Potteiger's Rat Pack

Delete

2011-08-06T14:51:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking allot recently about my words, thoughts and actions. In today's world we have so many gadgets to keep us occupied. We have so many things available at our fingertips now... and I can get so impatient if things do not go at my speed! I tend to think, act, re-act, speak w/out thinking of others. I am just thinking of myself. If I am not pleased at something someone does, then I want to hurt them w/ my words, or actions. This is not something that I am proud of, just trying to be open and honest. :) Many times I have wished for the delete button on the computer/phone to undo what has been said or done. I know many of us delete things for the purpose of not hurting someone, ashamed of what we have done, or just hiding what we have done. I do know that one day I will stand before GOD and will be held accountable for what I have said or done. You would think that this would change me, but, nope! it hasn't. I long to trust more freely, love more wildly, be so much more giving....I want to be more of what Jesus would want and not Marsha. This is some of my heart's desire.

My Valentine

2011-02-14T09:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life. I have so enjoyed being "us" for almost 18 years. When we are together, my life is complete. I have always loved laughing with you, talking with you, (me talking :) ) discussing Biblical things, listening to you preach, listening to you sing :), hugging you, having your children, becoming a family of 7!

I received from Girlfriends in God by Sharon Jaynes something that is challenging me. Do I love my husband well? Do I adore the man that God has given to me? Romans 12 gives us some points that we can ask ourselves about our husbands. How do we love him?
*Love must be sincere
*Cling to what is good
*Be devoted to one another
*Honor one another above yourself
*Never be lacking in zeal
*Be joyful in hope
*Be patient in affliction
*Be faithful in prayer
*Do not be proud
*Do not be conceited
*Do not pay anyone evil for evil

I desire to love my husband freely. God has been so good and faithful to us!! I admire my husband for who he has become and is becoming. He is listening to God and obeying and I desire that above all else. I admire him for the man of God he is!!

I love you sweetheart!!
Marsha

Grace

2011-01-25T10:24:00.001-05:00

I have not posted since August and now I am posting this!! I must be crazy!! These are some my intimate thoughts and I am being very opened with them. I know not many people check this out anymore :) which maybe makes me more comfortable with sharing!! This is for me! I know some may read this and say, 'what in the world?' Don't mean to make you think this! Just needed to write it out for myself. You can read along and agree or disagree with me. It's okay.

I have realized how pathetic I have been as a Christian. These past months I have felt so far from God. He has shown me things that I have not obeyed! I would try, and then...back to the old way! I have confessed to Him and these past three days have been painful, yet really good!! :) There are a couple of books that I have been reading that have shown me, well ME! I don't like the picture I am seeing! Am I the Proverbs 7 lady or the Proverbs 31? Proverbs 7 says "Her feet do not stay at home; now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner." My habits have been self-indulgent, gossiping, just trying to make me happy. I have not given my priorities to what really matters ~ Home. This is where the important stuff happens, spiritually and physically. I have not attended to my spiritual growth, my families spiritual growth; I have just been self-indulgent. My desire is to be more like the Proverbs 31 woman. I know that I will never achieve all of this, but I need to change my passion. My habits need to be self-disciplined, attend to matters of personal faith and character ~ really need to work on this! I need to always take care of my household ~ making sure the house is presentable, supper ready to go, watching and paying attention to the needs in my family. I need to care about God's kingdom.. doing what I can to win show Christ to others, with my prayers, actions, giving, time, etc.. I need to take care of beneficial pursuits, not idle! I need to be more self-sacrificing. I need to manage my household (I Timothy 5:14) Keeping my eyes and ears open to what is happening in my home..the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual well-being. (This is taken from the book GIRLS GONE WISE IN A WORLD GONE WILD by Mary Kassian)

God has been talking to me about where I place my husband in my list of important things. I am ashamed to say that sometimes he is at the bottom of the list, and recently he has been at the top of my list ~ in first place. Not good! Jesus is first, Bryan is second, my children are third, family and friends fourth, and I am at the end!
From the book "UNCOVERED revealing the secrets of a sexy marriage" by Susie Davis there is a quote from columnist James Collins. It says, " How can we actually love the person we love when we are burdened by resentment and fear and insecurity and anger and narcissism and hostility and self-loathing and bouts of total irrationality." I want to actually love the person that I love! Love in action. The sort of love that stays together and keeps caring, that keeps trying and never gives up! This love will cause ME to put aside MYSELF and put my husband first ~ even in the exhaustive, ugly, nitty-gritty of life when everything thing is breaking lose and I feel that I am at my breaking point! I need to live out "LOVING the one that I Love!"
I Corinthians 13 states it best! "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." (NLT) This is my prayer! I long to be "perfectly whole". This is my heart plea, to be more like Jesus!

Another thought from the author Anne Lamott says, "Grace is unearned love - it's the love that goes before, that greets us on the way. It's the help you receive when you have no bright ideas left, when you are empty and desperate and have discovered that your best thinking and most charming charm have failed you. Grace is the light or electricity or juice or breeze that takes you from that isolated place and puts you with others who are startled and embarrassed and eventually grateful as you are to be there."

My thoughts may not make sense to anyone, and that is truly okay. Jesus knows my heart, he has been getting into my 'secret places' that I would be ashamed for you all to see. I have this one life to live and I want to live it correctly. Letting Jesus be in control of my life! My emotions may be whacky, seemingly uncontrollable, a whole lot goofy, but I am forgiven! And I know that Jesus loves ME! I am thankful that God is showing me things, dealing with me, telling me not to run with my emotions, not always dwelling on the negative. So today, I choose Jesus! No matter what comes, His grace will be there!

Happy 16th Birthday!

2010-08-26T08:45:00.000-04:00

Wow!! 16 years ago I was getting ready for the day to head to my sister-in-law's home. I finally made it there traveling over bumpy roads, trying to drive with a pillow on my lower back, but, my stomach was to big! When I arrived at her house, got out and my father-in-law said, "you don't look so good!" I never dreamed that I was in labor!! It was still 6 weeks until their due date!! Went into her home and played with the nephews, walked around, laid on her couch, went upstairs, all the while trying to stay cool in her non air-conditioned home!! Char finally came upstairs to check on me and then she got worried!! She called hubby and told him to come home quick!! He arrived 30 minutes later and off we went to Molly's house, the Amish lady. We traveled 45 min. to get there and when we arrived she came out and said, "What are you doing here?" I told her I thought it was just false labor, but she looked at the paper where the times where written down and said, "No, this is real labor!" Oh no!! lol We go into the room and she said I was 9cm and Bryan asked, "How far does she have to go?" I wanted to laugh, but I was hurting!!! Breanna came into the world and 3:13 p.m. and then Brittany joined her sister at 3:27 p.m. and they have pretty much been inseparable since!!!

I have so enjoyed having raised them so far!!! They are a joy, most of the time!!!
Happy 16th twins!!! I love you!!!

2010-06-03T23:24:00.001-04:00

My wife needs to update this blog thingy!

Oh my!

2010-03-20T10:03:00.000-04:00

It has almost been a year since we (Bryan) last posted! Since he has slacked off, and since I am tired of seeing Jim Tressel signing, I am going to write something.

We have had a great 2010 so far. God has been faithful! God is still working on me and I am so thankful for that! Where would I be if I hadn't made the choice to choose Him? Scary thought!

Now this is the reason I always wanted Bryan to write! Can't think of anything to say. He always could say something funny and whatever. Oh well! Life goes on!

Our 3 girls went to competition and did so well!! I was a proud Momma! Brittany placed 3rd in piano solo; Breanna placed 2nd in poetry recitation (she lost by 1 pt.); Brooklynn placed 2nd in dramatic monologue, which she had to write; and the girls trio placed 5th. The boys we brought placed 1st male vocal solo; 2nd preaching; 1st 1600 run; 6th poetry. Next year we plan on entering them in a whole lot more!! I am excited about it already!

We are now getting ready for our school auction next weekend the 26th. Things are coming along pretty good, which we are grateful for.

Once Bryan shows me how to upload pics ~ I will!!!

Jim Tressel Signing Day

2009-03-28T20:12:00.002-04:00

Zac and I were privileged to get some signatures and pictures with Ohio State coach Mr. Jim Tressel. Zac was pretty excited.

ACE Regional Competition

2009-03-14T19:32:00.004-04:00

State Competition was held in Muncie, IN, and my wife and I were privileged to take four students with us to compete. It was a wonderful four days of being with other young people, meeting old friends, and enjoying some good nervous competition.

During preliminaries beach balls were an exciting part of the fun for the young people. (And me too!)

Joree singing "He Touched Me." He ended placing third.

Spencer getting ready for the 100 Meter Run.

Breanna and Brittany announcing their piano duet. They placed second!

Finishing up Chick Fil A in the Atrium.

Spencer competing in Checkers. He did not place in checkers, but did
receive a sixth place finish in essay writing. It was a long
week but the memories were worth it.

Trenton's 8th Birthday!!

2009-03-07T19:49:00.002-05:00

Today Trenton celebrated his 8th birthday! He could hardly wait for it to get here, but his big day finally arrived. He got some new tennis shoes that he really wanted and a light sword that he picked out from Walmart. Then he wanted to go to A&W for his meal. Rather than a cake, he wanted a big cookie, so that is what he got.

Kid's Fest

2009-02-21T19:30:00.007-05:00

Kid's Fest was just held at our little local mall.
It was a great time to let our community know
that we are here, Heritage Christian School.
It was a long day, but well worth it.

Marsha's 40th Birthday Party

2009-02-08T21:05:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures from my wife's 4oth birthday party. It was a fun night and I was able to surprise her, thankfully. Close to fifty friends showed up at the church for this exciting night. She thought we were having a young couple's get-together and even helped plan it; little did she know it was for her party. All in all, it was a great night of celebration.

One Reason God Made Snow

2009-01-30T20:42:00.002-05:00

Zac's Basketball

2009-01-24T16:17:00.003-05:00

This is Zac's first year for Basketball which was his birthday present. Today was his first game and it was so exciting to go and watch my son play for the first time. He did a great job for his first game. The team they played, however, was extremely tall for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. Matter of fact, number 42 in the green, was taller than the coach himself. Needless to say, it did not go well for our team because we could get no rebounds and they could just stand and shoot. So he lost his first game but played well and I am proud of him. So go Zac and this will be the only time I will say, Go Buckeyes! (His team name.)

Damascus Road Trio First Concert

2009-01-11T21:46:00.002-05:00

This past November when I was laid off from work, I was somewhat forced into looking for additional work. I placed resumes in various places and searched for a job. While doing so, I asked my wife if she minded if I checked Singing News to see if there were any openings for singing part time. There were several and so I began to check them out. One of the first groups that I called was Damascus Road Trio. They were needing another singer and I called Eric and we had a great conversation on the phone. This turned into a tryout and the rest is history. Today was my first mini-concert with them and it was a joy. God has now given me my two greatest desires in one year after both were taken away, working in a Christian School and singing part-time just enough to scratch the itch. Thank you Lord for your goodness and kindness to me, it is so undeserved. Here are the guys, Dan, the little Mexican, Eric, the beaming baldy, and myself, scruffy! We are not great but we enjoy singing and ministering, hopefully I can do both for them.

More Christmas Pictures from Kentucky

2009-01-10T20:12:00.005-05:00

Stair Case Evesdropping on New Year's Morning!!

2009-01-02T09:52:00.004-05:00

Let me begin by saying Happy New Year! It is great to be part of another year!

New Year's Eve was a wonderful evening of fun and excitement at our church, Heritage Bible Church. It started out with a carry-in meal that started around 7:00. After the meal, the children ran around with their balls and guns and had a great time. The young people gathered at one end of the gym and played basketball. And the young couples and adults sat at the tables and played games. This went on til about 11:00. At which time, we went over to the church and had a Watch Night service to bring in the new year. This concluded with the families assembling together and praying to thank God for His faithfulness in '08 and His blessings on '09.

When this service was completed shortly after 12:00, some of the older people went home while the younger ones went to the gym to continue with Volleyball, Basketball, and table games. It was around 3:30 that I had had enough and was ready to go home. Marsha said she would stay with the young people and I would take Trenton and Brooklynn home to bed.

Trenton did not want to go home! He wanted to stay and play with his friends and Zac. When he realized he had no choice in this decision, which he seldom does, the tears of frustration and exhaustion began to fall down his tired cheeks. I took him home and asked him if he wanted to sleep with me, this was a big NO. So I asked him where he wanted to sleep; he chose the playroom on the floor and a pile of blankets. I said fine, somewhat tucked him in, and walked out.
As I got downstairs, I could him hear him crying quite loudly about his dilemma so I thought I had better go back up and check on him. I went about three-fourths of the way up the stairs and decided to sit there out of view and listen for a moment before I went in. He was weeping through pure exhaustion and anger out of not being at the gym. Here is what I heard: "I want Zachy. I want my brother!" Then he would cry some more. "I want Mommy!" Now this was never very loud, but I could hear from my hiding place on the stairs. "I want Pop-pop!" I thought that was an interesting one. And this continued on through his tears.

Suddenly his tone changed and this concerned me a little. "I hate Zachy! I hate everybody!" Now I know he was angry over his predicament and I know he was very tired, but I still did not like to hear those words. I debated about going in and addressing this new statement, but decided to wait it out some more and hear what else he might have to say.

Finally, after some more statements about who he wanted and muttering to himself, it became quiet. I thought he was about to go to sleep and I was about to leave, when he began to talk again. This time I was quite surprised as to what he said through his tears, "Jesus, I want to go Heaven!" and then a second time, "Jesus, I want to go Heaven!" There I sat, hiding on the steps on New Year's Morning around 4:00, listening to my 7 year old son pray to Jesus that he wanted to go to Heaven. I am glad I did not walk in for it was worth every moment of sitting there. I almost cried myself. I am not sure where this suddenly came from, but was glad that I was still hiding on the steps. So for me, New Year's has already been wonderful and I am expecting a great year to continue!

Various Pictures of Church Christmas Programs

2008-12-24T20:36:00.001-05:00

A Lovely Winter Night

2008-12-11T20:12:00.002-05:00

All is quiet here! Wonderful. What a great night to do
something exciting. Nah! I think I will sit here
and look at the tree and enjoy the warming fire.
Yes, I think I will!

Yep, the decision is final!

Time for Thanksgiving!!!!

2008-12-01T19:01:00.003-05:00

What a great time of year! Thanksgiving!! So much
to be thankful for, Count them all! We started by having
a Thanksgiving meal at school. Boy was it good!
The kids had a great time.

Some of my little Indians!

Finishing up a great meal!

Then at our home, we had our own little Thanksgiving
meal. My wife did a fantastic job preparing this turkey
for all of us.

Preparing to eat!

We had a slight smoke problem after spilling some of
the turkey juice in the oven, oops!

One of the twins preparing the table, one of them,
you pick which one.

Even Copper was allowed some leftovers on
Thanksgiving day!

Pictures from Cancun

2008-11-24T21:20:00.009-05:00

Ok, so it took a little bit of time to get these on, but here they are! A sampling of our pictures of our vacation to Cancun, Mexico. What a tremendous time we had! Totally relaxing! Totally satisfying! Just us, my wife and I! Awesomeness!!

Sitting at the airport about 5:00 A.M. Monday morning.

Sun coming up as we approach Houston, TX.

Descending into Cancun, Mexico.

Our Room

Overlooking the back part of the resort from our balcony.

The wonderful pool at night.

Market 28! Worth the whole trip. We had such an
enjoyable time here shopping and bartering for
our wares. So much fun! I would go back just for
this part of the trip.

Taken professionally by me in the dining room area.

Two pictures of beauty - the beach and my wife!

Some other beautiful resorts.

Back by the pool.

Captain's Hook boat ride and meal.

The moon rising over the water before we set out.

During our voyage

Friday morning 4:15 Ready to head home worn out
but happy!

Back on US soil again in Houston.

Vacation Time!!

2008-11-09T16:41:00.002-05:00

Why the huge smiles you ask? Do you remember the post about dangling toes in the bathtub or dipping them in the blue water of Cancun? Well so many people thought that we should go to Cancun, so guess what, we are on our way!!! YES! Thank you so much for voting in our unscientific vote, without you, this would still be possible. More to come later.

A Day at the Zoo

2008-10-24T17:58:00.004-04:00

Today we took the kids from school to the Columbus Zoo!
It was a cool, brisk day, but we had a lot of fun and got to take some
good pictures of the animals. Absolutely incredible! I love animals
and their beauty. Just gorgeous! I loved it more than the kids.
But that is me, young kid in an old's man body! Here are some
of my favorite from the day.

A Free Handbag?

2008-10-10T17:07:00.003-04:00

What am I saying? Yes, you could win a free handbag at Handbag planet. Click on the link to enter in it and pick out the bag you would like! Simple!

Family Pictures

2008-10-06T18:54:00.003-04:00

Marion Popcorn Festival Parade

2008-09-20T18:40:00.005-04:00

I am so sorry for the long delay in posting and it is all
my fault. Life has been busier recently and this has been
put on hold. However, tonight I said I must up date
the blog. I will be adding some new posts as well shortly.
(As if anybody cares.)

Ok back to the topic. Our school recently participated in
the annual Marion Popcorn Parade in town. It was a lot
of fun for the students and myself as well. It was a great
evening that we all thoroughly enjoyed. Here are some of
the pictures of this fun event.

Labor Day Weekend Fun

2008-09-06T19:41:00.004-04:00

What a wonderful weekend was had last week. My entire family came in for a special occasion and what a time we had. We do not have the biggest house so we had to quickly build some extra rooms and it all went well. There are 24 of us when we all get together so we need some space. Sunday night 20 were at our house, yeah!!! So what was the occasion, nope, not Labor Day though that was nice. It was for a baptismal service at our church for our children and 8 other nieces and nephews so that our Father could baptize them together! What an exciting evening.

Here is where we quickly added three new bedrooms
to our house.

Having one of our meals together at the church.

Brooklynn's turn

Brittany's Turn

Breanna's Turn

Then on Monday, our church has its annual Labor day
picnic. People come for fun and food and fellowship!
We had a good crowd.

Watching Bro. Brugger cook the chicken which was
awesome!!!!

Playing some games.

Our Pastor and wife and grandson.

My sweet wife having fun like a child!!

Twins Turn!!

2008-08-26T21:08:00.003-04:00

Today was a day to think back. It was fourteen years ago that I hurriedly took my wife
to a large country Amish house in PA and there in that little back room she gave birth with my assistance, haha, to our first children, Breanna and Brittany. I was privileged to hold Breanna first because for some reason my wife really did not care about holding anything, mainly because their was still another child to arrive. Thirteen minutes later Brittany arrived and I held her first as well, and for the first time, I held my twin daughters. What a moment! (This moment has now lasted fourteen years though I don't hold them like that.) They were less than 4 pounds for a while and looked liked little rats, thus our blog name. (Actually not their faces, but their little bodies and wrinkly little skin on their arms.) Well, now they have matured and no longer remind us of that, but in our eyes, beautiful young ladies. We plan on marrying them off next year. Just kidding! Anyway, what a joy they have been and so we celebrate today what God sent our way fourteen years ago. Happy Birthday girls!!!

At times we wish we would have had all girls!! Just like
his mom!

Breanna trying to get out of the camera's eye!

Me, wondering why we had boys? Shaking my head in disbelief
at our youngest.

Brittany trying to hide as well. Notice mom's corrective hand.

I made this at Walmart!

Breanna in pink and Brittany in green.

Opening some of their cards!

For their birthday present, they wanted us to
redecorate their room. Not sure what all will be done,
but we will allow them to pick out the colors and
fix it according to their tastes! Any decorators, please come
and help!!!

Marsha's Best Friend?

2008-08-22T19:48:00.002-04:00

Marsha was asked to dog sit for her best friend and so she agreed. Now you have to know my wife. She is ok with dogs, but really does not like them in her house, but she can manage. Anyway, because it was her best friend the little dog came over and you will not believe what happened. They became instant friends much to Marsha's chagrin.

Anywhere Marsha went, the little guy went as well.

If Marsha was in the kitchen, so was the little dog!

At the table, likewise the dog.

Bet you can't guess where Marsha is? Ya gotta love
the irony of life!

Friendly Neighbor?

2008-08-15T21:34:00.004-04:00

We were so happy to know that a new neighbor had moved in until my wife found out and she said she was going to kill him! Wow! Prayer could be offered at this time for both the neighbor and my wife!

Sunday Musing

2008-08-10T21:53:00.009-04:00

If you should ever come to our house on a Sunday, here is a sampling of what might occur on any given one. For most, unfortunately, it is a day of relaxation, not at our house, it is a day of service and worship. For those of you who feel that you fulfill your Christian responsibilities throughout the week and Sunday is a day off, SHAME on you! What I do during the week has absolutely nothing to do with what I do on Sunday. By the way, I have two full time jobs and one of those is in Christian Service.
And so here we go!

Breanna and Brittany applying the last touches.

Zac finishing up his Cheerios.

Brooklynn ready to go and waiting for the rest.

Trenton heading out the door.

My wife, well I could spend a lot of time here telling
you what I think of this fine, fine lady!

And me, moving on...

A small herd of deer across from the church when we
arrive. The one off to the right is a nice little buck.

Getting ready to teach my Sunday School class.

Now I am leading the worship service.
We started acapella with "Come Holy Spirit."
Then "Holy, Holy, Holy." Followed by "We're
Marching to Zion." And finally "My Jesus, I Love
Thee," and we went into "I Love You, Lord"
acapella to end our worship service.

Marsha playing for one of the special songs this morning.
Both specials were outstanding. Boy she is good
and lovely and.....oops we are in church.

Today was fellowship Sunday with "Dinner on the Ground."
The ladies are setting up and getting ready to serve.
It was excellent food today. Wow!

We had four extra kids come home with us today after
the meal. So much for napping!

Having fun!!!!!

Now I am getting ready for Junior church. Bet you
can't guess the theme.

Unfortunately we cannot set up a lot because we have
to take it down every week because of the gym being
used, but we do the best we can.

All the children have arrived, I think we had close to 70.

Telling the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and To bed i go
using helpers to illustrate the story. Don't often do it this
way but it worked well tonight.

Who knows what I am doing here but I am sure it was
good! Ha!

Anyway, what a wonderful day it was and I am glad it is
now over. Our family had church today, I hope yours did
as well. And should you come next week to our house,
guess what, you are going to get more of the same and it
never gets old. That's my story and I am sticking by it!

Father-Son Camping Trip

2008-08-04T20:27:00.002-04:00

Two weekends ago our church had a Father Son Camp Out at a local state park. I took off with Zac and Trent and we had a great time. I went skiing for the first time and Zac and Trent went tubing. What a blast! I actually made it up on my third try and did pretty well after that with no bruises to show for it. Trent wanted to go tubing by himself but I thought it best that I go with him. Zac did great by himself. The campsite was perfect and the evening was ideal for camping. What a great weekend with the guys from church.

Cancun It Is!

2008-07-26T21:53:00.003-04:00

To those who voted that we should dip our toes in the tub, sorry, you have been outvoted!!! We are going to Cancun! Yippeee and thank you so very much!!

Sunday Musings

2008-07-20T15:28:00.004-04:00

What do you do when you don't know what to do? That is the dilemma so often we find ourselves in. At times it may be in an insignificant area of our life that really won't matter in the course of time such as, "should we go on an all-expense paid trip to Cancun, Mexico, for four days and bask in the lovely sunshine and dip our toes in the crystal clear water on a beautiful sandy beach, or should we just stay at home on an all expense-paid trip and dip our toes in the tub?" When decisions like this come up that are tough I just want to curl up in a fetal position and holler for my mom. What to do? What to do?

At other times the process of what to do is of utmost importance. Unfortunately God does not always speak in an audible voice to make things perfectly clear. So what do you do when you don't know what to do. Here are a couple of suggestions:

1. Make sure you are right with God
2. Step out in faith
3. Pray
4. Stay Busy

God can only direct an individual who is wholly committed to Him. If not all God's, you are not God's! Second, be like Peter and step out in faith. Often we have a good idea of what we should do but are afraid to actually step out. Third, sincere pray is of utmost importance along with prayer support from our friends and family.
And finally, stay busy. God will not use somebody who is just standing still looking around wondering what to do. He will, however, direct somebody who is already busy for Him and doing things. Get in the game and swing the bat don't stand on the sidelines holding the equipment. Is it easy - No. But hopefully this can help you do when you don't know what to do.

Sorry about the illustrations but I think you get my Point!

Sunday Musings

2008-07-13T13:20:00.003-04:00

"The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."

So what is the "main thing"? Now I know we do not consider God a thing or place the Supreme Being on such a lowly level; however, is it not true that God ends up competing with "things" within our lives. Actually, God does not even compete, He just steps aside as we bring things in. For with God it is not a competition, it is one or the other.

I do believe that God allows us to have things, but the moment they take over, He steps out. That simple. Do the things "take over" since they are inanimate and lifeless, or do we begin to place them as supreme? Here is the question, "Am I willing to part with all things so that God is the only thing?" If I cannot part with all things, then God is not the main thing for He is the One and Only.

Many of us have a lot of things, nothing wrong with that. But the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. "What does it profit a man if he should gain the whole world, but lose his own soul." Oh oh, inspection time!

Demolition Derby

2008-07-10T21:11:00.004-04:00

The other night Marsha and I decided to take the kids to see our local demolition derby. What an exciting night! We could actually walk there, so away we went. I have never been around so many rednecks at once in my life, I actually felt intelligent for a little bit. My wife is from West Virginia, she felt right at home, but she did leave her shoes on for the whole event though I had to convince her to keep them on. Oh did we have a time yelling at people crashing perfectly good cars, well not quite.

These little cars actually could go quite fast!

Car 2804 was one of our favorites, but you can see
a problem developing. Notice the crease by the rear window.

Well one good rear end hit and this is what happened.
We cheered with delight!!
The driver became quite angry as his drive shaft fell
to the ground. LOSER!

This guys engine became toast!

Some great action.

The final heat

O say can you see thru the smoke and the haze, this guy
got pushed clear out of contention much to all the rednecks
excitement. What fun!!

Sunday Musings

2008-07-06T20:06:00.003-04:00

July 4th! What a special day in our country! A hallmark! A day that is celebrated far and wide. A day that symbolizes our freedom. Freedom to work where we want to work. Freedom to go where we want to go. Freedom to do as we please within the safety of the laws of our land. Do I agree with all laws or the changes that have been made since our founding fathers wrote them? No! But I still have freedom to voice my opinion and state how I feel about them. It's called freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech. Now that is an interesting freedom. I can say whatever I want because I have that freedom. Is it always wise to say whatever I want? I have discovered it is not! I have the freedom to yell at the car in front of me who has an idiot driver. (Oops I said it.) Probably safe since I am in my car but not prudent. I have the freedom to tell someone that their outfit is absolutely terrible and it looks hideous on their less-than-impressive frame. I could do that but certainly not wise no matter what I may think or how correct I may be. I can even use this blog to say whatever I want because it is mine and no one can tell me otherwise. I have freedom of speech granted to me by the Constitution of the United States of America and I am going to use it, and bless my heart, I am going to say whatever is on my mind.

That is, until I open God's Holy Word and He reminds us how dangerous our tongue can be and how quickly it can hurt and destroy. How it cuts and tears down and causes discord. How it is such a small thing and yet can bring down nations. And suddenly my freedom of speech is regulated by a Higher Power whereby I have the freedom to say what I want, but I choose not to use it. That, my friend, is easy to write, but oh so difficult to accomplish. Freedom is not always what it is made out to be.

P.S. The answer to last week's poll is three!!!

Catching Air!

2008-07-04T19:56:00.002-04:00

Small Flip

Trenton's Roll

Going for the big one!

Zac Catching Serious Air! Notice how high I am!

Couple's Get-together

2008-06-29T20:46:00.004-04:00

We had a couples night out at our church and six couples were able to make it. We had a perfect evening after the storms had passed. The food was great and the games were fun. Of course the ladies had to have a little party since it was my birthday.

Corn hole Queens!

Enjoying the games!

Ice Cream Cake, MMMMM Good!

Thanks for the great evening and hope we can do it again,

Unrelated to this, but the answer to last week's poll question was 1923.

Sunday Musings

2008-06-29T15:31:00.001-04:00

Another birthday has come and gone, June 28th. My mom tells me I was born that day and a piece of paper she has confirms it, I don't remember a thing. Isn't it so gracious of God to keep that particular moment of our life from our memory. Wow, 38 years. It is hard to imagine that - really, and I am not even old.

I do remember a lot of things though. I remember my first new bike at Mowersville. I remember wrecking more than once on that bike and have the scars to prove it. I remember Bible School and sending off balloons and the big tent and all the kids. I remember when Dad brought home the new "rabbit" for the family. I remember cutting trails on the hillside as a young boy and receiving stern correction for that one.

I remember moving to Roseglen and setting up in a new house. I remember the tornado that came through. I remember being scared to go to the church at night because I was certain someone was hiding out in the basement. I remember going hunting for the first time and eventually shooting my first buck. I remember walking in the footsteps of my Dad. I remember the green mustang. I remember the long journey to school. I remember going to camp.

I remember Pleasant Valley and another new house. The big yard. Getting my first dog. Getting my driver's license. Driving. Wrecking again! Thankfully no scars. Going on my first date. Graduation. Going to college. Tears. Decisions. Confusion. Tears. Finally another graduation!

Ah, then marriage! What a day! She was sick I was scared. What a time. Honeymoon!!
Living with your best friend and learning together. Jobs. I remember all those things, not like my wife does, but I remember. Children, notice that is plural! All of thirteen minutes we had a child. And then more children. Their births were beautiful and I was there for all five! What a great memory!

Mistakes!! Mistakes!! Mistakes!! Yeah, I remember them as well. In living color with all too many instant replays! But isn't it wonderful, that just like I don't remember my birth, at the time of my new birth, God graciously forgets as well. All those mistakes that I still remember, He can't remember!

And so 38 years have now passed plus one day. I hope to live another 38 plus more. I hope to have a lot more memories. I hope to forget my mistakes. I hope that I never lose my memory and always have a clear mind. I hope to meet on heaven's shore where God forgets my sin but always remembers His child. And as the songwriter stated, "Life is great, and getting better!" And that my friend is "Just another typical day in the life of a child of God."

Jam Up!

2008-06-24T21:21:00.003-04:00

Not to be outdone by fellow bloggers, Marsha's extremely competive "I must Win at any cost" attitude came out, and her strawberry-picking hands went crazy. If I am not
mistaken, she did all this in under 4 hours, give or take about 3 hours either way. This was all done over an open fire in the backyard after cutting down the neighbor's tree to make the fire.

See how exciting this is! Notice the fire.

Brittany faithfully helping.

Pouring out the sticky red hot stuff!

Watching intently.

Counting the final tally. (What does the Bible say
about storing up treasure on earth?)

Just flat worn out because of their hard labor!

Sunday Musings

2008-06-22T13:47:00.005-04:00

My wife and I were scheduled to sing Sunday morning for Worship service at our church, and as usual, we were having our typical Saturday night fight over what we should sing. It goes something like this:

Marsha says, "Do you have a song you would like to sing?"
"No, why?"
"Because we are supposed to sing tomorrow!"
"Oh really? You had a week to pick out a song, what is your problem."
"Well I thought you should pick the song this time."
"Well I don't, so go pick one!"
"What do think God would want us to sing?"
"I don't know, He seems to be talking to you at this moment."
"You always make me pick the song."
"I know because you never like my suggestions and you play the piano."
"Honey, go pick a song! NOW!"
"Yes Ma'am!"

(It is always best to fight before you sing rather than while singing, it is more spiritual.)

Anyway, I went over to the table to begin looking for a song. She had brought home a bunch of song books from church so I could find one. Thus began my search for a song as she spiritually began to view blogs and pray for all the families. (Blogs are now our prayer lists!)

We had old songs and new songs and songs I had never heard before in my life. It was interesting going through and seeing how many of the songs I knew. I would start singing the first few lines of the song until I came across another song I knew, then I would begin on that one. (You would have to be here.) Songs like, "Sweet Beulah Land," "When He was on the Cross," "I Dreamed of a City called Glory," "Blessed Assurance," and many others. After about thirty minutes of this, my kids were tired of hearing me and begged mom to stop praying over blogs and start practicing!

You are not going to believe this, after all my searching, she got up, walked to the piano, and said, "Why don't we try this, "One Scarred Hand." You have got to be kidding me! I had just spent over thirty minutes looking for a song and sure enough, she already had one picked out! She even had the music out ready to go. See if I ever look for a song again.

Well, we sang this morning and it went well, except for the one place where she tried to change keys in the middle of the verse. I believe she was praying for a blogger there and forgot what she was doing. I did find out some interesting trivia while looking for songs but for readers like Janella, you will have to come to the blog to view the poll question.

So there you have it, the family battle that is waged every time we are asked to sing. Please pray for us when you read our blog (its the spiritual thing to do) so that it does not get any uglier for us in the future.

Saturday Evening at the Columbus Clippers

2008-06-18T08:56:00.003-04:00

Several families from the church went down to Columbus
to enjoy the Clippers baseball game Saturday evening. It was
a beautiful night to sit in the stands and just enjoy the action.

Sunday Musings

2008-06-15T13:31:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day! Fathers, they come a dime a dozen. They are everywhere! You can't go out and not see one - at the mall, the ballpark, the restaurant. They come in all shapes and sizes, in all colors and creeds. We are all here because of a father. Unfortunately on this great day, there are so many children, or for that matter, grown adults, who have no idea who their father is or where he may be. They were conceived in a moment of "passion" and later brought in to this wonderful world, but from that point on, there has been no father. There has been an empty place in their life that has never been filled. What a sad commentary it is, and yet this story is repeated over and over and Father's Day only brings sadness and empty memories. Father's Day is special, but Father's are so much more than a moment in time or a day of the year, for any man can be a Father, but it takes someone special to become a DAD every day of the year!

Marion Mayhem

2008-06-09T20:02:00.006-04:00

Stanley Jackson is the Quarterback for the Marion Mayhem Indoor Football team. He was a quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes and also played professionally in the Canadian Football League. He stops in at the dealership where I work occasionally and it just so happened he stopped by Saturday afternoon which happened to be the final home game for the Mayhem. I asked him if he could get me some tickets and he said he could for which I was grateful. So that evening I took the five kids to the game while Marsha stayed home and was able to relax. (I hope I got huge brownie points for that one.) So here are some pictures of our evening together:

The mascot coming in.

A fourwheeler Parade.

Here is the T-shirt I caught from somebody.

Sunday Musings

2008-06-08T13:10:00.003-04:00

Recently my wife and I were discussing Trenton's seizures with a close friend of ours. Seizures are something that can cause fear in many individuals because of the uncertainty of what could occur or what will occur. Let there be no doubt, when our lil' guy first had seizures at the age of two, we were frightened and concerned as all parents would be. There were many anxious hours at the hospital trying to discover what was going on. There was this deep hole of hopelessness learning that there was not a lot we could do except make him as comfortable as possible.

So over the course of five years, you become accustomed to seizures. It is something that happens. Do we like them any more today as back then, absolutely not. Our other children all quickly recognize the signs and simply say, "Trenton's having a seizure," and we go and check that he is ok. There is nothing to do except make sure that he will not harm himself and help him when it is over. They are a part of our life now.

Now let me get back to where I started about the discussion with our friend. The comment was made along this line, "I'm not sure if I could do it." My response, "Sure you could!" Here is what my wife and I have discovered. When Trenton was having his first seizure and during every one since, though we were at a loss, something took over - Love. He's ours! We love him deeply! Love doesn't look at the seizure, love sees our little boy!

Every time we make our way to Children's hospital for another procedure, we see parent upon parent with children who are in much worse condition than Trenton, and you know how they make it, Love, that's how. I look at them and I begin to say, "Wow, how do you do it?" And suddenly I see it, it's in their eyes and being expressed to their little one - Love.

Just like God's love can cover a multitude of sins, our love covers a multitude of seizures, no matter how many. See, he is our boy and in our eyes he is perfect. And thankfully in God's eyes we are perfect as well because we are His children and He loves us with an even greater love. When I publish a post like the prior one, don't feel sorry for us, we love our little boy! As I watched my two boys walk out of that hospital, they were both my boys and I was proud, one with seizures, one without. Do I love them differently, no way! There my boys and I love them!

Trenton

2008-06-06T20:24:00.003-04:00

Waiting for the doctor to see if they can
correct his red eyes - no, not really- They are checking
his brain activity for seizures through an EEG test.

Still waiting - "Big Foot, little foot..."

The procedure begins - you can see the marks on his head where
they will be sticking in a two inch needle -notice how still he
must lay!

Half finished - I was kidding about the needle part - no needles
at all! You can stop gritting your teeth now and relax, he is OK.

All diodes in place.

Head wrapped and the test about to begin. Thank the Lord
for TV (oops did I really say that). During this test there
are several parts -the scan, the stimulation, and the resting.
Obviously the stimulation is the hardest. At one point Trenton
was required to blow a pin wheel for about 3 to 5 minutes non-stop.
That is hard for me to do let alone a kid. But he did great, he blew
and blew and blew and did his best to keep that stupid little wheel
turning. Of course he had a huge seizure then - no he didn't, just
kidding.

Getting rid of the stuff.

Following the circles to get home. Big brother came for moral
support and to see what all happened to little brother. And
another trip to the Hospital is over. Thank the Lord for
His care over His little ones even when we don't know what to
do except love our little guy with all our big toes!

Sunday Musings - Losing a Friend

2008-06-01T12:45:00.007-04:00

I lost a friend this week. Did I want to lose a friend? No. But is a friend really a friend if he is not friendly in return. It was just a dog, but he was my friend. I liked him. I liked his wagging tail. I liked how he greeted me at the gate every time I came home no matter what the weather was like. Wagging. Big smile. I put up with his bad habits because I liked him. I liked how he barked and was a good watch dog.

But my friend did something I did not like. He did something that scared me. He did something that broke my trust. He did something that threatened something I loved.
There is a big separation between like and love. I was forced with a decision. Do I keep something I like or worry about something I love. See, I liked my dog, but I love my kids!

So why was the decision so difficult? Why did my own kids not want me to make this decision when it affected them directly? Why was the car trip so long? Why did I choke back a tear when I left and petted his big head for the last time with his tail wagging? He was my friend. I knew I was making the right decision, but why the anguish and hurt?

It was about this time God came and whispered to me, "Son, why do so many people hold on to what they like, knowing it is going to hurt the one they love?" I made a decision this week, I liked my dog, but I love my kids! I released what I liked so I could have what I loved.

What do you need to release that you like so you do not lose what you love?

Memorial Day Work

2008-05-26T18:31:00.006-04:00

The responsibility for the day was to remove these poles and move the dog pen behind the shed thus given us more yard room and a cleaner yard. It would have been so much easier if someone would have brought over a super-duper heavy duty hydraulic power lift with a multi-positional pole remover! But no, no one came over with such a crafty tool, so you guessed it, I had to break out the two muscle-bound levers (HA HA) with the attached ten gloved-covered fingers to do the work. So here goes:

The start of the project with nine impending poles.

Digging deep.

One of the last poles being removed with Trenton looking on,
thanks for the support big guy.

OOPs! Got a little to close to the pole, Sorry!

My machine actually worked better than expected (it has a
tendency to break down occasionally) and all nine poles
were out in about an hour! Breaking off the cement took a
little longer and was not fun.

A lot of help he was.

One of the hired hands being distracted.

Now when this job started, it was supposed to be just a pole
removal job. However, I got a little over zealous and actually dug
holes for the new pen. Then I thought, why not at least put the cement
in so they are ready for the fencing later when I get to it. Then the kids
were out, so we decided to move the big and heavy dog house which was
an interesting challenge but was accomplished after much effort.
Then I said to myself, "Self, why don't you put up at least part of the
fencing since it is still early and not raining yet." So the kids and I started
putting up the fencing. Next thing you know, Marsha came out
interrupting her busy day and decided to help finish up, and before
I knew it, the job was done. And there is the finished product or at
least the one side of it. Job well done, and thanks to the kids for all
their help.

And this was all done by 4:00 so that we had time to get cleaned
up, break out the grill, and celebrate Memorial Day American
style, hamburgers and hot dogs.

I am absolutely tired since the super-duper hydraulic lift machine
was not brought over, but it has been a wonderful day.
It is now 7:10 and I think it is time for bed!

Sunday Musings - Memorial Day

2008-05-25T14:08:00.004-04:00

Today I was asked to sing a special song for our Sunday morning service and the song was "It Has Always Been the Soldier." This was a new song for me so I spent a considerable amount of time learning the tune and rhythm and was not really listening to the meaning of the words. But through the course of this process, the words began to have their impact. One line in particular simply states, "freedom isn't free" and obviously refers to the many soldiers who have given their lives for our freedom.

You see, I wasn't born in this great country but as a young man with my family became a citizen of the United States of America. I probably took that day for granted as just another day in my life, but over the course of years, that day has taken on new meaning. I love this country in which I live and I admire the men and ladies who paved the way for what I enjoy. I now stand with envy as I look on and honor those who have served and bow my head in silence to those who have given their all.
My freedom wasn't free, it came at a great cost to many and I don't ever want to take that for granted.

Confession............

2008-05-22T12:11:00.002-04:00

Let me share a little secret with you, if I may?! I LOVE looking at other people's blogs anonymously. I especially love looking at decorating blogs. I wish I could look at something at the Thrift store and say, "Boy, that would really look good...." or "I could paint this, turn it upside down and hang it from the ceiling and it would look....". But, I am not that type of person! I like looking at something and then I want to go out and buy the exact same thing! I love to move my furniture around, but I am not sure how else to move them! Poor Bryan! He'll come home from work and I will have moved something and all that he can do is just shake his head!! My children love to change things around too. But, my creative juices are very slow going! How can I speed them up? I would love to have Ty Pennington come to my house and change it all around. Yeah, like that will ever happen! I would love to have any one come to my house and change things, but no one is volunteering! Oh well! Life just keeps moving along! Maybe one day I will wake up and I will have become someone new ~ like a professional decorator!~ don't think it will happen!

If I could leave you with one of my favorite links then I would! But I have too many to count, plus I have students coming for lessons in like 5 minutes!

I have to go and brush my teeth since I just ate lunch!

Sunday Musings

2008-05-18T14:04:00.003-04:00

Today is what Tomorrow will never be and the Past has been swallowed by its grasp and is no more. And yet, Today has control of Tomorrow as well. What a powerful tyrant Today is. You can't escape it, run from it, nor hide from its presence. Because as much as you may dislike Today, it will grab Tomorrow and suddenly it is Today again. So you might as well live Today as if Tomorrow is not going to happen, because if you fail to live Today, Tomorrow might never happen and the Past will again be but a memory. So what are you doing Today to make it special thus making Tomorrow brighter and the Past a sweet memory?

Just leave a comment so everyone knows what you did to make it special.

Ya Gotta Love Kids

2008-05-17T19:51:00.005-04:00

How many times have you wondered, "WHY DID I EVER HAVE KIDS, LET ALONE FIVE?" Well, I have on several occasions, like more than once, like many times. Maybe I am alone here, but at least I am being truthful. Tonight was one of those moments, however, when suddenly all became clear to me, or, at least one reason became clear as to why we had kids. As I stood on our back porch and watched the Mean-Green-Grass-Killing-Machine do his thing, I said to myself, "Self, this is why you had kids!" and I turned around and walked back into the house Grass and Sweat Free. Ya Gotta Love Kids!

A nicely finished yard! Way to go big guy!

Queens without Crowns

2008-05-11T13:26:00.003-04:00

There is no long procession, no tell-tale sign that a person of honor is walking nearby. No regal dress or royal robes; no crowns or tiaras are visible. The flashbulbs from the cameras of the paparazzi are not blinking with approval or excitement. The secret service have not been called for protection and there are no guards standing in the background keeping a watchful eye. There is no hint to the honor and esteem that is gracing their very being. All seems to be as normal as a robin on a spring day hopping through the fresh green grass. And yet, when we truly see who they are, we find there is nothing normal or common about them.

For you see, down through the centuries of time, there have been many miniature processions of the pitter-pat of little feet following them through every corridor in the home and every pathway through the garden. Flashbulbs have flashed from loved ones capturing their every move, smile, tear, and expression that has crept across their face or tired brow. Their hands have not signed laws or decrees, but they have signed their name to the greatest calling on earth, and with little training use those hands to caress and hold and heal. God's angels have always been in the background keeping a watchful eye of every step they take for He knows beyond our understanding the majesty and worth that they possess.

Oh, at first glance, with human eyes, we often miss the royalty of who they are. We miss the majesty of their presence, the splendor of their being. But on this day, this one special day, we don't need eyes to see. Our memories come to life and suddenly we realize who they are and the high place of honor they hold. It's not that we have forgotten, but on this day, time seems to stop as we recall and relive those childhood days when all was at peace because they were near, that's it, simply near.

No, our Moms are not politicians, soldiers, lawyers, doctors, or even presidents. They are simply who they are and yet so much more. Not one of us could ever describe our Mom with words, and yet in our minds, they are the best, the elite, God's special gift, they are Queens that wear no crowns!

Weekend Fun

2008-05-04T21:40:00.005-04:00

Ok, here is the low down. It has been a busy week and I had no time to post or get Starbucks or even anything nourishing. (I am loosing weight so fast on this diet, however all gifts will be accepted.) My fingers are killing me from clipping coupons and I go to bed with filing them stupid little suckers on my brain - nightmarish. On top of that, I had to work, actually work, and take care of my wife and five kids. Gracious! Then Cordell and Bev, my sister, and her three boys arrived for the weekend on their way to Michigan to be with our parents. So as you can see it has been absolutely crazy. And then the kicker, I have to be at work by 10:00 tomorrow morning, when am I going to get any sleep. Oh well, to those who have it easy, bless you! Some of us just don't have it that way. Here are a few pics of evidence and thankfully I stopped Marsha before she ate the whole bowl of Taco meat!

Double Date

2008-04-22T20:55:00.008-04:00

Ok, everybody (that means our 3 visitors) calm down. I know the posts are flying off the press right now and it is more than some can handle. I trust this one will not overdue it. To go along with that, a new template that will probably not last long at all. Anyway, back to the subject at hand, on Saturday my wife and I had a date with another couple, thus a double date. Josh and April Siders invited us to go with them to hear the Collingsworth family in Cincinnati. Of course we agreed. On the way, we stopped at Olive Garden for a wonderful meal.

After the fulfilling meal, we visited a Christian bookstore to see the latest releases and then made our way on down to Cincinnati. The concert was great as was to be expected. Also, we were able to see some of our close friends and family members. All three of my sisters were there so we had a short little reunion. Also, my mom's Brother, Wife, their son Brent, and his family traveled down from Canada so it was a great time of catching up with each other.

This is what my wife and I looked like after a five hour concert taping, we are getting too old for this. And this is what my nephew, David, and Brooklynn Collingsworth looked like after the
concert, and she sang all night. Why do they look so good after the same amount of time?

I was planning to take pictures of the concert and the gorgeous Music Hall, but some woman said there was to be "NO PHOTOGRAPHY"! I think it was Brenda Herring because she was running all over the place taking pictures and no one stopped her at all. I guess she's a little selfish when it comes to fancy pictures. Oh well, maybe if conviction hits she will share some of them.

Church Picnic by the Pond

2008-04-18T22:33:00.000-04:00

Kevin and Julie Welch, who attended the church while living here, came back to visit for the weekend. So we had a church gathering out at the Cressman's beautiful property and in particular back by their pond. What a perfect night for a spring cookout. The pond was inviting and the kids could hardly wait to get out in the boats and splash around while the men and ladies just stood or sat around and chatted. The simple buffet consisted of the traditional entrees of hamburgers and hotdogs over an open fire and of course all the fixin's. The evening sunset was gorgeous and the full moon added to the charm. The fire burning (which I somehow failed to capture) added to the final dimension for a great evening. If you weren't there, you missed it (think about that for a while).

2008-04-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

Testing out a new design and struggling mightily!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Dear!

2008-04-12T02:45:00.000-04:00

Okay! I cannot believe that my husband is not being consistent on this blog! He is really slacking. Oh, I guess I started it, but I sure would appreciate it if he would continue it! kind of just kidding!
Life is getting busier with my new friend April Siders, and of course her family, moving in the area! We are always doing something! She is an awesome lady and we can always find something to talk about! And the girl can sing like nobodies business. She is awesome!! I have prayed for a close friend that lives near me and here she is! I don't think she knows what she is getting into!
Anyway, we have joined the grocery game and are excited. Our husband's are thrilled with us trying to save money. This week I spent more than I usually do, but the meat deals at Meijer I just could not pass up! I will post pics later of what I purchased and the savings, etc.
I just checked my comments and could not believe the new people! Barb, who Bryan has known forever, and Karen, who I taught at Penn View!! I love finding new people. I also found my friend Tracy's blog, she lives in Alaska, and Garilee's blog. I always want to comment on people's blog, but I forget my sign in thingy! Getting close to 40 is doing something to me!! i love blaming it on my age, i try to get more sympathy!
The kids are on spring break this coming week so we are going to try and find something to do. I have to work 3 days, so IHC is out this year. Maybe next year.
Well...................... all else is normal as normal can be here! Oh, I do have 8 music students now and one of them is a lady at least in her late 70's to early 80's. She is a hoot! Thankfully she has taken before so I am just helping her work on some of her bad habits. I must say I do enjoy what I am doing! Life is interesting! I would have never dreamed that I would be staying home and teaching music in my house!
An update on Trenton. He has not had a seizure for 3 weeks now. He is doing good. I believe the medicine has finally taken affect. I would love to believe this is a miracle, but I am scared to think that. I know God has everything under control and most days I do good in leaving it in His hands. I never want to live without Jesus! God is blessing us and I thank Him!!

Beautiful Winter Wonderland

2008-03-09T11:53:00.000-04:00

Our Anniversary Trenton's Birthday

2008-03-09T10:25:00.000-04:00

March 6th, 1993, was a special day for my wife and I as we celebrated our wedding day. It is hard to believe that it has already been 15 years since we were married. What great memories we have had during those years. Later this year we are going to celebrate our 15 years together by flying to Cozumel, Mexico, so we did not have a big celebration on our anniversary; we just reminisced about many of the high and low points that we have gone through together. Some of the highlights was having our five children. Trenton was our last little "rat" of the pack and he came along on March 7th. He is so happy that he is now 7 years old, and we can hardly believe he is that old already.

Trenton is special in so many ways; one, because he is the caboose (for which we are grateful). And then second and as a prayer request, Trenton has seizures. Since he has been two, he has had to battle seizures. Now don't get overly concerned about us, we have learned to adjust and know what to look for. Some will not understand this, but sometimes he is so funny while having a seizure, his mind is working and he knows what he is supposed to do, but his little body will not cooperate which at times causes him to do funny things. During those times, we carefully guard him, laugh at his antics, and then love him when it is all over. At other times, it can be a little frightening, like the other day, when he went to get the cereal out of the cupboard which requires him to get up on a stool to reach the door. However, he apparently had a seizure while trying to reach the cereal and ended up falling off backward and landing hard on the floor. Thankfully, he did not hit his head or hurt himself in any way. Again, as in other times, we picked him and placed him on the bed until it was all over. As the case with any other parent who has a child with a physical difficulty, don't have pity, God made him this way for a special reason and we love him so very much. Now, that does not mean that we would not take a miraculous healing from God on his little body; so when it crosses your mind, say a prayer for our little guy.

We celebrated these two big days by going out to CiCi's Pizza, Trenton's choice. What a great two days it has been.

Copper has been Un-Coppered

2008-02-20T21:11:00.000-05:00

Remember that little puppy we had several months ago, well she is almost full grown and full of fun. The problem lies in the fact that she, Copper, is a female (duh) and our other dog, Samson, is a male. History came along and told me that if I keep these two together much longer we would soon have little Sampers running about, which we did not want. (My wife and I had a similar discussion after our fifth litter.) Anyway, the deed is done and she is progressing well. However, for the next several days she must stay clear of Samson and the rough play that usually follows when the two of them are together. So here she is recovering from surgery and enjoying the warmth of home. My wife is tolerating this but not necessarily thrilled. Ironically, she had to give Copper a blanket lest it get too cold for her last night (67 degrees) even though she has been sleeping in 10 degree weather for the last month outside. Go figure!

Hard at Work for Valentine's Day

2008-02-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

These were not passed out to any boys that I am aware of!!

Ending of Another Peaceful Sunday

2008-02-10T21:12:00.001-05:00

Fire burning cheerily,
Children in bed quietly,
Hopefully?
Marsha thinking beautifully,
Me watching romantically,
Lovingly,
Day completed restfully!

Sunday School??

2008-02-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

What child, or adult for that matter, likes to get up on a cold Sunday morning and go to Sunday School? Not many! Most churches no longer put an emphasis on Sunday School and even fewer families are concerned about it. I think it is becoming evident in our holiness churches as well. Why is that? May I give you some of the excuses (er, reasons) I have heard:

It's to early - but if skiing, or the amusement park, or vacation is planned, early is not early enough
It's to boring - well then teach the class yourself or maybe your boring too. This morning I blew up Soda (Pop) cans to talk about God's power. COOL! This brings us to the next point
I am too busy to teach - BLAH, BLAH, BLAH - I leave for work at 7:30A.M. and often do not get home until 8:00P.M or 8:30P.M. and on Saturday nights not until 7:00P.M. and sometimes 6 days a week (you count the hours for yourself). We also have five children (count them yourself) to get up and get ready and yet we are always there ready to teach or be a part of a Sunday School class. Don't talk busy to me!
I work in a Christian environment and Sunday I need a break-Good for you, it is still a job, Christian or not. What you do during the week has no bearing on what you should be doing on Sunday. Get over what you do and become available to your local church.
I don't want to - Thank you , at least be honest!

Well, there you have it, a new blog entry. (The opinions expressed here are the opinions of the blogger and not the opinions of many.)

All right, All right!!

2008-02-03T14:02:00.000-05:00

I have been informed by several individuals that this blog must be updated. I get the point! I never realized that so many people were interested in the things we do here. There, it has been updated!

Focus on the Family Broadcast

2008-01-11T21:53:00.002-05:00

For those who may not have heard today's "Focus on the Family" broadcast, I encourage you to listen to it. What a powerful message of God's grace and how we should respond to difficult times in our lives by E.V. Hill. Tremendous! (Click Focus for link)

New Year's Resolution

2008-01-10T21:12:00.000-05:00

I know that this site is supposed to be light and fun with the purpose of allowing family members and others who may be interested catch a glimpse of our home life. Of course it can be interesting with five kids; like last night, when Trenton thought he would try riding down the stairs in a plastic container - what a ride he had with BIG, BIG eyes at the end. (I don't think he will try that again.) Once we discovered that he was ok, we laughed quite heartily!

But I want to share something that is slightly more serious and a determination that this family has made. This is for my family both here and extended and is certainly not to point fingers at anybody or any other family, this is our New Year's Resolution not only for this year, but for as long as God tarries. As my wife and I have learned in recent years, sometimes it is important to be held accountable to others; and so here for everyone to read, whether you care or not, we hold ourselves accountable to you.

Our New Year's Resolution is simply this - we are not about to change! Nothing wrong with change on most fronts. Change is what got us where we are today in our world. But when it comes to God's Holy Word and the precepts that are contained therein, we are not going to change. If you saw me yesterday and you see me five years from now, there will be nothing different. Likewise for my wife and, by the grace of God, the children we are endeavoring to raise. Standards are not everything and they can be interpreted in so many ways, but this family has made our determination as to what they are and we are not going to alter from them.

There will be no change to make it convenient, to make it easier, to make us fit in, to make what other people think should be or how we should live; none of that, simply a life that we feel pleases God. There will be no compromise on this front. Do I have scripture to support everything we do to the extreme we do it - no. Do I need it - no. Nor are we going to look into Scripture for areas that seem "fuzzy" so we can justify a position and make it weaker than it once was. What we are, we are. Today, tomorrow, and the next day as well. God has called us to be separate, and separate we will be.

Please do not think we feel or think that we are being judgmental of others who may feel differently or who have adopted change. That is not the case, this is simply our determination for our ourselves and our family and we place it here for all to read. Should we ever begin to change, we want you to be the first to hold us accountable to what we stated we will be. We ask that you will pray for us to be true to this determination and our New Year's Resolution.

Trenton Doing Dishes

2008-01-06T13:15:00.001-05:00

After dinner today, Trenton proudly announced that he was
doing the dishes. Surprisingly, (ha, ha) there was virtually no resistance
from his other siblings. Matter of fact, they encouraged this
spontaneous act of generosity. One of the girls even said that
he was crazy, but it did not cause him to hesitate. So he
got the stool to reach the sink and off to work he went.
Mommy sure was enjoying this wonderful moment!!

Some Christmas Pictures

2008-01-06T13:08:00.001-05:00

What a wonderful time of the year it was!!

Wow!

2007-12-31T15:10:00.000-05:00

I did it!! I am so proud of myself, in a good way! I figured out how to pick a new scenery and I even added links!! Whew!! Thank goodness it is done! If you love to cook you need to check out the link to the pioneer woman cooks. She also has a blog called confessions of a pioneer woman. She is hilarious! She takes awesome pictures. She is one of the blogs that Bryan likes to read! I will sit and laugh at her humor. Check her out!

Tonight we have watch night service and all night partying! We will play games and stuff. We'll see if Bryan and I make it. The kids are really excited! I love to play games so I am looking forward to it too.

I do not have any new pictures uploaded yet. We'll try later.

Happy Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trying something new

2007-12-31T14:19:00.000-05:00

Seeing if this new template works ~ ugh!!!!!

Day Off Work

2007-12-19T22:32:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful day this has been. I finally got a day off work and it could not have come at a better time. My wife and I needed to finish, actually start, our Christmas shopping since that special day is quickly approaching. So we got the kids ready for school and left a little after 8:00 to get them there on time.

Then we met The Brugger's for breakfast at Perkins and had an enjoyable time sharing, laughing, and of course, eating. What a great way to start the morning. (I have not eaten breakfast for months). Then we were off to start the difficult day of shopping for everyone. We started at the Thrift store to see if we could get any good bargains on clothes for the kids. Aisle after aisle of clothes, I could hardly wait to get out of there.
From there we went to straight to the Grand Old American store--Walmart! I was very concerned about the huge crowds and the long lines and since we were not there by 4:00A.M., I was afraid the coveted and best gifts would be gone. We rushed to get a cart and began looking feverishly for presents that we knew everybody else wanted. We had to knock over one old lady, but she got in our way, and we really didn't care- we needed to get that present. We finally found it and were so thrilled.

Thankfully, after that close brush with disaster, the rest of the day went smoothly and we were able to get most of the shopping done. No worries though, we still have several days left to get other things.Hopefully, the kids don't read this post, they might discover some of their presents, oh well! What a day! By the way, we are still taking donations to cover the cost of this particular post and the contents thereof. The day ended with us going to church to go Christmas caroling at several of the Nursing homes in the area. It was a good way to end the day and make someone smile this blessed Christmas season!
Toodles!

Our New Home and Update

2007-12-02T15:42:00.000-05:00

Guess what? We are finally back online after our extended absence. The move is complete and we are settled in to our new home in Marion, OH. How exciting to post again and update new information. (By the way, this is Bryan posting for Marsha.) However, I noticed not much has changed since we have been away on other blogs, Brenda is still posting pictures with fancy graphics all over them, Trisha is still posting pics of Nic, and Char is still complaining that God only gave her 24 hours to get alllllll her stuff finished. You could give her 36 hours to get it done and it would not get done. Anyway, I guess that's what blogs are for.

We moved on November 14th to Marion and what a day that was. In the middle of packing the truck, we noticed that Copper (our new puppy) was missing. My heart sank as low as it could go. Tears were in my kids eyes and almost in mine. I prayed, "Lord, not today! She can't disappear today!" but she was gone. Packing stopped and an all-out search party was started. Up and down streets hollering and praying to God and He ANSWERED! She was about three streets down tied up at a construction site. Oh how I thanked God for showing us where she was.

Then later on in the day, I looked up and a policeman was writing up my daughter and a couple of her cousins for playing on the train tracks. Great, we get arrested on our last day in Cincinnati. It's not like you can't hear the train whistle or the train approaching and move a couple of feet so it can pass. Anyway, they all got a warning and he left the scene-hope he feels better.

Both of my boys had a bad rash on their skin, and it had been there for several days, and I admit it wasn't getting better. However, one of my nameless sisters convinced everybody that those rashes could be serious and "life-threatening" if not checked out immediately. So off my wife goes to the emergency room with two kicking boys to make sure they would survive the night. Again, God answered prayer! as they were diagnosed with the dreaded disease of impotagoviralosusdangerouso or something like that.

Finally, we arrived in Marion about 7:00 P.M. What took us over six hours to load took the men of the church about 1:15 minutes to unload. Amazing and wonderful!! Thank the Lord again. Well here are some pics of the new place.

Moving on Up!

2007-11-13T09:25:00.000-05:00

Do you all remember the song off of the Jefferson's? Yes, we had a TV growing up and I loved watching that show! Plus you might have heard Mark Lowry sing just a snippet of it! Anyway ~ we are moving tomorrow!!!!!!!!!! We are moving from a blue house to a yellow house! Friday was my last day of homeschooling!!! Whoo Hoo!! Everyone was excited, except Trenton! He said he wanted Mom to teach!! How sweet!! But, he is going to school! *-* The kids are nervous, yet excited! It is always scary to go to a new place! It is ACE, except K-5 and 1st grade are ABEKA. God has worked out lots of things which we give Him all the praise!! I am still packing, packing, and more packing! I will be glad to unpack! So, today is a long day. I want to get everything finished except the frozen food and refrigerator stuff ~ that will be tomorrow! I'll try to update once we get Internet up and I get some pics!! Have an awesome day!

Goodbye big blue house!
Goodbye!
You brought us lots of
happiness for a big blue house!
I loved that you had so much room,
a lovely laundry room,
a beautiful living room,
a cozy family room,
and room for all five children
to have a good time!
The yard was amazing,
the children and the dogs
loved to play in it!
Thank you for opening
your many doors and
windows to us!
We will miss you
big blue house!!!!
Please make the next family
feel as welcomed as you
made us!!!

My Prayer

2007-11-03T10:57:00.000-04:00

Lord, I lift to You the situations of my life that concern me. I lay my worries before You and ask for Your mighty intervention to show me what's right when I can only see what's wrong. I am determined to see the good, so help me not to be blinded by my own fears, doubts, wants, and preconceived ideas. I ask You to reveal to me Your truth in every situation. Give me Your perspective. Bless me with the ability to understand the bigger picture and to distinguish the valuable from the unimportant. When something seems to go wrong, help me not to jump to negative conclusions. Enable me to recognize the answers to my own prayers. I trust You to help me see the light in every situation.
~taken from the book"Just Enough Light for the Step I'm On" by Stormie Omartian

I have been trying to do this! Just leaving everything in God's hands, without my impute!! That is really hard! But, I noticed when I kept my mind and mouth out of it ~~ He answers prayer! Now, I know we all know this is true, but why is it so hard to learn!! We had two answers to prayer yesterday, and I am expecting more in His time!!

Have an awesome day friends!!

Wonderful!

2007-10-29T15:13:00.001-04:00

Last evening in church, our evangelist was preaching about Jesus coming again, and at the close he invited people to the altar. I think it was after 2 verses Bryan nudged me and said to talk to Brittany. I look over at her, and there is a tear coming down her cheek. I leaned over and asked her if she wanted to go up and she said No! So, I put my head down and started praying and all of a sudden she pushed passed Breanna and grabbed my hand and said, "Go with me!" So of course I did! She wanted to be sanctified ~ and she was!!! As I was praying with her someone else knelt beside me ~ I looked and it was Zachary! He was praying to ask Jesus to save him and then he prayed for Trenton and his seizures and for Trenton to get saved!!! Very precious. Then when they said for the Christians to come forward, Brooklynn came up! She was very intent on asking Jesus to help her with her temper! She said that she was saved, and she knew what she wanted to talk to God about!! I went back to my seat and there sat Breanna with Trenton. She was crying so I just asked her if she needed to pray. She said No. She was just praying for the others. I then asked Trenton, and he said No!! We are still working on him! And Jesus is too!! The children wanted to talk the whole 2 hours and 20 minutes home!! I finally had them to get quiet so they could sleep since it was going on 11 o'clock. They were all happy and excited!! Do you remember doing that? I do!

I did get to meet a fellow blogger ~ Nicole Cassady. They were the special singers and BJ Walker was the evangelist. I wish we could have been able to get up there more and not just for Sunday! Jesus knows!! Nicole is a wonderful, magnificent pianist and I loved her voice! Her husband did well also!! *-* I would have loved to spend more time with them because they seem like an awesome couple with adorable children!! I love meeting new people!!

Update on our house: At this point it looks like we'll being going up in the next week or two. We are going up tomorrow to meet with the realtor and then go and fill out job applications for me!! I am excited about this new journey ahead of us!! We'll see what happens!! Thank you for everyone's prayers!! I so do appreciate it!!

Disclaimer! Or Whatever!

2007-10-22T23:00:00.000-04:00

I thought I should clarify any misconceptions that I would change some things about my husband. I started thinking, "What would I change? Would I have him eat chocolate with me? No, then I would be much bigger than I am! Would I have him eat anything that I cook? Oh wait! He already does that!" I am stumped!! I really would not change anything about him!! He is just right! You know, like when you wouldn't change a thing about a Reese cup! It is perfect just the way it is! We go together like double stuff oreo's and milk!! Okay!! I want to eat some chocolate!! I need to find some!! Do ya'll have any? Wanna share?

Ignore all the above if you are offended by husband's and chocolate!!!

2007-10-20T09:54:00.000-04:00

Happy Sweetest Day to the Love of my life!!!!

Thank you for being an awesome and marvelous
husband, father, brother, son and my best friend!
I love you now more than I ever did!!
I have no regrets! I would not change a thing! (well, maybe a thing or two! *-*)
I would marry you all over again!!

I love you now and always!!!!!

Don't you just love the pics!

Funny things!

2007-10-11T09:58:00.000-04:00

I LOVE my children. Each one of them have an amazing personality! I was up on 2nd floor checking out a website called AboveRubies.org and I kept hearing Brooklynn talking. Well, I thought she was bring my phone to me or something. I go and look over the banister and she is looking into the hall mirror with a pretend phone to her ear and talking away!! She is so funny! I was real quiet until she walked away!! She would turn her head differently, I guess checking herself out in a different angle! Too cute!! I must admit, I remember doing some of that stuff! I am sure No One else did when they were younger, or maybe you still do!! I am not going to judge you!!

Here she is with her friend Melissa Crosley

Sad news

2007-10-06T15:46:00.000-04:00

It was sad to hear this morning that John Case, Jr. passed away this morning. He was Cathy Brugger's husband. They have 3 children ~ I believe their oldest John is 16, Catrina is 13 or 14 and Jaceyln is 12. Please remember this family in prayer!! So sad!!

Bro. Brugger called us this morning to let us know. He asked Bryan to preach tomorrow morning and GBS choir is there tomorrow evening. I am to lead the church choir tomorrow morning. The Brugger's left to go and be with Cathy and the kids this morning. John went to GBS and he traveled with the quartets and he traveled with the trio I was in the first year. That is where Cathy and him got together! He always helped with running the sound at IHC too.

Tag Time!

2007-10-03T13:34:00.000-04:00

Alright! I was tagged twice and I have been putting it off and wishing it would go away!! What do I have to say? I am sure my husband and friends could think of plenty!!

Seven things about me that you may not know nor wish to know!

1. The most important thing is- I love, I mean really love CHOCOLATE!
and it can be the cheap stuff! Like, reese cups, snickers, choc. chip cookies, that
kind of thing. I have never tried Godiva and I really can't stand those candies they buy at Christmas or Valentine's day. (things that come in a box) I do not even know the name of them!

2. My hair is down to my ankles. I use to have the feathered bangs and my mom
always trimmed my hair. I quit cutting and trimming it when I was 18 yrs. old.
When I went to College my hair was in the middle of my back. When I graduated it was between my bottom and knees. After all those pregnancies, it grew down to my ankles and has stopped! Thank God!

3. I always wanted a lot of kids. My first thought was 7 and then 6. So when Bryan and I got married I said I wanted 4 live pregnancies!! Not even thinking about twins!

4. God called me to teach high school choir when I was a junior in high school. I attended a public school and we had a lady choir director! So, out of the 15 years out of college, I have taught high school choir 10 years. It has been great!!

5. I am the baby of my family. I have an older sister and brother!

6. I love to read books ~ mainly fictional ones. Dee Henderson is one of my favorite authors. I also like the Left Behind series.

7. I love Southern Gospel music!! Most of it anyway!! My favorites right now are Greater Vision, the Hoppers, the Booth Brothers and Gaither Vocal Band. I also enjoyed Keith's group Liberty when I heard them in person. I am weird in the way I like to see people sing, then I will buy their CD's or videos. Oh yeah, I love the Reggie Saddler family!! Love their harmony!

That took a while!! I am glad that is done now it is not hanging over my head!! Since everybody is pretty much tagged, another reason that I held off, I will tag my friend Sharmen who has a blog now. It is musingsbymissmusic.blogspot.com Since I can't figure out how to do the links on my page, that will have to do!

Now my never ending laundry awaits!

Birthday Celebrations!

2007-10-03T13:08:00.000-04:00

I am finally back with much disgust! I have been busy, and really not wanting to post! How is that for honesty?!? Anyway, I do have some things to blog about so here it goes!

The twins had their 13th b-day last month, oops 2 months ago! I cannot believe that they have reached the teen age! Lots of fun is happen' here now because of it! Just kidding. Here are a couple of pics that I had to scan (which is what I was struggling with) so the quality is probably not the best. They were cute little munchkins once they started gaining weight. They weighed 4lbs 7.5 ozs. and 4lbs. 6.5 ozs. They were 6 weeks early and I had them totally natural at an Amish midwife's place. It was great!

They are 2 1/2 months in this picture. Breanna is on the left and Brittany is on the right! The next ones are at the church we pastored in Brent, Alabama. They would have been a year old in those pics. Sorry about them being smaller, but I couldn't figure out how to enlarge them! Twins were fun to have! I am glad that I had them first and not last tho! Whew!! Many happy memories!

Then we celebrated Brooklynn's b-day in September. She turned 11 years old!! She was extremely happy for this day to come. She told me that she is finally growing up because she can tell that she is acting differently!! I just had to smile! That is my Brook!!

Again sorry for the size! Hopefully you can see some of them! Her labor was different since it was induced! She was 2 weeks early and weighed 7lbs 9 ozs. We were a little bit nervous when I was expecting again and I felt that it was a girl ~ we didn't want her to feel that she did not receive enough attention since the twins received tons of attention! God took care of that!! She came out with a personality!! She is the one who will say things that makes me wonder where she came from!! ( my family loves to remind me that she is me! I do not see that *-*) She made our family complete until the next ones!! She was so mischievous! She would get into everything!! When she started getting older of course everybody thought we had triplets!! She is as big as Breanna now and passing them up in other ways. Most people who meet the girls think that Brook is the oldest!! Does not sit well with the twins, especially Breanna since she is the oldest and the smallest!! Life is interesting here!!!

Thank you for checking out a little bit of the girls stories. There is soooo much more that I could share, but I am afraid of boring you dear people!!

Prayer Request!

2007-08-28T22:29:00.000-04:00

I desire you all to help me pray please!

We are desiring to move from this beautiful home that we believe God gave us to move to Marion, Ohio. Why Marion? We have been attending Heritage Bible Church where Bro. Brugger pastors. We love the church and best of all they have an ACE school there. Bryan would be working in the school once we get there. He does have to take the course requirements to be the administrator. Right now Stephanie Brugger is filling in- which she does a marvelous job! We do know that even if that would fall through, that God wants us there. We love and appreciate the Bruggers~ they were my pastor during High School years. Bro. Brugger is the one who encouraged me to sing high! Anyway, we have had our house up for sale since the end of May. There have been some people checking it out, but nothing. We are trying to trust God, yet there are days!! So, if you that read my blog would not mind breathing a prayer to God, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

I do know God answers prayer in His time!! We would love just a hint!! *-*

New Addition to the Family

2007-08-15T19:13:00.000-04:00

What can we say, we have added one more to the family, Copper, our new Pit Bull. Now before you get all exited and worried that all our children will loose their heads or fingers, rest assured it will be all right. She is a wonderful puppy and came from great parents.

I was at work and had to go to an apartment to pick up some merchandise that was past due.
Sadly, a father had deserted his girlfriend and daughter. She met us at the apartment and told us that there was a pit bull inside. Needless to say, in my job, that is a concern. However, when she opened the door, a very friendly mother and 8 puppies came running out. They were happy to see people. She said that they had been left in the apartment for two weeks when he decided to leave.
The apartment was in an extreme mess from nine dogs and no attention for two weeks. But the dogs were adorable. She asked if we would take some because she did not know what she was going to do with 8 puppies.

After seeing the temperament of the mother and asking her about the father, I was convinced I needed a puppy and our children are extremely glad. She has been a great addition and getting lots of love and attention. By the way, if you read up on Pit Bulls, you will find that they make great family pets if raised properly, which of course, she is getting a Christian up-bringing!

What can I say?

2007-07-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

We are finally back home again~ I really enjoyed being in Michigan to help out Bryan's folks. Not sure what all I did, but it was great being with them! The kids and I played tons of games with Mom ( she loves games) and tried to help Dad, but he was feeling a whole lot better. Mom and I did get their dishwasher in from the van. Of course Dad had to show us what to do. We just laughed. He is feeling quite well, but I told him I had to do something or I would be on his daughters black list! He just smiled. I did ride the lawn tractor and mowed the church lawn which maybe took 10 minutes! Whoo! Hoo!! I felt better!
We were supposed to come back on Tuesday, but friends of ours, John and Martha Forsee came back early from their vacation to be with us~ so of course we stayed until Friday. We took them to Kokomo's, a place that has go cart, bumper boats, mini golf, laser tag. Then the next day, they spent the night and we took them swimming at an indoor pool~ it was empty except for a grandpa and grandma who were there for an hour. It was fun. The kids had a blast!! Martha and I just sat and talked! Oh we love our friends!!! My only wish that Bryan could have been there with us. We always have fun with the Forsee's!

Now we are home! It feels so good! We have just been hanging out and doing nothing! Today we did get the church cleaned and tomorrow the children are going to the zoo and spending the night with Sis. Durr! I am not sure what I will do!? Any advice? I am sure I can think of something!!

We are still waiting for our house to sell! I feel that Jesus is telling me to just wait on Him! God's clock does keep perfect timing~ I do know that!

My pics are not working~ I am not sure what happened. I did take some really cute pics of the kids, not sure what I can do. I will have to figure it out! *-*

helloooooooooooooooo

2007-07-05T11:51:00.000-04:00

Wow! Where has the summer gone? Everything is happening fast, well most everything! Here is a recap of what has been happening in our lives!

*Bryan's dad is doing extremely well! It has been 4 weeks since his surgery, and he faithfully followed the doctors advice as well as his therapist! (I am at their house for a visit right now)

*My girlfriend's came for a visit! Garilee and Sharmen and boy did we have fun! I laughed so much my throat hurt! We talked about the old days at GBS and after. It was a blast! It has been 14 years since we've all been together. I wouldn't trade them for anything!! (maybe a candy bar! JK)

*We have our house up on the market, which is not moving very fast. I resigned my position at GBS when God said it was time to go! I have no regrets, just peace! We plan on moving to Marion, OH at Bro. Brugger's church whenever our house sells! We have been going up there on some Sunday's and we have enjoyed every bit of it. Breanna said on Sunday, "I really like this church!" I have been amazed at how God has worked on not only our lives, but the children as well. They all were fine with our decision to move. They did not want to go back to the academy, not that there was anything wrong, but God worked on them! That is exciting! I don't think I could have moved or even left the school without the children in agreement!

So, that is what has been happening in our lives. I am trying to have patience and wait on God to sell our house in his perfect plan, and then give us a house in Marion. It is awlfully hard trying to find a house with at least 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. Plus, we need a yard. I am looking at a house in the country, with 4 acres, but we will see! Please pray for us when you think about it. I do have some pics, but not sure how to do it on Dad's computer! Oh well. I'll have fun trying to figure it out!

Bryan's dad

2007-06-06T13:20:00.000-04:00

Bryan's dad had to have a quaduraple bi- pass this morning! Thankfully he is doing well. Please keep the family in your prayers. Bryan, Char and Bev are there with Mom. Mom is holding up well.

Trenton's hospital stay

2007-06-06T13:05:00.000-04:00

Trenton on the way to the hospital. We had to take him in to children's for a 3 day stay to video monitor his seizures. They did take him off his meds to hopefully force him to have a seizure so they could see what was happening to his brain. Thankfully he had 1 on Saturday morning. They were able to get a good read and we go on June 13th to see our neurologist. He did awesome at the hospital. He sat in his bed and played with the toys some kind people brought him and he watched cartoons. He also loved making the bed go up and down and ordering room service. He loved their food!! We thank the Lord that he did have a seizure so they can better treat him.
Getting wrapped up
Putting his hat on

Wrapping the cords
Here they are trying to give him an IV, but his veins kept blowing
cool dude!
cutie pie!
unwrapping him
his last meal! fruit loops and a fruit roll up!

Bev's surprise 40th!!

2007-06-06T12:49:00.001-04:00

My hubby
Mom and Sindy Replogle
Dwight Replogle, Char and Dave
Bev and her 40th cookie!
Anthony being himself!!
Timmy
Andrew and Tyler
Breanna, Brittany and Alicia
Christi and Brooklynn
Cordell and Beverly
the sisters being "weird"

us 4 ladies doing something!*-*

the new and improved David!!!!

We had a good time and we did surprise Bev!! Happy birthday!

Our trip to West Virginia

2007-06-06T12:32:00.000-04:00

My nephew Seth

Brian praying
The Senior class gave all their parents a flower
Brian David Gawthrop
His girlfriend Kasha
the twins looking thrilled!
and Zachary too!
a small smile from Brooklynn
a big grin from Trenton
what is Bryan thinking?
my adorable nephew Seth
twins- who is who?
Trenton being goofy
Zach and Seth
My side of the family!
We had a great time! It is always nice to be with family!!

High School Junior/Senior Banquet

2007-06-02T22:14:00.002-04:00

The banquet was held at Higher Ground in Harrison, Indiana. We had a nice time. After the banquet we went bowling, but I forgot my camera!! Here are some pics of the students!

Janice and Steven The Senior Class of 2007

Seth and Rachelle Moses

Tara and Nataniel Nate and Kristi

The High School Faculty
Tim Crater, Mr. and Mrs. Crosley, Mr. Taylor, Rachel, Mr. Alexander
Steve Klotz, Andy Parriman, Me and Kristin Foster

Services

2007-04-28T16:31:00.000-04:00

We returned from Nationals in South Carolina on Friday and our onlyp.r. service that all of my choir students sing in was on Sunday. Here is a dark pic and our evening service. Then on Tuesday my HS students traveled up to IHC in Dayton to sing with the College. They all seemed to have enjoyed themselves. I have several newbies, so I was not sure how they would react. It went well.

Our family went up on Wednesday. My children really look forward to it. They get to see some friends and just walk around. I did forget to take my camera! Oh well. I did get to see so many friends that I have not seen in forever! There was a girl that I sang with our Freshmen year, Kathy Blair, who was there! That was cool. Then my friend Sharmen came up. We haven't seen each other for 2 years. She spent the night at my house on Friday evening, and we stayed up talking until 2 something! (at least I think it was that, maybe later!) It was great!

Now my Junior high students will be performing on Monday evening for the Spring Recital. I taught them another Latin song, Laudate Dominum. I had to enlist a few HS students to help me at the last minute. I will be glad to have this over! I am looking forward to life slowing down just a little!
Today is a gorgeous day and I have been enjoying it and plan to do some reading! Here is what Trenton has been doing a lot lately!

He has been sick with a cold! We take him in to the hospital the 1st of June for 3 days of observation. They want to monitor his seizures and see if they can help him more! Please remember him in prayer! He is my boy!! And boy, do I love him!!!

Hello........

2007-04-28T16:11:00.000-04:00

I am here among the living!! We have survived the past few weeks!

National Competition was wonderful! The students were awesome and I enjoyed a little break from teaching and mothering!! (Bryan's Mom took care of the children, which left me with no worries. She handles all of them quite well.) We did not place at National's, but we sure did enjoy ourselves. Dixie, Marjorie A. and myself shared a room with 3 BJU girls- they were awesome! We had lots of fun with them. I wish you, well some of you, could have seen me trying to get up on the top bunk bed! There was no ladder, so I had to stand on a chair to get up. Dear tiny, petite Marjorie came over and said, "Here, step in my hand and I'll help you up." Yea, right! I would crush her! Goofy, kind hearted girl! As everyone continued to watch me try to get up to my bed, I couldn't. I finally had to tell everyone, who were all laughing at me, to turn their heads! I asked Dixie to please come out and push my behind! It worked!! *-* I was a little nervous about getting out in the middle of the night to go.... you know where, but I did manage to make it without Dixie's help! It was funny! I think it is good to laugh at yourself, once in awhile! Here are some pics!

We all had a great time, beautiful weather and wonderful memories!!!

Pure Pressure!!!

2007-03-25T13:31:00.000-04:00

It is becoming harder and harder to post pictures on this blog
because of the pressure that other bloggers put on us.
That blogger will have to remain nameless!
I have not figured out how to put those special imprints
on my pictures so they look professional and of course
will not be copied. (As if my pictures would be copied)
If I am going to continue to post, I will have to go get newer,
bigger, and better equipment just to keep up.
Not only that, but I will still have the problem of how
I will be able to travel around the globe so I
can take pictures of exotic animals such as
zebras, giraffes, elephants, and baboons!
(Maybe sneak off to the zoo)
Maybe if I attend professional photographer seminars
I will join the ranks of the elite?
Oh the dilemma and pressure! If anyone has a
solution to this problem that I (as well as many of you are
probably feeling) please send me some ideas. I
want to post pictures but the pressure....

Spring!

2007-03-25T12:42:00.000-04:00

There is a wonderful feeling in the air and God called it Spring! There is a sweetness in the breeze along with freshness and newness of life everywhere you look. The beautiful buds on the trees and the flowers that are blooming after the coldness of winter. And of course kids outside enjoying the weather as God had planned it all to be.
What a beautiful time of the
year it is!!

A sad note

2007-03-17T13:22:00.000-04:00

Thankfully State Competition is over!! The choral group placed first so we get to go to Bob Jones University!! They are quite excited. I am taking 40 students and 7 or more adults. It should be interesting! I am still recovering from it as well as the time change!!! I had someone take pics, but they didn't turn out! Oh well! Better luck next time.

I am now just trying to get my choir ready for their 2 services and nationals. They are having a hard time concentrating because of OGT testing and the weather. But, life does go on.

I read my mail this morning and was saddened to learn the Roger Bennett of Legacy Five passed away. He was only 48 years old. I always enjoyed watching him and listening to him. My heart goes out to his wife and children. Another southern gospel musician has passed on.

I also found out today that our neighbor lady has breast cancer. She came out when I was unloading the groceries from the van and asked us to pray for her and the family. She is trusting God no matter the outcome! So many hurting people! So why do I complain?

If I didn't have God to trust, then I have no idea how I would make it!!

Trenton's Birthday!

2007-03-17T13:18:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Trenton!
You are now 6 years old!!
You have been looking forward to this all year!
Why? Because at 6 you get to spend the night with
Aunt Bev! (that is what he says) and Timmy!!
You are my sweetheart!!! I love you bunches!!

Crazy!! Interesting!!

2007-03-17T13:06:00.000-04:00

Is he not adorable?! We had crazy week at school and this was crazy hair day!! They all wanted to participate, except Trenton! He thought they were looney!!

They had lots of fun! Boys are a whole lot easier to do something with. Brooklynn's hair- oh my! I tried to think of something!! Breanna was embarrassed to get out of the van at school, but she did!! They had fun!

A Wonderful Sunday!

2007-03-04T22:09:00.000-05:00

We had a great day today! This morning we went up to Dayton and heard Mercy's Mark in concert at a Nazarene church. Everyone was welcoming and we enjoyed the group. We really like two of their songs. Then this evening we went to Franklin and heard James Plank preach. WOW! It was a wonderful sermon, challenging and encouraging to me. I always enjoy the people there and it was great to talk with some old friends! They have such a great mixture of people - young, middle and older people. It would be enjoyable to attend there - if God allowed! *-*

A great day to relax

2007-02-24T15:23:00.000-05:00

It has been a busy past week or more. I am in the process of getting my HS choir members ready for competition! It has been crazy. I always get 'witchy' during this time and I warn them ahead of time that 'it' is coming! They always do well, but I want great. This choir seems to have it more together than my other ones. We will see.

I have been enjoying my extra long weekend. We are off school on Friday and Monday because of College mid-winter break. It has been nice! I have been just lazing around in between doing loads of laundry. The children are enjoying their extra days off by playing outstide with Samson, jumping on the trampoline, getting dirty and giving me more clothes to wash! That is life in the Potteiger household!

This past Sunday 2 special ladies gave me belated birthday presents! Boy was I surprised. It is always great to get things on your birthday, but I really like getting them later too! It just draws out the celebration! *-* Thanks Nila and Viola!

this is Zach and Trenton jumping! Brooklynn took this pic with her camera from Christmas! Not bad for a 'newbie!'

Brooklynn asked me today when I was going to do those exercising tapes! What is she trying to tell me?! She always wants to do them with me! She really is like me! *-*