1. I will start walking more
2. I will eat less
3. I will write more
4. I will complain less
5. I will organize more
6. I will procrastinate less
7. I will take more trips
8. I will shop less
9. I will read my Bible more
10. I will get on social media less
Sounds good huh? Why do I have such a hard time doing those????? Geez!!!! Every year the same! LOL! I WILL try to do all 10 however hard it may be. At least until Feb. 2016!!!That's when I take my annual break from FaceBook for Lent. the past 3 years it has been wonderful to focus less on social media and more on my relationship with God. I plan to do that again this year!
BECAUSE I have been busy (and FYI, my pet peeve is people who are constantly "too busy"), I did get behind on blogging. Blogging is my love. My outlet. My joy. My happy place. There I can spin stories/ give out family info/ share joys and sorrows. I can express myself any way I want. And people can choose to read or not. Doesn't matter to me--it's my safe place to vent the good and the bad in my life. SO, here goes another attempt at public blogging. I DO (and always have) loved to journal. But, of course, those words are for nobody but me/myself and I. And many times I journal only to go back in a few days and wad up the words and throw them away. Some of you know that a year ago on Jan. 22 , 2015 (ironically, Nat's b'day), I sent off a manuscript that I had been working on. (a "how to lead a creative Bible Study). I was "fired up"/ excited/ nervous . After several months I got the REJECT letter back. (even the word "REJECT" I hate). a wonderfully nice reject, however! Encouraging me to send it somewhere else, etc etc etc. But, it hurt my feelings. So, what did I do? Slammed everything in the attic and pouted. And decided that was it. No more writing. No more trying to get published. It wasn't meant to be. But, I still write. Now just for me. And no worries over that getting published! ha! But, I must say, a bit of heartbreak. Moving on to 2016 I am not worried about getting "published" anymore.
2015 brought much to our family. The 2 big events were: Mimi going to heaven on Nov. 14, 2015 and Beckett Michael Cullen's birth on Nov. 29, 2015. Interesting that God gave me a joy following such a sadness. Mimi was ready to go. At 101 how much longer did I expect her to be with us? I would always push that thought away. But, SHE knew.And, her death was amazing. Sounds odd? It was, tho. Standing on one side with my niece, Becky and my sister/brother on the other telling her we loved her and thanked God for her over and over! And, I even had a little laughter telling her, "Mimi, send me a sign! Send a butterfly/ladybug/star--something!" And guess what? Yep, unless your "deaf/dumb/blind" you saw all the ladybugs that came. Not just to the family either! Friends, too! And even in the hem of my sister's grand-daughters wedding gown!!!! Unreal!...Thanksgiving was a few days after Mimi's passing and also spent in the hospital for a couple of hours waiting for Beckett! But, they were sent home and he waited till RIGHT AFTER the Ala/AU game to decide to come! Katie jumped up at the end of the game in JOY (poor Jon, he was in sadness, haha) only to say "I think it's time to go to the hospital"! LOL! .. What joy he has brought us in the one month after his arrival! Looking forward to watching him grow this year!Being at his birth was also amazing. Kudos to Katie for choosing to have a medication free birth. She did it all on her own. She was awesome!!!! And ,Aunt Nat arrived just as he was coming into the world!...Another big milestone in our family came this year in the form of a DIET! Yes, after struggling with many seizures a day, our precious Carter (age 4) is now SEIZURE FREE. The Keto Diet has worked ! And worked wonderfully coupled with MANY prayers of MANY people! If you were one of those who prayed (is praying) for Carter, keep it up! We are amazed/thankful and humbled. God's gift to the Cullens---right before Beckett was born!...some sadness, too. Kelley suffered a couple of miscarriages but we are hoping/praying that God will bless Pat and Kelley, in the future, with another precious child. Please keep them in your prayers as they just had another one his past week. Kelley is strong and faithful and God willing, will give them "the desires of their hearts" , soon.
Even though he doesn't like for me to brag, have to on Charles too. 2015 was a great year for him, too. Most know he is the "General Counsel" attorney for all of UAB hospitals.This in itself is a huge undertaking. Add to that ,at the end of December he won the race for "Secretary/Treasurer for the Alabama Bar Association. GOOD JOB, Charles!...( However, my proudest moment came when he presented us with the best GUMBO ever on Christmas Eve! ;) )
We had a great Christmas and on Christmas Night we were with the family at Patrick/Kelley's home in Calera. As "luck" would have it, amid TORNADO WARNINGS no less! We were all fine and the kids were great and excited to see each other! What a night!
As of Jan.3rd---this is how our family of grands look: Lily (age 11)/ Kemp (age 11)/ Powell (age 8)/ Daisy (age 8)/ Blakely (age 6)/ Carter (age 4)/ Ryder (age 4)/ Ella Kate (age 2 1/2) and Beckett (1 month!)! All beautiful/smart/sweet and too many adjectives to write without you gagging. HA! Blessed seems to be overused when I talk about those sweet 9 grands, but the only one fitting. Truly , Big T and I are blessed beyond words.
Once again, I will start my "One Year Study Bible". (hey, at least I made it to June last year! improvement!). THIS year I hope to make it thro. Thankfully, God understands and gives me so many 2nd (3rd/4th/ 10 million) start overs. To my credit (and I don't have much credit), I do listen to His Voice daily. It's hard , in the midst of all the "white noise" to sometimes listen b/c I love to TALK (Duh, you say!). When I have trouble listening, due to muffled voices in my own head, I try to turn on Praise Music and settle down, alone. The silence is sometimes deafening and I have to try extremely hard to let go of the busyness of my day and focus on Him. And it is when I do just that , that I feel abundant joy by sitting at His feet , like Mary did. I always feel I'm the "Mary" in the Mary/Martha sister deal. Yes, I love to run around and be the good hospitable host, but I also love to just sit at His feet. Hopefully, I will sit more and work less this year, not sit in a lazy way. but truly try to listen more and worry less. Two things I have a hard time with my whole life. Having 5 kids I truly had NO time to sit for at least 20 years! All I did was be a wife/mommy. And that took up a LOT of time. But, I must say, God always was near and was patient with me and let me come and sit with Him when I was able. Now that those 5 kids of ours are parents to their own babes, I have the time to study more and be more obedient to Him.And, while I have sadness sometimes our house is so quiet, it is in that quietness that I know I can now sit and listen
...I now am a Sunday School teacher to 3-6 graders. I am amazed at their knowledge of God. AMAZED. They "get it". So, basically, I am just a facilitator to them!!! I am teaching them in a "creative" way--using my gifts and it is amazing what is happening. I look forward to seeing them grow in Christ each week! Bonus, it makes me study and makes ME also rely more on God as I prepare a lesson for these dear ones.
Enough already, you're saying! Yes, that's it for today. Didn't mean to "Blog your head off" after being silent for so long. I am going to TRY and blog more, God willing ,
Love each of you and thank God for your encouragement this past year. MANY MANY loving words about Mimi/ gazillion of precious prayers for Carter / Joy and congratulations over our new baby and so much more. I pray I can be as good as a friend to each of you as you are to me. God BLESS you! And may 2016 be a stellar year for you and yours! OH! And one more thing! ROLL TIDE ROLL!
PSALM 148
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