Never posted/This Pandemic then/now.

APRIL 2020-Things are uncertain and strange right now.... we have been "sheltering in place" since March 15th. We live on 5 acres and I am a stay at home mom so being home isn't strange but not going out or getting together with friends and MISSING church.... is hard. It's not unbearable and honestly I have enjoyed the slowing and more time at home, with my kiddos. 

I have two seniors.... one graduating from high school (home school) and one from college. Both of their graduation ceremonies have been cancelled/postponed. Especially sad for my college senior, Alyssa (Lysa)~ her senior spring semester cut short. She never went back after spring break (March 16th). Lysa is finishing classes online but no official "lasts" or "goodbyes" and of course, her ceremony that was suppose to be May 9, 2020. 

All that to say.....  we are ok. It will all be ok. Lots of events cancelled. Lots still being cancelled. 

We are taking advantage of this time though.....  we have fished, walked, went to an outside nursery and several drive-thru for food. We try to shop local... because our small local businesses are struggling. At the first of the 'shelter in place" we went to a drive-in movie. It was the first for my youngest three! So we are embracing this time because when this is all over .... I know we will miss it and look back and cherish it!

OCTOBER 2020 -8 months later... I never posted the above so I thought I would do a then and NOW.  It’s been crazy. Who would of thought back in March- that in October we would still be dealing with the virus. I journaled our days on Instagram- up till day 90+ but ... today is day 225 since the 15th of March when we started the shelter in place. 

We are not staying home 100% - we are attending church on Sundays since June but with distancing & masks. Lots of controversy about this virus. It’s really discouraging. Lots of opinions and not much grace being given. We do Walmart pick ups but will go in for a quick run but with masks. None of us has contracted the virus ... but we know several who have and a few who have died. I’m ready for this to be gone. I miss the old ways but ... we are good. We have a roof over our heads, food, air conditioning & heat, and money to make it. Things can always be worse. 

I will give an up to date- update soon!

Does anyone read blogs anymore?

What are You Reading?

I am reading lots more these days. I wasn't always a reader. But, as my children have grown I've had more time to myself. Bittersweet.

I like reading lots of self help books and lots of fiction.

These three books have been highlights of my 2019. God has really spoke to my heart through these reads. I love Jessica Smartt's book Memory Making Mom ~ so much of what I do with my children is intentionally make memories. I know first hand it is the simple things that they take away as grown children- adults.  I asked them what was a childhood memory was one of their favorites. Three out of four of them said.... our picnics in the woods. Another post on that later.

Whispers of Rest I shared about in the post about Cambodia and the Yellow Flowers. This devotion is one I want to do over and over. I truly LOVE it. It amazed me over and over how God met me right there....  I've just started this over. I love Bonnie Gray and I'm half way through her first book Finding Spiritual Whitespace.

So many books..... so little time!

Some of my fiction .....

Redeeming Love is my favorite! I love all of Francine Rivers books. These two are my favorite so far. I finished Leota's Garden and I love it. As I am older my heart went out to Leota. I also loved Francine River’s book Masterpiece!

So tell me what are you guys reading?


Grace~ Teena

More Yellow Flowers~

A few post ago I shared with about Lysa going to Cambodia in March~ and the yellow flowers. You can read that here....


Lysa is in her senior year at college.  She completed an internship this summer  in Thailand. She again worked with Rapha House. The stories she shared and the work they do is overwhelming to me. The Hope she says she feels .....   the girls express themselves through ART. Lysa and one of the girls became very close. I loved hearing her share about this young girl that has been rescued.

One day as they were leaving the site.... she saw these yellow flowers. Isn't God great. Every time I see yellow flowers now....  I think of those girls... rescued, filled with HOPE.

Lots of privacy so not many pics .... but she did do some site seeing and I love seeing them!

I've really thought about how much I trust and support Rapha House. I love the work they are doing. We buy from them to help support their cause. Lysa seeing it first hand in two different countries means so very much to me. I'm so very thankful God allowed me to share a small part of the places Lysa goes.....   so very thankful for her heart and the way Jesus connects the dots.

 Grace~ Teena

Only By His Grace~

In November we will be married 39 years. We were high school sweethearts. We lived in the same town as our parents....   a couple years in and we moved to Georgia. Not far from where we live now. We lived next door to my grandmother for a couple years and then Billy joined the Navy. We were stationed in California and our first child was born. Our second child was born in Southern California and during that time~ Billy started having panic attacks. When she was four months old he was diagnosed with agoraphobia with severe panic attacks. Our life would NEVER be the same.

At the time of his diagnosis we were stationed in Meridian, Mississippi. Our children were 4 and 6 months. After the diagnosis they sent him to NAS Pensacola. We were there for a year before his medical discharge. We decided to settle back in Georgia and bought a small, wooden home in the town my grandmother lived~ Broxton.  Billy loved the Navy and hated it being taken from him.

The following year our little house burned down and we moved out of town ... onto 5 acres of land and a mobile home. Michael was 6 and Mandi was 2. Life was hard. The fire took so much. The people of Broxton, home school friends and our church were so supportive. It was in August and it was so very hot....  from the time of  the fire till we spent the first night on our place here... was only 2 weeks. All we had were the clothes we had on and a few things we salvaged from the house. Again, people poured out their love.

We loved our new little place. After 3-4 weeks we started our first day of homeschool. Michael was 1st grade. We have been here ever since. Our house has been remodeled with 3 extra rooms added, a hall way and another door. The following year our third child was born.

Billy continued to struggle with his illness and it affected all of us.... but mostly I saw it robbing him of his life...

Four and a half years later our fourth child was born. Two girls and two boys. 12, 8, 4 and newborn. Life was full. Still homeschooling.  Four years later our 5th child was born... at 33 weeks because of pre-eclampsia.  Seventeen month later our 6th child was born. Half a dozen.

That 6th child just turned 16 this month. Only 2 years left of homeschooling. My last year with 2 students. Life continues to change. I have so enjoyed this home schooling journey. So thankful for each one. We have always felt God called us to home school~ it has had its ups and downs. Two of my 6 wanted to go to school. That's hard.  I choose JOY.

Agoraphobia has been the theft. All these years and it has been a battle. I feel like a single parent. He self medicates with alcohol.  Very rarely going places. Home bound.

Sometimes I feel I can't go on. I get weary. I'm not some great person. God just gives me grace daily and I fail daily.

I'm lonely. But have so many friends and family that love me. God's ways are better than mine and even though I don't understand I can trust Him.



I question myself often and doubt myself. I love taking pictures and posting on instagram... looking for His beauty. Giving thanks. Counting my gifts.

                                                               2018

I can't do any of this without HIM.



Grace~ Teena 

Summer Highlight~

We are enjoying our summer.  Each year we volunteer at our church's kids camp. We love it more than the kids do. I love seeing all the orange team (volunteers)! It is long and tiring but each year we can not wait for the next year. This year was our sixth year. Our second one with out Lysa. I know times will continue to change....   I pray we have a few more years with the boys volunteering before they are off doing internships and such!

I was on meal squad again this year. Over 2000 meals we prepared. The most tired I have been all summer~ but so much fun and so worth it! To God be the Glory!

This is our children's pastor/assoc. pastor.  Six years ago when he had this vision for Summergize~ we had 34 campers. This year we had over 200 with about 65 volunteers! That is the most the camp group can hold~ so we have a waiting list.  This is the picture of my boys with Archie (leader of summergize). Look how much they have grown!

Summergize 2019 is in the books. So thankful to have these memories with my Gracepointe tribe and my kiddos.  Waiting for 2020!


Change a life forever~ sponsor a child!

Grace~ Teena

Cambodia, Yellow Flowers and my Sunshine Girl

Lysa flew to Cambodia in March. To minister at Rapha House. Rapha House is a non profit safe house that rescue girls from sex traffiking.  As always God connected the dots and I was able to peek in.....

She told me about these three little girls that she met and how they opened up to her a bit. One made the heart sign with her hands and one gave her yellow flowers. She could see HOPE there. These girls at Rapha House have been rescued from sex trafficking ......  and Lysa felt HOPE there....

She shared with me through messenger. Of course, no pictures are allowed....  for privacy and safety. I told her that I would pray for those girls and I would buy some yellow flowers and place them on my kitchen sink. Every time I saw them I would remember and pray for those girls.

Later that day I was reading in my devotional by Bonnie Gray. Whispers of Hope  and this was my devotional for that day!!!

We all need encouraging reminders of peace. I love that Jesus points us to look at flowers in the filed. Behavioral research at Rutgers University found that simply looking at flowers improves emotional health. The presence of flowers triggered happy emotions in participants, increasing feeling of life satisfaction. Flowers are a natural mood enchaner. Harvard University even demonstrated that those who aren't morning people, who start out with morning blahs, reported a boost in energy, happiness and friendliness that lasted through-out the day by looking at flowers first thing in the morning, placed in a room they frequented often- particularly in kitchen. ~ Bonnie Gray

IT ACTUALLY SAID THE KITCHEN!!

Then this-

TODAY'S BELOVED CHALLENGE

Buy Flowers for Yourself
Place them where you can enjoy them

May the flowers remind you how valuable you are to Jesus. He is your peace


Love how Jesus connects the dots. Love yellow flowers. They will always mean so much more to me now.


Grace~ Teena

A Few of My Favorites!

This is the Give Me Jesus Journal from The Well Watered Woman Co. I love it!  For 23 years I have kept a journal for my quiet time. I decided to try something different and I saw the  Give me Jesus Journal on a friends Instagram and decided I would try it!

Snow cones with Lincoln! I love  when he comes to Nonni’s house to see us!

My chicken/hen, Sybil!

It’s the little things!

Enjoy your weekend!

Looking at 2019

Happy New Year! We are in the second month of the new year. I had a hard time leaving behind Christmas & 2018 but.....  I'm ready.

Each year.... I pick a word for the year.  This year...  I wasn't feeling it. Wasn't sure I would have one for 2019. I started to question....  was it because I do this because it trendy or because I really want to focus on something God is showing me....

2011- Mercy
2012- Grace
2013- Peace
2014- Hope
2015- Joy
2016- Rest
2017- Laugh
2018- Simple

On the last night of 2018... it came to me. It was just a word I saw and it sparked an interest. I had taken the dayspring quiz and the word PEACE kept coming up....  but that was my word for 2013. I wasn't feeling it. So when I saw this word....  I just smiled. I didn't claim it....  I just thought about it for a while. Letting myself wonder why THIS word...  and I just smiled. God is like that...  I just knew. It was right where I was at....  He met me. 

So for 2019 ~  my word....


EMBRACE

Because I struggle with change.... I believe this word .... Embrace... is perfect. I struggle and have to talk myself out of the lies...  often...  before I put my feet on the floor in the mornings... the clouds come in and whisper to me.... all the bad....  that all the change is bad, hard, and sad....  it is happening more often because life is changing fast. Change .. that word is like a bad word in my mouth...  my mind.  I do not want it to be....  so, God will show me all kinds of things with the word EMBRACE this year. Sometimes it is totally different than what I think it will be....   sharing my heart here... and keeping it real. Life is hard at times and when so many changes come...   my emotions have a hard time putting things in perspective. It is hard for others to understand... but everyone's life looks different. We all struggle with different things...   for MY life.... I'm on the tail end of raising six children (youngest is 15, in 10th grade), only two here at home... teen boys, four children living in different states, mental illness and addiction try to destroy our family... but God.  God is enough. God is bigger. God is faithful. God is my Rock.

I want to EMBRACE change....  embrace what God has set before me. I want to embrace the moment, the memory we are making at just that moment....  embrace the changes as they come.... and give glory to God for all the things He has done... and continues to do.

Happy New Year... to all of you. If you are reading... will you leave me a comment. I'm not even sure who is here anymore.  But, thank you for stopping by!


Grace~ Teena

Christmas at the Martin.

“No trumpets no fire no conquering fight,
The kingdom of heaven came softly at night. The tomb is now empty, 

there’s scars on His hands, and closed is the gap between holy and man.

Away in a manger that led to the cross,
Acquainted with sorrow, familiar with loss. 
My sin on His shoulders, His righteousness mine,
A greater love story my heart cannot find.” ~ Jordan Rawls & Blake Gosnell#gpcdouglas #meetmeatthemartin

Our worship pastor and our outreach director at our church.... wrote these two verses to go with Away in a Manger.  I absolutely loved it.

Our church rented the Martin Theater for our Christmas Service on the 23rd of December. Our church is small and we wanted to accommodate everyone. It was amazing.... I loved it.  My youngest who is a drummer at our church played the drums.

It was amazing!!! So very thankful for Christmas in the City & my Gracepointe Family.

Grace~ Teena

Christmas 2018

Christmas is such a special time for me.  I put lots of work into it and plan for weeks.... and every year (so far) all of my children and grandson make it home. I know as the years come that may not be the case. One married son, Michael lives in Orlando with my daughter in law, Amber and grandson Lincoln. One daughter, Mandi lives in Montgomery with my son in law, Andrew and one son lives in Memphis, Dakota with my daughter in law, Alex. My baby girl, Lysa goes to college hear Orlando. So for all of them to make the trek home.... is a gift to me. I am so grateful. Anyway, as the years come ... and life takes them away.... we may not all be able to be home for Christmas. So, I do not take this for granted.  It is loud and crazy and ... a bit cramped.... but, we do it.

                                       my original four sons & two daughters.

Afterward.... when everyone says goodbye and they go in direct directions .... I have to be careful not to jump on the train of mom guilt.  This year... it seemed to hit hard. For the past few days I've been fighting it....  speaking Truth to myself, looking back over the year and our memories and spending time with Jesus.

A friend of mine gave me a quote/plaque for my wall.... and I love it.

"Gratitude turns what we have into enough."

Even when others want you to believe it wasn't enough, or good enough or.... planned enough....  IT WAS.

If you are sad it is all over and.... struggling with mom guilt....  YOU ARE ENOUGH.

My kids tell me often what they remember most about past memories.... and it is never the things I worried about or stressed over....

So, as you go into this NEW YEAR .....  embrace His gifts, steadfast love and remember YOU ARE ENOUGH.  It's the little things that matter.

Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas....

I will be sharing.... my word and my book list and thoughts for 2019 in a few days!



Grace~ Teena

All the Feels~

On September 30th I turned 57. I was feeling emotional and I went and found all my old birthday and mother's day cards from my kiddos. It was wonderful looking through them. I felt all the feels! With four of our children adults and out of the house and my grandson in Florida....  it was our youngest two and Billy.  I missed all of us being together but my teen boys were so kind and sweet. They gave me a card and gift and treated me special ALL WEEK! I heard from all my kiddos and even facetimed with our grandson, Lincoln.

About ten days before two of my dear friends surprised me with a day out! It was wonderful. Very special to me. I will always remember it! We went to lunch and that is where they surprised me... then we went to the nearest bigger city.  We visited Lifeway because we are all about books! We also went to Hobby Lobby and Target. Then we had supper at Steel Magnolias. We dined on the roof! It was such fun!

Just the other day Lysa sent me the Wonky Donkey book! Have you heard of the Wonky Donkey? I can't wait to read it to Lincoln and all of my future grandchildren! When Amber & Mike came for a visit last week they brought me something too.  It isn't the gifts.... but the thought. 

I am so very thankful for friends & family. They are such gifts to me.


Grace~ Teena

Hope and an Older Age....

Our family is still very involved in Compassion International. Compassion is a non profit that releases children from poverty in Jesus name through child sponsorship. Our family has sponsored since 2008.  This is the 10 year mark.

I shared a couple post below ....  about Sondo.

I want Sondo to alway know that he is loved by people around the world.... but so much more by Jesus.  He lives with his mom who is 64. I want to give them HOPE.

We received our first letter from Sondo~ He goes by Anto! Look at his words of thankfulness for us!

He says, "God has moved your heart and your church friends' to sponsor me. Mama, I pray that God will reward your care for me."   How awesome is that!  HOPE. 

Thank you to all who gave ONE month....   it shows me how one small act of kindness is HUGE!

Welcome to our family, Anto! We love you already. God is faithful. Who ever is kind to the needy honors God~ Prov. 14:31



Grace~ Teena

Through the Years of Home Schooling~

This is my 28th year of homeschooling.  I only have 3 more years and then.....  this journey will be over. Honestly it makes me sad. I will have 30 years of memories....  of home schooling my half dozen.  Time really does go so fast....

The early years~

Two teens left at home.

but, they do not look like that now....

Here we are now....

Wyatt who is 11th this year and Wesley who is 10th.

We use a hodge podge of curriculum.  Heart of Dakota is our main curriculum. Teaching Textbooks for math and sometimes Apologia for Science, sometimes Abeka Science. Easy Grammar is every year.  You may ask why? But, all of mine score high on English on the SAT.  So if it works why change. Although we are not "get the highest score" people.  My oldest three did a boxed curriculum. Abeka mainly.  They learned the information to pass the test... but not because of their love of learning.

We changed for the youngest three ....  about 9 years ago.  That is when we started with Heart of Dakota. We love it. It is a literature based program.  It is a lot of reading but it all correlates together. Somewhat like a unit study.

Of all our years of home schooling....  I would say ....  laugh more, read together more.... take walks, don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy it. If your child is struggling with reading or math or handwriting.. IT. IS. OK.  They will get it. It may not be like your neighbor's child or the other 1st grader in the home school group....  or even the other 4th grader....  but they will get it! Do what is right for your family.

ENJOY this time with your children.  It goes way to fast. I say the same thing over and over...  but it needs to be said over and over....

Happy 2018-2019 school year!



Grace~ Teena