What a difference a year makes

One year ago today our lives were forever changed by the addition of our sweet grandpeep Graham. His momma worked hard for two days to get him here then suffered some serious health issues for the next couple of weeks. I got to stay with Graham for a couple of days while his momma had to go back to the hospital. It was a sweet time of remembrance for me being with a newborn again. Oh how the time does fly. Graham and his GiGi did some serious bonding and I love that little man to pieces! Now a whole year has passed and brought so many new memories and so much joy.

Graham,

You do not know it yet but you are one lucky little boy. You are loved beyond measure by so many people. You have more grandparents than you will be able to keep up with, aunts and uncles and some cousins that you already can't wait to join in all their fun. You have a precious momma who takes very good care of you and a daddy who works hard to make sure you are provided with a wonderful home and all the things you need to be a secure and well raised young man. Nobody makes your face light up like your momma and daddy do. What a joy and a blessing to watch your family interactions. PawPaw and I are enjoying sitting back and taking in the harvest of seeds planted many prayers ago. We continue to pray for all of you daily. We pray for your salvation. I don't doubt for a second that you will know how much your family loves you but it is our prayer that more than anything you will learn the love of our Savior. The grace and unconditional love that will change your life if you allow it. I pray for the Lord to make you a mighty man for His kingdom's sake.

You are so precious. Your personality is changing every day. You clap at everything. You look just like your daddy and your PawPaw's baby pictures. I think I have seen some of their disposition in you at times too! You certainly have their charm and their endless appetite. I can't wait to hear your little voice say "GiGi " and feel those chubby little arms around my neck. What a wondrous year this has been with you. We look forward eagerly to all the things ahead and relish every second.

Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Baby Graham!
We love you to the sky and back!
GiGi and PawPaw

Memory Verse #4!

Psalm 119:165

"Great peace have they who love your law;
And nothing can make them stumble."

I really love this. I want to walk straight toward Him and I don't want to waver. This tells me what I need to know for that to happen.

Happy Birthday Little!!!!!!!

Today is my daughter-in-loves birthday! We get all excited about birthdays around here, mostly because it means cake and our favorite foods get cooked for us oh yeah and did you know calories don't count on your birthday? So I wanted to take an opportunity to express my feelings for this young lady we love so very much!
Laura,
I feel somewhat territorial and responsible for you as I have loved you longer than the rest of the clan around here has loved you. I met you when you were a 10th grader - doesn't that seem like forever ago? You were on my dance line and I liked you immediately. There was such a genuineness to you that I don't see in many grownups much less sophomores in high school. Your smile was precious! Your dancing, well you know. The crowds were pleased and enjoyed all those times you danced so ferociously your shoes were hurled at them! hehe! I told your now father-in-law about you and said I wish Jeremy would ask her out and I was told to back off. I didn't and he didn't ask you out. Then Jon met you at a football game and had read your testimony that had been printed in the football program and he fell for you too! And has loved you ever since. I was so tickled when I knew Jeremy had asked you to Homecoming when you were both seniors (took him long enough) and you were a student in my class and you would look at me and just grin and blush! Precious. And you have been together ever since - well except for that awful 48 hours you took a break from each other and you called our house about 48 times "what are y'all doing?" "what are y'all eating?" "what are y'all doing now?" That too was precious.
I have said so many times that if Jon and I could have sent the Lord a list of the perfect wife for our son it couldn't have been anyone other than you. I have a great deal of respect for you because I have seen how real you are. I have known you a long time and you have always been a young lady of conviction and that is rare. Laura, you are such a beautiful person. I don't mean simply externally I mean a beauty that comes from something inside of you. You are kind, genuine, funny, caring, intuitive about others, generous, sweet, and I have watched your love for the Lord grow and grow. More than that your desire to know Him grows and grows. I am so thankful we get to share bible study together. I love that you love family and being together the way you do. I guess you might as well with all this crazy bunch over here! You are a wonderful mother and wife. Graham and Jeremy are beyond blessed with you as well as the rest of us. Not only are you a wonderful daughter-in-love you are a wonderful friend. I know I can depend on you for anything. I hope you feel the same. I am looking forward to making all your favs this weekend and I wish for you a very blessed and happy birthday. I love you very much and the only thing that will complete your perfection is giving me a granddaughter!!!! Did I mention I love you because you totally get my warped sense of humor?

Happy Birthday!

Valentines Day

I think Valentines Day is overrated. There is all this pressure for people to "perform" so their loved one will feel loved and special. To get that perfect gift to make them swoon and have stars in their eyes. Overrated. Don't misunderstand, I love romance and I love when my man is romantic. I am just saying that for me I want authenticity. I don't want something done for one day because it is an expectation. I want the real deal all year long - the good the bad and yes even the ugly. I want consistency and security. I want a card or flowers out of the blue when it is not expected. I want to feel comfortable where we are with each other nineteen years down the road. I want to look across the room and catch him watching me. I want my children to comfort in the fact that their parents are still in love with each other. I want him to know I love him with all my heart and soul without it being Valentines Day. And I do. And he knows. And he does. And I know. He still makes my heart race after all these years. He is my Valentine all year long, every day.
I am a secure woman with my man. He doesn't give me reason to worry, he tells me all the time he loves me and he shows me regularly. But that is not where my security lies. Many, many years ago I gave my heart away. Not to my husband but to my Savior. A Savior who is love and without knowing Him I cannot truly receive or give love. A Savior who cherishes me, thinks I am beautiful, nurtures me, talks to me and listens to me. A Savior who cares more about the success of my marriage than my husband and I do. That is hard to imagine, yet it is true. That is one of the reasons we turn it over to Him on a daily basis. He loves us. He will never disappoint us and He is the reason that I will be thankful this Valentines Day. Thankful for giving me my husband and blessing our marriage. He is the reason every day is Valentines Day for us.

Thank you Lord for giving us to each other.

Cardboard Testimony

Kelly had a powerful video on her blog this morning about Cardboard Testimonies. I was so touched by it I have been trying for an hour to put the video on my blog but am computer illiterate. It will have to wait until I go to school tomorrow and do what I always do when I need computer help- ask my students! So I did the next best thing and posted the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6F

I can remember as a young person our Sunday night services would always have some kind of theme - like just singing - we would holler out the number of our favorite hymn in the hymn book (remember those?) I was a frequent yeller as I had lots of favorite hymns. But I most enjoyed share times. When others would get up and share what Christ had done for them and how He had changed their lives. I miss those times. We don't share enough what God has done for us.

Then I saw this video! What a powerful way to share what God has done in the lives of everyday people. How many times I am reminded that He performs miracles every day in every one. I keep thinking what would be on my cardboard box? I would need to go to a furniture store and ask for all their leftover boxes and tape mine to the side of a building - I have never been one to condense my feelings - I am a "more is better" kind of person. But if I were forced to a small cardboard box the front would read:

"Consumed with self - glorification, gratification and destruction"

The back would read:

"Saved me from myself"

Thank you Jesus!

What would yours say?

Memory Verse #3!

Because sometimes I just need to be reminded and say it out loud:

Hebrews 13:8

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Glory to God.