Sunday, March 30, 2008

Another Sunday at Home...

I was really hoping to be able to attend church this morning, but since the weather is cool and wet (not so great for us pneumonia victims), and Sam is still recuperating from his stomach virus...

Here we are.

The goal is to rest up today, so that we can be there tonight.  Tonight is a very special night...

...for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!  

Romans 10: 13-15                                                    

Tonight, during our evening service, my KISA (along with three other special men of God) is to be licensed to preach the gospel!

God is SO GOOD!!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Play Ball!

We had Opening Ceremonies for both baseball and softball this morning.  I thought I would share some shots of my cuties... (and their hunky Dad!) ;-)

 

Disclaimer:  Before the grandparents threaten to call DSS... Emilee was only allowed to dress out and attend Opening Day...we came straight home afterwards. She did NOT play either of her games. (If you're a new reader, you can see why here.) She was bummed, but it was for the best.

Also: Jake is playing his first game right now.  (Sam is recovering from a stomach bug that bit him while he was at Nana's...so the rest of us are home.)I sure hope he hits a homer for his Mama!! GO ASTROS!!!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

In All Circumstances??

What a doozie of a week it has been!  But despite all the unpleasantness surrounding That Nasty Little "P" Word,  there's always room for giving thanks!

Be joyful always; pray continually; giving thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

So without further ado....


  • I am thankful for the quality time Miss Em and I have shared during our infirmity.
  • I am thankful for my Mom and Dad who came and rescued Sam from the pit of despair sick house.  He is the only one who had his flu shot! (Thankful for that, too!)
  • I am thankful for my sweet mother-in-law who was ready to drop everything at a moment's notice, and come to take care of us.  (Even though I wouldn't let her, for fear of her getting the "crud" and not being able to travel next week on business.)
  • I am thankful for a sweet husband, who has taken care of me (and the kids, and still managed to get some work done) over the last week and a half, and has yet to utter a cross word, or even allow one moment of a negative attitude escape his being.  What a Man!! He truly is my KISA!
  • I am thankful that my little man, Jacob, has been willing to pitch in and help his Dad around the house, help take care of "the girls", and get himself ready for school each morning (without Big Sister), all while sporting the most winning smile you've ever seen!  (Even if it is minus one more tooth!)
  • I am thankful that Sweet Husband, and Little Man, are both still healthy, and have shown no signs of getting sick, whatsoever.  And, I earnestly pray they both stay that way!!
  • I am thankful for all of the sweet friends who have called and emailed to let us know they are praying for us, and have offered to bring meals so that I don't Chris doesn't have to cook! What a blessing!
  • And last, but not least...because of having to take breathing treatments every four hours, around the clock, I am thankful for every.single.breath.I. breathe!!

What are you thankful for today?  Leave a comment, and feel free join us for Thankful Thursday over at Sting My Heart.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

That Nasty Little "P" Word...

After feeling awful for 6 straight days, and Emilee running fever AGAIN yesterday (3 days straight of 102+), I decided it was time to take the bull by the horns...

We went to the doctor this morning...

Can you spell P-N-E-U-M-O-N-I-A???

Yep...that's what I said...PNEUMONIA!!! (And we both have nasty sinus infections, to boot!)

So, we are on bed rest for the remainder of the week.  No school for Em...she is heartbroken...really! (She loves school!) And no softball either... (Double bummer).

We will be taking breathing treatments every four hours, and other medications around the clock, as well. 

I am glad I finally have a diagnosis, and that there is valid reason for feeling so incredibly terrible...

Just didn't in a million years think it would be that nasty little "p" word. 

Saturday, March 22, 2008

He is Risen!

I'm really bummed about not being able to attend Easter services at South Florence tomorrow. Emilee and I have the flu...

But, I just "had church" right here in my kitchen, watching this video and celebrating the fact that HE IS RISEN!! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!!!

Let us rest our lives on that!!

THE SAME POWER THAT RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD, is AVAILABLE to US HIS CHILDREN!!!

THIS IS THE HOPE WE HAVE IN JESUS!!!

So what are we waiting for???  No more doubts, no more fears, no more questions!! HE HAS CONQUERED IT ALL!!!...SIN, HELL, AND THE GRAVE!!!

THE VICTORY IS OURS!!!

Let us ARISE and go forth, my dear brothers and sisters...

and LET OUR LIGHTS SHINE!!!

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Thursday, March 20, 2008

Thankful Thursday - For All You've Done


I'm a pretty sick puppy today...

Think I've hit round TWO of the flu! (Prayers are appreciated...)

But I couldn't let today pass without thanking my Sweet Jesus for ALL HE'S DONE for me...

I'll let the words of the song by Point of Grace explain...

Oh cleanser of the mess I've made
Upon the hill our places trade
Stretched on a cross Your body crushed
By human hands You formed from dust

How wonderful Your mercy is
How awesome are Your ways
I come, I come
To worship You
For all You've done

Oh cleanser of the mess I've made
Your boundless love for me portrayed
With patience for my learning curve
By holding back what I deserve

How wonderful Your mercy is
How awesome are Your ways
I come, I come
To worship You
For all You've done

Oh cleanser of the mess I've made
With everything at Your feet laid
I watch as all my cares erode
And from my soul these words explode

How wonderful Your mercy is
How awesome are Your ways
I come, I come
To worship You
For all You've done

(Clint Lagerberg)

Jesus you truly are AWESOME, and I will never get over what you did for me that Sunday when I was eight years old, by applying the work of the cross to my life...your blood to my sin, and setting me free to serve and worship you forever!!! You are the victor, and I celebrate YOU, "my Healer, my Cleanser, my Father, Oh My Savior!"...today, and every day!!

Monday, March 17, 2008

The Luck of the Irish for Two Sweet Siestas!

Hey Y'all! Happy St. Patty's Day!
Here are the winners of my Ultimate Blog Party drawing:


Prize #1 goes to Rindy Walton!

Prize #2 goes to Kathleen Marie!

Congratulations, girls!

Be sure to email me your addresses so I can get these prizes shipped out to you as soon as possible. (And Kathleen, let me know which shade you like best!) Thanks for playing, and for stopping by to visit me!

HAVE AN AWESOME WEEK!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

God of This City - Chris Tomlin


(Link to video here, if you cannot see it.)

 

Praying for my city today...

Are you praying for yours??

Saturday, March 15, 2008

One Year Ago Today...

At this conference...

At this church...

Almost exactly at this very hour...

GOD ROCKED OUR WORLD!!!

KISA and I surrendered to God's call on our lives, to be missionaries to our culture, and plant a church here in Florence, SC. 

Perry Noble will never know how greatly God has used him to impact our lives.  We actually got to meet him this year at the very same conference, when we went to Sullivan's to eat dinner.  I can honestly say that he is one of the most humble, sincere, and compassionate Jesus-seekers I have ever encountered.  So thanks, Perry... for being who you are, and inspiring us to be who Jesus called us to be!

OUR LIVES HAVE CHANGED FOREVER...and because we have been UNLEASHed, we want to start a Revolution that will impact our city for eternity!

Friday, March 14, 2008

Friday Five

1. My KISA is home!! The children and I have missed him so much, and it sure was nice to have everyone back under the same roof last night. He is MY MAN, and I am SO PROUD of him!!

2. UNLEASH was OFF THE CHAIN! God rocked our world once again this year, and we are so thankful that we got to be a part of that conference with our team and our pastor and his wife. Thanks to Perry Noble and all the "Springers" for the inspiration and encouragement to KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON and to do ALL THINGS for the glory of our LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!

3. THANKS TO ALL OUR PRAYER PARTNERS (you know who you are) that have been lifting us up. It has been a rough couple of weeks, and we have no doubt that we have gotten through them because of your prayers!

4. Speaking of prayer...KEEP IT UP!! We need them...NOW MORE THAN EVER!

Please pray especially for my friend Priscilla:
"Just wanted to ask each of you to pray for me today. On the way home from Anderson last night (we attended a church conference called UNLEASH), I had a very bad eye bleed and can not see much out of my left eye. I have a condition called retinopathy. It started 8 years ago but has been in remission for several years. I hope to see my eye doctor today and will probably need to have some major surgery on my eye in the upcoming weeks. Please keep me in your prayers and I will update you as soon as I see my doctor".
5. JESUS IS AWESOME!!! He is the MOST INCREDIBLE thing that has EVER happened to me! He continues to work in our hearts and lives to make us into the missionaries that He has called us to be. Revolution is gaining momentum, but we have also taken a few, quite painful, hits in the last several days, as well. All of this is reminding me to PERSEVERE and to "consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." So we will continue to run the race that God has set before us, and to pursue HIS CALL on our lives and HIS VISION for Revolution Church.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

On the Road Again...

Just wanted to send out a quick little post to give you an update on this week's happenings.

KISA and I were commissioned on Sunday night by the South Carolina Baptist Convention through the Church Multiplication Program. We had an awesome time of worship and encouragement at Taylors First Baptist. All of the planters in attendance introduced themselves and shared prayer requests. Everyone got a Certificate of Deployment and this book (I was so excited; it was on our wishlist!) It was a great night. Thanks to all our friends and family for your love and support, especially those who made the trip to be with us!

Chris will be attending the final day of ICPT today. (That's the reason you haven't heard from him all week at ChrisReeder.com...he decided NOT to take the laptop! I couldn't believe it!!) He is learning and growing so much, and has really had a great time connecting with other church planters, and hearing from Jesus. A team of us will meet up with him in Anderson, SC tonight so that we can attend UNLEASH together. We absolutely cannot wait!! NewSpring Church has a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers and ministers who truly inspire and uplift. And Perry Noble just flat out ROCKS! We even got a hand written note from one of the volunteers that said they "are looking forward to serving us with great joy"! How AWESOME!

So I am on the road again today, but we'll be back tomorrow night, and I am sure we will have plenty to tell about how God is continuing to clarify the vision for HIS CHURCH, Revolution Church, in Florence, SC! Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Y'all behave, now!! ;-)

Saturday, March 8, 2008

If The House is Rockin' Don't Bother Knockin'...

JUST COME ON IN!!!

(Yeah... KISA is smiling at that title, too!!)

Ultimate Blog Party 2008

Welcome to my home on the web!! This is my first Blog Party, and I am so excited. I get really worked up about making a good first impression, so I hope I am able to make you all feel right at home without spoiling things with my nervous energy!

So come on in and have a seat. Make your self all comfy and cozy right here on the couch, and let's get to know each other a little.

If you've been able to take a gander at my sidebar, you'll know that I am a "SAHM mother of three precious gifts from God, and wife to the most wonderful guy on the planet!". It also gives you the "skinny" on why I started blogging and what I feel the purpose of my blog is. You'll also see some family photos there...just scroll on down. While you are scrolling you will notice some of the weekly memes I participate in, like Living Well and Thankful Thursday. Oh yeah, and some of my favorite tunes and artists are listed there as well. I absolutely LOVE music. I live and breathe by music and lyrics.

I've actually been blogging for about two and a half years, but I have only been on the Blogger Scene for about 10 months now. I named the place TRULY CAPTIVATING because of a book I read that totally changed my life. It really helped me see myself through the eyes of my creator, and challenged me to be as TRULY CAPTIVATING as He is, since I am His image bearer to the world.

Let's see...what else could I tell you... (if you haven't noticed yet, I am a sanguine personality and I LOVE to talk!) ;-) (and wink!)

Why don't you come on in to the breakfast table, and I'll share some of the exciting things that have been happening in my life over the last year or so. Do you take your coffee with cream and sugar? Oh yeah... this Mama loves her java! I can smell a Starbucks from a mile away, but my preferred blends to serve at home are Dunkin' Donuts Original Blend, Gevalia's Light Roast, and Folgers Vanilla Biscotti. Go ahead, help yourself to a brownie while you're at it!! (Yeah, those are coffee beans in the center piece...well, you can't really see it for the chair, but trust me... it's true!)

Over the last year some big things have happened in my life as well as my KISA's. (Oh yeah, KISA is my "code name" for Chris...that wonderful guy I was telling you about earlier...it stands for KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR. I know, I am cheezy, but it it's totally true! He's my "little piece of Jesus" right here on earth!) Okay, back to the point... one year ago this past January, this former English teacher turned stay-at-home mom, added another feather in her cap. I became an Independent Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay Cosmetics. Yeah, I still can't believe it either... it's TOTALLY out of my comfort zone, since I am NOT a sales person! But the products are so awesome they virtually sell themselves, and it gets me out of the house and allows me to have "girl time" with women all over the place. Not to mention it has been a neat little tool in helping to pay off some bills for the Reeder family, and that's ALWAYS a good thing!
The other big thing, is that last March (yes only ONE MONTH after signing up with MK) KISA and I went to a church leadership conference that totally rocked our worlds! You can read all the details here, but the end result of it all is that we have captured the vision to plant a new church here in Florence, SC. It is the passionate desire of our hearts to be used of God to start a Revolution in our city. We are in the very beginning stages of this process, and would sincerely appreciate it if you would consider praying for us along the way. We both blog about this topic a lot, so if you are interested check back in for details whenever you get a chance.
Why don't we move this party out to the back deck and enjoy the view and the company for just a little bit longer...
I know! Let's play a little game I like to call "Favorite Things"...
I've already told you about my love for music (all kinds) and coffee, but here are a few other things that really make me smile.
  • Sunsets on the beach (at Sunset Beach...our favorite vacation spot).
  • My kiddos singing to the radio at the top of their lungs. Especially when it's a praise song...chokes me up every time!
  • Visiting Charleston, SC. (We honeymooned there... so rich with beauty and history!)
  • Singing and dancing! I love them both!! I can always get myself out of an emotional funk when I get my groove on!
  • Cooking! I love pouring over cook books and planning menus. One of the highlights of my year was getting to eat at Paula Dean's restaurant. Fabulous!!
  • Hanging out with my family and friends. I truly love entertaining, and sharing my home with others. I am so glad that you decided to stop by.

Before you go, I have a little something (free!) for you. (I love giving gifts, too!) When you leave a comment on this post, you will be entered to win one of two "door prizes". Both of these "goodies" will help you remember that you, too are TRULY CAPIVATING. You can check them out here, and here. I'll hold the drawing on March 17th, so check back then to see if you're a winner! (Be sure to leave your email address so that I can let you know!)

Well, thanks again for stopping by. Let us see you out. I sure do hope you've enjoyed your visit. Come back anytime!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Throw Up Ya Rawk Fist, If Ya Feelin' Me When I Drop This!!

You gotta love TFK! (Just for the record, my KISA will be grinning from ear to ear when he reads that title!) :-)

So why the head-bangin' Christian Rock Band opener for my Thankful Thursday post this week?? I just feel like PRAISIN' HARDCORE today!!

Yes, it has been a wild week...and there's another one coming right behind it!  But God is GOOD, so here are a few things that I am most thankful for ...

1. I am thankful that my van is NOT totaled!! The mechanic called on Tuesday to let me know that the damage was not as bad as first estimated, and that the insurance company had given him the go-ahead to make the necessary repairs. This was a huge relief!! And yes, in the mean time, I'm still thankful that I get to ride around in the Caddy! ;-)

2. I am thankful that we passed our assessment with the SCBC Church Multiplication program!! WHOO HOO!!!! While there are still several areas in which we need to improve and grow, our over all score made the cut! This was a HUGE answer to prayer, and I am so excited about what God is going to do in and through us in the weeks and months to come! I am so proud of my KISA, he has already grown so much through this process, and I know that God has BIG plans for his life!!

3. I am thankful for my Bible Study this morning which focused on the "Mighty One who has done great things" (Luke 1:49). Mary's Song inspired me to lift my voice in praise to my Jesus, who has rescued me, redeemed me, restored me, and is molding me like clay in His hands. I cranked up one of my tracks and sang to the top of my lungs!! "Here in the power of Christ I stand!!"

4. I am thankful for loving family members and friends who have emailed and called this week to let us know they are praying for us. We covet those prayers so passionately right now. We have cleared some major hurdles, but there are still more to cross, and we cannot do it on our own. We need PRAYER WARRIORS!! Chris issued an invitation of sorts to all who would like to  partner with us on our journey, by agreeing to pray for us along the way. If you'd like to join in, please comment this post. He and I will both be posting our requests and praise reports, so stay tuned!!

5. Speaking of staying tuned...I am also thankful for some exciting news that is forth coming. Some of it is still in the works, so we cannot let the cat out of the bag too quickly, but get ready for another announcement, or two, in the next couple of weeks. (Yeah Tammi, I know...the cruelty never ends...)

God is SO GOOD (did I say that already??), and He NEVER CEASES to AMAZE ME!!

So what are you throwing up your rawkfist about today??? Stop on by and see Iris at STING MY HEART, and tell her I sent you.  Be gentle though, I don't think she's too accustomed to hardcore praise... (but I may just be wrong about that!) ;-)

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

A First for Me...

This is my first time ever participating in Wordless Wednesday, although I have been enjoying the experience for months from other blogs to which I am subscribed. 

As I was cleaning my desk the other day, I came across a CD of pictures from a photo session last summer .  My sister, Betsy, and I set it up for my Dad on Father's Day.  These pics are just too great not to share.  So, here goes...

Monday, March 3, 2008

School Daze

Emilee is learning cursive, and she is practicing on every single piece of paper she can get her hands on.  The other day, as I was looking for a pad on which to jot down my grocery list, I pulled out my " scrap pad drawer" in the desk, and almost all of them had some form (upper or lower case) of a cursive alphabet on them!

Second Grade has been an adventure of sorts for us.  Em is extremely bright (so much so it scares me!) Her grades are excellent (honor roll every grading period thus far)... but we have not gone without our challenges.  First grade was NOTHING like this! (And I thought we had made a huge step from 5K to First Grade!) 

This year, we have had many projects.  From creating a globe to reporting on Australia, to Penguin Projects (which, unfortunately due to the illness - that blasted flu -and slackness of her mother, was turned in one day late).  The latest in the series was a project on birds.  She was to choose a bird and find some interesting facts about it.  Along with a written report, she was to draw a picture of her bird for an illustration.  Em decided to take this a step farther.  To earn some extra credit (since the last project received a ten point deduction - a 90 instead of 100, I thought this was a great idea).  Instead of drawing a picture, she made a clay model of a Northern Cardinal.  Here he is in all his glory...

Jacob came home from kindergarten with a yellow dot today.  This means that his color was changed from green (good behavior) to yellow (warning!!!).  This was not the first time, but the first time was not his fault.  You can read about that here.  This time he was asked repeatedly to stop doing something...and he obviously did not heed the warning.

So, his Daddy and I put our heads together and came up with a "correction" that will hopefully make him THINK TWICE about ignoring his teachers warnings to stop misbehaving again.  He had to write "I will obey my teacher" twenty times on a piece of notebook paper.  (Chris wanted to make it 50, but I said GEEZ it's 5K!  Give the kid a break!! ;-))  Well, after his dad had called and handed down his sentence, Jacob began the assignment right after finishing his homework sheet.  After the first sentence he said, "Mom, this is going to take all the time I have until I die!".   Like a good, compassionate mother, I gave him an out.  I said "Well, baby...I'll tell you what... You don't have to finish that if you don't want to.  As an alternative, I will go ahead and spank you, and we can be done with it".  He kept writing.  About forty minutes later, his mission was accomplished and he was outside playing.  I have to say, even though he misspelled teacher, his penmanship is awesome!! (He's going to take after his Papa...or Mary Poppins... "practically perfect in every way"...)

Sam (3K) had is mid-year evaluation a few weeks ago.  He absolutely loves school and adores his teacher.  Here are a few things that his beloved Mrs. Russell had to say about him.

  • Sam is such a sweet young man.
  • He always comes in smiling every day!
  • He is very loving and happy
  • His classmates like him very much.   
  • He has really become more independent.   
  • He shares and takes turns.
  • He will not stand for someone not treating him the same way. 
  • He lets them know in a strong voice.
  • He cares and shows compassion for his classmates.
  • He loves books.
  • Sam is such an artist.
  • His cognitive skills are great.
  • Matching, memory, sorting, and patterns; he does all of these easily.
  • He counts to ten and recognizes numbers.
  • He has one to one correspondence while counting objects.

Oh, if I could only keep them like this!! Before I know it, they'll be in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. Then we'll be dealing with college applications instead of projects, taking away cars/licenses instead of writing sentences, and charming girls instead of teachers!!  But for now, I will revel in the joys of mothering a preschooler, kindergartner, and a second-grader.  These precious years have a way of  passing quickly...much too quickly.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Lead Me to the Cross

My sweet friend Meredith offered her praise by singing this song at church tonight. (Scroll down to activate the music player, if it doesn't automatically start...you really need to hear this song!!)
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of my self
I belong to You
Oh lead me, lead me to the cross
Wow!! What a powerful prayer...
As I begin this week of hectic schedules and housework with softball/baseball practices, and various other activities, may I remember that the cross is where I find my healing, my power, and my strength. Thank you Jesus for bearing my cross, my sin and my shame. Lead me to the cross, and help me leave all my baggage there. Then I will truly know that it is the cross that frees me and gives me new life!
"For my determined purpose is that I may know Him; that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death." (Philippians 3:10 - Amplified Bible)