Hold Fast

This past weekend I went to Charlotte to see Beth Moore and wow what experience it was and I wanted to share...First off there were 9400 ladies there and being an arena with those women and hearing Beth speak the word of God, singing praise music with Travis it is something unreal esp when the band and singers stop and it is just women sing I have to admit I had a time singing cause of the tears it was the sweetest most blessing thing to hear. She told us that she prays for each event for a word from God to be given to her and ours was Hold Fast and that instead of points to be given to us by 1,2,3,etc we were going to by HOLDFAST instead so here is what she taught us. Our main focus was in Deut 10:11-21 but you know Beth she likes to move around..

V 20- Hold fast to Him- cling to Him, hold onto, glue to be stuck together.. This is how we should hold onto our faith with God.

H- His affection is set upon me
O- Only He is your praise
L- Loving Him awaken your true heart
D- Doing His will does us good
F- Fleeing to him means fleeing with Him
A- An tighten embrace will also replace
S- Satan wants our faith
T- The Lord is your life

God chose me, He keeps His promise oath and brought me out, I am a treasure possession, I am loved with a faithful love, joy love, enduring love. God will never betray you but He will heal you...
Deut 7:6-10,1 Peter 2:9-10,Esp 1:37, Is 38:17,Deut 7:7. Is 53

Live as dearly loved children, loved by God of universal, He is your praise

He has set His love upon us, we are to love our Lord your God, He will bring everything and we should too. Life works when we show Him the same affection as He does us. You know don't know your heart until you truly love God.
Psalm 119:25, 2 Tim, Acts 20

Walk in obedience, He will lead us the right way. He has no darkness in Him, He doesn't lie. Everything we good through is what God is doing in us, he uses us to impact our community.
Deut 10:13, Romans 8:8,Ex 29

As a mother we are looking at our kids and asking "why do you do the things you do" God is like that with us too. The promise & the oath are 2 things that are unchangeable with God.Live as we are loved and forgiven, Flee that refuge onto the cross. Jesus is with you always.
1 King 1:5-6, 1 Kings 1:48-51, 1 King 2:28, Heb 6:18, Heb 13:20, Matt 28:20

What and who am I holding unto the tightest, you have to hold fast with both hands. Get in healthily relationship, we can't fight the battles only He can. There is only 1 God and we ain't it and neither is anybody else. Most people don't want you to be clingy to them but God does. Death to self, life to God. Stronghold is when we let go of God and hold onto something else beside God. We need Jesus.
2 Tim 3, Mark 7:8, 2 Tim, 1 Kings 11:12, Rev 3:11

Satan wants our FAITH more than he wants our marriage, our children , our health, he wants our faith... Now this is the one that really got me cause never thought about it that way. We have to hold onto God commandments so we may by strong enough to enter the promise land. We have to hold on tight to get in and hold on tight once we get in cause Satan will come at you when you are not holding on tight. Josh 23:6-8 Be very strong, hold fast to God.. Satan goes through our trash he uses it to take our treasures. In the cloudy mess when we are not holding onto we will not see God promise. Holy passion does not destroy only lust and pride does, protect our minds, hearts, be cleanse with the Holy Spirit, repent from what is keeping you from holding fast. Get rid of toxic relationships. If God is speaking to you obey do not let the dust settle.
Deut 11:8,Josh 22:5, Josh 23:6-8, 2 Sam 23:8, Esp 4, Deut 3:8, Jerm 29:11, Deut 30:19-20

Seek things above, Chris is my life, If you don't let God in your marriage, your parenting, your life He can't do His will, He lives where we allow Him to. Whatever hinders us from living a life with Christ we need to put aside. Love the Lord your God, obey Him, loyal to Him for He gives you life and enables you to live. Hold fast to God...
Col 3:1-4

Notice the bookends- His affection is set upon me-The Lord is your life...

draw a heart in the middle right Love the Lord your God and then on the outside of it around it write.. .walk his way, fear the Lord, Serve the Lord, be obedient

Say this chant over and over until you believe it...
H-O-L-D-F-A-S-T God has set His love upon me,H-O-L-D-F-A-S-T God has set His love upon me, H-O-L-D-F-A-S-T God has set His love upon me , H-O-L-D-F-A-S-T God has set His love upon me...






The sweet ladies I got to share it with.. Melissa Woo, Tanya Stewart, Susan Pruitt & Maya she is from China and this was her 1st time in US she had only been her for 5 days. I believe that God spoke to each of us this weekend..

Resume

I have been thinking about it for awhile (well since we got our computer back up and running) that I wanted to start blogging again but just have not yet. Alot has change since my last post a 1 1/2 ago from vacation esp the big one of the cruise (one day I need to add this to the blog), to having 1 child graduate, basketball & baseball with the kids to what God has been doing in my life. So as of today I am going to resume, start back up and start sharing. Maybe just for me to look back on or for you to come and glimpse into my life..

Happy 40th Eric

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL HUBBY!!!!!!!!!!

On Wednesday Jan 6th my hubby finally caught up in the same age bracket as me.. He turn the BIG 40. Even though I am still 2 yrs older than him I feel like he can't call me old anymore cause he is not in the 30's and me in the 40's at least now we are both in the 40's.. His mom put his picture in the paper from 4 yr old and then one we have done several years ago it was sweet and glad people told me about it cause we would have never known.. He thinks it is just another day so he didn't want to make a big deal out of it. So we skip church and ran a couple of errands and then went to Bojangles with Kim & Scott Hewitt. We were going to do the cake there but Stephen didn't come, you couldn't light the candle so we left and went back to the house but not until the cashier came out there and look at his cake and them looked at him and said "Oh you forty" the way she said it was funny but she need turn around and said he looked good for 40 which I could have told ya that..lol... We went back to the house sang happy birthday, had Kim's cake she made and then I gave him his gift of a ticket to go go to Sprint All Star race in May and a hotel room to stay the night.. Kim got Scott his ticket for Christmas so we are sending them down there...Now all this was the day of....






Fast Foward to January 16th I wanted to make his 40th a good one so and make it a surprise I had plan a big surprise party but when we decided to go on the cruise and use extra money this year to pay for it and Stephen trip I knew that was out of the question so my plan was to go to Wild Wings his favorite resturant and invite all his friends and celebrate his big day and I was hoping that a band we like BlindVision would be out there. Well all of that fell through, Wild Wings didn't want to work with on a table and BlindVision was not playing there some other band was that I never heard of the groups they sounded like. So, after much talking about with others and getting advice I called Chief's and they were all but happy to help us make it a special day for him.. I invited all his friends, got decoratoin, Kim made him a "Life Begins AT 40" cake and with some help from Denise and Kim got things set up and had everybody there by 6 so we could come in and they would all be there. Afterwards a friend of ours is a DJ at the bowling alley so he had a table set up for us out there and we went out there and dance and listen to karokee. We had a great time and I hope now that he gets your 40th bday is not just another day. Thanks to all the people that came and celebrated his bday and help him bring in a new decade...

SURPRISE


All the Old Fart's Friends








Kim husband Scott was there too but I totally forgot to take a picture of them together after he got there.

The Old Fart


Some Birthday fun
His cake was made by Kim will all the things that are as yet to come





I had some more but I can't figure out how to turn the picture around before posting...but they are all on my Facebook.

Can't wait to celebrate his 50th!!!!!!

New Years Eve

This year for News Years we went to Shannan and John house to celebrate the coming on 2010 together. I had all my besties there w/ their families except for Denise.. We all brought appetizers and Ree & Ginger brought sandwich trays. We ate, socialize and then played games of Catch Phrase and Apples to Apples. All the kids hung out in the bonus room watching tv, playing and listening to music. We watch the ball drop and wish each other Happy New Year. I could not ask to bring in the year with anybody but my family and my besties.. Great memories of 2009 were made and looking forward to more to be built in 2010.


Our Host Couple John & Shannan Manley
They were sweet to have all of crazy nuts over w/ our kids...


Tim & Ginger Darwin- wonder if they ever found the pickle?


Keith & Karen Bishop- aren't they sweet looking


Scott & Kim Hewitt- we missed bringing in the year w/ them.. they were the popular ones and had another party to go to...


The Davis- For Christmas next year I am getting them Catch Phrase


Me and my goofball hubby. We have had our ups and down but I think 2009 really put what is the important in our life and brought back that spark w/ us... love ya baby


Some of the best friends a girl could have... Thank you all for great memories of 2009 Can't wait to see what 2010 is going to be!!!


We had kids from 7 to 17 boys and girls but for the most part I think they all got alone and had fun.. Most have we heard a lot of playing around and screaming.. Not sure if that was good or not...






We also had a friendly game of Catch Phrase w/ the ladies vs men plus Kim since our hubbies didn't want to play. The men and Kim won I think John and Keith have played a time or 2 together cause they had there own codes it seem like...







HAPPY 2010 EVERYONE!!!!!!!

Reflection of 2009 & Hopes for 2010

This is one thing I like about blogging I can go back and look and see what my resolutions for 2009 and reflect on those. Here is post from last year. Now did I achieve them well half and half...

1. I am still working on the weight lost but I didn't gain this year. I did lose and gain as of today I am the same or little under than what I weigh last year at this time.

2. This year I am more ready to move to Goucher than I was last year it could be cause of it might be a half to situation but I am prepare mentally for it. We did get Tyler room paint and somewhat of a room now. He has Eric's old bedroom set in his room now and our old entertainment center we still have a few things to do in it and I have my paint picked out for my living room. Still not organize.

3. I did send out few cards not birthday but just thinking of you cards. Maybe this year I will do more.

4. Being compassion and having a heart, I think I am doing it. I have it but acting on it pushes me out of my comfort zone alot of times. This year I will pray for this one.

5. All 5 of us did go camping with the Hewitt's so we did have a family vacation. Stephen, Tyler went with us on the mission trip to West Virginia and we went to the beach. Ryan is 17 and we are totally uncool people to him.. Eric and I did reconnect more this year than in years pass we finally went away over night first in February to Gatlinburg and then in July for our anniversary to Savannah and we had many date nights. We still do date nights maybe not every Friday night like we were doing but we do when we can and we are going to Savannah again in February and on our a cruise in September..

6. Didn't learn a new thing at all this year.

7. I think I have done this one pretty much. I try and see the silver lining in everything and I have learn when you do that you have more of a positive outlook on things.

8. I have had a blast to reconnecting with old friends and family. I get to keep up with nieces, 2nd cousins through Facebook, I have been blessed to have a second chance spending time with myside of family and thank God for it. I got to spend my aunts 80th bday with her, Christmas w/ my family, visiting with family memembers and getting to know them now. I went this summer to meet up with my best friends from middle school Cindy, Amy & Jamie and had lunch. I still have lunch with Jamie at least once a month if not more since we work down from each other. I also reconnected with my childhood best friend Robbie and to this day we are in contact we text, fb message each other at least once a week and meet up once a month, matter of fact I am having breakfast with her tomorrow. I love being on Facebook and keeping up with old friends.

9. This one I think I will be working on forever which is a good thing. I haven't done the devotions, the daily quite time, memorize scriptures but I am learning more and I have faith and trust in God and I know it is not about my timing but His.

So what is new for 2010?? Well I do want to get my house in shape and painted, I want to send more cards out and give more gifts, I am praying for the compassionate hearth, I want to spend more time doing family things and couple things with Eric, I pray for many more family get together with myside and memomries to be made and realtionships to be restore, I do want to learn to concrete I didn't have a clue last year what I wanted to learn but this year I do know what I want to learn and I want to continue to look at the positive side of everything. But this year I have 2 main goals...

1. I want to loose at least 60lbs by September for our cruise. You know it is like if you are sitting in church and you hear a good sermon and doing the invitation you are crying it is called conviction. I have felt it and I have finally responded to it. Well, now I sit watching (listening at work) to the Biggest Loser and hear these people reason to loose weight and I am in tears listening to them. Liz from this past year said so many things during on her interviews that got to me. I am coming to figure out why I am like I am I figuring out the emotinonal part and I am praying about them and dealing with them so this year I pray that with God's help I will achieve my goal. I can't do it alone and I pray for the support system to come and for God's help.

2. I pray this year to have a true relationship with Jesus to know him more and more, to honestly have that quite time and to memorize scripture and most important go to him every morning before I get out of bed pray for wisdom for that day and dress in His armour each day. I am going on Tuesday night to Southern Sisters Sweet and Coffee Shop from 7-8 to hear a praying, Godly lady Cheryl Cannon teach me what the bible says. She is down to earth and the way she teaches it I get it and I am learning so much out of Esp. I am on the Women2Women leadership board and I have many ladies on there that encourage me and are such wonderful mentor. SO this year I pray for that relationship to develop between me and God and for myself to KNOW his word and not just know it but speak it and live it.

I pray for a happy, healthy, many blessings, full of love, happiness, patience, family and friends memories for 2010.

Year of 2009 picture review from facebook

Christmas 2009

Do you say every year you are going to be done with Christmas before December? Well, I do and I am out until the stores are closed on Christmas Eve and back at Walgreens with everybody else at 10-11pm.. This year I can say by Christmas Eve lunch I was DONE with everything but the stocking stuffers and they were done by 5:15. That is a record for me... The older boys only wanted an IPOD Touch so they got it along with some clothes and Tyler wanted DSI so he got that w/ 3 games a case, some movies and games. The boy has more toys than he knows what to do with and doesn't touch half of them so this year not only with the Eric work slack but also I didn't want to focus on all the presents we got them the big thing they wanted and a few other things. We didn't put one present under the tree until Christmas Eve night and Santa came and wrap all the gifts put them under the tree and place there stocking in front of there piles, ate his cookies and drank the milk and he left. The only disappointment we got was Tyler wanted My Sims Agent for the Wii not the DSI I thought they were the same game but he got over it as quick as he got on it..lol

I get up on Christmas take pictures of the boys opening gifts as Eric video tapes and then after all is open and they are off playing later on I cook french toast, bacon, grits and eggs for our breakfast it is one meal we all sit at the table w/the TV off and are like a real family..lol.. Well this year we didn't eat until 12:30 cause I went back to bed until 10 got up and started cooking, got the french toast, the bacon all done and started the eggs and the breaker for our stove blew it so we had to cook eggs on the indoor grill and it took a lot longer than we wanted it to. We still enjoy our meal just a little later and a little cold. Also, while all of this was going on the picture tube in the TV went out. Which has been kinda good as of today we still don't have fix but I have gone to bed w/ Eric everynight and I think he likes that so I am not sure if it will get fix..lol.. I can't get down about any of this cause I text my high school best friend Lorraine to wish her Merry Christmas and she called me right back to let me know she needed prayers. Her son Devin that 3 days younger than Stephen was buring trash for them and he had put an aersol can in the trash a couple of days before and forgot about it as he was poking at the fire it exploeded and caught his face, arms and hands on fire and they took him to the hospital which transfer him Augusta Burn Center. He has 3rd degree burns they let him come home for Christmas but he is back there now as of today and don't know if they get to come back tonight or have to wait a couple of weeks. He can't lay down so he has to sleepin the recliner, he can't get them wet or go out cause of the wounds. He was conditioning for baseball and don't know where he stands with that or school. Then to top it all off the day before it all happen she found our her niece that is husband sister daughter that is in her 30's with a child 7 and I think 5 is dying of ovarian cancer and only has 9 months to a year to live... So, after talking to her and then praying for her and her family I had to look around and my Christmas became my Thanksgiving and I am thankful that I have a healthly family and I focus on what Christmas was about, about Jesus being born and who He is to me.. I know that Lorraine is getting along cause she has Jesus walking beside her comforting her, giving her strength and He will be the healer for Devin and Crystal. He will be there to give her peace with whatever He plans become. So me being w/ out a TV or a stove my kids not having a living room full of Christmas gifts they won't touch after of them well it all didn't matter. God has blessed us with so many things and Him being born was the greatest gift of all...






By the way, I do plan to start my shopping even stocking stuffer early for 2010 maybe this year will be my year to have it all done by December 1st... and I plan to do better with pictures next year too... Hope you all had a Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!!!

Christmas w/ Family and Friends

After our day of spending time with my family that night we went and spent time at the Hewitt's for their Christmas party. It was great fun we had wonderful food, laughter, great friends, did a Christmas swap we got $10 gift card to Bronco's and Carolina koozie and some mulling spices. It was a great time all around and thank you Kim & Scott for having us all over. To see more and Kim side check out her blog

Kim & Lisa


Eric, Scott & Donnie hiding out while they are eating.


The teen boys guarding the food


Eric opening his gift


On Christmas Eve we go to Eric's mom for dinner. This year we missed having Susan and the kids there they were all home sick, it wasn't the same w/out them. We had enough food for at least 2 more families to come but that just means left overs for Eric. We swap gifts this is our Santa place we got our lugguage for our cruise and money.

Tyler with his Ben 10 stuff


Pappa and Gigi w/ our kids


Gigi took this picture.. Not sure what angle she was going for


After Santa elf went shopping for stocking stuffers and went home and made a cake Myself, Eric and Tyler went with the Darwin's to Ginger mom & dad for our annual Christmas Eve breakfast dinner. They have been super sweet to us and I just adore her family. About 3 or 4 years ago I think I made a comment once we are done at Eric's mom at lunch we are done with family. She gets to together with her parents and just does breakfast dinner and invited us and year after year they still invite us and I have learn you don't tell Marge Waters no..lol... They make the best breakfast real biscuts, country ham, grits and yest I have tired the red eye gravy it was good, eggs, bacon just the whole works. The Darwins/Waters family are wonderful..

Tim, Ginger, Caroline & Jake Darwin..
If Caroline gets her way and she marries Tyler me and Ginger won't have to make them decided where to have Christmas since we are spend Christmas Eve together we can just take turns and have them to come to our houses for Christmas Eve breakfast..



Ginger and her sweet mamma and wonderful cook daddy.



Her mom got us all "Find The Pickle" supposely you hid it on the tree on Christmas Eve and then in the morning whoever finds it gets an extra present...


Christmas night we hit our last friends gathering and went to the Hewitts for leftovers. They share what they had left over from Christmas with Scott family and we took our leftovers we had. After dinner we exchange gifts the boys got Hollister t-shirts that say Sweet, Tyler got Mexican Train cause Kim knows how much he loves that game and well she went above and beyond with mine and Eric's gift she got us tickets to see Rodney Carrington with them and them Monday's in January. It was discuss and since I am trying to not to do so much so we can save for a cruise I told them Eric and I were not going so instead she brought our tickets so we can. I am excited I think Rodney is funny and it is 2 days after my birthday.

The oil was part of Ryan's gag gift from Zack and we got Zack some Modern Warfare sleep pants which I think he liked..lol






We had a wonderful Christmas with our family and friends!!!!!!!!