Surgery

Well, I took Todd to the ears, nose, and throat doctor today. He thought that Todd needed to have his adnoids removed and his blood vessels in his nose cauterized (basically burned so that they do not bleed so much). He will have to do this at the hospital but will be realeased a few hours after the operation. We have not set the date, but it will be in the next month or so. I will keep you all updated!

Scary

Todd has had problems with nose bleeds for 2 years. This time last year we had to take him to an ENT to get him examined. At that time, the Dr. decided to hold off doing anything because he was so young. Well, he had 3 severe nose bleeds in 24 hours the other day and hasn't seemed right since then. He fell asleep in school. For those of you who do not know, Todd is VERY energetic so I called the Dr. They asked to see him. Well, he was very tired when we got there so he was laying on the table.. not normal for Todd. They took his blood count and said, "You were right. He has lost a lot of blood.. not like transfusion levels." What!!! That thought had not entered my mind! She went on to say that if he had another nose bleed, we would need to bring him back in to double check that. My heart sank. Then she went on to say, we can rule out Leukemia and some other diseases that I do not want to even mention. That was so scary to me. I knew leukemia's major sign was nose bleeds but I thought we had ruled that out before. Anyway, to say the least, it was a scary day. Please keep us in your prayers. I will make an appointment ot talk to the ENT again. If we have to do the procedure, we will have to put him to sleep. I am not looking forward to that.

$1,000,000

Brad, Todd, and I like to watch Deal or No Deal. Part of the reason we like to watch it is to see how lucky we would be. We also like to see how greedy some people are. I was thinking the other day, what I would do if I were to win or get $1,000,000. Of course, Uncle Sam would get a big portion and I would give a big chunk to church and then pay off everything we owe. After all of that was done, we would still have a lot of money. I would share some with family members, too. But, I have always had a dream that I would try to fulfill with the remainder of the money. I have always dreamed of having a christian preschool for children with disabilities. I have known so many people that have had children with disabilities that would have benefitted from this kind of school. It is rare to find christian schools that will bring on children with disabilities. That has always bothered me. Those are some of the families that need Christians the most. Not only could it make a big difference for those within our church, but would be a huge outreach. I am not sure how difficut it would be to accomplish. I do not possess a corporate mentallity. Brad could help in that area a great deal. However, I could take those children in and love and nurture them while their parents had a few hours off. Maybe someday I will be able to tell you all that my dream had become a reality! Do you have any real dream? What would you do with $1,000,000?

Autumn

It is hard to say, but I think autumn might be my favorite season. I love the crisp mornings, the smell of freshness in the air, the chaniging leaves, the beautiful pumpkins, and football. However, autumn reminds me of family. I am not sure why this time of year really reminds me of family more than any other time. Perhaps it is because Thanksgiving is around the corner and then Christmas. I think it is also because of the part that football played in our family. Alabama football was an every Saturday event. Phillip and my dad would plan all day around Bama football. At the time, my mom and I would plan all day around being out of the house when Bama football was on. But the best football memory had was with me and my dad. When I was a senior, my dad and I decided to attempt to make it to every football and basketball game my high school played. That is a lot of games. I did not really realize how hard that would be for him to arrange to be off from work in time to get me to all of the games. We managed to only miss two games the entire season. He and I had the best time. I will never forget those times we shared together. We laughed alot. I now understand that he sacraficed alot of his own time to spend those last months with me before college. What an amazing dad!

Complaint

Todd loves computer games. I do not let him play them much at a time, but he loves them. Many games are educational and he is learning while he is playing. However, he wanted a Cars computer game. I searched for one that seemed to be age appropriate. I found one that was marked 4 and up. That seemed perfect since he is 4 but can play many games that will say 6 and up (Dora, Thomas, Leap frog). We loaded this thing up. He was very excited that to doscoverthat there were a few video clips. Not so fast.. they were locked up until other parts of the game were won. Still, that was not a big deal until we realized he could not win a single game. For any video to be unlocked, you had to win all 10 activities. Here is the kicker, each activity has 5 levels. You have got to be kidding!!! So, I have had to sit and play all of this. Then, to open up ather videos you have to beat your time on all of the activities ad do a race and then beat that time. Come on. It makes me so mad that they marked this 4 and up knowing that no four year old could complete all of these games. He can do the first 2 to 3 levels and that is all. The makers just knew that was the age that really loved this movie. Makes me furious!!

9/11

I had been thinking about the attacks on 9/11 all day yesterday. It was a haunting memory. I can remember teaching when I heard the news and that Brad was in Dallas at the time. All I wanted was for all of my family to be in one place that is safe and sound.

Last night, I saw an interesting Dateline about United Flight 93. It was a discussion with the loved ones of those that lost their life on that flight. It was set up like a timeline based on all of the information that has been discovered in the ast 5 years. As they spoke to the loved ones, the images was as painful as it was that day. My heart ached for these people. They will never get over this occasion. A part of their security was ripped from their hands that day. Yet, thanks to their loved ones, a part of OUR security was saved. They really were heros. As the families talked about their last discussions with their family members, they talked about how calm they were and how determined they were to do something to keep the terroists from destroying something else. They were brave and the true meaning of American! I am so thankful that those people helped protect our country. We will never know what could have been, thanks to these men and women!

So what?

Today on Yahoo a headliner popped up that really humored/frustrated me. It was an article that stated that Brad Pitt has said he and Angelina will get married when marriage restrictions are removed so that anyone that wants to get married can get married (gays and lesbians). The first thought that popped into my head was who cares? I really do not care if they get married. Sure I wished they would not live in sin, but it is their choice. I will not fret and write congress to change the definition of marriage because they are refusing to get married! I think it is VERY egotistical to think that people care enough about your personal life to make such a statement. Sure, people follow stars for the gossip, but are we such a pathetic culture that stars have that much pull? I sure hope not!! Surely, we can stand up for our own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs more than that. Do you really think that people will see that comment and let it sway their opinions?

Music

I have just been listening to some of my favorite music while I worked. Music is a essential to me. If I had to pick my favorite method of worship to God, it would be music/singing. What are your favorite songs? It can be religious or not. I have favoritess in just about all genres! If I had to say today, my favorite religious song is "How Great is Our God" and my favorite sing that is not religious would be "Since U Benn Gone" by Kelly Clarkson or "Skin" by Rascal Flatts.

Entertained

I am amazed at how long Todd can sit and play trains. I have a good imagination, but trains just are not fun to me. Todd, however, has been collecting trains for 2 years now. He has a MASSIVE collection. He has 3 kinds of track,each with different size engines. Each of those trains are played with for different purposes. He will act out things he has seen on Thomas videos for hours. Today, he has been playing trains for almost 2 hours with only a lunch break and a potty break. Don't get me wrong, I am glad he can entertain himself for so long. I just can't see how it is fun for that long. Here is a picture of his wooden track we built today. You can't see his train collection, though.

Worrying

I have started a study called the Fingerprints of God. I have just done one section so I am not sure how great it is, yet. However, the first part had me looking at James chapter 1. I know I have read this a million times but this time it seemed to stick out to me in a way it never had. For those of you who do not know, I tend to be a person that worries. This was a inherited trait that my family fights. I have always had faith that God would take care of me, but I worried. I read this scripture and it was eye-opening. I have included the scripture in two translations. I included these because of the difference in wording. The first one is The Message. I have not always been a huge fan of this translation. I know a lot of people that really like it. I will agree that it says it in simplistic form, but almost too simplistic. However, I thought the phrasing was interesting.

James 1:5-8 (The Message)

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.



The next version is the version I read it in originally, NIV.

James 1:5-8 (NIV)

5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

I was convicted after reading these scriptures. I have always justified my worrying. After reading this, I realized that this was a lack of faith. I love the part in The Message saying ask without a second doubt. That is so hard for me. I do totally believe that God has his hand over all that I do. I also believe that all will turn out for the good as long as I seek Him. I guess I just never really saw my worring as second guessing God. If you finish reading this to the end of the scripture, it says that if I doubt, I will not recieve anything from the Lord. OUCH!! That is the last thing I want..me making a sorry attempt at life without God's help. I know this was a lengthy blog. It was something that was on my mind and heart.

Do you struggle with worrying? If so, take another look at James. Do you see worrying as second-guessing God?

Family

Unfortunately, my grandparents got divorced after having four sons and being married for 35 years. Due to the circumstances, my dad's family had not all been together since that time. (I was very young when they got divorced). After all of these years, the family decided to get together. It was a difficult situation and awkward at times. I saw my uncles that I had not seen in many years due to busy schedules. It was great to reconnect with family. It is sad to see a family fall apart because of a divorce. I know this is true of so many families. I am blessed that my family has stayed together and is so close. Here is a family picture of all of us at the reunion.

How Great is Our God!

This is a story that I had to tell. As some of you know, Brad has been in a job that is full of people that have put no value on family, much less spiritual things. He was notified not long ago that his company was merging with another company. He looked up jobs because he felt like his job was unstable and he was ready to leave this atmosphere. The problem was that his current job would fire him if they found out he was looking at other jobs. Well, he found only one job in Nashville that was comparable to his current job. He applied. Yesterday at noon he accepted a position that pays more, is less stress, and a much better hours. We were thrilled. Well, 3 hours later, he discovers that his whole company is closing its doors. He and everyone else would lose their jobs. Their last day is Aug. 31st and he is to start the new job Sept. 1st. We could not believe it.

This was such a great reminder to have faith in our Lord. He is such an amazing God and he always provided for us. I do not know why I question Him... well I guess lack of faith. I think I can and have to fix it myself. I am sure God is always thinking .. When will she ever learn. I am reminded of one of mine and Brad'd favorite songs right now. It is How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlison. You can find it on the web, but I have included the lyrics. God is Great!!!!! Have you witnessed ways that God has shown His greatness recently?

How Great is Our God Lyrics
The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice

He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end
The Godhead Three in One
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb

Name above all names
Worthy of our praise My heart will sing
How great is our God

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

More info.

Well, Brad made his video debut, as planned. It was quite an experience! He was supposed to be done by 2 or 3 am. However, they had a 6 1/2 hour rain delay. He got home at 6:50 am and was supposed to leave for work at 7:00 am. As you can imagine, he was exhausted! He ended up sleeping 2 hours and then going to work.

The song is called Some People Change by Montgomery Gentry. Here is the link to the words and if you click the music note, it will play the song. http://www.borderline-productions.com/mg.html He is in the part where the chorus starts singing. It will be a slim chance to see him in the video. He is not sure when the video will be released. Will let you know if we find out!

Famous?

This is a story that is so funny that I had to share. The country group Montgomery Gentry is shooting a video in the area where we go to church. The video seems to be spiritual in nature. Their video casting director asked for men in the church to submit a picture along with your age to them to be considered to be in the video. They wanted men aged 35-75 year old. I submitted Brad eventhough he was a little under the age and I submitted my dad. Well, they have received a confirmation and they were chosen to be in video!! The video is going to be set at night so they have to be there from 6pm to 2or 3 am Thurs/Fri. At the end of the night, they will receive $75 cash!!! That is the best part to me. Just thought you would like to know that I am the daughter of an actor and married to one, too!!

To be like Him

I have been doing some thinking about true christianity. I have been reflecting on people I know and have known that I felt really depicted what Christ would want a christian today to be like. I think I have been blessed with so many outstanding christian people in my life... many of whom are in my family. When I began to think about this, so many characteristics came to mind. I think you have to be humble, self-less, forgiving, loving, compassionate, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and serving just to name a few. If you had to say, what characteristics do you think are "must have" qualities to be a true depiction of christ?

Love

I love having a child that is able to express himself. Yesterday, I was laying on my bed trying to get rid of a headache. Brad was playing with Todd. He told me that Todd started to put stickers on my purse. When Brad questioned him, Todd told him he was trying to make a heart to show me how much he loved me. After much discussion, Todd decided to make me a card instead. He rushed in to my room to show me his card and how hard he had worked on it. Let's just say that is something I will cherish forever. There is nothing that can replace the words and actions of a child that show such extreme love and devotion!

The power of God

I have been really thinking about the power of God, lately. Sure, I think about it often, but it seems like this is something I find I have been thinking about in my private times. When I think about his power, so many things come to mind... thunderstorms, rainbows, birth of children, the human mind, the list could go on and on. What are a few things that you think of when you think about the power of God?

Vacation

We had the chance to go to Galveston, Texas for vacation this year. Brad's dad lives there now so we went to spend the week with him. While we were that way, we decided to drive to San Antonio to Sea World. Todd loves sharks and water animals so we thought it would be fun. He LOVED it. We got there at 10:00 and did not leave until nearly 6:00. It was very hot but that did not keep him from walking all over the park. He loved the shows. We were one of a few select families that got our picture taken with Shamu. That was amazing to see the whales interact with their trainers! Todd also got to feed dolphins and sea lions. He thought that was really neat, too.

There was only one part he did not like. He thought he wanted to ride the log ride that was 6 stories tall. We tried to convince him otherwise, but he insisted he would like it. We decided that we would not know if he liked it if we did not give it a try (afterall, Brad and I would ride rollercoasters for a living). Well, he loved going up and hated coming down. After the first drop, he was crying and his heart pounding. There was nothing we could do, so he had to endure the last drop. Let's just say, he may never ride a log ride again!

It was nice to relax and spend time with family. It was something Brad really needed and deserved! Todd and I are so grateful that he works so hard in a job that is so difficult so that I can stay home!

Fourth of July

We had a very busy holiday weekend. My mother-in-law was here all weekend. We enjoyed her visiting. We also had Todd's birthday party on Saturday. Can I just say that party organizing can be exhausting!!! We had a great time, though. On Monday, we had a family fireworks party at my parents. Todd was so tireds after playing all afternoon in the scorching heat. We did fireworks and Todd loved them. He wanted more. Then, on Tuesday, we went to a nearby community to watch fireworks. It was a lot of fun. TOdd really enjoyed "the big fireworks". The bigger they were, the more he liked them. It was a fun weekend, but now we need a few days to recover and get back to normal. Hope you all had a great time.

Birthday Boy

Yesterday was Todd's 4th birthday. That is so hard for me to believe. I have been organizing pictures and have come across those pictures of him when he was so tiny and unable to do much or share his opinions. Now, he is so active and share his opinions plenty. He is such a joy. I love the fact that he has developed into his own person. He definately acts some like me and some like Todd, but there is also plenty of Todd in the mix. I am thanful every day that God gave me the blessing to be Todd's mommy. (I will have birthday party pictures after Sat. We will have the party then).