Homeschool Mom + Pastor's wife = crazy blessed!

Nonstop

2011-11-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

The past few months have been nonstop for the Johnson family!  Here are some of the highlights:
1. We began our second year of homeschooling and joined a co-op group!
2. Element church officially launched on September 11 http://www.elementorlando.tv/
3. My Sister in law got married
4.  Organized a Single Moms event at church
5. Women of Faith to get refreshed and renewed
6. Leading a women's bible study, Duty or Delight, by Tammie Head. I HIGHLY recommend this study!
7. Preparing for the Christmas House. A shopping experience for families in need! http://www.thechristmashouse.org/

During highlight 3 (my sister in laws wedding) my son, Sky, broke his arm going down a skateboard ramp. He was in a cast for 4 weeks and in a brace for 3 weeks.  Sky is my child who has no fear and will do anything to be outside.  I have learned since he was very little that NOTHING slows him down.  Between highlight 4-7 mentioned above, I have been running around like crazy telling Sky, "get off the skateboard", "stop riding your bike down the ramp", and "please don't climb on the monkey bars" while you are still in a cast. I have had to keep a very close eye on him!  We go tomorrow for another xray and we are praying it has completely healed!

Looking back through the last few months highlights, I am reminded I am blessed! Yes, life is chaotic at times, but I wouldn't change one minute! It is during these times that my family has grown closer together. Don't let life pass you by. Be sure to take time to enjoy it and live life to the fullest!

What is over taking your life?

2011-03-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

This afternoon God gave me a fresh way to look at modern day idols.
If you have a garden, don't you want it to look beautiful? I want mine to look beautiful, so I have been out in the yard pulling weeds today. I figured I needed the fresh air and the kids were out playing. It seems to never fail that God ALWAYS speaks to me when I am pulling weeds. I am not sure if that is where God likes to meet me or if that is the time and place I am more prone to listen. It is an unusual place to talk with God, but it works for me!

When I noticed the weeds this afternoon, they seemed to multiply overnight. I began to pull the weeds and push back the mulch and what did I see...MORE WEEDS! Have you ever noticed that weeds never come alone? After 30 minutes I had conquered half of those pesky weeds. I was determined to finish.

Now stop for a minute and try to picture me on my hands and knees. Okay, do you have the mental picture? I was trying to reach way back behind my bushes to grab those sneaky weeds that crept up. I was doing great...pulling and praying...all the sudden I heard buzzzzzzing. I slowly looked up and was face to face with several bees. I immediately jumped back. I was stung as a child and had no desire to revisit the pain of being stung by a bee.

Isn't that like our day to day life. "We" want to look beautiful, but if we take a closer look and push back the mask we are hiding behind, we may be surprised what we find. (Now is where God gave me the application for the study.) We may find our everyday idols slowly creeping in and maybe we find more than one. They slowly begin to overtake our lives and push God out. God is our true beauty! My prayer is that we find those idols in our life now! It can be anything that replaces God in your life...TV, Music, Books, work, exercise, your children....

When we find the idols in our life, we should immediately cut them out! During the process of getting rid of our idols, we become face to face with a distraction that may cause fear in letting go of those idols. Just like the bees caused me fear at first sight and I reacted by jumping back away from the weeds. I could have easily walked away and said I would finish later, but I regained my purpose and focused on those weeds.
I cautiously began to pull weeds again, while keeping an eye on those bees. Remember I did not want to revisit the childhood memory of being stung.

The funny thing is I began to talk to the weeds, inside my head of course. I felt like I was in a battle with the weeds and I was going to conquer them all and win! I pulled weed after weed. Some of the weeds would come out, root and all...that was a win in the battle. Other times I was only able to pull the top of the weed off...that was a loss in the battle. I knew those weeds would eventually grow back since I was not able to get to the root. When we are getting rid of our modern day idols...make sure you are getting rid of it ALL! That prevents them from slowly creeping back into our lives.

I completed the front yard today! Now I am sitting here with blistered fingers. That is pretty normal when you pull weeds without gloves. The pain and blisteres are only temperary and now my yard is beautiful again. When we get rid of our idols, it will be hard and it may be painful to get rid of them. That is only temperary! The outcome of getting rid of the idols is worth being uncomfortable! God loves you and wants to fill your ENTIRE heart and life!

Make room for God and conquer your idols. As you grow in Christ, keep checking for "weeds" that may be growing in your life. Stay "beautiful" in Gods eyes!!!

Fine Arts Night

2011-03-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the Fine Arts Night for our homeschool group! There was a lot of talent tonight. Children playing the piano, singing, playing drums, violin, harp, reciting essay, drama, and an art show! I just love watching children share their talents that God has given them! Jada and Skyler entered the art show. They both created a 2 dimensional art piece.

Skyler's piece of art was called, "The Garden." He used yarn, tissue paper, and lizzards. Skyler loves to be outside and enjoys trying to catch lizzards. So, his piece of art fit his personility!

Jada decided to use a scripture with her piece of art. She started with different colors of hands and painted their nails...hot pink. Then she used beads to make rings for the hands. She placed a painted guitar on top of the hands. Her piece of art was called, "Praising Hands."

They had to stand by their artwork and answer questions about their art. I watched from across the room and almost teared up. They are growing up so fast and I am just so proud of them! They both won first place in their age division. They were both very excited and me and Jeremy were very proud of them!

The Direction God Has Taken Us...

2011-03-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin? So many things have happened this past year and God has moved our steps in several new directions. One of the new steps is that I am now a homeschool mom. I never thought I would ever hear my self say that! With all the change that was happening at the beginning of the year, it was the best decision for our family. Homeschooling has been an adventure to say the least. My husband and I made the official decision two weeks before public school began. Yes, you are probably thinking that was "crazy", but it was a "God thing". I am really enjoying homeschooling and I think we have the hang of it now. Don't get me wrong there has been challenges along the way as well. I will be blogging about the adventures we go through and how we continue to live by our school scripture... "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13

The second new step is my husband and I have been called to plant a church. This has been such a leap of faith and a time of growing closer as a family, as well as growing closer in our walk with Christ. We started meeting in our home with two other families. We began to gradually grow every week and in two months we had grown out of our home. We were in need of finding another place to worship. We were blessed to have the YMCA parter with our church and we had our first service at the YMCA in November. We have seen Gods hand in everything that has happened! The exciting thing about all of the changes this year is that both of my children are able to see God working in every area of our life. They have seen God provide for our family during the transitioning, they have seen God bring families to church, they have even been a part of inviting neighbors to church! I will continue to blog about the adventures of being a church planters wife and how we survive each day with Gods guidance!

Our life has become extremely busy and I am excited to share what God is doing!

So many blessing this time of year!

2008-12-20T05:13:00.000-08:00

Are you shocked I am writing a NEW post! Sorry about that guys, it has been so hectic around here this past month. But I promise I am back and I am trying to catch up on all your blogs. So where do I start...

First, we had Christmas House at our church last weekend. That is where we invited 25 families to come and shop for gifts, which were donated by our congregation at church. These families would have not been able to have Christmas if it wasn't for the Christmas house. There were 62 children that came through that day and we ended up having so so so many toys left over. God truly multiplied the toys. So we have invited more families and they have been coming in everyday to shop. We are going to let different families come in until the gifts are gone! It was such a blessing for me to just talk, cry, and pray with these families. We even had one precious lady that said she wanted to trade her toys for food. She was a single mom of 9 children. Of course the church body came together and supplied her with toys, gift card to publix, and a huge basket of food! Several of these families were at church the Sunday after Christmas house, how exciting!! I can't wait to see these families and children again just to love and hug on them!

Second, during all the exciting hustle and bustle of the Christmas house, my children's Christmas plays, childrens Chirstmas party, our staff party, and home group party at church, we had to find time to pack and move!!! Yes, pack and move! It has been very interesting. As I said before the house we bought was in short sale, so the process took about 5 months. It is an answer to prayer that we are in the house and how exciting we moved in 8 days before Christmas!

We are almost unpacked, we will finish today, and I have painted the kids bedrooms and the kitchen and living room. Pictures will come as soon as my sweet husband hooks up our computer at our new house. I am using his lap top right now and my camera card will not fit in it!

I am blessed to have such an awesome church that serves others, I am blessed to have family and friends who are there to help others who are in need, I am blessed to be living in our home just in time for Christmas, I am thankful for my children who are so excited about Jesus birthday, I am so thankful for a husband who has been so pleasant and handled all this stress with a smile and laughter, I am SO VERY thankful for an awesome God who loves me and takes care of me and who gave all of us the gift of Jesus!

Almost home owners again!

2008-11-11T16:41:00.000-08:00

We finally heard back from the bank, after 4 long months. They accepted our offer on the house. The reason it took so long is because it was in short sale, so the bank had to acceot the offer, not the current home owners. I will fill you in on the details as soon as we hear more.

We are filling out the papers tonight and hopefully will be able to close on the first weekend in December. YEAH!!! We will be in our "home" for Christmas! It has been different moving 10 hours away from the home we use to own and moving into an apartment while we looked for a new home, but it was worth the wait! God is good!

Orlando Magic

2008-11-07T05:29:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to our first Orlando Magic basketball game. The kids had so much fun and asked so many questions. My daughter asked "Why is that guy in the yellow shirt carrying around a big trash can?" I had to explain to her that he was walking around with food for people to buy. HAHA

Skyler loved all the music and just had to dance. They also caught a souvenir that was being thrown into the crowd...that was fun! We did leave at halftime because they were getting tired and Jada had school today, but we still had a great time for our first Orlando Magic experience!

The game is not complete without a big bucket of popcorn!

Prematurity Awareness!

2008-11-05T05:18:00.000-08:00

November is the prematurity awareness month. This hits home for me in so many ways. Some of you readers know that my oldest, Jada, was born at 31 week and weighed 2lbs 13 oz. She had gastroschesis, this is when you are born with your intestines on the outside. She was in the hospital for 7 weeks and it was a long and tough road. To read more of her story go HERE!

"Prematurity is the leading killer of America's newborns. Those who survive often have lifelong health problems, including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, chronic lung disease, blindness and hearing loss. Prematurity has been escalating steadily and alarmingly over the past two decades. In 2005, more than 525,000 infants were born prematurely, the highest number ever reported for the U.S. In 2005, the United States as a society paid at least $26.2 billion in economic costs associated with preterm birth (medical and educational expenses, loss in productivity). Preterm delivery can happen to any pregnant woman. In about four out of every 10 cases, the causes are unknown."

The March of Dimes has taken on this devastating problem—to find out what causes it and how it can be stopped. For more information and ways you can help go to March of Dimes Website.

Church Harvest Festival!

2008-11-03T05:45:00.001-08:00

We had a great time on Saturday at the Harvest Festival. We got to church around 11:00 to start setting up for the event. The event was from 3 to 6. The kids had so much fun!

We had hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, drinks, and a chili cook off! This was the area where all the food was!

This area was for ages 2-5. We had moon jumps and several games for the preschoolers. We also had an area that was a bike path. It was so very cute...the children loved it. We had a green path for them to ride on with road signs.

We had several other moon jumps on the other side for the older kids. This is a picture of Jada and her friend racing down the slide!

Live music!

Jada and her friends slow down long enough for us to take a quick picture!

Skyler and his friends on the hay ride!

Jada and Avery at the preschool duck table. They wanted to be in charge of this game, but when the festival started they didn't stay their very long because they wanted to play! They did set up the game for us though!!!

Halloween Pictures!

2008-11-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from last night. Jada dressed up like Hannah Montana and Skyler was Spiderman!

Spiderman showing me all his big muscles!

This was Jada's favorite treat. She got an entire bag full of Camp Rock and Hannah Montana stickers, pencils, magnets,and this big poster!

All of their candy...which was A LOT!!!

I'M BACK!!!

2008-10-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

I am back to bloggy land! This past week our best friends from TN came to stay with us. We had so much fun and we kept them pretty busy.

The first night they were here we went to Ikea. All of the kids thought they were in one huge play house. They were actually sad when we had to leave. We got a lot of great ideas for our house!

Saturday morning we woke up and got ready for the big day at Magic Kingdom. This was their first trip to Disney! I had so much fun watching my best friends face more than anything! We both felt like we were kids again and just had so much fun. I think all of our favorite things were the light parade and the fireworks. Jill's little girl, Adeline, just adores Cinderella! When Cinderella came in front of Adeline during the light parade, she looked right at Adeline and waved. The expression on Adeline's face was priceless! Jada, my little girl got a look and a finger point from the witch from Snow White. Which was so funny, because Jada was scared to ride the Snow White Scary Adventure ride.

Sunday they got to see where we went to church. That night we had a pumpkin party with our home group and they got to meet some of our friends and play silly, but fun, pumpkin games with us!

The trip wouldn't be complete if "Mr. James" didn't bring his airplane or helicopter. My son just loves hanging out with Mr. James and asks him a million questions. My son loves airplanes because he has seen Mr. James flying them and he tells Skyler all about them!

I could go on and on about all the things we did, but most of all I enjoyed just being together and staying up late and laughing and just talking about a little of everything! I love the Perryman's and my family is truly blessed to have such wonderful friends!

Busy and Excited!

2008-10-22T14:51:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to jump on here and let you know really quick what is going on this week. I subbed at my sons school yesterday, today, and will be tomorrow. Yesterday after picking up my daughter from school , I was on my way to church to pick up my husband (we only have one car at the moment.) Right in front of the church I got in a wreck with two other cars. Thankfully we all are okay! The kids were crying and screaming, they were very scared, but not hurt. Our music pastor came and picked up the kids and took them back to the church to play while we waited on the police to come. That was so sweet of him to do that! Then another lady from our church stopped and asked if we were okay and asked where the kids were. She found out they were at the church and headed over there and gave them ice cream and talked with them. SO SWEET! We are blessed with a thoughtful and caring church family.

I have also been getting ready for my best friend who is coming to visit us on FRIDAY!!!! I am so excited I can't stand it. I have so many things I want them to see and do. They just need to stay for several weeks, that way we could fit it in! They have never been to Disney world, so guess what....we are going to take them!!! I can not wait to see Jill and Adelines face (my best friend and her oldest daughter) when they see cinderella's castle! And I can't wait to see Audrey (the youngest daughter) who is now walking! I feel like I have missed so much of their lives in just the four months that we have been living here. For those of you who don't know, we saw this family at least 4 times a week! The kids were always together playing! I still have so much to do before they get here, but I am so excited!!

Fun Family Friday!

2008-10-20T06:20:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun on Friday night! After we picked Jada up from school we went to the Super Target to talk with some friends from TN that were in town. Then we came home and fixed grilled cheese sandwiches and ate as a family. After we ate the boys went one direction and the girls went another.

The boys were going to have a daddy/son camp out in the living room. So Skyler went and gathered all the supplies he thought they were going to need...his suitcase that was packed with two flashlights, pj's, guitar (for songs around the campfire), play snake and bear (for them to wrestle with in the woods), and of course his cowboy hat. Skyler changed his name to Scott and Jeremy's name to Dave! What an imagination. No girls were allowed. They stayed all night in the woods...our living room! They had an air mattress and a tent around it so the bears wouldn't get them. My husband took the opportunity to talk about how it is fun to go on adventures and the most exciting adventure is to follow God!

The girls went to the other side of the house and had a mother/daughter sleep over. We got to shop in the boutique for jewelry and hair bow and nail polish. After we went shopping for awhile in the boutique (Jada's room), we did each others nails and just talked. That was probably my favorite part of the evening. After our nails were dry we played sequence together then we watched a movie in bed! Yes, there were typical sounds of a girl sleep over...laughing, talking, and a lot of giggles. At one moment I talked to Jada about all the make up and related it to her beauty and her beauty in Christ. We all had so much fun and love our fun family Friday nights!

A peek inside my kitchen!

2008-10-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by mamajil to do this really fun post and list 7 Random things from my kitchen.

So here is goes:

#1. We have these two Funkins in our kitchen just sitting there waiting to be carved. I found these at Joanne's and they are really neat. They are made of foam and you can carve them like a real pumpkin. The neat thing is you can keep them and put them out every year! Now that we live in Florida I figured real pumpkins wouldn't last long because of the heat. So we decided to try these this year. I will post pictures after we carve them!

#2. I LOVE COFFEE! This is my coffee maker and all my creams and syrups that I put in my coffee. I bought those green and black cups at Ikea (if you haven't been there, you need to, it is a great place to shop!) Eventually I want my entire kitchen to be in those colors!

#3. My cafe plates that are hanging on my wall. I love a cafe feel in the kitchen.

#4. Our kitchen table. It is a small table, but very comfortable. We are in the kitchen ALOT! That is where we spend a lot of our time. At the table we have fun cooking, doing homework, art, family devotions, and playing games together.

#5. Yes, this is a cotton candy machine, and no, the kids didn't get it for Christmas...I DID! Okay, I love cotton candy. When I first got this I think my daughter was one. This was my "Santa"gift. The kids like to use this when there friends come over!

#6. This is some of my great grandmothers china. When we move out of this apartment and into our house (which I hope will be soon) I would love to have a hutch to put all my different china in. I grew up with a hope chest and have collected different pieces throughout the years. I can't wait to display them!

AND #7. This is the funniest thing in my kitchen right now. I have a magnet picture frame hanging on my refrigerator that is empty. I REALLY need to put a picture in it! My friends, Julie and Jill, gave this to me on my birthday before I flew back to Florida and we took a picture of all three of us to put in it.

This is the picture that is suppose to go in the frame! I absolutely LOVE and MISS these girls!!!!!!

I would like to tag the following 7 people:

My Crafty Daughter

2008-10-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we just hung around the house and played and took it easy. Jada and Skyler played with every toy they own and dressed up in about every outfit/costume they could make up. It was fun to watch their imaginations sore!

After lunch, me and Jada took a quick trip to Joanne's to pick out some paint that matches Jada's room. She has several canvas that she was wanting to repaint. We were trying to wait until we moved in our house, but since we have been waiting for over two months now to hear back from the bank (because the house in a short sale) we just decided to go ahead and paint them! Jada could literally stay in that store ALL day. Her eyes just light up when she sees all the crafts. She picked out the colors she wanted and a few circles to paint and glue on her canvas. She already had it all figured out in her mind just how she was going to paint her canvas.

Here are a few pictures of her painting and the finished project.

Just a side note, this is the closest thing we have found to a pumpkin patch so far here in Florida. I have googled a few places that we are going to check out this weekend. It won't seem like fall until we visit a pumpkin patch!!

My Canoe

2008-10-09T07:13:00.001-07:00

All morning I have been thinking about what I heard at the Bridge last night. (For those of you who haven't heard about the Bridge, it is a worship experience at my church every Wednesday night.) How am I allowing God to move and direct me?

Last night we were challenged to think about how we were paddling and controlling OUR canoe. Are we just cruising in our canoe, laid back, with hands in the air, wanting God do all the work? If we are doing this, it will lead us straight into the bank...landing us nowhere. Are we in our canoe paddling frantically in the water trying to get to where we want to go in life as fast as we can? This will cause us to miss the direction in our life that God is wanting us to go. Or are we paddling in control from side to side. If God leads us one direction, paddle that way and if God leads us in another direction, start padding on the other side. This way your canoe stays afloat and on a controlled steady path.

I pray that I continue to take the steady path in my canoe in my life. What a comfort to know that God is my guide and I just have to listen and follow. How are you paddling in your canoe this week? Let me know if you are out there and reading this. I love comments!

Time for another...

2008-10-06T06:19:00.001-07:00

PARTY!! Saturday it was my husbands 30th birthday. My children woke him up and handed him a cane and brought him to the breakfast table. We had the room decorated with caution tape that said, "Warning 30 year old." We also had a t-shirt for him that said, "30 I don't want to grow up." After he ate breakfast he headed off to the church for a meeting.

After his meeting at church, we picked him up with the lunch packed and headed to his surprise. We were going to Disney Hollywood Studios! That is his favorite park. This is the first time we have been to the parks since we have lived here. He was so excited...just like a child! That is what I love about him. He is always having fun and living life to the fullest!!! We had a great day together. That night I made reservations at the Sci-Fi drive in theater at the park. That was a fun place to eat. We actually got to sit in a car and eat. They surprised Jeremy with an ice cream Sunday and the entire place sang happy birthday to him! It was a special day for one special guy!! Honey, I love you!

During the parade Skyler got pulled out to dance! He jumped right out there and danced away.

One of the kids favorite things was the playhouse disney show! Just a few of the characters we got autographs from...

Another thing we all loved climbing through was the Honey I shrunk the kids play land... Me and Jeremy seriously got stuck a few times!

Teaching and Hamster

2008-10-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Today was my very first day being a substitute at preschool. I absolutely loved it! Alot of the children that were in the class today are in my Sunday School class at church. I was excited about that. They are such precious children! The children just really seem to enjoy the preschool and listened so well today! They are constantly moving from one area to the next, which is good, because their attention span is not very long.

One cute little story from today was one little boy kept talking and telling me stories! I just love to listen to children and their imaginations. On the playground he came up to me and said, "Do you know who is the man?" I said, "Jesus." Then the little boy looked at me and said, "God, Jesus, then me", and he went down the slide. Children keep it interesting. I enjoyed being with every one of the children today!

After I was finished teaching today I had to go to my son's class. In Skyler's class they are learning about animals. So, we decided to bring our hamster, Misty, for the children to see and pet! That was a lot of fun. All the children loved petting and holding the hamster. Skyler was very protective of the hamster and would tell everyone to pet the hamster with just two fingers. Misty survived all the petting and is now in her little house sound asleep!

Skyler excited about sharing his pet hamster at preschool!

Skyler's turn to pet Misty.

The class trying to feed Misty!

One more pet before it was time to go home.

More Awards...

2008-09-30T06:54:00.001-07:00

Mamajil over at M is for Mommy gave me this sweet award!

To translate the gift from Portuguese to English, it means:This blog invests and believes, the proximity. [meaning, that blogging makes us 'close' -being close through proxy]. They all are charmed with the blogs, where in the majority of its aims are to show the marvels and to do friendship; there are persons who are not interested when we give them a prize, and then they help to cut these bows; do we want that they are cut, or that they propagate?
Then let’s try to give more attention to them! So with this prize we must deliver it to 8 bloggers that in turn must make the same thing and put this text.

I enjoy reading so many different blogs this was very hard to narrow it down, but the awards go to...
1. Live, Laugh, Blog

2. Mama Christina

3. To Live is to Love
4. The Laughs will go on...
5. Teacher turned mommy
6. Livin' with me
7. LifeWithTwo
8. Annette's Awakenings

My very very best friend, Jill, gave me this award a few days ago...

Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude.
2. Must love one another.
3. Must make mistakes.
4. Must learn from others.
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world.
6. Must love life.
7. Must love kids.

These are the rules for The Smile Award.
1. The recipient must link back the the award’s creator
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.

So, who are the people who make me smile when I read their blog?

This award goes to ALL of YOU!!!! I LOVE reading each of your blogs. You all brighten my day and you ALL make me smile! Thanks for sharing your life, thoughts, dreams, and pictures. Now, who makes you smile? Pass this award along to those who make you smile!!

Time for...

2008-09-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

...Stuffy noses and coughing. I guess it is that time of year. I didn't think it would start this soon since we are in Florida now. I guess it doesn't matter where you live, you can not avoid the yucky runny noses and coughing!

After hearing a few days of constant sniffing and Skyler coughing every breath for the last two nights, I decided to take him in to the doctor today. They sent him home with a cough syrup and xopenex to do breathing treatments every 4-6 hours. Thankfully we already have a nebulizer at home because my daughter has asthma and has to do treatments a lot. My son Skyler was very excited when he found out he had to do treatments...he loves to be like his big sister.

Hopefully his fever will go away by tomorrow so he won't be so miserable and maybe HE , or should I say we ALL, will sleep a lot better. I have had a lot of good snuggle time though, which I am very thankful for. I treasure every snuggle that I can get!

The book I am reading, "One Month to Live", came to mind when I was watching Skyler do his breathing treatment today. "Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

THE BRIDGE

2008-09-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

I am still so pumped from going to the Bridge last Wednesday night! The Bridge is a new worship experience at our church on Wednesday nights. The kick off went GREAT! The bridge in a nutshell is...live band, open cafe, and relevant teaching! Everyone was so excited when they came in for the Bridge. We had everyone sign VIP cards because there was a drawing at the end of the night for a prize. Each week the first time visitors will be able to fill out their info and be able to win at the end of the night!

The music, lead by my wonderful husband, was awesome. It is the greatest feeling when you come together with others to sing and worship your Heavenly Father! Pastor Spenc is doing a serious on "What do you do when your dreams are shattered?" Wow, great teaching last Wednesday night! If anyone lives in the Orlando area that reads this blog, I would love for you to come on Wednesday night to this new awesome worship experience!!! I hope to post a few pics and video clips by the end of this week!

Friday we had a family night, since we were so busy last week getting ready for the Bridge. After we picked Jada up from school we went to the pool for a few hours. Then while they were in the bath, me and Jeremy set up the kitchen like a snack shack. We had a snack shack sign with all kinds of food and the prices! We had play money to give them and they could order anything on the list. Then we escorted them to the "movie theater." We rearranged the living room so the couch was up close to the TV. We all snuggled and just had a great time! We had to keep pausing the movie because they would jump up with their play money and want different stuff from the snack shack! Below are a few pictures!

My small group at church is doing a study from the book "One month to live", I highly recommend this book. It challenges you to live your life like you only have one month to live. Live every day of your life like that and how would you be different? It is so important to make time for others and our children. We never know when we are going to take our last breath!

A Meme

2008-09-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Lori for this Meme...

First add a family picture:

Second: Answer the questions.
1. How many children do you have? 1 girl and 1 boy

2. What are their ages? Jada is 7 and Skyler is 4

3. What time of day do you start your day? I wake up between 6 and 6:30

4. What do you eat for breakfast? Whatever the kids are eating! It just depends on how much time we have. Sometimes we eat bacon and biscuts (Jada's favorite) other times cereal or waffles (Skyler favorite)

5. Do they watch TV? Jada watches Hannah Montana and Skyler loves little bear

6. What are their favorite activities? Jada LOVES to do arts and crafts and read. Skyler likes to play outside (baseball) and play with his cars and super hero's.

7. Do you get a break during the day from them? Jada is in school and Sky is in preschool 3 days a week. So I do, but I miss them lots and lots!

8. How do you end your day? Check my e-mail, watch tv and talk with husband, read Bible, then go give one last kiss and cover up the kiddos again before I go to bed!

9. What is your best parenting advice or tip? Have fun and live every day like it is your last! Always look for those opportunities to teach about God...in everyday moments! Show love, love, and more love to your children. They can never get too much lovin'!

Pass it on to five people:
Live, Laugh, Blog
Our little Family
Annette's Awakening
MamaChristina
The Laughs will go on

Weekend fun!

2008-09-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

We had a fun filled weekend! First my husband and children had a birthday party for me. They asked me what I wanted to do and I just wanted to stay at home and enjoy them! So, they threw a little party for me. We had hats to where, mine said princess...picked out by my daughter. We also played pin the tail on the donkey. That was fun. I haven't played that in years!! My children gave me a Starbucks gift card (my favorite coffee place) and a travel coffee cup from Starbucks. It was my daughters idea for that because I am always sloshing coffee on my lap when I take her to school. Aren't they so thoughtful!!!

On Friday night we went cosmic bowling with some friends. It was a lot of fun! We bowled, played video games in the arcade, and ate ice cream!

Saturday was a girls day! Me and Jada went shopping for most of the afternoon and made a stop by marble slab...one of our favorite ice cream places!

Saturday night we went to a cookout. The kids played and the guys watched football. Another great night of FUN!
Sunday we went to church, I taught my 4 year old Sunday school class. We learned about prayer and they made these...

Some of the kids really decorated and put a lot of stickers and glued circles on them. This mat is to be placed in their room and every time they walk over it they will be reminded to say a little prayer! Then Sunday night we went to the small groups potluck dinner. There was a lot of good food, games, skits, and music. So after all this being said, we had a fun filled weekend!

School Programs Already!

2008-09-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

Today was Skyler's very first program at preschool. His class had to wear yellow shirts, that is the color they are learning this month. They sang a song called Joshua 1:9. He has been singing at home and saying the scripture this past week. I was so excited to see him sing this morning. He did a GREAT job. Oh, I can not believe he is old enough to already be in little programs. The whole class did awesome...they were all so cute! My husband put together this little video!

NEVER TO YOUNG

2008-08-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday when I picked Jada up from school, she jumped right in and started a conversation about something that happened at school. I could tell she had been waiting to tell me this all day. During Science, which is her favorite subject, they are learning about minerals and yesterday they got to look at different crystals. At one point she said her teacher was talking about trees and that they come from the earth. One little boy that sits behind Jada raised his had and said "No they don't they come from God, God created everything." Jada agreed with the little boy. The teachers response: "We need to take God out of it and just say that trees come from the earth." (I am not sure if she is a believer or trying to be careful as a teacher) I am just so proud that there are children, including Jada, who would stand up and tell what the bible says. I told her that through her life there are going to be people who don't believe and say things didn't come from God, but that she has to stand strong in her beliefs and look to the bible for the answers. It was funny because my husband, who is the outreach pastor at our church, told Jada that she could reach out to her teacher (if she is an unbeliever) . He told her that when she gets to eat lunch with her teacher, Jada could pray, and that would be a ministry opportunity! We forget so many times that no one is too young to tell others about Jesus!

This morning Skyler prayed before we ate breakfast and here is a little of what he said, "...help no one hit me, push me, or kick me today." There must be a child who is doing that, so he just prayed and asked God for help. I just love that he prayed that all on his own. We have tried to teach both kids how important prayer is! One more cute story about Skyler. We were playing with his lincoln logs and they build into a jail. He was the sheriff trying to catch the bad guy. So, he pretended to catch the bad guy and put him into jail. Then he started telling the bad guy he needs to do good things and read the bible. Then Sky just started preaching to the pretend bad guy and telling him about Jesus...a 4 year old. (His uncle does prison ministry, so that is where he learned that from. YEAH Uncle Kevin!!) So again, you are NEVER to young to minister to others. Our pastor always says, "You are made to serve, not to sit!" What are you doing to minister!

Update

2008-08-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Fay has now passed us, It is still raining, but no wind today. Yesterday we had the worst wind and rain. We had gusts up to 55mph. We sat on our back porch and just watched the wind blow yesterday. We are in prayer for those who had the worst of the storm. So many people with damaged homes by tornado's and flooding. It is unreal how much damage Fay did.

Jada's school did cancel today for flooding. Her first week of school and already two canceled days, but we had a fun day. We met some friends at a place called Kangaroom. It is a warehouse that is filled with inflatables to jump in. All the kids jumped for 4 hours! We came home and daddy had dinner made and it was yummy! The kids got cleaned up and watched a movie before bedtime. They were both worn out from all the jumping.

Another Big Day

2008-08-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

I am going to try and type this if I can see through all my tears! I just dropped Sky off at his first day of preschool. He is just the joy of my life! He came in the kitchen this morning with his eyes shut and stumbling trying to get to me and said, "I am ready for my first day of school!" He has been looking forward to this day for a while. He insisted on taking a bath this morning (even though he was clean) because he said he wanted to smell good at school today. He just makes me smile! I know he is going to love it and had no problem when it was time for me to leave. Part of me wanted him to cling to me and the other part was so thankful he feels so comfortable going to preschool! Right now it is eerily quiet in the house. I really miss all his giggles and that BIG SMILE of his! I can't imagine what it will be like when they go off to college...I know that is a long time from now!

Sky and his big smile before we left for school!

Sky and his big sister walking to the car ready for school!

We stopped by daddy's office so daddy could walk with us to Sky's classroom!

Sky had to find his name and turn over his card. He has to do that every morning when he comes in!

Then he hung up his backpack and lunch box.

Then he found his name on table and started playing with puzzles as all the other children were coming in!

I am so proud of him! He is such a big boy and will be in my prayers all day!

Back to School

2008-08-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

Today was Jada's first day back to school. She woke right up and was ready to go. I thought, "wow this is great!" I walked her in to school and that is when it really started to hit her. She did good about finding her teachers name and sitting in the right spot. When it was time for me to leave, her face broke my heart. I gave her a HUGE hug and told her it was going to be okay and I would be praying for her ALL day! Her eyes began to fill with tears as her class walked into school. I had to turn around and walk towards the car, because I didn't want her to see my eyes filling with tears.

She had so many people praying for her and anxious to see how her day went. I picked her up and she had the biggest smile. She had a great time! She said her day was an EIGHT (from 1-10) What an answer to prayer. She even made a few friends today! But, the most precious thing was what happened at lunch. She told me that she prayed silently in her head before she ate her lunch. I AM ONE PROUD MOMMY!

Tomorrow her school has been canceled because of hurricane Fay. Skyler is disappointed too, because his first day of preschool was tomorrow. This hurricane thing is all new to me. We are prepared though, with our water, batteries, and flashlights! I am just thankful that for today, Jada had a wonderful day first day!

Jada before she left for school!

This is Jada after school eating her snack.

Jada was so excited about her daily planner. She is responsible for writing down her homework assignments each day!

Pool Party!

2008-08-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Today was Jada's pool party for her birthday! The girls had a lot of fun. They swam for the first hour. Part of that time they were in the hot tub because they said a "Bee" was in the pool. Jeremy went to get the bee and it turned out NOT to be a bee, but a HUGE bug that was the size of half my hand! No wonder all the girls were in the hot tub. Then the storm started rolling in so we went under the covered part of the pool area to eat pizza and cake. The rain was okay until it started lightening. Yes, you guessed it, all the girls began to scream! So, we went back to our house for the rest of the time and the girls played and we opened presents. Misty, Jada's hamster, was a hit at the party. They all had so much fun playing with it. They kept making Misty a new house in every little container in Jada's room. Such a fun day!!!

Blessed

2008-08-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is a poem I came across yesterday, when going through some old papers. I just love this poem!

Blessed Be Children

Blessed be innocence, smiles from the heart.

Small dimpled fingers that take things apart,

Noses that wrinkle at spinach and such.

Eyes filled with wonder for they see so much.

Blessed be question with no easy answers,

Bubble-bath swimmers and mud-puddled dancers,

Climbers and diggers and builders and bakers,

Dreamers and gigglers and up-at-dawn wakers.

Hearts that are gentle,

Wills that are strong,

Minds learning left from right,

And right from wrong.

Blessed be hugs that wrap round your knees,

Sweet angel voices that sigh, "Once more, Please?"

Blessed be, "Read me a story," and then,

Blessed be each whispered, "Bless me...Amen."

Blessed be sleepy eyes,

With each little yawn...

Blessed be childhood

Before it is gone.

Thankful for Today!

2008-08-11T14:34:00.001-07:00

I am so thankful every year for August 11. 7 years ago my precious daughter, Jada, was born. It is truly a miracle that she is here with us today and is celebrating her 7th birthday. I previously posted the story of how she was brought into this world and her struggle to make it through each day. I am thankful I got to wake up to her beautiful smile this morning...she brightens my day!

Last night when she was asleep we put balloons in her room for her to wake up to. I got that idea out of a magazine and Jada loved it. She was so excited! After fixing her favorite breakfast she decided from several options what she wanted to do. She chose to go to the scrapbook store and get things for her new scrapbook. YEAH! It was a fun scrapbook day together. She wore her birthday princess hat everywhere today. She has had it since her first birthday and we always take her picture wearing it every year.

When she was finished scrap booking, my son Skyler, escorted her to another room where we had a little fun surprise. We had is set up like a boutique, with all her dress up clothes and dolls all around. Skyler served her a snack while I painted her toenails and finger nails. This was a special day with her family. Saturday she will be having a pool party with a few girls from church! I am thankful for my baby girl!!!

It is almost that time!!

2008-08-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

Today was our big back to school shopping day. We always make this day very special. Today was even more special because my youngest is about to start preschool. So, BOTH of my children got to do this together. It is so hard to believe that they are both going to be in school. Time goes by so fast...I am not ready yet!

First we went to Super Target (one of my favorite places) to get all the school supplies on their list. They didn't have too much to get because their Nana took them when she was here last week. Thanks again Nana! Skyler was so funny he kept sticking stuff in our cart that HE thought he needed, but was not on the list. Jada still could not understand why she couldn't have the cool notebooks instead of the black one that was on her list. But, they were both so excited about gathering all the supplies and putting them in their basket.

Every year after we shop for supplies we let them pick where they want to eat. We just make a day of it. Hopefully that gets them excited to head back to school! They chose to eat at a place called Ferkins, I think that is how you spell it. Anyway, it has a lot of games in it to play and you can bowl. So Jada and Sky played games while daddy ran home to get all of our socks. We forgot we needed socks to put on with our bowling shoes. We bowled two games and the kids ate pizza, fries, and Sky ate a hot dog.

When we got home they divided all of their things and looked through everything we bought for school. What a fun day!!

8 YEARS TODAY!

2008-08-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago today I married the man of my dreams! I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was so excited to walk down that aisle. As I began to walk down my husband began to sing to me. It was the sweetest moment in my life. He sang the song "Forever I do." I wish I could down load it to my blog because it was beautiful!

I am so thankful God blessed me with such a wonderful husband that loves the Lord and his family with all his heart! God has taught both of us so much in the past 8 years and we have grown stronger in Him together as a couple. I am so excited to see what God has in store for us this year. It has already been wonderful. Jeremy, I know you are reading this and just wanted to tell you that you are the love of my life and I love you!

This morning I woke up to this...

My husband is so romantic! Roses are one of my favorite flowers. When we first got married we would eat turkey bacon (at that time I did not eat red meat) and biscuits for breakfast. You guessed it...I had turkey bacon and biscuits this morning.

That is not all! My husband called this afternoon and told me to be ready by 3:00 that he had a surprise for me, but would not tell me what it was. So, after he picked up me and the kids we pulled in here...

We were at Animal Kingdom Lodge. This is one of my FAVORITE places!!! When you walk in it is so amazing. The pictures do not even begin to show what it really looks like. You really have the African feel when you are there. I was so excited. He made reservations for us to eat at the restaurant Boma. When we were waiting for our table we walked around outside and saw Zebra's, giraffes, and all kinds of other wildlife that would be found in Africa. For those of you who do not know, it is my dream to go to Africa and tell those children about Jesus! Jeremy is so thoughtful and made the night so special.

When it was time to eat the waitress treated us very special. She handed us these...

We had special buttons to wear and throughout the entire night, everyone we saw who worked there would tell us "Happy Anniversary!" They also gave us an anniversary card signed from the staff at Boma. It was signed in the different languages of Africa. That is when I got a little weepy. Again, Jeremy made this day and night so special for me!

When we were finished and I thought we were waiting on the check the waitress brings out this surprise...

WOW!!!!! The surprises just kept coming! What a wonderful night and way to celebrate the last 8 years!

2008-08-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

AND THE WINNER IS.....

Here are your random numbers:10
Timestamp: 2008-08-02 02:05:05 UTC

Congrats to Amy! Thanks to all of you who wrote your favorite recipes for me. I can not wait to try each and every one of them.

Today we went to the beach all day with my family that is in town. We had a BLAST!!! It is so much fun when company comes and we can share with them the things that we like to do. This afternoon we saw about 5 dolphins swimming in the ocean. It is so amazing to look out and see all the things that God created. I am amazed everyday. Me and my family are truly blessed and God is showing me everyday why He moved us here and is making this home. We spent 6 hours at the beach and then we came home, ate dinner, and went out to grab some ice cream at marble slab. What a wonderful day and night!

My Beautiful Jada!

Sky about to hit some waves!

Jada and her Aunt Abby trying on some shades!

My sweet sister, father, and mother-in-law!!

My Little Chefs

2008-07-30T07:39:00.001-07:00

Today we spent the day getting ready for company that is coming in town tomorrow! My mother, father, and sister-in-law are coming. Jada was up with her bed made, her teeth brushed, and dressed when I woke up. She is so excited and was excited that today was COOKING day! When we have people come stay we always prepare what we can in advance. That way we have more time to spend with family and less time in the kitchen. So today Skyler helped make my Grandma's 24 hour slaw. Today was the first time I have attempted to make it. Jada made a chocolate cake all by herself. Then all of us made the chicken and rice dish. We had their favorite CD playing while we cooked, which is "Shout Praise Kids..I Am Free." Such a fun day! Also If you look at the next post below you have a chance to win a prize. Go check it out if you haven't already. Tomorrow I will be announcing the winner!

Skyler was peeling an onion...Do you notice his face?

Enjoying the taste of all their hard work today!

TIME FOR A GIVE AWAY!

2008-07-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I wrote a post about starting a new project. That project was making a new recipe book! Well, after selling our house and moving I haven't been able to work on it. But, now that I am settled in I am ready to begin my project. Now that is where you and the give away comes in!!! I NEED YOUR HELP. The only thing you have to do to enter is write your favorite recipe. Your name will be entered for every recipe you give! YEAH! Also if you send one of your friends to my blog and they write a recipe and tell me that you sent them my way I will also enter your name as well! So start looking for those recipes! I am so excited to see what you all come up with! Oh, the prize, you want to know what the prize is going to be?? It is going to be a giftcard to STARBUCKS!!!!!!

On my way to stengthen my heart!

2008-07-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

One of the things the doctor told me to do to help my heart was swim. They also told me to eat a lot of salt and drink water and then more water. The doctor wanted me to start doing weight training on my legs. He said that would help the blood not pull to my legs and that if my muscles were tight they would pump the blood back to my heart and then to my brain. So, last night my husband and I started our first work out. I had to take it very slow because my resting heart rate is already really high even with me taking medicine. So, I started with the bike and only did one mile. Then I did 3 leg machines trying to build more muscle in my legs. After we were finished we then went out to the pool with our two children and swam. The doctor said swimming was good for me since the water is surrounding my body it helps the blood to not go straight to my legs.

Today we also spent most of the morning at the pool. I did my water exercises and the kids played. It is so relaxing to go to the pool. I have made it through the first two days of work out and my heart is doing good. It is going to take me awhile to build my hearts strength back up, but I am so determined to keep on working on it!!

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13

Our trip back to TN

2008-07-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

Me and my daughter, Jada, went to Tennessee for a couple of days. I had a doctor apt that I have been waiting for 7 months to get in. I had tests all day on Tuesday and they all came back normal. My heart condition is not effecting my brain or reflexes. Praise God!

Now, let you tell you about the trip from the beginning plane ride. Jada was so excited because this was her first time riding on an airplane! We had a layover in Atlanta on Monday. Our flight was delayed 40 minutes when we arrived in Atlanta. We only had 20 minutes to find the next gate and jump on the next plane. I did not think to check the boards, so when we got to the gate I was informed our gate had been changed!!! The Atlanta airport is HUGE. So me and Jada take off running, jump on the tram, and run a little more to make our flight! At one point I stopped running and Jada kept running pulling my hand saying, "Come on mom I am not missing my BFF." Our friends were picking us up from the airport and Jada did not want to miss seeing them! We made it...BARELY!

We then went to Julie's house and the girls played and played. It was so GREAT to see them face to face. I have missed them so much. Then we met Jill and her girls for lunch at Camino Real. After we ate we went to Jill's house and played some more . Julie and Jill had a birthday cake for me and Jada, because they wouldn't be able to be with us on those days. They are so sweet! I am blessed with the best friends in the world! It was a very sad moment when it came time for the goodbye's again. We just did this a few weeks ago. Jada and Emma were so sad to watch. They locked up in Jada backpack straps and wouldn't let go. It made me teary eyed just watching those too! Here are a few picks.

As you notice they have switched clothes, which they do everytime they see each other!

Mom and dad picked me up from Jill's house and then we went to their house for two nights. Mom went with me to the doctor just in case my heart rate dropped to 0 again. Thankfully that did not happen this time. It was so nice being able to spend time with mom and talk on the way to the doctor. Dad stayed home with Jada and took her to the pool. We forgot Jada's swimsuit so my dad ,"Papaw", decided to take Jada shopping for one! He took her to Walmart, Peebles, Hammers, and then they ended back up at Walmart. My dad is a trooper! Dad said that Jada would try one on and then peek her head out of the dressing room and say, "Another swimsuit please!" She tried on so many and eventually found the perfect one! What a great memory that day will be for her! It was a great trip and so great to see everyone that I miss so much!

Award!!!

2008-07-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

I received an award the other day from Christina! That was a great surprise. So now I am going to pass along the award to others who I really enjoy reading!

1. Jeremy - This blog I love to read because he is my wonderful husband who likes to write about a little about everything. He writes about sports, music, books, family, and his love for God! Everyone would really enjoy his blog.

2. Cindy - She is my mom and a great artist! She loves to share her art and journal the story behind each beautiful picture. She had a gift from God and uses it for His glory! Great read...be ready to be blessed!

3. Jill - This is my best friend who is very funny and writes about her life, children, and her love for the Lord. Her blog will leave you with a smile!

4. April - One of my dear friends that journals about all her wonderful adventures...which her life is full of! She loves animals, children, and the Lord. She will help anyone who needs it...such a servants heart!

5. Andrea - This is a new blog that I have begun to read and just love it! She loves life and her beautiful family. She journals on life as a mom and always has great pictures on her blog!

6. Crafty Lady - This is a blog that I just love. She always has the cutest craft ideas. And the best thing is she has pictures of her daughter actually doing the crafts. If you have children and like to do crafts, you will love this blog!

Thanks for sharing your lives and thoughts with others! I really enjoy reading each of your blogs! Copy and paste the award onto your blog. Link to who you got award from (me). Tell us your top that deserve the award.

Are We Being Salt?

2008-07-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to a cookout with our children's pastor and another family from our church. I really enjoyed talking and getting to know them and their children. Jeremy and the other men went in the other room at one point and started playing WII. That is the first time Jeremy has played and he loved it. He played the boxing game and Morgan, a fourth grader, beat him. I got a kick out of watching them play!

Today we had a great Sunday school lesson. This is only my second week of going to this class and I have already learned so much and enjoy everyone in the class. The teacher and several others from the class took us out to lunch today. We had a great time talking and getting to know them a little better too!

The lesson was about SALT and how being salt is our responsibility in the world. First we learned what the function of salt was: "Salt is a preservative, it is rubbed into meat to prevent decay...our purpose is to stop corruption and to be different. Salt is used to season. Salt provides savor and keeps food from being bland. We are to demonstrate the true meaning of life." At the beginning she gave us all pretzels to eat, which are very salty and make you thirsty. Salt increases the need for liquids. "Our lives should cause others to long (thirst) to know the Lord. Being salt must become the biggest thing in our whole life!"

"If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke of the Spirit whom those who believed in Him were to receive..." John 7:37-39

We learned that sometimes we are like the salt that has to be grind ed to come out of the shaker. We go through difficult things in our life, we learn, grow and then are ready to come out of the salt shaker and season the world!

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men."

Much needed Prayers.

2008-07-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

I just got home from church and just feel a burden to write and ask for prayer for a family who is very dear to my heart. My best friend, Jill, is such a great woman that needs prayer for her family as well as herself. Her dad has struggled with being in and out of the ICU with Pneumonia, lung problems, MRSA, and other things. He is still in the ICU, but yesterday she was able to talk to him and he was awake for the first time in a few weeks. Jill was very excited to be able to talk to her dad and him shake his head in response. I am asking you to pray for her dads recovery and for her moms strength each day! Jill has asked for many prayers on her blog and to read her story go here.

Today I am also asking you to pray for her dad and her mom as well. But I would like if we could especially pray for Jill. She is being so strong and is there for support for her mom everyday. She is such a special person to me and my family and loves the Lord with all her heart! Please pray that Jill will continue to have strength mentally, physically, and emotionally.
"They all joined together constantly in prayer..." Acts 1:14

VBS FUN!

2008-07-10T10:32:00.001-07:00

This week I have been teaching at our preschool VBS! It has been so much fun and a great way for me, Jada, and Sky to meet people. I think we have been running around 130 everyday this week. Jada has been my big helper in my class along with another helper. They are both such a great help! Next week Jada will be going to the elementary VBS. I come home everyday and have the songs in my head all night. I find myself singing them out loud and my kids ask why I keep singing the same song. I tell them I am just lovin' VBS!!!

Concert in the Park

2008-07-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to see Shane and Shane in concert and Josh Wilson opened for them. It was a benefit concert for the blood-water mission. Jada and Skyler put money in the basket when it came around. I explained what the money went to and showed them the brochure with the pictures and information. Jada and Sky thought it was amazing that $1.00 would supply a child with clean water for one year! Skyler pointed to every person on the brochure and asked if he helped them have clean water...I said that he did help by giving money and Jesus was proud of him and Jada. Mommy and Daddy were also very proud of both of them!

It was such a blessing to be with Jeremy and my children, on a Sunday night, sitting together on blankets, relaxing, and worshipping together as a family! Sometimes we get so busy and caught up in things we have to do, like for me, unpacking and getting all our things in order, that we might miss a blessing. I do not want to miss blessings or learning opportunities from God. I need to live each moment of everyday thanking and praising God for how He has blessed me and my family! We have seen God at work in our family especially during this move and calling in our lives. Don't take every day for granted. Start your day by giving it the the Lord!

"Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life-and place it before God as an offering." (Romans 12:1 MSG)

Unpacked and Settled in!

2008-07-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

We are moved and unpacked! The last several weeks me and the kids have been at mom and dads just having so much fun. A quick update on the house situation. The offer we put on the house was not accepted so Jeremy flew and found us an apartment to rent until we can find another house we like. So, for now we are living in a garden home that feels like a resort.

The living room right when you walk in the front door.

The great room...we have computer and craft desk in there right now. Still in process of decorating that room!

Jada room. The other wall is ALL mirrors. She has two closets and they are sliding doors that are mirrors. She is in her room alot dancing around and dressing up!!!

Skyler room...which he loves!

This pond view is what we wake up to every morning. You can see this from the great room and all the bedrooms. Jada and Skyler have started making a list of all the wildlife they see. And they are on the lookour for an alligator!

Mom and dad have been with us for a week. They helped us move and get unpacked. I am so glad they are here. We celebrated the 4th with them and it was the last night they were here. We had a lot of fun and the fireworks were great!!! It was a great night but sad when we had to say goodbye. I love them more than they could ever know. I am such a mommy and daddy girl. I LOVE MY FAMILY! They have always been such great role models for me and have and still have a huge impact on me and my family. What a blessing they are!

Me, dad, Jada, and Sky with our cotton candy!

My mom and Jada!

Jeremy having fun in the stores in dowtown Disney

Surprise Surprise Surprise

2008-06-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we drove back to the 'boro for a friends surprise birthday party. I had shopped all day long to find him the perfect gift. After going to 5 antique shops, I finally found "IT." I bought him an antique checkerboard! He loves checkers (right Jill?) I was very excited to give him his present!

His wife, Jill, called right before we got to the party to see where we were and she told me she was about to go and pick him up for the big surprise. We arrived at the party and knocked on the front door and was told to go around to the backyard. As soon as we came around the corner I looked up and everyone was standing there and yelled...SURPRISE...at me and Jeremy and the kids. I just stood there for a few seconds trying to figure out what was going on. I saw Jill and her husband who the party was suppose to be for...so I thought!! Well, I finally realized what was going on. Our small group at church and Sunday School class was throwing us a surprise party since we are moving. I just started crying...the first out of 5 times that night.

I have to say my friends Jill and Julie (who I talked to alot that week) really had me going. I had no idea at all! We were just so blown away. It was such a special night. At one point during the night all our friends gathered around us, layed hands on us, and prayed for us. God has brought each and every one of them into my life and they are all so special to me. I know they are life long friends!! It is really going to be hard to move away from them. I will miss them SO SO SO much!

Jill gave Jada and Skyler a really special present. She had a girl and boy doll made for them. On the dolls she had their name on it and the scripture that I claim for them. When I saw the doll and read the scripture that was the second time I cried that night. My children LOVE them. Jada would not let go of the doll all night and Skyler put a foot stool by his bed so his doll could sleep right next to him! Okay so I am crying writing this...I am just so thankful for all these wonderful friends that I love dearly and will miss them tremendously!!!

BFFE

2008-06-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know what BFFE means, it stands for Best Friends Forever and Ever. My daughter, Jada, had her best friend over this week for two nights. They had so much fun. First a big group of us went to the Nashville Zoo on Thursday. We had so much fun. All the kiddos were great!

Then on Friday I took Jada, Emma, and Skyler to the pool. Remember we are still at my moms until we move at the end of the month. The pool is 1 mile for my moms. They swam for almost 4 hours. I had three little fish with me! They swam, went down the water slides, and played with their swim toys.

On Saturday we had just a "Girls Day." Jada and her BFF, Emma, wore their little sun dresses and we went antique shopping. They were so cute to watch in the stores. They shopped and looked longer than me and mom! They both found a treasure that we could not pass up. They are both in love with the American Girl Dolls. So, Jada found a little bench that was just the right size for her doll and Emma found a dresser that was just the right size for hers. We just had to buy them!!! Then for lunch we went on the square and ate at the cafe.

Projects for the Summer

2008-06-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

My daughter has started two new projects this week. She is very smart and adventurous. Skyler, of course, is joining along as well in Jada's new adventures.

We went to the library yesterday and Jada and Skyler signed up for the space reading program. Every ten books they read or listen to they get to put a rocket ship , with their name, on the board. They also receive a prize for every ten books. At the end of the month they put all the rockets in a box and draw a winner! Jada is very excited about the big prizes...one is a bike. She read two books last night. I am so happy she loves to read!

Her second project is a rock collection. While we were at the library she checked out a book on how to identify rocks. She is very excited about this. She has already learned so much and keeps telling me things about rocks that I don't even know. This morning she woke up and went straight to her rock book and found the page with the list of things you need to go on a rock hunt. She gathered all the things she needed in her backpack...Skyler gathered his things too...He loves to do everything his big sissy does! We were off to the river for the big rock hunt.

We found a lot of rocks and waded in the water and tried to catch minnows. It was a beautiful morning with a great breeze! It was so much fun. When we got home Jada went straight to her book and started to identify the rocks she found. She has them all in different bags and has written all the information about the rocks on note cards. This project will keep her very busy!

I have also started my own project. I am making a new recipe book. So, if you have any great recipe for me please e-mail them to me at tiffanyjohnson0@gmail.com!!!!

WE LOVE OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!!!

2008-06-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have such great friends! Thursday night they helped us move all of our things into storage. They were there until about 10:30 pm. They made it fun for us. I have a lot of great pictures of all the guys who helped us move. We only had one thing break...my daughters mirror...which can easily be replaced!! Also my great friend Julie watched Jada and Skyler for 8 hours on Thursday while I finished packing and cleaning the house. I am so thankful that she watched them. She definitely had her hands full, but I know my kids had a blast playing with their friends. Jada gave her Beta fish to her best friend Emma. Emma's mom, Julie, made her hold her right hand up and take an oath she would take care of the cutie...the fish.

We got up early Friday and drove an hour to Winchester to mom and dads. My mom and dad are so sweet, they had my room all redecorated and ready for me to stay in. I am blessed with the greatest parents!!! Since we have been here I had to go to the doctor for a sinus infection, we have been on the lake, went to church with them yesterday, and today we are taking the kids to the pool!!!

We decided that we are moving to Florida on June 27...that is the official date. We are still waiting to hear back from the offer we put on the house. It could take up to 30 days since it is a short sale. It is all very exciting!! I am going to try my best to keep up with the blog. My parents live in the middle of the woods by the lake, so they have dial up which is a little slow. I hope my pictures will upload. If they do no I will just take a quick trip to the cafe where they have high speed!

I AM BACK!!!

2008-05-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

WOW, it has been a crazy few weeks. We have been so busy with getting things ready to move and looking for our new home. Last week we flew to Florida to look for a house. We looked at several homes and it was a great trip! We are trying to decide between two that we really like. One is 15 years old almost 1900 sq feet and has been totally remodeled and renovated. It is also 2 miles from the church and has a lower HOA fee. The second house is new and is 1600 sq feet and is in gated community and about 15 miles from church. It is really a hard choice. We are praying so hard that God will make is so clear which house He wants us at!

In the middle of trying to purchase a new home we just closed on our current home yesterday! I have to finish packing today. We have a lot of precious friends that are so sweet and are helping us move our things tomorrow. The next few weeks will be a little difficult on the kids. Me, Jada, and Sky will be moving in with my mom and dad until we close on our new home. Jeremy will be moving in with his Aunt (an hour and a half away from where we will be) until we close. Jeremy is still going to work and his Aunt lives close to his work.

Skyler will probably have the hardest time with this. Jeremy use to travel every weekend and sing at churches. Every time Jeremy left Skyler would grab his own guitar and suitcase and try to get in the car with his daddy. So now being away from his daddy a whole week will be hard. Both of the kids are a little confused right now. The other day Jada asked if she has ever lived in a garage before! I said "No Hunny, why are you asking that?" She said "Well, you said we are moving our stuff into a storage garage!" I just started laughing. She thought she was going to live in the storage where we will be keeping our things. I pray we can make this a fun and exciting adventure for all of us.

This morning I was looking at a Lifeway Catalogue and saw a quote that hit me so hard! "It's not just the destination God is interested in, it's how you make the Journey."

AND THE WINNER IS...

2008-05-16T13:49:00.001-07:00

Now it is time to see who won the giveaway by the artist Cindy Gray for the mommyfest week!

AND THE WINNER IS....

Congrats Lisa!!! You are winning a Giclee print of "Becoming Less" (valued at $925.) This print is a limited edition of 25 and you will be receiving number 7. Please e-mail me at tiffanyjohnson0@gmail.com with your address so we can mail you your prize.

Thanks everyone who came to visit during mommyfest! Please continue to come back and visit. I love to receive comments! It was so much fun and great to meet ALL of you. I have had a lot of fun hopping from one blog to another!

UPDATE

2008-05-15T06:01:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to give an update on our house. We put our house on the market last Friday. On Monday we had two people come and look at the house and they BOTH put offers down! I could not believe it I thought the process would take months. The inspector is coming tomorrow and if all goes well, we have to be out on May 30. You are probably asking, "Where are you going?" We actually do not know for sure. We have not started looking for a house yet. Remember we are moving 10 hours away. We are trying to figure out what area we want to move in that is close to the church where my husband is going to work. Lots and Lots to do, but it is all very exciting.

My daughter just finished learning about hurricanes at school last week. She is becoming nervous about the move now because she thinks we are going to be blown away. I reassured her we were going to be fine. That we are to trust in God and he will take care of us as He replants our family where he wants us. I will be writing about our journey the next several weeks. Please keep us in your prayers!

"The woman is blessed who trusts in You, Lord, and whose hope You are. For she will be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not fear when the heat comes; but her leaf will be green, and she will not be full of care in the year of drought, neither shall she cease from yielding fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8

STORY OF MY JADA GIRL

2008-05-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

My husband and I found out we were pregnant 5 months after we got married. We were very excited when we heard the news. I began to get morning sickness. The kind of sickness that lasted all day and never went away. Five months into the pregnancy we went for an ultrasound to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. I will NEVER forget that day. After the the nurse looked at the screen for a while she said, "I will be back, I am going to find your doctor." I knew something was not right. The doctor came back in and told us our daughter had gastroschisis. Which meant my babies intestines were on the outside. As you could imagine I was scared and confused. I had never heard of this before. They immediately sent us to a specialist.

When I went home I did so much research so I would be prepared for the worst. Well, in all honesty, you are never prepared as much as you want to be. Skipping ahead a few months, my husband flew out to Texas to lead a youth revival at my brothers church. It was a few months before the due date so did not think much of him being gone. One morning while he was away I did not feel my baby kick. (I had to count the baby's kicks every time after I ate.) I called my doctor and they wanted me to come in. At that point I called my husband and told him the news and not to worry. That is where our journey began!

When I arrived they did all kinds of tests and tried to get my little Jada to move. They ended up doing an amnio. Which was not too bad, but I sure was nervous at first. When the results were in the doctor came and told me they had to take her in 24 hours. At that time I was only 31 weeks along. I called my husband and told him to find the quickest flight home that he had 24 hours before they were going to take her. A few hours later I began to get a fever and have really bad pack pain. I will never forget the doctor came in and sat down on the side of my bed and put his hand on my legs and said in a calm voice, "I know your husband is not here yet, but we have to take her NOW." He explained to me that I was starting to get an infection and the c-sec had to be immediately. When he left the room I broke down and just lost it. Not only was my baby coming 9 weeks early and no time for steroid shots for her lungs, my husband was in another state! I am sure the entire hospital heard me grieving. Literally right after the doctor left the nurses came in prepping me for surgery.

(Sorry this is my longest post ever...I am even cutting parts out.) My precious mom was able to be with me while my daughter Jada was born. I did not get to see her until the next day because they hid her from me on the way out for her surgery...she was not breathing. After she was born, she had immediate surgery to try and fit her intestines back in her tiny tiny belly. I had just had a 2lb 13oz baby girl! At that time I had no idea what was in store. Here daddy made it back in time to see her right after her surgery. He has a great story on his blog what happened on his journey to try and get back home.

Jada's surgery went well and they were able to fit it all back in on the first surgery. She has a homemade belly button which looks like a swirl and we say God made her a special swirly!

The first time I saw her I was overwhelmed with so many emotions, I just began to cry. I was so thankful that God took care of my baby girl and I knew I had to have faith that she was going to be okay. She had a long hard road ahead of her. We were in the NICU for 7 weeks. The hardest thing I ever had to do was leave her there at night. She had really good days and then had days we didn't know if she was going to make it. She would take a step forward and the next day step back 10 steps. What a trying time in our life. God taught me patience and gave me unbelievable strength through those times. God gave me a scripture during this time that I claim for her everyday. This scripture still brings me to tears. "My peace I leave you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." God is PEACE! God taught me so much and now I am able to talk with others that are going through a difficult time. God uses every circumstance for His glory.

Her only struggles now are with asthma, breathing treatments everyday, and we battle pneumonia every year. (From her having undeveloped lungs) I could not ask for a more beautiful healthy child! God is so good and has so blessed my husband and I more than I could ever imagine.

2008-05-13T06:11:00.000-07:00

GIVE AWAY

If you are here for mommyfest please read my intro a few posts down and feel free to comment on all upcoming posts and PLEASE keep coming back! I love ALL your comments!! My first giveaway this week is going to be a free print, of your choice, that has already been painted by a great Christian artist. I am an art representative for Cindy Gray. To be put in the drawing that will take place on Saturday, please click over on her name and go leave a comment on the post "Flowers for Mommy" and then leave me a comment to let me know you did and your e-mail address for shipping info. Have fun and enjoy!

Blessing and Miracles!

2008-05-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

The wedding this past weekend went great. My Jada was a great flower girl and continued to empty her basket even when she was reached the end of the aisle. She thought that ALL the flowers had to be thrown. My Sky Sky was the ring bearer and he walked down the aisle and went straight to his spot. He does not have a long attention span so he started to stomp on the rose petals and pull his socks up and down...over and over. He did stay completely quite through the entire wedding, but just couldn't keep still! At one point he closed his eyes, praising Jesus, and was swaying back and forth to the music. Then I saw several rows of people giggling, so I looked over and say my Sky with his head on the ground and his bottom in the air. As a mom, my heart began to race and I was nervous about what was about to happen. Yes, oh yes, he did a flip right in front of the bride and groom and his feet hit and banged on the steps in the front of the sanctuary. WOW is about all I can say! I love that little guy. My precious prince! He keeps me on my toes.

Tomorrow I am going to share a story that is very precious to me. I will be sharing the birth story of my daughter. She was 2lbs 13oz when she was born. She is truly a miracle from God. And watching her walk down the aisle as the flower girl was a blessing. God is always there to listen, comfort, provide strength, teach us...God answers prayers!

BLOG PARTY AND INTRO!

2008-05-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about the Mommyfest Blog party. It starts TODAY, May 12. If you haven't signed up just click on the link above and it will take you to where you need to go. This is great because I am a new blogger, and this is a way to meet other mommy bloggers! During this week I am going to be doing a few giveaways. So please keep coming to visit me.

A little intro about me and my family...
I have been married to my wonderful, loving husband for almost eight years. We have begun a new adventure together as a family. We are in the process of selling our home and moving 10 hours away from where we are now. My husband took a job at a church as the evangelism pastor...very exciting! We have two gorgeous children. Jada, our daughter, is in the first grade and Sky, our son, is 3. I am very blessed to be able to stay at home with my children. They truly are my joy!

On my blog I write stories about my children and will write about our new family adventure. Also how God is speaking to me and what he has laid upon my heart! Please come and visit. I love to read others comments, so please do not be shy about leaving a comment!! I am excited about meeting and making new blogging friends!!

Never Thought...

2008-05-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

I never thought a store owner would tell me to take my business somewhere else!! Today has been very humorous. Let me start by saying that last night on the way to church I realized I have not taken the kids wedding outfits to be ironed. I could NEVER iron them myself. It would be a disaster. If I attempted to iron them myself you would be looking at pictures of the burned dress...which would not have been good.

So this morning I called a few places to get the price of how much it would cost for them to be ironed. I found a place that quoted me $8.00 and it was close to where I live. So, I was on my way. When I got there I handed the lady the two outfits. She kept looking at them and told me it would be a little different than eight dollars. So I just stood and waited for her to tell me how much. She was on the computer for 10 minutes. No kidding, it was the longest 10 minutes ever because I was in a hurry, trying to get Sky to his haircut appointment. After waiting she handed me a receipt that said $15.00. Now I know that is not a big difference but I wanted to know why she went up seven dollars. So, with a smile, I asked her why and she kept telling me she was giving me the discount and it was cheaper than she normally would charge. I reminded her again the price she gave me on the phone. Then I asked to see the price sheet to better understand. She then wrote VOID on my ticket and said "You go somewhere else...you take somewhere else!" Well, as you can imagine I was very shocked and very tickled. I told her I would leave the close for her to do but wanted to see the price sheet. Again she said "You go somewhere else" and she walked away and left me standing there with my clothes in my hand and speechless.

It is totally something you would have seen on a Seinfeld episode. I couldn't stop laughing when I left. I told Sky we needed to pray for that lady. We made it to the haircut place and she did a GREAT job on Sky hair. Then we found another dry cleaners to take the wedding clothes. So everything was accomplished after all!!

It's Official

2008-05-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been like a whirlwind. My family, after praying the hardest we ever have, has made the decision to move. My husband accepted a call to a church. God has been working on our hearts this last year about going back into full time staff ministry. We are very excited. This will be an adventure for all of us. When we told Jada she was jumping up and down with joy because she thought she was going to be neighbors with Cinderella!

When we knew for sure we were going to accept we started to work and prepare the house for sale. My precious mom came up Tuesday and spent the night. I would have never got done without her help. She is always there for me! We painted and de-cluttered the house. My Sky Sky became very involved at one point. He grabbed a paint brush and said "Mommy I am a big helper. I want to paint too!" So, I let him paint a little in the closet.

Our agent then came out yesterday and we filled out all the paper work. She took pictures of the house and now it is official we have the sign in our yard!

Then last night we went to Jada's soccer game. She played great!! I am sad that soccer is almost over. It has been so much fun watching her out on the field and she enjoys playing so much. She only has two more games left before the season is over.

So, what is in store for today:
1. Contact a realtor
2. Get pre approved for home
3. Book flight to look for homes (anyone want to go!)
4. Try to continue to keep house clean
5. Go find an outfit for the wedding this weekend
6. Play catch up on my reading for bible study

I am off to start the adventure of this day!!

Plants or Weeds

2008-05-04T18:42:00.001-07:00

Today after church, while the kids were taking a nap, I decided to go out and work in the yard. It was such a beautiful day outside! I like to go out and work in the yard because it is such a peaceful time for me. It is a time where I am alone and can spend time with God. As I picked and pulled the weeds I began to pray. I prayed for my husband, my children, and our future. I thanked God for who He is and how He is so faithful to me and my family. I thanked God for giving me patience this last year as I waited on Gods direction for my family.

As I was pulling, picking, and praying a thought came to mind. I was really working on this one weed it would not come out. I tried to twist it and dig, but it was a really hard one to get out. Then I looked over at the flower plant that was right next to that weed. I thought am I a blooming plant or a weed. A lot of times in our life we are like weeds. We are stuck and are very hard to pluck or move. Sometimes when God tells us to move in one direction we want to stay planted and the longer we are there the harder it is for us to listen to God. On the other hand we can also be like the beautiful plant that grows. God waters and feeds us as we continue to grow spiritually. When we have blossomed and God asks us to move in another direction, if we are like the plant, we can be easily dug up and replanted.

I want to be in the center of Gods will and be obedient to His words. God is calling our family to pick up and be replanted! I know that God has planned every step for us. My prayer is to be totally dependent on Him and have faith that God is in control!

Dirt, Worms, and Skyler!

2008-04-30T13:36:00.001-07:00

My "Sky Sky" is ALL boy. Give him some dirt and a stick and he will have fun for hours. He loves to be outside. Today he went on one of his many adventures. He decided to go bug hunting. Sky ended up with 5 worms and 9 Rollie polie's! He made them a special mud house with grass, rocks, mud, sticks..the works. Then he decided they were dirty and needed to give them a bath...

He sweetly talked to the worm to inform it is was about to be dropped in the bucket of water for a bath!! He kept asking me if the worm was going to be okay in the water.

Bath time...

Was very happy the worm was all clean!

After he finished giving the worm a bath he kept asking a lot of questions. It is amazing what runs through your children's minds. He asked again if the worm was going to be okay after the bath. Then his big brown eyes looked up at me and said "Mommy, I am going to heaben someday." I could have just cried right then and there! I began to talk to him about heaven. He was full of questions. "Who is going to be there? Are you? Is daddy? Is sissy? God wants us to use every opportunity...like bathing a worm...to teach our children.

"Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. " Deuteronomy 11:19

It is all about the Shoes!!!

2008-04-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

Jada and Skyler are going to be in a wedding in a few weeks. They are both getting very excited. There cousin is getting married and they just adore her and her fiance. I am so thankful that my children have such great role models to look up to. They have always made them feel so special and have encouraged them in every way.

Skyler is going to be the ring bearer! He has tried on his outfit several times already and says he looks "handsome." At first when he found out what he was going to be doing in the wedding he said he was going to throw the pillow. Wow...I was a nervous mom! So, we have practiced walking with a pillow and keeping it in our hands. :) When he walks he does not stop smiling his really cheesy smile, which I love. We ordered his shoes online and received them in the mail today. Below in the picture you can tell he is proud of those shoes!

Jada is the flower girl. She loves to put her dress on and dance around and pretend she is throwing flowers. She was also very excited when she realized her new ballerina slippers came in the mail. She had been waiting several days for them. She said the shoes would complete her outfit. So she went to the box and started to open it and pulled out two other boxes. She found the box with her shoes in it and below is the picture of her reaction...

Jada knew that the shoes looked smaller than all her other shoes. But she was being optimistic and decided to put the shoes on anyway. Watching her reminded me of Cinderella. The part where the step sisters were trying on the glass slippers...where only the toes would squeeze in the slipper. I got so tickled and still do every time I think of her trying to squeeze that little bitty shoe on her foot.

Friends are a Blessing

2008-04-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

I just got home from bible study and wanted to write about how God has blessed me with great friends. This group has grown so close to my heart. We share our ups and down, we rejoice with one another and cry with one another. They love to put me on the spot (like my dearest friend Jill.) These ladies are encouraging and a breath of fresh air. Every Monday night for the past few years I come home so thankful for each and every one of them. I can not imagine not having all these ladies in my life. There is such a special bond between all of us, it is really hard to put into words. If you are not in a group I strongly encourage you to find one!

I never want to take for granted what God has blessed my life with, including my precious friends. We learned tonight that every thing we do throughout the day, big or small, has a purpose. There is a purpose we all meet every Monday night for the last few years. There is a purpose when we all struggle. There is a purpose when we share our time together and love one another. It is amazing to look back at the last few years at all of our lives and see the changes God has made. It is awesome to look back and see those struggles, hurts, rejoices, turn into the bigger plan and purpose that God had for our lives!

My friends are full of Gods love and we all enjoy sharing that love with others!! "You will find, as you look back upon your life, that the moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love." --Henry Drummond

My little soccer player

2008-04-26T12:36:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by tiffanyjohnson0.

Today Jada had her third soccer game. She loves soccer...now. A few weeks ago right before her very first game she prayed that a tornado would come so she wouldn't have to play. Needless to say I had one nervous little girl. I prayed so hard for her. As a mom, knowing that she was so nervous, it made me feel sick as well. She did get past the fear of the unknown and loves the game of soccer. During the game today she gave everything she had and would go right after that ball and steal it away from several boys. She is very aggressive on the field which surprised me. She did excellent today. For part of the game she was goalie. SHE STOPPED ONE BALL FROM GOING IN!! I was very proud of her. My favorite thing I like about this league is they focus on being a team and being on Gods team. They have to learn scriptures and learn that on Gods team we all have a different part to one body.

My prayer for Jada today is that when she goes through those fears in her life, as she grows older, that she will lean on the Lord. He will never leave us feeling like we are walking onto the playing field alone! He is always going to have our hand in His and guide as we make the move.

"You will keep my children in perfect peace whose minds are stayed on You, because they trust You." Isaiah 26:3

2008-04-25T10:21:00.001-07:00

The Journey Begins!!

family pic
Originally uploaded by tiffanyjohnson0

I am so excited to begin this journey of blogging! I am now an official blogger. My friends and family will be so proud. They have wanted me to start a blog for a while now. I started journaling again after Christmas and have been doing pretty good at keeping up. Blogging might be a little different for me...bare with me! I love to learn from others and learn lessons that God is teaching me. You will probably be hearing a lot of stories about how God is moving in our family right now. We are on the brink of making some huge decisions. It is very exciting to see God's hand at work in my family and others around us. God is a God of fine detail. That just amazes me. You will also read stories of my children. I have been blessed with a daughter Jada and son Skyler. They are precious, adventurous, and sometimes, yes they are mischievous! They keep me laughing. Again bare with me during the beginning of this journey. What a great thing it is to share your family stories, thoughts, and life experiences with others!!