If any of you have me as a friend on Facebook, you saw this last night, but I had to share it again this morning....

I went to pick Brianna up early last night from work, so the boys and I decided to go in for a drink and wait. I went in and started talking to Bri and another of her co-workers and this guy (about 28 or so I guess) came from the kitchen basically yelling, but really excited. He looked at me and said " Is your last name Washington?" I said yes, thinking that he was going to ask about Brianna being my daughter but he said " your mom's name was Barbara?" I just kinda looked at him and thought, he must have been one of her students. (she was a Special Education teacher at Albany Middle) I said yes. Then he said you had a baby. I smiled and pointed at Bri and he said yeah, I remember her having two pigtails all the time... lol. Then he said " I was even at her funeral. It was at that church off of Gillionville." Again, I said yes. With that he kind of trotted to the back. So I sat down with Chris and Khaaliq thinking about my mom since he had kind of put her in my head. Then he came out and sat next to me in the booth. He said " Your mom was so sweet. She taught me how to read. She was the reason I passed middle school. She was really special." I held back tears and said thank you for that. And with that, he went back to work.

God gave my mom a gift. And she did just what He wanted her to do with it, she used it to serve others. She loved to teach and she LOVED her students. I was talking to a friend this morning and she said people may forget your face after a while, but they sure will remember if you help them. And 13 years later, he did.

I was again reminded about what Pam says " be blessed and be a blessing." I have been so guilty lately of worrying and thinking about me. What is going on with me. The problems I am having. When are things going to get better for me. I have been so consumed, that I have let many opportunities pass by to be a blessing to someone else. I have said before, its not about the money you spend, the stuff you have, it's just about showing God love to the people who need it.


I pray you all had a wonderful weekend and I hope that today is just as great! Until next time, "be a blessing".....

Good Monday Morning loves!

I can remember being in middle and high school and being picked on alot. I guess that's what kids do. The thing with me was being overweight. I have never been a small person and I was also never short, so I heard it alot. Even from my brother, who got the tall part but not the weight. I can remember making myself sick so that I could call my mom and go home. Sometimes I still hear those words when I wanna work out or even if I am eating and that was over 20 years ago...

Last week, I said some really hurtful things to someone that I love very much. Honestly, I think the stuff I said was stuff I needed to say, but I sure didn't need it to come out like it did. I got angry and I let that anger get the best of me and my emotions, something I said I would never do again, but I did.

My son, who is not a small child himself, got in trouble at school last week for calling a little girl fat.

Yesterday, a conversation I had with some friends that came to town went kinda in left field. It's not that the things we were saying were wrong, but sometimes as parents, even though we mean well, kids don't understand and can get their feelings hurt.

A friend of mine got hurt yesterday by someone who thinks that just because you throw a "LOL" behind what you say will make it funny to everyone. It doesn't. And what makes it worse, is when other people around don't say anything or stand up for what is right...

Who ever said "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"... lied.

Ephesians 4:29 - "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Everyday, whether we think about it or not, we are shaping and molding someone else's life by the words that we use with them. As Christians, we need to know when and IF to even speak, or if our task is to just listen. How will our words impact others...build them up or tear them down...

I pray this e-mail finds you all safe and sound. The weekend was really good, weather was beautiful.

Please remember to be praying for Mrs. Heath and Mrs. Daniels and their health and also for my friends who are still looking for job (Angie, Valerie, Pam, Darlene). Oh and don't forget our teens, Morgan and Brianna!! : )

I love you all bunches, and remember, "be a blessing" to someone.. it sure made my day last week!

Last night I heard that a person I went to high school with had lost her son in an accident. He was on his way back from Florida with two of his best friends and they hit an ambulance head on. He and another guy were killed instantly. One was taken to the hospital in critical condition and the two ambulance workers were also listed in critical condition. This morning they said that the other best friend also passed away. My schoolmates son was 19. He had just graduated from basic training in San Antonio and was leaving for the Air Force soon. His long time girlfriend, is pregnant with his daughter. I watched the news clip again this morning and saw the sadness and pain and I realized that my problems didn't really seem so big anymore.

I pray for Daphne, her family and all the families that lost their child in this accident. I can't imagine what she is going through right now but I pray she knows that even through this, that their lives are and were not wasted, that God will never leave them or let them walk alone.

Continue to also pray for Mrs. Heath and Mrs. Daniels and their health, for my friends who are still job searching.. Angie, Darlene, Valerie, Pam.. for Morgan and Brianna.

Be blessed my friends and remember , be a blessing to someone. Today is not promised to any of us. There is no guarantee that we will live to be 80 or 90 years old, so make every moment count! Love ya and until next time, Lord willing....

I went to Pearly's this morning and as I pulled up to the drive thru window, I heard a conversation between the two girls at the drive thru.

"Well, she was really rude to that guy. Said he didn't look right"

"Well, she shouldn't be like that towards anyone. How does she know that wasn't Jesus? And then what.. what would she say? You can't go by the way a person looks, you have to be nice to everyone."

And then she walked off to get my food. What a great lesson for the morning! I can't say I have been rude to someone who looks different but I have formed opinions based on looks and that's not right. We need to treat everyone the way we want to be treated. Jesus didn't pick and choose the people He wanted to be around. He went into all types of situations with all types of people. Who are we to think we are better than Christ? So the next time you pass someone who may not look, act or even smell the best, take a moment to be nice. It's pretty inexpensive and who knows, that person may be needing it. Remember... "be a blessing"...

Please remember in your prayers Mrs Heath (Charlene's mom) and her treatments but also that today is her 71st birthday!! Happy Birthday Momma Heath.... God is good!!!

Remember Ms. Daniels (Shauwan's mom). Shauwan just called me and said her mom's count was up to 77 which is the highest its been in a long time so thank you God for answered prayers!!!! Mr Aycock (Angie's dad), Valerie, Darlene, Angie (as they continue the job search), my friend Pam, who is also looking for a new job and like many of us, the stresses of life are trying to take over and just needs prayers to have the strength to make it through some tough situations. I miss you Pam!! My friend Quanda and her new baby boy, and Brianna and Morgan. I hope I didn't forget anyone.. if I did, I am so sorry, please respond and I will add it!

Until next time, Lord willing, "be blessed and be a blessing!!"

Last week Chris was given a project. He had to "grow" some candy. Rock candy. Now I have eaten rock candy before (not good for your teeth mind you), but never knew how it was made. Three cups of sugar and one cup of boiling water, color optional. All I could think when we were stirring in that pot was, "well if it doesn't work, we can always go to the mall and buy one so at least it will show you tried!!"

So we mix, poured in a glass, covered, and just waited.

Day one... nothing.
Day two...I saw something, not sure what floating on top, but I was starting to make plans to head to the candy shop.
Day two and a half... I think we should change glasses cause something ain't right.
Day three...what is this I see, something on the bottom?? Sugar maybe, and it seems to actually be making its way on the stick too.
Day four...it sticks!!!!!
Day five... a full fledged rock candy stick!!!




Oh ME of little faith.....

As Christians, our desire should be to grow deeper and trust more in the Lord. But even though we try as hard as we can, our faith is weak and sometimes not stable. Some days we get a "hmmmmm maybe this will work" while later on that same day we get a " I am not going to make it!!". How long is it going to take us (and I am talking to myself too) to realize that we cannot outsmart God. Until we get the "junk" out of our lives, the things that hinder us from following God with our entire minds, bodies and souls, then we will never be able to grow like we need to. We are all going to have things that test us, and we need to make sure that our faith is strong enough to get us through those times.

I pray you all had a great Monday. Until next time, "be blessed and be a blessing" to someone!

iPod Touch

Khaaliq turns 10 on September 5th. My baby is no longer a baby, he's growing up. But along with the growing up comes bigger "wish lists" for birthdays and other holidays. This one is no different.

The boys spent the weekend with their dad but he brought them back this morning to get ready for school. I laid their clothes out and hopped in the shower myself. When I got out, I found the attached two letters on my bed....

Now I get this all the time from them. The boys anyway. They never come out and ASK me for anything, I just get notes strategically placed around the house. I laughed and finished getting dressed. Khaaliq will be 10 and I love his dimpled cheeks to pieces but he is too young (in my house anyway) for an iPod touch. One, it's an expensive gift and he's not the best with taking care of his things and two, his sister got hers when she was 13 so I kinda like to keep them on the same track with stuff like that. So I will come up with another gift for my baby, something I know he will love, but have to deal the look of disappointment which really breaks my heart.

Matthew 7:7 says " Ask, and it shall be given unto you...", but we all know as adults, that sometimes when we ask God for things, we don't always get what we want. God knows what's best for us even though we seem to think we have all the answers for our lives. Sometimes we ask and it may take minutes, hours, days or even years to get an answer. That's the patience thing I always have a hard time with. But even with that, I feel like God is prepping us for something that is so wonderful, that what we asked for will seem like nothing. And sometimes, well, it's just not meant to be, period. And those are the times that make us sit back and wonder if God really is even listening to us, because after all, He DOES want us happy right?

I've been praying and thinking about some things lately and I haven't gotten my answer yet.. well at least I don't think I have (still trying to figure that one out too), but I know that one way or the other, God will show me the way. He always does.... and on the 5th, when Khaaliq wakes up for his birthday and the iPod is not there...well, lets hope that he understands that good things come to those that wait.

I pray you all had a wonderful weekend. I actually got nothing done that I planned and that bummed me out, but I'm okay now. Just have more to do next weekend is all!

Please keep in your prayers Mrs. Heath (Charlene), Mrs Daniels (Shauwan), who did get to go home and be at her granddaughter's 1st birthday party, Mr. Aycock (Angie's dad), Valerie, Darlene and Angie as they are looking for jobs, Quanda and her new baby boy, Brianna and Morgan (Valerie's daughter) because high school and being a teenager are not as easy as it was when we were growing up, and everyone who was effected by the storms this past weekend.

Even if we don't get everything we want, we have more than we need...we are a blessed people. Act like it!!

Until next time, Lord willing....

So I have been talking with a friend this morning about life and how it is stressing me right now. How sometimes you have to find the little things that make getting out of bed worthwhile even when you don't want too. How you can't take on everyone else's problems even though you have the best of intentions because you want to help them (some people are beyond help I think) cause you really need to deal with your own stuff and seems like no one is ever around for THAT conversation. And then as I hit "send" on my whine to her, I hit my in box and this was there....

Find the Giggle
by Marilyn Meberg

"I love to laugh. I believe a giggle is always loitering about even in the most devastating of circumstances. I make a point of shuffling through the rubble in search of that giggle.
This isn’t denial. I need to feel and express my pain. But I also need to find the light side—and there is always a light side! I’ve noticed that when I laugh about some minor part of a problem or controversy or worry, the whole situation suddenly seems much less negative to me. After a good laugh, I can then rethink my circumstances. As a result, that which was threatening may now seem less threatening."

Marilyn Meberg is a Women of Faith speaker and one of the reason I hate I am going to miss going again this year. Trying to find the calm, the light in a situation, the giggle... well, let's just say it is not the first thing on my mind when I have problems. I'd much rather sulk, whine and lock myself up from the world around me... except, I gotta come out, or the kids will come in! lol

So I stopped, said a prayer to myself and really vowed to have a good day. A positive day even if I don't really want too. To realize that yeah, my situation my not be a fun one for me right now, but there really are alot of people who have it a whole lot worse. God is good in ALL situations, even the ones we raise our eyebrows at.

I pray that whatever you all are going through, whether people know or not, that you too find the giggle in it...



Until next time... "Be blessed and be a blessing!"