Our New Driveway!

It's here!
The driveway is in and Christmas morning we can drive on it (Kate has been riding on it all day!)

I never thought I'd be so excited about 42 yards of concrete! What's really funny is that the boys that live in the apartments are more excited than us I think! They've already picked out their parking spaces :)

Kate's FOURTH painting...

This is BLUE VASE.
(We talked about how artist title their paintings)

Kate painted this for her Grandma (Darren's mom) for Christmas who is also quite an artist.

On this one she used blue tape to make the window. We talked a lot about doing the things farthest away first, so the sky through the window were first then the grass and tree and so on. We did a lot of practice boards and talked about dimension (for the vase) and layering (flowers over flowers).

She is really getting the hang of this. I dunno...we may have created a monster. I'm starting a 'starving artist fund' to faciliate the cost of canvas (it's not cheap!)

My prayer: Lord, help me help her. Her confidence levels soar when she is painting. Show me how to facilitate this. ~ Amen

An update:

We gave Grandma her painting at Christmas...He reaction was priceless and it made Kate feel like a million bucks!

Kate's THIRD Painting

Okay...Now I am pretty convinced that Kate may have found her calling.

She painted this dyptich for Luke and Belinda Bourgeois (great friends of ours) that recently bought a new home. Luke plays a killer guitar. So Kate decided to paint them a guitar.

As before, we did some sample boards to practice strokes

and she did ask me to help her with a few of the straight lines. She doesn't like for me to leave the room while she's painting because she wants me to tell her when to stop :) She even gave the guitar a shiny clear coating that makes just the guitar reflective almost, so it stands out as you walk past it and the light changes on it. It's very cool. Can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

I'm getting my driveway!!!

It's happening as we speak ladies and gentlemen...They are working on my driveway!!!
We have been outside watching them and I am making all the coffee they need to keep them going :)

Check back in a day or two to see the finished project !!!!
Yippeee!!!!

Kate's Second Painting - Ms. Reed

We are so blessed to have Ms. Reed as Kate's Resource/Library Teacher.
She is wonderful women with an unbeatable loving spirit about her.

Kate wanted to paint something for her and we talked about what it should be for weeks. We decided on Flying Books.

The Riley Family

Tom and Jana Riley are the proud new parents (and I mean PROUD) of
Owen Thomas Riley.

He is the most beautiful baby...and I'm not being biased!
He was late...but I think his momma has decided he was worth it.

Born December 5, 2005
Weighing in at 7 lbs 12 oz.

Welcome to the world buddy...
let the spoiling BEGIN!!!

This is his first Sunday to church...in his Christmas outfit.

I bless you

Psalm 129:1-8
A song for the ascent to Jerusalem.
1 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me
--let Israel now say--
2 from my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me,
but they have never been able to finish me off.
3 My back is covered with cuts, as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.
4 But the LORD is good;he has cut the cords used by the ungodly to bind me.
5 May all who hate Jerusalem be turned back in shameful defeat.
6 May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop, turning yellow when only half grown,
7 ignored by the harvester, despised by the binder.
8 And may those who pass by refuse to give them this blessing:
"The LORD's blessings be upon you; we bless you in the LORD's name."

Last night, I had coffee with a friend that recently learned she may have cervical cancer...again. She has fought and beat this once before. Needless to say, all the same emotions are flooding her thoughts, and with a new husband and the hope to start a family with him, there are new disappointments. As I was reading this morning, I read this Psalm. I love the first two verses.

1 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me--let Israel now say--
2 from my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me, but they have never been able to finish me off.

It's as though the Psalmist is urging you to yell with him...he says the phrase and then basically says 'repeat after me'...Verse two may as well be in BOLD and CAPS with a lot of exclamation points at the end !!!!!!!!

Then Verse 4 explains why we are cheering...Because the Lord is good and he has cut the ties that the ungodly have used to bind us.

My prayer: Lord, My friend is worried. She's understandable concerned about her 'earth suit' and possibly fears that her past is punishing her. God let her cheer at this time. You are good. You have a plan. She has the opportunity to participate. It may not be easy right now but you have cut the ties that have bound her. Heal her God. Make every portion of her body be restored to the way that you originally designed it to work. You know her body better than anyone. I pray that this results in a testimony to encourage others in her future and proof that nothing is impossible with You. I pray that even if surgery and other invasive procedures are necessary that she will still see You working in many ways. Comfort her family, her new husband, and her children at this time. Be God in their home, may there be peace, joy and abundant wealth come into her and her household. ~Amen

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness...???

Okay so I am reading through the Bible in a year with the help of this blog I found and today I was reading in Micah.
This is the verse that jumped out at me. Micah 2:11

11 If someone showed up with a good smile and glib tongue
and told lies from morning to night--
"I'll preach sermons that will tell you
how you can get anything you want from God:
More money, the best wines . . . you name it'--
you'd hire him on the spot as your preacher!

I started thinking of how many times I have convinced myself that wanting something or doing something is okay because I adopted the preaching (that I preached to myself) that I deserve 'Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness".

Where does it say that in the Word of God? Doesn't it say that there will be 'Trials and Tribulations"? I personally think I need a swift kick in the behind...course, I guess God is probably doing that with this scripture...minus the shoe :)

So if you keep reading you realize there is hope for me (and you). Chapter 4 verse 13 reads like this:

13On your feet, Daughter of Zion! Be threshed of chaff,
be refined of dross.
I'm remaking you into a people invincible,
into God's juggernaut to crush the godless peoples.

Thank God his mercies are new every morning!

My prayer ~ Lord, Thanks for the swift kick in the pants...and the chance to start over again. I will do my best to keep my flesh at bay. Give me strength that only you can give...and watch me grow! ~Amen

Kate's Guitar Recital

Kate has been playing guitar for about six months now. She really enjoys it and I have caught her more than once playing and singing to a CD in her room.

Today was her first guitar recital playing Praise and Worship in Chapel with her class.

As you can see from the photo, Kate broke/fractured/ serverly jammed her left pinky finger this last weekend and it proved a little difficult to play. Daddy teased her she could play 'steel guitar', she didn't think that was very funny :)

We are very happy that she is learning Praise and Worship songs. What a great talent to know as she grows in Christ. It will be a great tool to help her and possibly others enter into a deeper place with Christ.

My Prayer: Lord, give Kate a heart to worship you. May she always know the importance of spending time with You and studying Your Word. Let her heart be filled with the knowledge and wisdom that you can give and may she share it with everyone she meets. Let people see Jesus in her. ~Amen

The Real Aslan

Today marks the launch of a momentous full feature film that I am excited to go see; The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I love these characters (Susan is my personal favorite). Even Kate is now enthralled by this classic piece of literature.

The symbolism of Narnia is obvious to most Christians. Aslan giving his life in such a sacrificial way, the White Witch and her henchmen laughing at his apparent demise, and his returning to life. Isn't it good to know that you know the REAL ASLAN?

At this time in my life I am realizing the importance of my witness. I have not always been bold when I should. Fear of embarrassment, losing friends, offending acquaintances...All have been factors in my cowardice. Then there have been times that I have been bold even when I believed the message was not necessarily being accepted. But last year something happened that I will never forget.

I witnessed to a woman at my job (Lamar University) as I drove her to pick up her car. She prayed with me and told me of her current situations. There were no tears, no angelic appearances and I drove away praying that it made a difference. The next week she thanked me for being bold enough for sharing my faith with her. It had really impacted her, she was sincere in her thanks. I remember feeling proud that I had been brave enough to share and then the Christmas Holidays began. I would not see her again until January...So I thought.

After returning back to school in January, I noticed I did not see her on campus (she was a student). Several weeks went by and I just assumed that she had taken the semester off. On a weird excursion through a building that I rarely go into and past a bulletin board that had not been kept up, I saw her picture on a piece of paper.

She had been murdered.

The reality of WHY we MUST wittiness to people when we are prompted by the Holy Spirit became bone chilling crystal clear. I made a commitment to Christ that day as I drove to meet Darren in tears that I would NEVER pass up the opportunity to share my Jesus with people. After all, witnessing is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find the bread.

My prayer: Lord, As I told you, I will not forget. ~Amen