Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day!!!

And a HUGE THANK YOU

to all those who are serving and have served!!!!!

Thank you for what you do for our country

and for your many sacrifices!!! I pray for God's blessings in

and around your lives and for Him to keep you safe!!!!

Its been ONE week.

Ive had Baby Kitty for a week today!! :) Still no name..soon though! Its still only eating from the bottle but its eating a whole bottle at feeding now instead of half..and today it found out it could use its tail for balance! lol So stinkin cute to watch! Its starting to 'run' around instead of wobble. Until now its tail has been straight as a board, now its finally catching on! haha Ahh!! How precious!! God's creations...AMAZE me!!! :)

Habakkuk 2:3

A couple of years ago I opened a book and this verse, written on a piece of paper, fell out...It suprised me bc I didnt remember writting it!! But there it was..in my hand writting, right in my lap, RIGHT when I needed to hear it the most. It amazed me. God knew I was having some questions and doubts about His promises and such, and when that happened I got chills! What a message from God. Well I have found, since that time, this verse always manages to pop up in some way just when Im needing it the most. I added it to this picture a couple months ago. Its just so pretty. So full of hope. How blessed are we, to get to have God's word!?! As our road map, our instruction guide, our Life manual. Oh how He loves us...I am forever thankful for that amazing LOVE. It changes your whole aspect on life...

Besties.

Im going shopping tomorrow with my bestie!!!!!

I just love this girl!!! We USE to see each other every single day..when we worked together at good ole Cornerstone! BUT, not anymore!! Oh how I miss her! And I think its a little sad that our 'cutest recent picture' is wedding related...considering she's almost been married a year! haha Anyway, she's the best and I know God chose to put our paths together to become BFF's..its just TOO evident. :) And oh how thankful I am!! She's my 'sheltering tree'!!!! :) Cant wait to have some of our 'philosopher' talks tomorrow Amber!!!! haha

The Blackwells.

I got to go on a photo shoot Tuesday!!!
For the first time in about a month..due to sickness. Yuck!

I was sooo happy to get back out, camera in hand!! haha

There's just nothing like shooting...it makes me oh so happy :)

Here's a peek from the shoot. More on my fan page on facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Dalton-GA/AW-Photography/190916438382?ref=ts&ajaxpipe=1&__a=7

Check them out and let me know what you think!! :)

New Baby!

The newest member of the family!! :)

We're still thinking on a name..

But isnt it the most adorable little thing?!? :)

I am blessed.

I may never climb a mountain so I can see the world from there

I may never ride the waves and taste the salty ocean air

Or build a bridge, that would last a hundred years

But no matter where the road leads

One thing is always clear

Chorus:

I am blessed, I am blessed

From when I rise up in the morning

Til I lay my head to rest

I feel You near me

You sooth me when I'm weary

Oh Lord, for all the worst and all the best

I am blessed

Verse2:

All along the road less traveled, I have crawled and I have run

I have wandered through the wind and rain until I found the sun

The watching eyes asked me why, I walked this narrow way

I will gladly give the reason

For the hope I have today

Chorus:

I am blessed, I am blessed

From when I rise up in the morning

Til I lay my head to rest

I feel You near me

You sooth me when I'm weary

Oh Lord, for all the worst and all the best

I am blessed

Verse3:

You've given me joy

You've given me love

You give me strength when I want to give up

You came from Heaven to rescue my soul

This is the reason I know

I know

Chorus:

I am blessed, I am blessed

From when I rise up in the morning

Til I lay my head to rest

I feel You near me

You sooth me when I'm weary

Oh Lord, for all the worst and all the best

I am blessed

-Rachael Lampa

(This was a post I recently posted on Facebook & thought I'd share it on here:)

This song has been a favorite of mine since the very first time I heard it years ago (and you should hear the way she sings it..even better:)...theres just something about those words that sets a fire in my heart & passion in my soul. But ya know, its easy to say you love God and its easy to say you follow Him. It is however, another thing to DO that..and even yet another to do that in heartache and pain and doubt and confusion. The last couple of weeks have opened my eyes to so much. Life is not always fair. I know everyone knows this, but Im talking about things that happen that you just cant imagine how or why. The big things. The things like sickness, death, loss of loved ones...THOSE THINGS. As I see, hear about & even experience this over the last couple of wks I have asked myself..'how would you go on?', 'why did that happen??', 'how is THAT good?' (bc I firmly believe in the Bible and God's promises..and Romans8:28 says "all things work together for good to those who love God") but then I am reminded that GOD allows certain things to happen to us, but sometimes they arent FROM Him...and if we continue to stay the course and love God, putting Him first and dying to self..focusing all our being on HIM...then HE will take care of us. He never said 'oh youre a Christian, youre safe from pain, sickness and death' he DOES however give the most amazing promise...that even when the devil himself seems to win...he looses! God is God and he has everything in his hands...Romans 8:28 promises that no matter what life on earth throws at us, if we give Him our lives, it will ALL work out for the good!! There are times, even Im experiencing one now, that just looking at the situation you wonder 'OK HOW IS THAT GOOD!?' but if you sit back and listen...Gods already got it all written out...while there are horribly bad things that happen here on earth..in Heaven, there are no tears. No sadness. No sickness. NO DEATH. And isnt that what God's plan is for us? To one day be in Heaven w/him?? (He DID send his son to die for us..so that we could have that:) Tonight Ive remembered why we're here. To live for God bc He died for us. To glorify & shine for Him..so that others may come to know Him. To lead others to Christ..to further His kingdom...bc God could just as easily yank you right up to heaven the very minute you get saved & become a Christian..but He doesnt :) And in the recent events of my life..ones that I recently asked 'how & why?' Ive been brought back to a place of surrender....a place of "oh yeah, its NOT about me..its about YOU and your kingdom". And to a place of 'GOD, YOU ARE ENOUGH'. These lyrics are so powerful and so true, no matter what life is throwing at you. And I am FOREVER thankful that I have a Savior that loves me, that came and died for me, to assure my place with him someday....in a world just as he intended..with no pain and suffering..no heartache..no death, doubt or confusion!! Glory be to God!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rVpW9A4RUo

If you get a chance watch this video, well..listen to this song. :) I know its a little 'old school' (thats what I thought the first time I heard it too) but around 2yrs ago I was going through a REALLY hard, confusing time in my life and my best friend sent me a message with these lyrics. I wept like a baby. I looked the song up and its been a favorite since. I came across this song again the other day and still cry everytime I hear it. Good tears, of course. It amazes me how a song, with such a wonderful truth, can speak to you. Here are the lyrics, and if you have about three mintues I encourage you to click on the link and listen to this awesome song. Very inspiring. :)

The Father has a plan.

Though it's hard to see it now.

You feel you're walking all alone, but He is there, no doubt.

When the storm around you rages, and you're tossed to and fro,

When you're faced with life's decisions, Not sure which way to go..

chorus:

Stand still and let God move.

Standing still is hard to do,

When you feel you have reached the end,

He'll make a way for you

Stand still and let God move

Verse 2:

When the enemy surrounds you, And the walls are closing in

When the tide is swiftly rising, And you wonder where He's been

Friend, there never was a moment, that His arms weren't reaching out

You can rest assured and be secure, God is moving right now

chorus:

Stand still and let God move.

Standing still is hard to do,

When you feel you have reached the end,

He'll make a way for you,

Stand still and let God move

Verse 3:

When you f eel you have reached the end, He'll make a way for you

Stand still and let God move

The answer will come, But only in His time

Stand still and let God move,

Stand still and let God move

Living Loved.

"Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their won efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!

Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strnuous moral striving OR because you trust him to do them in you? Don't these things happen amoung you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God." -Galatians 3:2-6

This was in my reading last night. As I read I saw things in a COMPLETELY different light. There are some things about myself that Ive been trying to change. Things that Im not proud of or like. Ive been trying to 'fix' them for a while...And I have done all I know how to do to fix them..Make lists. Do better. Do this, do that..blah blah blah. When I read this it was like someone smacked me in the face with this amazing truth :) YOU dont do ANYTHING to change...you trust GOD to do it!!! It asked what it would be like to see growth as a process of letting God "comlete..what was begun by God". For God did begin the work and He isnt finished....This example came to mind: if a potter is making an ashtray (for example) that ashtray can try ALL it wants to to be something more, something different. BUT if (while still on the wheel..is that a correct term?? lol) if its TOTALLY submitted to the potter, then the potter can change that ashtray into something like a beautiful vase....(Im not into making things out of clay lol obviously haha but that example came to me and I thought it was a great example of an amazing truth) We are in the hands of The Potter..a Mighty GOD..a God who loves us unconditionally. A God who wants us to be 'like Him'. So..if we just sit back, breathe, and LIVE LOVED....HE will make all these changes for us..from the INSIDE OUT. :)