his point of view...

I enjoy handing the camera to the kids. Here's what these little eyes saw -

My turn -

It was six carts. Six.

Do you have one of those friends that is always on the go and always getting you into some stuff? Well mine invited me, quite spontaneously, to go "back home" with her.

"Back home", as she calls it, is Gulfport, Mississippi. You know, Alabama's only saving grace - Mississippi.


Now I fought it a good deal because I am not a spontaneous person. I like all my decisions to be carefully weighed and thought out. At first I decided to decline since she was leaving Friday night, thinking that if she were only leaving Saturday morning I would accept.

Got a phone call.

Leaving Saturday morning.

So guess where I was going?

After getting there by way of Louisiana (don't ask) our first stop was at their "country house", where they had more neighbors than I do at my "all the time house". It was so cute and so nice.

Fences always beg to be climbed, don't they?

They don't like to stay at the country house all the time because it is so far out. Translate - 15 miles. They may not want to come see me, I thought fifteen miles out was close!

They came upon this house as a foreclosure with the intentions of flipping it. Enter: hurricane Katrina. They stayed here until their home was habitable...2 years. I think it's pretty awesome how God worked that out for them and so do they.

I didn't tell Schyler they lived close to the beach, mainly because I didn't realize it myself. You should have seen her face when I asked if she wanted to go for a walk and the front yard came into view!

Besides us, there were other interesting creatures to behold. These guys seemed to be washing up -

Google and dissection came next so you better believe I counted it as a school day.

Next stop: Dirt Cheap. Have you ever been to one of these stores? Well don't take my friend. She may end up buying so much stuff that she has to get her mom to get the maintenance man at her church to drive it all back to her parent's house in the church van.

I was a little worried that I would be driving home with shopping carts tied to the back of my car. Don't laugh. It could have happened. You have no idea who we are dealing with here.

All in all I am so glad she got me into this. The one thing about good friends is that when they get you into stuff, it's good stuff. You don't regret it and you look back with gladness.

Do NOT touch the bear.

We had the best time of fellowship the other day. Just great. True fellowship.

We all met at the home of one of our church member's. They are expecting their eleventh child (and they're not the only ones!) early this summer and they are just that family that seems to have it all together, you know? Their kids are always so kind and happy. Always helping and a joy to speak with. Tuesday when we were eating, one of the girls came in the kitchen and asked her mom quietly, "Can I help someone?" as if she were being left out.

So you can imagine the sheer delight when I saw one of the young girls say something a little not so kind and make a face at my daughter. You have no idea the utter relief to flood my soul! Whew! Then the three year old son wanted his Lightening McQueen car back from my nephew and knocked over Schyler's Lincoln Log house. Bliss! Bliss I tell you!

She was so happy to accommodate my needy ego.

Really though, it was nice to see that her children weren't born that way, but that they were fruit of years of Godly upbringing. Such an encouraging family!


So you should have seen my little family of reformed baptists (did I give that away with the fact that I go to church with people who have 11 kids?:)) attending a pentecostal meeting last night! Um - deer. in. headlights. I swear it is moments like this I so regret going cheap on the cell and not having a camera phone. My daughter's face was priceless. PRICELESS.

A good friend invited us and my husband agreed on the terms that no one lay hands on him because he was liable to reciprocate. I swear. He talks like such a grizzly, but he is the biggest teddy bear.

Anyway - she wanted us to meet this missionary that was coming to speak, so we were of course glad to go hear and meet the husband and wife team. However I am pretty sure we were the entertainment.

The king is in.

I love these kids. Love them. And they love each other. And that makes me love them more.

The only bad thing about that little guy is that he leaves us at the end of the day.

Well, that and the fact that he doesn't value the fine art of laying in bed for at least a half hour every morning before his feet hit the floor and he begins running. Which makes it hard for me to appreciate the art on the days that he doesn't leave and spends the night.

Literally, he was running from room to room this morning at 6:15 saying, "Come on guys!! I weally, WEALLY want to PWAYYYYYY!!"

We made a king cake today and I don't mind telling you it was pretty good. I had never made one before and it was really easy. And I have to say better than any other one I've had.

Of course I know it doesn't look like a king cake. One - I didn't have food coloring and Two - I think the colors make it look disgusting. So there. It was so good warm, fresh out of the oven. We ate and ate it. Because you know tomorrow's Ash Wednesday and you don't want all that temptation around.

Not that we observe Ash Wednesday, but you know. If you did.

Now here is where I need some help -

My sweet granddaddy's one and only sister embroidered this picture. She lovingly worked on it with her own hands and it is in a beautiful frame and now I have it. Very special! I would like to somehow update it and incorporate it into my home while maintaining the integrity of the work. Or should I just do as my husband said (yes) and leave it alone?

Any ideas from all you decorators out there?

A semi-post.

SO I'm in there cutting up a semi-boneless ham for our lunch - okay do you know how bad stuff like that gets all up on my nerve ('cause I got just one good one left)? Mmmm semi? Either it has a bone or it doesn't. Make up your mind. Is it like being semi-pregnant? Or semi-married? Although some of you may argue with that one, sorry, I ain't buying. You is or you isn't.

But that's just me. You know how I have a love for the way we repackage things. I'm not sinning by my lack of self control, I'm just dramatic. It's not sin, it's an addiction. A disease. Well, it may be, but honey it's still sin. And I should know because I've got puuuulenty of it.

Did anyone read this article on the benefits of coffee? Oh I didn't read it either, I know the benefits of coffee. It's just great when someone finally agrees with me on something.

*okay update- I did go skim over it, had to make sure I wasn't sending you to something bad, and as usual, I'm right. Two cups of coffee every morning rocks.

Okay, now. Let's get to the nitty gritty. Did you read this article? It is really so sad. This woman decided she didn't want to be a mother anymore. Her words were "full time mother". You know this kind of goes back to being semi something. You either are or you aren't honey and guess what? You are.

I mean I know this happens all the time. People use drugs and give up their kids, people drink and give up their kids. But see, with this lady it's okay - because she's "successful". Do you see the double standards of the world? I mean do ya'?? Or is it just me?

Well, anyway...[flattening hair while my face returns to it's natural color] you ladies have a great day. I am going to go don an apron and bake some flippin' cookies.

Too good to be fiction

I heard a familiar sound the other day. You know one of those sounds you know you've heard before but can't place it.



Then I walked to the front door and looked out. Oh. That's what it was. A truck running out of gas in our front yard.



Thankfully my manly, super knowledgeable on all things vehicle (and a lot of other things we never want to know about) husband was here. We see people milling about...hmmm. Seems to be a lot of people for such a small truck, and they're not, well...never mind. Anyway, lot of people, blah blah blah. We wait to see if they have it under control.



No. In fact they do not.



Is that? Why yes. That seems to be some one's Grandmaw sitting in the back with a blanket over her, and is she? Yup. She's crocheting like there's no tomorrow.



So while my nice husband is giving them free gas, they debate whether or not they should just leave the truck where it is (in my front yard) until "that'n" gets her check come first o' the month.



But if they did that, how would they lug the brand new flat screen t.v. and PlayStation 2 home?



About that time, their rescue vehicle pulls up. Complete with flames down both sides. Would it have been very appropriate had it not had flames?



Rescue got out armed with her gas can.



We may never know if they made it home that day. It's enough for us just to know they made it out of our front yard.

I got a little deep today...

I noticed lately how I say I give things over to God but if He doesn't do what I think He should or in the amount of time I think He should do it in, I kind of freak out. Kind of the opposite of faith, now isn't it?



Today I had a swing set revival and it was good. Not a revival of the swing set, the swing is fine. I mean God spoke (not out loud - don't commit me yet) to me of His sovereignty. I can not fix a thing. The only good thing in me is Jesus.



I had an old friend from school tell me not to worry about the way she was living, she got saved when she was a kid and once saved always saved.

I know, am I going to be brave enough to go there? You're wondering aren't you? So am I. Help me out here.

I definitely believe in eternal security. I do not believe that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life with a pencil. It's written in blood and blood stains and it doesn't wash out.

Okay here it comes.

However,

if I am truly saved, if I have complete faith in Christ alone, am I capable of living in blatant sin without being convicted? Am I able to twist God's grace in such a way as to say now I'm saved I will do whatever? And why would I want to - For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually (living by The Spirit of God, 1 Cor 2:14-3:3) minded is life and peace. If you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. (Romans 8:7 and 13)

Is it possible to be in sin? Oh yes, of course! I promise I outdo all of you. But will I stay in sin?...

Anyway, is God telling us in the verses above and really in the first 14 verses of Romans 8 that I will live what I believe? Not, live one way and try to teach my child another way.

Oh gracious, am I coming across wrong? You never can tell with these things. You can't hear my voice or see my face. I do not mean to direct condemnation or judgment toward her, these are just some things I started to think about.