Its been 70 Years...

So my Granny and Pop have been married for over 70 years - that is a miracle... I'll say it again, THAT is a bona fide, real, true, alomost not even believeable, modern day miracle! How many people can or will say they stuck it out in their marriage for that long? I've only been married for 2 years and 8 months and I can say for sure that it is super hard. It's not something to take lightly - marriage is hard!!!! It's one of the hardest (if not the hardest) things I've ever had to do - choosing to love another person even though you could quite possibly murder them if you have to pick up another stitch of their dirty clothes, choosing to love even though at that moment you could throw a Mountain Dew bottle at their face (whoops!! I've done that!! Love you TJ!) - the thing about marriage is that it is a choice. It comes down to choosing love, patience, gentleness, kindness, SELF-CONTROL, peace, joy (not necessarily happiness because that is a feeling, joy is is conscious decision that you have to choose), goodness, and faithfulness - ummm, wonder where that came from? Galations 5:22. It is all a choice...

Back to Granny and Pop... Granny is in the hospital - she is actually going to rehab to rebuild some strength in her body (fingers crossed!!). My older sister and I visited her yesterday afternoon and we took Pop with us. Pop will be 95 this year and I swear if he could he'd be riding 4-wheelers, climbimg trees, and pretty much anything he could get his hands on! He's as sharp as a tack too! Some of my family think that he is loosing his mind... He's not - He was telling us yesterday about his job at the Belcher Sawmill off Warrior River Road and then going to the War, then his job at Brown Lumber, TN Coal and something or other, and then retiring from Westinghouse after 27 years - tell me that's loosing his mind!! Anyway, while at the hospital he told his wife of 70 years that she needed to go to rehab if that was the best thing for her to get better - he really wants her better do she can cook and bring him dinner whenever he wants it! He prayed for her well being before we left. He kissed her and called her sweetheart. He said he loved her and wanted the best for her even if that meant he'd have to stay by himself for 3 weeks (he has his cats to keep him company though!). He has loved her through thick and thin - she has loved him through difficult and trying times (she had their first child and raised him by herself for 3 years while he was overseas fighting for our country and freedom). They have shown me what it means to choose to love even in the worst circumstances. And the only reason their story is a modern day miracle?? They both made a choice to follow and serve the One, True and Living God - Our Blessed Savior - the Church's most perfect and only Bridegroom!!! Our relationship with Christ is our perfect example for marriage - He chooses to love even though we constantly reject Him. He is all the time what I mentioned above from Galations. He chooses love so we can have that most important realtionship with Him!

Much Love Guys!! =)

Every Hour I Need You

The title has nothing to do with the post per say, but I hear my wonderfully talented husband and the incredible youth band playing it in the background... It's beautiful and I love that hymn so much!

It is not my intention to write about hymns but I think they have so much to say to us. The people that wrote them went through some amazing and terrible things and because of what they went through the songs were born and were given life and still offer hope and meaning today! =)

Now onto what I signed on to write about... My beautiful, sweet, thoughtful, and loving friend (that I've only known for like 5 months and who is like my twin in just about every way [look out world there are two of me!]!) lost her Peppy Wednesday night. Peppy was a husband, father, grandfather and so much more! I only met him once about a month ago and I could tell he was something special. His funeral was today and it was one of the best, don't think I'm being morbid or anything - Peppy was honored in such an amazing way, he had such a full life and was remembered for so many things that he had done. He loved Jesus with his whole heart and instilled that in his children and they in turn instilled it in their children. One of his daughters wrote the sweetest things said about him today - it was about him being a "keeper" of all things. After the funeral was over the lady sitting next to me said something to the effect of "Wow, what a legacy to leave". So that is basically what my point is - what legacy will I leave? I want to be remembered for loving Jesus and living my life for Him and His glory. I want my life to be a reflection of His and I want to be remembered for being all things to all people... I'm not telling you all this just so if I die tomorrow you will say this at my funeral. I'm saying this because I want you to hold me accountable to what I say here.

So this blog is for Peppy and what he meant to our community and church family and also for me and you and what legacy we are leaving on future generations.....

Much Love Guys!!!!

THE very first blog post ever!

Ok, so I'm blogging.... I've never really been one to "put myself out there" for everyone to see, but I'm pretty sure not too many people will see this! =) I kind of explained the meaning behind my title and url address in the "About Me" section, but I want to put the song here and let you guys read it for yourself...

 Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Robert Robinson wrote it in 1757 and some of my favorite covers are done by David Crowder Band, Jars of Clay and Sufjan Stevens (you should for sure look them up on youtube...). I remember first hearing this song and it's meaning when I went to some kind of youth rally for my county in highschool. I remember thinking that it was so true for me - I am really terrible! How many times had I (and still do) wander form Jesus and His perfect love for me? 

So basically this is my anthem and prayer... "Here's my heart LORD,

take and seal it - seal it for thy courts above!"

So until next time... Much Love guys! =)