I am called to be FREE!

Galatians 5:1 says we are called to be free! That was the theme of this weekend's women's retreat that I attended. It was a beautiful event of worship, teaching and activities! I'm so blessed to have been able to go. It was by Living Vessels Ministries - "The Esther Experience - Called to Be Free".

My children were well taken care of - Missy by a young lady who did all kinds of girly things with her and fed her lots of sugar! Guitar Hero and Candy Man were taken camping by some men in the church and then fishing on Saturday! A "Man's" weekend! So good for them all!

I feel like God is telling me that my season of healing is over. It is time to reach out to others going through what I have been through in the last 3 years. I am ready to be used by Him!

Cardboard Testimonies

Candy Man and I were asked to be apart of our church's Easter service. We did something called "Cardboard Testimonies". If you haven't seen this before, you can watch videos on YouTube where other churches have done it. It is extremely powerful!

Basically, it was explained beforehand about how having God in your life can change your life. Then 30 or so of us got up and "told" our changes using cardboard. Candy Man's was one of the most powerful testimonies. It received a lot of attention. I was soooo proud of him. It wasn't easy for him to do this. I have to share it with you:

I had to share my latest change that God has done in my life as well! May He receive all the glory!

Missy loves her family

Of all of my children, Missy Prissy loves her family the most! She knows every one by name (even distant cousins). She notices if any of them get their hair cut (even if she hasn't seen them in months!). She is concerned if she thinks they don't feel good or are upset. She loves them all so much and isn't shy to show them!

I was recently at her school for a Festival of Nations party. On the wall were pictures and sentences that the children had written completing the following: "My favorite place to go is..." There were all kinds of answers like the movies, Disney, the pool - that kind of thing. I couldn't help but chuckle when I read my daughter's:

(It says: "My favorite place to go is to Kentucky. I play with my cousins.")

It is all roses!

"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." --2 Corinthian 12:10

(Taken from 4/8 devotion, "Streams in the Desert")

George Matheson, the well-known blink preacher of Scotland, once said,

"My dear God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked you a thousand times for my roses but not once for my thorns. I have always looked forward to the place where I will be rewarded for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as a present glory itself.

Teach me, O Lord, to glory in my cross. Teach me the value of my thorns. Show me how I have climbed to You through the path of pain. Show me it is through my tears I have seen my rainbows."

Amen!

Science Fair, Great Visit with a Friend, and a Funeral

Game Master's Science Fair was last week. He did a great project on how magnets affect electronic memory. His grade was 103! I am proud of him.

The weekend before that, we had a visit from Jennifer and Jason. I miss that girl so much. It was so good to spend an evening together. Wish we didn't live so far apart...

My Grandmommy died on Monday. We went to Kentucky on Wednesday. Ended up staying until Sunday. There were terrible complications with digging the grave and it delayed the graveside service. Gave us more time together as a family though.

I'm still waiting to hear if the kids will be going to First Baptist Academy again next year. It is not clear to me what God's will is in this yet. He knows. That is good enough for me.

I've got much work to catch up on! Busy, busy!