Everyday Blessings...

We have had eight years of football. Not sure about football in any other state except Texas, but here it is so woven into the fabric of our lives. Eight years of training in the weight room, eating lots of food, spring practice, cuts and bruises and broken bones -wrist, ribs, knee cap, pelvis, unbelievable sweaty-stinky ruined clothes, hard hits and bad concussions, losses and lots of wins, great catches and hits and dropped and missed ones too, hits that make a mom's heart stop while she prays that he just gets up, lightening storms and delays, listening to the band, hearing the same songs every game, out of town traveling to small Texas towns, hot chocolate and lots of blankets. Laughing with friends. Praying all the way through the game. Hours of praying. Feeling so proud of my boys I could cry. Such. Great. Times. Such. Great. Memories. Hard to believe it is over. I used to spend alot of time worrying and wishing they were not playing. I spent too much time obsessing about th...

So, there you have it. A great trip it was. The times that we are all together now are few and far between. A blessing and lots of fun. I am thankful. Nine days until Wes graduates. It is coming fast. I can't help but think about the many people that are being effected by floods and tornadoes and earthquakes. So many tough, tragic things happening. We also had a friend of ours in Lubbock suffer a devastating accidental tragedy. He accidentally shot his 9 year old grandchild. Her funeral was last night. Sid and I have had them on our hearts and minds and in our constant prayers for days. Only through God can someone survive such a heartbreak. There is nothing certain about life. I am reminded to live it out loud for God and for His glory each and every day. The Dahlstroms will have precious Soren in their cloud of witnesses awaiting their arrival in heaven. Comforting to know we will be with our loved ones again. "Father God hold our hearts tight and walk us all through the h...

Hebrews 12:1 says that we are not running our race unobserved. While we are running in this spiritual race, the Bible says we are surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses." Who is included in this great cloud of witnesses? Hebrews chapter 11 tells us. Here are the names of the people of faith listed there: Abel – offered a better sacrifice by faith and was commended as righteous Enoch – by faith he pleased God, so he never experienced death Noah – by faith he obeyed God’s command and turned his back on a world of evil Abraham – obeyed God and went where God told him to go, without knowing where ths would be. He made his home in the Promised Land even though he was a stranger there. From him came "descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky". Isaac – Abraham’s promised child, who by faith blessed Jacob and Esau Jacob – who by faith blessed Joseph’s sons and worshiped God Joseph – who by faith spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions that hi...

Wes wanted to go golfing. We went. We laughed. We got tired. We enjoyed. We had some four legged visitors that were out dodging golf balls, just like us. Weird picture. This face tells how this boy feels about golf. Blessings on your Monday. Amy

1 Sam. 12: 24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. I found it interesting in my daily reading this morning that Saul was made King and so quickly... immediately he did something wrong and sinned against God. He started a fight with the Philistines and then did not wait long enough on Samuel to come and sacrifice and ask of God what to do. He just went ahead and did it himself. I am so like that too. I don't wait on the Lord like I should and am impatient and do things on my own. It rubs me wrong that I can see myself in Saul but I do. My prayer this morning is that I would wait on the Lord. Pray, listen, wait. On the big decisions and problems of course but even on the everyday worries and small happenings in my life. I am so thankful for His word that anchors my every day when I am smart enough to drink from it. Ps . 108:1-2-& 5 My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with ...

Wes graduates in about three weeks. Will is home from college (with ALL his stuff) Sid is feverishly working on his dissertation. Things are well, in a word...nutty. Time is rushing by so quickly and I am trying to dig my heels in a little and slow it down. It is not working. I really have not written anything worth anyone reading on this blog for a while. I hate to tell you it may still be a while yet. Thank you for stopping by...things will get back to normal. Maybe. Oh yeah...we are going to have to find a new normal. I am sure I will write about that. When things slow down... Wes lead singing Sunday morning. He was nervous but did a fine job. The junior parents and youth group gave the Seniors a wonderful banquet last night. It was perfect! So beautifully decorated and the food was yummy. They gave the Seniors a bible and a blessings. Wonderful evening. Just a beautiful backyard close to our church. Picture perfect. We took a few pictures in our backyard yesterday and I thought ...

(pause the blog music and enjoy) For my Mother's Day gift the four of us are going to see the Celtic Woman. I attended one of their concerts in Lubbock a few years ago with my sister-n-law Jan and my Mom. Absolutely one of the best concerts I have ever seen. It can't quite touch a Switchfoot concert but it is good. :) I am excited about taking my boys to hear them. Should be interesting... Oh, so anticipating this... By the way, our oldest is HOME! Finals are finished and I think he might sleep for a week. He looked so tired. The inside of his truck...a whole dorm room worth of stuff. Scary. Nice to have all four of us under the same roof for a while. Blessings on your day! Amy

He made flowers... Oh, how I love them. Lovely flowers from my children and husband for Mother's Day. Beautiful. Our sweet William is coming home tomorrow! He is taking his last test Wed. morning and then heading home. He will only be here for two weeks and then is off to Camp Blue Haven to work for the summer, but we are going to really enjoy the two weeks we will all be home together. Thankful and excited. Loved this scripture that God blessed me to read and rejoice over this morning: John 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. He SEEKS...us! Blessings on your day! Amy

Wes wore his Dad's tux and went to his senior Prom solo a few nights ago. He did however take some sweet pictures with two of his good friends Emma and Ande . Two beautiful girls with hearts of gold. He did not last too long at prom. He said he thought the dancing was stupid so he just stood around and laughed and talked to his friends. I am glad THAT is over. We have less than four weeks until graduation. Hard to believe and it is flying fast. Wes just wants it to be here and over so he can get up to New Mexico and spend a few weeks at Camp Blue Haven. I don't blame him. It sure does sound wonderful. The smell of the pines, the sounds of the river dancing over the rocks and many voices singing praises to our Awesome God. Yes, can't wait. Don't you think he is trying to strike a James Bond pose in this one? Cracks me up. Cute picture. Wes still cracks me up. Ande has the most beautiful blue eyes. Lovely. Very Audrey Hepburn- ish Emma! Beautiful. Blessings on this n...