Slamming Chunks!

Does that gross you out? Imagine the chunks that are slammed are all over you....
Lauren complained that her neck hurt yesterday. I wasn't too concerned because she was not running a fever and was acting fine. However, at 4 a.m. this morning she crawled into our bed and was burning up. I dosed her with some acetaminophen and kept her close. This morning she was saying her neck hurt again. So I didn't hesitate to call her doctor. I got her in this morning. While we were in the waiting room, she started moaning and before I could do anything, she was puking all over me. I always pack a changed of clothes for the girls and put it in the diaper bag. Note to mothers with sick children......pack some for yourself, too. That was the most uncomfortable feeling. It turned cold rather quickly and stayed wet until I was able to get home and change. Lauren is doing fine. She still has a fever, but she seems to be feeling better. At least we ruled out meningitis. That's what had me concerned.
I'm a worrier when my children are ill. I'm sure I'm not alone in this, mothers. Last year, Lauren had a febrile seizure. It was the single most frightening experience of my life. I know there are parents out there who would probably say, "Oh, that's no big deal." However, for us, we had no idea what was happening to her. One minute she is taking a sip of juice, the next she is arched over the seat of the shopping cart. She's not breathing. Her lips are purple and her eyes are rolled in the back of her head. We cannot get her to respond. Did I mention we are in the middle of a rather empty Publix parking lot and our cell phone isn't getting good service? I did what any crazed mother would do, I started screaming at the top of my lungs for help. Eric was holding her, talking to her. Her eyes were totally vacant. I had never heard of young children doing this when a fever spikes too quickly. I thought I had just lost my child. She started breathing again, but there was nothing there. She was gone and so was I..... I don't know if you are ever fully prepared to lose your children, but that occurrence gave me a taste of what other parents have unfortunately experienced. The ambulance got there, not very quickly, however. I climbed into the back with her and I heard the most beautiful sound. Crying. It's a sign of life. She was terrified, but she was alert. Her temperature, at that moment, was 104.7. I have recognized this as just another reason to believe in God. To think that our bodies are designed to flip a switch when our temperature goes too high, too fast. How can some not see our Beautiful, Awesome, Wonderful Creator in things like this. The doctors never did find out what was wrong with Lauren, but I have never fallen to my knees faster to plead with my Heavenly Father to spare her. Why can't I do this in the simple, everyday, mundane things? He's interested in that stuff just as much as a crisis. He wants to be intimately involved in our lives every moment of everyday.
Well, this blog took a turn I didn't expect. I pray this story will, somehow, speak to someones heart. Jesus will continue to knock on your heart until you breathe your last breath. Won't you let Him come in?

Beach Blast 2007

Ergun Caner was nothing like I imagined. I pictured a guy in a suit. Very professor-ish. Not.....at....all! Try jeans, black shirt with a wrestler on it, and racing stripes in his goatee!!! It was awesome! I have such a respect for his teaching and his attitude toward reaching the lost. As Christians, we tend to surround ourselves with other believers. Why? Didn't Jesus command us to "GO" (Matthew 28:19)? It's sad that we think we are growing in our walk with Him just by going to church 3 times a week. I'm not saying we should abandon meeting together. No, we need that. However, why aren't we telling our waitress, our cashier, the person at the next gas pump (you get the point?) about how to have an eternal, restored fellowship with our Savior? We have the cure to moral cancer, but we don't say anything. Dr. Caner shared where he spends a lot of his time. "Hostile environments" is the way he put it, I think. The Christian Coffeehouse is not where you will win the most souls. Try Hot Topic or the Hemp Factory. Paul said, "To the Jew I became a Jew" (1 Corinthians 9:20). Doesn't that mean we need to spend time where they spend time? We draw nearer, everyday, to the return of Christ. Do you really want to see those you love or even don't love spend eternity in Hell? I don't. Romans 12:1 says that we should offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is our reasonable service. Reasonable? Yes! It's the least we can do for someone who died in our place! He took the punishment we deserve. Can't we at least spread the GOOD NEWS! I don't think it's too much to ask. I encourage you to listen to Ergun Caner on YouTube. His testimony is in 3 parts, but it's worth the watch, I promise you. I pray I won't give up on those I love and don't love. Eternity is a long time.............forever, actually.....................Melissa

Awesome Trip!!!

Wow, what a great time we had at Beach Blast. Big Daddy Weave and Ergun Caner were incredible vessels!!! God was glorified! I have such an admiration for "REAL" Christian people. Do you know what I mean. There are the church going folks, who are equally in need of Jesus's redemption, and there are those who love Jesus and they smell like it!!! At camp, we called it the "Jesus Axe". How do you smell?

We are living in a lost and dying world. You would be astonished by the number of people who would not even give us the time of day. That's just a small sampling of the staggering amount of unsaved people that live in this world. Are you having an impact? I pray you are and if you're not, what are you waiting for?

Off To Beach Blast!

And we're off! I am leaving today for the weekend. I'm taking our youth group to a student evangelism conference. Big Daddy Weave is going to be leading worship and Ergun Caner is the keynote speaker! I'm so excited. I will post all about it when I return on Sunday. God is good!!!

See More Info

"Six Degrees of Martina McBride"

I'm so excited. On Monday, July 30 at 9:p.m. est, a friend of ours from ND is going to be on a 2-hour special! It's called "Six Degrees of Martina McBride". His name is Mark Jaspers and he is so awesome!!! I can't wait to watch. Mark, if you're reading this, WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

No Van, No Problem

It's okay. We're fine. We have just decided to wait and find the right van. We were being too hasty in our decision to buy. We want to do God's will and I know He will honor our decision. We know the right vehicle is out there.
So, I am my usual "second-guessing" self. I feel bad for our car salesman. He had no idea what he was in for when he asked, "Can I help you?" Sorry Gil. We did not mean to lead you on. When it's all said and done, our family is top priority.
If you read this, we would appreciate your prayers. I know, to some, it may seem like an insignificant thing to pray for, but God is interested in all the details of our lives. I love that about Him. He know the number of hairs I have on my head! Of course He's concerned with what kind of car we drive and pay for. Philippians 4:6

No Montana, Yes Freestar......we think

Just to give an update, we will not be purchasing the Pontiac. After further review, we've decided to purchase the Ford Freestar. We wanted a Ford to begin with. That is what we have been looking at all along and we had a momentary lapse of reason. You know how that can be. I'm just glad it's not too late. We looked at the safety record of the Montana and it was POOR!!! It wasn't even just fair, it was poor. I don't care what kind of DVD, MP3, yadayadayada, it has. I would rather my kids bicker and scream and get run off the road by me, than to be watching Nemo in the van and never make it home. Does that make sense? I was trying to be clever, but I'm not sure it worked.

I'm ready to be done looking at vans. Please pray for discernment. We need it. We have asked God to show us His will and we know if we are looking for it, we will find it. Thanks, in advance......Melissa

Honk, Honk, Beep, Beep!

Well, it appears as though we may have found a vehicle. We will let you know when we get it. It's a white Pontiac Montana 2004, minivan. When we test drove it, the sticker said it had 41,000 miles on it. Then we took it for a test drive........and Eric noticed the odometer reading 25,477 miles! They noted the mileage in kilometers instead of miles!!! So, we are getting a great deal on our van. We have been praying for God to provide something reliable that we can afford. We've been looking for well over a year and finally, we found something that's everything we need and want. Thank you for your prayers.

We're All In This Together........

I don't know what to post, but I feel like I have to. I am going through blogger's burnout, I think.
Emily has been sick. She has been throwing up and running a fever since yesterday. We had planned to go out and look at minivans today, but that window of opportunity quickly shut. I don't want to be out with a sick child.

I'm so ready to drive a bigger vehicle. My kids need to be able to stretch. I need to be a happier driver. There are few things more stressful than screaming, fighting children in the car. I have felt like running off the road many a time. Can I get a witness? I owe so many apologies to my mother for arguments in the car with my siblings. Mom, can you forgive and forget? I know she is smiling while she is reading this.

We are going to head out on Monday, hopefully, to try to sell our Grand Marquis. We are praying for God's wisdom and guidance. We want to pay off our truck so we can have only one car payment. We'll see. I will keep you all posted.

We had another great service today. God is so good, all the time.

We are planning a High School Musical 2 premiere party at our house on August 17, Friday. I'm so excited about it. We are inviting all students in elementary and middle school. We are going to serve Nachos (spilled on Sharpie Evans in the first movie), Apple Pan dowdy (see the movie and you'll know why), and maybe even Creme Brulee (see the movie). It's going to be so much fun.

Well, I need to get my kids to bed. Talk later.

INNOCENT.......!?!

Does this look like the face of a murderer? This is a victim, here. We are trying to preserve her innocence as much as we can. She has no modesty. Of course, most women, after giving birth, throw that right out the window..........you mothers know what I mean.

1 Bubble, 2 Bubbles

We had fun tonight. The kids blew bubbles outside. We played "Red Light, Green Light." Joey, our mama kitty, tried to ambush the kids. It was so funny. She would hide under some branches and jump out at them when they were coming toward me. You would never know she just lost 3 kittens. Well, I'm off to bed.

GOD IS REAL!

Okay, I'm not much of an insect girl. I know I have already shared my love for the great outdoors. However, today Eric pointed out a moth that was so cool and I just had to share it with you. When I look at things like this, I wonder how anyone can say there is no God. The intricacies of creation, alone, tell me something higher and greater than me spoke things into being. Think of your eye. Do you know how involved the human eye is? It's truly AMAZING (see my earlier post). Human life is just one form of creation. We are the most treasured to God, but there are so many other creatures on this planet. How can people say we just came from a big bang? All creation is screaming to humanity, BELIEVE (Romans 1:20)! Do you? If you have a Bible, please take time to seek God. I promise you will find Him (Luke 11:10).

...............sought and found, Melissa

Amazing God!

God is always teaching me new things. I have been a Christian for almost 20 years. Wow, has it really been that long? That just doesn't seem possible. What seems more impossible is the longer I'm a Christian, the less I realize I really know about God. He is "indescribable, uncontainable. He placed the stars in the sky and He knows my name"(words from "Indescribable", by Chris Tomlin). He truly is an Amazing God!

We had a business meeting at church last night. For those of you who have been a part of any church congregation, you know how these meetings can be. Our "family updates" are nothing short of enjoyable. I pray they continue to be this way. We have a body of believers who truly desire to "remain at peace with one another (Romans 12:18). I am so thankful for this truth.

Pray for my children, however. They are working hard on me today. Lauren has been whiny from the moment she woke up and I had to put her down for an early nap. I didn't want to completely lose it with her. It's AMAZING how much I knew about parenting before I had children. Now that they are in my midst, I know nada!!! How does that happen?

BTW, our kittens died. They hung on for a couple of days, but we think a tomcat got to them. It was really disappointing. I guess we will get Joey fixed and bring her in. I don't want her to get pregnant again. I think she is still such a young kitty, herself.

Please be in prayer for our youth. We will be heading to Daytona next weekend for Beach Blast. This is a youth evangelism conference where the students will train for beach evangelism. Ergun Caner will be the keynote speaker. He is a former Muslim and his testimony is nothing short of incredible! Click on his name to learn more about him.

Until later....................Melissa

No Change......

I am not discouraged about my weight. I'm actually very surprised I did not gain above my original weight. My weight kind of hovers around where I am right now. I check it periodically, during the week. Two days ago, I was 210 and now I'm back where I started. No biggie....
At least, Weight Watchers doesn't have my money.

Not much to write about.....

I continue to try and stay on track with the Lord. I lost my patience a little more today than I did yesterday. I just continually keep having to bring it to the Christ. He is my sustainer.
I read the most awesome story from Beth Moore the other day and it made me realize I have a purpose to serve for Christ no matter where I go. The story is too long to copy and paste here, but if you want me to forward it to you just email me and I will get it right out to you.
I'm really getting tired and I need to go to bed.
Becky, if you're reading this......."Tonight, I........" Haha....You need to get myspace IM girl...
Until Later.....Melissa
BTW......Weigh Wednesday is not going to be pretty tomorrow...................................

Long, But Worth The Read

I love this new thing Robin showed me. I can have my own playlist on my blog. I have been adding songs for the past 2 hours. It's crazy. I'm sure for all you internet savvy folks, this is old news, but I'm so excited! I love music. It's definitely one of my passions. I believe it's where the Lord truly wants me to focus my talents for Him. I love it when the Lord leads, because He always shows you what step to take. When we are out of fellowship, that's when it becomes difficult to know what He desires. I am praying specifically that God would give me a stronger desire to obey Him. It's all about Him, anyway.
I am praising Him tonight for my patience with my children. I really tried to praise them when they obeyed. I have an easy time letting them know when they do the wrong thing, but it's hard for me to always recognize all the good things they do. I find, I enjoy them more when I praise them for making good decisions. It's helping me to be a better mom. I am just praying every day that I will accept whatever God brings my way. How we respond to our circumstances reveals what we believe about God. I know I don't believe Him for enough. I'm working on that through His strength.
I have a praise, I didn't spend a whole lot of time watching TV. I did spend a little too much time on the computer. I took time for the Lord, but not enough. I am learning to be still before Him. That's difficult for me. I have a short attention span. Ask my husband.
I am just so thankful that Christ saved me. Has He saved you? I pray that He has. If not, why not get right with God, now? First, you must admit that you have messed up in life. This separates us from the perfect, Holy God. God, however, provided a way to restore the relationship that we destroyed. Jesus Christ. He came to earth, lived a sinless life, and then He offered His life to take our place in death. We deserved death, but He died instead. He took our punishment, so we wouldn't have to be punished for our sin. Thank God, Jesus didn't stay dead, though. He conquered death. That's something we could never do on our own. He rose again, to show He is God, in human form. Then He went to Heaven, fully alive!!! It's hard for us to comprehend that! It's something only God could do. He has given us the privelege of receiving forgiveness for our shortcomings. This can only be done by first admitting we have them. We need to recognize we haven't lived a perfect life. Once we do this, we can take on Christ's forgiveness and be FREE!!! God's Word says, "If the SON has set you free, you are FREE Indeed!" (John 8:36). I pray you will take this step today. The bible tells us in 1 John 5:12,"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." If we do not receive Christ forgiveness we are destined to spend eternity separated from Him. This is not what He desires for us. He desires that "no one should perish."(2 Peter 3:9). Eternal separation from God is Hell. It is a real place of torment. It was not meant for us. It was meant for Satan and his demons. God wants to restore His relationship with you, but the only way is to "clothe yourself in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 3:27). I can't be shy about my faith anymore. It reveals my lack of belief! I pray that someone will read this and his/her life will be changed eternally. I heard, last week, that in God's eyes, our lives up until this very moment are forever written in pen--unerasable. Our future, however, is written in pencil--easy to erase and correct. What does your future look like? Are you destined for Heaven or Hell? I pray it's the former and not the latter...........I love you, Melissa

Memories From Camp

God is Good......

Wow, what an annointed service we had at church today. We truly met with the Lord. I know, I know, this should be happening every Sunday, but let's be real folks, it don't always happen. I can usually take something from any church service I attend, but today was different. There was such a unity in the body today. Our students testified about camp and at the end of the service, just like every Sunday, Eric gave an invitation. We had so many of our church members come forward, there was barely any room left to stand. It was awesome. Most people just needed prayer, but one of our students is feeling God's call on his life to enter the ministry. He gave a challenge to our adults today that I think really got some people stirring!!! He challenged the adults to step forward and serve the Lord. God spoke through Kyle today. He spoke through everyone today. I love Jesus and I know camp just ended and we are all excited, but it is my prayer to remain STEADFAST!!!! I gotta give props to Jeff Stockdale for that one. He is the youth pastor in Starke, FL and they have a truly wonderful student ministry going on over there. I hope they don't mind if we take notes.
My flesh is crawling, at times, to return to the worldly things that so easily entangle me, but I just keep praying the Lord will make me aware so that I will rebuke the temptations. I know I can do all things through Christ. It's Him anyway, not me.
Kayla, Kyle's sister, said to me today, "I'm so proud of Kyle." I said, "It's not Kyle, it Jesus. He's speaking through him." He is the one in us that is good. There is nothing naturally good in us. I love that Jesus is the one who brings out the good!!!
We are going to be in Daytona in a couple of weeks. Please pray for our students to prepare their hearts for a move of God.
We need to bust the church doors wide open and get out into Bardin and share because we love Jesus. That's what should motivate us. I really believe, if we don't tell others about Him we don't really love Him. Can I say that? It's true. We talk about the things we love. We talk about the things we like. Do we talk about Jesus, then? What are we afraid of? Rejection? What about the rejection of souls when they reach the end of this life? Are we afraid of that? We should be. I heard this week, there are only 3 things that are eterenal: God, The Word of God, and the souls of men. The extent to which you are involved in these 3 things now is the extent you will be involved in eternity. How well do you know God? How well do you know the Word of God? How's your soul winning? Mine is not good. I have to ask myself, do I really know God or His Word? If I did, I would be doing a lot more soul winning. Did you know that you can be child of God, without being a servant? Jesus didn't come to be served but to serve. If we are going to be one of His children, then we should be serving.
Thank you Lord, and I pray for Your help as I look to serve You each and every day of my life.
Love you all............Melissa

We're Baaaack!

We got home tonight and I wanted to make a quick entry. K? Bye........


I will write more tomorrow when I'm not so tired. Night..........Melissa

No tears in Heaven

I am about in the verge of tears right now as I sit here and type this. The message we just heard was on Heaven and it was really powerful. I don't have time to go into all the details right now, but I will later.
What I wanted to share is about a boy, Chris, who just voluntarily shared some heartbreaking information with me about his home life. He told me he wants to share Jesus with his dad, but everytime he tries to have a conversation with him, his dad is watching reruns on TV and if he interrupts him, his father turns up the volume on the TV. It absolutely broke my heart to hear this from such a quiet boy. He's about 13 or 14. Please pray for him. I will write more later when I get a chance........Melissa

Don't Ride the Rollercoaster

Hey everyone.....We are having a blast at camp. Our kids are so excited. They are floating right now. I have already warned them about the danger of getting too emotionally revved up. A lot of times, when you have this type of experience, you are on the mountain top when you leave camp and then you arrive home. At first, you are ready to tell the world about Jesus and then comes the rejection. It's a steady downward slide into the valley. I have told our students over and over to not be greatly moved by any one Christian experience. We need to remain steady in our commitment to Christ. It's all too easy to allow ourselves to become emotionally high when we are in the camp bubble. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we shouldn't be excited about Jesus. I just believe that if our faith is going to be genuine, steadfast, and commited to the cause of Christ, we need to ask God to help us stay in a place where our relationship with Him is one of do or die. Our kids, without a doubt, have been changed this week. I am looking forward to what God is going to do through them. Until later...........Melissa

Who Turned The Heat Up???

We are having an awesome week. One of our students is feeling a call to ministry. It is awesome to see students with God's vision for their lives.
I'm having a hard time not being a fatty this week. The food here is really yummy and I'm eating a lot! Hopefully I will burn it off at REC!!!!! It's hot out there.
I will write more later........Melissa

What is Blue 1, you ask?

I guess I should explain what Blue 1 is exactly. We have the students separated by grades. I am in the incoming freshman and sophmore school. We call ourselves Blue 1 School. It's been so much fun. It was so hot today!!!!!!! Rec time is my least favorite part of camp! My students from PBC aren't really enjoying this part..........I can't wait for free time. We really don't have very much of that. I will write more later.

Blue 1 Rules!!!

Well, I'm at camp and we are having a great time, so far. I really miss the kids. They are staying at my in-laws. I hope they don't give them too much trouble.

We arrived at Lake Yale yesterday and got settled in. I have never stayed at a camp where you have a TV in your room! This is like staying at a hotel. Eric and I are staying together, so that's nice. We haven't seen each other since we've been here. We are in different age groups. The students arrive today around 1 p.m. They have no idea what to expect! It's going to be awesome!!!!

7/10 Tuesday.......The students are having a great time. We can't wait to see what God has in store this week. I will write more later when I have more time.

Lots to Blog

Boy, do I have a lot to blog today. Yesterday we went on my dad's boat on the St. John's River. We had a wonderful time. The weather could've been better, but we made the best of it.

Today we packing to leave for camp. Eric and I are going to be helping out at a youth camp this next week. Please pray for us...........177 youth and staff! It will be fun. We are really looking forward to going and serving. Our children get to spend the week with their grandparents. Pray for my in-laws! My mother-in-law already watches my nephew during the week. We'll see what she's made of, huh!

Our outside kitty is a mommy! She has given birth to 2 kittens already, and we don't know if there will be any more, yet.........She is such a sweet cat and we are hoping her kittens are equally friendly. The 2 she has had are white just like her. Here are some pics to look at. Pardon if they gross you out.

I guess I didn't have as much to blog as I thought. This may be the last time you hear from me for a little while. We will be home next Saturday........until then.....Melissa

Rain and Fire.....Don't Mix

We had a nice 4th of July. We spent the morning preparing for my dad and step-mom to come up for a visit. We are spending a few days with them here. Today we will be going out on the boat, if the weather holds.


I feel very bad for Eric. He had a great plan for our church for Independence Day. We were going to meet at the riverfront, cook hot dogs, share Jesus with others, and sing. It didn't work out. The rain kept us from meeting. The event had such great merit, but for whatever reason it wasn't meant to be. So, we hung out at home with my Dad and Wendy and debated politics and such. That convo didn't last long, since I hate debating.


Finally, we decided to attempt going to see the "bombs bursting in air". The show went on! We saw a great display! The kids kept those around us entertained with their "oohs, aahs, and WOWs!"


I'm looking forward to today. We will be going out on the boat on the St. Johns River. The kids are so excited.


I will share this experience when we return...................Melissa

Woe Is Me....

Well, I only lost a pound! I checked my weight 2 days ago and I was down 2 pounds, but I ate Sonny's Pulled Pork with fries yesterday. I know I'm retaining water from that. At least, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

I am not in despair, however. I am taking this journey one day at a time and that's that! I haven't started exercising yet. Blogging is taking up too much of my time. I bought a "Dancing With The Stars" workout DVD.....where did I put that?

"Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a (wo)man of unclean lips." (Isaiah 6:5). My title describes my spiritual condition more that my physical. God has been dealing with me lately on my temper. Yesterday was a rough day. I had to deal with a customer service rep from a certain Satellite TV company and I lost it. My devotion from "My Utmost For His Highest," said it all. The following is a direct quote from Oswald Chambers. "A person will easily say, "Oh yes, I know I am a sinner," but when he comes into the presence of God he cannot get away with such a broad and indefinite statement. Our conviction is focused on our specific sin, and we realize, as Isaiah did, what we really are. This is always the sign that a person is in the presence of God. There is never any vague sense of sin, but a focusing on the concentration of sin in some specific, personal area of life. God begins by convicting us of the very thing to which His Spirit has directed our mind’s attention."
This spoke very clearly to me. I am in a rut of sin. It's a habitual cycle that just keeps going 'round and 'round. I feel undone by my sin. It hinders so many of the blessings of ministry and life in general. I'm not, by any means, saying I have to be perfect. There is no such thing in the human life. I am, however, talking about straining towards the goal, constantly. Yeah, I can do that. "I can do all things through Christ" (Phil. 4 :13). I can lose weight. I can stop swearing and losing my temper. I can love my husband and children more. It doesn't say "some things", it says "all things." To God be the glory! Pressing on....................Melissa

The Great Chicken Roundup

What more can I say? It's done. Our chickens are finally in their permanent home away from the doggies. It was quite the event tonight. We had our entire family in the backyard for the "ceremony". Michael did very well. The pictures speak for themselves. He is an official farmboy! He even carried them properly!!! I'm so proud of him.

Yummy Salad

This is my tribute to Hopkins Eatery!
It's called Tuna Tettrazini Salad....Soooo Good!

Computer Potato

I'm blogging and I can't stop! My house is a mess, my kids have been watching Spongebob for about 4 hours, and my dad is coming on Wednesday but I haven't even started cleaning. Isn't blogging great! It's so fabulous for my, already, flat butt to sit on a hard chair all day and edit my site. There I just sat up to avoid any further flattening!

I keep changing my layout to make it even more perfect. It's almost there, for now. I wish the kitchen was closer. And the bathroom..........Is that lazy? Wings sound really ummdiddlyscrumptuous right now...........I'll settle for something healthy. Only 2 more days 'til weigh in.

T.G.I.R. (Thank Goodness It's Raining)

It's raining, it's pouring, the fat girl is blogging......... I love rainy days. I don't know if it's because I'm an indoor girl and I have an excuse to be inside and be lazy. Or is it that my kids seem to sleep longer when it's darker out. I just love the sound of rain coming down and how clean everything feels when you walk outside afterward.

My new colors are in commemoration of this special day of rain. Doesn't it just look kind of rainy and comfortingly gloomy on my page? I really like the look of it.

Well, my mom was here for a visit this weekend. We went to see Ratatouille yesterday. In my review, I would say, Ratapooey! I don't think I even laughed 3 times throughout the entire film. It was a big disappointment. The previews before the flop looked interesting, though.

I love to hear my husband preach. He makes me so proud to be his wife when I get to listen to him teach the Word of God. Today he talk about our freedom in Christ and how it parallels our freedom in America. One of the biggest differences is our freedom in America can be snatched out from under us at any time. My freedom in Christ is secure!!! Thank you Jesus!!! I am so thankful for the wonderful husband God has given me. He loves Jesus and he takes care of our family. I know that's not something all women can claim about their spouses. God has been so good to me.

Our youth went on a scavenger hunt on Friday. Here are some pics from our awesome excursion. We had a blast!!! .......Melissa