For your viewing pleasure..

Thank you so much for your sweet words about my girls. They are pretty inside and out. Thank you Jesus for "nice" girls!

There is one phrase that my Mother said often to my sister and I that I am now saying to my girls. It is: Pretty is as pretty does. Most of our Christmas pictures reflect sweet little ladies gracefully opening their gifts, making sure to thank the giver with a verbal thanks and a hug.

And then there are these two pictures.













Oh my. It's okay to laugh out loud. We have...everytime we've looked at it. Her body lanugage is saying, "Oh YES he did!" These are the slippers I mentioned in my previous post.



I'm sure Morgan is thinking, "Why Uncle Chad? I ask you why did you put me into this giant gift bag and then take my picture? Why?" When she grows up to have a fear of giant gift bags, we'll know to blame it on Uncle Chad.




I have no other words.......

A week in pictures

We are home and settled again! I feel like I've burn up the interstate between Atlanta and Chattanooga the last two weeks. That's okay, it's worth it to see our family. We had a wonderful time. I'm posting a few pictures for those who couldn't be there this week.

Christmas morning was spent here at home. We decided a long time ago that Santa would always come to our home. And He did. Chloe said, "Santa rocked out this year."



This picture is of Chad's gift to us. Each of "the girls" received 6 small packages. Inside were picture frames with a certificate describing a "date" with him during this new year. We each received three individual and 3 family dates. (He had us make a list of ten places we wanted to visit or things we would like to do in 2008 back in September, he took those ideas and created these dates.) Once the certificate is used, a photo of the "date" will go into the frame. Pretty cool idea I thought. He's going to be broke!



Emma and Chloe holding their gifts from Granddaddy and Zuzu on Christmas morning. Hopefully they'll be in for a visit soon.



Opening gifts at Nana's. Emma is checking out her new Hannah Montana purse and Chloe has sported her "Hannah" sunglasses ever since. (Rain or shine)





Santa left these robes at Gram's and Daddy Mack's house. He also left matching slippers. Chloe and Emma have been looking at and dreaming about owning these robes from Strassburg for over a year. When they realized that Santa left them at Gram's, they almost had tears of joy. They LOVE these robes. (Secretly, I may go get one for me! I think the largest girls size would fit okay!)



On Thursday, we kept the twins. Since we had Uncle Chad and Daddy Mack, we decided to get out and go to the TN Aquarium. It was a blast. Here's the grandparents with 4 of their 5 grandchildren. The only one missing is Colin. I wonder if I could cut and paste a picture of him into this? Hmmmmm, maybe a project for later.



Here are the girl cousins in the butterfly exhibit. There were butterflies all in this tree. All four of them could have spent the rest of the day in this exhibit. They loved it. I got a taste of what it must be like for my sister in law Lindsay. (twinsx2) People often ask us if Chloe and Emma are twins, but with Mia and Morgan with us, we got quite a few double takes. One lady said as we passed, "What did they do to deserve that! I think I would have stopped after the first set." What a goober....:) I just kept saying, "Here girls, let Aunt Steffie help you...." As much as I love them, I was ready to have my two potty trained girls to myself Thursday night!!!



Chloe and Emma with a little buddy. Too cute. Daddy would have stayed here and watched the penguins all day. He said the penguin exhibit in Sydney was better, but that these little guys were just as entertaining.



We took 90 pictures on this trip. Well, Chad took 89 pictures. As you can see, he did an excellent job of staying behind the camera. This is the ONLY shot of him I got. (I'll get my mom's camera and see what she has. She always catches him when he least expects it!) I think he was checking out the shark with Chloe and Mia.



I still have a few things from the Brickman concert I want to share, but right now my mind is on overload. I'm hoping to sit down and collect my thoughts this week.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you! I am so thankful that God saw fit to bring you into my life and heart. As I thank Him for the many blessings in my life, I can't help but think of each one of you. I'm just tickled pink that we get to spend eternity together. :)

Since we are visiting with family over the next few days, the posting will be scarce. I may post a picture or two, but unless God tells me otherwise, I'll be posting this weekend.

I'll leave you with this thought. Jack Hayford says "You don't need candlelight and fireside glow to make Christmas happen. It's Him. It's priceless to discover the pleasure of His company."

Have a very Merry Christmas!

steph.

One more thing, I have to write this down before I forget. This week Emma, my artist, announced to my Mother and I that she wanted to visit the "Leaning Tower of Visa", we looked at each other and said where? She said it again a little slower and a little louder, the "Leaning Tower of Visa". I guess Visa really is everywhere you want to be!

A little heart work

It's good to be home for a few days. I really enjoyed my time with my nieces this week and it was so good to see my Grandmother leave the hospital and come home. She's doing great and we thank God for a successful surgery and so far, an uneventful recovery. Just don't mention the replacement aorta, she's having a hard time accepting that it used to belong to someone else. ;)

That old aorta was worn out. Her skilled surgeon took her to the point of death to take out the old, and then he replaced it with a new one. One that he examined, and deemed acceptable. Then, he began the process of waking her up. A long process, one that took several hours. She is still gaining strength, a little more everyday.

I can't help but make the spiritual connection here. Our God, His name Jehovah Rapha (the God who heals) is the best name to use here, takes out the exhausted, diseased, disfunctioning heart, you know the one. The one that holds past hurts, years of anger and unforgiveness. The one that you've decided to just keep because it's what you know, it's the only one you've had so why change. But our God is a healer. It's part of who He is and He isn't going to let you keep that old thing! One way or another, He will let you know that He's ready and willing to do some work within you. He tells us in John that He came to give us an abundant life. We can't fully enjoy that life when our heart isn't functioning properly can we! Jer. 33:6 says that HE will bring health and healing, He will heal His people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

I did a search for the word "heal" in my Bible Study tools and 44 references came up.
This one struck me. It's Isaiah 57:18 "I have seen his ways, but I will heal him and restore comfort to him." In spite of the choices I've made, the words I've spoken that I can't take back, the times I've completely turned my back on the One who loved me enough to die for me, He still heals. God still heals and restores comfort to me.

This was a week, where I needed God almighty to do a healing work quickly. I didn't want to let the frustration, hurt and anger to take root. I know myself well enough to know that if I didn't take the hurt immediately to the Father, it would quickly take root. This year has been hard enough and there is no way, the enemy is stealing the joy of Christmas from us! You see, I want to celebrate Jesus. His miracle birth, His sinless life, and most importantly I want to celebrate His resurrection.

I want to reminisce how every time we had a need this year, He supplied it. How HE provided a buyer for Chad's truck just when we needed to sell it. How He bought us groceries, in the lean times. How HE took Chad from a job he liked, to a job that he LOVES. How HE orchestrated my joining Freedom's Call....the list goes on and on.

These are the things I want to celebrate. But if I allow the hurt to fester in my heart, there isn't room for the joy. I can't have it both ways. Oswald Chambers asked yesterday "Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord?" I know that there have been times in my life where I've allowed the hurt to become more dear to me than God. AND there have been times where I celebrated the good times more than the giver of those good times.

So, God and I have talked this out. I will not mention this hurt again and will rejoice that once again He says "I AM the God that healeth thee" because He has healed us. I'm praying that whatever your hurt is, that you receive complete healing that only comes from our Jesus. I pray that HE is the dearest thing to you.

God says forgive.....again.......

The following was part of an e-mail devotion I received on the 18th.

Betrayals
TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman
12-18-2007

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend. - Psalm 55:12-13

"You will always be attacked in the place of your inheritance," said the man sitting across the breakfast table. "God has called you to bring people together and to impact other people's lives as a result of this anointing in your life. You must make sure that you seek to maintain righteousness in all of your relationships." Those words came from someone who had the wisdom and authority to speak them to me.

I have had a number of close relationships that ended in betrayal. I am very loyal to my friends and those with whom I have covenant relationships. Yet there are times that no matter how righteous you are, when someone means to betray you, he will do it. Loving those who betray you is "graduate-level Christianity." The religious community and one of His closest friends betrayed Jesus. Those who were closest to David betrayed him. Joseph's own family betrayed him. Loving our enemies cannot be accomplished by mustering it up. It can only happen when we have come to a death in ourselves so that Christ can love through us. It is truly one of those acts of identifying with the cross.

As I read this on the morning of the 18th, somewhere deep inside I heard God say, "save this one". So I did. Wasn't sure who it would be for, but just knew that I was to keep this one for a little while.

Tonight I discovered that this simple devotion would be for my family. I opened an e-mail only to discover that Chad and I had been lied to by someone we care deeply for. It hurts, and to be honest, I'm furious.

The flesh wants to pick up my cell phone, make a call and handle this. 10 years ago that's what I would have immediately done, but it would have only caused more drama. Tonight I sit in my parent's guest room in shock, hurt and a little angry. Chad is in Atlanta and has no idea what has happened. It's late and I want to pick up the phone, but I know that he is already in bed asleep. There's no need to tell him tonight. For him, this betrayal isn't new, it's been going on for years. Now there are grandchildren involved, my children and my feathers have been rustled. I don't want them to find out, I don't want them to know what choice was made. I can only imagine the hurt that they will feel.

So tonight, I find myself flat. I have cried until there are no more tears and there are no words left. The impression on my heart is forgive. Just go ahead and forgive. Let it go. If Jesus can forgive me, and I've done some hideous stuff, then how in the world can I not forgive them.

This doesn't mean we have to allow ourselves to continue to be hurt, but we can forgive and with God's help we will move on. Not exactly what the world says, or even what my gut reaction is. BUT, my gut is sinful and I don't want to follow it's lead that only leads to more trouble. With all my heart, I want to be found faithful in this situation. I want our family to learn that even when the people closest to us disappoint, God will never disappoint. He just can't. He is a faithful Father, and not just a faithful Father, but OUR faithful Father.

It's kind of ironic, today I kept my 16 month old nieces. At one point, I had Chloe, Emma and the two little ones all around the piano. (I wish I had a picture of them all sprawled out underneath the baby grand. It was precious.) We were playing and singing Christmas carols. We sang an old carol that said, "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." I had a quick thought of how cool it would be if this was the year of peace within our extended family. My heart aches for this. Coincidence? Nope, not with my God. I think I'm going to go grab that book and read those lyrics again.

A few Pictures from this busy week!

Me and the girls on my birthday.



I don't think I need to say anything here.....





Our church choir and orchestra tonight at our Christmas Concert.




Chloe on the big screen tonight. She's in the blue jacket above the word "called".




My girls.

Chad is hiding from the camera, but I WILL have at least one photo of him during this holiday season. :)

Reflections

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I am so thankful that God has brought you into my life! When I go to moderate your comment, I pray for you. I've said this so many times, but I'm so overwhelmed at the sisterhood and friendship that God has orchestrated through the land of blog.

Yesterday, Freedom's Call sang at one of Atlanta's housing developments. They were having a Birthday Party for Jesus. There were several hundred children plus a couple hundred adults there to party with us. We sang and the Karate demonstration team from our church presented an incredible display of bodily strength, but more importantly, the plan of salvation. I'm still in awe that God allowed us to be involved. The faces of those children are forever engraved on my heart.

After we sang, we made our way back to the back of the gym to watch the Karate team. I stood next to a very young girl holding her new little baby boy. He was beautiful. That caramel skin and his hair, oh that silky, dark curly hair this little boy was precious. I would say that he was less than a month old. His mommy looked tired, more than the new mommy tired. She was exhausted. Life appeared to be very hard. I can't get their faces out of my mind.

Friday, as I read my daily Proverb, God placed two verses on my heart.

Prov. 14:20 "The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends."

Prov. 14:31 "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."

I journaled and asked God to help me to honor Him. While I was never afraid to go into this area, I was so nervous about saying the wrong thing. It's one thing to minister to a group of Bible carrying, sweet smelling, Jesus loving women sitting in a clean comfortable facility. It's another to stand before people who probably don't own a Bible, physically don't smell that great and the part that grieves me most, some of those precious people don't believe Jesus really loves them. It was hard, until....

We started singing and the sweetest group of ladies in the audience started singing with us. And I mean, SINGING. (I think someone told me these ladies are praying for a generation of change, they are the core group of Bible study and they want to see Jesus move in that development.) They engaged in worship, their whole body engaged in worship and it so ministered to me. Thank you Jesus for letting me see that. Oh, and the children! They swayed to the music, sang along when they knew the words and smiled at us. I kept looking into that sea of big brown eyes, thinking of what God could do if just 10 of them were sold out to Him. Saturday morning He gave me Galatians 2:6 "God does not judge by external appearance." I asked Him to help me see these children with His eyes, and He did. When we were singing "Who Could Imagine a King?" I felt Him tugging on my heart "that one, she's going to lead Bible study. and that one, he's going to be a teacher..that one will preach, that one will succeed in business..." It was overwhelming. I walked out of there so thankful that God trusted us enough to send us there.

By the time I got home, I was mentally exhausted. (it doesn't take much!) But God had so orchestrated Saturday December 15, 2007 for me. Chad had given me tickets (have I mentioned they were on the 3rd row?) to see my all time favorite artist: Jim Brickman.

We drove, in the rain praise the Lord, to the new Cobb Energy Center, checked our coats and made our way to our seats. (ON THE 3RD ROW! Oh, sorry I already said that.)
To be honest as we sat in this beautiful new hall, in our "dress up" clothes I teared up. I had seen extreme poverty just a few miles from where I was sitting just 8 hours earlier. Here I sat warm, dry, fed and ready to enjoy a couple of hours of quality time with my husband. That's when it happened. The lights went down, Jim took the bench and played "Joy to the World". The very song we started our concert with earlier that morning. God spoke to my heart, "Let me fill you back up. I've got great plans for tonight."

He used each musician at different points to speak things to me. Once again, I left ready to pull an all nighter and write away. It was incredible. I want to share some of the cool things that were said, but I'm still processing them!

I will tell you that, our seats (on the 3rd row) were close enough to see Jim's socks. Oh yes they were. AND I could see Ann's great shoes. They were stunning. BUT the coolest was being close enough to make eye contact and see the passion each one holds for music.

Chad, thank you for suffering through this once again.:)

All week, in my prayer time, God kept bringing back lyrics to a song I wrote a couple of years ago called "What Will You Give". I'm going to post them here. I hope they encourage you to ask God what you can do for someone in need.

WHAT WILL YOU GIVE

An aspirin for a headache, or a band aid for a knee.
Little things we take for granted can be the biggest need.
How can we be so blessed and keep it to ourselves,
When Jesus told us go, go tell.


Till the last person’s told,
We have to go, go and tell them who Jesus is.
Will your heart be generous, with what He’s blessed you with.
A dying soul is waiting to hear.
What will you give.



It’s just a cup of water, or a piece of bread,
But given in Jesus’ name brings life instead of death.
Its shoes for an orphan or a coat for the cold.
God will take the gift and heal the wounded soul.

Till the last person’s told,
We have to go, go and tell them who Jesus is.
Will your heart be generous, with what He’s blessed you with.
A dying soul is waiting to hear.
What will you give.

It’s not about your money, it's all His anyway.
It’s all about your heart child, are you willing to obey?
Just lay your yes down the altar and watch God make a way.
Eternity is waiting to begin, what will you give?

Till the last person’s told,
We have to go, go and tell them who Jesus is.
Will your heart be generous, with what He’s blessed you with.
A dying soul is waiting to hear.
What will you give.





copyrightStephanieParson2004