Life More Abundantly

I'm Very Sorry

2011-06-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to delete my blog because one day I will have internet at home and be able to blog again. I really wish I could be faithful and blog about all of the wonderful things I am learning on our little piece of Heaven in Shelby, NC.

We have come a long way. I have learned how to can, make my own laundry detergent, quilt, keep a home...that's a big one, and now we have chickens that will soon be giving us some fresh eggs! What a blessing!

I will be back one day, and I will have much to share.

Mrs. Brackett

“A Fairy Tale in Reality” by Mackenzie Brackett (age 13)

2010-11-09T18:20:00.001-08:00

The following is a story written by my precious step daughter for her daddy on his birthday.

Once upon a time in a far away land, a king of great kindness, wisdom, and mercy ruled the land far greater than any other earthly king. His secret was God. He had a princess and three princes. The princess loved the king very much and would always try to please him, so she could see his perfect grin that made her heart giggle. Sometimes, as all other humans, she would not meet his highest expectations but his loved never stopped, in fact it grew. The princess always went to the king for advice; his wisdom never lacked. They even had special nicknames like: Sugar daddy (king) and baby girl (princess).

Sadly, the time came when they had to limit their time. The princess come to the king’s palace on the last two days of the week. This was a test that God sent, to see what the king would do. Little did we know, our love would strengthen and so would our blessings. Then the king got married to Anna the queen of my father’s palace. She was the biggest blessing, because the king got a sparkle in is eye again and no longer was the king captured by despair, a cruel knight who breathed sadness, loneliness, and pain. He was set free, and lived happily ever after.

The princess waits for her Prince Charming, knowing that they will be together forever in Heaven.

The end.

What a precious gift. That is real true love isn’t it?

I Wouldn’t Trade it For Anything

2010-10-07T13:10:00.001-07:00

We had a great weekend with the kids. A death in the church seemed to renew the love between my husband and I and therefore led to a sort of family revival if you will.

First I would like to say that Mr. Larry Birt was a wonderful Godly man who always had a smile on his face because he loved the Lord. After struggling with many different illnesses and multiple hospitalizations he got to go home to be with his Savior. Although it is very sad to see Mr. Birt (Papa Birt, Paw Paw Birt, etc) go, there is some joy in knowing that he is right now before the Lord his God whom he testified of his whole life.

Dusty picked up the kids from school and got home shortly after I did on Friday. They immediately went outside to play (as they always do at our house). I stayed inside and cooked a yummy dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes (with gravy from the chicken), corn, and broccoli. After dinner the boys went outside to play football with Dusty, the neighbor, Matthew, and his friend. Mackenzie and I watched from the sidelines and decided to build a camp fire. We built the fire all by ourselves and the menfolk got us some more wood. What a sweet time we ended up having at that camp fire. We went around and said what we were thankful for about everyone in our family (the friends had gone home). How sweet it is to watch your children (or step children) cry when they talk about how much they love their daddy and step mom.

I realized yesterday just how good God has been to me. He has given me a great husband and four great children who love me unconditionally. Mackenzie said yesterday, “I love Anna because she took us in. It wouldn’t be easy to love someone else’s kids like she does.” It is easy. I love those kids. I wouldn’t trade my family for anything.

Zac and his daddy ^ Me and my hubby ^

Andrew the youngest ^ Campfire built by women ^

Mackenzie my helper ^ Levi and his daddy ^

Our family (missing Mackenzie, adding my niece Ashtyn) in Virginia for the fall festival

What if it had been George?

2010-09-23T06:37:00.000-07:00

I know politics are touchy, but I got this e-mail from my grandpa this morning and I had to share. A lot of America has become one giant cult following one giant leader...

If George W. Bush had doubled the national debt, which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in just one year, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had then proposed to double the debt again within 10 years, would you have approved? If George W. Bush had criticized a state law that he admitted he never even read, would you think that he is just an ignorant hot head?

If George W. Bush joined the country of Mexico and sued a state in the United States to force that state to continue to allow illegal immigration, would you question his patriotism and wonder who's side he was on?

If George W. Bush had put 87,000 workers out of work by arbitrarily placing a moratorium on offshore oil drilling on companies that have one of the best safety records of any industry because one company had an accident, would you have agreed?

If George W. Bush had used a forged document as the basis of the moratorium that would render 87,000 American workers unemployed, would you support him?

If George W. Bush had been the first President to need a TelePrompter installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?

If George W. Bush had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take Laura Bush to a play in NYC, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had reduced your retirement plan's holdings of GM stock by 90% and given the unions a majority stake in GM, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had made a joke at the expense of the 'Special Olympics', would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of 'inexpensive' and 'incorrectly formatted' DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly narcissistic and tacky?

If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the non-existent "Austrian language," would you have brushed it off as a minor slip?

If George W. Bush had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with people who cannot seem to keep current in their income taxes, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had stated that there were 57 states in the United States , would you have said that he is clueless.

If George W. Bush would have flown all the way to Denmark to make a five minute speech about how the Olympics would benefit him walking out his front door in Texas , would you have thought he was a self important, conceited, egotistical jerk.

If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to "Cinco de Cuatro" in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the 5th of May (Cinco de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again, would you have winced in embarrassment?

If George W. Bush had misspelled the word "advice" would you have hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potatoes as proof of what a dunce he is?

If George W. Bush had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a single tree on Earth Day, would you have concluded he's a hypocrite?

If George W. Bush's administration had okayed Air Force One flying low over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown Manhattan causing widespread panic, would you have wondered whether they actually get what happened on 9-11?

If George W. Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than in New Orleans, would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of racism and incompetence?

If George W. Bush had created the position of 32 Czars who report directly to him, bypassing the House and Senate on much of what is happening in America , would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so, would you have approved?

So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive?

Every statement in this email is factual and directly attributable to Barrack Hussein Obama.
Every bumble is a matter of record and completely verifiable.

I am glad my hope is not in politics, but it sure is interesting (=

"Let his days be few; and let another take his office." Psalm 109:8

He May Have Something More

2010-09-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Last night we went with the mission to a revival service. The church did things a little differently than we typically like but the preaching was on point. He preached out of this text:

Jeremiah 9:23-24 "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD."

A lot of that scripture is self explanatory. We shouldn't glory in anything but the Lord. The preacher spent a lot of time talking about the lovingkindness of God. He told a story that brought me to tears about a little boy who told his father he wanted a horn for his bike. His dad said no, not right now. The little boy was mad and sulked for the whole day. He rode to town with his dad and they stopped in at the general store. His dad paid the man at the register and all the while the little boy got angrier because he was sure his dad was spending the money on things they probably didn't even need. He wanted that three dollar horn so bad. They walked out to the truck and waited on the sidewalk for the goods to be brought out. The clerk came around the corner pushing a brand new bike with a horn on it and that little boy thought "Wow, someone's dad must really love them. They didn't just get a horn but a new bike!" His anger turned to sheer joy when the clerk hoisted the bike up into the truck.

Isn't that just like the Lord? Before we even can ask for something we think we want, He already has something better prepared for us. I don't know about you but there are things I would love to have. I don't have to stop asking for them. But when the answer seems to be "no" I know that there must be something better for me, directly from my Father's hand.

I love this life! {and wedding slideshow}

2010-09-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends! I apologize for my hiatus and for the sparse posts to come. I am still working on internet where I live....not sure how we will solve that issue! I guess I really do live in the country! Dusty and I are settled in to our house now and we have had a quite a busy start to our marriage. We have been travelling a lot for the mission (click HERE for info on the ministry we are involved in) and a little bit for pleasure of course ;)

Volleyball season at Blessed Hope is in full swing and Zac is a starter! Mackenzie is working in the concession stand and she has such a servants heart. Levi is in boy scouts and he is even teaching his daddy things! And Andrew is enjoying being the youngest child. He is looking forward to being involved in things when he is older. All of the kids help out with bus church at their church. They make us SO proud. Motherhood (or step-motherhood) is so much fun. Dusty and I look forward to the weekends with much excitement.

Our little country house seems to be a haven for the animals these days. The kids have been begging for a dog and neither Dusty nor myself are interested in having a dog in the house. We told them we would pray about it. A few weeks ago, Dusty went outside to get a book out of the storage building. When he shut the door, three puppies ran out from under the building! They don't stick around much but they sure are cute to look at. We named their mama Millie. She is a roamer as well but a sweet little dog. Less than a week later a little black and white dog showed up. She wouldn't let us pet her but she would walk right behind us. She is warming up to us and is faithfully waiting when we get home. Her name is Lola (= Then my parents gave us a hand-me-down dog that was a troublemaker with their dogs. She (Hera) and Lola have become the best of friends. When we go on walks they are right there with us. It is nice having them around!

Millie

Lola

We have also acquired 2 cats (Malcolm Merriweather and Brisco Darling) in addition to my cat I had before, as well as 3 rabbits (and probably some babies on the way!).

Malcolm

Brisco

So, that's what life is looking like here in the foothills of North Carolina. I have some of the most beautiful views of the hazy Blue Ridge mountains on my way home from work every day. We have been blessed beyond all measure with a wonderful marriage, wonderful children, a ministry to work in, a great church family, and a great supportive family.

Here is a slideshow of some of my favorite wedding pictures. I hope to post again soon!

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

I am Married!

2010-06-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

I don't have time to do a big post but I have missed all of my blog friends so much!! I just wanted to let you all know that I am married! My name is officially changed to Anna Brackett and we are moved into our house!! We were back from our honeymoon for a day and a half and we left for a week of youth camp. 13 kids got saved!!!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord! We are back home now and I promise I will start working on a post with pictures and such! I hope everyone is doing great!!

~Mrs Brackett

Is This Really Happening???

2010-05-27T17:30:00.001-07:00

I have to say that this whole wedding thing is very surreal. Wednesday night was my last night as a member of my church. Wednesday was also my last day watching my sweet Anna Sophia. It was a little bit of an emotional day for me. The sheer enormity of the next two days is what brought me through it with my sanity still in tact.

Last night I packed for my honeymoon (almost completely packed!!) and packed a lot of the little things I had kept around "just in case". I think I went to bed around 1 this morning (=

Mom and I woke up (against our will) packed all of the food for the rehearsal dinner and the reception and headed down to the barn for some cleaning and preparations. When I got there my darling fiancé and some of the men from the mission had already put down the fresh sawdust/shavings and put out the rows of hay bales. It looked better than I even imagined!!! So April, mom, and I covered the hay bales with the blankets we had, cleaned up a little bit, and mom and April measured out and rolled up the burlap for my aisle runner. The rest of the decorating is going to be done by April and I CANNOT wait to be surprised!! (=

Tonight I made some sausage gravy and ate it over toast. My sweet niece Rebekah and her mom and dad are hanging out tonight. Tomorrow is the last day of preparations. Here is our schedule:

The kids have their awards ceremony at school at 8:15, then Mackenzie and I are coming back and getting our nails done, after that we are picking up my dress from getting pressed and then heading to the rehearsal/dinner. Saturday morning, I am getting up, showering (of course!), getting my hair done, and going to the barn. I am so excited!! I can't believe it's really happening!!

Anyways, I am so excited. I can't wait to be Mrs Brackett!

Here are some pictures of my last day with Anna Sophia. I love her so much! 18 months of my life were spent loving and nurturing her.

What a smile!!!

She loves her Magnadoodle

And she loves me too I think (=

She really loves rides in the car!

My going away gift from Anna and her brother, Jason. I love it!! (=

Tomorrow is the day before my wedding! How wonderful! I felt like this day would never come and here it is!!

Wedding Gifts...

2010-05-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

We have gotten so many awesome wedding gifts. One thing I wanted and thought we couldn't get due to finances was a digital camera. I have never upgraded my technology in that area. Well tonight my wish was fulfilled!! My Aunt Neeci and her daughters bought me a Kodak Easy Share M341 (don't know what all that means). It is a wonderful piece of technology!!! I took a couple of pictures with it:

Got my hair colored and cut tonight and we did a "practice run" for my curl size (=

My sad little pile of belongings in my room =(

My sweet little kitty, Yma Jane Smith (soon to be Brackett as well)

Only 4 days!!!!! I can't believe it! God is so good to us!!

Here are the lyrics to the song on my blog; it is from one of my favorite musicals, Phantom of the Opera. I love sappy love songs! (=

"No more talk of darkness,
Forget these wide-eyed fears
I'm here, nothing can harm you
my words will warm and calm you
Let me be your freedom,
let daylight dry your tears.
I'm here with you, beside you,
to guard you and to guide you...

CHRISTINE
Say you love me every waking moment,
turn my head with talk of summertime...
Say you need me with you now and always...
Promise me that all you say is true
that's all I ask of you

RAOUL
Let me be your shelter
let me be your light
You're safe, No one will find you
your fears are far behind you...

CHRISTINE
All I want is freedom,
a world with no more night
and you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me...

RAOUL
Then say you'll share with me
one love, one lifetime
let me lead you from your solitude
Say you need me with you here, beside you...
anywhere you go, let me go too
Christine, that's all I ask of you...

CHRISTINE
Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...
say the word and I will follow you...
BOTH:
Share each day with me,
each night, each morning...
CHRISTINE
Say you love me...

RAOUL
You know I do...

BOTH
Love me - that's all I ask of you
Anywhere you go let me go too
Love me - that's all I ask of you..."

Moving Weekend

2010-05-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

I have an awesome family. On Saturday we loaded up a little U-haul trailer with all of my things and headed down to Shelby to move into my new house. All of my sisters plus my mom and dad plus two of my brothers in law came to help. We got everything moved except for a few odds and ends at Dusty's house and the things I need for the upcoming week. Dusty and the kids got to spend the first night there last night!! (= If you remember, I posted a lot about the renovations to the trailer. Well the Lord provided something much better for us. He gave us this amazing house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms upstairs and a full basement (1/2 finished) with a bathroom and a wood stove downstairs. This is so much more than we could ever have asked for and definitely more than we could have ever provided for ourselves. The house needs a little updating so bear with us...I will describe things as I go (=

Dining room complete with a table big enough for all of us (= to the right is a sliding door that goes out to a deck

My sewing nook in my bedroom

Looking out from the sewing nook into the bedroom. We haven't figured out the set up for our seating area yet, but the master bedroom, closet, and bathroom is close to the same square footage as the entire trailer. Our bed looks a little sad but the bedframe is a work in progress (=

Our master bath (I told you this was more than I ever dreamed of!)

The boys room. It is bigger than it looks, but it is hard to get a good picture. I am working on bedspreads LOL

Mackenzie's room. She got the good deal! She is using all of my old college bedding and all of my pictures that were in my room. I am so glad she gets her own room!

My full sized oven and flat top range (= Complete with apron and dish towel hooks! Just outside of the doorway to the left is a little bar area with lots of storage. We put our paper products, surplus foods, games, movies, etc. in there.

My mom and sisters completely organized my kitchen for me. I am very thankful for that because I am very bad at that stuff! Notice the dishwasher.... (= Didn't have one at the trailer

The kitchen has tons of cabinet space and I even got that junk drawer I always wanted!!! I am getting a shelf for our little plants. Hopefully the herbs will grow quickly and I can transplant them to the deck!

My man making a funny face as usual. To the left are the cabinets I was talking about earlier. Great storage!!

Taking a much needed break! (=

I am thankful and I am humbled by the manifold blessings that my Heavenly Father has bestowed upon Dusty and I. I don't fully understand it but I give Him all of the glory.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17

Wedding Workday and "Girls" Night Picture Post

2010-05-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

Rebekah made a big mess right before we started working LOL

Mama sewing and Rebekah sleeping in the basket

Working on my veil...can't wait to post pictures of it (=

Melanie cutting out my bolero and Ashtyn playing on the total gym

I had to take a little snuggle break

Mama hard at work...she has made this thing happen!

These are amazing!

Girls night is not complete without Krispy Kreme!

Or a musical

Or face masks with my soon to be step daughter!

David is such a good sport! He did masks with us (=

Peeling is the best part

LOL Melanie is hilarious!

(= I have the best brothers in law

Rebekah couldn't take it anymore. She was sleepy

Prairie Flower Farm Giveaway!

2010-05-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

I found this blog through two of my blog friends. Linda over at Prairie Flower Farm is having a sweet little giveaway. She has a great blog from what I have seen and I look forward to following her. Click HERE for details on how to enter for her giveaway.

P.S. Only 9 more days!!! We are in the single digits and the HOMESTRETCH! I appreciate all of the loving and encouraging comments I have gotten in these crazy busy days! (=

It's Crunch Time!!!

2010-05-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post pictures but I don't have a camera :( and my sister is so busy that the pictures we took on Saturday are not uploaded yet. So....just use your imagination!
In case you haven't seen my countdown, we are 11 (that's right!!!!!) days out from the BIG day! At this time 11 days from now I will be getting ready to walk down the aisle in 45 minutes! How exciting is that??
So Saturday we had a work day with Mom and Melanie (my sister and MOH) and Melanie's sweet baby girl, Rebekah (she will be 3 weeks tomorrow!). We had a whole list of things to do and slowly got to check things off.
Things we did:
1. Made my bolero/shrug
2. Made my birdcage veil (can't wait to put up pictures of this after the wedding)
3. Hemmed my dress
4. Finished Mackenzie's dress
5. Cut out Melanie's dress
That may not seem like much on paper but I sure can rest easy :)

Things to do:
1. Sew Melanie's dress
2. Hem the boy's pants
3. Move as much as possible to the new house
4. Pack for the wedding/honeymoon
5. Finish bustling my dress
6. Figure out what kind of lipstick I'm going to wear??!!???
those are just a few...thankfully I have Mel and Mom organizing me LOL!!

This is definitely a fun and exciting (and sleepless) time!! Counting down the days...

True Love...From my Perspective

2010-05-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

I have had a sad situation come up with an old friend in my life. It made me stop and examine my past and present relationships and sparked a revelation of sorts. I realized that the things I did in the past to make my relationships worked were only futile acts. Why? Because it wasn't true, Godly love. Here are a few characteristics I came up with from my own personal experience that may help others decipher real, Godly love from infatuation, lust, or whatever it may be.
1. True Godly love never ever requires us to compromise our Christian morals.
2. True Godly love never separates or alienates us from our Christian family and friends.
3. True Godly love never causes us to question BIBLE principles.
4. True Godly love never brings reproach on the Lord's name and it never hurts our Christian testimony.
5. True Godly love never pressures us to do things we don't want to do or don't believe it is okay to do.6. True Godly love never takes us out of the Lord's will for our lives and I honestly believe if you are in the Lord's will you will be serving HIM.
7. True Godly love is unselfish. I honestly thought that love like this didn't exist. But it truly does. It is totally realistic and possible for a person to put their spouse's needs before their own but only if God is the glue that holds a relationship together.
That's all I thought of. I hate to think that there are girls out there who get sucked into relationships with "Christian" guys and things just aren't what they seemed. God has a perfect someone just for you! I'm glad He gave me my Mr. Right (=

P.S. It dawned on me today that after I get married I will not have internet at home....so my posts may be as sparse even after the wedding as they are now. Oh well...the Lord knows what He's doing (=

Happy Thursday....

Can you believe it??? Only SIXTEEN more days until the wedding!!! (=

P.S. Dusty's youngest boy Andrew refuses to give me a kiss until Dusty and I are married...we will see how he does that day LOL!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-10T07:53:00.001-07:00

I know I know, a day late and a dollar short! HAHA! I hope you had a great day honoring your mom! We sure did. We had dinner with most of the family and we were able to get mom just what she wanted, a 90 amp flux wire welder. That's right. That's what my totally cool mom wanted for mother's day! She is amazing. She said she would make me a pot rack for my kitchen (=
I was 3 weeks away from being a step mom this mothers day but the kids made sure I knew how much they loved me and Mackenzie made me a hand beaded bracelet in lovely shades of purple. I wore it to church on Sunday. I truly have the best kids a girl could want.
Life is just moving right along for me. I am a happy happy girl! (=
And guess what??That's right...only 19 more days until we say "I do"!!!!

Happy Monday! Happy belated mothers day!

The Coolest Book in the World

2010-05-05T15:03:00.001-07:00

I got this book from my mom and sisters at my church shower. It looks so awesome. I haven't gotten to read out of it in depth but I skimmed through it and let's just say I am so excited to try and put it to good use!!! It may be a good idea for a 100th post giveaway???!!!??

P.S. 24 days til we say "I do!" and share a big smooch in the doorway of the barn!

The Beatitudes of Marriage

2010-05-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

My Pastor's wife did the devotion at my church shower last night. I thought it was really a blessing. So I am going to share with you the beatitudes of marriage that she went through in the devotion. I can see the importance of these things even before marriage.

Blessed are the husband and wife who continue to be affectionate, considerate, and loving after the wedding bells have ceased ringing.
Blessed are the husband and wife who are as polite and courteous to one another as they are to their friends.
Blessed are they who love their mates more than any other person in the world, and who joyfully fulfill their marriage vow of a lifetime of fidelity and mutual helpfulness to one another.
Blessed are they who attain parenthood, for children are a heritage of the Lord.
Blessed are they who remember to thank God for their food before they partake of it, and who set apart some time each day for the reading of the Bible and for prayer.
Blessed are those mates who never speak loudly to one another, and who make their home a place “where seldom is heard a discouraging word.”
Blessed are the husband and wife who faithfully attend the worship service of the church, and who work together in the church for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom.
Blessed are the husband and wife who can work out the problems of adjustment without interference from relatives.
Blessed is the couple which has complete understanding about financial matters, and have worked out a perfect partnership, with all money under the control of both.
Blessed are the husband and wife who humbly dedicate their lives and their homes to Christ, and who practice the teachings of Christ in the home by being unselfish, loyal and loving.

If I could add one thing to this list it would be "blessed are the husband and wife who do not speak negatively about one another to their friends or family". I have had women that I hardly know tell me all about their husbands faults and failures. That makes him look like a punk {for lack of a better word}. As wives, especially if your husband is serving in a ministry, you should do everything you can to build up and exalt your husband {without being prideful of course} because a woman's tongue can make or break her husband's testimony. The same can go in reverse order.

So I thought that was a blessing. I hope that everyone can get something out of this. I have a mile long list of things to do today so I'd better hop to! I can't believe I'm starting my day at 10:15. I'm ready for lunch by now on a normal day LOL! Have a happy Tuesday!!

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to himthat is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. " Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

It's Moving Time!!

2010-05-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

*True Love*

Here's an update for everyone: Dusty and I will not be living in our beloved trailer. It is bittersweet. The trailer is cozy. It is home. It has a 5 story tree house in the backyard and swings and a rabbit hutch and gardens and a workshop. Best of all it has a utility room. I love that! Not to mention my pantry....

BUT the Lord knew our needs were beyond those things. The house we are moving into has so much that we need. It has a separate bedroom for Mackenzie. A room big enough for all three boys. A huge master bedroom with a closet the size of Dusty's current bedroom {okay I am exaggerating but it really is a huge closet!!} A master bathroom with a jetted tub and separate shower. A very big kitchen with abundant counter space and a DISHWASHER!! Also it has a full sized range and oven. A chest freezer and a fridge/freezer combo. A dining room where we can eat real family dinners. A kid's bathroom. A basement with one side for a workshop {with a wood burning stove} and one side that has a bathroom and what could be another bedroom. Great cellar space for canning under the house. A deck and a yard with trees enough for each child to have their own tree house. We also get to keep what furniture we want. That includes a dining room table and chairs for our whole family, matching living room furniture and a recliner, gas logs, a twin bed w/ mattress and box spring, a pool table, and other miscellaneous items. All of this for what we were paying for our sweet single wide trailer. Isn't God so good? Dusty and I are so blessed and we truly don't understand why the Lord would show us favor. But we are thankful. We hope to start moving into the new house in a week. (= Pray for us!!

A Week of Happenings

2010-04-30T04:45:00.000-07:00

This has been a BUSY week! I have been at the Jubilee every night except for Tuesday {wedding dress fixing day}. It has been a blowout service every night. I think the preacher said they have run close to 400 every night! That is a blessing! We have heard great preaching and great singing and it has been the most fun. I honestly feel bad for people who don't experience the "tent revival" atmosphere because it is my absolute favorite thing in the world. There is still a chance to get in on the fun! Tonight at 7 pm (concessions start at 5:30) we are having the last service of the week. It's on Highway 18 in Shelby (going out towards Blacksburg). You can't miss the two huge tents. (=
Also on Wednesday morning I found out that my dear sister Melanie was in labor. By 2:15 that afternoon we had a new family member, Rebekah Dawn. She is beautiful and perfect and absolutely my favorite Olstad baby! We are so glad to finally meet her. I'll get a picture up soon. I just wanted to update everyone on where I have been. (= The Lord's been good to me this week. I'm thankful for the new life I have in Him! What better place to be on a Friday night than under a tent with godly people, praising the Lord. Have a good Friday. I will try to get a good post out this weekend. No promises. My life is CRAZY!! LOL!

Showers and such..

2010-04-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

Upon request from one of my beloved readers I will share with you all some things I got this weekend at my showers. The one on Friday night was an adult ladies only shower so I will let that speak for itself ;)

On Saturday I got....

(I am only going to name a few of the big things because this post would be so long if I named it all!)

*My Crockpot {which I used for the first time Sunday}

*My hand mixer {which I tested out and it is amazing!}

*Some of my Wilton baking things {including a muffin tin, cookie sheet, and cake pans} as well as my stackable cooling racks

*My no slip grip mixing bowls {5 qt and 3 qt}

*My silverware!!! {I picked out the most plain design they had and I wanted it to be not very shiny}

*My toaster...no picture needed

*My tupperware

*My utensil trays {bamboo- one is for silverware and one for utensils- the latter is pictured below}

*And lastly, my mom got me a luggage set. It is kind of a tradition. I love it!!

That's all for now. I got lots of other things, but these were just a few of the big ticket items I got. (= I can't wait to move them into my HOUSE!

Where've I Been?

2010-04-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

If you love me you may be wondering where I have been lately. The truth is I have been doing a lot of waiting. I haven't really had anything big to write about. But last night kicked off the 9th Annual Spring Jubilee at Crossroads Rescue Mission!! It is such a fun time of year! So fun in fact that it is mine and Dusty's one year anniversary of having met one another!! So exciting! Last night was awesome. The service started out with the Love Valley Baptist Church adult choir. Then Preacher Philbeck's family sang (wife, son and daughter). They are one talented family! The service was going so well and when Preacher Philbeck got up and read the scripture for his message the PA system went out. The way the tent was set up, the people in the back would have never been able to hear him so he got his family to sing some more songs while the men ran to get a new amp. Finally, it was fixed and let's just say that the service was out of this world!! He preached on "satan is fighting a losing battle". It was amazing. The replacement PA system lasted just long enough for the choir to sing at the end and then it went out again. Everyone was thrilled. It was a great night.

I hope the momentum carries on throughout the remainder of the week. Today Anna Sophia and I ran some errands and enjoyed ourselves. It was a good day. Working on my WEDDING DRESS tonight!! So exciting! I hope you have had a good Tuesday. There's so much to be thankful for!

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalm 103:1-5

Busy Weekend!

2010-04-26T04:23:00.001-07:00

I know I have been the worst blogger ever!! I'm sorry! This weekend I had a shower on Friday night AND a shower Saturday afternoon. We did it that way so that family could come in from out of town. It worked out pretty well. I had a really great time. It was really fun to open all the presents and play the games. We had lots of laughs! Mackenzie (Dusty's daughter) came to my shower on Saturday and she got me my hand mixer. She also wrote a little poem in my card. Here is what it said:
"You asked for just my heart
I give you it today
May we grow together
Even forever
Let nothing get in the way"
I thought that was so sweet and precious! She is such a sweet and good girl.
Sunday morning was our church's 28th homecoming. We had church from 10 until 12 and then we had dinner on the grounds. I got to use my crockpot for the first time (= After dinner we had a groundbreaking ceremony for our new church building. I won't be here for the process but it will be so exciting to come back and visit a new church! Sunday night we went to Dusty's church. It was a good service. We had some good talks on the way home. It's always nice to look back at how good God's been to us, and also to look forward to the bright future He has in store for us.
May 29th come quickly!!!

How to Have Abundant Life

2010-04-21T04:09:00.000-07:00

This is not anything mind blowing or philosophical. I am just sharing some things that I have learned either from experience or observation. I believe the Lord wants us to enjoy this fleeting life on earth, and I believe He wants us to do it in a way that glorifies Him. (=

1. Sell out to the Lord's will for your life - there is no peace that surpasses the peace of knowing that you are in the Lord's perfect will

2. Read your Bible - I have neglected my Bible reading before {and I probably will again} and I can tell you it will hurt your walk.

3. Pray - this is an area that I am definitely working on. But when I'm not praying, I'm not happy. My pastor always says that you can't talk to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings very long and stay mad or upset or down. He is right!

4. Sing - who has ever suffered from singing?? {if people suffer from your singing, remind them that the Bible says make a "joyful noise" not a beautiful noise unto the Lord}

5. Tell people about the Lord - trust me, I know this can be a little difficult. But think about the joy that the Lord has put in your life...don't you want others to share that joy?

6. Dance - that's right, I said it, DANCE. Dance for the Lord {you don't have to do it in public!} 2 Samuel 6:14 "And David danced before the Lord with all his might". Also, dance with your spouse. How romantic to share that with your husband or wife (= {can't wait!}

7. Eat yummy foods - Now, I am not going to promote eating in a way that truly hurts your health. But just yesterday I heard a woman say she never eats salt or sugar and that has helped her look younger. You only have about 65-80 years as an adult to enjoy eating the delicious foods that are available to you. So eat them!

8. Get a little exercise - Tessa, don't call me a hypocrite!!! Even if you just do a few jumping jacks, it makes you feel good (=

9. Snuggle - your kids, your mom, your sister, your brother, your wife, your husband, your best friend. It doesn't matter. Just snuggle. It is a wonderful thing!

10. Love unselfishly - this is a hard one for us humans. We are selfish by nature. But when you say to yourself "My {husband, wife, etc.}'s needs are more important to me than my own" and you act on that, it is so rewarding. I love to feel like I am doing something for someone else!

These are just a few of the many things I thought of...feel free to leave your ideas in a comment! I truly love comments! And I love followers...but then again who doesn't? (=

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Just a Quick Note...

2010-04-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! It has been a good day thus far with Anna Sophia. She is napping now (=
Dusty and I are going tonight to look at a potential house...please pray with us about it. There are a lot of good reasons to move into this house but we want to be 150% sure it is what the Lord would have us to do! I will let you all know what we decide...

All That Really Matters

2010-04-16T20:00:00.001-07:00

{Dusty showed me this picture this week. I don't know what it is called but I love it}

I got a spiritual awakening today. I went to the Jiffy Lube to get my oil changed and when I was done the manager walked out to my car with me and let me know I could contact him with any questions or issues. I handed him a tract and he looked at it and looked back at me. So I asked him if he died if he knew whether or not he would go to Heaven. He told me he didn't know, but he would like to think he would go to Heaven. I asked him if he wanted to know how he could KNOW he would go to Heaven. He said yes. This is the first time this has ever happened to me. So I explained it to him as well as I knew how, and asked him if he wanted me to pray with him and ask the Lord to save him. He said he did. And there in that parking lot David asked the Lord to save his soul. It was the most thrilling experience ever. I had never experienced that before. So here is my question for you: If you died today, do you know that you would go to heaven?? Here is how you can know:

DO YOU KNOW?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. (John 3:16)

WHO IS GOOD?
As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one. (Romans 3:10)

WHO HAS SINNED?
For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

WHERE SIN CAME FROM
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;
and so death passed upon all men, for that
all have sinned, (Romans 5:12)

GOD'S PRICE ON SIN
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

GOD'S WAY OUT!
But God commendeth His love toward us in that , while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead thou
shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
(Romans 10:13)

If you are not a child of God, you can call on HIM today, right now, and He will never leave thee nor forsake thee. He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

I know, I know, third post today....

2010-04-15T14:06:00.001-07:00

"Charity Never Faileth"

by Elspeth Young

{a painting of the Widow at Zarephath}

Okay, I am sorry for posting so stinking much today, but the first two were really little and not really substantial. This one is for real. I thought earlier in the week that I was just having one of those days...by now, I am feeling like it is just one of those weeks. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. However, I have honestly had a rough time this week. Some things I simply can't share with everyone because I may hurt someone's feelings (I have no clue who reads this thing...and I pity those of you who have read it this week!). However, I have had some issues with one particular situation in my life this week. It is really bringing me down! Then today my daddy called me to let me know about my taxes. He informed me that the Federal Government owes me a little bit of money and then informed me that I owe the State Government $350! Where in the world can I get that money from??? I felt discouraged all day because of that.

I came home just now from mailing off my taxes and got on my blog to look around since I am wanting to change it up (maybe a 3 column layout??) and I noticed the verse at the top of my blog (from my verse a day gadget). This is what it reads: ""Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Mark 9:24. I tell people every day that I believe. I tell my readers every day that I believe. And I do believe. I believe the Lord is able and willing to do "exceeding abundantly". So I realized today that it's not my belief that is causing me to feel discouraged today. It is my unbelief. "And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." Matthew 13:58. I want the Lord to do many mighty works here, don't you? Lord, help thou mine unbelief today.

My Boy!!

2010-04-15T09:40:00.001-07:00

Here is a video of Dusty's son playing "Praise the Lord, The Almighty" at Faith Baptist Church in Shelby, NC at the Easter Sunday night service...enjoy...
P.S. He is only 15!!! He makes me proud!
P.S.S. His Daddy makes me proud with his page turning expertise! ;)

SIX WEEKS!!!

2010-04-15T05:11:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to remind y'all that I only have six more weeks until I am Mrs. Thomas Dustin Brackett. I am pretty excited about it!!
Keep praying for us...there's a lot to be done. (=

P.S. I have two showers in almost a week- the 23rd and 24th and then my church shower on the 3rd! So exciting!!!! (=

Some Divine Encouraging

2010-04-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, we have days when we feel like we have been such failures as Christians that there is no way we can be of any use. Or maybe I just have days like that...? Well anyways, I always like to think of some of the things the Lord does for me as encouragement to continue on in the race.
For example, I must admit that I got up Sunday morning desiring nothing more than to stay in my warm soft bed. I got up anyways and went to Sunday school. It was there that I was asked to teach our next class, this coming Sunday. Me, teach? I am so unworthy. But it is encouraging to know that the Lord can use me despite my frailties. Then, we went into church and got in the choir loft as usual. My pastor walked up and asked if my sisters and I could sing after the choir. Of course I said yes. So we got to the microphones and I got to share a little bit about how much the Lord has done for me lately. Then we sang "Every Need Supplied" {see lyrics below} and two women went to the altar for some help! It was so encouraging to know that the Lord used me and my sisters as a channel for Him! These are just two examples of how the Lord has shown me that He hasn't given up on me yet! I am so thankful for that!

Here is the song we sang...It is one of my favorites and it means more to me every day.
"Daniel found Him faithful in a lion's den
He sent fire down from Heaven when Elijah called on Him
And though Joseph was forsaken he was rewarded with the throne
And when David felt his heart break he could sing this song

Every need supplied, every moment satisfied
And every time I call His name, I know I'll find Him just the same
If you've gone out on a limb or your way it may seem dim
Don't give up and don't give in, Casting all your care upon Him

He said we could move mountains with faith of a mustard seed
So I know my God is able to meet our every need
And one day with all the blood-washed saints, we'll gather round the throne
And in anthems sweet, crowns at His feet we'll sing it on and on

Every need supplied, every moment satisfied
And every time I call His name, I know I'll find Him just the same
If you've gone out on a limb or your ways it may seem dim
Don't give up and don't give in, casting all your care upon Him"

I love that song...It is so true. Jehovah-jireh- He will see to it! He will provide!

P.S. My sister Melanie posted on her blog yesterday about her pregnancy and then she posted about Dusty and I. It was really really sweet and she made me cry LOL! You should go take a look. If for no other reason, then to see her ADORABLE picture of her huge prego belly! She is due May 6! Click HERE to pay her a visit.

A Shout Out

2010-04-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

My sister Tessa mentioned me in her blog today and I just mentioned her in one of my most recent posts. I never gave y'all a link to her blog. She is really a great mom and her kids are proof of that! People ask me all the time how she does it, and I can tell you that she does it the old fashioned way. So...check out her blog... she is a sweet woman and a good mama. Not to mention she is one of my two Sunday School teachers! Stop by for a visit HERE

Some Exciting News

2010-04-12T15:18:00.001-07:00

Alright folks, I have been waiting for confirmation before I blogged about this. So here is the news....Dusty and I are going to Colorado Springs, CO for our honeymoon!!!! His good friend is using his frequent flyer miles to pay for our plane tickets and hotel room. He and his wife are going to meet us at the airport and let us borrow their car while we are there. How sweet and exciting is that???? So Saturday after the wedding we are driving to Atlanta and staying in a hotel there, then we will go to the airport on Sunday morning around 4:45 am, where we will catch a ride to Colorado (=

I am so excited since I have never been there and we only have to pay for gas and our hotel room in Atlanta. The Lord has provided for us yet again (=

One of those days...again

2010-04-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in Sunday School, Misty said that when you tell the Lord "I give you full control, I want to live wholly and HOLY for you" then the devil is going to be on you like never before. I truly want to be completely subjected and submitted to the Lord's perfect will for my life. I prayed last night to inform Him of that and let me just tell you that the Devil is attacking me at a point that is so sensitive it is hard not to succumb to it. That being said, I know that " greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." and I also know that "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." I know that the Lord is on my side. He has my back. He's been faithful before and He'll do it again.
My sister taught Sunday School on Sunday morning and she said something that really got me. She talked about in Acts when Jesus met Paul on his way to Damascus and says "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks". Now we know here that He is talking about Paul's soul and his lost condition. However, we know that after you get your salvation worked out you still have pricks from the Lord (if you are truly a child of God...see Hebrews 12:8) The Lord has pricked me on a LOT of things lately. Things I obviously need to get worked out in order to serve him to the best of my feeble abilities. It is HARD for me to kick against those pricks! But like Tessa said, if I just stop kicking and humble myself and obey the Lord, who knows what He can mold me into? So I am trying to stop kicking and see what wonderful things the Lord has in store for me. Pray for me today (=

Renovation update!

2010-04-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a big one!! When I finally woke up this morning, I drove the 500 feet to Dusty's house and he was outside cutting wood for the bookshelves he is building to go in OUR bedroom (*insert giddy squeal here*) He informed me that the carpet guys were already done laying the new carpet! So exciting! (I vacuumed at least 3 times today LOL)

Here are the before and afters:

Kids Room after and before

Our room after and before

The living room after and before

So Much to be Thankful For

2010-04-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than waking up to great things! Here are some things I woke up to that I can be thankful for:

1. Being mentioned as an encouragement on someone's blog! Isn't it good to know that people find you encouraging and not discouraging?? Thank you Carrie!!

2. An encouraging and uplifting comment from my cousin, Rachel. I love you too!!! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and think of me!

3. A bright and sunny morning after storms yesterday evening!

4. An e-mail from a new friend, letting me know that she took the liberty of ordering an 8x10 print of my family picture from Easter Sunday. She didn't even know how badly I wanted one!! Thank you Kristi!!!

5. A message from my man. Even if it is just business talk (=

6. Hymns of praise stuck in my head already today!

7. The knowledge that I get to see my man today and we are getting new carpet laid in the house tomorrow!!! (I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am. First, I get new carpet, but second, I have a good excuse to stay at the Rollin's house tonight and see Dusty all day tomorrow!!)

8. The knowledge that if I breathed my last breath today it would be no loss to me because I would meet my Savior before the doctors could pronounce me dead.

9. A countdown to my wedding that reads: 1 month, 2 weeks, 6 days. I read that as less than two months until I don't have to say good bye to Dusty at the end of the day!

See, I have so much to be thankful for. That is just a small list of things today that made me happy right away. God has been good to me. I know He has been good to you also!! Praise Him today! After all it is FRIDAY!!! (=

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name" Psalm 103:1

P.S. Don't forget to look at the post below this one and let me know which button you prefer (=

I need some opinions!!!

2010-04-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

Okay readers (I know you are out there!!!) I took a shot at making some buttons for my blog. I need some publicity since I only have nine followers LOL! I haven't figured the math out exactly...I am almost at 1000 views since March 1! (Praise the Lord someone is reading this!) So maybe I don't have followers because people are afraid to be "associated" with such a strange woman. I understand either way (=

Regardless of how many people follow my blog, I figured it was time to be a more "hip" and "fashion forward" blogger. What better way to do that than with a nifty blog button. So here are my first buttons:

option a:

and option b:

Let me know what you think...even if you don't follow me, I would love to hear from you!!

When I Feel Discouraged....

2010-04-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

Everyone has bad days right?? Right! Tonight my pastor preached on encouragement and I needed it. After being out of town for 5 days, I came home to the shock of what all needs to be done before my big day! It was a bit overwhelming. I have to admit I let it get the best of me. I got discouraged, then defeated, then just downright disgruntled. So you might ask....what should I do when I get in this state??

Well, here is what I learned in church tonight: I can be encouraged simply by reflecting on how good the Lord has been to me in the past. He will do it again! Praise the Lord!

So when you feel a pity party coming on (let's admit that we all have them sometimes) just "roll back the curtains of memories now and then...show me where HE's brought me from and where I could have been"

"I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

My Easter Break, in a Nutshell

2010-04-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

I have been away from computers since Friday afternoon and I have enjoyed it! Dusty had the kids since Thursday after school and we took them home this evening. We had a full and wonderful weekend! Friday I got there and made a chicken with stuffing and gravy before we went to revival Friday night. (Mackenzie and I stayed at Dave and April's house in the basement every night. We had a lot of fun hanging out with them and especially with Jacob...never a dull moment) So on Saturday we got up and headed to the house. We had breakfast and went fishing. For the first time I actually outfished everyone! I caught two and Mackenzie and Andrew caught one each. We went home after and had a baked ham (the frozen leftovers and ham bone will make 6 meals!!) mashed potatoes, and green beans. Then we headed to church...realizing at the end of the driveway that church started at 6 and not 7....hehe! Services were great both nights!! Sunday morning we got up early and got ready for the Easter service. It was a BEAUTIFUL day! Thankfully for us, Kristi brought her camera and caught us on our way it. I got a picture of us on our first Easter as an unofficial family!

After church we went to the mission for a delicious lunch prepared by Ms Deborah. It was yummy! Then we headed home for some much needed Andy Griffith Show. We went back to church for the evening services and then headed back home exhausted from a long day (= But blessed from two wonderful services!

Monday morning, we made some breakfast and then headed to South Mountain for a hike. We hiked to the waterfall and took a couple of pictures there also....

We make a pretty cute family...hehe!! Zac and Kenzie don't look too thrilled to be in the picture with me...I promise they really do like me!

On our way back down the mountain we stopped for a little bit of wading and splashing in the creek. It was cold and refreshing...just ask Dusty. He slipped on a rock and fell in on his rear!! It was hilarious...he also pushed Zac in (=

Today we got up late since Dusty had to teach at the mission this morning. We had some blueberry muffins for breakfast and a late lunch of chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans (left over day). I made an oatmeal cake with coconut and brown sugar frosting and Andrew, who hates cake, actually LOVED it! HOORAY!!! We played some cards and cleaned up and took the kiddos home.

All in all it was a great weekend. I can't think of a group of people I'd rather be with than my Bracketts. I hope your weekend was good too!!!

Best Scampi Sauce EVER!!

2010-03-31T19:11:00.001-07:00

We made this recipe for mom last year on Mothers Day (or was it her birthday??). Anyhow, it was sooooooo tasty. The sauce even made a wonderfully delicious salad dressing. And here is the kicker...it is a Weight Watchers recipe!! Amazing right? (with Shrimp it is only 4 points per serving) So tonight we decided to eat flounder. We cut the flounder into cubes, made some rice, green beans, and brussel sprouts. Then we made this scampi sauce, brought it to a boil and poached the cubed flounder in the sauce. It cooked up in less than two minutes! Over rice it was DELICIOUS! So...kudos to you Weight Watchers recipe team! This is my favorite scampi sauce ever.

4 tsp olive oil

6-8 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup + 1 T minced parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Cook the garlic until tender in olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and whatever meat you like (=

Some other ideas:

*allow to cool and whisk in a little bit more olive oil as well as some mayonaise or dijon mustard to turn into a more "tight" salad dressing...yum

*add some corn starch (or make a roux) to thicken the sauce up a bit

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday...hehe!

2010-03-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

I couldn't think of a title for this post, so I just tried my hand a little alliteration! I am just going to write about 3 things from my day.

1. My niece Abigail (age 2.5) has learned the "Going to the Chapel" song on my blog and asks my sister to look at my blog when she gets onto her blogger account so that she can sing along with it! How cute!!

2. My countdown for my wedding doesn't say two months anymore and that is really exciting!! Also, I am going to church with Dusty and the kiddos on Sunday to enjoy our first Easter Sunday as a family! (I know it isn't official yet, but it is so exciting nonetheless)

3. This one is from yesterday but it was so funny I couldn't resist. I had to work late yesterday so Anna Sophia and I had to pick her brother, Jason (age 5) up from school. We were driving through a neighborhood on the way home and there was a tractor trailer parked in someone's driveway with the hood opened and Jason got dead serious, jumped forward in his seat, stuck his head out the window and yelled "OPTIMUS!!!!" He really thought that the leader of the Autobots (for those of you who don't know, that is from Transformers...and not necessarily the movies) was parked in the neighborhood. I have to say I LOL-ed very hard.

That is all for today. Time to get ready for church! (=

A New Blog to Enjoy....and a Giveaway

2010-03-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Once again, Carrie has shown me a new blog for me to follow (the blog isn't new, it is just new to me). It is called "A Joyful Chaos" (boy doesn't that sound like life!) She is having a giveaway and one lucky person will win this book! I think it would be a great read...and if you know me at all you know I am slightly obsessed with Amish and Mennonite culture! Visit her blog here to see how you can enter to win this book!

I am TWICE His!

2010-03-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

I am sure you have all heard this illustration before on redemption. My pastor shared it tonight and it is one of my favorite stories he tells. I think this story is the perfect picture of my Savior!

"Tom carried his new boat to the edge of the river. He carefully placed it in the water and slowly let out the string. How smoothly the boat sailed! Tom sat in the warm sunshine, admiring the little boat that he had built. Suddenly a strong current caught the boat. Tom tried to pull it back to shore, but the string broke. The little boat raced downstream.

Tom ran along the sandy shore as fast as he could. But his little boat soon slipped out of sight. All afternoon he searched for the boat. Finally, when it was too dark to look any longer, Tom sadly went home.

A few days later, on the way home from school, Tom spotted a boat just like his in a store window. When he got closer, he could see -- sure enough -- it was his!

Tom hurried to the store manager: "Sir, that's my boat in your window! I made it!"

"Sorry, son, but someone else brought it in this morning. If you want it, you'll have to buy it for one dollar."

Tom ran home and counted all his money. Exactly one dollar! When he reached the store, he rushed to the counter. "Here's the money for my boat." As he left the store, Tom hugged his boat and said, "Now you're twice mine. First, I made you and now I bought you." "

Isn't that just like the Lord? First He made us. After years and years of sinful man pushing God away, He sent his precious Son to buy us back to Him! I am twice His! First He made me in my mothers womb, and then He bought me with His precious blood! Thank you Lord!

" In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" Colossians 1:14

House Renovation Update!

2010-03-28T05:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the work done this weekend. We had three men from the mission helping us and they were a real blessing! Enjoy!

A little spray paint spruced this door up! And they made it so it won't fold in the middle (=

Sunny hallway! It was like a cave with the wood panels

Our BEAUTIFUL new {free} kitchen floors

This is the most exciting to me...my PANTRY! I can't believe I really have one! These things were stuffed into cabinets or onto the makeshift pantry {a bookshelf on the back porch hehe} This is so exciting and wonderful, I can't put it into words

A close up of our sunny hallway (=

Thank you Dusty for your diligence in getting the house ready for a woman to live there! I can't even put into words how great it makes me feel! Thank you Lord for providing everything we have needed to do this work!

A Relaxed {snuggle bug} Friday

2010-03-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

Blankies, jammies, and crayons

Pretty pink windows for a pretty princess

A Mohawk (=

Fuzzy towel

No More Anna Nicole Smith!!

2010-03-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

I have to say that for the longest time, people have jokingly called me "Anna Nicole Smith" because my name is Anna Smith. I also must admit that I am oh so excited that I will only be Anna Smith for 2 more months! HOORAY!

I have been practicing my new name...I think I quite like it! (=

P.S. Since Smith is a boring name, there is no chance of it dying out, and I have had it my whole life, I am not holding on to it...I am going to keep my middle name! Still excited...

My First Wedding Gift, bluegrass and a new baby....

2010-03-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

This is kind of a random and scatterbrained post. Just hang in there and enjoy all of my good news!

I got my very first official wedding gift since being engaged! My Aunt Brucie and her daughter Lauren can't make it to my bridal shower since they have a wedding to attend that day, so they presented me with a $75 gift card to Wal Mart (I am registered there and Bed Bath and Beyond)!!! I was so excited!! Dusty and I are planning a Wal Mart date soon so we can get something fun and exciting with this gift money!! What should we get?? Any suggestions?? That's a lot of money to spend LOL!
Things are just moving right along for us. A group of guys at Dusty's church informed him that they would be willing to play some of their good old bluegrass music for our wedding ceremony and reception! FOR FREE!! How exciting is that? My barn chic dream wedding is just falling right into place! I'm so thankful for that! God is so good to me, even when I deserve the exact opposite.

We had a new addition to our family about 2 weeks ago! My brother Christian and his wife Stormy welcomed a sweet baby girl into the world! Her name is Lilei (pronounced lily) Marie. She is so sweet and calm. I believe she has already chosen her Aunt Nina (that's my name to the nieces and nephews by the way) as her favorite!

I hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Faithfulness Farm Giveaway

2010-03-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I just found this blog through Carrie at Farming on Faith! I got excited about this giveaway since I will soon be moving into my own home and cooking for my husband (=!! YAY!! Gail at Faithfulness Farm is celebrating her 100th post with a giveaway. You can check her out here!
Have a happy Monday!!

Who Is This Dusty???

2010-03-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

So I figured now is a good time to tell everyone a little bit about my soon to be husband, Dusty Brackett. Well he is definitely perfect for me. I couldn't have picked him on my own because he is too perfect for me. God sent him to me. A while back I posted my dream list. I think I should go through that list with Dusty in mind....

THE HIM LIST
1. His other love

He must love the Lord with all his heart (CHECK)
He must serve the Lord in some way (CHECK- I will tell you about this later)
He must be a spiritual leader (DOUBLE CHECK)
He must be willing and able to lead me, teach me, and grow with me in Christ (CHECK)

2. Personality

Funny, witty (CHECK CHECK)
Adventurous (CHECK)
Family Oriented (CHECK)
Hard-working (CHECK)
Enjoys playing games (CHECK)
Likes cats and children (CHECK- he can do without cats but doesn't hate them)
Likes camping (CHECK)
Good with big crowds (CHECK)
Deep thinker (DOUBLE CHECK)
Emotionally in touch and open (TRIPLE CHECK)
Respectful and Chivalrous (CHECK- I have a funny story for this)
Committed (CHECK- I have the ring to prove it HAHA)
Honest (CHECK)
Likes my big family (especially my mom and dad) (CHECK CHECK CHECK)
Kind of nerdy (HAHA...UMMM...CHECK!)
Likes being outdoors (CHECK)
Laid back (someone has to balance the control freak in me) (OH MY WORD! CHECK!!)
Educated (CHECK)
Do-it-yourself-er (CHECK)

3. Dreams/Goals

Wants to live on a farm, or at least in the country with some animals and a garden (hey a girl can dream!) (CHECK)
Wants to have a family (CHECK- we have a head start on that one)
Dreams of living a (close to) primitive, non-materialistic lifestyle - such as living off the land, and off the grid (CHECK)

4. Physical Traits

In good shape for hiking, running, etc. (tree climbing is bonus points) (CHECK CHECK)
Handsome (OH CHECKITY CHECK CHECK CHECK hehe)
Good smile (LOVE HIS SMILE)
Has loving, soul-searching eyes (CHECK- OUR EYES ARE THE SAME COLOR!!)
Can dress GQ for church and rugged outside of church (HAHA...CHECK)

So as you can see he is everything I wanted and so much more!! Dusty works as the assistant director at Crossroads Rescue Mission (www.crossroadsrescuemission.org) in Shelby, NC. He has such an amazing and wonderful job and gets to see men go from crack addicts to preaching and teaching the Word of God. I am so excited to become a part of that! I will go from full time Nanny to full time support of a man in the full time ministry!! How exciting! I will also become a step mother to FOUR children. You heard right. Now before we all get on our high horse about divorce, let's stop and remember that not everyone who is divorced chose divorce. Sometimes it is out of your control. We will only have his children on weekends and certain holidays. They are great kids!! I love them so much and they seem to reciprocate those feelings! Zac is 15, Mackenzie is 12, Levi is 10, and Andrew is 8. If it had been any other man with any other children I probably wouldn't have considered it at all, but I am in love with everyone involved. (=
So here is my funny story about Dusty's chivalry. My mom and I were walking into the store to pick up my wedding dress and I stepped aside and waited for her to open the door. Not because I expected my mom to do that but because I have become so accustomed to waiting in the car to have my door opened and stepping aside for him to open the door for me! It's really quite wonderful!!
I am so happy and I am so sure that this is the will of God for my life! I wanted everyone to know a little bit more about my man so that you could see why I love him so much! (= He's pretty lovable.

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." 1 John 4:11

To ALL of my readers...before you give up on me...

2010-03-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

I am writing this post as an apology of sorts.
It was brought to my attention that the pictures I put up came across the wrong way. Apparently the portrayal of affection was such that it gave an appearance of wrongdoing in our relationship. I want to assure everyone who reads this that Dusty and I are saving certain things (this is hard to convey without being too forward) until marriage. If my engagement pictures gave the appearance of anything else then I am truly sorry. We were trying to convey our love through the art of photography and we had my mother with us the whole time. We are doing our best to live for the Lord and we never want to bring dishonor to HIS name. I have removed the pictures until after we are married if I feel led to continue blogging. Please pray for us in these next 9 weeks until the wedding.
Anna Marie

Every Need Supplied....

2010-03-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

I have heard so much preaching and teaching in the last week on the Lord and his MIRACULOUS provisions. I am seeing it more and more every day! Hopefully I can put together a blog in the next couple weeks about all that I have learned. This is just a brief post on how GOOD the LORD has been to me just in the past week. Here is a list of my biggest blessings this week:

1. We got the barn for the wedding and it will only cost us $150. That includes getting some fresh sawdust spread on the floors for us! Amazing!!!

2. We got 9 (that's right NINE) pork roasts to cook for our barbecue reception! FOR FREE! I will probably be able to get the rest of the meat we need this week! God is so good!!!!!!

3. Dusty and a guy from the mission laid FREE tile in the entryway and bathroom in my future home (I will refer to it from now on as 'our trailer'). We had to buy the subfloor but the tile was free and on top of that we got a FREE bathroom sink and a FREE faucet! These are luxury items that the Lord has provided for us to have. Not only does He supply our everyday needs like food, clothing, cleaning products, but He also gives us extra sometimes! God is so good!

Here are some pictures of my new entryway and bathroom:

This is what the floors USED to look like...

This is my new bathroom sink and faucet

These are my new floors!!!!!! YAY!!

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." Psalm 68:19

Going to the chapel and we're gonna get married...

2010-03-12T14:41:00.000-08:00

(A fuji mum...one of my favorite flowers!)

Ladies (are there any gentlemen reading???), I will try to update you from time to time but if you have ever planned a wedding in less than 3 months, you understand how crazy things can get!!

So I will just update you on the recent happenings....

Wednesday we met with a florist and we fell in love! She will be doing my bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and cake flowers. My bouquet will be a wildflower mix of thistle, fuji mums, papyrus, wheat, purple aster, lavender, and a few other things...I am so excited about it! It will be tied up with rafia. The moms and grandmoms will have purple aster and wheat tied with rafia and the dads, grandads, groom, and groomsmen will have thistle and wheat tied with a twine rope. It will be perfect for our "barn chic" wedding!

Thursday I got to go pick up my dress and pick out the material for the girls dresses. It is a purple chantung and it is beautiful (and machine washable!). Hopefully we can dress it down just a bit with brown sandals for shoes (=

Tomorrow we are going to look at one (hopefully two) barns for the wedding and to get some meat so we can start cooking and freezing our meat for our barbeque reception! Everything is so perfectly falling into place that I have no doubt whatsoever that I am in the Lord's most perfect will for my life! I am thankful for the times that He shows me that!

Today a man from the mission (where Dusty is the assistant director) laid tile in entry way and bathroom. Next week a man is going to paint the walls in the house and then the landlord is going to have someone come over and lay new carpets! The Lord can work anything out for us and make a 35 year old single wide trailer feel like home sweet home! Little is much when God is in it!

I am having a thankful kind of day! What can you thank Him for today???

Busy....sorry!

2010-03-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't really had time to post due to all of the excitement that comes with being engaged. We have moved the date to May 29th and it was obviously the Lord's will since I got the photographer who did my sister's wedding and we loved (Gina Covington- THANK YOU!) and we got our preacher who was not available the 22nd! God is good. Sometimes we don't understand things right away but then He makes it clear to us! I love when that happens!
So here is what we have done and are working on so far: we have made the layout for our invitations and are going Monday (Lord willing) to take pictures for engagement photos, the background of our invites, and our wedding favors. My mom came up with the genius idea of giving out wallet sized photos of the married couple with the date and their names as wedding favors. It is inexpensive and it's not just something that will end up being clutter! It was a hit at Melanie's wedding. So, that is fun and exciting! I also have picked out my dress and it is sitting at Poffie Girls in Gastonia waiting to be picked up for alterations! I am really excited about that!!
We are going this week to look for dress patterns for my girls. I got Dusty's outfit (a purple gingham button up shirt and flat front khakis) today for only $45!! Amazing!
There is so much to look forward to and the Lord has been with me so far! I am thankful that he is such a loving and faithful God who likes to spoil his children sometimes!

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4

I'm Engaged!!!!

2010-03-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

It's true, Ladies! I'm engaged!! Dusty popped the question this evening! I'll have more pictures soon! We are so excited to share the rest of our lives together! Please pray for us as we are planning to be married on May 22!

My Very First Blog Award!!!

2010-03-02T18:05:00.001-08:00

I just got into town about an hour ago. I went to Moyock, NC for a long weekend to meet Dusty's parents. We took his son Andrew and headed out on Saturday morning around 6:15. We had a great weekend! His family seems to really like me! So exciting! I'll blog about that later!

So while I was in Moyock without my computer I got on my phone to check a blog or two before bed and I found out that Carrie at Farming on Faith gave me this blog award! I am so thankful! Carrie, thank you! Your comments are always an encouragement to me!

Here are seven things about me:

1. I am the youngest of six children

2. My favorite color is green, preferably chartreuse.

3. I have named all of my cars. Carmen- an 87 buick electra, Scarlett- a 94 saturn wagon, and now Greta a 2010 Hyundai Accent.

4. I am in love with Dusty Brackett!

5. I love to go camping and especially love cooking over an open fire.

6. I love yard games like badminton, ladder ball, croquet, etc.

7. I love the LORD!

I am supposed to pass this on to seven people, but I only have 7 followers so I will just pick one special person. A faithful follower who leaves comments and encourages me. I love her very much!!

Tessa Burton - And Again I Say Rejoice

A Favorite Lyric

2010-02-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

I love the song "Come Thou Fount". I think it is beautifully written both musically and poetically. Here is my favorite verse, I hope it blesses your heart as it does mine....

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood.

Taking the Cross of Service

2010-02-24T06:09:00.000-08:00

Dusty and I had the privilege of eating dinner with his pastor and his pastor's wife last night. We went over to their house and had steak, salad, baked potatoes, and chocolate cake. It was wonderful!! After dinner, we sat and talked for what must have been close to two hours! We talked about everything. His pastor made a statement that made me really stop and think. He talked about people gladly taking the cross of salvation, but denying and refusing to take up the cross of service. I had honestly never thought of that before. What he was saying is this: It is easy to accept the salvation that is offered through Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary's cross. That is an easy cross to take up. What is not so easy is taking up our cross of service to the Lord. Dying out to ourselves, our will, our wants and our desires and wholly following the Lord and HIS plan for our lives. Man is that a tough one!!!
I am guessing that I was really supposed to get this message this week, because it's amazing how many times I heard preachers reference this.
Sunday: Brother Max Alderman was preaching and referenced this scripture " Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel." Joshua 14:14. Caleb got his land that he wanted because he wholly followed the Lord (not just followed Him when it was convenient and easy).
Monday: Brother Bobby Roberson was preaching and told a story. He told about something that happened between him and a friend. He felt bad and went and apologized to that friend. His friend responded this way: (paraphrase) "If you hurt my feelings it is my own fault. I am supposed to have died out to self, and you cannot hurt something that is dead." WOW!! That is a tough one, but a good one to try to grasp!
And then yesterday Pastor Goodman made that statement about dying out to self and taking up the cross of service. I need to try harder to WHOLLY follow the Lord. I love the Lord so much and so often take HIS blessings for granted. I think I can try to do a little more for Him instead of just sitting back reaping the blessings. Thank you Lord for my salvation! Help me to serve you more!

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. " Romans 6

Born to Nurture

2010-02-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

It's amazing to me how many people question God's creation of the world and everything in it. I can remember when we dissected a sheep's brain in high school and looked at the shape and form of the skull that was made to house that brain. The perfect placement of every little hole and crevice for every little nerve and bump on the brain is so amazing that it could not have just happened that way. God created us exactly the way we are today. He made us perfectly. He made a perfect environment for us to live in. I believe that the Lord also created us with a specific task to perform. As I was getting our stuff together this morning to head over to Tessa's house, I turned the corner to find Anna Sophia "changing" her baby's diaper. I think that is amazing. A one and a half year old baby knows to change her baby's diaper. She was born with a natural tendency to nurture and care for people. I hope she never loses that. I can remember thinking as young girl that there is nothing I would rather do than be a mommy. I hope one day the Lord lets me have children of my own, but even if He doesn't I will nurture and care for my husband as best as I know how. (= What a wonderful job I have been given!!

She loves taking pictures

and changing diapers!

Nothing substantial to write about...

2010-02-20T18:58:00.000-08:00

Lonely and Bored on a Saturday night...I got this from Jennifer. Thanks girl!

BIOLOGY
Are you Right-Handed or Left? Right

Have You ever had anything removed from your body? 4 moles!

What was the Last Heavy thing you lifted? Probably a child

FOOD-OLGY
What is your salad dressing of choice? Italian or Ranch

What is your Favorite sit-down restaurant? Olive Garden or Ruby Tuesday

What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? Olive Garden salad

What are your pizza toppings of choice? Cheese

What do you like to put on your toast? butter and jelly

RANDOM-OLOGY
If it were possible would you want to know the day you were going to die? No

If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Anna Brackett ;)

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Absolutely

DUMB-OLOGY
How many pairs of FlipFlops do you own? 4 or 5

Last time you had a run-in with the Cops? I got pulled over for my tail lights being out (I didn't know that one fuse powered so many things) does that count?

Last person you talked to in person? Dusty

Favorite Month? September

CURRENT-OLOGY
Mood? Hungry, tired, lonely, but anticipating great things

What are you listening to? My house making creepy noises

Watching? My cat sleep next to me

Worrying about? HAH! Worry is my middle name

RANDOM-OLOGY
What's the Last movie you watched? Does the Andy Griffith show on DVD count?

Do You Smile often? I do...just not much today

Do you always answer your Phone? When I hear it ring

If you could change your eye color what would it be? I love my eyes...Dusty and I have matching eye colors. It's kind of freaky

What Flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Diet flavor

Do you own a Digital Camera? No =( I do have a decent camera on my Droid phone

Have you ever had a pet Fish? Yes. They died

Favorite Christmas Song? Last Christmas (LOL)

What's on your wishlist for your Birthday? Lots of things...I can't share them just yet

Can you do push-ups? Maybe one or two

Can you do chin-ups? Those are for boys

Do you have any saved texts? No. I used to save them all the time

Ever been in a Car wreck? Yes. It was so scary since we had two babies in the car!!

Do you have an Accent? People used to ask me where I was from when I was a waitress and I would tell them and they wouldn't believe me because I have a "non regional dialect". My parents were both military kids so they don't really have accents either.

What is the Last song to make you cry? I can't remember

Plans Tonight? Eat some pizza. Sleep.

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? Oh my yes.

Name 2 things you bought yesterday? Gas and Diet Coke

Have You ever been given Roses? Yes. I don't like roses. I prefer something different and original. But that's just me =)

Current Hate Right now? I hate growling stomachs!!

Met someone who changed your life? Oh yes indeed!

What were you doing 12 AM last night? Sleeping for sure!

What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Why do I have to get up so early on a Saturday????

TECHNOLOGY
How many televisions do you have in your house? Currently 3!! It's crazy! We didn't have a TV for four years when I was a kid!!

What color cellphone do you have? GREEN! Thanks Dusty!

What does the first text in your inbox say, and who sent it? "Love u" from Meredith (=

Who was the last person to call you? My sweet Dusty

Looking in the rear view...

2010-02-18T05:34:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is really good to look back a little bit and remember how far the Lord has brought you. Dusty always tells me that he knows I am saved because there has been such a big change. The changes that the Lord has brought in my life are such that I could not do on my own. It is easy sometimes to take for granted the life that I have now. I live a life of security, peace, contentment, joy, and liberty. Those were things that I always chased after in my life and never found, because those things cannot be gained on my own. Those are gifts from GOD.
I always dreamed of being where I am today but never thought it would happen. I remember not too long ago I heard a song about being sheltered by the grace of God. I thought at the time, well that doesn't apply to me because of this or that. Yesterday I got to thinking about it and I was definitely sheltered by HIS grace! My decisions could have turned up different consequences than they did, and my life could be a total wreck right now. But praise the Lord He saw fit to shelter me by His grace! He saw something in me worth saving and keeping (I don't know what it is but HE surely does) and he delivered me into the life I always dreamed of.
So today, I am thankful. I am thankful for my family, my salvation, my boyfriend, and most of all I am thankful that the Lord is so long suffering and merciful. Happy Thursday!

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think..." Ephesians 3:20

I'm not being lazy, I promise!!!

2010-02-13T09:49:00.001-08:00

I feel like such a dog for not posting in a million years! It is, however, high school basketball season, Valentine's day, and STREP THROAT season for me right now so I haven't exactly been loaded down with free time. So anyhow, I made a "Gooey Butter Cake" last night and modified it according to directions I found on someone else's blog. It was AMAZING! My brother called it "Pooey Gooey Butter Cake", but I think I like "Lemon Gooey Butter Cake" better. Here's the recipe. Enjoy!!

Original Gooey Butter Cake Recipe: (warning: this is a Paula Deen recipe and is EXTREMELY rich...eat with caution and lots of milk)
Cake
1 18.25 oz. box of yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted

Filling
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 16 oz. box confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted.

Directions:
Combine cake mix, egg, and butter with electric mixer. Pat into a lightly greased 9x13x2 pan. This will be like a paste of sorts and will act as a crust. Set aside.

Next, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth, add eggs and vanilla. Dump in confectioners' sugar and beat well. Reduce speed of mixer and add butter slowly. Mix well.
Pour onto cake mixture and spread evenly.

Bake at 350* for 35-45 minutes. It should remain a little gooey in the center. cool completely and cut into squares.

**To make it lemony (and it really freshens things up a bit) add 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice and the zest of 2 lemons to the cream cheese mixture.**

It turned out delicious!!

Yesterday's Spurgeon Devotion

2010-02-03T06:33:00.001-08:00

I try to read my morning and evening book daily, usually at night, right before bed. Here is my devotion from yesterday:

“Without the shedding of blood is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22

This is the voice of unalterable truth. In none of the Jewish ceremonies were sins, even typically, removed without blood-shedding. In no case, by no means can sin be pardoned without atonement. It is clear, then, that there is no hope for me out of Christ; for there is no other blood-shedding which is worth a thought as an atonement for sin. Am I, then, believing in him? Is the blood of his atonement truly applied to my soul? All men are on a level as to their need of him. If we be never so moral, generous, amiable, or patriotic, the rule will not be altered to make an exception for us. Sin will yield to nothing less potent than the blood of him whom God hath set forth as a propitiation. What a blessing that there is the one way of pardon! Why should we seek another?

Persons of merely formal religion cannot understand how we can rejoice that all our sins are forgiven us for Christ’s sake. Their works, and prayers, and ceremonies, give them very poor comfort; and well may they be uneasy, for they are neglecting the one great salvation, and endeavouring to get remission without blood. My soul, sit down, and behold the justice of God as bound to punish sin; see that punishment all executed upon thy Lord Jesus, and fall down in humble joy, and kiss the dear feet of him whose blood has made atonement for thee. It is in vain when conscience is aroused to fly to feelings and evidences for comfort: this is a habit which we learned in the Egypt of our legal bondage. The only restorative for a guilty conscience is a sight of Jesus suffering on the cross. “The blood is the life thereof,” says the Levitical law, and let us rest assured that it is the life of faith and joy and every other holy grace.

“Oh! how sweet to view the flowing
Of my Saviour’s precious blood;
With divine assurance knowing
He has made my peace with God.”

I had this verse in my head Monday and yesterday. I guess now I know why (= The Lord is good, isn't HE? I'm glad that HIS BLOOD is MY LIFE.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" Ephesians 2: 4-5 KJV

How Are You Separate?

2010-02-02T10:34:00.001-08:00

One of the verses in the Bible that I have to remind myself of almost daily is 2 Corinthians 6:17 "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the LORD, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." (KJV) Today I am asking you (and myself) what you are doing to separate yourself from the people in the world who are not saved. How will the people around you know that you are a Child of God?
Is it by your dress? Do you look like you stepped out of a fashion magazine or a Hollister ad? Is the way you dress modest? Does it separate you from unbelievers? Can people take one look at your outfit and know that there is something different about you? When questioned about why I dress the way I dress, the thing I always come back to is Biblical separation. I want people to know by looking at my clothes that I am different. I certainly have things I need to work on in that area, but the Lord knows my heart and that I want to do right and please HIM.
Is it by your attitude? Are you cheerful and pleasant? Do you find fault in everything? Do you have road rage (OUCH!)? When you speak to a stranger, are your words filled with the love of Christ in you? Oh how I want people to see (or hear) Christ in me! Sometimes we can get so caught up in ourselves that we forget that people are watching and listening. If we have a bad attitude, that could ruin our testimony. It's difficult, I know, but it's something worth working on for sure!
Is it by your character? Do people feel comfortable cursing and saying inappropriate things to and around you? Do you recommend movies to people that could reflect back on you poorly? (LOL- Tessa I know we just talked about this, and I just had to use it!) Do you think before you act and speak? Do you lose your temper or throw a fit when things don't go your way? (Those of you who know me well please keep your comments on this area to yourself! HEHE) Will you go places and do things that could make your Christian character appear questionable?
Is it by your love? Do you love people as Christ loves them? I know it can be hard sometimes to love certain people, but think of how unlovable you and I were (and still are) when the Lord saved us! If we can keep that in perspective, it will make the task of loving people so much more bearable.
I'm sure there are thousands of things that we can do to separate ourselves, but these are the ones that came to my mind. I want to improve in these areas! There is always room for improvement. I want to be a shining example for the Lord in a world of darkness.

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 KJV

Thank You!

2010-01-29T12:37:00.000-08:00

I want to take the time to apologize for not being faithful to my blogging. I don't know if anyone really would want to read it faithfully anyways, but I find it encouraging that I can come on here and find encouraging and uplifting women writing about how good the Lord is. Sometimes you feel like you have prayed all you can pray and read all you can read and you just need to hear some people praise the Lord. I needed that today. So thank you!

"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-9 KJV

And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; "

"Wordless" Wednesday

2010-01-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

Anna Sophia's FIRST pigtails! Thanks Tessa!

The Song on My Blog

2010-01-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

The song that plays first on my blog is called "Where've You Been" by Kathy Mattea. My mom used to listen to her all the time when we were little. She sings mostly love songs and writes her own music. This particular song, however, was written by her husband after he experienced first hand the exchange in the last verse (between his grandparents). I can't think of a more fitting song for Valentine's day. Enjoy! It's a great song!

Deer Stew

2010-01-20T13:58:00.001-08:00

I have made this deer stew twice now and I love it. My measurements aren't very precise LOL but who measures stew anyways?
Deer Stew
1-2 lbs deer stew meat
1 large onion
4-6 medium red potatoes
16 oz carrots (I like baby carrots)
4-6 stalks celery
14 oz can diced tomatoes
4-6 cubes of bouillon (however you prefer to season your broth, we use big bouillon cubes)
1/4 cup flour
1 tbs basil
1.5 tbs parsley
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt (add to taste later)
2 tsp nature's season (or all-purpose season of your preference)

Cut onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Put in crock pot. Add tomatoes. Add 4 cans full of water. Put flour, basil, parsley, pepper, salt, and nature's season in a large bag or bowl with a lid. Mix together, add meat, and shake to cover the meat. Brown in a large skillet. When meat is browned, add a half a can of water to skillet and scrape all of the yummy brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour water and meat into crock pot. If the meat and veggies aren't covered all the way, add water until covered. Turn on low and cook all night! Taste before serving, I am known to underseason things like stew and soup, but it's better to have to season it after the fact than have over salty food! (=

Just a Simple Update

2010-01-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

There isn't really anything huge to blog about in my current life, so I will just write a very simple update. Anna Sophia is growing so fast! She is doing so well with her sign language (she now says please, all done, more, and nods her head yes or shakes it no) It makes communicating with her so much easier! She is also turning out to be quite the little ham and loves to perform her cute little "tricks" for everyone (she loves to "tap dance"). She is talking more and more and especially loves to say my sister's name, "Tessa". Anna got a nasty little upper respiratory infection, but she is over it now and back to normal!

Dusty and I are doing great. We took Andrew to Chucky Cheese for his birthday on Monday and had lots of fun with that. Andrew gets really excited about the little things (winning only one ticket is as big a deal as winning ten) so he is really fun to take places like that. Andrew also got saved a couple Sundays ago, so praise the Lord!! I went to Dusty's church for the first time on Wednesday as his girlfriend. It was very exciting and everything went really well. Dusty was able to pray with a man from the mission where he works as he asked the Lord to save him. It was a good night!

Life is good at home, when I can be there. My car is doing great. I love her more and more every day! I feel like a queen (even though power windows and locks are probably required in a queen's vehicle LOL). I am planning on going to York on Sunday with Dusty to hear him preach all day. That should be really fun! Life has just been good. The Lord is good, always. I love to be able to look back and see a valley that the Lord has just brought me out of. It is a great reminder of just how GOOD HE IS to me!

"When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up." Psalms 94:18

Anna Sophia and I enjoying some morning snuggles

My new car, Greta von Gretelstein

Sunday Hymn

2010-01-17T05:53:00.000-08:00

"Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land."
This is Mackenzie's favorite (that is Dusty's daughter by the way) so we sing it a lot at devotions.
Have a great Sunday!!!

Thought this picture was cute. Zac and Mackenzie.

Jehovah-Jireh

2010-01-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

THE LORD PROVIDES! I bought a brand new 2010 Hyundai Accent today. The Lord provided the perfect car to fit my needs (and my budget).

Praise be to Him!!!

Is it Just Me, or Did the Earth Start to Spin Faster This Week???

2010-01-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, this week has be a mite crazy! Not necessarily in a bad way, though. I like to be busy. I have learned some difficult lessons this week, and I have had a semi-disaster strike my little tiny life, and it has all been wonderfully Anna-esque. I just made that up, but if you know me, you understand.
You see, I have this recurring problem. I have issues when things don't go my way. The Lord has used many things so far to try to teach me not to get worked up when a situation is not in my control, but I have been a stubborn little girl for the most part. Then came Tuesday. I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed (the proverbial wrong side, since my cat sleeps on the same side every night and so I get out of the bed on the same side every morning). I went about my usual routine. I prayed getting ready and on the way to work. After Jason and Mike left for school and while Anna Sophia was sleeping, I read my Bible. Then Dusty called me. He had such a sweet spirit that morning. He kindly informed me that we would not be seeing one another until Saturday, if I could make it to Shelby Saturday. In a split second, I turned into 'baby of the family, I want things my way, I am a brat and I will complain and whine until I get it'. I won't say that this never happens, but in my defense it really doesn't happen nearly as much as it would have 2 years ago. All through out the day I successfully kept myself in a bad mood and moaned an complained, until finally I got off of work and got to talk to Dusty about it. He informed me (kindly, despite my attitude problem) that he had woken up that morning so happy to be my boyfriend and couldn't wait to see me and talk to me, etc, and when he finally did talk to me I was so mean and bratty that it took those feelings away. Not that he didn't like me anymore, but he didn't feel so strongly for me. WOW! I did that all by myself. No one helped me ruin my day and his. Did my attitude change my situation? No. What a waste of a good day from the Lord. What did I learn from this? I have read many times in Debi Pearl's book that a merry heart really does do good like a medicine. She even says that men are disgusted by women who act helpless and whiny and unhappy all the time. So I learned to smile and bear the circumstances, especially if I cannot change them. (= I'm just thankful that Dusty cares enough to stick around!!!
On Wednesday my transmission went out. I was on my way to work at 6:05 when I realized my car was not going to switch out of first gear. It takes a long time to get places at 25 MPH. LOL. So I turned around and went home to get the truck. So now I am shopping for a new car. Pray about that! I am pretty excited about having a reliable car!
Have a good day in the Lord!

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Proverbs 17:22

Semi-Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T07:32:00.001-08:00

Dusty and I on Christmas eve. Cute, huh?

My brother, Brian and I, goofing off as usual

New Year, New Beginnings

2010-01-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

So...It has been quite some time since I have had the time to get on here and update all three of the people who read my blog (LOL- it's totally worth it since I love those three so much!). These past few weeks have been busy and wonderful and I hardly even touched my computer, which made them even more wonderful! I guess I will start with Christmas Eve.

My family gets together on Christmas Eve for our immediate family's gathering. That included: Mom, Dad, Rhett, Erinn, Caleb, Trinity, Bryan, Tessa, Aiden, Bella, Abby, Savannah, Brian, David, Melanie, (Rebekah Dawn was there too, in the womb) Dusty, and myself. Christian, Stormy, and Ashtyn couldn't make it on Christmas Eve but they were there the weekend before when my grandparents came into town. Our family can be a pretty rowdy bunch when we all get together. We laughed and ate and ate and ate and opened presents. I realized this year just how awesome it is to watch children open gifts. The reactions are so worth the money spent! That evening, Dusty and I went to his friend's house for supper (I was too full to look at food).

Christmas Day was different this year for me. I didn't spend it with my parents, but they went to the mountains anyways. Dusty and I went to Columbia with his kids to see his mom and brother. We hung out there for a while, then we came back to Charlotte, cleaned my part of the church for Sunday services, then went to Shelby. His daughter and I had a sleepover in the neighbor's basement, and the next day we just hung out and enjoyed eachothers company. It was a good time. I had the whole week off between Christmas '09 and January '10. So I had a leisurely beginning of the week.

Then on Wednesday, Dusty and I went with the kids to Tennessee for a lock-in at the church where he used to be a youth pastor. He preached twice on Wednesday!! We stayed up until 7:30 in the morning! We rang in the new year with his good friends the Flemmings, and headed back to North Carolina on Friday. (Just to clear everything up I did have my very own room at the Flemming's house. I was the only one privileged enough to have a bed! LOL)

That Saturday, we went to the Cowpens National Battlefield and the outlets in Gaffney (I finally found someone who is a history nerd like me!) and ate at a little diner we have been wanting to try. We came home and played Mom and Dad's new Trivial Pursuit game (really fun). That's all. That is my vacation in a nutshell.

The Lord has been good to me this past year. He gave me a good job, a great group of friends at church, He has strengthened my relationships with my siblings and my parents, He gave me a wonderful man to lead me and teach me, and most of all He has shown me so many things that I really needed to learn. This year, I want to be a better listener, a better follower, a better daughter, sister, friend, girlfriend, nanny, aunt, niece, granddaughter, and a better Child of God. My prayer is that I will grow leaps and bounds this year, and that all the glory will be given to God.

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Jeremiah 33:3

Holy Spirit Humble Pie

2009-12-18T06:29:00.001-08:00

The Lord has been laying it on my heart to blog about something He has been dealing with me on, and the devil has been fighting me all along. In my Bible reading this morning, it was confirmed to me that this is what the Lord would have me write about. (I LOVE when that happens) So, here we go!

Sometimes when people (I am talking about myself here) get saved, they want to jump in head first, and automatically know better than everyone else, including those people who have been saved much much longer than they have. I know this happened to me. The Lord saved me, I was excited, and I automatically had higher standards, better convictions, and was overall a better Christian than just about everyone in my church. HAH! If only I knew the truth. Thankfully, the Lord has brought people in my life to show me otherwise and squash me back down to my actual size.
It is really easy as a born again believer to get caught up in appearances and use peoples' outward appearances as a sort of litmus test for someone's spirituality. Although it is true that your heart condition is pretty well reflected in your countenance and your behavior, that does not mean that someone is not saved or spiritual just because they may not have the same standards as you (or me). I think that people hear the word "Pharisee" a lot but don't really ever think it applies to them too. I believe that we can act like Pharisees today and a lot of times do. Here is a recent example of just that: "You mean that so and so went to see New Moon??!!? That is so WICKED!" LOL. That is the abbreviated version of that outburst of mine. While I do not think it is a good idea for a Christian to go see a movie with underworld type creatures in it, is it really my place to say anything about it? Well, no. Sometimes I watch things that are probably not the most spiritual and I am sure the Lord is not pleased with it. So really, there is no difference. Judge not.
Another thing I have noticed recently is not only getting caught up in peoples' appearances, but also getting caught up in peoples mistakes rather than their victories. If there is anyone reading this who has never messed up, never slipped up and said something you shouldn't have, or never done anything wrong since you were saved, please let me know. If you say that you have not faltered in any way, you are a liar. How do I know that? Well, here is what I read this morning: "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." Psalm 103:14. We. That is all of us. We are all nothing but dust and dirt and filthy rags. Were it not for the imputed (Charged to the account of; attributed; ascribed) righteousness of God on our record through faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ, we would be cast in hell for eternity. So, if someone gives you a gift of some sort, and you do something different with your gift than the another person who received the same gift, does it mean you are any more loved or any better than them? The same person gave the two of you the same gift. Obviously you are loved the same. (I am having a hard time containing my thoughts LOL! Maybe that's why women aren't preachers...or aren't supposed to be anyways)
So this is the jist of my thought. Give grace where grace is due. Would you want someone to extend grace to you in a similar situation? I can look back at people whom I have had to extend grace to and say, man I hope they would do the same for me (give people a fair chance). Don't sweat the small stuff (and it's all small stuff, right?). And most of all, love. Love is sooooo important. "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." 1 John 3:23- That means love everyone, right? "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" 1 John 4:20- That means definitely love your fellow Christians. We will be spending eternity together anyways!
That's really all. It was kind of scattered, but I hope it was a blessing to you. The Lord is really working on me in my ability to forgive and to love people, even if they aren't just like me or maybe are not easy to be around. Love them anyways, that's what the Lord told me to do.

I am blessed

2009-12-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy lately that sometimes I forget to stop and see the wonderful things that the Lord has blessed me with. My salvation, my church, my family, my job, the wonderful man I am courting. The Lord has be SO GOOD to me! For the past two weeks, I have been going going going and fighting stomach issues, so I easily have let some things slide. Then yesterday, at work, I realized that Anna Sophia was growing exponentially right before my eyes. It was a jolt back to reality. Time to slow down a bit, Anna! Watch the little ones grow and enjoy it. Get to church a little early and drink a cup of coffee with someone. Stay after a few minutes and fellowship. Don't just read your Bible, but take the time to ponder and apply it. Enjoy the little pleasures in life, like playing peek-a-boo!
Here's a picture of Anna Sophia doing just that, peek-a-boo!

Lessons in Love

2009-12-08T06:46:00.000-08:00

I started reading a book at Thanksgiving called "Created to be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl (it is a KJV only book). I stopped after the intro and first chapter because there was a journal entry and I just didn't have time to do it (yeah, Lord, thanks for dying on Calvary for me, sorry I don't have time to study the precious word you have preserved for me...what a JERK I am!!). So anyways, I finally got convicted about pushing this book aside and picked it up. This "assignment" was totally optional (although I didn't pay $12 for a book only to get half of the blessing I can from it..haha) but I finally sucked it up today and did it. What a blessing it was to me. It is forever in my journal, so I can go back whenever I want and be reminded of what the Lord helped me with today.
What is this assignment you might ask? Go through the scriptures and find the following words or traits as they relate to a woman of God. Write the verses in your journal and ask the Lord to help you work on these areas.
1. Virtue
2. Graciousness
3. Wisdom
4. Prudence
5. Goodness
I would share with you what I got, but it was so much fun to do it for myself. It would be really cool to compare with someone!
It is going to be really hard to for me not to blog this entire book but that would be unfair to the Pearl family, so I encourage you to get your own copy. Just the chapter titles alone are convicting! www.nogreaterjoy.org Also, if you have read it, let me know how it blessed you. I am excited about this book!

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." Genesis 2:18

God Gives Grace

2009-12-04T05:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, as I was setting the table, talking to Dusty, and preparing for my mom's birthday dinner, the doorbell rang. I had seen the Latter Day Saint missionaries in my neighborhood earlier, and I had a little bit of an attitude about it. I answered the door and stood outside to listen to what they had to say. I was polite. They told me a little about themselves and their religion (even complimented me on my skirt), and then asked me if I was interested in them sitting down and talking to me about the Book of Mormon. I kindly declined and sent them on their way.
Not a minute later, I was hit with guilt for being a terrible witness I had been for the Lord. How bold they are to come and knock on my door and tell me about what they believe and I didn't even ask them if they were saved. I drove through my neighborhood and the next neighborhood over to look for them but they were gone. I don't know if Mormons believe that the Bible is true in its entirety and if they believe in salvation by grace through faith plus nothing minus nothing, and one day I will have to stand before the Throne of God and give an account for those girls.
So today I encourage you to be bold. I need the Lord to give me grace to not dwell on my shortcomings, and courage to be bold for Him. I pray for that today, and daily.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16

Wordless Wednesday!

2009-12-02T04:16:00.001-08:00

IT'S A GIRL!!!

2009-12-01T06:46:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give a big congratulations to my sister Melanie (her blog is on my blog list and is entitled "Praise Ye the Lord"). She and her husband David will be having their first baby...a girl in May! YAY!!

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." Psalm 127:3

Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

This is my Thanksgiving post. I had a wonderful extended weekend in the mountains with my sister, brother in law, neices, nephew, and parents. We all squeezed into my parents little tiny one bedroom (the future master bath currently houses a futon for extra sleeping) cabin in Virginia. It is a work in progress, but it sure has come a long way!! We love going up there to get away from the city life and slow down. The Lord has really blessed me with a great family and with a great place to get away. I hope you enjoy my pictures!

A close-up of our homemade cornucopias and tipis that we made with the kids for place settings and table decor! Cute!

The table. Rustic, huh?

Savannah was loving on the ever-patient Shai. Savannah and I really bonded this weekend. It was wonderful! She is such a pleasant baby!

Tessa's kids. Aiden, Abby, Bella, and Savannah picking out the Christmas tree. Aren't they precious?? They loved running through the trees.

Haha! Tessa and I were trying to jump and click our heels at the same time. I just thought this was funny. Isabella is looking like she thinks we are crazy!

This was my sleeping area. It was pretty cold out but with an electric blanket under the sleeping bag, it was very cozy. I enjoyed sleeping outside.

I pulled off the road to take this picture of the sunset coming home. It really doesn't do it justice, but it is still beautiful! "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." Psalm 19:1

Thanksgiving Week

2009-11-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

Starting Sunday, this week has been a week of Thanksgiving. My pastor has started calling it "Thanksliving". I like that. Sunday morning he preached out of Jonah about the "fare" you have to pay for disobeying the Lord. It was really interesting, especially since I personally have a hard time waiting on the Lord, and I like to do things my way. So those messages are the ones I really need to hear. Sunday night he had a few of the "preacher boys" who aren't all "boys" get up and preach for a little bit on Thanksgiving. A couple of things still are constantly replaying in my mind from that night. First of all, was a young man named Joshua who surrendered to preach at summer camp this year. He referenced Psalm 100:1 "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands" and he said "it doesn't say make a beautiful noise". I like that! The Lord doesn't expect us all to sing like angels or play an instrument like a pro. He just wants us to do it all for HIS glory. I thought that was really great.
Then Doug preached out of 2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift". Have you ever stopped to think how unspeakable it is that the God sent his Son to die for us? Can you imagine sending a brother, sister, neice, nephew, grandchild, child, husband, wife, best friend, or anyone that you love dearly to die in such a way that Jesus did? I can't! But the Lord did. He sent His son to die for us, so that we (unworthy, sometimes ungrateful sinners) could have eternal life. That is truly unspeakable. So I am thankful for that!!

Last night was our first night of our two night Thanksgiving revival. Brother Rob Carlson was the visiting preacher all the way from Canada. He used Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." and preached on having a dream, and knowing if that dream is of the Lord. Here is how he said you can know: 1. Does it have some eternity to it's duration, 2. Does it have some elasticity to its direction (there again, waiting on the Lord and beign willing to change your mind if He says so), 3. Is it based upon the scriptures?, 4. Do you have joy in pursuing and fulfilling that dream? I thought that his message was such a blessing! I cannot wait to see what the Lord has given him for us tonight!! Maybe I will just have to blog about it tomorrow (=
Happy Tuesday! The Lord is good!

Psalms 106:1 "Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."

Conviction!

2009-11-20T10:44:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been thinking about reading your Bible and then all of the sudden, out of nowhere a book or verse pops into your head? I love when that happens. I especially love when that happens and it is something you have read or heard time and time again, but this time it is like a lightbulb goes off. That happened to me this morning. I wasn't even reading my Bible. I was just feeding Anna Sophia, and all of the sudden Titus 2 popped into my head. So here is what I read:

1But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
2That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
7In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
9Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
10Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Okay...am I discreet? sincere? righteous? Do I speak things that cannot be condemned? Do I keep from saying things that can't be used against me? Do I deny ungodliness and worldly lusts? AHHHH!! No! I don't! I mean, I try. But seriously, am I giving the Lord my very best? I think I could definitely try a little (or a lot) harder. I wanted to share this with everyone, since I read it and shrunk in size with every word...until I felt like a speck of dirt. Oh wait, I am just a speck of dirt.

"For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." Psalm 103:14

I'd Rather Be Fishing

2009-11-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

So the other day I was thinking about fishing. I love fishing. I haven't been since I worked at summer camp and taught fishing camp for a week. So I pulled out my disc of pictures from fishing camp week, and it brought back so many wonderful memories of waking a bunch of whiney kids up before sunrise, forcing food down their throats in order to avoid sick and whinier children, getting in an old rickety van, driving to a local farmer's field, avoiding cow stampedes and aggressive donkeys as we walked through the field (not to mention cow piles), and finally arriving at the pond for a morning of fishing. If I didn't describe that in a way that made you want to do it one summer, then I apologize. But it was definitely worth it all. The cat fish and bass in that pond were pretty big, and the sunfish and blue gills were overabundant. After a hectic morning with spastic children, it was easy to unwind on the pond bank. If I had been living for the Lord then, it would have been a great time to reflect and pray.

I think I definitely need to go fishing again, although it is getting too cold now. I should add "likes to fish" to my husband list. Anyways, this post is kind of random, but I just wanted to put it out there that fishing is wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoy it. Here are some pictures...Yes I am wearing pants. This was wayyy before the skirt thing :)

I really like this picture...

This one wouldn't rotate...hmmm...big ol catfish though!

He was soooo excited about this one!

I did not like this part, but cleaning them was even worse :) stocked trout pond by the way, it was our supper

The kids got all the big ones...

And I got all the little ones... :)

Now Presenting....ANNA SOPHIA

2009-11-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

That's right folks! The little love of my life is finally making her blogger debut. In case you don't know, I am a nanny. Five days a week, nine to ten hours a day. Anna Sophia is the name of the little girl I keep. I am coming up on a year with her, and I couldn't love her more. So without further delay, here she is!!

BEAUTIFUL!

We like to play dirty.

She loves her nanny :)

She was so sleepy after our trip to Ambassador

She is obviously not a farm girl, just look at the disgusted look on her face!

Prince Charming, in a nutshell

2009-11-15T13:10:00.001-08:00

Have you ever looked back and said..."wow I could have saved my self a whole lot of heart ache if I had (insert regret here)"? It is so easy to beat yourself up over things, but I honestly believe (because I know it is true with me) that most of the things we mess up are honest mistakes. Would I have seriously dated 4 guys knowing that I was going to end up with a broken heart in the end? No! Of course not!!

Well I am reading a book called "And the Bride Wore White". It is wonderful. If you are a single woman, or a mother to a single daughter READ IT! Some of it has been really easy to swallow and some if it has been really difficult (like the chapter on staying single in your heart until you have a ring on your finger to avoid a broken heart). Every chapter has a journal assignment and sometimes extra writing activities. A couple chapters ago I had the assignment to make a list of characteristics I desire in my future husband. Let me just say that if I had made this list as a teenager (it also is necessary to desire to live for the Lord and honor Him in your relationships and I wasn't doing that as a teen) but if I had made this list five or six years ago (and stuck to it) I probably wouldn't have dated a single one of the four guys I chose to date. None of them fit the mold (only one even came close). So just for fun, I am going to share that list (especially since my sisters and cousin are the only people who read my blog).
P.S. I hope my parentheses don't annoy you. I love them and think they are great.

THE HIM LIST
1. His other love

He must love the Lord with all his heart
He must serve the Lord in some way
He must be a spiritual leader
He must be willing and able to lead me, teach me, and grow with me in Christ

2. Personality

Funny, witty
Adventurous
Family Oriented
Hard-working
Enjoys playing games
Likes cats and children
Likes camping
Good with big crowds
Deep thinker
Emotionally in touch and open
Respectful and Chivalrous
Committed
Honest
Likes my big family (especially my mom and dad)
Kind of nerdy
Likes being outdoors
Laid back (someone has to balance the control freak in me)
Educated
Do-it-yourself-er

3. Dreams/Goals

Wants to live on a farm, or at least in the country with some animals and a garden (hey a girl can dream!)
Wants to have a family
Dreams of living a (close to) primitive, non-materialistic lifestyle - such as living off the land, and off the grid

4. Physical Traits

In good shape for hiking, running, etc. (tree climbing is bonus points)
Handsome
Good smile
Has loving, soul-searching eyes
Can dress GQ for church and rugged outside of church

That's it. If you fit these traits please call at.....hahaha just kidding. The Lord will send him to me if that is His will. I do believe in love and happily ever after :)

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord" Proverbs 18:22

NEW HAIR!!

2009-11-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

So I have been so sick of my hair and not sure of what to do with it...So today I went and got about 4 inches cut off of it, and I got bangs. I love it!! A new haircut makes you feel like a new person. =) heres a picture.... p.s. Candice also taught me how to tease my hair. pretty exciting...

Fun Little Quiz...

2009-11-11T07:48:00.000-08:00

1. Where is your cell phone? in my pocket
2. Your hair? about to get cut tomorrow!!! YAY
3. Your mother? the best of the best
4. Your father? the funniest person I know
5. Your favorite food? greasy NY style pizza
6. Your dream last night? usually I have really awesome vivid dreams...but I can't seem to remember last night's
7. Your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
8. Your dream/goal? dream...to live on a farm that is self-sufficient
9. What room are you in? the office
10. Your hobby? reading (journalling is getting up there too)
11. Your fear? murky water (sorry tessa, I had to say the same thing)
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? not in Charlotte and not single
13. Where were you last night? at home
14. Something you aren't? NORMAL
15. Muffins? not store bought
16. Wish list item? prince charming!
17. Where did you grow up? Charlotte
18. Last thing you did? tried to upload pictures on here, failed.
19. What are you wearing? hoodie, jean skirt, knee high socks (and my feet are still cold)
20. Your TV? paused (lol)
21. Your pets? Yma (pronounced ee-muh)
22. Friends? just a few...but wonderful
23. Your life? wonderfully hectic at times...
24. Your mood? sleepy
25. Missing someone? honestly, yes
26. vehicle? STATION WAGON!!
27. Something your not wearing? hairspray...that is unusual for me
28. Your favorite store? realistically? wal mart; if I had money? american eagle
29. Your favorite color? green green green
30. When was the last time you laughed? hmmm I laughed really really hard last night with Tessa. She sang "let's get digital" to the tune of "let's get physical" by Olivia Newton John. It doesn't get much better than that
31. Last time you cried? I don't know...
32. Your best friend? hmmmm. Yma
33. One place that I go to over and over? church and work
34. Facebook? yes
35. Favorite place to eat? hmmmm...Ruby Tuesdays. bottomless fries

Weekend Recap

2009-11-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

So I have pretty much had a great weekend. I feel my relationship with the Lord growing and therefore, so are my relationships with other people. On Friday night I had Anna Sophia and Jason late so we went to the church for the Fall Festival. We had lots of fun singing and just hanging out while the kids played. After I left work that night, I went back to the church where the young folks were hanging out playing games. And I love games. Saturday morning (after only 5 hours of sleep) I went to the VA hospital in Salisbury with Tessa and Bryan and the kids, and after that we went to Concord Mills for Aiden's birthday. The guys spent almost 4 hours in Bass Pro Shops while we shopped around and had lunch. It was lots of fun. Tessa and I went running after the kids were in bed and then I came home to Melanie, David, Meredith, and Lucas making wontons and egg rolls. YUMMY! We had lots of fun experimenting with different dessert wontons. We ate on the living room floor and watched "Elf" (my favorite Christmas movie, tied for first with "White Christmas"). I didn't get to bed too late last night, and I had a great church service this morning. The Lord has really blessed me with the people He has put in my life. I am so thankful for all of them!! Here are some pics from Saturday. You will have to excuse my appearance...I had just been running :)

Flowers from my family I nanny for :)

Menfolk in the kitchen!

How do you like the duck sauce??

Making the homemade duck sauce

The first dessert wonton

Silly girls

Braces are a good thing!!

Chocolate, toffee, caramel wonton. It was amazing

I love my little Meggy

Recreating the accidental butt slap from last weekend

Our makeshift asian dining area

The before

It's dark, but it's funny

Pregnancy + Egg Rolls = Weird faces

The aftermath...it was so delicious!

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. " Proverbs 18:24

It won't always be like this you know...

2009-11-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

I remember when a friend of mine wanted me to stop what I was doing with my family to talk to them, and I said, you know, it won't always be like this. I won't always live with my mom and dad and get to sit on my mom's lap. Or play a game with them in between dinner and bedtime. I have learned lately to appreciate what I have while I have it. I can remember things that my neices and nephews used to do or say or that Anna Sophia was just doing two months ago and she isn't anymore. It's amazing how quickly things change. One day (if it is the Lord's will of course) I will get married, possibly move away, and start my own life. Then I won't need my parents anymore. I won't be able to make them dinner or clean up after them or do things that maybe sometimes seem like a burden. Often times I have to stop and remind myself...it won't always be like this you know...
Also, I got to try the buffalo chicken sub at subway and it is WONDERFUL. I also bought a "new" vintage dress that I can't wait to show off!! The lady at the store said it was very Laura Ingalls and I should probably shorten it. I didn't tell her how much I dig Laura Ingall's style.
Well, I just looked and saw that Anna Sophia has a runny little nose and a soggy diaper so I should probably grab that. (She won't always need me you know...)

"The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." Proverbs 10:22

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...A Very Good Place to Start

2009-10-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is my first ever post and I am very excited. I just got back from my sister's house and realized how envious I was of her blog. I started mine in May I think and never touched it. So here I am. I am an early twenties single and pretty happy with that. Not to say I would complain if the Lord sent along my Prince Charming, but I think I can be somewhat patient :). I am a full-time nanny to a 13 month-old little girl named Anna Sophia. She is WONDERFUL! I have been caring for her for 10 months now. Sometimes I forget that her family isn't my family, and we are all okay with that. Maybe I can convince her mom to let me put some pictures up here. She really is my pride and joy. I have five brothers and sisters and seven neices and nephews and two more on the way! My family is wonderful. I also am learning to sew, although I have to say it is a little too tedious for my short attention span.
I love the Lord. He has been mighty good to me. Sometimes I even forget how undeserving I am, but I usually get humbled pretty quickly :). I guess that is all for today.