blah!!!!

Well, I am sick! I think that I have a sinus infection or some kind of cold from visiting Maw at the hospital. I was able to make it to church yesterday morning, but I just slept for most of the afternoon, so we didn't go back last night. The house is almost done! I still have to hang the outside lights, but everything else is finished! Jeremy's boss man is getting us some firewood so we maybe able to have a fire tonight! That would be just awesome! I am so thankful for my house, my husband, my friends and my family. God is so good! An old friendship that needed a little mending was fixed today and I am so thankful for that! Praise God! I have found that the days that I feel I cannot praise God because of my situation or my feelings, those are the days that when I do it, God works double time in my life. Today would be one of those days. Pulling out all of the Christmas stuff that Mom handed down to me(they were ours when I was little) made me a little sad. I hate that my family is no more, but God is changing hearts, and changing lives through it all. :-)

Sassie, my dog, was so funny this morning. Mom bought her a new bed and she sleeps underneath it! I came into the office this morning and there was no puppy! She was underneath it and when I called her, the whole bed started moving! it was so cute! I wish that I had pictures to show you but my camera is MIA...I need to do a better job of keeping up with my things as my sisters say! LOL!

I am so excited for Thanksgiving. I cannot wait to see my sister Terri and her family. Then on Friday, we are closing in the Garage to start on the "Florida Room"! Go Gators! yay!

busy busy bee!

So, its been a busy couple of days!!!! Jeremy and I started decorating for Christmas tonight. I know it seems a little early, but we are just so excited! Its our first Christmas together as a married couple! I will have pics on here soon of the house. We still have a long way to go on the decorating though!

Tyler and Shelbie spent the night last night and I think that they had a good time. I pulled out an old home video and it was so sweet. I was 13, Zak 10, Tyler 7, and Shelbie 4. She and I were dressed just alike and we were singing. Tyler was dancing around like kids do, and Zak was way to cool to dance. Shelbie's hair bow fell out at one point and I put it back, but I had to turn around and show her mine so that she could see that hers was still just like mine. It was so sweet to see her adore me so much that she wanted her hair to be just like mine! She was so jealous of me too! She got mad when i danced with Tyler. It was neat watching the video with the kids. They are so different...half grown really :-/

Maw is still in the hopital, but we are hoping that she will get to come home tomorrow. I went to see her this morning and her spirits seemed high. Maybe she can come home tomorrow. Mom went back to FL this morning. It has been a rough few days for her trying to stay at the hospital with Maw and still take care of herself. She will back on Tuesday to help get ready for Thanksgiving.

Bro Jimbo and Mrs. Cyndi came by Thursday night and visited with us for a couple of hours. It was such a nice time of fellowship. He was able to answer most of Jeremy and my questions, and we talked alot about the tent revival back in Spet 1998 and whats been going on in our lives since than. God is doing great things in that family and that Church. It is truely a God breathed ministry.

God has given me such a peace about life, it is so amazing. We live messy lives as humans, but when we think of the glory of GOD and what would really matter if that trumpet blew right now, things seem to fade away! When I think of things in that perspective, it doesnt really matter that Jeremy and I cannot afford to exchange gifts this year, or that we dont live in a trendy neighborhood, or wear ultra fashionable clothes. What matters is that I know Jesus Christ as my father, my savior, and my friend, and he has blessed me beyond all measure!!!! I cannot wait to meet him face to face!

From the mouths of babes!

Kids say the funniest things...Anna Lynn, one of the daycare babies, gave me the thrill of my heart. We were asking all of the kids what they were thankful for, one by one, and writing what they said on paper leaves to hang up on our bulletain board. Most of the children said that they were thankful for thier mommy and daddy, or thier toys. When it came around to Anna Lynn, she said, "I am thankful for the treats God gives me!" Isn't God amazing? Although she is only 2 1/2, she clearly sees that God is a loving God, and that he blesses us so richly!

God is doing some amazing things in my life, and everyday I pray that he would show me more and more of himself. Maw got put in the hospital today. She had a high temp. this moring and it made her start slurring her speech and become really disoriented. My Aunt Renee took her to the Er and they decided to keep her. She is much better tonight, more like her old self, but ever so sleepy. Mom came up from Florida to be with her. They are not completely sure, but they think that she may have had a mini stroke. They are going to rerun her blood work again tomorrow to see if it will show anything. Church tonight was such a blessing! Bro Jimbo is still in Ft. Walton, finishing up the revival, so the music minister, Bro Scott, preached tonight. He talked about how are sensitivity is all backwards. We get all upset and bent out of shape about who Obama picks for his cabinet, while we could really care less whether or not our loved ones and neighbors are going to die and go to hell. While the news and Gov't is important, we did our best on Nov 4, and we have to leave it at that. There is nothing to do now but pray. Meanwhile, we need to get passionate about the people in this world who are lost, maybe living right beside us, but do not know Jesus. It really spoke to me. I am so burdened for my lost friends. I pray that my life would be a witness to all that I come in contact with and that the love of God would poor through me like light shining bright through a window. I pray that God would poor me out everyday and fill me with him, so that there is no room for anything of myself. God is so good to us!

20 degrees and below...

Last night was so amazing! We did not get in until midnight, but the revival was great! We really got a lot out of the preaching and I really enjoyed the fellowship on the church bus! I am so excited for church tomorrow night!

It is in the 20's tonight, and those are some pretty low temps for southern Alabama. Jeremy is outside wrapping the faucets so that they don't freeze.

To God be the glory! Some trials that some of my family members were going through came to an end today and God really showed up and showed out! I am so blessed to be called his child. When I think about things that bother me or upset me in some way, I stop and rememeber that at the end of this life, all that is going to matter is did I bring God glory and how many people did I point toward the lord. Think about that tonight as all of life's burdens begin to way your mind down. Relax, breathe deep, and drift off to peaceful sleep knowing that God is taking care of you tonight!

Romans 15:13 "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."

Joesph's brothers meant to cause him harm, But God used it for the good!

"For we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. "- Romans 8:28

That is most defiently my life verse. I am not saying that things always go the way I think they should. Most times, they dont. But what I believe that this verse is saying to me is that if I will do my best to love God and live accoring to his will, all things that happen to me will turn out for the good in the end. My purpose in being put on this earth to begin with is to glorify God with my life and draw others unto him. Its that simple. And when I finally started realizing that truth, life seemed to get a whole lot less complicated.

Tracie called today to let me know that everything worked out with our problem at the daycare. She asked me to come back. God defiently ordained that situation. Its amazing what happens when we let God fight our battles. Church this morning was wonderful. Bro Jim Bo preached on Psalms 27 and the enemies that David faced. It told about how God hides us under his hedge of protection and it applied to my situation so much. God is working so much in my life right now, and I am continually asking him to break me, pour me out, and fill me back up with the holy spirit. I just think about today, and what God is doing in my life and I cannot help but to smile. It is that wonderful. This is not emotional hype, this is the love and joy of Jesus Christ that flows from his heart into mine. How blessed we are to call him friend!

We are riding down with the church tomorrow night to go to Gulf Coast Baptist Church in Ft. Walton Beach, Fl to hear Bro Jim Bo preach. I am so excited for the fellowship and the opportunity to hear God's word preached again. I am just so excited about what God is doing in our lives!

Gideon and the Fleece

I havent posted in a few days and things have been so crazy. I am having some relationship issues with a friend and they have kinda went bad. I hate that it had to be that way. I am also on the job hunt again. Working for family had proved to be a much more tiresome task than I had origially anticipated. God has really given me peace about both of these circumstances though, and I am trusting him to bring me through it.
I am excited about next semester approaching quickly, but all in the same knowing that my life is about to be turned upside down. Jeremy and I agreed that I need to work about 20 hours a week in order to maintain our bubget at this time. Couple that with 21 credit hours of school, I am just praying that I can make it out alive. I am sure I can do it though, IF I will put my mind to it.
Jeremy and I did some Christmas shopping today. I am finding that it is the gifts that I make myself that seem to mean the most. We ran into some people from the church at walmart and it was nice to see some friendly faces. I missed seeing those real kind of people since we missed church on Wed. I am anxiously awaiting corporate worship tomorrow moring at Straigh Paths. I really like that church, I just want to stand behind Jeremy in whatever decision that he makes, knowing that God put him at the head of the family for a reason. If he had wanted me to be in charge, he would have made me a man! God is so good though, he really is. I was doubting whether or not God wanted us at that church and lo and behold we run into not one family, but two from the church! This is the third time that God has almost audibly spoken to me about the church, and I keep asking for more affimation. He is such a gracious God. Isnt it wonderful that he meets us in our weekness? I can just picture him smiling, stroking my hair, and saying, "Oh, my precious child, do not worry. I have it all sorted out, just rely on me and I will not let you down." meanwhile, I am looking up at him going, "are you sure about this God? I mean, i dunno, this isnt what I had pictured at all. I mean, can you give me another sign, a little more affirmation if you will?" I know it sounds funny, and I do not intend to mock at all, but its the truth. We so often trust those who we know will fail us and are not willing to completely trust the one who holds our very life in his hands. Well, I guess thats 3 times he has shown me what I hadnt pictured was the way my life would be going. But, I suppose he knows what he is doing, Afterall, he created me :-)

Hello all!

I am not really sure why I am starting a blog. It just feels like the right thing to do right now. Well, I am a 21 year old newly wed in south Alabama. I work part time in my sister's home daycare(I am sure that you will hear all about it!) and craft/sew/scrapbook in my spare time, although I am not much to brag about with the latter. My husband, Jeremy, and works for the Dept. of Traspotation for the state of Alabama. We both became believers at the ages of 12 & 13 and desire to do the will of God, whatever the cost. We cannot wait to be parents and are excited to see what God is going to do in and through us. I have one year left to finsih my degree at the Baptist College of Florida, so I maybe going back in the spring.

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" Phillipians 1:6 - How exciting to know that what God starts in us, he will finish! He will never give up on us or forsake us! I am so thankful to him for that!

Amanda