As Life changes..... and excitement....

Years ago they counted the hours ... until Grandma & Papa would be here. They would wait on the trampoline..... they would ask .... "will they be here before lunch, before it is supper time, before it is dark?" When my parents .... their Grandma & Papa drove into our yard... you could hear the squeals.... not just from the children but from Grandma & Papa too!

Years later..... as my parents .. their grandparents (both sides) are gone..... and we miss them so very much.... they ask....

"Will she be here before lunch, will she be here... before supper, will she be here before dark?"

Their sister (my Mandi)..... is coming home from college for the long weekend!

The cake is made...... they are waiting..... rowdy...... but waiting.......

They get excited when Michael (my oldest) and his wife come too.... they live closer but they still get excited.

Wyatt said this morning....

"Mama, this will be the first time I will SEE Mandi since I was saved!"

Life continues to change...... sometimes I find myself sad... but the Lord continues to show me it is better to grab hold of it.... pray for His grace.... smile and love life.

May you be blessed this weekend... as you spend time with your family.

Our Joy....

Went to the Living Proof Simulcast this weekend. It was awesome to say the least. God spoke to my heart. Mandi also went..... I went to a church in our area. Mandi went to a church in Dothan, Ala. We were 200 miles apart but both listening to Beth Moore speak on Ps. 37.

You know God spoke to me ...and God spoke to Mandi.... He ministered to her heart and to mine. Not about the same thing.... but where we were both struggling. Isn't God faithful?

The Simulcast was in 516 different locations, 45 places in the United States and 8 different countries. Over 90,000 women.

One of things she shared was

Nothing dictates our lives like our desires. We are dictated by our desires. We need to transform our desires.....

Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:4

She asked us what do you want your life to be... what do you want that dash on your gravestone to be about?

God sees the end from the beginning.

Another thing that spoke volumes to me.....

Nothing is passive about patiently waiting for desire to turn into delight.

If God has not turned our desires into delight we are NOT to give up... she said the hebrew word for *wait* means "anxious expectations" (up on our feet)....

Don't give up....

till faith becomes sight.... TRUST God and do good.

God will reward our perseverance of faith........

This helped me so very much. I have a sustaining longing (desire) that I have been praying about ... and the word that was spoken to me.. to all of us... to not give up that God is UP to something... to keep looking UP.

Yesterday in worship..... our music minister sang "Praise You in the storm" ~ I love the words....
"I lift my eyes unto the hills where does my Help come from.... my Help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth"

As I took my Wyatt by the hand... and we walked down the middle isle of the church to tell our pastor and the church... that he had trusted Jesus as his Savior.... peace washed over me.

God sees the end from the beginning......

Only trust Him... only trust Him.....

What it is all about.....

On Monday.... our 5th child.... Wyatt asked Jesus to be his Savior!

His oldest brother (24) posted this on his twitter~

[mike price- lil bro, wyatt(7), professed jesus today. not many things cooler than that.]

God is good........... ONE more... and THEN.... my half dozen will be with me and my Dad and Grandmother in heaven one day...

My Wyatt made the most important decision of his life on Monday..... may He be a mighty man for God.... may he walk humbly....

Rejoice with me~

God is our Refuge... our Redeemer.... our Strength

Lately I have been reading over at

In Courage ~ http://www.incourage.me/2009/08/only-the-lowly.html

The Lord has really been speaking to me.

We are getting back into the swing of things. Mandi's doing well at college. We all still miss her and she misses us.

About two years ago I started making a gratitude list..... I started writing my list on the computer but just recently changed to a small notebook so that I could jot things down as they came to mind. As I look back at my list..... and I look at my blessings it helps me to see the GIFTS He has blessed me with. Last year my children were complaining and fussing .... and I felt the Lord nudging me to make them do a gratitude list. I first heard of this at Ann's blog. So many have started doing this and Ann explains how this changes our way of living, our focus, even just the way we view things.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2009/08/authentic-joy-in-five-minutes-day.html

Because she says it so much better than I can..... she explains what this "gratitude list" can really do to each of us......

A few..... of my gifts.......

102. baking christmas goodies

103. snuggling under the covers... so warm

104. when the Holy Spirit uses me

105. His peace

106. my haven friends~

107. being able to sit and read the word

108. flowers blooming

109. laughing at old movies~

110. our green grass after several years of dirt

111. the smell of a newborn

112. an empty church

113. the trail to the pond

114. hearing our horse nay when coming back from my walk in the mornings

115. listening to my children read to me

116. when each child starts asking about Jesus

117. our special lunches in the woods

118. my friend in Tx.~

119. time at the park

120. memories... so many memories~

121. coming home after being away

122. feeling HIS presence....

123. the quietness in the early morning

So often life gets hard..... even overwhelming for us.... I have found if I will focus on the simple... jot down some simple things I am thankful for... His grace washes over me and I can smile and keep on keeping on.....

May you be encouraged today........