Thursday, April 29, 2010

Just want to say...


I have somebody in my life that needs to know this.

You have so much Joy that you give to others, but right now, you are letting satan steal your Joy! Don't let him!! Everything is going to be okay, God is in control! I know that you are going through a storm right now, but I promise the clouds are going to part soon and you will see the sun again!
I know this is not something that you would have raised your hand for and said "Yes Lord, sign me up!", but realize that God has chosen you to walk this path. You have seen the results from others who have walked this same path, and God has blessed them for being faithful to Him while they struggled and walked through the storm.
Keep looking for the rainbow, it will show up when you least expect it and it will be incredible - as a reminder from God!

So it's time to start spreading and sharing your Joy with others! Lay everything else at the feet of God and let Him handle it! That is what He really wants you to do, stop trying to carry the burden all alone.

Know that there is somebody praying for you today!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Today - I remember.....

My mother-in-law. It would have been her birthday. I just wish that everybody could have a relationship with their mother-in-law like I had with mine. There was once in 20 years that we got crossed up but it didn't last long and it was due to stress!

Annette Gulledge was an incredible woman with incredible faith! She loved God and her family and you better not mess with either one, she was always ready to defend.

I have so many great moments with her! After we got married and before we went into the ministry, I stopped by her house every day to see her. One day Chris ask me why I did it, I did not know about the ministry at the time, but I told him there might come a day when we couldn't be there each day, and I wanted her to spend as much time with her grandchildren as she could.

My treasured pictures that I know my kids will agree with were taken at Sandi's wedding. We were waiting and I took pitures with each of the kids. The other grandgirls saw what was happening so they got in on the action too. These were incredible pictures.





I know one of her great moments had to have been when she asked me to come have supper with them and bring Amber (go back and read my Birthday post about Amber for a little background). I still say that after supper that night that she faked a headache so she could get Chris to take me home. Well after that time we were not apart again! So that worked Mema!

Another moment would have been the birth of my 4th child Ethan. She and Pepa came to Charlotte for his arrival and I let her come in the room and witness the his birth. Out of ten grandchildren she got to see him. I thought that would score brownie points with her and it did!

I always loved for her to come visit so I could take her around to see where we lived and let her try out a new Wal-mart! She was amazed at how I could find everything so quick.

I had the best time planning trips for them, they were to Branson. It was even better when I was on those trips. I am sure her most favorite was when we went to Pigeon Forge and Chris got to be on stage with Barbara Bush. He was asked to do the opening prayer for the conference. Mema was very proud!

Another great day was when we were outside under her carport (we did this often) and this day we let Ethan play with the waterhose. Well he started off spraying the bushes and then started getting wet. First the shirt came off, then the shoes, then the pants till he was completely naked. He had such a good time and she laughed so hard at him that day. That was a priceless day!






Oh another story comes to mind. She always got her hair done of Fridays. Well this particular day she came home to find Paxston outside playing. And just as she gets out of the car, Paxston picks up the waterhose and hold it down on her. (He was about 3 then) Talk about a woman moving super fast!

She did get extremely mad at me once about Amber. Amber bit me on the inside of the let and before I even thought about it I bit her back on the arm, and yes I left teeth marks. Mema was so mad at me, but Amber never bit anybody again.

Crickette loved to spend time with Mema, especially to do her toes and nails and keep her manicured. (guess we should have known what was down the road for Crickette) Mema would be so proud now!

Mema loved The Bachelor. So after we moved back home to Alabama I had a date night with her each Monday night! We had the best times discussing what was going on with the Bachelor/Bachelorette and the stupid decisions they were making. She loved her reality TV. I think her alltime favortie show was White Horse Cafe. It was about line dancing and she could tell you everybody's name and what was going on in their lives. She was a hoot to be around.

So today my thoughts are about her and my prayers are with my husband, his sister and the brothers. They all have treausred memories and I pray that they hold them close to them today and won't be too sad, but remember the good and realized just how we were all blessed to have had her in our lives for as long as we did!

We love you Mema!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

The BON JOVI Concert!

I had the best time on Thursday, from the time that Debbie picked me up till we got home at 2:00 AM! Just the trip up there was eventful. From slow traffic to detouring and finding our way back to the interstate, was FUN! Even when we stopped to get gas and Debbie pulls up to the wrong side of the tank to get it. She was extremely distracted and was so excited about going to the concert. The ladies at work even called her useless this week!

Of course I have to tell you that I printed off the instructions to get to the arena. Want to take a guess - yes WRONG turn and we went away from it, but turned around to head back into the heart of Charlotte! We found a parking lot and parked, good thing to know it was down from the Police Department so we should be safe. Just before you got to the arena there was a man with a dog wearing a fireman's hat. He was passing out tracs. Hmm...we didn't tell him we were preacher's wives.
People were everywhere. We go in and find out seat. We were up top but had a great view. Not everybody got to see the emblem on that stage!

The group that opened was called Dashboard Confession - they were pretty good but LOUD! They let us know that they had a new song that would be coming out in a movie this year. I just searched for it and the movie is not noteworthy - that is all I will say!
As we were sitting and waiting Debbie got to talking to the people in front of her and it came up about the guy having a Bon Jovi tattoo. After asking if we wanted to see, Debbie was all for it. Now we can kid Kenny (her husband) that we have found his next tattoo. I wish you could have see the look on the man's face when he found out we were preacher's wives. I let him know he would be on the blog.Now for the concert to begin. As most of my friends were seeing on Facebook, I was giving a play by play! This was so much fun! The adrenaline was pumping and people were screaming like crazy. Debbie said she felt like a 16 year old getting her first kiss! Have you caught it now that she LOVES Bon Jovi!!! Her daughter gave her the tickets for her Christmas present.
As the concert begins, the two seats beside me were empty but here come the two occupants. I noticed that they both had drinks in their hands, and I was trying to step back out of the way for them to get by. The guy (who is to sit beside me) steps on my foot. Well he proceeds to tap me on the leg and them rub on my back to tell me how sorry he is. After sitting down, I am busy taking my pictures and singing along when he grabs my knee. I thought I was going to die, and then I look at Debbie who is rolling like crazy laughing at me. Well I just blow it off and proceed to point the camera towards the stage. Somewhere along the line the couple speaks to me off and on and the girl proceeds to tell me that this is her brother. Now I start to get worried. The next tap on the leg I ask him if he was going to work tomorrow. He said yes, and I told him to make sure that he told the others how much fun he had sitting next to a preacher's wife! The look on his face was PRICELESS! That slowed him down for the next few songs.

He then looks at me as ask "Are you Southern Evangelical". "No, Southern Baptist" - again the look was priceless. I also told him that my last concert was George Strait. He then ask if we were "reformed Baptist". So that was about it from him. I made sure at the end that we went in a different direction to exit!
The music was incredible and the lighting and moving screens were something else. Not only did the screens have pictures, but they served as his stage when he walked around to the back!
I would love to know how much money has been invested in it all! But because the stage was round, he entertained all the way around the stage. Jon changed clothes 3 times that I can remember! The screens moved quite a bit and your eyes were all over the place. I really think this concert was better than when I saw him in 2006 in Atlanta. Nobody should have gone home disappointed. I think when they came back for the encore they sang four more songs!


After the concert was over we headed to get Debbie a t-shirt so she could wear to work the next day. The lines were extremely long so she said she would order online. As we were walking (and we wound up walking all the way around the arena to get back out) there was a guy in the middle selling shirts. She ask if he had a medium and he said yes. She gave him the money and he reached down and untied the shirt that was rolled up around his ankles. It was a hoot watching Debbie carry that shirt from that moment on.

Well we walked back to our car, passing the police department and got ready to head back to South Carolina. Instead of turning back to where we came we decided to go the opposite way. Well I recognized the Independence Street and we were headed home. Then I recognized that we were technically going in the wrong direction but I knew how to get us back to the interstate, eventually. Debbie didn't quite listen and we did take a few more detours. But hey, we were not stuck in traffic trying to get out! I did get to show her the two places that Amber has lived in Charlotte.
All that singing and dancing from Debbie got her worked up and she was hungry. We stopped at McDonald's off of 49 to grab a snack. After ordering and pulling up the the window that lady lets us know that it is cash only after midnight - WHAT?? How crazy is that? We told her goodbye and went to Burger King. So about 12:30 AM we were officially on the interstate and headed back home. I do not think there was a quiet moment all the way home. I had such a good time! That's going up there on my favorite things I have done list.

Hope you all are having a great weekend and that you enjoyed the pictures.

Friday, April 23, 2010

BOV JOVI...


Okay so I took about 500 pictures, so it's going to take a bit to get the pictures up. The concert was AWESOME! I have stories to tell about the tattoo on the man sitting in from of us and the character that sat beside me.
This concert was better than the last one that I attended in 2006! It was non-stop entertainment! He performed from 8:35 till after 11:00.
We did not get home till 2:00 AM and I think we talked the whole way home!
Catch you in a bit~

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

My two cents...

Well that brings a new blogging friends name to mind - now to link it in for you to see. Actually I have several blogging friends that I want to share. But for now...

I am sounding off about Dancing With The Stars.
Kate Gosselin
I am SO SO SO glad that Kate went home last night! Because of her dancing she should have gone home quite some time ago, but she just cried and cried and got the votes to keep her there. I mean please, enough whining and crying and how awful life has been. Somebody should have given her and John the Love & Respect book years ago. But then their show might have been somewhat boring.

Now I do like the way that they vote, you can't vote a thousand times for your favorite dancer! From one telephone line you can only vote for how many dancers are left. So when there are 10 dancers - you have 10 votes, five dancers - five votes.

Next I am ready for Jake to go. Seriously I though he would be gone after the first night, because really all the women were suppose to be mad at his choice when he was The Bachelor! (let's see - how many weeks till we get to see Ally try to find Mr. Right?)I thought the dance starting out in the shirt was ridiculous! And again, another five minutes in the spotlight for him - just like Kate. GO HOME!!!

I do like American Idol too. I hate to admit it, but Ellen is not doing to bad of a job being a judge. I am pulling for Mama Bowersox! I also like Siobhan Magnus.

And since I am on TV shows, I am really really liking Miami Medical - think I may want to watch this more than Grey's! Here is my weekly shows that I tape and watch later!!
Sunday:

Monday:


Tuesday:

Gossip Girl
Good Wife
Wednesday
americas next top model

Thursday
vampire diaries

greys_anatomy
private practice
project runway
Friday


What can't you miss?