CAME and WENT

I know it has been a while since I have posted on here. Alot has been going on in our lives. We feel like we are on a rushing roller coaster.... I can not believe that Christmas has came and went byebye!! We had a very full schedule during this holiday season. We had Thanksgiving, AND my sister had some surgery done. We got it all done and over with and the Doctor wanted her to still do some Chemo. She has had 2 treatments so far.. She has had some sickness with them, but overall, I think she is a real trooper. She is a STRONG AND CARING person and that makes her so special. I know like many, so many people ask why??? WHY NOW?? Her son is a senior in high school getting ready to go to college, her grandaughter is about to be a year old.. but she is a fighter. The Lord KNEW ALL about this long before she was ever born and knows the outcome of all.. She has made it through Christmas day without any sickness, and to me, that MADE my Christmas. If I did not get any thing else, that was all I needed... to God I give the praise. He answers prayer!!!
The new year is here and I cant wait to see what the LORD has in store for our family!!

Another thing that happened during the holiday season was our nephew, DEVIN, graduated from USMC boot camp. He recieved a special award as being the top shooter of his company,MIKE. We as a family loaded up and headed down to Parris Island to spend some days with him on base as he graduated!! It was so fun and full of emotion, excitement, and beamed with a lot of proudness!!! He was great, and the ceremony was great also.

We still hold our annual tradition at Christmas Time. We go somewhere special as a family, whether it be all or some of us, and go to eat a good meal, and then to a special Christmas outing. This year's choice was at a botanical garden with a display of their Christmas lights. It was very pretty. This year, it was my mama,sis, hubby, and me.

Another great thing that happened during this same week , was my niece, Corrie, got engaged!!! She has found who her soul loveth!!! They make a great couple and we look forward to this special time in their lives. It is so fun to see your ''kids'' grow up and reach that next step in their lives!! I have some pics of the ring, I will share later.
SO.. 2015 is almost here. I ask myself this question.... WHAT are you going to do differently in 2015 that you didn't do in 2014? One thing I will do is make BETTER choices. This includes Alot of different things. Another thing is have MORE sister time. I love my two sisters and NEVER want to take them for granted. Thirdly. I want to spend more time in devotion and less time on Facebook!! This is one thing I will definately do, because I am getting tired of all the drama.. I am getting too old for it...haha!! And, I am praying hard like never before for lost family members.. I know God has a plan and I can not wait to see what it is..  Until then, Chris and I are living EVERY second, still blessed. Happy New Year and may God richly overflow you with blessings in 2015.

Live Every Second

Fall is here, although these warm temps are not making it feel like fall. It feels like fall in the mornings, but this past week, it has been near 82 degrees every afternoon. Last thursday, I got all the fall decor out.. It seems like I just put it back in storage.. hmmmm.

So much has went on this past month. I feel like this year has really went by in a flash. Chris and I just celebrated our 12 th year of marriage. Seems like we just said those vows... Anyway, we had a wonderful time on our yearly anni  trip. We got to rest, relax, and explore some new places we had never been to. I have a BUCKET LIST.. Do you?? I have several things on my bucket list that I really would like to do before I pass away.. I renamed my BUCKET LIST. I call it my SAND BUCKET LIST.. Why?? you might ask.. I love sand, and I just wanted to be different, a lot of people say I am different, so , there you go... hahaha.. Anyway, I checked two things off my SAND BUCKET LIST recently. I have always wanted to go to the Virgin Islands, and I have always wanted to go on the BIGGEST cruise ship in the world, since it came out in 2009.. We just checked those two things off... We did both.. lol
We had so many things to see on this HUGE ship.. Let me just give you an example of how big this thing is... It is equilvalent to five football fields, and holds 7500 people.. wow.. and yes, it has everything on it. It has several neighborhoods. It has a central park that is really like a park. there are park benches, birds flying , beautiful trees swaying, so beautiful. One neighborhood is featured like a carnival. Hotdogs, carousel, funny mirrors, ice cream. amazing!!.  We spent eight days on the ship and still did not know our way around hardly by the end of the trip. We had ports of call in St. Thomas , St. Marrten, and Bahamas. After the Cruise, we spent 4 days at a beautiful island near Jacksonville, the lovely Amelia Island.. This place was beautiful. It has a beautiful historic district with a gorgeous beach.. I want to go back again there. We went fishing.. I caught several spade fishes and a HUGE turtle.. Here are some of our vacay pics:

 the view of the top of the ship

 Nassau, Bahamas

 Us on top of the mountain looking down to where we were going, Magen's Bay Beach

 Magen's Bay, St. Thomas

the view of the Harbor

 St. MARRTEN  This place was TRUE relaxation

 our HUGE ship 18 decks

 here we are in Central Park

 a view of The jetties, the Ocean meets the sound on Fort Clinch, Amelia Island

 My huge turtle I caught

 a beautiful sunrise over Amelia Island

 I caught a spade..

 he caught a small one

Love the spanish moss hanging from these trees..

We made lots of memories on this trip. I want to thank the Lord for safe travel to and from, and I want to thank Him for beautiful weather. It was near 90 degrees everyday. Several weeks have passed now. Last week, a dear man and friend from our Church died unexpectantly. He had a wonderful wife and a daughter ,and  3 grandchildren. It was such a tough time, and I know it will be hard in the  days ahead. We are lifting them up in Prayer everyday. Yesterday, my sis had surgery . She is awaiting the results from the surgery to determine what is next. I am confident that everything will be fine. We are trusting the Lord. He knows what is best, and we are praying for God's will through all of this. Something I have really known ALL my life, but everyday I am finding out more and more..

LIVE EVERY SECOND

we live sometimes just day by day, and take things as life hands things to us, but sometimes problems come.. and PAIN comes with the problems..We have to realize (or at least I do) that NO pain is ever wasted.. There is always a reason why and if we have pain.The pain OF WHAT IF?? the not knowing what is next, but we have to remember God is the refuge in our pain and weakness. 

Matthew 6:8 Be ye not therefore like unto them:for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask of him. He knows what we need and why we need it and knows when I will ask of it... HE already knows..!!!!!  I need to have a thankful heart. That makes me happy, and to live every second. That's why it is important to pray like never before, and spend HAPPY times with your friends, family, husband, wife.. because you never know what lies ahead..  Choose to make those times happy, and to LIVE EVERY SECOND.

God is already there

hello everyone. I hope you all have been doing well. The Summer heat is tending to be holding on to us here in the South.. I have mixed emotions about it. I love SUMMER but I do love FALL too. I  love the beautiful array of colors displayed, I love the smells,foods, and sights of fall too... We are experiencing some ''cooler temps '' this weekend.. this is a promise of things to come.

Sometimes, life brings uncertain things to us. We face decisions that need to be made, boundaries that need to be set, and just everyday life can bring us to trying times in our lives. We can tend to make hasty decisions based on what others say, or just think we can go ahead and do our own thing. This is a MISTAKE. I have done it before, and boy, did I learn.. I can not make it on my own. I need His help!!

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ in you richly in all wisdom ; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs , singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

In these times, we need to be in prayer more than ever. We need to pray for our Country. It is becoming more and more UNGODLY. we need to pray for our future soldiers, because we are more than likely going to war again. I feel like I need to read and pray like never before.We need to trust Him to fight our battles for us. He is ALREADY THERE. He knows the outcome of everything we face.

I am glad HE listens. I am glad HE knows. I am glad HE understands when I don't. I am glad HE knows why and then why NOT???? I am glad when I am at a loss for words, and don't know how or what to say or how to feel , He already knows what I mean. He understands my feelings of helplessness, and sometimes, frustration. HE understands when I am stressed out and physically EXHAUSTED. I am glad HE knows not only the problems we face, but is already in the future, and knows the blessing we will recieve  from the outcome it. I am glad HE knows the burden that I have  for my family, friends, and for their future. 

My mother used to sing this song a lot in Church. It is so true.

'' Never a burden that HE doth not carry, Never a sorrow that HE doth not care, whether the days may be sunny, or dreary, JESUS is always there!!!''

HE is always there, and HE is already there in your past, present, and future. Thank God for this today.

It's better to run behind GOD, than in front of Him.

Remember with a SMILE

 have you ever wondered  why you think certain things?? have you ever wondered WHEN you think of SOMEONE if they are thinking of you??? do you ever just wake up in the middle of the night, and immediately start wondering if someone else is ok, and just wonder why the LORD lays them on your heart??

have you ever got used to something in your life and then suddenly it goes away, almost without warning???  Not knowing is an ''turned inward'' attitude. You feel empty and not really knowing how to express your true feeling about why things happen the way they do. This can bring a feeling of uncertainty. Feelings that you wish you could  make go away.

All I can say is I think of someone dear to my heart a lot. So, she is prayed for many of times. I pray the Lord keeps her safe. I pray she has everything she needs. I pray she is being loved and cared for like me and my family would care for her. I pray she does not have to hear bad things, see bad things, or witness anything that could be a hinderance in her young life.

I am so thankful for MEMORIES. Memories that were made of happy times, happy celebrations, happy places, and faces. When we experience the loss of someone , the things we remember the most, are usually the happy times that we had together, and the things that  made us so HAPPY. This usually comforts us the most during our time.  Then, you have a HOPE down deep inside. A hope of a return . A hope of a phone call, and also, a HOPE that They are thinking of you, as much as you are thinking of them. She is and will always be a special ''part'' of our family. We don't see the full picture right now, and maybe one day she will come back to live near us.We can only pray for her and that God will keep her safe in HIS care, and let her remember maybe one day all the stuff she learned of Him at such an early age....  I am remembering this little special someone with a smile today, because I know if she could see us, she would be smiling..... 

Nay Nay's sweet Buddy girl... ALWAYS !!!!

A Tree is known Part 2

yep, back to those trees again....

A tree amazes me as it goes through the seasons.. I know it sounds kind of crazy, but I really would think it is so weird  IF I went outside in the dead of winter and a tree would be loaded with fruit... haha   The Lord can make it happen though, THAT I do not doubt....

In the WINTER, the tree is in the ''dead stage''.. it looks dry and drab and practically lifeless...  but oh, the buds are coming soon, why?? because it is SPRING.. New life, beginnings and new buds here... In the SUMMER, the harvest of the trees if they are fruit bearers.. AND in the FALL the leaves turn their bright , vibrant colors.. it's all part of the process.. the tree could not make it through any of the processes without the proceding one...

Matthew 12 :23 Either make the tree good and it's fruit good ; or make the tree corrupt, and it's fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

I was inspecting some of the fruit on the trees yesterday.. Some pears on the bottom are rotten. Bugs are infesting some. I don't want to be a tree with ugly fruit.  One thing  to think about is when you go to the grocery store or farmer's market, you want the best fruit/ vegetables for your money. You do not buy the rotten things. It's not worth your money or time. I think this can be applied to us  Christians so much. I know it sounds funny or crazy but really I don't care because it makes great sense to me... We may not be the biggest, ripest piece of the fruit but we can be an APPEALING one to the eye or world. When we produce fruit, we are yielded to Him, letting Him use us for His glory.If I were a fruit inspector, I would want what would sell the most.If you have no fruit on your tree, then I would want to find out why.. WHY IS IT NOT PRODUCING?? Could it be that it needs to be pruned.. Pruning a tree means giving it ''room to grow'', and making room for more, getting rid of what's harming it or causing it NOT to grow..  To us, this can be applied.. if we are not growing spiritually, then it could be we are not  bearing fruit. We could have sin in our life. We need to  confess and ask for His forgiveness. Serve Him and let Him make us bear fruit for Him.Keep our focus and thoughts on things for Him, and values on faith and family, NOT on material things...

FERTILIZATION is another thing that could help in the growing and producing more fruit.. Good fertile soil, and food produces wonderful fruit. As Christians, reading the Bible and prayer is great fertilization. It helps us grow for Him. 

I want to be a fruit bearer. I want to bear fruit that is attractive, and have fruit that everyone wants, not just a few people. I want to be used and know that the Lord will use me to be a great bearer of fruit, and when the inspectors come, they will want some of the fruit I have.

A Tree is known By It's fruit

 HELLO to everyone. I know it has been a while since the last post. I have not forgot about the blog, just had other things that have been occupying my time. Since the last post, we have been really busy with Church activities, family fun, and some trips. We recently returned from a camping trip to Hickory Nut Falls and our annual beach trip with the family. Little D got to enjoy the beach for the first time. I think she had a good time...

We had a great time in June with the Family Week Missions Conference. The Lord allowed hubby and I to work and participate in the fun time. It was such a joy to be able to serve and spend time with the families... So thankful for all of their dedication to serve and sacrifice time away from their families to spread the Gospel. I felt humbled to see some of their children. You could tell they had never been around some of the things they experienced at my Church. for that, I am grateful.. The Lord worked in many lives, including mine.

 The Lord spoke to my heart a few months ago about trees and fruit bearing. We have several fruit trees in our yard. We have 3 apple trees, we have 3 peach trees, and one pear tree... At one time, all of these trees were producing. A few years ago, we had a bad storm.. 2 of the apple trees kind of died... they no longer produce.. I started writing on this a little..... here is some of the things I wrote..

I inspected the trees in our yard, the fruit trees  that were producing at the time. The pear trees were loaded in some areas.Other limbs had none on them.The peach trees maybe had two or three.. This is nothing new. they never produce much anyway.. SOME PRUNING NEEDS TO BE DONE...
The apple trees are beautiful. One tree has a good bit on them. The other two do not have any on them. THEY NEED TO BE CUT DOWN, UPROOTED, AND MORE PLANTED..
As I started looking at the trees, The Lord placed some thoughts in my heart.
* What kind of tree would you like to be??? I would want to be a tree that produced big, beautiful, delicious pieces of fruit. I would want to be the tallest tree and the one that everyone looked up to...haha really...
* Why would I not want to be a dead tree.?? A dead tree means there is no life. no fruit produced on the tree, no new leaves.etc.. Who wants that kind of tree.. ??

Matthew 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

** If no fruit, there is probably no root.. ** We need to be rooted in the word of God. We need to be steady and hold to His truth. We produce fruit by walking by faith with Him. One thing that amazes me is how trees go through the seasons. How could anyone NOT believe in the Lord after seeing His handywork all around them. He gives us the sunshine to help give the nutrients to the trees to produce the fruit, the rain, for the proper growth they need. The seasons are there for the proper time of growth they need to produce the fruit at the right time.. just saying, a ripe apple from the tree or apple orchard just would not be right in the dead of winter..WHY?? you might ask... APPLES ARE A FALL FRUIT. they just fit in the fall... lol and they arrive just in time for the fall for apple butter.. Can I get a witness on that??? I love to take the time make the apple butter. In the seasons, the Lord gives us, we can see the growth pattern. I will go more into the growth seasons tomorrow.

 WHY NOT GO OUT ON A LIMB??? THAT'S WHERE THE FRUIT IS!!!

my friend who is my Mother

it's Mother's day weekend. It has been a great one so far. My mother and I went to a delicious lunch together yesterday. It was at one of our favorite places. We always have such a great time together.

My mother has always been a rock in our family. She has displayed true Christianity to our family. She is a true example of the Proverbs 31 woman. She always puts her needs above others. She is a TRUE dedicated wife. My daddy is so spoiled, it's funny. She is always ready to lend a helping hand. She always knows how to handle ANY situation and always knows what to do that is right. She is a praying lady, and still has faith that God is going to answer prayer in HIS time.

She is the best cook I know.. My sisters and I are so fortunate to have stood by her in the kitchen. She has taught us many tricks, and many great tips in the kitchen. She gave up her early 40's to take care of her daddy, my grandfather, who had suffered a stroke, and spent many long days with him, as he learned to ''live '' again. She made many trips back and forth from sc to nc taking me and my sis back and forth to work. She took care of all my nephews and niece while they were babies.. She has a heart of gold. She stood by my grandmother as she spent her last, days here on earth... She made the last few years of her life so special. She took her places she never got to go, and treated her like a queen.

My mother has done a lot of wonderful things, as you can see... yes, I am bragging.. why?? because i can, and she deserves this and so much more.... one thing that I really love to call her is ''MY FRIEND''.... I can not say that I was the ''perfect'' child growing up. I talked back way more times than I should. I got by with a lot too, just ask my sister.... I  did stuff that made me get whoopings, and I missed my curfew several times too.. but she never stopped being my mother.. She disciplined me in every way that she should have, and she always let me know why she was doing it... I am grateful for that.
I am older now, and though I am not a parent yet, I am so thankful for the way I was raised. I know the Lord thinks I am special because of who he chose to be my mama... We have made many precious memories. My mother is my friend, because she was my mother, FIRST........ she NEVER tried to be my friend first... We have such good times together, and I know I can always count on her to cheer me on in whatever comes my way.... I am so thankful that God chose her to be my mother, and I know my sisters do too.... Thank you mama for always being there, and for being my friend.... and my # 1 shopping buddy too......lol   

Happy Mother's day!!!! I love you so very much!! you are MY true blessing from God!!