New Year's Resolutions anyone?

Well, I've never been one of "those people" who make resolutions each year because, well, I make a new resolution every Monday to do something better than the week before so who needs a yearly resolution!  This year I want to actually make a list...crazy, huh?!  So here it goes and I'm looking forward to December 31, 2011 to see how I did!

In 2011 I will....

1.  ...put God first and everything else second more in my life.  I can't ever become perfect at this because I'm, well, a sinner saved by grace but I want to do better at this every year.  Speaking of being "second" check out www.iamsecond.com if you haven't and listen to some of the testimonies.  Powerful!

2.  ...do my daily devotional study every day.  Every few months these last couple years I have committed and then for various reasons I let my study that I'm tackling fall by the wayside till I decide to do another one.  I'm praying that this is going to be the year I change that.  I read through a Proverbs 31 daily devotional every day and I do take the time almost every day to read through the scriptures and questions it has with it and think about them, but I want to commit to a more substantial time of day to spend with my Lord and Savior.  I'm starting with "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terquerst and I'm excited about it.  It will tie in with my next item on the list actually!  The ladies' Sunday School class that I teach is studying her "Becoming more than a Good Bible Study Girl" right now and it is great!

3. ...get healthier.  This may be the one I struggle with the most.  I know I can't count how many times I've lost 15 pounds and turned around 6 months later and gained it back...before I went on to lose the 20 more I needed to lose.  As a friend of mine says about herself...I'm a "-tion" eater....celebrations, devastation, frustration....and I want to get this under control.  So, I'm starting the "Made to Crave" study about letting God feed my soul and not food.  I need to lose the weight...seriously!

4.  ...get in shape.  Granted it's part of getting healthier but specifically I want to have less flab no matter what size I am.  I love to run...I'm weird like that once I get in the habit.  But, I'm terrible at letting it be the 1st thing to slide when I get tired and busy.  I know I will feel better if I will stop the 3 month on, 3 months off cycle and just get consistent.  I'm going to aim for 6 days a week and try to make a minimum of 4 days a week in any given week.  My goal is another half marathon this year.  Did one a few years ago and frustrates me that now I will struggle to run a mile as I start the new year.

5.  ...not define myself by my size.  I start a lot of days of my life feeling "good" or "bad" about myself depending on how my clothes fit when I got ready that morning.  I want to do better at this....which reflects back on my new study...letting God define my day and not my waistline!  This is really going to be hard for me...

6.  ...quit carrying the entire load myself.  I don't mean this critically of my family, but I do everything at home that gets done and I do mean everything...house, finances, you name it and I'm the one doing it! LOL! I've typed up charts, lists and they last a day or so till everyone is busy and then I just go back to doing it.  I have been letting the rest of my family slide by without contributing much and I'm not doing any of a service with this. This does not lead to a very relaxed mommy and wife because as any mommy out there will tell you...there is SO much to do to run a household.  I need to start delegating and require my family to contribute.  I can't do it all.  I don't need to resolve to be cleaner, more organized, etc. if I just had some help doing these things that would take care of itself I think...we'll see.

I know this list may seem like I think I'm a complete failure, but actually I did some things well in 2010.  I think I did a good job at reaching out to others whether it was a struggling friend who needed a card or a call to check on them or a stranger in need...I can always do better of course but I tried to focus more on this area this year and I think I succeeded more than I failed.  I think I did a good job of being a supportive wife and mom with all of my family's interests and activities....countless trips to ballfields, gyms and piano lessons.  I cooked more in 2010 and hope to do even better in 2011.   I tried to be always mindful of my blessings God has given me....always above and beyond what I deserve.

So, be in prayer for me as I tackle these specific 6 things....it's a lot to focus on...my spiritual life, my physical health and my stress level just to name a few. I welcome any advice in any of these areas that my handful of readers have to offer...seriously I do!!!

Have a blessed 2011 and remember He is the reason we are here!

Can you see my smile from there?

Last night Carson came up to me and said, "Mom, I should've known Santa wasn't real." I asked him why and he said, "There's only one man who knows everything and that's Jesus." I couldn't have been more proud!
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Masquerade: Hiding from God

I don't know if you have ever heard of this preacher, but Craig Groeschel is a great preacher that I discovered a couple years ago when researching some things for starting my Sunday School class.  Regardless of what you might think about his ministry, this series he has just completed called Masquerade: Hiding from God is awesome!  I'm attaching the link to part 1 which last about 30 minutes and I encourage you to watch it when you can.  It is just so good.  I'm home with Marty today while he's hurt and I watched it this morning since I couldn't be at church and it relates to the study my SS class is doing right now and wow...I was really convicted by it...hope you can watch it and let me know what you think!

 

 

http://www.lifechurch.tv/watch/masquerade/1

Carson's deer

Carson killed this deer Sunday afternoon on their lease.  It's a 10 pt with a 17 in. inside spread.  He was so excited...and Daddy was what one might call ecstatic!! LOL! 

Thankful & 10 Things

So I'm way behind on what I'm thankful for!  I've decided I might be a little ADD cause I sure to get sidetracked easily.  I get sidetracked from my current project with another project, get sidetracked with my diet by a chocolate chip cookie (yummo!) and I get sidetracked when I'm cleaning by something dirtier or messier in another room!  But anyway, back to being thankful!  I am so thankful today for my job.  I don't always love it, I don't always want to go to it, but even on the worst day I am still thankful that I have it.  I have friends and acquaintances that have lost jobs during this hard economic time and I'm just thankful that I haven't had that stress in my life...I've got enough already! LOL!

I have came across several blogs lately that are doing the Ten on the Tenth theme each month, so I think I'll jump on the bandwagon and give it a try!

Today I'm in a hurry so I'm thinking I will name 10 shows I love...so easy for me!

1. Grey's Anatomy...I mean McDreamy and McSteamy...how can that be bad?!  

2. Today Show...they irritate me sometimes with their handling of politics and the like but I hit Ch. 4 every morning after I get out of the shower and turn it off on my way out.  I get a dose of news, celebrity gossip, weather, etc. all in about 45 minutes.

3. Oprah...Okay, I swear her off periodically because I don't agree with everything she says by a long shot, but this season especially has been so interesting.  Yesterday I watched her interview with Pres. George Bush and she did a great job...as did he!  I'm actually going to miss her show when it's gone next season.  

4. The Good Wife...good story lines, love Julianne Marguilles..probably butchering her name, but just a good drama.

5.  Hawaii Five-O...a new family favorite.  My kids are getting to stay up late to watch this on Monday nights.  We wait for tivo to get ahead and then turn it on.  It's not too racy for the kids, which is a rare thing these days on television.

6.  Modern Family...don't agree with everything on this show but it is so darn funny I just keep watching it!  

7.  Dr. Oz...I'm an addict of "did you know" facts and he gives me plenty!  I find myself quoting him to people all the time...people are probably getting annoyed! LOL!

8.  Army Wives...moves fast, good characters, funny and dramatic...great show!

9.  Private Practice...they take on "controversial topics" sometimes but they usually have someone on both sides and the characters are all so good!  Love it!!!

10.  House..I love all things medical so I never miss an episode!  He combines the medical aspect with solving a puzzle which are both things I love!

I'll try for something "deeper" next week but that's all I had time for today. :)

Gracen's buck

Gracen killed an 8pt buck on Sunday morning during the youth hunt. On Saturday morning, Gracen killed a doe and Saturday evening, Carson killed a doe. We were on our annual trip to Firehunt Lodge which is a wonderful lodge that my brother-in-law owns with his partner/co-owner of Price Lumber. It is a great time of fun and fellowship for Marty's family. The kids make memories they will have forever with their cousins.

I was so excited to catch my first 2 fish ever! I kind of liked fishing...of course the weather was perfect and Grady took my fish off the line and posed with me! I wasn't touching them! I hope these pics attach well. We'll see....
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My fish!

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Thankful Nov. 4th

Today I was reading my cousin's wife's blog (who I also happened to have graduated with from high school and introduced them but that's another story) and she is planning on blogging every day of November about something she is thankful for so I stole her idea and plan to do the same.  It may just be short, quick blogs via my phone but I want to list the things I'm thankful for every day. 

Today I am thankful for my kids' health.  I deal with so many kids at work every day that have major problems and I am just so thankful that mine were born and have continued to be health except for the minor ears and eye problems here and there.  

--
Sherri Smith, M.S., CCC/SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Caddo Hills School District
(870) 356-3331

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Braxton Gregory Martin, 9 lbs 3 oz, 22 in.

Vote for Mal

Please take a minute and go to the website www.makeithappen.usbank.com and click on Vote, then Personal Card and then search using "Vote for Mal" above the submitted stories and vote for the story I submitted.  The winner is awarded 5,000 to their submitted cause.  I have submitted my niece, Mallory, so she could use the money towards an FES bike.  She was prescribed an FES bike to use in physical therapy at home but her insurance will not pay for it and her rehab unit does not have the bicycle where she goes for physical therapy.  Christopher Reeve worked out on one of these bikes because there is such good evidence that it helps retrain the spinal nerve system for movement possibly and also stimulates the muscles in the legs so they don't atrophy.  

You can vote one time a day EVERY day from each email address up until November 15.  The most votes wins! Thanks for voting!!

Hogs

Here's another pic from the game. This is Gracen and Nana in our cute ponchos! We were getting rained on at this point but they were still playing. Woo pig sooiee!
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Rain and the Hogs

Gracen and I went to the Razorback game on Saturday and this pic was during the 1st rain delay. Gracen was a little impatient during the almost hour we had to sit in the walkways waiting on the storm to pass. We won though and it was a fun trip!
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Pink eye

After a dr who said he had allergies, we finally got him to his regular dr. who diagnosed him with pink eye! Poor baby! Say a prayer for him because he's miserable!
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Headed to fair night at Awana

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Pike County Fair 2010

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1st day of 5th grade.

The Bogg

Just returned home from Bogg Springs church camp on Friday morning.  We went to Kidz Kamp and had a blast!  It's hot, long breakfast and dinner lines, very little sleep...but so worth it to see those 102 kids line up to ring the bell on Thursday night because they were saved during the week.  

It was a record breaking week...maybe one of the hottest I've been to and also the biggest camp in the 50 year history of the Bogg!  There were 866 campers this week. Our church took 10 boys and 1 male sponsor along with 11 girls, 2 female sponsors and 2 from our church were staffers.  The staffers at KK do an awesome job!  Kidz Kamp is a staffer-led camp where the teen staffers who were recommended by their pastors, intensively trained for 2 days prior to camp are with their assigned group from wakeup to lights-out every single day.  This year there were 107 staffers and it is so wonderful to see those teenage boys and girls getting big hugs with 15 kids hanging off of them...only the spirit of the Lord could lead these staffers to do what they do all week on very little sleep.  

I have a lovely bug I picked up at camp so I'm on the couch resting up because on Monday I leave for a few days of R&R with my mom, Gracen and a couple of our friends.  Looking so forward to the beach and good food after the Bogg cafeteria food this last week!

ABC's

Today I walked past the fridge and stopped to read an alphabet acrostic poem Carson wrote for us back in the spring.  I smile every time I read it.  Thought I would share it on here.  Typed exactly as he wrote it. :)

All
Basketball
Coaches
Die
Ending
Fearless battles because
God
Helps
In the long run
Just because I am a
Kid doesn't mean I don't
Listen to the preacher in
My world God is
Never not
On my side.
Points in a
Quarter helps you win it
Reminds me of the
Star guy in my life he is
Totally a
Unbelievable God he takes
Viciouse guys out of my life
When I go get a
X-ray I should remember God
You should know him to
Zechariah is one of the best characters in the Bible.

I love stuff the kids write like this...some of my most treasured papers I keep of theirs.  I have Gracen's somewhere and will post it later.

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Gracen sent me this pic and caption from her Nana's phone because I wouldn't let her reschedule piano so she could go to a friend's house earlier than planned like Carson was able to. He didn't have piano...she did! SO funny!! And so like her to do this....

Gracen with her frowny stickers on her face!

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Car got his number shaved in his hair which set off almost the entire all-star team to do the same. They are all so cute!
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Marty and Carson after League Tournament finals. We came in 2nd behind the other Kirby team! Great job boys! :)
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Why?

As I sat at the funeral for an eight year old little boy named Nicholas and his grandparents, Robert Lee Shumake, 68, and Wilene Shumake, 67, the pastor of the missionary baptist church that the entire Shumake family attended was talking about the question we all have thought at some point throughout this tragedy....Why?


The pastor said that he had always told people and heard others make the same comment to him over the years that when they got to Heaven they had a list of questions they would ask God as soon as they got there.  The top of the list centers around one word...why?  Why does a loving God who wants what is best for us allow such tragedy?  Why did God allow a flash flood to take 20 precious family members in a matter of a few minutes and leave these families devastated.  Why did God allow the flood to take little Nic, who was adopted as an infant into a loving, Christian family who treasured him and was the church "prankster" who everyone loved, and Wilene who was a Godly woman that others in the church turned to when any need arose, and Robert who was a deacon and considered a pastor's friend.


Then he went on to say that he always thought that as soon as he came before Christ he would ask Him why these things happen, but while preparing and studying what he wanted to say over these 3 family members, he said God impressed upon his heart that when he saw God's face he would not say, "Why?" but instead would say, "Of course." That when we get to Heaven and see God's face, it will all make sense in an instant.  We will instantly understand that we only saw a snapshot of the plan.  That God's time is not our time.  We can't even wrap our minds around the "big picture" so to speak.  As Isaiah 55:8 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my way," declares the Lord.  


I don't know why tragedies happen.  I don't think we will understand it while we are here on earth.  I do trust that the God I believe in, the God I pray to, the God I worship...He is in control.  


As my pastor said one Sunday morning and it is a comfort to me when things aren't going the way I want them to....NOTHING will ever touch my life that has not gone through God's hands first.  Nothing will touch me that hasn't sifted through his fingers.  God can take the worst disaster and make it into the biggest blessing.  Does it make everything rosy and perfect when it's falling apart?  Of course not, but God is still on the throne and that is ultimately all I need to know.  

A Life Changing Weekend

On June 11, 2010 I woke up like it was any other morning.  I went to a friend's house where 3 mornings a week I am lifting weights and working out with several other friends. On my way there I began to hear bits and pieces about the Caddo flooding and that they thought maybe as many as 5 people were missing at Albert Pike.  We did half our workout and then set out in the truck to go look at the Caddo River which was higher than I have ever seen it and I've lived here for 14 years.  After talking to my friend, Penny, who was camping at the lake and her family are all Lodi first responders/fire dept. she told me that they might be bringing some families to their fire house.  I called another friend, Stacy, who lives out there as well and she told me she was going to get food for some of the families.  I offered to help and ran home to get changed.  Little did I know that the decision to go out and help with what I thought was a minor situation going on would end up being something that would change the way I view everything.

Within 10 minutes of arriving at Pilgrim Rest MBC, I could see that this was much bigger than what I initially was told.  Within a few minutes, I was asked to start finding families with missing family members and bring them one at a time to meet with the state police in a room in the back to give their information about their family member.  People were huddled in groups...some were crying, some were just in shock, some were excited to see someone they knew...a full range of emotions but you could feel the confusion and anxiety in the air inside and out of the church.  The first family that I found with a missing person and visited with while we waited in the hallway for them to be called in found out within a short period of time that their 7 year-old daughter's body had been found.  I had about 2 minutes to cry for this family and then had to stand with another couple who showed me their little boys picture (who thank the Lord was found safe a few hours later) and it began to dawn on me that this was going to be like nothing I had ever experienced before. 

Throughout the day I talked with family after family who were desperate to find their loved one alive...some multiple family members.  Over the course of 4 days, I grew to love many of these families and rarely has an hour go by that one of them is not on my mind.  The last 4 families to be at the church waiting on their families were all from different places, some already knew that they had lost part of their family and were waiting on the remaining members to be found...the agony of waiting was written on their faces and you could feel the desperation from them. 

Those of us there those days have had time now to look back and reflect and we have talked about how we were sleeping 2 and 3 hours a night over 4 days and yet felt like we had slept, when normally we wouldn't know what to say or do with someone in such a desperate situation...the words seemed to be there.  We know that the strength to get through those 4 days was not from us, it was God.  He provided all we needed to minister to these families in the worst hours and days of their lives. 

Since then, a small group of us attended 3 funerals and 2 visitations for 9 precious family members.  We have loved and been loved on by each and every member of these final 3 families that we waited with while they waited on word of their final family member to be found.  It is something that has changed each and every one of us.  We will not ever view life the same I hope.  God had a plan.  It is beyond our comprehension and I want to share what I have experienced and learned while attending these 3 funerals and loving these 3 families as soon as I can. 

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

II Corinthians 12:9

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Mrs. Sloane McMahan!!
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My beautiful niece, Sloane, and her mom (Marty's sister), Karen, about to head down the aisle. Sloane was a beautiful bride!
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Summer Slam Champs @ Lake Hamilton. This is Carson's tournament team he has played on the last couple months. We have really enjoyed the boys and their families! :)
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We're off and running....

Summer is in full swing and I am loving it!!  Haven't had an entire day at home yet and I always enjoy those but we're too busy right now with the fun and sun to care.  I'm working Mondays and Wednesdays half a day in June and directing VBS in July so need to get my tail to work on that, but baseball and softball are taking up most of my time right now.  From Saturday morning to Monday night...we played, well, I watched my kids play actually...SEVEN games!

He played 2 games on Saturday and won both, then Sunday School and Church for me and Gracen on Sunday morning, back to the ballpark for 2 games that afternoon where we won the Summer Grand Slam for 10 and under.  Monday morning I worked out before I went to work for a few hours and then Gracen played and lost out of her league tournament at 5:30 at Caddo Hills and then we were off to Kirby for a double header against Centerpoint for Carson starting at 7:00.  Whew!!  I'll post a pic from the championship soon.

That night they each had a friend over to spend the night and then I took them all swimming at mom's that afternooon so I did get some down time floating in the pool...except for that I kept getting griped at for floating into the "baseball outfield" aka the deep end!

Today, I worked followed by a mad dash to get to the Arkadelphia waterpark for Deric's birthday, home to piano lessons, dropped them off to go to a friend's fun night at their church and finally home about 7:30 or so.  It's been a wild week already!  The rest of the week is basically the same.....but I love going and doing with my kiddos while we have the time and opportunities!

I'm pretty sure life is going to get really boring when they are out of the nest and off on their own....I dread it already! :)

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Basketball tournament and Rotnei Clark was there. He was super nice and gave them all autographs and took pictures. :) It was a fun weekend in Springdale.
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Summer fun with the cousins and friends! :) Had the 4 cousins over for the night. Fun, fun! I just LOVE summer!!
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Carson being Carson!

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They were fighting...imagine that!

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My princess Gracen swimming in Springdale hotel.

Ballgames, Tubes and Jed

It's been a busy week around here with games, practices and the usual array of activities.  Carson played Tuesday night and won his game, Gracen had practice and is working on throwing strikes as opposed to the balls she has been throwing way too many of, then we have piano on Wednesday and usually Awana but it ended last week, and then this morning we had to be in Little Rock for Gracen to have a PE tube put in her right ear.  She has been having fluid buildup that gets infected over and over and has ruptured the ear drum twice so our ENT put a tube in and we hope that it fixes the problem and her hearing returns to normal.

Marty won in district this afternoon and now plays in the finals tomorrow, Friday, at 4 pm at Poyen and on to regionals next week.  Both kids have games tomorrow night as well so it's just a flurry of activity this time of year.

Please continue to remember Jed Harper and his family while Jed is fighting cancer.  The Kirby community turned out and gave them an awesome fundraiser this last weekend.  We were unable to attend due to conflicts but can't wait to pick up my shirt tomorrow and wear it this weekend!  So thankful to be a part of such a giving community.  I just finished reading Lori's latest blog update and was literally in tears by the end.  As I read about Jed playing doctor with his little dog, Biscuit, and how he was telling him that Jesus was the best Doctor and as I was reading the song "My Son" by Mark Shultz was playing on Lori's site and that song while reading about little Jed just broke my heart for them.  Please remember to lift up little Jed to the ultimate Physician daily.

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 

James 5:15

Please pray for my dad

I was just thinking this afternoon that the week couldn't get anymore stressful.  I was enjoying the beautiful weather and wishing I could be outside, but also have been dealing with lots of stuff with getting our house repaired from the storm and yada, yada, yada. Then, I pull into my garage this afternoon as my phone rang.  As soon as I saw my dad's face on my phone's caller ID...I knew it wasn't going to be good. 

I had been wondering all day when I was going to hear from him about a kidney CT he was having and when I saw the ID I just got a pit in my stomach.  Sure enough, he told me that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer today.  We don't know a lot more until he has surgery to remove the tumor, but please be in prayer that the tumor is easily removed and that they caught it early. 

Seems like I find out someone else I know has cancer weekly lately. Sometimes it seems like nothing but gloom and doom in the world today, but I know that no matter how disappointing and stressful and full of despair the world is today.....my Savior is still on the throne and still in control.  He is the great Physician and He knows what every day holds and I trust Him to get me through those days.  Jill Sullivan's blog today on joy said this...In 2 Corinthians 6:10, Paul says, "Our hearts ache, but we always have joy."

Thanks for praying!

Spring Break & Castle Rock

So Spring Break was good.  We enjoyed the time off and having a little time at home.  Cade and Karigan spent the night with us Sunday and Monday night while their parents were in NYC for a few days and we had a good time.  As if the kids weren't noisy enough...we had roofers on the roof Monday and Tuesday and it was so loud that I thought I might lose my mind!  They were pounding at 7 am on Tuesday morning so we headed out about noon and took C & K to their Nana's and we went shopping for cleats.

On Thursday we went on an overnight trip to Branson to stay at Castle Rock.  My SIL, Leah and my MIL, Eva took the four kiddos...that was an adventure in itself!  Below are a few pics from our trip from my phone.

Gracen, Karigan, Carson and Cade

Carson after coaxing him to stop and smile for me after a trip down the slide. 

Gracen coming off the slide.

Back to school tomorrow! 

Please Pray for Jed

There is a very dear family, Lori and Josh Harper, that found out on Monday that their 3 year-old son, Jedediah (Jed), has Rhabdomyosarcoma which is a rare and aggressive form of cancer.  You can read more about and follow Jed's story on Lori's blog.  We just adore the Haggard family, Mike and Marsha, and all three of their girls, Lori, Misti and Alissa.  They are all great people.....just sweet, Christian people.

Please take the time to pray for Jed, Lori and Josh, and his two sisters, Reagon and Kendall along with all of their family and continue to pray for their many days to come fighting this disease! We know that God is the Ultimate Physician and Healer!  Join us in asking for Jed's healing!

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Our new puppy!
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30 day challenge

So, I'm a little behind on my updates lately.  We've prayed for several more families...Mark and Robyn Chastain and their 2 adorable kids Kamdyn and Cooper were on our refrigerator last week and we hope they had a good week! :)

I've on this 30-day Challenge diet that my sister-in-law got me to do with her and my friend, Penny, is doing it with us.  I started last Monday and in one week I have lost 5.2 pounds and 5 inches which is like miraculous for me!!  I'm super excited about losing some weight and I have never stuck to anything till this.  It's not that it's so much easier necessarily but doing it with two of my best friends is lots of help.  I'm also eating veggies like I have never done before...amazing...zucchini and squash...oh my! :) 

The kids basketball season is winding down...one more Saturday I believe.  We have had so much fun!

And don't worry...I'm not going to post my "before" pictures to scare you all...and probably not my "after" pics either...you'll have to wait till summer to see me running around in a bathing suit!! LOL!

Wk. 3-The Mack Family

We have drawn a new family from our bowl and for week 3 we will be praying for....The Mack Family!  Simon, Betsy, Andrew and Austin Mack live in Daisy.  Simon played for Marty on one of his first teams at Kirby that he coached.  Now he is a Farm Bureau agent and Betsy teaches at Dierks.  Looking forward to praying for them this week!!

I've loved the fact that my kids are so excited about this.  Today, we got home from Carson's practice after school and Gracen without any prompting went straight over and drew our new family out of the bowl...I love that it is on their minds! We have lots of weeks to go, so I hope they can keep it up!

Silver Bracket Champs

Carson and 8 other 4th graders competed in the Hoopfest Tournament in Hot Springs on Saturday and Sunday.  We usually do not do the weekend tournament thing because of church, but this was a one time thing we went ahead and let him play in this weekend.  It was their first time to play a team that full-court pressed and such so it was a great experience for them.

It made for a long weekend because Carson and Gracen both played our regular league games at Dierks Saturday morning, then we left for Hot Springs and played at 5 and 7 pm.  Sunday morning we were back playing at 10, but I missed it because I went and taught Sunday School.  Of course that game Carson had around 18 points...that would happen when I wasn't there! I made the right decision to go on to my class..I don't like missing unless I just have to because we are out of town or I am sick. He understood and Marty went with him.  They played again in the finals after lunch and I was able to make that one and they won!! So much fun watching my kids play!! 

Wk. 2-The Smith family

Last week we prayed for the Shaffer's and we enjoyed reminding each other throughout the week to be praying.  It was so great to ask the kids and they say they prayed for them on their own, or for them to ask us to make sure we were keeping them in our prayers.  I enjoyed the focus on prayer that this has added to our lives outside of just praying for our usual list of requests for friends and family and sick and hurting people we know.  I want us to always remember them, of course, but praying for someone just to have a good week and be safe..is really something I have enjoyed myself.

On Sunday night, the kids drew another card out of our bowl and it is...the Smith's..no not us or even a relative, but a great friend of mine from De Queen and her family!!  Erik, Jill and Riley!  They both teach at De Queen and their little girl is just precious!  I don't have my computer at home to post their card this week.  Jill was my next door neighbour growing up in De Queen.  Our moms were best friends and we spent lots of time together over the years.  We cheered together all through school as well and she and her brother are both married now and living in De Queen raising their families!  I enjoy when we get to see them periodically!

This weekend was busy with both kids playing on Saturday. They both won against Centerpoint and had a great time playing!  I love watching them play..they are both so serious about the game already and are good little ballplayers!  This week between the kids and Marty...we have basketball on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. It's going to be a busy week when you add in Awana, piano, practices and I have to spend 2 nights in Little Rock for a workshop.  Whew!! Wouldn't trade it for anything though!

Praying for families Wk. 1

So last week I was on Facebook and Jill Sullivan had posted an idea she heard on the radio. The idea was that after Christmas you would put all your Christmas cards together and draw one out each week. Then, your family would pray for that family all week. I LOVED the idea!!!!

So, we started today. We are using the bowl in the center of our coffee table that held Christmas balls/decorations during the holidays and now instead of putting back the glass decorative balls that go in it during the rest of the year...it now is holding our cards to draw from! We are going to put the family we draw out each week on the fridge so we will all remember to pray for them every day. We are all excited about it!

So we have drawn our family for this week and it is......the Shaffers....Mickey, Lynn, Gunner and Alex!! Here is their card/pic...we are taking this with my webcam built into my computer so it has a glare..but you get the idea!