The Notebooks!

I was just emailing my friend Brandy (Jo) ;) and thinking about our ten year reunion which reminded me how we used to communicate in High School! Most kids wrote notes: the creative ones even took the time to decorate them or fold them in a silly sort of way! Brandy Jo and I had a little different take on our communication and it worked wonders! It never 'appeared' that we were passing notes at all. We had spiral notebooks that we would pass back and forth between classes. It 'appeared' as just another classroom notebook like we were taking notes- well, we were 'writing' notes! Truly, we could call it our 'history' notebook because we were writing our history! So we have a collection of our conversations for those years! I'm not sure how many notebooks there were, at least 4 or 5, I'm sure. Brandy was deemed 'the keeper of the notebooks'! This was a smart call as she has always been the more organized one! (Imagine that!) I can't wait to sit down with a cup of coffee and read our silly antics together! So BJ, if you are reading this, dig 'em out, let's set a date for coffee to read what we wrote 10-14 years ago! And NO PEEKING!! Let's have that first "second look" together! You bring the books, I'll bring the tissues and camera!

High Priority!

The smell of rain floods me back to a happy memory in my life. I have always loved the sound of raindrops falling on my Grandmother's tin roof. The breeze when sitting on her front porch and dancing with the raindrops falling into the river beneath my feet.

Although, I have always loved the rain, the roar of thunder is another story.

I distinctly remember the scene. The old brown house on the farm- the one that my aunt Lisa would scale down the side from her two-story window to sneak out at night, or at least that’s what she told us. It was the house of my Dunbar Grandparents along with a couple of my mother's siblings still living there.

I was about the age of a kindergartner when my dad was sitting on the front porch with the lightning flashing and thunder screaming. Being the ever-vocal child that I still am today- I had to warn my daddydo because the 'lightnings' were coming to get him! I opened the door and with all protest, I began to explain why he was to come inside that instant! My sweet daddydo in all of his grace, simply told me to come out there with him. Me- out there- where the storm is brewing- WHAT! But because I trusted him, I crawled up on his lap and he explained how far away the lightning was and taught me count "1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, etc..." to tell how far away the lightning was. He said 'Just watch it out there, Isn't it pretty?' And for the first time, I thought a storm was beautiful and peaceful.

Thankfully, this is one of those moments in time that I can look back to in the Rolodex of my mind and say, "AH, I remember that!- That's a good one! Let's mark this as 'High Priority!' and pull it out again later!" When I smell the rain, see the lightning, and hear the thunder, I can close my eyes and find myself sitting on my daddy's lap counting- "1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi" and think, "Daddy, that one is 3 miles away!"

To this day, I LOVE it when I am at home and a good thunderstorm is brewing because somehow I am a 5 year old again enjoying time with my daddydo!

Do you love me?

Today was a great day at church!

Steve shared a heart-felt message today and it was truly powerful! The title was "Do you love me?" The main text for the message was John 21 with prior reference to Luke 22:54-62. From where Peter denied Christ 3 times, to the three burning questions: "Do you love me?"
A couple of things that touched me in the service today were
#1- Jesus asked Peter did Peter love him 'more than these'? Peter had just been fishing all night and had caught nothing!- Jesus told him to cast the net on the right side and it was filled to the brim! Jesus wanted to know did Peter love him more than these? More than his prior Fishing Business? More than anything? - What is our "these"? Do we really love Jesus more than everything else?!
For whatever reason, our church body has gotten away from that "first love passion" and today was a call back to that. It is true, I have been at our church since the beginning and I miss those days where we were on fire for the Lord, just hungry for Him, Seeking Him, enjoying His presence and His heart! We have been dry, and content, complacent! Honestly, I know it starts in the heart with each individual and I am the first to stand and say that I have not been the child God has called me to be. I miss Him! I miss spending time with Him daily. The truth is, He hasn't moved, He's still sitting our secret place waiting for me to come back and meet Him there! I am so glad that He is a God of compassion, mercy, and grace!
#2- So the question remains, How do I stay in love with Jesus and regain the love that's been lost? The answer is simply laid out in Revelation 2:1-7- Remember where you have fallen from, Repent of where you are, and Repeat the things that keep you close to the Lord!
#3- Pastor Steve shared some powerful quotes and a couple stood out to me:
"We must never get over the fact that we are LOVED by GOD!" -Dave Earley (simple but profound)
"Some of us keep living like maids and butlers instead of like real children. Working frantically to earn the right to stay, we never really settle in, kick back and enjoy our Father's company. In effect, we live in the crummy, cramped quarters over the garage rather than in the magnificent main house... There's a world of difference in knowing we're the forgiven and knowing we're the beloved." - Sandra Wilson
"What we do for God is only a reflection of the relationship we have with God. If we want to be able to do great things, we need to have a great relationship. If we want to have a ministry that is strong, our relationship must be strong." - Dave Earley

I hope this touches your heart today and that you find strength in this message as I did. I do love you Jesus! I truly do! As I live and breathe, I do!
Now it is time to wake up and truly live those words!

Catch-up

It has been a few months since I have blogged! So much has happened and I need to play "catch up!" I'll give highlights and plan to write more soon.
In May, we went to Maui- beautiful! The plane ride was horrible but so worth it! The snorkeling at Molokini and Rainforest Hike were definite highlights!
In June, Matt's dog of 14 years- Shadow passed away and we got a new sweet golden named "Sunny". Matt and I celebrated our 4th anniversary with Sunny as our gift to each other. Also, we spent a few days with Lewis and Lindsey at OBX and just kicked back to relax a little!
July 1st, Matt's papa went home to be with the Lord. He was a wonderful man! Matt made a tribute video and at the end he wrote, "If I could be half the man he was, then I'd be twice the man I ever dreamed!" It was a beautiful service, complete with veteran honors! Our hearts are saddened to miss him here but joyful to know he is with the Lord and Matt's nanny who passed on Christmas Eve of 2006.
Along the way, we have been continuing to work on the garage for Brent this fall. It may not be completely done by the time he arrives because the heat has been unbearable. Thankfully, we have been blessed with garage help! Lewis and Lindsey helped us with tearing out the old ceiling on demolition day! Karen and Seth from church along with her friend Melinda surprised us with helping Matt do the framing one day, and Lewis showed up for that as well! We have been blessed!
I guess that is enough for now to hit the highlights! My 28th birthday is this Saturday! Yikes! I still feel like a little kid half the time! I can't imagine that my parents have a child who is 28!
Also, THANK YOU to everyone who sent cards, emails, prayers, flowers, and love during the passing of Matt's papa. Each friend is a rare jewel that I treasure in my heart always!

Fond Memories

Here is a little poem I wrote for my Mother in Law for Mother's Day and attached it to the back of her Mother's Day gift shown below. I made a page frame with a couple photos of her mom, one with Sandy (my MIL) as a baby. Her mom went to be with Jesus on Christmas Eve of 2006. I wanted to do this for her last year, obviously, I didn't but better now than never. FOND MEMORIES-HAPPY DAYS

SUNSETS AND RISES-TIMES OF PLAY

DAYS AT THE BEACH-LOVE IN THE AIR

MOMENTS OF QUIET-TALKS TO SHARE

SPRINKLERS IN SUMMER-COLORS OF FALL

SLEDDING IN WINTER-SPRING, BEST OF ALL

NO MATTER THE SEASON, NO MATTER THE DAY

EVERY HEARTBEAT HOLDS HER LOVE TO STAY

MORE JOYOUS THAN YOUR EYE HAS EVER SEEN

IS HER DANCE BY THE CRYSTAL STREAM

NO PAIN, NO SICKNESS, NO DEATH, NO SORROW

JUST PURE BLISS-NO WORRY OF TOMORROW

REMEMBER THE GREAT TIMES AND LET YOUR HEART MEND-

WITH ETERNITY TOGETHER, THE BEST TIMES WILL NEVER END!

Chocolate and Birdhouses

My friend, Lori recently told me a neat story about her 80-something grandma. In the dead of winter with snow on the ground, her granny said, "I sure wish I had some chocolate". Within minutes, the doorbell rang with a young girl selling chocolate bars for a fundraiser. Wow! Whether she was a little angel or just a common child knowing that she would find people at home on such a dreary day- what an amazing example that God cares for the little things. Lori told her granny that she definitely had a "direct line" for special orders. Later the same day that Lori shared this story with me- Lori had mentioned how she had no idea what to get her mom for Mother's Day. Within a couple hours, a man came by our office selling these adorable homemade birdhouses!! Quite a few of us scooped them up as gifts. I reminded Lori of what she said and told her that she had a "direct line" as well. The good news is we all do! God cares about the little things. I know sometimes I have felt that my 'little thorn in the flesh' wasn't big enough to mention when there are plenty of BIG things to pray about. What a humbling reminder that God knows our thoughts afar off and he prepares chocolate and birdhouses to arrive at just the right time!