Facing The Giants

I wanted to watch this movie at the theater, but never got around to it. However, I was able to watch it on the way to Winterfest. It was a tear-jerker. I thought the movie was good. It was pretty predictable but well worth watching. It is so nice to watch a movie that is clean and entertaining. It made an entire bus of middle school and high school kids silent. That has to say something!!!

If you do not know, a church in Georgia did this movie. The actors are people from their church, so some of the acting is a little exaggerated. It is still good. It almost received a "R" rating because it focused on God too much. That is messed up!!! If you have seen it, what did you think?

Winterfest

Brad and I had the opportunity to chaperon a trip to Gatlinburg, TN. There is an event every year called Winterfest. It is a rally for youth. It has been going on for many years. I attended as a high school student. This year there were 11,000 people there. It is AMAZING. Jeff Walling was the main speaker. I have always thought he was blessed to be able to reach teens in a way that most people cannot do. The worship service is unreal. If I had to say one mode of worship that connected me most to Christ, it would be singing. I love to sing and music can convict me faster than anything. That was no different this time. The music was so wonderful. It is how I hope Heaven will be! The theme this year was "The Prize" based on Philippians. It was really good and gave me a lot to think about. Please pray for all of those teens that made a connection this weekend, maybe for the first time.

Who is this kid?

Todd has been cracking us up. Here are two occasions that dealt with racing.

Todd has really been into Cars (from the Disney movie) ever since he saw it the first time. Brad and I enjoyed the movie as well, but we do not enjoy racing. Todd saw us flipping channels and racing was on. He asked to watch it. Brad and I could not believe it. I would rather get a root canal than watch racing (OK not that bad but almost). He watched it for a minute. He then asked when it would be over. I informed him it still had 100 laps to go. He said,"Are you kidding me! Never mind". Brad and I laughed and we relieved all at once.

Tonight, Todd was playing with his collection of Cars. He loves to race the main race cars from the movie (King, McQueen, and Chick Hicks). He gives us play by plays of who is leading and who has crashed. Tonight he looked at us and said" The King is in the lead but he only has a slim lead". Brad and I looked at each other and laughed. I thought it was so funny to say a slim lead. You just never know what he is going to say!

My Wish

This is a song that Rascal Flatts sings. I absolutely love the words to the song! The music is great as well, but it is the words that speak so much louder than the music.

When I heard this song the first time, it was at a time that I needed to be reminded that we are not on this Earth for ourselves but for the glory of God. He has not promised us an easy path but one that we can endure. He does not promise us all that we want in life, bit all that we need. He is always there taking care of us in every step and loves us more than words can express.

The next time I heard this song, I thought it summed up what I want Todd to grow up knowing and believing. I want him to know that he will have choices, but that Christ will lead him down the correct path. I also want him to know, that through it all, his mommy, daddy, and Christ will love him through all of his endeavors.

My Wish

by Rascal Flatts
I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow

And each road leads you where you want to go

And if you’re faced with the choice and you have to choose

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you

And if one door opens to another door closed

I hope you keep on walkin’ ‘til you find the window

If it’s cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile

But more than anything, more than anything

Chorus

My wish for you

Is that this life becomes all that you want it to

Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small

You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you’re out there gettin’ where you’re gettin’ to

I hope you know somebody loves you

And wants the same things too

Yeah, this is my wish

I hope you never look back but you never forget

All the ones who love you

And the place you left

I hope you always forgive and you never regret

And you help somebody every chance you get

Oh, you find God’s grace in every mistake

And always give more than you take

But more than anything, yeah more than anything

This is my wish

I hope you know somebody loves you

May all your dreams stay big

Credits:
Steve Robson, Jeffrey Steele© 2006 V2 Music Publishing Limited (BMI), Jeffrey Steele Music (BMI) All rights on behalf of V2 Music Publishing Limited administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights on behalf of Jeffrey Steele Music administered by BPJ Administration, PO Box 218061, Nashville TN 37221-8061. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Is this real?

I cannot believe this is real. I came across this on the computer. They are saying it is a minature flying saucer. It only goes 15 miles an hour but can fly when traffic is bad. Would you really use this? I think I could sit in traffic and still get where I am going faster. Read more about it at this site. http://www.hammacher.com/publish/10321.asp# I think I will purchase one for Brad. Does anyone have an extra $17,000 dollars I can use?

Weather

Okay. I am so sick of weather people and the weather! I was awake at midnight and they were still predicting 1 to 2 inches of snow today. Do you know how much we got? NONE! Todd was so disappointed! I understand that things change, but that seems too fast to totally miss everyone in the area. I think I can predict weather just about as accurately. My prdiction is that it will be cold tomorrow and a 50% chance of precipitation!

Random thoughts

As I posted earlier, I plan on going back to teaching this next school year. I was looking at the county I was wanting to teach in to see when school began. It begins August 1st!!!! Can you believe that? I remember the days of starting in September. This really makes me sad. Kids do not have a long summer break anymore.

This brings me to my next idea.. VBS. I do not know about your area churches, but here participation has been down the last few years. I am looking at heading up our VBS at church. I will bw in charge of everything from choosing the material to getting the people and crafts. This is stepping out of the box for me. I am not a good leader. I am going to see if there is enough interest and if so I am the leader. We are going to a 1 day VBS because the summers are so short. It seems there are not enough weeks to make VBS an entire week. Please pray for the church that they will step up and for me that I can do this. Especially pray that we can reach lost souls. Pray that I will know what to do to get them to hear God's message!!

I will keep you posted!

Tagged

I've been tagged by Becky.

The tag instructions...
1) Grab the book closest to you
2) Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence
3) Post the text of the following 3 sentences
4) Name the author and book title
5) Tag three people to do the same


Here it is..
"Ask yourself, your spouse, and your friends:what sets this child apart? Childhood tendencies forcast adult abilities. Read them. Discern them. Affirm them. Cheerlead them.

Cure For the Common Life by Max Lucado.

I tag.. Tracy, Franklin, and Cory

Are you kidding?

Brad called me yesterday to inform me he had been lusting. No not over a woman ,over an electronic device. It is the new tv that was released at the electronics show. It is a 108 inch tv. Yes, you read that correctly. Can you imagine? They say it will not fit through most people's doors. Now, I like TV, but I am not picky about the size. Brad, however, thinks the bigger the better. I would much rather spend that money on decorations for the house or a vacation. Anyway, I just could not belive the size of the screen. Look at the man in comparison to the hand on the screen. Unreal! I do not know the cost of this TV,but a 103 inch goes for over $70,000! Yeah, we won't have one anytime soon!!

A time of reflection

At the beginning of a new year, I like to look back over the year and reflect on things that have happened. However, I also like to look to the upcomimg year and think on things that will begin.
2006 was a good year. It had a lot of eventful things to remember.

We were very blessed for Brad to get a new job. Todd and I have enjoyed having Brad around more and for him to be far less stressed. He works less time and gets paid more. God truly was watching over us and leading us in this decision.

We have been very involved in church this year. After many paiful years, we decided we were ready to get involved with the teens again. We teach the middle school class and we love it!!! We have also stayed very connected with our church family this year and developed very important relationships.

Todd turned 4 years old and started preschool. He loves school and is doing well. This has been a year full of excitement for him! He is smart and witty so he keeps us laughing!

My mom's health seems to be doing well. She had no new lesions and that was a good sign!! We pray that God will continue to bless her with health.

I had a lot of personal health bills this year due to my gall bladder. I am relieved that it was nothing more serious but I do not understand how something so small can be so expensive!!

Now for things in 2007...

Todd will turn 5!! That is impossible for me to believe! Time has gone so fast that I can't believe it. He will also begin Kindergarten. This is exciting to him and sad to me. Where has the time gone?

Since Todd will be in school full time and we have no other children (as of yet), I will be looking for a teaching job. I look forward to the extra cash, but not the time and effort that it will require. Please keep me in your prayers that I will find a job that will be a good fit.

We are working hard to pay off debt. This has aquired since we moved from Oklahoma and were tight on money. We want to pay it off!!!

We are going to Winterfest in Gatlinburg, TN. This is a youth rally I attended as a teen and I am looking forward to returning. It was a big highlight and uplifting time for me each year.

I want to be more focused on Christ's vision for me than ever before. I want to truly seek his face this year.

I know this year will be a great year. I look forward to a lot of firsts and a lot of memories. I pray that you all have a wonderful 2007 that is blessed and happy. May God lead us all to be better people that shine brighter for Him and affect more people!

Christmas

We had a really good Christmas this year. Brad's mom came to town to see Todd on Christmas. We usually go there around the 1st of December. We couldn't do that this year since Brad did not have vacation days built up. Todd had 3 days of Christmas. We open presents from Brad's mom and Dad and our presents on Friday night (mainly so his mom could see Todd enjoy the gifts she got for him). Sunday we spent with my family. We had a really good time and the kids enjoyed playing with their new toys together. Of course, Santa came and we saw his presents on Monday. We really need an addition on our house for all of the toys! Brad got me diamond stud earrings for Christmas..something I have always wanted. I also got clothes and some other beautiful earrings from my brother and sister-in-law. It was a wonderful year and God has truly blessed us with money, time, and family!

Clean room?

We had asked Todd to clean his room last night. I had been using a Magic Eraser and he thought that looked like fun. I agreed to let him do it in his room. In a matter of minutes, his room took a turn for the worst. He had knocked over storage containers that held Thomas stuff. After he got done with the Magic Eraser, he had to clean up his mess. This picture was the way he cleaned up the mess ha had made. I could not help but laugh! I guess everything was off the floor. He then told me it looked like a junk yard. Who would have know he would already be looking for the easy way to clean!

How many days?

This year Todd is SOOO excited about Christmas! We actually have 2 different calendars counting down the days until Christmas. Every morning that is the first thing he does. Then, he tells me how many days until Ba-Ba (Brad's mom) is coming into town, until we go to my parents house, and until Santa comes. He is really excited this year. I know this is going to be a fun year for him. It is a little hard to think about Christmas when we have had 70 degree weather, though. We finally have cooler temperatures today!

I cannot imagine..

I was laying on the bed with Todd as he was preparing to go to bed. We had exchanged our "I love yous" and he was curled up getting relaxed. It was at that moment that I began to think about what my life would be like if I did not have Todd. I am sure I would have more money, but no one's face would light up when I showed them the vary rare Cars character that I had purchased. I would probably have the BMW that I have always wanted, but no one to sing "How Great is our God" with me while driving down the road. I would probably have a bigger house, but I would not hear the patter of feet running around in it. I would have more free time, but what would I do with it? I am sure I would have more sleep, but I would miss out on the sweet hugs and cuddles from my precious son. I cannot fathom how different my life would be without Todd. God gave me this precious soul that lights up my whole life. As many of you know, we have tried to have another child for quite some time and have had no success. For a while, I was so upset that I was not able to have another child. It was then that I realized that God had given me the most precious gift and all I could focus on was what I did not have. It took me some time to change that mentality. I still long for another child ;however, I have a son that keeps me busy and I am blessed far more than most people.

What would you do with $60,000?

My mom went to see a new Costco that just opened. They handed her a Christmas brochure that contained many different kinds of presents. It has things from bikes to dishes. Brad and had brought it home because it had an Escalade golf cart that we were going to send as a joke to someone (it costs $12,000). As we were looking through it, we discovered a cruise that is unreal to us. I have never been on a cruise and do not know if I would like it or not. I am funny about being in enclosed spaces. Brad and I looked this cruise up and it is unreal!! It is a world cruise that is 126 days. It goes all over the world. It starts at $60,209 per person. Who has this kind of money and would those people really shop for their vacation through Costco? I just find this really funny. If money nor jobs were an issue, would you enjoy this or is it too long?

If you would like to see this go to www.costco.com and type in worl tour. Click on the 126 day tour.

Fun site

I have seen versions of this before but there is something funny about Santa doing bizarre things. You can type in commands and he will do them. Things like flip, yodel, hop, and many things that I did just to see what he would and would not do. This guy spent LOTS of time because I only encountered a few things that it would not do. Todd liked it. He really liked hop because of the sound effects. Click here to enjoy http://www.simonsezsanta.com/.

BRRR!

Okay, it is way too cold for early December!!! Tonight it will be 16 degrees with winds gusting up to 20 miles per hour. That is so cold! There is one person in this family that is excited about it being cold... Todd. He wants it to snow so badly. It was snowing this morning when we left for school but it was not sticking. I want it to warm back up!!

Christmas

I am officially done with buying and wrapping all presents except for 2 that I still have to make!! I always like to be done early. I actually got quite a few gifts before Thanksgiving. I have found that the sales those days are just as good as sales now. The best prices are just days before Christmas but I am always afraid that everything good will be gone. I love shopping for other people. I like to wander around until something jumps out as that perfect gift. I guess that is why I go early.

We are really trying to teach Todd about those that are less fortunate and the true meaning of Christmas. That is really hard since it is so commercialized! We had him help pick out gifts for a kid. Our church and all the area churches work together to get children clothes, shoes, and toys for Christmas. Our church was in charge of clothing. It was impossible for him to understand that some children do not have clothes. It is actually hard for me to grasp that concept. I can not imagine not being able to buy Todd clothes. Not only does he have clothes, but he has clothes that are special (Cars, Thomas, ect). I really hope to take him to a soup kitchen when he is older. I feel so many people, including myself, do not realize how some people live.

How do you all teach your child/children the true meaning of Christmas?

Disney cars

I really liked this movie except for the few inappropriate references. However, I have grown to be really frustrated with it. This was the most popular kids movie this year. All of the boys Todd's age love it. They all want these characters for Christmas. So what do they do? They make limited quantities. Now Todd got a lot of them for his birthday. However, they have made more of them since that time. There is now over 34 characters that range from $3.17 to $7.77 (2 in this pack). Some are going on ebay for $25 or more. They are only the size of Matchbox cars. Todd wanted Santa to bring them but "HE" had not been able to find them. "He" refused to pay $25. Well, rest at ease, after NUMEROUS trips to Wal-mart, we have all but 1 and I have not even seen this one. Todd will be playing with a small fortune but atleast we did not pay a fortune for it!!

Thanksgiving

Well, we had a great Thanksgiving. We went to eat at my parents. It was delicious! Todd had gotten the flu shot the day before and was not feeling very well. He always has reactions to shots. He still has a stuffy nose. We have already put up our tree. I love Christmas. It has to be one of my favorite holidays. Every year when I put up our tree it is like going back in time. Every year since I was very young, my mom has gotten an ornament for me that has represented something that happened that year. I love jogging my memory in that manner. I am thankful that most of those years have have come and gone (especially when I was 13 and 14)! We now give Todd ornaments, too. He understands it now and he loves it.