Sunday Sing-Along

I did this song with a children's choir years ago. It was so much fun! I can't believe I found it online... of course, I think my kids did it better. ;) I thought I'd post it here today for some fun. Enjoy! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!

Top 10 things to say about a holiday gift you don't like:

10) Hey! There's a gift you don't usually see in this day and age... anywhere.

9.) Well, well, well...

8.) Boy, if I had not recently shot up 4 sizes, that would've fit.

7.) Perfect for wearing in the basement.

6.) Wow, I hope this never catches fire!

5.) If the dog buries it, I'll be furious!

4.) I Love it, but I fear the jealousy it will inspire.

3.) Sadly, tomorrow I enter the federal witness protection program.

2.) To think I got this the year I vowed to give all my gifts to charity.

1.) I really don't deserve this.

The very first Christmas Gift is still my favorite!!! Thank You, God, for loving us enough to give Your only begotten Son!!!

Merry Christmas, Friends!

Terri

Terri went Home about an hour ago. Please continue to pray for the family & my husband.

Update on Terri

This is the update we got this morning. The past few days we were really hopeful that she was going to pull through. However, this update isn't as hopeful. Please pray with us!

UPDATE:
Mom is now completely off of the breathalyze​r and oxygen. She is breathing on her own.

However, they say that her breathing is not efficient enough to sustain herself long-term. We know that this is due to the damage done to her brain stem, which cannot be repaired.

She is holding on, but we are told it is only for a time, and we do not know for how long.

At this point in the journey, there are three things you can pray for.

1) You can continue to pray for a miracle. This continues to be Mom's only hope of recovery.
and/or
2) You can pray that Mom will go home quickly and painlessly.

3) Pray for Dad.

We as a family are extremely grateful for those of you who have walked this road with us. Without a doubt we have felt the love of God through your words and actions.

What Gidget Needs

We were listening to Christmas music and talking as we were going over our Christmas checklist a week or so ago. Gidget's grandparents had requested that she give them a wish list. This year's theme: Barbie...anything! She was given a bunch of used Barbie dolls last year from a lady who used to collect them for her granddaughters to play with at her house.

Gidget really wanted the camper and we managed to find one. Then we saw how much they were selling for on eBay and were greatly tempted...

Anyway, so she's thinking and thinking about what to put on this list. Then she jumps up and yells, "I've got it!"

"Wonderful! So what's going on the list?" asks her Dad.

"Well, last year Grandma got me Barbie clothes. Remember? They were all fancy dresses," Gidget said to which her Dad replied, "I remember."

(Just throwing in here that I seriously doubt he remembered it at that point in the conversation...)

So Gidget continues with, "Dad, do you really remember or are you just pretending to remember? Because I remember that you kept laughing because I had my Barbies split up into basketball teams and had them dressed up in high heels and evening gowns and YOU kept teasing me about it!"

As her Dad stifles laughter he replies, "Yes, of course I remember. How could I possibly forget the Barbie All Star team's shoe jingle you came up with?!"

We all chant it in unison, "The pumps increase our jumps."

"Right. I'm surprised you remembered!" she replied. (As if we'd forget that!)

"So I'm guessing you're not going to ask Grandma for Barbie clothes, right?" I ask her.

"No. I think she shouldn't be in charge of fashion...although I'm grateful to her for giving it a try."

"I totally get that." replies the man who remembers as a boy being forced to wear orange and green checkered corduroys with a pink and yellow striped polyester shirt for picture day at school.

"I've been over and over this in my mind. I have white Barbies and black barbies and brown Barbies. I have blond Barbies and red-headed Barbies and brown haired Barbies and black haired Barbies and, well, you get the picture."

"Go on." I say, just waiting for what this beautiful mind has come up with this time.

"I have tall Barbies and short ones; grown-up Barbies and little girl ones. I've thought this through and through and, well..."

"WHAT I REALLY NEED IS A MAN!"

(one minute later)

"Mom? Dad? What's so funny? Why are you laughing like that?"

(five minutes later)

"SERIOUSLY? What's so funny?"

(ten minutes later)

"Are you two going to stop laughing so we can have a descent conversation?"

(five minutes after that)

"I'm going to my room."

Sunday Sing-Along

I love this... and I'm so thankful for our armed forces!!!!
Merry Christmas & God bless our soldiers... wherever they are!

PLEASE PRAY

A lady very near & dear to our hearts has been in a coma for almost a week. The doctors told the family that if she hasn't woken up or at least shown signs of improvement then difficult decisions will have to be made tomorrow. She isn't breathing on her own and she has a feeding tube. She's young... only in her early 50's. She has 3 sons. One who is teaching as a missionary in China, one who just got married & is in grad school, and one who just started college this year. They are all right there by her side in SC.

Her name is Terri.

Her family took my husband in when he left home at age 15. They played a significant role in his life and pointed him in the right direction. They worked him hard on their farm, and taught him so much about responsibility. God used them in a huge way in my husband's life. It's because they took him in that I met him. He loves her like a Mom.

You can read her Caring Bridge page if you'd like.

Please, please pray for Terri!!!

Storms

We were driving home very late last night. DH, Gidget and I had gone out to do a little shopping and didn't know there was a storm coming. When we came out of the store we found ourselves in a really messy situation... or a winter wonderland. Depends on your perspective.

As my hubby was slowly driving home I nervously thought about how bad the roads were getting. It was snowing and sleeting... quite a mess in which to be driving.

My daughter, however, was not nervous at all. She had complete faith in her father's driving ability (something I often doubt). She said, "WOW! Look at the snow! We're driving right into it, but it looks like it is splitting in the middle just as it's about to hit us! It's going around us! How cool is this?!!" She wasn't worried a bit. She was simply along for the ride and was enjoying it.

As I thought about it today, now that we're home safe and warm and dry, I began to think about that childlike faith referred to in the Bible.

"And they brought young children to Him, that He should touch them: and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." (Mark 10:13-15)

I also thought about how my little girl had complete faith in her father in the midst of the storm. She not only had complete faith, but she actually just sat back and enjoyed what she was seeing through her innocent eyes. I don't know about you, but I've been through some storms in my life and I must regretfully admit that I did not have complete faith in my father -- my Heavenly Father. The One Who created me and loves me more than I can ever comprehend... and yet I doubt Him. I wonder how many beautiful things I've missed seeing while going through a storm because I've had my eyes focused on the wrong things instead of the AWESOMENESS of God! How pathetic am I?!!

Then I thought about how it really did look like the snow/sleet was going to smash right into our windshield, but instead swirled around us. How many life storms have I been in where God drove me right through the middle and yet kept me from being directly hit square in the head? I don't know... and won't know until I get to Heaven. I'm sure that He has protected me more times than I can count and I never even think to thank Him for it. Why shouldn't I thank Him for the things I don't see Him do yet know He's doing? I should take time to do that. I don't even take the time to thank Him enough for what I do see!

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

I want to keep my spiritual eyes open and see what God is doing. I want to keep my heart open to receive what it is He is trying to teach me. I want to be more like my little girl and have complete faith in my Father's driving ability in the storms of life.

"For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him." (Isaiah 64:4)

One last contemplation: Have you ever thought about the beauty that often follows storms?

• Breathtaking rainbows that remind us that God keeps His promises...
• Majestic snow blanketing the once barren ground...
• Trees decorated with dangling icicles...

Sure, storms often bring devastating damage, but I'd like, for this moment, to concentrate on the beauty that oftentimes gets overlooked... or seen but too soon forgotten.

My FAVORITE Christmas Commercial

The first time I saw this I was shocked. Now I can't stop laughing whenever I see it... BUT don't skip the video clip below this one!!!

No, honey, that is most definitely NOT what I want for Christmas! But, alas, this commercial pales in comparison to the next one.

If you're Jewish, don't worry -- CBS has it covered...

I don't know about any of you other women out there, but even if I were Jewish... that would most definitely NOT "light up" my Menorah!!!!

Sunday Sing-Along

Adopting my daughter was the greatest gift I have ever been given next to God's love!!! Pray about adopting or fostering a child or two or five. If our state would let me, I would take in a bunch. I have MS and they consider that a reason to not let our family do it. How I wish I could...

Sunday Sing-Along

These women are AWESOME...but Gidget says they need to take some of the material off of the bottom of their dresses and put it up top! Gotta love that kid!

...And this clip below just caught me off guard & I've been laughing ever since!

A Reminder for Me...

Sometimes wisdom is more about knowing when to keep your mouth shut than knowing what to say.

Sunday Sing-Along

I love this song! Mark Lowry is one of my favorites! He, too, has MS.

So Thankful!

I have so much for which to be thankful! I was thinking about this time last year. I had just suffered the worse MS attack I've had thus far. I was unable to get in or out of bed without help. My daughter would have to call my Mom in the mornings when we woke up to come help. I had to have a portable toilet in the most non-private of places because I couldn't use a walker to walk even one step and I couldn't get my wheelchair into a bathroom. I had to have my husband lift me into the bathtub where I could sit and bathe. I never felt so helpless and useless in my life.

But through all that God has allowed me to learn so many things; for that I am so grateful!!! I heard a dear pastor friend preach a message years ago about how we should view the "valleys" in life as training grounds and ask God to help us learn what it is that He wants us to learn and to help us to not miss the lesson. That has been a prayer of mine over the past year. I'm truly grateful for all that I have learned!

Last Thanksgiving I talked my husband through the Thanksgiving meal cooking. (That was even more exhausting than cooking it myself!) I wouldn't hear of not having the traditional family/friends meal as usual. I was wrong. I've learned that things will never be the same as they were and it's okay to start new traditions... or to even be a little spontaneous. So this year we are doing things VERY different! We actually (gasp) ordered our Thanksgiving meal from Bob Evans. I didn't bake anything... because I can't, and that's okay. The in-laws aren't coming (and, boy, is M-I-L upset), and neither is anyone else.

We are staying in our p.j.'s and decorating our Christmas tree while we watch the parade and the national dog show that Gidget loves to watch each year. (I could live without it!) My hubby is going to follow the heating directions and heat up our meal. Then we are going to sit around the card table which will be draped with a paper table cover instead of my nice linens (my dining room has been converted into a school room because of the wheelchair situation) . We are going to talk about what we are truly thankful for and give thanks to God.

It's going to be a very different Thanksgiving this year, but I'm very different this year! God is molding me into what He wants me to be. I got tired of fighting change. It's time to embrace God's plan for my life. It brings true joy when you do that!!!

I'm excited and happy and truly, deeply thankful to God for His mercy and grace!!!


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Sunday Sing-Along

This is powerful! Take the time watch it & truly listen. Please...pretty please!

I'm thankful that God's not finished working on me!!!!

Have Thine Own Way, Lord

Have Thine own way, Lord
Have Thine own way
Thou are the potter
I am the clay
Mold me and make me
After Thy will
While I am waiting
Yielded and still

Have Thine own way, Lord
Have Thine own way
Search me and try me
Master today
Whiter than snow, Lord
Wash me just now
As in Thy presence
Humbly I bow

Have Thine own way, Lord
Have Thine own way
Wounded and weary
Help me I pray
Power all power surely is Thine
Touch me and heal me
Savior divine

Praising God!!!

I am simply in awe of God! He has been so good to me!! I'm going to post what I've been sending in emails to friends... praise the Lord with me!

********************************************

"But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me." Psalm 66:19-20

With the progressive form of MS I have, the doctors had pretty much given up hope that anything would help me. The last resort was to use chemo to kill off my immune system entirely so that it would stop attacking my body instead of doing its job. When they all said “chemo” – it just freaked me out! I have so many people who I love who have been down that road due to cancer, and they are just so much braver than I am!

I was told this a few months ago, but I had to go through a bunch of tests before I could begin. All the while I kept asking God to give me direction and wisdom because I didn’t want to make the wrong choice. The chemo drug that I would be going on has a high risk of heart damage and Leukemia. I have a daughter! These risks just didn’t sound great to me. She already goes through so much having a Mommy who can’t do the things other Moms can do. She’s such a little trooper!

A few weeks ago after being told yet again that chemo was my only hope, I prayed and I cried for a long time. Then I accepted that it was what I had to do. I told God that I’d do it if that was His will for me and that I’d trust Him to take care of me. I was still scared, but I kept saying the verse “What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee” over & over again. It comforted me.

Then one day 2 weeks ago my specialist called & said she wanted to put the chemo on hold for a week. That was okay with me!! I began to wonder if God was doing something, but still wanted to be willing to do whatever it was that He wanted. When I got to the neurology department at Penn last Monday after a long 2 hour drive, I signed in and we went into the waiting room expecting at least a 45 min. wait which is standard there. After about 2 min. my doctor personally came out and got me. Another first for her! She said she was anxious to see me. She did a thorough exam and was very pleased to find some improvement since our last appointment. She said that was extremely odd given the form of MS I have and the fact that there was no improvement visible on the MRI.

Then she sat there and just stared at me with a weird look on her face. After a few moments of silence she said, “This is just all very odd to me. Obviously something inexplicable is going on in your body because medically this makes no sense. Since you are doing better without any treatment, I’m going to recommend that we put chemo on hold. If you have another attack in the next few months we’ll start the chemo immediately. If not, I’m going to put you on the oral medication that should be FDA approved early next year.”

Now, what I should explain is that the oral medication is what I have wanted to be on for the past two years! It was in clinical trials and I couldn’t pass the physical portion of the exam to get in the trial because you had to be able to walk the length of a football field unassisted. Being in a wheelchair pretty much ruins your shot at getting in that trial! The people I know from different MS forums who are on it have had wonderful success. But, in January I flunked the physical exam for the final trial phase and I was told that I’d have to go on something else. My doctor pointed out Monday that if I had been accepted in the trial, right now we’d all be thinking that it was the pill holding the MS back...and that I may have been put on the placebo instead of the real medication and been giving that the credit. Isn’t it great that God kept me off that trial so that He could be glorified!!!

My friend Brenda referred me to a doctor who takes a holistic approach. I figured, “why not” and went to see him. He gave me all kinds of supplement suggestions. Then we began seeing a nutritionist. While I can’t medically prove that all the supplements and the subtle change in diet had anything to do with stabilizing the MS, I truly believe that God used this to help me. Having said that, I never imagined taking so many vitamins in my life! It’s crazy...but it’s helping!

So, no chemo for me at this time -- PRAISE THE LORD!! My muga heart test came back extremely healthy...no problems there other than my daughter pulling at the heartstrings! :)

I realize this was a lengthy, jumbled response, but I’m just so truly amazed at God’s grace! You’d have to know my specialist to truly get the whole picture. She’s this brilliant hippie chick. Saying that she wants to put chemo on hold and do nothing is directly opposite of EVERYTHING she had said before and of everything my other doctors recommended. It was clearly an answer to prayer! It was clearly a “God” thing!!! Yes, I may have another MS attack at any point, but I told my husband that if I do than I must accept that as God’s plan as well.

I really appreciate your prayers, and would truly appreciate your continued prayers that the attacks would stay away. Thank you so, so much!

Isn’t God AWESOME?!!!!

Sunday Sing-Along

I am so extremely THANKFUL that His strength IS perfect, and that He does carry me when I can't carry on!! Thank you, God!!

Sunday Sing-Along

It's been a while! I had originally planned to take a month off. I had wanted to turn the meme into a multi-themed one that spanned the entire weekend. However, as you well know, that just never happened!

I didn't realize that it would actually be missed, though, and only realized how much last Sunday when I visited some friends' blogs.

So, okay... I'm hosting it again. Just don't leave me hanging, gals!!! :)

Need Prayer

I haven't posted anything lately. First I was too busy, and now I'm sick. I would truly appreciate your prayers!

Yesterday I had a MUGA heart scan done. They injected me with some radioactive molecule and then put me in a gamma machine to watch how my blood flows through my body. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I'm super claustrophobic! I was truly terrified, but as soon as I was strapped into this machine complete peace rushed over me! I knew that I was not alone... God was right there with me! It's kind of funny to think about. I mean, there was absolutely no room for anyone else in that gamma machine. But yet the Almighty was in there with me! Makes me think of that old song, "How big is God? How big and wide his vast domain! To try to tell these lips can only start. He's big enough to rule His mighty universe, yet small enough to live within my heart!" I had an awesome time just talking with Him! I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been spending enough time with Him lately. It was almost like He was telling me, "Okay, if you won't come to Me, I'll come to you!"

I have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow. I'm nervous, but I plan on using the time in that tube to talk with Him again.

All of these tests are leading up to my new MS therapy. Unfortunately, the only approved one that I haven't tried is chemotherapy. Now that's a word that truly terrifies me! The goal is to kill off the white blood cells so that they stop attacking my brain.

Did I tell you that my MS specialist thinks that I'm "complicated"? I found that hilarious when she e-mailed it to me! I mean, the woman is brilliant but she has absolutely no bedside manner! But when it comes to MS, I'll take brilliance over the bedside manner any day! She felt I was complicating things because I told her, after searching for weeks, that there was not an oncologist anywhere in my area willing to take orders from her and prescribe chemotherapy for me. I knew when she told me to find one that I wouldn't be able to. I mean, were living in the "let's sue every doctor we possibly can for everything we possibly can" era, and she wanted me to find one in small town USA that was willing to do something that they are unfamiliar with just because she said so! Oncologists don't prescribe chemotherapy for MS! She just doesn't understand what it's like to live in a rural area because she's always lived in cities.

I do hope to start posting more. We went on vacation last month and had so much fun! I have some great stories to tell you. Of course, that's assuming anyone still reads this blog that was seemingly abandoned!

I'm really tired so I think I'll go rest for a while.

Until next time!
Stacey

Just One Look

Just One Look
©2009 Jerry Bouey

Just one look to Jesus will bring healing to the soul;
Just one look to Heaven and the heart will be made whole;
Just one moment to see Him - just one glimpse of Him today;
Falling in love with Jesus is only just one look away.

One look away from the world, one look away from your sin,
One look away from your idols - looking only unto Him;
Just one look towards the Saviour, one turn away from the past,
One heart reaching towards Jesus, looking only to Him at last.

Just one look to Jesus, just the simple touch of faith;
Just one heart that hungers for something real in its place;
Just one conscience that senses there must be something greater;
Just one longing within your soul to know your own Creator.

Just one look to Jesus, a glance and then a stare;
Just one look to Jesus, to the Lord who really cares;
One look that leads to salvation, one look that's full of faith;
One look that reveals the Saviour, one look that saves by grace.

Just one look to Jesus, the Way, the Truth, the Life;
Just one look to the Master brings calm within the strife;
Just one look filled with hope, one look that brings perfect peace;
One look towards the Saviour and the inward struggles cease.

Just one look to Jesus.
Just one look.


Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I found this posted HERE and thought is was beautiful. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Singing This Sunday

I am TRULY NOTHING without my LORD & SAVIOR!!!

Nothing Without You

Artist: Bebo Norman

And a special thanks, BOBBI, for faithfully keeping the music alive!!!!

Austen Heroine Quiz

Take the Quiz here!

I Am...Elizabeth Bennet!

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of ridiculousness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgment that serves you very ill indeed.

Well, that is my favorite of the Austen series! Guess it's fitting...except for the "tremendously attractive" part. The "lone beacon of reason in a sea of ridiculousness" part sure fits lately though!!! Probably why I've been sticking with nonsense blogging lately...

Laugh With Me

After a very long and boring sermon the parishioners filed out of the church saying nothing to the preacher. Towards the end of the line was a thoughtful person who always commented on the sermons. "Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God."

The pastor was thrilled. "Nobody has ever said anything like that about my preaching before. Tell me why."

"Because it endured forever."

"Cast Thy Bread Upon the Waters"

The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.

"Leave me alone," he growled... To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president.. Now go away."

The woman's smile became even broader.

Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone."

Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked..

"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"

The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"

"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."

"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.

"Let me go, officer! I didn't do anything!"

"This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it."

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.

The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this -- is this man in trouble?"

"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.

"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business."

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go... I didn't want to come here in the first place!"

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"

"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."

"And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"

"What business is that of yours?"

"I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."

"Oh..."

The woman smiled again... "I thought that might make a difference."

She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a laugh. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"

"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."

"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"

"Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel. "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."

The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.

"That was not my intent... Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently.

"Jack, do you remember me?"

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar."
"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."

"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.

"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."

Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."

"I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right."

"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.

"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered.." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll
find something for you to do around the office."

She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always open to you."

There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he asked.

"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. He led me to you."

Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for your help officer," she said.

"On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget -- And thank you for the coffee!"

"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." (Ecclesiastes 11:1)

Always remember to give what you can when you can... because you never know when you'll be the one in need!

Friday Fill-Ins #136

1. Sun Tea is my favorite summertime drink.

2. My favorite John Hughes movie is Dennis the Menace (with Pretty in Pink coming in 2nd).

3. My daughter's hair is something I love to touch.

4. The full moon is romantic lighting provided by God.

5. I need to go to bed right now. (And I did... which is why I didn't get this done until now!)

6. When daylight fades so do I.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having an hour to myself, tomorrow my plans include tie-dying with my daughter and Sunday, I want to not have tie-dyed hands... although that is very unlikely!

10 Favorite Characters from Television

10 Favorite Characters from Television

(in no particular order)

1. Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (NCIS)
2. Alex P. Keaton (Family Ties)
3. Alan Shore (Boston Legal)

4. Dr. Gregory House (House)

5. Agent Seeley Booth (Bones)

6. Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable (The Cosby Show)

7. Joey Tribbiani (Friends)

8. David Addison (Moonlighting... played by Bruce Willis)

9. Jack Bauer (24)

10. Tim Conway (The Carol Burnett Show)

I also like Patrick Jane (The Mentalist), Chuck Bartowski (Chuck), and Jay Leno (even though I can't remember the last time I watched him... probably before Gidget was born).

Upon making this list, I realize that I watch way too much TV after my daughter goes to bed! LOL! Of course, she also likes to go swimming with her Daddy or watch her DVDs on the portable DVD player which enables me to watch too much TV even when she is awake!

SHAME ON ME!!!

Drumroll Please...

May I introduce to you my great-nephew, Conner!!!!

Isn't he just adorable! It seems like just yesterday his daddy was this size and I was holding him in my arms. Times sure flies!

I'm really sad that they live so far away! I really, really want to hold this baby! I am thankful, though, that they finally were able to e-mail some photos!

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee..." Jeremiah 1:5

Before you were ever born, Conner, God knew you and loved you! He has a Divine purpose for your life, little man. Seek Him with all your heart.

Congratulations, Devin and Jolene!

Friday Fill-Ins #135

1. It's time for people to wise up!

2. Reality; it's not a bad place for gaining perspective.

3. I must be getting older because I actually knew who some of the "famous" people were who died this week!

4. The love of God is the best thing I have ever known.

5. My husband is simply AMAZING.

6. The last time I laughed really loudly was when my daughter outsmarted her Daddy and he never saw it coming.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to NOT having to go to physical therapy, tomorrow my plans include coming up with 100 reasons why I should cancel physical therapy for next week (but will never use) and Sunday, I want to hear some good news!

10 Favorite Sounds

1. My daughter's laughter...
2. The sound of ocean waves...
3. The quiet sounds my daughter makes when she is sleeping...
4. Jim Brickman's piano music...
5. The sound of my mother-in-law leaving our house and heading back to hers!!!!
6. The quirky laughter of my husband when he is laughing at his own joke... which wasn't the least bit funny!
7. The sound of my daughter's "a-ha" moments...
8. How about the sound I will make when we are completely debt-free? Does that count?
9. The lullaby sound of steady rain showers...
10. That voice I hear in my dreams announcing to me that I have just won $10 million! Ahhh... that's a really good dream!

To play along, just visit this blog.

Friday Fill-Ins #134

1. Having little money is not the end of the world.

2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I feel the urge to both nap and go to the bathroom.

3. Raspberry-Peach Tea tastes so good!

4. Sometimes, putting others first is very enjoyable... like when you're about to go over a waterfall in a canoe! (Just kidding!)

5. The love of God is breathtaking, really.

6. Well, maybe there is a method to my madness.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of my newborn great-nephew Connor (born at 8 AM today), tomorrow my plans include finalizing my homeschooling plans for this school year and Sunday, I want to worship my Creator, order my groceries online, then taking a nap!

Too Funny!!!

A friend of mine e-mailed this to me. It is just so funny! You have to watch it when you have time!

Dead Cows

Do you ever watch Wheel of Fortune? I occasionally watch it. It makes me feel really good when I solve the puzzle quickly. I'd love to get a chance to be on that show! Of course, I'd stink when I got there... but I can dream. LOL.

So I'm watching it one night last week, and Pat Sajak and Vanna White are talking about road games they played as children. Gidget and I were laughing at the one Vanna played with her brother. They would count cows on their separate sides of the car and if there was a cemetery on their side of the road, it would "kill the cows" and they would have to start all over again. Whoever had the most cows at the end of their trip would be the winner.

I didn't give it much thought after that. Several days went by and my husband was driving me to physical therapy. Gidget was in the backseat. All of a sudden out of nowhere you hear a loud, "Oh great! Thanks a lot, Daddy! You just killed all my cows!"

Of course, my poor husband had no idea what he had done wrong. You should have seen his face! Gidget explained to him that he had driven by a cemetery on her side of the car and killed all her cows. She was quite upset about it to say the least... And who could blame her -- she'd been counting for almost 45 minutes and was up to 419 cows!

It was just really funny. You probably had to be there to really capture the humor in this, but I wanted to get it written up in my blog so years from now I can look back and remember how funny it was!

And trust me... when you're on your way to another grueling physical therapy session you need a good laugh!

Meet My New Camera

Okay, so I haven't officially received it yet... but I was given a picture of it on my birthday. Yes, my husband's quirky humor strikes again. He finds it ever so humorous to give me a picture of a camera for my birthday. But, I love him anyway. LOL!

It's an Olympus SP-565 UZ. It has 10.0 MP and 20x optical zoom. I'm sure it's going to come with a huge instruction book... at least I HOPE it does! This was one I had on my top five list of cameras. I didn't know how much money he wanted to spend when he told me to pick out one, so I just made a list of cameras that I researched and felt I would like and let him choose.

We'll see how good he did... ;)

10 Favorite Places to Eat

10 Favorite Places to Eat

(in no particular order)

1. The Plaza Restaurant (in the Magic Kingdom, Disney World)
2. The Olive Garden
3. LongHorn Steakhouse
4. Rainforest Café
5. Cracker Barrel
6. Cinderella’s Royal Table (in the Magic Kingdom, Disney World)
7. The Garden Grill (located in Epcot...it’s a rotating restaurant allowing you to see picturesque scenes below)
8. Friendly’s
9. My Grandmother’s house
10. And last but not least, my Mom’s – she’s the best cook anywhere!

If you would like to play along, just visit THIS BLOG.

Friday Fill-Ins #133

1. Telephone and take-out menu make a quick and easy dinner.

2. The Magic Tree House #4 is the book I'm reading right now. (Gidget and I are reading the series together.)

3. July brings back memories of Independence Day picnics from my childhood. Lots of friends, food, fun... catching lightening bugs... watching fireworks...

4. The fact that I was exhausted today during physical therapy was obvious.

5. They say if you tell your dreams to enough people, someone is bound to help you achieve at least one of them. If this is true and you're reading this, my dream is to be given my own personal $200,000,000,000 bailout!

6. I'm constantly telling my mother that she NEEDS to think it over.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to SLEEP, tomorrow my plans include continuing my online search for the best camera at the lowest price and Sunday, I want to do as little as possible and get away with it!

Camera Help!

So, my birthday is coming up and guess what I want??? Yes, I want... no, make that NEED... a new camera. My wonderful husband has told me that that is what he wants to get me, only he wants me to pick it out. Here's the problem: I'M CLUELESS!!!

If any of you have a really great camera, PLEASE tell me what kind it is! I'm desperate here! I was given a Nikon CoolPix S9 (used) a year or so ago. It was very nice of them to give it to me (I think they felt sorry for me after they saw how old my camera was). LOL. The problem I have with it is that:

(1) it's so small that my fingers have trouble maneuvering it without dropping it and
(2) it doesn't take very good pictures... or it least I can't get it to work right

The camera I use is in Olympus Camedia C-4000. I really love it, but I need something with more zoom.

I'm anxious to see if anyone has a good suggestion for me.

HELP ME...

PLEASE! PRETTY PLEASE!

Friday Fill-Ins #132

1. The last thing I ate was toast and flax seeds.

2. A pair of New Balance sneakers is something I recently bought.

3. When it rains, it makes me want to take a nap!

4. God was the first person I talked to today. (Needed help getting out of bed!)

5. Hugs are most enjoyable when they come spontaneously from my Gidget.

6. I'm all for extra comfort.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spending time with my family, tomorrow my plans include playing with my daughter and Sunday, I want to attend a special Hallmark Ornament Premiere event after church! (I'm a huge Christmas ornament nut!)

A Beautiful, Must-See Reminder

I always enjoy reading my blog friends' entries. There was one that I read today that really touched my heart. PLEASE visit Debra's blog and read it for yourself! It will only take you a minute to read, but you won't soon forget it!

10 Things That Turn You Off About People

10 Things That Turn You Off About People

1. Impatience

2. Rudeness

3. Lying

4. Showing others disrespect

5. "Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me" people... wallowing in misery and enjoying it

6. Negative... chronic pessimists

7. Spoiled

8. Having the attitude that they are owed everything

9. Prideful

10. Prejudiced... no matter what color they are or what financial bracket they are in!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

May you enjoy professional fireworks and not have to endure not-so-professional (a.k.a. redneck) fireworks... like I do... all night long the night before, the night of, and the next 10 nights following!

But, alas, we do live in America where people have the right to be idiots. LOL!

Friday Fill-Ins #131

1. When I heard "You have MS" I didn't let it sink in for quite a while.

2. Other than laughter, I'm always allergic to the best medicine.

3. It's late, but it's the only time my husband and I can have a private conversation!

4. My husband makes me smile - always.

5. My eyes have seen way too many bad things happened to good people.

6. If you're going to believe in something, believe in it strongly.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my sweetie coming home, tomorrow my plans include enjoying my husband being home on a Saturday (which almost never happens) and Sunday, I want to see my nephew whom I haven't seen since Christmas!

Truly Hoping the Wisdom Lasts

Saturday Gidget and I were playing with her moon sand. For some reason we ended up watching the BMX competition. Having never been one to enjoy watching people take insanely stupid risks made this TV show choice odd for me! However, Gidget was really enjoying it...

My enjoyment came when I heard my little brown-eyed beauty start making comments about how so many of these riders doing these insane tricks were not wearing helmets. They were wearing baseball caps (as if that would protect them as they landed on their head!!!)....

My favorite comment came when one of the guys put on an awesome helmet just before he began his run. Out of the blue I heard my daughter say, "Finally, a guy with some common sense! I like a guy with a good brain in his head!"

Dear Lord, PLEASE let her always have this opinion!!!!

10 Guilty Pleasures on TV

10 Guilty Pleasures on TV

So You Think You Can Dance (and I secretly wish I could dance like that...or even walk that gracefully!)

American Idol (mostly the auditions...did you hear the guy sing "Go Down, Moses"? It was just too funny...I’ll find a clip to post at the bottom)

Chuck (always good for a laugh)

Wipeout! (Always good for hysterical laughter!)

24 (I just feel safer when Jack Bauer is on the job!)

Gilmore Girls (I really miss this show! The writing was just so clever!)

Numbers (I enjoy a show that makes you think.)

Boston Legal (I told my husband that if I ever get into legal trouble, he must hire Alan Shore...LOL!)

NCIS (Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs is such a real man! If I were not so happily married I would consider it an honor to be interrogated by him!)

Friends (Joey and Phoebe crack me up!

If you want to play along visit HERE!

Thoughts on Sunday Sing-Along

I've been giving this a lot of thought. What I'm going to do is take a few weeks off from doing the Sunday Sing-Along. I have some ideas, but I want to pray about them. If you have been participating and want to continue while I'm on a break, please do so! No one has been signing Mr. Linky lately, so I don't think this is really going to affect others.

The ideas that I have may make it easier for people to become involved. Don't get me wrong - I don't mind singing alone. I'm just thinking that I'd like to add something more to it.

If you think about it, pray that God gives me direction.

Thanks!
Stacey

Happy Anniversary!

12 years ago today I made the best decision of my life - I married the man of my dreams! I didn't realize it at that time though. I knew for a fact that I loved him with all my heart. I just never imagined how much love grows deeper and truer through the years.

We had a really big wedding. There were nine bridesmaids, nine groomsmen, eight junior bridesmaids, a flower girl and ring bearer (who both managed to sneak out of this picture), one groom, one bride, and a partridge in a pear tree. LOL! The really cool thing about our wedding party was that it was made up of many of the kids with whom we worked on our church bus route. It meant so much to them to be included! They kept thanking me, but the truth is that I really couldn't imagine not having them be a part of it! They were so special to us and were such a big part of our lives!

I had to go with a pastel, rainbow-type theme. It actually worked out pretty well. The girls were all such different shapes and sizes that it was impossible to find one dress that was flattering on all of them. So I grouped them into pairs and found dresses to suit each pair. It was different, but that's not unusual for me!

Looking back I've always wished we had gotten married in the fall. It had always been my dream. However, my husband won our honeymoon...and it had to be taken by the end of June. So, I gave up my dream of a fall wedding so that we could have a fantastic honeymoon. 12 years later I realize that we would have had a fantastic honeymoon regardless...he would have just had to pay for it! ;) No, now that I'm wiser I realize that we made the right decision in the first place. Why do we always second-guess ourselves?

This was the "beginning of the end" of my size 30 inch-waist fiancée! He looks so much healthier with meat on its bones! It was also the first time my mother threatened his life. You see, she made our wedding cake. It took her three long days. It was the best tasting wedding cake I have ever had! There were chocolate layers as well as almond flavored layers. Delicious!!!


Girls, this is why you NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES listen to your fiancée when he says, "Hey, I know a guy who takes pictures at weddings..." Yes, this lovely photo of my husband in the men's bathroom was just the first of the many "classy" photographs taken that day! (Ready for this? The guy's name... JOHN! I know. That's not exactly lady-like lingo, but I found it ironic!)

What's everybody waiting for? Oh, ME! This song Butterfly Kisses was being played at the time. My Dad, who had already fallen apart in the bride's room, was trying desperately to keep it together! I'll never forget him crying. He had all the groomsmen in tears! It was just not something my Dad did in public.

This is our beloved Pastor Cunningham. He was explaining to my groom that, although he was about to become my husband, there were still two men above him in my life: my Dad and my boss (who just happened to be Pastor Cunningham!). We had a lot of laughter and a lot of tears during our ceremony, and I wouldn't have it any other way!



Hey Mr. Photographer! The ceremony is over and I have my entire family together including Mom, Dad, my grandparents, my brothers, all my nieces and nephews, etc... Where are you and what important wedding memory are you capturing for me?

Oh good! That's just so much more important than capturing my entire family all dressed up!

(Note the sarcasm in my writing!)

I just love a picture where I am surrounded by a group of guys who all love me! You'll notice that we found the ring bearer. He's the cute little guy beside me in front. That cute little guy is now 19 and about to have a child of his own! Time sure flies! The handsome man wearing glasses all the way over to your right is my Dad. I really miss him!

I also felt I should point out Tweedledee and Tweedledum in this photo. Tweedledee is the groomsmen beside my father. Please note that he decided to let his mother perm (yes, PERM) his hair the day before our wedding. All the way on the opposite side of the picture you'll see Tweedledum. He decided the night before my wedding to trim his sideburns. Having worked double shifts all week, he fell asleep with an electric razor in hand. This is why in the morning his wife had to shave the other side of his head in an effort to make both sides even. The picture below gives you a better view:

The two people standing are my brother and his 1st wife. He's on number three now and, as badly as #1 treated him, she is still the cream of the crop as far as I'm concerned!


This is me with my beautiful Mom. Amazingly she kept it together pretty good that day! I found out later that she fell apart after I'd left for my honeymoon. What a blessing to have had parents who weren't anxious to get rid of me! Didn't she do a beautiful job on the cake?!


Here's a better shot of the cake. We were cutting it to feed to each other. We opted to be nice and not smoosh it in each other's faces. Actually, I threatened him and he agreed. My aunt had gotten married the year before and I spent almost an hour trying to get all the colored icing out of her hair, veil, dress...it was really ridiculous!

Hey Mr. Photographer! Guess what? Not only am I about to throw my bouquet, but I managed once again to get my entire family together for that perfect photo memory!

Mr. photographer? Mr. photographer?

Okay, there must be some phenomenal wedding memory you're capturing at this very moment! I can hardly wait to see it! Oooh... just the very thought gives me goosebumps!!!!


SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY? Dude, you're killing me!!!!

Will my marriage end over this photographer?

No, I'm a very forgiving woman...with very expensive plans for my daughter's wedding!

In this picture you'll see my beloved ring. I did tell you that it slipped off my finger when we were away from home a few months ago, didn't I? I miss that ring so much! It was insured and I have a beautiful new ring, but it's just not the same...

This is me desperately trying to shove 623 layers of material into our getaway car. Notice my handsome groom holding the door for me. As soon as I was in the car, he picked up the remainder of my 400 pound wedding gown and shoved it in on top of me. It's he romantic?!

As my groom came around the other side of the card to get in, he found that his seat was already occupied. This was probably one of my favorite memories of that day! My Dad had snuck in while everyone's attention was on me trying to get that dress into that car. He closed the door and told the driver to gun it. LOL! It was so much fun! He told me that there was no way he was letting me leave without getting a chance to tell me how much he loved me. We circled the parking lot a few times before putting my poor groom out of his misery.

I've saved my favorite picture for last. When my beautiful little flower girl went AWOL, I sent the troops out to locate her. It seems that the beautiful ivory satin gown, ivory tights with flowers embroidered on them, flower wreath for her hair, new patent leather white dress shoes, lacy gloves, and ivory satin lined basket full of rose petals was just too large a burden for little Miss. April to bear! (This is the child who most days could be found barefoot wearing a fluorescent orange shirt with red and green checkered shorts, and purple legwarmers!)

She was found sitting flat on the ground in the middle of the parking lot (an obvious suicide attempt). When asked by her mother if she was trying to get run over she replied, "Anything would be better than this torture!"

When she came back into the church, she ran up to me and gave me a big hug and said, "I hope you know, Miss. Stacey, that you are the only person in this whole wide world that I would wear this outfit for!" To this day that girl holds my heartstrings! I sent her home (she lived next door in the church personage) and told her to take that dress off and get comfy. Her mother wasn't thrilled, but she had completed her flower girl duties and weddings should be happy for everyone...especially little girls who will be dreaming about their own wedding one day!

Whenever you look back at the events in your life, you find things that you wish you would have done differently. Our wedding was really beautiful - even if it was in June instead of October!

The one thing I would've done differently (other than hire a real photographer) is that I would have had us write our own vows. I found the clip below online recently and it hit me that the vows this couple had written to each other is pretty much what we would have written to each other at the time. So, I thought I would share that today.

Peter, I love you more than I ever imagined was possible to love anyone! When I'm happy, you are the one I want to share that happiness with. When I'm tired, it's in your arms that I want to cuddle up and rest. When I'm sad, just knowing that you love me gives me joy. When I'm discouraged, you're the one who lifts my spirits and helps me to realize that things aren't as bad as I believe they are. I love you with every ounce of my being, and I will love you that way for all eternity!