I'm thankful for...

Here's a couple of things I'm thankful for.

1. My family!!
2. God and the salvation He has provided for me!!
3. Rain!!!
4. My jobs. I didn't think work would ever pick up and now I'm swamped!!
5. Friends who love you in spite of your bad days.
6. Little girls with lots of laughter!!
7. Grandmas and Grandpa's who make you feel special.
8. Especially thankful for a wonderful husband who works so hard to take care of us!!
9. My church and the wonderful messages that feed my soul each week.
10. Last but not least, I'm thankful for the hope I have of heaven!!

Ok. How about you?? Are you thankful today?? Try this. You'll be surprised at how good it makes you feel. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you my friends.

God answers prayers we do not utter!!!

This is really so true. He knows the desires of our hearts and the needs in our lives before we even breath a prayer. So was the case this week. Here's my story of a miracle working God.

Tom and I bought a couch from our local thrift store during the summer. We were happy with the couch even though we saw a few tares and snags here and there. The nice thing about the couch was the sleeper bed in it that looked brand new. Tricia lives for Friday nights because that is the night she can pull out the sleeper bed and and camp out in the living room. It is great too when company comes. We had noticed that the rips and tares were getting worse but we figured it was because the girls are a little rough on it and Buddy (that bad dog) sleeps on it when we aren't home. He has been caught so many times but what do you do??? Anyway, we decided to move the furniture around the other day and upon inspection found that the couch was really in bad shape. The back of the couch was literally falling off.

So that night we sat down to talk and decided that another couch was going to have to be bought as this one was on it's last leg. The problem was, we didn't want to purchase a new one with Christmas just around the corner and we didn't want a new one because the girls are still small and accidents happen. We didn't see any reason to waste money on a new one that would get stained up with drinks and pee. So we decided it was time to do some more thrift store shopping for another couch.

Tom went over to the church to help with the tree and while working heard a dear lady from the church holler out, "Does anyone need a couch. I have one for sale." Tom told her that we were looking for one and could we come and see it. She said yes but that if we bought it we would have to move it that night as her new one was coming in the morning. Tom called me and we went to her house to see the couch. We were impressed!!! And it has a sleeper in it. The only draw back was money. We had some in the savings for a couch but this is such a beautiful couch we figured we couldn't afford it. When she told us the price, we were overjoyed. Then she told us her story.

Last week she had the couch for sale for a whole lot more money and the couch wasn't moving. She was selling the couch to donate the money to the school and desperately needed to sell it because of the new one coming. When we told her our story she looked at us in amazement. She said that last week God told her to lower the price on that couch. He even gave her a specific amount which just happened to fit our budget. She lowered it over half of the original price. When we told her our story we all exclaimed how good God is and how He knew what our need was even before we asked Him.

That night Tom moved out the old couch and moved in the "new" one. Here are a few pictures I took so you could see the couch God gave us.I've decided to post a warning sign "No drinks, food, dogs or peeing allowed!!"

HA!!!!

Dr. Gordeuk's message in a nutshell...lol!!

This past Wednesday night and tonight Dr. Gordeuk was the speaker. He is always so interesting because he is very knowledgeable about the political and religious issues in America today. His topic was concerning our families and are we sending them to "Egypt" to learn the heathen ways. Last Wed. he started a story about the yellow school bus that pulls up to the Israelite home with the words on the side "Egyptian Public Schools #666." Then Dr. Gordeuk began to speak about our Christian homes and have we sent our children to "Egypt" to be educated and trained. He said that next door to this Israelite family lived a family who sent their children to the Synagogue to study the Torah. These children grew up knowing the Bible but because of the "Egyptian" influences in their home strayed far from God and lost out.

He then made these points (I'm not sure I will get all of it)

We can send our children to church every time the door is open.
We can send them to a Christian School all of their lives.

But...if we do not teach them at home about God and His ways, then we as families are failing our children. They are in church only a few hours each week. The majority of the time they are in school and home. If we do not reiterate the teachings of the church/school while our children are at home, then we have failed. Then he pointed out the ways that "Egypt" has entered our home.

1. Through the media we allow our children to see. He commented on the VCR and are we controlling what is being viewed on it.

2. Through the literature that lies around that our children see. He brought out an interesting point here concerning boys in the home. He said that it doesn't have to be "bad" magazines to wet a boys appetite for the sexual things of life. Just lay around a mag of women mostly naked for them to see.

3. Through the attitudes and actions we show them.

He also talked about the story in the OT where the Children of Israel crossed the Jordan river and when then got to the other side they began to build a monument to God. This is where we were and this is where we are now. This is an obstacle I overcame and I'm placing this stone here to represent that I do not want to face that obstacle again. Reminders that our children can go to and ask "What is that for" and we can tell them it was victories we have won.

Then he cautioned parents about devotions in the home. I must admit, I don't do as well as I should. Dr. Gordeuk talked about the importance of reading and praying with our children and discussing the principles found in God's word. He called it "laying the foundation" for our children to build on.

I'm sure there was much more said and I can't remember everything but this is the basics. WOW!!!

I have to do better!!!

Women of Worth

Tonight was our very first WOW meeting for the season. It was a very special time with an emphasis on friendship. We had our table full of some very fine ladies and we had a wonderful time talking and laughing. The food was really good. Once again the cooks outdid themselves. After refreshments we had a game and then one of our ladies spoke on her best friend which was her mother. She gave her two gifts one of which was a crown. It was so sweet. Then we exchanged our Secret Pal papers and ended with a special time of prayer around each table. I think this WOW group is going to be a very special group this year.

Now for some pictures!!!

The refreshments were very good. This table had lifesavers all over it with little friendship quotes. Very cute!!

Some of the beautiful decorations.
The wonderful ladies that sat at our table.

God's protecting hands

Every morning before Tricia goes out the door for school, we get in a little huddle and have prayer. It's so cute because Katie wants to be right in the middle and while I'm praying I'll peek and see Tricia motion for Buddy to get in the huddle. I guess she thinks that Buddy needs a protecting prayer too...LOL!!

We never realize how important this little "ritual" can be. We pray every morning and nothing happens. No one get hurt and Tricia comes home from school still in one piece. Then one day the very thing you prayed about happens.

Yesterday Tricia was playing in the park during after school reading. When they get done with their work they can play. Tricia was playing with a boy who threw a rock and hit her in the face just below her eye. The boy didn't mean to do it and wasn't even aiming for her. She just happened to be in the way of the rock. Thank God for His protection. The rock didn't hit her eyeball and she just had some blood shot in that eye. This morning a little of the red was still there but nothing to worry about.

Then one day this week while playing ball at PE, the ball went out onto Gomez which is the main road past the school. People drive very fast on this road and children have been hit before. When the ball went into the road, who do you think went to rescue it??? Tricia!! She ran over to the road, stopped and looked behind her, not up and down the road, and then ran out to get the ball. Once again, God's protecting hand at work. She didn't get hit and very well could have. I talked very firmly to her that she was not to go into the road for any reason. Tell a grownup!!

Do I regret all the times we have "huddled" for prayer. Never!!! I know God's protecting hands are on my children and every single prayer is worth the time and effort. I believe we will continue to pray and trust our lives into HIS hands!!!

Fall is here!!!

I'm so happy to see some "very little signs" of Fall here in the deep south...lol!! We have longed for some cooler weather since April. It seems to have been an overly warm summer. The last few days have been so much cooler. Now to get some sweater weather and we'll be in business.

School is going great. Tricia is doing so good. She is now reading books all by herself and she is lovin it. I'm finding her more and more sitting in her room or on the couch with a book in her hand. She is definitely going to be more like me than Tom. I loved reading but hated math. I see the same traits in her. She is getting along with her classmates well and she loves her teacher. It sure helps mommy's state of mind when I know she is happy at school. We started her in an after school reading program M-W-F afternoons. She likes going to this too.

Katie is growing like a weed. Literally!! She is wearing a 5T in a lot of her dresses. She is not fat just growing tall. I can't seem to find clothes that are long enough. I guess this is a good thing except for the fact that my baby is growing up. She's not my baby anymore she keeps telling me...lol!! Her hair is down to her butt now. I can't get over that. Tom commented one day that her hair was too big for her body...lol!!

The Singing Tree is off to a great start. We are practicing every Monday evening and starting this Sunday we will start on tree music as well as Sanctuary music. I love singing in the choir. This evening I was offered a part in a church trio. I was so honored and gladly said yes. We will sing for the first time on the evening of October 25th.

Tom is working hard and I'm working every cleaning job I can get my hands on. We are saving all we can to go home for Christmas. We haven't been home for 2 years so this is going to be an exciting trip.

Buddy is doing wonderful. He lost some weight when we first got him and then we started him out on a good dog food. He is now the right weight and so glossy. There is no smell!! When you walk into our house you do not smell dog. I think we chose the right food for him. He is loving being here with the girls. They love him too. I must admit, I'm a little partial too...lol!!

Well, enjoy your fall days. All you northerners collect some leaves for me. I would love to see some of fall this year but that will have to wait until next year.

God bless and thanks for stopping by. We are so blessed!!!

A wonderful prayer for your school children

This prayer is in my prayer book for children and I wanted to pass it on to you. I think it is a wonderful prayer specifically for our children who are returning to school. Just read the prayer and insert your child's name or gender in the blank spaces.

Lord, I pray that (name of child) will have a deep reverence for You and Your ways. May he/she hide Your Word in his heart like a treasure, and seek after understanding like silver or gold. Give him a good mind, a teachable spirit, and an ability to learn. Instill in him a desire to attain knowledge and skill, and may he have joy in the process. Above all, I pray that he will be taught by You, for Your Word says that when our children are taught by You they are guaranteed peace.

I pray he will respect the wisdom of his parents and be willing to be taught by them. May he also have the desire to be taught by the teachers You bring into his life. Handpick each on, Lord, and may they be godly people from whom he can easily learn. Let him find favor with his teachers and have good communication with them. Help him to excel in school and do well in any classes he may take. Make the pathways of learning smooth and not something with which he must strain and struggle.

I say to him according to Your Word, "Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge" (Proverbs 23:12). "May the Lord give you understanding in all things" (2 Timothy 2:7). Lord enable him to experience the joy of learning more about You and Your world.

"All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children." Isaiah 54:13

School days, school days!!

Can you believe that summer is over and school has started??? Tricia was so excited to go to school this year. Someone else wanted to go too...lol!

She is in the first grade this year. When she got to the school her teacher, Mrs. Brown, was waiting at the door for her. She got a big hug before going into her classroom.

Tricia found her desk and sat down to try it out. She is so glad to have her own desk. In Kindergarten the children shared a large desk, 4 children to a desk. Tricia needed a little more space of her own. Finally, she has that in first grade.

She found her cubby with her name on it and quickly put it to good use holding her book bag and lunch box.

When I left her there she had her pencils all sharpened and was sitting at her desk ready to do lots of writing and learn great things.


Tricia is my social bug and loves to be with other children. I'm so thankful for a great Christian school for her to attend with great teachers and fantastic kids.

A few mobile pictures

Some things that I really love.....

1. The way my girls laugh and giggle when I tickle them.
2. The way Tom smiles when I compliment him.
3. The soft sheets on my bed. They have owls on them.
4. The gentle way Buddy plays with the girls.
5. The beautiful sunsets we've been privileged too lately.
6. Tropical Smoothies Kiwi Quencher!!! YUMMY!!
7. The fact that God loves me more than I will ever know.
8. The way that God keeps answering prayers and blessing me daily.
9. The rain. When it is so hot you can hardly breath, the rain is a refreshing reprise.
10. Playing games with my girls and munching on popcorn.
11. When Tom brings me flowers and tries to hide them from me....LOL!!
12. And last but not least, I love knowing that Jesus is my Savior and I know that my sins are forgiven.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."

It has been a while....I know!!

Wow!! I haven't been on here for quite a while. I guess I started on Face Book and haven't looked back. I have been so busy that I haven't really taken the time to blog but I have been checking up on all of you. I was surprised to read about your vacations, birthdays, babies, deaths and reunions that I didn't know about. You all keep on having great changes in your lives even though I'm not reading about them like I should be...lol!!

We have really had a lazy summer. It has been unbearably hot so much of the time that even the thought of swimming cannot cool you down. I have spent most of my summer indoors praying the girls would not ask to go to the park or the beach. Mind you, I took them when they asked but they were so warm at the park they didn't want to play and the storms kept us away from the beach most of the time. We have been to the library some and to some stores but for the most part we have been hermits.

I quit working in May and had no prospects of work. My sister left for Ohio and she gave me some cleaning jobs so I am now back to work. I am really enjoying working. It's not a lot of hours and the pay is really good. I can do a job in the morning and be home to spend the rest of the day with the girls. The extra money is a great blessing. Thank you Becky for the jobs.

Tricia has grown so much over the summer that we are going up two dress sizes for her school uniform this year. WOW!! I can't get over how she has grown. Katie has now graduated to size 4-5 in clothes and is getting so tall. We are potty training and so far she seems to be doing well. Both girls are doing great!!

Buddy is still a part of our family. He has become the light of our lives. We fuss over the hair and the messes he makes, but we love having him here. He loves to play with the girls and they love to lay on him and hug him. He doesn't mind as long as they don't mess with his tail. He is really a good dog.

Tom is still working with Waterblasting and is staying busy all the time. Sometimes I wish he could be home more but I realize that he has a big responsibility and I have to bite tongue and not complain.

We are looking forward to going home to Ohio for Christmas. We haven't been home for almost 2 yrs. It will be nice to see the rolling hills again. We also plan to spend some time in TN in the mountains. We are all looking forward to the trip.

School is just around the corner. Soon we will be in Fall here and the cooler weather will come. So far we have had no hurricanes and we are praying that it will remain that way. A couple of storms have been out there but they have never developed into anything big or scary.

Tom and I moved in March to another house because we had outgrown the house we were in. We really like where we are and the girls love it. It is much bigger and we just recently bought a king size bed for our room and we can actually walk around it without bumping into each other or turning sideways to get around the bed. It's nice to have the bigger house and bigger bed. The girls love their rooms. I haven't really taken any pictures but I'm going to start soon. We still are hanging some stuff up believe it or not. It's always a work in progress when you move.

I guess that about wraps up our summer. I will try to not be so long in posting from here on out. I love to read about all of you. I hope you will keep on blogging and checking mine.

God bless you as you end your summer days and start into the many busy activities of fall. See ya soon.

Tea Party

Tricia wanted to have a tea party at our house. So last Thursday we invited five girls to come for tea. As it turned out only four were able to come becuase she had cousins come in at the last minute and wanted to spend time with them. The other four girls came however and had a wonderful time.

I wanted things to be as fancy as I could make them without spending a bundle. I couldn't find a tea set without paying a lot of money for it so I opted for clear plastic plates which looked like china and some clear plastic cups. We put a white table cloth on the table and set it with candles. We bought some fancy napkins and I made name tags for each place. We had everything set when the girls arrived. Since Tricia doesn't like bread I had to think of some things for her to eat as well as accomodate her guests. I made little pbj sandwiches along with cheezits, cheese cubes, crackers and pickles. The girls thought that was great!! I had to laugh. We would expect fancy cookies and cakes and little tea sandwiches out of fancy meat. They didn't care. It was just the fun of being there.

After we had our refreshments the girls played in the play room while I cleaned up. Then I called them back into the kitchen where we made princess crowns with their names on them. They had fun making the crowns and I had an opportunity to remind them that they are special to their families and they are God's little princesses. They did a great job on their crowns. Each girl had a different idea and it was fun seeing the amazing talents of each child.

I put on some music for them to listen to. Veggie Tales and a c/d I had bought for Tricia when she was little that played nursery rhymes with quite a nice beat. They had fun dancing around in the living room with their crowns on. When I had the craft cleared away I called them back to the table again for ice cream sundaes and cookies. While they enjoyed their treat I read them two stories.

The girls had a wonderful time and Tricia was so happy to have all of her friends come and play with her. We are looking forward to having another party soon. I just have to come up with a fun theme.

None of the pictures are in order but you can see what fun the girls had.

It's HOT!!

We are really having some warm days here. I am not an outdoor kind of person anyway and this heat only makes me want to stay indoors more. We are trying to do the beach thing to stay cool. The girls have a blast swimming. I'm not much of a swimmer myself. It will be nice to see October and November come and hopefully some cooler weather with it.

Not much going on around here. Just lazy summer days. Looking forward to a Tea Party tomorrow. Really excited about July 4th and the middle of summer. Not much else.

Just letting you know that we are still alive and serving Jesus. Hopefully something exciting will come along and I can tell you all about it.

Graduation is finally over!!

WOW!! That's all I know to say to describe the kindergaten class of Hobe Sound Christian Academy. They were awesome. The graduation was fun and the kids put on quite a show with their story of "The Ugly Duckling." The also did the old story of the donkey, dog, rooster, and cat that went to town to sing for their supper. Not only did they do stories but also quoted the 23rd Psalm, sang a song about Daniel, Shadrach and his two brothers and told us all about what they had learned during the school year. If you go here you can watch the whole graduation under the archives. Just click on Live Streaming and it will take you to the archives. You will really enjoy. Here are a few pictures.

My girl

Today was Award Chapel at school. The elementary classes all met to see what awards they would receive. I was really impressed with the students who had excelled in all of their subjects. Then there were a lot of kids who excelled in a particular subject. Tricia didn't think that she was going to get an award. She was so surprised when her teacher, Mrs. Deckard called her name. She went to the front with a great big smile on her face. One thing I did not do was push her in school. By doing so I might have made her not want to study. Math was a challenge for her but even by now, she has done so well with her math and writing her numbers. She did very well in all her subjects.

Tricia's award was for writing. I think I may have mentioned before that in kindergarten they start out writing in cursive. Somewhere along they way they also learn to write in print but cursive is the preferred writing. Tricia has done very well with hers. I was so proud to see her get an award for her handwriting. She deserved it!!

Here are a couple of pictures. The first one is Tricia with her award.
The second one is one of the pages she wrote last week.

I'm looking forward to no more school for a while. The alarm clock can be shut off for now.

Thanks for stopping by. See ya.
~Gale~