Moma D turns 50

Yes, Krisha (with Dan and Jim's help) got me! We had a great time and I really appreciate all my family and friends coming to help me celebrate the BIG 50.

I was thrilled to see everyone, but I was totally surprised and overjoyed to see my very best friend from high school, Vonnie Elmore Kelly. There are no words to express the bond the two of us share. It had been over 14 years since we had seen each other!

Vonnie and I

Vonnie and her beautiful daughter, Jennifer.

Also, one of my best friends for over 25 years, Ginger Keating. However, Jim claims that she is HIS best friend, not mine. (Ginger helped him mark off one of his "bucket list" items in October - she carried him to the Nascar Race in Talledega.)

Below is Krisha with Jennifer, my 1st daughter (hey Jennifer, do you think I am old enough to be your step mom now? HA)

And of course, below are two of my other children, Danyell and Lisa

And for those we didn't get pictures of, sorry, blame the camera man! Ha. Thanks again to everyone that came!!!!

Thanks to Krisha for all the hard work that she put into it, it was a great party!!!

* * * * * * * * *

SO, you would think that would be it right? A huge surprise party with so many of my friends and family attending, getting so many great gifts............but, NO. Krisha (again with Dan and Jim's help) was not finished................

On Sunday nights Jim and I attend our church's Life Group at David and Karen Cottingham's home. It is a group of 20 -25 people. We always have great food, wonderful discussions about living our lives for Christ, and fun fellowship together. Jim and I love this group of folks, they are our rock.
When we arrived Sunday night, there was Dan, Krisha and the girls...........with ANOTHER cake, ice cream, balloons and the Happy Birthday banner!!!
It was the "men's" night to cook, and we had a great supper of salad, lasagna, garlic bread and then all the birthday cake and trimmings...and more cards and gifts.
It was so fitting that our discussion for the night was a continuation of Brother Dan's morning sermon, "Love God and Love Others"..............thanks to all the group for showing me God's love and for loving me and my family so much!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Krisha, I love you for all the hard work you did and for making this such a special time for me.

Dan, thanks for helping Krisha with the girls so that she could get all the work done for the party.

David and Karen, thanks for hosting my 2nd surprise party.

Jim, thanks for helping with the funding (although I am sure you owe Dan and Krisha more!?!) and the help you provided to Krisha, I love you.

Now, what will I do for Jim's 60th birthday in June and Krisha's 30th birthday in October?????? Anyone have any suggestions?

They got a bus ride, I got a blessing..........

Has everyone else had "cabin fever" this week because of the weather? I have.
I am not one to go out and do a lot of shopping. I hate shopping. I always know what I am going for before I go, I go get it, and then I come back home. However, after being in the house all week because of the ice/snow storm and chilling cold, I was looking forward to getting out and doing my errands today.

As I was coming out of the mall entrance at TJ Max, I woman stopped me. Before she even opened her mouth, I had a gut feeling what she was about to ask me. Politely, she said, "Mam, I need $2.00 so that my husband and I can ride the bus back to the homeless shelter. When it gets over 32 degrees they won't let us stay there during the day and we don't have the money to get back there tonight."

I looked in my wallet, the smallest thing I had was a $5 bill, so I handed it to her. I have done this type of thing many times before, but I think I have always avoided looking into the person's eyes. I am not sure why, maybe out of guilt, (that I have, and they don't) or out of embarrassment (for them, not me). But, today was different.

As I was handing her the money, and both of us had our hands on it, our eyes met. She said, "God bless you." I just smiled at her and walked away.

Out of that transaction, she got a way back to the homeless shelter for the cold night ahead, but I got so much more. It was a feeling of comfort, a feeling I can't explain.

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,

 for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to

 angels without knowing it.

( Hebrews 13:1-3)

Did I look into the eyes of an angel? I don't know. Did I have an overwhelming feeling of comfort and peace, yes.

On the drive back home, I stopped to talk to God.

• I was fussing because I had to buy a new rug to go at the door coming in from the garage, because of all the dirt that gets tracked in, while she was cheerful at having the fare needed to ride the bus back to the homeless shelter!
• I had been complaining about having to stay inside my WARM home all week, while this woman and her husband have no home. 
• I drove a car that is equipped with heated seats and a heated steering wheel around town to do my errands, while they sat in the mall to stay warm, until time to go back to the homeless shelter for the night.

Forgive me, God. Forgive me.

So, to God I say "forgive me", and to my pastor, Dan Williams, I want to say "thank you". Thank you for  stressing to us all year about how much we need to help others. Thank you for telling me that I can hear Jesus' voice through others, Jesus Voice , thank for you telling me that I am crazy if I think I can't help, I can't do much, you gotta be crazy!, and for the wonderful series on Too Dark to Sleep.

I have been hearing what you were saying, and I do have a burden, Vision and Burden. As you wrote, "God is looking for people who will take His VISION and have a burden to get it done. We cannot do it without God and He chooses not to do it without us."


(Links above are to Bro Dan's blog, please read!)

Making Easter Memories.....

We hope everyone has enjoyed this beautiful Easter Sunday and holiday weekend. Jim came home late Thursday night to begin our weekend together.
On Friday we spent time working in the yard....mowing, weed eating, trimming, planting dogwood trees (seemed like the perfect day, on Good Friday!) and figuring out our sprinkler system for the yard.
Of course, we did have to take a break from all this work to go see Aubrey and Lainey! We put them in their swings for a while, then I hid Easter eggs while Krisha and Jim helped the girls find them.
We came home and Jim grilled some GREAT steaks! His best yet.

On Saturday morning we had planned for Dan, Krisha, and the girls to come for brunch, then we would go to the church Easter Egg Hunt. However, because of the rain, we decided to skip the egg hunt. So, after we ate brunch, we let Aubrey and Lainey open their Easter Baskets from Popa Jim and I. (Eli had opened his before the girls arrived, we didn't want him to get over excited, but he did anyway! As you can see below, he wanted to help them with their baskets too.)Also, Popa Jim painted the baskets for the girls!

Popa Jim helping Aubrey

Moma D helping Lainey

Aubrey eating her Peeps

Lainey eating her Peeps

Lainey and Aubrey making bows out of their  basket ribbons.........

So, Popa Jim decided to wear one too!

After the girls played with their baskets, Krisha and I took advantage of having Popa Jim and Dan to stay with the girls and we set out for some Mother/Daughter time together....doing what we do best......SHOPPING!

Krisha and I enjoyed our time out alone, but both of us remarked that it just wasn't the same anymore without Aubrey and Lainey with us! We were only gone for about three hours, but we missed our girls!!!

After returning home, we all ate again, then took the girls in the stroller to the park and enjoyed our time together. As always, it was difficult for Jim when it was time for them to leave. He hates saying goodbye to them. He adores those little girls!!!

This morning, our Sunday School class enjoyed a delicious breakfast together. We had a wonderful praise/worship service and a great message from Bro. Dan, as always. Danyell joined us for worship service.

After church, Jim and I went to Wayne and Anita's for Easter lunch with them and William's family. WONDERFUL FOOD! (My sister got all the great cooking abilities! She had a huge meal prepared).

Sad to say, after lunch Jim had to hit the road again back to Texas. Eli and I started missing him before he got out of the driveway. But, we are already looking forward to him returning in a couple of weeks.

I never want "average" in my life......

I don't "Twitter", however I do go and read the "tweets" posted by my pastor, Dan Williams. He usually makes some type of statement that I can relate to, and reflect on during the day.
The tweet below, I have gone back and read since he posted it earlier in the week. It is a RT (re-tweet, posted by someone esle and Bro Dan sent it out after receiving it...and yes, I had to look that up on the internet to understand what it meant!).

RT @perrynoble: Dear "average," you suck...stay away from my walk with God, my marriage, my parenting, my friends and my church!

12:26 PM Mar 16th

What a statement!

I remember a song that Darnell and Robin Davis sang at Solid Rock when we were in Mobile, about taking it back......telling the devil that we're taking back our health, our spouse, our job, ...........whatever the devil had taken from us, we were reclaiming.

There are so many "average" people out there just waiting for the opportunity to knock us down and try to destroy us.

The sad thing is, so many times we open the door to let the devil into our homes, because he is hiding behind someone we trust, someone we love. Even sadder, that person doesn't even realize they are being used by the devil to hurt us.

All we have to do to avoid letting "average" into our lives is just follow God's word:

"When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord,

He makes even his enemies live at peace with him."

Proverbs 16:7

So, put another way:

Dear "average", you can not rage war on me, because I am living to please God!

However, when you are able to break through and hurt me, don't look for revenge from me, but watch your back, cause God is on my side!

"Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!"

Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

Proverbs 20:22

Praying that the people I come in contact with are not average, nor am I to them. Also, that God forgives me for the times I have fallen to just being an average person.

Great instructions..............

Don't you just love hearing a sermon that stays with you long after you've left church! There is always some special verse, phrase, or even just a quote that I like to hold on to. Well, the one I heard today in church was just too good to keep to myself, I must share it.

"Take off that Judge's robe,

it doesn't belong to you!"

spoken by

Dan Williams, pastor of Harvest Church, Northport, Alabama

What a statement! Remember, God tells us to love others, leave everything else to him!