Happy New Year!!!

We wish everyone blessings on this New Year's Eve. This has been a great year. We have so much to be thankful for.
Everyone in our family is healthy. Matt and I have jobs. We have a wonderful church family. The adults in our family know Jesus as Lord and Savior. God has kept our cars going another year. (They are true Dave Ramsey cars and are pretty dern old.)
We know that God has a purpose for our lives and feel His presence and guidance daily.
We both have wonderful, supportive moms, who love our kids and each of us.
God gave us a new house this year. Last year we lived in a house that was cold and still had utility bills of over $600.
Our doggy, who was in a car wreck, made it and is very healthy.
We have so many old and new friends that we love.
God has given us the opportunity to sing together many times this year to new people, which we have really enjoyed.
Things are good between our 16 year old and us. Our kids are getting along so much better than ever. Matt and I have been married 12 years and still love each other. :)
We've had lots of good times together, from singing in weddings to trips to Six Flags.
God has met every need we have had and lots more.

I could go on and on. Matt has taken everyone to the fireworks stand. We live outside the city limits now, so we can go crazy.

Take care. We really are thankful for all of you. See you in 2008!

It's Friday Night

Here is the link to one of the Family Life Today articles that you see in the sidebar of this blog. It really hit home. It is about things that can crush your relationship with your child. Often things that you do to your firstborn. I have to confess that I am so often to blame for this. It is worth reading. Protecting Your Relationship with Your Child.

Here is another video I found on YouTube. I am officially a YouTube nerd. I have another treasure of Matthew being great on YouTube. Check it out. It is called Go Matt and Laurie Jones.

Today was great. I got to go to Northwest Community College for their honor choir. I officially went as Matt's colleague because she was sick and stayed home. I was going to go anyway for a professional day. I knew I would learn a lot, but I didn't realize how much I would get out of it. I learned so much by talking to the other choral directors that were there. I am excited about taking my kids to see some of these choirs. I learned about warming up with Tai Bo (sp) , etc. My choir isn't going to know what to think. :)

Tomorrow is Benjamin's party. Finally. We had to cancel the one we planned earlier because the computer planned the party for December 12, 1969. By the time we caught the mistake there were no good movies on.

I am looking forward to fall so much. It is getting a little bit cooler. The place where the pool was this summer is looking like a great place to put a flower/ fall veggie bed. I will keep my eye out for some materials to make a border for it. I would love to find some salvaged wood or stones. I am trying to get creative. We are trying to get totally into Dave Ramsey (Financial Peace) so spending more money on planting things is a luxury at this point.

Monday is Grandparent's Day. Happy Early Grandparent's Day, Mom and Mamaw and G'ma and G'pa and GG......and......
The kids at Mary Reid are putting on a program. I am a tad anxious that some of it will come together. Even when I plan, I just don't always know how it is going to all turn out. I think grandparents usually think whatever their little cuties do is cute, though. That is a good thing.

Matt has gone to the football game tonight to work in the concession stand. I guess it will be my turn next time. :) It was kind of a last minute thing.

Well, it always seems that there is so much going on. I want to slow down and think about what is important. God is so good. He gives me strength and guides me in every step. I feel so privileged to get to go to my job and to do what I am doing. I feel a big responsibility to the kids I teach. I want to be something that is stable for them. I want to show them God's love. So many of them come from homes where they don't get the love they need. It is a blessing to do that.

Our church is getting ready for revival and I am trying to check where my heart is. So many times I just feel like I would like to have very little expected of me. Thinking that God may ask me to deny myself or to get out of my comfort zone really shows me how much I often like my comfort too much. I think about the people who have been persecuted for their faith. I think about the people I pass on my way home, in a hurry, who may or may not know Jesus. What does He want for me? He is so worthy of my service. Just thought I would share a few of my thoughts.

God is so good.

Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends?

My children, my children, my children......phew! I refer back to my earlier title of Calgon...take me away. I am in the throws of sibling life. Our sweet 4 people that live with us don't exactly feel the same way about each other as we feel about them or that, of course, God feels about them. How do I know this? It is painfully obvious at times. I know there must be some sort of feeling deep down, but it is a little tough to find. Jacob just burst in our front door saying that Claire should be thankful for what she gets. He was referring to her not wanting the tennis racket with what she thought was a "booger" on it. This is just one example...there are many others. I love 'em. I do think that one day they will really appreciate each other.

This week feels like it should be over already. Last night was Open House at my elementary school. The first graders sang one song with a CD and Matt played guitar for them to sing another song. They were a bit nervous during the first song. I was so glad that they had a second one to really sing out. They did great!

Tomorrow night we are listening to our Christmas musical in choir. We are bringing goodies and apple cider to get us in the Christmas spirit. We are doing One of Us. It is a great musical. Can't wait for everyone to hear it. Choir has been really full lately. It seems like God is blessing this group. There are so many good singers, but most of all, just people who want to worship. It is a blessing to go on Wednesday nights.

Some neat God things have been happening. One I think I will mention is that our neighbor across the street brought us a huge box of clothes that their son had grown out of. They were great and most of them fit. In the box was a nice size 10 suit. I wasn't sure when we would use it. Only one of our guys would have one unless we bought another, and we really don't wear clothes like that. Sadly, two of my kids at school lost their 35 year old dad this past week. There are many circumstances around this that made it sad even before he passed away. (custody battles, etc.) The little boy did not have a suit to wear to his dad's funeral. One of our teachers was getting this all together for them. The little girl was given some dresses by our principal that were her daughter's. I was so blessed to be able to drive the suit and some of the khakis, etc. up to Potts Camp on Saturday for him to wear. It is strange how God meets needs sometimes.

He always has a plan.

Hope you all have a blessed week!