"Sami"

"Isn't she lovely.............Isn't she beautiful??"

There she is, in action,........doing what she loves the most. Playing tennis............and she's good. We were able to stop on the way home from the State Convention of Southern Baptist today to watch her play. I love to watch her. She makes it look soooooo easy. She's so quick and light on her feet!!! She was born with that hand/eye coordination thing you know. She certainly did not inherit it from me. I just can't seem to get my eyes and hands to cooperate. I can see the ball coming but to get it back over the net just doesn't work for me and even if I do manage to hit the ball it certainly does not go back over the net, it goes everywhere but there!!! She had initially pursued going "away" to college and there were several that accepted her. I prayed diligently about it because you know this Mama did not want to give her up to go somewhere other than home!!!! Not to mention the fact that I just saw "room and board" as setting money on fire!!! Why pay room and board when you can stay at home, in your own room, not have to move and not have to pay any bills!!!??? I know...........I know...........the experience and getting out from under mom's wing!! Don't sing that song and dance with me. I've heard it enough!!! :-) But this is how God works. As a sophomore in high school she had just made the comment in passing: "I'd love to play tennis in college one day." Never thinking anymore about it she went on and played all four years in high school loving every minute of it......well......almost every minute outside of a few ankle injuries here and there along with some shin splints!! But then one day she called me as they were playing a match and was so excited she couldn't hardly speak!!!! There was a scout that had approached her and offered her a scholarship................to play tennis!!!!!!!! She was beside herself!!! In awe to say the least!! She remembered the comment she had made two years prior to that and mentioned it to her girlfriend. God hears what sometimes we feel is the most insignificant prayers and in Sami's case He heard a passing thought and brought it to life!!!! What an AWESOME God we serve!!!! She is now attending Calumet College of St. Joseph on a "FULL" scholarship!!!!!! Talk about a blessing!!!!! And if that were not good enough........if she hadn't gotten the tennis scholarship, she would have gotten a full academic scholarship!!!!!! God is so good and she is so blessed!!!!!!! And we are so proud!!!!!

CHOICES!!!!!

Can you believe it? These wonderful people who we travel with to these conferences ruthlessly make fun of me!!! They just don't understand me!!! Every woman needs choices, right? I only brought 10 pairs!!!! Every outfit has a pair of shoes that matches it you know!!!! I only brought 7 outfits. Of course, they have interchanging pieces so each one can be worn differently!!! Someone said to me today......."you make the choice before you leave home!" Well..........I did.........I chose to bring the ones with me that I did!!! After all......we're going to be here for 3 days!!!! You know it all depends on how you feel on any given day what you wear. And being of the female gender, your body makes that decision for you on a regular basis!!! Right, ladies!!!??? I knew you would agree!!! :-) Birds of a feather flock together!!! Of course everyone who knows me knows that I have a thing for shoes. I guess it's more than just a thing. I'm sure there is some kind of illness to describe it. I'm just not sure what it is and I probably don't want to know what it is!!! If I see a pair of shoes that I like I buy them. Then I look for clothes to match!!!! Mind you..........I am the "thrift store" Queen so I don't EVER pay full price for anything. So........I do not misuse the money God has blessed us with!!! I am frugal. Some call it cheap, but that's ok.



I call it blessed!!!! I think at last count I had about 85 pairs!!! Oh stop freaking out!!! That's counting summer, winter AND houseshoes!!!!

"On the road again........."

"Riding down the road trying to loosen my load........" Oooooooo.....two songs for the price of one!!!! Yep.......we're in the car on the road again. Heading down I-65 on our way to the State Convention of Southern Baptist!! Laptop in my lap typing away. Yeah!!! I love this!!!!! We're going to get to see friends that we don't see often and traveling with some that we see a lot!! I'm looking forward to some sweet fellowship in the Lord this weekend!!! I actually have time to blog when I'm in the car. Otherwise something would go undone if I were at home. Of course, things go undone in our house all the time!!!!! There's always something screaming my name.......kids, church work, laundry, a toliet bowl, Grandma.....the phone. Not the dishes to often anymore.......Grandma does those for me most of the time anymore. She's pretty good at it too!!! Frees me up to do other things!!! I found out the other day she's a pretty good "prayer warrior." Malena, age two.....we call her "Sweetie Pea"...........decided she was going to paint her "Play 'n' Go"........that little portable bed you know. Yep........she covered it from one end to the other. She also decided to cover her body from head to toe. I know you're saying "awwwwwwww............how cute." Uh.....NO!!! It was AWFUL!!!! DISGUSTING!!!! She decided to use what was in her diaper to do it with!!! YUCK!!!! I heard her calling me, which usually means she is awake from her nap and wants to get up. Usually she climbs out on her own and comes to knock on the door!!!! Thankfully she stayed in the bed that day!!!! I walked in the room..........and walked right back out! I went straight out the door and just stood there for a minute. All I could say was: "Ok Lord. You're gonna have to help me with this one!!! I walked back into the room, grabbed the bed, drug it out the front door onto the deck, took the remainder of her clothes off, threw them in the bed, lifted her out of the bed under her arms and proceeded to head towards the bathroom holding her as far away from as I could!!!! That's where Grandma comes in. She was sitting in her chair reading her paper, as usual. I stopped right in front of her and said: "you know that "prayer warrior" job that I was telling you that you could do? You might want to start that now. You would probably need to pray for this baby right now!!!!" She looked at me and then at her, dropped her paper in her lap, immediately bowed her head and began to pray as I made my way on into the bathroom. I put "Sweetie Pea" in the tub, turned the water on and began to spray her off never speaking a word. She probably thought I had lost my voice because she was just jabbering 100 words a minute. Most likely she was giving me the details of her decorating job!!!! I'm sure she wondered why I wasn't talking to her. At that point, the other kids would have been so scared they wouldn't have said a word. They know when they've pushed Grannie to the point of silence it's not a good thing and saying something only makes it worse!!!! However, as I stood there and washed her off a calmness came over me. I knew it was a direct result of the prayers Grandma was saying. It was as if God were pouring His love over me just like the water was pouring over her little body!!! That's how He is. He hears our cries for peace. He listens and He answers!! That would be the reason you are reading this and I am "on the road again!!!"