The Food drive was a success; rain and all

We had a fabulous time greeting customers at Bi-Lo and asking them to donate food for our churches "Food from the heart" food drive. We were there in 3 hour shifts and let me tell you those folks didn't let the rain dampen their giving spirits. The Lord kept us from thunder storms and showered us with kind hearts as people generously gave and gave. We serve a mighty God. Praise Him for the bounty of food that was collected to help local food banks. What a joy to be apart of such a great ministry. To learn more you can go to www.foodfromtheheart.org/


I'm sure I'll type more about this experience later, but now I'm off to church. Have a blessed day.

And the blue ribbon goes to ... Olivia :-)

What's the point of having a blog if you can't brag on your child? :-) My Olivia won first place in the Chemistry division of her schools Science fair. She was invited to compete in the Piedmont Region III Science Fair to be held at USC-Upstate, but turned them down. She would have had to "dress up" her project a little more, but opted to keep it the way it is and not enter. We have a commitment Saturday to collect 'Food for the Heart' and wouldn't be able to attend the Region Science fair anyway. Oh well ... she is thrilled to have won the blue ribbon. We had a lot of fun with her project. We licked Tootsie pops to see how many licks it would take to get to the middle. Our average was 147 licks to reach the middle. I did that project when I was in school and was surprised when she told me she wanted to do the same topic. Next year she'll have to see which bubble gum makes the biggest bubble (that is if she wants to keep following in my foot steps). Somehow I always used candy as part of my Science fair projects. I need to find out what kind of projects Chris did in school. I know he raised a cow for the 4-H club, but I'm not sure about his Science fair projects. Congratulations Olivia !! We are very proud of you and your hard work.

Colossians 3:23 says: "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men;"

So work hard for the Lord and he will bless you. I know it's going to be a messy/rainy weekend, but if you are out and about grocery shopping and you see someone handing out red bags and a shopping list; please take it and help us collect food for the local food banks. We will be at the Bi-Lo on Reidville Road from noon to 3:00 so stop by and fill a bag with food. Many other grocery chains in our area are letting our church members stand at their doors to collect food. It's a win for the store and for the hungry people the food will be helping. Go be a blessing.

We have to take a stand.

Today I am upset and I am going to do something about it. We have to stand up for our faith, our family and our country. I have never watched an episode of "Family Guy" but thanks to the American Family Association the contents of that shows sickness was brought to my attention this morning. I have already emailed the FCC and my local FOX network. This is the cause of my concern; on the show one of the cartoon characters says that "Jesus Christ hates many people, but none more than homosexuals." This statement is absolutely not true. Jesus Christ loves everyone even Seth MacFarlane who is responsible for "Family Guy". I looked up information on MacFarlane and his bio says he is an atheist. We need to pray for him and for others in the television industry. I think it is important for you to be aware of what is coming into our homes via TV. I protect my daughter from this junk, but some children don't have anyone to protect them which is why we have to step up and let our voice be heard.

You can go to http://www.afa.net/ for the full story of the disgraceful stuff on the Family Guy show. I originally typed some of the crude stuff here, but decided against that. If you want to help you can visit American Family Association and follow their link to email the FCC. Or write your local FOX network. We can make a difference, if we'll just speak up. Thanks for reading.

"But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior."Titus 3:4-6

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

Christian Fellowship

"Bear one anothers burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."Galatians 6:2,10

I have had the joy of being apart of a small group discussion/ Bible class on Wednesday nights. Tonight is our last meeting and I must say I am going to miss this group. We came together to study God's word and discuss what it means to us and how we can apply it to our daily lives. Not only have I learned more about what God has planned for my life; I have also had the privilege of getting to know people from my Sunday school class in a deeper way. It is refreshing to share God's word with other believers and to learn from them. I am amazed at how much new stuff I can learn if I will just listen and not stiffen up. Sometimes we like to think "we know it all already", but we are never to old to learn. If you've not been in a Bible study in a while find one to jump into and do it with other believers. No one "has arrived" and knows all of the answers, we are on this life journey together. Let's lift up one another and study the most precious book of all together. Be a blessing.


"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."Colossians 3:16

"That their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself."Colossians 2:2

Wish upon a Hero

Have you ever heard of the website www.wishuponahero.com ? I saw a story on the news about it and decided to check it out. It is a great place to visit to see who needs help in our state. You can read about needs of people from all over the country, but I decided to narrow my search to SC. I read where a lady in my town needs shorts the size I used to wear. Well, if I haven't already taken them to Goodwill I will definitely send them to her. Other's are asking for clothes and shoes for their kids ( saying used clothing is fine). Some ask for money for medical expenses and bills. Others ask for help for family members. If you want to help someone, but don't know where to look check out the website. If YOU need help, but don't know who to ask check out the website. It's cool how you can grant wishes and ask for wishes to be granted. I hope to grant a few wishes today just with clothes that we've all out-grown. Anyone can be a hero if we'll just take the time to find out someones need.

Whose hero will you be today? www.wishuponahero.com Go be a blessing.

Welcome spring :-)

On the way to school this morning Olivia said she wants to go back to Atlanta to visit the zoo and aquarium like we did last spring. I don't know if we'll do the same thing or not, but I do know spring starts today and we are all ready for it.

Get out there and enjoy time with family and friends. Happy Spring.

"I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
Isaiah 61:10

4 Leaf clovers

As I came in from taking Olivia to school I realized that today is St. Patricks Day. I don't celebrate St. Patricks day in any special way and didn't think about sending her to school in green ( she has on blue). I don't know if school children still pinch you if you're not wearing green or if that "tradition" is lost in time with so many other old school ideas. Nonetheless I began thinking about 4 leaf clovers. Looking for 4 leaf clovers is one of my favorite things to do. If you've never tried to find one, you should. Honestly I can walk up to a patch of clover and just by glancing over them I can spot a four or sometimes five leaf clover. This is a "talent" passed down from my mom to me and now Olivia can do it. It's all about patience and having fun. When Olivia and I are outside playing we are always drawn to the clover patches. We'll take the clover we find inside and press them in our Bibles. I went through my Bible this morning and pulled out some of the clover we've found to show you. Two of them have 5 leafs on them. Olivia is always over joyed to find a 5 leaf clover because those are so rare. It's a simple thing that has brought me, my mom, and my daughter together. I have to share this story. The last summer my dad was alive mom, Olivia and I were in my parents front yard looking for 4 leaf clovers. My dad was sitting on their porch swing watching us. He heard me struggling with the words to the "clover song" mom used to sing, all I knew was the tune. My sweet daddy sang that song for us over and over until I learned it. Now I will never forget it; nor will I forget that day. Here are the words for you.

I'M LOOKING OVER A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER
Art Mooney

Words by Mort Dixon, Written in 1927 - popularized in 1948 by Art Mooney

I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
That I overlooked before.
One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain,
Third is the roses that grow in the lane.
No need explaining, the one remaining
Is somebody I adore.
I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
That I overlooked before

Many blessings today. Remember it's the simple God given things in this world that matter. Like spending time with a child looking for a four leaf clover or singing a silly song. Don't be afraid to be who you are and to love this life our Lord has given us.

Thank you, thank you

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Thanks again to all of you fine folks who have made it possible for my husband to go to Thailand. We are overwhelmed by your support, prayers and love. I just have to update the list and publicly thank you all again as support has continued to come in. What a blessing you all are. Thank you.

Rachel Boiter ( my mom :-)
Sylvia Neal (Chris's mom :-)
Granny Quinn
The Gowan family
The Wilde family
The McBride family
The Ford family
The Pitts family
The Neal family
The Duggins family
The Gosnell family
The Anderson family
The Welch family
The Lankford family
The Fowler family
The Georguson family
The Sinderman family
The Hennecy family
The Crocker family
The Loyd family
The Brendle family
Uncle David Neal family
The Johnson family
McAbee, Talbert & Halliday & Company PA
The Cooley family
The Farris family
The Serrie family

Thank you, thank you. May the Lord bless you all.

We love you.

Mistakes

Have you ever stripped paint? I don't recommend it. I enjoy painting very much, but due to a crazy idea I had yesterday, I had to strip some paint off of an old desk this morning. What a smelly job. I don't mind the smell of paint (with a little vanilla flavoring added to take off the edge :-) but paint stripper smells terrible. I had 4 windows and 3 ceiling fans going this morning just so I could breathe through the process. My eyes are still watering and my head is still hurting. I'm ok, but I have learned my lesson. NO more bright ideas. Basically I have this really neat, old brown wooden desk. I thought I'd paint the top of it pink. Why you ask? Because I found a can of pink paint and thought it would look nice, not !!!! It was one of those moments where my brain took a mini vacation. Anyway, after I realized I had make a mistake a friend told me to buy some strip ease to take the paint off. What a journey I've been on today. None the less, I am exhausted and I'm still not back to where I need to be. That moment of bad judgment cost me $5.48 in paint stripper and now I've got to get a sander and sand the top of the desk then buy a wood stain to put back on it. How crazy?????? Ok you are probably wondering why you read what I write at this point. Well, I tell you all of that because that what's going on with me today. To put it in Biblical terms the story is simple; when you act without thinking you have to pay the consequences. Sometimes it costs from your wallet, other times you pay the price with your time and your energy. That is why is it so IMPORTANT to think BEFORE we act. We could save ourselves and our family a lot of money and grief.


Verse for the day:

"Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed. A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word!"Proverbs 15:22-23

PS pray for baby Charlotte whose picture is at the top. She had surgery this week.

Plan B

Well, I hate to admit defeat, but I did not find one thing I could use at the consignment sale yesterday. The place was loaded with stuff, but nothing I was looking for. My bubble burst and so I am back to square one again. When I am back to square one and ready to finish a project I move on to plan B which is Wal-mart or Lowe's. I can definitely find what I need in those two places. This experience reminds me of another place I can go to find what I need; the Bible. Sometimes when we have changes going on or trouble comes our way and we need answers, what do we do? We ask friends or family or we may even say a little prayer ( but we don't wait for the answer) we just have to move on to our plan B. All we need to do is go to God's word. It is filled with all of the answers and encouragement and help we need. Why is it that we make things in this life so much harder than we have to? I don't think that is what the Lord intended. Chris and I have been in a small group Bible study on Wednesday nights and we are learning how important it is to meet together with other believers. The class is about being who Christ created us to be and to reach our full potential for Him. I have found the best place to start is in His Holy word. Here are two verses for today that touch my heart. Blessings to you.

Verses for today:

"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:16

"That their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself."
Colossians 2:2

Consignment sales

I absolutely love a bargain. I like to bargain shop and don't mind 'next to new' stuff. Soon I'll be driving to a consignment sale off of I-85 called New 2 You. I have many things on my list that I can use and hope to find at least one or two of those items. For instance I need a shelf (you can always find a shelf at one of those sales :-). I also would like to find some light lavender color curtains. Yesterday I painted a small room in our house and would like to change out the face plates and light switch, maybe I'll find some at the sale. I could go on, but why bore you with the things I hope to find. The thing is my mom and I love to shop these sales together. We like to plunder through other peoples stuff to find our bargains. It's like we are on a mission for the best deal. If you've never been one to go to yard sales or consignment sales; try it out. You may be surprised by what you find and the good deal you'll get for your dollar.

This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it. Pray for Olivia and the other children at her school, they are taking the PASS writing test today. Praise the Lord she's feeling better. Thank you for praying for her.

On another note; even after I emailed to everyone and posted that we have met out Thailand goal Chris is still hearing from people saying they want to contribute to his trip. His sister is buying him a compact camera/ video camera. A friend in Atlanta is sending a Network for Good gift card to use toward the charity of his choice. You all have been amazing. Thanks for the outpouring of support and love.

Go be a blessing and you'll be blessed.

Spring is in the air

This time last week we had to wear snow boots and today we can wear flip flops. The Lord is good and He alone is in control.

I have spring fever and can't sit at this computer any longer. I'll be blogging on and off as I have something beneficial to say. Until that moment comes I will be outside enjoying the sun. Have a wonderful day.

God bless you.

I'm back

Good morning :-) I've been away from my computer for a while. What a week! I have a praise for the snow! It was so beautiful coming down Sunday night. That was a nice answer to prayer. What I didn't plan for was that my Livie would be sick and unable to play in the snow. Chris took me and her to the doctor on Monday :-( She was running a fever of 101.8 and I had a sore throat. Turns out she had a double ear infection and I was fine. Poor child. She didn't get to play in the snow which is why there are no pictures of her in our snow pictures. I think on Tuesday she went outside for 15 minutes, but had to come in and lay back down. She spent Sunday and Monday in bed with a fever and vomiting and Wednesday was like a recovery day. I took her to school yesterday and prayed for her to be ok. She did good and felt like going this morning. So, this momma has been to busy nursing to blog. What a week. Olivia has been to the doctor 4 times in the past 8 weeks. She can't seem to shake these germs. My mom and mother-in-law suggested I take the guinea pig out of Olivia's room to see if that will help. She's never had an allergic reaction to pets, but the guinea pig bedding could be causing some issues. I have moved it to the other end of the house so we'll see if that helps. I guess I am ready for spring now. I cleaned out two closets yesterday and took all of that stuff straight to Goodwill. Today I am going to pick up my mom and spend a little time with her. She had a complete physical on Tuesday and found out she has osteoporosis. Her birthday is this month and she is feeling the effects of getting older. If you think about it, pray for her not to be down about getting older. Her name is Rachel. Thanks. Pray for Chris and Olivia to have a good day at work and school. I'll be praying for you.

Blessings

Snow day :-)

Snow on my daffodils