Friday

my baby shaking her head "NO" at me

crazy girl

It is getting really warm here in Florida, I actually don't mind though, the humidity gives me good skin, but frizzy uncooperative hair.. you give some, you take some.

In our small group we had an assignment (you could say it's on-going), but it just started, and we have to ask either unbelievers we interact with every day, or random people what they think of hell, if they believe it's a real place or not.  I went to the local grocery store, and talked with this man right outside Winn Dixie, I thought he was homeless, he was suggesting he wasn't, but I wasn't going to say different, it didn't really matter, and I didn't want to offend him... anyway, not the point.  We talked for a while about spiritual things.  He doesn't believe Jesus is God because this world isn't perfect, so how could Jesus have lived here, and been perfect.  He thinks he's going to heaven because he hasn't done very many bad things, so we went through some of the ten commandments, but he believed he had only broken each one about one time, and that it was okay to sin a little bit.  I talked about God's perfection, and how we are all damned to hell if we sin one time, doesn't matter how BIG or small the sin is, but that God was gracious enough to die for us, so we didn't have to spend eternity in Hell... I shared the gospel with him a couple different ways, he didn't seem to want to truly listen.... BUT... I see him all the time, I want to visit him more, and talk more.  He told me a lot of his life story, so I know some of where he is coming from, like my friend said the other day, he's like a walking dead man, it's sad, but the cool thing is I have the good news, and he speaks my language, so I have the ability to talk with him about who God is... praise the Lord! 

Life

having breakfast in our side yard

my little flower beds I just planted

a closer look

it's coming together

Ava is pulling herself up all the time now

swinging with cousin Ella

Levi and Ava splish splash'n

getting big for her changing table

Girl's night In

have'n fun

Girl What?!

Ava on Mother's Day

Ava's dress from my mom

So many things have been going on.  A couple weekends ago we did a  teen guys night, and a girl's night, the guys camped and the girl's stayed the night at my house, we ate a delicious dinner, played games, performed skits, ate homemade ice cream, shared a story and testimony of some things God has taught me... and ever since then things keep happening, and I think Oh!  I'll update my blog... I really need to update my blog... I really really need to update my blog and then things get so far past it's like I give up... so here I am trying not to give up on this blogging thing.  I have an idea of what I want it to be like... I want to update my life, I want to share with you what God is doing in my life, and how he changes me, or how I'm lacking in my prayer life, and haven't been making the time to sit down to talk to God, listen to him, or read His holy word...  TJ and I have recently gone through (still getting through) the hardest part of our marriage so far, and I'm learning more about God's forgiveness, and that he calls us to forgive the same way he forgave us.

I want to tell you things like I went for a jog yesterday for the first time in a long time, and it felt great but today I'm sore... I was going to share a story with you that I shared with the teen girls, but now it's been too long, and I'm not sure if I want to share that personal of a story with you : /.  I wanted to tell you that I surprised TJ the other day, and planted a flower garden by our arbor... and he was excited with the surprise, and that Mother's day was my first Mother's day as a mother, and that Ava has been pulling herself up every chance she gets.  (Sorry I know that was a little sporadic) 
 
I read Ree Drummond's blog (where I get most all my great recipes) all the time, and she says a blog needs care and nurturing... she's right, I feel like I'm so bad at this... but hey, I think we're making progress here. 

Also I want to say "Happy Birthday!" to my nephew Levi Alan Shropshire... he is turning the big 1 today.