Welcome to our family's blogging home - where I share life beyond our red door! I hope that you will enjoy your visit with us.
Today's Verse
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Things That Make Me Smile
Seeing the kids reading their Bibles on their own
Hearing the ocean
Smelling a cake baking
Remembering our wedding day
Singing in the church choir
Shopping for my family
Feeling good
Reading in the tub
A quiet house
Watching a funny movie with the kids
Seeing my kids playing a game together
Ron's little finger dance
Hearing my kids being excited about church
Watching Ron play with Faith (our dog)
Hearing Ron snoring beside me after he has been gone on a long trip
Chatting with special friends
Feeling hot sand under my feet on a beach somewhere
Game night with Brian & Kim and kids
Spending one on one time with Kim
Double Dating With Brian and Kim
A clean house
Sitting on my front porch in my new rockers
Walking on a cool evening with my family
Losing weight
Seeing my kids make a great play on the soccer field
About The Hunters
My dear sweet hubby, Ron, and I have been married for 20+ years. We began dating during my freshman year at Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville. He is my college sweetheart. We have ministered together in various ministries during our lives together. We pastored for 10 years in Florida. We moved to TN in 2000 to Co-Pastor with some friends of ours. The Lord has given me a fabulous provider whom I love more than any words I write could ever express. He is now the CEO at our denomination's publishing company, Randall House Publications. I am honored to support him.
Our oldest child is named Michael. He is now officially a teenager, although I don't think I'm old enough to have a teenager. He is a very sweet and considerate young man. He is my thinker and my reader. He absorbs every piece of new information that he comes across. He loves playing soccer, riding his bike, skateboarding, reading, watching the History Channel, the Military Channel, ESPN and any documentary on TV. I am privileged to be his Mother.
Lauren is our youngest child. She is just 15 months behind her brother in age. She is wise beyond her years. She has a sharp-witted tongue (which sometimes has to be tamed), a quick sense of humor and a heart for people and animals. She loves organizing anything and everything. She loves being with her friends, singing, talking on her cell phone and playing soccer. I am blessed to be her Mother.
Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier.
- Kathleen Norris
There is what appears to be a very sweet lady who sits in about the third row at our church who ministers to me every single time I go to church. The interesting thing is that I have never spoken to her. I don't know that she has ever noticed me. But I notice her every time.
First you should know that I enjoy worshiping the Lord. I enjoy turning my eyes to the Heavens and imagine myself singing directly to the Lord as He sits on his throne receiving the praises of his children. I enjoy lifting my hands to Him as I sing. Often I will hold my hands with my palms turned up as if giving the Lord the praise directly from my being into His hands. I love to feel the washing of the Spirit over my body. I rarely leave a service where these things has not happened. I am moved by seeing the worship of those around me as well. I picture God accepting the praise of His people as we each worship him in our own way. There is one man who sings every word of every song simply with his eyes closed. There are those who lift their hands and pump out the beat of the music toward the Heavens. There are those who clap the beat (or attempt to clap the beat in my husband's case - heehee). I have been in many services where there have been those who have shouted and I have shouted many times myself. I have seen my own father on a number of occasions shout and laugh as the spirit of the Lord has washed over him. I have watched many tears fall with no other outward sign of worship.
Even as I type this and remember the things I have seen and heard my spirit is blessed. We all worship the Lord in our own ways. But I am one who is moved by the physical. I am not an inactive worshiper. For that reason I am drawn to those who are like me.
A number of months ago I noticed a lady in the section next to mine as she worshiped and sang. She is a small woman probably in her 80s who walks with a walker and stands stooped over. But every single time I look at her during our worship time she is smiling and singing every single word to every single song. It's important here to realize that we have a blended service. We sing a lot of very current popular worship songs of many contemporary artists as well as singing some of the older hymns. Now I'm not a hymn lover and often times find myself singing them out of rote memory without much passion. But this sweet woman holds to the same pattern for every song. Smiling, not missing a word and pounding out each beat with her fist in the air.
This sweet woman encourages me to be consistent in my worship and to sing my praise to God with each note. She blesses my spirit every service. I notice when she isn't there. I find myself thinking about her through the week. I'm sure my life would be blessed by interacting with her. However at this point my spirit is in touch with her spirit. And they are getting along famously. And I am learning a lot from the lady in the third row.
Valerie Bertinelli, who has lost weight using Jenny Craig, was on GMA this morning and shared this recipe for a vegie soup that she loves. It sounds so good!! I thought I would share it with you all here as well. I am planning to add it to my repetoire of recipes. I can almost smell it cooking now. Low cal and low sodium. You just can't beat that! Let me know if you have tried it before.
SOUP'S ON!!!!!
From the kitchen of Valerie Bertinelli
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Moderate
Cook Time: 1-30 min
Tuscan Style Soup satisfies with 63 calories, 2 grams of fat and 300 milligrams of sodium. The recipe is courtesy of Jenny Craig, of which Valerie Bertinelli is a spokeswoman. For more of her favorite dishes visit www.jennycraig.com.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 cup water
1 can whole tomatoes, no salt added, undrained and chopped (14 1/2-ounce)
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained (OR 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small summer (yellow) squash, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, dried
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
12 oz can chicken broth, reduced sodium
8 tbsp Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
Cooking Directions
Combine the first 10 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring well.
Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls; sprinkle 2 tbsp of Pecorino Romano cheese.
This is the last week of the soccer season for Lauren. Is it possible? Really? It seems like school was just starting and they had just started practicing. It just reminds me that time goes by so fast. Michael has a couple of more weeks of NYSA (city league) season. But tomorrow night will be the last game of the season for Lauren at school. I can't believe it. District tournaments begin over the weekend. Where is the SLOW DOWN button? I know we are all trying to figure out where it is located. If anyone finds it please share with the rest of us. I know the next time I blink they will both be heading to college. I will just try not to blink. I will have a staring contest with the calendar!! That's it!
Speaking of college - I need a checklist of things that we need to do and a timeline of when they need to be done. Both MIchael & Lauren are sophomores this year. I know there are things that we can be doing now to prepare so that we aren't bombarded their senior year. We have had a talk with them about bringing up their GPAs. Each of them have a list of colleges they are interested in. Does anyone have a checklist or suggestions on what we need to be doing when? I'm sure I could get some answers by checking with the school guidance counselor too. Will put that on my list of things to do.
Ron is traveling more than he is home this month. That's no fun for any of us. But we are managing. I was hoping to go on a trip with him the first week of November to East Tennessee. But it looks like I will be needed elsewhere at that time. I enjoying traveling with him. But it's hard for me to give myself "permission" to be away from the kids. I guess that goes along with being a full-time mom, doesn't it? SIGH
Bible study is plugging right along. Esther is taking a little more effort for me to get into at some points than some of her other studies. That one week that I blogged about was extremely challenging. But the last couple of weeks have moved a lot slower. I find myself having to really work at concentrating. I'm not sure if that is because I am too easily distracted or if it is the study itself. Hmmmmmmmm something to think about.
Well, there's really not much else to say. Besides, I hear the heating pad calling my name. It's been raining for 2 days. We all know how great of a pair rain and fibromyalgia makes. Another great part of my life. Sighhhhhhhhhhhh So, toodles for now!
Take voice lessons
Lose 100 pounds
Take a yearly vacation with just my girl friends
Break completely free from the strongholds that have a grip on me
Find a hair style that I'm totally happy with
Become a great grandmother
Live on the beach
Drive a racecar on the race track
Learn to swim confidently
Go sky-diving
Learn to knit
Scrapbook our family's life
Build a house with an inground pool
Own my own laptop
Visit Alaska
See the REAL Eiffel Tower
Take a short term family missions trip
Own a black Jaguar X-Type car
Be a REAL wife/mom who cooks/cleans and everything
Have Lasix Surgery
Bungee Jump
