THEY ARE JUST APPLES

One of my dad's FAVORITE things to say when we start lamenting the antics of our kids is " Well, the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree".

My sister has turned it around on him. When ever he starts to get on her about something her response is " I am just an apple".

Here are HH's apples...

Duck hunting

Deer hunting

Mastering the fine art of posing

and here is the tree...

Not a far fall at all. The men children built the blind by themselves and they love it. I should have built one a long time ago. Would have saved me and MC 2 some stressful times.

Have a great Friday!

BACK TO EGYPT

With the school year coming to an end (as a former teacher the end of the 5th 6 weeks is cause for rejoicing), thoughts and questions about me returning back to work are abounding. I don't have an answer for you as to which way I (& we) will go with this, but I do have some anxiety to share. One of things that I am concerned with is going back to how I was before. Staying home has forced me to become more conscious of the discipline in my life. I wanted to type "more disciplined" but we are still working on mastering that. An area where I have really had to be more disciplined is in our meals. Like actually planning out breakfasts and not just running to the donut store if we leave early enough. Like planing our dinners around ingredients we already have and not running to Wal-Mart after school. You know, thinking ahead. All the while trying to be creative and not have tacos every night, while accommodating HH's "meat and potatoes at every meal" mentality.
So night before last I made this Caesar salad. From SCRATCH. Except for the lettuce and the cheese because I have neither a garden nor a Parmesan cow. The dressing and croutons where made by these hands though buddy! It was delicious. Light and fresh tasting. The croutons were exceptional. Best of all it was EASY! Thank you once again PW for sharing wonderful recipes. If you are in need of impressing your friends, this salad will do it. I might go a little lighter on the lemon juice, but to each his own.
So yeah, a successful cooking post in the midst of some spiritual issues ramblings. A two for one peeps...that is a good deal!
Much love

ALPHA GK

I am the alpha grandkid on my dad's side. The alpha of a grand total of (I'm thinking, I'm thinking...) 26 grandkids. Many of those grandkids have gone on to have multiple-children family themselves.

This past weekend MC 2 and I went with my parents to visit my grandparents for papa's 85th birthday. Many of the GK's and the great GK's were there. Now when you are the first of 27, ranging in age from 36 to 14, well, the ones toward the bottom you don't know so well. And throw in their kids? Please... I haven't asked "Who's your daddy?" so much since Jerry McGuire first came out. I asked my Granny if we could have name tags, she laughed in my face. Much like I did her's when she said to let MC 2 just go outside and play by himself. "He'll be fine!" says the woman who won't be the one chasing him. MC 2 had a blast. He spent most of the morning chasing chickens and shoveling some old hay. He rode the four-wheeler and gator with grandpa and was eventually comfortable enough to go ride with some of the kids. They took off towards the woods and I waved and prayed. But he LOVED IT! It was nostalgic for me, because we did the same thing when we were growing up. We lived closer until I was about 15 and we got to visit often. Thanksgiving was always the holiday up there. Then men would hunt and/or work cows. The women manned the kitchen and kept us out of it. Us cousins, we went and did whatever. Horseback riding, fishing, playing in the hay bars or silo, we pretty much ran free ( and survived).

Sadly, in years of late, the only reason we have all gotten together is for a funeral. My grandparents have buried 3 sons and a grandson (most of those in the last 20 years). It was nice to get together this weekend with out that being the cause. We told stories, we laughed, we ate. It was a good day to be the alpha GK.

NOT SUCH A STRONG CHOICE

If you read here, you know that I had an enemy attack and some choices to make. I wish I could tell you I chose the best and walked away immediately victorious.
I really wish I could.
I mean REALLY!
Sadly I can't. Sadly I was bold for about 24 hours and then the worry began. It lasted about 5 days. 5 long and anxiety ridden days. 5 OCD days about every ache and pain.
Today was headed that direction as well.
However, I have great news.
By God's grace, today I chose to put on a worship DVD when the anxiety tried to take over. Today I sang
"Because of you I'm FREE!"
Today I danced around my living room with MC 2 and worshipped deep down in my soul.
It was a much stronger choice.

HITCHING A RIDE ON "THE GREAT ADVENTURE"

Sometimes I find myself in a funk about my "ordinary" life.
I start asking questions such as,
Am I being used by God?
Can He use me?
What about what I know He has spoken over my life?
Just get a little bummed because I don't see what I believe.
Because I do the same thing everyday.
Then I read this.
All 7 parts.
And my soul and spirit were encouraged.
Not in the "Oh....how sweet...that just blessed me..."blah blah stuff we say when we think it is just a good story.
I mean ENCOURAGED me.
I felt it deep down in my being. How God uses what we deem ordinary to set us up for His extraordinary will. How He can do it in a matter of days. DAYS people DAYS!
So I encourage you to go read Travis' account of his life the past couple of months. Read the entire thing, starting at the beginning. Then sit back in awe of our awesome God, who has plans for us we could not even imagine.

But as it is is written: " Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV)

* On a side note, I am helping start a Mom's In Touch group today. We would appreciate your prayers.

LOOK MOM

To show my mama what I made...

Homemade biscuits

Pecan Pie #2

I couldn't find the pics of pecan pie #1.

Visualize a pecan bread pudding and you have it!

From those that live here

and those that like to pretend they do,

have a great day.

UP TO HIS OLD TRICKS AGAIN

I know I have told you somewhere before that one of the enemy's favorite place to attack me is in my health. Mainly in my mind about my health, not my health itself. I have issues there too but most of them are my own doing (Oreos a no-no). It seems to never fail when I am digging deeper or feeling a fresh fire for the Lord, here comes the health. Last night was no different. I have bad cholesterol, all the way around. Bad "bad cholesterol"; bad "good cholesterol", it's just bad. It's also genetic. Doc did some high-fluten test to find that out. Anyway, one of the things we can fix is my niacin, so bring on another prescription. I chickened out of taking it until this past weekend because I knew what the side effects could be. I also know how my mind tends to spew "vain imaginations" in this area. I held out as long as my conscience would let me and then began the regime. It was not going badly at all, until last night. Last night I awoke at 2 in the morning literally thinking I was on fire and a million needles were prodding me. Well, that lovely adrenaline rush sent the blood pressure (meds for that as well ) and the heart rate sky high, or at least what felt like sky high. The fire/needles went away. The anxiety and fear hung around. I was literally saying, "okay Lord if this is it, make sure my men know I love them, and I can't believe yesterday was my last post." A tad dramatic, but you wake up at 2 thinking you are on fire and see how peaceful you are.
It is no coincidence that last night coincided with some personal choices I had made about pressing into the Lord. Or about a couple of ministry opportunities I had come up throughout the day. Same old tricks. The question is will I have the same old response, which would be to be frozen with fear, worrying and obsessing about it all day. I hope no. I choose no. I choose to believe the words of my Father, that He knows the number of my days, and that worrying can't add to them. I choose to call my doctor for wisdom and not let fear keep me ignorant. I choose to go about my day and not curl up in a ball and lament the attack once again. I choose to recognize it before it gets out of hand and to strengthen my mind with the Word of God.
I have feeling I am going to be choosing these things every minute today.
But in those choices, which I can dread, I can find strength. Because each minute I make that choice, I choose Jesus Christ. With Him comes peace, joy and abundant life. I can give my minutes to the enemy dreading those choices or I can give them to Christ celebrating Who He is and His love for me.

ISSUES...

I have them. Some days I feel like I am the only one. Like a huge, balled up mess of blah who would even think twice about being her own friend because, mercy, I wear myself out with my issues sometimes.
I had one come up this weekend that surprised me.
In John 4 we are told that "one sows, and another reaps." When I hear this verse it is usually in reference to something like Children's Ministry or Youth. You are planting the seeds and some pastor or person down the line will see the harvest in their lives. That is not my issue. What I had this weekend was seeing something I had given myself to, that I had sown, growing and preparing to be harvested by someone else. The conversation (not audible) between my flesh and the Holy Spirit went something like this,

Holy Spirit: Now, Rhonda this is a good thing.
Flesh: I know, I know, but it was MY thing.
Holy Spirit: People are being used that might not have ever been used with you there.
Flesh: I know, I know, but I should be reaping the harvest.
Holy Spirit: It was never yours.
Flesh: I know, I know. I just don't know why you took it away from ME.
Holy Spirit: If I took it away from you, don't you think there was a reason?
Flesh: Yes. But I have not a clue why.
Holy Spirit: And seeing how it was never yours, I did not take it from YOU.
Flesh: I know Lord.
Holy Spirit: Because we are in this for Me and My glory. And if I have removed you from something, it is because I am working out something else for you. Something that is better for you and something that is better for the Kingdom if you will let me. You can choose to be celebrate with the body or you can choose to keep focusing on you. What is it going to be?

Please hear me, I am not mad or upset with the ones who are harvesting. I am actually really proud of them. I was just struggling because it wasn't me.
Maybe I am the only one who battles with this. Maybe so. I doubt it. I guess I just wanted you to know if you felt like you were the only one with issues, you are not.
Even now I am impressed for my life how appropriate the title of this blog is, I Choose.
I am afraid it sounds arrogant at times and I wonder if it turns people off.
But is the over whelming heartbeat God has put within me.
I CHOOSE.
Not always well.
Not always wise.
I sought out the information that upset me this weekend. SOUGHT IT OUT! Yet even from this point I choose. I choose how I am going to let our little heart to heart be worked out in me. I choose. I choose if I am going to run this race with the winds of the past blowing in my face, slowing me down. If you have run track then you know what is like when you turn that curve and face the wind. It is like hitting a wall, literally. You are striving and struggling and running as hard as you can and getting nowhere. Or I choose if I am going to run with the winds of my past at my back, pushing me and aiding me along in my race.
I choose.
I choose.
I choose.
(the last one was for me).
I choose flesh man or Spirit man.
I choose and no one else. Not even the enemy.
I choose.
I choose not to be double minded.
I choose not to be tossed.
I choose to choose EVERY SINGLE DAY to make that choice.
Because He chose me and does it EVERY SINGLE DAY.
He chooses you every day, too.
Choose Him.

"For you are my witnesses", declares the Lord, " and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me." Isaiah 43:10 (NIV)

SNOW DAY #2

Hiding from HH

This is about 5 seconds after I took the picture of the snowman.
Notice the head is already gone.


I have no idea why.

Just an idea of the snow we got.
We NEVER get snow like this.
Maybe twice in my lifetime.
It was beautiful.

But not as beautiful as these.

Knotheads that they are.

"Come now, and let us reason together", says the Lord,

"Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They shall be as wool."

Isaiah 1:18 NKJV

SNOW DAY

I will tell you when we first walked out this morning to go to school MC 2 immediately stuck his tongue to the metal poles on the carport. He then proceeded,with great disappointment, to inform me that his tongue did not stick.

Small blessings.

ON DEAF EARS

Every mom has them.

Those rare precious moments,

when you see with your own eyes,

that the words you have spoken to your kids,

have sunk into their grey matter.

Your words mattered.

Your words were heard.

Your words were heeded.

This is not one of those times.

The mattress makes one rough riding bull.

All I can say is at least they wore a helmet

and praise the Lord

Audie and Grandpa came through with the vest.

Who knows what kind of damage that spared us.

One day MC 2 will hate me for posting this pic.

Payback;o)

GRACE IS NOT SAFE, BUT IT IS ALWAYS GOOD

Click over here to read some final quotes from A Call to Grace.
Have a great Wednesday.

THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE STILL BLOWING

If you have been over on Deliberately Delivered, then you know I have been reading David Nasser's A Call to Grace. I actually just finished it last night. I highly recommend it. As one who struggles with grace, for a whole lot of reasons, it was honest, eye-opening, and soul stirring for me. Not saying it will be for you, but it is a good read.
If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know the last year has been a tough one emotionally for me. I whine about it a lot. Still is. Things I need to move on from. Things I need to let go of. Things I need to pry from my fingers that are gripping on so tightly. For many months I prayed for restoration, of friendships, of trust, of faith in people, not really knowing what that would look like. I had in my mind what I thought it should look like, you know, how I thought God should handle it. Needless to say He did not see fit to follow my orders.
While reading the following passage, it was like a light bulb went off.

"No portrait is without its flaws. If you look at the lives of almost all the saints in the Bible, you will see a continuous testimony of mistakes, failures, miscommunications, and wrongs done. You will also see a graceful God who consistently re-makes demolished lives into beautiful masterpieces. He does not restore the lives to their original form, but rebuilds them, using all the shattered remains to form a completely unique construction."

He is not going to take me back to the way it was. Even if those friendships return they won't be like they were. My faith in people won't be like it was. But He will create something new. Something beautiful.
I know I have had similar realizations and posted them on here. But honestly part of me felt like I would be a failure if things weren't restored back to their original form. That I wasn't trying hard enough or showing enough grace or that I just did not do it right. This passage released me from that.
It is not going back to it's original form. I am not going back to my original form. They aren't going back to theirs. Everything has changed. The choice I have is the direction I let that change take me.

2 Corinthians 2 :17-18 (NKJV)

"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

IT"S A BIRD...

I am positive this is how Clark Kent started...

(totally their idea by the way)

and this is Steve Jobs and Bill Gates in younger years...

and this is Buddy.

He's not our dog.

He just doesn't know it.

OH THE WEBS WE WEAVE...

So Mom. How did it go with MC 2?

Oh fine. I had to spank him one time for not wanting to put his clothes on and for yelling a time.

LATER THAT SAME DAY...

SO MC 2, what did Audie have to spank you for?

(with great shock and awe at the implication ) She didn't.

She didn't?

Nope.

Audie didn't spank you for yelling at her?

Nope.

No mam.

Not a word came outta my mouth.

"GAL" FIX

The last couple of days I have had the chance to hang out with some sisters in Christ that I had never met. I attended a bible class with some Church of Christ sisters. They were a sweet group of women, all ages, and full of the love of Christ. They recently hosted a women's event where they had over 51 different congregations represented, and only 5 or 6 were Church of Christ. How beautiful when the body comes together. Amen!
Yesterday I attended my first Moms In Touch meeting with 3 precious women. They were older than myself, with kids grown and grandkids nearly grown, but moms are moms at any age. It was so neat to sit and listen to then pray for their grown children, knowing my own mom does the same, and knowing I will do the same for the men children in a few years. I observed through the first part of the meeting because I was clueless as to what to do. However, when it came to our specific children, I threw my hat in the ring. I nearly broke down praying for man child 1, not because he has major prayer requests, but because of the beauty of the entire thing.
It has been good to be with other gals. One of the things I miss the most due to our church move. I don't know about you gals (and guys) but I need that every so often. To be encouraged and challenged. To laugh and to cry. With ladies who have been where I am or where I am going and with ladies who are just beginning their journey.
One of the reasons I enjoy blogs as well.
You can find women at all stages of their walk with Christ.
Get yourself a mini-fix of fellowship.
Hope you have a great day.
Call a girlfriend.
Have a laugh.
Or a cry.
Either is good for your soul!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASEY!

C= A + B

Want to know how I got men children that do this?

by marrying and reproducing with this one.

ANOTHER MILESTONE

We are now tall enough to hang our

Pj's and unmentionables up on the hook

just like daddy does,

and mighty proud was he.