I'm thankful...

that I have friends. Can you imagine life without friends to share fun times with? Can you imagine not being able to confide in someone when God really works in your life? I'm blessed to have MANY GOOD friends who accept me for who I am and don't hold it against me! You know, Christ is like that also. He knows me even better than I know myself and yet there are times I don't include Him in the most critical decisions of life. My prayer is that I learn to confide in Him regarding the deepest longings of my soul and even the small inconspicuous notions that seem so insignificant to me. "Cast ALL your cares upon Him, for He cares for you." 1Peter 5:7....HE MEANS ALL OF THEM....nite nite....

The 30 Day Thanksgiving Challenge...

I accept....albeit late...but I accept. I'll list 2 extra things tonight that I'm thankful for to make up for starting late.

I'm thankful that God sometimes says "No". Crazy? No....absolute peace! He sometimes says no to protect us. He sometimes says no to teach us. He sometimes says no to bless us. How many times has He said "No" and I whined like my 4 year old? Too many, I'm sure. However, sometimes He says "Yes".

I'm truly thankful for my husband. A true Man of God who loves me without a doubt. I know I drive him crazy, yet he still loves me. Do I really understand this idea of marriage? Not fully. I do know that it's worth every effort to make it paradise. I'm beginning to experience that..paradise...you know that's exactly what God intended for it to be......it's AWESOME!

I'm thankful for my new church family. How awesome to see God's hand working in such mighty ways. The days ahead are full of possibility. I can't wait to see how He works!

This time of year brings us all closer to home in one way or another...either in the physical sense of traveling to be at home with family or in the emotional sense of remembering those who love us and those we love. I'm missing my sister these days. I can't help but think about what her life would be like if God had chosen not to take her 13 years ago. I eagerly await our reunion. She has met several acquaintances of mine in the past few months...I'm sure they are trading stories! How wonderful to know that one day I'll say, "I've missed you"...and never again say..."Goodbye"! Live like there's no tomorrow...give Christ His proper place today!

Many Thanks...

With so much traveling lately, I've not been able to keep up with everyone in blogland. After taking a few minutes to catch up, I realized that I had been granted the Super Scribbler Award by KStorm! How neat! Here are the rules .....

every superior scribbler will name 5 other super scribblers. if you are named
you must link to the author & the name of the blog that gave you the award.
then you must display the adorable award and link to this
post, which explains the award. finally you must visit this
post and tell your name to mr. linky list. then they will have a record of
all the people who are super scribblers!

I'm still not real sure what it means but I'm thinking that I must be some sort of pesky typist who sits at a computer all day conjuring up things to write about. Not really, it's nice to be recognized and yes, If I can stay put for longer than 3 days at the time, I'd be much better at this bloggin' thing. So, here goes my list of five super scribblers...

Barbie's Forecasts and Faith - I enjoy her spiritual insight..and while we lived in Central MS, I LOVED watching her on TV. She seems super sweet although I've never met her in person. I hope one day to maybe have her speak at a Women's Event at the church where my husband is pastor.

North Georgia Peaches - My BFF is adjusting to living out of state from her parents and is doing well. It seems like we stay better in touch now that we are 5 hours away from each other than we did when we lived in the same town! I love catching up with her and MK! Such a sweet little girl with her Daddy's funny faces. I miss her terribly!

Our Adoption Road - This family traveled with us to China when we adopted our daughter. They are only 10 days away from hopping on a plane again to pick up their second daughter! This Soon to be Mother of Two is a hero of mine. She is a navy wife and loves it! I can't imagine how many times she's packed and unpacked her belongings. She is a gifted writer and I only wish I could write as well as she writes.

Cox's Comments - A great Mom and wife.....she loves her kids and loves her hubby. What more could you ask for? I'm sure she's never met a stranger and from experience I know she is super at making people feel at home. I'd give her a perfect 10 on being a great friend! Thanks awc!

Our Family - Another super busy mom of 3....I've known her for about 4 years but didn't get to really know her until 2 years ago. This gal is the real deal. Always wearing a smile and always thankful for the blessings God has given her...and what blessings He has bestowed. I hope she knows how much I admire her.

OK. There you go...I've not been rambling around on the web lately so I haven't been noticing any new blogs. I'm planning to catch up on that too here in a couple of weeks. Later...

Home at Last!

It seems we've been around the world and back again these past few weeks. Finally, we are at home for a week to recouperate and be "normal". I love to travel but I've suddenly realized that I'm not as young as I used to be. My body was physically tired after this weekend. I'm not sure how to describe it but I felt like I had run a marathon and finished DEAD last!

I posted a few updated photos of my girls just so everyone can see how much they've grown. I'm totally amazed at how much SC is learning. She now attempts to say "Thank You" although it comes out sounding like "tay too"...anyway, I'm impressed. She LOVES for her sister to chase her around the house...which is dangerous I know but I just love to hear her giggle as SJ finally grabs her. I had forgotten how much I love this age until SC began to walk and is now exploring on her own. She calls for her Daddy very regularly and waves bye bye to the potty when Sissy goes to use the bathroom..I had totally forgotten about those sweet little gestures!

SJ went to ballet today and had a chance to take a peek at the costumes for the Ballet Memphis production of Firebird and The Nutcracker. She really liked the rooster costume and of course the Sugar Plum Fairy tutu was beautiful. I was amazed at the sewing room where all those costumes were made. Unbelievelable...fabric everywhere and spools of thread in every color imagineable. I'm excited about taking her to see both of these productions.

I'm tired tonight...SC was up for, well, most of the night last night...not sure why...just really glad she's already in bed and sleeping soundly tonight. Tomorrow the girls will be at school and I'll be reclaiming my house! Hope everyone is well...Nite!

Busy, Busy, Busy,

Life is busy! We've been on the go for the past few weeks and it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon. Bear with us as we fly the next few weeks and I promise it will slow down. It's that time of year when the leaves fall and football games rule the tube. I love this time of year! If you've not taken the opportunity to just sit outside and enjoy this weather, I'd suggest you make it a priority in the coming days. Pretty soon it will be really cold and dreary and you'll have missed a great time of relaxation.

I just returned from a trip to the beach with some girlfriends and let me say I had a BLAST! They are so special to me. I hope they realize how much I miss them and loved being in their company. Cliff asked me what I enjoyed most about the trip and all I could honestly say was, "I loved just being with them". Enough said!

While I was making memories with old friends, the girls were making memories with their Nai Nai and Yei Yei. THEY ARE SPOILED! I love watching them play and interact with their grandparents. They have such a great time when the girls are around. Thanks Mom and Dad for taking care of them for me and for being such great "playmates" with your girls. They love you and can't wait to see you in 2 weeks.

While the girls were off playing, CDP was at home alone. He ate cereal, tuna fish, watched Nascar and read papers in preparation for his seminar this weekend. I'm sure he'd tell you he had a great time. Although, I think he missed us????

This weekend finds us in Birmingham at a seminar for CDP's Doctoral Program. Next weekend we will visit with friends and then off to the MS Baptist Convention in Jackson Sunday evening. After that we should slow down for a little while.

The girls are growing up so fast and all I can say is that I'm trying to enjoy each and every minute I have with them. SC is now walking up a storm and SJ is learning so much. They amaze me at how well they get along right now. I'm sure that won't last forever...however, I'm hopeful!

God has blessed our family and I'm more and more aware of His perfect plan each and every day. Thanks for reading and I'll share more soon....

Still Alive...

Yes, we are still alive but it's been a busy couple of weeks. Our calendar is filled and has been filled with short trips out of town for the past month and next 2 months and it's been really hard to stop and blog between packing, unpacking, washing, and packing again. Anyway, we are home for a couple of days this week but off again to visit Nai Nai and Yei Yei on Thursday. I'll be spending some leisure time with some old friends and just relaxing on the beach this weekend and CDP will be at home to watch as much NASCAR as he can stomach. He's looking forward to it and so am I. Our girls will be vacationing with my folks and they are SOOOO excited.
I must say I've learned a lot during these past few weeks and God has really been showing me new mercies very frequently. I'm constantly amazed at how wonderful it is to come to understand His word and have the Holy Spirit reveal the deep things of God. I'm just completed reading a book entitled, "Our Secret Paradise" by Jimmy Evans. The book reveals 7 basic principals of marriage and that God designed Marriage to be PARADISE. If your marriage is NOT paradise, it's not because that is not possible. It has everything to do with your own will and the will of your spouse. I encourage every married couple to read this book. It is not lengthy and is a very easy read. I have been challenged in my marriage and I'm determined to make mine...PARADISE. Afterall, that's what God intended for it to be!

On top of reading that book, CDP and I along with some good friends went to see FIREPROOF on Saturday night. WORTH EVERY PENNY! Don't delay....get a sitter and go...NOW! Don't put it off until it's out on DVD...make a statement to Hollywood that this is what entertainment is all about. CDP said it was the "most meaningful movie he has ever seen". I would have to agree. So real and yet so full of truth. I'm sure there will be marriages saved because of this movie. God is truly glorified thru it all!

Well, SC is now.....WALKING! WOO HOO or UH OH! Not sure yet....She still takes a tumble every now and again but for the most part she is walking everywhere. This event makes me very, Very, VERY, sad. I feel like I'm losing my baby. We are about to get her 1 year portrait taken and I just can't believe she had grown up so fast. I know everyone says that but man, it's so true!

SJ is such a fabulous big sister! She is so helpful and mostly gentle with SC. I am truly amazed at how much she understands! Her vocabulary is huge! She pretty much can write all of her letters...except maybe for G and R. She knows all of her sounds and we've even started spelling short words. Since I've never raised a child before, I have no point of reference. But, I'm constantly amazed at how fast she learns and how much she remembers! She caught me off guard the other night by asking me if she could marry one of her best friends from church! And, she's even begun to ask questions about Jesus on the cross and what "sin" is and why Jesus had to die and how did He rise from the dead! She asked me last night if she would hear Jesus knocking on her heart? Hallelujah! I've realized lately that I need Jesus now more than ever to help me say the right things that will help her understand His plan for her life. Needless to say, my prayer life has been kicked up a notch!

I apologize for rambling. I'm having the time of my life with my girls and loving my Husband. God has blessed me so! How could I ever repay Him?

Nite Nite!