Today is a big day here in the 'Ham. The Christmas Village is here and Nancy and Melanie and I are all going. This is a BIG arts and crafts fair downtown and a BIG arena. I got to go to the spring fair earlier this year with Nancy and did not dream that I would be here for the Christmas one this month. I like shopping with Nancy and Melanie and I like getting ideas of things I could do. I'll try to remember to take the camera so you can see how huge this thing is.
Mark got home safely last night. YAY!!! It is so nice to have him home again. It's nice to see his handsome face sitting over there on the couch while I am typing this. I did find a wonderful husband.

Today I am thankful for my wonderful husband and son, of course!

It's going to be a busy day today as I get ready for Mark to come home. Yipeeeeee!!! He's been in North Carolina for 2 weeks of training and I sure will be glad to have him back this evening. I've got to get busy finishing up housework and then I can sit around this afternoon and craft. Today I'm going to paint a certain rocking chair for two...er...three certain extra-special little ones. Then its back to stitching Christmas cards. I did have to make an early morning run to WalMart to get some thread and tape so I could stitch today. The WalMarts here in our part of Alabama (we have two within about 5 miles of us) both have a craft section, something that was eliminated from all the WalMarts in the Augusta, GA area. I rushed out around 6:30 this morning so I could get back in time to fix Dan's breakfast and let him have the car for work.
If you live in the Birmingham area you might want to be sure to pick up a copy of the paper this morning and turn to the sports section to read an interview with Blake Burgess. Blake was asked about how his baby brother's death had affected him. God's grace is reflected quite well in Blake's answer. If you can't get a paper, go to rickandbubba.com where Blake's Dad has put a copy of it on the website. As the holidays approach, continue to hold up in prayer the Burgess family and others who have lost a loved one this year. You never really "get over" a death but the first year of celebrating holidays are certainly difficult.

Today I am thankful for God's grace to get us through any situation, even the ones that feel like they just can't be gotten through.

I have a question this afternoon. Is it better to be wrong but be blissfully ignorant that you are wrong, or is it better to know you are wrong and have to work your tail off to correct the problem? After spending 40 minutes on the piano bench, my neighbors are probably voting that it is better to be blissfully ignorant...that doesn't sound as bad as going back and re-teaching the fingers to do it right. Sigh! This is what I get for drilling in to Dan that anything worth doing is worth doing well. If Bach seems to be frowning in the picture it definitely at my playing :}

I really like my piano teacher! What a nice lady. I think the two of us are going to communicate quite well together. I just hope she doesn't over-estimate my ability. I'm looking forward to working with her and I'm sure the boys and the neighbors are looking forward to an expanded repertoire.
Yesterday was a busy day. I got my ironing done and even (maybe) finally finished the battle with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. That means (maybe) I can finally get an Alabama driver's license. I have been fighting this battle for several weeks now. It seems that the state of South Carolina suspended my driver's license 5 months after I moved from South Carolina to Georgia and got a Georgia driver's license. The reason? We had to change our car insurance from the South Carolina state-approved policy with the state-approved company to the Georgia state-approved policy with the (more economical) Georgia state-approved company. Then we had the audacity to NOT register our cars in South Carolina anymore! Apparently we were either supposed to get their permission to move, or continue to register our cars in South Carolina and Georgia simultaneously. Go figure! It has been interesting going through this process, because I keep remembering a Bible study lesson that I taught about showing grace to the world around us and using DMV as one of my examples. I remember telling the ladies that when the Apostle Paul wrote these words he did not know about the DMV....but he had met the Roman authorities! I'm pretty sure it was Ephesians 4, although it might have been Titus 3. Wow, I have wished my memory were a little more lacking throughout this process because I have not been a great example of peace and grace through all of this at all times.

Today I am thankful that Dan found a job and is able to go to work!

Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Titus 3:1-8 (NIV)
1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

and finally (in conviction)
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

It is finally going to happen. The moment I have been waiting for is almost here. Today I get to go to my piano lesson! I am so excited about this. I'm thankful I have had some exercises to be working on while I wait; that has been fun (for me; I don't know how my neighbors feel about it!). Early this morning I also got to go up to the Rick And Bubba Studio and sit outside the window holding up silly signs. What fun!
Yesterday my blogging friend Ashley was blogging about a new nail polish she had found. I decided that the color she was describing was just what I have been trying to find. You can read about it here: http://sassygalglamour.com/2008/11/03/will-you-ever-be-able-to-stand-me/
Here is the story about my trying to get a bottle of the polish.

I went to Target to get some nail polish this evening. Got there and realized I didn't have the nice little piece of paper where I had written the nail color. So I called my sister on my cell and got the name from her. I had several items to get and when I got to the register the young man confided in me that this is his first day solo on the cash register. Unfortunately the cash register did not like my grapes but we finally got through that. Dan (my son) and I made our way to the car and he was unloading everything from the cart for me. We were almost through when he pointed to the seat of the cart and said, "Did you pay for that, Mom?" pointing to the nail polish. We looked at the receipt and OH MY GOODNESS, I'M A THIEF!!!!! So I rushed back inside to find someone to pay while Dan finished loading the rest of the hot loot....er....merchandise that had been paid for. The young girl at the cash register couldn't believe I came back to pay. I couldn't believe that 1. I forgot to take it out of the cart so I could pay for it and 2. The security system at the door didn't catch it. Yikes
So there you have it; confession is good for the soul. Now go vote!

Today's Thankful Thought:
Today I am thankful for the many men and women who are willing to lay down their lives, if necessary, to protect my freedom. May God bless our military and all those who serve us in law enforcement! Be sure to thank each of them you see today.

Yesterday Dan and I went to a new area in our new home-town. I know where we ended, I had directions, so I know how we got there, but I really have no idea where all we went in the process. It was such a pretty trip, though. Unfortunately, we could not stop along the narrow, winding road for me to take pictures, but they would have been gorgeous. This part of Alabama has some of the prettiest places to drive and enjoy fall colors. We ended at the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church. I know it seems an odd place for a couple of conservative Presbyterians to be on November 2 (reformation Sunday), but there was a purpose to the whole trip. Yesterday Saint Nicholas had their annual food festival. They open up the parish hall for a meal for the community and have a little gift shop, a bakery and LOTS of folks from the area who come in to enjoy the fellowship. The bishop was even there in full robes, hat and everything! My purpose was to try and find someone who was familiar with the art of pysanky who might be willing to teach me how to do it. I think I was successful; the lady in the gift shop took my name and number to pass along to the lady who does this, so we'll see what happens. I'm going to buy a map today, so that I can figure out where we were. I love maps and looking at my routes and trips on maps. Somehow the computer is just not quite the same as looking at the trip on paper.
I have decided that today I have got to stop being quite so lazy and get busy with some projects that need to be completed. I tend to get impatient with people (OK, with Dan) when they don't use their time wisely but I realized over the weekend that I am just not being a very good steward of my time and energy myself. Painful realization!
My friend Ashley over at Sassygalglamour.com is encouraging folks to take time this month to list what we are thankful for. Today as we head into the election tomorrow I am thankful that my hope is NOT in the political process. Whatever happens tomorrow is important but even more important is the realization that God is in control and my hope is in Him.

(The image is from an 1883 German Bible and posted on the web site belonging to Engines of Ingenuity.)


All Saint's Day

In honor of Martin Luther, I thought you might get a kick today out of the Reformation Polka. This is one of my all-time favorite songs and gives an excellent history lesson in the humor of it.
The Reformation Polka

by Richard Gebel
(sung to the tune of "Supercalifragilistic-expialidocious")

When I was just ein junger Mann I studied canon law;
While Erfurt was a challenge, it was just to please my Pa.
Then came the storm, the lightning struck, I called upon Saint Anne,
I shaved my head, I took my vows, an Augustinian! Oh ...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

When Tetzel came near Wittenberg, St. Peter's profits soared,
I wrote a little notice for the All Saints' Bull'tin board:
"You cannot purchase merits, for we're justified by grace!
Here's 95 more reasons, Broher Tetzel, in your face!" Oh ...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

They loved my tracts, adored my wit, all were exempleror;
The Pope, however, hauled me up before the Emperor.
"Are these your books? Do you recant?" King Charles did demand,
"I will not change me Diet, Sir, God help me here I stand" Oh ...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Duke Frederick took the Wise approach, responding to my words,
By knighting "George" as hostage in the Kingdom of the Birds.
Use Brother Martin's model if the languages you seek,
Stay locked inside a castle with your Hebrew and your Greek! Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Let's raise our steins and Concord Books while gathered in this place,
And spread the word that "catholic" is spelled with lower case;
The Word remains unfettered when the Spirit gets his chance,
So come on, Katy, drop your lute, and join us in our dance! Oh ...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Today was quite a busy day. This morning Dan took me to my sister's home so that she could teach me how to make tassels. I'll try to get a picture posted tomorrow of what the one I made looks like; I might even include a picture of the blister I earned from the hot-glue gun. Did you know that they are called that because the glue is hot when it comes out of them?! So do I, now. Some of us are slow learners!
However, I have been telling you that I would finish posting the pictures of our home, so here are the last few. I included one more picture of the view from the balcony because the morning sun light was so pretty the other day.

I confess; I am sleeping in this week! We are not having to get up quite so early to get Mark off to work, so I am sleeping until 7:30 or 8 and marveling at the fact that after a month, this is now sleeping-in for me! (of course, being in Central Time Zone from Eastern Time Zone makes it even more of a treat)
Last night Dan and I attended a dinner with my brother Robert and his wife. We had a great time and got to hear from a young man who is getting ready to immigrate to Israel with his wife. They will be starting a center to assist Messianic Jews in Israel with medical needs, legal needs and just general daily needs these fellow believers have. It was interesting to learn about the status of Messianic Jews in Israel. They have such a difficult time and are hated and attacked by both jews and muslims. As you think of it today, pray for these family members.
Yesterday was a little disappointing. I was supposed to start piano lessons yesterday but got a call from the teacher in the morning to cancel as she is ill this week. I can certainly sympathize with that, but I am eagerly waiting for next week to get here so I can start. I'm just glad she gave me some things to work on before we get started so I can at least be getting some kind of practice time in!
Keep Mark in your prayers today; he has a lower respiratory infection and is not feeling well at all.
Here are a few more pictures of the apartment. I'll try to include some of the more interesting ones today.

I am behind in posting this but here I am again! It's going to take me a few days to post all the pictures of our little apartment. This is being an interesting adventure for all three of us (five if you include our kitties....who still think there might be monsters upstairs every time our neighbors walk around). When we decided to move to Birmingham we had a very brief time to find a place to live. That is how we spent Labor Day weekend. Did you know that apartment offices are closed on Labor Day? Did you know that a lot of people in Birmingham go out of town over Labor Day? So it was challenging to find houses for rent and be able to locate the owners in that brief time-frame. We had been living in a beautiful large house in Evans, with a wonderful land-lord (think brother-in-law). In so many ways it was my dream home and had so many features I had wished I could have for a long time. But there was one down-side; it took a lot of time and energy to keep clean. Unfortunately, it took more energy than I often had. I also sometimes felt guilty about having so much unused living space there. Mark and I would talk about scaling back in our living style, but in Evans we would not have saved any money by going smaller and we were tired of moving. So when we started thinking about moving to Birmingham, we started talking about scaling back, getting rid of "stuff" and utilizing smaller space. There are moments when I think we are nuts for trying this! There are times when we are walking through the apartment and one person going in one direction has to step into another room to allow another person going the opposite direction to pass, especially since the hall is part hall, part bookshelf (we got rid of some books, but that is one thing I refuse to downsize very much!). On the other hand, I can clean, vacuum, sweep, scrub the entire place in about 2 hours (mopping adds another 20 minutes to that, but that's because I'm a hands-and-knees-mopping kind of girl ;>)
Today's pictures are of our hallway with all the books in it. You are looking from our bedroom and as you look down the hall the kitchen is on the left and Dan's room on the right. At the end of the hall if you hang a right you will be in the living room. Tomorrow I'll show you some more. I love you, Noah!

"Being Dead Is No Excuse" At least, that is the title of the book my mother gave me a few years ago. The subtitle is, "The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral". After I recovered from seeing this title when I opened the package, and realized that no, Mom wasn't trying to gently tell me about the outcome of a trip to the doctor, I found that it is a funny book about southern ladies and how we do things, particularly funerals. It understands and explains southern ladies better and more humorously than any other book I've read about us. Today I found the sequel, "Somebody Is Going To Die If Lilly Beth Doesn't Catch That Bouquet: The Official Southern Ladies Guide To Hosting The Perfect Wedding". I bought it today while waiting for the girls to arrive for tea at Miss Rosemaries. I was early and they were a little late, which gave me the opportunity to sit outside, read and laugh out loud so hard that the construction guys next door were beginning to get a little concerned! It has short chapters, but you will laugh hard enough (if you are a southern lady) that people around you will begin gathering their things to make a quick retreat.

And if you want to read a blog from a southern lady who is busily trying to raise two boys and one husband while giving affordable beauty tips to other southern ladies, check out this one:
sassygalglamour.com

A day at the zoo with Nancy, Kristi, Kelly, Moses and Makenna. What a fabulous day! Kelly came over Thursday morning with Moses and Makenna and we all had breakfast together. We played with some Thomas the Tank Engine toys from Auntie 'Ginia's Moses and Makenna Box and then it was time to go get Aunt Kristy and head to the zoo. We saw so many things there; it is a very good zoo! I even went so far as to purchase a membership so that any time Kelly comes with the children (or anyone else, hint hint!) we can go enjoy a day at the zoo.
I have had an interesting time trying to get these here; hopefully this time they will come through!

As I would say to my dear friend, Tori, "Oh my stars and whiskers, has it really been that long since I have blogged?!" So much has happened since I last posted it is hard to know where to begin. Hmm. Dan home from school in early May (yipee!!), Vacation Bible School in June, a 21st wedding anniversary in July, and then came August. Let's see if I can map this out for you:

August 22 Mark goes to Birmingham for a job interview.

August 25 Mark gets a call with a job offer.

August 26 Mark turns in notice at Pitney.

August 27-28 We begin getting ready for a yard sale.

August 29 We travel to Birmingham en famille to look for a new home.

August 31 We find an apartment!

September 1 Travel back to Augusta to finish getting ready for a yard sale.

September 3 Dan and I have an unexpected trip to New York City via Amtrak.

September 5 Dan and I leave New York 1 hour before Amtrak closes all further rail service south from NYC due to Hurricane Hanna.

September 6 Dan and I arrive home as the first yard sale buyers arrives in the driveway....6 hours of sleep since the morning of the third....no big deal!

September 7 Last day at Grace.

September 8-9 Packing and Mark's last days at Pitney.

September 10 Leave for Birmingham via the Atlanta Ikea store to buy a bed. First night in our new home.

September 11 Mark leaves for Tres Dias weekend here in the 'Ham, Dan and I hang out.

September 15 Up early and back to Augusta for a marathon packing session.

September 17 Mark arrives with the moving van, the piano movers come to load the piano, the truck gets loaded. And loaded. And loaded. Virginia does as much cleaning as she can at the old home.

September 18 After goodbyes to all the family, off we go to Birmingham with a full truck, a full car, and 2 VERY unhappy kitties. Don't ask about the truck stop and Baby Boo (the cat), just know that we do still have her and despite her best efforts, she was not injured. Arrive in Birmingham minutes before brother Robert shows up with 5 of his crew to help us unload; they are all heroes in my book!

September 19 The truck in almost all unloaded, a space has been cleared out in the living room and the piano man arrives to unload the piano and set it up for us. After he leaves and I look around at the boxes piled high and very little space to move throughout the apartment, I am close to a little melt down. Mark and Dan to the rescue! By bed time significant progress has been made. And we have realized that a lot of "stuff" we thought we needed, we really don't need after all.

September 22 After a weekend of intensive unpacking, Mark starts his new job and comes home happy!

So Mark has had a week and a day of the new job and I have had about 2 weeks of living in the new home. Apartment living is different. The cats are trying to get used to the noise of the upstairs neighbors (who have a yippy little dog). It's not bad at all, but we do hear them walking around sometimes. We never hear voices or television, or anything and in general all our neighbors seem pretty quiet. I'm happy with the set up, the pool is still open and will be as long as it stays this warm (Yay!). We are finding fun places to go and things to do and most importantly, I found the Hoover Library and got (drum-roll please) my very own library card. The essentials are accomplished!
I'll try to get some pictures of the apartment, the area, etc. as soon as I can. Don't tell Nana Liz, but I have BIG plans for Thursday. Does anyone else love the zoo as much as Moses and I do?

What a blessing K church was today! As I prepared, I realized that I needed to focus on just telling the story. No editorializing, or attempting to manipulate the story to fit any particular agenda (good or bad), just tell the story so that the little ones could learn the story. As I concluded I mentioned how important it is that we tell people about Jesus and help them understand that God loves us. After I told the story, one little girl approached me and reminded me that she is going to Disney World this week. She told me that she is going to tell Goofy that God loves him! She plans on telling other boys and girls who are waiting in line with her that God loves them, too, but her primary focus is on making sure that Goofy knows that God loves him! Knowing this particular young lady, she will NOT be deterred from this task. Someone who lives in the Orland area and works at Disney is being prepared for a Divine appointment later on this week. Pray that ears and hearts will be opened and prepared for a VERY important message!
"I love You Lord, my strength" Psalm 18:1

Tomorrow is the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. It is so easy for me to get caught up in elements of a story for my little ones and forget the main point! On this occasion, the points being emphasized in the story are: God made me, God loves me, and Jesus wants to be my forever friend. I'll file a report after I recover from the day!

Meantime, I am working on my new project. I got started on Thursday and am still working on the first figure. They are always more complicated than one thinks with Mary Englebreit; she has so many shadings and variations in her figures. But it is worth following the pattern because it tends to look fantastic when you do. This will be a Christmas Card caddy. I'm posting the picture, but it will take two pieces of fabric which will be sewn together. I'm working on the smaller piece of fabric right now, which has more stitching on it (go figure!). The checks on the little snowsuit have made me batty, but using the computer helps. I scan each page into the computer as an image. I save it as a shared file so that I can access it from any of our computers. Then I open it on my laptop and save it as an individual file (that means I still have the clean copy). Then on the individual file, I use the highlighter tool and highlight each stitch (or row of stitches) as I do them. Having these files on the computer also lets me enlarge to image as I am working on it, so that is a lot easier on the eyes. Is this WAAAAAAY more info than you were really interested in?!

Tomorrow is Sunday. Pray that my story will be clear and that God will speak through me to these precious ones. Pray for your pastor, that he will faithfully proclaim the Word of God and speak God's words, not his own. Pray for pastors around the world, for the church that we will be faithful to our call. Pray that we will not loose our saltiness and be worse than worthless. Pray that we will be instruments of common grace to the world around us. Be bold in obeying the mandate, no matter the cost.

Happy Birthday, Queen Vickie!

Vickie is the Queen of the Rick and Bubba Army; the one who keeps us all together AND the one who confers the royal titles. So join me in wishing her a VERY happy birthday.

I have been rather busy the past few weeks, finishing a Christmas gift for two absolutely precious little ones, and reading a fantastic book. What's really amazing about that book is that it is not fiction! I don't usually read serious stuff; I read for fun. But I was asked to read a new book entitled, "Rocks Aren't Clocks". The author, Dr. John Reed, is one of my top five heroes (along with Mark Akin, Dr. Gordon Reed, Robert Reed, and Dan Akin.....NOT in any particular order). This is a book explaining why the current geologic time models are philosophy (flawed, at that) and not science. The amazing thing is that I understand it! I told John that he can now put a blurb on the book that says, "Even my little sister understands it!"

The stitching has been fun and I am so excited that I have finished another project. I'll start the next one the end of the week (I'm going to give my shoulders a break for a few days!), but here are pictures of what I have finished. This will be the seat of a child-sized rocking chair. If I can find a little wooden rocker to paint and stencil, than I will afix this to the seat of that. Otherwise I will make a little seat cushion for my sweet babies to put on their own rocker at Christmas time.
Do I celebrate Christmas all year? No, but I do celebrate Advent. Remember that Advent means, "Coming". I am celebrating the fact that Christmas is coming around again, but even more importantly, Jesus is coming back again. Maranatha. Until He comes.

The Ides of March. For a cute look at the definition, check out this link: http://www.comics.com/comics/frazz/index.html (Sorry; you'll have to cut and paste; I can't get the hyperlink to work!)

It is also Palm Sunday. Some of you may remember from your childhood the excitement of getting to march into "Big Church" with your Sunday School class singing, "Hosanna, Hosannah, the Little Children Sang". That was always such a big moment for me. Carrying those palm branches and waving them around and knowing that on that Sunday ages ago, the children were an important part of praising Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem. I always figured the children remained true to Jesus and it was the grownups who messed up so badly later in the week; nothing like a little childhood arrogance and self-righteousness!

Have a blessed day.

I THINK I am finally over the crud and the fatigue and pain from traveling. I hope! I keep trying to start another sore throat and cough, but so far, so good. This past weekend was a special one. Mark's birthday was on Sunday and we had a wonderful weekend together. It is a little different being just two of us, rather than all three of us, but we had a good time. Sunday was my day to tell the story for K church; I love getting to do that! The story was Zacchaeus, and I had to keep reminding myself to stick with the essentials. It is so easy for me to diverge into some interesting points on these, but 3, 4, and 5 year olds need the essentials....the depths can be plumbed after they grasp the essentials. The focus was on the fact that Jesus loves us, even when we are naughty (a tax-collector...what better illustration of being naughty!). After church, we went to lunch with some friends who also work in K church. Understand, Sunday was Mark's birthday and he has always been more comfortable with college-aged kids than little bitties. So we are at lunch at Zaxby's and wound up sitting at a table with 5 children aged 1 1/2, almost 3, 5, 7 and 8 and had a blast! That evening we went to Westminster Presbyterian to attend the ordination of Rev. David Sanders. That was a very, very special time! Rhett Sr. and Virginia were there along with daughters Martha and Virginia. Rhett Jr. was there, and did one of the charges and Paul and Suzanne were there with all 4...er...5 of their children. I got to put Mary Grace on my lap and ride her around. Mary Grace, who is 6 now, was the first person to ever ride in my lap in my wheelchair and she and I both enjoyed the time to do this. I'm including some pictures below.

Today I am working on my very first pysanky eggs and should have them finished up this afternoon. I'll write more about that and post some pictures of them this evening.

I admit it; I'm sick. Mark is too and, unfortunately, so is Dan. I gave in and am taking an antibiotic (Mark is too), and I'll be thankful when I can sleep through the night without coughing. Dan apparently has the flu. So he'll go to the infirmary for sick call in the morning and hopefully will get something to knock this out. Blah!

We are praying that we all recover quickly and that Dan can move along with his studies and Mark can get to Tres Dias this week. I'm hoping that I can go and spend time with Nancy while Mark and Robert are at the conference.

In the meantime I have been stitching. On Friday I was so miserable that all I did was sit in my chair, play silly computer games, listen to stuff on the 'net and watch TV. But yesterday I got two small figures done and today I got one of the larger ones done, so Moses and Makenna's Christmas is moving right along. I'd love to get this finished up in the next week or so and start another project in March. I think I know what I am going to do next, but I may change my mind (I am a woman, after all!). Below are some pictures of what I have accomplished and I will say that I probably won't do a whole lot more stitching on black fabric. The ladies in my Christmas Cross stitch group shared some great ideas for back-illumination that helps make the holes in the fabric more visible, and stitching on black fabric is rather striking, but it shows every piece of lint and cat hair in the room!

Have a good week and keep the three of us in your prayers.

From Psalm 84:

10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

When Dan was seven, we moved from Warner Robins, GA to Chattanooga, TN. It was the first time Dan ever moved and it was a difficult transition. One of the hardest things for him was going to a new doctor. Dr. Ves had known and prayed for Dan since before he was born and Dan knew and loved both Dr. Ves and his wife, Mrs. Margaret. After consulting with the doctor I worked for, I chose an older woman who was fairly well-known and very well-loved in the Chattanooga area. The first time we went in to meet her, Dan was introduced to the receptionists, the nurses, he was shown around the office, and we finally met Dr. Susan. Dr. Susan is rather plain-spoken and no-nonsense, but she loves her patients and they know that. She put Dan up on the exam table, came and sat on the table beside him, put her arm around him and explained that there would probably be times when he would have to come in to her office and she would have to do something that would hurt. She promised him that any time that happened, she would sit with him just as she was right then and before anything happened she would whisper in his ear, "This is the time to trust. This is the time to trust." That has stayed with me for many years. Every time something happens that is uncomfortable or unhappy, I remember that lesson from Dr. Susan and I can feel the Spirit putting His arm around me and whispering in my ear, "This is the time to trust. This is the time to trust."
That being said, I'm sick. Blah!! Worse, I won't be able to go see Jennie this week. Triple-Blah!! So pray for me while I am sick, pray for Jennie, and pray that we would be able to get together soon. And thank you, Dr. Susan!

Mark and I have often talked about how our society is so prone to wearing masks. We like to pretend that all is well and we have everything together all the time; our life has no problems, our families and our finances and our spiritual life are always in perfect order. I think that this is particularly true here in the south (although I may be mistaken; it may be just as prevalent in other areas of the country). We want everyone to think the best of us, from our families, to our employers or employees, and particularly the people we go to church with. I believe that this is a form of arrogance and self-idolatry. If I am capable of providing such a perfect life for myself and my family, I do not need God to do anything for me except to sit back, watch, and smile over what a good job I am doing. This is a very dangerous trap. Once I step into this vortex, escape is almost impossible. The longer I go pretending that everything is fine and that I have everything together, the worse things get and the more difficult it is to finally admit that I desperately need God to take control. Self-sufficiency has long been one of the most admirable traits in our country. We talk about the pioneer spirit and pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. So we try to hide our inadequacies, first from others, then from God, and finally from ourselves. We live a lie and we live in fear that someone will find out that our life is a lie. Worse, we get to a point where we have ourselves fooled (our Sunday School teacher, Kyle Howell, says that the 11th Commandment is, "Thou shalt not kid thyself"!).

This week I read the novel When Joy Came to Stay by Karen Kingsbury. This is the first of her books that I have read. I find that a lot of Christian fiction is poorly written and boringly predictable. You know the outcome of the story and can even predict much of the dialogue before you finish the first chapter. This book was different and it dealt with the topic of lying about mistakes. In this case, the character who was lying had such overwhelming fall-out from her lies that she wound up in a psychiatric hospital. Mrs. Kingsbury demonstrates through her characters how once we begin listening to the lie that we are "fine", it becomes more and more difficult to listen to the Spirit of God telling us that we need Him. I wish that I could purchase about 1000 copies of this book and start handing them out to everyone I meet. Instead, I will be content to simply recommend that you visit your local library and borrow it for yourself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!


(No, I can't claim this picture!)

Did you know that God can answer prayer with a broken tooth?!
Last week I talked to my bff in Chattanooga, Jennie. Jennie and I have not visited in person for over a year and I miss her very much. Mark and I were talking about going to visit her on our way home from Birmingham the end of the month so that Jennie and I could visit. I talked to Jennie last week and her schedule meant that we would have to visit her on the way to B'ham, on Wednesday. We were both very excited about it. When Mark got home, I talked with him about this and it turned out that we could not visit on the way over because he did not have that Wednesday off. I was VERY disappointed. Over the weekend, I found out that my Dad is taking my brother to Nashville next week and I began to wonder if I could maybe hitch a ride with them as far as Chattanooga and visit with Jennie while Dad and John went on to Nashville to see a doctor. Mark and I talked about it and Mark gave his stamp of approval to the idea. Unfortunately, Dad and I kept leaving messages for each other but could not seem to connect.
On Tuesday, Mark and I went to see the dentist (the wonderful Dr. Mike). I was fully expecting everything to be fine and was even rather smug about it. After my teeth were cleaned, Dr. Mike came in for his inspection, started poking around at a tooth that looked a little suspicious to him, and wound up putting the probe right through a back molar. Ouch! I left with an appointment for next Wednesday to have this fixed. On the way home I stopped at Dad's church to see him and talk about going to Nashville. Turns out the trip was scheduled for next Wednesday, the day I'm scheduled to have my tooth fixed. I was in quite a dilemma! I hate to reschedule appointments, because I know how hard that is on the staff at the office. So I started praying and asked the Lord to figure this one out for me. On Wednesday morning, I took a bite of something and the tooth cracked and chipped from top to bottom. Ouch!! I called Dr. Mike's office, and got an appointment scheduled for the next day. So yesterday, I went to Dr. Mike's office, had two shots of novocaine (ouch!!!), and got the tooth fixed without needing a crown. AND, I don't have an appointment next Wednesday and can go see Jennie!!!! Yipee!!!!
So sometimes God answers prayer with a broken tooth.

Here is my quote for the day before I turn in for the night. This is my favorite Narnia quote, from The Horse and His Boy. The scene is where Shasta has just done a very difficult, dangerous task and is utterly spent from the work. Rather than being praised and rewarded with a much needed rest, he is given another more difficult task to do.

Shasta's heart fainted at these words for he felt he had no strength left. And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward is usually to be set to do another and harder and better one.

We are not promised rest and refreshment here on earth. We are to be thankful for those times when they do come (and for most of us there are those restful moments), but we are to labor on, focusing on Jesus and obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit as we do the work God calls us to do, regardless of the cost.

The reindeer is really, truly, completely (except for framing) finished!! I am so happy! I did run into some problems with the rocking chair cushion this week, though. I realized that I had made a significant counting mistake in the first figure (why does it always take so long to figure that out???). Then in the process of correcting it, I realized that the fabric I am using is 21" x 21" instead of 24"x24". Three inches can be quite a problem, unless the designer of the pattern was overly generous in her estimate of how much material is required. Turns out that Mary Englebreit apparently was overly generous (whew!). So now I can correct the problem and move along.
Here is a picture of the pattern I am working on and a final picture of the reindeer.







We are having a regular, nothing special Saturday and that is so nice! I have felt well enough to be able to do a bit of the housework, Mark is home and piddling (one of his favorite past-times), and it is warm enough to have the door open from the bedroom to the porch.
Tomorrow's story in K church is about the feeding of the five thousand, so I'm going to make a mural and put as many people on it as I can. I'm looking forward to my story time. I love my little ones and enjoy Sundays with them so much! We are blessed to have a fantastic K church team at Grace Baptist. Between Sergeant Tracy and Miss Misty, Gabby the Gardener, Texas Tina, Miss Fancy Shoes, Aunt Polki-Dot, Miss Debbi (known to the rest of us as The Boss!), and Miss Pockets, not to mention all the other wonderful folks who regularly give their time and energy to these little ones, we have a great time on Sunday mornings!
Remember to pray for the folks who were injured in the explosion in Savannah, GA this weekend. The burn unit here in Augusta has accepted 20 of these people and most of them are in critical condition with full-thickness burns. Pray for the patients, their families, and the medical workers who are taking care of them. Pray for the churches here in Augusta, that we will take this opportunity to minister to these folks!

First of all, if anyone wants to download the message that Rick Burgess had at his son's memorial, Rick has asked that anyone anywhere feel free to download, copy and distribute as many copies as possible. This is not his message, it is God's message and it is the hope of the Burgess family that as many people as possible hear this and that the Spirit of God would open as many hearts as possible to hear this.

I have finished as much of the reindeer as I can at this time! Yay!! I am waiting for a few more beads and charms to get to me through the mail, hoping that they get here tomorrow and I will put the finishing touches on it. Here are a couple of pictures:









So I have started the next project. This one is for Moses David and Makenna Grace McNutt (they can sort it out when they are grown up and start having children!). Since they are too young to be reading, I can go ahead and post all the info! This is another Mary Englebreit but should be a bit less intense than the reindeer. It will be a cover for the rocking chair that their Mama, our dear Kelly, has had since she was a little girl. It is supposed to be stitched over black 28 count Jobelan linen. I bought the linen and my friend Susan went ahead and serged it for me, and I started stitching yesterday. After about 10 stitches....on black 28 count linen....I had a raging headache. So I have decided to use 14 count Aida and stitch over one instead of two. And my head is much better today! Tomorrow I will post a picture of what the final design should look like and might even have a enough finished to take a picture of the work in progress.

I am trying to make a link to the message Rick Burgess gave on Tuesday, January 22 at the memorial for his son, Bronner. Hopefully this will work!
http://216.69.161.56/audio/BronnerMemorial-RicksMsg.mp3

I would encourage anyone who might read this to go to the website, Rickandbubba.com and listen to the message God gave through Rick at Bronner's memorial service on Tuesday. When we can step aside and let God speak through us, great things can be done.
Please lift up a young man, Joshua, who is dealing with a lot of problems. Joshua is a teenager whose mother is suffering a life-threatening illness. He has two younger siblings and his father has to be on the road most days with work. The family knows the Lord Jesus and trusts in Him to take care of their needs. The mother is at peace with whatever God brings her to. But Josh is having a very hard time right now.
Finally, here are a few pictures of the snow we had last Wednesday. What a surprise! Within 5 minutes of taking these pictures it was completely gone, but it sure was pretty coming down!

Delight yourself in the LORD and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

I'm re-reading Tolkein's Lord of the Rings. This time, I'll read for a while, then watch some of the movie, then read some more. Tolkein is so quotable! This one struck me today. It is where Frodo and Sam are in the valley of Mordor on the last stage of their quest to destroy the ring. Sam is watching while Frodo sleeps, and sees high above them a star.

"The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach. His song in the Tower had been defiance rather than hope; for then he was thinking of himself. Now, for a moment, his own fate, and even his master's, ceased to trouble him. He crawled back into the brambles and laid himself by Frodo's side, and putting away all fear he cast himself into a deep untroubled sleep"

Just a couple of thoughts today as I continue to think about and pray for Rick and Sherri. First, I keep hearing people talk about how strong Rick is, and I fear that some folks may let down their prayer guard on Rick and Sherri (and the rest of the family)'s behalf. When Satan attacks, he tries so hard to open a door of opportunity for future attacks. As Rick and Sherri's spiritual family, we have a responsibility to help slam that door shut on Satan's face through our prayers. I realize that because there are a lot of things I don't do anymore (and I am struggling physically this week as a result of having taken too much upon myself and trying to do some things that I know I am not supposed to do!), I have a lot more time to devote to prayer. But all God's children are called to intercessory prayer! It is one of our most important tasks, and it is a privilege and an honor to take part in God's work in this way.
Secondly, as I am listening to Bubba and Speedy on air this morning, they are talking with James Spann and Scott Dawson. These are mighty men of God who work hard to speak God's Truth at every opportunity. Scott Dawson made the most wonderful statement to a woman who called in to talk about grief and dealing with loss (she had lost a 2 year old nephew). He said that as Christians, we are called to respond to these things not by saying, "What if?", but by saying, "Now then." I love that!
Pray hard. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

On Sunday morning, Mark and I received the word of the death of William Bronner Burgess. It was a gut-punch! Mark and I immediately prayed for Rick and Sherri, their children, and the rest of the members of the Rick and Bubba show. We sat in dismay, just trying to absorb the shock. Then we went to church. When we arrived, we received our bulletin and the following was this week's Pastor's letter from Pastor Bill. This was written on Thursday morning but because of Bill's obedience to the Spirit, was a huge help on Sunday morning! I have received his permission to reprint this here and I hope that it will be a help and encouragement and blessing to many others, whether you are mourning Bronner's death, or dealing with some other obstacle in your life.

Dear Grace Family and Friends,
I trust that you "cold weather buffs" enjoyed the snow Wednesday night! I'll confess that it was beautiful even though I'm glad it didn't hang around. When the temperature goes below 40, I just want to hibernate and wait for spring. Doing so, however, steals the potential joy that comes from making each day count for "the cause of Christ". So, like it or not, I bundle up and press on even in the cold. There's a great spiritual lesson to be learned from the weather. Each of us faces similarly unpleasant circumstances at times. It might be related to our family or our finances; it might be the result of our health or our hobbies; it might involve our friends or foes. Most people find "conflict" so entirely distasteful we'll go to any lengths to avoid it. But what about the blessing God intends for us as He shows Himself Mighty in the midst of the struggle. If we truly believe The Scripture, we can't eliminate or overlook Romans 8:28; "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose" We have God's Promise that He is doing something special in our lives, even amid frustrating circumstances. So whether it's an unreasonable boss or an unexpected ice storm; "all things" really means all things! As such, God's Children must learn to face each circumstance in life with an unwavering faith that refuses to be discouraged or defeated. How do we get there from here? By simply doing it! We must determine in advace to see opportunities for God's Glory to be revealed in us rather than obstacles to knock us off track. It's not easy but it's possible by faith in Jesus Christ! The question we answer every single day is whether or not we are willing! Think about that when your storms come. May God Richly Bless You As You Strive To Do His Will! I love you!
Pastor Bill

It is never enough to just "endure"; that is not what God calls us to do. It would usually be easier, but that is not God's desire for His children.

First, and most importantly, please pray for the Burgess family. Rick and Sherri Burgess are dealing with the death of their youngest, Bronner. Please hold them up in prayer over the next days, weeks, months and years (if you have lost a child or are close to someone who has, you know that no one ever "gets over it"). For the moment, I think that is all I am going to write.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15
For I will turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow. Jeremiah 31:13
Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones. Psalm 116:15

TAAA DAAAAAH!!!!!!

I did it! I finished the first part of the large cross stitch! I do have a good bit yet to get done between the border, the back stitching and the embellishments, but I have finished the cross stitch part. Here are the pictures. Reckon how long it will take to finish the finishes?

Merry Christmas!!

There is a lot that I did not get done/finished, but we are having a good time with our family.  Junior  and I went shopping one day for about 3 hours and that was about it. Most everything was handmade; I'll try to get some pictures of the ornaments that I made for most of the nieces and nephews before I give them tomorrow.

Here are some pictures from today's work that I think are pretty funny. We thought that the reindeer looked more like a crocodile at bedtime last night! The first picture is before I got started stitching this morning and the other is after I finished this evening. All I have left of the reindeer are the antlers, the candy cane in his mouth, and his haunch. Then the border and the embellishments. Yikes!

But I am having fun doing this. Stitching time is great prayer time.

Have a blessed and Merry Christmas, and please pray for Todd, who urgently needs a new liver.

Junior's home! Junior's home!Junior 's home!! It is so good to have our son back in the house.

I am busy with a number of projects; finishing the big cross stitch, working on Makenna's gift, making ornaments, and the Christmas cards need to get out soon, too (but I am not going to try and do handmade this year). Here are a few pictures of what is going on.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold,a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Mr. Marvelous is off today, Yay!! Jr. has one more final on Saturday, and we are praying hard for him. I may write more later today, but I wanted to share this quote before the day got any older. This is written by T. Davis Bunn (one of my all-time favorite authors) in his book "The Ends of the Earth"

"They came to their chosen church not to worship, but rather to worship publicly. Their worship was a daily act, a constant communion"

Wheeee!!! Yippeee!!! Yeeehaaaahh!!! and Yay!!! Tonight I finished the second of four pages of the BIG Christmas project, so I am (hopefully) half-way done. I will try to post pictures of this tomorrow; it is a little late to do that tonight and Mr. Marvelousis tired (me too!). Mr. Marvelous read to me as I finished from Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline. An excellent book and one I highly recommend, especially if you have a husband sweet enough to read it to you while you cross stitch.

Meantime, I am floating at what I have accomplished....and trying not to fret over what I have left to get done on this.

Yesterday morning I had the honor of working with K church at Grace Baptist. These are the 3-5 year-olds. What fun we had! My friend Noah was not a happy camper, so he got to climb into my lap and learn how to do the wheelchair dance while we sang praise songs. A few of the songs were slower and not appropriate for dancing, so he held my hands and taught me the motions to the songs. He is a snuggler, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. Next week I get to tell the story, and then I get to go in once a month and be the story teller.

This week's story was about the annunciation. We got to the puppet show and the puppets talked about the fact that Mary was a little scared by the angel, so the angel had to tell her not to be scared. They also talked about the fact that Mary was probably a little scared about being a good Mommy to Jesus and wondered if she could do a good job. It occurred to me that Mary is the ultimate human example of completely removing SELF from the picture and surrendering to God completely.

As I spend this advent season preparing for the coming of Christmas and for the second coming, my prayer is that I will do a better job of surrendering self to God.

If thou could`st empty all thyself of self,
Like to a shell dishabited,
Then might He find thee on the ocean shelf,
And say, `This is not dead`,
And fill thee with Himself instead.

But thou art all replete with very thou
And hast such shrewd activity,
That when He comes, He says, `This is enow
Unto itself - `twere better let it be,
It is so small and full, there is no room for me.`

Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682)

If you have checked in lately and prayed for John, Thank You! He has improved significantly and we are all very thankful for this.

We had a great Thanksgiving with our family, even though the McNutt contingent was absent and I STILL have not met Makenna Grace, our newest great-niece. We look forward to making her acquaintance in December sometime.

Mr. Marvelous, Jr. was home from Tuesday evening through Sunday and we had a great time with him. We didn't do anything wild or crazy (no Disney World that week), but it was so good to be in the house together and get to talk and visit. I think the best part of the break for him was getting to sleep past 0600.He  went to church with us Tuesday evening for our annual Thanksgiving dinner, communion, and service of thanks. Jr. was still in uniform, as required, and looked rather handsome in his ACUs. During the service of thanksgiving, one young man stood up, turned around, pointed to our son, and said, "Sir, would you please stand up?".He  stood to attention. The young man said, "That is what I am thankful for. The men and women who are in uniform and are willing to put their lives on the line for our freedom". What an honor for our son to get to stand in for these heroes! He knew that he was representing so many, many heroes. What a sweet young man to have stated his thankfulness in that way!

On Friday Jr. and I attended a memorial service for a gentleman in our St. Andrew's Society in Aiken, SC. This gentleman had been a retired military officer.  Jr. sat with two friends who are retired military. Across the aisle from them was another gentleman who was obviously retired military as well. At the end of the service when the trumpeter began to play Taps, it was as if there were a common thread connecting all these gentlemen (Jr. included) and pulling them to attention. It was interesting for me to watch as Jr.'s Mom. They were rather impressive!

I am including a picture of some fall foliage, just in case you do not have any where you are. I am also including a picture of Cadet Akin in his class A uniform. This was taken Thanksgiving morning after he raised the flag for me and before he went to church with his grandparents.

Thanksgiving came and went with a some wonderful time with our son. Yay!! I was able to travel with Mr. Marvelous to go pick him up on Tuesday and even able to make the trip again on Sunday evening. I'll post more info and pictures tomorrow (really, I promise I will this time, not like the last time when I said I would post more and didn't!).

However, my priority tonight is to ask for prayer for a good friend. John (not my brother) had another heart attack last week. This was followed by emergent bypass and the placement of an IABP...intra aortic balloon pump...to maintain his pressure. That has now been removed, but he is still in pretty serious condition. He was able to sit up briefly and take a few bites this evening, so that was amazing. His heart function has dropped from 30% to 10%. Please lift John, his wife Cindy, and their young son Tyler up in your prayers.

OK, folks, check out the new link. First, the link to Angel Card project. This is a project done by several Yahoo! groups during the Christmas season to send a Christmas card to folks who need a little encouragement. I do this through my Crafters Among Us group, a Christian collection of crafters of all types. If you have an extra card and an extra stamp, check it out.

Secondly, if you haven't already noticed, there is a link to Fred Thompson's campaign. I support Sen. Thompson because of his pro-life, small government stance. I was able to help vote him into the senate when I lived in Tennessee, and I will do what little I can to help him get into the White House next fall.

THAT BEING SAID, I must state that I have learned the hard way that I, as a Christian, am not to put my faith in our government or those who run our government. I do what I can to be a responsible citizen and reflect Jesus in this area of my life, as well as all other areas, but government is flawed and people are sinners. Our world is not going to be "fixed" until Jesus comes back! So if your views are different from mine, and you are spending time praying over this area, fine. I still love you!

Craft wise I am working away on Christmas bookmarks and pots. I'll post more about that later this week.

Until then....

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20,21

It has been a busy day. I have gotten all my outdoor plants into the sunroom (Mr. Marvelous did the heavy lifting). The temperatures are supposed to get down to around 30, possibly into the upper 20's tonight, so I was feeling a bit of pressure to get this done quickly. I have 3 hibiscus, and I really like them, so getting them taken care of was a big deal. Unfortunately, they have had some problems with some kind of pest. Since we have indoor cats I wanted to be careful about how I treated them, so I just washed them with dish soap and water. That was quite a job, but I am glad to have it done and the plants inside. Poor Mr. Marvelous; getting this done meant missing church tonight. Oh well! Here are some more October sky pictures I have.

Well, it took more than a week, but I finished the first of four pages of my big project and I am so excited I am floating!! I had hoped to finish the back two legs by today and maybe, hopefully get the rest of this quadrant finished tomorrow, but I have finished the whole quadrant except for the embellishments (ribbon, bells, and charms). Whew!