HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

*I wrote this last night, but had problems with uploading pictures

so it didn't get posted until today.*

Bright and early this morning before church, we headed to Bob Evan's for a Father's Day breakfast with (part of) my mom's family.

This was taken from one end of the table.

This was taken from the other.

 At church, my small group made cards for the fatherless - the orphans in Costa Rica and Ecuador.  Although these children may not have an earthly father, they do have a Heavenly Father who loves them more than they can imagine. 

We took a few pictures to send with our cards too.

After eating lunch at Sonny's BBQ (all dads ate for FREE - thanks Nana!), we spent the afternoon at my dad's with my brother and his family.  

(L to R: my husband Shawn, my brother Shane, my dad Max

There was a lot of cousin time too that included swimming, playing video games, and jumping rope. (L to R: Avery, Tanner, Sydney)

Faith Wrenn (above) and Lindsey (below)

I must say that Father's Day is a bit different now since my stepdad and my father-in-law have both passed away.  Don't take anything for granted.  Give your dad a hug or a phone call today!

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After we came home from my dad's house, my husband turned on the TV

and guess what was on...???

A nature show on etv about AFRICA!

Check out this gorgeous RAINBOW at Victoria Falls in South Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia & Zimbabwe.

ONLY GOD!

Loving MY HEAVENLY FATHER with all my heart & soul,

Nancy

Words of Wisdom

from my 10 year old...

She bought this for me at her school book fair.  So what exactly is she trying to say??!!!  That things are back to normal at our house??!!!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy

Spring Break...

Cousins in the sand

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,

Nancy

Weekly Blessings

"...once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."
~ Proverbs 24:12

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The blessings just keep coming.....

Last Friday, my dear friend Stephanie and her beautiful daughter brought us a delicious feast for dinner!  THANK YOU SO MUCH STEPHANIE!!!

Also on Friday, I got a call from Laura K., one of the moms at my MOPS table.  She wanted to bring us a meal too.  So on Saturday, she stopped by and brought us a pasta dish and all the ingredients to crockpot another meal!  WOW!  We will be having the crockpot dish tonight!  THANK YOU SO MUCH LAURA!!!

On Sunday, my husband came out of Sunday School with a plate of yummy muffins from Robin W.!  I've been eating them for breakfast all week.  I just ate the last one this morning.  THANK YOU SO MUCH ROBIN!!!

Also on Sunday, my friend Mendy gave me a special picture from her very special daughter.  THANK YOU MENDY!!!

On Tuesday, Angela P. brought us Chinese food & some delicious cupcakes she baked.  She made sure to get us lots of food so we could have leftovers.  Her plan worked too.  THANK YOU SO MUCH ANGELA!!!

On Thursday, Connie from Sunday School brought us a huge salad & fabulous spaghetti.  THANK YOU SO MUCH CONNIE!!!

Also this week, I received a special gift from my friend Julie in Georgia. THANK YOU JULIE!!!

And I got to have some "PJs and coffee" time with my friends Laura P. and Nancy B. 

God used my cancer and Laura's cancer to introduce us and make us all friends!  ONLY GOD!!!  HE IS AMAZING!!! 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways My ways,”
            declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are My ways higher than your ways
   and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

Then Stephanie treated me and my husband to the play "Smoke on the Mountain" at the community theather.  Her daughter Kailee along with 2 other people from our church starred in it.  It was really good and very funny.  THANK YOU STEPHANIE!!!

Please know that my family and I are SO GRATEFUL for each and every one of you.  Your acts of kindness and your prayers are PRICELESS!  We Love You!

We also celebrated my daughter's birthday all week!  Faith turned the BIG 1-0!  Once you hit double digits, there is no turning back!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy

The Week in Review and Birthday Blessings too - Part 1

Last week after my friend Mendy graciously brought us a surprise dinner, I thought to myself, "This is the last meal we will be receiving from our generous friends and church family.  Now it's time to share how God has been using these meals for His glory."

Imagine my surprise a few hours later when I checked my e-mail only to find a message from my friend Sheri about MORE MEALS!  She said she felt led to extend meals for us until my fatigue was gone.  She had asked Angela P. from MOPS to add a few more days on the "Take Them A Meal" site and send it out again.  REALLY??!!!  WOW!!!  I thought my blurry eyes were deceiving me.

I had just told the ladies at radiation a few hours earlier that the thought of having to cook dinner every night again was already wearing me out!  Every afternoon after work, my body screams for a nap.  My family wants to eat; I want to sleep.

But my immediate thought was, "Lord, there are so many other people who are dealing with circumstances WAAYYY worse than mine.  I do not deserve this.  And I know the ladies who keep getting e-mails about preparing meals for me have to be sick and tired of seeing my name!!!"  God's response, "Let them do this for you.  You know this REALLY is NOT all about you!  I am at work here on so many levels.  Don't protest.  Just accept."

I was too tired to tell Him, "But Lord, I'm used to GIVING the help, not RECEIVING it!  I feel guilty.  I am so blessed, and there are so many others in desperate need.  I need to be helping others instead of being helped."

Imagine my even bigger surprise on Tuesday morning when I clicked on an e-mail reminder from "Take Them A Meal" (I get a message reminding me a day or 2 in advance who is bringing a meal and when they are coming) and I discovered meals would be coming 4 TIMES a week!  WHAT??!!!  In the past, Angela had set it up for 2 days a week.  This time it is 4 TIMES A WEEK!!!  I was shocked.  I couldn't believe it.  I started to fill in the open days with my own name saying we have dinner covered, but God said, "Don't protest.  Just accept."  BUT LORD.....   

Oh, I know God is at work!  And I can't wait to share with you how He is using these meals!  It looks like I'll have to wait a few more weeks though.  The meals are scheduled until the end of this month.

Speaking of meals and my friend Sheri, she and her precious daughter K brought over dinner on Monday.  THANK YOU SHERI!!!

On Tuesday, Muriel brought over a homecooked meal she and her 90 year old mother had made together!  THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

These green beans were snapped with lots of love by Muriel's mother!

On Wednesday, I get a text from Sheri saying she had food for me from Angela P.  What?  It's not on the schedule! LOL!  In my head I heard, "Don't protest.  Don't ask questions. Just accept."  Yes, Lord.  Apparently, there was a MOPS meeting (I am assuming it was MOPS - possibly a leadership meeting) and Angela had the left over food and flowers given to us!!!  I am about to eat some of it right now for lunch! 

On Thursday, Barbara prepared a wonderful Italian meal.  She has made the mistake of telling me she LOVES to cook.  How rude will it be for me to just show up at her house around dinner time once or twice a week??!!!  THANK YOU BARBARA!!!

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In my family, birthdays are a big deal.  However this year, I was so tired, it didn't really feel like my birthday, and all I wanted was to have NOTHING to do!  As I started to write this post though, I realized how God had let me have mini celebrations for several days instead of just one big celebration on my actual birthday!  Isn't He amazing??!!!

*My mom and I went to see Mandesa, a Christian singer, and Antia Renfroe, a Christian comedian, at "Girls Night Out."  My sister in law & her mom were invited too, but they couldn't make it.  We laughed & cried & danced & worshipped our God!  It was a lot of fun.

A TREE was the symbol of the church we were at for the show!  This was on the wall of their lobby.   

Here is Mandesa after the show.  She is signing autographs and talking with everyone waiting in a very long line to meet her.  We did not stand in that line.  I cheated and took this picture from the side.  Check out her shoes....a woman after my own heart!  All during the show, she wore high heels.  Her feet are thanking her.

Here is Anita Renfroe after the show meeting and greeting people too.  She still has on her high heels.  Her feet are not amused!  She is really funny.  My favorite was her remake of the song "All the single ladies" into "All the WRINKLE ladies!"  It is hillarious!  She had a video to go with it.  You can check it out on you tube.

*My friend Tina took me out for an early dinner.  It was so good to catch up and laugh with her too.  Our waiter was glad we  she was there too!

*Part of my family took me out for lunch.  The other part took me out for dinner.  Sorry no pictures, it was raining & I left my camera in my car.  But, I do have a picture of the card my sister Nicole gave me.  I will be framing this!

*On my actual birthday, my friend Sheri signed up to bring us dinner that night.  She was willing to feed us whatever I wanted.  I opted for pizza & wings at home in my pjs! 

It was early when we ate and the kids still wanted to play outside.  So, instead of having them put their pjs on, everyone just came to the table in their bedroom shoes!

And Sheri made me a TREE that was bearing FRUIT!!!  THANK YOU MY DEAR FRIEND!  Tears - seriously!  That was so special!!!

Oh and I can't forget my secret flower delivery either!

At 6:55pm, I laid on the couch to rest my eyes, and IT WAS OVER!  My sweet daughter tucked me in when it was her bedtime 2 hours later!  I was so tired.

*I received lots of meaningful cards from friends - even 2 friends from where I used to live who I haven't seen in 7 years.  My friend Cindy also got me a tree card where she wrote treasured words on the inside, along with a journal and a gift card to Michael's so I can get started on that memory/scrapbook God wants me to do about Africa.  She's making sure I follow through - what a FANTASTIC FRIEND!  And Faye, I will share about your card in my next post.

*Lastly, since we moved into our house a year & 8 months ago, I have wanted Scripture on our walls.  About 3 months ago, my friend Nancy B. told me about the Cricket Cricut machine that she used to put Scripture on her walls.  I had never heard of it before.  I am NOT an arts & crafts kind of girl, but I wish I was.  Anyway, I got really excited!  Nancy B. had borrowed the Cricut from our mutual friend Angela T.  Angela and I tried for months to coordinate our schedules so we could put Scriptue on my walls.  It just wasn't happening.

Two weeks ago on a Thursday, I got spring fever and wanted to do some things around my house.  I also got frustrated because after nearly 2 years, Scripture was still not on my walls.  I took a break to eat lunch and sat down to look up something on the computer while I ate.  Out of the blue, I thought about the Cricut machine and decided to price them on Craig's List and E-bay.  Once I discovered how to spell it correctly, I did some research.  I found out the retail price and the Craig's List/E-bay prices.  All of them were more than I had to spend.  So, I moved on.

That afternoon on the way to radiation, I had to stop by Michael's in Pineville to pick up some supplies for my son's school project.  (I had gone to Michael's the day before in RH but gotten the wrong size materials.)  There was a lady doing some serious shopping in front of the supplies I needed in Michael's.  I did not want her to feel rushed so I decided to go look around and come back in a few minutes.

As I walked down the next aisle just perusing, something caught my eye.  It was a Cricut machine!  I picked up the box and began reading about it, etc.  Then something else caught my eye.  It was a SALE tag.  The Cricut was on sale!!!  It was 60% off retail and 20% off of Craig's List/E-bay prices!  I could not believe it!  It was actually in double digits not triple digits!!!  I was so excited!  I prayed about it and then sent my husband a text.  He said he would buy the Cricut for my birthday/end of radiation gift! 

I know this was orchestrated by God!  This is how He works!  He brought the Cricut machine to my mind during lunch.  He had me research it that day, after learning how to spell it correctly first!  He had me walk down the Cricut aisle in Michael's because it was on sale.  Why?  Because He knows my heart's desire is to have HIS WORD on the walls of my house ministering to me and my family and anyone else who walks through our front door.  

"Trust in the LORD and do good;
   dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD
   and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:3-4 

Jesus said, “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake?  Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him."  Matthew 7:9-11 

Now, I have to pray for wisdom to figure out how to use the machine!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy    

You Must Have the Wrong Number...

A few weeks ago, I received a recorded message from one of the high school assistant principals inviting parents of rising 9th graders to a meeting at the high school. 

My first thought, "Uhhh, why are you calling me?  You must have the wrong number."

Then I received an e-mail and a flyer about the same meeting.  What's up with that?

Surely this sweet little boy of mine canNOT be going to high school next year!!!

I mean it was just yesterday that he was born 2 months early and had to spend 5 weeks in the hospital before coming home on a breathing/heart monitor.

There is NO WAY I am  he is old enough for him  to be in high school!!!

To make matters worse, the very next day (after receiving the phone call from the high school assistant principal the night before) I'm in the carpool line at Tanner's school and look what I see...

Drivers??!!!  As in driver's license??!!!  My son - almost old enough to drive - the nerve of these people!  What are they trying to do, give a poor mama a heart attack??!!!  What are they thinking??!!!

Why, it was just yesterday that he was standing in the front seat of the car turning the steering wheel while he pretended to be driving.  He used his "studying voice" for sound effects too.  And he didn't even need a job to afford the gas or insurance either. 

Huh.  They act like Tanner will be able to drive a "real" car in 10 months or something.  What is the deal here??!!!

The next thing you know, I'll be getting a phone call telling me Tanner has an appointment to get braces when it was just yesterday that he cut his first tooth!

WARNING TO ALL PARENTS:  Be intentional.  Invest in your children's lives today because tomorrow they will be grown. 

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul

and with all your strength.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  

 Impress them on your children.

Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road,

when you lie down and when you get up. 

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 

Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." 

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy