My favorite people

Heather is my little sister. I picked her first on my favorite people list, because she just started reading my blog, and since she lives far away in Michigan, I hope she will start a blog too!
She is my little sister, not the baby, and not the older sister, but the one right below me. We were closer than any of the other five girls in the family growing up. I could tell you a thousand stories, but time and posting space do not allow me to tell you all the hilarous stories that make up our wacky childhood. We played outside all summer long, and our make believe world consisted of mermaids in the pool, Gilligan Island in our tree and cops and robbers on our bikes.
We once got lost at an amusement park for half the day because of her intense fear of life size cartoon characters. May be my favorite memory is the home perm she got from a family friend. No mother should have been so cruel. Picture a mega afro on a skinny white kid! She thought she was gorgeous!

She has grown up and moved away. Met a nice guy in college who talked her into moving to Michigan. She has two sweet boys, and a beautiful little girl who is the clone of her daddy. I miss her so much. The truth is, we don't keep in touch like we should, or even like we want to. But, there is comfort in knowing that when we are together, we pick up where we left off. After all, there is no one like a little sister!

Abundantly Free

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the alter of the Cross,

we're a free people-free on penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds.

And not just barely free either,

Abundantly Free!

(Eph. 1 MSG)

This Sunday evening, I'm thinking about how wonderful it is to be free! Thank you God for allowing me to enjoy life free of guilt through the gift of your Son!

Weekend happenings....

I spent the weekend at Deeper Still Conference. It was fantastic. Ok, it's a given you are gonna enjoy hearing Beth Moore speak, but it was the first time I heard Priscilla Shrier and she really blew me away. She spoke on camping out under Mt. Sinai until God tells you it's time to break camp. Mt. Sinai represented trials in our life. Meaning, don't be in a big rush to get out of trials, rather, get all out of it God wants to teach you until He tells you that it's time to break camp.

I had to leave before we actually heard Beth Moore, but it was fine because we went to the going away party for Rick and Pam. He is our clinic director at Compassionate Care Clinic where I volunteer, and Pam manages the office. They are following God to Pensacola, where he will be serving full time at an indigent faith based clinic there. So excited for them... so sad for us!

We had a video made for them by our buddies at Pure Media Productions and it was great.

Bye Pam and Rick you will be missed by all of us!

Buddleia......

or butterfly bush makes you smile, because of all the butterflies that come to visit. If you stand really still, they will land on your arm or nose! Enjoy what I saw when I got home this afternoon...

Million Dollar Smile Part II

Did I mention that we are getting a million dollar smile for the bargain price of $5,000???

Who said there are no deals out there anymore?

Million dollar smile

Take a good last look. Tomorrow this beautiful smile will be sporting a full set of braces.

Look what I saw on my run this morning

I am making a pact with myself to run every day for the next 30 days. Partly to jump start my recently defunct running, and partly help my mental state which has been a little frazzled lately. Running helps me sort things out.

So while listening to Toby Mac on my Ipod

this is what I saw on my morning run today.........

These cows are not real impressed with women running near their pasture.

A new neighbor.. they just put this driveway in. I'm so nosey... Wonder what their house looks like at the end of their new driveway?

This is my favorite tree. It is really old and really tall,and always gives me a shady spot when I run.

Look at my neighbors pretty garden

Scuppernong wine anyone?

Living in the country has its perks.. Great place for early morning running.

Cruise Countdown

4 months until Wayne and I cruise.....again!
We are going to the Bahamas on Royal Caribbean for our anniversary in October. This will be our 4th cruise. We wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise but I guess we will wait until our 20th for that one. We have discovered that cruising for our anniversary in October (off season) means super low rates. It's only costing us about $500. (together not each:))
My favorite part of cruising? Has to be karaoke every night! OK it's a tossup between that and the chocolate buffet. OK maybe I like hanging out with Jennifer Anniston at Atlantis the best. Just kidding about that , but I did see someone with big blond hair in the Michael Jackson suite with my binoculars! I know, full on tourist.

My guilty pleasures.....

1)Reading People online

2)Dove milk chocolate covered peanuts

3)Hiding the last Diet Pepsi in the vegetable crisper so no one drinks it

4)Watching Friends reruns

5)Buying Biolage shampoo for me and Suave for everyone else in the house

What are yours?

It's quiet tonight

The girls are spending the night with friends tonight. Usually I love it when it's just Wayne and I, but tonight I miss them! They were just gone all last week and now again. I do not think that I will struggle with empty nest syndrome because Wayne and I always have such a great time together, but now I am beginning to wonder. Wayne just told me it's because there is usually one or the other of them hanging around (and usually a friend or two) and it seems quiet with both gone.
Sounds like a good excuse for me to go contemplate the complexities of life from my bathtub!

My pals Lauren and Chris are doing great--thanks for praying. They're flying to Philadelphia on Sunday for their workup and planning for Baby Brown.

Tomorrow is clinic night. I love working there! My patients are sweet and I am glad God lets me use my nursing in a ministry.

We found really cool beach house in Alligator Point for all my sisters to stay when Elisabeth (the baby) gets married in November.

I am in the middle of a love-hate relationship with my running. I love how it makes me feel, but I hate doing it right now. I hate how my belly is bulging over the top of my pants since I've been on a running hiatus.

My dog loves me so much. She refuses to stop shaking and jumping when I get home until I pick her up and kiss her and say" Ohhh. your a sweet girl, you're a pretty girl. I love the baby."
Here is one of my favorite pictures of her.


That's all the random thoughts I can think tonight.

Love like that.....

Observe how Christ loved us.

His love was not cautious but extravagant.

He didn't love in order to get something from us

but to give everything of himself to us.

Love like that.

Eph. 5:2-3 (Msg)

Laughing my butt off

I have spent the last 15 minutes laughing so hard I thought I just might wet my pants. If any of you were raised in a strict, ( can I use the word "rigid"?) Baptist home like me you will love this web site:
http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/

Today's blog about prayer is hilarious.

I think we take ourselves WAY too serious.

Truth is, most of use do 75% of what we do in church for others to notice.

Happy Father's Day

When I met Wayne and fell in love, I did not think of him as the father of girls. I imagined him with a bunch of boys, hunting, fishing and restoring old cars. God, who is infinitely wiser than us, gave us two beautiful girls, one like Wayne, one like me. I could fill this page with all the reasons why he is such a great dad, but let me just say--

Wayne is patient and kind to Leslie and Virginia,

He never acts arrogant, and usually puts what he wants last.

He is slow to become irritated and doesn't keep a record of their screw ups.

He hates it when when they get in trouble,

and it makes him smile to hear them tell about their good times.

He never gives up on our girls, He never loses faith in God-or them

He is always hopeful in what they will become.

and he will be around for them through good and bad times.

They may love other men, but the love of their daddy will endure forever!

(My adaptation of I Cor. 13)

Beatin' the summer heat

Here's how you beat the heat in Georgia ....

First you and your sister move the trampoline in front of the pool

(wetting it down with the water hose will assist you in jumping 12-18 inches higher)

It's summer olympics in the

backyard!

Next you perform your double backwards- triple -forward -spin -tuck

Judges-- 9.9/ 9.5/9.8/10!

Here's your competition-- your younger sis

Looks like she nailed the hold-your-nose-cannonball

Will you pray with me?

Yesterday, my very dear friend, who is 22 weeks pregnant found out her baby has a diaphragmatic hernia. He will have really rough road when he gets here in October.
Will you join me in praying for my friend Lauren and her hubby Chris? They are such salt of the earth kinda people, but most of all they have great faith in a God who can heal if He chooses.

I am reminded of my favorite verse as I pray for baby Gage.....
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according the His power that is at work within us To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever Amen!

Eph. 3:20-21

It's kinda quiet around here...

My girls have deserted me for an entire week in favor of intense spiritual awakening at summer camp, OK that and the Code Red Mountain Dew Slushy. Here's what me and Wayne have done by ourselves all week: (No it's not what you think, keepin' clean for all my bloggin' peeps.

.....Mowed the entire yard and fertilized all my plants.

......Finished my last tennis lesson tonight!

......Made Wayne eat leftovers.. again.

.......Finished "Crazy Love" for the 2nd time.

.......Visited my pregnant pal Lauren and saw her new baby furniture (Love it and felt a small baby yearning in my uterus that I ignored)

.......Went to bed early last night then woke up at 11:30 to talk to my baby and find out her first day at camp was fun.

.......Bought a new black and white tunic to wear out on my date with Wayne tomorrow night.

........Made reservations for 2 at 8 pm tomorrow night at the Oceanaire in Atlanta!

My favorite hymn of all time...

Come Thou Fount

Come Thou fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing thy grace.

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it

Mount of thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Hither by thy help I come.

And I hope by thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God.

He to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious love.

Oh to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be.

Let thy goodness, like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love.

Here's my heart oh, take and seal it.

Seal it for thy courts above.

Vacation 2008

In between washing a MOUNTAIN of laundry so I can get the girls off to camp in the morning, I will tell you all about our wonderful trip to Vogel State Park.


I grew up with absolutely NO interaction with the great outdoors. My parents carted us off to my grandparents in New Mexico every summer and the closest we ever got to the great outdoors, was playing in my grandparents back yard.


My life with Wayne has introduced me to the wonders of camping, enjoying animals in their natural habitat, and most of all learning to appreciate the mountains. Having our own camper has really made this so much fun. My girls will probably grow up and realize all they missed by becoming pampered women who view vacation as sitting poolside at a resort sipping a fruity drink!


Vogel State Park is in the Chattohoochee National forest. We arrived on Wednesday night to 4 other families that we love to camp with. They helped Wayne set the camper up which really saved on the usual temper flares,and tears that are involved in setting up camp!

Thursday, we spent all day at the river. This involves sitting in your camp chair in the middle of the ice cold river, waiting on the men to grill something really good while reading a really good book, in my case, Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Best read in the last 5 years!


We went to the Deer Lodge, which Wayne and I first visited on our honeymoon. They have the best fried trout I've ever eaten!


Friday we visited Brasstown Bald, the highest mountain peak in Ga. The .5 mile hike was ridiculously steep! By the time we were through, we were all starving and ate Mexican and watched to new Indian Jones movie. I agree with the critics, not that great, I mean come on-- aliens???


All our friends went home on Saturday morning and we stayed around camp all day except to venture down the mountain for BBQ. My favorite park of the week, was watching the girls play at the beach and listening to the bluegrass band playing at the pavilion. It was gorgeous week and a great way to kick off the summer.



Now I am frantically trying to get clothes washed and the girls packed for camp. They are both going to youth camp this next week and I will either be really lonely, or really enjoying some quietness. Probably both!



These guys are on top of Brasstown Bald

Virginia robbed me of every quarter I owned so she could try and see her cousins in North Carolina from up here!

I cannot believe that these girls actually had a good time with sand and shovels without the help of any technology!

In the words of my favorite beer commercial-- It doesn't get any better than this!

Summer Reading

I'd rather read than eat. You wouldn't know it from my size 14 behind. Actually what I really love is eating ice cream while I'm reading, but seriously I LOVE reading. That is a gift from my Mom (Thanks mom!) who is an avid reader.

Kicking off my summer reading in grand style, I will indulge in the quietness of the North Georgia mountains and read uninterrupted whilst my children get lost in the woods, attacked by bears, or at the least go play with other redneck children in the campground. Camping and reading go together almost as good as beach chair, sand and reading.....
So want to know what book I'll have my nose in this week?

1)No Other God's by Kelly Minter- OK I cheated and started this book today, but I heard about it from Beth Moore's LPM blog.

2&3)Mark Driscoll's two books- Vintage Jesus and The Radical Reformission-- I've been wanting to read some books by him. I love listening to him preach/teach online.

4)Crazy Love by Francis Chan-- Got this tip from John Piper's website. Looked interesting.

I'll give you my book reviews in a few weeks. Wish us a fun camping trip. We'll be gone until Sunday!!

Camping

Did I tell you that I love to camp? Now let me qualify that statement. I like to camp in a CAMPER. My tent days are gone. The last time I tent camped, my girls were 5 and 2 and there was a thunderstorm, and well need I say more?

My favorite camping partner is my SIL Lynn. I love her so much, and camping with her is sheer enjoyment!. Girlfriend knows how to have a fun time. We spend more time eating and laughing than anything else. Wayne and Craig take turns as the Grill Masters which means we usually have steaks or chicken.

No camping trip is complete without a campfire. That's when we listen to Wayne and Lynn tell stories about their mama, who is now in heaven. I love it when my girls get to hear stories about their sweet grandma they never got to meet. Sometimes like to imagine Jesus walking her over to the edge of heaven and letting her look down on all of us. I know it would give her pleasure to see what a good man Wayne became. I know she enjoys seeing the girls grow, and then probably wonders why Wayne married a girl that can't make homemade biscuits.:) How did I get down that rabbit trail?
Anyways back to our Memorial Day camping trip-

Wayne and Ginger make relaxation their number one goal

When you play poker with Lynn and Wayne you gotta watch them-- they CHEAT!

The Grill Master

Next camping trip-- 2 days from now!!

When God moves...

You can see it, feel it, make no mistake about it! I have such little faith, and the only remedy I know is to ask God for faith when I have none. When our faith is at it's weakest, He shows himself to be strong!

God is at work in our volunteer clinic. It makes me so full of joy to see His supernatural power all around me!

" Now unto Him who is able to do IMMEASURABLY more than we can ask or imagine, to Him be glory both in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, both now and forever AMEN!" Eph. 3:20-21