Finally.....

I have finally finished my 2nd course at Regent - Worldviews. Monday starts course number 3, Cultural Diversity. Although the next course should be a bit more interesting, it is also only 7 weeks long and not 8. More work, one less week, and different deadlines. My schedule will be changing, but as it appears, it's for the better. I am eager to know what my final grade will be and the grades for the group debates and my final paper.

I am looking forward to a restful weekend- Alyssa will be going to Grandmama's house!!! :0)

Sorry, there's not too much to say, but I am mentally done for now and really need some sleep.

XOXOXOXO,

Gail

PS...I will leave you all with this picture.

Can we say, "Peek-A-Boo!"

What a Surprisingly God Weekend Vacation

It's Monday and we're off to the races again - racing for chores, work, homework, family time, and Jesus! But for a few days, everything, except Jesus, was put on hold as we took a big family vacation to Orlando/Winter Haven.
We got to the hotel friday late afternoon, just in time for the rain clouds to pass and to go swimming...Alyssa quickly learned how to swim when we told her she was going to a waterpark. She was happy to practice her swimming skills in the hotel pool and she loved the slide.
We went to Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven on Saturday and I must say that we were all extremely pleased!!!! It's not the big, rough and tough rides at the Disney/Orlando theme parks, but the waiting lines were never more than 5-10 minutes for any ride, even the roller coasters. And there were LOTS of kid rides for the younger children. The Splash Island waterpark inside of Cypress Gardens was the perfect thing to end several miles of walking and sweating. It was well worth the money we spent on annual passes.

Sunday, we got up early and went to Wet-N-Wild in Orlando. We got there earlier enough to ride down some really cool slides without long lines. It was nice too....and of course, Alyssa got to swim again. She loves to swim. (She was ecstatic when she realized that after a whole 3 days worth of swimming and fun, she got to go swimming at the UNF pool today at Summer Camp.)

Here's a few more pictures.....

Love you all....

Gail

Public Confession

So, picture this...the my dogs, Trinity and Rocky (as seen at the bottom of the page) and me outside near the pond on a "potty break." They are both at least 50 pounds each. Usually, they aren't too bad to walk at the same time; we're working on it. So, we are walking, they complete their business and then hear a lady a bit away with her dog - by the way, she's on the cell phone walking her dog. Ok, so my two start pulling and barking "protecting their territory and their mom," when the lady just completely ignores the fact that my two are trying to get at her dog and keeps talking on the cell phone and walks right in front of them. WHY DO PEOPLE DO THAT - why do they test other people's dogs like that???? Well, Trinity and Rocky, pulled me so hard on the grass that I lost my footing and fell to my rear in the grass sliding about a foot or two before they stopped. All I could pray at that moment was that I didn't land in poop. AND she still paid NO ATTENTION, she just kept chatting and walking!!! I didn't yell at her, curse, or speak directly to her, but I mumbled a few words (nothing obscene) to myself...but I certainly wasn't whispering.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who don't respect the boundaries of other people's dog's - whether on a leash or not. If I hadn't had a grip on my two, there is no telling what they would've or could've done to that other dog.

What a test, and I did NOT pass, certainly not with flying colors. I imagine that God has a re-take in mind as I type this out. As i came back into the house and "cooled down" and really voiced my anger to God over the ignorance of other people, He took the chance to convict my heart. Isn't that just like our Father? He lets you vent and then gives you perspective.

So, my lesson for this afternoon, God tells me "that it's okay to feel angry if it's something that HE would've been angry over." I got the hint that i was more angry than I should have been, especially knowing that if she heard what i said, even to myself, I would've ruined any chances of showing the heart of Jesus should I ever meet her again.

So, I'm not perfect - my response was anger and I could have responded in a different way.

Thanks for reading my confession. Please pray for me. :)

XOXO,

Gail

Father forgive me for how I reacted. Please help me to choose my words and actions carefully and to respond in a way that is pleasing to you, Jesus.

Amen

Guiding 'Alyssa'

What is God wanting us to teach Alyssa right now. She has run into some issues with learning some not so appropriate things from her older friends in summer camp. When she learns these things, she will share them with Will and I, and then we turn around and ask her, "Do you think that Jesus would like to hear you say that?" Of course, she answers "No" and it's left at that. But this same situation comes up over and over. More importantly, we are teaching her that it's ok not to participate with children who are doing or saying appropriate things and to walk away to do something else. Will and I both realized that as we teach Alyssa how to take a stand against things not pleasing in God's eyes, we haven't really begun to prepare her for opposition that will one day come against her. Alyssa and I played a new Bible game - we made it up. I take out the Bible and my big concordance. I ask Alyssa to pick a word, then we will look it up in the concordance to see how many times God uses that word in the Bible. She first picked, "nice," but there was no listing for that. So, next was "good"...wow- let's just say that there are a lot.
The verse she picked out happened to be Psalm 119:65:72, read below:

65 You have done many good things for me, Lord, just as you promised. 66 I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge. 67 I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. 68 You are good and do only good;teach me your decrees. 69 Arrogant people smear me with lies, but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart. 70 Their hearts are dull and stupid, but I delight in your instructions. 71 My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. 72 Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver.

The Universe Next Door

So, how many of you have ever heard of the following terms: Theism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Eastern Pantheistic Monism, and The New Age? Now, if that question wasn't enough to boggle your brain, trying reading and walking away with somewhat of an understanding of each of those in the last 6 weeks, with only two more weeks of school left. (Yes, my brain hurts too!!! No, Seriously, it does!)

This is what I have been reading for my class, Worldviews, at Regent. Talk about learning a lot. But I have to admit that without having taken this course, I would not be able to intelligently (or with some understanding) speak against the ones that aren't Christian Theism...Christianity. As, I mentioned in one of my debate posts, it is really intriguing the concepts humans have come up with over the last 2000 yrs or so just to dis-prove the existence of an "all knowing, personal, ever-present, Creator" and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Well, my brain can't handle much more tonight. But I'll leave you with this last thought:

"God does not present us with confusion but with clarity." (Sire, p,30)

Isaiah 45:18-19 clarifies some basic questions about creation for us:

For this is what the Lord says -

he who created the heavens, he is God.

he who fashioned and made the earth,

he founded it;

he did not create it to be empty,

but formed it to be inhabited -

he says:

"I am the Lord,

and there is no other.

I have not spoken in secret,

from somewhere in a land of darkness;

I have not said to Jacob's descendants,

'Seek me in vain.'

I, the LORD, speak the truth;

I declare what is right."

Free Starbucks.....Is there such luck?

Did you all know that if you take your vehicle to the service department at Coggin Toyota at the Avenues, you can help yourself to a cup of Starbucks coffee for FREE??? Will likes to rub it in when he goes to get his truck worked on that he gets Starbucks and I don't. But he is kind enough to send pictures of the sign.

I finally found "My Space" online!!!

Welcome to my new online home....I'm testing this out, so bare with me. I've never been to fond of myspace, honestly, I am afraid of what images might pop up should I log in or look for someone. This place seems safe for now.