacted with his sister. He would talk so soft and sweet to her calling her pretty girl with the same tone and everything I hear my brother use with her. PRECIOUS! She would go crazy when she saw him. There was no way she was taking a nap if she could see or hear him! Her little legs would go crazy as if she was trying to run towards him when she saw him.

However, inappropriate this will turn out to be one day for now it was hilarious… Ty could get Ainsley to just belly laugh by doing one major thing. He would get in her face and say the word POOP. Yes, you read that correctly. POOP. She would seriously just die laughing at him. Then we’d all start laughing and he’d do it more and then he’d start jumping up and down saying it which in turn made her laugh even harder. It’s predicted that her first word indeed will be POOP. Which I’m sure will be followed up by laughter from everyone. It will be really funny until she goes to school and says it. J

They were great!

One afternoon I realized I hadn’t gotten to play with Ty as much as I wanted so I asked my grandparents to watch Ainsely for a little while so he and I could go play. We head out to Gander Mountain, that Ty loves. We were on a mission for 4-wheelers as Ty says that would be, “Just my size.” On the way to the store he informed me that Gander Mountain had called him at school and told him they had gotten in a new shipment of them yesterday. (Seriously, those were all his words, from a 4 year old.) Then he also informed me that if they had one “just his size” he was certain that we could fit it into the back of his daddy’s truck that we were driving. He thought they only cost around $100 and he had $47 at home if I needed it.

Walking through the door of the store Ty begins to look for 4-wheelers as if we’re searching for a lost puppy. “Oh 4-wheelers where are you? Come here little 4-wheelers. Where are you? I know you’re here. Come out come out where ever you are…” This goes on throughout the whole store. We find nothing. He finally says, “Sissy, we need to ask somebody.” We did only to find out they had none. We looked at the boats for awhile then decided to go across the parking lot to Lowe’s in hopes that they might have a “Super duper chainsaw” that he was in need of. Once again Sissy would need to buy that for him if we found it because there were some trees in his yard that needed to be cut down.

The best part was when we found the play houses in front of Lowe’s. That’s where we spent our next hour of life. Running between two play houses playing pretend! Of course we had to stop when we heard a big truck drive by or the fork lift. We’d have to go find out what was going on with those two things. Finally, we had to head back to my grandparents for dinner. Sadly enough we could not bring one of the $3000 play houses home. Even though Ty informed me that they would fit in the back of the truck and the forklift could put them there.

I love my Mom

Today was a day I said thanks to my mom for what she did 27 years ago to this day.  She gave birth to me.  Which for her probably paled in comparison to what was in store for her in the years to come.  

My mom loves Christmas decorations!  She LOVES walking in and seeing the Christmas tree set up.  In an effort to tell my mom thanks today I decided to help her with this task.  Which to many people might not be too big of a deal.  However, for me...  I think I would prefer to spend the day trying to physically chew my own toe nails off.  

Ty spent the day with us and helped off and on as well.  Until we got to the decorating part.  Then Mom suggested he and Daddy go check the horses.  Dad being the trooper he is took Ty out of the house so we could get to work.  I'll have pics tomorrow of the finished product.  

It actually wasn't as miserable of an experience as I thought it would be.  We ended our day today going out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse.  Yum...  I even invited a friend and her family along too.  All and all it's been a good day.  Other than the fact that in my mind now that I'm 27 I might as well call myself 30.  

Oh well!  I'm one blessed 27 year old, that's for sure.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Carbohydrate heaven

The day of carbohydrates went well around here!  

Food was eaten...

Football games were watched...

Friends and family were enjoyed...

Ainsley Grace was wearing a CUTE outfit made by her mama.

I hope your day of giving thanks was full of just that...

THANKSGIVING!  

Made it

Quick update here.

My niece, Ainsley Grace is...

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E

Seriously, she's amazingly cute.  She came right to me last night.  

My dad...  

Has no facial hair!  Freaked me out a bit.  I walk into the house and I said, "Uh, what happened?" He just laughed and I proceeded to ask why no one told me he'd shaved?  Seriously was a little disturbing for me.  I've never seen his top lip before.  For the anniversary last week they went to an Eagle's concert.  Which is a group they went to a concert and saw before they were even married.  Daddy said he was clean shavin' then so he thought he'd go back to that for the day.  Romantic remembrance for them but a little disturbing for his 26 year old daughter.  He is growing it back out so it's got stubble.  

Of course round 1 of mexican food was great last night.  I think I'm going to have some for breakfast today!  :)  

Lone Start State here I come!

Tomorrow afternoon I'll be heading to the great state of Texas to celebrate some Thanksgiving.  To spend some time with my family.  To babysit my niece all next week and I'm sure my nephew will hang out with us too.  

In the spirit of thanksgiving and in light of going to our local crisis center today...  I sit here tonight just marveling at how blessed I am.  I whine and I fuss and I gripe with the best of them.  However, I really am blessed beyond reason.  I have a job that I love.  God's provided a network of people here in Tennessee to help take care of me.  I have a wonderful family in Texas.  I can hear my mom's voice right now ringing in my ears, "We're just glad to have you home anytime you can come.  Just book a ticket and we'll be there to pick you up."  And she means it.  They will drop anything to come get me and will do anything to provide a way for me to get home.  

There are so many in this world who have nothing.  Why did I get to be a lucky one with blessings in abundance?  I don't know...  But I truly am.  

Can't help but think of that good ole song...  Count your many blessings, name them one by one!  

If you're in or near Texas I'll be there from Tuesday until Friday, Dec 5.  Give me a ring.  Or swing by Mom and Dad's place for a visit.  

Here's my story!

Love it!

30 years today!

Thirty years ago to this day my life began.  Well, not exactly because I'm only 26.  However, thirty years ago to this day my parents celebrated exchanging wedding vows!  :)  I have a picture of my mom as a bride but haven't had time to put it online yet.  I'll try to get to that this afternoon.  She's beautiful!  

Anyways...  On this day I say thanks to my Mom and Daddy.  It wasn't until I got into college that I truly began to understand the blessings I had as a child.  The biggest part about my parents that I took for granted was that they were still married.  Most people I met had experienced divorce and by God's grace I didn't have to go through that.  I say thank for the way you raised us because as I grow I'm learning more and more that you did the absolute best you knew how to do.  What more could a kid ask for.  It wasn't always perfect but it was all that you could give.  Thank you for teaching us and training us the ways you did.  Thank you for fussing and fighting in front of us but never too much.  I can honestly say there has never been a time in my life where I didn't have full confidence that my mom totally believed in the man that my dad is and his abilities as a husband and a dad.  I can honestly say I've never doubted that my dad loved and adored my mom above all other women on this earth.  Granted they didn't like each other every moment of everyday but I always knew that the love was rooted deep within them.  Thanks for never giving up on each other.  The lessons you've taught go far deeper than you'll ever know.  

I love you both beyond words!  

Happy Anniversary! 

love always,

sis

It's Monday again! :)

Here's another favorite new song to start your Monday off on a good note!

Three basic needs we all have in our lives...

ACCEPTANCE

SECURITY

SIGNIFICANCE

Satan has so distorted our view as to where we are to find those things. Satan has convinced us that these things are found in temporal things such as people, positions, professions, performances and lots of other things that start with a P. Sorry for the slight Southern Baptist moment...

Here's the truth of the matter.

You are COMPLETELY accepted in Christ!

You are God's child...

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name..."  John 1:12

You are COMPLETELY secure in Christ!

You are free forever from condemnations...

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."  Romans 8:1-2

You are COMPLETELY significant in Christ!

You are the salt and light of the earth...

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden..."  Matthew 5:13-14

The tough part comes by trying to renew your mind to live by these truths from God's word and not the lies we have been programmed believe.  I have full confidence though based on Romans 12:1-2 that God desires for us to be reprogrammed thus He can and will provide the ability for our minds to be renewed!  

May you find truth today from His word...

Good morning

Here's a great way to start your day.  

Too much reading from yesterday for you to go through so there's some things you don't have to read.  

Follow that one up with this one!

Hope you have a great day today!

Two post in one day! Spirit, soul, body pt. 2

Yes, be amazed!

Let's go back to m y post several days ago about this whole spirit, soul and body thing.  There are 5 mine foundations to look at within the spirit (the part of you that relates to God).  

Salvation

Assurance 

Security

Acceptance

Total Commitment (Surrender)

With each of those let's look into God's word to see what He has to say on those topics.  

FOUNDATION  STONE #1

Salvation:  

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."  John 5:24

Do you know you are a child of the King?  Have you become aware that your sin separates you from God?  Have you willfully submitted your life to God?  Have you believed in the fact that God sent His son Jesus to die for you?  

If you taken those steps then let's realize what you can firmly say without doubt "whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."  

You have eternal life...  

You will not be condemned...

You have crossed over from death to life!

That's some good stuff.  Our eternal life has just been handed to us.  Meaning after this breath of a life we live on earth is done...  You can know for sure where you'll be going!  You will no longer be condemned or blamed before the Lord. Jesus has taken on your sins.  You are no longer dead but have truly now come to life.  

FOUNDATION  STONE #2

Assurance:

"I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand"

John 10:28

No matter how you feel.  No matter how unworthy you feel.  No matter how much you do or don't do.  NOTHING is going to snatch you out of the hands of your Father!  Which means nothing is going to change where you spend eternity.  Nothing is going to separate you from the God who has sent His Son to die for us and our sins.  Rest assured that though nothing is certain or constant in life.  Assurance in Christ can be and is completely available according to God's word!  So when you can find nothing else in life to be confident in, just return to this verse.  

FOUNDATION  STONE #3

Security:

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.  For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day."  John 6:37  -39

 There seems to be a little bit of a scarlet thread running through these foundations to me.  This one again leans upon something that is constant and unchanging.  We can be completely secure in our position in Christ.  Once we become one of His we will never be driven away from Him.  We will not be lost along the way but one day we WILL be raised up and taken into eternity!  These are facts not possibilities!  

FOUNDATION  STONE #4

Acceptance:

"To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved."

Ephesians 1:6

Is it not pretty safe to say that acceptance is a must for all of us?  We strive to be accepted by all those around us whether you want to admit it or not.  At our core (which God designed) we all are desperately looking to be accepted.  In being accepted we feel we have purpose, we are loved, we are OK because there is someone who accepts us just as we are.  Is that not a huge desire at your center?  Well, it is mine.  Praise be to God though because whether we see or feel that acceptance on a day to day basis...  Feeling or no feeling YOU ARE ACCEPTED IN CHRIST!

That is truth.  That is a foundation to build your life on!

FOUNDATION  STONE #5

Total Commitment (Surrender)

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will."  Romans 12:1-2

This is where the rubber meets the road.  Did God provide the other 4 foundational stones so that we could collect them all and put them in a pretty box so we have some cute decorations to look at?  I'm pretty sure no he did not!  I'm pretty sure He's given those other foundations to help us willingly walk into this last foundational stone.   What's great is that without fully accepting and experiencing the other 4 you will never accept or experience this 5th one.  And vise versa...  Without this one you will never fully appreciate the other 4.  

To offer our lives back into the hands of God and fully trust He will do what He wants and needs to through it is the beauty of God.  Reaching the point of offering our bodies as a living sacrifice is a tough point to reach, from an earthly perspective.  But your mind will never fully be transformed into the likeness of Christ until you reach that point of fully worshipping Christ with all that you are.  

The trick to this intense picture can be found in Galatians 2:20..

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me."  

Wait a second!  Foundation stone #1 said we've crossed from death to life?  Yes...  We (our old man) has been put to death and the life we've now taken up is the life of Christ!  

Ok.  that's probably way more than anyone wants to read in a day.  Unless you really like this stuff like I do!  Way to go if you made it this far!  

Guess what?!

No, I'm not getting married.

But I do have a great story from a friend of mine.  Last weekend as I said I got to go to the Lady Vols basketball game.  After supper my friend was trying to get her cash from her pocket and she gets a panic look on her face.  She tells me that she can't find her wedding ring.  She got married this past September.  Her heart broke to think that she's lost the ring she just got.  

On the ride home I told her she was just going to have to tell her husband she lost it.  I suggested she right a note and put it on the coffee table since she would probably be sobbing when she's trying to explain it.  That way she could just point to the note when he can't understand her and know what the problem is.  We went on to discuss how she would get to see some great compassion from her husband because his heart would rejoice that she wasn't hurt but that it was just something that was lost.  

I saw her husband last night and church and ask how she was.  He said she'd been pretty tore up all week.  She had even ask him multiple times was he mad at her.  Of course he said no.  Apparently she got frustrated at him thinking he should be mad at her for losing the ring.  He told me it wasn't a big deal.  He was just glad she was ok.  I said well you know what she needs for Christmas now.  He said exactly!

Through an unexplainable occurrence of events my friend now has her ring back!!!  Apparently she dropped it in the parking lot where we parked.  She called a friend her works at UT and somehow that friend got the ring back.  God is amazing!!  My friend said there was no way this was any sort of normal thing but it was amazing.  What's great is that she got to see the compassion of Jesus through her husband!  It's a beautiful thing.  Not only that but she also got her ring back.  Now every time she notices her ring she'll think of what God did using that ring...  God is so cool!  Just wanted to share that today.

New skills

Please watch this video before reading any further!!

I'm going to a conference this weekend so I decided to make today my day off.  First and foremost wonderfulness about that...  Pajamas!  Yes, staying in my PJ's until I'm ready to get out of them.  Just in case you're curious it's 11:45am and I'm still in them.  I also decided to do some cooking today.  A dear friend of mine would refer to this day as being a domesticated day!  I haven't had one of these in awhile.  

I've made some chicken enchiladas and put in the freezer using some leftover things from the fridge then I moved on to making some whole wheat pizza crust.  I plugged in the wheat grinder and it made no attempt to work.  Oh no!  It's not actually mine but a friend of mine.  Not good.  I put it back in the cabinet and ask the Lord to remedy that situation for me.  Those machines aren't cheap.  I go to get something out of the fridge.  Oh snap...  Light's not on.  

DUH!  I blew a fuse.  Problem solved.  Walked outside and flipped the breaker.

Back to pizza crust.  

I could only find one little sheet of parchment paper and in case you don't know what that is, it's AMAZING, never cook on a cookie sheet without it!

I found a roll of wax paper and used that instead.  Now that the pizza crust have cooled I've realized an important lesson.  Wax paper and parchment paper are not the same thing.  I repeat, they ARE NOT the same thing.  Should have googled it first but I figured it would be ok.  It's not too bad of a substitute if you spray the wax paper good with a non stick spray.  Otherwise, stick city here you come!  Now I've got to figure out how to peel off the pizza dough...

Oh back to the video.  In my pizza crust making experience being here by myself I decide to see if I can throw a pizza crust.  It looks cool when they do it and how hard is it.  Turns out it's actually not all that hard to do!  I only dropped it a few times but then got the hang of it.  What a picture...  Me in PJ's tossing pizza dough in the kitchen.  I wish the ceilings were taller because I wanted to see how high I could throw it.  Greatly debated going outside to throw it really high.  I knew the dogs would eat that dough if I walked outside with it so I stayed inside.  

I'm not professional like the guy on the video but it's not too hard.  Give it a try next time you make some pizza crust!

Seriously!?

Who has the cutest nephew and niece in the whole world?  

Yep, that would be me!!  Seriously, my brother and sis in law make some cute babies!  Funny story from my grandpa.  He and my grandma keep Ainsley everyday.  According to him baby gates will be useless for her.  He suggest just nailing up sheets up plywood.  Hopefully she won't tear those off the walls.  Apparently she's a pretty fiesty little one.  My mom compares her to me but I assure her that is not my fault because I have not had enough interaction with her yet.  I will get to babysit her the week after thanksgiving.  That I'm way excited about!  After that week some of her personality might be my fault.  I'm sure we're going to get along great.  How cute are they!?!  Ty and I will have fun going to get a "nack" at Quick Check.  He too is too cute for his own good.

Jesus and basketball

So, what if following after the Lord was more like playing basketball?  For those of you who have no athletic background this post might not make sense at all.  However, if there is something that you've invested much time in in order to improve to a certain level be it sports or not, you should understand.  

Since my Sunday afternoon basketball experience I've been thinking back to my own athletic years growing up.  I was trained.  I was drilled.  I was challenged.  I improved.  If I was not constantly improving, there was no one to blame but me.  I was responsible for my own playing ability.  I knew what to do when I got the ball.  Either go towards the goal and automatically be looking for someone to pass the ball towards.  Your eyes were always scanning for who was open or an open spot to get to the goal.  You dribble in such a way to keep the ball away from the defender.  Then of course as the defender the point was to get the ball or simply keep them away from their goal. 

Everyday in practice we worked on ways to get the ball to the goal and ways to keep the other team from getting to their goal.  We had game plans.  We practiced our tactics on each other.  We corrected and redid it when we did it wrong.  Everyday you practiced the basics.  Free throws, layups, jump shots, and of course running.  Those were things that you would do in every game played so those were drilled into us daily.  If you struggled with one more than the other you would practice that even more.  

Back to Jesus.  Why don't we drill ourselves with God's word?  What are our everyday practices that we do to prepare for the daily battle we face?  If there is a particular area you struggle in do you do more in that area?  Do you have people willing to tell you when you're wrong and to repent?  Do you have people who will practice this thing called faith with you?  What don't our churches look more like basketball teams?  

When those girls were on that court on Sunday that was all that mattered at that moment?  People were watching them but they weren't concerned with that.  There were kids that went home that day I'm sure to practice like one of their favorite Lady Vol players.  What if our church looked like that?  When we're in worship that's all that matters, entering into God's presence.  People watch us but that doesn't matter.  What if people walked away from being near us and wanted to mimic what they say in us...  The Jesus they saw in us?  

I think there's something to the way sports work.  There's something to sharing a common goal.  They want to win.  They will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.  Why can't our churches see the common goal?  To run the race...  Living out the things of the Lord...  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control?  

Just my random thoughts on Jesus and basketball.  

Lady Vols

I had a first today in my 4 years of being a resident of the state of Tennessee!

Yep, I went to my first Lady Vols basketball game.  A friend at church had some extra tickets so I decided to go with her.  It was a fun afternoon getting out.  A little strange experience because it's been several years since I have been to a sporting event.  They won by lots of points so it wasn't an overwhelmingly thrilling game.  I did not realize they were the national champs for the past 2 years.  

I though of something funny earlier that I intended to write about but as I sit here now, I have absolutely no recollection of what it was.  It was really funny at the time.  I do remember that.  Oh well, perhaps I'll remember it tomorrow.  

Spirit, Soul, and Body. pt. 1

Today, you get to hear about what I've been doing the greater portion of the day.  I've been studying.  It's my absolute favorite thing under the sun to!  Ok, wait.  Not really, that was a complete and total falsehood.  I've never been much for studying which is why school and I were never very close friends.  However, today has not been completely miserable.  Why?  It's simple.  I made the choice to study today.  Not only that but I chose the topic.  :)  

Last spring I went to a conference at Grace Fellowship International.  I'm pretty sure I promised to explain last fall what it was all about and I'm pretty sure I never got around to it.  Better late than never though I suppose.  They have a conference, workshop and school you can attend.  Each of them lasting several days in length.  Last spring I attended the conference and workshop.  Next week I'll be attending the school part.  Part of me is excited and part of me is screaming nooo!!  Not a classroom!  It's only 3 days so I don't think I'll die in that short of time.  Once that's done they have some more correspondence things I can get into if I so choose.  

Here's the quick run through of what I've been checking out today.  Of course this will all be in my own interpretation of their information.  Feel free to check out their site and order their books if you so choose to have a further deeper understand 

Your whole being is made up for a spirit, soul and body according to 1 Thessalonians 5:23.  As the trinity is wholly separate yet wholly connected as are those three components.  The trinity being the reality that God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Only seems fitting that since we are made in His image we too would have 3 parts to our being.  

These three parts are beautifully and intricately connected.  Meaning that they have great impacts on each other.  The SPIRIT is dealing with things such as our intuition, our conscience, our communion with God.  These are all parts that relate to God thus become our spiritual hub.  The SOUL houses the mind, the will, the emotions.  Making it our psychological center and relates more to how we relate to others.  The BODY is simply that our physiological body that relates to our environment.  

The beautiful trinity connection exemplifies that if it all begins in the SPIRIT, when that part is not properly taken care of then the SOUL and BODY will immediate follow suit as to their own well being.  Within the SPIRIT you will find the building blocks to our lives.  Those things which we are constantly seeking to find through everything and everyone in this world.  Those things we will spend an eternity looking for and I believe once we walk into eternity if you are a child of the King, God is going to show us we searched so hard we missed it.  The Truth was simply sitting before us...  Yet, we overlooked it.  

I'll go into more of those things we're searching for tomorrow.  

Lucy, I apologize

Lucy I give you my word that for the next 7 days I am going to make sure there is something of at least partial interest for you to read from my blog!  Perhaps I just don't have as many exciting things to post about as you do.  Either way I'm going to find something or  at least make something up for you!  :)  

Today you get to hear about my bug updates.  

Since the arrival of the bug to Benton it's gotten much needed attention.  Mike Brock has helped me lots!  We've had to take the gas tank off because it wouldn't start and turns out that the hose under the gas tank had rotted out, not good.  On more than one occasion the gas line going back to the engine from the front has come unconnected, once again making it impossible to start it!  Mike's arm could reach to fix that where mine couldn't.  He finally got smart 2 weeks ago and told me to put some claps on that hose so it wouldn't do that again.  Sure enough it worked!  

I have learned how to take the carb apart.  Here's where it gets amazingly technical.  There's a thingy inside the carb that gets stuck.  You have to take the whole carb off to flick it a few times and get it unstuck.  I've done that twice now by myself.  A friend heard of my new car skills so I got my own little set of tools I keep in the car.  Even though there's really only two tools you need to work on it.  I'd tell you what those two things are but I have no clue what they're called.  I just know what they look like in the tool set.  Oh and you must also have the stick.  The stick is that exactly.  A stick we found on the ground that holds the hood up while you play car doctor!  

I had a tune up done last week on it and it died on the way home.  ugh...  It was the carb thingy.  That time around I figured out that if you don't put the carb back together in the right sequence it doesn't work right.  Imagine that.  

I'm still hoping to get blinkers working soon.  It's getting too cold to roll the windows down to use my arms as turn signals.  Not to mention the fact most people just think I'm waving at them!  I've also noticed a few small wholes in the pans since it's gotten cold.  The air seems to travel straight through the hole causing a slight draft in the bug.  

The bug has yet to be given a name yet other than the bug.  Got any ideas?  

Lovin' it!

What fun would it be to have something that has no character?  No marks to make it unique?  Why strive to be unblemished?  Why not have your imperfections and just roll with it?  Well, here's my latest investment.  I've wanted one of these since I was a small child.  I've always thought they were sooo cool.  

Here's the short story.  I've always checked newspapers randomly and now of days the internet for people selling these cool things.  My nice car just rolled over 80,000 miles and I need it to last much longer than my current rate of travel is going to allow it.  So to take off some of my around town miles I decided to invest in that exact thing.  An around town car.  I watched this particular one on craigslist and finally had time yesterday to take two knowledgeable male friends with me to look at it.  

Now, keep in mind it took us 2 hours and 45 minutes to make it to Atlanta from Benton, TN.  But my friends were great.  We went...  they test drove b/c well...  I can't actually drive a standard.  Anyways, that's beside the point.  I actually haggled the price w/ the owner.  It was pretty fun.  One of my friends with me said "I've only met your dad once but I'm pretty sure that was him who just haggled with that guy, that was awesome!"  I had a set price and we actually came in under that price so I was pleased.  

My friends decided they didn't really want to drive it back with Atlanta traffic being as crazy as it was.  So, they were gracious enough this morning to take me back.  One of them went at 6am to go get a trailer to haul it on and we hit the rode around 8ish and got home around 5ish.  It was a full day.  We also were able to stop by a VW junkyard.  Literally, there were VW's as far as you could see.  It was like a scavenger hunt.  There were a few things my car didn't have such as seat belts, smoothly working windows, part of the back seat, etc.  Thus we went shopping.  Rather fun experience in and of itself.  Even with the extra parts I had to purchase I still came in under my set price.  

THEN!  They get it off the trailer once we get home and tell me I have to drive it now.  Believe it or not I did it and wasn't completely awful at it.  Drove around and showed some friends then drove it to church tonight!  I'm beginning to understand the phrase if you can't find it grind it!  When I got home tonight I asked one of my friends to ride around with me for a bit so he could explain a little better this whole shifting, clutching, braking, but still having to give it gas so it doesn't die and making sure you don't roll backwards down the hill (since I live in the mountains and all) thing.  My greatest issue in the car is normally if I'm drinking a coke while changing the radio have to stop one of those to answer the phone.  

Anyways...  There's my story of my new car.  It's not perfect.  The pictures don't lie.  But I want something around camp where I don't care if it gets dinged up.  Mechanically it's in decent shape with is my greatest concern.  

Hope you enjoy the pics!!

atleast this side is nice looking! :)

My favorite parts are that it's a 1969 VW bug!  

The wheels look cool!

The colors not too bad...

and it has a CD player in it!

God's Love part 4

Sorry, I've been a little distracted but this post should finish up the God's love series!

6.  God's Love through Growth:  Green

John 8:31-32 says, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  God's love continues to grow our lives, making us more and more like Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith.  Just as grass grows greener, we grow in faith through learning God's truth, and the Bible says that God's Word is truth.  We must not look to what men say, to what we think or to what we feel as our final authority:  no, God has spoken to us through the Bible, and we must base our whole lives on what He has said.  Then, as Jude says, we can keep ourselves in the love of God, "Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."  

7.  God's Love Lasts Forever:  Yellow/Gold

I John 5:11-13 says, "God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  These things have I written unto that believe on the name of the Song of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."

God's love lasts forever, and the yellow bead stands for heaven, where we can spend eternity in the love of God.  Jesus told us that He has gone to prepare a place for his followers.  We do not have to wonder about what will happen when we die, because if we believe on the name of the Son of God, we can KNOW that we have eternal life.  God's love does not leave room for doubt:  it is perfect, complete, and trustworthy.

How can we ever hear the word 'love' again, without thinking of what the word truly stands for, God's unique AGAPE love?  "Herein, is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his SOn to be the propitiation for our sins."  God does not just 'feel' love: no, love is so much who God is that the Bible says "God is love."  So if anyone ever asks you what your bracelet means you can now respond, "God is love, would you like to hear how much He loves you?"

Every time I read this I still love it!  God is love!!  I hope this finds you excited to start your Monday!

God's Love part 3

4.  God's Love cleanses sin:  White

1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Now we can be clean, we can be whiter than snow, just like the white bead.  And, through confession, we can be clean - without a doubt of ALL our sin!  Praise God!  This is why we say God's love is complete:  he doesn't leave any loopholes or exceptions.  First, he makes us all in His image, then all of us sin.  God makes a way and desires that all men be saved, and now all our sins are forgiven!  There is no need to dwell in darkness, back there with the dark bead.  No, there is a pure white light shining:  "If we walk in teh light as he is in the light...  the blood of Jesus Christ has Son cleanses us from all sins."  Have you been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ to become spotlessly white?

5.  God's Love through confession:  Blue

Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:  that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the FAther, even so we also should walk in newness of life."  AFter God has taken a hopeless sinner and restored his broken life, making him a new creature in Christ, than man must make a public confession of this change through baptism.  Baptism symbolically buries our sins in a grave of water that washes them away as far as east is from west, and then we emerge, clean and pure through God's love, for all to see.  Luke 9:26 says that "Whosoever shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels."  We cannot be ashamed of God's love:  we must make a confession before others, and the blue bead represents the ceremony of water baptism where God allows us to publicly accept His love."

God's Love part 2

Please see the post below if you have not read it.  Today's is a continuation from that one.  Seriously, you need to start with the one below.  :)

2.  God's Love for sinners:  Black

Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Even though God us all in His own image, we have all tarnished that image through sin, represented by the black bead.  It started with Adam, the first man, of whom the Bible says that "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned..."  This means that just as ALL of us were made in god's image, now ALL of us are sinners who have blown it and forsaken God.  "There is none righteous, no, not one."  We have messed up, and now there is nothing we can do in our own strength to fix it.  Our righteousness is called filthy rags, and even the man who tries his hardest, working and serving and helping, cannot do it on his own:  he is just as bad as the drunkard, the thief, the murderer, for all, ALL have sinned and all are in the same boat together.  But here is where love intervenes: the Bible says, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."  "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."  This is God's love for sinners: there was nothing good, we were all rotten, but God still loved us.

3.  God's Love died for sin:  Red

That brings us to Romans 5:8:  "But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while were were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Jesus Christ loved you so much that he died for YOU.  The Bible says, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends..."  This means that God showed the greatest love possible by giving his life for us, shedding His innocent blood for our guilty sins, blood that the red bead stands for.  Sin had mastered us totally, and God had to fight such a huge battle with sin that Christ Jesus had to die on a painful wooden cross.  But Jesus came out victorious: after he died, he rose from teh dead in victory.  Do you believe this?  The Bible says that "if thou shalt confess with they mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, though shalt be saved."  We have tarnished God's image, but Jesus can restore our sinful life if we will confess and believe in Him.  The Bible says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved."  This means that just as ALL men sinned, now ALL men have a way to be reconciled to God.  As Jesus said, there is no greather love than God dying for sinners."

I'm stilling thinking this is some of the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen painted with words.  I think what's so amazing is so much of what he speaks comes straight from God's word.  

God's Love part 1

I know I should probably build my way up to my favorite moment of ministry this summer but I'm going to start with one of my favorites instead...

I've been working with this ministry since 2002, a few years.  I've been  using the salvation bracelets, power bands, or what we call ud' bracelets which means to testify to share the Gospel with lots and lots of people.  It's a great conversation starter but it's also a free gift.  Being in many of the touristy areas we work at people see them as free souvenirs.  Of all my years in doing this I have NEVER heard someone explain the bracelet in the way that a 18 year old did this summer.  I was literally just in awe as he used the bracelet to share Christ at a senior adult community we were  ministering to.  It gets a little long but below you'll find a copy of what he spoke.  I was so amazed I had him share it with my boss and the whole group again the next day.  Chris ask him to write it down so we could share it with others and he emailed us a copy of it.  So, now I'm sharing with you the greatest love story ever told...  Rather than throw out tons of verbage I'm going to break it up and share his words with you over a couple of days.  Keep in mind as you read this was written by a 18 year old young man of God.  He knew God's word in the depths of his heart and firmly believed every ounce of it.  It was amazing!

enjoy!

"When someone first handed me one of these bracelets, I wasn't quite sure what it was:  perhaps Joseph's coat of many colors in bracelet form?  Maybe a representation of the rainbow?  Maybe even some sort of Baptist rosary?  But when someone took the time to explain it to me, I realized this bracelet meant much more than just a few colors strung together.

It is called an ud' bracelet, from the Hebrew word which means to testify, or to witness.  That is what we are doing with the bracelets:  we are using them to testify to you right now, and we are testifying about the most wonderful, beautiful, and indescribable thing in the universe:  the love of God.  1 John 4:9-10 says, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because

that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent  his Son to be the propitiation (someone taking our place) for our sin"

We use the word love very often, and all too often we use it lightly, or even misuse the word.  So then, when we speak of the 'love of God' we are speaking of a type of love so special that we have a unique word to describe it:  Agape love.  It is a totally selfless, sacrificial, and perfect love.  It is not a love that we initiated or deserved. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us..."

This Agape love is revealed to us in seven different ways that are represented on this bracelet.  Each bead is a unique color; each color stands for a different way God loves us.  Yet, each bead is bound together as part of the same bracelet, because God's love for us is complete.  It is perfect and unified, and we can trust that God's love is enough for all of life's problems.  But this love doesn't end with life:  God's love is also endless and is eternal, just as the bracelet forms a circle, the only shape without an end.

Let us examine seven ways God reveals His love to us:

1.  God's love through creation:  Clear

John 1:1-3 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same as in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him:  and without him was not anything made, that was made."

God created us from nothing, as the clear bead represents.  God existed by Himself with no need of anything else, but He chose out of love to create you and me.  he made all things, but he made men and women in a special way:  the Bible says He made us in His own image.  That makes us different from animals, plants and everything else: we have a special imprinting of God's very image.  But even though all humans share this amazing gift, God took the time to make each of us unique.  The Bible says he "formed us in our mother's womb..." and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  God even says he has a plan for everyone of us.  God is not distant, unreachable, impersonal, imaginary, or dead.  No, He has a unique and personal love for us individually, as His creation of us shows."  

Maybe it's just because I've been using that bracelet for so many years and have never put it together like this guy did but I think this was definitely the highlight moment for me this summer.  As I said I'll be putting up the other parts of the bracelet over the next few days.  Maybe I can even get a picture up so you can see what I'm talking about for those who have never seen one.  

Think about that reality today that YOU were made in God's image!  YOU were made with a unique everything!  YOU were known by God even before you were being knit together in your mother's womb!  

Still here!

Yes, I am still alive.  :)

It's just summer time around here in East Tennessee which equals to lots of fun stuff all the time! I'll be posting more in the weeks to come hopefully as things transition to a somewhat slower pace.  It has been a good summer.  Our numbers are down somewhat.  Not as much as we expected with the economy and gas prices.  What has been wonderful is the powerful number of encouragements Chris (my boss) or I have directly received in regards to how they have seen the Lord through this ministry.  I don't mean personal comments about Chris and I but just how God has really gotten their attention through the ministries here.  That of course for Chris or myself is the absolute best compliment we could ever hear.  It's for those reasons that we do this crazy job.  it's for those reasons that we love what we do!  

More to come in the days ahead.  

pictures

pictures

cute picture

I'll try and put some more up soon but here's a really cute one for now.

Beau, Ty and Ainsley!  I had a great visit with them all.

obviously...

I'm going to have to go to Texas to take more pictures myself of this new baby!  Well, I'm sure several have been taken but nobody is bothering to put them online or email them to me.  So, be looking for some more pictures by Tuesday evening.  I arrive in Texas late Monday night.  Should hopefully have some more online by that Tuesday.  

They said she's doing fine.  

Isn't she lovely?

I'd like everyone to meet...

Ainsley Grace Williams

entered this world at 7:53 Texas time

7lbs. 14oz.  18.5 inches long

I get to hold her on Monday!  :)