I think I have finally figured out the picture thing... Christmas is around the corner... Christmas cards are filled out and ready to go to the post office... I think we have a family record! 164 cards this year!

Progress of School

I am truly a blogger slacker... I must tell you that I have had a recent experience in which I have chosen to share. My faith has been tested. I can't even begin to count the number of heartaches I have had this year, but God has held my hand through each one. The other day... my college doctorate-prepared professor (who referenced my rural county lifestyle and lack of sophistication last semester) wanted to talk about my discussions from class. Each week in class we are supposed to post messages regarding questions and responses from the other students in class and the material we are supposed to read. So I finally got the nerve to call her. I am still a little offended from last semester... She wanted to talk about a post that I had regarding how is scientific belief different than religious belief and what quantifies one as more true. My response online was that neither is more real than the other. My religious belief is just as true and real as my right hand. My right hand I can touch and feel, but my faith in God is just the same. She didn't understand what I meant. So I proceeded to explain. The reality of life in science exists where seeing is believing. The reality of religion is believing is seeing. My beliefs are real. My God is real. I was feeling that she wanted to debate my belief system rather than my posting. I continued to hold my ground and repeated myself about the reality of my faith and belief in God and his miracles. She continued questioning me about why I felt the way that I did. I continued to repeat myself and once again told her that faith is believing is seeing. When you believe wholeheartedly in God, you will see His face everywhere in life. She finally accepted my response and gave me an "A". I wasn't seeking out an "A". Matter of fact in this class, I only want to pass just to get through it. I believe that she wanted to test my faith. To see if I was a waivering Christian. I will answer her... No. I am a believer in Jesus Christ. I am a follower of the Bible. I will stand my ground and lift up Jesus' name no matter where I am and what I am doing.

If you ever want to read/watch a video that I saw one day that is similar... go to youtube and search chalk professor and usc. Pretty powerful. I felt this and I will be the standing student.

Being an Auntie!

I must let you in on one of my guilty pleasures....2 am babies...Imagine it is 2 am, you are alone with a group of newborns. One is super cute (not that I am partial to my babies...jayden...evan...delight...etc) and he/she is crying. I HAVE to go pick them up (even if I am not the nursery nurse) and cuddle them. You take them out of their tight blanket swaddle and place them on your chest, prop up your feet, put their blankets over them and rock them back and forth....They calm down immediately. They love being held close to you. Everyone always says that I need another baby, but what people forget is that those babies grow up. I have the perfect job! My babies may grow up but there is always another baby that I sneak some lovin' from at 2am. I don't need any more children of my own when all of my friends are giving me a wonderful opportunity to be Auntie Cyndi. One of these days I will learn how to post pictures to show you. Ezariah & I have 15 neices and nephews, all who have grown up ranging in age of 6-26. So now as an Auntie, Jennifer gave me Devin on Halloween, Haley gave me Jayden a little over a week ago, Evan is 2 months old, Brooklynn is 2 months old, Delight...oh my, I hate to say it is 7 months old already...(time to get on the ball sam & nikki..I am ready for another)... I get Lachlan this month and Baby ??? in July! I love watching my babies grow. I love watching my work babies grow up. So keep posting pictures, I love watching them grow!!!

The last few weeks have been very trying at work. It has been busy and the work has been rough, both physically and emotionally. After a long discussion with my husband, my family and boss, I have decided to back down and just work 3 days a week. For those of you that know me, that is a big thing for me to do. I am/have been a workaholic. I am working on it (note previous entry). I have found a 12 step program that I have enrolled in. OK....not really, but I am not going to work as much as I use to. I am missing my babies. I am missing my husband. And I know that they are missing me. It is hard to have a relationship and it blossum if you never see each other. Right now, we are in a rut and I know it is because we pass each other in and out of work. We are both tired and haven't had a lot of time to spend together. This is my first week of just 3 days. I am going to still work out like usual. It is pre-race season afterall and there is nothing like the smell of chlorine on your skin after you have swam and then showered or running outside for the first time in the year because that day you couldn't see your breath.
So today, I got up at 5:15am to go to an aerobics class...no instructor... so I ran upstairs for 10 mins, did some arm reps and then got in the pool. I swam a 500 without difficulty. I surprised myself. I hadn't swam that for awhile without stopping. Then I did some drill work, including (Mandy, you would be proud) butterfly stroke. Well, that is the end of my blog...it is time for me to go play Thomas the Train with my buddy.

Oh what a night... isn't that a song?

So...I am at work... with the Deeter sisters... they are hilarious, but a true gift that keeps me on my toes. One is with me pending a possible early arrival of a Justin Jr., the other one is texting me sick, worried and I am not sure if she was not worried sick. It was soooo cute. The texting sister finally sucked it up and came in to be seen for her puking, sending her husband on a journey up a flight of stairs to check on her sister. The other sister sent me down a flight of stairs to check on her sister. They are both worried about each other. It is so cute. I have been so blessed to see, experience and share in their love for each other. It reminds me of the love that we need to have for each other.

Bring the Rain

I just want to say a few words about my week. If you are reading this, you will either know exactly what I mean or think I have lost my mind...
1: Bring the Rain! If you have read the post about Bring the Rain, you will understand when I say... I will praise Him in the Storm. Bring the Rain, I will accept all that He brings.
2: 99 Balloons. Wow, what a celebration of life in His Grace.
3: IOPO... give what you are willing to receive.
4: Love each other as you want Him to love you.
5: The less you speak, the less chance you have to sin... proverbs: (heard it on WFRN).
6: When He brings the rain, remember you will not be washed away, just really wet for a while.
7: Sisterhood of the Running Y-Nots, keeping me on my toes... Girlfriends...Go Figure
8: Everyone has faults, I am learning to look in the mirror, see mine and either embrace them or fix it.
9: Praise God for the miracles that surround us each day...open your eyes they are right in front of you!
10: I am a work in progress...God is not done with me yet.

I ran across this passage on a blog from a friend... Thanks Wendie. Psalms 139 from the Message....
God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when Iget back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up aheadand you're there, too — your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful — I can't take it all in!
Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If Iclimb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute — you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! Atnight I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread outbefore you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.
Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them— any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! And please, God, do away with wickedness for good! And you murderers—out of here! — all the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations. See how I hate those who hate you, God, see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Your enemies are my enemies! Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Lord, as I sit here tonight, I am in awe of your AWESOME power and grace. Each day I have here on Earth may it be lived in YOUR glory. I pray that my words are soft and tender, passionate and kind, wise and caring. I pray that others may see you through me. Guide me through each day and give me the strength I need to get through each day. What an awesome prayer of David...As I see new life each day, Lord, grant me the guidance to make it an awesome experience in Your Glory as each new life in this world is yours and of your making. Thank you for being with me, in front of me, behind me and all encompassing of me. In Your Most Gracious Name I Pray, Amen.