Uncle Arnold

A couple of weeks ago my Uncle Arnold called Michael to see if there was water in our horse trough because he wanted to come that Sunday to be baptized. We know he knew the Lord for years but he is at a point in his life that he wants to know he's done what he's supposed to do. This man has buried two of his children and his wife. Through those times I knew he had a strength that had to come from the Lord. He, like the rest of us, has a past he's not proud of. But he's trying. Really trying. When he first crawled into the tub, he started to sit down and baptize himself! Michael told him that was his job, so he stood up and held his nose. So cute.

Probably the sweetest thing for me was when I looked over past the men's shoulders, I saw my Uncle C.W.'s blue eyes. I knew out of all his brothers, this would have brought C.W. the most joy. He was rejoicing in heaven with the angels. I know he was.



So cute.

Ladies' Holiday Dinner

Allie handing out tickets for door prizes.




Leah and Rachel practicing their "red carpet" walk one of many times.




Lisa, Michelle, and Sue


The first year we were here I sort of introduced the ladies of the cowboy church to the Ladies' Holiday Dinner. The first time I ever saw one was at University Heights Baptist Church in Stillwater. The ladies up there knew how to decorate a table! I was only able to attend one when we lived there because Kyle was always playing ball on the Saturday of the event. I did, however, help one lady buy the fixin's for her table. I'm embarrassed to say she had to explain to me what a plate charger was.

So I decided our ladies here would probably enjoy this type of event. The first one we had I decorated the tables and we had 18 women. They all enjoyed it so much. The next year we had several tables that others decorated then the next year even more. Last year Brandi Dillard took over and we packed that little triple wide. They had so much fun and started talking that night about how they could do their tables the next year. This year we were in our new building and probably had 250 people or more by the time you counted the sweet men who came to serve us. Brandi and Jack and her mom Sharon went the extra mile to make sure everyone was blessed.

One of my sweetest memories of that night was seeing the excitement of Cheryl as she showed me her table. She used the theme of the Fruit of the Spirit. She had been taking notes in Bible study on Monday nights and she was so excited. She even had little coloring sheets of the fruit with crayons as a fun gift. It was sweet because she is a brand new christian and her joy was contagious.

Another sweet memory was looking over and seeing the men of our church praying before they came to make sure we had our glasses full and plates of yummy food in front of us. And of course hearing Randy, my cousin, tell us about the God-given potential we have in us and encourage us to see ourselves as God sees us. It was a sweet, sweet night.

One More

Here is one more video to show what I live with at my house. Constantly. The girls are always picking on each other, wrestling, laughing - anything to get a break from school. They did the voice alter thing and it is especially funny when Michael talks and says "Oh sweet" as he walks away.

Our lives are crazy. I love almost every minute of it.

Hannah family Song

Hannah wrote this song last Christmas when the kids were in. We only had about 14 hours with all of them at the same time and we made the most of it. We'll have to try to do that again this year working around new jobs and, prayerfully, renewed jobs. More on that later.

Once again, she begins singing and adds things as she goes.

Girls Playing Around

The girls love playing on this computer and altering the voices. There are several I'm going to upload so Adam and Amber can see them. We are in Tulsa right now so the other kids have seen them and we wanted to share. By the way, Hannah is making this up as she goes and Leah is going along. I'll try to add a few others if you don't mind. We really want Adam and Amber to see!

Redeemed, How I love to Proclaim It!

I spent most of Monday afternoon in the word studying for our ladies' Bible study. We are studying the fruit of the Spirit and we are on kindness. One of the definitions was "tender concern for others; the genuine desire of a believer to treat others gently, just as the Lord treats them". I would study for awhile then get up and go across the room and get down on the floor and pray and thank God for His kindness. I did this several times, because I couldn't sit still. I was supposed to be down on the floor. I don't know if it was because I felt so unworthy of His kindness or just an overwhelming sense of gratefulness. I'm pretty certain is was 100% both.

See, right in the middle of studying I get a text message: "I'm sending you a computer, don't buy one". Now I know I said earlier that God's redeeming arm may have nothing to do with computers or vacuums, but I know how my God is. I know that He loves me and cares about what I care about. If He wasn't going to replace those things for me or provide a way for us to replace them, He would make it ok with me. Really ok. I was good with that.

The next day I'm out at the barn when someone drives up to the house. A few minutes later the girls run out to get me so I can see what is sitting in my living room floor. A vacuum cleaner that picks things up when you vacuum!

I almost feel bad for telling you these things. You may think that there are a lot more important things that people need and they are not seeing God's hand. You are right, there are. That is why I feel unworthy. What I do know is that His heart is for all of these things. We have to trust that heart that loves ours. Sometimes we don't see His hand quickly in something and we lose faith. It is in those times that we are experiencing His goodness because everything that filters through those big loving hands is for my good. Even the waiting times. Especially the waiting times.

Don't shorten His redeeming hand. If you are not seeing the answers you need right now, hang on, they are coming. Don't take things into your own hands. Let the Redeeming Lord of Isreal take those broken, hurtful things in your life and make something so very beautiful out of them. When you can't see His hand, trust His heart.