Happy Birthday Daddy!

  You beautiful one are loved, adored and cherished. Thank you for being you with your great big heart and your love of family and faith. Thank you for how you love Him -even through tremendous trials. Thank you for how you walk in the anointing of Fatherhood . It is your greatest calling and you rejoice in it. I love how you love our children. Embracing each one in every possible way. I love watching you with them. It is one of my greatest pleasures. To watch you demonstrate your love for them. You are a man of great honor and great integrity. You are a man with a tremendous destiny - called, chosen, anointed and appointed for the ministry of family. You will be a Father to the fatherless my dear, sweet husband. You are a great teacher- one who leads by word and by deed. One who will teach others how to love and how to be an earthly example of His love. You are a man of great intellect and a man whose heart is so grand that it cannot be compared to anyone - except His. I am humbled to be your wife and to be the Mother of your children. I celebrate you and honor you and I am so thankful for the day you were born. What a gift to this world. We love you so.  Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.- Psalm 128:1-4

Thanks be to God

Thank you Father for the work of the cross and for all of the love that it represents. Thank you that your precious son set us free each and every one. Thank you Father that to understand the complete work of the cross is a deep matter of the heart and once we enter into that understanding we will live our lives with a new expectancy, a new joy and a new attitude. No guilt, no shame, no condemnation, no feelings of unworthiness. For to feel these things in any way in our life is to make a mockery of His sacrifice. He went to the cross to set us free in every area of our life. He paid the price and Thanks be to God......He is risen. May the blessings of this glorious weekend overtake you and your loved ones in a new and very special way.

Easter Blessings

We are so looking forward to this weekend and all that there is to celebrate! It is Big Daddy's birthday on Friday and he has the day off for the first time in a long time. We are planning an Easter Egg hunt for the children and then we will spend the rest of the day celebrating Daddy! I can't wait for Sunday morning and all the glorious moments that take place. It is a photographer's dream come true. All my favorite beautiful things in one morning. The church bells ringing. Easter Lilys. Pastel colors. Beautiful fragrant flowers. Easter Brunch. Baskets overflowing with Easter delights. Little white gloves and Easter bonnets. Pearls and patent leather shoes. Goodies and Giggles to share with my children. Sunrise Sermons. Celebrating my Savior. A heart filled with gratitude for all that He has done.....

Life Is Short- Make It Beautiful

How many of us have spoken the following words before? "Don't use those, those are the good napkins !" "Who wiped their mouth on the good towels?" "These plates are for special occasions! " Oh my goodness! I could go on for days about all the silly things I have said and done. Lately we have been using the good stuff. What is all of that "stuff" really for anyway if we never use it. Why do we, by nature only use it for company or special occasions? A while back it really hit me , all the fuss I would go through for dinner guests or company, but when it came time to eat with my family, I didn't apply the same effort. I did on occasion. But not every night. I decided to change that. I am always telling my children- "You need to treat your family the best" (meanwhile back at the ranch, they are eating off of little plastic plates!! ) I decided to try and do a better job of making a fuss over my own family. After all I simply love to roll out my gift of hospitality. I have drawers full of linens , chargers , napkins, napkin ring holders, place card holders and oh my, let's not forget my affection for spreaders. Oh yes, I have a collection of seasonal spreaders. It is quite a sight to watch my 6'5 , 275 lbs. ex-linebacker husband use a porcelin bunny spreader while buttering his pancakes! I'm sure this wasn't part of what he signed up for, but I love that he will play along and participate while I am pretending to be Martha Stewart~and pretend I do. We celebrate everything. I go out of my way to let my family know that they are loved and adored and celebrated. Maybe it's the Mom in me. Maybe it's the party planner in me. Maybe it's filling some void that was never met in my own childhood. Maybe it's the years of poverty and lack and the length of time we went without basic needs- including food. Or maybe it's just the unconditional love that flows out of me for every single member of this growing family. Either way, it is my privilege and pleasure to teach them how to demonstrate love, thoughtfulness and kindness and to do it all with a servant's heart. Life is short- make it beautiful.