Reflections of 2009

Looking at 2009 on the human perspective would make 2009 look like a hard year.  A year with job loss, a famine of finances, a loss of friends, uprooted from our home, loss of some possessions, living in the basement of a sister's home for 6 months.  Hopeless. Long Waiting Period.

BUT

Looking at 2009 through the spiritual side looks like this:  Changed hearts, changed attitudes, blessings in the dry season or dry year, a God who never left us nor forsook us, learning new things, growing closer to Christ, moving back but moving forward,  a better job, God provides and meets ALL our needs, God's perfect plan, perfect timing, and perfect purpose for each of us. A home before the holidays, Christmas in our own place, God's people blessing us so we could get into a home.  At times, friends come into our lives for seasons and then leave. God is in control. God is in control. God is in control. :)

Learning where our security was and learning it needed to be in God and God alone. Growing in God's Word and learning that in Christ we can do ALL things!

I will be honest and say that I would not have chosen this season for us but God chose it and God was faithful and trustworthy and well, Worthy of all our praise!!   God gave us encouragement when we needed it, finances when we needed it, delights when we needed it.  Taught us to trust Him even when we didn't see Him working .  

He is a good God! He alone is worthy of all our praise!!

So, 2010 is coming.  A brand new year!  A brand new beginning!   A fresh start!  I don't know what God has planned but I know that 2010 will be filled with all kinds of adventures and that God will direct our paths and teach us new things about Him,  call us to things beyond ourselves, provide for us in ways we would never imagine, meet all our needs, 

2010....God's Plan, God's Timing,  God's Purpose

" For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."  Colossians 1:9-10

That is my prayer for my family and myself in 2010.

AND I will end with this verse:

" Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. " Isaiah 43:18-19


May God bless you in 2010 with new things, if you need Him to, I pray that God will make the rough places smooth, I pray God will make a road for you in your "wilderness" and rivers in your "desert".  I pray that you will not miss His manifest presence in your lives. I pray that God will protect you and your families and that He will be your Shield and that all of the enemy's plans will be thwarted in your lives. I pray God will drench you with His favor!!  To God be ALL the Glory!!! 

Thank you to all who have journeyed with us this year!  Thank you for your prayers and concern and encouragement!!

Happy New Year!!!

Love,
Patty

Reflections of 2009 in Pictures...part 2

In March we had a snow storm blow through Middle Tn. and I think we ended up with 5 inches of snow.

That same day we also had a full moon. I love that I got a good picture with my new camera. ;)

On Good Friday 09' we started out with a pretty day but it quickly turned into a day our city will never forget. We were shopping when the skies turned ugly and I decided to come home, well, let me say God was speaking to my heart to GO home immediately. I was going to take a shortcut back to the house but the traffic was sooo bad that I had to go home another way...I was mad at the time but now I still praise God for directing me away from the short cut because that is the day an F-4 tornado ripped through our city.

I can't remember who captured this photo but this was the actual tornado. SO many homes destroyed that day and loss of life BUT it could have been so much worse.

Amazing you can go from the picture above to this AND THIS

Beautiful!

More pictures tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!!

Reflections of 2009 in Pictures

Daisy opening up her stocking, she loved her toys.

Georgia with some of her stocking stuffers.

My oldest son David, collects Nutcrackers, I found one to fit in his stocking.

My brother Barry with one of his stocking stuffers. It is a 3 month gold membership for his XBox.

Jason and his stocking stuffer, I-tunes card.

My stocking. :)

This stocking was packed full.

This Nicholas Sparks book was tucked in the stocking.

G tearing into her present. LOL

A movie and toesocks she wanted.

David loves his new Bible

Jason is a HUGE UFC fan and he was surprised to get an official UFC shirt.

Brother got an XBox game he wanted.

I will spare y'all the million other photos that I took. :) 

THEN a few Photos of 2009

Paddington and Steph..Steph was the perfect hostess when we visited in Jan. 09' Love her!

Fran! It was near her b'day and Steph and I surprised her with an early b'day party! We had so much fun. Love her!

Same weekend. "Siesta" gathering in Jan. 09'  PLENTY of laughter!  Love the Siestas!!

Awww sweet Nikki!  Love me some Nikki. She is sooo sweet!!

Gayle and Georgia...G&G..Gayle, love you!!

I don't know but it was funny. lol  Maybe Jenny hope can help us. hee hee

Beth Moore dropping by our luncheon that Tammy organized for us!!

I am going to continue to share photos of 2009 as we get closer to ushering in 2010!!

Surprise.....It finally happened

Okay,  let me explain something before I go any further.........  It is hard to surprise me with gifts.  I can look at a gift w/out picking it up and tell what it is and my family hates me for it. LOL


Well, I can tell you that they finally surprised me...........  The pictures say it all

Something I have wanted for a loooong time. ;)

Here we go, my son and Georgia went in together to get this for me

Here I am laughing when I see what it is and now you must wait for it........

WAIT FOR IT.......

WAIT FOR IT......

Can you see it??  A Kitchen Aid Mixer BUT

the funny thing is this..on the outside of the box it was a white Mixer

BUT

I opened it and it was  ORANGE!!!!!   Hence the surprised look on my face. lol

What a fun surprise!!!!! 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to Yours!!

Winter Wonderland

I had to take a moment even though I am on a bloggy break to give God some glory and praise and a handclap for the snow we got last night!!!

One of my sons and I were shopping all day yesterday in the cooold rain and while we were at our last stop, the grocery store, I looked out and I saw the prettiest and biggest snowflakes!! 

It was coming down fast and then it switched back over to rain and then finally all snow.

We decided to do a Wal Mart run late last night and I wished I had taken my camera. I can't describe how pretty the trees were with all that heavy snow on them. 

As I type this I am looking out my window in the living room at the pretty snow and I believe we are supposed to get another 2 inches today or tonight.

I am still praying and believing for a white Christmas!!

If you would, please pray for my sons this coming Wednesday as they travel to their father's house and they will be traveling back on Christmas Eve...we are supposed to have more rain and snow that night.  Thank you!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Christmas Tour Continued

Welcome to our new home and Merry Christmas!!  Please make yourself at home and I hope you enjoy being here!  I wasn't going to participate in the Christmas Tour of Homes this year but I decided to show y'all a few more pictures. :)   Go HERE and visit the other Homes!!

Main Tree

U.T. Tree :)    My pride and joy. lol

Jesus, Our Gift and THE Reason for the Season.

Christmas pillows for the couch. :)

Let it SnOw, Let It SnOw, Let it SnOw

I love this cute little SaNtA.

In our new home I am without a fireplace and so I decided to hang our stockings on my shelf in the kitchen.

This cute snowman sits in my kitchen window

Decorations in the kitchen

A little corner in my kitchen

SnOwMaN doorknob hanger

These cute reindeer were a gift from my ex Mother -in-law. I have had them for 23 yrs. plus and one day I will pass them on to my sons. Whichever moves out first. lol

I have many snowmen but this is my favorite because it was a gift from my mother. :)

May this be your best Christmas ever and may 2010 bring you much peace and joy and prosperity in ways you would never imagine, for God is ABLE.....