Mending Fences...

 

Cattle farmers are always mending fences not because they want to but because it's necessary in order to keep their cattle on their lands.  Cattle bust through fences a lot but you can't expect them to mend what they've done.  It's laughable to think of them mending what they've broken.

Same is true of anyone in leadership positions as well.  If they have caused the problem you can't very well expect them to mend the problem because they don't see that they have done anything wrong in the first place.  

So this quote makes perfect since and one that we need to keep in mind when allowing folks to stay in positions of authority when we have the power to replace them and put someone into leadership that can mend things and make things better for us all.  Just a little food for thought.

Barabas...

 

This quote leaves us much to consider.  Barabbas was a criminal who deserved to be punished.  Jesus was not a criminal and didn't deserve what they did to him but alas we would not have had a path to heaven without his sacrifice so there's that.  

We are in a period of time in American history where the crowds are screaming free Barabbas and Crucifying the principals our country was founded on and putting them on the alter to be burned and in it's place comes greed, lust and pure evil of every kind imaginable similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah.  

I pray every day that blind eyes will receive their sight so that they can see the truth instead of believing the lies that are perpertrated on so many each and every day.  I pray for opportunity for the message of Jesus to be received.  For peoples lives to be turned to him so that this country can get back on track with God's plan and not our own.  After all God's plan is the best plan that any of us could follow because he's always got our best interest at heart as his sons and daughters.  

Paris 2024 Last Count...

The Closing Ceremonies today was much more tasteful and in line with tradition than the Opening Ceremonies were.  So enjoyed watching the closing and seeing the final medal count totals favoring USA.  I'm never more proud of my country than when the athletes participate at the Olympics and show just how great the USA really are.  I was also so very proud of the Weightlifting Olympians as well.  Bringing home Gold in that sport made history.  So very proud of our athletes/Olympians.

USA Weightlifting...

We are so proud of all of our Weightlifting Olympians.  We've been watching and cheering them on from home as they compete.  Whether they win a medal or not we are still so incredibly proud because they earned the title of Olympian and no one can take that away from them.

Hampton takes Bronze!  He was the first male to win an Olympic medal since 1984.

Jourdan landed in 5th!

Olivia takes Gold!!!  She beat the Olympic record in the Snatch.  She was the first woman to bring home a Gold medal since 2000 and the youngest Olympian to bring home Gold in weightlifting since 1956.

Wes finished 8th.

Mary finished 5th.

Sign of the Times...

It has been a way different Olympics this year.  They basically put on a 4 hour show for the opening ceremony.  In that show they mocked Christians by doing "the last super" scene in drag for the world to see.  So many Christians took to social media boycotting the Olympics.  I get their outrage over what was done.  I understand their making the stands they did and their righteous anger as well.  

I love the Lord with all my heart.  He is the center of my world and life.  I fully support making stands for what you believe.  Much of the world views the stands Christians make on a whole as hate.  That's where my heart has trouble with taking a stand verses trying to win souls for Christ.  It's such a thin line and one that many Christians can't seem to agree on.  I want those lost souls, that are so lost that they may not even realize how lost they truly are, to be won to the Kingdom.  I'm just not sure that I'm on the page of making stands that are seen as hate as a means to do that.  I'm not sure that boycotting watching the Olympics is the right answer to the problem either.  The Olympians have worked so hard to represent their country and most of them have worked for it for most of their lives.  I firmly feel that they deserve our support not our boycotting.

Then there's the issue of men being allowed to compete as women in sports.  There were two biological males that competed as women in boxing and one won gold and the other silver.  I don't see the fairness in the IOC allowing that to happen.  But our world as a whole is so messed up.  The extremes that are going on right now are insane.  We are looking more and more like Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible and if you are a Christian you know how that whole situation ended.  

Here's the deal though, I see so many confused young people today that have gone off the deep end with identifying as whatever floats their boat.  I see the masses just following the crowd just because they are followers not leaders.  I see them being led to the slaughter so to speak and it is so heart breaking to watch.  Most haven't ever had the opportunity to know real truth and be able to make a real decision that isn't influenced and wrought with so much evil.  I see the adults in their lives not even trying to help them see the error in what they are doing.  They are letting them be however they want to be and supporting it which makes them worse in some ways then the young people themselves who are so confused.  I remember a saying that was told to me years ago,

 "In the absence of genuine leadership people will listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone.  They want leadership.  They are so thirsty for it that they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage and when they discover there's no water they will drink the sand."

Basically, people want leadership so badly, they need someone to hold responsible when things go wrong, someone to turn to when things are too confusing for them to handle.  They need someone to represent what they stand for as a nation and when they don't get exactly what or who they hoped for, they just settle for the ones they have leading them.  They crawl through the desert toward a mirage and drink the sand because they don't have a choice.

That is what is happening in our world as a whole.  Most don't feel they have a choice at all.  They feel trapped and they just end up following the crowd because after all the biggest crowd must be the right crowd.  

I'm searching my heart constantly because I want my life to honor my Lord and Savior but I also don't want to see anyone spend an eternity in hell either.  These days we are living in are difficult ones but how we handle them as followers of Christ will be the difference maker.  I just want people to see how much they are genuinely loved.  I want them to feel God's love poured out on them so that they will come to a saving knowledge of Christ.  This generation needs us to pour God's love on them like no other generation before ever has needed.  I don't see us winning them until we love them in spite of how confused they are with the lives they are living.  I don't see us winning them while sending messages of hate wrapped up in a message that I'm a Christian and I'm making a stand all over our social media pages.  I don't see that opening doors to win souls.  I get the righteous anger but the world doesn't see righteous anger.  All they see is we hate them.   

All I truly know is that I want to see people won for Christ not turned away.  While I'm also angry about how they mocked my Lord in the opening ceremony I just can't in good conscience jump on the band wagon of turning people away from Christ either. 

The days are evil and getting more evil by the minute.  It's not like it's a surprise to those of us who know Christ.  We have to continue to let our light shine in the midst of all the evil that's going on in our world today.  If we all let our lights shine that light will illuminate so bright for everyone to see so that they can make decisions for Christ.  This is what I'm going to do until Jesus returns to take us home to be with him.  

Shoulder Injury...

Tim has been nursing a shoulder injury that occurred on July 25th.  On July 24th Tim did a 100kg complex.  It was the first time he had ever done that.  The next day he came to training and did a blocks below knee power snatch x2 and came out telling us that his shoulder was hurting.  He goes in Saturday to try to work out and just couldn't.  His shoulder was hurting so bad when he tried to lift that he was almost in tears.  He was incredibly frustrated and come Monday we asked the Chiropractor to work him in so that we could get him on the path to healing.  Today marks two weeks though and his still recovering.  It's been a hard time for him not being able to train.  He's been beyond frustrated because he was making so many gains and now he's in recovery mode.  When he goes back to training he will be easing back into it before his coach allows him to go full force again.  Plus his coach is going to do a lot of strength training as well to help that shoulder be stronger in hopes to avoid another mishap like this again.  

Let's be real though, it's been ingrained in Tim to push the envelope ever since he became an elite athlete by the coaches he's had over the years.  His coach in weightlifting though is definitely on the page of building up to things and taking recovery time when he needs it.  He's been so understanding while Tim is healing from this shoulder injury.  It's been such a great experience with this injury then the past injuries that Tim has had while doing the other sport he did with the coaches he's had.  His old coaches from the other sport would continue to push like crazy instead of taking recovery time.  They wanted him training even with an injury.  Such a different world with this sport he is doing now.  

Tim is still Tim though and he wants to be the absolute best that he can be in this sport and with that being said as soon as he can get back at 100% he will be pushing boundaries again towards being the best he can be.  He loves what he is doing and he holds his coach in high regard.  He will do whatever his coach tells him but his mind will continue to be about being the best he can be.  

We don't know where the sport of Olympic Weightlifting will take Tim but we do know he wants to give it his all and we are supporting him 100%.  

August 7th-11th Olympic Weightlifting - Go Team USA!

So looking forward to watching our Olympians lift.  It's going to be so much fun to see them represent our country in the Olympics.  Tim got a Team Hampton t-shirt to wear and he also got the sport trading cards of all of our olympians as well.  He has a poster signed by all of them too.  He really enjoyed getting to meet them at Nationals.  

The signed poster!

The trading cards - collectibles!

The Team USA Wave!!!

Tim wearing his Team Hamp shirt!

WSO Again...

Tim is looking forward to going to this Meet again in October.  Last year he was still in the beginning stages of learning this sports and while he's still basically a new comer in the sport he has come such a long ways.  We can't wait to see how he does this year at this Meet.  It's going to be some much fun and it's only around a two hour drive away too so he gets to sleep in his own bed before driving there for the day😊.

August 2nd Marked 1 Year...

It’s hard to believe Tim has been doing this for a year. I didn’t think it was possible for Tim to love another sport more than he loved TKD but he does. Olympic Weightlifting fits Tim like a glove. He’s always watching training and competition videos of it. Gaining any insight and edge that he can. His coach is great. Tim goes into training smiling and comes out of training smiling. He’s the happiest we’ve ever seen him and it really makes his dad and I so incredibly happy to see him so happy. He really loves what he is doing and wants to be the best he can possibly be. He has one more year as a Youth Lifter in this sport then in 2026 he will move to a Junior Lifter. We are looking forward to seeing all that he accomplishes in this sport. We are his biggest fans and cheerleaders .

Recently Found These Family Pic...

#20 is my Uncle Eddie

Uncle Eddie, Little Eddie (Grinkle) and Tina

Uncle Eddie and Grinkle

Uncle Eddie

Great Uncle Lewis and my Memaw Clara

My mom Mary aka Mouse

My Nanny (my Memaw Clara's mom)

In more recent years the value of family has really resonated with me.  A lot of my older family members have passed on.  My mom is the only living of her immediate family members.  It's the older family members though that hold a family together and keep us all connected.  More and more the family members that are left are kind just keeping to their immediate family members and us cousins and our kids rarely see one another unless there's a death in the family.  I can only imagine how hard it must be for my mom to be the last but you wouldn't know it because she never shows it.  All my life she's been such a strong woman, mostly because she's had to be. Life has never been easy for her but she's done the best she knew how.  I don't know what the future holds but I do know who holds the future and that is a great bit of information to know.  I will continue to trust in the Lord as we continue to move forward in life making the most of the moments we have with those we love.  I'm so thankful for all the photos that we get to have to remember those who have passed on with.  The memories we make are treasured always.