Some fun pictures of recent happenings....

Jeannie and I at the South Alabama District Church of the Nazarene Women's Retreat in Pigeon Forge, TN

Some Tea Party/Dress up fun at Tennessee Women's Retreat last year

Part of our 7.5" snow

Cardinals in the tree outside while it was still snowing

Me and the girls in the snow

Flowers that Judith sent me while I was home recovering from  surgery in January. (p.s. Daisies are my favorites)

Faith and Exercise

We've been house-hunting recently. (Those four words are powerful enough alone to be a post unto themselves) House-hunting is one of those occurrences in life that will cause you to look at everything from a new perspective. Thankfully we agree on what we're looking for and all the reasons around why, well almost all. Still a debate over hardwood flooring vs. carpet, but that is minimal. During this process I have been reminded that my faith must stay in God and only God, and am so thankful that I have it. 

In a staff devotions recently the comment was made, "Our faith is stretched so that our relationship with Christ is strengthened." How very, very true that is. But of course because this is me, my brain had to take it further based on where I currently am. I thought about how we work and train our bodies so that they will be the best they can for us while we have them, and took that little comment and made it, "We grow strength in our faith by it being exercised. Just as we exercise our bodies in order to be stronger, so to our faith must be trained and stretched."  Deep, I know, and rare for a thought that came early in the morning. ☺
 Based on our house-hunting experience thus far, that statement has rung true so often and I am reminded of it daily. There have been more than a few days recently where I was unsure if I could continue in this present situation without some sort of change, and times when I wanted nothing more than to get in my car and just drive somewhere far from here. I even had a friend to tell me that I am welcome to come there if I need to escape and clear my head! Thanks friend ☺♥
 As God would have it during this season, I went to a retreat in Pigeon Forge and listened to Eunice Brubaker share her heart and some of her experiences with the ladies there. She hit Psalm 46 the first session and I knew that I was exactly where I needed to be for the next two days. It was there that I was reminded that no matter what situation I may find myself in, I am to be still and allow God to do His good work in and through me and if I will do that, that He promises to be my shelter and to never allow me to fear. Continue to pray for me, not just for house-hunting, that is merely a surface issue at the moment, but for me deeply. Without my friends and their love and prayer support, and a God who teaches me, I do not know what I would do.

I'm not entirely sure what to title this and therefore I leave it blank.  I just need to get this out of my head.
I sometimes wish that I could interpret my dreams the way that Daniel in the Bible could. I have some that are what I consider to be normal, in that they are dreams that anyone and possibly everyone has had or may have in their lifetime.  These I don't wish to interpret because they are simply a subconscious outlet for what occurs during our conscious life. It's the dreams that I have that involve people I care about or know from somewhere in which an event takes place that is life altering or at the least life-inhibiting for a time. These are the ones that I wish I could interpret sometimes. Scary thing is they are usually correct and happen, that's even more terrifying than the dream itself.  
Prime example: Sunday morning early, I was ripped from a paradisaical dream on the beach enjoying peace and solace into a location I have yet to meet in the real world (though it was vaguely familiar) where there were unidentifiable people milling around and one of my dear friends sitting over alone. In the dream I approach her and see that she is obviously upset and has been crying. So I sit down with her and inquire what's going on and she doesn't respond. She doesn't even acknowledge my presence until I go to move a piece of her hair out of her face. Then, true to her real world self, she grabs my hand and tells me not to mess with her hair. So again I ask her what's going on. Through tear-stained eyes she says, "I'm dyin' of booby cancer" (Bear in mind, this is exactly how she would put it if she were saying it in the real world. She's country). 
That's it, that's all there was, no sooner had the words left her mouth in the dream than I bolted upright in bed and immediately began praying for her. I still don't know what to make of it, but I did send her an email to let her know that she was on my mind that morning and I prayed extra for her. 
Today I have a peace about the whole thing that I didn't yesterday, but suffice it to say, I hope I am completely wrong on this one. I don't know that I can handle it if I'm not. 
Whew, now my brain can rest and relax.