Joy In The Journey

Life and Learning

2015-03-10T17:47:00.003-07:00

Life is busy.
Life is complicated.
Life is so much fun.
Life is the unexpected.
Life is up and down.

I've been praying and trying to make a decision about what to do with this blog. Do I keep it going? Do I take it off the radar? If I keep going, what in the world am I suppose to write or share? After much prayer and pondering I believe that keeping it up is what He would have me to do. I believe that I know what I'm suppose to be writing about but wanting to make absolutely sure, it may be a week or so before the first post appears. I'm excited and can't wait to get started.

If you are new, please feel free to read the older post.
If you are still checking in and following, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me!!!!

I look forward to what the future may hold! It's going to be great!!!

Lessons Learned from My Overcomer

2014-10-14T18:14:00.000-07:00

I realize that I wrote a post with the same exact title about a year ago. At the same time, it was about a year/year and a half ago that things started happening.
I have also written a post about a friend named Lynn, that I nicknamed "Overcomer" after Mandisa's awesome song that means so much on so many levels.
You see, Lynn is the wife of my ex-husband and Step-Mom to my older children. She was diagnosed with one of the rarest forms of Leukemia and the prognosis was not good and she was left with a choice. FIGHT or NOT!!! If you knew Lynn, you would know that "NOT" was NOT an option. She was going to fight with everything in her!
As friends and family rallied around her, she fought. She fought with grace, dignity, might, power, strength, love, concern for others, and a smile that would light up a room! There were days I am sure that were gut wrenching and the nausea and fatigue and the discomfort would take over but to see her picture on Facebook or in a text or Instagram, you would never know. Her husband, children, family and friends stood beside her. Sent her cards, text messages and frogs! Lynn loved her frogs!

She received a Bone Marrow Transplant on May 1, 2014. That was her new "Birthday". It was easy to remember and we counted each month as a "Birthday"! Every day was a fight. Every day was a victory and we all claimed it as such! She had beaten her cancer! We were all so ecstatic! It was so amazing and we were all so thankful!

The side effects from the treatments, however were not so kind! They were waging a war and then that day came. The physician came in and said there was nothing else to do. We were heart broken. We didn't understand. Lynn had fought so hard. She had taught us so much in the past year. I don't know that she will ever know the impact that she had on my life.

The last weekend in September, we made our way to North Carolina to a Farewell Service. You see, it was not "Good Bye" for us. It was "See you later". There will be a day when we will see her again. She will be beaming from ear to ear with her smile. She will be FULLY HEALED! She will be just a few minutes late meeting up with you and me but she WILL be there. It was such a wonderful time of memories of her! Things that we had all experienced with her!

So you may ask, what did I learn from Lynn? I learned several things from her.
1. SMILE and smile a lot!
2. Take LOTS of pictures with yourself in them, whether you look wonderful or your hair is a mess or you have cake batter on your face.
3. Love your family no matter what the circumstances. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.
4. Love life! Go Get It!
5. Most important, put the Lord first and give Him the Praise that He deserves!

I sent Lynn a million text! I mean, she probably thought I was a nut! I wanted to make her smile, to know that we loved her and that we NEVER stopped praying! I have never lost a friend to a disease. This has been difficult but nothing compared to what her family is going through. Jim, Alexx and Kyle, we will continue praying for all of you in the days ahead! We love ya'll! I couldn't think of a better way to remember her than putting a post on my blog!

I love you Lynn-Marie and yes, I will see ya later!

Pam

HER SONG!

Routine....What Routine??

2014-09-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Well, summer has come and gone and now it's back to a routine. At our house there is NO ROUTINE during the summer. Whatever we chose to do is mostly decided by the weather. It can beautiful one minute and the next it is pouring rain. We have learned that there is ALWAYS a chance of rain OR it can look like the bottom is going to fall out and absolutely NOTHING happens. Now that school is back in session and we are settling into our routine, it is a little difficult but it is all a good thing.

We have moved into our new house. WE LOVE IT!!!! We sometimes feel like we are our in the middle of nowhere as Kaleb would say. We are actually only about 5 minutes from Wal-Mart and Bo is about 5-8 minutes from work. We have a huge yard. It is so NICE!!! We have had our Life Groups from church out to the house on 2 occasions. It was so great to have plenty of room outside for everyone to sit, relax, eat and fellowship! Exactly what we wanted when we moved here! Kaleb loves it because he has found a friend down the street and we don't life in the "hotel house" (apartment) anymore!!!

Do you have a routine? When we lived in Mississippi, I had a sweet friend that had a folder and each day was a different color. Depending on the color would determine what she is going to be doing that day. One color for yard work or cleaning the house, or laundry etc. We all thought it was humorous but guess what......I find myself doing something very similar especially since Kaleb is now back at school. There is something about being able to mark off activities or seeing that you have accomplished something that day.

Routine will now include blogging! I am super excited. At present that is all that I know. There is not an agenda, a theme, a topic or anything else. I just know that this is what I am to be doing and so I will do whatever it is that He asks of me!

Let me hear from you! Would love to know what has been going on in your life!!!

2 MORE DAYS!!!!!!

2014-06-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!!!!!!! Kaleb has only 2 more days of school!!!!!! I know he is excited!!!!! He hasn't figured out that he has been in school since the first of August. That is what happens when you move in the middle of the year!!! We have been so very busy but we have had so much fun in the process.

We have been so excited about what the Lord is doing. Well, let's just share some pictures and you will see......

Kaleb has been playing Coach-Pitch Ball and LOVING IT!!!!!

Life Group Women! Powerful Prayer Warriors!!!!

Went to NC and visit with my brother!!!!

Kaleb was able to see some of his GREAT friends in NC!!

We got to visit with Dylan and Tonya!

Nick graduating from High School and visit with some GREAT FRIENDS!!!!

WE ARE MOVING!!!! This is our new house! We are SOOOO excited!!!!

Kaleb picked out his room!

RUNNING!!!!!!!!

Visit with KYLE!!!!!! Not sure who had more fun!!!!

Bo and I are going to be teaching 3rd Grade at church in the FALL!!!!!

God has blessed us so richly!!!!!!!!!

Summer is COMING!!!!!!!

2014-05-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to stop in and give you an update. God has been so very good! I'm amazed and He just continues to blow me away! I realize that I should not be shocked because He loves His children and blesses them continually.

My brother was actually discharged today! He went in about a week ago to be "put back together" after his major ordeal back in October. What a few months it has been but as I said, the Lord has been gracious and blessed us! His surgery went great and he is on the road to recovery! He had no ill effects from the anesthesia this time and was up on the side of the bed that evening. So very grateful!

My "Overcomer" Lynn has been through so much! She has fought such a battle and has never lost her faith. She has been through extreme radiation, extreme chemotherapy and has received her Bone Marrow Transplant. She has endured all of the side effects and has done so well. Every week we have prayed for her during our Life Group Meetings. It's been such a blessing!

Life Group continues to be our high-light each week. There is something so precious and yet so powerful about learning, growing, praying, fellowshipping and of course, eating with brothers and sisters in Christ! We have grown as group so much we are getting ready to as Pastor Michael says, "Birth" into another group. Our group will divide into 2 groups and then continue on. It's just amazing! It's such a blessing!

Kaleb continues to blow our minds. Of course there is never a dull moment in the house for sure! He has received straight A's on his last report card and his progress report. He finished out his season in the Youth Bowling Team. He came home with 3 trophies, 1 patch and 2 plaques. I'm not sure who was more excited, Kaleb , us, or my parents. He and Bo are bowling in an Adult/Youth Summer League. Kaleb bowled last night for the first time without bumpers. He did so good and had such a great attitude about it! Very proud of the Little Man!

There are just a few more things to share about the Nine Arts and I will be getting to those n the next couple of days. I am using them and they make such a huge difference. The people that I don't know and the fact that I make eye contact with someone is just mind blowing to some of them. I'm sure they think...."Obviously, she is not from here"......I just smile and keep going!

My prayer life has grown by leaps and bounds since reading and studying and being in our Life Group. It is something that can be so simple and yet we miss it. We talk to others. We talk to family. We talk to friends. We even talk to our spouses. We need to FIRST talk to HIM1!!!! I'll share more on that later.

Now that you are caught up, we will be sharing a lot this summer. Please join in!!!!!!

Nine Arts- LOVING!!!!!

2014-04-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

Do you love people?
Do you love your parents?
Do you love your Spouse?
Do you love your children?
Do you love your Family Members?
Do you love your friends?
Do you love your neighbors?
Do you love the waitress at the restaurant?
Do you love the teen that waited on you at the fast food restaurant?
NOW A BIG QUESTION>>>>>
DO YOU LOVE JESUS????

Oh WOW!!!!! It may be easy to go down the list and say YES to 95% of those. Let me ask you another question....do you love them unconditionally? Do you show your love to them? If you do, how do you do that?

Let's really think about that. He loved us first! He loved us unconditionally. Scripture even says that "While we still sinners, Christ died for us." He loved you even in your sin, so much that He was willing to die for you. That really just takes me to my knees in gratitude!!!!

Let's look at some other scripture to consider....
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing" (NIV) Zephaniah 3:17 " And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, through it is too great to understand fully." (NIV) Ephesians 3:18-19 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
"We love because he first loved us"(NIV) 1 John 4:19

Here is something for us to consider when we are going through this process of seeking those that are lost.
"Musician Aaron Niequist explains it this way in his song "Changed"
We have been blessed,
now we're gonna be a blessing.
We have been loved,
now we're gonna bring love,
We've been invited,
we're gonna share the invitation.
We have been changed, to bring change"

"God invites ordinary men and women in their every day lives to make an extraordinary impact with an extraordinary message. What's the message? God extravagantly loves ALL PEOPLE!!!!"

Nine Arts- Asking Questions????????

2014-04-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, so let's recap.....
Noticing- looking and watching and noticing intentionally. Looking a little deeper than just the superficial
Praying- Seeing people and their expressions or their circumstances that they are in and praying while you are noticing them as well.
Listening- Probably one of the hardest. Listening to what they share directly or indirectly that tells you so much more about them. More details means more specific ways to pray.
Now we come to the new one.
--Asking Questions- That doesn't seem very difficult. It seems pretty straight forward. So, let's say that you have found this person, that you have noticed, you have been praying for/about and you have listened to what they share directly and/or indirectly. Now it's your turn to ask questions.
-What are you going to say?
-How are you going to start a conversation?
-Have they said something that interested you in your earlier conversations when you were just listening to them?

So why is it important to even ask questions? Asking questions opens doors and starts conversations that can very well turn to spiritual matters. Asking questions also takes the focus off of you and turns it to them and allows them to share their experiences which of course opens up for more questions.

Let's think about this. The Lord wants to have a relationship with us and we all know that a relationship is built on communication. We also know that communication is a two way street. It requires conversation with questions and answers. One important thing to remember is to ask open ended questions and not yes-no questions.
Let's take a look at one of my favorite passages of scriptures. Starting in the beginning....
Genesis 3:8-13 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?". He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The man said, "The woman you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"

Did you notice that the Lord asked questions that required an answer and not just a yes or a no. Questions about where they were and what they were doing. This gives us a jumping off point for our conversations and asking questions to those that we are learning about!

So, now you have another piece of the puzzle and you are ready to take another step. We have just a few more to go. I hope you are enjoying this as much as I have enjoyed sharing this!!!!!
I would LOVE to hear from you!!!!!!

UPDATE

2014-04-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know and give you a bit of an update. I told you about my dear friend Lynn who was awaiting a Bone Marrow Transplant. Well, today she started her journey. 4 days of radiation, twice a day and then 4 days of chemo and then she will receive her transplant. There is not enough room for me to write and tell you all of the ways that the Lord has moved and worked in her life and her family's life as well. It would literally blow your mind!!!!

She is a fighter and a very strong woman! She looks wonderful. She has a great support system. Most importantly, she knows the Lord!!!!! If you missed the earlier post, here is the LINK

LYNN, He's got you!!!!!!!

Because of Easter Sunday.....

2014-04-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

Because of Easter Sunday......I CAN SING and I CAN KNOW......THIS IS MY ETERNAL REALITY!!!!!!

Oh, What a Savior

2014-04-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

No Words Needed. Just worship!

It Might Be Friday.......

2014-04-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

This video will date me I am sure. I have seen Carmen in concert many times and even have a lot of his CD's. This is one that I love!!!!! I was surprised I could find it on YouTube. It maybe Good Friday.........BUT.......SUNDAY IS ON THE WAY!!!!!!!!

Easter Song

2014-04-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

Easter is Coming

2014-04-14T11:56:00.001-07:00

What do you like about Easter? Candy? Plastic Eggs? Coloring Eggs? Hunting Eggs? Plastic Green Grass? Baskets or Buckets?

What are some of your traditions at your house? Do you have family over or go to families house? Do you have ham or chicken?

These are the things that seem to take our focus when it comes to Easter. This can really be true if you have children and even younger children. I can remember hiding eggs and hunting eggs as a child. It was just so much fun!!!!!! We used more real eggs I think instead of plastic ones. When my oldest was little we switched to just using the plastic eggs for hunting. There is so much fun in hiding the eggs.

Now that I have a 7 year old and all of the "new things" that have come into the market place, things have changed just a little bit. Resurrection Eggs and Resurrection Rolls. I purchased a set last year and WOW! Listening to Kaleb tell me about each one was unbelievable. We made Resurrection Rolls on Sunday morning! It was just precious!!!!!!

This is what ours looks like. You can make your own or you can purchase them at the local Christian Book Store. It is such a wonderful teaching tool!

These are a great thing to do on Easter Morning. Wrapping the marshmallow with the butter and brown sugar in a crescent roll. Just another teaching tool! Just thrills my heart to listen to Kaleb talk through the preparation.

There are plenty of recipes out there for the Resurrection Rolls if you have never made them.

I pray that we enjoy the fun in the Easter Holiday but my biggest prayer is that we understand what we are celebrating on Easter Sunday. It's such a powerful day. It's a day we can't live without! It's a day of celebration and realizing what Christ did for you and for me!!!!!! Without Easter Sunday, we wouldn't have Eternal Life! Without His sacrifice, we wouldn't know true forgiveness.
If you have questions about Easter, please let me know! I would love to share more with you!!!!!!!

Nine Arts.......Listening

2014-04-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

LISTENING!!!!

OK, so you have noticed.
You have prayed.
You are doing FABULOUS!!!!!!

This is the hard one for a lot of people. When you are having a conversation with someone, are you REALLY listening? I know that we have to make a conscious effort to listen. Maybe we need to make eye contact. Maybe turn off the computer, the iPad, the television or even your cell phone!

If I were to ask your friends, would they say that you were a good listener? It really makes you stop and think. I know it did for me. I have to make sure that I don't say "Yeah" to everything that Kaleb has to say because he will take it and run with it and the next thing I know, I have agreed to purchase something totally our of the budget. On the other hand if someone is talking to me and sharing their heart and I am not listening, then I have totally missed the boat! That is NOT where I want to be and for sure I will not be a good listener.

The study posed this question.
When others are talking to me....
I find myself finishing their sentences
I give my opinions before hearing them out.
I get restless and impatient
I lose track of what is being said
I mentally rehearse what I'm going to say next.
I take control of the conversation
I interrupt with frequent comments or questions
I try to diagnose and help them fix their problems
I worry about what I'm going to say next
I answer before gaining real understanding.

OH MY GOODNESS!!! That one really hit home. If I'm standing in the grocery line and my checker starts talking to me, am I REALLY listening? Yes, this requires you to FOCUS!!!! Hear what she/he has to say. You can learn a lot! If you are talking with a friend or family member, what do you do? I am a FIXER!!!! I want to fix everything. GUESS WHAT???? It is not up to me to fix it or them. I am to LISTEN!!!! Do you lose track of what is being said because you left the conversation 5 minutes ago and then they ask you what you think....OH NO!!!!

So what in the world does this have to do with sharing your faith? EVERYTHING!!! LISTENING to people talk tells you about them. From the study it states.... " It requires you to prove, explore, reflect back what you've been hearing to ensure that you've truly understood what's been revealed to you. It seeks to discover people's stories, to learn what interests them, and ultimately to discover where God is at work in their lives." It takes the focus off of you and me and puts it on them. They are comfortable talking to you because you listen! As they are sharing with you, ask them questions. Simple questions that they can share with you. Remember the lady that I was telling you about at the grocery store. I talked with her and remembered what she told me. That gives me the open door to talk to her when I am in her line.

James 1:19-20 (NIV)- My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

There is another very neat idea that they shared in the study that you can use. Just to make sure that you are truly LISTENING is to try and use some of these statements.
So, if I'm hearing you right.....
So the really big thing for you is....
You seem to be saying....
I think I hear you saying....
It sounds like.....
MAKE SURE YOU LISTEN!!!! You can learn so much!!!!!!!!

So, we have notice. We have prayed. We are listening. How are you doing with this? SHARE!!!!!!

The Nine Arts.....Praying

2014-04-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

PRAYING!

How easy is that! You have noticed people. GREAT! Now what? Pray! You and I can both do that VERY easily!!!!! All of these people that you have noticed and written down their names or remembered to get in their line at the grocery store, are you praying for them? This was another one of those things that seemed so simple.

Praying for those that you are coming in contact with. Standing in line, praying for your checker that you are going to be face to face with. Praying for that Mom that is struggling with her child in the store that doesn't want to cooperate. Praying for that Dad with his special needs child that you saw in Target. Praying for the waitress/waiter that seems to be so distracted while serving you. Cary, in my Life Group, calls the "Pop-Up Prayers". True, you may never see them again. True, you may see them somewhere else. The fact is this....You NOTICED! You PRAYED!

Those that we are coming into contact with that are non-believers that are searching, wounded, hurt, disappointed, depressed, stressed and don't have a relationship with Christ. Can you imagine what you would do without your relationship with Christ? Something that Oswald Chambers wrote, really hit home with me. Satan wants to keep them and us so busy, that we don't have time to pray for them.
"The prayer of the feeblest saint who lives in the Spirit and keeps right with God is a terror to Satan. The very powers of darkness are paralyzed by prayer....No wonder Satan tries to keep our minds fussy in active work till we cannot think in prayer." WOW! Chew on that!!!!

Scripture says..."And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

So here is your challenge. Notice them! Pray for them! You can do that! There is no excuse for NOT doing that. It's easy!

Let me know how you are doing! I want to hear from you!!!!!!!!!!

The Nine Arts......Noticing

2014-04-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

NOTICING!

This is so easy. We see people and run into people all the time. Think about this......
The grocery store
The drive thru window
The bank
The school
The office
The doctors office
The fast-food restaurant
The convenient store.
You get the picture. In most of these places, they wear a name tag. In our busy schedules we forget to pay attention to those that we see or meet. Do you notice their name? Do you call them by their name? This seems very easy but it can be a little tricky as well. It requires something of you. First, you have slow down. Are you kidding me? No, I'm not kidding. Pay attention. Notice something about them. Their clothes. Their expression. Their lack of expression. Their comments. Their lack of comments. You get the picture.

Matthew 9:36-38 (NIV) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send our workers into his harvest field."

Christ noticed. He noticed the crowds. He had compassion on them. Do you notice people as Christ did? Studying this Art was a real eye opener for me.

What have I done? I have found 3 different ladies that I check out with at my grocery store and I try VERY hard to get in their lines if they are there. One I have talked to more. I know that she likes to talk. She has a child. She works days. She doesn't like the snow. I try very hard to notice people when I am out. Sometimes it's heart breaking watching and noticing people's faces. You can see it written on their face! I have started running again. I go to the same park. I see people there. I watch. I notice. I see some of the same people and sometimes different ones. I'm noticing people EVERYWHERE!!!! Talk about a change!!!!!

Give it a try! Notice! It simple. It only requires you to see people. We can all slow down to do that. Let me know what happened!!!!!!!!

The Nine Arts of Spiritual Conversation

2014-04-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Well, the title could almost scare you away when you read it! Please don't let is scare you. They are very easy and just plain common sense.

The Nine Arts are...
-Noticing
-Praying
-Listening
-Asking Questions
-Loving
-Welcoming
-Facilitating
-Serving Together
-Sharing

Seems very straight forward. It is the basis to building relationships. There in lies the key. The relationship is everything. We have been going through these steps in our Life Group. We spend 2 weeks on each section. It has really changed how you look at people. It is absolutely mind blowing. I want to share these with you.
Most have been involved in the "techniques" and "methods" and "programs" about how to share our faith. Anything from standing on a street corner to cold door knocking. Sometimes, these methods work. Sometimes they don't. For someone that has questions as a non-believer, it will take anywhere from 7 to 13 interactions before they come to the point of realizing their need for a Savior. Seven to 13 times!!!!!! That's A LOT!!!!! This is where this is so simple and so straight forward. I just absolutely LOVE IT!!!!!
Have you shared your faith? Do you know HOW to share your faith? This is so exciting!!!!! I hope you will stick around. Check in and read along with me as we go through these. I'll go ahead with the first 3 Arts and keep going as we go through them with our Life Group. You don't want to miss out!!!!!!!!

Learning and Learning More!!

2014-03-26T13:00:00.002-07:00

Since we have landed in our new church home, we are now apart of a "Cell Group" or a "Life Group" depending on what you want to call it. We are a small group that is growing. We not only grow in number but also in fellowship, friendship and growing in our relationship with Christ. It is so exciting.
I wanted to share the 2 items that we are covering during our times together. They are so simple but can really challenge you on your Christian living, thinking and relationships with those around you.

First is the book we are reading and studying. "The God I Never Knew". OH WOW!!!!! I am hoping to start blogging on what we have learned and discovered. It has so changed my thinking about the Holy Spirit. He is apart of the Trinity but we so often call him an "It" or a "force". I will be sharing more on that for sure!!!!!

Secondly, we are going through "The Nine Arts Of Spiritual Conversation". This has been a real eye opener in how we share our faith. Typically we think of the people we invite to church and then we leave it to the "professionals" at church to lead them to Christ. This takes it to a whole different level. If you sit down and take someone down the Roman Road and expect it to happen right there.....well, it just might BUT, maybe they need you to listen to them, pray for them, talk to them. Those are the steps we miss. We are talking about all of this and how it really changes your perspective on sharing your faith. I am sure I will be sharing about that as well.

I hope you will jump in. I want to hear from you! What do you think? Have you read the book? Have you thought about Spiritual Conversations? EXCITING TIMES!!!!!!

Kaleb's Scripture Memory

2014-03-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

This is the scripture for March. He said it to his teachers last week without looking!!!! The cool part is that he is learning what God-Breathed and rebuking means!!!!

This was his scripture last month. He can tell you what a pure heart is and renew as well as steadfast!

It's exciting to watch him grow in The Word!

FOG

2014-03-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

I have to confess I borrowed the title of the post from a fellow blogger from TV. I have sat down several times to write and NOTHING. I tried enough that I was getting frustrated with it so I gave it a break for a while. After much prayer and time, it is time to start again. I'm excited about what we might do and where we might go with it. Its' going to be a lot of fun.

We of course are in Maryland and settling pretty well. The weather here changes more than it did in North Carolina I believe. This past weekend was BEAUTIFUL!!! It was 70+ degrees. We were outside, at the park, at the zoo and had the windows up. Monday, Kaleb was home from school because we had 5 inches of SNOW!!!! It's just crazy!

Allen Memorial is our new church home. We have enjoyed every service. We are in a "Cell Group" or "Life Group" and love the people in our group. We are getting to know each other on such a deep level and friendships that last a life time. Bo and I are now on the list as Substitute Teachers in the Children's Sunday School Department. Kaleb LOVES going to church. There is NOTHING more exciting to see him, running out the door with Bible in hand, ready for church. He is memorizing his scripture every month for Sunday School. It has really challenged me in my memorizing scripture as well!!! I know he is in first grade and they are really challenging the children. The scripture he memorizes is straight from scripture and not a "child's version". They spend the entire month breaking it apart and learning what it REALLY means. I just love it!!

Hubby is LOVING HIS JOB!!! I'm so grateful and so thankful for such a blessing. He is doing what he loves and enjoys it so very much. Happy husband...happy wife....happy family!!!! Thank you Jesus!!!!!!

Physical Fitness is VERY important to me. Living healthy and fit is key. I love doing Challenge Groups with friends and working hard. Cooking new recipes and learning everything that I can. The Lord blessed me with good health and keeping it that way is very important. I've learned a lot and would love to share some new recipes here. Keep a look out for that.

Life is good and I'm excited to be back! Hope you are doing well.

Overcomer!

2014-01-13T11:18:00.002-08:00

We all have those people in your life that just blow your mind.
People you didn't know would have an impact on you like they do. Those people that you met at what you thought was the worst time in your life.
Yet the Lord uses them.
Those people that when you first meet you think that there won't be much of a relationship there. Those people that you are not sure about and what kind of relationship you will have or should have. Yes, the Lord uses them.
Those people that stick around for the long haul. Those people that send you a text or a Facebook message about the blog post that you wrote that you think no one is reading that you poured your soul into. Those people that make you laugh and even laugh at yourself!
Yes, the Lord uses them.
Those people that sign up and run 2 different races with you just for the fun of it!
Yes, the Lord uses them.
Those people that you go with every intension of ministering to them BUT they minister to you! Those people that are diagnosed with a rare blood cancer.
Yes, the Lord uses them!
Those people that REFUSE to give up. Those people that you bang down the door of Heaven for them.
Yes, the Lord uses them.
Those people that smile in EVERY picture no matter if they are in a hospital ICU or sitting in a Chemo chair at the cancer center.
Yes, the Lord uses them.
Those that are there for your children when you live in another state. Those that send you a text to let you know that something is up and a call from Mom is a good idea.
Yes, the Lord uses them.
Those that cause you to pray more. Those that cause you to study more.
The Lord Uses Them.
You see, I have one of these. Her name is Lynn-Marie. She has no clue what she does for me. She has no idea how much she means to me. I could be her biggest cheerleader. Yeah, I probably drive her crazy with all of the text messages and the post on her wall. She has been diagnosed with a blood cancer but she is in it for the FIGHT!!!! She is a FIGHTER! Lynn, you amaze me. You are my OVERCOMER!! Keep up the good Fight! The Lord is NOT FINISHED!!!!!

Blessings,
Pam

Resolutions or Change in Life?

2014-01-08T02:30:00.000-08:00

It's the first week of the New Year of 2014. I'm wondering where in the world that 2013 went. So much happened and it was so busy. I was ready just to slow down and stop and think through. I could not but help but wonder what in the world was He thinking moving us to Maryland. Funny that less than 2 years ago, I was thinking the same thing but I was sitting in Amory Mississippi. There was several times that I thought we had figured out why and then it would change. We grew as a couple. We grew as a family. We grew in our walk. We stepped completely out of our comfort zone and it was just amazing. Now we are searching and looking for the same things. It's VERY exciting!

This year as the year gets started, people are making Resolutions.
-Lose weight
-Sleep More
-Drink More Water
-Staying organized
-Getting debt free

Realistically, these typically don't last very long. I know when January and February would role around at the gym, I would dread going until March. By March, most of those in the January and February rush had given up and said "Forget It". I wonder how many of us are the same way in our Spiritual Life. We make promises and agree to do this or that and with in a couple of weeks we give up!

This past Sunday, the pastor at church encouraged up to get into the habit of prayer. Praying first in our circumstances and not as a last resort. Prayer time that last more than 5 minutes. Reading and studying scripture. Spending time with the Father. Now, to many, this may sound more like a resolution. I don't think I see it as a resolution but as a lifestyle. It is as necessary as eating, drinking your water, and getting enough sleep. It's NECESSARY! It can CHANGE your life! Make is a priority!!!! Not a resolution!!!!!

Christmas and Birthday Pictures!!!!

2014-01-06T16:47:00.001-08:00

Christmas Season/ New Years/ Kaleb's Birthday! All within 2 weeks. I'm blessed beyond measure!!!!!!!! Here are some pictures......

Yes, we had an Elf this year!

Cupcakes for school!

This was Jack (names after Si on Duck Dynasty)

Night before Christmas and he was moving the statues to make room for presents.

Papa has a Harley and he needed a vest too!

Birthday Presents!

Birthday at Chucky Cheese's

Skeet Ball Champion!

Ocean City Maryland (20 minutes away)

Papa and Mema in Ocean City...it was COLD!!!!

Can't wait for summer!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Christ-giving Christmas!

2013-12-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize that tomorrow is Christmas Eve and the next day is the long anticipated Christmas Day! Whether you are 5 or 95, there is celebrations. There is food on the table. There are friends and family. There is so much to be done to get ready and in that brief 24 hours, it is OVER and we start all over again!

Social media is something that I have a total Love-Hate relationship with. One moment, I am laughing and reading comments and jokes and cartoons and my mouth is watering over food pictures and recipes that just make you gain weight by reading them. On the other hand it can be heart breaking. The prayer request for the sick child or parent. The plea in the Amber alerts that pop up. The sadness in some of the post that you can "hear" just by reading them. The airing of "laundry" that should not be hung out. The request for prayers for broken marriages.

Even yesterday and today, there were all kinds of things to read and see. I was reminded yesterday to not take these precious days for granted. There are family and friends that are having Christmas and celebrations this year without someone. The church we have been visiting just recently lost a young woman, wife and mother of 4. She fought the good fight and her healing came on the other side in the presence of her Savior. There maybe a missing parent or grandparent or brother or sister. There are people hurting.

Why in the midst of this joyful time would I write such? It's not to be sad and depressing. It is however about who and what you do the next week or so celebrating Christmas and New Years. Christ gave you life. He came so that He could fulfill the prophecy. He came because He loves you more than you ever could imagine. He came so that he could fill the hole in your heart that ONLY He fits. He has given you another day and another Christmas to celebrate His birth. He gave you friends and family to share them with. Don't take that for granted!

This year has been somewhat difficult and learning once again, TOTAL DEPENDENCE on my Savior. Yes, we moved and that was TOTAL DEPENDENCE! My brother became ill. We thought is was something as simple as diverticulitis, something that is typically so easy to treat. Well, it turned out to be A LOT more than we ever thought. A colon abcess that ruptured that was making him sicker by the minute. After a very long and lengthy surgery, he was placed in ICU on a ventilator. I will never forget all of the phone calls, the prayers, the Facebook messages, the text messages and the sweet friends that asked about him. A long and lengthy stay in the hospital and he was finally able to go home. He's been back in the hospital sense but doing better. It's going to be a long road. There is not a day that goes by that I am not grateful for my brother. I had so taken him for granted. I love you Jeffro!!!!!

Maybe someone in your family has become ill this year. Someone has received a diagnosis that you didn't see coming that totally rocked your world and turned it completely upside down. Don't take those around you for granted. Make memories this year. Start a tradition. Write a card to someone. Call someone that you haven't talked to in a long time. You and I are not promised tomorrow but we have today. Make some memories!!! Yes, it is Christmas but we need to live out a thanksgiving life!

Merry Christmas!

Merry CHRISTmas!

2013-12-18T17:40:00.001-08:00

Well, I have been to our post office here on 3 occasions. I listen to people making small talk with the postal lady. I've heard...'Have a great holiday", "Happy Holidays", "Hope you have a great season". I chose to go a different route. "Have a Merry Christmas". It's almost funny to see her expression change. I typically get a "You too.". I sometimes wish I had eyes in the back of my head to see if there were any reactions but I just know that is what should be said! What do you say?

We have only been here going on 3 weeks. We haven't discovered our "home church" as of yet. I don't have a Bible study at present and was just feeling like I was floundering. I sat down yesterday and thought about it and prayed. Study the Christmas Story in all the Gospels. OK, that sounds interesting. I got Matthew done yesterday and Mark done today. I have read these a bunch of times. I MEAN A BUNCH! "The Word of the Lord is alive" (Hebrews 4:12).

Just to give you an example.....
Can you tell me the 2 women (could be more) that are included in the Genealogy of Christ?
How many generations are mentioned?
When I tell you that these things jumped off the page and became so alive, I was just blown away!!!!!

It was so exciting! What are you studying right now? A particular subject? A book of the Bible? A written Bible Study? Please share!!!!!