Good Morning

We started a new series in church this past Sunday on sin. Not the lightest topic of conversation let me assure you, but it is something that needs to be talked about. On Sunday nights, we have a small group discussion about what was talked about on Sunday mornings and basically, we kind of decided that in order to get rid of the sin in our lives, we first have to ask for forgiveness but also maybe if issues are going on in our lives, have someone help you. Meaning, if you struggle with something, maybe having someone you have to be accountable to might help you overcome it. I'll just say that we had a great discussion Sunday night. But as always, God puts those lessons in our lives at the right time.

I honestly have not much felt like writing the past week. I have a mental block or something... probably the "or something" more than anything. When I decided to write in the beginning, I remember this - Hebrews 3:13 - " But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." That was my main thing, I just wanted all of us to know that we need to be a constant encouragement to one another, building each one up, helping in any way we could. So now, with the new series at church and remembering why I started writing in the first place, I ask for your help.

My daughter and I are not really seeing eye to eye. We haven't really been in over a year now, but as she gets older, I get alot dumber in her mind so she feels like she can do whatever. I left work yesterday to pick her up from practice to find her not there. This was after a disagreement we had had. I made some phone calls to get some help and for about an hour we looked for her. My being upset with her not being there soon turned to panic w/ all the news of late of all the gang violence in Albany AND this is not the first time she has decided she did not like her situation and I had to find her. After an hour, she finally showed up, never even giving a thought to the fact that I was worried sick. I have dealt with this a long time.. the attitude, the whole thing. And don;t get me wrong, I KNOW alot of it is being a teenager, the pressures that they face which are nothing like when I was growing up... but even with that, alot of it is to just make me mad. So we go back and forth, making each other mad and it is getting us no where.

You all know that Brianna has no grandparents and her father is not in the picture, so it has been me taking care of all of it and if you know me, you know how stubborn I can be as far as asking for anything from anyone. That's just not me. BUT, it's about time I put that aside. I do not pretend to have all the answers nor am I perfect. I have made alot of mistakes when it comes to my family .. I try to do what I think is right but that does not always work. So now, I am asking, really begging that you pray for us. I have no intentions of letting Satan have my child under any circumstances, but I now also know I can't battle him alone... he's a tad bit stronger than me alone.

I would like for you all to please add her and my whole family actually to your prayers. If you see my daughter, please encourage her. Now she is stubborn like her mom, so she may look at you a little strange, she may say something, she may not... but maybe one day it will all click. If you see where I may need to do something different, handle something better with her, just tell me. I may have three children, but I still have a long way to go in raising them!

I apologize for this not being something bright and funny, but it's really been bothering me lately and it's just time for something to be done. I love you all very much and I do hope you have a great day!!

Lord willing, we will talk again soon!!

I sure will be happy when.......

I finally decided I was happy when I got married and had children. I got a little frustrated because I really wanted the kids to be older though and get out of the baby stage so they could do a little more for themselves. As they have gotten older I have thought, WOW I have a teenager and 2 soon to be pre teens and I don't really like that much either sometimes, but when they get older......seems that maybe once I get a nicer car, maybe a bigger house, finished school... I will finally be happy. But honestly, there is no better time to be happy than right now. Stop worrying about what is going to happen tomorrow... it's not promised to us anyway!

Life is going to always be filled with challenges, not everything is going to always go our way. We need to stop waiting til we finish school, til the kids are gone, til we lose weight....treasure every moment you have right now. I spent this past weekend doing something everyday with the kids. We went to see wrestling. Not my favorite thing to do but I ended up having a really good time, we helped with the marathon, went to a baseball game, to Mardi Gras and to church. That's what they will remember, the time we spent together.

So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time.

I hope you all had a great weekend.. it was really beautiful!! Last night I went walking with a friend and we couldn't help but notice how beautiful and just a little strange the sky was. It's amazing the things we come up with but the conversation was good. I hope you all have a great Monday and a great week. Lord willing...

Love ya!

Its the weekend!

It's the weekend.. finally!! It has been a long week, lots of things going on. I think I am all tapped out now.

Albany has alot going on this weekend with a marathon (watch for runners all over town), WWE wrestling, which I am going to tonight, Steve Harvey, which I will be seeing tomorrow night... just alot! I hope you all enjoy the weekend, it's suppose to be really nice. Get out and do something constructive.. help someone, plants some flowers, take the kids to the park, just find something to do!

Lord willing, we will talk again Monday. Love you all!!

He told me NO!

All week long I have had a nagging feeling. I had some plans this weekend and I was really excited about them and up until a few days ago and then I got one of those feelings that women get alot. Women's intuition I guess. But it bothered me alot. Now I KNOW God knew about this cause I told Him. I mean this was going to be a good thing, it seemed so perfect (first mistake!). How could He NOT want me to do this? But the feelings I was having was so strong I spent all of Monday literally with an upset stomach because I was just bothered by something. So I just said " Okay, I don't know what going on. But if this is something you don't want me doing PLEASE just give me a definite sign cause I am totally confused about this and it really seems good." I left it at that Monday night and I actually slept better on Tuesday. And last night.. right after church.... I got my answer. It wasn't a maybe, it wasn't a I'll let you see for yourself, it wasn't even a well just this one time... it was a NO!! I mean it was so loud and so in my face, as I woke up this morning and the first thing I said through tears was "THANK YOU"!!! I hear you and I am listening!!!

Jeremiah 29: 11-14 from the Message (now some of my favorite verses) - This is God's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. "When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. "When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree. "I'll turn things around for you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you"—God's Decree—"bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it."

SEE--- HE said it right there!!!! When we ask Him to help us He is listening! If we SERIOUSLY seek and look for Him we will find Him.. He's gonna take care of us. There is no need in being scared, disappointed cause He is gonna make sure that everything is ok... He promised!


God DOES have plans for our lives and anything that gets n the way of those plans.. well He is going to make sure nothing does! And His plan is for GOOD, even though we may go through alot of junk in our lives, His plan is always for good. God does not want us to be miserable, but He wants us to follow Him with all our hearts and that means sometimes telling us NO like He did me last night, and I KNOW HE did it because He loves me! Just like I am with the kids sometimes... I can't always give them what they want (I make sure they have what they need though) and saying no sometimes is hard, but I love them and am only thinking of their welfare, just like God does with us.

No matter what it is, if God says ‘no’, know that God loves you beyond what you can understand and He will get you through whatever it is that you must endure.Trust God and know that He has confidence in you and He believes in you enough to know that you will get through this with His help. So even if God does say ‘no’ to you in your life, do not ever give up for God will see you through. That is His Word and that is His promise!

God told me no last night.. a big NO, it's not good for you and I am SOO glad He loves me enough that He did it!!

Today is starting out to be one of my best days yet... I hope you all have a great one! Love you and Lord willing,.... I will talk to you again tomorrow!!!

In 1991, I had it all figured out....

Last night I took out my Senior book and took a stroll down memory lane. I graduated from high school in 1991. All the pictures with the big red glasses, the football games, my old Dairy Queen paychecks, New Kids on the Block pictures (yep,I went to the concert). I even had in there where I would be 5 and 10 years from now, how my life would basically be. I was going to Valdosta State. I was going to be a lawyer and write a book... not necessarily in that order. Making 100,000 a year at least. I would not be married because that was NOT for me so definitely no kids. Those were the days... I had alot of plans.....


Proverbs 16: 1-4 (The Message) - "Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word. Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good. Put God in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place."

And God had other plans.....There comes a point when we have to trust that God knows better than we do. We think that our motives are really for the best, but God sees and knows whats really inside of us and He knows that everything that "looks" good ain't always good.
God's plan for us I don't think ever stops, I just think we get side tracked from it sometimes with our own desires.But we need to always remember that He has a plan, and He works every circumstance of our life so that it is consistent with His purpose.

So is your armor clean and ready for action?

Are you protected today? Is your armor ready for action?

It never ceases to amaze me that when I get "those feelings", God is right there to give me the answers. Last night I really had one of those gut feelings and I wasn't sure what to do or even if it was just my over active imagination was working overtime again. I got up this morning and got the boys ready, still not knowing what the feeling was about and also not knowing what I wanted to write about today. I took the boys to school, came home and sat on the bed, closed my eyes, said a little prayer and just opened the Bible. It opened to (and my eyes caught) -

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." - Ephesians 6:10-11

The Holy Spirit is never far from us and I think gives us those flags to know that Satan is still working even when we think he has left us alone. We get warnings not to go on with a particular situation or relationship. It's up to us to heed those warnings and feelings. We we get that nagging feelings we need to pay attention.

Beth Moore said in her book " When Godly People do Ungodly Things" that excessive thinking is a clear sign of a fierce demonic stronghold. And that the nature of a stronghold is something exhalted in our minds contray to the knowledge of God. WOW........

So as I look back now, I was armed. It was there all day because of God's grace and mercy. He helped me all day and even last night although Satan was trying his best to rip it off of me. But God is good, and He kept me and is keeping me strong. Everyday we live, we must take time out to put on the armor of God. When we wake up in the morning, we must be ready to face the war.. the battle between us and the devil... we need to be ready!!!

I hope you all have a blessed day and don't let Satan steal any joy you have today. Lord willing.. see ya tomorrow...

I really saw God's work this weekend

I got to go visit a friend this weekend and it was great. The kids had a ball and are ready to go back. As I drove home yesterday, I got to see God's work in action and had a chance to think about it. When I left Charlotte, it was raining.. and I love rain. Not really driving in it, but just watching it, listening to it. Then as I got out of Charlotte, it started to snow. My kids were really excited and my youngest asked, "how come it was raining and now it's snowing?".. All I knew to say was.. "that's how God works". He accepted that answer and watched as the beautiful snow fell. We even stopped to take a picture of it cause it never snows in SW Georgia..well not enough to stick anyway.

I just realized this weekend once again how great God is. I was allowed to take a short vacation with the kiddos to spend time laughing and talking with friends and just being able to see how the seasons really change and work. It was nice......

I hope you all had a great weekend and have a great Monday!! Lord willing ,we will talk again tomorrow and I will have all my thoughts together for my blogs this week!! Love ya!!