Just some ramblings

It is so weird to look back at the Phases of your life. It was only 8 years ago I was graduating highschool and about to move away from home I never would have thought life would lead  Me where it has.  Never in a million years would I have dreamed I would live in Texas. Muchless Huntsville. People ask me all the time “How in the world did you end up here?”  Funny thing is, I can’t picture my life any different from what it is right Now. I know I’m in the lords hands and I couldn’t be happier!

I have grown more than imaginable since I’ve been here.  Looking back and reading some old blogs and journal entries today, I realized how much I have changed.  Man, THANK THE LORD!  Without Him none of this would have happened.  I am eustatic about the people He has placed in my life.  A loving church and faithful friends.  Friends whom I didnt even know when I first moved here and now I wonder how my life would ever function without them.

Just sit back….and think about how awesome your life is…even when you may think its not.

Today I’m gonna try a little harder.

Gonna make every minute last longer.

Gonna learn to forgive and to forget

cuz we don’t have long gotta make the most of it.

Today I’m gonna love my enemies.

Reach out to somebody who needs me.

Make a change

Make the world a better place.

Cuz tomorrow could be one day too late.

-skillet

MEMORIES

today i was digging thru some old memories and i found this….cant go wrong with some good times with great friends!

FLORIDA HERE I COME!

I had a great chance this weekend to go down and visit my best friend, Amber. She lives in Ft. Myers. We had a blast. Caught up on some much missed laughs together. Here are a few pics from the trip!

view of Ft. Myers from the plane

as soon as i got there i wanted to go to the beach….so we did….and we found sand dollars and sea urchins!  those little suckers peed all over us!  we had to snap a quick picture because we had to put them back in the water before we got fined $500 for removing live animals from the ocean!!  but they were so pretty!

yeah i got a little burnt….what’s new?

so…the joke of the trip was that I wanted to put pink in my hair…why?  I dont know.  So….Ber did it for me.  We went from blonde-ish to WAY PINK!….to blonde…..to finally “COLOR OOPS”.  BEST STUFF EVER IF YOU ARE STUPID AND COLOR YOUR HAIR A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF SOME COLOR YOU KNOW YOUR BOSS WILL FIRE YOU OVER!  here are a few pictures of the process.  She was a trooper.  Cuz we colored 4 times.  Thanks Ber!

On Saturday we went to Busch Gardens in Tampa with some of her friends.  I actually had fun…seeing as I dont really like amusement parks….or large groups of people…  🙂  but I went for her…..I admit…it wasnt that bad.  ;))

View from Ber’s back yard….no wonder she loves Florida…can we get something like this in Texas so she will move here?  🙂

I LOVE YOU BER!  I HAD A FUN WEEKEND….NOW ITS YOUR TURN AGAIN TO GET YOUR BUTT UP HERE…SO HURRY!

Easter 2009

Sorry for the delay in blogging folks!  This last month has been kinda crazy for me.  Work work work.  I had a good time at Easter though spending it with the family and we got to do some fun photo shoots. 

Caleb and Paige egg hunting.

Cameron with his Easter basket.

Colorado or Bust

This week has been a time of rest and reflection.  Last Thursday, 6 women packed up in a huge car and headed out onto the open road. Little did we know what was in store for us!

I love these girls.  I loved them before this trip but now they hold a VERY special place in my heart.  I know I needed this time away and it did me well.  Thanks so much girls!

[see the slideshow below]

 

Childlikeness

So tonight we were worshipping.   I was standing beside Mandy and Ava.   I love to worship next to them and to see the precious bond they have. I look over at Mandy worshipping with her arms raised.   Then I look down at little Ava and see her look up at her mom and then raise her hands as well.   Tears came to my eyes as the Lord spoke to my heart and said  “that the difinition of coming to me in a child like manner.   That’s what I want from you.”.   Wow.

The fact that Eli and Mandy have made such an impact on that little toddler just spoke to my heart and made me want to be that kind of parent.   The terms “pushing your kids to Christ” and “preach the gospel, use words when necessary” have a whole new meaning.

You have done great things!

your love never fails

I was looking back at my life today. Thinking about all of the hard times and struggles that I’ve been through over the last few years. The moments where I blamed God for all of my selfishness, sin, pride, and hurt. The days where I thought I wasn’t going to make it thru. The nights when I cried myself to sleep. The months that were full of doubt that God could bring me thru to a sunnier tomorrow. Those were the times when I felt all alone, like He had walked out on me and had left me to just die in my misery. It really was that bad. I can remember trying to fill my time with pointless things of this world. I can also remember my heart being so angry at God for tearing my life apart, that I had such hatred. I prayed for a sunnier tomorrow.

 

That prayer wasn’t answered until about 3 years later. These are the days that I’m living in now where I can finally walk in joy. Where I can know that my God loves me and does watch over me. Without a shadow of a doubt I know that God was with me during the rough times of my life. The nights that I cried myself to sleep.  That He was right there, crying as I cried. Crying that I had put myself in a situation where I saw no way out. Crying that I had blamed Him for something that was totally and completely my fault. During all of that time I had given up on God, but He had never given up on me. We don’t realize that as we are going through struggles in life. Some people may never realize it, but as I sit here today, I almost feel overwhelmed at the one true Love I have been given.  The Peace that passes all understanding.  The hand that holds my hand every day.

Look out Galveston, here we come!

welp, courtney wanted to do her senior pictures last week. and i decided i wanted to go on a memorable trip because I was actually off on a Saturday and i didnt want to just sit around huntsville. so i decided we should go to galveston for the day. and we could even do her pictures down there!

we didnt get much of a sunrise out of it

p-nuckle loved the sand!

We even got to ride the ferry!

  We didnt really get any pictures out of it for her, but we will try again in a few weeks and see if we can get them!  It was a great day spent with an AMAZING friend!

Quick trip home…

These pictures are missing one thing…THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!

i will get lots of pictures of her at Easter. 🙂

I almost felt a little bad.  we went riding on the golf cart and we couldnt find his jacket, so we had to put him in a one piece speedo.  🙂

I’ll have to show this to him when he’s 16.