I Can Feel It

I can feel fall just around the corner, and I am so excited. This is, hands down, my favorite time of the year. Not that the rest of the year isn't a blessing, but I live for September, October, November and December!! There is a softening of the air and a renewing of the spirit that takes place during these months. I always feel as if I have just received an energy boost about this time. Excitedly I will drag out my seasonal decorations and start getting the house ready to decorate for each month; September is all about flags and the freedom with which we are blessed, October is all about pumpkins and friendly Halloween decor, November is about Thanksgiving and being thankful for all the many blessings God has given us, and December is all about the greatest gift of all, the birth of Jesus. This November, however, will include the celebration of the right to vote for who will lead our country into the next four years. I encourage each and every one of you to utilize this right , the right that so many have fought and died for, and get out there and VOTE!!! It is a privilege, a right, and a duty of each American citizen!! I will be there, will you?God Bless American!!!

A Cure for the Yukkies

You know, I have been shamed by the amount of time I have spent reading novels and watching television compared to the amount of time I have spent in God's Holy Word. I was feeling yukky about what was going on inside my spirit until one day God brought to my mind, "Garbage in, garbage out." I am a techno geak, I love electronics, so God knew how to get my attention. Instantly I knew He was right. I couldn't keep surrounding myself with all the immorality that society seems to accept as the norm and not be affected by it. No wonder I was feeling yukky inside! I was swimming in dirty water!

I have picked up Tyndale publishing's Discovering God Study Bible NLT commissioned by Dr William (BILL) Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, and have been so facinated by what I am now seeing as the similarities between biblical times and current times that I can hardly put the book down! Solomon stated "there is nothing new under the sun" and boy, was he not kidding! Amazingly, though, I am not worried. Why? Because I have faith that God is in control and will "work all things unto the glory of God." But to trust, one must know God. And to know God, one must be in His Word. And to be in His Word, is to surround onself with God's holiness and goodness. My insides are starting to feel pretty good again!

Oh Mighty Hunter!

Zachary went Dove hunting for the first time Saturday with his Daddy. Greg said he put him in the truck and buckled him up in his PJs because he couldn't get him to wake up! Well, it was 3:30 in the morning!
All in all, it seems they had a good time. Of all the birds they shot, they could only get Zac to pick up one of them, and he did that by holding onto the tip of a wing with the tips of his fingers. :-) They all bagged their limits, except Poppa T. Once he arrived at the water tank he realized he had left his hunting license at home! Poor Poppa T! They told me how he and Zac were leaning against each other in a squated position while Poppa T was cleaning birds. I guess Zac was tired of squating so he got up and moved, leaving Poppa T to fall backwards on his fanny on the ground! They don't realize how stocky Zac is until he pulls a stunt like this! That boy is built like a Tank! He's still Momma's boy, though. He brought me back a hand full of whilte rocks and said, "Mommy, I found these pretty rocks for you." What a sweetie!

Diamondbacks Stomped

We were blessed to be given free tickets to sit in a nice, airconditioned box while watching the Diamondbacks play LA Dodgers. Others in the box were members of the Family Life Radio ministry and it was terribly exciting to be able to meet everyone present. We enjoy this radio ministry and had fun talking with the different people and learning what they do in this ministry. They served us a great dinner of - Ball Park Franks, ofcourse! Nothing beats a steaming hot Hot Dog with all the trimmings being eaten at the ball park!! Yum, yum!
Unfortunately, watching this game wasn't the highlight of the evening, since they were "spanked" hard by the Dodgers.
Since this was a birthday celebration for Greg, we also were able to book a room at a super nice hotel close to the park for a super duper great deal online, so we didn't have to drive back yesterday. It was good to get back home today, though, and get the kids back from Cherie and Doug (thank you both for the babysitting!), we really missed them.

McCain/Palin Ticket

WOW!!!! I am stunned and totally excited about the Republican ticket now!!!! I have lost faith in McCain over the years and have been truly concerned over many decisions he has made but this one is fabulous!! McCain, I am on board with you now! Gov Palin is a woman that is in the same place as the majority of American people today. I am hopeful there will finally be a real voice for Americans in Washington now!!

Lovin' Kids

Today was a work day for me at the office, so the kids were at their Aunt Cherie's all day. I sure do miss those little rascals when we aren't together. I am constantly amazed at how entrenched they have become in my heart, mind and soul. I can't even imagine life without them in it! What a blessing they are to Greg and I. My husband, Greg, said he went into each one of their rooms last night before coming to bed, just to make sure they were covered, and as he looked at their little faces, he was overcome with how precious they are and how special this gift we have been given by God is to him.

I, myself, have found the love I have for these sweet little angels has brought me closer to understanding the love our Heavenly Father has for us as well as the pain He must feel when we turn our backs on Him. Through the pain of disciplining them, I come closer to feeling the pain God must feel when he has to let us "learn from our mistakes" and "suffer the consequences of our actions" instead of bailing us out at every turn. Through the joy of spending time in conversation with them, I begin to understand how God loves it when we spend time just talking to Him in prayer. Through the love I have for my kids, I have come to find it unimaginable the pain God must have felt to see Jesus suffer and die for us. Through the preciousness of their innocence and their tender spirits, I have found the key to my relationship with Christ is to be equally trusting and devoted to Him. My kids would do anything for me, and I them. But Christ gave everything to be with me for eternity, how can I dare do any less for Him?

Wow, what a weekend!

My family and I have just returned from 5 days on the East Fork of the Black River in Alpine, AZ. It is so beautiful there this time of year with wildflowers blooming everywhere the eye can see and the fish just begging to be caught. The weather was so nice and cool, a much needed change of pace over the hot and humid days we have had in Tucson lately.
We try to get up to the river at least once a month during the summer months, but the August trip is made special by having most of our extended family on my husband's side there with us. It is such a special time to spend together getting to know one another and catching up on each other's lives. The kids all have a blast playing together and they are so much fun to watch. Makayla and her cousin, Ella, went around telling everyone they were twins. It was so cute!
Momma T was there and spent the time fussing over a 1000 piece puzzle I took along - it worked in frustrating most of us, but Momma T is such a trooper, she just kept plugging along! My sister-in-love, Cherie, was right there beside her and they both kept after it until it was done. It was a brand new puzzle and had two pieces missing! Like the puzzle wasn't hard enough already!
The guys had a great time fishing in the mornings, and thanks to their persistence, we were able to have a grand fish dinner on two nights. It was kind of pot luck style, with every family contributing a side dish. The only problem with this is, there are so many good cooks in the family I always tend to overeat! It is a good thing my neice, Becca, is getting into shape for a triathlon she is doing in October - she let me tag along with her on a couple of walks to keep the calories from piling up!
All in all, it was a great 5 days spent in what is certainly "God's Country"!