My "Mentor" Mom....

 

She is pictured here with her dad in the background.  She spent Thanksgiving at her dads with all her kids and her kids kids.  When I think of her this is how I picture her though.  She loves with an unconditional love so deep that it's felt by all that know and love her.  Her name is Anne.  She's been a part of my life in some way, shape, or form since I was 8 years old.  She's influenced my life for the better in more ways than I could ever mention here.  God blessed me with her at a time in my life when I needed someone that would be a good influence in my life.  She has been for me what my parents were not capable of being for me.  They just didn't know how to be the kind of parent for me that Anne was for me.  God has such a special way of bringing the people into our lives that we really need just when we need them.  All these years later I still stay in contact with her.  My life is what it is today, in huge part, because of her influence in my life.  The love I know that she has for me and I have for her is the best of a mother/daughter type relationship.  I can only imagine how much more so her physical kids feel what I've felt in small part.  My life is so enriched and blessed.  Thank you Jesus for this special gift in my life that has remained all these years later.  You give the best gifts ever!!!  

How Do People Start Attending Church?

The answer is a simple one:

We have to invite them if we want them to learn about Jesus.  It's that simple.  No magic formula.  Just ASK!  That's all!  

How can we expect people to learn about Jesus if we don't invite them to church?  It's where I first learned about Jesus.  An elderly lady, Mrs. Chappell, asked my mom if she could take us kids to church on Sunday mornings.  Back in those days you could trust people like her to do what's best for your kids.  That's where my journey to Jesus began.  One kind, sweet, old lady, with such a wonderful heart for Jesus that she shared it with everyone that she ever came into contact with.  She was the most amazing woman I ever knew.  She loved Jesus and people so much that it just overflowed in her life.  It spilled over in huge quantities.  I know she's in heaven today with an enormous crown of jewels on her head.  Mine will not even come close to comparing to hers (not that we'll be comparing when we get to heaven anyways).  She was one of a kind.  There's not many like her that walk this earth today.  But if you have one like her in your life treasure them.  They don't come any better.  Believe me because I'm speaking from experience.  

Favorite Ornaments...

Our Christmas tree isn't a theme one.  It's a hodge podge of ornaments Tim's made or we have collected through the years.  I love being able to sit in my living room and enjoy looking at my Christmas tree every year.  I sit and think about Christmas's past with all of it's joy that Scot and I had as we watched Tim's face light up as he opened his gifts.  These days with his being 16 years old there's not as much excitement because it's hard to surprise a teenager with gifts when what they want is parts for a gaming computer...LOL! Stuff like that has to be thought through and carefully picked out with the advice of a computer gaming geek like our son who builds gaming computers for a living.  We always want to make sure that Tim is making the best decision and getting more bang for our buck...LOL! So suffice it to say that my joy comes from looking at the ornaments on the tree, especially the ones Tim made, and remembering Christmas past and all the fun memories we've had over the years.  Enjoying Christmas has a different meaning now and that's ok because there's always joy in sharing in the birth of our Savior Jesus and celebrating Him!  He is the real reason for the season and we have never forgotten that!  I pray you find lots of joy in this season as I do every year at this time.  God Bless You All!

No One Would Even Suspect...

No one would even suspect that Tim was ripped like this seeing how he dresses normally...LOL! His coach calls how he dresses his pump cover...LOL! It's a very true statement.  

I know which one I am. Do you?

 

Christmas Tree Is Up!

We finally got our Christmas tree up for the season.  We don't do a theme tree.  Ours is a hodge podge of ornaments either Tim has made or we have collected over the years.  It is the definition of a family tree and I so enjoy looking at every year once it's up.  This year though we will be having to keep a kitty out of it.  That should be tons of fun...LOL!   We have the kids Christmas done.  The little ones will have gifts but the big ones will get $$$.  It's easier that way because the older kids usually want things that cost a lot of money so if they collect money from everyone for Christmas then they can usually buy what it is that they really want.  

Thanksgiving...

 

I hope that everyone has had a fantastic Thanksgiving Day today!  Tim went to train earlier this morning and we've spent the rest of our day just relaxing at home.  We decided to do a different kind of Thanksgiving this year since it was just the 3 of us so we are having taco's for our meal this year.  Nothing traditional seeing as how cooking that much food is just a waste when it's just us.  

This year and every year I'm thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus, my family, my friends, my home, running water, electricity, clothes on back, food to eat, a car to drive, a bed to sleep, for our health and for God's Angels who are always keeping watch over us.  I'm thankful for God's hand on our lives guiding us to the future that He has for us.  Thank you Lord for another Thanksgiving and Thank you Lord for all that you do for us and for so many others.  In Jesus Name, Amen!

Wednesday Blessings...

 

It's the day before Thanksgiving.  I hope that everyone has a very blessed day tomorrow with their family and friends giving thanks to God for his many blessings in your lives.  My heart is always so very thankful for all that God has done in my life.  He's my all in all, my everything!  God Bless you all!

My Nephew...

My nephew, Tristan, is a High School Senior this year.  This is his senior photo:

He looks so much like my dad when he was his age although my dad didn't have as long of hair as he has.  Tristan is an amazing young man who can make such a great future for himself.  All he has to do is work hard to make it happen for himself.  He's so smart.  I would even go as far as to say brilliant.  He hasn't applied himself as he should in recent years to his studies to have the grades that I know he would be having if he put in the hard work.  When he really applies himself it amazes me the grades he's made and in advanced courses too.  He was in advanced classes in most all of his subjects leading into high school.  Even though he's let things go in his high school years I still believe so much in all that he can accomplish in this life by just applying himself and putting in the hard work.  

It was never my heart that he be raised as cheerless as me and my siblings were raised but it happened.  I so wanted to raise him when my sister couldn't but she wouldn't give up parental rights to him so my husband and I could.  His life right now would be in a whole other place if we had been given the chance to raise him like we have raised our son.  He would have had all the same opportunities afforded him that our son has had and his life would be in such a great place as he graduates and starts thinking about his future and what that will be.  

Tristan is so handsome.  He can be and accomplish anything that he wants in life.  It's my prayer that he finds his footing and figures out what it is that he really wants to do and that when he figures it out that we will be able to help him accomplish his goals to make a better life himself than the one that has been dealt to him.   

We don't have to be the product of a negative upbringing.  We can make better decisions that lead to a more promising future.  We can press forward to better days than what we've had.  We can determine within ourselves to have better lives and if we bring a baby into the world that we do better by that child than was done to us.  We can have a hope and a future that is way better than where we came from.  I'm living proof that having a better life can happen.  My son is living proof that I broke chains off my life that had me bound that he's never had to experience.  He has total support from his dad and I.  Tristan can have that too but he will have to do as I had to do and break chains that are binding him and make a future for himself that's better than what he's coming out of as his graduates and goes out into this world.  

I'm praying and hoping for the best for this young man. I'm praying and hoping that his uncle and I will be able to help him make a more positive future for himself when he's ready to put in the work and make positive changes in his life for a brighter future.  

Friends...

 

I have to say that God has blessed me with several friends that fit this bill.  They have been constants in my life.  I know that I can turn to them anytime for help no mater the time and they will be there for me.  Some of them I don't talk to a lot but I know they will be there for me as I will be there for them.  Some of them I talk to daily or a least one to two times a week.  

True friends are hard to find but when you have them hold them close.  Our truest friends aren't just friends to us but they are family.  True friends really know us worts and all and remain our friends.  True friends aren't just our friends when times are good but when the worst of times happen as well.  They stand by us through thick and then.  True friends don't use us for what they can get out of us but they give of themselves to us.  They pour into our lives and we pour into theirs.  True friends aren't fickle.  They have the wherewithal to hang in there with us no matter the circumstances that life throws our way.  I have a handful of friends that are my true friends.  I'm so grateful to God for them.  God has really blessed my life and I will forever be thankful to Him for the blessing of my friends in my life.  I love you my true friends and you all know who you are.  

(I know more often than not this blog is more pointed toward our son and all that he's been accomplishing in his young life.  We didn't do that just to center on him but to give our family and friends a place to see updates on him/us.  More recently I've made more posts to share my thoughts.  So no longer will it be just a place to see updates on us as a family but to share thoughts as well that our son can look back on in years to come that will hopefully be here for him to look upon for a long time to come.  Thoughts that will be uplifting for him that he can learn from as well as others who might read it too.)