It seems like yesterday that I was in the hospital giving birth to my eldest child. It was not yesterday, but actually 12 years ago today. I remember counting the days of my pregnancy. I couldn’t wait to become a mom, yet I was a little nervous about having a living, breathing gift from God in my care. I was sent to the hospital by my mid-wife on Monday morning on July 15, 1996. My baby boy was born 32 hours later at 9:00 p.m. I remembered the amazing love that swept over me as the doctor placed that wiggling, crying baby in my arms as my husband and mother-in-love looked on. My boy is constantly amazing me even today. 

Clay is one of those kids that was born to communicate. He loves people. Even as a toddler in the buggy at the grocery store. He wanted to talk to everyone who passed by. He kept the cashiers entertained constantly. If he saw another child, He wanted to “meet that kid” he would say. He organizes the kids at church in games after the service in the church yard. Clay is definitely a go-get-er, and never at a loss for words.

Clay also has a heart for God. At age 5, Clay called on the Lord to save him. His love for God shines through all he does. During Vacation Bible School, he witnessed to some of the kids in his class and encouraged them to make a decision for Christ. One friend of his made a decision to follow the Lord in baptism since he had already accepted Christ. Clay was so excited; he was practically bouncing off the walls. I was so proud of Clay. I pray that God will keep him safe from worldly influences and continue to work in his heart and life.

For the first time in his life, Clay is not with me on his birthday. He is at R. A. camp.  I am probably more melancholy about this than he is. Nothing gets him down for long and I know he is having a blast today with all the new friends he is making. So if all of you would be so kind as pray for “Mom” and “Meme” (Clay’s grandma) today, We would appreciate it. Meme has never missed seeing Clay on his birthday either. She was there for him when he was born and been there for him every day since.

Thanks for taking the time to let me share with you about my boy. He is the joy of my life. Happy “12th” Birthday, Clay! I pray you have 100 more.

“Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord…”  ~ Psalm 127:3

When was the last time we just took a moment and said, “Thanks”.

In everything give thanks for this is the will of God… I Thessalonians 1:18 

I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about a new blog I found. It is  “Real Life” and is written by Sarah.  I have enjoyed reading every time I have had the opportunity to visit her blog. She is a Super-Mom who shares about her kids, husband, life in general and a host of other subjects. I know you will be blessed and encouraged in your walk with God.

As you know, I usually wait to add new people till I have several to introduce to you, but this one could not wait. I hope you will take the time to visit Sarah at “Real Life”.

Clay and Glen were so excited today to be involved in a program at a sister church in our town for “Terrific Tuesdays”.  Every Tuesday for the next 6 weeks, they will be involved in activities at different locations. Today, they are traveling to Tallahassee, Fl. to go to the IMAX theatre and see a movie. This will be followed by a picnic lunch. I can’t wait to find out how their day went. I am sure I will get an ear and a heart full as I hear about their day.

It seems like when you need a little moment of blessing, God is waiting to give it to you. As I was walking through the church where I work to go and unlock the fellowship hall for the senior adults. I walked through the courtyard of the church. The way the building was built in stages and a small courtyard is enclosed in the very center of all the buildings. It is open to the sky and enclosed completely on all sides by sidewalks and closed doors. As I walked through thinking of all I had on my plate today, a noticed a flash of color out of the corner of my eye. I looked closer and saw the most magnificent butterfly. It was vivid in color and large as far as butterflies go. In that moment, I was reminded of God. The creator of the universe chose back in time to create a winged beauty for everyone to enjoy.  He has placed his fingerprint on every part of creation. When I look around, I can behold the beauty and wonder of all His is and all He has done for me. How can I not be blessed? or Why do I go around disheartened by the circumstances of life? I am so thankful that no matter what I am going through God is there with me in the midst of it all. All I needed to do was to look for Him in the small things, and He showed up.

In other news in family life, we are taking Clay back to the doctor this afternoon to have his stitches taken out and receive the results of his tests. I will give you all an update soon.

I hope you all are having a blessed day.

As a child, my parents, Sunday school teachers, and pastors have encouraged me to pursue Scripture memorization.  One of the highlights of my young years was going to a Bible Club every Wednesday in the next neighborhood over from ours. We were taught stories from God’s Word, and lessons on how to follow Jesus. We were taught the plan of Salvation through the verses of the Romans Road (Romans 3:10; 3:23; 5:8; 5:12; 9:10-13).  Scripture Memory was emphasized every week. We were sent home with a cookie and a Scripture verse on a piece of paper to learn for the next week. One of the first verses I learned was Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against God.”  I also learned Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” They even offered a complete camp scholarship if you learned 300 verses of Scripture. I was encouraged to go for it. I am so glad I had people in my life to encourage me in the study and memorization of God’s Word.

It is because of these early experiences that I am blessed today. There have been times in my life when I needed a word from the Lord. The things we face in this life can catch us off guard and circumstances can overwhelm  us to the breaking point. Have you ever been in a situation where you needed a word from the Lord and your Bible was either in the car or back at home? This is where the Lord began to bring verses of Scripture to my mind when I needed them most. Sometimes it was just a phrase or two of a verse, but a phrase is often sufficient when in tribulation.  I was reminded of this again when I was sitting at my desk quite overwhelmed with a problem, and I found myself really scared. I prayed to the Lord for help, and in an instant the Scripture came, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” Over and over on that day, when thoughts of fear came, the phrase remained. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” How thankful I am that He is willing to speak to me where ever I am with words of comfort from His Holy Word.

The Word of God is more than just a book. It is a living testament of a Holy God reaching down to man. The promises are endless. The words are true. God has given to us a guide on how to live this life. We, as a follower of Christ, need to follow his teaching wholeheartedly.  Pehaps you would like to  know more of the word of God. Take one or two verses per week and commit them to memory. You may think that one or two verses a week is not much, but as time goes by you will know more and more the heart of God, and when you least expect it, He will bring to mind a verse that will give you what you need for that moment.  You can ask the Lord to guide you and He will. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know many verses from memory, you can start today. I am glad that God is willing to take us right where we are and move us forward. He does that just because He can, just because He is God.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”  ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Every day we face the fact that we do not know what the day will bring. With each day the potential of joy, celebration, and expectation may be realized. We may find disappointment and heartache when the day has concluded. No matter what the day will bring we have the undeniable assurance that God is with us. We have the belief that no matter what circumstances overwhelm us our God is a constant presence to under gird and uplift us.

So often in the life we live, we fail to place our confidence in God to face the trials and tribulation in front of us. Trials will come to us all. They have a way of rearing their ugly head when we are weary and attack us when we are down. Often we place our confidence in other sources than to rely on the one who is ready to share our burden and give us peace. Psalm 118:8 reads, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

We know in our heart that we must turn to God in tribulation because He alone knows best how to face each problem, but how often do we fail to turn to Him in time of need. The Psalms are full of precious promises and if we focus on these in our times of indecision, we would be lead in the right and true path that leads straight to our Heavenly Father.  Psalm 37:3 reads, “Trust in the Lord…” as does Psalm 37:5 and countless others. God wants us to follow his leading and trust Him with the results no matter what that results may be.

If we let God be who He is, we would find ourselves in the perfect place to worship and praise Him with the results our circumstances bring.  Psalm 31:19 reads, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them  that trust in thee before the sons of men.”  It is all about trust. Who are you going to trust your day to day living to? Yourself, others, or God? Whether we want to admit it or not, the world is watching us. As Christians, they want to see people who are real and those that have a great trust in a great God. When they look at you and me what do they see?

I put my arm around my son last night as he was facing a disappointment. Something that in the grand scheme of things may not be that important, but it was real to him and to me. We discussed the disappointment and shed a few tears too. What can I say, we were hurting, yet as we worked our way through it we talked about God and how he was there for us in the middle of it all. We trusted God to know what was best for us and surrendered our will to His will.

We had great trust in a great God, and in the midst of the circumstance we experienced a great peace!

I shared in my last post what a great Mother’s Day I experienced and the things that awaited me on Sunday morning. On Saturday, however, I had the delightful experience of going with my hubby and boys down to St. Marks Wildlife Refuge.

We took off Saturday morning to head to one of favorite places and get “back to nature”. For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed walking in the woods and looking for wildlife, flowers, etc. This Saturday was no exception.  There is always something so relaxing as a jaunt through the woods. Whether it is getting away from the phone and distractions of every day life, or taking the time to stop and take in the beauty of God’s creation I’m not sure which one helps me more in body and spirit. I do know that I wouldn’t trade the time with my family and the joy of being with the ones I love.

You never know what you might come across. We have such fun seeing how many different species of birds and animals we can identify. By looking at the maps of the trails, my hubby showed me one that we had never taken before, so I thought there was a good chance that we might come across something we had yet to see. Armed with hiking poles and binoculars, we headed out for our adventure.  We hit the trail about 10:00 a.m. and hiked to our heart’s content. We saw many species of birds and got some great pictures. Later, we encountered a small gator lounging in the middle of the trail. This is most unusual because we mostly see them in the water or on the banks next to the canals. We took some pictures, not to close of course to document our adventure. After our hike, We stopped by the jeep to grab and drink and to go to the lighthouse down on the gulf. Later, we had a picnic by a pond where birds gather. By now we were ready to ride to Wakulla Springs and spend the afternoon swimming and playing in the water. It was a wonderful day. 

As I was recalling the joy of the day, it came to mind that as I go to God’s Word I experience much the same feeling and joy as spending the day in the woods. First of all, my body and spirit receives a calming, relaxing effect on me as I delve into the Scriptures. It pulls me away from the distractions and cares of this life and uplifts me. I am strengthened in my daily walk. The longer I stay and the further I go I receive the benefit of letting go of the stress and worry, and sweetly commune with my heavenly Father.

Secondly, as I pick up my Bible to read and study, I never know what I will find. Unexpected truth and blessings pop out and speak to my heart and soul. I experience peace and joy as I study the word. The wealth of promises uplift me and encourage me in my walk of faith. Yes, sometimes I am convicted of something that I need to work on in my walk with the Lord, but I know I will find the help I need to watch out for the dangers this world throws in our path. I also know if I grow weary in the walk, God will help to lighten the load I carry, take my hand and go with me. I need this time with Him to prepare for the day ahead of me.

At the end of the day, Saturday, I was tired, but unbelievably refreshed and renewed and ready to gear up for the challenges ahead of me this week. In the same way as I go the Word, I am ready to “gear up” for what God has for me to do today. It is not what I can do in my strength, but what he can do through me.  When I need to get away from it all, I have a place I can go to get “back to nature”.  I know, also, when I need Him, I can go ”back to the Word” where stresses will be relieved, burdens can be laid down, and communion with Our Great God can and will occur.

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Se’lah”     ~ Psalm 68:19 ~

Sunday morning I was given some lovely cards, a framed picture of my boys, and a candle for Mother’s Day so I couldn’t let Mother’s Day pass without wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers.  I experienced a wonderful day with my family.

This time of year has always been a special time of reflection and memories since my mother passed away. I have found over the last several years that I have happy days and still some sad days of remembrance since her passing. This year, however, not only do I want to honor my mother, but I also want to honor and say, “Thank you” to the other mother’s who have influenced and enriched my life.

Being a mother is a special blessing. The saying is indeed true that you only have one mother. I love my mother dearly, and  even though she has gone on, she is never to far from my thoughts on any given day. She taught me so much about love and life, and her memory will always have an honored place in my heart.

I would like to also honor today my step-mother, Jeannie Brown. She has a special place in my heart also.  She takes care of my Dad, which is a full time job. :)  She is extremely talented in music. She is a great “Nana” to Clay and Glen. She does so much for everyone and I love and respect her for all she does for the family. Our family is enriched because she is a part of it.

I would also like to honor today my mother-in-law, Brenda Cloud. She is a wonderful mother to my hubby, and “Meme” to my sons. She is a great listener when I need someone to talk to. She is giving and loving to all of us. I appreciate all she does to show us she cares. My life has been blessed because of her.

If your mother is living, I hope you were able to spend some quality time with her. If your mother has gone on, I hope and pray you will be comforted, and have the opportunity to reach out to someone who has enriched your life and tell them how much you appreciate them. We, as women, have been given by God a great capacity to love others. May we take advantage of the grace and love of our Lord and honor Him by passing on to someone else the love he has deeply rooted in our hearts.

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love” 

~ John 15:9 ~

I experienced the most wonderful opportunity this last Friday evening. A sister church in our area, Pine Level Baptist Church in Cairo, GA,  had a “Ladies Night Out”. They served to us a beautiful dinner and the Program presented was such a wonderful blessing to me. Two of the Pine Level Ladies presented dramatic monologues and the Ladies Ensemble from the First Baptist Church in Bainbridge, GA ministered in song.  Donna Lott and Patti Appling presented the “Painted Parable”. This is a truly unique ministry. While Donna delivers a wonderful message/parable, Patti paints a picture to illustrate the message. The spirit of the Lord is on these ladies. They live in North GA above Atlanta. The evening was full of blessing after blessing.

My heart was especially stirred when Donna shared a particular problem in her life and how God lead her to a book by Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth Bell Graham. Mrs. Graham when faced with adversity ran to God and her Bible. God showed Mrs. Graham that she was focusing on the problem she was facing and the adversity rather than focusing on the promises of God. I felt in good company because over the last few weeks, I have been struggling with a problem of my own and all I could see was the problem.  I failed to focus on the promises of God’s Word. How often do we all continue to struggle with something when the answer is right in front of us? (more than I would care to admit, thank you )  In the midst of my struggle God showed me the answer I needed. He said, “Run to the word, my child, run to the word!!! Focus on my promises not on the problem!!!”   Peace flooded my soul. Believe it or not, but my problem in all of this was not really the problem. IT WAS MY FOCUS.  God showed me that peace is available in Him when I focus on His promises and not the problems of this life. Who would have thought you can have peace and a problem at the same time.  We all have problems that we face every day. The problems can clutter our mind and drag us low if we let it. By focusing on the promises we can experience the presence of God right beside us, holding our hand and whispering His sweet promises in our ear.

 ”And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”  ~Romans 4:21

As a housewife, I can always count on a few things. Stocks will rise and fall. The ozone layer will probably let more bad stuff in. Global warming will be on the rise.  Summertime in Georgia will be scorching hot. Dirty dishes and laundry will always be the biggest plies in the house.

Since baseball season has begun, I have spent less time at home than I normally would spend. Glen is in the County’s 9-10 year old league, and Clay is in the County’s 11-12 year old league so scheduling, between practice and games, has been a challenge. During this time of year the dish and laundry plies have grown and I have struggled to keep up. In my effort to start fresh this morning I was dish washing before I had to go to work.  As I was washing  one of my glasses, I heard a pop and felt a burning sensation in my thumb…the glass broke and I saw red. The glass sliced the top part of my thumb. The funny thing was when I first picked up the glass I didn’t see a crack in it. Cracks are usually the first thing I look for in a glass. If it has a crack in it, I go ahead and put it aside to keep this very thing  from happening. The only thing I can figure is the pressure of the cleaning process caused the glass to fracture.

Pressure is something we deal with on a daily basis in our lives.  Pressure to make choices, or to do this or that is present whether we want it to be or not. If we say we don’t have stress and pressure in our lives we are living in denial. The pressure will always be there. What we need to do is to find out what causes the pressure in our life and focus on the best way to deal with it. 

Some pressure we bring on ourselves. At times I find, I am my own worst enemy. Taking on to many things at one time will up our stress level. Yes, sometimes it is very hard to say, “No” to someone because 90% of the time the things others ask you to do are “good” things. We must remember to pray and ask the Lord, “Is this the best thing for me right now?” I find that when I fail to pray about what I should do, I often take on too much then I end up popping and lashing out at the ones I love.

Some pressure and stress will come when we know we have not done the right thing and God is trying to clean us up on the inside. We sin and are stained on the inside. We need the cleansing that only God can do. The cleaning up of the heart is not pleasant. It requires scrubbing and getting in all the small places inside.  No one that I know of will want to drink out of a glass that  has spots on the inside. We can’t explain the dirt and grime away by saying, “It really isn’t that dirty; I cleaned up that glass last week.” The cleaning process must happen for us to be pleasing to God. Sometimes the spots can only be seen by holding it up to the light of God’s Word. We must confess to Him our sin and ask to be made clean. He who knows us the best sees the stains and knows the best way to take care of it. Relying on Him and placing our lives in His hands is our only option.

Pressure can be lessened when we put ourselves in God’s hands. He always knows just what to do. In his hands, I find cleansing, rest, and comfort. Healing is available when we pop and fracture. He is the only one who can put it all back together again and make it stronger as if the fracture never occurred. It is God shining in us and through us that will testify of a life, not free from the pressures of this life, but of one who lets the power and the light of God shine forth in the midst of adverse circumstances.

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 

–2 Corinthians 4:6-7

When the pressure and stress of this life is overwhelming, I can count on my Heavenly Father for He holds me in His Hands.

When I think of April, I think of Spring. The time of all things new. Little plants that grow from the tiny seeds are shooting up out of the ground. All the plants and grass put on that electric shade of green and new life is seen in the blooms of the flowers hidden in the ground for the winter. The same is evident in the blogosphere. Over the last few weeks, I have found some great sites and met some terrific people who have been a great blessing to me. I wanted to share them with you.

I have enjoyed reading Notes in the Key of Life for quite some time now. Cindy Swanson is a blessed writer and keeps you informed with up to information on a myriad of subjects. She has had through radio and her blog opportunities to interview many wonderful people, including Liz Curtis Higgs, my personal favorite person and encourager. She shares many things that will pull your heart strings and/or give you a chuckle. Give her a look. You won’t be sorry.

I always receive something special when I visit Hariette Petersen aka Selah V. She writes a daily devotional that you will want to read over at SBC Impact.  She has a heart for Christian women and it shows with every post. As you read, you will also realize that she has a heart for God. I also enjoy reading her personal blog, Selah V Today. I have enjoyed getting to know this dear lady through her posts and her interaction with me in the comments section. If you need encouragement for your Christian walk, this lady’s writing is for you.

I have visited Danny Kaye over at nothing important  through my husband’s blog.  DK has done some great posts over the last few days that have brought laughter and amazement. The video he shared about Not Vig’s elephant is one you definitely need to see. Prepare to be amazed.

I have enjoyed reading Julie’s writing over at Jewelz Sightings. She has a wonderful style and has been a blessing to me as I have read her recent posts. She has a heart for God and longs to be near to Him. I know I will continue to gain strength and encouragement from her blog, and I know you will as well.

Paula at Grace Reign is a terrific writer with thought provoking posts. Her series on the Song of Solomon is a must read. You will find it located in her side bar.

I recently found Angela at Becoming Me. I can identify with her through her writing. Her latest post on “If only I could eat my words” is one you will want to check out.  Her thoughts on being a wife, and mother are heartfelt and genuine. You can relate also with her drive to be all that God wants her to be as she shares her life experiences with an openness that is truly refreshing. She has blessed and encouraged me and I know you will be too.

I hope you all have a blessed weekend filled with God’s love.