And a child shall lead them...

Backdrop - Moe & Pediatrician at 4 year check up.

Pediatrician - draws a "t" and asks Moe, "do you know what letter this is?"

Moe: "mmm, yep."

Pediatrician: "What's the letter?"

Moe: "it's not a letter, it's a cross."

Pediatrician: "Oh, okay, you are right but what letter is it?"

Moe: "it's a cross.."

Pediatrician: "what letter does it look like?"

Moe: feeling un-heard, "It's a CROSS...Jesus died on it for MY SINS and YOUR SINS!"

Pediatrician: "Umm, okay, sweetie but what letter is it?"

Moe: Rolls her eyes, "if you turn it sideways, it's an "x" but that is a cross, okay?"

Well, alrighty then...Mommy wasn't sure whether to laugh at her child being cute or cry at her child's ability to witness to a doctor. Don't try to tell her where she can and can't preach her faith!

Happy Birthday sweet girl, you will do amazing things for our Lord and Savior.

Peace Out!

Watch out Thunderfoot...Moe's comin' for your job, Dude!

Moe celebrates her 4th birthday this week while Mommy & Daddy are on a cruise to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.

So, Uncle JJ & Aunt Tata decided to give her birthday gift to her tonight...what can you say but

THANKS!!! (and revenge is painful!)

Enjoy ;0)



Peace Out!

I Want to Go to There!!!!


Thanks to my brother-n-law, Jason, I have finally been able to determine my official retirement spot.



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All I can say is, I want to go to there (~Liz Lemon, 30Rock)

Peace Out!

I Stand Amazed...

I know it's been a while but a lot has changed in this chick's life over the last few weeks. I recently decided to go back to work. Shocking I know, but it seemed like the right time and a position was available at my church doing the job I've been volunteering to do for over a year now so...I jumped!

I can totally feel God's presence through all of this but that is not to say that there aren't a few adjustments but hey I'll get there.

So back to the blog post...

I'm not sure if you are a Christian or not but I am and I will admit that sometimes I feel totally alone when I am out there in the big, bad world. I take a look around at school mom's/dad's and people in the grocery stores and on the road and I just get a sense of sadness. It's so cliche, but I find myself asking, "What is this world coming to?" Whenever I start to feel that way, it will generally be followed by something amazing to remind me that while the world may "be going to hell in a handbasket" (as the saying goes) God is still in control. He is STILL ON THE THRONE! And let's just be honest here, I know how the story ends...HE WINS! Satan, sorry but GAME OVER!

This week I received two of those blessings. First, for Christmas, Other Guy and some of my closest friend's hubbies went in together and bought us all tickets for the Chris Tomlin concert. We have all been patiently awaiting February 3rd and let's just say it was AMAZING! To take a look around the Sprint Center and see thousands of people with hands raised high, pouring out their heart's in song, crying, laughing...but most importantly WORSHIPPING GOD!!! Can I get a Hallelujah???? I had a great time, I can't even remember the last time I laughed that hard. I loved being with my sista's and their hubbies. I loved looking down the dinner table and seeing the menfolk laugh and share just like we womenfolk were doing at the other end of the table. My favorite part of the night was singing the part in the song Indescribable, "You see the depths of my heart and you love me the same! You are amazing God!" Over and over we sang that line with the beat of the drums getting stronger each time. Oh thank you Father for knowing me, for knowing the depth of my heart and loving me still!!! You truly are amazing God!!!

As if that wasn't enough to set your week on the right path...yesterday, our staff gathered 'round the table in the conference room for breakfast. A lovely member of the congregation made a mac daddy breakfast for us and delivered it! Now people, I'm not talking about dropping off donuts...OH NO! This was the full spread and I will admit that the diet was broken in a very bad way yesterday. (don't worry, it's back on today!)

During the partaking of this glorious food, one of the minister's told our senior pastor that he had a flat tire. Oh no! Tim got up from his chair, took a look out the window and then sat back down. WHAT? No freaking out? (that's what I would have been doing) No rushing out to fix it? (that's what I would have done) No calling somebody to come fix it? (that's what I would have done if I couldn't fix it) He simply sat back down and finished his breakfast. Oh, okay I get it...finish eating the freak out, fix it, call somebody...

Once again, no go. When I questioned him, he simply stated that he would not let that interfere with his study time and prayer time. He said (and I am paraphrasing here) "I have to make a daily choice to protect the things that mean the most to me. Otherwise, there will always be something to take me away from what is important. The car will be there at the end of the day, the flat tire will be there...I will just borrow some body's car to have lunch with my daughter and fix it later!"

Seriously, did I just hear that correctly!? I had to fight my own desire to go out there and fix it myself because that's who I am, that's what I do! Boy howdy, what does that say about me? I simply told him that he had amazing will power and then we went about our day.

Oh Lord, give me not only that will power but that desire to always put you first! To never allow outside things take away your attention, your praise, your time!

Well, that's it...for now.

Peace Out!

REALLY?!? with Marie King

There is a skit done on SNL's Weekend Update titled Really and it's pretty funny...it's one of the first thing I thought about when I saw something on the news last night. So here goes...

REALLY??!!!!, REALLY???!!!

The porn industry, yes ladies and gents, I said the PORN INDUSTRY has officially asked the US Government for a FIVE BILLION DOLLAR BAIL OUT!

I'm sorry did I fall asleep and wake up on some whacked out island where the world is totally going to pot? REALLY???!!! REALLY???!!

Mr. Flynt, and I use the word MR very loosely, what are you thinking, REALLY!!!????

Oh, I'm sorry, what was that, "with the economy being so bad apparently the last thing on people's mind is sex!" REALLY, REALLY!!!??? Oh poor baby!

And that's a problem WHY??? My hope is that your industry would crumble along with the mansion that it has put you in. I hope we rise up as a nation and say NO MORE..REALLY!!!!

I hope your company (& others like it) totally go belly up with no hope of ever making a come back...REALLY!!!!

And to our good ole U S of A government, you will have reached an all time low if you even consider giving these scum bags one cent of tax payers money...REALLY!!!!

Peace Out!

It's the Most "Difficult" Time of the Year!

Let me first tell you about one of the most difficult days of my life...In the Spring of 2001, the King Family (Just Other Guy & I at the time) met a family that would forever change our family makeup. We finally decided to join a small group at the church we attended...and there they were. He was tall, she...well wasn't, not compared to him anyway. They had two little boys that would melt your heart with just a smile. They were very nice and spoke with a strong southern accent...man, it feels good to make fun of somebody else for that...but they were guarded. I guess looking back they had every right to be. I have seen people come and go in their lives simply because of who he was and who he did or didn't work for. There were few people in their lives that ever took the opportunity to simply get to know her for who SHE was not who she was married to.

He was getting ready to head off to Europe for a couple of months and she was pregnant with their third child. My precious Monkey Doodle! I can't tell you why, but God weighed something so heavy on my heart that night...He wanted me to reach out to them. Not in a normal way, but with such fire and determination that they would never take no for an answer.

There were times that I felt like I was almost stalking them. I always tried to never let more than two days go by without speaking. I dropped in whenever I could, chased kids, laughed at stories, ate AMAZING food and just listened.

After Monkey Doodle was born, it came crashing down why God wanted this friendship to not only form but last. Not so tall chick was admitted to the hospital and tall guy's job basically said "too bad, so sad...hire a nanny!" So, there I was...I helped in whatever capacity I could including letting that sweet baby sleep on my chest every night while his Mommy got better. I cooked, cleaned, whatever they needed I did. Other Guy and I would come over after work and have dinner, etc.

Well, fast forward 10 months and there I stood in their driveway. Other Guy and I were heading to Mexico on a missions trip and they, this adopted family of mine, well they were leaving too. Not just on a trip but for good. His job had called him to another city and they were leaving while we were in Mexico. I tried to be strong but the tears soon began to flood down. I hugged them all and said we would see them soon. They tried to be strong too but as soon as I hugged tall guy's neck...I whispered, "Please take care of my family...I love you guys!" Well, that did it, he was crying too!

I am happy to say that Eight years later, that friendship is still going strong and we now live in the same city. I thought the tough days, the tough goodbye's, the tough "I'll see ya soon's" were over...WRONG!!

My sister Natasha and her hubby, "My Darryl" came to visit for a whole week this Christmas and it was AMAZING!!! You see this was our first Christmas morning together...EVER. We had always spent those holidays with our mom's and tried to squeeze Dad in later in the day and sometimes it was at the same time, sometimes not.

We cooked together, laughed, played, danced...you name it. And before I could blink...the time was over. It was time for them to get on a plane. It was time to say, I'll see ya soon, even though we had no clear clue of when that "soon" would be.

I will say this, I miss my sister and Darryl more than I could ever describe in words and I know we will see each other again. After all, we missed the "tall and not so tall" family so much we just moved to be closer to them...On a side note, if anybody out there in Blog world works for Harley Davidson, maybe put in a good word for My Darryl ;0)

Peace Out!!!

I Hope You Dance...just don't be a Dancing Monkey!

I know it is shocking to hear but there is this song that truly touches a parent's heart. The title is I Hope You Dance and the lyrics are beautiful. Here is just a taste:

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

Even before I was a mom, I totally identified with this song. There were times in my life when I wish I had been more of a risk taker. I wish I had stood up for myself but then again sometimes I wish I could have just shut my mouth. Now Fast forward about 15 years...I was reading a new Bible Study book by an amazing speaker, Jen Hatmaker. (On a side note, she was phenomenal at our Women's Retreat and I highly recommend her!) The title of the book is MakeOver and my dear friend Daneen bought it for me over a year ago and I just have not had the time to read it.

A few weeks ago, I stopped by to ask my friend Tracie to pray for me. When she asked what about, I expressed some feelings of "overwhelment" and frustration of an inability to say no. I found myself not being able to do the things I really enjoy because of things I commit to out of a desire to feel accepted and needed. (Anyway, that is a whole different counseling session.) Tracie prayed over me and then recommended this book to me. So, I made the time and began reading.

Let me just say, Thank God for friends that buy you books a year before you will need them and friends that bring something to mind!!!

The title of one particular chapter is Dancing Monkeys. It talks about all the ways we "dance" for people in our lives for just the reasons I mentioned earlier.

There are times we dance for our parents...

Times we dance for our family...

Let's be honest though, whenever we dance and whoever we dance for, we end up tired!!! Makeover quotes a verse in Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Wow! I just love that. That verse tells me that in all we do, God never intends for us to grow weary...he wants us to run...to HIM but not grow faint.

All of that being said, I do hope that Curly and Moe (and all those I love for that matter) Dance but never, ever become Dancing Monkeys.

That is unless it causes somebody to give a good, heartfelt belly laugh...and then I guess it's okay!!

Peace Out!