WFW 10*1*08

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In Loving Memory 9-30-00

On Saturday, September 30, 2000, Mom called. She was coming to Kirbyville for her eldest grandson’s, Dustin, Pee-Wee football game. Mom had just had a colon resection done nine weeks prior. Her youngest grandson, at the time, had been sick. Mom was calling to see if Wes was well. When she called me, I told her that Wes was fine and that she would need to be here around noon. She told me she was leaving, had to stop to get cash and gas and then she would be on her way. My house is about 50 miles away from hers, so I figured she would be here with in an hour or so. As that time neared, I was beginning to wonder if she stopped to pick up lunch for us. As it got closer to noon, I decided that my husband, Chris, and Dustin should go to town and get hamburgers.
Chris called me on his cell phone and said there had been a wreck at the end of our road. The emergency crews called for Life Flight and were waiting for it to land on the highway. While Chris was on the phone with me, he asked what kind of cars were involved. The volunteer told him a small gold car and a small white truck. At that moment I knew in my heart who it was. Chris said let me check it out and I’ll call you right back. I started praying the second we hung up. I couldn’t wait a minute longer, so I called Chris. All he said when he answered was it’s your mom. I hung up the phone, jumped up screaming at Lauren, who was a sleep in the chair, and ran to the car. As I was flying down our dirt road Chris was coming back to stop me. I demanded to go down there to at least tell the crews about her surgery. The officer that I got to talk with told me that she was really bad and in Cardiac Arrest. They told us to get to the hospital and not to try to beat the helicopter.
We went back to the house. I put on my shoes and grabbed my address book. After we dropped the kids at a relatives house, we headed for the hospital. Besides trying to reach family, friends, and my pastor, all I can recall saying was “Please don’t let her die”. When we got to the hospital, Chris’s mom was there waiting and life flight had already arrived. After answering as many questions that I could, the hospital personnel put us into a family room. We made some more phone calls and then the doctor came in. He sat down with us and asked me if mom had any health problems. I told him what I knew and then with four simple words, my world fell apart. He told us “She didn’t make it.” He told us that he would come back after the other family arrived. One by one, my brother, my Father-in-law, 3 of mom’s closest friends, my sister and my pastor arrived. After we stood around in shock and cried with one another they told us we were able to go back to see her. That was really hard to do. When we went in there she was lying there so peacefully. She had some bruising to her face, and a laceration on her forehead. Other than that, there were no apparent injuries.
We later found out that, from the force of the impact, her Aorta was ruptured. She was stopped to turn on my road when she was hit from the rear at about 70 MPH. Thankfully she never knew what hit her. To this day we still do not know why this young man wasn’t paying attention to the road. Unfortunately his negligence killed someone. We all have a responsibility when we get in our car. Watch the road and the People around you.

That almost seems like a lifetime ago. God has done a mighty work in my mind and my heart since that day. He has giving me peace about the guy that hit her, being I live in the same town as him. He has delivered me from deep depression and has taken away that deep pain of grief. I miss her more than ever but it is different now then it was. Several years ago the hurt and grief was still so achingly strong but lately it has been more of a peaceful feeling and a flood of memories.
I love you mom and miss you dearly.......

Go See FireProof......

If you did not go this weekend to see this movie then shame on you....... But wait there is still time for you to catch it. If you loved Flywheel or Facing the Giants by Sherwood Films this one will blow you away. Married or not you have got to see this movie. It is their best yet.

I loved it. God spoke to me about this movie a while back and I was not going to let the devil detour us (me and DH of course) from seeing it.

I don't want to give any details about it away. It is heartwarming and funny, and bring your tissues....... I learned alot about love this weekend....... Please , Please go see this movie and if you just cant You should buy it when it comes on video.

I am buying it, and adding to the collection of Sherwood Films.
God is at work with this church and he is using them to reach millions. Praise Him, He is so good.

The theme of the movie is "Never Leave Your Partner Behind". Marriage is the most important Human relationship there is. Over Parents, Children, Siblings, Friendship and Work. I have a hard time putting it first in my life, always have. And we both suffer because of it.

There has been so many times that I just wanted to give up and call it quits. The part of this movie that really hit me like a ton of bricks was when "Cole" and his dad were talking and he was describing all the things and actions he had taking in the last few weeks to demonstrate his love to his wife and she had totally rejected him...... Spat in his face. And this whole time his dad was walking around him and ended up standing under the Cross. Then his dad basically told him isn't that what you have been doing to God...... He pursues us, Loves us, Blesses us and we spat in his face and reject him. But he never gives up on us. Look at all the chances he gives us.

Even after becoming a Christian, We still turn our back on him, dishonor him by our actions. We don't Thank Him, Praise Him, and Worship Him as we should.

Be Still Sunday

WFW 9*24*08

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Big Thank You!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all my Blogging Buddies who have been praying for me and my family for the last couple of weeks while we faced Hurricane Ike.

You are a wonderful group of ladies and I am so blessed to call you my friend.

I am tired of hurricanes

What a week it was. Recovering from Ike hasn't been easy or fun. I am still exhausted from working and one day off didn't help me recover much. Yesterday I slept till noon. I know I should have been in Church but I just couldn't get out of bed. The only reason I got up was to feed my hungry kids. For us, our schedules are back to normal. School, after school practices and I am sure alot of homework started again today. Poor Lane, this is his first year of school and I am sure he is confussed about going 1 week and off for a hurricane. Beings we started school Aug. 25 and he has only been 11days. I pray this it is for us this hurricane season. We are so ready to be through this season. Texas has gotten 3 storms already this year. And my pocket book can't take another. They are so expensive to evacuate from and that is not including if you come home to a damaged home. Continue to pray for all that were harmed by Ike. I thank you so much for your prayers. And pray for me too, I am in sort of a down state of mind, Sort of overwhelmed. I can not get motivated to do anything and I am just slapped worn out.
I will leave you with a few photos of when we were evacuated to Mississippi.

My daughter Lauren and my nieces Shelby, and Christa


Lauren chilling on the golf cart

My sister Colleen, and my uncle Louis, Thanks again for letting us come stay with you.

Part of the hurricane gang playing football

Left my niece Christa, and right my cousin Jillian we had a hard time telling them apart.

Christa and Dustin playing a little pool football

Our last night there, trying to stay calm while the storm rolled in.

More on Ike's fury

The last few days have been exhausting. We are working some crazy hours right now and all I can managed to do is that. My house is a wreck and I have no energy to clean it up right now. We are all doing well. School starts back on Monday. Our town is still with out power and there is only one gas station that is full operational. It is so depressing to watch the news. It is just devastating what Ike did here. I live about 70 miles off the coast but there are so many memories there. And they all have been wiped off the beach. Chris was able to find an arial shot of his grandpa's cabin. Before and after. It is gone. You should be able to click on the picture to enlarge it.

Some of the other towns inland from the coast, off the river, had massive flooding and people had to be rescued from roof tops. Homes and businesses were a total loss.

there is even a report of a lion from a local zoo taking shelter with people from Cyrstal Beach in a church....

Pray for all those that were affected by Ike's fury. It will be a long time before things are back to normal in these Texas towns.

No damage Praise God.

I have little time to update. We are fine, my house is fine, and over all my community is fine. But I work for the electrical company and the power is out from our supplier Entergy. They had horrible damage done to transmission lines and power production plants. We are working long hours now. I will update a later. Thanks for all your prayers. God is so Good to me.
Here is a local picture of what was our beachs here

Before

After

update on Ike

THrusday night we decided to leave to beat the traffic of mandatory evacuation for 6am. We are at my familys place in Hattiesburg, Ms. there are 15 of us that came. I have already been called to be back to work 6 am Sunday. I cant get the prediction to upload. please pray for us today it will be a very nervous.

WFW 9*10*08

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Take a Hike, IKE!

Last week it was Gustav this week it is Ike..... Can we get a little rest for the weary.
Praise God we didn't end up with any damage from Gustav but this weekend might sing a different toon for the upper Texas coast. I work for my local electric company and we have been having meetings twice a day since yesterday with the State officials and the National Weather Service. Here is what is predicted as of the morning.

With Hurricane Force winds ranging out in a Radius of 75 miles. and Tropical Storm Force winds going to a possible 250 miles out.

Lord knows that Louisiana can't take another hit right now and us here in East Texas are not looking forward what we went though 3 years ago with Hurricane Rita. I my self went with out power at my house for 17 days. That is tough.

Praying for a easy Hit if we have to take the blow......

Will keep you guys updated.

Be Still Sunday

This Pastor Has Guts:

And may the Good Lord Bless his Ministries.

It seems prayer still upsets some people. Please read....

When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard;

'Heavenly Father,
We come before you today to ask for your forgiveness

and to seek your direction and guidance.
We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good'
But that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor

And called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness

And called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn

and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists

and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children

And called it building self esteem.
We have abused power

And called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's Possessions

And called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and Pornography

And called it Freedom of speech and expression.
We have ridiculed the time Honored values of our Forefathers

And called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, And know our hearts today;
Cleanse us from every sin

And set us free.
Amen!'

WFW 9*3*08

One of the sweet little ones from my church

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Pictures from Longview

Since Gustav cancelled Wes's birthday party Saturday afternoon Mrs. Tracy made him a homemade cake. It was so good. Homemade icing too.....

Lane killing a little time

Sunday afternoon my sister took some of the kids to the park to get them out of the house.... after all there were 17 of us there.

Shelby (my neice) and Lauren

Lane and Blake (my nephew)

They were hot.

Gustav is Gone.

Not knowing exactly where the Hurricane was going to make landfall we decided to evacuate Saturday afternoon. It is always hard to leave your house behind, but we had each other. It was a blessing to be able to come home this time and Gustav missing us. He came ashore in Louisiana and headed west. We got up Monday morning to head home before the rain bands started. After a long and tiring weekend I am Blessed to be home and to get things back to running order around my house. The called off School on Saturday til Thursday, so the kids are enjoying an extended holiday weekend. But soon it will be back to normal around my house. With 3 more storms to watch this week I will be keeping an eye on them. Although I am not at all ready to up and leave again.
We are getting alot of rain from it and we did get some winds last night (40mph). But still praising the Lord for no devastation.
Pray for all those effected by Gustav. They have alot of cleaning up to do.
I have some pictures from our time away this weekend I will try to get loaded tonight.