A Time For Every Season....

November 29, 2006 Winter weather has finally arrived in North Texas ! Drew and I went to the park today with some friends and played in the 80 degree weather. Then at 6:00pm the cool arctic front rolled in and cooled us to 45 degrees! Our low tonight is expected to reach 25 degrees. It was the most amazing feeling sitting on the grass with Drew feeling the arctic air push it's way into the area. The wind was so powerful and fierce, the thunderclouds darkened the sky within moments and the birds fled south for safe terrain. Our Thanksgiving was wonderful - filled with family and friends. We were blessed with 10 people surrounding the beautiful table John built. We read Psalm's of Thanksgiving and as we ate shared what we were thankful for this year. Drew played with his friend Jonathan in the backyard and both of them cried when it was time for Jonathan to go home. Our Thanksgiving was very relaxed and refreshing after our crazy week of preperation. Friday morning came early as ...

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. Please write me back or call me with your prayer requests - I really enjoy praying for each and every one of you! I have been reflecting this Thanksgiving Season on finding joy. I tend to get a little depressed when trials and lack of routine come into my life; a friend encouraged me to jot down, for an entire day, the things that I can find joy in. Wow, was I blown away at what I discovered. I assumed joy would come when "big" moments came around like Thanksgiving dinner or a trip to Six Flags, but I discovered that my true, abiding joy, was found in the small mundane things of life. My joy wasn't found in an emotional experience, but was mental choice to shift my focus onto the "things that are lovely and pure and profitable..." Those short moments when I stood in wonder at the Lord's creation, or the cute little babblings of my 2 year old son, or the quiet meditation of a Psalm, was whe...

Ø In January 2006 John found a new job with Home Depot. Praise the Lord for his provisions -- the lessons in faith we were taught along the journey were well-worth the trials. Ø Thank you Father for bringing our family to a new church that is centered on You alone. We thank you for the Foree family ; it is such a blessing to be able to serve others who are in need. I pray that all 8 of them would come to know You as their Lord and Savior. Ø In October of 2006 John finished his Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice! Praise be to the Almighty for the support and finances he provided. This is such a huge blessing to our family and to John's career! Ø A wedding focused on the Lord, uniting two believers together is such an honor and privilege to be apart of. Our family thanks you Lord for our newest member - Ruben Cabrera. We thank you that you choose such a godly and humble man to be the servant leader of Julie. Thank you for this fresh addition to the family, we pr...

Silence is such a peace to relish -- except when your toddler is running around the house somewhere! I discovered today that while I was enjoying the quiet; Drew was coloring his entire face with mommy's lipstick. He came up to me with a sheepish grin literally from ear to ear. It was so cute I had to post a few pictures of his little rampage. After seeing his camouflaged face, can you imagine what my carpet looks like? Drew had a lot of new words this week! I have been trying to teach him one familiar word for each letter of the alphabet so this week he learned - apple, cow, drill, Jesus, God, obey, thank you, & two. He is also saying the word "guy" all the time and I can't figure out what he is saying. Drew can point out where all his body parts are and can locate most animals on a page if asked. He knows a few animal sounds like the duck, dog, cat, cow, and chicken. Lately, Drew has been playing with daddy in the garage working on words like: dewalt, planar, ...

" The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings. Henry Ward Beecher

It has been a while since I have updated. We have had so many fun things going on, it has been hard to find time to updated. Drew finally grew his last set of teeth for a while. His mouth is full of teeth and don't have any gaps! That being stated he has finally started talking! Drew loves to repeat words and enjoys singing the song Twinkle Twinkle, only it comes out "Tinkle Tinkle." Drew did loose 2 pounds during his last bout with teething, but hopes to be back to the 23 pound mark soon. Drew is going to school on Monday's and loves it! He no longer cries when I take him to the door and he leaves with a huge smile on his face, happy to show mommy his latest art project. Last week he made a scarecrow puppet and the week before he made a tree with his hand print as the leaves. Drew loves napping at school and proudly carries his nap mat to and from school. Monday's are his favorite day! Drew's wardrobe has finally been moved into Autumn! I gladly boxed up his ...

Gratitude is... the leading edge of joy. It happens when the big reality hits you. You have no more right to be loved than anyone else. Your job is a fluke. Your children have no more right to health and security than the children in Bosnia. Your friends are not obligated to put up with you. Your education---well, you were not born into the poverty of Calcutta. It is all gift. Every single molecule, every smile, every taste of sunshine is gift." ~Radical Hospitality, Homan and Pratt

" Gratitude is... the leading edge of joy. It happens when the big reality hits you. You have no more right to be loved than anyone else. Your job is a fluke. Your children have no more right to health and security than the children in Bosnia. Your friends are not obligated to put up with you. Your education---well, you were not born into the poverty of Calcutta. It is all gift. Every single molecule, every smile, every taste of sunshine is gift." ~Radical Hospitality, Homan and Pratt