A Week of Happenings

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..

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?

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!

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

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...

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

{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....

"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!!

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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!!!

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....

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

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!!!