A tragic day..........

My heart hurts to badly right now.  I honestly don't know how many more tears I can cry or what else I can do.  Words do not express it and tears don't do enough.  One of "my girls" went on to be with the Lord today.  Yes, we should all be rejoicing, but she was only 15!  Death never seems to get easier, in fact, I think it gets harder.  Skylar was such a neat kid.  She had a personality that was all her own.  She didn't care what anyone thought, she didn't care to be popular, she didn't care about much of anything.  She did her own thing and was her own person and that was what was so awesome about her.  This year at camp, I really got to enjoy time with her, laughing and talking and just getting to know her a little better.  I will always cherish that time.  Just two weeks ago she was able to come to D-Now.  It was great to hug her neck and tell her that I loved her.  You know, watching these kids grow up, they become your kids.  And Erica, well she is still with us, but lots of broken bones.  But there were so many kids involved, and not because they were in the wreck, but because they witnessed it, because they tried to help, because they saw their friend lying in the road.  I can't even imagine.  So, as we all try to heal, please continue to pray for this town.  I love the Carpenter and the Blalock family both.  I love the families and the kids that were involved with this whole situation.  Most of them were my youth kids, and so they are my family.  I heard a song on the way home from the hospital and it's lyrics were this, "What can I say?  What can I do?  But offer this heart oh Lord, completely to you!"  What perfect lyrics at this time?  I don't have the words to say, and I know that I can't "do" anything, but at this point, I can offer this broken heart up to Him and let Him mend it.  Skylar, you were such a unique person and I loved you for that.  Thank you for allowing me to see you and to know you.  Shelbi, words cannot express my sincerest condolences.  I love you so much and want you to know that I am available for anything!  You and your family will be in our prayers.  Erica, I pray that you will heal quickly.  I pray for you and your family during this difficult time and know that God will carry you all through.  Mrs. Holcombe, I can't even imagine what you are going through.  I love you and pray that God would comfort you during this time. 
Lord, as I give my heart to You, I know that You are in control of this complete situation.  I honestly don't know what to say or what to pray.  I pray that You will hold each and every one of these families in Your arms.  I pray for guidance, peace, understanding, Your unfailing love and mercy.  I know that You are the healer, the Creator, the Father of all things and that You are in full control.  May you mend hearts, may You strengthen Faith, may You wrap each and every person in Your arms and love them.  May we as a community and family step up and show Christ's Love through our words and actions.  Father, take control of this situation and may You have all the Glory!  Amen!!
This is a couple of pictures of Skylar, just to remember her by.  Not that she needs it, because she was unforgettable.  But I love her, and this makes it a little easier................

Skylar, thank you for allowing me to wash your feet and to serve you.  I truly love you and you will forever be in my heart and mind.  You will be missed.  Can't wait to see you in Glory one day!!!  I love you!

Disciple Now 2011

 Well, since I am so not in the mood to do any kind of homework, I think I should blog.  And what do I want to talk about??  D-Now!!!  As my brother-in-Christ would say, Heck to the yeah!!!!!  Man, first of all, let me tell you, it was amazing!  I have always loved this weekend, ever since we started working with the youth.  It is an amazing weekend of worship and fun, and lives are changed.  Well, this year was a little different and a little harder.  This year, our youth was without a Youth Pastor.  Everyone has kind of stepped up and taken some kind of role to make sure that there was little change to our youth department.  And since I love D-Now so much, I stepped up to make sure that D-Now happened, regardless of any circumstance.  Well, it was a hard several months, but everything came together beautiful.  Despite the weather, which threw a kink in it, we were able to still have D-Now, with no problems!  Kacy Benson, our speaker, was able to make it up Thursday night before the 7 inches of snow hit us.  Cory Smith and one of his band members still came up from Dallas in all of the ice.  It did take them 5 hours to get here, but they were able to make it, although the other 4 members of their band were not.  His other band member was able to make it from Tyler, so that was a blessing as well!  So, Friday came and we decided that a "little" snow is not going to stop this thing, so we just locked all the kids up in the church for the night and continued on with what God was going to do that weekend!  And man, did God move!!  6 kids were saved that first night!!  The second day was a little different.  We were unable to do our water balloon fight, for obvious reasons, but we improvised!  This is the first year we invited parents, and although not too many showed up, we did have some that were there.  And the best thing about that, one of the dad's and his son got saved that night!!!  Praise the Lord!!  Was the stress and the long nights, loss of sleep, crying episodes all worth it??  ABSOLUTELY!!!  I was so happy to be a part of that weekend, and I am so glad that I had AMAZING people by my side helping me!!  We have some amazing youth workers, parents, and church members!  I was truly blessed to have a great team behind me!!  Kacy came to speak about purity, but luckily he let the Holy Spirit lead him, and the weekend turned into something more about purity of the heart, and unforgiveness, and brokenness.  And boy, did we have brokenness!!  When I first began working with the youth, I was not happy.  I did it because Daniel wanted us to.  I never would have thought that these kids would change my life.  I never thought that the questions I had about things in my past would be answered.  I never knew how I could find a place with them.  And now, I cannot see my life without them.  I have tried to walk away from them, but God pulls me back!  And even when the stress seems to be too much, and the kids don't seem to be growing, and you wonder why you are still where you are, there is that one thing, that one person, that one life that hugs you and tells you that they love you and are glad that you're here.  And that one time makes it all okay again.  Here are just a few pictures of the weekend!!  Hope you all enjoy!!

Freshman and Sophmore Boys

Junior and Senior Girls

Freshman and Sophmore Girls

Kacy Benson and his balancing act

Cory Smith and Nicholas Rice

Saturday night Communion

7th and 8th Grade Girls

Dodgeball anyone??  No you can't throw back!

Does she have to grow up??

I can still remember the minute they put her in my arms.  I didn't want to let go of her.  My mom wanted to hold her and she had to tell me to let go of her so that she could.  Man, it seems like just yesterday she was a little girl, holding my hand, giving me kisses, needing me for everything.  Now, she is growing up.  You know that your children are going to grow up one day, so why is it so hard?  Katelyn had her first Junior High dance on Saturday, and I just couldn't contain my tears.  Yes, I know, I am a big baby anyway, but it was still hard to hold them back.  Her beauty has just truly shown through this past year, and I honestly don't know that I am ready to let her go.  Her beauty amazes me daily, and it isn't just her outer beauty, because that is a given.  But it is her heart.  She loves.  This young woman is becoming a young woman of God.  She loves people and her heart shows it.  But her beauty still amazes me.  Not because I didn't know how beautiful she was, because of course, I knew she was beautiful.  But my little girl is growing up.  It is funny how many times we wish our kids would grow up and we wonder how they will look, what will they be like, who they will become.  And then when they do grow up, we wish they could be little again.  I love my kids so much, and as hard as it is to watch them grow up, I am so more aware of the amazing life that God has given me.  He has entrusted to me to teach His children, to groom His children, and to love His children.  Lord, I was never worthy enough to be a mom, but thank You for trusting me with such a great task.  I pray that I will always look for Your direction when it comes to directing them.  It is still amazing to me!!!  And to end this blog, I give you a picture of my beautiful daughter at her first Junior High dance.  Yep, I am just a little proud to be called her momma!!

Hello again to blogging!!!!

Man, I can't believe that I finally started blogging again!!  If you know me, then you know how much I love to talk!!!  Specifically in person, but I just love to talk!!  So, I have not blogged since I was on Myspace, so it's been over a year.  As much as I love Facebook, there really isn't any place that I can truly blog, so here I am at the blogspot!  Honestly, I have so much to share with you!  I have so much that I want to talk about and express to you, so forgive me if I blog everyday!  LOL!!  But it has been a while, and so much has happened, especially in the past few months, so I just have to blog about it!  Also, blogging can be my stress reliever from school, work, kids, family, you know, just the everyday stuff!  So, welcome to my blog and I do hope you enjoy it!!!