Happy Birthday To Me!

Yesterday I celebrated my "50th" birthday......

As I think back over the last 50 years I am amazed at how much God has blessed me......Who would of thought that I would be where I am today. I can see God's hand upon my life, protecting and guiding me....He has always been present and sometimes I have sensed him right there and other times not. I have two beautiful children who both love the Lord and are following after Him. A son-in-law who loves my daughter and a daughter-in law who loves my son and two grandsons that make life grand.....I have great friends, (which was part of the reason we stayed). God has answered so many prayers and still continues to hear me when i call out to him.

It has been an emotional two weeks, but I can say that God has been with me through it all and sometimes trusting him is harder than other times. But I know that he is always faithful to complete the work that He started in me.

Thank you Lord, for keeping me in the palm of your hand the last 50 years. For the many healings you performed in my life, physical and emotional. Thank you for the people that you so carefuly placed in my life. You care so much a bout the little things in my life, like friendships. Thank you for my husband who loves me and for my children that you entrusted us with. For the grandchildren that you have given us....they are just added blessings and they make life grand. You are an awsome God and there is none that compares to you.

I don't know what the next 50 years has for me, but I do know that God will be with me and He will always be faithful even in the times when I am not faithful.

The Dog Stays

Well, seems like God has other plans. The lady who bought our house decided the last minute that she didn't want the dog, so guess what? He is living in the apt. with us. Ethen was so excited. His response when I told him was "YES"!!! It was almost like the dog new something was about to happen. Last night he looked sick and hadn't eaten for 2 days. This morning when we found out he was staying with us, he ate his food and doesn't look sick anymore. I think he thinks he is a person. Oh well......he will be company for me when John is gone in March.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to Sam

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday my son......Its been 25 years and I can still remember the day as if it were yesterday. Words cannot describe the feelings I had that day. What a blessing you have been over the past 25 years. I have watched you grow into the Man of God you are today. I have watched you struggle to get where you are today and I am so proud of who you are and what you have become. You never compromised, but stood up for what you believed to be right. You have stepped into the destiny that God had for your life and you are example of His love and grace to those He puts in your path. You have a passion for life and for God that has never been quenched. Whatever you do you do with excellence. You have brought much joy into our lives and still continue to be the joy of our hearts.

Thank you Jesus for bringing Sam into our lives. I thank you that he follows you with all his heart and hears you when you call. I thank you that he is obedient to your call and never compromises in his walk with you. May you continue to bless him and grant him the desires of his heart and may you always stay close to him guiding him in every decision he makes.

Sam, may you have a blessed day and I pray God would continue to bless you with the wisdom from above and the joy that can only come from Him. I love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Death of a Dream

Well as most of you know, we are NOT moving. We will be staying here. We did, however, sell our house so we will be moving temporarily into an apt until our new house is built a block from where we are living now. It has been a crazy week and an emotional rollercoster. I felt like a death had taken place and to be quite honest with you did not understand it. I wanted to move. I was excited about being in a new place and tackeling new adventures. Making new friends, but still keeping in touch with the old ones. Being in Michigan was like being home. It reminded me so much of where I am from. I felt like I was home.

But God had other plans. I know Him well enough to know that His plan is for good and not harm and that He knows my beginning from my end. So for now, we will be staying here. I was reminded this morning in service that He has a plan for my life, so my prayer is that He will help me to heal and to be able to dream again and that my dreams would line up with His plan for my life, whatever that may be.

More Greetings from "Michigan"

It has been a great day......it rained all day :0)..We looked at another church today. No services going on, but we stopped anyway to check it out. We were able to meet the Senior Assoc. Pastor and he showed us around. We will probably check that church out the next time we are here.

we managed to look at several apts for rent this morning :0( told John there is no way we are doing that. We just have to find a place to buy and move in. Most of the apts do not rent 6 months and the one that would was really tiny and i was not impressed.

We went to lunch and I was sitting next to a table where two women were sharing gifts and their lives with each other. it was the sweetest thing. I got all tearied eyed as i was thinking about my special friends back home and it reminded me of the times we would have lunch together and share with each other.

We went after lunch and looked at about 8 houses......WOW.....I found one that I really liked. 4 bedrooms, a great room, dining room, basement. It is 2 stories with the master suite on the first floor. We are going to look at some more in the morning before we head to the airport.

At supper tonight, I told John that I still have mixed feelings. On one hand I want to move because I know it would be good for him and I don't want to hold him back, but on the other hand I don't want to leave my friends. Making friends is not easy for me. He responded by saying that if I didn't want to go we wouldn't, but to remember that we won't be in Michigan for long and if we stayed in Texas and he continued to do what he was doing in about 2 years we would be moving to "DELRIO". (ugh) Could you see me living in DelRio....I think not!!!!

Well, that was the jist of my day. I hope to see all of you at the Ladies Christmas party. I am looking forward to being there and making more memories with everyone.......

Greetings from the "Mitten State"

It is cold here and I absoulutely love it. It hasn't gotten over 32 degrees the whole time we have been here. We have been house hunting today.....I think this is going to take longer than I thought. There are absolutley TONS of houses to look at. I am being very picky though. I want a big house with a back yard.....they have big houses but NO YARD. If I don't find one this trip we will find one next trip, as it will be spring and I'm sure more on the market then. Our agent is absolutely a trip....We just love her.

We went to a church on Sunday morning.....it was in a strip mall in a store front. The church is called Rock Community Church, the church without walls. I noticed that John and I were overdressed....Almost everyone there had jeans on....The Pastor preached in a nice pair of pants and nice shirt....no tie or jacket and walked up to the podium with a cup of coffee in his hand. I might add that they have a cafe bar to the left of their sanctuary and that the sancturary is not any bigger than our fellowship hall. they have two services and are in a building program. The Pastor is 42 and has a 9 year old and married. he taught on the gifts of the spirit. The worship was good. However, John and I both looked at each other and said the same thing. It was like being in a Chapter one service only with 20 and 30 somethings. there wasn't very many people our age and and it seemed like it was a fairly new church plant, which is okay, but that would mean lots of work for us, which we are not afraid of, just not sure if that is where God wants us yet. I was very impressed at how we were greeted. We were greeted by at least 6 people before we even got to our seats and one of them was the Pastor. How awsome is that! I think we will probably visit a few others before we make our decision.

Marme I have some ideas that I stole. I think you will like them!

Tomorrow is Tuesday and we will be going around with the Real Estate Agent looking at the inside of the homes that John and I checked out today in the car. I will post again and let you know what we found. Love you all.

ALL PACKED UP

the last two days have been pretty crazy.....my precious husband and I have packed up almost everything in my house. all that resembles me (30 years of stuff) and who I am is sitting in the middle of the garage in boxes...I know we are not supposed to be attached to things, but it was what made our house a home. Although it is not our house anymore or won't be after Christmas. Transition is always hard for me.....and here I am having to do it for 3 months....I left the house today in tears and have been fighting back tears all day...I think that reality is finally settling in. there is still a peace about it all though. seems strange.

CHECK OUT THE POST UNDER ETHEN'S PIC

sorry it is not in order. I had to put the finishing touches on it. Check it out and feel free to comment. I didn't realize how long it was, but well worth reading as it sort of is a tesimony to God's grace in my life. Love y'all