Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of the year to share with family and friends. As I have heard many times over the years, Thanksgiving should not be set aside for one particular day...it should be celebrated every day.

I have been so blessed in my short 27 years on this earth and I am going to attempt to write the things I am thankful for:

A Christian boyfriend who surpasses my greatest expectations.

A Daddy & Moma who are constanly thinking of others instead of themselves; who have taught me that being a Christian is not a "religion" but a lifestyle; who have taught me to have a Servant's Heart in everything I do. 

Christian brothers and sisters who have wonderful families of their own.

Christian Grandparents, who although they are up in years, they still Serve the Lord, even if it means having church while sitting on the couch listening to Holly Springs Morning Worship Service on the radio.

My niece and nephew who continually remind me that the little things are the most precious in life.

Matt's family who are my family as well, who love me and accept me for who I am. 

My TeamKids at Windy Gap.  They are the grandest little kids I've ever had the joy of teaching on Wednesday night.

My fantastic church family, who offer love and support.

My job where I have learned so much in the year and half I've been here. 

Wonderful friends who are always there when I need them most. 

There are many, Many, MANYmore things that I am thankful for, but there is no way that I could ever list them all.

In past years (especially during my high school and college years), my family has spent Thanksgiving with people who have been struck by a natural disaster.  Most of the time it was spent in Griftin, NC which was a town that was hit by flooding from a hurricane in the mid/late 90s.  Then in recent years, my parents especially, have spent their Thanksgivings with the victims & volunteers of Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, MS.  Only the last couple of years have we had Thanksgiving as a family in our home.

I know that during the holidays, I am caught up with the worldly things and seem to focus in on my crazy schedule and trying to pack everything into a short few weeks. And although I like to believe that I am a giving person, I find that I can ALWAYS give/do more for others and think less of myself.

I have plans to give my time on Thanksgiving Day to those who are less fortunate than myself.  My prayer for you is that not only during this holiday season, but all year long, you look for ways to share the love of Christ by having a Servant's Heart. 

"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in."  Matthew 25:35

Fall Festival

The week before halloween Tasha (my sis-in-law) hosted a Fall Festival for her church, Central Baptist, at her home.  She invited the whole family as well to come and join in the fun.

I had choir practice, so it was a little late arriving for the festivities.  They had already had bobbing for apples, horseshoe tournament, and the teenager & adult pie-eating contests.  I had arrived just in time to see the younger children in their pie-eating contest. 

My cousin's daughter, Maggie.  She really had no interest in a pie-eating contest.

Excuse the blurriness.  This is my nephew, Jordan, Pie Eating Winner.

Actually, Jordan was the only child who actually ate the pie.  The others just stood there looking at it not wanting to get it all over them.  Lucas and McKenzie wouldn't even go anywhere near the table.  It was quite funny.

Then dearest Tasha, decided that Nancy and I needed to have a pie eating contest between the two of us.  She actually wanted our Dad to come do it with us, but lucky for him, he was busy talking to someone.  So she conned Tanya into doing it.  It was funny that Tanya was there - we go waaaaay back.  Her parents are old family friends.  Tanya used to babysit us as kids too.  It was interesting to say the least.

First of all, Nancy and I do not have the strongest of stomachs.  I will give myself credit and say that mine is stronger than Nancy's but still.   Also, neither of us are big friends of whipped cream.  Which is fine, but the mini pie was topped with whipped cream.  We both had Chocolate Pies.

And we're off...

This is SO gross...

Funny....but Gross.  Tanya is lapping it up.  Definitely beating me and Nancy.

Tasha give Nancy a "hand" in eating her Pie.

This is the moment where the pie about made its way back out.  I believe by this point Nancy and I were both gagging.

Yep, its getting real serious, real fast.  I'm secretly praying that Tanya will finish so I can quit!

While Nancy was up for air.  She decided to cheat and stole my pie.  I was going to have none of that...if I lost I was going to lose on my accord, not because my sister was a cheater.  So, I had to help her eat her pie as well.  I don't feel bad, she deserved it. :) haha  (I will say that in Nancy's defense, I really had to apply a lot of pressure to her cranium to get it down...she has a tough neck!)

She's so dramatic.

FINALLY we were done, Tanya won!  It was funny though and a good laugh.

There was a brief devotion by Wayne (Tasha's dad) as everyone sat around the bonfire on haybales.  It was great that everyone was able to come and enjoy themselves in a fun and healthy way.  But most of all, in the name of Christ.

Below are other photos I took during the evening.  Enjoy!

sack races

Jordan (nephew) McKenzie (Niece) Maggie (Cousin)

My parents and I

My beautiful McKenzie and myself (Her FAVORITE Aunt)

Nancy with Lucas & McKenzie

McKenzie and PePaw listening intently to the devotion.

Mom with the Grandbabies.

Nancy mistakenly said that the kids were going on a tractor ride, they got so excited!

(BTW that's a mean & dirty trick, Nancy)

Time to Roast Marshmallows.

Natasha and myself.

Broyhill Baptist Children's Home - Part 2

As I promised, I am ready to finish up my post on Broyhill Baptist Children's Home.

After we got all the cookies and hot chocolate cleanned up, we all piled into the church bus again, to make the drive around the campus to the cottage.  (Which the campus itself is absolutely GORG!) 

Once inside, we had a short little devotion.  The house mother (whose name I still cannot think of!) mentioned that when they do their morning devotions, they always sit in the living room around the fire place.

Kathy, our TeamKid Leader, had asked that I lead the short devotion.  I found a cute little devotion in The One Year Did You Know Devotions.  The kids really seemed to enjoy it and to get something from it.  If I can remember correctly, it had to do with how God creates all his creatures with specific things that helps them adapt to their surroundings.  For instance, a rabbit has large ears so they hear much better and can be aware of danger.  There was also something about a rabbit's nose and it twitching but my memory is failing me how it tied in. 

The kids were so attentive and answered questions.  There were even some of our Gapper Clappers who gave their testimonies.  It was so precious to hear of how the Lord has worked in their little lives already.  Such a huge blessing!

THEN some of the kids from the children's home gave their testimonies.  Talk about tear-jerkers!  It broke my heart to hear their sad stories of how their parents were in jail, or how they didn't have any family they could live with, etc.  But it made my heart sing when they told of how coming to Broyhill was one of the best things that ever happened to them. How their house parents had shared the love of Christ through everything that they do.  How they would tell that they in turn have shared the love of Christ to their [biological] parents and how they are trying to change their ways or in some cases, how they have accepted Christ.  It was also a blessing to see the older children witnessing too and helping the other children in the cottage.

It is truely amazing to see how children who have come from such sad situations have made complete 180 degree changes in their attitudes and lifestyles.  These children are proof that a little dab of Jesus' love and compassion can make a HUGE difference. 

I know that I am thankful for the house parents who have devoted their lives to helping these children.  Most of the house parents are retired couples who do not have any [young] children of their own.  These particular house parents had retired and felt the Lord leading them to serve.  They left their home and moved into one of the cottages.  They have been there several years.  These parents really are "life savers" to these children.

After the devotions the children at Broyhill were itching to show us their rooms.  I didn't get any pictures of this, but I cannot explain the excitment in the little voices.  They took such pride in the things that they had.  It was like 10 children on Christmas morning. 

Before the Gapper Clappers left to go home, they gave the kids a New Testament and a goody bag with some treats in them.  Then we all posed for a group photo.

Thanks to our bus driver Dean-O for taking us to Broyhill. He rocks. The kids gave him high-5s as they got off the bus thanking him for driving them. haha

$75 Give Away to Stella & Dot Boutique!

PK over at ROOM REMIX is hosting a giveaway for a $75 gift certificate to Stella & Dot Boutique! I believe that I am now in love with this jewelry!  It is absolutely gorgeous!!!
These are a few of my favorite pieces:

I love all of them! Don't you? Go on over to ROOM REMIX to learn how to enter!