Sweet summer...

Can anything beat a good Popsicle when you are really hot and sweaty?

Zeke is pretty clueless at how to maneuver these specific kinds of Popsicles so he ate at it the best he could and then wore most of the juice....good thing I gave him an orange one to match his shirt.:)

Dad is always up for a different kind of fun than mommy. I can't possible throw you guys around like he can....

You guys squeal with delight the higher he tosses you!



We had some great fun playing hop scotch, the movie-guess game and water gun wars. I won---by the way!

The simplest pleasures make all the difference!

Thank you Dollar Tree for the awesome water guns and sidewalk chalk!



God, these are Your kids. You've entrusted them to us to teach, nurture, protect, and guide. I feel like I fail miserably sometimes. However, there are days like this one when it just seems to all be right! Thank you for today and the simple fun we had together! We don't know what tomorrow holds...but today was good. We praise you for all of it!!

Fun in the Hot Sun

We have hit the stride of summer here in Georgia.

We are officially in the middle of a heat wave and I think we chose the hottest day so far to attempt a trip to Stone Mountain.

We had a blast with grand-mama and grand-daddy!

They are always up for some fun and they are also terrific sports about dealing with their loving but whiny grandkids.

My mom is going to kill me. (I always seem to capture her in pictures with her eyes closed....it is a gift I have.) Sorry mom!:)

They loved the train ride around the mountain and they could not get over how HUGE the mountain actually was!

All that was missing was.....daddy!

Maybe next time!

Free to be........

We were made for freedom.....

We were given the right by God to a choice of our own free will to choose Him or not. I chose Jesus at the sweet age of 9 years old to be my Lord and Savior....He makes me free!

I am free to be crazy in love with my man!

I am free to delight in the children He has entrusted to me.

I am free to rejoice in my sufferings..

I am free from worry...envy...judgement....

We celebrated our freedom this past weekend with much joy and laughter. Being together and remembering the many who have died and those who are still fighting to protect the freedom we enjoy was a honor for our family!

God teach my children about freedom through me. Help me to live with freedom in my relationship with You! Show me what I have been freed from and help me to praise You all of my days. Thank you for this great nation. Be near to our President and leaders who make decisions for us. Bring about a great revival as Your people turn and cry out to You for help.

Happy Birthday America!

AWAY......

It was only two nights away but the good that it did for my soul was more than I can describe.

Life has been living us for the past two months or so....

This campaign and taking care of our kids, Shep's business, church commitments and everything else can pile up and before you know it...you're running on empty.

God provided some wonderful friends and family to help us out with the kids so we could just get away...briefly!

We laughed....slept in.....laughed some more.....ate yummy food...saw amazing sights on the motorcycle...laughed even more and didn't talk much at all about life's current circumstances. It was great!

(Can you see the famous Fontana Dam behind us in the picture...this is the one Harrison Ford jumps from in the movie "The Fugitive")

Anyway, we got to share our time with some of our dearest and best friends on earth....Derrick and D. (that is my name for her) Usually another couple, JP and Lulu, (my name for her) who are also some of the dearest people to us get to come but they had to pass this time!

We went back to a favorite spot in Waynesville NC. The views are spectacular and the ride is just far enough away to feel like you have really been away.

I will tell you a funny one on me..

Shep and I were lounging at the pool. I was trying to read but somehow I ended up falling asleep. I woke up to my own self snoring really loud and Shep laughing at me!

What can I say???

I told you all that we have been crazy busy and my body desperately needed the rest!

Thank you Lord for the provision to go and the memories that were made!


Anything good I have or experience comes from You and You alone!!!

Do you see it?

Shep and I were on a quick motorcycle ride about a week ago. It is rare for us to even have an hour together much less a couple of hours, but we did so we took off for a ride.

In a lot of ways we are reeling from our life's present circumstances. I wish there was a different word. BUSY doesn't seem to do it justice.

We are BUSY multiplied by 10.

We have a thousand things running through our minds all the time. Mainly questions...
"God, how are we....."
"God, when will you....."
"God, will this ever......"
"God, what is gonna happen when...."

As I rode on the back of that motorcycle I prayed through these questions and many many more. I didn't get an answer.

But I believe I got a beautiful vision sent straight from God to me. It was as if He was saying...."Peace....be still. Child, I am here. Trust me in all of your chaos. I am in complete control."

I looked up at the sky and I was drawn into it. This cloud took my breath away. The colors were mesmerizing. I pulled out my cell phone and took a picture. It wasn't until after I took the picture that I noticed what looked to be an angel with hands lifted in praise to God Almighty.

Do you see it?

Flying without a net

Anyone who knows me knows I am in new territory.

I have believed (because of many spoken prophetic words, dreams, etc..) that Caroline would be healed by now. I actually believed with all of my heart that she would be between the ages of 5 and 7 when her healing took place.

She is 8....and she is not healed.

So where does that leave me and all of the things I have believed for so long?

I am not sure to be quite honest.

I am kind of stuck.

On the one hand God has not said anything different. He had not given us any indication that His plans for her healing have changed. Keep waiting....keep believing....keep hoping.....keep standing....keep praying.

On the other hand most days I wonder if His lack of healing IS His answer. Could it be that He hasn't healed her yet because He isn't going to and we have had it wrong all this time?

That would be a huge shift for me in my life and to even think in that way makes me terribly sad.

I contemplate quitting everything....this blog, Bible study, music ministry, even church. I wouldn't do that.....but questioning all that I have believed for so long has taken me to the very edge.

Strangely I am pressing through. I hate every second of it.

I don't like constantly dealing with these kinds of feelings and fears all day every day. Who does?

But I have to. I am not going to quit.

Shep has been so great during all of this. He is dealing with so much right now....work, his family, and this campaign are taking every moment of his life. But he is heartbroken too. He doesn't understand why Caroline isn't healed and he doesn't have any answers either.

We were talking about what to do now that she is 8. Our best guess of God's plan has been blown to bits and I personally need a game plan. He gave me an answer from God's Word and I didn't like it very much but it was true.

He said, "Baby, we consider it joy. Every day we get up keep going and simply consider it joy that we are enduring these trials and heartaches. God has chosen us and we know that they will produce faith and perseverance."

I did appreciate that it was a biblical solution taken straight from James 1 but I didn't want to hear it.

How do I consider this joy?

I don't know and I am still working on that.

Right now I am just trying to get through a day at a time and not lose heart.

I am trying to hear and obey the gentle nudging of God.

I am trying to push through this pain instead of avoiding it.

I am trying to pray and get to know God in this new place. This place where each step is new and unsteady. This place where I never thought we would be. This place where answers are elusive and a sense of control is a ridiculous thought.

Caroline's birthday fun

We had a really busy and fun day on Friday.

It started off with the last day of VBS at our church.

Then we came home....dropped baby brother off with Ms. Linda to take a nap and we were off for a girl's day.

We had lunch together and then we headed to a girl's favorite destination....THE MALL!!!

We got Caroline's ears pierced, rode the carousel over and over, ate cookies topped with icing, and then went shopping. Caroline really seemed to enjoy picking out some new clothes for herself.

We headed back out that evening and allowed the boys and Ms. Linda to join us.

We went to CC's pizza and loaded up on yummy pizza, bread sticks, and sweets to end our day.

Caroline was all smiles from start to finish. She didn't cry when her ears were pierced but she protested a little. I think she saw that it was all worth it when she caught a glimpse of her pretty self in the mirror.

It was a special blessed day....one we will never forget!

Thank you God for this gift that I have had the pleasure of holding for 8 years. I know her by heart and I love her to pieces. Her personality is pure genius and I see Your handiwork all over her precious little life. We wait for You to do what we believe You will do in her life. Til then we praise You for her...just as she is!