What's YOUR Favorite?

Okay my friends, I am continuing my new year's resolution with reading one book per month.  I just finished Heaven is for Real.   All I can say is.....WOW.  It truly changes your perception not only of heaven, but of the purity and innocence of children.  I definitely recommend it. 

Here's where I need your help.  I'm not up to par on my authors.  If it's a novel and not written by Nicholas Sparks, I most likely haven't read it.  I loved the book I read by Emily Giffin, and have thought of reading another of hers but am not sold on a certain one.  I am pleading with everyone that reads this blog to comment and tell me what YOUR favorite book is.  I am looking for my April Book of the Month and I am depending on your input to help me make a selection!!!  If I choose your book, you will receive....ummm....well, a shout out on my next post.  Sorry folks, I can't do much else.

Let me hear your thoughts!  Happy Hump Day!

Overwhelmed

I really don't have the energy to go into detail about what has transpired since Thursday around 4:30.  One of my best friends in the world, one in which I call my sister, lost her home and all her belongings in a fire.  Their family of five has been displaced and overwhelmed at the tragedy that has taken place, but I would venture to say that they have even moreso been overwhelmed at the number of people that have taken on the nature of Jesus and been His hands and feet the past three days.  Food galore, money, clothes, shoes, toiletries, you name it...all delivered within hours of the first flame.  I will never, ever look at situations like these again.  I have learned many things, most of which is the call we have to get off our feet and move into action when God's children are in need.  Please remember the Wilsons in prayer.  Their days ahead will be difficult but their burden will now be much lighter thanks to the help of so many. 

"But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. -Psalm 71:14

He Spoke to Me

Some of you will read this post and immediately think it sounds hokey or unrealistic, uncharactistic, etc.  You are free to believe what you want, but what I experienced was real, and I am convinced it was straight from my God.

Those that know me find it no secret that I'm a worrier.  I worry about many things, but most of which is myself.  I don't mean that in a selfish or narcissistic way.  I mean that at times the worry and fear I experience regarding my health can be consuming.  Some would say I'm a hypochondriac.  I admit it, I am.  I will say it has gotten better as I have chosen to allow God into my struggle and invite Him to fight this battle with me.  I have decided that I must depend on him to speak to me through His Holy Spirit and show me what needs to be given attention and what needs to be dismissed.  That has and will always be my greatest weapon.  Thankfully, my bouts of hypochondria are becoming fewer and farther between.  It still rears its ugly head, but not as often. 

There was a time a few months back when I couldn't shake the worry.  I didn't believe God was telling me I was unhealthy or needed to seek medical attention, I just believed Satan wouldn't leave me alone and was revelling in the fact he was consistently stealing my joy.  I fought as hard as I could and do what I typically do when I search for peace....call my closest friends and family.  "Mom, I'm feeling this way.  Do you think it's okay?"  Friend #1- "Have you ever felt this? Is it okay?" Friend #2, 3, and so on.  Many times, all I need to let it go is for someone to tell me it's okay.  This particular time, the fear kept coming back.  I was in the car alone so I decided to pray.  I prayed again.  And I begged God for a sign.  I realize He doesn't always answer prayers by sending us a visual representation of His presence, but knowing He could do anything...I asked anyway.  I needed to know, and I quote, "everything was okay."  I promise, no longer than I completed my earnest prayer, I looked up and in front of me was a car with a license plate similar to this....

Unbelievable?  Almost, but not in regards to the God I know.  That was all I needed.  And I praised Him.

There have been times when I've worried since then. They usually subside after countless friends and family members tell me I'm crazy and shouldn't think another second about it.  Until last week...... I felt the fear beginning to overwhelm me again.  I won't go into detail as to what specific ailment I feared I had, but it was a scary one.  I used every tactic I knew to escape the fear, and even realized I had Satan to thank for the power it seemed to have over me.  I prayed.  I prayed more.  I do as I typically do and picked up my phone to start the "YOU'RE OKAY" phone tree.  But I stopped.   I realized that if I'm pleading with God for peace and assurance, what does that say to Him when I search for it from someone else.  I put my phone down and committed myself to wait on Him.

I woke up the next morning and was still plagued by worry.  I couldn't get it off my mind and was terrified of going to work consumed with fear and doubt.  I've spent too many days that way and the feeling it gives me makes me physically ill.  I prayed again.  I needed a sign.  I felt bad for asking but knew the way I felt would only be healed by confirmation from my Father.  I needed to know I was "ok."  I listened while I was getting ready for school for any word on the television that would be sent from God.  I hoped the OK produce truck would be visible at school when I arrived-anything to allow me to let go of my worry. 

He did it again, friends. I walked out of my house to get into my car.  I had noticed days prior that some sort of construction was going on in the culdesac on my street. I had noticed spray paint on the pavement but couldn't have recalled what it was.  I looked down to open my car door and saw this....

Amazed?  Me too.  Should I be?  Of course not.  He is present and HE HEARS US!  Peace doesn't even begin to describe what I felt after seeing this.  My father cared enough about me to send me this message- not one "ok"...but two.  I felt a sense of relief that I haven't felt in a long time, not only about my health, but my life in general.  He told me He hears me, which I always knew but am eternally grateful to be reminded of.  I am more in love with Him than I ever have been. 

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!  Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!

—Psalm 105:1-2

New Layout!

I'd like to give a shoutout to Haley Morgan!  She designed this super cute layout for my blog.  All I did was send her pictures, my favorite colors, and my blog title, then...BAM- THIS! If you'd like her to do one for you, email haleymorgan82@yahoo.com.  She's really, really inexpensive and gets them done very quickly!  Click on the link above to visit her blog and see her awesome layout, too.  Thanks, Haley!!!

Lately

I haven't had much to blog about recently, hence my brief hiatus.  I'm staying busy, as always, but looking forward to a day out of school tomorrow to catch up on cleaning, laundry, and most of all...SLEEP! 

I just got back from a youth conference this past weekend.  Some friends and I were asked to help lead worship at Winterfest in Gatlinburg.  I was super nervous prior to the trip because I knew we were going to be singing in front of 6500 people.  Ummm, that's a LOT of teenagers.  I told myself to focus on my worship and not where I happened to be standing, who would be watching, etc.  Many prayers went up on our behalf, and we felt God's presence and His hand over the entire weekend.  I was completely calm, actually not even nervous.  Only God himself could have done that.  And I'm thankful He did.

Cort and Sarah Taylor came up last week to visit.  It was so awesome to be able to come home after school and see them everyday.  I've never loved anyone like I love this precious baby.  She's my little sunshine and I've never felt more blessed.

I've been painting....and painting...and painting lately.  A friend of mine is opening up a gift shop in town and several vendors from the area are coming together to create a store full of cute and fun gift ideas.  Here's some of what I've been working on so far.

We've booked our reservations for the beach this summer!  I'm p-u-m-p-e-d!  We weren't able to go last year because of the oil spill and Cort being pregnant.  We just didn't want to risk being there with possible fumes that could have been dangerous.  It's been two years since we've been so needless to say, we're ready.  All 22 of us are going, so it will for sure be a great time!

That's it for now.  I must go back to painting.  I hope all my blog buddies are doing well!  Happy almost spring!!

Love is...

Love….According to my 4th Graders:


One of my favorite things about being a teacher is getting the opportunity to read my students’ writing. Every year around this time, I have them write their own definition of love. Some of them are funny (actually, HILARIOUS) while others are very deep and show signs of real maturity and wisdom. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. Happy Valentine’s Day!

P.S. These are left in ‘student’ form, complete with misspellings, incorrect punctuation, and all. We’re working on it!


• Love is when you do something nice for someone. Love is when people go out on a date. Just like the last one, love is sometimes romantic. Sometimes when you hug somebody that is also love. And you don’t have to tell somebody you love them, you can show them by your actions, be nice to them, share with them, and that’s what love is. ***(This one has been listening in class!)

• Love is kisses, hugs, and presents. Sometimes my teacher says that she loves me and she always gives me hugs. And I like that. ***(Bless….)

• Love is helping people in times of need, like donating things like clothes and food to orphanages, poor people, and to other countries, like Nigeria. Love is also rescueing a damsel in distress then picking her up on your handsome black stallion and riding off into a beautiful sunset. Love is also sitting in a convertible on a grassy cliff overviewing a big city.

• Love is when you have a soul mate for the rest of your life. When you go on dates and drink one milkshake with two straws.

• Love is when you give your girlfriend candy or a cute teddy bear like I did. Also, it is when you ask a girl to marry you. If she loves you she’ll say yes. It is when you go to Kay’s jewelry store and get her a expensive ring or necklace.

• Love is when you take someone to a fancy place like Paris or France. You go to Demos’ and order the noodles and then the man puts a noodle in his mouth then your lips get closer and closer.

• Love is when you kiss or go out to eat or get married. Love is when you take her to a ballgame and buy her whatever she wants. Love is special.

• Love is when Juliet rides into the sunset with Romeo.

• Love is undiying never ending sometimes angry or mad. It makes them all big and stuffed with chocklate unlike how they were in collage. It’s giving them a strawberry in the kitchen. It’s making them gane a few pounds. It’s getting kicked at night and hearing all that snoring. If it’s that bad I never wanna fall in love!

• When you decide to have a boyfriend when your to young and then ruin your brain with a bunch of mushy goop then you get old enough (but not adult yet) and you think all love is is smooching and hugging and all that blubbery stuff. Then, you get older and realize love is more than blubberry grossness. You realize it’s compassion and caring and risking your life for someone you really like a lot. Then, you get married and it goes back to the blubberry stuff. Then, you get to be an old, wrinkly, cute, elderly person and know that love is caring and sweet and everything else that makes the person you like happy.

• Love is when two people get together and hang out. I think that love means that you really care about someone. Then Valentine’s Day comes and I guess you can tell them. But I’m not for sure you can, but if you want too I guess it’s ok. I don’t know who came up with Valentine’s Day and love and stuff like that but I don’t think it was that bad of an idea. But this guy may have really liked stuff like that cause everybody likes Valentine’s Day.

• Love is when two friends become closer with one another. Love is patient. Love is kind. Always protects always…

• Love is when two people kiss. My mom would do cartwheels if my dad said because they are in love. Sometimes people think love is gross. I think it’s funny.

• When you’re in love with someone, I don’t think you need to put off your friends and spend too much time with your girlfriend/boyfriend, but you don’t need to put off your girlfriend/boyfriend and spend too much time with your friends, either.

• I see my dad trying to kiss my mom in walmart. I guess he really loves her.

• When you love someone it feels like you are happy and nervous at the same time and it feels like a little farie touching you.

• Love is like when you LOVE chicken, you love it because its good.

• Love is when your heart feels good, when someone shows compassion or cares about you deeply. It can also be that romantic stuff.

• Love is disgusting.

• I think love is something shared between two people. Something you can feel. When you feel love, you get butterflies. Love, however, is NOT that mushy-gushy stuff in the movies. When you’re in love, you get married, and have kids. The love in the movies is just acting, it’s not real at all. I would never follow the movies. Be careful who you love, sometimes they’re not at all what you think.

• Love is when you feel that there is a connection between you and that person.

I’m way impressed with their answers. They know a lot more about love than I think I did at their age. I’m feeling I should save this until their Senior year and then bring them out...

6000 Hearts

In just a few short weeks, some close friends and I will be on stage in front of 6000 people worshipping God at a youth rally.  I am tremendously excited but out of my mind nervous at the same time.  I cannot wait to experience what God has in store for every single heart in attendance.  One of the songs we will be introducing is "O The Blood."  The lyrics are beautiful, as well as the music.  I hope you will take a second to listen and we can all continue to allow HIS BLOOD to change our lives.

Gateway Worship - O the Blood

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