Wait! We did have one alternative to our alternator problem…prayer. So, we earnestly prayed as a family. It had been a long time since the days of only one mode of transportation. The one day I needed the car, I dropped BC off at school. Later that day, BC received a call from a friend. He told BC that an anonymous person wanted to take care of our car. All we had to do was take it to a certain auto shop. What a praise! We managed to get it to the shop by charging it several times along the way. I followed him in the suburban. It only took us one and a half hours, but we were thankful we got it there.

Two days later, we received the call from the shop that his pick-up was ready for pick up. Wow! That was fast! we thought. The owner told BC that he fixed the alternator, a power steering leak, and put in a new air conditioner. BC was amazed, and slightly shocked! We all were. A new A/C is expensive. BC had been without A/C in his truck for awhile. It had been on our list of “things to fix”. That night, when we went around the table sharing our favorite part of the day, Daddy shared about the surprise blessing we had received from the LORD! We all praised the LORD for His goodness. He not only meets our needs, but also goes above and beyond even what we might expect. God always provides!

Actually, we had an ice-maker in the first place we lived after we were married. Some dear friends of ours from church moved to California for a short while. They asked us to “house-sit” and all we needed to pay for was the electricity and water. This four-bedroom house was a blessing to us. Being a light sleeper, I sometimes would wake up and wonder what was the source of the noise I just heard. Poor BC. Misery loves company, so I would wake the soundly sleeping man lying next to me and ask him, “Did you hear that? What was that noise?” And almost every time, he would mumble out that it was just the ice-maker.

When we lived in our first apartment, I remember hearing a noise, so I woke up BC. He replied with the usual: “Just the ice-maker, honey”. But then I woke up and realized we didn’t even have an ice-maker in that apartment! He actually got out of bed for that noise! So, for the last two years, when I have occasionally heard a noise downstairs, BC has truthfully said, “It’s the ice-maker.”…and I have believed him…until recently…

Well, they say the ice-maker is the first to go…after about two years…and it was. Thankfully, we bought the extended warranty at Lowe’s. So, I called the fix-it dude out to see if he could repair or replace it. He quickly determined that he was not able to fix it because it had literally frozen up. So, he said he would talk to someone and try to order a new one, and that I would need to defrost the fridge if he could get the part in. Eh…I was a little bummed as he told me to call him in a week and a half if I did not hear back from him before then.

So, I waited, and we served our guests room-temperature refreshments. I reminded my crushed family and myself that water would freeze again someday, and we would survive. After all, it was just ice. I meant to buy some at the store, but unfortunately, I had brain fog when it came down to remembering to buy it. Just two years prior, we were making our own ice and I regretted getting rid of those plastic ice cube trays.

Ice cube trays…my mind floated back to childhood days as I remembered how we were the ice-makers! How many times had we filled the ice cube trays growing up? And how frustrated were we to find them empty. My favorite memory of ice cube trays was making homemade ice pops. First, we steadily tried to pour lemonade or Kool-aid equally into each container. Then, we tried to arrange the toothpicks “just so” (one per cube). Last of all, we carefully carried this magical science experiment to the freezer. Every ten minutes, I’d pop my head in the freezer just to see if our ice pops were ready. After watching the process (the thin layer forming on the top, etc.), it was now time to break the ice. When I was asked to perform the bending of the ice mold, I felt like I also was breaking out from the mold from “weak child” to “strong conqueror”. Seriously, those ice pops were transforming! How my heart melted when years later I watched my children concoct their own yummy homemade ice pops.

Wow! That was a major bunny trail through some icy patches there. Sorry about that. Let me get back to the story about the fridge (also called “ice box” by older generations)…

So, I got a call a week later and they (Lowe’s) wanted to let me know that I had a merchandise credit (like a gift card) at Lowe’s for the amount that I spent on the first fridge, and that I could keep the other fridge! This was a huge blessing! So, we bought a new fridge on sale. It was a little smaller than the one we previously had purchased, but it had a good ice-maker. Because of this, we had money left over on the Lowe’s card to buy fencing supplies for our much-needed backyard fence. Isn’t it marvelous how God provides solid answers to prayers by allowing things to break? We are counting our ice cubes, I mean …blessings (including the new fence posts, and the second fridge). (I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice…!)

Last weekend, we all joined forces to put up the new fence. We had such pleasant weather, and a great time together (although homemade ice pops would have been cool). Check out Michelles’s blog for pics…

This picture by the tree was taken shortly after Benjamin was saved.

Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

On March 6, 2006, young Benjamin placed his trust in Jesus Christ as his Savior. He was six years old, and his heart was tender. We believe it is God who saves, and God uses hard things, even death, to reveal His love for us. After all, he did send His only Son to die for the sins of the world. Earlier that day, the doctor told BC and I that our unborn baby (3 months in the womb) had died. Naturally, Benjamin had questions and wanted to know exactly what he needed to do in order to spend eternity with Jesus, where his baby sibling was. He prayed a prayer confessing that he was a sinner in need of a Savior, and he thanked Jesus for providing a way by dying on the cross. A sad day was definitely made sweeter! We sang the hymn, “Happy Day”, and we praised the LORD together!

On a humorous note:
Earlier that year, his brother Bradley was praying at nighttime prayers. He mentioned our family members names, but out of order. Benjamin whispered to me, “Momma, he didn’t pray in birth order!” I smiled. We certainly do not need to pray in birth order or get “saved” in birth order. Benjamin’s heart was ready before his older sister’s, and that was okay, too. We are thankful that on October 22, 2011, he was baptized.

His favorite verse: John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Bradley’s special day of salvation…

This picture, also by a tree, was taken shortly after Bradley was saved. (Psalm 1:1-3)

On February 20, 2007, at the young age of five, Bradley asked Jesus into his heart and asked Him to be Lord of his life. He acknowledged that he had sinned “lots of times” and that he believed that Jesus died for him, and that His blood was the only thing that can wash away his sin. We sang the hymn, “What Can Wash Away My Sin” that day, and he was smiling big. After that, Bradley asked, “Does this mean I’m one of His men?” Praise the Lord! Yes!

Earlier that month, God used two funerals to speak to Bradley. On the previous Tuesday, we had buried his sweet great-grandmother. Then, on the Tuesday before that, we buried a young friend, Timothy Kyler, who had cancer, but most importantly, he had Jesus. His dad shared the gospel as requested by Timothy, who didn’t want any possible excuse for anyone attending his funeral not to join him in heaven. The gospel message was clearly presented and Bradley, age five, was listening. He started asking questions, and he put his trust in Jesus Christ two weeks after Timothy’s funeral.

On a humorous note:
When Bradley was four, after viewing a friend’s baptism (Prisca), he said, “Me want to go in the water with my clothes on right now!” We are thankful that he is saved, and that he was baptized on October 22, 2011.

His favorite verse: Psalm 23:4
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

I am thankful that BC could baptize our boys in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. I am also thankful that my dear friend’s girls were baptized, too. It was a beautiful morning at the lake. Due to the wind noise, the four children being baptized made their public profession of faith to those gathered around before they went into the waters.

Interestingly, this was the same date that I was baptized…many years ago. Also, this date is a favorite of ours because 23 years ago on October 22, BC and I began dating each another.

2 John 1:4 “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.”

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

The Great American Cookie Company is having a “Reading is Sweet” book drive during the month of October. If you donate a new or gently used book, you will receive a free chocolate chip cookie. They are kicking it off this Saturday between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Go to their website to find a participating location near you.

http://www.greatamericancookies.com/fun-stuff

P.S. If you have never tried one of their cookies, this is your chance. They are very yummy!

We spoke the same language, shared similar thoughts, and just had a lot of fun together.

Sure, we fought at times, but mostly we laughed…and sometimes it wasn’t at the most appropriate times (like during a class or a prayer).

We also loved talking together. Unfortunately, we never mastered the art of talking while driving…and ending up at the correct location-lots of examples to share there. I remember in seventh grade, the youth minister was trying to take us home (this was way before GPS and cell phones) after a youth group function. We knew our address, but we had no idea how to get to our house. The only thing we could remember was that we lived by a Kroger. So, hours later, we finally made it home. Then, the night before we started college, we practiced driving out to the university. We were so happy we made it there, but just because you arrive at your destination, it doesn’t always mean that you know how you got there, or exactly how to get back home. Lost in a bad part of town, we frantically called our parents from a pay phone and told them that we had no idea where we were, and that we saw some scary-looking biker dudes, and then we hung up. Needless to say, that was one phone call my parents did not like to receive!

When we started babysitting together in fifth grade. The mom was leaving and said (to her kids):”Y’all be good.” And C. and I said: “…We will!”

We worked together, and even when we had different jobs, they were right next to each other in the mall. We were usually a good team.

However, we broke a few things along the way.

There was that time where we broke a window to get into our house because we had to go to work (I think we were freshmen in college). We were very disappointed to find our other sister had been home the whole time…but she was taking a shower when we rang the doorbell!

We broke our fingers on the same day, at about the same time, but different places.

We made a game of everything. When we were in third grade, we would take our dirty socks off and throw them at a picture on our bedroom wall. We even kept score. The loser would have to stand on the rocking chair to get them down. Sadly, C. broke her arm retrieving socks, and that was the end of that game.

Then, there was the time we burned the wall by the oven when we were making popcorn. The way I remember it, we each thought the other one was watching the oil in the pot for popping popcorn on the stove top. That was when we learned not to pour water on a grease fire!

We married best friends, too. They both shared the same name. Our first born daughters were born on the same day, just five years apart. Our second daughters were born only a week apart. Also, I had contractions when I was trying to help C. with her second delivery (I was four months pregnant), and they ordered me to go home, but I was able to get them under control, and came back.

Back in the days when we didn’t even know what a carb. was, and frankly, didn’t care, we devoured an entire extra large pizza…and we were proud of this feat!

We also have always loved singing together, and I am thankful that the Lord has blessed us with each other and He is the theme of our songs.

Now, at forty, we both have a G.P.S., cell phones, and we microwave our popcorn:).

I had to get her back for "decorating" my house. After all, she is five minutes older!

Pictures from our “funeral” given by my wonderful, yet crazy, aunts and relatives!

How about you? Have you ever had the convenience of using a screwdriver at your fingertips or am I the screwycrazy one?

There was nail-painting, cow hat-making, and duct-taping also going on, and 29 cows walking in and out of our house. It felt kind of like getting ready for a wedding…getting dressed up in black and white…painting nails…accessorizing…but in a different way.

The night before cow day, I found an old Nike t-shirt of BC’s that he was going to give away. That’s when the inspiration hit me…”Just Moo It!” (like the “Just Do It” slogan). So, I did it. I now have an official cow appreciation day shirt! Notice the tongue sticking out on “Air Elsie” (the cow), and the Nike symbol for her ears (BC’s Idea)…complete with a “swoosh!” by the tail! Oh, the hat read…”Incowgnito”.

Faith and I also had fun making her new ensemble this year.

This year, I thought of a new tradition. It involved having the one who graduated that year wear a black graduation gown with white spots on it. Maybe next year we will have a sign that reads…”I’m moovin’ on up!”, complete with cap and black and white tassel.

You know, we all felt totally normal, even special, when we were dressed like cows at Chick-Fil-A. In contrast, when two strangers knocked on my door, we were viewed as the strange ones, not to mention what all of our neighbors thought as we “moo-seyed” along into our cars. Later on, my friend and I were talking about the importance of who you hang around with because of the strong influence of what is perceived as “normal” by the group. Cow Day provided a very clear example of this.

Well, you know how cows just graze all day? This year, I asked the manager if it was okay if we went to another Chick-Fil-A for dinner. His reply: “Absolutely! After all, it’s National Cow Appreciation Day! You can come for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!” Well, my friend did not really desire to eat a chicken sandwich twice in one day, but..when we found out we could order anything on the menu…(I later found out that this depends on the manager)…we now had options…and late dinner plans.

As we were finishing our dinner, something came over my friend (…maybe mad cow? j/k) because at 9:45 she said to me, “Let’s all go get some shakes at another Chick-Fil-A!” What had I done to my friend? She went from not wanting to go twice to initiating our third visit! So, we rushed the kids out and we were really “moo-ving” on the road to a nearby Chick-Fil-a to get delicious shakes. I just knew some of the kids would get sick that night, but all was well.

Paige’s link to cow day
And the last bit of cow news…
Our dear friends brought the famous big cow bell (you know, the one that made the news last year) for me to ring…which, surprisingly, had a damper on it! They wrapped the ringer in a napkin so it would not ring so loudly like it had last year!

Some of our friends with their families…

I saw this wig-wearing guy in the crowd when I was in the parking lot on the way into Chick-Fil-A, and I said, “Now that dude really knows how to do Cow Day!” Then, someone told me that dude was Mr. I! Wow! I could barely recognize him.

Thank you, Michelle, for taking pictures, and for letting me take some with your moovalous camera (she even put white duct tape spots on her camera straps!)

We were pretty tired cows at the end of the day! It reminded me of the time when our young Paige told me that her “cows” were tired! What she really was referring to was her calves! Too cute!

Calling all cows…next year, on the second Friday in July…save a spot on your calendar and join us for the fun. We are not sure if Chic-Fil-A will have a spot for all our spotted friends, but it will be fun trying! No cow left behind!

Staying nearby, we were also comforted. We stayed in the Dallas area with my parents one night, and then Brad and I enjoyed a romantic stay at their hotel the following night, but we saw very little of them. Our main contact was through texting. I will let them tell all about it (hint, hint) when they decide to blog. I know I have no room to talk as I have been absent from the blogging community for a record-long time. They did have a wonderful, and safe time.

We also extremely enjoyed spending time with my parents and brother. Interestingly, we went with them to a park and attempted to fly two kites. As the string was loosening, I was struck by the fact that I was loosening the reins/string with my two daughters who were now flying solo, yet together, in that cloudy sky.

We did have the privilege of hearing them perform with the SMU choir on their Encore Youth Chorus Tour. Here is a short clip I found on youtube of the girls (Paige and Michelle) singing. Enjoy!Encore Youth Chorus w/SMU

I specifically recall one adventurous time when I was shopping with Paige (my eldest), who was three years old (and I only had two children back then). We were at a Christian book store, and her hands were wanting to touch everything. One phrase I seemed to always be repeating was, “Look with your eyes, not your hands.” But ah… then came a teachable moment. Paige spied a shiny, gold-plated bookmark with words engraved on the top. She knew the letters were words and sweetly asked me what those words said. I told her, “Paid…in…full” (being a teacher, I was speaking slowly and running my fingers underneath the words).

Then, I went on to explain how salvation is a free gift to us, and how Jesus paid for it when He died on the cross. Well, in all my explaining, and poor usage of the pronoun “it”, I failed to communicate very well. My error became pretty obvious to me when I returned home and she took out her bookmark to show Daddy her free gift. Well, being the cute “free”-year-old that she was, we all had a good laugh, and then we returned it to Scripture Stall.

As we entered the store, I shared the story of our first (and last) shoplifting experience, which became quite a spirit-lifting experience! This was definitely a “happy return”. In my few experiences with returning items, I cannot remember a single time when the service desk people gave me a laugh (yes, sometimes I received service with a smile-albeit, a possible fake one). Well, audible laughter trickled out of the patient clerk who was behind the counter at Scripture Stall that day!

God’s salvation is a free gift. It cost us nothing, yet cost Him everything!

Here are the words to a favorite hymn that our choir has learned at co-op:

“Free, Free, Free”

(Author and composer unknown)

(vs. 1) Hark! sinner, hark! we have tidings so true,

Tidings of pardon and blessings for you!

God, in His word says that Christ on the tree,

Died for guilty sinners, and “Salvation is free.”

Chorus:

Hear the news, sinner, free! free! free!

Why not believe it ? ‘Tis good news for thee.

Jesus the Just One has died on the tree,

Died for guilty sinners, and “Salvation is free.”

(vs. 2) Guilty you are, yet you know very well

Jesus has suffered to save you from hell;

Tho’ now condemned, justified you may be,

Jesus paid the ransom, and “Salvation is free.”

(vs.3) Trust not in “doing,” it cannot avail.

Good resolutions and works  can but fail;

“Grace, grace alone,” is the saved sinner’s plea,

“Not of works,” the Scriptures say, “Salvation is free.”

(vs.4) Trust not in feelings, your heart is depraved.

Trust only Jesus, who now lives to save;

Tears of repentance, tho’ real they may be,

Ne’er can purchase heaven, for “Salvation is free.”

Nine years ago today, Paige was diagnosed with cancer. I continually praise the Lord Jesus Christ that he saved her from a deadly disease. I also praise the Lord for taking our eternal life-threatening disease, which is sin, and giving his life to pay for the penalty of our sin in order that we might live with the Lord Jesus, the only One who conquered death and the grave, forever.
Here is a song that I recently heard and enjoyed…
Christ Is Risen By Matt Maher

Here are some recent pics of my kids taken by Heidi H. of POSH Photography:

Faith

Paige

Bradley

Benjamin

Michelle

Grace