Time with my children passes more quickly now
Days are now weeks and then months somehow
The treasures of childhood are older and grown
Reminding me daily that they are mine just on loan
I pray that the days that now will remain
continue to prosper and give Heavenly gain.
Give me the wisdom to love them like you
To let them see Your love in all that I do.

As they walk down the aisle and a tassle is turned
I pray they're reminded of lessons they've learned
Memories of studies and books they have read
All of the logic that's stored in their head
Let them remember that we've tried our best
To lead them to know how to win in the test
Give me the wisdom to trust them with you
To let them feel your love in all that they do

They were your children before they were born
I leave them with you, while my heart is torn
I trust that my teachings will stay close in heart
and that they seek you in new lives that they start
Fill up my void that will linger inside
and let me watch growth as my heart fills with pride.

Give me the patience to trust them with you
To let go and trust that their troubles be few
Let them learn something from all that I've done
To see you are God in sad or in fun
Continue to guide them and let them feel You
Keeping their faith and to you remain true.

New Exciting news...

Tom just sent me an email to tell me that our dear friend, Christine Anderson has accepted one of his handbell arrangements...It will be published in HANDBELLS magazine Winter 2005. I suppose that he is now a Freelance arranger :-)

Revelations...

....I saw the Summer '04 LET'S WORSHIP...Supposedly, I will be in the Winter issue...Maybe I, too will be listed as a Freelance Writer...THAT is a high calling of a challenge!

....I have figured out that if I save $50 a pay period for the next 2 years I will have $2400 to go towards Rachel's wedding. I hope she doesn't perceive me as a cheapscape, but thrifty and practical.

....I am watching Father of the Bride (rerun) - what a reality check!

It's kinda nice that Tom has left out before me this morning! He's headed out to the airport to do his little part-time job with National Car rental. I would absolutely be sooooooo bored to tears to have to do what he does. He picks up a car and drives it about a quarter mile to another location, switches cars and drives it back and then back and forth, back and forth....They might as well put me on a ferris wheel and say jump off when you can...Or better yet, put me on a factory line checking thread on material or zippers in jeans. Bottom line, it would be less torture on me to stand in front of a firing squad! If I was getting in a car to drive, at least let me call it a REAL TRIP!! oh well, I am thankful that he is doing something that gives him something to do and gives him the sense of 'going to work' and getting a (SMALL) check!

It's Tuesday, or at least that is what I THINK it is...My brain is in such a fog right now! I have had the worst allergy or cold and Yesterday I went home and FELL in the bed and stayed there! The only problem is that today, I feel better, but I feel a bit drunk...I think I drank cough medicine in the night instead of water. I remember waking up and unscrewing the lid off of a bottle, turning it up and putting the lid BACK ON...then, this morning when I woke up, I realized the cough syrup bottle was there, with a lid, but the water bottle had no lid...Hmmmm who knows~It will be another long day I fear!

I just had the strangest, most bizzare phone call. Some OLD lady just called my office and started telling me that she didn't know what she was going to do with her money and that God had told her what to do -- (I almost gave her my address :-)) - She said God told her to send it to Missions. And that He wanted her to be a sourcce to help supply and help people who were living on only one income so that they would know that God would take care of their needs...She didn't offer me any money, but when I told her that was my EXACT situation, she promised to pray that God would be faithful to supply all of our financial needs and job needs!! Is that wierd or what?? - I am shaking as I type.- It was literally like I was talking to an angel! I know that God allowed this woman to call me completely out of the blue and speak those words of encouragement to me as a promise and assurance of His unfailing, faithful promises to me...Promises of provision in financial aspects and also in full-time work for Tom.

Thank you Father for using unusual circumstances to reveal yourself to me. YOU ARE SOVEREIGN and in total control of everything in our life and I pray you'd keep us in your perfect will!

I just watched a wonderful video on Matt Tullos' blog from his youth retreat. How exciting to remember back to the days of youth trips with our former church. I must admit there is some bittersweet candy that goes along with the memories. The many days of rehearsal and preparation, the long drives and hot bus. The catfights and feuds amidst the ever so popular "Mission Trip Matchmaking". Best of all are the memories of singing, drama and sharing the love of Jesus in a creative and unique way.

Father God, you know our heart and our passion for music and creative arts - especially in conjunction with youth. I pray that when your time is right, that you would open a door of opportunity for us. When the time is in your perfect plan would you give us the joy of sharing our creativity with others. Thank you for beautiful memories, but if possible, give us the chance to create more.

How is it that we manage to get so busy and caught up in life's junk. We don't take time to just stop for a little while and reflect on the day or the moment. It seems that I daily take payments from people and the months just fly by...It seems like just yeseterday that I was saying "Can you believe its January already?"...Now, here it is MAY, May! My son has had his 22 birthday, my daughter is about to graduate from high school, we are still in limbo on Tom's church position, it's been 8 months since he was fired! EIGHT MONTHS! It seems so fresh and yet that church has moved on and here we are. Each day is a day to see where and how God will supply our needs. I suppose that I can most literally take to heart "Give us this day our DAILY bread" Daily. Don't worry about tomorrow or next week and certainly not next month or next year. I have to take each day for what it is TODAY and trust that God will do as he has always done - PROVIDE FOR ALL I NEED...He promised me that he would.

Well, I have a big day on Sunday...It is Mother's Day and I will be signing for a deaf girl at our church. This is the daughter of our pastor's secretary. It has been so long since I have interpreted, I just hope that the preacher doesn't get too deep for me. At least I'll have the chance to listen in the first service to what is going on and HOPEFULLY be able to interpret it for her. I truly believe that God is capable of giving the gift of languages to people when they need to share something for him. I am praying that God will enable me with an unbelievable ability to get the point across to her.

God, I pray now, for your amazing gift of languages to begin now to be poured out on me and that you would let this be just another opportunity for FBCM to see that we have what they need for their Music Ministry. Please keep me humble yet confident as I trust in you to fill me with your gift of interpretation.

The weekend was good--It was Prom Saturday! Wow! I should get a foretaste of what her wedding will be like! Interstingly enough, Chase, her fiance said that he didn't want to see her at least a month before they get married!! HA! I doubt that will happen. Rachel was pretty stressed out to start with because a terrible rainstorm! But fortunately by the time they left, the weather was beautiful skies!! It was an interesting event for photography.. We went to Furman University in front of the fountain to take pictures. The picture taking itself was fine..it was just the process of walking across the campus and seeing so many from our previous church. There were a few who threw up a hand or quietly spoke--yet there were so many who completely turned their head and ignored us! We left there and headed straight to church where there was a Komedy Klub with Kenn Kington. It was really fun and there was even a coffee bar provided by a local coffee shop. We had FREE latte's, cappucino etc. It was loads of fun and fellowship. There's no question that it was incredibly needed after what we went through earlier.

Thank God for a sense of laughter to drown away sadness!