She is gone

I really wish I had some good news to give about my friend Brandi but I don't. She lost her fight with CF this evening. Please pray for her family and friends. Her blog is located down and to the right of this post. It is called how to be a bankgrl.

I am just heartbroken. Days like these make me ask "Why? WHY???". There isn't an answer that will make me feel better and really it's not for us to understand.

Despite her health issues, Brandi lived life to the fullest. She always had a smile on her face. You would never know she was sick. She was smart and worked hard. She could have gotten on disability but that was not who she was. She loved her family dearly. Oh, and she loved her (as she would say) kittehs.

I have repeated this numerous times tonight but I still just can't believe it. Thank you lord this world is not my home!

Heartbroken

I guess that's really not the title you expect to see on Valentine's Day and I really wish it weren't the case. My friend Brandi, who happens to also have a blog and whom I worked with in two different departments at the bank is fighting for her life tonight.

She has cystic fibrosis. She was in the hospital for what she calls a "tune up" and she got worse instead of better. Earlier today she was put on a ventilator and is in critical condition. Please say a prayer for and for her family. Understandably they are having a hard time and not ready to let her go. I really can't believe this is happening. And at the same time I always knew this day would come far to early.

Praying for a miracle!

Season of love!

If there is a season of love, it would be February. And really, this is one those topics that keep coming up for me right now. I know, you're thinking, well duh Valentine's Day is tomorrow. But, I don't recall hearing these things last year or the year before. Maybe I heard them with my ears but not my heart. Very possible.

I realized from my study on Saturday that I should be intentional in being friends with people who I may not particularly like or care for. I should be nice to every person I come in contact with period. I should not judge them or have preconceived ideas of what they are like. Especially not having a fat clue as to what their life has been like. Pretty common sense but I need reminders sometimes.

Sunday's sermon was preached by our Youth Pastor and was called "Hallmarks of Love". It was a great message. Below are a few points from the notes:
The way in which we love others is a hallmark of our relationship with God.

The way in which we love others is a reflection of God's love expressed through the gospel.

The way in which we love others is a result of how we abide in the love of God.

The way in which we love others is empowered by the love of God.

When we realize just how much we are loved, it makes us want to love others. I'm going to work on being better at that!

Nothing to report here

Well, after a much anticipated and talked about trip to see Billy the Exterminator Reese changed his mind!!! We got in the car and he said "Daddy, my tummy feels funny and I just want to go home and ride my four wheeler. I don't want to stand in line.".

Totally caught off guard but it did not hurt my feelings. As a matter of fact we went home and I fell asleep at 8:30. We are such part animals!

Saturday we had a great bible study. I will write about that later as well as the sermon that was preached today. Great, life changing stuff!

And speaking of life changing, I am actually watching the Grammy's. Luckily I have Bailey to tell me who all these cool people are because I have no clue. But I do know who Whitney is and I loved her when I was a kid. Such a talented artist and I am so sad she is no longer here. RIP Whitney, we will always love you!

Billy. The. Exterminator

Reese Dean LOVES reality TV. Of course he doesn't even know what that means. I guess he gets it honest because I love it too!

Back in December he got to meet Troy and Jacob from Swamp People. He was thrilled! Tomorrow night we are going to the World of Wheels and Billy The Exterminator will be there. I just can't let Reese miss out.

Reese can pretty much recite lines from most episodes, he wears a chain on his pants (like Billy), carries around snake tongs and has even been known to cuss a little, just like Billy. The boy is pumped!!

Ive asked him a few times or 100, what he was going to say to Billy. His first response was:
"I'm going to ask Bill why he had a heart attack in that storage building.

I'm not sure he'll even say that but tonight I asked him again. he said "Mom, you've asked me that 1000 times already!". Well, I guess I'm turning into the Mom that asks a question, turns around and immediately forgets what the response was.

Oh well! Hopefully things will go well and i can post pictures later. Good night!

Thankful

I have so many different things going on in my mind right now. Mostly thoughts and concerns for people I know that are hurting. I know that includes so many really all around the world.

I know that in these hard times God is working in a lot of hearts. He is also making things happen that are true miracles. I forget that sometimes. It's easy to get caught up in my circumstance and forget He is in control. But I am still clinging to the truth. Thank God for the many reminders to help me get through the day.

Religious, good or bad?

I'll be honest with you, when I hear the word religious, my thoughts tend to go to the negative side. Before I became a Christ follower I thought of people who went to church every time the doors were open and seemed to have the perfect life and looked down on those that didn't. And if you have a different opinion than them you were "of the devil".

Now that I am on the other side, I hate to say my opinion hasn't changed much. Just the word turns people away and I can't really blame them. In a lot of cases, the religious folk act and do the same things non-religious people do, they just stand behind their religion and say it is ok because they are forgiven. And then we say "Those other people, you know the sinners, well they are going to hell in a hand basket". (best southern fake voice I can do)

But we have put that stigma on the word because we don't live out our religion! We should stand out and instead we blend in.

The Word religious means manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity. Doesn't sound bad does it? Because it isn't. It would be like having a bad experience at a fast food restaurant (maybe that's not so far fetched) and saying all fast food hamburgers are bad based on one experience. That's just not fair. Besides we are all human and have bad days. So if you've had 1 bad experience or even more with religious people don't let that keep you from making the best decision you could ever make by making Jesus Lord of your life. Yeah, I know that sounds religious but He changed my life and I just don't know of a better way to put it :)

Lastly, an insert from today's study on James (Beth Moore).
You make up your mind who you want to be and daily die to the rest. You surrender yourself to living in the tension where you'll always be stretched and often broken. Religion pure and undefiled is grit without the grime. You accept that far easier ways to live exist, but you were born for nothing less.