Much needed Inspiration...

"I exchange... my weariness for His strength, my weakness for His power, my darkness for His light, my problems for His solutions, my burdens for His freedom, my frustrations for His peace, my turmoil for His calm, my hopes for His promises, my afflictions for His balm of comfort, my questions for His answers, my confusion for His knowledge, my doubt for His assurance, my nothingness for His awesomeness, the termporal for the eternal, and the impossible for the possible."-A Woman After Gods Own Heart
Today started off great but then like a huge slap in the face others "GOOD NEWS" again started a huge emotional breakdown for me. The tears just won't stop! I appreciate all the words that people say and yes they do comfort me but today, it was hard to accept it. A student xray tech that I worked with today sent me a friend request on myspace. I accepted and started looking at her page. The paragraph above was typed under her About Me section on her page. No other words today have spoken to me like those that I read there. I realize that God places people in our lives to help us through our struggles. I asked the student to send me a friend request today. God knew that I would read those words! I still am struggling emotionally but the words do comfort me greatly. I thank God for her!

Jeremiah's DRAMA...

Ok, so this is an interesting story! A couple of Saturdays ago, Jeremiah was washing the hardwoods in our house by hand when he got a splinter about 2 1/2 inches long in the palm of his hand. I took him to the urgent care, they cut him to look for the rest and then stitched him up. 6 stitches! They didn't find anything skin deep and they can't go into the muscle to look for the rest of the splinter. He was referred to the Hand Center and the doctor scheduled surgery for this past Tuesday! Well up above is the piece of wood that was stuck in the palm of his hand 1 1/2 inches long. Yeah and he also had his carpal tunnel sugery at the same time. Jeremiah will now be out of work for about 6 weeks. Just the carpal tunnel surgery he would be out for about 2 weeks but because he was doing my job around the house and got hurt he is home for another 4 weeks. Gotta love what men will do in order to get a little attention!

Our Newest Addition....

"CHANCEY" as in 2nd Chance Chance is our newest little addition to our family. I don't know why God brings these little creatures into my life cause once I hold it I can't give it up! Chance in this picture is about 3-4weeks old. He is now about 6 weeks old. A few weeks ago we found Chance and he wasn't doing to well. His eyes were matted with gook and he would not take a bottle. A few days later his little eyeball fell out of his head! No lie! Jeremiah and I put him the bathroom while he called his mom to see what we needed to do because his eye was still attached to the optic nerve hanging outside the eye socket. Jeremiah's mom suggested that the expense to have the eye removed was great and that it would be best to put him down. As soon as Jeremiah told me that I immediately broke down spent an hour in the bathroom hugged up to the toilet. Jeremiah came to me and told me to go to bed and not to come out until the morning cause he had to take care of the situation (put him to sleep). I went in the other bathroom to tell little Chance bye forever and his eyeball had fallen off and the eye had closed. He was doing good and then began to eat like a horse. I gave him some antibiotics I had at home and he is growing like a weed and only having one eye does not hold him back at all.

A Wonderful Week...

This past week was a wonderful one. Jeremiah and me got to keep my friend's little boy Troy. He is such a blessing and if I could keep him for myself I would in a heartbeat. He is the most thoughtful little boy. We did a lot with him! Swimming, meeting Ashley and Donna for supper, watching Steven play football, going to Kampai where he really entertained the whole table with his whit. Most of all Troy really enjoyed going to church. He didn't want to leave our house. Honestly, I didn't want him to go either. When his mom picked him up on Sunday I went back in the house and cried like a baby. Needless to say, I love Troy so much. The joy that he brought to our home last week was wonderful. Jeremiah got attached to him and loved having him around.

"Happy Birthday" to Me!

Happy Birthday to me!! Yes, today is my 28th birthday! Man, where does time go? My birthday is a really special time in my life, not because it is the day I came into the world but it is the day I turned from the world and turned to GOD! June 17th, 1992 at Bethel Baptist Church in Preacher Darrell's office at during VBS I gave my life to Christ. I called my mother on the phone and she cried with me, to this day I still don't know if she was crying because I got saved or if she was crying in pain-(you will find out why I say that read on). It could not have been a better time in my live than to be RE-born on my birthday! Aside of that, there is another reason why it is special. My baby brother Steven was born on June 18th, 1992. We are 12 years and 1 day apart in age. I have always wanted a brother and for some reason God saw fit to answer my prayer and bless me, my parents and my family with a addition. Steven was a premature baby and a Wonderful gift to me. I guess God knew how much I wanted a little brother that He decided to give him to us a little early. Tomorrow Steven will turn 16, and I am so very proud of what a wonderful young man he has turned out to be. If I could ask for only 5 things for the rest of my life it would be 1st- that God would bless Jeremiah and me with a child of our own that we could love and take care of. That we would grow old with each other and hold our grandchildren on the porch and tell them cool stories, 2nd- that my grandmother be here on earth forever and that I could meet my Mema Norris ( I heard she was a wonderful lady), 3rd- that my parents would never struggle in anyway and that my daddy would not have to deal with sickness and my mother too, 4th- that my family (Jeremiah, Uncle Tommy, Aunt Mylinda, Cindy, Heth, Abby, Michael, Helen, Uncle Jerry, Aunt Sue, Jerry, Angie and Jason, Jeremiah's mom and dad, my brother and sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews and friends{You know who you are I have TOO many to count}) would all live life to the fullest and never go without anything, 5th- that my brother always be a spiritual leader, when life hands him mountains that he take them and look at them as small rocks, that he never ever settles for second best and the he work hard to achieve all of his life goals without holding anything back and last but not least that he really take his favorite verse to heart (I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength. Phillip. 4:13). I say all of that to say that just because I am getting older doesn't mean it is bad or that I am getting OLD but it is a time to be Thankful that I am here and I have a lot to show for it. On today I made sure that I thanked God for making me the person I am today with the help of my family and friends. I am so very thankful that I (at least I think I am, tell me if i'm not) am a giving person-everyone else comes first, that I can't let anyone else go without, I like to see the good side of all, I can't say "NO", I just love people. I don't mean to toot my own horn but I really wish that there were more people in the world that were willing to allow others before theirselves and maybe just maybe the world would be a little different. So, this year, my birthday has a new meaning. It has been 28 good years of love, laughter, tears, heartache, and happiness and I am looking forward to at least 28 more! So when it is your birthday don't be ashamed to say "Happy Birthday" to yourself, it is OK to do so because it is a Blessing!

What a weekend....

Yeah! What a weekend! Saturday was a real fun day! As you can tell by the pictures that I have a nice ankle injury! I fell at my grandma's house in the backyard. I decided to go on to the ER and spent about 4 hours there for them to tell me I had a really bad sprain and that I didn't need to weight bear for a few days! HA HA HA! Oh, did I mention that they also gave me CRUTCHES!!! (This is oh so funny!- A PLUS SIZED girl on crutches!) Well, I am a xray tech at an orthopedic/sports medicine clinic so no weight bearing was not possible. I had a doc at the office look at it today and he said that I had a really bad sprain and a torn ligament from my knee which is causing a lot of pain. I am currently wearing a can boot for about 4 weeks and on the crutches until the squeeze test on my calf is negative. http://www.nextag.com/FLA-ORTHOPEDICS-StepLite-Walking-574081501/prices-html?nxtg=9bc60a1c051c-1D1A1662289F42C5 if you want to know what a can boot is. Well that is about it the last of my drama for this week. This just proves that I am just about to turn another year older!!! (Next Tuesday) The LORD has a real sense of humor to remind me I am getting old. Like from the movie (Evan Almighty) "I got a boo-boo!"

Memorial Day with the Kids at Falls Park

Jeremiah and me were off on Memorial day so we decided to spend a little time with our 4-legged children at Falls Park in downtown Greenville. Here are a few pictures from that day! Our dogs LOVE the water and could not go one day with out getting into it. (That is why we have a kiddie pool in the back yard! :0)

My Brother...Growing Up....

My Brother, Steven, growing up too fast! Man, it is really hard to see the young man that was 16 years ago 3lbs now almost all grown up. I am so proud of the young man that he has become! Steven is a typical teenage boy! He tries to get his way but in the end he has a sister that sets his path straight! He loves sports, his family, his girlfriend Stevie and goes to school as a hobby!

On a serious side Steven is a strong christian young man who loves and serves the Lord. He stands firm in what he believes in and holds nothing back. It is just really hard to see him grow up because he is supposed to be the little brother who still calls me "SISTER!" He doesn't call me Stephanie, Steph, or Steppie he calls me SISTER! I love it.

This Saturday he went to his first Prom. It is so weird being one of those going to Furman to take pictures for prom. Is he really that age yet? He has a beautiful girlfriend, Stevie. She a hyperactive teenage girl that loves rainbow color striped rainboots, retro anything and stands out among the crowd! They compliment each other well.

I am so glad that God answered my prayer a long time ago for a little brother! He has blessed my life in so many ways! I feel almost like his mom, sometimes act like his mom (which he doesn't care for) but what are older sisters for? Anyways enjoy some of the prom pictures!

The Reason I Sing...

The Reason I Sing...What Is Your Reason?
Wednesday night in choir practice our music minister asked us the question, "What is the reason we sing?" That may not seem like a real hard question for most but for me it was a reality check. We took a few moments to pray silently and to reflect on that question before we did something that you normally do not do in choir practice- "The LORD's Supper"
You know I have gotten into the routine of every Sunday going to church standing up in the choir loft singing praise songs (sometimes lately catch myself not really paying attention to the words that I am singing), smiling, clapping, raising my hands- only to realize that I am not doing it for the right REASON!
This realization really hit home with me when our music minister asked us to come take "The LORD's Supper" and tell what Jesus is to us in our lives and why we sing. I sat there shocked that I could not give a honest answer to my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I began to pray that God would put the words into my heart and speak through me that is after I asked Him for forgivness which He so FREELY gave. I felt so bad that I knew then that I have made the LORD's day a "ROUTINE!"
I can say that the Reason I sing is....
He is my creator, SAVIOR, comforter, friend, salvation, hope, strength, love, light, path, source of control, determination, voice, healer, provider, peace, rest, courage, my SONG, my heartbeat, and most of all my Faithful and Forgiving FATHER!
FOR THOU OH LORD, ARE A SHIELD FOR ME, MY GLORY AND THE LIFTER OF MY HEAD
I CRIED UNTO THE LORD WITH MY VOICE AND HE HEARD ME OUT OF HIS HOLY EAR, I LAY ME DOWN AND SLEPT AND AWAKED, FOR THE LORD SUSTAINED, THE LORD SUSTAINED ME!!!!