A Tribute to the Fallen

Today a soldier comes home. He comes home to a crowd of family and friends. He comes home to a town that is honored he was one of theirs....But Lt Cpl Travis Nelson came home in a coffin...wrapped in the stars and stripes of Old Glory...at the age of 19. He fought for a country he believed in and a town who believed in him. He was a casuality of war, its true, but he gave his life for our freedom and safety . He gave his life for the freedom and safety of a people who he did not know. He did it because it was right...it was right as a human being and a Christan. It was right in the eyes of God. So he came home a hero. He is an American Hero. He is a Hometown Hero. He has earned his place in Heaven and in the hearts and minds of the people of Atmore, Alabama. May God hold and keep those he left behind in his loving arms. GOD BLESS THE FALLEN. GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.

Single Mom's World: And in Alabama..the world stood still...

Single Mom's World: And in Alabama..the world stood still...: "4/27/2011...I am still speechless. An iconic town for the state of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, destroyed by an f5 tornado. I'm 28 years old and hav..."

And in Alabama..the world stood still...

4/27/2011...I am still speechless. An iconic town for the state of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, destroyed by an f5 tornado. I'm 28 years old and have never seen one...until yesterday. I watched as my dad's hometown was torn apart via the web. The college, the dorms, the hospital...nothing was untouched..nothing. It was as if the hand of some monster reached out of the sky and wiped a slate clean. I cried. The house my grandmother was born in..located in Moores Bridge..gone. Fear for friends and family clenching my heart...I finally heard from the last of them this morning and Praise God they are safe. It is not so for others as the death toll rises. Even the news casters seemed lost for words as the watched the destruction on screen.

Now its time to pick up the pieces..

If you are able..volunteer..if you arent..donate something..money, food, clothes. Do what God expects us to do when disaster strikes..pull together!!

The Tree that Changed the World

It is not stated in the Bible what kind of tree the Cross our Savior hung from was crafted from...it has been said Olive because of the size of the tree and because it populated the region at the time.

Another school of thought states that it was the dogwood tree..

In Jesus' time, the dogwood grew


To a stately size and a lovely hue.



'Twas strong & firm it's branches interwoven

For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.



Seeing the distress at this use of their wood

Christ made a promise which still holds good:



"Never again shall the dogwood grow

Large enough to be used so



Slender & twisted, it shall be

With blossoms like the cross for all to see.



As blood stains the petals marked in brown

The blossom's center wears a thorny crown.



All who see it will remember me

Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.



Cherished and protected this tree shall be

A reminder to all of my agony."

 
 
 
As you can see...A poem was even written about it.
However, Since Easter has passed, that particular tree has been on my mind. It doesnt matter what type of wood the Cross was made of..it was the destiny of the tree itself that intrigues me.

In a copse of mighty trees stood a tiny sapling, striving towards the sun like a holy man reaching for heaven.
For all intents and purposes, it was just an ordinary little tree. It had bark, like other trees. It had roots and leaves. It had branches and twigs and needed sunlight and water to survive. See? Just like every other tree. When the Angels brought " GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY," announcing the birth of our Lord in the form of a babe in a manger..the little tree stood...still firmly rooted. As he grew and performed miracles ..the tree grew and the branches reached ever higher. Before long men came and and chopped down the tree..It was soon nailed into a cross shape...it gave its existence to become a crucifix for our Savior.  As judgement was passed on our Lord  , the tree waited in its cross form. As jesus was made to carry it to His place of sacrifice it became saturated in his blood. It shook as the spikes were driven into Jesus's hands and feet and it stood tall as our Messiah hung on its wood, sacrificing himself for our sins and waiting to die. Such a small thing...yet so great a symbol. The little sapling never knew it would play a part in shaping our world, our belief, or show us how GREAT the love God had for us..by giving his only son.
How wonderful that we can now say..." Why do you look for the living among the dead?! He is not here! He is RISEN!"
 

Single Mom's World: Have I gone mad??

Single Mom's World: Have I gone mad??: "The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad? [Alice checks Hatter's temperature] Alice Kingsley: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll t..."

Single Mom's World: Welcome to my Church....

Single Mom's World: Welcome to my Church....: "Its hard to pick just one thing about my church that I like....So I'm gonna share my church experience with you. The first thing you see as ..."

Have I gone mad??

The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad?


[Alice checks Hatter's temperature]

Alice Kingsley: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are

                                                     ( Johny Depp is still hot even like this)
 
 
Count me among the best...in fact..count most moms among the best. We are a fab group of completely crazy, insane, and bonkers women. How else (other then the Grace of God) do we make it through the daily grind of motherhood? How many times have we felt like this....
 
 

Oh come on...you know you have looked like this before. Unless you are one of those June Cleaver, always have supper on the table, pto, perfectly coifed mothers..
 
 
 

                                             (If this is you...well...I hate you )
 
 
But that sterotype hopefully died out with the feminist movement. Hot damn we can vote!
Motherhood is not perfect. It is raw, real, messy, hurtful...just like birth. And just like birth it has another side...it is love, fierceness, laughter, hope, and happiness. When God made women it was because HE KNEW that it takes the kind of courage, tenderness, and yes madness that only women can posess.
 
"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~Rajneesh



:The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes


It's not easy being a mother.  If it were easy, fathers would do it.  ~From the television show THE GOLDEN GIRLS

God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers. ~Jewish Proverb





So I ask you... Am I bonkers? Off my rocker? Completely gone around the bend?

Am I mad?!

I tell you..Yes my dear, but I shall let all of you in on a little secret....All the best people are.

Now bring on the Jabberwocky :)

Welcome to my Church....

Its hard to pick just one thing about my church that I like....So I'm gonna share my church experience with you. The first thing you see as you walk to the door is a friendly smiling face belong to a member of our hospitality team who graciously opens the door for you. As you step into the lobby/coffee bar, you are assaulted with the rich aroma of several exotic coffee blends. However this isnt the best thing; that would be walking through the gauntlent of fellow church members waiting to say "Good Morning", ask how you are, or put their arms around you and give you a hug that you didn't even know you needed. I love finding my usual seat..third row from the back...and standing to sing while holding a warm fragrant cup of coffee in my hand.
We have an amazing worship team, with drums, keyboards , guitars and many beautiful voices. Its hard not to feel the spirit of God move as the worship team takes you through some popular new songs and even some old hymnals that we all grew up hearing. Its hard not to raise your hands and sway as you praise the Father of all creation! Then comes the message from our Pastor, who speaks from the heart and treats each one of us as a family member. There is a sense of belonging at Grace Fellowship Atmore, Alabama. If you are ever in the are on a Sunday morning around 10 ...why dont you stop on by? I can promise you will feel God's love from his people by the time you walk back out to get in your car :)


I <3 MY CHURCH

So....What had happened was.....

I like to think that I can write anything I mean like, "Hello! Its never been hard before! All it takes is an

IDEA!!!"

But lately, my mind has been blank! I mean like hear the crickets chirping and wind blowing empty!
So instead of a flash of brillance...that beautiful wonderful light of inspiration flicking on..its more like this..

Yeah..just like that except maybe picture a cricket just sitting in there chirping its merrry little heart out...

So does this blog post have anything to say? Any meaningful wisdom to pass on? What can I say to the masses? Well............

This Little Light of Mine

" There's a little flame inside us all, Some shine bright. Some shine small. The rains will come and the waters rise, but don't you ever lose your light" - Addison Road

Do you let your light shine? Can people see the light of God in you?  Does it shine out of your eyes and from your heart? You should never cover up your light. Display and build it up until its a roaring fire blazing with the proof of God's love. You may want to give up and your light dims in moments of dispair, but the sun ALWAYS follows the rain. " Jesus Christ was a shining light of righteousness, send into a world completely enveloped in darkness. His light shines out in that darkness, illuminating the way for us, and serving as a beacon for anyone trapped in sin."
God sent His Son to be our light...How are we honoring His gift if we cover up our own light? If we don't shine a light and share God's love, how will others know the Hope and Life that awaits them? So shine a light!! Where do you carry your light? Where do you shine?


This Little Light Of Mine lyrics

There's a little flame inside a soul

Some shine bright

Some shine small

The rains will come

And the waters rise

But don't you ever lose your light



In this life you will know

Love and pain

Joy and sorrow

So when it hurts

When times get hard

Don't forget who's child you are



This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine

I'm Gonna let it shine

Gonna let it shine



May you live each day

With no regret

Make the most of every chance you get

And your eyes get wide

When you look at the stars

With the same sense of wonder as a child's heart



With the ones you love

Treasure the time

And for those who are gone

Keep the memories alive



Hold on to your dreams

Don't ever let go

There's a fire inside you

Burning with hope

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

Gonna let it shine



There will be days when you wanna give up

When clouds settle in

But after the rain comes the sun

Don't you ever forget

Don't forget

Don't, don't forget



One day there will be no more pain

And we will finally see Jesus' face

So until then I'm gonna try

To brave the dark

And let my little light shine



This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

Gonna let it shine



This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

Gonna let it shine

Oh, shine

Gonna let it shine

There's a little light inside us all


- Addison Road

It's not goodbye...

Yes I know..its been a long time. First, the Holidays, then a new job, and add that to twin 5 yr olds who have preschool and Awana? LOL..Im lucky Im not gray headed. I have a friend through MOPS who is moving away because her husband is being station further north. I was looking at this video of the amazing time we had a MOPS Convention 2010 and I realized..Christie isn't going to be there for MOPS Convention 2011. It made me sad and yet it made me realize something ; These women aren't just my friends..They are my FAMI(ILY)! We have laughed together until we couldn't breath. We have cried together until the tears dried. We have broken bread together and shared life's moments, both happy and bittersweet. We are MOPS. We are sisters in Christ. Maybe its a bond some can't understand or have never experienced, but it should be something that Humans strive to understand and experience. This is the kind of bond that lasts a lifetime..no matter who moves away. We will always have each other. We love you Christie and we are never very far away no matter how many miles seperate us.

I was blind...

I came across this term in one of my devotionals and it prompted me to research it...




"All through Scripture, blindness is a spiritual metaphor. And it is used to represent the spiritual inability to see God's truth. As a man is physically blind, he cannot see God's visible revelation. That is he can't see the trees and the earth and the sky. But as a man is spiritually blind, he cannot see God's invisible revelation; love, truth, holiness, forgiveness, blessing, eternal life, grace, joy, peace, etc. As the blind does not see the vast blue of the clear sky, so the blind spirit does not see the vast holiness and purity of God. As the blind eye does not perceive the blanket of green that covers the earth, so the blind spirit cannot see the grace of God. As the blind eye does not see the immensity of creation, so the blind spirit does not see the limitless power of God. And as the blind eye sees no rainbow of colors that speckles the earth, so the blind spirit sees not the love of God which colors every revelation. As the blind eye cannot see light, so the blind spirit cannot see the light, the light of the world, Jesus Christ ." - John Mc Arthur



"This means that the spirit of the individual is unable to perceive. It is unable to function as it should. It is walled off and sleeping. It is unable to receive any messages from spiritual heights and consequently it is isolated and abandoned to whatever danger threatens it." The Spiritual Encyclopedia











"Amazing grace! How sweet the sound



That saved a wretch like me!



I once was lost, but now am found,



Was blind, but now I see.



Those words of John Newton, penned in 1772, form part of one of the most well known and well loved of Christian hymns. They also serve as an introduction to an important biblical doctrine: that of spiritual blindness and its associated doctrine of spiritual deafness.



Jesus frequently said: 'He who has ears, let him hear (Matthew 11:15).' Or, as Mark records it: 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Mark 4:9).' What did he mean by that? He meant: 'He to whom God has given the ability to hear and understand spiritual truth, let him pay attention to what I am saying.' That command is so important that Jesus gave it to each of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation (Revelation chapters 2 & 3) " - Michael Grahm

It has really made me think..How many times have I been blind to the will of God? How many times have I looked into the Face of God and not seen its radiance? "I once was Lost but now Im Found...was BLIND but now I SEE! "