Catch up time!

With Thanksgiving, visiting family, and lots of business for my photography...I almost forgot about blogging! Well, almost! We have been super busy with family, visits from friends, and taking tons of people's Christmas card photos. But, things are only speeding up around here!!

We had the most wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed a relaxing weekend with family and friends. It was great to spend time with those we don't get to see very often. My mom, aunts, and grandmother really outdid themselves this year (as always!). We ate so much yummy food and enjoyed some wonderful time together.

So, here is a quick look at some of the fun we've been having...while I haven't been blogging... Here is a shot of almost everyone except Jay and I during Thanksgiving! My mom does a wonderful job of getting 19 people around the table together...she doesn't do the "kids table" thing. We all sit together at the same time to laugh and share about the amazing blessings God has lavished on us throughout the year.

The kids were on the end that I couldn't get in the photo. They loved all the wonderful food and yes, even the kids eat off the fine china and have silver goblets to drink out of. My mom does it all the way...for everyone no matter how young! She's amazing!
Here are my girls enjoying some yummy food together! Each year since I can remember, my mom has had us write our blessings from the year that we are most thankful for on our fine tablecloth. We are on our second one! We do it in Sharpies so that it can be washed and saved year to year. It is so awesome to look back every year at what everyone was thankful for. It was neat to see what my girls wrote this year.

Anli's says "This is the best Thanksgiving ever in history. And it was because of family and food and a great cook!"
Virginia's says "That we got to eat together". What a great tradition! My mom is sooo Martha Stewart...prior prison sentence! Here are the kiddos! They had a blast playing together and we never even saw them most of the time because they were having such fun. The adults were far louder than the kids!

This is my sister Holly, me, and Leslie...the three girls!Clean up is my FAVORITE part of Thanksgiving...no really! We have another tradition that us girls (my sisters, cousin Peyton, and I) and Jay always clean up after the big dinner. We crank up the Christmas music in the kitchen and laugh so hard I usually cry! This year was no exception! We danced together, sang at the top of our lungs, impersonated Bing Crosby and maybe washed some dishes! It's my favorite time.No visit to Sassy and Pal's house would be complete without the animals. We got out the horses, donkey, miniature horse Noah (here with Anli) and the 8 dogs! All the kids love to run and play on the 11 acres that my parent's have...it's a dream come true there.There were lots of hugs and sleepy kids at the end of the day. This year was my grandmother's first Thanksgiving without my grandfather who went to be with Jesus last December. It was hard on us all, but we celebrated knowing what a feast he was having with the King of Kings this Thanksgiving. She and I are so close...I'm named for her. She is an amazing women of God...and I just adore her!

When we got home, on Sunday we did our traditional decorating of the trees at our apartment. This year we did something different. Since most of our ornaments, decoration, etc. were in storage and wouldn't fit into our apartment, we decided to do something I have wanted to do for years. We did a Chrismon Tree.

A Chrismon tree is tree decorated with the names of Christ all over them. The colors stay with gold, white and silver to represent the royalty and purity of Christ. The girls made the Chrismons the week before and they each made about 10 so that we could have them all over the tree.

To begin Advent this Sunday, each night leading up to Christmas we will take one of those names of Christ and read the verses about that name. It will help us to focus on the person of Christ whom this season is all about! It turned out amazing and will now be a part of our Christmas decorating from now on!

The finished product was gorgeous...you should see it at night when it sparkles from all the glitter and pearls! Most of all...we can't pass the tree without seeing a name of Jesus. It really keeps Him as the focal point of our whole house!

We did do a traditional tree with all the cute homemade and special ornaments in the girls room. We didn't want to leave off all those wonderful things the girls have made and the ones given to us by family and friends. So, we bought a smaller tree for the girls to decorate themselves to stay in their room. We had fun talking about the ornaments they made in years past.

We pray that your Thanksgiving and Christmas was and is focused on Jesus. Don't get bogged down in gift buying, decorating, and shopping so that you miss the glorious time of the year we celebrate the birth of our Savior. We are excited about the time of Advent that we will begin this Sunday in our home. Start a new Christ centered tradition this year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I won't be blogging much this week because we will be leaving to go to my parent's home in Alabama for Thanksgiving. We will be having such a blast...I don't think I'll have time to THINK about blogging. My girls have been counting down the minutes until we go to see everyone. We are such a close family that it is so exciting to be together for one of my most favorite holidays.

We get to enjoy being together, thanking the Lord, eating wonderful food, and NO PRESENTS to distract us!

But, today we are enjoying LOTS of cooking! We always have Thanksgiving with just the four of us a few days before we leave. Jay is crazy for my dressing...which is nice to have a family who loves my dressing as much as I love my mom's. It borders on insanity. He has been checking on the progress all day through email! It hasn't been cooked yet, but it's waiting patiently in the fridge for everything else to get ready...which is more than I can say for Jay!

It's something that we enjoy together making our own tradition. We eat Honey Baked Ham, dressing, green bean casserole, rice, blue berry muffins, homemade pumpkin pie, and rolls! Whew...

Today the girls have been busy helping me with the dressing, making place mats, head dresses (Anli's idea!) and hanging out while I cook to keep my company. All is quiet now...but in about 4 hours it will be go time to get everything ready at the same time! I love it! Have you noticed that I am CRAZY for my family? Well, I am...and the amazing merciful God who looked through the expanse of time and put us together. I am humbled!

We pray your Thanksgiving is amazing. Don't forget...WHO gets all the thanks in your life. God alone is the one who is worthy of our Thanksgiving! Enjoy time with family and friends...see you Monday!

More Tooth Drama!!

Well, as of right now...I can't think of a single thing that I consider a burden in my life...so I must forgo the Friday Top 10 List! God has been amazing every morning I can't even explain how He has met with me every day in such a sweet way. It is completely changing my daily life, thoughts, emotions, feelings, words, and actions! I had always had a wonderful time with God...but expanding that has really been a HUGE blessing.

So, I wanted to share more of the tooth drama that is going on in my house! You would think a skin surgery this week and a trip to the orthodontist would be enough doctors for one family. Well, obviously not!

A few days ago, Anli came running into the kitchen and couldn't talk. I could tell she was upset, but she couldn't say anything and tears were running down her cheek. Those of you who know Anli can attest to the fact that I can count the number of times I have seen her cry. She is so tough and doesn't cry when she gets hurt...I used to think she had some kind of problem...but come to find out she has a high threshold for pain!

Well, I was frantically trying to figure out what was wrong. There wasn't any blood...so I couldn't fathom what she was crying about. Well, when she was able to breathe she cried out "Pacey broke my teeth!" Well, as I peered into her little mouth...sure enough she had 4 chipped teeth! Now, we're not talking broken in half or anything, but painful still!

I got on the phone and called our dentist and they said to just come in the next morning. She went and they took x rays and so far they think she will be fine. But, she goes back in 3 weeks for a teeth vitality test to make sure they are still alive and thriving little teeth. The only thing he said he was worried about was if a blood vessel had trauma to it her teeth would discolor...oh no! We are so praying that doesn't happen to that sweet smile of hers!

Well, I'm sure you want to know how a 12 inch high dog could chip a kids teeth. Anli was bending down to pet him and he raised up to lick her face! So they collided! Anli was quite distraught.

Virginia has a huge gap in her teeth and a loose front one too! When she looses that one...she'll have quite a gap going on in front. They will close the gap at the end...but for now that is just proof that the expander is working!

We pray that you are deep in God's Word this week! Let is change you today...it's awesome! Have the best weekend and enjoy a little nip in the air to remind us of the holiday season approaching!

Let the races begin...

This weekend we had a great time entering and participating in the Awana Grand Prix along with out church. It was a regional thing as several other churches were involved and it was held at New Life Baptist Church just down the road from Noonday.

Jay and the girls spent 2 weeks designing the cars, building them, and the girls did the decortating together since I know nothing about cars! It was so much fun for the girls to have such a special experience with their daddy doing something really fun...and then to get to race them!

We were amazed at all the different kinds of cars that were entered in the Grand Prix. Many of these people have been doing it for years and are practically professionals as far as I am concerned. We were definately among the amateurs there and we didn't take home a trophy...but wow what a blast we had! The girls had so much fun I don't think they realized that it was a competition or race.

It was great to cheer on those from our church (Noonday had a full sweep in the "style" catagory!). It was just something fun to build unity and excitement. They shared the Gospel with everyone and it was a blast from the past for Jay when he used to make these cars with his dad.

We pray that your weekend was full of joy and excitement centered around God! He is amazing us every day and we wake up excited to share His story with everyone. Please keep us in your prayers as God is leading us into another apartment ministry here where we live! I was able to spend some wonderful time yesterday with 2 older ladies who are alone. Two are widows and one has been single her whole life. One of the precious women is a Christian. One of the other ladies told me that "you don't need to go to church to live a good life." I don't want to live a "good life"...I want to live an abundant life! That is what Jesus Christ offers and I want to run this race of life every day to win the prize...abundant life here on earth and in heaven!

Pray for us as we follow the Spirit's leading and join God in what He is doing! Here are some more photos from the Grand Prix...

Virginia checks her car in...they are very strict about the size and weight of the cars!

The kids have to position their own cars. It was a very cool track!

Virginia waits at the end for her car to come down the track...so exciting! They get three chances to race their cars.

Anli steps up to the track and positions her car!

Here comes her dinosaur racing to the finish line...go Anli!

We had so much fun and the girls won ribbons...for making and entering their cars. They were so excited to get that ribbon! What a blast!

Virginia Surgery Update!

Yesterday Virginia had her surgery to remove a juvenile melanoma on her back. She did amazing!!! We all went downtown together and Jay went back with Virginia Grace to have the procedure while Anli and I stayed in the waiting room (Jay has always insisted that he go back for all their doctor or urgent care situations...what a wonderful daddy they have!).

Within an hour or less she was coming back out to see us...without a tear! Jay said she was awesome and the doctor said that there hadn't been another child (except her own) that had ever done as well as Virginia Grace.

We know that all this is because of the great mercy and grace from our loving God. We also know that it is because of the prayers that were prayed on our behalf. We are so blessed to have gotten emails, calls, and more emails about her yesterday from so very many people. Thanks to those who not only prayed but encouraged us also. It is so precious to have others lifting us up.



Right now, she is doing well. She is a little sore, but that is to be expected for a few days. We wait about a week for the results to know whether they got it all or not. Please continue to pray that this will be her only procedure and that they are confident they got it all.



I will be posting later about the Grand Prix that we participated in with out church Awana group this Saturday. It was a blast!!

Virginia's Surgery

Please pray today for Virginia Grace as she undergoes her surgery to remove the juvenile melanoma on her back. I will be updating the blog tonight afterwards to let you know how it went. Thanks for your care and love for our family! We know you will be praying for us! Thank you...

Top 10 List!

Well today is Friday and it's time for another Top 10 List of JOY! Since we have been living in this apartment, our beagle Pacey has woken me up at 6am to walk and feed him. I didn't really mind too much because 6am is not too bad. But, when daylight savings time kicked in last week...that was a whole other issue! He has been waking up and whining at 5am for the past week.

I know what you are thinking...either just leave him and let him whine or punish him when he wakes you up! Well, don't think I haven't tried both, but when you live in a small apartment, everybody in the house hears him and I don't want my girls or husband to have to be awakened at 5am. And by the time I get up walk in there punish him...I'm frustrated and awake!

So, I took this to the Lord in prayer. You know what His sweet answer was to me? Well, go ahead and get up then spend some extra time with Me! Well, that gives 5am a whole other meaning...I can get excited about that...when I actually wake up. God took care of that part too...when you brave a cold, dark winter morning at 5am for 15 minutes walking a beagle running everywhere...trust me you are AWAKE!

It hasn't been all easy to keep that time with the Lord instead of just snuggling back into my warm bed, but it has been AMAZING! Here are the top 10 reasons why...

Top 10 Reasons I Have JOY In Getting Up at 5am:

10. My dog is quiet and content...did I say QUIET!
9. I get to see the sky full of stars and the moon is amazing.
8. I get dibs on my husband's beloved massage chair for my time with God (I have to be gone by the time he wants it for his time!!)
7. I get to enjoy a piping hot cup of hot tea waiting for me when I get back from walking Pacey in the freezing cold...I make it before I leave and it's perfect when I get back!
6. Adding praise music to my time...it has really made my time so rich.
5. Time to write and work on our Genesis project while everyone is asleep and I can focus.
4. I get to have time to visit with Jay while he gets ready for his day...we talk every day about our time with God.(what are we learning? What did we hear? What scripture meant something to us? What does your day look like now that you heard this?)
3. Now with two full hours with God...there has been time to expand into more specific prayer time(praying on the armor, praying for 1 Corinthians love, etc.) by praying God's Word.
2. Praising God as the sun rises every morning on my knees...I've not missed one unique sunrise this week!
1. Enjoying, treasuring, savoring, and lifting high the name of Jesus first thing!

Most of you (myself included before this week) would not think it was a source of JOY to be woken up at 5am by a dog. But, looking at what God had in store for me...I can't imagine NOT getting up at that time...I wouldn't want to miss out!

Am I ready for bed at 9:30pm...oh, yes! But, God has kept my energy up and He has been my source of JOY! Don't forget to look at your own life and see how God is giving you opportunities for JOY...trust me they are there. Many times, it is in the midst of something that you might never see as a blessing. So, keep your eyes open for JOY today.

Sabbath Reflections...

It seems like every where I turn God is stressing the importance of living life with urgency. I have been devouring books in the evenings and each of them has been resounding with the theme of viewing out lives as a vapor. In church we are talking about heaven...and the urgency to tell others about Christ's gift of eternal life to those who would believe. Urgency is a reoccurring theme in my life right now.

But, it matters what you urgent about in life. Most of us live a life of urgency...but it's urgent about things that don't last. We urgently seek promotions at work for more money we can't do a thing with when we die. We urgently seek power and respect in positions that won't last longer than the people who fill them. We urgently seek love from humans who can't ever truly love us the way we were created to be loved. We urgently seek approval from flawed humans just as messed up as we are. We urgently give our children things that won't last. We are urgent, all right, but many times about things that just won't be around when we take our final breath.

I am dying...so are you. Each moment we are not becoming younger and more alive...each moment our bodies are wasting away. You are dying...it's a fact. Whether you have a minute, dying from a sudden heart attack...or several more decades, you are still going to die. Where will you go...what will happen when you take that last breath? Do you know?

I do! I will be in a place with God that lasts forever! It's called heaven...and it's real. Because I have become a slave to Jesus Christ in this life, I want to be urgent about what is eternal. That will be around after I am long gone from this earth. Devoting our lives to Jesus and accepting His gift of life eternal is what will last. We are investing in something eternal with our lives...it's either eternal with God or eternal in hell.

God has convicted me that though I am a Christian and my eternal dwelling is secured...I am not living devoted and enslaved to things that will last. It is a challenge because our world and the lies of Satan tell us that we have to live it up in this life and get all we can before we die. But why? If you can't take it with you...if it doesn't last...why in the WORLD would we chase after it with the few years we have here? I want to spend my entire life on this earth chasing after the prize! The real deal...the Word of God and the souls of men.

James, in the Bible, tells us this:

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

I am praying for a life of urgency...one that is desperate to know God to the fullest, be conformed to Christ daily, be bound as a slave to the Spirit's leading, to immerse myself in His Word, and overflow from those things onto the people around me so that they may see the joy of loving Christ in my life. They would see what is of value in this life...Christ!

Today I pray that you will join me in the journey of faith. That we will live every moment asking God to redeem our time, our relationships, our conversations, our free time, our thoughts, our love, our families, our being. I want to be a slave...with no identity of my own...but only glory to my master. Only then we any of us really understand true freedom that lasts!

Homecoming Fun!

This weekend we headed to Auburn, Alabama for Homecoming. Jay and I graduated from Auburn over 10 years ago...lots has changed down there on the plains! We took the girls and we had so much fun there! We have been taking the girls to homecoming for the past 5 years, because it is filled with floats, face painting, cheerleaders, and families. It is also a game that Jay doesn't mind leaving after halftime if the girls are ready to leave.

We started the day by getting our face painted outside Anders bookstore! We love to get our game faces on...we got the traditional AU to support our team.

Then we headed over to Tiger Walk. This is a time about 2 hours before the game when the coaches and players make their way from the bus to the stadium. The band plays and we all cheer for our team in order to get them and us fired up for the game. The girls were on our shoulders and enjoyed seeing the cheerleaders and the players march...and they LOVED the band!

This year we met some friends to tailgate and eat some wonderful lunch together...yummy! It was fun to have time to hang out with friends and enjoy the amazing weather. After lunch we headed over the stadium and watched the eagle fly, saw the Air Force fly over, enjoyed the band and the cheerleaders...and even learned a little about football. Virginia was very interested in the basics of football. She really got it! Jay was thrilled! Anli was a little more like her momma and was more interested in the halftime show.

We even got to see Aubie up close and personal...a first for me! He was riding in a golf cart that stopped right in front of us as we were headed to our seats. He looked so cute in the back of the cart waving at all the kids. The girls loved getting to see him up close...I did too...he's soo cute! Go Aubie!

After the halftime show we headed to a local park called Felton Little where we met some of our best buddies from college and their little boy Nathan. They all had a blast getting to run around and play in the amazing fall weather. Though Meredith and Nathan had a little trouble on the slide...well at least Meredith did!

We had a great weekend with lots of friends and some wonderful Auburn football! Next week marks a big game for us...it's Auburn vs. Georgia! Being an Auburn fan living in Georgia...it makes for an interesting day! I pray that your weekend was just as wonderful. I'll be posting my Sabbath reflections tomorrow...it was a great Sabbath!Daddy and his girls in front of the stadium!Picnic time with friends...thanks for the chicken salad Jen...yummy!
Headed to the game...go Tigers!

This was the "wave" that went around the stadium 5 times! It was really amazing!

It's hard to see, but the eagle is landing in the middle of the field...awesome!

The girls and our friend Nathan...so cute!

Virginia and mom enjoy Tiger Walk together!

The girls enjoy some funnel cake and football!

Daddy and Virginia talk football.

Virginia gets into the football craze!

Reformation Day!

Well, we had an amazing time together on Reformation Day (October 31st!). The girls and I took all our Harvest Seed packets(little packs of candy corn with evangelistic scriptures on them) and delivered them to over 250 residents! Outside our doors we have clips for announcements and other things so the girls and I clipped those little bags outside their doors for when they got home.

We took all of them and Anli took time to pray over these scriptures that people would know more about Jesus! It was absolutely precious to see them really begin to understand how important it is to live for things that last! That is now a slogan in our house...do what will last! It's also a quick way to remind each other to focus our time on what will last.

I am reading a book called "The Journey Home: finishing with joy" by Bill Bright, former leader of Campus Crusade for Christ and maker of the Jesus film. This book was written when he was given his death sentence of pulmonary fibrosis. It is perhaps one of the most powerfully convicting books I have read to date.

God has been doing a major overhaul on my life! I waste so much time on things that just won't last. I took inventory the other day and I found out just how much time I pour into details that won't last...they are fleeting. But, eternity...that lasts forever! That is simple, but God really wants that into my head and my families daily life. It is my litmus test for the things I am involved in. Will it last?

If I was given the blessing of knowing I would only have 6 months to live (many never get that kind of warning) by a doctor...would I live each moment of every day until I died differently? Sadly, my answer was yes. What about you? I want to live today with urgency. I want to love my Lord now as passionately, completely, urgently as I would if given only months to live. I want to spend time loving my family as desperately as I would if I wouldn't be here tomorrow. I want "to make the most of every opportunity"(Colossians 4:5) to share the eternal life giving Gospel of Jesus Christ with those all around me.

It requires love...like 1 Corinthians 13 describes. This urgency is a gift from God's heart...because in my own self I want to make my life more comfortable, fun, memorable, easy, and about me! But, Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him. Jesus was urgent! He made the most of every minute...doing the work of His Father. He started early and was up late becoming a drink offering to be poured out for those who were going to hell every minute.

Take time today to look at your life. Are you urgently pursuing the things that will last? The truth is...you may die today. You might die tonight. You may die instantly and never have time to do all those things you said you'd get to. What will your life be about...what is your inheritance that you leave to your family, community, nation, and world? Will what you put your time into every day...last? If not, let's join to seek first God's kingdom and let all those other things be added to our list. Begin today! It's humbling and amazing...