You Never Let Go!

I have to share a conversation I had with Gracie tonight.

She was singing the Matt Redman song You never Let go, "Oh no, you lever let go. Through the calm and through the storm." Which I love to hear her sing!

I asked her who that song was talking about?
She didn't know, so I told her,
"It's about Jesus and how he never lets go of us, even when things get really yucky."

Why? She asked

"Because he always has his arms around us, giving us hugs." I told her.

Why? she asked again.

I said "Because he loves us so much!"

She asked "He gives me hugs? And he gives you hugs?

"Yes!" I told her "He holds us all the time."

Then in such a sweet voice she said "We've got so much Jesus in our hearts."

AW! Can you believe this from a 3 year old?? All I could do was smile at her.
I love the innocence of a child.

Sleep Over

Gracie will be going to her first ever sleep over tonight.
She is so excited! Her friend Gracie Paige is celebrating her 3rd birthday
with Arial from the Little Mermaid as the big theme! All the girls are so excited to go!
Gracie had a sleepover for her 3rd birthday party, and I don't know who had more fun, me or the girls.
I love the fact that she has the friends she does at such a young age.
Girl friends are so important at all ages!

"A"

I am so very excited to report to you that I got my first "A" on a biology test.
When I got this test back today and saw I had 39 out of 41 correct I just said out loud "Thank You, LORD!!"
I was so impressed with the way he got me through this test!
Again I say, Thank you, Lord!!
Do you know what it means to me to get an "A" on a test while taking care of a family, being a wife and running two businesses? It feels awesome!

Rejoice in the Lord always , again I say REJOICE~

Beth Moore 2006

This is the blog I've been waiting to share.
5 of us ladies from New Life attended Beth Moore's Living Proof Live
this year at the Charleston, WV Civic Center.
As usual, she blew my shoes off (do you know how hard it is to walk and dance in heels for 2 days?)
There's nothing I love more than to be in a room full of women, 11,000 to be exact, praising a God that is MEASURELESS!!

That was our theme for the weekend. I've never seen somebody able to break down a few versus in Ephesians and teach on it 3 differnt times like Beth was able to do. How amazing is that? God has given Beth a true heart and passion for women and our issues.

Here are some key things I learned at this conference. For some of you this is a perfect outline for a sermon!!

Key Scripture
Ephesian 3 :16-20
16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledg-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

Why should we be impressed by God's measureless love?
Because God is meticulouss about measurements. The Tabernacle daily manner, promise land, he marked the foundationn of the earth, demensionss of the Temple, judgmentt-all examples of measures.

1. Who are we trying to measure up to? 2 Chor. 10:12-13
2. Who are wetryingg to measure up for? Gal. 1:10
3. Who are we trying to measure God by? Isaiah 40:25 and 46:5 "To whom will you compare me to?
God's love is MEASURELESS!

1. How high is the love of God? Psalm 103:11
2. How wide is the Love of God? Psalm 103:12
3. How long is the Love of God? Psalm 103:17 EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING!Amen!!

where ya been?

I've neglected my blogging for the past few days.
But don't worry, I'm working on one.... a good one.
I'm waiting on pictures to be sent to me for my next topic.
If you know me, you know I LOVE to put a picture with my words.

But while I'm here, I'll tell you what Gracie's doing right now.

She's doing all the stretches and dancing that she's learned in preschool and she's cracking me up.
She's on the floor, bending over her knees, touching her toes while saying "stretch it out, stretch and stretch!"
Kids are just too darn funny!!
Man, I love her so much!!
Thank you Lord!!!!

Class of 1996

I went to my 10 year reunion this weekend and boy was that something. And yes, it was held at the local bowling alley!!
I must say I no longer fit in no matter how popular I was back in the day. I don't drink, cus, smoke, or do drugs!
Out of my friends, there's few us who have our lives in check.
The rest, well.... I'll just say that they don't.
It truly was sad to see how disfunctional these "adults" are now.
They have children and say they've got their lives straight. But straight means you only get drunk when you party and only do drugs when you party.
It seems that people think that you can do those things recreational and be ok.
I disagree!!! I've never seen such messed up people! Morally, spiritually, physically and mentally they are bankrupt!
I thank God that I am a changed creature! Money, drugs, alcohol, big houses, big rings, fancy cars don't make you successful! I am so blessed and successful at what I do by being a mom, a wife, and friend and most importantly a Christian!
Thank you, Lord for the change you've made in me!!
I LOVE YOU!

All Grown Up!

Today was a big day for me. NO, not because I had a biology test~
Because I took down Gracie's 3 in 1 crib bed. It was the type that went from a crib, to a toddler bed to a full bed.
Gracie decided she was ready to sleep in what she calls "pop and nor nor's bed".
So we went to the store and I let her pick out all new bedding.
Of course she wanted the princess stuff. We brought it home and it didn't fit. I bought bedding for a twin bed, not a full!
So I had to break her heart and tell her it was going back to Walmart....BUT that I would replace it.
I did replace it, but the princess theme was only in twin size. I crossed my fingers when I told her I got new bedding again. I prayed she wouldn't throw a fit over it not being "princess".
I let her help me put all of it on the bed today and that made her feel big and special.
After all that, I moved the bed around twice and moved the dresser and all!
It's a whole new big girl room with a big girl bed!
Oh, she's growing up so fast!

The Simple Life

Sometimes it's nice just to share the simplicity of my day....

8:30 AM Get up (this was my sleep in day!)
8:45 AM Noah is brought over for the day
9:00 AM Start some laundry and dishes
9:30 AM Make oatmeal for myself and 3 kids
10:00 AM I Start to study for my biology test tomorrow
11:00 AM Take Gracie, Isaiah, and Noah outside to play and I study some more.
11:30 AM The house is a WRECK!!
12:30 AM Kaela is brought over for the day
12:45 PM Make lunch
1:30 PM Boys go down for nap, girls play.
2:00 PM Study some more for my test
2:30 PM Noah is finally asleep
3:30 PM Everyone is awake and ready to play!
3:40 PM Gracie pees in her panties!
3:45 PM Brianna gets off the bus
3:50 PM I pick up the living room and vacuum
4:00 PM As I'm vacuuming, the kids got pringles ALL OVER the floor! (I will vacuum again)
4:10PM I vacuum again!
4:20 PM Noah is picked up and Kaela gets her fingers smashed in the screen door!
I administer ice and motrin. For the next 15 minutes nothing but crying!
4:50 PM Kaela and Brianna are picked up.
4:55 PM I finally take a shower!! AHH!
5:40 PM Vacuum again! Find crunched pringles in Isaiah's room and the kitchen. oh does it ever end??
6:00 PM Heading to church.
6:15 PM Teach a girls bible study group with Amy
7:30 PM Go to curves! ME TIME!!

Should we start packin'?

Tonight as Gracie and I were washing dishes she asked me if this house is where we live.
I told her yes and asked her if she liked it.
She said she didn't want to live here anymore. Kinda taken back, I asked her where she'd like to live.
"With Pop and Nor Nor." This is Cris' parents.
So I asked her where she wanted mommy and daddy to live. "With me at Pop and Nor Nors!"
I asked her why she didn't want to live in this house anymore.
And her simple answer was that it was "getting too little."
What kind of 3 year old has these types of conversations??
I love these times with my kids, when we talk about the odd things. It really is so much fun.
I can't ever help but wonder when she says these types of things if it's a prophecy of some kind.
Watch out Pop and Nor Nor, here we come!!

Say it with me: Yah-Ko

This evening Gracie, Isaiah, and I were playing outside while Cris was mowing.
Gracie got on top of the old well that is in the yard. There's a concrete slab over the well with a small hole in it, and she likes to yell into it.
She said "Mom, I'm gonna sound for my yacho." She started yelling her ABC's into the well.
I asked her what she was doing and she reassured me she was "sounding for her yacho."
What all this really means is, she was listening to her echo!
I just had to share!!

Curves

Today is a new day! I joined our local Curves.
It was a really neat experience. I need to go 3 times a week and it's only for 30 minutes each workout. It's very do-able!
I'm ready for a whole new me.
As many of you know, I gained a lot of weight during both pregnancies and was also able to lose it both times. But life gets ahold of me and I gained it all back. BLAH!!
So, drastic times call for drastic measures.
Now that I am working more, I now can afford to join.
I am happy to say I'm a member of Curves for Women!!
Look to see a new me in the future.

Yummy to my tummy

Thanks to Jeni C. tonights menu consists of pinto/navy beans soup and Jiffy cornbread!
Has to be Jiffy and it can't be that "fried" stuff! It's just getting to be that time of the year. Once fall comes, the Jones house eats soups and chili! This is when Cris loses weight because he won't eat my winter cookin'! Too bad!
We might even have deviled eggs, just because they're sooo good!!
Watch out whoever comes near our house for the next few days!!
Beans and deviled eggs won't make for a pretty environment!!
Shew-Whee!

My little monkey

Just last week I was talking to different girl friends about their small children climbing out of their cribs.
I gave them advice such as putting socks on the kids feet so they couldn't get a grip on the rails and things like that.
Gracie never once tried to climb out of her crib and neither had Isaiah..... until 2 nights ago!
All he had to do was hear me talk about it. I was praising him on how he's NEVER tried to climb out of bed.
The other night Cris put Isaiah to bed, said his prayers and left the room.
We later heard a thump and a small cry.
Isaiah walked out of his room with a grin on his face. Cris and I looked at each other and said "Did he just climb out of his bed.... with socks on??!"
We let him play around for awhile and later put him back down and heard nothing from him again that night, or the next 2 nights.
Again, Cris put Isaiah to bed tonight and we later heard him hit the floor! He again, walked out of his room proud as a peacock! We took Isaiah back into his crib and asked him to show us how he climbed out. He was very proud to show us his neat climbing technique. Cris was very impressed with the way he used his toes just right to wrap them around the crib rails, throw his leg up and over, and slide down. It was a true art form.
So, now what do we do?? He's not ready for a toddler bed or he'll get up every night. I guess we'll just keep putting him in his crib and see what happens. Silly monkey!

6 years

Today, September 2, 2006 Cris and I celebrate our six year wedding anniversary!!
It's 5:45 PM and at this time six years ago, I think we were having individual pictures taken in the basement of Memphis Christian Church in Memphis, IN.
Our wedding was either at 6 or 6:30.... that part I can't remember. I'm sure Cris was taking one last trip to the men's room to relieve himself.
David, Chad and Kelly were probably laughing hysterically at him and his nervousness (which result in trips to the potty for Cris!! )
Happy Anniversary, Cris!
Your loving Wife!

The sound of rain

Cris was at the table this morning doing his prayer time when he began to hear water drops.
It was raining outside but this sounded a little closer.
He looked up, and right in front of him where Isaiah's high chair sits was a steady drip of water coming in from the roof! A small hole formed in the dry wall and the drops kept coming for about 30 minutes and then stopped.
He got some pitch and went up into the attic and sealed it for now.
I guess these are the things you come by with an older home!
Rain Rain go away, come again another day!