The Hickman's

Preschool

2010-06-09T14:18:00.001-07:00

Zayde had his preschool program the other night, and we had a lot of fun!

Zayde with his teachers, Ms. Merrily and Ms. Marcy- they were WONDERFUL!!

Kynize and Zayde

Zayde's class had to wear yellow shirts...

Our Family!

This was "Muffins with Mom" a few weeks ago.

A few more, just a little late!

2010-05-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

Snow Days!! Zayde loved playing with his cousins in the snow this winter! Our dog, Wren and his cousin, Frodo (my sister's dog) had a blast as well!

Kynzie and Zayde made snowballs.

Left to Right:
Kynzie, Zayde, Frodo, Wren, Addye

Wren (Zayde's dog) and Frodo (his cousins' dog)

All tuckered out!

Snow Days and Birthday Bug...

2010-02-06T15:12:00.001-08:00

Zayde enjoyed his birthday playing in the snow...

Zayde and Wren

Eating icicles

Making snow angels

Snow Ball Fight!

Helping Daddy make a snowman...

Our Family!

Zayde had a wonderful "Bug" themed birthday party...

The Birthday Bug! (My grandma and I made this chair for Zayde's birthday.)

I made a special shirt for his party.

Sean and Ashley

The Food Table...

I made this birthday banner for Zayde out of felt squares, and thought it turned out so cute!

Table decorations...

We played "Pin the bug on the flower" and then went on a "bug hunt"...

Zayde loved opening his presents!

A new bike!!

"Happy Birthday to you..."

We love you, Zayde!!

No Way!!

2010-01-31T08:52:00.000-08:00

Can it be true? There is no possible way. I absolutely cannot believe it. Where has the time gone? You've got to be kidding me!

My sweet, precious, innocent, beautiful, incredible, amazing baby is THREE today!! (Sniff, sniff.) I know, I know, I am being waaaaay dramatic, but I just can't believe it! The past three years have been some of the most joyful, precious, wonderful, happy, awesome years of my life. I feel so blessed to have the husband and to be the mother of the two most incredible guys EVER...

Zayde, you have filled our home with joy, laughter, life, fun, and so much more! When I think about the past three years, and when I think about you, here is what I love:

I love your curly blonde hair and beautiful, big blue eyes.

I love your sweet, funny, playful, amazing personality.

I love that you are the biggest Mama's boy I've ever seen.

I love, that since I've been blessed to stay home the past three years, all of the wonderful mornings with just you and me snuggling, hugging and kissing in "Mommy and Daddy's big bed."

I love that you are so flexible and easy going that we've been able to take you with us to so many great places like Silver Dollar City, the beach in Florida, PRIMITIVE camping, canoeing on the river, Bikes-Blues-and-Barbque, the rodeo, driving with the top down in our convertible, hiking trails and so much more!

I love all of the lazy Saturday mornings with our little family of three, watching cartoons.

I love that we have to sing the exact same three songs every single night- ("Twinkle, Twinkle", "Row, Row" and "Jesus Loves Me This I Know".

I love watching you pray, and how you ever so seriously fold your hands together and bow your head.

I love watching you play cars and listening to you have conversations with them.

I love hearing you sing your ABC's and "Zayde's Song" (Z-A-Y-D-E, Z-A-Y-D-E, Z-A-Y-D-E, that's how we spell Zayde!)

I love how every time I come to pick you up from somewhere, you run into my arms with the biggest smile yelling, "Mommy, mommy, you're here!"

I love watching you do the same thing with your Daddy.

I love how affectionate you are, always wanting lots of hugs, always wanting to be held, always wanting to sit right next to us (or on top of us) on the couch, always bringing your toys in the same room I'm in to play (well, a lot of times anyway), always loving on us in your own, sweet way.

I love laughing together.

Zayde, I love you!!

Zayde's Birthday Pancakes... Yummy!

Zayde got a new puppy for his birthday!! He is a Sheltie and we named him, Wren. They just love each other!

Zayde now thinks he is a puppy. He locks himself in Wren's "house", and I even caught him on all fours drinking out of Wren's water bowl just like a puppy! (Don't worry, I explained how that was yucky, and he hasn't tried it again.)

Still Alive!

2010-01-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I have blogged- we are staying busy and having fun! Here are some of the things we have been up to...

Zayde is still loving preschool at the Mount Comfort "Sonshine" School! They had a Thanksgiving play and lunch, which he did not enjoy so much. He cried and shook the entire time his class was on stage! (He is the kid curled up in a ball.)

Zayde and Kynzie had lots of family join them for the lunch...

He LOVES his Papa!

We had a great Christmas this year! We were blessed to be with wonderful family and friends.

Sledding on our WHITE Christmas!

Zayde received many wonderful Christmas gifts this year, and he loves to play in the storage container that we keep his new blocks in- go figure!

We recently went to Krispy Kreme with the local "Moms" club. We got a tour, made our own donuts and enjoyed eating them!

Thanks for reading!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-13T07:16:00.000-08:00

This year, Zayde's great grandma and I made his costume. He was a precious prince!

Zayde's school had a trick-or-treat the halls day, and he had a blast!
Zayde's class...

Zayde and Kynzie check out their candy...

On Halloween night, we went trick-or-treating with family and friends.

Zayde and Ashley

Trick-or-Treat!

Kynzie and Zayde

Hayven, Ashley, Zayde

Friends, Sean and Josh

Playing in the leaves!

Addye, Mia and Zayde

Our Group

The Kids:
Josh, Zayde, Ashley, Addye, Mia, Kynzie

My nephew, Clown Cayden with his friend, Michael Jackson!

Zayde's other Mimi (Kynzie's Mimi) and Aunt Catherine pass out candy!

After all that fun, Zack, Zayde and I went to Cracker Barrel.

Zayde took this picture of Zack- pretty good!

Fish Tanks & Piggy Banks...

2009-11-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

Fish Tank...

This summer, Zack salvaged an old fish tank, and Zayde got his first fish tank!! He loves to feed his fish every night- it has become part of our nighttime routine.

Checking out the fish at PetSmart...

Of course, we had to look at the birds, too!

Proud new fish owner.

Daddy and Zayde putting the fish in their new home.

Zayde was so excited!

First feeding...

Can you tell how excited he was??

Piggy Bank...

Every time Zayde's great-grandma sees Zayde, she gives him all of her change. We recently filled his piggy bank, and let Zayde deposit it into his savings account. He didn't really know what was going on, but he seemed to think he was doing something really big!

Loving Preschool!!

2009-11-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

This year, Zayde is attending preschool at the Mt. Comfort Church of Christ Sonshine School, and I am teaching there as well. We only go on Monday and Wednesday each week, and we are loving it!!

First day of School....

Putting his lunch box in his cubby.

Zayde's teachers, Ms. Mary and Ms. Merrily.
(Ms. Mary is no longer there, but he has a new teacher- Ms. Marcy.)

In September, Sonshine School had a cowboy day where we all dressed up like cowboys, and a real cowboy brought his horses...

Zayde's class checking out the horses.

Kynzie and Zayde

"Say, Yee Haw!"

Zayde rode a horse for the very first time!!

Kynzie loved it, too!

Zayde with his class. (His new teacher, Ms. Marcy, is on the right.)

This is my class- so sweet!

Mommy and Zayde...
I love teaching where he is going to school, so I can be involved and be right there with him!

In October, Sonshine School had the pumpkin patch come to us! We had a local farmer bring a trailer full of corn and lots of pumpkins- all the kids had so much fun!

Playing in the corn...

Listening and learning all about pumpkins!

A Walk in the Park

2009-10-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

Our favorite family activity is to walk to the park with Daddy, Mommy, Zayde and Bree! It is about one mile from our house, so it is a great exercise and family time!

There is a creek on our way to the park, so we like to stop and feed the duck's...

Zayde is getting pretty good at the big boy swing!

Of course, he has to have a turn with daddy or mommy every time. =)

Climbing the ladder to the slide...

Sliding with Daddy!

Sliding with Mommy!

This is Zayde and Bree's favorite part of coming to the park....

Bree jumps up and gets Zayde- he loves it and cracks up! (No, Bree is not hurting him- just playing.=)

End of Summer '09

2009-10-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Here it is October, and I am just now posting the last of our summer pictures! We had such a fun summer with Zayde this year. He was able to do so many things and make great memories...

Fun at the Pool!!
Zack got our family season passes to the Aquatic Park for my birthday this year. It was the best!!

Botanical Garden Wedding
My cousin got married this summer at the Botanical Gardens. It was beautiful!
My family:
Mom, Dad, Christa, Tamara, Amy

Three Beautiful Sisters!!

4th of July Rodeo

Fun at Mimi's!

Zayde learned a new trick how to look outside...

Camping at Bull Shoals with Papa, Nana and cousin, Cayden...

Playing kick ball with Nana!

Enjoying a movie and pizza rolls with Cayden.

Fun at the Fair!!

Tee-Ball!!
Great-Grandma Guist got Zayde a new tee-ball set. He and Daddy enjoyed playing this summer evening...

Labor Day 2009

Tyler caught a fish!

My first fish ever!! (that I can remember)

Our fish... in a puddle.

Bon-Fire Fun...

Daddy and Zayde wore out from all the fun. (Yes, they are really asleep.)

A Trip to Devil's Den...

Papa gave Zayde a ride around the campground!

Family Hike...
The Hickmans

The Lewis'

The Roys

Bikes, Blues and BBQ 2009

We continued our tradition with the McCash's at BB&BBQ!

You never know what you're going to see...

David and Jessica even cruised Dickson on their bike!

If I were to ever have my own bike (which I won't) it would definatley be pink with polka dots- so cute!!

Zayde wanted to sit on a bike all night, so we found a sweet couple who let him sit on their HARLEY DAVIDSON!!

Zayde falls asleep in someone's arms every year. Yes, with all of the crazy noise!

2009-08-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my family had our pictures taken by a sweet friend, Miranda, of MC Photography. She did a FANTASTIC job, and it has been so hard to choose which ones to print and frame. I would print them all if we had enough wall space! Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite family picture. Thanks!

Totally 80's Bunco Night!!

2009-08-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

I am in a Bunco group this year, and it is so fun!! We try to have a theme every month and this month the theme was "Totally 80's"- hosted by my cousin, Melissa. Everyone who could dressed up and it was totally RAD!! We each made up our "80's" name and tried to talk using 80's lingo. Check out the pictures, they are cool beans....

This is Julie- a.k.a. "Val"

This is me- a.k.a. "Jessie"

This is Christy and Malory- a.k.a. "Crissy and Mal"

This is the hostess, Melissa- a.k.a.- "Baby"

This is Tiffany- a.k.a. "Cindi"

This is Tamara- a.k.a. "Tammy"

This is Amanda, Rachel and Malory- a.k.a. "Cher, Lisa, and Mal"

This is Christa- a.k.a. "Janet"

Me with two of my favorite people- my sisters!

"Crissy" got a Bunco, so she got to wear the Bunco crown!

Like, totally tubular!!

Our Group... Such a fun group!

Everyone voted for the best dressed and "Val" and "Jessie" won!!

Do you remember wearing as many watches that would fit on your arm and the multi-colored fingernail polish?!?! So rad!!

Summer Fun!!

2009-07-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am doing HORRIBLE at keeping up my blog this summer. We have been so busy and having a blast...

Helping mommy vacuum...

Konked out with his balloon from David's graduation party.

Bree has been staying in the shade as much as possible!

Swimming with cousins, Tyler and Chloe...

No fear...

Can you guess what Tyler is going to do with that bucket of water??

Yep- SPLASH!

Girls night out with high school friends Ashley and Jessie...

Talented piano players/singers at the Piano Bar.

Zayde gets to try out Papa's motorcycle...

Having fun with Auntie!

Spending the week with Kynzie...

Reading books IN the book shelf!

Water fun with William...

Water hose fight with Daddy...

Grandpa and Amy

Earning his keep... (Cleaning up the construction trash)

Addye's dance recital...

Hope you're having a great summer, too!!

Prayer Request

2009-06-11T11:57:00.001-07:00

Long, long, long story.... I have decided to go back to the classroom and teach again! I have an interview with a school in Fayetteville on Monday morning. Please keep me in your prayers. Thank you!!

Canoe Trip

2009-06-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a great day for a canoe trip! We went with several people from our Sunday School class and had a blast! We ended up floating for close to 6 hours, but it flew by! Enjoy the pics:

The Group-
Denny, Christy, Dennis, Randy, Rachel, Rusty, Amy, Zack, Zayde, Bree

The Tates (Rusty and Rachel)

Randy

The Hickmans (Zayde, Amy, Zack, Bree)

The Deans (Dennis, Christy, Denny)

Zayde had an absolute blast!!

Bree made friends at every stop...

The Girls- Christy, Amy, Rachel

Relaxing in his chair...

Some of the guys taking a dip- Zack, Rusty, Randy

Zack and Bree swimming

My wonderful family!

Me and my honey!

Denny and Christy

Zayde never got fussy the entire 6 hour float! We had everyone on the river complimenting about how good he was!! We are so blessed with a fun, adventurous boy!

Beautiful scenery...

Do you see the waterfall?

Zack and Denny climbing the bluffs.

Daddy and Zayde playing in the water.

Zayde fell asleep in the canoe and took a 2 hour nap towards the end of the float!

We took Zayde to see the movie, Up, on Sunday afternoon. He loved it!

The Word on Wednesday...

2009-06-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 4:4-5- "Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the Word of God and prayer."

In her book Creating a SenseSational Home, Terry Willits says, "In His goodness and creativity, God has given us eyes to see, ears to hear, noses to smell, mouths to taste and talk, and bodies to feel. Each sense is a rich blessing that enhances our life in a unique way and can bring immense pleasure or pain. Though every sense is wonderful, we seldom encounter only one at a time. Instead, God has intricately wired them together to allow us to experience all dimensions of life as we take in the world around us."

Have you ever thought of our senses that way? As a blessing from God? Sometimes it is so refreshing to sit outside- look at the rainbow of colors from the green grass to the red, lilac, and yellow flowers, smell the aromas in the air from the fresh-cut grass to the next door neighbor's bar-b-q dinner, feel the breeze of the wind, and listen to the sounds of children playing, lawn mowers growling and birds singing. Just by sitting outside for 5 minutes, I have used almost all of my senses. God is awesome!

Sight-
Deuteronomy 11:7- "It was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done."
Did you know that certain colors trigger an emotional response? Pink will pacify children. Red excites. Green is calming and restful. Blue can encourage intellectual activity. God is awesome!

Taste-
Psalm 107:9- "He... fills the hungry with good things."
God has blessed us with the enjoyment of the wide variety of flavors- sweet, sour, bitter, bland, salty... We have about ten thousand taste buds with which to taste all of the flavors created by Him. God is awesome!

Smell-
Proverbs 27:9- "Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart."
Humans have seven primary oders that help them determine objects- Camphoric (mothballs), Musky (Perfume/Aftershave), Floral (flowers), Pepperminty (mint gum), Etheral (dry cleaning fluid), Pungent (vinegar), Putrid (rotten eggs). If your nose is at its best, you can tell the difference between 4,000-10,000 smells! God is awesome!

The Word has a lot to say about our "Spiritual" scent as well:
Ephesians 5:1-2- "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

2 Corinthians 2:14-15- "But thanks be to God, who in Christ... through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing."

What does your Spiritual aroma smell like? Is it refreshing and pleasant such as the Fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Or, do you put off the opposite- the poison of hatefulness, negativity, chaos, impatience, unfriendliness, mercilessness, untrustworthiness, crudeness, hastiness... I, personally, want to have the sweet, loving scent of my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

Hearing-
Matthew 11:15- "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Sound waves cause the tympanic membrane (eardrum) to vibrate. Humans can hear sounds waves with frequencies between 20 and 20,000 Hz. The three bones in the ear (malleus, incus, stapes) pass these vibrations on to the cochlea. The cochlea is a snail-shaped, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear. Inside the cochlea is another structure called the organ of Corti. Hair cells are located on the basilar membrane of the cochlea. The cilia (the hair) of the hair cells make contact with another membrane called the tectorial membrane. When the hair cells are excited by vibration, a nerve impulse is generated in the auditory nerve. These impulses are then sent to the brain. Tell me the way our bodies work is not amazing- God is awesome!

Touch-
Matthew 9:20-22- "Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. She said to herself, 'If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed.' Jesus turned and saw her. 'Take heart, daughter,' He said, 'your faith has healed you.' And the woman was healed from that moment."
We cannot physically touch the Lord, but He has us wrapped up in His arms none the less. Take a minute to feel the love, acceptance and warmth of your Savior!
There are about 100 touch receptors in each of your fingertips. God is awesome!

Lord, thank You for blessing me with the ability to see, taste, smell, hear and feel the beautiful world You created. Help me to never take those abilities for granted, and to use them for Your glory. Help me to "see" the blessings of life, to "taste" the goodness of Your love, to put off a pleasant "smell" as I am the "aroma of Christ", to "hear" Your Holy Spirit guiding me and speaking to me, and to "feel" Your arms around me. I love you, Lord! Amen.

Warning: CUTENESS AHEAD!!

2009-05-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

Zayde and Daddy working on the Jeep...

Does it get any better than that??

Memorial Day Fun!

2009-05-29T07:04:00.001-07:00

For Memorial Day we went to Zack's parent's lake house. We had a blast swimming, riding bikes and playing Scrabble!

My little water baby!

Grandpa Ron takes a dive...

...and so does Bree!

Fearless...

The Three Rugrats!
Zayde, Tyler, Chloe

Bath Time... after a day at the lake!

Riding Bikes...
Daddy took Zayde for a bike ride, and he LOVED it!

Jessie and I actually rode around the block like this! It was a blast- I think we screamed the entire time!!

Aunt Holly giving raspberry's!

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day!!

The Word on Wednesday...

2009-05-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

Revelation 21:4- "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Have you ever heard Jeremy Camp's song, There Will Be A Day? It is an amazing song for anyone who has lost a loved one, is going through a trial, given up hope, or just needs a reminder that God is faithful---

I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that tries to grab
The many trials that seem to never end, His word declares this truth, that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering

There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we’ll see Jesus face to face But until that day, we’ll hold on to You always

I know the journey seems so long
You feel your walking on your own
But there has never been a step where you’ve walked out all alone

Troubled soul don’t lose your heart
Cause joy and peace He brings
And the beauty that’s in store outweighs the hurt of life’s sting

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering

There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we'll hold on to You always

I can’t wait until that day where the very one I’ve lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced
To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery
This is why, this is why I sing….

There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we’ll see Jesus face to face

There will be a day, He’ll wipe away the stains, He’ll wipe away the tears, He’ll wipe away the fears….. there will be a day.

Let's cling to His promise that our days on this Earth are short, and there will be a day...

Thank You Lord that when things are tough, I know that I can cling to You. Thank You for Your faithfulness, love and hope! I love You!

Zayde's First Trip to the Zoo!

2009-05-26T09:50:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we went with our friends, David and Jessica to the Tulsa, OK Zoo. It was Zayde's first time to visit the zoo and he LOVED it!! So, take a picture walk with us and experience our adventure...

Our Family

Zayde watches a lizard...

Fathers and Sons

Amy and Jessica

Zayde and Mommy enjoy the "cave".

Our country's majestic bird!

...the elephants

Ginormous turtles!

The Great Giraffe

Zayde and Daddy check out the animals.

The zoo had lots of new life...

Baby Lion Cubs

Flamingo Eggs

Baby Pigs

A Baby Monkey

Mommy and Zayde

My favorite zoo animals are the big cats!

Zayde and Daddy check out the penguins...

Zayde and Mommy check out the animals...

I had never seen flamingos before- they were so neat!

Zayde loved the fish.

The Gang...
Jessica, David, Harbor and Zack, Amy, Zayde

Zack and David loved the gators.

The Hickmans!

Zayde looks at the donkey...

...and pets the goats.

...just monkey-ing around!

Lots of walking!

Riding the carousel!

Zayde and Harbor sport their "tie" shirts that their mommies made for them!

Thanks Dave and Jess for a great time and wonderful memories!!

The Word on Wednesday...

2009-05-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Romans 15:13- "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

http://www.merriam-webster.com/ defines hope as:

1- to desire with expectation of obtainment
2- to expect with confidence
synonym: expect

Do we truly hope (with confidence & expectation) in the Lord? I never thought of it that way before. We say things like: I hope it doesn't rain today; I hope he's right; I hope I can fit into this dress by Christmas; etc, when all the time we figure with our luck it will rain; we have doubt that he knows what he's talking about; and we aren't very confident that we'll actually fit into the dress at Christmas.

Do we "hope" in the Lord with that same lack of expectation and confidence? God is the God of Hope! Paul called himself an apostle of "Christ Jesus our hope" (1 Timothy 1:1). The weather fails, politicians fail, loved ones fail, diets fail, but God never fails (Psalm 13:5). The next time you say that your hope is in the Lord, say it with "expectation of obtainment" and "expect it with confidence"!

Lord, I pray that my hope truly is in You and You alone. Help me to hope in You with confidence and expectation! I know that You are faithful, true and unfailing! Thank You, Lord!

Big Boy Bed!!

2009-05-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

At 2 years 4 months, Zayde is in a big boy bed!! He loves cars, so when he saw his car bed he was so excited!

What a big boy!!

Saying our prayers...
Zayde couldn't concentrate, because someone kept trying to take pictures.

"So, now after all the excitement I'm supposed to go to sleep? You're kidding, right?"

Me: "Zayde, close your eyes."
Zayde: (see picture below...)

Thankfully, Zayde has slept very well so far in his new bed! He goes right to sleep and does not get out of bed when he wakes up. He calls for me like he always has. That was my biggest worry!

The Word on Wednesday... is back!!

2009-05-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Every since my computer went on the blitz and I posted about my nephew passing away, I have not really gotten back into the blog thing- including my Word on Wednesday. God convicted me over a year ago that my blog was serving no purpose for Him. He called me to start sharing His Word on my blog, and that's when I started my Word on Wednesday posts. But, let me tell you, it's not always easy. It can be very time consuming, a hassle, and tiring. But, it is worth it even if one person is touched! So, I am excited to say that I am starting them again!

When reading my Word on Wednesday posts, please do your own studying of the Word and praying about it. Just like with any other preacher, teacher, or person sharing the Word we listen to, we should always check up on what they are saying for ourselves through reading the Bible and praying. I am not perfect, only human "saved by grace through faith." I am also not your typical conservative, legalistic Southern Baptist girl (although I do attend a Southern Baptist church, which I love!) You might see my husband, Zack, and me having a drink, me wearing a bikini, Zack enjoying a cigar- things that so called, "good" Christians do not do, but please do not judge me. I know who I am in Christ and am confident in my strong faith and walk with Him. I know that I have not reached the goal, because we will all strive for that for the rest of our lives until we reach Heaven. I listen to what the Bible and Holy Spirit tells me what is "good" or "bad", "right" and "wrong", not other Christians who are sinners just like me. I will not try to push my convictions, opinions or likewise on you; I'll just be sharing what God lays on my heart from week to week...

I have been talking this week (through facebook) to an old friend from high school, who I have not been in contact with for almost 10 years. She used to be a Christian, and attended a church where her grandfather preached hell, fire and brimstone. In her life, she ran across too many legalistic, judgmental Christians who told her, "Do this, don't do that; do that, don't do this" that she has completely turned away from Christianity, saying, "my life and beliefs do not exactly fit those of Christians." I am not saying that those people are responsible for her, or that she is not responsible for her own actions. But, I do think it is so sad that fellow Christians in her life were more concerned with judging, pointing fingers, and pushing their own convictions on her than loving her, praying for her and just being an example for her. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of the Christians who think you can do whatever you want because you're saved and going to Heaven no matter what, or you can just ask for forgiveness later- I don't believe that in any way, shape or form. But, as I do believe that there are absolutes in the Bible and definite black and white truths, I do not believe that everything is black or white, right or wrong. I believe that every Christian has the Holy Spirit living inside us, guiding and convicting us each personally. So, before anyone reading this starts to think they are "better" Christians, or starts to judge others, I hope they will remember that God is the ultimate judge- we are here to serve Him and love others. Please check out this Word on Wednesday for more on that...

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Romans 15:5-7

I love you all and hope that somehow I am able to be a blessing to you through my Lord Jesus Christ and His Word!

Did you know....

2009-05-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

I won the National Mother-of-the-Year Award?!?!

My sweet cousin, Melissa, sent this to me! Isn't it great?! I hope all of my mommy blog friends had a great Mother's Day!

Best Birthday Ever!

2009-04-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Zack, Zayde, Bree and I went on a camping trip for my birthday. We had the best time ever! ......

Cooking over the campfire...

Zayde relaxing in his chair!

Playing around in the tent
...with Daddy

...with Bree

...with Mommy

Bree had her own place at the campsite!

Zayde enjoys breakfast.

Ready to go canoeing!!

This was Zayde's first canoe trip and he LOVED it! We will definitely be going again soon!

Bree slept the entire canoe ride...

Zayde loved to paddle just like his daddy!

Bree's still sleeping...

The beautiful bluffs.

Our family!

Hiking the Old River Trail...

We had to go across two river crossings!

The Dogwood Festival...
Petting the horses! (Actually, just mommy petting the horses- Zayde wouldn't touch them!)

Zayde loved the bounce house!

Choo! Choo! Train Ride!

Aunt Suzy, Zayde and Mimi play in the creek...

Thanks for sharing my birthday weekend with me!

Maxwell Family Hiking Trip!

2009-04-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

Despite the rainy weather, my family had an awesome time on our hiking trip. My aunts, uncles, cousins and family drove to Hobbs for a great time! We enjoyed visiting, sight seeing and playing around...

The Whole Crew- left to right
Me, TJ (cousin), Cole (cousin), Hannah (cousin), Lisa (aunt), Addye (niece), Cayden (nephew), Phisher (cousin), Logan (cousin), Robert (uncle), Cathy (aunt), Chris (cousin), Julie (cousin), Melissa (cousin), Nathan (cousin), Rocky (Nathan's best furry friend), Zayde, Tamara (sister)

After Zayde wore Tamara out, Chris carried him for the rest of the trip- thanks ya'll! (Zack couldn't come on the trip, because he was testing with the Siloam fire department. Please pray with us that he gets the job!!)

Stopping for a lunch break on the bluffs.

Walking the trail...

Cole shows us what "tree ridin'" is!

We found this fun tree that looked like the number 4!

"Holding up the tree!"

As always, Zayde took a little nap on the hike back.

Celebrating April birthday's after our adventure...

Our New Puppy!

2009-04-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, we added a new addition to our family- a puppy! We got a nine-week-old German Shepherd and named her Bree. Her mommy was a K9 for the Farmington Police Department and her daddy was a K9 for the Springdale Police Department, so we are hoping that she will be a special dog! She is really Zack's dog, because he had to talk me into getting her. Zayde LOVES her as do the boys in my preschool, so I think we made a good decision. I'm glad that she will have a few months to grow up around kids and get used to them. So far she has been the sweetest puppy.

At the breeders...

Just relaxing!

Playing with the boys...
JP loves Bree!

Lovin' on Zayde

My four boys... now do you see why I have my hands full!?!

Bree...

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-13T09:09:00.001-07:00

We hope you all had a blessed Easter remembering the free gift and resurrection of our Lord!

Love,
Zack, Amy and Zayde

What we've been up to...

2009-04-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy, fun last few months! Here's what we've been up to...

Several weeks ago, I went on a Women's Retreat with my church. It was one of the few times that I have been away from Zayde over night. He stayed with his Daddy, and they had a BIG surprise for me when I got home. This is what my sweet baby looked like before I left...

And this is what he looked like when I got home...

AAAHHHHHHH!! This was the worst "welcome home" EVER!! I cried like a baby- I was not ready to give up those precious curls. This was Zayde's first big boy hair cut and I was not there. (sniff, sniff) He looks like such a little boy now! Zack told me he hopes that I will start treating him like a big boy instead of a baby now that he looks older. We'll see...

Now, on to what we've been up to...

Zayde has had fun playing with his friend, William.

We went to Fast Lane's and bowled in a glow in the dark bowling ally. It was a blast!

Zayde's new passion is movies. He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES movies! He is constantly bringing his movies to me from our DVD boxes, saying, "Moo, moo" (he still does not talk very well). So, we have to limit it to 2 movies a day. However, when he is not watching a movie, he is ALL boy, running, jumping, bouncing, falling, bumping his head all over the place!

Zayde had a "sleep over." We kept his cousin, Mia for a couple of nights and they had a blast. We had a movie night with popcorn and hot chocolate.

We enjoyed a weekend at Zack's family's lake house with two of our favorite couples...
Beau and Jessica

Christy and Denny

Zack and Amy (me)

Zayde adores Beau!

And of course his Mommy, too!

Zayde's new favorite person in the whole world is, "Papa." He LOVES his papa. Every time we pull up in their drive way, he yells with a huge smile on his face, "Papa! Nana! Papa! Nana!" When we leave he cries, "Papa! Want Papa!" I am so thankful that Zayde has such wonderful grandparents. We cherish our time with them.

P.S. Please do not look at the pj's he has on. We were staying with my sister (who has a 2-year-old daughter) and his had toilet water on them- another story! So, he had to borrow Kynzie's.

Hello!

2009-04-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that it has been almost two months since I have blogged! I am so sorry that I have not been checking in on all of my blog friends or keeping you posted. It has been a crazy two months, but we are all doing well. Eli's funeral service was very sweet and the family has definitely felt all of your prayers. Thank you so much for your sweet comments, thoughts and prayers.

I have had a lot going on and have lots of pictures to share! One thing keeping me busy is a new business that I am starting. It is called, A-Z Goodies, specializing in baby gifts. I was a vendor at a huge children's consignment event in Rogers and plan to have a booth at a craft fair in Springdale in May. I have created a website (see the link to the right), and have products ranging from wet wipe cases and burp cloths to tutus and hair accessories. I hope you can check it out soon and remember me when you attend your next baby shower! My website address is: http://www.a-zgoodies.com/

Here are some pictures of my booth:

Eli Victor Mathis

2009-02-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

March 4, 2007 - February 19, 2009

Please pray for our family, as our nephew has passed away.
You can visit the blog I have created for him- Remembering Eli.
Comments and prayers for the family are very much appreciated.

Birthday Party!

2009-02-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, even though Zayde was not feeling very good, we had his 2-year birthday party. (Hence the reason that he is frowning in every picture and attached to my hip:) It was a western themed party and we had a blast! A bar-b-que dinner was served and the food was delicious. Thank you mom, Diana and Tamara for preparing the food!

Decorations...

Thank you David and Jessica for opening your home to us and hosting the party!

Zayde had lots of family and friends who came to celebrate with him...

Thank you to Karen, Jessica's mom, for taking all of the wonderful pictures- we will treasure them forever!

Time to eat!

We tried to take pictures of each group of kids who came to Zayde's party...

Zayde's cousins- Cayden, Kynzie and Addye

Zayde's cousins- Tyler and Chloe

Zayde's cousin- Mia

Zayde's new friend- Jordan

Zayde and cousin, Eli

"Happy Birthday to You!"

Zayde received many awesome gifts- thank you everybody!

Zayde is wore out after all that fun!

Our Family...

Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated Zayde's birthday- it meant so much to us!

The Word on Wednesday... (a day late)

2009-02-05T11:18:00.001-08:00

Genesis 30:22- "God remembered Rachel; He listened to her and opened her womb."

God remembered Rachel; but had he ever really forgotten her? No! When the bible uses the word remember, it does not mean that God forgets and then suddenly recalls. God is Alpha and Omega; He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving. I doubt that God was sitting in Heaven and suddenly said, "Oh, yeah- I forgot about Rachel! I need to go ahead and answer her prayer." Dictionary.com gives several definitions for the word, remember. Here are a few:

-To retain in the memory; keep in mind; remain aware of:
(Ex- Remember your appointment with the dentist.)

-To bear (a person) in mind as deserving a gift, reward:
(Ex- The company is so good to remember us at Christmas.)

-To possess or exercise the faculty of memory:
(Ex- She always remembers her homework.)

Isn't the second definition great? That is exactly what God did for Rachel! He beared her in mind as deserving a gift from Him- the gift of being able to have a child.
I believe that when the bible says God remembers something, it conveys God's love and compassion for his people, as well as His promise to never abandon or leave us. He will never forsake us. He will never forget us. He will always remember us.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Zayde!

2009-02-02T05:54:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, my sweet little baby turned 2! I cannot believe that he is two already. Zayde has brought us more joy, love, laughter and happiness than we ever imagined. We pray with him every night and thank God for bringing him into our lives.

Due to weather, illnesses and power outages, we postponed his birthday party a week. However, I could not let the day go by without treating our 2-year-old on his birthday. We started the day by making pancakes (his favorite breakfast), and we even put peanut butter and syrup on his! He usually eats them plain. Then, we took him to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch. On our way, I told Zack that we needed a cake. So, we stopped by Rick's Bakery and bought him a little cake- they even gave us 2 candles! Here is our adventure in pictures...

What is he looking at?

This..
(He was mesmerized by the performance.)

But when it came time to meet the star, he was too shy to look up from Mommy's shoulder!

Time for the rides!

The first thing that Zack wanted to put him on was this big truck...

Zayde LOVES to "talk" on the phone. So, he was not too shy when Chuck E. called.

Driving the race car- Go Zayde!

And his favorite part of Chuck E. Cheese??
The tunnels...

He looks like such a big boy to me in this picture. Last year, Daddy had to crawl through the tunnels with him. This year he did it all by himself!

Playin' some B-Ball...

Happy Birthday to Zayde!

We love you so much, baby!!

The Word on Wednesday...

2009-01-21T11:00:00.001-08:00

Luke 15:2- "But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

1 Corinthians 13:13- "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Have you ever been to an unwelcoming church? It is extremely uncomfortable, isn't it? Did you go back?

It is so sad that many churches and Christians are caught up in "works", appearances, etc. that they forget God's words- "love others as you love yourself... but the greatest of these is love... but if I have not love, I am nothing..." The next time you see a visitor at your church, show them the most important part of being in a body of Christ- loving others!

P.S. The Martin's sat beside the new couple and welcomed them to the church and loved on them.

I Love Arkansas!!

2009-01-19T06:40:00.000-08:00

(I received this email today, and thought it was too funny not to share!)

Things I Have Learned From Living in ARKANSAS:

Armadillos sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.

There are 5,000 types of snakes on earth and 4,998 live in Arkansas.

There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Arkansas, plus a couple more that no one has seen before.

If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites.

Onced and twiced are words.

It is not a shopping cart; it is a buggy.

People actually grow and eat okra.

There is no such thing as "lunch." There is only dinner, and then there is supper.

Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two. (We do like a little tea with our sugar!)

Backards and forwards means, "I know everything about you."

Jeet? It's actually a phrase meaning, "Did you eat?"

You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is. You work until you're done, or until it's too dark to see.

You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH them.

You measure distance in minutes.

It's not uncommon to have to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

"Fix" is a verb. Example: "I'm fixin' to go to the store."

All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal.

You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

You know what a "DAWG" is.

You carry jumper cables in your car ... for your OWN car.

There are only four spices: salt, pepper, Tabasco and ketchup.

The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and sports.

The first day of deer season is a national holiday.

100 degrees Fahrenheit is "a little warm."

We have four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas.

Wal-Mart is really called, "Wal-Marts" and McDonald's is really called, "Mac Donald's."

Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past time known as "goin' Wal-martin" or off to "Wally World."

A cool snap (below 70 degrees) is good pinto-bean weather.

A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola or pop ... it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Example: "What kinda coke you want?"

Fried catfish is the other white meat.

We don't need no stinkin' driver's ed ... if our mama says we can drive, we can drive.

Go Hogs!!!

Zayde and Friends...

2009-01-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

This might be one of my favorite posts! Zayde is blessed with so many friends...

Piano Buddies-
Zayde and Ryder

Zayde and Kynzie

Just Hanging Out-
Zayde and Miles (I'm sure they are scheming up a great plan!)

Zayde and Mia lounging on the floor without a care in the world!

Zayde and William having fun at the fall festival.

Eli and Zayde- We love to match with our friends!

Book Buddies-
Kynzie and Zayde reading INSIDE the toy chest...

Baby Harbor and Zayde-
"Whatcha doin' Harbor?"

Sweet kisses...

Taking care of baby... notice Harbor's passy ribbon says, "Friend"- perfect!

The Word on Wednesday...

2009-01-14T13:10:00.001-08:00

Genesis 19:17, 26- "... one warned, 'Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.'.... But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."

I have been studying about Lot's wife this week in my bible study. There are only a few verses in the entire Bible about her, but her story is very well known. She is introduced in Genesis when Lot brings home several men of God. After doing so, the men of the city- the men of Sodom- try to capture the men from Lot's house. But, they are forced to leave without the men. Later, the men of God warned Lot to take his wife and daughter's and flee from Sodom; escape to the hills; do not look back! (Genesis 19:26- "'Escape for your life. Do not look back... lest you be swept away.'") Even though warned not to do so, Lot's wife couldn't resist looking back, so she turned into a pillar of salt. Why do you think she turned? Was she doubtful, sad, scared, curious, regretful?

Sometimes, we might find ourselves in the same position as Lot's wife. We've been given a word, warned, lead to do something, but we don't listen. Then, just like Lot's wife, we find ourselves looking back, regretting decisions made, mourning lost opportunities, not allowing God's mercy in our hearts. Because we're looking behind us, we can't see what is before us. We won't turn into a pillar salt, but we won't be much more useful. Let's embrace God's mercy and forgiveness, find joy in the present, pray for the future and leave the past behind us-
No turning back...

First Haircut!

2009-01-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

Zayde received his first haircut in December by his Aunt Jeana. He was 23 months old! I really did NOT want to cut his hair, but it was getting out of control and no longer curling. It was such an exciting event for us, and we were so glad that we had someone special to be the first person to cut his hair! Jeana did an awesome job and it looks soooo much better now...

Before (front)

Before (back)

Aunt Jeana hard at work...

Zayde starts to get a little worried...

Now, he's not sure that he likes this thing Mommy and Daddy are calling a haircut...

Ok, he definitely is NOT having fun!

All better!
After (front)

After (back)

Thank you, Aunt Jeana!

Great Friends... Great Times!!

2009-01-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

Our bestest friends, Andy and Rachel, live 6 hours away in Texas. We met them in college and after they graduated, they moved back home to Texas. They surprised me by coming to visit us over New Year's weekend. We always have so much fun with them! They stayed with us for 4 nights. I don't think we ever went to bed before 2:00am, and Rachel & I stayed up later than that talking the night away. They hold a special place in our hearts and are true friends who we know will always be in our lives. We are trying to convince them to move back to Arkansas, but for some reason they would rather live close to their families instead of near us!

Andy, Rachel, me, Zack
(Pictured at my cousin's 30th birthday party)

Rachel is such a precious person, always putting others first. I am so blessed to have her in my life...

We love to get out and do fun stuff together. In college, we used to swing dance to live music at a local hotel. This weekend we went bowling and had a blast...

After bowling, we went out for dessert and drinks...

...New Year's Eve

Andy and Rachel, thank you so much for blessing us last weekend with your amazing friendship! We love you!

The Word on Wednesday...

2009-01-07T08:39:00.001-08:00

Happy first Wednesday of the New Year!! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year! This week I want to discuss goals:

Galatians 3:3- "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"

2 Corinthians 5:9- "So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it."

Philippians 3:14- "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

It is around this time that many of us make New Year's Resolutions, or set goals for ourselves, and then question how long it will last. Many of us create lists of well-intentioned goals for the new year, but somehow can't seem to keep them all. Our Sunday School teacher sent an email with some great words of advice for the New Year. She said, "I encourage all of you to take some time to reflect on last year, thank God for His provisions and blessings, and then set some goals for this year." She is completely right- we should always reflect (not dwell) on the past to learn from our experiences, give God the glory for what He has done for us and prayerfully set new goals.

Did I hit the nail on the head when I said prayerfully set goals? Galatians 3:3 says, "Are you so foolish...are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" Could this be a key reason why so many fail or give up? 2 Corinthians 5:9 says, "So we make it our goal to please him..." Philippians 3:14 says, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." As Christians, the #1 goal on our list should be to please and follow Him. If God is the most important part of our lives, we should seek His will and goals. When setting goals for this year,let's prayerfully reflect on the past year, thinking about what God has taught us, spoken to us and brought us through. Then praise Him for all of these things- even the hard times, because they drew us closer to Him. Then seek His will and guidance for setting goals. There are plenty of things that I want to do, accomplish, change, etc. If trying to attain these goals by my own human effort, I can expect to fail. But if my goals are aligned with God's will, victory will prevail.

Here is a glance at Zayde's year in 2008:

January- Zayde turned one!

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Happy New Year and God Bless you all!!

Fall Hiking Trip...

2009-01-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

This fall, Zack, Zayde and I went on a hiking trip with Zack's family. We saw much of God's beautiful creation. The weather was perfect and the golden leaves were stunning!

The Hammons Family
(Holly, Diana, Ron)

The Hickman Family
(Amy, Zayde, Zack)

Can you find Holly on this bluff?

Over-looking a huge bluff... Beautiful!

Holly found a neat crevice to hide in!

Photo Op...

Zayde, Zack and Memaw

Zack did an awesome job as our tour guide!

Memaw and Zayde

Zayde and Aunt Holly

...always being just like Daddy!

Holly and me having fun!

Ron enjoys the view...

So does Zack and Zayde.

Daddy does a little rock hopping...

while Zayde plays in the water...

Our blessed family.

We found this beautiful bluff to rest under...

...being silly! (This was Zack's cigar. I thought I would be funny while holding it for him:)

Zayde thought he would walk for a while. Of course it didn't last long!

All of this sight seeing just wore him out!

Sweet Boy! (Notice Zayde wearing Mommy's shirt? He fell flat on his backside while playing in the water!)

We saw these magnificent Elk on the way home...

Aunt Holly showed us her new horse...

Zayde's first horse ride!! (He's not so sure...)

Guist Grandkids...

2009-01-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

We hope you had a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Miranda Campbell took these pictures of Zayde and his cousins...

The Guist Grandchildren-
Mia, Paxton, Zayde, Kynzie, Cayden, Addye

Zayde, Paxton, Addye, Mia, Cayden, Kynzie

Brother and Sister (Paxton and Mia)

Sisters and Brother (Cayden, Addye and Kynzie)

Zayde

Kynzie

I was so pleased with the shots that Miranda got of Zayde!

Thank you Miranda- you did an awesome job!!

Gingerbread House...

2008-12-22T08:35:00.000-08:00

My preschool kids had so much fun making a Gingerbread House last week!

Working hard to put the house together...

Decorating the cookies...

Decorating the house...

Even Zayde helped... (He actually mostly ate the candy!)

Our "sweet" Gingerbread House...

Enjoying our Christmas Party snacks!

The Word on Wednesday...

2008-12-18T07:25:00.001-08:00

I know this is a long video, but please watch it before reading on...

When I first started watching this video, I didn't get too upset- thinking that it wasn't that big of a deal, what harm could it really do. But by the very end, where it shows the doll saying it over and over again, I was in tears. The Holy Spirit laid in my heart: "This is a big deal! It could really do harm! This could be the only message some children hear!" If we, as Christians, want our children to know the one and only Truth, this should outrage us, break our hearts, bother us tremendously. I am not saying that we should boycott Fisher Price because they won't recall the doll, Disney World because they have a "gay/lesbian" day, Applebees because... (The list could go on and on.) I am saying that, like the preacher mentioned, we are under spiritual attack. It is our job to proclaim the truth- not by sitting at the computer just shaking our heads and saying a little prayer, but by going out into our community and sharing the real truth, proclaiming Who the light really is. I am so tired of seeing and hearing things like this and doing nothing. I am so tired of leaving it up to "more qualified" Christians to witness. I am so tired of being a luke-warm Christian. Are you?

I am sharing this video; I am going to find a way to contact Fisher Price; and I am going to tell everyone I know Who the light really is!

1 John 1:5- "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: GOD IS LIGHT; in Him there is no darkness at all."

1 John 1:7- "But if we walk in the light, AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."

Psalm 27:1- "THE LORD IS MY LIGHT and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 36:9- "For with You is the fountain of life; IN YOUR LIGHT WE SEE LIGHT."

Micah 7:8- "...the LORD will be my light."

1 John 1:5- "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: GOD IS LIGHT; in Him there is no darkness at all."

(Emphasis' mine)

Two months ago...

2008-12-16T11:21:00.000-08:00

My computer went on the blitz!! And, we had some fun on Halloween...

Church Fall Festival:
Cowboy Zayde- Yee Haw!

He LOVED playing the games...

Mommy and Zayde!

Halloween Night:

My cousin, Melissa and her family hosted a fun, family Halloween party. We had a blast dressing up, eating and trick-or-treating!

Melissa and her family...

Our Family as...
The Rubbles (Betty, Barney and Bam Bam)

The food was delicious and fun!

I made this pumpkin dip bowl...

...and these pumpkin cupcakes.

Trick-or-treating
Zayde had a blast. He would run to every door saying, "More! More!"

The Adults all dressed up...

Zayde and Daddy

All the Kiddos!

Sorry...

2008-12-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I have received several emails from my wonderful bloggy friends asking where in the world I have been. Well, to make a long story short, I have been having computer problems since October. My mom (a.k.a. the computer doctor) fixed it, and I used it for 2 days before another problem arose. It is an old, outdated computer, so she is in the process updating it. Isn't she wonderful?! I should have an improved computer soon and will be back in blog land. I have really missed all of you and reading your blogs- I will have a lot of catching up to do! Keep checking in for posts on Halloween, hiking trips, family pictures and more!
Love and miss you all,
Amy

The Word on Wednesday... (a day late)

2008-10-30T08:57:00.001-07:00

Matthew 5:3- "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

I have always heard and read that God wants us to be happy and joyful. So, why does the kingdom of heaven belong to the poor in spirit? What does "poor in spirit" mean, anyway? It sounds so dreadful. Well, after studying it, I realize that to be poor in spirit means that you have an absence of self-assurance, self-reliance and pride. It is total repentance; turning from independence to complete dependence on God. To put it simply, it is admitting that you are a sinner. Before we can truly come to know Christ and receive His Holy Spirit, we have to realize what we are apart from God: nothing, destitute, a sinner, unable to please God... That's when we become poor in spirit- when we realize what we are without God- just as Paul said, "I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh" (Romans 7:18). I think so many of us get so caught up in works- doing "good", comparing ourselves to others- thinking, "Well, I'm much better than him/her. I've never done that." We think, 'I'm on this committee; I volunteer for this ministry; I go to church every Sunday and pray out loud, ect, ect.' My friends, those are only dangerous, self-righteous attitudes. We cannot forget that we are NOTHING apart from God- we have no chance of obtaining righteousness, God's mercy or the kingdom of heaven without first becoming "poor in spirit."

Lord, I pray that I will surrender all to You- all of my "good" works, self-righteous attitudes, pride, etc. If I ever forget who I am- what I am- apart from You, just knock me off my pedestal, break me, and remind me that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit. I know that I am only a sinner bound for Hell apart from You. It is only by You that I can please God, do good and strive for holiness - not what I do, but what You do through me. Help me to never forget that. Thank you for dwelling inside of me, cleansing me and washing away my sins. You are such an incredible, awesome, amazing God and I love you so much! Amen.

Just call me "Mrs. Thrifty"

2008-10-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

Some people think that I'm cheap. But, then again, they're not the ones having to budget on an extremely low, I'm mean tight, income. =) So, I call myself "thrifty". This weekend, I went to a neighborhood garage sell and hit the jackpot! I was so excited at all of the great deals I got- I didn't pay more than $2 for anything!

My treasures...
Zayde racked up on some clothes- he got 16 pieces of clothing with NO stains or worn spots. I am picky about the clothes I get for him, even if they are used. He also got a play weed eater, ball, tricycle/scooter, potty chair and other toys. Other great deals I found were: 4 glass mugs, pictionary, 10 movies, brown heels, a necklace, a lamp, a Christmas decoration and some clothes for myself.

My Grand Total:

Are you ready for this?

$20
Yes, that's right, 20 bucks!! You cannot beat that. Here's a closer look at our goodies...

Here's some cute pics of my sweetness!

The video below is of Zayde dancing- he LOVES to dance! (BTW- it's more fun if you have your sound turned on.)

2008-10-28T12:51:00.001-07:00

Go Hogs!!

2008-10-27T06:19:00.000-07:00

Zack and I were given tickets to Saturday night's Razorback game!! Even though we didn't win (we should have!!), we had a great time. Thank you so much Denny and Christy for the tickets!

Zack and Amy

This Razorback guy is hilarious!

I always love the half-time show...

Some of the band even came up to our section to play for us!

The Word on Wednesday...

2008-10-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Genesis 1:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning— the first day. And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate the waters from the waters." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning— the second day. And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning— the third day. And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights— the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning— the fourth day. And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning— the fifth day. And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it— I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."

When I think about nature, the creation of new life, and the world around us, I am in awe of God. I love reading in Genesis 1 how He created the heavens, the earth and everything in it and saw that "it was good." Amazing, just amazing...

Last weekend, we went camping with my family and some family friends. We had such a great time visiting, hiking, caving, and eating!

...our home away from home for the weekend!

Hanging out at camp...

Phisher and Cayden playing.

Kynzie and Zayde playing with the leaves.

Addye, Phisher and Cayden sweep up leaf piles.

Zayde and Daddy driving to go hiking.

Getting ready for our hike...

Our family!

Our group...
(Mia, Teresa, Rick, Christa, Tamara, Sara, Becky)

Mommy and Zayde

Daddy and Zayde

God's beautiful creation...

While Daddy was caving, Mr. Rick helped carry Zayde.

We enjoyed a delicious meal of smoked ribs, grilled chicken, fried tators, grilled veggies, pineapple, baked beans, rolls, and smores after our hike.

Mmmm...

Phisher and Cayden warming up by the campfire.

Breakfast time...

Zack couldn't get out of bed, so I sent Zayde in to wake him up only to find him snuggled up next to Daddy!

Happy Kynzie!

The kids enjoy their breakfast.

Some of the group went for another hike the next day...
(Cayden, Teresa, Rick, Zack, Carol, Charles, Kynzie, Zayde and Phisher)

Taking a snack break...

Papa and Kynzie with Zack and Zayde

Zayde and Kynzie...

Enjoying a game of cards!
(Becky, Tamara, Amy, Ashton)

Mr. Rick and Zayde

Overall, everyone had a great time!!

Computer Time!

2008-10-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

If one of us is on the computer, Zayde wants to be right there with us- he loves the computer! I've started giving him his own little "lap top" to hold in his lap, so he can work too. It actually has a cd that goes with it and you place it over your keyboard, but it works to keep him occupied while we are working! Here are my favorite two baldies...

Zayde Reading!

2008-10-13T10:25:00.001-07:00

2008-10-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

Zayde loves to sit and "read." He is being kind of silly in this video, but I still think it's cute!

*Update* In two weeks, Zayde went from saying 4 words to saying 19 words! He is talking more and more everyday. We took him to the speech therapist who tested his speech, comprehension, responses, etc. He did not qualify for speech therapy. Yea! Thank you for all of your comments and encouragement in my previous post.

The Word on Wednesday...

2008-10-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 10:13- "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Galatians 5:1- "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

So many of us have that one area in our lives- a habit, attitude, addiction, fear, doubt- that we keep surrendering to God, but it continues to creep back into our lives. We earnestly pray, no beg, for God to help us, change us, take it away... We repent, ask for forgiveness and promise to give it to Him forever. And for a while we do. We just know that we have claimed victory over that area of our lives. But God never promises that just because we surrender to Him, we'll never have temptation in our lives. So after a while, there it is again, back in our lives. Satan lies to us saying, "You hypocrite! You never really surrendered it to God. You'll never change!" In reality, we really did give it to God and He really is changing us. We just have a choice to make: keep it for a while, pray about it for a while and try to change again OR give it back to God IMMEDIATELY! We've already given it to God, so it's not ours anymore- we just stole it back from God's hands. We have to make the choice not to listen to Satan's lies, not to beat ourselves up about it, not to obsess about how we managed to fall again... Instead, we have to make the choice to listen to God's promise ("He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear... He will provide a way out..."), quickly repent, accept forgiveness and give it back to God immediately. Every time we do this, the "yoke of slavery" will be loosened more and more. Until one day when we surrender it to God- again- it won't return. We will realize that it is truly gone; we are set free; no more bondage. Amen!

Lord,
Thank you so much for your amazing promises. Thank you for assuring us that you will not tempt us beyond what we can bear, and thank you for always providing a way out. What would we do without you?! I, once again, surrender this area in my life to you. I give to you what is rightly yours. I can already feel the "yoke of slavery" diminishing! I pray that my thoughts, words and actions will be pleasing to you. I love you so much! Amen.

Happy Fall Ya'll!!

2008-10-03T06:54:00.001-07:00

Tuesday night Zack, Zayde and I went to a little pumpkin patch in Tontitown (off of Hwy 412.) It was so much fun watching Zayde run around laughing and trying to pick up pumpkins. He had an absolute blast! We are loving this stage that he is in and are so blessed!

He was so precious trying to pick up all the pumpkins...

"This one, Mama!"

"I got it!"

"I really, really want this big pumpkin. I know I can pick it up- if only it wasn't quite so heavy!"

Zayde even made a new friend... He was giving it hugs and kisses- so cute!

Smile!!

He enjoyed carrying the hay around and throwing it up in the air, saying, "Whoa!!"

Our blessed family...

They had these neat cut out characters. Zayde thought it was soooo funny to stick his head through them.

The sweetest pumpkin of them all... Zayde!

When we got home, we started decorating the front yard...

Zayde was such a good help for his Daddy!
"Oh Yeah, look at me- I'm such a big boy."

"We're almost there, Daddy."

"Ok, what do we do now?"

Our "Fall Decorated" yard...

Of course, I had to decorate inside, too. Last year I hit the Hobby Lobby end-of-the-season 88% off sale. So, this is the first year I have decorated for fall. It was so much fun!

I have heard so many people talk about all of the fall changes- in the literal and spiritual sense. My prayer this fall is that I will not hinder God in any way to change, mold and shape me in order to help me grow to become the Christian woman He desires!

Fall Blessings to you all!

The Word on Wednesday...

2008-10-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

2 Samuel 22:1-8, 30-36:
"David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: 'The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent men you save me. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great.'"

2 Samuel 22:47 "The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!"

Although this was David's song of praise when he was in trouble, I believe we can apply it to our lives as well. We can sing this song of praise when we face any trial or tribulation- for it is God who delivers us from all evil!

I looked out my window yesterday, and this is what I saw...

Bikes, Blues & BBQ!!

2008-09-29T12:06:00.001-07:00

Every year, Fayetteville hosts a bike rally called, Bikes, Blues & BBQ. It has grown to be the largest motorcycle rally in the United States benefiting local charities! This was our 3rd year in a row to go with our good friends, David and Jessica. As usual, we had a blast and Zayde enjoyed the sights and sounds.

I decided to ride on their bike with David, and Jessica rode in our car. I was very nervous and David didn't help out at all- he thought it was so funny when he gassed it, taking off at a stop light! (I thought it was funny, too. =) I kept squealing and pinching David's side when he scared me!)

Jessica and David

The Hickman's

We had a pre-dinner at Jose's. Later on, David and Zack ate BBQ, while I had a funnel cake... Mmmm!

Zayde loves riding on tricycles and bikes, so this motorcycle was right up his ally- he loved it!

Zayde also loves riding on his daddy's shoulders...

Zayde and Mommy
(FYI: Zayde was NOT into smiling for pictures this night.)

Me and Jessica posing with a robot- they have some of the neatest sights there!
(Yes, Jessica is pregnant and looking beautiful! No, I am not pregnant, although I look like it in this picture for some reason.)

This bike matched Zayde's outfit!

Poor Baby, it was 11:00p.m. before we left. Zayde was so tired that he fell asleep in his daddy's arms. (It made for a sweet picture, though!)

Good Food, Clingy Baby and Speech Therapy...

2008-09-25T12:03:00.001-07:00

1) Good Food! While in Texas, Zack and I either had junk food, snacks or ate out for EVERY meal. We were given a credit card from the company we were working with for food, since meals were not provided (well, edible meals- but that's another story). So when we got home, we wanted some good country cookin'! Zack is an excellent cook and can whip up anything! On our first night back, he made country fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and biscuits. It was delicious...

Zack's plate- he thought it looked the best since it had more gravy and pepper.

2) Clingy Baby! Zayde has been extremely clingy since we've been home. He has wanted us to hold him non stop. But, that is fine with me!! I'm enjoying the extra hugs and cuddling. This is him loving on Zack before he had to go to work this morning (hence the nasty, cut-up tshirt.) Zayde did NOT want Zack to leave. He has cried every time one of us has had to go somewhere.

Zayde now officially has way more hair than his daddy! =)

3)Speech Therapy?? At Zayde's 15 month check-up, his doctor asked how many words he was saying. Well, he actually said, "So, he's saying Mommy and Daddy plus 5-10 other words. Right?" NOT! I informed his doctor that he said ZERO words, not even Momma or Dada. The doctor was not very concerned at that point, because Zayde had just gotten tubes in his ears, and he felt like he was hearing better and would start picking up on words faster. He told me that if Zayde was not saying 5-10 words (other than mommy and daddy) by 19 months, to call back. So at 19 months (3-1/2 weeks ago) I called back, because he only said 4 words other than Momma and Dada. The doctor recommended early intervention speech therapy and gave me the number for an early intervention speech therapist. I received a call from her today, and we will have his consultation visit on Monday. However, he has learned several new words over the past few weeks- he is now up to about 10 words (he'll be 20 months in 6 days.) I am curious to hear from all of the mom's who read my blog how many words your child was saying at 19, 20 months. I know several babies Zayde's age who are already putting together 2-3 word sentences. I'm trying not to worry, but it's hard knowing that your child is behind in any way. I guess I'm more shocked than anything, because I really thought with my preschool that, if anything, he would be advanced. I have not worked with him near as much as I would like to, because I have 3 preschoolers who I'm trying to get ready for kindergarten. I've been doing so much with them, I guess I've neglected my own baby!

Anyways, I've been told, "Go for the speech therapy, what could it hurt?" And, I've been told that it's ridiculous for a 20 month old to be in speech therapy. What do you all think?? How many words did your 19-20 month old say?? I look forward to hearing your thoughts, opinions, advice, etc.!

We're finally home!

2008-09-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well, one week in Texas turned into two weeks!! I don't even know where to begin, the past two weeks have been so crazy! Zack and I drove handicap accessible vans to Southern Texas with 12 other drivers to help evacuate. We drove a total of 2,896 miles from the time we left home on the 8th to the time we returned on the 21st. My sister kept Zayde for the first week and my parents kept him for the second week. He ended up getting pink eye, which caused a fever and runny nose that last for 3 days. It just about killed me being away from him while he was sick. I am so thankful for my sister and parents for taking such good care of him. It was sooooo hard being away from him, but I knew he was in good hands.

Our schedule was crazy!! We drove from one place to the other all over Southern Texas at all hours of the day and night...

September 8th- Left Arkansas at 5:30pm and drove to Waco, TX
September 9th- Arrived in Waco, TX at 12:30am (Stayed in Hotel)
September 9th- Left Waco, TX at 7:30am and drove to San Antonio, TX
September 9th- Arrived in San Antonio, TX at 12:00pm
September 9th- Left San Antonio, TX at 4:30pm and drove to Beeville, TX
September 9th- Arrived in Beeville, TX at 7:40pm (Slept at a local shelter on cots)
September 10th-Left Beeville, TX at 7:00pm and drove to Corpus Cristi, TX
September 10th-Arrived in Corpus Cristi, TX at 11:30pm (Slept in a hospital parking lot in our vans)
September 11th-Left Corpus Cristi, TX at 6:30pm and drove to Houston, TX
September 11th-Arrived in Houston, TX at 11:00pm (Slept at an old air strip in our vans)
September 12th-Left Houston, TX at 9:00am and drove back to San Antonio, TX
September 12th-Arrived in San Antonio, TX at 1:00pm
September 15th-Left San Antonio, TX at 5:30pm and drove back to Houston, TX
September 15th-Arrived in Houston, TX at 11:45pm
We were trying to sleep in our vans in a parking garage with about 200 ambulances- sleep did NOT happen!
September 16th-Left parking garage (with no sleep) at 3:45am and drove to the Convention Center in Houston, to pick up a patient and transport to San Antonio, TX
September 16th-Arrived at the Convention Center at 4:00am
September 16th-Finally left the Convention Center in Houston, TX at 6:00am (still no sleep)
September 16th-Arrived at the base in San Antonio, TX at 9:30am to have patient assessed and receive directions for the appropriate shelter to take her
September 16th-Left the base in San Antonio, TX at 9:45am to take patient to a local church that was set up as a shelter
September 16th-Arrived at the church at 10:15am to drop off patient
September 16th-Left the church at 10:35am
September 16th-Arrived back on base in San Antonio, TX at 11:05am
September 16th-Finally got to cots and fell asleep for the first time in over 24 hours at 1:00pm! We slept on cots for the next 4 nights.
September 20th-Left San Antonio, TX at 3:50pm to go home!!
September 21st-Arrived home at 2:00am- yea!!!! We woke Zayde up and he just laughed and laughed while I cried and cried! I will NEVER leave my baby for that long again!

This picture does no justice in showing how packed the gas stations were as people were evacuating. There was a vehicle at every pump, and lines of vehicles out to the road waiting to get gas. You could hardly walk inside the store because of all the people, and the lines for the registers and restrooms were extremely long. I've never seen so many people at a gas station at midnight before!

One of our vans waiting to get gas...

This is the hospital where we slept in our vans one night. The night we got there, people were still coming in and out. By the next morning, they had sand bagged the entrance and boarded up the windows.

...the boarded up windows.

...Some of our group eating breakfast at a local diner after a good night's rest in our vans. (Ha!) The waitress at the diner said that they were staying through the hurricane and would be open the next day. I hope they are all okay!

This was our home away from home for the majority of our trip. We were stationed at this air force base in San Antonio where there was a huge warehouse room with cots set up for us to sleep on. After sleeping in our vans, these cots felt wonderful!

In our down time (which was a lot) we played games. Here is Alan, Zack, me and Melissa playing "Phase 10."

There were shuttles that ran from the base where we were stationed to Downtown San Antonio. We walked "The River Walk" and visited "The Alamo."

Melissa and Amy on The River Walk

My cousin, Melissa, was one of the drivers that we went with. (You might remember her and her family from my Florida post.) I am soooo thankful that she was there! We were able to stick together when taking restroom trips, shower trips (which were in a portable trailer- it's kind of like a porta-potty, except a porta-shower- Yuck!), naps, playing games, etc. We really enjoyed hanging out and getting to know each other better. We were together 24 hours a day for 13 days- I miss her already!

Zack and Amy at The Alamo

This is our group (minus a couple) at Hard Rock Cafe in San Antonio.

My Smart Boy!

2008-09-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

Zayde loves books. He goes to his room at least once a day and "reads" his books, jabbering away as he turns the pages. I love to watch him "read"!

Side Note: Please keep Zack and I (and Zayde) in your prayers this week. Zack and I will be leaving Zayde with my sister for a whole week!! We are going to Texas to help with any evacuation needed for Hurricane Ike. Please pray for travel mercies for us as well as a peace and comfort for Zayde (and me:) while being away from Mommy and Daddy for an extended amount of time for the first time ever! Thank you for your faithfulness and devotion to the Lord in prayer!

The Word on Wednesday...

2008-09-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry I missed my W.O.W. yesterday! With the long weekend, my days have been mixed up all week. Anyway, here's my W.O.W. a day late...

Nehemiah 8:10- "...for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Job 8:21- "He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy."

Psalm 33:1- "Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him."

Psalm 66:1- "Shout with joy... all the earth!"

Psalm 90:14- "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."

Psalm 126:3- "The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

Romans 12:12- "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Galatians 5:22- "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy..."

1 Thessalonians 5:16- "Be joyful always"

Genesis 30:13- "Then Leah said, 'How happy I am! The women will call me happy.'"

Proverbs 15:13- "A happy heart makes the face cheerful."

Galatians 4:15- "What has happened to all your joy?..."

James 5:13- "... Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."

Psalm 68:3- "But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful."

Are you happy? Are you joyful? Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in being a "good" Christian that we forget to proclaim the happiness and joy that we have in knowing the Lord!

My husband, Zack, has been in Texas for the past eight days. He has met many people and made some friends. He has been hanging out with one particular individual who Zack says is, "One of those guys that you sometimes envy and want to be like. He always seems so happy and carefree. He is always laughing and playing around, having a great time." Well, Zack found out last night that this guy is an atheist. Wow. Isn't it so sad that someone who not only doesn't know the Lord, but has turned his back on Him completely, seems so happy and joyful that a Christian notices!? Now, I am NOT saying that Zack is not happy or joyful or has not been an example of God's true joy. But we know that this guys' happiness and joy is only temporary and totally artificial. (My sister actually knows this guy, and knows that he is really very unhappy and has lots of problems in his life right now.) It just made me start thinking. Others around him, who don't know his personal life, just see this self-proclaimed atheist and how happy he seems- someone who always has a smile on his face, always doing something funny, always has a joke to tell, always having so much fun. Do people see me and think how happy I am? Do they say, "Wow, she is full of joy, always smiling and having fun!"? I am truly joyful, but do I show it? I want to make heads turn and be so different from the world, because I have the true joy of the Lord! From all the verses above (and more), God tells us to proclaim His goodness, shout with joy, and be happy! Let's show the world what a joy it is to have Christ in our lives!