Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Light vs Darkness


these are just some random shots that were recently imported to my computer. 
There's no rhyme or reason as to why I've blogged them, simply that I didn't want a picture-less post...


Setting up for the church picnic

found this on Instagram and LOVE it.

Love evenings like this when my guys sit around and strum guitars and wax eloquent about
life. (Ethan was sitting here, I was just trying to snap some pix of the door divider for David's aunt)

As I mentioned, our church had a picnic last week and one of the fun treats was sno cones.
Will and E chose blue razzzzberry. 

My Aunt Mimi was the family shutterbug. She passed the torch to my brother Tom. In dividing up her photos, my dad's sister, Nancy (Hi Aunt Nan!!!) sent a boat load of pix/slides and the like to Tom. He found a converter thingy and has gone mad, simply mad going through all of these treasures that we've probably never really seen.
I'm kind of amazed.
These two cool cats are my parents. Doesn't my sixth child's hair 'do remind you of my father's??? Also, we think Ethan looks a lot like my dad also....kinda cool that we gave E my dad's name (James) and he resembles him so.
wow. I just rambled a lot. sorry.
Mom & Dad? you're cuties.

this is priceless. My Dad's parents, Jean and Gaines, holding Tom and Jenna.
whatta treasure.
Plenty more where these have come from.

Hi.
Remember when I said I'd be better about blogging? I was kidding....funny huh?

Well, I'm back.

I think one of the reasons that I kinda avoid my blog is because I seriously have so many wild, crazy, deep, not deep, all over the place but not, thoughts in my head. I sincerely do not ever want to offend anyone and if I do? Please know that that is not my intention. I pray about these posts before I post them anymore and if I say heavy stuff, it's because I've been dealing with it for a few days/weeks/months...

all that to say, my deep thought for this day is as follows:

  !!! shine the Light !!! 

I am a Christian. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I am not called to be like you, or other Christians but like HIM. I have a relationship with Him and the Holy Spirit convicts me (often, all the time, a lot) to be more like Him pretty much all day long.

All that to say....I am not embarrassed by this...in fact, I'm very unashamed about my love for The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost. I realize that we live in very tumultuous times, when people "say" they are "Christian" but live exactly OPPOSITE of this fact. Or mock or bully you for this fact.

Ethan, my philosophical son, summed it up best...and I will probably butcher this analogy but here goes:

it's like this...

Someone asks a man how long he's been married and he replies "Twenty years!!" This someone asks the man where his wife is, to which he replies "I don't know...haven't seen her since!!" ridiculous, eh? yeah, that's what so. many. of. us. do. with. JESUS.

that's what so many people do...they say a prayer when they are 3, 5, 8, or 12 and think HEY, I've got my golden ticket....and then live like devils, rejecting Christ right and left. You would never ever in a million years know they were Christians....David calls our side of town Southside Safeside (heck, this is America)...everyone  is Christian and yet all around us, rejection, rejection, rejection!! ....in the way we spend our time, the things that come out of our mouths, the things we put into our heads with TV, sports, literature, news,  movies, music, etc....(I am in no way implying that a Christian can't have a royal blast...because you've seen the things we do...we have so much fun, and I think we are only getting started).

it's not just about attending church...going to church doesn't make you a "Christian" anymore than going to McDonald's makes you a cheeseburger (Keith Green)....

We've been fooling ourselves for far too long...bad theology. You can know the Bible forwards/backwards/inside and out but if you aren't living the Bible (and folks, I get beat up on this daily....I've been up against the ropes for over three years now), forget about it.

Fox News won't save you...
Human friendship will not save you...
neither will "The Family Guy" or Channing Tatum...
Mr. Rogers won't either...or being a really nice guy...that won't do it either.

Jesus Christ. The Redeemer. The One True God. The Lamb that was slain. The Word made Flesh. God with Us.

Run to Jesus. Do you know Him?

Hebrews 13:8 says this..."Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to day, and forever."
John 17:3 says this..."And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent."

Let me encourage you, in the vein of last week's post about spiritual health being TOPS...to start your day out reading your Bible and spending time in prayer. Your troubles and stress won't magically disappear but when they come, and they will, you will be better equipped to deal with them.

God isn't my Co-Pilot...He's my Pilot.

Okiedokie...so thanks for letting me get that outta my head. If you have any questions about how to go about any of this, I'm completely available to talk, chat, answer your questions or point you in the right direction of someone that can help you. Just want to encourage you to seek Him.

In other news:
my mom's wound is healing up, slow n steady. The wound vac is doing it's thing but she's still gotta way to go. they will be heading to Gulf Shores in mid-November this year...staying till March.

David will be having a surgical procedure on his eyes in a few weeks...no more glasses for that boy (again. he had it done in 2006 also)

Will, Ethan and Mel are doing such a good job working for David's company. Mel doesn't work as much, obviously, but they are all super glad to have a good work environment to learn in.

The chickens are getting feisty...that's all I'm allowed to say, apparently. :/ we will have eggs soon...

Levi has changed up his piano routine...he's doing more singing with it and more of the chord playing. I wish I understood it all more. Mel could tell you.

Molly kinda despises doing school...it's kind of annoying. She's really cute though so that helps.

Mel and Will purchased some microphones and a big speaker thingamajig to start working on more worship and future recording?? We have also put a drum set in layaway and are encouraging Molly to want to play them.

I'm finding it hard to believe it's September already. what in the world? less than four months until Christmas. and my 42nd birthday. urgh.

Ok...well, I need to go make some stars...I am tired tonight...moved our whole bedroom around today, in the hopes that it would encourage the spiders to leave....that's a story for another day. ew.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My dear friend,
Your blog is always and ever a blessing when I read it. Over the years I have always appreciated that you are real here- nothing fake or put on. Real people have real hurts, real needs, and a real and loving Savior to help them through it. "Perfect" people think they have no need for a savior.
So glad to see the pictures and updates on your crew. I hope to post on my little corner of blog world soon. I am always afraid that what I write sounds stupid, so I usually have someone else read it first :p.
Love you my friend and hope you are having a great end to your summer! My kids are excitedly waiting for fall to arrive and with it brings the new baby sister!
Hugs and prayers,
Shellee