Behind as usual :)

Hello everyone :) I trust the holiday season was good to everyone and you all had wonderful memories made that you will cherish the rest of your days! I thought it was time I posted something...I have all but reached the conclusion that I won't be able to post regular updates or things of much substance, I guess I'm just not the blogging superwoman I would like to be :) Oh well. There are other things in life I could be really successful at, I supposed, haha. But I will at least try to be better about keeping up with everyone.

There have been a few things going on around here since the last time I posted in November...wow, has it truly been that long ago?? I guess it has, but is surely doesn't feel as if it should be! Thanksgiving was blessed, Christmas was joyful, and New Year's was...trying. I have alot of clutter in my home as well as my heart that needs to be cleaned out. That is one of my New Year goals (resolution is such a dirty word, lol), to straighten up my heart, my priorities, refocus on the goals that I hoped for at the beginning of last year and to truly remove things that had crept up to a place that only God should have dominion in. I have allowed myself to become such a silly woman in many ways, and it should not be. I have begun a list of books that other godly (or by all appearances they are) women have read and recommend as edifying literature. There is work to be done and I am tired of wasting my life following things that will not matter in the end.

I have so much to sort out, so much to pray about, and maybe to just let go of. There are things I don't understand, things I don't know what to do with, things I just want to throw my hand up and say "I give up" over. And yet, I feel a great desire to pursue them. I will most likely be sharing more about these things that weigh heavy on my heart through this blog, because this is my journal ( I never could keep up a proper schedule when I put it on paper either). So much I do not understand, and yet what I do understand is that God loves me. The Creator of the universe and all in it cares for me. And I have to believe that these things, these good things, that I long for incredibly have to be there because HE put them there. And if He did, why would He not allow me to realize these desires? So, I do believe I will get to experience at least some of these aspirations. I just do not know when. Patience...boy do I need it!

I have been focusing more on my class. It appears that when I take the time and apply myself that I do very well with it. Huh...imagine that ;) I have been incredibly lazy with it and that is a big regret. And part of me wonders if, because of my laziness with this, that hasn't put a hold on better things? Well, it's time for me to put on my big girl breeches and keep my promises. And, if things go as planned (which I am not really holding my breath about...apprehensive hope, if you will) I will finish this course. And if things go as planned, I will be working from home, which is the dream I had when this class began. And if things go as planned, I will be able to help pay down most of our debt (another big dream for me) and lighten this dark cloud that tries to rain on us from time to time. However, whatever happens, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jehovah Jireh WILL provide our NEEDS, because He has always been faithful.

I am trying to pay more attention to my physical health. I have been gluttonous in my behavior over the past few months-more so than before-and I think it has finally started taking an obvious toll on my well-being. I haven't felt well for time now. I've been sluggish, my complexion hasn't been very good, and I have put on a few more pounds. Not good. Now, I do not believe anyone ought to put too much emphasis on any one thing, or we risk making it an idol. But this is something that needs to be fixed, especially if I intend on being active. Bad health is not an asset. And, should the Lord ever bless us with children, I want to be able to keep up with them! I keep reminding myself that healthy does not always equal thin, and thinness does not always equal health. My husband's doctor recommended some time ago that he try the SouthBeach diet to help get the weight and some cholesterol numbers a little lower and my hubby did very well with it, so we are taking another swing at it. I am praying I don't have a carb-deprivation induced meltdown this time...I didn't even make it 2 weeks last time we tried it!

One last paragraph :) We have a couple of little additions! Well, they aren't so little anymore. Back in August we took in a couple of black furballs, two kittens who were being used as tossing-toys by some mean children. I have lots of pictures to share...they will likely have their own post :) They're very sweet most of the time and I know you're going to love them! I guess I've rambled on for long enough now. I'll try not to stay away too long. Have a great weekend everyone!!

November 23rd

FOR TODAY... from Amy's Daybook

Outside my window... it's a typical late November day; kinda gray with a few leaves still holding onto to their branches.

I'm thinking...this is going to be a crazy week...

I am thankful for...dear family friends who are blessing us with venison...I do love venison :)

I am wearing...my pajamas still. Migraines have a way of doing that...

I am remembering...Thanksgivings of years gone by

I am going...to the Mennonite store in a little while, hopefully to find the remaining candies I need to make my little turkeys.

I am reading... nothing in particular at the moment, but I have some things coming up...maybe a new year's resolution?

I am hoping... I don't forget to make some bread and the pies later this week...

On my mind...Oh, wow...my mind is almost like a briar patch of thoughts anymore...all scattered yet tangled together.

From the learning rooms...still working on my online studies. They have changed the learning materials platform so hopefully things go smoother.

Noticing that...where do I start? Should I really get on a soapbox today? Okay, here's a simple one...apparently my migraine is not completely gone...

Pondering these words...<<>

From the kitchen...hopefully some tiny turkeys, some bread, lunch of some kind...I've got a rumbly in my tumbly!

Around the house...things are looking very, um, un-seasonal?lol I need to fix that!

One of my favorite things~Thanksgiving :) The family, the food, the time to just slow down and be with folks you love. Priceless

From my picture journal...

A picture from last year's autumn, but it still resembles our yard this year :) I'm a simple kinda gal, really :)

Well...

...I figured it was time to crawl out from under my rock and post something. Anything. So, what better to share on my own little piece of blog-o-sphere than a rant. It seems that's what I'm good at lately. Ranting. Unloading. Whether out loud or in my own mind. And maybe I can get some answers. Maybe, just maybe, someone else has gone through this and can share some insight.



Television. I have a hate/only-kind-of-hate relationship with it. I'm talking about entertainment-wise. I completely understand and agree that it can be an excellent tool and aide. I enjoy watching movies from time to time. But what I care to see anymore is few and far between. See, I don't know what you would call it? Conversion? Heart change? Regeneration? Conviction? But most days I want to pull my hair out and scream like a crazy woman. Sex. Violence. Blasphemy. Sex. Lies. Abominations. Sex. Gimmegimmegimmegimmegimme (especially on Saturday mornings...yes, sometimes I have to watch cartoons...nearly 30 years old and still can't get away from it) I feel like a raving lunatic!

Portraying intimacy on the screen has always made me highly uncomfortable...it wouldn't matter to me if the actors were married in real life or not, or if they were fully clothed like Amish people, just the insinuation of an intimate act between two people has made me squirmy for as long as I can remember. Even when I was living an immoral life with no real regard for Christ, I just did not care to see it whatsoever. Even when I was cheapening myself with things of the world, I have always thought it cheapened the act that I knew (though rebelled severely against) ought to be between just one man and one woman. Now, ever since giving that past up to Christ a couple of years ago, it's almost as if it flips a switch when the tone of a program begins to shift to seduction. Skimpy clothing (on men and women) does it to me as well. I don't understand it. I can't say that I have felt this passionately about it before I wandered away from the Lord, but boy, oh boy, it's there now! But obviously I'm the only person it offends.

I don't know what to do, how to handle it. I feel like a mother scolding their child and I'm just tired of repeating myself. It exasperates me that this disgusts only me. And if it does bother anyone else, it isn't so ugly that anything is done about it. The entertainment is more important than godliness. It just makes me cry tears of anguish and sorrow. WHY DOES THIS NOT GRIP ANY HEART BUT MINE!? I want to shake people and ask "WHAT PART OF HOLY DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND??" I am not perfect. God is still working on me and I am still resistant at times. I am a feeble, weak woman apart from God's mercy and love, but as someone who used to think nothing of dancing on bars in drunken debauchery and going home with men I barely knew and for God to do this change in my heart, WHAT is it going to take??? I certainly do not believe people have to go down the dark roads to appreciate or want to seek the road of Life.

And it's not just television. Magazines. Computer games. Comic books. Sometimes (more jokingly than anything) I can't help but wonder why I had not been created a man. Then, I could really preach, lol! I can only pray for God to do a work in the hearts of those who are supposed to be the leaders in the home, because I cannot do it. It is not my place to be the spiritual leader in the home, and I am trying hard to not usurp the authority that is not given to me. I wonder though...would this be considered crossing the line? Could I really post this "prayer" on the telly and get away with it?lol I could go sit in another room when these programs come one, and I would be in a room all alone most of the time. I just don't know anymore. I'm about ready to throw my hands up and just sit in the bedroom all by myself. Rant over. For now.

Still Kicking!

I'm still alive, though I'm sure it appears that I have kicked the bucket in the blog world. I'm not really that regular of a poster here anyway, but realize that it is very impolite to go a whole month or so without so much as a peep, and in the middle of a testimony, no less!! So, while this is not a continuance of my (His) story, I did want to share a little bit with you of what has been going on around here in the past few weeks.



There have been a couple of weddings in the church that we have been able to witness as Jamie ran the soundboard. They were very lovely and we wish the couples nothing but joy and love for many years to come. This weekend we will attend another wedding, however this one will be especially special because my cousin is the bride! She asked me and I am honored to be able to sing during the ceremony; she requested Butterfly Kisses, so I may need extra prayer to make it though without breaking down :) I have been practicing it at home and have almost mastered imagining her and my uncle without tearing up.

On the garden side of things, everything is green! I love this part of summer, things are so full of life and it seems to happen so quickly that it almost takes me by surprise! I had beans, but not enough at one time to can. They have all but disappeared under the squash now. The okra is starting to come in and we have enjoyed an evening of fried okra. I really enjoy eating it raw as well which is something I had never tried before. We also now have lots of plum jam to enjoy on toast in the morning! My first canning project turned out to be quite yummy. It looks like my next project will be tomatoes, as our Roma and Brandywine plants are becoming weighed down with lots of green beauties. I may not have much to put up this year, but I sure am learning some great lessons, LOL.

My feathered babies are about to experience so major adjusments! Just yesterday I was let in on a major gift that was going to bless somebody greatly! A while back my DH let me purchase what I have been calling our chicken "condo". Compared to the little shack I rigged up with the spare materials and few new pieces we had around here, this is going to feel like a 5-star luxury! At least, it had better... *stern look in the general direction of said feathered babies*...the new accomadations count as sort of a birthday/anniversary deal, lol. This was back in May. So, ever since then, after adding a coat or two of protective paint, the poor chicken condo has been sitting empty; I haven't been able to purchase the fencing materials needed to enclose the area because they are just too expensive at this time. However, I knew something would have to be done soon because the scrap luann paneling I used to build the "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" of a chicken house is starting to come apart. Yesterday at church I learned about a brother there who was looking to drastically down-size. He wants to get rid of ALL his chickens, housing, materials, feed. PRAISE GOD!!! That's all I can say!!

So, hopefully in a few days, we will be relocating 13 birds and their housing. God does care about the desires of His children.

Well, I think that's about all I have for now. Oh, and maybe a few pictures :)

The chicken coop as it stands now, before moving it here

This is my story, This is my song, Part I

I have been contemplating doing this for some time now. I have read the testimonies from others in the blogosphere, I have cried tears of joy for their victories in Christ, tears of understanding for the pains of others, tears of anguish for others who have been taken advantage of. I figured it was time I shared my story, because it just might help someone else out there. There is nothing I can do for anyone, but God has done some mighty things in my heart and my life and I know lives can be changed when HE works through His people who are willing to let Him. So, I'm going to attempt to begin at the beginning, or as far back as I can remember. You may want to go get some coffee or a beverage of your choice as this may take a while :)

A word of warning: I used to live in a very dark place and I am going to try to share some of that with whoever will read this. It isn't pretty and some of it could be quite blunt and will deal with a few issues that are of a sexual nature.

I am going to start around the age 5. I have memories from before that, but I will start here because I think this was probably a big factor that shaped my future. I love my family. They have been such a huge factor, outside of my own parents' relationship, in the way I see things. Having the family God gave me, I believe, has given me a strong sense of family. I have so many wonderful memories. But they are not what I would now call a very godly people. I do think they love God, but not enough to respect His name or His day. My precious grandmother was the one who took the children to church; my grandfather had some bad experiences with pastors a long time ago and will not attend because of them. So the discipling was mostly left to my grandmother. They had six sons, my father being the third-born. Well, for whatever reason, attending church was not something my father deemed very important, and to make a long story short, unless it was by my grandmother, and then only when she was warning us about where being bad would get us, was there much talk about God. We were basically being raised like secularists. And it should come as no surprise that if the holy name of our Creator isn't held as sacred, then not much else is. Movie-time would often include times to "cover our eyes" so we wouldn't see the intimate scenes, but that would do nothing for our ears. And there are scenes that have been burnt into my memory between my parents that were humiliating for me to walk in on wherever they decided to "partake" of each other. There were no lessons on how to react properly. So, essentially, aside from the embarrassment I felt during movie time, there were no real factors for me to know what was right or wrong. Children are lost sinners like anyone else, the nature at a young age is still sin nature.

This lack of Christian leadership would lead to many years of struggling within myself, my heart, and years of "make-believing" church. My first "interaction" came when I graduated kindergarten. I remember my uncles had killed a hog (that's when you know it was a big event in the south) and my grandfather's business at the time specialized in buidling farm equipment. I remember there were large metal tubes in the area. This is where I make a plea. Mothers, parents, if you are raising your children to be pure, if you want to spare them from horrible encounters, I beg you, PLEASE know what your kids are doing at all times. Especially if the other children are not being raised in a godly environment. It was in one of these big tubes I had my first "encounter" with anothe very young person. I think the saddest part was that this person was not much older than I was. I don't know how or where or who they learned this behavior from, and because they have passed away, I never will without bringing some horrible things out from others that I have no gaurantee would make any difference. I don't beleive children just pull these things out of the blue, but that they would have learned this from someone else, and that whoever got the whole thing started will have to answer for it eventually. So I don't pursue the answers. I don't need to anymore. Vengeance will be the Lord's and His alone. This experience stirred up unnatural desires. For the rest of my childhood and into my adulthood I would struggle with bisexual tendencies. Now, lest I scare anyone who might have any doubts about their safety around me: I never was one who could just look at anyone any "feel" things about them, of either gender. For whatever reasons, I have never been a visual person in the sense of lusting, it would always have to be a combination of things...later on that combination would more often than not include alcohol or pot. I do, however, feel the pain that men feel when a sister-in-Christ thinks it is just fine to wear clothes that a Christian woman has no business wearing.

I guess I should count that as a sort of difficult blessing, that I feel sort of like an insider to how a man's mind might work and how hard it can be for them to not feel anger towards a woman who would have no more love for their brothers than they do. And in the house of God! That is a soap-box I could stand on for a long time. If you had known me more than a couple of years ago, I would have been preaching, desperately beseeching to myself. I guess I should back up. See, I was "saved" at a young age...I would say around 4th grade or so. As a result of VBS and wanting to please my grandmother whom I looked up to very much, I walked the aisle and was plunged beneath the water. I cannot say that I was truly saved, because my driving need to please my grandmother overtakes any other memories about that day. There was no discipleship that I can recall. This false salvation, as I see it, led to lip service but no real change. I still had the unhealthy relationship with my "sexual" self, as some would call it. I was still shoplifting and occasionally stealing from family members. I still had the hateful thoughts. There was no rebirth; I was unregenerate. There was no hate of all things worldly and unholy and sinful. There was no disgust or shame. I knew these things were wrong because I was going to church and had a Bible, but I felt no real conviction.

So, what happens when you are unregenerate but don't even know it because noone has ever explained it to you? You continue to sin without real conviction. And every now and then, you hear a message or go to a young christian get-together with christian bands and speakers and classes and "get emotion", or as it may have been, a real call to salvation and you rededicate your life. Over and over and over again. I have thought before that perhaps the Holy Spirit had really been calling me to salvation those times before and I even had a re-baptism. You could say I am a double-dipped Baptist. But then I think, no. I'm pretty certain that when the Holy Spirit speaks, you know.

Well, I need to get dressed. Here it is 1 in the afternoon and I am still in my pajamas and I am hoping we can do some organizing here around the house. That requires a trip to Lowe's to see their ogranizer section. And that requires me to not be looking like I look right now :) I will continue my testimony soon, I hope. I apologize as well, I am not the best writer out there and I tend to run-on alot and rambling isn't always easy to read. So bear with me and hopefully I will finish this before Christmas :) I hope this hasn't scared anyone off, I hope God can use this. I know He can and whatever comes out of it will be for His purposes, as scary as it may be to put all this out there.

Until next time...

Honest Scrap

My dear bloggie sister over at Evening Shade Morning Latte has shared her cute little FYI award with me! This is such a fun little activity, I'm glad to be a part of it and that she thought enough of me to want to know more about me (y'know, aside from my crazy lady-on-the-hill rants I tend to have :] ). So, here we go!

The terms, should you choose to accept:

1. Thank the person who gave it to you: THANK YOU ESML!! :)
2. List 10 honest things about yourself: I am not going to promise this won't get messy...
3. Put the honest scrap logo on your blog.
4. Thank 7 other bloggers you think deserve this award: I am going to pick a few, but please feel free to join in if you'd like!

Ten things about me you may or may not want to know ;)

1. I am a military brat; my father was a Staff Seargant before he left the USAF
2. Because of my military brattiness I have lived in 5 U.S. states (Mississippi, Tennessee, Delaware, Indiana, and Texas) and have very fond but very few memories of living overseas in Germany.
3. I know a little bit of self-taught guitar, and my senior graduation was a Takamini Jasmine acoustic guitar (not every kid needs a new car!)
4. I used to wish I was Dr. Dolittle (the old Disney version)
   
5. I still have dreams of being like Dr. Dolittle, with a complete menagerie :)
6. I despise going to movie theatres, even if it is something I really want to see...which hasn't happened in a long time.
7. When I was a "make-believer in Christ" I dabbled in Wicca, had a fascination with all things occult, played with adultery, and was a near-chain smoker and alcoholic. And that ain't all of it! SEE WHAT GOD CAN FREE YOU FROM!!?
8. I like being a little bit dorky...
9. I have a serious aversion to hearing people blow their noses or "hark things up" anywhere near me when I am eating. I have (rather loudly and rudely) told people to leave if they were going to regurgitate their lungs while I was eating.
10. I love the smell of machinery oil and wood and even animals; it reminds me of my grandparent's home and Papaw's shop.

Now, since I have aired out some of my dirty laundry, I get to pass on the honor! No, you don't have to get personal if you prefer, but I figured my #7 was a victory to share! Please do not feel obligated to do this but if you want to join in, go for it!!

EDIT: I had chosen a few ladies to pass this on to, but after reading another post almost immediately after publishing this first, I have decided to come back and make a change. I am not going to single out a few blogs, for two reasons: 1. I don't want anyone to feel obligated to pass this on, I know life is busy and most of my sisters here are mothers who get little time to themselves and probably don't want to spend their free time doing something to keep from hurting anyone else's feelings. 2. I personally feel bad for just picking out a few and want to save others any grief.

Enjoy!!

Forgiveness and Love

“A certain immoral woman heard Jesus was there and brought a beautiful jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.” Luke 7:37,38

She washed Christ’s feet with the tears of grateful love. Jesus had pardoned all her sins, had absolved her from their guilt, and had released her from their power. How natural was the feeling of gratitude, how appropriate this service of love!

The most genuine contrition for sin flows from a sense of its forgiveness. Nothing breaks the heart so thoroughly as the experience of God’s pardoning love, love flowing from a sight of the cross!

Octavius Winslow from “The Disciple Washing Christ’s Feet”

I read this today and cried. "Would He devote that sacred head, For such a worm as I?" I was that immoral woman who could only weep at His holy feet. I was that woman He helped up from the dusty ground despite the Pharisees' stone-clenching hands. I was that woman. I am now that woman who still weeps, because it is so far from my feeble mind's ability to grasp this thing He has done, and continues to do, for me and in me. Thank you, Jesus.

"Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears;
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away-
'Tis all that I can do!"

Where there's a will, there's a way...

Dear Friends, I would like you to "meet" Papaw.

PRAISE REPORT!!

GOD is good!!

I realize I haven't been around lately, my bloggy-commitment skills are lacking obviously. I want to apologize for any kind of concern I have caused, but I honestly haven't had the desire to post anything really, save the couple of snippets of information I thought were urgent. But right now I have some wonderful news to report and I just have to share the praises of God!

About a month ago, my grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The majority of it, I believe, was of the less aggressive type but he had a few cells of what was referred to as the "devil cells". They are the most aggressive and most deadly. He was presented with a couple of options as far as treatment goes, he opted for surgery. Tuesday morning he was admitted into Centennial hospital in Nashville, underwent the procedure (his surgeon was at the top of the list in this area), and by the time DH and I arrived at the hospital (about 12:30-ish) he was in his room resting well. His spirits are high (they are rarely ever down). They are confident all the cancer cells were removed but took a lymph node biopsy to test and be sure.

I am beginning to realize how temporary this world is. Our lives are so short, like dust in the wind, like a moment to our Lord. As a human, I understand this. Death is just another part of the eternal journey we are on. And yet I still dread the day coming for any member of my family. The sorrow of knowing that this person who has been such a constant, almost taken for granted at times, will one day be no more in this plane of existence. I can't even begin to process this, so it gets pushed in the back of my mind until something like this happens. Then it becomes somewhat raw. Reality, if you will :)

BUT TODAY IS NOT A DAY TO BE THINKING ABOUT DEATH!! Papaw is a hard man to keep down!! He is one of 11 children. He has 6 sons of his own, one daughter in Heaven, twenty grandchildren (I think...I lost count!) and 4 great-grandchildren. He is an entrepreneur, and has been as far as I know, his entire adult life. He, with the help of his sons, built a home from the ground up. He farms. He still works every day, even into his seventies. He has had a quadruple heart bypass. People that work or have worked for him call him Pops. And his wife, my Mamaw, is Mom. There are families out there who consider them their own. How great a legacy to leave! How can you ask for a more blessed life? What beautiful people they are. No person is perfect. We all have our blemishes. But Papaw is a gem of a man, and to be admired by many says something about character. I confess that I have even had to fight back feelings of jealousy sometimes! How can you not love this man?


P.S. I wanted so badly to add some pictures of my Papaw with this post, but for whatever reason blogger refuses to load them. So I am going to skip that part before I destroy this laptop.

This is the Gospel.

I have never been presented with the Gospel in this way. At least not to my recollection, and I think this is something I would remember. Jesus was not a cuddly character. He lived a life of rejection. A life of humiliation. A life and death of unbelievable pain. WILLINGLY!!! I cannot even imagine how it would feel to have my own family reject me to the point of wanting to KILL me. I can't fathom anyone loving me so much that they would subject themselves to that. Thinking about it reduces me to a sobbing wreck. My GOD how could YOU love such scum as me?? I have spat in Your face. I have abused Your name. But GOD. Pour me out Lord, and fill me up with You. I deserve no less than excruciating death. Yet YOU have given me eternal life. I will forever sing YOUR praise. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

Beware,beloved.

Just a few false teachers, wolves in sheep's clothing, who have infected Christianity...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21YYN2E7xkY

“People tell me judge not lest ye be judged. I always tell them, twist not scripture lest ye be like satan.”
–Paul Washer

Mamaw's Jalapeno Cornbread

3/4 can of corn
1 cup cooking oil
3 eggs
2 1/4 cup self-rising cornmeal
3 medium jalapeno peppers, chopped
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cup grated cheese

Mix all ingredients. Pour into iron skillet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour.

This could be a meal in itself and is so so so tasty. Very likely my favorite cornbread of all time. The fact that it's Mamaw's might have something to do with it :)

And I am loving the comments from the last post! So enthusiastic :) but not quite as much as me, hehehe. Actually, I am having to learn restraint with my excitement for things "un-technified" because I think it scares my husband. It's kind of like a weird backwards Green Acres. Oh the stories we will have for our kids one day, LOL

Mrs. B, I love sunflowers! Natasha, you can bet the swing will come in handy this summer...alls I need is a table for the fresh lemonade after the weeding :) I do love our chickens, even if Deuce did punch me in the eye when I tried to put him and his ladies in the cage to share our lawn with them. But I try not to hold grudges ;)

Praise GOD from Whom ALL blessings flow!!

The past couple of days have been quite busy for us around here. I have a wonderful true story of God's provision for us to share with you, when I am not so sleepy and can give it the brain-power it needs. But I will share with you for now just a few nibbles of the sweetness I have felt from Him this week. It just amazes and baffles me why I should even be blessed so enormously. It just swells so big in my heart that I can hardly stand it.

This pretty insect was enjoying a rest on our little raspberry plant. I was somewhat concerned that he might try to munch on it, so I stared at it quite sternly until it flew away. Guess I told him ;)

A porch swing. It might be the old-fashioned country girl in me, but home just doesn't seem right without one of these. We bought it this morning from the Mennonites on Cedar Creek. DH and I have already given it a good "test swing".

And now, I'd like to introduce you to the newest "members" of our family!

This is Hazel, in front, and Hennie (original, I am not!)

And this is Deuce! Isn't he a handsome fella?
His full name is Lonesome Dove II, given him by his previous keeper, but I like things simple ;)

Those big black timbers? Those are the ones I mentioned in my "8's" post.
Not exactly an enjoyable exercise, but maybe after going through all that it'll be worth it.

With dirt! I added a 10-10-10 fertilizer to it this afternoon. It's forecasted to rain tonight, tomorrow and some Monday, so hopefully Tuesday I can start planting! Hopefully that's enough time in between fertilizing...anyone have any idea how long you should wait before planting?

Until next time, I hope everyone has a beautiful and blessed Sunday!

Crazy 8's!

I bet you thought I wasn't going to post ever again, huh? No? I guess that was just me :) Well, not only do I have happy things to share, but I now have a happy obligation to do more than one tonight! So, if you ever wanted to get to know more about me, like my sweet sister-friend Kim, here's your chance! :)

Here's the run-down on the 8's:

• Mention the person that tagged you.
• Complete the lists of 8's.
• Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends.
• Go tell them you tagged them!

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO

1. Seeing my Savior and being with my Father and King FOREVER!
   
2. Family reunions. Hey...not all the things you hear about southern families is true.
   
3. Being with my DH for the rest of our lives
   
4. Being a mommy someday
   
5. Adventures with our first vegetable garden
   
6. To another beautiful day tomorrow!
   
7. Eventually expanding our little flock of chickens
   
8. Learning how to be a better servant, cause I'm not so great at it right now...
   

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY

1. I had coffee too!(lol Kim!) Decaf :)
   
2. Moved the 4 200-lb railroad ties all by myself. (this "bigger than acceptable" rear-end comes in handy!)
   
3. Played in the dirt with my flip-flops on
   
4. Broke one of our 2 eggs for the day
   
5. Finally cleaned up the porch
   
6. Worked on my cross-stitch
   
7. Read Blogs!
   
8. Enjoyed getting my "sunnin" in, the old-fashioned way :)
   

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO

1. See better without my glasses (almost the same as Kim's)
   
2. Sew really really well! (ditto for me too!)
   
3. Become a super-woman and guarantee my husband I can finish the class before July.
   
4. Blink my eyes and be 125 lbs again.
   
5. Not worry about my weight so much.
   
6. Meet all my blogging friends in real life! (ditto again)
7. Live with Mennonites for a short time and learn what real "sufficiency" is, lol
   
8. Take back the time I wasted chasing what "I" (read: what the world said I ought to) thought was best.
   

8 SHOWS I WATCH

1. Biggest Loser ( I'm sure this doesn't help my body image deal)
   
2. Super Nanny
   
3. 18 Kids and Counting
   
4. the really good Hallmark shows (example: I'm watching Little House on the Prairie right now)
   
5. Andy Griffith
   
6. Sorry I don't have more but that's about all the t.v. I cant stand
   
7. To be honest, it wouldn't hurt my feelings much if we didn't watch it at all.
   
8. I do watch the news and occasionally some FoxNews
   

8 BLOGGERS TAGGED
I'm tagging people I don't know very well, YET. If you do this please tell me so I can come learn more about you.

Actually, I'm going to skip this part. Not because I want to make anyone mad, but I feel kind of weird picking people out to do things I'm not really sure they'd be comfortable or even have time to do. I personally like doing these, I guess it's probably like my weirdness about not liking to drop in on people but not caring a bit for people to drop in on me. I know...weird.

So, if you see this and take a notion to, you're more than welcome to join me! It was really pretty fun :) Thank you for inviting me, Kim!!

Hallelujah, Praise the Lamb

From the moment man first disobeyed the Father,
We were then held captive by our sins.
The Law of God demanded a sacrifice
Restoring to Himself His own again.

So the Lamb, His only Son was freely offered,
Atonement for our sins forever made.
He, innocent and holy, still God and God only
Could ransom and redeem us back again.

Hallelujah, praise the Lamb
Hallelujah, praise the Lamb
My heart sings HIS praise again,
Hallelujah, praise the Lamb

So to the cross they carried Him
With all our guilt and all our sin,
The Lamb of God was slain for our transgressions.

And on the cross, those nail-pierced hands
Reached up to God and down to man.
And just as if I'd never sinned, He took me in His arms
Embracing me, He willingly forgave!

For mercy, grace, and love that knows no bounds.
Though guilty and condemned, I now am clean!
Forever I'm forgiven, for CHRIST the Lord is risen
And risen with Him we shall one day be!!

Oh, hallelujah, praise the Lamb!
Hallelujah, praise the Lamb!
My heart sings His praise again,
Hallelujah, praise the Lamb!!!

Springtime on the Hill

First, I want to share with you how thoughtful my husband can be. The other day, when he was close to a "computer store", he stopped in to get a new mouse for his computer. While he was in the area, he stopped by Hobby Lobby and had a look at what they had on sale. He felt bad that he had bought himself something that he wanted to pick a couple of things for me. Is that great, or what? :)

He thought this little box was "me", lol. I thought a couple of little flower pots might fit in there.

And this cute little table for my little green buddy! I have been sitting the pot on the window sill and he was afraid it might fall off one day. He's so sweet!!

And speaking of my little green buddy, look how pretty it's gotten! Oh....and what do I see...?

A baby green buddy!! :)

And I thought I would share a few pictures from the past week, spring is definitely in swing, no matter that we had flurries in the state later that week!

These guys have been popping up all over the hillside, I just call them "umbrella plants". :)

"And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Matthew 6:28, 29

A nice azalea bush ready to burst into bloom!

The greenery is returning to the hillside.

Wild strawberries :)

The sun through the plum tree leaves

Not really sure what this tree is, but I like it :)

Just a little taste of spring on our hill in Tennessee. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!! :)