Made a quick trip to the mountains to check on the cabins. D wants to build two more this year. That would be our last two lots in the mountains. It's alot of work but he enjoys drawing the floor plans and working out the details, while I love to decorate the inside, with retro 50's stuff.

He had to cut some trees back that were covering the beautiful view of Wears Valley. He's such a hard worker. I hated that I couldn't help him more but standing on the side of a mountain, in the middle of the weeds, bugs and snakes, trying to take a tree down...whew!

We did have a wonderful time talking on the trip. Six hours driving is a great time to talk about things that so often get left out of our everyday, busy lives. We are together almost 24/7 and most people can't believe that we choose to spend our off time together. I can't count the times that people have asked, "Don't ya'll get tired of being together"? But no, it seems there's always something new and exciting, when you're with your best friend.

And really, that's what it comes down to. We are best friends.

Well, it's way past bed time, everyone else is snoozing. I better get some rest.

One more thing...I do have some more questions on my little mind and I will post those soon. But I figured since I'm also using this as some type of journal, I'd better at least catch up on what's happening. But I just love hearing all of your thoughts on things SOOOOO much, that I forget to do my journaling. And thanks for all your thougts, it keeps me thinking and growing.

Ok Guys...Give Us Some Insight!

What makes a teen a "lady"? And do guys even care if their girl is a lady or not?

Alright Girls! Here's Your Chance...

How do you feel about guys that sit back and wait for you to make the first move?

Hey Guys! What's Your Answer?

Should girls take initiative in a romantic relationship?

Will The Real Men Please Stand Up?

Just got back from a wonderful weekend trip from Charlotte, NC. And even tho I drove about half the time, we had no wrong turns. That's a personal joke because I have such an easy time getting lost while traveling. The time I get laughed at most is when we were coming back thru Atlanta and "they" (entire family) always tells me, "just stay on I75, that's all you have to do!" Well, it could only happen to me, I think, but I really did try to stay on 75. But about 45 minutes after we were thru Atlanta, I started looking around because nothing looked familiar. I waited another few miles before I finally dropped my pride and said, "hey, will someone come up front with me and make sure we're on the right track?" Of course the whole car is then full of groanings and oh no's, not again mom.

So Mae climbs in the front seat (where she should have stayed in the first place and we woulndn't be lost!). She then proceeds to give me the familiar "questioning"...ok mom, did you watch the signs? did you stay on 75? How long have you been lost? Well, what I want to tell her is that if I knew all those answers, I probably would't be lost. But instead I just smile and say "can you just help me here?" I'm really thankful that she has a sense of direction but by this time I'm just feeling like a little kid that needs to find covers and hide.

After enduring all the "questioning and lashings" she informs me that we are on I85. And then everone wants to know how it happened. P-l-e-a-s-e....I have no idea, just help me get back on I75. After much discussion we finally concluded that I must have been taking the HOV lane and somehow when I split it put me on 85. Who knows! I just know that on this trip I DID SO GOOD, no wrong turns! hehe

Back to this trip and Charlotte...I guess because of the SpeedWay there, it seems like a "man's town". So maybe that's what got me to thinking about "real men", who they are and WHERE are they. And I'm sure the fact that I'm raising three girls prompts me to think on these things, as well.

So what is a REAL MAN? What makes a real man? Is it the image we're shown on TV? Is it the ones that are willing to go and fight for our country? Is it the ones that just love everyone so much that everyone walks all over him? Is it the ones that I mean surely you guys out there know what you're shooting for. Surely you know what you want to be and what you want to be remembered for. I'd love to hear some comments on this and get your thoughts.

Love Ever After

This is finally it-you've met the one! He's popular, he's handsome, he take you nice places and makes your heart flutter; she's beautiful and sweet and irresistible, and she has this great laugh. And you both love the Lord! What could be better?

Plenty, starting with a couple of no-brainers, like having God's seal fo approval on your relationship and basing your attraction on something other than superficial traits. If you want a love that's going to last "ever after" you may want to consider a few things.

Romantic love is without a doubt one of the coolest of God's gifts. It brings out the best in you if you handle it carefully. It makes all your senses come alive, almost to the point of overload. Like all of God's gifts, however, this one can be abused. When it is, it leaves devastated lives in its wake. So before you take the plunge into a love-drenched relationship, back off the edge and pay attention to what God has to say about the awesome gift.

Start with His repeated admonitions, first to the Israelites and then to the early church, to avoid becoming entangled with anyone outside the family of faith. Maybe your intended has memorized hundreds of Bible verses and never misses a youth group meeting. But, to put it bluntly, that doesn't mean a thing. What do you know of his/her priviate realtionship with God? What are his/her spiritual hopes and dreams for the future? How do they treat their family, their friends?

The answer to those and other questions are critical, because marriage is the hardest blessing you'll ever have (until the kids come, but that's another story altogether). Marriage? Where did that come from? Thought we were just talking about being in love!!! But if you're not ready to think seriously about being marriage, you're not ready to be in love. Why not? Because if the relationship isn't heading toward marriage, you're just toying with another person's heart. You're in love with the idea of being in love, and the shine wears off of that really fast.

Before you go checking out potential mates, take a look at some of the qualities God suggest you look for; they may surprise you. Did you know that young women are encouraged to seek a man who treats animals well, has compassion for the poor, and makes sound business decisions? Those qualities probably aren't on your Ideal husband list. And guys-when you go pursuing a wife, think past the outside beauty, make sure she fears the Lord, and run in the opposite direction if she's argumentative.

Another huge clue is, how do they treat their parents? With respect, honor and obedience? Or is it quite the opposite? What makes you think that they are going to treat you any different, after the new wears off? "Oh, but I'm so different, I just love him/her so much more?" Really? Think about that for a moment. That may be the case in some instances but as a rule I doubt that you love this person anymore than the persons responsible for changing their diapers, paying their way thru school, and doctoring them when their hurt. So, if this person, that you're so in love with doesn't respect and honor those that have "given" so much for 16 years or more, how much are they going to respect and honor you?

After considering all that, you still need to trust God completely in this area of your life. That can be difficult when your heart is doing somersaults; you're afraid that if you let this one go, there's no telling what God's going to come up with. You love Him and all, but you worry that He might be a bit lacking in the taste department. But who knows what you need better than God does? Who better understands what you desire in a mate? Who wants you to have a successful marriage more than God? Remember, He loves you and torture is not an aspect of love.

Avoid serious relationships until you're ready to consider marriage; meanwhile, socialize in groups. Don't confuse physical attraction with love; get a clear idea of the inner qualities you want in a mate and don't compromise on them. Never, ever , ever, never, ever (and did i say never ever!) expect the person to change. What you see is what you're going to get, not some improved version you hope to create.

Hold out for the one who cherishes you, honors you, allows you to be yourself. Focus on being the right person instead of finding the right person. Most of all, trust God to give you wisdom and discernment and peace of mind about your decision. And have a blast! This is one of the most exciting times of your life! So don't miss out on it by wishing the time away.

Lost in the Woods

Several years ago (actually MANY), Dave's favorite brother went motorcycle riding in the woods. Both he and Dave loved bikes and rode quite often, in the woods. However, on this particular day things weren't normal. It was dusky dark and Marty hadn't come home. Then, dark was upon us. Still no sign of Marty. I remember several of us going over to where he should have been. It was so eerie...there sat all his stuff, the trailer where he had hauled the bike, and other necessary things, but no Marty. We listened...nothing. Several hours passed and many of the guys went in, searching. Still, no Marty. They searched all night and our minds began to think only the worst. It was right after day break that they finally found Marty and his friend. They had simply gotton lost, grew tired of trying to find their way out and laid down to sleep for the night. Marty had slept while we stayed up all night, searching.

This reminds me of Prov 3:5-6 that talks about trusting in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, and in all our ways to acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. "All of our ways." That's pretty much the bottom line, isn't it. In everything you do, put God first, so He can direct your paths. But notice that this promise of Him directing our paths is conditional. I know, we don't like that word conditional do we. I understand, but it's true. First condition is "in all our ways acknowledge Him". Second condition is "lean not on your own understanding". Our understanding is so limited and flawed, how can we move forward at all into life without moving into disaster?

Just as Marty hadn't planned on getting lost, neither do we. When Marty started his journey into the woods he didn't take a flashlight, compass or paid no attention to landmarks. But suddenly, he realized as dark began to come, he was lost and had no idea of how to get back. He certainly had not planned on getting lost. He just wasn't thinking. For some reason he had a false self confidence that he could easily find his way back. But he couldn't.

That's the deceptiveness of the path that the world offers. It looks good, it looks inviting, it seems fine, until suddenly it dawns on you; "I don't know where I am! I've wandered into somehting and have no idea how to go back or get out of this." You're lost in the woods at night. You're out in the cold! We've all been there...the path is dark with seemingly no end in sight. This is the place that we end up when we fail to put God first and acknowledge Him in all our ways.

I've heard many people say, "We'll I'll do what I want to do. My life is my life, I'm captain of my own soul, so I'll live it the way I want." It's true, you can live that way. You can make that choice. But you don't get to choose the consequences of those choices. Perhaps if David had known the expensive consequences of his decision to have an affair with Bethsheba, he may would have never gone through with it. Had he known the pain involved I doubt it would have been a hard decision to make. He woud have left that rooftop, taken a cold shower, and gone back to bed. As it was, he had to stand by and watch the utter devastation of his family and children through the years. It broke his heart. So many tears over that one quick, impulsive decision.

God knows that there are times when we become greatly confused about what is right and what is wrong, but He will direct you if you will only look to Him. He wants you to turn to Him. He wants a relationship with you. He has a plan for you. Never doubt it! So today, I encourage you, look to Him, acknowledge Him and allow Him to direct you so that your paths will be straight. He is a loving God and He wants the best for you.

May you be blessed!

Thanks For Praying

What a wonderful and blessed day. Many of you were praying for Dave today and first I must thank Daddy God for answering the prayers. He is so good and faithful even during our moments of doubts and confusion. And thanks to all of you who were so kind and faithful in prayer for him.

Mae went to Atl to see the Braves play with her cousins. She had been looking forward to this time with them but she had to have her 2 bottom wisdom teeth removed on Monday and it was up in the air as to if she was going to be able to go. But today most of the swelling went away as well as the pain. Braves lost 6-4 but she got to see the rookie catcher get his first hit and first RBI, in the Majors. She loved to watch Javy Lopez, but he's long gone. I think her love of catching started with watching Javy. Which btw, her thumb is still injured from catching T's pitching. I talked to Dr. Cash about it just today and he says if it brusies or swells she need to give it rest...so right from the Drs. mouth, young lady!

Update on the phone that T dropped in her cereal...Verizon graciously replaced the phone and the battery today. I was pleasantly surprised. And she cut my hair today. She is working so hard on completing her credits so she can get started with beauty school. She is so good with all the fashion, hair, make-up and nail stuff. It just all comes so natural for her. I hope we don't all drive her crazy always asking for hair cuts, color and "please fix my hair, I can't get it to do anything". She's so patient with us and our inabilities in that area. Thanks a million, T!

Then there's Faith. She just started getting her email today and shes so excited. She told me today, "Dad sent me 4 ecards!" And she thinks shes supposed to get in the pool everyday. I just wish I had half of her energy.

Well, it's getting late...no it is late. I really must get some much needed rest. Keep the Son in Your Eyes!

Is Your Light Red or Green?

I read a story about Chi Chi Rodriguez, the famous golfer. He was driving down the street with his friend, going a lot faster than he should have been. A light changed from yellow to red up ahead of him, and he zoomed right thru it. Didn't even slow down. His friend almost had a heart attack. He looked at Chi Chi and sputtered, "Chi Chi, what in the world are you doing? You went right thru a red light! Don't you stop for red lights?" "My brother taught me to drive," Chi Chi replied, "and he doesn't stop for red lights. So I don't stop at red lights." And sure enough, a little farther down the road the pro golfer approached another intersection and blasted right thru the red light. His friend was a nervous wreck by then, "c'mon, man!" he said, "You're gonna get us killed. What in the world are you thinking?" Chi Chi replied, "My brother taught me to drive, and he doesn't stop for red lights. So I don't stop at red lights." Driving a little farther, they came to an intersection with a green light. This time, Chi Chi put on his brakes and stopped, nervously looking both ways. "Why are you stopping NOW?" his friend asked. "This is a green light." "I know," Chi Chi said. "My brother might be coming!"

We are all pretty accomplished at changing green lights into red lights and red lights into green light, aren't we? Or maybe we'd rather that all of the lights were yellow, so we could look around quickly and keep on going the way we want to go. In other words, whatever you think or whatever you feel is fine, as long as you can get away with it and it doesn't do any immediate harm. But God understands the long-term consequences of disobedience...the consequences of life apart from His help and His blessing.

We've all made wrong turns. Some deliberately, some out of simple ignorance. The humbling fact is that I really don't understand much about life or the mysteries of it. When it comes right down to it, most of the time I just sort of blunder along. There are things in our forties that we wish to goodness we had known in our twenties, oh how much better we could have made decisions. But even with all the "knowledge" I could muster, it's nothing compared to God's Wisdom. So for now I will continue learning as God shows me lessons along my journey. But most of all, I want to learn to look to Him for I know His plans are greater than I could ever imagine. Something as simple as the Ten Commandents. They will keep us from destruction. Carefully heeding these ten warning signs in the power of the Holy Spirit can change the whole course of our lives.

So, I ask you to consider why are you "stopping NOW", when God has obviously given you a green light. Is it fear? Is it because stopping is just the easy way out? Or, on the other side, why are you so set on "not stopping at red lights"? Is it pure rebellion? Is it because that's just the way you've always done things? I challange each of us to start a new process in our lives...think before you blunder...ask yourself, "What are my long time consequences for this action?" Yes, God will always pull us through, even when we take a wrong turn, but He doesn't promise to take away the consequences, quite the opposite!

There is no way for you to even comprehend the good things God has in store for you . What He wants to do with you. The way He wants to use you. The way He want to bless you. So look to Him. And remember the best turn you can make is always a turn toward Him.

Phone Meets Cereal

The girls said J fest was a blast...I ended up going to eat instead (it was soooo hot). T had her phone almost 24 hrs before dropping it in her cereal and milk! Yes, cereal and milk. I'm like, how do you do that! Needless to say, she's now without a phone again. And she's gonna kill me for making her graceful move public. But hey, this is real life where crazy things happen and we gotta grab a laugh when we get the chance. So thanks T for making us laugh, although I am sorry you're without a phone.

On another subject, I was talking with a friend today about why so many marriages end up in divorce, these days. Is it because we aren't "saving" ourselves for that one special person (that I call God's best)? Is it that because we've "done it all" before marriage and there's nothing else to look forward to? Those things may be a small part of the puzzle, but what's the rest? Another question we were talking about is, why is it important to save the intimate things for that special person? Is is just a test to see if we can overcome temptation? When God gives us instruction on relationship, He has our best interest at heart, right? He doesn't tell us things just to make it difficult, He wants us to have the best, most fulfilled life possible.

One thought I had was that perhaps when we are going out with that "special someone", the easy thing to do is get side tracked with the physical issues and somehow push aside the things that brought us together...the friendship and the fun. And when we've made commitments to ourselves, to eachother and others, we look to each other for leadership and/or support. When we cross those lines of commitments, we have ourselves to blame and we may also lose some confidence in the other person. Let's face it, when we are considering marriage as the ultimate goal, we are looking to the other person for leadership and support. Because for any relationship to be successful, we must offer leadership and support, and we must look to the other person for the same. That's what makes relationship...where we are weak, the other one will offer strength.

The ultimate and perfect relationship is God. We had a need, we were weak and He offered all He had, His Son, His Perfect Son, Jesus. Finding God's Best is one of the most exciting, yet most difficult times of our lives. But back to one of the first questions of, is it because we've "done it all" before marriage and there's nothing else to look forward to....I think I have to say no. No, because that would suggest that the relationship becomes boring after marriage just because there's nothing else to look forward to. While I can understand how it can appear that way, my thought is that it's quite the opposite. Sex is only the result of your love and care...the friendship, and the agape love is the true core of the relationship. In order for a dating relationship or marriage to be successful, it may be a must to maintain and enjoy the friendship, and not allow the "physical" to become the goal. I'd love to hear comments on this. These are only my thoughts and I may be all wrong! Well, I gotsta go.

Late Nite Party

Well, its 12:47 am and we just celebrated T's b'day. We all had plans to do it tomorrow and T says "I want to have my party tonite!" So we put things in overdrive and bake the cake, wrap the gifts and prepare for the party. The big gift was her cell phone. We had ordered it 2 months ago and had to keep it a secret all this time. Thanks to those of you who helped make her "late nite party" a success. I can't believe she's already 17. We're planning to surprise her once more by taking her to J Fest. I'm starting to feel drained now from all the rush, rush. So I better go for now and rest up for tomorrow. Til then....

First Post

I have always loved journeling but too often let myself get too busy. But since I'm on the computer all the time working or chatting, this seems like a perfect fit. Guess we'll see how it goes!