Something to think about...

"We are not presented with a functional God who will help us out of jams or an entertainment God who will lighten our tedious hours. We are presented with the God of exodus and Easter, the God of Sinai and Calvary. If we want to understand God, we must do it on His terms. If we want to see God the way He really is, we must look to the place of authority--to Scripture and to Jesus Christ. "And do we really want it any other way? I don't think so. We would very soon become contemptuous of a God whom we could figure out like a puzzle or learn to use like a tool. No, if God is worth our attention at all, He must be a God we can look up to--a God we MUST look up to...The moment we look up to God (and not over at him, or down on him) we are in the posture of servitude."
Eugene Peterson

I read this quote today off of a friends facebook page and I thought it was worthy of posting. I had a very wise pastor growing up and I remember him saying...."If we understood everything about God...then HE wouldn't be God anymore...WE would." It is such a huge temptation to blame God when things don't make sense or when things don't go our way....but what a shame! God is GOD! HE knows the way that we take...I know that in my own life....when I am in a place where I have NO where else to turn to, that is when I really see God for who He really is, and actually allow Him to work His will in my lfe. Thankfully I am learning to not fall out of that place of knowing that HE is the only one I can and MUST turn to.

Catching up...

For some reason, my pictures aren't showing up on my pre-post so I have to just type everything at the bottom, since I don't know where one pic ends and the other begins. Liss came to visit for a few days. It is always spending time with her and Jade. Jade is getting so big, and talks a lot. She is very independent (no surprise there!) and loves kids and animals. I was excited to have her pics taken at picture people as well. We had a good time. Rhoda had Elizabeth's pics taken as well, and she did such a good job, the store manager had her picture put up in the studio! She got on that backdrop and just hammed it up! The pics of the piles of ice is from the ice storm we had here last week. It snowed about 4 inches and then we got about an ince or two of freezing rain and then about 4 more inches. I got those piles and a lot more off my car. It was kind of fun cleaning my car off. lol

Karson Levi Sams 1-26-2009

Karson arrived in the afternoon today. I still haven't heard the exact time. Teresa had somewhat of a rough time, and apparently is still going to have a bit of a rough road ahead of her. She has to go in for some surgery in the morning to fix a hematoma (sp) that occured during the birth. SO I know she would appreciate any and all prayers. Other than that they are all extremely happy and proud of their new little guy. He was two weeks early, so his sugar was a little low, but they have already brought that up and he was to start nursing soon. He weighed in at a whopping 7 pds, 9 oz and was 22 inches long. Pretty big for not going full term. Teresa said that so far he has been pretty quiet and content, so that is good--maybe it will stick! lol Just thought I would share some pics that they sent me.

Trusting God

Many of you who may (or may not) read this blog, have heard of the deaths of the family of Brent Bigger.  I was a freshman at Hobe Sound with Brent many years ago.  I wouldn't say that I was a close friend of his, but  Hobe Sound isn't a very large place and we all knew each other pretty well.  The Brent I knew, was a very fun loving, kind hearted, kid loving guy.  Since I heard the news of the accident, it hasn't been very far from my mind.  I can't seem to wrap my head around how difficult Brent's life must be right now.  How much pain, and heartache can a person endure?   I don't know about anyone else, but as I was growing up in a great family, my world was pretty insulated from pain and heartache.   I had lost a couple of great grandparents, but I was so young, I really didn't remember them at all.  When I was thirteen, all that changed.  Family friends of ours, the Bishops, lost their 6 year old son, Brent, very suddenly.  I was very involved in Brent's life as a babysitter and as a friend to the family.  I will never forget the shock of death.  The absolute horror that we would never see him again on earth.  It was the first time that it became real to me....and from that moment on, a bit of fear entered my life that had never been there before.  Many of  you know that I have two younger sisters that are quite a bit younger than I.  Erin was about the same age as Brent, in fact.  That night when the phone rang, and we found out the horrible news,  I started going into my sister's room every night, and giving them hugs and kisses, and telling them I loved them no matter how late it was, because I couldn't stand the thought of one of us dying and them not knowing how much I love them.  Weird?  Maybe, but death had become real.  As I have grown up, I have found that many times, life is generally not the fairy tale that we think it is as young people. I don't mean to sound dreary and downtrodden, but life can be very sad and ugly.  I have mentioned before that in the last few years I watched my two best friends  struggle with some of the hardest things a person can deal with in life.  I stood helplessly by wishing I could take their pain away from them, and knowing that I couldn't.  I have faced a few hard places in my own life that I don't really understand, and wish were very different.   As I was sitting at the computer today, thinking of Brent and all that he must be dealing with emotionally, my mind went to a funeral sermon that was preached by the great preacher, E.V. Hill.   I jumped on Youtube and sure enough, there it was.  As I listened once again to a message that I have heard many, many times, my heart was lifted up in a way that has blessed me.  He reminded me, that we are so blessed with the Lord's giving, that when He takes, we throw a temper tantrum, and instead of blessing His name, we ask how he would dare to take from us.  We are so blessed in our everyday lives and many times we take it for granted.     I also love it when he starts describing how the Lord was describing how "Baby" (his wife) was going to be in heaven.  It reminded me that we are sad here on earth, but that those people whom we have loved and lost are in a PERFECT place--no more sickness, no more tears.....NOTHING is wrong, EVERYTHING is right.   We miss them and our hearts ache for those left behind, but know this....they are in an indescribable place that far exceeds our limited imaginations.  That is why I want to walk this road of life as a Christian.  Because I CAN trust God...in the good times, in the bad, and in the in between.   I would advise you all to take ten minutes out of your busy schedules and sit down and listen to the power and love in this man's good-bye to the wife he loved so much, and then apply the principles in our own lives as we live this messed up, painful, joyous, wonderful thing we call life.

Kaelah age 7

Kaelah have our own little tradition of getting her pics taken every year for Valentine's Day. The Picture People do some really cute valentines day cards so we like to make them every year. This year is n0 different and I thought I would share some of the best ones.


She just lost her SECOND tooth this week and it is straight underneath the one she lost first. She can't stop sticking her tongue through the holes. It showed up in several of the pics. :-)

New year=changes

Brooke--11 months


Ashley and Brooke



Ashley 5 1/2

Riley, Vitaly, and Ashley. Vitaly is the new little guy that I am going to watch part time.

So the new year is supposed to induce you to make changes, right? Well....thats what I am gonna do! First thing I did, was quit one of my jobs. Let me explain....I have learned during my years of being a nanny, that the critical part of being a nanny is your relationship with the parents! Not so much the kids. I was so blessed with the Kerr family. Diane and I hit it off like a charm, and she is one of my dearest friends now. I love her kids as if they were my own. I have also hit it off very well with Vicky (the lady I live with) and like her kids a lot, so that job is going well. The other family (Ashley and Brooke's fam) I work for are nice people, but we never really got past the stranger stage, we just kind of stayed in the employee/employer stage. I think I am so used to working for people who just add me right into their family, I was uncomfortable working for someone who didn't. On top of that, they had some pretty strict regimens they wanted me to follow with their kids which was hard to do with the other family as well, and frankly, they didn't make a lot of sense to me. So, I told them they should find someone that is better suited for what they want. I am kind of tired of being a nanny, I want to get into a "real" job. I don't think people give us nannies enough credit for the job that we do. Most people see our job as "easy" and sometimes it is. But there is actually a lot of hard work that goes into raising other peoples kids. A lot of it is emotional.....at least for me....and I think I am kind of worn out with it. So I am working on figuring out something that I want to do and when I find it I am going to go for it. In the meantime, a friend has a friend that needs me to watch her 18 month-old son (the little boy in the pics above) and hopefully that will get me through financially until I figure out what else I can do. Vicky is a nurse and she is keeping an eye out for a job that would work out timing wise, so that is how I am thinking-- for now anyway. So if you all ever think of me, I'd love some prayers to help me find my way. Thanks! :-)

Christmastime!

I got to enjoy a great visit with Cara and her husband over Christmas! We don't get to see each other nearly enough. I love it when my friends marry men who are just as fun to be around as they are. Makes for some good times.


Jade and Nick worn out from all the Christmas festivities.



Tickle, Tickle, Tickle

Ring around the Rosie on Grammy's bed!

Kissing Cousins

Some of my favorite cousins!

Me and Gram

Emma stuck in a bucket

Playing Mad Gab was so much fun at the Emmorey family Christmas

Aunt Kenda thought we were hilarious while watching us play

Gram thought we were pretty funny too