Our naked Christmas card

Hubs has officially named this "the naked Christmas card" and it makes me laugh every time.
I didn't think a thing of it when I chose it for our card, but I probably could have chosen something a tad bit better......with more clothing.

I used something cheesy like "Warm wishes to you this Christmas season." Clever is my middle name.

Sooooooo......

I hope your Christmas is full of fun, laughter, joy, and HIM as you celebrate this week!!!!

What a gift you are to me!!
Hugs and blessings~
Fran

I wasn't ready for porn to be in my house

One thing I've always prayed for and told my kids I prayed for was for them to get caught when they were doing something they shouldn't be. Ok. Not so bad right? I mean we learn from our mistakes when we get caught, right?

I think our violations thus far have been....lying, someone cheated on a test in 3rd grade, saying words they shouldn't say, and well.....that's about it.

Until......

This past Thursday night, I was doing something on my computer and glanced down at the history that showed up. Thank goodness I glanced. I think. Because here comes the part where my prayer was answered.

Gulp. Someone was just caught.

Reminder.....I have 3 boys. We are in the throws of middle school with the older two. They are 13 and 12. And people wonder why I smother precious son #3?

Gulp again.

I quickly glance on the history and there it is. My heart all but comes out of my chest and I'm not sure if I want to scream cuss words or cry or be sick or all three. And for the record, I did two out of the three before it was all said and done.

I pulled up this website and thought I would just die. Y'all, it is exactly what you think it is. It was disgusting. There is nothing mild about this site. This was horrific and the images are still in my brain. My youngest son confirmed to me that one of his brothers was on the computer after school for a little bit.

Cuss words inserted here.

I died. I knew what had happened.

Shortly there after, we talked to the son and he said he was looking for song lyrics and this website showed up. I believed him. I think.

Come to find out.....there were 2 other sites on my history. So, at this point I'm thinking this had nothing to do with song lyrics. Great. I'm sick again. I want to shelter my babies and go back in time. Please? Can we find a way?

So, son and dad have another conversation and this time we learn that a kid at school told him about these sites and he wanted to see.

Gulp.

And, yes he saw. And, yes I want to cuss again. And, yes I want to scream at the "world" and tell them to leave the kids alone and let them be kids. And, yes I want to scream at parents and the adult world that we better be on top of our kids lives or we are in for a rude awakening. And, yes I want to cry for the next week.

Some wonderful and sweet conversations have come out of all this and I'm grateful for that. However, his eyes have seen what no person should see in my opinion.

I have added a filter from AFA and I highly recommend you doing so. I've told my son that I failed him. It was MY responsibility to protect him and I didn't. I kept saying I would put the filter on, but didn't. My kids aren't really computer kids so there is excuse #1. There is no excuse.

The world is all over our kids. We can't protect them. We can have them in the best schools, church, social settings, and the world IS STILL GOING TO HIT THEM. Unless you are in a bubble.

Sometimes I want that bubble.

So, when I pray for them to get caught and they do........it's a hard place to be. I wasn't prepared to deal with this emotionally. I had not planned a reaction or what to do if "this" occurred. If you pray for your children to get caught, you may want to pray that you are prepared to handle the "caught." ;)

And, if you don't have a filter on your computer, please go buy the filter now!!!!!!

I'm begging you.

And, I love you and your kids too much! I'm anxious to hear your thoughts or experiences.

Hugs and blessings~

What I said was......

This is what I "tweeted" today. I was obsessed with rain and food. And, I'm sidetracked with this thing called Christmas and working and family and dealing with teenagers. So, it's all I got.

Here we go.....


Lives are changed and that is why I love the Biggest Loser.

I LOVE THE BIGGEST LOSER!!!!

RT @perrynoble: Two powerful weapons the enemy will use against you is discouragement and distraction...keep your eyes on Jesus!

We have to have 5 things in a bag that go with our paper that explain the character we chose. Not as easy as you think.

Oh goody....i'm going to help a child write a paper. Where is @teributcher when you need her? She's the expert. ;)

Trying to explain a typewriter to my 13 year old. HA!

Wonder where the dogs have gone to the bathroom today since it has POURED17INCHES??!!

Still monsooning

I am gonna kill a kid over the fact he doesn't have his phone and the world is coming to an end!!!!

Big fat yawn

We ate. I am full. I am sleepy. It is raining. Zzzzzzzzz

Ummmmm its seriously raining.

Well....child #3 staying home today. Could be strep? We shall see.

"We conquer--not in any brilliant fashion--we conquer by continuing"....George Matheson

Feel free to follow me on twitter.com/franthomas because we do have so much fun!!

Hugs and blessings~

Stress maybe? Denial?

Ok...I have noticed the calendar and December is ON US PEOPLE!!! I'm totally freaked out.

We have lots of birthdays and then just the normal Thanksgiving/Christmas stuff going on and I'm just slightly overwhelmed.

Ya see.....

I haven't bought ONESINGLETHING for anyone for Christmas.

Anyone else?

Are you all done? Why do I feel like the whole world is finished except for me?

Please tell me I'm not alone.

And, can you give me a brilliant idea for a 12 and 13 year old boy that isn't a $300 electronic something?

Ok, I'm catching the Christmas spirit and trying so very hard to remember the real reason for Christmas.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

Oh yeah, the darling picture above? It's last years. I'm just realizing I haven't thought about Christmas cards at all. Nice.

Love y'all!

Tis the season~

Surprises can be great....or they can be not-so-great

You can find me over here if you want to check out the read....talking about surprises!!! Scroll down...i'm the last one! :)

Hugs and blessings~
Fan

After the movie....now I'm thinking!

The whole family went to the movies on Saturday to see "The Blind Side." And OHMYWORD that is now one of my favorite all time movies!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go see if you can. We even took our nearly 9 year old to see it. My personal opinion is the story outweighs any language or scene that might be questionable. And, there were only a couple of places that might have done that to me as a momma.

Even if you haven't seen the movie, you probably know the basic idea of the movie.....a family in Memphis takes in a high school age boy to live with them and he becomes a football star. And, one quick side note, Sandra Bullock was A-MAZING in this movie.

But, really....it's more than that.

I have said to my kids over and over since we saw the movie...."look what happens when you truly invest in the life of someone else."

And, then I began to think....

What am I really doing to invest in the life of someone else?? Really. What am I doing?

I don't have to become a foster parent to make that difference. I am a sponsor with Compassion International and we are changing the life of Sofia in Uganda, but what about the hands on, real life, right here, changing the life of or investing in the life of someone else?

What are you doing? What can we be doing outside the foster parent level? How has the movie changed you? What ideas might you have?

For those of us raising kids, I think we can all agree on the fact of wanting our kids to see just how they can make a difference in someones life.

I'm anxious to hear your ideas. Maybe I'm feeling guilty for not getting my Operation Christmas Child shoebox completed. Maybe I'm contemplating adoption. *wink*

James 2:15-17 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Hugs and blessings~
Fran

Middle school and memories....oh, the joy!

First of all...a huge PRAISE!!! I actually survived the first 2 and half days of work! Can you believe it??!! I did not die. The family was fed. We all slept. The house was somewhat picked up and the laundry was done!!!

Your prayers and love mean the absolute world to me. I'm thanking God for you every day and asking Him to bless you and your sweet families just as He is doing for me.

Oh, God is so good. I'm just so stinkin' grateful! He's amazing to me. He's truly all about our details and that blows me away. Little ole me. He tends to me.

Ok...moving along.

There is ALWAYS some drama going on over here in our land and currently it is middle school.
Let's just say that I'm not a fan of the middle school years. Actually, I think it's because I feel as if I don't know what I'm doing any more.

I have 2 boys in middle school right now. I'd love to hear a funny story, something that stands out as good or bad from your middle school years, or maybe something that you wish someone told you or did for you.

Now...back in the day....we didn't have cell phones so we might have talked on the phone to a boy, but I truly doubt it. So...I don't have any strong memories with boys, but I do have a memory of being introduced to "All My Children" by a friend named Allison and I thought I was going to be grounded for life if my mom found out. HA!

To this day...I can catch a glimpse of AMC and might watch for a little bit. It's been 28 years people and Erica Kane is still there!!! Wow.

Ok...let's talk middle school. It's really not that bad is it?

Whatcha got??

Come on...it'll be fun!

And, be sure and pray for all the middle school kids and their parents if you think about it. ;)

Blessings~

I'm skeered....

Hi friends...

Well, Wednesday is the BIG day. The door officially closes to the past and the future begins. If you followed the story of me leaving ministry and our church, then you know how the story ends.....or begins. You may scroll down and find the story in 3 parts.

I begin a brand spankin' new job this week and I'm so very excited. And, just a tad bit scared to. Change is so blooming hard sometimes. And, for me, right now....I'm losing some of my availability to the kids and that is hurting my momma's heart. But, then I'm given a slap dose of reality that "people have been working for ages and sometimes can't pick up their kids from school so get over it Fran."

All the details are worked out. I'm a big girl now. My kids are older, so after school isn't such a weird thing for me. Except for momma won't be there. *tears welling up in eyes.*

But, you know what??

My heart remembers how God quickly provided for our family and He will provide in the details that I'm scared of.

He is a beginning, middle, and end God so I think I'll be ok.

And, if you can....would you pray for me and our family as we transition into this new aspect of life?

I pray God's sweetest blessings over each and every one of you!!

Hugs,
Fran

The infamous bully

I have a question for you.

There are a lot of things that we would agree on regarding kids and bullying, but I'm looking for something else. I don't even know what I'm looking for, but just thought I'd ask and see if someone knew something that I did not.

We all know that bullying is out there. It's alive on every age level. And, bullying doesn't necessarily mean pushing someone down or shoving them in the chest. Bullying can look different between boys and girls. Bullying can be with words or it can be with action.

I want info on boys.

Does it mean something is happening at home? Does it mean something is happening at school?
Does it mean a child is crying out? Does it mean they are hurting for something? What about the victims? They are being destroyed at the same time.

What on earth do we do?

We pray.....A LOT!

Anybody got anything they can add?

We MUST teach our children to love wisely.

Ok, that's all. I'm done. Thank you in advance.

Just start sharing your thoughts.

GO!

Hugs and blessings~

Where we are today....the conclusion to the story

Well friends....here we are at the end of the story. But, you know what? I don't think it's the end. I think it's the beginning. It all depends on how you look at it. Seasons come and go. Why on earth did I really think life would be the exact same for years and years?? Nah.....God is way too exciting for that nonsense. ;)

So....let's wrap this thing up with some hope ok?

I went to my pastor in August and told him that I had wrestled the thing out with God and even though I had been a mess of emotions, I believed God was very clearly saying...."it's time for you to go Fran."

Gulp.

I sat in shock again. This was indeed real. My life as I knew it was officially over. I quietly snuck out of the church spotlight and packed up my office on Labor Day and left with intense peace in my heart.

But, I was still scared to death.

What I didn't tell you was that my job paid for two of my boys private school tuition. And, yes....that job was gone. And, yes....they still needed to go to school.

So, how are we going to handle this Lord?

I remember saying to someone that the calendar became my enemy. I never wanted to know the date because then I would know that tuition is due in X amount of days and momma had no job.

Gulp again.

A lot of praying now.

For the month of September and the month of October....our sweet Lord took care of the tuition in most unexpected ways. Oh, how I marvel at His provision and the use of others. Wow!! Those 2 months allowed us to not have to dip into savings. Thank you Lord.

In the mean time...I was pursuing some job opportunities that could help things out. Keep in mind...I'm not trained in any thing. I'm a college graduate, but that was FOREVER ago and I never really worked until I landed in ministry at our church.

Hello unqualified...nice to meet you.

After a series of very calculated events....the good Lord basically placed a job in my lap. No lie. Honest to goodness this was not the job I had ever pursued. Is it in ministry? No. Is it in a church? No. Will I get to love on people in a Christian environment?? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

Wow! I'm amazed at His work and His faithfulness and His provision. He really does have our best interest at heart.

This new job will be very different for me and my family, but why in the world would I worry about the new challenges we will face when I have just seen first hand....He WILL provide.

We have some adjustments to make within the family, but it is not hard and can be done.

I have walked a road that I never, ever saw coming and won't ever forget how it all felt. But, I am coming out of the wilderness ready to tell others just how awesome God is to those who love Him and pursue His desires over their life.

I have learned so much about loss, grief, pride, humility, and God's character through all this and I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world.

He may not take you down the shiny, pretty road, but I can promise you you'll be glad you hung on for the ride.

Thank you for your words of encouragement and love. It means the absolute world to me.

I hope you know the One who heals, restores, redeems, and tends to the ones He has sought out.
He loves you so!!

And, one more thing....I love the church and all that is in it. I pray we all find ourselves in a place where we are loved, taught the word of God, and are a part of something so special in that community.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Hugs and blessings~
Fran

Here we go....part 2

I have stewed and stewed about how to continue the story. I've actually put this off for as long as I can. I have to pick up the kids here soon so I need to get busy and tell you the next part! ;)

Please know that my point in telling my story is NOT to tear anyone down within my church or even tear down the church itself. My point is simply showing how God sometimes works. And, it's not all clean and pretty and easy. Ok, here we go......

I believe we left off yesterday with things going south in late July and my world had just been devastated. That is completely true. I'm going to stay away from some specifics because in the big scheme of it all......it really doesn't matter. God will do whatever He wants to do and however He wants to do it.

So, where were we??

During the summer months, something big was happening within children's ministry that was about to either be really good or really bad. I had a tough decision to make and I took the hard road and went with what I truly believed to be the direction that God was telling me to go. I had prayed like mad and sought advice and wisdom from others around me as well.

That decision did not go over well with some church members. The decision prompted some discussions and ideas to take place and during that process I was asked to leave my current position at the church and develop a new ministry. That doesn't sad so bad right?

This is where I'm going to leave out the bulk of the story because it honestly doesn't effect how God was already orchestrating this all anyway.

You see, let me back up a year and a half and let you know that I had been through a really tough year in ministry. I felt completely alone in so many ways and was borderline frustrated with some things going on and really began to wonder if this is where God would have me.

Again...I'm going to leave out some details here. Please forgive me.

I prayed for a solid 18 months about what to do. I knew that if I were to leave it would not be without God going ahead of me. However, at this point, in my heart of hearts, I never imagined I would have to make a choice in all this questioning. I believed God was going to teach me something else. I never thought anything other than "stick it out, Fran."

So, we come back to the summer of '09. I never imagined that God would speak in such a way that would be so devastatingly ugly. Sometimes God won't speak so sweetly into our hearts that gives us the "go or stay" answer that we are looking for. Sometimes the writing is on the wall after something so hurtful that we can clearly hear Him saying......."it's time for you to go Fran."

Huh?

What?

This is NOT how I thought He would tell me the answer to the million dollar question that I had been seeking for a very long time.

I had been hurt deeply to my core and I tried to move past it and keep "doing the thing," but with each day and each week that went by, I knew in my heart......"it's time to go Fran."

And, then came the intense grieving process that felt like death. It felt like life would not go on.
It felt as if everything I had cared about within children's ministry and the church was finished.

One day your passion is alive and the next day it's gone.

It was time to let my leaders know what my next step would be. Would I be willing to get past the hurt or would I walk away from the most meaningful time in my life and let it all go? Did I hear God correctly? Maybe I misunderstood. After all, there is no perfect church or perfect ministry. We are all broken, messed up people for cryin' out loud. I needed more time.

Some serious second guessing began to take place.

I was scared to death. For the sake of my own children and my own family....I got really scared. Maybe God isn't telling me to go now at all. You see....my income was a huge contribution to our family that I couldn't just walk away from.

"Please don't leave me now Lord. You can't leave me here in this place."

*the story continues tomorrow*

The whole truth and nothin' but the truth.....

I have been on a bit of a bloggy break and I'll share with you most of the story starting today....

My last post was October 6th and I just titled it "Life=Hard." I think every single one of us understand those two small, but powerful words. I have been in a season of life truly being so very hard. It flat out stinks and I never saw it coming.

Let me explain a part of my story that began back in late July......

I had been working at our church for the last 5 years as Director of Children's Ministry. This has been our home church for the last 9 years when we moved here in 2000. It's all I've ever known in our town. This church was my family, my life, my breath, my thoughts, my passions, my hopes, my dreams, my frustrations, my future, my growth......my people. This is where I truly began to blossom in my growth as a Christian. These were the 1st steps that I took after really coming to know Him in Memphis at this Mom's group.

I took the job over children's ministry when my youngest son was just 3. He is now almost 9. Blows me away at the time that has gone by. I was asked to step in as the director because we had been through some rough spots in that position and my name was suggested. I had no idea what I was doing. The only thing I did know was my heart cared so deeply for the kids and their families at our church. I agreed to take the position. This was the fall of 2004.

God took me on a ride that would be absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, the most amazing ride over these next 5 years. Not only did I care so much about children's ministry, I cared about the whole church. I almost cared too much. If that is a crime....call me guilty. I would spend countless hours, days, and weeks thinking, planning, meeting, organizing, and living life for Christ and the future of this church.

I began to facilitate some bible studies. I began to strategize with other leaders about the future of the church. I could honestly see endless possibilities about the future and where we could possibly go. I wonder how many hours I spent in meetings?! HA!

My position was flexible in hours and that allowed me much freedom to keep my family and boys first. I truly appreciated that luxury and freedom.

The joy came crashing down around me this past summer and I had no idea what was about to happen to my life, my family, and my future within the church....

Everything changed. And it has been absolutely devastating. I wonder will I ever be the same? Will that passion ever return? Will I ever trust and believe again?

*to be continued tomorrow*

Life=hard

Hey friends....
I just want you to know that I have not updated the ole blog because life has hit and I need to deal with it. Obviously life is happening for all of us, but this has been a season of intense wilderness and causing me to lean on God like never before. That's not such a bad thing. ;)

So, when you walk in the wilderness, it's hard to write and be fun and funny and share.

That is why I'm taking a break.

I can't wait to come back and share with you how awesome this whole thing WILL turn out.

God is good. He is faithful. He is in control of every last thing going on. My dependence on Him has never been greater and even though this season is incredibly hard, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Love you all!

Looking back!

Look at my sweet family nearly 9 years ago!!! Hubs hasn't CHANGED ONE STINKIN' BIT (not fair) and my excuse is I just had a baby and I thought my big hair would camouflage my big, post-baby face. ;)

The boys have grown so very much. They were 4 and 3 when boy #3 entered the world. Now, they are 13 and almost 12. WOW!

Time marches on and I feel like it's flying by and I'm wanting to completely freeze time and I can't.

Have a good day with whoever you happen to be married to, mothering to, or doing life with.
Cherish them.

Love y'all!

Watch out MLB and NFL....here come two of 'em!!!

Here would be stud carrying the ball!

They knock him down on "the close yard line."

Dad and son working some strategy on the field!

Here comes my 8yr old MLB stud. Here is his pitching debut and let me tell you he struck out 7 batters! OH YES HE DID!!! We have moved up from coach pitch to kid pitch.

He is on 3rd ready to go!!!! Baby going home! :)

But before he got to 3rd he had to start on 1st!

Look at his form now!!!! S-T-R-I-K-E!

But, after we got done with all that ball, we must throw around a football!

These are two of the three boys. I can't capture the oldest playing football because, ya know, he's in middle school now and mom out on the field with a camera ain't so cool. I'll capture some pix of him just being cute and cool around the house. :)

This is where we are in life now. Hope all is well in your world.

Hugs and blessings~

Call me crazy!

Well, go ahead...

Call me crazy!

I did it. I finally did what I've always wanted to do. What might you ask would that be??? Well,
I was with some precious dear friends over the weekend and we decided it was time to do it!

I got a tattoo!

OH YES I DID!!!

And, for the record....there was only clear minded thinking involved. This wasn't a 2am run to the tattoo joint and a decision that I regretted the next morning.

Nope. I love this tattoo more and more each day.

Now, before you go and make judgements about this decision and all.....just know that this very cool tattoo is a symbol of my love for someone else. Yes, you read that right. Every time I see this tattoo I'm reminded of a deep, real love. Then I'm reminded of my love for someone else....my husband, Chip.

It's not backwards or mixed up.

This tattoo is right under my wedding ring. I think you'll understand my priorities once you take a peak at the picture below.

I'm beyond thrilled.

Have a great day!! Praying that Christ is first in all that you do doing your day!

Hugs and blessings~

I'm calling it "thank God for your friends day"

I'm entering a new season of life right now and over the last couple of weeks some precious people have been there for me and I'd like to personally thank them right here in pictures!

Sound fun?

Sure. So, let's gooooooooooo!!!!

This is me and Teri. Oh, how I love this girl. She's one of my northern friends! What a gift she and Becky Jo are to me. One day I'll get a picture of me and Becky Jo.

Holla!!! This is another BFF. Love you Robyn. I wish we lived next door to each other.

Nikki....you are the real fabulous deal! The girl is one heckuva encourager!!

Sweet, sweet Kim. What a gift and blessing you are to me. Simply thank God for you!

Oh Mary!!!! I cannot wait to spend time with you. Your wisdom and heart are simply contagious!


Jenny and I are sisters separated at birth. Love her and her family.

This picture makes me wanna cry. Nancy, who is in the middle, is having her 2nd son as I write this! And, Carolyn, well you know how I feel about you.

I love ya Lesley. You are always here for me. ((hugs))

These girls just hold a dear, dear place in my heart. Always grateful for them...no matter what the season is. Love you Patty, Steph, and G.

Abby, Abby, Abby....how I wished I lived in Nashville with you. Me, you and Nikki would be definite BFF's. Now, we have to do the distance thing and I'm ok with that. You both are worth it. ;)

There are so many others that I want to shout out to but I can't find a picture on my computer of them.....

Angie, Connie, Dedra, Tonya, Susan, Teresa, Jan, Jerri Sue, Carol....who am I forgetting??

You know how you have been there for me the last few weeks and I thank God for you today.

Take time to let your friends know how much you love 'em! Life is fragile and short.

Hugs and blessings!!

The smack down is near

Well, here I sit in my kitchen all alone in my house. Can you see me jumping up and down with joy because of all the freedom I'm experiencing?? Ok, maybe I'm not jumping and it sure does feel weird not having those rug rats on top of me because I really do miss them. (Sssshhhh, don't tell them.)

We are currently into day 4 of the "transition that will cause me to lose my mind" that most parents normally refer to as school has started back.

God is not answering my precious prayers of begging and pleading for patience and I'm just not sure why. Hmmmmm.....You see we are having all sorts of issues that are obviously school related because they have not been around until now.

Ugh. Let me pull my hair out.

Here are the problems:

1. 2 middle schoolers this year.....so much to say here, but I won't.

2. Some serious attitudes out of one of the above mentioned children. Thou shall not kill.

3. Some lying right in my face and we all know it's a big fat lie. SCREAM LOUDLY!

4. Crisis over uniforms and shorts and pants and socks that just don't "feel right." Whatever.

5. Going to Walmart or Target every day for the last 265 days (ok, maybe not) to get one more thing we forgot. SCREAM AGAIN!

6. Throwing money around like it grows on trees for all the above things needed from Walmart or Target.

7. Getting up sostinkinearly is hard on Mom too.

You get the idea. Praying for all the things that I'm lacking and needing as a mom right now. "Come on God. You can do it. I need some help here."

What's the hardest part for you during all this???

Hugs and blessings! Have a great day. And, pray yourself up!

Must change

The other night the whole family was riding in the car to go somewhere. Probably to eat dinner somewhere. All of this summer fun is about to come to a screeching halt. School is starting. Boo hoo. I'm not happy about this transition at all. Can we not just switch the calendar around and make summer a teeny bit longer because this one flew by!

Anyhoo....we were pulling out of the neighborhood and I'm in the passenger seat of my hubs car and I found myself looking at this big box thingy that keeps all of his spare change. I am always amazed at the amount of change he has in his car. A mom with 3 kids in the car would never have that kind of spare change lying around. I'm lucky to have a dollar. We go through some serious cash when it's around. It's really a shame, but I have a feeling I'm not alone on this one.

So, as I'm looking at this change I notice these brown pills all mixed up with the change. Ok. Hmmmmmm....let's see. I ask hubs what the pills are....and I secretly hope it's something good because I've been a tiny bit stressed this past week with end of summer beginning of school and all....but, he tells me it's Advil. Boo.

ADVIL??? I caught myself saying something to him in the next sentence that I really must stop doing. I replayed it back in my head and thought..."SHUT UP WOMAN. YOU SAY THIS MESS ALL THE TIME!" This is what I said to him.....

"Why didn't you just put the Advil here, in this little thing, so it's not all mixed up with the money?

No big deal right???

Yeah, except I say things like that all the time to him.

I might say,"Why don't you make the grilled cheese with Pam so it doesn't stick." I might say, "Why don't you just put all your shirts here so they don't get messed up." I might say, "Why don't you get something to put all these papers in so I don't have to sit on them every time I get in the car."

Blah, blah, blah.

You get the idea.

Don't you think he's screaming in his head, "SHUT UP WOMAN! YOU SAY THIS MESS ALL THE TIME!!!"

And, I think he throws in a "I'M 40 YEARS OLD AND CAN HANDLE LIFE JUST FINE WITHOUT YOU TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!"

I'm making a conscious effort to innocently stop this. I'm getting on my own nerves.

What do you need to work on with your spouse?? Let's be a better spouse and do the right thing.
They are sooooo worth it.

Have a fabulous day!
Hugs and blessings~

Baseball and the beach!

Dad coaching son on 1st base. Always fun to see them "do their thing" together.

Last day on the beach. Boo hoo. I wanna move there. Come on. Please.

We bury the coach in sand when it's all said and done.

Crazy son decided that he and a friend would do that crazy swing thing. I almost died. They LOVED it.

How about the cool sunburn lines??? Pathetic huh? Had a ball hanging out at the "Hangout!"

Super stud surveying the scene.

This would be some serious talking about the game. Or not. Maybe I staged this whole thing.

Crazy kid.

Good lookin' swing. He fouled it off. You can see the ball behind him. ;)

Brothers playing during the game. They hardly "watch" it. They make up stuff and do their own thing

At the end of the world series. Our team came in 6th out of 24 teams. We were happy. We had a blast!!

Summer is winding down for us. Gag. School starts next Monday the 10th. Gag again. So, it will be time to fire the blog back up and see if she still works. It's been a wonderful summer. Routine is a good thing right? Yeah, sure. ;)

Hugs and blessings~

Fran

For the men and dads in our lives

Because I love the families I serve at church sooooo very much...I just had to post this. I'm not bashing the men at all. AT ALL. But, I do believe it is something we need to take seriously within our churches and our homes.

Praying for all the men today.

Now, take a brief glimpse into some real hard truth from one of my favorite pastors.




Praying for all of us.
love,
Fran

Summer, I love you.

This is last years picture, but you get the idea.

I'm busy doing the beach thing....i'll be back. Lots of pix to be posted soon!

Summer is such a beautiful thing! :)

Hugs and blessings~

Dance like noone is watching

This past week was such a fun week! My youngest little rug rat played his heart and soul out during his last baseball tourney of the season. When it was all said and done....this guy was a FCA World Series Champ!!! Yes, he was. :)

He really was beside himself. He's a little more reserved I guess. ;)

I was reminded of something today that I want you to think about....

"Dance like noone is watching."

Dance through the day to day movements of life so full of Christ that you do not care who sees you! Be so full of Him that He is all you care about. It doesn't matter if you can't dance well, just dance.

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Elaine can't dance??? Where she is out there in front of everyone just having fun and simply enjoying the music? That is what I am going to try to do this week. I'm simply going to dance and not care that I may be a little "off" with my rythm. I'm dancing because I love what I'm dancing for.

If you want to take a trip down memory lane....feel free to watch her dance! :)

So, come one now!!! Dance like noone is watching! Live freely and truly for the One who loves you so. Someone might just want to dance with you.

Hugs and blessings~
Fran

Bruised and beaten and just worn slick

I've been known to be the cheerleader type and I feel like I am most days! It's much more fun to be the cheerleader type.

However....

I have been wallering (sp?) in some big fat mess of stuff that I'd really like to make disappear and totally leave my brain, but that ain't happening. Where is our delete button in our brain?

Soooooo.....

Let me introduce to you a few simple things that you may or may not know. I've learned them in this thing called life and it just wasn't pretty. Let's say that I have relearned them and relived them.

I am definitely not going to tell you the whole back story thing so don't ask! Ha! It really doesn't matter anyway.

LIFE LESSONS THAT JUST BEAT YOU UP SOMETIMES!!!

1. The good ole golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In other words...treat people like you want to be treated.

2. DO NOT GOSSIP. I repeat.....DO NOT GOSSIP! We aren't in Jr High anymore. STOP IT!!

3. If you are talking about someone or something....are you just adding to the problem or are you a part of the solution? Please be a part of the solution.

4. There is no "i" in the word team. Whatever team you are on...it takes MANY people to make it successful.

5. Keep your heart and mind in God's Word. How in the world can we live our life for Him, but have no idea how to do it?

6. If you have a question, comment, or criticism about someone or something...just go straight to them. Please don't add fuel to the fire and talk about them. We are here to accomplish great things and make a difference.

7. We are here to build one another up and not tear each other down. Ephesians 4:29

8. Sometimes it's just good to cry it all out.

9. Find yourself a mentor that will speak love and truth over you.

10. Life is just plain hard. How in the world do we get through the hard stuff without Jesus??

I told God today that I was just so very tired. He told me this....deep in my heart.

"This trial you are under will develop some strength, perseverance, and a heavy dose of faith testing."

I told Him while I pouted and cried and carried on....

"But I'm tired and don't want to do this any more."

God laughed and said....

"Do you just believe in me or do you believe me to do what only I can do?"

I'm choosing to hang in there with God and believe Him for who He says He is. I love Him too much. And, He died for me. And, He loves me. He is for me and not against me. And, I'm working for Him, not man. And 1001 other things.

Hang in there friends. No matter how bruised we get, He is all that truly matters.

I'm dusting the dirt off and I'm getting right back on this horse again. All because of Jesus.

Love you so very much!

Just stare at them for a sec with me

My boys are with their grandparents this week so I thought I would let you look at how cute they are and remember with me how cute they are! *Big grin*

I know they are having a blast with their grandparents and cousins and I'm so grateful for the break as a mom and am thrilled to think about about the memories they are creating.

However, I still won't walk into their rooms or I might cry. I won't watch the Disney channel because I might cry. I can hardly look at "their stuff" without wanting to cry.

Lord help me as they grow and one day leave my house and stop being right up under my wing.

Hope you have a fabulous week! Hug those babies!

The brain is dead

Since it is summer and my brain only works in 140 characters or less apparently....

I'm spending my time over here and here if you wish to follow because obviously the blog requires more than 140 characters!!! :)

Is it just me or are we all enjoying the dog days of summer?

I do love summer though! Hope you are enjoying it!

Hugs...

Oh, hello....I'm here.

Oh my word. I think I just took a little bloggy summer break. Good for me!!!

I will have you know that we have been busy...doing what? Not sure, but we are busy!

It's hotter than hot outside.

The kids are playing some good baseball and I never get tired of watching them play!

I'm ready to start Me, Myself, and Lies with the LPM blog. I've missed being in Bible study.

I just saw a commercial for the Potty Patch for dogs. Its like a big chunk of grass in your house where they can go to the bathroom. HUH?

I love my new crackberry phone *grin*

Sometimes it's hard to be a leader. You may not be liked at times.

I'm reading Same Kind of Different As Me right now. AMAZING story. Highly recommend it.

I haven't been on vacation yet. We like to go smack dab in the middle of July when it's the hottest down in the gulf coast.

And one confession....I haven't unpacked one ounce of the kids backpacks from a month ago when school ended. Obviously I'm done with school.

Ok, that's enough of fun tid bit information into our world.

Hope your summer is going well!
Love y'all like crazy!

Hugs and blessings~

This is what I'm doing...what are you doing?

Going to see a little Sugarland!!!


Going to see a little Keith Urban!!!!

What are you doing fun lately??? I hope something really good. :)

Hugs~