Pride

All of these pictures are the "pride and joy" in my life. They make up my heart and soul. It's my family. My boys. All of them. I will defend them with every ounce of my being. I love them more than my life. I would go to any length to encourage them, help them, and take care of them. They are my family!!

But.....

I would never act like an arrogant fool if I coached them. And, believe me....my husband coaches many sports for them and he is NOT arrogant. He is competitive. He is not arrogant. Big difference.

We were playing a championship game tonight in baseball and the other teams coach was a piece of work. You know the scenario so I don't need to go down that road with you. What the coaches and team parents did was flat out w-r-o-n-g. They brought out the worst in us. They entered into the game with a whole bunch of ugliness and pride. It only got worse from there. Ick, ick, ick.

They brought out the worst in me and the worst in us as a team of parents. The things that came out of their mouths were rude and unnecessary and completely uncalled for coming from.....

Adults.

Well, I'm not sure they were adults. They looked like adults, but sure didn't seem like it. I questioned whether they were in church on Sunday because no one in the grownup Christian mind would say the things they did and act the way they did. Oh, ok...I know that's not true.

However, I have never seen such arrogance and pride in all my life.

Scripture that came to mind during the game was....

Proverbs 16:18 from the Message says it beautifully.... "First pride, then the crash--the bigger the ego, the harder the fall."

I wanted to walk up to the coach after the game....that we lost....and say....

"Hi, excuse me, but my name is Fran and I'm a Christian trying to raise my children in a world where grownups are setting the example of humility in their world, but today I saw something I didn't like. May I offer you some Biblical advice, Mr. Arrogant Head Coach??? Proverbs 16:18 tells us that right after pride, comes a big fall. And, I suggest that you take this scripture to heart soon, because I feel a crash coming on quickly. Now, thank you and have a nice evening."

Well, I didn't have the guts to say that to him. Instead, I stewed and stewed over this man and his team parents. By the time you read this, I'll be long over it.

What do we learn???

Let's act like grownups and set an example for our children. Pride is just flat out ugly on people. I don't want any part of it. I pray against it every day and I think we all should pray against it for our families and our children. It's not cute at all. Take note of that scripture. I have to go over and over it with my kids often. Obviously, it's not just limited to kids either.

Ok...I'm off my soapbox today. :) Have a great day with Jesus. I'm so thankful for His word and the life it speaks over me and every situation.

Hugs and blessings~

God Stop Friday

Well, can we just all scream "THANK GOODNESS ITS FRIDAY!!!!!" Considering yesterday when I woke up, I thought for the first 10 minutes of the day that it was Friday. The day went downhill from that.

I had to leave work yesterday because it was so stinkin cold in the church. Have you ever heard of such??? Honestly, I was begging for a coat somewhere or a heater or anything. I was dying.
So....what do you do?? You leave. I'm sorry. I couldn't take it anymore. Please don't fire me. We just need to talk AC issues.

Well, I came home and decided to wash my hair. Don't ask. It was still in a baseball hat from my run that morning. So...I fixed up my hair and laid down on the bed and fell asleep. Ahhhhhhh.

I woke up in a hurry and quickly dried my hair and headed out to get the boys from school. At this point in the day it went U-G-L-Y fast. And, when I say ugly....it was not my hair...it was all my attitude. Y'all the wicked witch of the west was reborn.

My oldest son is in middle school and all week long I have been picking him up in the front of the school instead of going through carpool. It's a little quicker this way. It's not following rules. Nope, it's not. That would be mistake #1. Anyway....I get the other two boys and then we head to the high school side of the school and sit in the parking lot and wait for boy 1 to head on out. My blood is beginning to boil at this point. There was no Boy 1 anywhere. School has been out 15 minutes now. "HELLO??? Where are you boy 1?? Momma ain't happy."

Our afternoon had to be like clockwork yesterday. We have a tight afternoon beginning with the orthodontist at 3:30. At 3:05 I realize that boy 1 is nowhere to be found. I'm boiling mad. Boy 2 goes inside to find him. He's nowhere. He gets back in the car. We act like crazy people pulling out of Christian school parking lot and whip around to the back of the school where middle school parking and pickup is. You don't want to know what is coming out of mouth at this point. I'm MAD. It's now 3:10ish.

Oh, we whip around and I roll down my window while I am trying to avoid getting in the carpool line and yell "Boy 1 we are late, come on!" Well, carpool police woman, lady, teacher, rule follower won't let that happen. She says "Boy 1, you can't cross here. You'll have to wait."

Again, you don't want to know the ugliness that is in my head and the frustration that I have going on at this point. I won't even tell you what I am saying. I think the other 2 children are thinking "She has officially lost it. " Don't worry....there were no cuss words....just a lot of ranting. I just felt like I had to clarify that.

So....we wait and he cheerfully gets in the car and I LET HIM HAVE IT. Oh, y'all. It was terrible. Bless his precious heart. He never knew what hit him. All of them for that matter.
Don't you just hate it when you go down the road of things that have NOTHING to do with what you are worked up about?? Why can't we just leave it after the first 2 minutes?? I went on and on and on for a good 5 minutes.

Well, as I sped back out of the Christian school parking lot, I get behind a 102 yr old man in a truck going negative 5 mph. He is going the exact way to my neighborhood. Now I'm mad at 102 yr old man in a truck. And, I so badly wanted him to know it. U-G-L-Y stuff going on people.

After speeding into my driveway and telling everyone what to do while boy 3 quickly changes for ortho appointment and then baseball practice......I want to lay down on the floor of my car and just cry. I want to sob.

I can't do that. They have just seen their momma lose it. They can't see her fall apart in a mess of tears. They will then get worried and have to call their dad.

I made it to the ortho appointment with boy 3 and my heart literally hurt. If your heart could cry tears, mine did.

I knew that 102 yr old man was God's perfect timing of trying to get my attention and slow me down and say "chill out, Fran. chill out." I didn't though. I ignored Him and got even more mad.
And, I knew, at that moment, that the old man was from God, and I still ignored Him speaking to me.

Well, the story ends with a beautiful apology from me to all my children. We hugged. We even shed a tear. It was definitely a teaching moment between me and my children. It was also a teaching moment between me and my sweet, loving Father. Do you think He rolled His eyes at me? :)

I will go before Him on my knees as soon as I hit the publish key and work with Him on this one.

What do you need to tend to with Him? I pray that you can humble yourself before Him and do the same thing......He loves you so much. He loves us no matter what. But, I think He always has some tending to that He lovingly wants to do within us.

Off to pray.
Hugs and blessings....

Some Wednesday fun!!!

Well, I'm just about giddy because we had a FABULOUSO Bible study lesson this morning and it just makes my heart joyful. So....lets have some fun today. Here is my life thus far, for today.

1. Got up at 5:45. Precious puppy awoke me by JUMPING on my face. Isn't she darling?

It's hard to get mad at this darling thing.

2. Got kids up and in the shower. I began ironing their uniforms because I'm super mom like that (ahem) and realized that once they were dressed the backs of their shirts were completely missed by the iron and they were one giant wrinkle. "Boys, you must not turn around all day and let anyone see your back side. You'll just embarrass the family name!" (Ahem)

3. Sent child #2 out of the car with toothpaste on his bottom lip. I'm sure he loves me dearly for that.

4. Had a GREAT, SUPER GREAT Bible study lesson this morning. While standing in the kitchen talking, precious puppy from above, decided to....ya know....take a "load off" in the dining room on my nice rug. Yeah....that was precious.

5. Getting ready to make some stuff for our preschoolers to do at church tonight for their lesson. I am drawing out a beehive on yellow paper and having them glue honeycomb cereal onto the hive and learn the scripture Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Can I give this lesson to adults 30 and older???

6. One more thing....Guess what encounter is about to happen soon? And, I mean soon?? Remember precious puppy from above?? Do you remember these guys from late Spring and early Summer who I wrote way too much about???

Well....in cow business, you don't keep your cows forever. So....a new crew is here and they haven't met precious puppy and she hasn't met them either. I'm afraid Miss Priss will dart through the wrought iron fence, like she is known to do, and introduce herself to the cows. I'm sure they will be thrilled to meet our bundle of small hyperactivity.

Y'all have a great rest of the week! Have some fun with Jesus. In everything you do, give Him honor and praise!

Hugs and blessings....

What do you want for your child?

Hi blogger friends!!

Did you have a great weekend?? I did. Well, I did up until about 2:00 Saturday afternoon. At that point, my stomach began doing flips and I was a nervous wreck for my #1 son.

You see, he was leaving for a little over night retreat with fellow 6th graders from church. Well, I should be thrilled and excited and everything else, but I wasn't. You want to know why I wasn't?

I was afraid for him. Um, yeah. Let me explain.

I am one of those worrier moms and really hate to see my kids get hurt in any kind of way. I think we are all that way aren't we?

I began to think 101 crazy thoughts like...

"What if he gets left out?"

"What if he hates it and wants to come home?"

"What if some boy is mean to him?" (I know, he's not 4)

"What if someone were to make fun of him?"

"What if......"

You get the idea don't you?? My kid is a lot like his dad. He is on the more reserved side. He is cautious. He is a rule follower. He wants to do EXACTLY what the adults say to do. He has a heart of gold. He wants the whole world to get along and can't understand why people don't. He might be the sweetest kid on earth. :)

But, while he was gone and I worried like a mad woman, I began to think.....

"What do I really want for any of my children?"

And...I don't mean for their future. I mean the here and the now and the future.

As I ran through different things that I want for my children....the one thing I kept going back to over and over and over was this, and it wasn't some thing....

3 John 1:4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

Can I say that this has always been my GREATEST desire for them?? Let me be honest and say no it hasn't always been the case. But, the closer I walk with Jesus.....nothing else matters to me....not popularity, not hurt feelings, not exclusion, not grades, not sports, not what he'll be when he grows up, not any of those things!!! They are important, but is that the most important?

I want this scripture for him now and for the rest of his life.

What (or where) are you putting an emphasis on for your kids?

Are we sending the message that we do want Christ in their life first and foremost or are we saving that for their adulthood?

Let me know what you think. Have a glorious day!

Seek Him with all you have.

Hugs and blessings....

Clearly addicted

Well, since I started being hip and cool and doing the Facebook thing a couple of months ago, I'm finding it harder and harder to blog.

It's real easy to come up with the short and quick "what's Fran doing" concept on Facebook than writing something that involves paragraphs and some sort of mental sense.

I'm sitting here wishing desperately that I had something decent but I don't. Now, I must go check out the Facebook world and see what all my "friends" are doing.

Trust me...you are definitely my "friends." That is just silly ole Facebook talk. You guys know how much I love ya. Its just that I have some issues coming up with depth when I want to. And, I'm clearly addicted to the shortness of Facebook. And don't get me started on Twitter. Oh, Lord help me.

Happy Sunday y'all. Hope you find yourself in church. ;)
Hugs and blessings....

God Stop Friday

Well, I hope Patty is hosting this because I'm afraid I might be one step ahead of her. :)

Y'all, God is soooooo good. His people are amazing. I saw you operating on all cylinders these last 24 hrs. You are absolutely beautiful to me.

Thank you for praying for me. If you read my Wednesday post, then you know I was a little unnerved and anxious about something. I don't want to reveal it to the blog world because it's just for my family and my dear prayer warriors.

Regardless, you came through. YOU prayed and I can't begin to tell you the peace, and really the anticipation......NOT ANXIETY....that I had today as we awaited some news.

God was getting me excited all day long. He truly was. I felt it deep within my spirit. There was true peace and true anticipation.

I give Him all the glory and praise. You were beautiful vessels doing the glorious thing He calls us each to do. You stood in the gap for a sister in time of her need and you didn't even know the need. You simply went before the Throne and asked God to do His thing!

Don't ever underestimate the power of prayer. I'm always praying for each of you. I want God to be the love of our hearts. I'll be there for you always. You were there for me. There is not enough gratitude to come out of my mouth. My heart overflows with genuine love.

Hugs and blessings everyone. Soak you up some Jesus. He IS life.

Ephesians 1:16 "I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers."

Nerves

Have you ever been so nervous or anxious over something that your body felt like it was in a constant shake??

Have you ever been so needing an answer on something that you felt sick to your stomach??

Have you been so nervous about something that your mind will go down roads that IT DOESN'T NEED TOO???

Have you been so worked up about something that you don't know your husbands name or your kids names??

Has your mind ever been so distracted that you ask your son to put the toaster in the fridge??

Have you ever had a day where you are just all but begging God for a word over you???

That's my life today. If you could, just pray some peace over me today. That would be fabulous because I'm praying it for myself and it's not happening yet. :)

1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

I'm praying this verse over all of us today. Love y'all so much.
Hugs and blessings....

Passionate worship

Hey bloggy friends...

We had a wonderful Sunday morning at church and I want to share a little bit from the message that was important to me.

Passionate worship!!!

Ok, let's see where we go with this.

Well, we learned that during the week there are 168 hours in one week.

168 hours.

Sounds like a lot to some, seems short to others.

Our pastor showed us a rope that was 168 inches long and right smack in the middle of the rope was an inch of red tape. That inch of red tape was our one hour of week in worship on Sunday mornings.

Now, looking at it like that seemed to sting a little bit. It did for me. It did for many. That lone piece of red tape, didn't look like much at all when spread out over the 168 inches of rope.

But....

then, our pastor pulled out a rope that was full of colorful one inch segments of tape.

I felt God say in my heart...."that's what I'm after Fran! I'm after some colorful worship! "

So, as I looked at the colorful 168 inch long rope, I knew that I want a week of colorful worship to my Savior!! I don't want to just "be, and do, and spend" small pieces of time with Him.

I hope that you think about the ways you can worship Him in every day living and go after Him!
He is all about our relationship with Him. Why would we want to be apart from Him??

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you."

I'm wanting me some colorful worship. I want my rope to be full of moments with Him. I'm after more than one, or two, or even three hours of worship with Him during the week. And, I bet you are too.

Have a colorful, passionate week!! Get yourself ready to have the time of your life with Him!
I don't wanna miss a thing. Have a blessed week friends!!!

Hugs and blessings....

I just love this family

Watch CBS Videos Online

Starts off cute.....

Hey friends...
This will start off real cute with these darling pictures of my kids and our pets....but, in honor of my darling friend, Jenny, I had to show y'all what I've been looking at in my garage for OVER A WEEK!!!!

I hope you'll still be our friends.

And, the nasty boogaboo creature that we don't seem to want gone too badly...I'm sorry.


I know. It's disgusting. I really have no excuse. Well, maybe I do. But that would require a shovel and me working a little too hard to get him gone.

Again, I'm sorry. It's life. :)

Needs

Just something to share before Bible study this morning....

Short and sweet this morning...


We will grow by knowing our needs. Duh, right? Yeah, but knowing our needs will let this happen....


Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled."

What do you need today?? Let Him fill you. Actually, I'm asking for an overflow of Him. :)

Much love....

Life

Gosh...life is complicated, joyful, heartbreaking, fulfilling, scary, amazing, beautiful, uncertain, and 101 other things to go along with those short few that just popped into my mind.

I believe, in a short period of time this morning, I have experienced every emotion under the sun when it comes to this thing called "life."

A few observations:

1. I am beyond blessed. I have a home, air conditioning, food in my pantry, gas in my car, too many clothes in my closet, happy children, crazy dogs, and a husband who loves me.

2. Life can change very quickly. An illness can come on when you least expect it. Fear sets in.
The unknown takes over every aspect of your mind. You either run to Jesus or run as far away as possible. This can strengthen you or tear you apart.

3. Human love and compassion is the most beautiful thing I've seen today. There are people who came into my life today that have such a dear piece of my heart right now. God ordains it all too. Nothing is by chance in His book.

4. Life is short. Take nothing for granted. Enjoy every ounce of your day. Even when you don't feel like. Ask God for a new attitude!

5. How do you get through crazy times in life without Jesus??

6. Get over "quirks" you have with people that drive you crazy....move on and embrace them for who they are!

7. The Psalms are where I am in Bible study.....a perfect place for me.

8. Life is simple, yet oh so hard too.

9. Relationships mean everything to me.

10. God is Holy, Sovereign, and Just. He is love. I love Him more than ever.

I don't want you worrying that all these statements are about me. Some are, some aren't. Just some perspective was shot my way today. Good ole perspective to make you see and feel things differently.

"Thank you Jesus for giving me life and may you use me in whatever way you see fit to make a difference in the life of someone else and bring glory to your name!"

Now, have a great day with all that God has given you!!
Hugs and blessings....

An award

This award was given to me by a preicous, almost in the same town, blogger friend, Linda. As many times as I come in and out of her wonderful city, I have yet to lay eyes on her sweet soul.
Soon, Linda, soon!!! Thank you so much for thinking of me.

Well, in honor of my dear BFF Patty and her birthday weekend....I pass this along to her. She is just the neatest, coolest, most lovable, dearest REAL LIFE friend!!!

Happy birthday my sweet friend!!! And, I love your blog!!! :)

Hugs and many blessings! Keep after Him with all you got!

My football studs

My family is my God Stop Friday moment. Just a swelling of love and gratitude for what God has given me. I love ya Patty. Thanks for being the best hostess around.

How about some Friday fun with pictures of the cutest football players around???

They were so precious....i mean tough and cool....and I was so proud of their 1st V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!







And, yes they won 6-2. I believe the score reflects a game of defense!!!

They played a great game and this momma was so proud. The coach isn't too bad either! :)

Have a great weekend! Hope you get to enjoy some football!
Hugs and blessings~

Boys, boys, boys

Well, people. I have to break into the week here and show you what I found in the boys' bathroom.....on the back of the toilet....

whatever...

Do you know what it is??? And, it's been there for a few days...



Yes. You guessed it. It's food. And, it was rather on the stiff side. I don't like to think about how it got there. Food and going to the bathroom don't settle well with me this early in the morning. I asked them to throw it away and it's still there.

Boys, boys, boys.

I spared you a shot of the inside of the toilet. That might have been too much information for you. :)

Ok...on a serious note...please pray for a little boy (7th grade) named Chandler. He is battling leukemia for the 3rd time. Yes....the 3rd stinkin time in his short life. May Jesus continue to be the thrill and love of their hearts and may He be all that they need to get through another battle with this terrible disease.

Counting my blessings, hug your babies, and love the fire out of God.

Just a few people you are praying for.....

These are some of my new BFF's!! I just wanted you to see some of the darling children you are praying for!! Aren't they beautiful? I love them. Please keep praying. These momma's are getting tired and are so ready to go home.

There is a story or two or five for each of these children and their families that I wish I could tell you, but I won't. Just know they are being well loved on and taken care of.

Serve God in all things ok? He has richly blessed my heart through this.

It's not about me.

Joshua 24:15 "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Hugs and blessings~