A Different Kind of Post.....

from Google images....

Hi Blogger Pals:

Can I share a few of my own pet peeves with you, and then I'll tell you what I'm thankful for right now.

Pet Peeve;

1. Judgement from non- expressive people about people who freely express emotions. Whatever the emotion may be. Warnning advice from a Non Parent.... Please encouurage your children to express emotions, such as anger, hurt, disappointment, Joy. Allow them to see you expressing such emotions whenever possible. Let them know that tears are okay and nothing to be ashamed of don't jut say it, but convey it....

I'm thankful that God's word id ever so timely... I'm thankful for downtime. I'm thankful to have a family that at the end of the day can lay everything else aside, and pull together in a crisis. I'm thankful good times out way trials and that in heaven all that is wrong will be made right......

Praise Reports!

Hi Bloggers:

I have missed being in the blogging area lately. I have a new computer tower, Praise the Lord. It is still like starting over though, because I do not currently have Microsoft or Excel the two primary programs I use for my volunteer work and other projects, but hopefully I can buy those soon, since we have been unable to find the original software package to reinstall it. Honestly, I know I'm a spoiled brat, when I say this, but I've been around computer since I was five years old, and cannot fathom life without access to a computer long term. I know how selfish that is, but the computer allows me do so many things I could not do otherwise. I hope to catch up on your blogs this week. I have been promoting Sanctity of Human Life Sunday at church last week and this week. Just between me and the whole blogging world, I am prayerfully considering stepping down as church liaison in the near future. Of the volunteering I do at my local PRC Liaison is the one I feel most inadequate for. I will not make any rash decisions though.
Also for those of you, who have been praying for my friend Sandra, I want to let you know that God has answered our prayers. She has been able to get long term disability without an appeal! My Mom went for blood work yesterday, and all her blood counts were low, but not dangerously so. It is a result of all the radiation she has undergone. Otherwise she is doing well, Please pray for my" former Annalist" Linda who lost her second husband last weekend unexpectedly. This is the second time she faced with being a widow.

I have started the Beth More Bible study Esther. with one of the ladies minintries here in town, and I have to leave my house in 5 minutes for that. Just wanted to drop by...

computer no More!

Hello,

I know that in light of all that is happening in the world right now, this is trivial, but just wanted to let you know my computer tower bit the dust. I'm on a borrowed laptop, don't know when I can blog again. THANKS!

CNSNews.com - Pro-Life Advocates Plan to Protest Opening of Largest Abortion Clinic in U.S.

CNSNews.com - Pro-Life Advocates Plan to Protest Opening of Largest Abortion Clinic in U.S.

Posted using ShareThis

Take Me Higher!

Hi

Hope you all are enjoying a nice beginning to 2010. As you can tell, our family has had a lovely Christmas break. I kinda dread getting back into the swing of things. I have had a total break from home health drama, and it has been glorious... Speaking of glorious, It has been worderful getting extra time at the feet of Jesus, and enjoying true friends. I am so blessed that my family is healthy. It such a blessed way to start the new year. Many people I know, are battling pain and suffering right now, and it is my honor to take others to the Father in prayer, as so many people have done for my family. If you would like to pray for some of these requests with me, I'll post a list.
1. My friend Sandra was laid off from work on December 30Th, while on short term disability from surgery.
2. A fellow blogger friend lost her brother this week to cancer.
3. Jennifer's friend Lisa is dealing with recovery from a brain injury from a serious car wreck. It happened while on the mission field in Thailand as I understand it she has come a long way, but not been able to return to USA.
4. Blogger friend Glenda in need of prayer.
5. Sandra's friend Nancy just recently found out she has cancer, undergoing chemo.
6. Friends with strained marriages.
7. Local mom killed by drunk driver, leaves behind husband, children, age 9 and 11.
Those are only a few. Thanks!

I think there was a song by Creed called "Take me Higher in the 90's. I remember it well, but not totally sure I have the title correct. In 2010, I want to be taken to the higher things. I don't have a to do list like some, but I do have a theme. I am calling "Take me Higher. I also have a theme verse. Col 3:2. "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." What does this mean? I'm still discovering that, and likely will be for the rest of my life. Does it mean, I have to wear Jesus freak shirts every day, I hope not, because I got some really cool clothes for Christmas I'm itching to wear. Simply put, my hope and desire is to view life and the world more like Jesus. I know I will fail daily, and I'm becoming more and more okay with that. Just because I will fail, does not mean I should not rely on the Holy Spirit for help, to be "taken to the higher things in Christ." Teach me Lord, how think, so that I might reach for the higher things found only in you! I'm really liking this thing called grace!

Sometimes pictures speak louder than words!

This is why we Celebrate...

Cousins Jocelyn & Brady... Ages 4 & 3

Mumzie

Bill & Mandy's youngest, Jackson 8 months...

Mom & me!

My brother & my mom

Bill & Mandy's Oldest son Brady 3

My Girl Jocelyn... She came into our family through Bethany Christian Services by God's grace.

Jocelyn's Mommy & daddy.

My brother's new TV from Santa

My Satnta stuff!

Christmas Eve @ our house we went to a Christmas Eve service at another church here in town

My 2 best friends came over who happen to be twins... Jennifer & Michelle. This is Michelle's 16 Month old Alex with Macy!

How Amazing!

How Amazing
By: T.J. Ellis
December 24, 2009
©
How amazing that the Eternal One came in human flesh
He made the stars and the heavens in all of its glory.
He gave life by his Holy Breath!
None compare with The Everlasting God above
He is Powerful and Mighty
He is righteous and true
He is Love.
He came to forgive me and you.
He is Pure
He is Light
He is the star, shining brightly in the night.
He came in the flesh as a baby, such a glorious gift for all of mankind.
What an awesome sight that must have been.
The Savior arrived for humanity to witness.
The angels announced the Savior’s coming upon the earth.
The Shepherds marveled with wonder at their words.
Peace itself rests in Mary’s arms.
The hope of sinners has come!
History was made as that baby grew into a man, and died upon a cross to save.
Rising from the grave,
The chains of bondage have fallen away.
All because Jesus came with love so great!

Esther: Called to Pray · Max Lucado

Esther: Called to Pray · Max Lucado

The Gift of Gifts, and a few others...

Google Images.... Read post for info

The Howell Family

Hi Readers:

Normally before I begin a blog, I have usually already planned in my head an least an idea of what I will write, unless of course I'm venting, and then I make no promises. I suppose it is the writer in me, that knows that before I put something out for publication, it must be orderly to some degree I have been known to edit my post more than once sometimes months after a post. I tell you this, because I've never been known as the type to" fly by the seat of my pants" Today I really have no plan. I'm thinking about the gift that began it all today! The gift that changed my destiny forever. The gift that all other gifts cannot compete with. I am not picky about gifts. I would be perfectly okay if I never got another material gift. I tend to be touched more by sentimental gifts like photos or relationships. Let me tell you first about the greatest gift of all others, and then I'll share a few others I'm enjoying!

Isa. 9:6 " http://www.bibleresources.com/ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Jesus truly is the real Gift that Keeps On Giving." The greatest gift of all time is Jesus! Jesus is relevant not just in the life to come, but He is relevant in the here and now! When God came in the flesh, He came to save me from my sin. I often wonder if He saw my face, as He spoke later about coming into to the world to save sinners. The neatest part about the Good News, is that it is available to all people, yet the Invitation is intimately personal! He is my Savior! Whether I recognize it or not, All my expectations are satisfied in him for this life, and the life to come! I am glad I have the greatest gift of all, Jesus.

One gift I got last weekend was the Pleasure of seeing some special friends out of town, as they came to attend a wedding. Their picture is above. Bryan was my high school youth minster, but over time he and his wife Amy became my friends, and gifts from God above. In the picture, is the 2 of them, and their three adorable children who have grown a lot since the picture above When God called them to a church GA two years ago, it was traumatic for me, even as I was happy for them. I still thank God regularly for these special people!

Another gift is the health of my mom as she got a good report from her surgeon yesterday.

2 MATERIAL gifts I got yesterday were: See Above

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!

55 and Flying High... Another Part of Christmas!

Mom and her great niece and Nephew(You have seen these kids a lot

Mom checking out her new laptop for her birthday, we got her. 55th Birthday........
Most people say they would never know we are siblings, but we are. We are rarely in pictures together, so I'm glad we have this one. He picked out the great laptop, we both love our mom very much!

It just hit her that there might be a laptop in the box

Jackson, giving a shot for the camera...

She got a little something else to open too.

Yesterday the Lord reminded me how much disbelief can dishonor him, and that He is worthy of my total trust, not just part of it. I read about how Zecrahiah refused to believe and trust God with his desire to have a son even after he had fervently prayed asking for a child. I admit that when I first read this, I'm like duh, how could he not see that his prayer had been answered when Gabriel appeared to him, but then it's like I do the very same thing, no I haven't seen an angel, but I have seen the wonderful mighty acts of God! I have asked God for help, seen it provided and then had the audacity to question where it came from! Lk. 1:12-19 http://www.biblegateway.com/ But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong( drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17and he will go before him( in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." 19And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news"

Now note the difference between Zechariah's response, and Mary's response to the news that she would give birth to our Savior! Lk. 1-28-38http://www.biblegateway.com/ 28And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."
29But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.
30The angel said to her, ")Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
31"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
32"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
33and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."
34Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"
35The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
36"And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.
37"For nothing will be impossible with God."
38And Mary said, "Behold, the []bond slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Both of these individuals obviously loved the Lord, the 2 responses may at first seem the same, but I don't think so. Zechariah asked how he could know for sure the angel was speaking the truth about John's birth. Mary was asking how these events would come about given her unique situation. Mary didn't ask to mother the Christ child, she was chosen. She willingly offered herself to be used by God! Zechariah had prayed for a son. Both these people were loved by God, and had faith, but one's trust was instant the other was delayed. There are so many lessons to be learned from Christmas, but all of them point to the same One Jesus Christ. I want to be a willing servant, not a reluctant believer. Is it possible to follow God, and have doubts yes, that is for sure, but we must strive to trust our worthy Savior! If you have insights from theses scriptures you'd like to share, I welcome your feedback. We can be part of a kingdom, that has no end, because The ALL SUFFICIENT SAVIOR WAS BORN! AREN'T YOU GLAD THAT IS JUST ONE WONDERFUL PART OF THE GOSPEL STORY? IT DOESN'T END WITH A MANGER, IN FACT AS BELIEVERS, IT DOES NOT END AT ALL!

voice returning, and Christmas quoteables

Hi Gang:
A portion of this post was created on Sunday.



I may not have an actual voice at this point, because of my sinus infection, but can still blog, I wanted to thank you for your comments last week, as they encouraged me! My mom has a sinus infection and an ear infection! Her birthday is Tuesday. We missed the Christmas program tonight @ http://www.brainerdhills.com/ our church.



A lot of what was going on with me last week can it turns out be blamed on not feeling well and hormones. I've tried my best to track and prepare for such major mood shifts every other month, but I never seem to detect it. It is as though I turn into a massive depressive mess! Okay moving on wink..........



Christmas, Christmas, Christmas! I'm going to post some quotes from "The Dawn of Christmas" book.

"Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most." Ruth Carter Stapleton.
"To celebrate the heart of Christmas is to forget ourselves in service of others."- Henry C.Link
Rejoice that the Immortal God is born,so that mortal man may live in eternity." -Jan Hus

Between Yesterday and Today....Blah...

Today I feel like I wish I had just stayed in bed and slept all day. Maybe, it is the nightmare I had that my Mom's cancer came back, and woke up with this sense of doom in my gut. Maybe it is the sore throat I woke up with. Maybe it is because I lashed out @ mom, for no reason, and feel tired, but can give no justifiable reason for the ongoing worn out state I have seen on and off in the last three weeks. Maybe it is because my home health could not come because of flooding. I am angry at myself, because I'm so blessed, and others are facing such suffering, and I'm so selfish. Mostly what I don't get is how yesterday I could feel so well, but there is such a vast difference between yesterday and today! Sometimes I feel like such a hypocrite, but I have to trust that God understands me, and will forgive me for today, and be thankful that tomorrow will come!

Was I dreaming???

It actually snowed in Chatt Town today! Snow almost never happens here, so when it does it is a BIG deal! These are photos shots outside our house, but the ones of kids are at my aunt's house, she e-mailed those today. It has been a more hectic week for me, so I was worn out last night. I went to bed @ 10:30, which I never do, and I took a nap 2 hours today! It was a treat to wake up to snow and homemade hot coca! I feel well rested for the first time this week, What a blessing!

1 year Photo shoot!!New pics added 12/2/09

T.J.'S BED is comfy!

I don't wanna wear the santa, but I'll eat it!

Above begins her basic one year photo shoot!

This was Macy last Christmas when Justin first got her...

Every day or every year?

Spring of 09'

Hi

Above you see a picture of my mom, which you may have seen before.... My mom has been my earthly rock since before I can recall. She is funny, strong, stubborn, fun, loving, wonderful talented and much more. She has battled cancer 3 times and by God's grace is now in remission. I am thankful to all of you who have prayed for her, and who still are!

I know the Bible says God alone is our rock, and this is so true, but I think sometimes he sends earthly things and people so that we can have physical blessings to give us a small glimpse of his reflection. not a perfect one, but a real one. I'm so thankful that God has spared my mom from cancer not once, but multiple times. Her life is so connected to mine, and mine so connected to hers that it is sometimes scary. I am still learning through all this that God alone is my source. I'm not saying I'm the perfect example of how to give thanks far from it. I am also not saying we have the model relationship either, in many ways we are different, in many ways we are the same. I would like to say I have not taken her for granted but I have. I often live in a world of black and white, hot or cold and place unrealistic expectations on the people I love most. I am thankful for the time God continues to give me with mom, and I pray I'll never forget how blessed I am for every day she is on this earth. You truly never grasp the value of a person, until you are confronted with the painful thought of a life without them.

I know tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and of course I will be giving thanks for so many things, but I know as a christian, That real Thanks giving isn't a yearly occurrence, but rather a year round practice. For example, every Thursday my friend Molly has what she calls Thankful Thursday on her blog, and I know others do as well. I would love to be able to tell you that I've been thankful, or that I exhibited thankfulness every day this year so far, but I have not. I was not always thankful last August and through October as I watched my mom so sick. I was not thankful as we begin the journey again last June. I will say though that while daily Thanksgiving is an odd concept for some it is something that has been instilled in me, as though it were second nature, and with God's help, I strive to be one who is a regular Thanksgiver!!! Ps. 116:12 "How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?" The answer is: I cant, however I can live my life in a way that is a living sacrifice to God, in the good times and bad. I can choose to get up when I fail him. I began this post talking about my mom, because she has provided me with the example that Thankfulness isn't a time you set aside to attend every year, but it flows out of the heart on a regular basis! Mom if you read this thank you and I love you!

HOPE THIS LINK MINSTERS TO YOU!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvnTtPdN7W0

Please watch this! I'll come back soon!

New, but Old Prayer

Hi,

It has been a good week for me. I know I said I would post about who Lottie Moon is, but I have other things on my mind. Ps 139:23-24http://www.biblegateway.com/ HCSV. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns."
See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. "

This has become my prayer lately. It seems to convey the condition of my soul right now. I'm going to approach these verse in a different way than I normally would. Lately, I have been craving real intimacy. I know that sounds a little new age I guess but read on. If we are honest, we all realize that our heart's desire is to connect. I've been having these longings that I cannot really articulate. I have tried to ignore it, but I cannot. I've tried to stuff it with food, friendships, and whatever, but the longings still remain. The truth is I desire to be known. I'm terrified of connecting, but it is the very thing I crave. I'm terrified of people knowing the yucky stuff inside me. The anger the pride, the envy, the shame. Some people say they don't need to connect with God or with others, but I beg to differ. I think you need look know further than the number of Facebook accounts or Myspace accounts there are. and yes I have one too. What's my point, people are looking for connection every where Christian or not. The verse above again remind me that God knows me, totally completely. He knows the things that make me tick. He knows my sin. He knows my dreams. He knows my heart hunger as I call it. He is not surprised. He gave us the desire to connect in relationship with him and others. He provided the bridge in Jesus Christ to make this possible. So my new prayer is not a new one, but it is new for me. Knowing that God can and does know my heart, should do a couple of things. It should be a motivator for repentance. It should provide a great desire to know the Lord and point others to the one worthy of being known! So like the woman at the well, I'm relieved that Jesus knows me, and still purses me! So while it scares me the thought of my heart being searched and my concerns to be tested, it brings freedom! What are you thoughts? Do you relate?

All for Missions event!- Who the Heck is Lottie Moon?

Everyone loved this gift bag hand painted by my mom! Isn't she talented?!

This year a large bakery was added to raise funds.

Normally I'm BIG on putting up Christmas trees until after Thanksgiving, but it is a Christmas missions auction.

My Mom's Hand painted gift bags for our churches Lottie Moon Christmas Missions Auction. All money goes to Southern Baptists missions program. I'll post more about who Lottie Moon is later.... She was a woman who had a heart for sharing the gospel, and challeged southern Baptists in international mission efforts. I have a cold right so this will be a quick post.