S is for...Steve

Steve, who has been the man of my dreams since I was 12 years old, just read my diary (please don't). I do believe that God showed me at 12 the man He chose for me!  

The man who would five years later ask me out for our first date.

 The man who would give me butterflies every time I saw him. 

The man who would one day ask me to marry him three years earlier than we "planned".  

The man who would give me five children.

 The man who would love me "like Christ loves the church."  

The man who would provide for me in every way possible. The man who would make me the happiest girl in the world. 

From the moment I fell head over heels in love with him I felt like I was living in a fairy tale. Our love story, I thought, was like a dream. From the time I was 12 I knew I would one day marry him!  It wasn't a problem for me that he was 5 years older. So, on March 16, 1989 when he came to ask me out for that first date I was shocked, thrilled beyond words, but shocked. That's when the fairy tale began. I had to be the luckiest girl alive!!! 

Here we are 24 years after that first date and almost 21 years of marriage.  I love him more today then that 12 year old girl could have even imagined. He makes me feel loved every day. Of course, we have our moments like everyone does, but our fairy tale continues. 

                   

 Happy 21st Anniversary, Steve...and they continue to live, Happily Ever After!!!

Wow, have we changed!!!

R is for...Rest and Relaxation

Rest and Relaxation

We were able to go and spend sometime with family at my parents lake house.  So nice to get away from everything!!!

All the cousins.

Cousins playing cards.

Enjoying the volleyball net.

Preparing the fishin' stuff.

O is for...Old Age

I always said I would not struggle with getting old, but last week gave me a glimpse of part of aging. The part where your children grow and you are no longer the most important person to them. The fact that they can go days without needing to talk to me was really hard. I know this is God's plan, but it is still hard. I'm just glad it is a gradual thing. 

These are my two oldest, Tyler at 2 years old and Samantha at 3 months.  Seems like it was just yesterday!!!

This is them just this summer at Holiday World.  They do still like to do things with there family.  Most teenagers don't but they do. 

Here they are going to the Homeschool Prom.  Aren't they pretty!!!  Me and a friend of mine plan the prom and chaperon it each year and my kids don't mind me being there.  

So glad that we placed these two beautiful kids in God's Hands many years ago! 

P is for...Pursuing Meekness

I have discovered an area in my life that needs work, I know there are many areas I need to work on, but this is the one I'm going to focus now, Meekness. I want a meek and quiet spirit. None of us are naturally meek, but it is something Jesus has called us to be.

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Matt. 5:5

I stumbled upon Revive Our Hearts Radio Ministry online (we don't get the program in our area) and started reading through The Beauty of Meekness programs.  I was humbled and convicted.  Of coarse we all have areas we need to work on and I have found that meekness can be the root of most of those areas. 

At first I thought, meekness wasn't a quality I wanted.  It seemed to me that people who are meek are walked on.  If you look at a definition of meek you get; patient, long-suffering, spineless, compliant. That is exactly what I thought.  Now let's look at the Bible's definition of meekness from the Easton's Bible Dictionary.  Meekness-"a calm temper of mind, not easily provoked (James 3:13)".  That is what I want.  Believe me I have to remind myself daily usually many times a day to be meek. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit has joined me in this challenge.  

                                       

N is for...NASCAR

I love NASCAR, it is one of the only things I treat myself with.  Which means I usually set aside Sunday afternoons to NASCAR and napping.  Isn't that what God intended Sundays to be?  A day of rest?  Most people don't get why I like it so much, but I do!!  Can't explain is, but it probably has something to do with the speeds.  Whatever it is, I LOVE IT!!!!

Tyler and I at Kentucky Speedway

The family before the Brickyard in 2008

M is for...Marriage

It is for a life time and we have only just begun...

L is for...Legacy

"A Mother's Legacy is her children."

Tyler, the oldest, 17.

Sam oldest daughter, 15.

Caroline, youngest daughter, 12.

Jack, number 4!! 10

Evan, The baby!!! 7.

J is for...Jack

When we were deciding on  a name for our fourth child, we did not know the sex, I knew if it was going to be a boy I wanted to name him Jack(Jackson).  That was after my great-uncle and I loved the name.  Well, here we are 10 years later and I still love it, but wish I didn't have to hear it or say it 50+ times a day.  He is a challenging kid, but wow is God going to do great things with him!!

A...Affectionate 

B...Brother

C...Challenging

D...Determined

E...Excited

F...Fisherman

G...Go Getter

H...Hunter

I...Intentional

J...Jackson

K...Kid

L...Loving

M... Mind craft player

N...Never quiet

O...One track mind

P...Pitcher

S... Snuggles

T...Teachable

U...Unique

V...Vibrant

W...Witty

eX...Excited

Y...Young 

Z... Zealous

I is for... Intentional Disciple

Before I get started let me say, I left church Sunday with a severe limp!!  Being Mother's Day the sermon was for Mothers, but take my word for it it wasn't a lot of fluff!!!!  I don't know how many times they stepped on my toes, but "Ouch!!!"

If you are brave :) here is a link to watch the sermon.

 A Mother's Legacy by Dave Stone and Kyle Idleman

"A Mother's Legacy is her Children."  Kyle Idleman

The Webster's Dictionary definition for Intentional Disciple

•  intentional-done purposely
• disciple-a pupil or follower of any teacher

So a Intentional Disciple is someone who follows Christ with purpose. 

As a mother I should be an intentional disciple, I should keep the big picture in mind.  I should remember we are raising them to release them.  I should be a calming presence.  I should have sincere faith that is loved into them.  All of this needs to be modeled in the home, they are WATCHING!!!

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

     1 Timothy 1:5

"These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."                               Deuteromony 6:6-9

Dear Lord, 
I pray today and everyday that I am an INTENTIONAL DISCIPLE!!!  That I am living it out load in my home with my children.  Help me be positive and proactive.  Help me show them God's Word through my actions and love!  Thank you, Jesus, for these beautiful children you have blessed me with.  Help me be a blessing to them as well.                  In Your Beautiful Name, Amen!!!

H is for...Horses, The Kentucky Derby

Being from Louisville, Kentucky the first Saturday in May isn't just a Saturday in May, but the day we watch beautiful Thoroughbred horses run the "fastest two minutes in sports". Those of us who live here get to participate in two weeks of Derby festivities.  From fireworks to horse races, from parades to steamboat races there is a lot to do in Louisville.

Thunder Over Louisville
A spectacular firework show, the largest in the United States

The Mini Marathon
Now this includes a full marathon as well

Hot Air Balloon race
There are four activities for the balloons; a Glimmer, Rush Hour Race, Balloon Glow and finally the Great Balloon Race.

The Great Steamboat Race
The 99 year old Belle of Louisville races the Belle of Cincinnati up the Ohio River then back down.

The Pegasus Parade
A fun family activity.

The Oaks
A horse race for just the Fillies, female horses, The Run For the Lillie's.  This is coined Louisville's Day at the Track.

The after two weeks of fun we enjoy the Kentucky Derby, The Run for the Roses

The horse races take place at the historical Churchill Downs, which is just about 3 1/2 miles from our house.  

G is for...Glorious Day

When I asked my children for something that started with 'G', these were their words...

Grace (Caroline's middle name), God and Glorious!  This is what come to my mind.  

God's Glorious Grace

F is for...Freedom

Homeschooling gives me many freedoms, but it gives my kids some too!!

Morning recess...on a Monday.

Fun to see my 17 year old- my 7 year old playing together.

E is for...End Times??

E is for...End Times??

With ALL the horrible things that are happening in this world I can't help but think this has to be the end times.  Yesterday, we horrible.  Seeing that someone would use a bomb with the complete intention of hurting and killing people is inconceivable.  We continue to cry out, "Come Jesus Come!"  All of this evil in the world is the work of Satan.

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,  ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power."                                                                                                                    2 Timothy 3:1-5



I am not a Bible scholar, but this man is, Bob Russell.  Bob was the  pastor who started Southeast Christian Church in Louisville KY. He has retired for the pulpit, but continues to minister through his blog.  Check out his blog post form July 29, 2012 "The Escalation of Evil"

D is for...Daughters

God has blessed me with two daughters.   

Feeling blessed today!!!

C is for...

C is for...the Cross

 "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit."   1 Peter 3:18

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."   1 Corinthians 1:18

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."  Galatians 6:14


“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  1 Peter 2:24

Praying that I stay on my knees at the foot of the cross, to never forget what Jesus has done for me!!