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Showing posts from 2016

I Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

  So our Christmas celebrations are wrapping up, and we are heading into a    New Year!  2017!!  Amazing!  I think the years are going by faster each year.  I have asked friends that are raising children, and they agree their  children are getting older faster.  This year my family will be 44 (me),  43 (My Mr. Benson), 15 (Savannah), 12 (Siler), 10 (Sarah), 7 (Sully), and 6 (Sethman).  We will also celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary!!!     I am so excited to see what the Lord is going to bring about this year.       But Christmas is just freshly over.  How was it for you this year?  Was it  fun with a little of that typical stress?  Was it sad? - you may have lost a  loved one or received some not-so-merry news.  Was it completely stressful and you survived?  I think for me this year it was a combination of all of the above.  I have had some sad news as three people I know are dealing with cancer.  I know that the Lord has this in His hands but seeing the families first-hand deal
We are almost to one of my favorite holidays...Thanksgiving!  It is a time  to fellowship with friends and family.  It is a time to reflect on just what  the Lord has blessed us with.  I am so thankful for so many things.  As I  told you in one of my earlier posts, I am going to cheat and put all 30  things that I am thankful for in one post. Before I list them, I wanted to share a few scripture verses that I have  seen that have touched my heart. Psalm 103:1-4, 10-12 1Bless the  Lord , O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2  Bless the  Lord , O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 10  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear hi

God's Will

  It is already the second week of November!  Time is flying by this year.  Before you know it, the Christmas decorations will be up and Walmart will start selling everything Christmas...oh, wait!  They had all that coming out before we even got to Halloween. LOL!  Not that I am complaining - I LOVE CHRISTMAS!  But, I think we need to take a little time to reflect on being Thankful.   On facebook I have some of my friends that are absolutely awesome at posting every day of November things for which they are thankful.  Since I am not that good, I always cheat.  I am going to do it again this year.  So, next week, I will post my "Thirty Things For Which I Am Grateful!"   This week, I want to remind you about God's will.  So often we pray and things don't happen in the way we want.  In the Bible Joseph of the Old Testament is a prime example of this.  I am most certain he did not want his brothers to be jealous of him, and I know that being thrown in a pit for dead was

Dealing With Hard Times

  As I listened to the radio this morning, I heard some sad news about Scott Hamilton.  He found out he has another tumor.  This is his third tumor.  In the interview he said, "Well, here we go again.   Last round, in 2010, I told Tracie, 'God doesn’t owe me a day. I’m good. Whatever’s next is next.' The blessings keep coming because we allow them and we ask for them," he said. "I’ve been blessed beyond my wildest imagination; I would never even think to dream the stuff that I’ve been able to do." (people.com site)   It is incredible to see this man, who is famous and talented, endure all he has.  But what is it that keeps him from being upset and discouraged? Watch this video .  It is a little over ten minutes, but it is inspiring.   Wow!  Okay - are you tearing up, too?  I am.  What faith this man has. Do you have this faith?  I do.  It is the ONLY thing that is constant in my life.  Jesus is the only one that is going to be there through every single t

Servant's Heart and the Love of Christ

  I have a wonderful love for reading books.  It began back when I was a kid.  My mother loves to read, too.  She actually has a lot of books, so I am able to borrow some great books from her.  One I have just finished is called The Princess  by Lori Wick.  It is a Christian fiction story.  I just love it.   The premise of the story is of a kingdom that has a prince that has lost his wife.  By rule he is to be married by his 26th birthday.  The prince is so distraught over losing his wife that his parents are left with finding his new princess.  A couple has a daughter that when she was born they knew in their own hearts she was destined to do something great.  Who knew it is to marry the prince?  This is one of those arranged marriage stories where they aren't in love and kind of have to get to know each other while they are already married.  Anyway, I won't get into the whole story, but they both grow together and have challenges along the way.  I also won't be a spoiler

Boy! Life is Hard!!

  Well, it is another "Hump Day!"  I hear and see the camel in my mind hollering that phrase.  It always makes me smile.  I know that it is an old thing to laugh at, but I am one of those people who hears something and just holds onto it forever.  You know -- those jingles to all those tv shows and commercials.  I had one lady in tears, laughing so hard, when I sang the entire theme song to "The Love Boat."  So fun!     I told my husband a while back that I wish I could recall important information - you know, historical or philosophical information that people nod and think on.  But, no, I remember the theme songs to "Hee Haw" and "The Dukes of Hazard."  I guess as long as my livelihood doesn't depend on that, then I am okay.   Currently, I am in the midst of starting up a new year of school.  Now everyone is not huge fans of school.  Some people live for going out and buying new school supplies and getting new clothes and new backpacks. S
  Well, I cannot have any excuses for not writing other than I have been ULTRA busy. We have had a trip to Florida and North Carolina.  We have celebrated our 18th anniversary!!, Father's Day, and birthdays.  I have taken our Sully to several doctor and therapy visits.  The kiddos have all seen the dentist.  Friends and family have been in and out to visit.  Our garden, thanks in a big part to Mr. Benson, takes up some time, too.  General housekeeping, feeding kiddos, and animals (while Savannah is gone), takes up so much of our time.  VBS at our church, fellowship time and regular services are a big part of our lives.  And important news...I have gotten to scrapbook some!!!   I really enjoy getting on here and putting my goings and doings.  I also like to share what the Lord is teaching me.  Just today, I have thought about our world and where it is going.  I have been thinking of late how the news is filled with so much negativity.  Whether you are a democrat, republican, liber

Busy busy busy!

  So April is gone -- 3 dr. appointments, 5 therapy sessions, homeschooling, Sully in school, etc.  In any case it is now May.  The month of May -- a.ka. something to do almost every single day -- is upon us.  I think that this month is as busy as Christmas!  In our family we have Mother's Day, Girl Scout camping trip and awards day, graduations, homeschool end-of-the-year party, and church activities.  I almost don't want to open to the book in my calendar.  Not to mention I also have one Sully dr. appointment and 4 therapy sessions, along with getting the rest of our schooling in and our check-off.   Now I know that sounds like I may be complaining, but I am not trying to do that at all.  I am just kind of amused and slightly overwhelmed at what is ahead.  It is like this every year except some years we have kindergarten graduation and out-of-state graduation to attend.  It is such a blessing to be a part of so many activities and other people's lives.  We all stay busy,

Living Through Valleys

  Wow!  I have been away from here too long.  I have been like everyone else -- BUSY!  It is good though.  Since posting we have had several doctors appointments with Sully, homeschool things, and the dreaded three letter word that everyone dreads hearing  F L U!  Yes, our family had it.   That is the valley that I am referring to in this post.  I want to walk you through what it is like to be in a family with 5 children and have the flu.  First of all, I have to let you remember that Sully has disabilities, so if he gets sick, it can be really bad.   So it all began on February 22.  Seth, our 4 year old that is usually WIDE open, lies around with a high fever.  He feels terrible.  I begin medicines with him.  The next casualty - and if you are a momma, you know this is not good at all -- ME!  I think to myself when I get sick --- NOOOOOOOOOOO!  I go to the doctor to see what I have. She looks at me and says, "The flu test is positive.  You are not in the window to take the medi

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

  I have to say that Christmas this year was a busy one for us!  Between parties, shopping, Christmas light-looking, present-wrapping, caroling, driving up and down the mountain more times that I can count, church programs, Christmas cards, Hallmark movies, trips to family and friends...whew -- are you tired?  But in all honesty, I LOVE this time of year.  I thrive on the energy of other people.   I was able to stop and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.  I was able to sing a few of my favorite songs at our church and help with directing the choir - it was a blessing!  The programs and preaching that I heard touched my heart - ever-reminding me of the REAL meaning of Christmas!   We had our family time with opening presents at our own home on Christmas Eve.  That was a first for us.  We usually wait until Christmas morning to open presents, but we had a family get-together, so we had to change it up.  I found that this past year I have had a lot of changing it up.  Being patie