A Picture is Worth....

Emma - Left and Kailyn - Right with their beautiful Easter outfits!!! Girls... too much fun to dress!!!

Below is Camden - "hunting" for his first Easter Egg!

Easter With the Grands... does it get any better than this?!

An Invitation

There is a lot going on at my church, Greenville Christian Church (GCC) this week. With Easter being this Sunday there are several services to be planned for. Our Good Friday service will be at 7:00 (on Friday, of course), the women will host the Floyd County Women's Lenten breakfast on Saturday at 9:00 AM, and on Sunday, three services will be held: 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM. Sounds excessively busy doesn't it?

But isn't that what it's all about.... offering the opportunity for all to hear the word, to learn of Christ's love and the gift of Salvation that He gave? This is so important. That was brought home to me last night as I sat with my 3yr-K class last night.

After a couple of months practicing their handbells, their performance was held last Sunday, Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Michelle and I decided to hold a "wrap" party last night, bringing in cupcakes, drinks and showing the kids a movie. Following their "meal" we headed off to a classroom with a TV and sat them down to watch a children's video called "The Easter Promise". This movie was a kid friendly re-telling of the crucifixion of Christ. When the movie got to the part of the story where the crowd was asking that Barabbas be released, several in my class began chanting "Jesus, Jesus". As they placed Christ on the cross in the movie, several said, "Oh, no...." Then one of them said, "He'll be back." And at the end of the movie, as they show the empty tomb, and then Jesus ascending into heaven, these kids began to cheer and clap. I thought, "Wow, these kids get it!"

So, how important are all the services this weekend? Very! How important is it that we tell EVERYONE about the gift of salvation? EXTREMELY! This weekend there will be people all over the US who step through the doors of a church JUST BECAUSE it is Easter... let's not miss the opportunity to help them understand the story of Christ, feel the full impact of the gift he gave, and have them realize that he isn't gone... he will be back!

These kids get it, because they have had the opportunity to hear. Yeah, it is a watered down version of what happened, at such a tender age they just aren't ready to hear of the true pain and suffering that Christ endured so that we could all receive the gift of salvation... but what about you... do you truly understand the magnitude of this gift? If not, then I invite you to join us for one of our services... and if at the end you feel like clapping and cheering, go ahead. The Lord is worthy of our praise!

Cute as a button!

Sunday morning the church had the opportunity to hear the first performance of our handbell choir...and the kids did an awesome job!

These little ones, age 3 to K, have worked as hard and that age group can, and their work paid off. I didn't manage to get any still shots of the group, so if anyone out there reading this has one, please send it my way!!!

If you haven't taken the time to work with the kids at GCC, you ought to give it some serious prayer and consideration. They are amazing, and they are so filled with excitement. God is doing an amazing work there beginning with the babies and working his way up through the teens. If He is calling you to be a part of the fun, don't hesitate... step on up and take an active role in growing the kingdom from the ground floor up! After all... these kids will someday be sitting where you sit... the example of service you leave can make all the difference!

Oh What Fun....

This was the first time we had actually taken Michael out to play in the snow... it was so much fun to watch him!! Mickey was pulling him around to get him accustomed to the tube, and then he began pushing him down the hill and the pulling him back up by the rope.

Carly even got in the action for awhile. She and Mickey took turns giving one another a good shove to get started on the hill. They were all a little tired after their play time!

On Saturday, the snow was too dry to pack so Sunday found us outside preparing to make a snowman. Now, if you know me... a snowman just wasn't my style... so I made a snow "Easter Bunny" complete with carrot. Michael didn't really care about making either the "man" or the "bunny". He just wanted to walk around us throwing snow in our general direction. He got a huge kick out of that.

Have to say... I really don't care much for snow... I hate being cold... and hate it more if I get wet. But there is just something about seeing snow through the eyes of a 5 year old.... Guess that is how we are supposed to view our Savior as well... full of delight... filled with wonder... and laughing at how much joy he brings into our lives..... even in the simplest things... like snow!!!!!

The Weather....

The weather has just been absolutely crazy or the past several weeks. Today I was watching The Weather Channel and they started to talk about the storms that will roll across the US this week... and referred to Tuesday as "Terrible Tuesday". Wow... just think about it... most of the storms that have been bad or caused us problems have actually occurred on Tuesday... so I guess they have been kind of terrible...

So that got me thinking... if all the storms and the bad stuff made Tuesday terrible, how come we refer to the day of Christ's crucifixion as "Good Friday"? In light of the situation, many would think that it was a really terrible Friday... nothing good at all about the day.... or the days that followed for that matter. Christ's death... carried out in brutality... followed by three days of mourning the loss of a friend... nothing "good" about any of that is there????

But, I guess we have to dig deeper.... like the "terrible Tuesdays" we've been having... while they haven't been great... tornadoes, etc... the rain has made a huge difference to the earth... even going as far as getting some places nearly out of the severe drought situations they have been in...

"Good Friday"... only good in the sense that Christ's death on the cross is the only way we are able to have eternal life with the Father.... if not for his willingness to accept our sins as his own, we would be doomed... and talk about a severe drought... I think an eternity apart from God would qualify!!!!

I am looking forward to spring... and I am looking forward to celebrating Easter... I am always uplifted by the sense of renewal that comes with the season.... and I can't wait for the sun to shine!!!

Tribute to a friend...

For our first anniversary, Mickey, Carly and I drove around to several places looking for just the right dog. This was to be my gift to Mickey, who had always had a dog in house. We ended up at a rescue in Harrison County called H.E.A.R.T. and there we found Roscoe (who was called Frisco...but hey...we were taking him to Pekin... Roscoe suited him better!)

When we got him home, we found he wasn't exactly perfect... first of all... he shed something terrible... probably because he looked like he had some husky in him. Secondly... he could get a definite odor... probably due to some beagle influence... and lastly... he had been abused, so he was really prone to submissive urination... so I have to admit that it took me roughly 6 months to get to the point where I liked this dog. Once we managed to get past the urination problems he was okay.. the other stuff I could deal with.

Over the past eight years, Roscoe has been a good little dog... over the course of the years he had earned his placed at the foot of our bed when Mickey worked late... and when Mick was working down south after Katrina... I even let Roscoe spend entire nights laying at my feet. He always shared Mickey's cereal with him in the mornings... getting the last bite... and the last bite of pizza as well... He shared popcorn with both Carly and I, always sitting patiently at our feet, ears perked up, waiting for the toss. Just this past summer we noticed that when he ran around the yard chasing our beagle Sadie, he was getting a little winded... not making nearly as many passes as he had the year before. He was beginning to get old.

On Friday, February 8th, our neighbor came to the door to let us know that Roscoe had been hit and was laying at the side of the road. A trip to the vet revealed that he had broken both hips... and it wasn't going to be easy on him. We began to give him medication for pain, and then medication to reduce the swelling around his nerves... and over the course of the home care, there was no marked improvement in his paralysis. This past Saturday, Roscoe made his final trip to the vet. As Mickey and I stood by his side, he slide off into a peaceful slumber, and I know that at the very moment that occurred, God was watching over our little friend.

It has been a tough weekend for us all, and saying good-bye to a member of the family is never easy... even when that member has four feet and tons of fur. Yesterday, as we sat around the house after church, Mickey commented that he looked up and thought for just a moment he saw Roscoe curled up in a familiar spot. I told him that while I cooked supper, I dropped something on the floor and nearly called, "Clean up"... which was Roscoe's cue to come and inspect what morsel might be on the floor. It will take awhile to adjust to his absence, but I am so thankful that we had this little guy in our lives.

And it has made us both look at life as a little more fragile... if one can feel this way about a dog, how much more will we feel about our family?

So good-bye our little friend... you won't be forgotten... and this spring... I'll be planting some flowers to mark your resting place... something that will remind us of you as long as we live here. You were a good boy... and you are missed.

Looking for the Cleavers!

During a recent conversation, I found out that many of us are looking for the same thing.... Ward and June.... and we wonder why they have been absent from our lives!

Sometimes, people find themselves looking at their parents and wondering just what God was thinking...placing them in such a family. Take a look around... there are tons of people out there who came from homes that were far from functional, and most of those people are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. A little hope that they can cling to...something that says, "You can overcome all of this, and you WON'T become your parents!" And remember, God doesn't make mistakes, so the life you've lived, while full of pain, can and will be used for His glory... in His time.

While Ward and June looked good on TV, let's face it... they are just fictional characters. Yes, it would be great if Mom stayed home all day, baked cookies for your after school snack, and gave you a roast, mashed potatos AND a dessert with every meal... but in the majority of cases...that just isn't going to happen. And wouldn't it be grand if Dad was always available for a heart to heart talk, leading you to see where you are going wrong AND the way to fix the problems of life? Also, in most instances, it isn't going to happen.

So where does that leave us? Easy... as my friend Erica likes to say... the answer is Jesus! HE is the answer to everything. When your family leaves a lot to be desired, just remember... your HEAVENLY FATHER is perfect, and he is ALWAYS there for you...he NEVER turns his back on you OR your problems. And for many, while the only examples of parenting they've had are far from ideal, it's okay... it doesn't mean that you have to parent like your parents did. You can look to Christ and learn how to connect with your children in a way that will bring them so much joy it will blow you away.

So, if you are looking to God, living your life like Christ, can you become a Ward or a June??? Doubtful... remember... they don't exist... BUT you can be Jesus with skin on... and isn't that better?! And... if you want to practice baking cookies... give me a call... I'd LOVE to try them out for you - maybe we could even swap recipes!!!!