My daughter Ashley lives on an army base 15 hours away with her husband Arik. She and the baby were staying with me while he was deployed to Iraq, so I got to hang out with Adrienne and Ashley all the time. Then the week before Christmas they had to go home for Arik's homecoming. Well, my little stinker of a Grand Daughter decided she was going to hold off on laughing, rolling over and alot of other first until a couple of days after they got home...guess she was saving it for her daddy! So that leaves me to watch her grow up in pictures. :(

Well, I have been waiting and waiting for Ash to send me some updated photos of her....still waiting... LOL...
This is what happens when you are left to your own device, you HIJACK them....from myspace! Thanks Ash, now I can add thief to my resume...aha!

Yeah, right! Do you remember the saying "It takes a village to raise a child" ??? Well I do...and let me tell you what...there is no village here. This is a solo job. The only reason I bring this up is because I have been noticing more and more how kids do what ever they want and no one...not even their parents say anything. When I was a kid you had the involvement of the entire family and family friends. If you did something wrong it wasn't anything for the neighbor to reprimand you and then call your parents and then get it from them too. Of course in those days a swat on the hind end was aloud...now it is abuse??? HMMM...think that has anything to do with the lack of respect we get from our kids today? The bible says "spare the rod and spoil the child".

I just don't understand what has went wrong with our society and lack of involvement and discipline for our youth. This is a conversation I have had numerous times with my husband. Our youth of today believes in "entitlement", as if the world owes them some great thing because they were born. I personally feel like I am fighting a losing battle with society to raise my girls correctly. Unfortunately the major influences in their lives are not myself or my husband but their peers...of which are left completely unsupervised and have NO repercutions for their actions.

Just keep in mind...this is the generation that will be responsible for us when we are old...personally I am scared.

As my last entry stated we are doing a series on Leadership. Well last night we had our weekly small group meeting.....which by the way....ROCKS! Anyway, we were asked to describe a unique quality of our spouse that could be used in a Leadership position. When Kelley spoke about me, at first I wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not. He told our group that I have a "unique" ability to say whatever is on my mind to whomever and that people will always know what I am thinking or where I stand. Does that sound like a good thing???? I wasn't sure....

When it was my turn I stated that he had a kind heart and could speak to anyone! He does not know a stranger and would give the shirt off of his back if someone was in need. See I think I was way nicer to him....LOL... As the night went on we started poking fun at one another and the other couples joined in. Then Kelley said something that got me thinking....He said that our uniqueness combined was a great way to lead people to church and to minister to them. He would start the conversation and then I would cut to the chase and say "hey you need to come to church with us"...because apparently I am not as concerned about offending others....
It is true though...we make a perfect set...tag team ministry...or Divide and Conquer, either way if it works, then no harm no foul!

This past Sunday kicked off the first of a 5 part series on leadership. I am so excited about this series!! Pastor Furtick spoke about embracing your uniqueness and turning it into power to serve God and minister to others.

I have never really considered myself a follower of people but I'm not sure I've really thought of myself as a leader either. After hearing Pastor Furtick's powerful message now I feel differently. I think we all have the potential to be leaders. Whether in our job or in our homes. I encourage my kids all the time to not follow the pack because chances are if they are doing what the others are doing, then they aren't doing what they are suppose to be doing. Kids today are under so much pressure to conform to fit in, but Pastor said that teenagers need to redefine cool. I couldn't agree more.

As a mother/parent I find myself also trying to redefine my role. It is hard to raise kids in a society that teaches them that they are not responsible for their actions and to throw rules and respect aside. Then we are left unable to parent them because the rules say it's against the rules! It is my job to lead my family down the right path. If I don't activate my leadership potential in my home I will do my family a great dis-service. I know that this principle applies to other areas of my life but right now I need to be a LEADER in my HOME and make sure that my family has positive role models within the sanctity of their own home. That way they can take what they have learned and apply it to the real world!

I know that God is grooming Kelley and I to do something incredible....but in the mean time we will practice by ministering to our friends and family. I personally feel that God has something more specific in mind for Kelley...I just sit and patiently wait for God to reveal it to him....he is going to be a powerful Leader...I just know it!

This is going to be short....I just want to say that my BABY is 2 today!! I can't believe that she is 2 already...where has the time gone??

Anyway, Happy Birthday MCKENZIE GRACE PAYNE you are so loved and just a wonderful blessing to all of us! WE love you!!!

Here are just a few pics of how you have changed over the past 2 years....

We have teenagers, and a security system...that they do not have the code for. You do the math. My husband Kelley set the alarm last night as he does every night, not realizing that I did not have to be up at my normal 6am. In which I normally disarm the alarm at that time so the kids can go to school. Well, this morning as I am snuggled down in my bed, I am awaken by this horrendous shrill scream! Automatically I realized that the alarm was going crazy...then I realized that Alexis (12yo) was screaming over and over again because she didn't know that the alarm was set. She came running up the stairs screaming at the top of her lungs...hysterically, I might add. I ran down the steps and disarmed the alarm and then sat on the steps and laughed until I cried.
I'm not sure anyone else thought it was as funny as I did.....but that's why I'm the mom!!!

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV


Have you ever thought how great it would be if you could live without ever having to deal with fear?

Of course, there are healthy fears that alert you to danger in time to avoid it and these are good because they protect you. But there are many other fears Satan tries to put on you that should not be legitimate concerns. They are False Evidence Appearing Real, and they are intended to keep you from having the power, love and sound mind God wants you to have.

Fear is a spirit that must be confronted head on, it will not just go away. But God has given you the power to boldly confront your fear and break its hold on your life.

So when fear knocks on your door, send faith to answer!

an excerpt from Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyers


This was a powerful devotion for me. As a Christian I struggle with fear and just handing it over to God. I still have a long way to go but I am learning day by day that until I surrender all of my worries to him and have FAITH without FEAR I will never be truly blessed by all the things that has God promised.

Recently I started saying bedtime prayers with my (almost) 2yo daughter McKenzie..from here on out to be referred to as Mack. The first couple of nights she would just look at me when I would place her little hands together to say them. Now every night she gets into her bed and will put her hands together by herself and wait patiently for you to say them. Well, yesterday when I layed her down for her afternoon nap...with no prompting...she placed her hands together for me to say her prayers. I did...she repeated about every third word I said. When I said "Amen" she just looks at me and says...."OKAY!!" It was just the cutest thing EVER!

My husband Kelley and I decided that as Brand Spankin' new Christians, we would start a blog to chronicle our journey. I am not sure what we will write about, probably our family...our life, our walk with God and the craziness we call our home! Oh, and lets not forget the dog..seems my daughter always forgets we have one...about the time we ask if he was fed. Kinda of convenient for her, huh?

I am sure it will be a lot of senseless ramblings but anyone that knows my husband knows he always rambles and has to turn everything into a "life lesson". My kids usually zone out about 5 minutes into it. I will try and keep him focused but I won't promise anything!!

We are super excited about the direction God is taking us and our family and we just want to share.
Check back often...because it all starts here!