IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL!!!! February 21, 2007

You always hear it preached “all things work together for good…” and often times this is recited when times are tough, you’re down for the count… It often can be misinterpreted as a stern reminder that we ought not to complain, but yesterday, it came as a sweet gentle breeze of God’s love to us.

Last week, I get into my car (I have a 2002 Jetta —1.8 turbo, might I add..that I just adore. I have never really “loved” a car, until we bought this. It has many perks…sun roof, cruise, and my personal favorites, heated seats -something you never fully appreciate until it is 9 degrees outside and your tush is toasty and warm while driving the 30 minute stint to work in the mornings…)
Now, where was I? Oh, yes, so I get into my car, and it doesn’t start….she’s just sitting there, mocking me….saying to me, “It’s too cold to go out today…” click click click…nothing. So we try to jump it – nada, zilch, zip….sigh….she’s dead, may she rest in peace…

Okay, so I am overreacting, the battery is dead, gonna have to fix it…

Saturday, we revived her enough to go into town and get the battery switched out. While there, Tony had them check a brake light that was out…unfortunately it wasn’t the bulb but the switch…something only a VW mechanic can do, they say…well that translate to me, lots of cash, dealers do nothing cheap….

Again, slight overreaction, but I can deal with it…

So, we get home, it’s just like any other day….Josh goes to check the mail and brings with him a bright red envelope marked IMPORTANT!!! SAFETY RECALL!!! hmmm….sounds, well, important! Open it up, glancing at the return sender, and it’s from Volkswagen…first thought – “Great, my car’s being recalled”
But then as I am reading this, my heart begins to swell and beat a little faster, and a smile comes across my face as read

What is the problem?

The affected vehicles may have a brake light switch that may malfunction….

In order to correct this defect, we will replace the brake light switch in your vehicle….FREE OF CHARGE…..

I overreacted again…..this time with sheer joy and jubilation- my heavenly Father just reached down and gave me a hug…

It’s one thing to know God takes care of you, it’s another to see it in action. God is taking care of us, even on something as simple as a brake light on a car.

Thank you Lord, for your blessings….To God be the glory.

The Blessings in Life February 19, 2007

I have 4 things in life that I am so very thankful for, but let me pause just moment to brag on two of them

Last night in church, Josh was working in the sound booth, he has taken an apprenticeship position there with our sound man, and is doing quite well at it- He has a knack for it, if you will… So he’s there running the microphones, recording, and pushing flashing yellow and red buttons….pretty cool stuff for a 10 year old to be doing. During morning services in Spanish, he takes up the offering, helps count it after the service and does our attendance….he is our up and coming assistant Pastor, if only Tony could convince him to lead the singing, we’d be set!!!

Abbie has a different ministry, she has a gift for music (she gets that from her mother of course!! ha ha- kidding!!!!). So, she has been singing specials mostly with me, but always with a solo part by herself. It is amazing to see such a little girl with such strong voice!!! I am honored that she would sing with me, impressed that she wants to sing at all, and more surprised that she doesn’t get nervous when she does it!! It is time for some voice lessons……she already has the sound man to travel with her when she becomes famous!!!

It never ceases to amaze me when our children do something out of the ordinary…you’re whose kids again?? Are you sure you belong to ME?? Wait, perhaps you have been abducted by aliens, or were switched in the middle of the night while I was in a sleep induced coma?? Really? You’re mine??? WOW!!

When Josh and Abbie were babies, I prayed for nothing more that for our children than to serve the Lord, to fall in love with Him, to want to do things for Him. I stand amazed at what the Lord is doing in our lives, and in the lives of our children….

North and South February 14, 2007

I love the differences between the North and the South….. in the South, people can say hon’ and receive a smile…you call the sales lady ma’am and it’s normal….but there is a dreaded time of year that puts fear into the hearts of all rebels….winter…snow….slush…….ice….. They shut everything down at the first flurry of a snowflake…

Then there are the Yankee’s……you say hon’ and you’re liable to be slapped…you call a sales lady ma’am and she thinks it is an insult to her age….and snow….well…..this is what it takes to make them have a snow day there………………..and even then, they are determined to dig out and go to work.

This is my parents house……and that’s my dad’s truck…..and well…they just got a few flurries……

Oh the terror it would bring if that were down here….

I love it – but like all the other rebels, I am glad it’s them and not us!!!!

Kids say that funniest things February 13, 2007

So, we are driving down the road the other day, the kids happily chatting away in that back seat…. Tony and I are talking amoungst ourselves, when we hear a small still voice in the back seat say…..

“just sit back, smile and look pretty….and let me do all the talking….”

thus sayeth the eight year old to her brother…….

I love kids.

WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!! February 5, 2007

The Colts won their first Super Bowl in 36 years Sunday night, beating the Chicago Bears, 29-17, in Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

’nuff said……

Walking in a Winter Wonderland February 2, 2007

The air was crisp and cold yesterday as we rolled out of bed. We ran to the windows in anticipation….and the children shrieked with joy as they saw the white winter wonderland that had fallen upon our little valley….it wasn’t much, and most Yankees would have scoffed at our excitement..but laying outside our door was almost 2 whole inches of new fallen snow!!!!!! Aaaahhhh…the glory of it all.

Now, I must admit that these poor souls that reside here in North Georgia have no idea how to react to snow, or drive, or basic survival for that matter, they tend to rush to the store, buy carts of groceries and fret about the idea of being with out power or heat…but excitement was in the air…the first day of February was met with snow!!!

Unfortunately, I still had to work, but the kids were free for the day, no school!!! We bundled up, and rushed out the door. I think there were a total of 4 people on the highway driving in, most had stayed home, some were already in their yards gleefully romping around in the snow. We arrived at the courthouse, and I whispered to Josh and Abbie to get some buckets and fill them with snow, which led to a snowball fight in the back of our office in the gym…one downfall of living in the south, we don’t have snow clothes, no thick mittens to gather the snow, so they had an indoor snowball fight!!!

Later on that day, as we arrived home, the snow was starting to melt underneath the pelting rain, but the kids begged for one more opportunity to play…so I again, bundled them up, layers upon layers, put socks on their hands for “gloves” and let them savor the moment….

This is what they accomplished, I apologize for the unclear pictures, it was taken on my cell phone… they made what they determined was a thing of beauty, and I quote “the biggest snow ball ever made from a little bit of snow…”

Now, who could argue with that?