Garden & Produce

Just some pictures of my garden and what I picked today:) Also of my grapevines.

I truly have enjoyed having a veggie garden. This is only my 2nd year & I've learned so much. I never saw myself as any type of gardener. It started with having to clean up the parsonage yard. so I did some flowers for a couple of years. Then I decided we needed to become more self sufficient. So I heard about Square Foot Gardening & started 6 beds last year. The eds were easier for me to deal with. I also did the upside down tomato plants. This year I doubled the garden. I learned so much last year like not to put the big tomato plants in the boxes. They needed room to grow. so this year I did the tomatoes, corn, green peppers hot & mild peppers out in the ground. I covered the ground with a weed tarp & then with mulch to make it look nicer & have less weeds. So I have the 6 beds, 4 upside down plants, 3 fig trees, 4 white grape vines, 1 purple grape vine, an orange tree, a lemon tree & a kiwi vine plus rows of corn, okra, peppers & tomatoes. So much fun:) Plus good healthy veggies & some exercise!

POOP

Today I found a knot on the side of Sam's neck. It had been there off & on for awhile but after the whole chromonsal deletion thing ~ with Sam having a tumor inhibitor deleted (see Sam's caring bridge page for more caringbridge.org/visit/samclanton ) I was nervous!

So I called on my way to pick up the boys from school. The nurse said to come in, it was a slow day. I had gone walking this morning & between Sam wanting my attention & that I was planning on doing some gardening, I hadn't taken a shower or changed out of my work out clothes. Well I only had 45 min to get there so I figured I'd just run him in...NOT! When we got there, I got lucky & got a handicapped parking spot right in front of the door...(that'll make it even better) I run in & check him in. I NEVER set in the waiting room with him, too afraid of germs. I go back outside to get the kids out of the van & smell something. I took Sam out of his carseat & there is POOP all in it! How did that happen??? I never notice anything on a 45 min drive! Did he poop that quick??? And it's the gooey runny poop!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!

I end up having to carefully undress him, so afraid I'm gonna get poop on his face (have to watch those million dollar eyes) Of course I have NO extra clothes for him! Me, who is usually so organized...the carseat is ruined, tried to clean him up & the car seat & my hands...YUCK! They gave me bags, a gown for Sam to wear, stuff to line the carseat so we could get home....

We saw the doctor & the whole while for some reason, Sam is biting on me. He is happy as a lark , thought everything was the funniest thing in the world. when he gets really happy & sleepy ( it was nap time) he bites, kinda just chews on us....don't ask me why, he just does & there is nothing to do about it. He also thinks it's funny so he is as happy as he can be knawing on me, I look like crap then he poops crazy again in the office, basically chocolate pudding...the poor doctor...

After all that, there was no reason for alarm, thank God! He is fine. Me...totally stressed:) I'm glad I had Steve with me as I went through a BOX of wipes!!! He kept handing me wipes & telling me where I missed it! Did I mention we were right in front of the GLASS doors?????? Just lovely & I looked like something the cat drugged in!!! Good thing I'm not real prideful, I think this afternoon took me down a few notches LOL!!!

I really think the car seat is just beyond redemption! I can't have him in something that I can't get cleaned & I'm not sure about the straps. We have Shad's old car seat but I think I'll buy him a new one. this one is about 3 or 4 years old. When you don't grow, you tend to wear things out! We've gone through 3 strollers (now on his 4th which is a BOB!!! Cost more than my first car but comes with a 5 yr warranty!) He has had the same bed (which was used to begin with) for 7 yrs & I think we're gonna buy him a new crib soon. Anyhow with a little midget, he wears things out & they start looking dingy! Today he was right at 3 ft, & 33 pounds...the size of a small 2 yr old...but it's so sweet to keep my little baby. I pray he never grows physically, makes life easier :) So my little guy kept it interesting again:)

Ray Stevens - Osama (Yo' Mama)

Bin Laden

Ok I know this is so far after the whole story but I had to blog about it...

I am glad he is dead! I am not lying in bed at night & worrying about him being in hell either. If that makes me a terrible christian...oh well.....

The night that the news came out about his death, my bro in law called woke us up & told us to turn on the tv. I had goosebumps watching the folks in the streets chanting "USA USA USA!" I didn't hear anything about Bin Laden himself nor did I see anyone buring a Koran or even a picture of Bin Laden (which of course never happened). I just saw the heart of the nation healing after JUSTICE was finally served!!! Bin Laden paid for & instructed his followers to do what they did on Sept 11th to civilians. President Bush made a promise "America is coming for YOU!" It took awhile but America came for Bin Laden!

So the next morning I get on Facebook & I am BLOWN away by the remarks on there!! Probably 1/4 of my christian friends are on there fretting about his demise!!! Maybe I'm just a blood thirsty knuckle head but I couldn't believe the posts & remarks! Wonder if FB existed back in 1945 would we have seen remarks about Hitler like that? I think NOT1 I think folks back then understood the world/Christianity ion a whole different way!!!

I can't help but say this...if you are so worried NOW about Bin Laden's eternal soul, WHY didn't YOU get on an airplane years ago & go look for him to witness to him????

So I made my first remarks without reading anyone else's that morning....then I began reading & I have to say I was rather disgusted by some of the remarks I read!!! Oh the scriptures that were being tossed about...love love love....REALLY???

Read the Old Testament, where the Jews fought & rejoiced as a nation when they won over their physical enemies. Read how the people rejoiced when David killed Goliath Read the book of Revelation where the false prophet & the anti-christ are thrown into hell...

My husband was also shocked over various remarks on Fb. He laughed & said tell them the tory of David & Goliath...David came with 5 stones to give not a tract!!!!

Sure there are scripture about not being glad when your enemy stumbles but anone that has any real biblical training understands that is clearly talking about personal enemies not a national one.

So WHY did some of America's Christians feel they had to react like they did? Is it being PC (politically correct)? Is it because he was a muslim & we all have to be friends? I truly do NOT understand WHY I saw & read some of the posts I read!

God is all about justice. I read one post that so beautifully explained how important it was to rejoice as a nation tha a terrible enemy was gone. I wish I would have copied it, the guy said it so good. He wrote that basically we LONG for justice, we long for the day that all will be made right again, we long for the day God will reign. So that Sunday night was just a small taste of that great day when the devil & his evil demons & all who chose to wreak havoc on this world will be sentenced to eternal hell.

So am I sleepless about Bin Laden's fate? NO! He made his choice many years ago & I am sure he hardened his heart in so many ways over the years. I still have concerns over some things I read that people posted, I can only think they must be misguided kind folks who have sympathy for the wrong person!

Questions...here I go again...

So I read today a prayer request for a minister who has cancer. He's a great guy, only in his 50's, faithful to the ministry & I HATE that he has cancer!! I've known about it for awhile & it sounds very serious. I've prayed for him & have compassion about his situation.

But today I read a prayer request about him & it bothered me. Not that the person was asking for prayer but that this person believes that the minister's cancer is a direct attack of satan & not God's will for this man's life. I guess I just can't go that far.

Is sickness ALWAYS a direct attack of satan? I believe all sickness, disability, & death is a DIRECT result of the fall of man but not that it is a direct attack at a person by the devil. I can almost understand how someone could think something like that given the theology that is out there but if you look in the bible, it's hard to look at things that way. Is it always God's will that we live to 100 years old? Is it always God's will to heal? I have to say not. I don't understand everything but I KNOW we do not see great miracles in the world today & even if people were being healed every time they turned around, at some point you DIE! I can think of so many who have not been healed of things & died but I can't really think of many who have been healed of great sicknesses. I'm sure some of my Pentecostal/charismatic friends who read this may disagree with me. But be honest, it's just not happening very much. Does that mean that all the folks who died just didn't have "the faith" for their healing? Or did it mean that the ministers who prayed for them just didn't "have the faith"? Or did it just mean we live in a fallen world, life sucks but we are to trust God even when we "walk through the valley of the shadow of death"?

I think God is well pleased with folks who put their lives in His hands & say "tho He slay me, yet will I trust Him" Being a pastor's wife, I've seen how different people approach death. Some have encouraged me by their faith, while others have just made me sad for them & the unrest they had in their lives.

I've faced some tough battles in life but I've never faced cancer & hope I never will but whatever I do face (because I'll face something!- we all do!), I hope I can face it with courage & resolve to trust God no matter what happens.

We all want to be delivered from the fires of life but sometimes we have to walk through them....I don't mean that harshly, unfortunately it's just the way it is... Thankfully God will walk with us! I WISH just because we are christians that nothing bad ever happened to us but I don't see it like that! I used to think like that but I had a huge awakening when I lost the twins & almost my life also...it showed me how shallow & dangerous that type of thinking can be! Not just to the person who is going through the problems, but those who are looking on!


So I do pray for this wonderful man. I pray that God will do a miracle & heal him completely, relieve his pain....that's what I want for his life but I'm not sure what God wants.

Church remodeled

Well after 5 yrs it is finished:)

As Jon said at the church dedication "When Yvonne & I came to this church, we realized there was alo of work to do..." So from almost day one we've been working on the church buildings. The santucary was the biggest most expensive job. It was a mess so now the santuary is basically all brand new. The sound room & the nursery too. What a job it has been. We were out of the buildng for 4 months meeting in the fellowhip hall. Thankfully a family in our church remodeled it last spring! We moved back into the church in March, it is so beautiful. The whole story how GOD brought everything together is rather remarkable.

I'm not one for cliches' but God birthed a vision for us, we saw the death of the vision then God caused the vision to become reality! At one point, it was hard to see that this remodeling (which symbolically is a rebuilding) would ever take place. BUT IT DID!!! We are so excited about everything that is going on with our church~Grace Church!

Some new pictures from Gatorland 3/11

We've always loved Gatorland but haven't gone since the little boys came along...we had FUN! It was so hot in the 90's but it was great! Everyone sat on the gators & we did a gator feeding not 5 ft from HUGE gators! I was holding Sam & throwing raw meat with the other hand. I felt like Steve Irwin when everyone got all mad when he was holding his baby & feeding a croc! We have a pic that shows us with our backs to the gators. That was the scariest part!

I've been nominated to the Florida Blind Services board & am being "vetted" for governor appointment. My husband says if these pictures get out I can forget it! LOL Hopefully that is not the case. I'm excited about the possible appointment & hope to get it if it's God's will for me. I feel I can be a loud voice for blind kids!

So all has been good with us & I'm thankful. I want to start back blogging but it's hard to put it in my day. I feel like I'm going all day long, although it is relaxing to me to do the blog.

Hope you like the pictures. It was fun, good memories...made me think of when Steve was 5 o 6 & we had an annual pass. We have so many pictures of him back then. Kinda makes me sad that, that little boy is now taller than me & still growing. I love seeing him grow but it is bittersweet. It's been so sweet to watch Steve grow up & become a man. I'm so proud of who he is becoming but I can still see that little boy running sown the walkways going to see the gators...sniff sniff (yes we went there alot!) But then we have Sam who NEVER grows so I guess I'll always have a baby:)