Sunday afternoon naps

Sunday afternoons were made for naps---

Naps for big boys

Naps for silly sweet girls

Naps for good little doggies

 

And naps for bad little mutts who are spoiled by their big sisters,

bad little doggies that have chewed up two of my shoes this week,

bad little doggies that I cannot, for the life of me, help but loving.

Grace

I recently read this excerpt from an interview with Andy Stanley:

The church, or should I say, church people, must quit adding the word "but" to the end of our sentances about grace. Grace plus is no longer grace. Grace minus is no longer grace. We are afraid people will abuse grace if presented in it's purest form. We need not fear that, we should assume that........of course grace will be abused. But grace is a powerful dynamic. Grace wins out in the end.  It is not our responsibliity to qualify it . It is our responsibility to proclaim it and model it.                      
Andy Stanley.

It is so much easier to accept God's gift of grace, yet so difficult to extend grace without reservation.  What if they hurt me again?  What if they take advantage of this gift? 

Thank you God for not qualifying Your grace to me.  I don't deserve it. I've taken advantage so many times. Even now, I think of how I accept salvation yet stubbornly refuse to model the same gift to others. God save me from myself and let grace flow out of my life without reservation.

Happy Birthday Lauren

This picture is the same one I posted last year.  You would think if she's that good of a friend I'd have a recent picture huh?  Today is her birthday.  I hope she celebrates in high style. I hope all her students were extra good today.  Maybe they remembered to sing "Happy Birthday Ms. Brown"  I hope her husband Chris does something extra fun for her. I hope her sweet baby Gage, hugs he and tells her he loves her.  I hope she knows that I love her too!   I hope that this year brings laughter, tears, (the good kind) and joy.  I hope next year at this time, she knows and loves God more.  I love you sweet girl!

You are for me

I just got back from our annual SBC ladies retreat in Blue Ridge, GA. Powerful and life changing. This song sums up what God whispered to me this weekend.

19 years

Tomorrow marks 19 years I have been Mrs. Welch.  Alot has changed about me in 19 years. When I met Wayne, I was a city girl.  Had no desire to tromp out in the woods, sit in a deer stand, or worse, sleep under the stars....that all has changed quite a bit.

Wayne has taught me:

how to walk softly in the woods so I won't scare the deer
that trout like to swim in the deep cold pools of water in the stream
that pure happiness can be found sitting beside a moutain stream and listening to the water run over the rocks

sleeping with the camper(or tent) windows opened under lots of blankets is the way to go
nothing smells better than frying bacon on a chilly fall morning
you won't melt if you get caught in the rain
he loves me most, when I make "his" world "our" world



I love you Wayne Welch!

 

Senior Pictures

Oh. Wow. Just got home and got to sit and really look at Leslie's senior pictures. They are fantastic! Go here and let me know your favorite.

Go to photo gallery and then Leslie Welch senior pictures.

What I'm taking camping.....

We are leaving in about an hour. I am sooo ready. I have never just taken a week off in the middle of the year to get away. I need it. Celebrating 19 years with Wayne. Love him.  So here's my stash:

1. denim colored yarn, knitting a cross body bag.
2. mint green, cornflower blue and white cotton yarn...washcloths with intials in them..my newest project
3. Ipod with lots of Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler and Kari Jobe loaded.
4. Hiking boots...lots of walks
5. puppy chow...a camping must
6. lots of coffee.
7. my fleece red camping jacket. It's really pathetic but I can't throw it away.
8. "The Jesus Way" my newest read.
9. A fishing pole, as if.....makes Wayne happy...I'll give him an obligatory cast or to before I settle in my chair to read.
10. Perhaps the most important thing of all...... this guy:

Sorry Ginger, You gotta stay home this trip.

A girl and her dog

She's got a way about her.

Willow loves her.

But not as much as me.

So how's the runnin' goin'?

You may remember from this post, I was toying with the idea of running a marathon.  I had decided that the Atlanta marathon was a great goal to shoot for. It's fr enough away to give me plenty of training time away, plus it is on my birthday weekend so I figured it was perfect timing.  After consulting with a couple women who have already run the 26.2, I decided to use the Runners World training guide.  First goal was increasing my mileage. I'm not even really able to follow the plan as I can't run 8-10 miles right now. I have been running with some young girls and it has really helped me.  I can run farther and longer than I could a month ago.  So small incremental goals is the important thing. I decided that for the month of October I am going to increase my long run to 6 miles, or one hour.  My November goal is long run at 10 miles.  From there, I'll be ready to start the 12 week program which should have me ready for a marathon by March.  Oh, and I also need to lose about 25 pounds in the process.  Maybe one of these days, I'll run a marathon with my cross country super star nephew Clinton, who is destroying records on a weekly basis. He is doing awesome! So proud of him!

Happy trails!

The great thing about Facebook....

..........is finding long lost friends.  Last week I went to check the mail and found a package from an old college friend.  Inside is a wonderfully cute book "The Yarn Harlot". I have so enjoyed reading a few chapters every night before bed.It's a book all about knitting, my new love. But better than that, was the sweet memories that this unexpected gift awoke inside of me.  I've chatted online with Wendy, seen pictures of her precious children, remembered she loved flowers and has gorgeous jet black hair, but when I opened the book and saw the sweet note she left me, I recognized a signature from my college days.  Seeing her handwriting tripped a switch in my mind......so many memories...

I sat in my rocker on the porch and closed my eyes. I thought about a girl with a loud giggle and wide smile, with big brown eyes and jet black hair.  We had on hair nets and were singing Debby Gibson songs in the huge college kitchen while we chopped vegetables.  We were running through the Florida rain on our way to Miss Hatfield's med surg class.  We were clueless scared nursing students in the hall of a nursing home, desparately trying to figure out how to bathe a ninety year old man or figure out what in the heck Lasix was for.  There were so many church services we giggled through, so many study sessions on her bunkbed with Rachelle.

Thanks Wendy for the book, I will enjoy it, but thanks more for the memories....they are part of me.





Differences

Sometimes it's the one who is the most different from you, that makes the best friend.

My little photographer

Tonight Leslie has her first real photography job.  Since she never reads this blog, (she's way too cool) do you mind if I brag a little?
Leslie has always been the exact opposite of me. Quiet, thoughtful, moves through life at her own pace. Stubborn, very stubborn.  Takes a while for her to process everything.  This had led to tears, from both of us, frustrations, and me wondering what to do with her, while she was wondering, how she got stuck with a mother like me.

Somehow we have managed to make it through, and I was thinking today how much I like her. Of course I love her, but I really like her. She's everything cool I am not.  She has got incredible style, a creative eye, and the deepest sense of loyalty, good Lord she's loyal.

About two years ago she developed an interest in photography. This, after I had forced her to try everything from piano to cross country.  When I finally let her be her, she blossomed.  My computer is jammed packed with all sorts of pictures. Good pictures. Incredible pictures.  It makes me so proud to see her do her thing.

Tonight, friends of ours, that own their own media company, invited her to help out at a wedding.  I told her as she ran out the door, red hair flying, "Have fun!" but what I was really thinking was this...."tonight is where it all begins.  You are gonna be a spectacular photographer and this is your first gig!" 

Then I heard the words of her sweet daddy in my mind. He has said it to me so many times I have every word memorized...."She's gonna be fine, just let her be who she is."  Good advice Wayne, she is who she is and I love her so!