Winding down 2010. Much Thanks!

Dewayne and I rarely have distractions- thus the kid hand in the corner;)

Perfect depiction of the year in bondage! Why wont you help me Lord! Altho Josh was just throwing a fit, it fits this!

Pumkin Blooming, Matthew planted this a Halloween, thru everything, it still bloomed. Great Depiction of Restoration and Growing where He plants You. It has frozen many times already. Pic taken yesterday.

OK..... 2010

Does anyone out there remember all the ministers whom stood up declaring what the number 10 meant in the Bible and how so much good would come out of this year with his people etc..?

BONDAGE

I thought about that all year. WE were in bondage, real live captive state of bondage. Yes, I put us there, it was by far the worst thing I have ever done, and can't possibly see ever doing something like that ever again. No, I wont take that with me, I can forgive me too, God forgives and forgets- shooore, I can too!. He has redeemed us once again and set us free!

Is. 43:25 in case I forget that HE actually FORGETS the sin, when we ask. I shall forgive and forget too.

SHOCK

I can use that term for this past year. SHOCK. This too, I will place behind me of how horrible we were treated. I still can't believe it, especially when they act like nothing ever happened and pick right back up and how things were. It makes me feel mental or like I am living MATRIX. Nothing is as it seems. Heb 4:3 I apply this. I do REST, I trust. Its all good.

PEOPLE POWER

GOD uses People. An extension of His hand. He does this on purpose. I often wonder if He doesn't allow things to happen only to utilize HIS power through other people. We know the answer to that. Trusting completely in HIM means completely. He just may use the unlikely. He can do anything he wants, He can reach down and take you and place you in another town and another city if HE wanted to. However, HE uses people Power 4 the most part.

Thank you to all those whom have been chosen and used in our life. Thank you to the letters and notes that kept us going, thank you for the words of encouragement. Thank you for those whom constantly reminded us that God has a plan and we are still in it! As you know, for nearly every good thing sent to us and spoken, the enemy was there with a bad letter or horrible accusatory words- amazingly used pastors and supposive believers as messengers. Thanks to Beth Moores book " When Godly People Do Ungodly things" The Enemy's scheme. I was able to realize that these people were used by the enemy to bring hurt to us, but to forgive, it was a sneak attack on them as well. Tim 2:26 & when released may do Gods will.

Thank you for those whom were used by the Most High and Not the by the most Low. Have many I still have to walk thru forgiving, its not so easy like I thought it would be after we got back on our feet.

FEAR

The worst place in the world to me, would be fear. It comes in a physical location on this earth. It brings bad memories and I relived them this past year watching it happen to my children. I made sure once I left home, I would only have good thoughts and great memories. I pulled this off for 20 plus years. I have allowed God to bring the dross to the top you might say and be done with it. However, I want out of this place. I want to be back with my kind, can't help but not like it here. Its all that I had remembered. I am thankful, He has set us UP nicely! Thank you Lord God! I will apply instruction to this Heb. 13:5- I will be satisfied in all times, for God will not fail me.

RESTORATION

I will paraphrase once again Beth Moores book " Arm Yourself Against The Enemy's Schemes" When Godly people do ungodly things.

Learn the Steps of Reconciliation.

Learning how to return to Gods safety and forgiveness and His embrace is the most important lesson.

1. Get Humble- Forgive, ask for Forgiveness.

2. Feel Sorrow over sin.

3. Trust God not Feelings

4. Rest in Gods Mercy

As I look intensely forward to a new upcoming year. I try real hard not to glance back at the hurt. I pray Restoration comes as He guides us to some Iron to sharpen, some of our kind to strengthen us and towards our destiny. There is alot of work to be done right here where we sit, we are alone as it appears. Satan has our help in bondage and we need help getting them freed. Although I pray for the strength to just walk up and just do it, as HE leads- I will fear not. Small town not ready for deliverance- I pray HIS timing. God knows what He is doing and we Trust and RELY on Him. May we be used to His fullest.

HAPPY 2011!

Christmas Pictures

Christmas Eve with Eston Eston and his violin

Josh and the real Santa

All 4 together is the only time things feel right

Two of them sporting their Matching Hardware

Matthew started new school and got to be apart of a class christmas party

Josh and Daddy working on his building catapolt set

Christmas 10' and over.

Christmas 2010

Wow, and its over!

Besides on some days it seeming like a huge chore brought on by world standards, it was a great Christmas!

We try to celebrate Jesus, everyday. It is a time of celebration in Honor of the birth of our Savior. Christmas is a fun time. We copy the gift giving as shown as an example to Jesus as a baby ( is there any comparison?) and we too, give gifts to our loved ones.

Our children know they get gifts all year round, life itself is a gift, Jesus living with in us- the gift of eternity.

Santa is fun! I have unfortunately been through many realms and levels of religion, it took my oldest child getting older and stating to me " really, mom, what would have been the harm in me having Santa?" The immediate sickening feeling I had, convicted me at that moment. Realizing, all celebrations are equal, none of which are required in the Word. There noted. Why would children want to draw close to an UNFUN God? We call HIM Creator, but NOT the Creator of make believe and fun? ohhkay... well anyway.

I have past christmas's banishing the tree and decorations because in Jer. it said they cut the tree down and adorned them with gold and silver and made idols of them. We banished Gifts because, after all, look at all the poor people whom could use this money we spend, we chose families to do christmas for instead, when we drove up to driveways with brand new cars and 50inch tvs, which was far greater than our beat up flintstone van, our children questioned.and then we read, the poor will always be among you. Sometimes poor is not the obvious. We did 3 gifts to acknowledge what the 3 wise men brought Jesus and the children recvd 3 gifts each. We did the can't lie to your children and say Santa. You name it, we have tried it and finally are at peace with Christmas, my oldest is 15, and isnt that ridiculous that religion can screw up so many good years! LOL Actually, this was only the 11th Christmas even questioned. This one was only question because of other children whom are in the oh so familar religious homes telling ours that " your parents tell you not to lie, so why should they lie about Santa?" God tells us not to lie. Yeh, so anyway, like I said in the beginning the Religious Realms of Christmas!

What a Joy to have Freedom and Liberty in Christ! Whew! I think I will choose to Look at Christmas and Santa from a Narnia perspective! Even Santa had a divine purpose and Honored God in the process.

I think its better than having one know the difference and ask, why out of everything we practice in this life, could we not have had just a little fun with it! It was just for a little time.

It IS just for a little time. I BELIEVE what is important is teaching our children from the Word and these things will not be such difficult topics in our lives.

Procrastination of Simple Pleasures

Fresh Greenery, from a fresh cut tree. Only took me a week seeing it in the trash pile outside to think of something to do with it=)
Ahhh. 3 yrs. this month of the wonder of 1 cup coffee! Amazing to how much less coffee we actually drink when you can have one good cup of coffee vs. an entire pot!
a snuggly cat
How can we forget Santa!
Matthew stayed outside all day making the parachute that he was going to fly in the sky with!
Is it just me or do we all procrastinate this time of year, the last week of school, the ONLY time you have left to get all the things done you set out to do this year- completed.....???? Crazy. This year, happened alot sooner than I had prepared for- husbands new job, not adusting to his schedule very quickly, school happened way fast this year and schools out early, schools out early, schools out early! So in reality, my last week of cramming this in this year while kids are in school, well didnt happen!
I decided to enjoy Laughter, watch Imaginations grow, took more time than usual to just Breathe and actually could careless if anything appears perfect.

Christmas Catch up!

Weeding through various personalities and attitudes of people this time of year, must be what I would rate the worst part about the season. However, there are far more pluses than negatives!

The excitement in Children have to be one of the best things!

The sadness of Children have to be one of the worst.

Why do so many people feel it is their responsibility to pull out their holier than thou card and use it on a child? Of course I know why, we have to Prove our love for Jesus.

I have one thing to say ok, maybe a few things- Its Called RELATIONSHIP, tried it 365 days a year and not just seasonal. Against what popular belief is..............JESUS is NOT a Season.

Try Him year round. You'll be less apt to prove your point of Christmas if you are grounded in your beliefs. I'm just sayin.........=)

Here are so pics of "lately".
Kids school talent show at church
Josh

Kori

Cat litter duty is a complicated thing around here

and Josh braved sitting with Rudolph at the library.