Thanksgiving is here again. I have so many things to be thankful for. I serve a risen Savior who has given me hope for a better tommorrow. I have a wonderful, caring, loving, gorgeous hunk of man for a husband and friend. I am thankful for my healthy, funny, compassionate teenage son who eats more than I've ever seen any human consume!I have two beautiful, smart, talented labs. I have a pop-up camper that just cost over $300 to repair just so we could take off on our annual camping adventure!Yuck! But, I am reminded that things can always be worse. I am thankful for two God-fearing, wonderful parents that love me unconditionally. I have a sister and brother that I call my friends, my confidants, my safe place to run.

     Life can throw us punches but I am thankful, not just this Holiday, but every day that we never walk our pathways alone. God is an ever- present help and guide. "Because He lives, I can face tommorrow. Because He lives, ALL fear is gone. Because I know who holds my future. And life is worth the living JUST because He lives"!!

     I am thrilled to announce that I have recently been published in the Knoxville Christmas 2008 book and the Cleveland / Chattanooga Christmas 2008 book. They should be available for purchase soon. I submitted a short story based on a widow's first Christmas without her spouse.

    When I was thinking of what Christmas meant to me, I thought of good food, great laughs with my family, traveling home for the Holidays and so many other good images. However, after having experienced a tragic death in my own family earlier this year, I was reminded that for some, going through those "firsts" can be very difficult especially around the Holiday season.

     I wanted to write a story of hope, love and at the same time, show the importance that life does go on. I am happy with my work and as a hopeless romantic myself, hope the story portrays a never-ending love that exsists if you're lucky enough to find it.

     May God bless you all and as we enter in the Holiday season, let us not forget to reach out to those that are feeling alone due to a recent loss in their family.

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Wow! It's hard to believe that a new school year has swept in and taken over out household once again. I must be getting old, even though my gray hairs have been telling me this for awhile now, because I've always heard older people talking about how the days, weeks, and months are just flying by and now my thoughts are the same. I can't believe we are about to step into September. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the autumn. Actually, I love the winter and I have a great appreciation for spring. It's summer that I have a great disdain towards. Hot weather above ninety degrees making sweat run down my neck after just getting out of the shower just isn't for me. Reminds me of a place I do not want to go!!!! Give me the snow-capped mountains anyday!

   Anyway, we have started school here at the Martin household and I was realllll excited until about a week ago. My son has started struggling a little in a couple of his courses. We began a new curriculum in three of our classes and they are all on computer. The actual material is really well put together, it's just the quizzes and test are rather difficult. Spelling errors cause the otherwise correct answer to be wrong and you're not allowed to go back, on the quizzes, and read the previous text. ooch! I'm trying to view this as a hurdle that we can overcome. The last thing I want is for my son to become discouraged. Just one more thing to lay at Jesus' feet. I thank God that I have Him to turn to in times of uncertainty. This too shall pass!!! Too quickly for me.

Have a blessed day!!!

Hey there!!

    You know, I just have so much to be thankful for that I just had to write about it. My dad came through his back surgery well and is recooporating at home. Pray for mom!! ha! I've also seen God pour out his strength in my husbands family over the past few months. My husband's brother died tragically back in Feb. of this year. We have sat back and watched, in awe, at God showering his parents with His love. I'm so thankful that we have the Lord right by our side when we need Him. My family is doing well. My son is now going on ten feet tall! ha! He is actually over six feet now and still growing. Last night I went to give him a hug before bedtime, and he started laughing because he had to look down at me!!! He's only fourteen!!! Wow! They sure grow em' big these days!

    Our two new "babies", Ranger and Trooper, are doing great! After losing our precious Moose back in January, we weren't sure how to get past it, let alone get another pet. Well, God has seen us through some difficult days and put these two little blessings in our path. I know some people may not agree, but I firmly believe that God created pets to love us and give our lives such joy while we are on the earth. I also believe that our pets that have gone on, will be waiting on us in Heaven one day. I can't wait to see mine!

      My book is going a little slow right now. After the conference in May, my head has been swimming with ideas. Just hold on....it will be worth it!!! I've had a couple of other writing projects going on so it's not like I've been completely lazy! ha!

     Anyway, as the new school year begins, just keep looking up to God. He is our strength and hope for a better tommorrow. He is so good!

I just had to share this neat story with you all. My cousin Russell battled with cancer for over twenty three years. He was such an amazing guy. You may have caught the "was" part in that last sentence. Well, Russell won his battle in October of 2007. I say won, because he was a born again Christian and now he has recieved his reward. Way to go Russell. Anyway, the one thing I remember the most about him was that he was soooo quiet. Now in my family, we are made mostly of loud, humorous, pranksters who love to make noise. Not Russell. He could walk into a room and no one would probably ever notice him. That's just the way he was. He even laughed softly! I miss getting to hear that sweet melody. One day, while having not walked for almost two years, due to the cancer, a friend of Russell's asked him how he did it! He had just been in a car accident and had been undergoing weeks of painful therapy. He complained and questioned the whole time, but yet, Russell had never uttered a negative word in his presence. Didn't he ever question God and ask Him, why me? Russell smiled at his friend and humbly replied, why not me? Then the friend proceeded to ask how he managed to get through the really tough days, weeks, months, years. Russell reached over to his nightstand and handed the friend a new, shiny penny and responded, " This is how". The friend looked at the penny and studied it. After a few minutes he looked at Russell and told him he didn't understand. Russell asked him to read what the penny said. Do you know what it says? IN GOD WE TRUST! That was Russell's way of coping. He had placed all of his trust in Christ. WOW!! What a powerful testimony. I know I go through some tough situations, worries, problems and heartaches in this life, but I fiqure if God allowed it to first pass through His hand, then on to me, then I can surely trust in Him to see me through it. Thanks Russell for the lesson. I carry the shiny penny they passed out at your funeral in my wallet. Every time I see it, I think of you and it brings a smile to my face.

I'll never foget a story a traveling minister told at our church several years ago. He was sitting at home one beautiful, sunny, Saturday morning when he heard a knock at his front door. He found himself looking in the eyes of a young man that was dressed rather poorly and had not bathed in a few days. They struck up a conversation with one another and the minister discovered that the man was looking for work. He had not been able to find suitable employment for several weeks and had a wife and a child that he needed to provide for.The minister gave him a list of what few names and numbers he could think of for some possible contacts. He told the young man to wait right there while he went and retrieved his wallet. He gave the stranger fifty dollars and told him he would be praying for him. He invited his family to come worship at his church the next day as well. The stranger left and as the minister closed the door an uneasy feeling swept over him. Something just didn't feel right. The dogs had been barking the whole time the young man had been at his front door and they were showing no signs of slowing down. The minister walked to his back door and opened it. The first thing he noticed was that the door to his shed was wide open. He recalled having closing it himself the day before. Then his eyes focused on the lock and chain that lay neatly on the ground. The sinking feeling began to rise in his stomach. As he looked in the shed, he saw what he knew, deep down, he would see. Nothing. Nothing that should have been there anyway. No lawn mower. No tools. No weed trimmers. The realization of what had just taken place began to sink in. While he was being distacted at his front door, he was being robbed at his back door. The thing that troubled him the most, upon later reflection, however, was that he had paid one of the thieves fifty dollars to rob him!!! I began to ponder this idea of how satin tries to do the same thing to those of us that homeschool and even those who don't. He tries to create a diversion in our lives every day. We begin to have doubts about our methods and we wonder if we are doing enough for our children and in our homes. All the while, satan is robbing us of our joy, our strength, our confidence and especially our blessings. God promises in His word, in Isaiah 54:13 kjv, that if our children are taught the things of the Lord, they shall have great peace in their lives. Teaching at home is a wonderful blessing that many of us do not question. However, when the doubts of our abilities begin to creep in, as they always will, we need to stop and pray for God's wisdom and strength. Maybe we are just being distracted from our true purpose while being robbed of our blessings. I don't know about you but this story really moved me. What a wonderful lesson for that dear minister to learn an share with others. Some of my most painful times have been lessons that have made me stronger in my faith. When you find yourself questioning your abilities, just hold on to God's promises and it wouldn't hurt to glance over your shoulder!