VICTORY!!

Okay - it was the weekend that I had been waiting on and Friday was good and Crazy!

Thanksgiving was good. We traveled to Waxhaw to be with Amber. We drove separately so that Crickette and I could stay behind for Black Friday. Amber did a FANTASTIC job on the turkey. The table was set with her fine china and was very inviting! I took my dressing, a ham, dirty rice and Crickette fixed Monkey Bread. With the combination of Amber's goodies, we had a feast!

After dinner Chris and Ethan head home and Steven heads out with his brother to grab us a newspaper for the sales paper.

We lay it out on the table and begin to write down our plan of action. The main item that I wanted from Wal-mart was my Cricut Expressions. It's what I will use for scrapbooking and making other wonderful crafts and gifts!! Well Wal-mart was pretty busy at 10:00 PM. We were amazed that the pallets were out with our goodies so all you had to do was place your item in your buggy and wait till 12:01 to purchase. We never could find the Cricut, so I had a back up plan. Jamie (friend) was at the WM in Boiling Springs and she pick up mine and hers. I told her we would wait till midnight and if I didn't have mine she could buy it. At 10 after they had till not put out the pallet of Circuts, so Jamie has mine - PURPLE!! She got the teal one.
After Wal-mart, Crickette went back to Ambers for shut eye since she had to work that morning. Off to Old Navy we went. It was pretty packed, so I got in line and let Amber do her shopping, I was nearing the front when she finished, so that went well! Managed to grab a few more gifts here!

We proceeded to Target - our last stop. It's was a little nippy outside, but not unbearable! We sat outside for 2 hours. The people in line were entertaining. Especially the ones in the tents. When the line proceeded to pack in a little tighter, she got out of tent, grabbed it and moved it up. She really should have just packed it away. The people with the smaller children really got the looks! It was funny to watch the crowds as the doors opened and our line started moving. People that showed up close to 4:00 am, just thought they would step on into the line, but buddy the line just shouted like crazy at them informing them they would not be getting near any of us! WOW....heard the cops had to be called at Toys-r-us. We were in and out of Target in 22 minutes! Woo Hoo. Shopping is mostly done.

After getting back to Amber's, I decided no nap so we headed back home. I pulled in the driveway a few minutes after 6:00 am. Yes extremely tired!! All I slept was for 4 hours. I got up and went to chiropractor then took Crickette lunch since she was working alone. I did scoot over to Hobby Lobby and pick up two more gifts! Back home and thinking of a nap...

Well that didn't work since it was getting time for the ballgame. Chris had a funeral to attend, so I taped the game and said I would not watch it or even check facebook to cheat and know what was happening. We started the game an hour later. Talk about nail biting. I was the one doing the screaming at the beginning of the game. Wondering where the Auburn tigers were, they sure weren't playing like the team we have all seen before (but then we are the comeback team). The second half was very interesting and I must say that when the game was over I did not get penalized for excessive celebrating! We are not very "in your face - look my team won" kind of people! (but they were at church the next morning, talking about next Saturday's game)



So I did get to catch up on facebook and see what all the posting was about. We caught up live in the last 2 minutes! I did see a post from Dr. B (doctor from hometown) who stated:
‎*** As Auburn players gathered on the field for their
pregame walk troughs, the Bryant-Denny Stadium speakers blared "Take
the Money and Run" by Steve Miller Band and followed that with "Son of
a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield. *** Auburn players were booed while they prayed on the field.*** I would say "stay classy ...bama" but that assumes too much.
This picture was taken by Dr. B at the game too.


Hmm. Hope Amber sees this to know that there are these type of people at every stadium, not just South Carolina. But all she dealt with was the fans, she didn't have the music blaring over the loudspeakers. Thought that was a bit tasteless. But they are everywhere!

Saturday consisted of putting up the tree. Will post pictures later. The middle section of my pre-lit tree did not work, so off to Wal-mart to buy lights! The tree is up and decorated, there are tons of ornaments. I even decided to just not put some of them on there. The first time ever I have looked at my tree and thought, maybe there are too many ornaments. There is a story to tell and nobody knows the story. Nobody really wanted to help me put ornaments on and I had decided this year that I would let them help me. Now if I can just find my stocking holders. There seems to be a box of Christmas goodies that is hiding from me!

Hope you had an awesome weekend. We finished ours off with the Hanging of the Greens at the church. It's was beautiful! The church looks so pretty decorated. We had fun getting all the trees up and garland hung that afternoon. We also got very entertained at Hardees. Crickette said we had dinner and a show. The girls behind the counter we very loud in their conversations (about their lives) so we got to hear. The first girl started with "so are you really going to divorce your husband?". Then then we hear another say, "You tell me your story, I will tell you mine"...

Enjoy your week. Only 19 more days and we get to see Paxston!!

Twas the Night Before the Iron Bowl....

Kay Singletary wrote this and posted on Facebook. I wanted all my other friends to see it. This is just too cute!! Thanks Kay

Twas the night before the Iron Bowl, and Saban couldn’t rest
For fear of the terror en-route to his nest
He’s holding Big Al and they both start to shake
The rumble has started, the earth start to quake
He whispers so softly “Al where can we hide”
I don’t like this feeling, it scares me inside
The buses pull up..shining... orange and blue
The doors open wide and out steps “#2”
With nerves all a gitter, Ol Saban can only stare
He cannot believe what has come from Jordan-Hare
Big Al turns to Saban and says “Is that him..
The big one, the tall one, the one with the grin?”
With all of his might Saban gets to his feet
His hair all a flutter..not parted and neat
He turns to the door, shoulders slumped, head hung low
He knows it for sure now, it’s time he should go
His ego is shattered his spirit is down
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED…CAM NEWTON’S IN TOWN

Wednesday....

We did not make our goal of 350 - well technically we did. With all our small groups we did have 390 people attend, but he had 54 that attended more that one small group or Sunday school so we could technically only count them one so we got 336. It was still great to know that people were reaching out. Now if we could just do this every week and not on a special Sunday.

Hope your middle of the week is great!

Monday, Monday...

Well it was an awesome weekend. Chesnee won their football game and will continue in the playoffs. The game was great and the weather was FREEZING!!! But we stayed till the end and cheered them on. This week the game will be three hours away so we will stay home.

Saturday I was busy painting the wheel for the Wheel of Fortune game to be played in King's Stadium in Kidztown. It took almost all day! Chris not only brought my favorite lunch over from Fuji's, he brought me a dozen Lavender Roses! Made my day. I did take time out to watch Alabama play. Now I have to admit it. I have cheered for Alabama two times this year and they lost each time. I wonder if Chris really wants me to pull for Alabama. I may have to try it again this time and see what happens. If so I just might have to buy an Alabama jersey for the last game. (add laughing here)

Sunday we had High Attendance. We are going to be very close to our goal of 350! The sanctuary was PACKED. They said maybe 20 seats left. Chris thought of about 40 people that were out yesterday. This is a great problem to have! It's amazing to see how God has grown this church in two years. Our 2 year anniversary is coming up December 1. Time is flying by.


So I hope you have a great start to the week! I am looking forward to it!!

Another WOW

We had a not so small group last night - 52!!! We definately helped to our High Attendance this week.


Getting excited about our Chesnee High School football game tonight. The starting road to the playoffs! Woo Hoo. We fed the football team breakfast at the church this morning. Ethan was excited to get to go.

Busy weekend. Getting ready for the next lesson at Kidztown. I have to paint the wheel for the Wheel of Fortune game. The kids are going to LOVE it!Oh yea, I haven't posted the pictures. Here are a few. Open House is this Sunday after the morning service.

King's Stadium (The Game Room) last month game was a big version of Candyland. Where the kids wore hats because they themselves were the game pieces! Studio 3:16 (Drama Room) The says the Bible Story from Luke acted out before them!
Hallway - taking you to Kidztown
The Alley - this is the gathering room for the kids. We have Wii's for them to play. That is Ethan in the white sweater, most likely playing Mario!

Oh and how exciting is this - we will baptize about 20 on Sunday Night!! Praise the Lord!! It's so awesome seeing God at work!!

Tomorrow is Football Saturday. Will be a fun day at our house!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

The Preacher's Wife...

Do you often wonder about her? Do you take time to get to know her? What is life like in the role of the preachers wife? Here is a snippit for you.

Each church is completely different. The people are always different, yet the same. The have a tendency to think that there are clicks with the wife, when in reality, nobody has truly taken the time to even get to know her. In two years she (alone) has been invited out to lunch five times, only once been ask to go shopping once. The years before that again less than five. You may see her with other people, but she has been the one to ask them if they want to do something.

She spends her time focused on her family. Why? Because most all of the time she is having to defend them and feels the need to protect them. She seems to have to constantly remind them of what they need to do or not need to be doing. Do you not think she knows that she has a very, very hyper child. Do you really think that she needs to be constantly reminded about it, even though you are laughing when you are reminding her, do you even think of how it makes her feel? In 7 years he has had a broken foot, 16 stitches an allergic rash to medication and a surgery for a staff infection - he received one get well soon card. She is a human being too, that is her child.

What are holidays like at her house? Does the family go back to their family? Sometimes they are forgotten. They are part of the church family, but very often overlooked. Sometimes they get to share events with others, and that does make them feel like they belong, a little. She will tell you that she has has two awesome vacations with church members, this in 19 years of ministry. Even she thinks back to what life was like before she was the preacher's wife, she was just a church member, and she realizes then that she too didn't take the time to get to know the wife, sure she had them both over for supper but she never really took time to know them. Most preachers are far away from their families.

What happens when her family is in the hospital? Who does she get visits from? Well when her mom was in the hospital, two families came to see her. Her mother went into the hospital on a Monday and died on Saturday. At the next church people from the church seemed to just wait as her mother-in-law was at the end of her life too (almost two weeks). They waited till after she had passed to bring the food and show they cared. Think about their suffering too. They are human, their needs are real too. They don't have a pastor to be there for them when they are in the hospital or have a death. She gives her husband to families over and over, because that is the right thing to do. She doesn't think back and say, but they didn't do it for us. She had a baby, how many people came to the hosptial to see her? Three.

This was just food for thought. And remember, she knows when you are being honest and sometimes that thought of "is this true or are they wanting to fish for information" will be going through her mind. Is it right? No, but that is just how it is.

Again I say, some churches are different, but some issues are the same. She knows that she has been truly blessed in every place she has been, that God has placed them there for a specific reason, and she can tell you exactly what that reason was. But do you even know about it? When was the last time she knew that you were not like the rest of the people, that you were genuinely caring about her and her family?

A book can be written about her journey along the way and probably does need to be written, as encouragement to that pastor's wife, There is Life being the Wife...of a Preacher. She needs to know that the church she is in is the place that God has for her, that He needs her to be there. He wants to use her and will use her. There are great people in the church and she needs to trust that God will put them in her life when she needs them most.

We went Pink!

Well October is Over - I have no idea where it went. I did something pretty bold that month. I went PINK!

Because my mom had breast cancer, I went with the pink in my hair! This picture was taken the day I did it and Crickette wanted to fix my hair for me to go to the ballgame.
Crickette went Pink first - they did it at school. This was just before I did mine. Notice my sweater!! Again I say WAR CAM EAGLE!! Woo Hoo!! What a season.

Yesterday Buck Creek went Pink! It was great to see all the people participate by wearing Pink. Even God participated.


We had an incredible fall festival last night. That was when I took the picture of the pink sky. We had several hundred people here, glad we had it outside, there is no way we could have housed them in the gym.
I'll have to take a picture of the "cake walk" prize that I won. I got behind a friend to walk and told her that I would take her number. Guess what - I was the very first winner! So I picked out what I wanted - the gift that I took! I made a Christmas wreath, 2 sets of beaded spoons and then bought a "Believe" plaque from Hobby Lobby. I took home the plaque. I had already hung it on my kitchen wall to see how it looked - PERFECT!!

Got lots more to share - so see you tomorrow!