THANKFUL

This Thanksgiving we are thankful for our RAEGAN AMILY❤ Friday night around midnight we were all woken up by her hero sister Marianna that something was wrong. In just the next few minutes that transpired, we thought we lost her...more than once...I just cannot type about that. We are thankful for the privilege to call 911 in our rural area, forever indebted to our RN neighbor Michelle that answered on the very 1st ring & showed up in seconds flat to take over the horrifying situation, my parents who drove me & followed the ambulance & haven't missed a second of taking care of us since, EMTs that drove us safely to CRMC, Dr Cowart & nurses who met us at the door, Aunt Marsha for keeping the rest of our panicking clan at home in the middle of the night, Uncle Josh for meeting us at the ER & also bringing prizes & food every single possible moment while we were there, & our Taylor for being not only our personal nurse at the hospital but also ending her nearly 13 hour shifts to relieve her mom, bathe, feed, & babysit. When an emergency happens in small town USA, those that love you show out. The texts of "praying" in the middle of the night meant much more than we can ever express-too many of you to name. Phone calls & loved ones began to pour in. Our Raegan had a serious seizure that lasted over 12 minutes. As of yet, there is no apparent definite reason. All of her tests are fine. She had fallen hard on the concrete & hit the back of her head at the shop way earlier that day but acted perfectly normal afterwards. That may have caused it. We will probably never know. She woke up confused about where she was but then has been her usual self-eating, drinking, laughing, playing, etc. She even loved the hospital...gifts & visits were right up her alley. A special thanks also goes to James, Steven, Hobo, Doug, & Austin who took over South GA Taxidermy & Custom Processing. Not just anyone will come gut deer & butcher meat for you for days!!! To Granny Grace who treats our kids as your own, thank you as well. Keeping, feeding, & entertaining them all is no small feat. Ashley sent award winning soup to our home, enough to feed an army. We are forever grateful for how Raegan has bounced back & all of the love & support of friends & family in our time of need. Following the ordeal, my mama & sister helped us heal in Atlanta with 3 days of nothing but FUN with Raegan!!! The memories we share will remain forever ❤ We may have spoiled her incessantly! Please help us pray this NEVER happens again. However, we do have medication on hand to stop it since Ryal's Drug Store filled it on their Sunday afternoon off! Little Raegan now occupies 80% of our king size bed. One day, possibly, our sleep will return. Right now though, we are priviledged to watch her breathe. #thankful ❤❤❤   

   

September Celebrations

      First up, Kaley!  Kaley is our first born, the child who gifted us with parenthood.  She is a typical oldest child.  She is kind, responsible, honest, consistent, confident, resilient, a rule follower, an educational overachiever, & always putting others above self.  She doesn't take many uncalculated risks.  She isn't our brave adventurer but will definitely speak out about what she believes in.  God is her pilot.  We are forever thankful He chose us as her earthly parents.  We both have a special relationship with her.  She confides in us, & we share openly with her as well.  Her heart is big, & our love for her overflows.  Recently, she witnessed racism first hand from an adult that she cared about towards an innocent child.  Later she shared the issue with me.  I asked her why she didn't come to one of us right then.  Her answer was simply, "I handled it."  & that she did!  I cannot share every detail but I can say that although my heart sank from the reality of her seeing such ridiculousness, I was overjoyed at her being the brave one to speak up for such nonsense.  Of course on the morning of her big day, Meme was calling before we awoke & quickly showed up with presents, cards filled with to much cash, lunch at Olive Garden, & shopping.  Upon our return, Nathan had bought her an ice cream cake (their favorite).  Per her request, we had officially planned to celebrate with special friends in Macon a few days later.

Shopping in Macon with this crazy crew 

before meeting to celebrate at Skyzone & dinner at Cheddars!

 Celebrating 5 birthdays with special friends~Jack's 5th, 

Kaley & Brianna's 14th, Graham's 4th, & Mallory's 10th!

That night ended with us bringing home one less of ours but also gaining another.

     Brianna & Kaley have been childhood friends since birth.  They made their debut just 12 days apart in the same hospital.  We were friends with her parents long before then.  Brother Willie Guthrie preached their joint baby dedication at Westside Holiness Church.  Since we pastor, they no longer see each other every week but are still so much alike in many ways & pick up exactly where they left off as if no time at all has lapsed.  Brianna went to bed at our house as a 13 year old & woke up 14!  I enjoyed treating the girl's to Ruby Tuesday & a little shopping before switching kiddos back.

      & then there was Graham!  WOW!  Our 5th born turns 4!  Even though we didn't "plan" him, God knew exactly what we needed.  He is our baby boy.  He loves cuddles & wanders his way onto our pillows most every morning around daybreak to finish his sleep.  What a wonderful way to start the day as my morning view:

     Most of the time, we talk of our boys collectively.  They are both ALL boy & so rambunctious!  Our home didn't quite know how to deal at 1st.  Now we just go with the flow of activity.  They are both very smart & really showing off as they master Kindergarten skills, even if that means spinning in circles as we repeat this or that.  One of my favorite things to watch them do is singing so big & loud for God.  With all of their like qualities, they also sport several differences.  Graham is much calmer & less stubborn.  He listens & communicates effectively.  I'm really proud of him learning how to read so young.  He has a talent for memorizing & applying scriptures.  Very often you will hear him quote, "Be ye kind one to another.  Ephesians 4:32," or his latest phrase, "Liars go to hell."  We just have to laugh at his brutal honesty.  He says it with such authority & confidence, shaking his head yes the whole time.  I pray he keeps his love for Jesus strong & all things heaven kindled with mercy & grace.  We love living life with him!  He keeps us all on our toes.    

      When Graham's actual birthday rolled around, we had previously celebrated his 4th with more ice cream cake (his choice) & presents.  That day couldn't just be filled with school work & normality though.  We quickly decided Mondays were made for birthdays, beach days, & FUN!  This is one of the great perks of homeschooling.  We each throw on our swim clothes, pack play clothes, & drive a little ways for some family fun.  Fall is upon us & hot 100 degree weather is finally dwindling here in south GA.  This will possibly be our last beach trip for 2016.  After playing in the ocean, we visited Tidelands Nature Center, a few historic sights on the island, & hiked in to Driftwood Beach.  So far the cost=gas & not even a whole tank at that.  Afterwards, we decided to splurge a little & eat Mexican food sea side at Tortuga Jacks & call it a day!  For very little $, this was such fun!  We just enjoyed what nature offered us close to home & being together.  As I've said many times before on here, love isn't about $ but about time.  I want my children to grow up knowing that we only put God above family here.  We don't even have to leave the house & play games in our pjs as we laugh loudly & have the best time or go on one of our little excursions & hardly spend a dime having a blast together.  Together is what each scenario has in common.  Sure, we could stay home & catch up laundry from the weekend or complete some chores but our vision for our family is much larger & more fulfilling than that.  We regularly put aside all of the mundane tasks that claim our attention & focus on one another.  That's where it's all at, LOVE!

     This post content & similar posts are mostly for our own memories.  I am thankful to have this little space on the world wide web to share my thoughts, views, & also a peek into our lives.  I much appreciate all of you readers.  Without you, there would be no blog.  My heart is humbled as South GA Mama nears 35,000 reads as each post is regularly viewed by hundreds of people.  I am truly honored & amazed.  I felt God tug at my heart strings years ago & look how He has blessed!  Thus far, I have only received negative feedback from 3 like minded individuals.  At 1st I sadly allowed their opinions to hinder my sharing.  However, I know I never would intentionally throw stones or step on toes.  As God's children, we are all in this together to help one another.  With God's leading, I quickly recovered, typed on by faith, & have seen this blog soar to new heights ever since!  I soak up each positive comment, both public & private.  When I am embraced by one of you with kind words of support, it means the world to me.  I leave teary eyed & thanking God.  I give Him all of the honor & glory.  Without Him, I have no idea where my life would be.  With Him, it hasn't always gone as I would've planned out BUT without fail, led to greater blessings than I ever could have imagined!!!  God is so good!  Life is a blessing!  Find time to enjoy yours too even if there are naysayers!  As Graham will grow up to figure out, there's definitely a place for them too!  Rise above!

Always Feeling Behind?

     

     As a wife & mother of 5, my plate is rarely empty.  There's always more laundry, another meal, school work, church services, appointments, errands that should've been accomplished days ago, discipline, someone's birthday celebration, holidays every few minutes, etc & sometimes several happening all at once.  I rarely have white space on my calendar that stretches more than 3 days in a row.  Even if you are reading & have chosen to head your life with career or any other option, it's likely you can relate.
   

Women tend to keep running lists swarming in their heads.  

Mine is often something like:

• We are all alive today & have all brushed our teeth (pet peeve=tooth brush Nazi).  Check!
• Everyone ate something & most of us are dressed.  Check!
• School work finished.  Check!
• Everyone loaded in the van finally looking descent WITH SHOES.  Check!
• Lunch will be on the go since it's nearing 1 (or even 2).  Coming up next...
• After I answer the 5 texts that were very unimportant but said person thought were imminent.  Check!
• Call to change an appointment on the road.  Check!
• Just remembered that I forgot to take deposit to the bank for the 3rd day in a row.  Pondering whether this be life threatening?  Suddenly panicking that I have no idea where it even is...
• Someone is fussing.
• 2 others are singing loudly.
• Cell phone rings.  Mostly I decline calls.
• The fuss has turned to fighting that cannot be ignored.  
• We arrive at the destination.
• All the while my phone dings notifications.  Probably unimportant anyways...
• I assess hair as everyone exits the vehicle.  Check!
• I find out that it was the end of the world that someone said stupid.  I try to muster the correct responses.  Maybe a check?
• We spend 3 times more money & time than expected in town.  Check as always & not even taken by surprise.
• Load up.  Everyone looking half ragged now but overall breathing & tired.  Check!
• On the way home I remember the one thing I went to do that I didn't get/do.  DUH!!!
• Turning in on 2 wheels to unload the Walmart sacks (preferably 50 per arm as to save time), put up only the cold items, bathe, have supper, & rush off to church...Can I do this?
• Headed to church with everyone looking like we have it all together.  Check!
• Having an adult conversation for 2 seconds before a phone or kid(s) interrupt.  Again?
• Blah, blah, blah!

& ends with all those guilty thoughts about what I should've done, what I shouldn't have spent, how I could've answered so & so differently, how so & so didn't get answered at all, how this is due, how this kid is behind on a well check, & how I cannot possibly be at 2 birthday parties at the same time until FINALLY~I sort out every detail of what can be tossed off the list, what HAS to be done the very next second possible, & what can wait.

     Most nights I stay up until the wee hours of morning finding a fun way to teach the next concept to the kids, researching whatever thoughts are left swirling in my mind sporadically during the day, reading books that challenge me, praying, or sitting as I am now typing away even though it's nearing 2 am.  The kids get their time, Nathan & I get our time, & this is my time.  This is the time I have set aside for just me & God.  During the day, sure I pray & praise & try to ring out every possible teachable moment.  However, that time is usually shared with others.  This is the time I carve out, the time when I prepare myself for the journey ahead.  The time I choose to prepare to fight the good fight, to read God's word & listen ever so closely without interruption.  Once my thoughts clear, I can sleep like a baby.
     How do I turn off the world?  I just told you how.  I set aside preparation.  One must sacrifice in order to achieve.  I can't offer my family anything if there's nothing left, no reserve.  Take advantage of whatever time works for you to strategically plan.  Grasp a hold of your vision & revisit priorities.  Think through the failures where you misspoke or misspent.  Take a hard look in the mirror.  Reevaluate.  Pray, study, & pray, pray, pray.  Praise God for your blessings, for a chance to try again.  Adjust.  Wash your face.  Be ready to face another day with your head held high.  If you have only lemons, make lemonade, & do it right!
     My most frequently asked questions:  How do I do it all?  How do I not loose it?  How do I find the time & muster the energy?  How do I feel joy & peace in the chaos all the while the world seems to be falling apart at the seams?  My answer is simple.  Take time for God.  He alone has everything under control.  Without Him, I am nothing.  He is my battle plan.  He holds the key to success.  He paves the way.  It may not always "feel" good & the future may look unclear, but His ways are steady & true.  He will not lead us astray.  He loves with a love that our feeble minds cannot begin to comprehend.  He holds the future.  I don't have to think about it.  All I must focus on is holding to His hand.  Within myself, I am nothing.  I can't do enough.  The hours tick by unannounced.  It seems as if just yesterday I began this journey & today we have a 14 year old & staring at our 15th anniversary.  We have already survived more years of marriage than the average couple, have more children than the norm, pastoring a church an hour away at a young age, a move, career change, the recent death of a close grandmother, more broken bones & surgeries than we had ever let enter our minds, bills higher than we could pay at times, unanswered questions, blame, blatant lies, criticism, doubt, fear, uncertainty, & the list goes on way too long.

BUT GOD

     But with God, our days are brighter, our steps are lighter, our spirits are lifted.  We walk unburdened for He bears our burdens.  We walk out in faith, holding on to hope.  We have a love immeasurable.  He doses our salvation with sanctification, covers us with His sweet Holy Ghost, & fills us with His light for all the world to see the Sonshine.  If I choose not to trust Him, I fall apart.  I wound those I love & care for the most.  I eventually find myself at His feet once again surrendering self if there will be any good thing to come from this clay again.  If anything, it is a gift only wrapped through Him & by Him.  Time for God isn't an option.  It's the only thing that satisfies an otherwise unquenchable thirsty soul.
     After we die, bills will still come in our name.  Taxes will probably be owed for that year too.  Hopefully, money will still be in our bank account.  With my track record, my vehicle will need cleaning, my purse will have trash floating around in it which may be safer to discard than salvage, & my laundry basket will not be empty unless of course my mama just sent her angel over or my friend Kendra happens to be visiting.  Also, don't judge by the scrapbooks I left behind because in that case I only have 2 heirs...(Future note to my little 3~Life threw us a curve ball having you back to back.  This mama loves you so big that I just chunked that aside to actually have time to love on you & spend every second being with you instead of documenting it perfectly.)
     It's not our job to be ahead.  There will always be something on our to do list left unchecked.  There are gazillion stories of the "perfect" degree that doesn't land a dream job, the "perfect" couple that split, the picture of "perfect" health that was diagnosed, etc.  Perfect for me tonight is staying up after everyone here is snug in bed pouring out my heart & praying that God use it to bless a soul.  We are not behind.  We are not forsaken.  We will not settle for overwhelmed or never enough.  In short, 1 Peter 5:6-11, God's word clearly states, "He may exalt you in due time...for He careth for you...the God of all grace...make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.  To Him be glory & dominion for ever & ever.  Amen."

His Healing Flow Is Enough

     

     Hard topic for me...  It's most definitely not hard to receive nor hard to give either.  I love gifting.  I love serving.  I love sharing kind thoughts, doing good deeds.  I love making someone's day brighter.  Most of us do.  That kind of kindness comes easy.  It's easy to feel love & extend love.  What is difficult about it is loving like Jesus.  Can we love beyond fault, failure, pain, or hurt?  Does the unlovable exist?  It sure seems like it at times.
     We've all been there where someone hurt our feelings, called us names, lied, cheated, and the list can go on way too long.  Children usually can brush it off very quickly & bounce back easily.  It's us adults who can't when events are seared into your memory without calling ahead & asking for reservations.  Things can happen quickly, before you have time to even process it all.  When someone is pierced with a knife, it requires a time of healing.  Healing must occur.  Injuries can leave you scarred & handicapped.  The cold hard facts are that things may never be the same again...
     God says to love, love beyond boundaries, love without measure.  Yet, I am human.  What hinders me & most everyone else is our innate ability to recall the facts, our instant replay button.  Some things will never make sense.  Some things will never change or be repaid.  Some things just can't.  Yet the text from the Bible that rings in my ears clearly states what is impossible with man is possible with God.  It's God who brings the healing to the table, not the evil doer.  I picture Him at an old table talking with me, extending a beautifully wrapped box as a gift.  He doesn't dangle it out of my reach.  He doesn't mention that it's value is far above what anyone could pay.  He offers, I humbly accept.  It's something I can't explain.  His love for us all is amazing, beyond my feeble comprehension.
     What about restoration, restitution?  God's word is true.  I believe in those too.  They may or may not always come to pass in every situation just the way we would order it up.  Heaven only knows.  We are only held accountable for ourselves.  We do not hold the power to lead another.  God does.  He can.  He CAN move mountains, but He may instead hand us a shovel.  In the end of Job, Job was given more than he had to begin with.  God didn't resurrect the family that he lost.  He never says he replaced them either.  They were gone.  The door closed.  Life moved on.  He just blessed again in His timing, in His will, & in His way.  Job learned to live & love again.  That was His healing flow for Job in this life.    
     We cannot predict the future but we can go on.  We can rise above the unimaginable.  His strength can carry us through uncharted waters.  He can hold our hands tight & lead us onward as we journey.  His healing flow is real.  His healing flow is powerful.  He will never leave us nor forsake us.  His promise in His word says He'll go with us ALL the way, even unto the end.
     Jesus himself faced a hard life & cruel death.  So far, I am abundantly blessed from anything that even closely resembles that.  I have a husband I love dearly.  We share a strong bond.  We have 5 wonderful children.  God has blessed our dreams.  Nathan's businesses prosper & flourish.  I LOVE being a housewife, mama, & teacher.  Pastoring is our love & life.  What more could we ask for?  We could spend our days soaking up the joys & never thank Him enough!
     One thing I have learned in the journey is that His healing flow is enough.  His faithfulness is enough.  His grace is sufficient.  His ways are not my ways.  In fact, His ways lead to a better end.  He sees the beginning from the end.  I must have the faith to trust in Him.  His healing flow is all I need.  Where He leads me, I WILL follow.  I will quit trying to make sense of it.  His healing flow can take care of that.  With Him, we rise above.
     As I type I think of how no one ever asks for tragedy, hurt, rejection, disease, etc but this is life & things happen to us all.  Look around, & you won't have to look far to find someone in more desperate circumstances than yourself.  Go to them.  Lend a hand.  It will change your view.  You will leave thankful.  His healing flow is enough for us all.  Be victorious through Christ & not a victim!

Bible Verses About I Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You

Deuteronomy 31:8 - And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Hebrews 13:5 - [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:9 - Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.

1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Hebrews 13:5 - [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Matthew 28:20 - Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.

Hebrews 13:6 - So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Philippians 4:6 - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Isaiah 41:10-13 - Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.  Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive against thee shall perish.  Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.  For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Psalms 55:22 - Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Joshua 1:5 - There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

1 Chronicles 28:20 - And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do [it]: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, [even] my God, [will be] with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Let's all hold our head up high saints!  God is for us!  He works EVERYTHING for our good!

Our Labor Day Weekend

GIVEAWAY WINNER~I used an online random name generator, entered all of the names, hit submit, & a precious friend of mine named SABRINA won.  It is pure coincidence that we just spent Labor Day weekend in Alabama at Summit Holiness Church with her & many other dear friends of ours.  Anyhow, she is, of course, very deserving!  We love her & her family too!  Happy reading!  Your new book will be mailed!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Celebrating Raegan Amily's 7th

 & fun at the cabin with family for the weekend!

     Yes, 7!  How in the world did our baby girl grow up?!?  I'm NOT happy about how fast time flies but then I remember she still has accidents because sometimes she's too busy to stop to potty.  As frustrating as that can be sometimes, I'm thankful for that reminder that she's not all grown up yet & still needs her mommy every single day!  What else sparks my mind when thinking of Raegan?  Well, we often call her Fruit Loop.  She doesn't meet strangers.  She's very brave as far as talking to people about what's on her mind.  In fact, you never know what she will say.  For example, last year alone she told her Enrichment school class that her Daddy dances naked at home, her Meme went blind, & that her parents flew to New York City but would be back to pick her up by lunch.  She is happy almost to a crazy fault.  Nothing rattles her.  She has no worries.  She is our ray of sunshine.  The world can feel like it's turned upside down & she will be sure to point out something wonderful right out of the blue.  Compliments are her thing.  She will tell you how she loves your hair on your worst hair day or how beautiful you are when you are still in your worn out pjs.  She spreads joy that is sure to cause you to smile no matter the circumstances.  Raegan is also very tenderhearted.  She will cry instantly at the very hint that she may be in trouble.  About a week or so ago, Raegan began asking about salvation right after our church's Kidz Crusade.  This went on for several days (& nights).  She decided to pray one night at home with us & her siblings gathered around her.  What a lovely answer to our prayers!  She has told most everyone she has come into contact with & already mentioning being baptized.  Raegan just began Kindergarten this year along with her 2 little brothers.  I waited a year longer than normal before beginning so she would be "ready."  This has proved perfect for her.  She has finally shown an interest in learning & excels!  Happy 7th Raegan Amily!  We love living life with you!!!

A Tribute To Our Very Own Ruby Jewel

 Our 1st picture with Granny as a wedded couple 

& our last picture with Granny

(not our last visit but our last picture):

     Granny is exactly what she was to all of us.  1st to Nathan but also to me & our kiddos.  She was definitely one of a kind, a rare Jewel.  I 1st met her in our dating days.  I didn't have to grow to love her.  It came automatically.  She opened her heart right up & made room for me.  Her spirit was genuine.  You never had to question her love.  It was evident in her every single word & deed.
     We were blessed to begin our marriage living directly across the dirt lane from her for over 10 years.  We shared land, well water, gardens, meals, & too many hours worth of conversations to count.  She put up our 1st vegetables & gifted us our 1st table.  She was my cooking expert & who we borrowed from.  Her pantry was always stocked & fully loaded.  Whatever I was out of, she always had plenty to spare & happy to help out too!  Instead of going home, we always took our babies straight from the hospital directly to Granny's!  The pictures we have of her holding our newborns always showed her proud smile, especially holding her namesake child~our Marianna Jewel.  She bought us the only high chair our 5 children ever used here in our home.  They have all grown up running over to her house daily, riding bikes in her driveway, picking flowers to gift her, etc.  It has definitely been our pleasure.  We'll never forget her afternoon visits driving over on her golf cart as we would all be out in the yard & garden.  Seeing her in route was always a special treat.  The best memories are of all of us rocking on her porch or sitting around her kitchen table.  She loved visits & we loved soaking up her wisdom.  In all of our time spent with Granny, I have never once heard her say a cross word about anyone or anything.  Her life truly radiated Jesus' love.  
     Ruby Jewel lived 94 years.  Her mind was still good right up 'til the end.  Our last conversation with her was on Friday night before she went to bed & made her crossing the next morning.  Her life was such a blessing.  Words cannot describe her.  She will forever be missed but never forgotten!  Until forever, we will remember her every time I fry salmon patties (her favorite of my cooking) & Nathan bakes pecan pie (her favorite of his).  In fact, we cooked that for lunch in her honor the very Saturday she passed & spoke of her around our table.
     I'd never lost anyone so close to me as Granny was.  Not only was she our Granny but also our friend.  As sad as it has been, I know in my heart that she is in a better place & am thankful she lived such a long life with us here on earth.  My life is all the better for knowing her.  Living beside her & being so close was one of my greatest life experiences thus far!  I am forever grateful!!!  Heaven is looking sweeter to us now!

Happy Place Travels

     We LOVE to travel!  Aside from God, it's definitely number 1 on our list!  In fact, we can travel together with God, so what could be more amazing?  Our last travel brought us to the beautiful, quaint St George Island, Florida with my entire family.  We love the small island with white beaches & clear ocean waters.  We enjoy the rental homes with private pools & beach access that isn't busy.  Bringing along a golf cart & bicycles allows us to take daily rides to the local park or ice cream parlor.  The BEST part of it all is just being together without any particular responsibilities.  I love waking up to the view of the sea & read or write or both.  The biggest decision of each day is who is going to the pool & who is going to the beach.  What's not to love???

 My beach read that I cannot say too many great things about:

Don't forget our GIVEAWAY~Comment below or through Facebook, email me at npadgett1@windstream.net, or text me if you have my # to enter for your chance to win your very own copy!  

Deadline: September 1, 2016

The Best Yes GIVEAWAY

     Recently I was blessed to spend a full week on island time reading "The Best Yes" by Lysa Terkeurst.  When I was skimming through it, the deciding factor was the quote on the 1st page I flipped to,

Wow, that really hit home for me!  I dropped it in my cart & the rest is history.

         To review this book for you would be a great injustice.  I'll tell you what the cover says, "I'm a little overwhelmed & a lot worn out."  Her words soaked into my soul like a sponge.  I found myself pondering them even when they weren't in my hands.  My naturally wired OCD self realizes that she's exactly right when she says, "Saying yes all the time won't make me Wonder Woman.  It will make me a worn-out woman."

     "What about you?  Don't get so locked in to your overwhelming schedule that you haphazardly spend your soul."  WAKE UP!  "It's time to flip that!"

GIVEAWAY~Comment below or through Facebook, email me at npadgett1@windstream.net, or text me if you have my # to enter for your chance to win your very own copy!  

Deadline: September 1, 2016