LOL!!

Sometimes words aren't needed!!

When God Has Another Plan

Recently in my review of the National Quartet Convention, I wrote about a song the Greenes sang on their 'post-surgery debut' set. The name of it was "When God has Another Plan." I loved it the night they sang it and bawled my eyes out, but now I'm REALLY loving this song. It was on their new album that I bought and I simply can't get enough of it. It's something that I really need to hear right now, and it has a way of soothing the soul and I need to share it. It's been on my mind that I needed to post it. There is no video to help me get this song across, nor it there any download of the song that I can find to post. Therefore I can only share the words, but man they are powerful!! I'm sure if I counted the times I've listened to this song since I've left the convention, it would be somewhere around 500. I absolutely love it. I'm sure it helps that one of the most wonderful voices on the face of the earth is singing it.

It goes like this....

Forsaken by his brothers didn't fit the scene..
Being made a slave, was not what Joseph dreamed...
The coat of many colors was stained with blood and lies
But from this divine appointment, a ruler would arise

When God has another plan - walk on and just say yes
When God has another plan - be assured that He knows best
If all your dreams are shattered, rest in His sufficient grace
We don't have to understand - when God has another plan.

Alone and broken hearted, questions fill your mind
Changes can be hard, but come by God's design,
But if you could see tomorrow, with a view from Heaven's throne,
Every unexpected struggle, has led you closer home.

When God has another plan - walk on and just say yes............

If all your dreams are shattered, rest in His sufficient grace,
We don't have to understand - when God has another plan.

I just love it. Don't ask me why I'm so compelled to post it. Maybe someone just needs a little nudge to remind you that you don't always have to know the method behind the madness of the ways of the Master designer!! But never forget, there's always a purpose!! Figuring it out can be the hard part....and never knowing is even worse!! That's why they call it faith!

A Recap of the Weekend!

Well, the joy of blogging is that you can have such a variety of subjects and then some....and talk about everything you've done, are going to do, and would like to do. I just love it.

So, here's a recap so far of the weekend...

Mom's conference went well. Reports from the meeting suggest that she did a fine job. The workshop on "aging parents" went well, she says. We'll have her report on it upon her arrival home. Then after the workshop, she was the main speaker with the topic of "staying steady in an ever changing world." What a topic!! And is this world EVER changing!!

I talked to Mom a few minutes ago and they are currently enroute back to Dayton to get a little sleep, then pull out in the morning to meet Uncle Jerry in Louisville for breakfast. They then plan to hit the road and pull in to Alabama late tomorrow evening.

As for the weekend at the Miles home, we have been more than busy attempting to prepare for Pastor Appreciation that occurred yesterday morning. I got the honor of heading that project up for the morning, and I must admit, it turned out better than I had hoped. There were some beautiful moments involved for which I was well pleased. One of those moments was a slideshow that I was not responsible for, but it was very nice. It was a slideshow of Bro. Ryan's life with a song called, "I Will Give You All" by the Overcomers as the background music. It was very nice....or did I already say that??

The day was a great day with many details including a wonderful lunch after church of Roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, corn, salad, rolls, and cake. We have the best cooks in our church you could imagine. It was wonderful.....it's no easy task to prepare a meal that good for nearly 300 people!

Needless to say, after the day was over I developed an "adrenaline crash headache." I was so nervous about everything doing everything perfect, once it was over, the crash was rough. I crashed on my bed for a couple hours and felt significantly better after 2 excedrin migraines and a 2 hour nap. It was wonderful... then it was off to church again. That was wonderful, too.

Anyway, my weekend was totally consumed with preparation for the 45 minutes of yesterday morning. It was all definitely worth it. I am really glad it's behind me, though. Maybe I'll be a little more frequent on the blog now. The last week was spent brainstorming ideas for the service.

So, anything interesting happening with anyone else. I know we have 3 pastors in the family, so there should be lots of appreciation going around this month!!

I am gonna live FOREVER!!

I'll be the first to admit to anyone that there is nothing as wonderful as a long nap. I LOVE a good nap. And...as I sit here writing this, Addison is sitting beside me with a bowl of ice cream that has more chocolate in it than ice cream. When I gave it to her she said, "I want a bunch of 'chocate,' a bunch of it!!" This is after she took a 2 hour nap....therefore, she might have a long life ahead of her, too!!

A Day Late!

Well, I sincerely apologize that I'm a day late to wish my dad a happy birthday. He's visiting in Ohio right now and isn't checking the blog while he's away, so maybe it won't be a huge deal. The truth is, I simply did NOT have a chance to get online yesterday....well, I guess I could have had I not collapsed into bed like a brick yesterday afternoon with a splitting headache. That was short lived and I was up and going again until about midnight. This has been an extremely weekend, which I'll talk about later....

Anyway, back to the birthday boy- he's a honking 55 years old this year!!! He's over half a century old!! I'm such an encouragement aren't I?? LOL!!

So, Happy Birthday, Dad - whenever you get this. I'll put one of your favorite songs on here as a small "blogging gift" to you.....much love to you!!

Hope you like it!

The Sky is Falling!!

You remember the story about the hen who always cried "the sky is falling?" Or the fable of the little boy who always cried, "Wolf!!" They always yelled and carried on to the point, with no proof of what they were crying about, no one believed them any more.

Well, those were fables and a few years ago I heard Dr. Adrian Rogers tell a story about a man who "cried" all the time that no one believed. I've never forgotten it.

I looked at the news this morning on the internet and was reminded of this story....

In a sermon on the coming of Christ, Dr. Rogers began to compare the warning that Christ will return to the story of Noah warning of the flood. He said it like this...paraphrasing -

"We treat the coming of Christ and the warning that has been sounded by the men of God through the years like the people treated Noah as he preached about the flood...I can see it now, a little boy comes home after a day of watching a 'crazy old man' build his ark and preach that a flood's coming. He walks in his house that evening with fear instilled in his little heart over what he's seen and heard throughout the day. He mulls over it for a while and that evening while his dad is relaxing before bedtime, he crawls up in his dad's lap and begins to tell him about the events of the day and how troubled his little heart is about the old man's warnings.

The dad kicks back and laughs and begins to tell the little boy that 'the crazy old man' you heard and saw today has been around since I was just a little boy your age. He's been yelling that stuff since I can remember, and as long as your grandfather can remember. He's just crazy - you'll just have to ignore him. According to your grandfather, it's never rained here before and it's not going to. I don't know where in the world he got these crazy ideas....and besides that he's building that huge boat. Just forget about him, get you some sleep and if you see him again, don't worry about it. It's not going to rain! The little boy feels a little better and takes his word and goes to bed and makes up in his mind that he won't dwell anymore on 'old Noah.'

Can you imagine the torture of that father's mind as the rains begin to come and as the waters begin to rise....hearing the cries of the little boy yelling "Daddy!" - the one he told to ignore the warning of 'crazy old Noah' - as he tries to keep his head above the waters. Then they perish together because they chose to live the life they wanted to live with no regard for God and a desire for sinful lifestyles."

I'm not Dr. Adrian Rogers, and I can't exactly word it the way he did. And it's been years, and writing it without the expression may not suffice, but I'm telling you, I can remember the jolt that this gave me personally.

Looking at the times of the day, sometimes we feel like Noah, attempting to prepare for the return of Christ, yet not many seem to regard.

After looking at the headlines today, with news like this (click), this (click), this (click), and this (click).....all happening now....I take you back to the book of Luke and the words of Christ that go like this:

And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end [is] not by and by.

Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute [you], delivering [you] up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

Settle [it] therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and [some] of you shall they cause to be put to death.

And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake.

But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

In your patience possess ye your souls.

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh....

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

I'm not one to bear bad news constantly, I love fun and jokes as much as the next person, but this morning after a glimpse at the world as we know it, I am waiting on my redemption from this place. If you aren't ready to see the sky split and be caught up with Jesus Christ, I wave my flag for you.....time is drawing near.....Christ will soon appear, and I'm not just saying "the sky is falling" for nothing!!!

Spelling is EVERYTHING!!

Remember that previous blog about spelling??? Wouldn't you hate to know you were responsible for this....

It's from my town, actually at the entrance of a huge hospital emergency room and more namely, my personal physician's office. I'm sure if she saw it, she was totally mortified!!

Welcome to Wal-Mart

Now you know those happy little door greeters at wal-mart really do love their job....actually this story isn't about door greeters, but happy wal-mart employees....

Welcome to Wal-Mart....

Happy Birthday Don!!

Today Don is 34 years old!! Just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, Don. Hope you have a great day. Next time I'm in Alabama, I'll make you a cake. LOL!!

Here's a little something special for you....oh ye man of the woods.....I thought you might need a laugh today!!

My Project in Progress

This is just a few pictures so Mom and Laura can see what project I worked on all weekend and what the end result is. I'm not finished totally, as I said, it's still in progress.

See, when we moved from our other house, we sold all of our office furniture because frankly we were afraid that it would be too big for our new home. So, I have been relatively disorganized since our move. I've attempted some organization, but it seems to get out of hand quite often, so I decided to attempt this project to take up less space.

Since we moved here, our computer table has been Addison's changing table from the other house. But, it's been an interesting project so far.

I've not done any work yet with the cords, so they are still everywhere, as you can see in the photos. Here is some of the progress in pictures. And for the bulletin board projects you see, that's a unique $5 project with letters that I had stuffed away in my scrapbook bag, and they happened to work. I was so proud.

Addie's New Friend, Phoebe

I would like to introduce you to Addison's new friend, Phoebe. She talks about Phoebe every day and last night before she went to sleep she told me she wanted a pig in her yard. I think she had a little help on that request from her father! Yes, Phoebe is a little pot bellied pig owned by a friend of ours. This is Jenna and Addison feeding Phoebe "gapes"(grapes) - according to Addison

Our friend, Jenna, and her husband Joey, kept Addison on Thursday, and so Addison got to meet Phoebe. She told me 15 times at least within the 5 minutes after I picked her up how wonderful Phoebe was and that she liked her alot. They also have a dog, which Addison cared nothing for. We figured out that she likes Phoebe the most because she can't jump up on her or move very fast. At least Addison could escape from her if she needed to. It's an amazing thing what goes on in the head of a kid!

According to Jenna, pot-bellied pigs are the best pets to have because they don't shed, stink, or chew stuff. I'll just take her word for it......

Jenna and Joey said that Addison wanted Phoebe to go everywhere in the house she went as long as Addison was behind her. She didn't want Phoebe to come up behind her and "cold nose" her without any warning. As you notice, Addison is petting Phoebe at the back. I'd have never imagined that she could ever be so crazy over a pig, but I'm here to tell you....she loves her little friend Phoebe.

Just thought I'd let you know / see........ Actually, I also wanted to put the pictures on here so the kids could see a picture of Addison petting a pig, or for Mom, who will never believe it. LOL!

Happy Belated Birthday, Mikayla!!

I just realized something! I thought I had examined my list carefully of birthdays. Obviously I didn't. I just realized that I missed Mikayla's birthday. I don't know why I missed it, but I'm EXTREMELY sorry. I've had my head in a cloud for weeks anticipating NQC and now it's over and I've had a hard time concentrating on everything going on around me.

For this oversight, I apologize again and again. Her birthday was September 10th. I'm so sorry I missed you Mikayla....

Here's a birthday wish for you anyway......

Happy Birthday Jeremy!

Well, today is my dear hubby's birthday. He's 33. We're getting old! I remember when 30 seemed to be pretty old. Now it's very young!!!

Happy Birthday, Jeremy! I love you tons!

Here's a video clip for him. It's some of our absolute favorite comedians in the world.

We almost killed ourself laughing at them last week.

Pictures

There has been some inquiry about Mark's picture over to the side. The way you do that is to develop a sign-in with blogger, and there is a place to edit your profile there. You have the option to post your picture there. Just because you sign in with blogger, doesn't mean that you have to start your own blog, you just can sign in and it will let you have a "dashboard" of the blogs you follow. It's been a while since I've been to the sign in page, but there will be a blank photo sheet there, like is posted on the followers. Go in and insert your photo there.

To sign in to blogger, on the top right of the page it has the option to sign in. Develop your sign -in there. If you sign in through blogger, you don't have to choose the name at the end of the post. It automatically knows your name.

I'll be happy to answer any further questions. Just ask.

Taco Soup Recipe

Mom's Taco Soup Recipe for Aunt Linda

2 lb. ground beef

1 finely chopped onion

2 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix

2 pkg. dry taco seasoning

2 cans kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans Shoe Peg corn

2 c. water

Brown ground beef and onion and drain. Add to drained meat mixture the Ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning. Combine remaining ingredients (undrained) with meat mixture. Simmer for 2 hours. Serve over tortilla chips. Top with with sour cream, grated cheese and green onions if desired.

DELICIOUS...Mom made a pot when she was over here one day last week keeping Abby. We ate it 2 meals and I had a gallon Ziploc bag left over that I put in the freezer for another meal or two!!! This recipe makes a very large pot - great for company! I also like Mexican cornbread with it.

Laura

Easy Broccoli Soup Recipe

With cold weather coming on, I'm getting ansy for some good soup recipes. Here's one that Anita shared with me and I tried it tonight...it is WONDERFUL! Zach and Abby both loved it. It is so simple.

1 (14 oz) bag frozen brocolli florets (I used chopped so that the pieces would be smaller)

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cheddar cheese soup

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of celery

1 lb. Velveeta cheese

Season as desired (I used salt, pepper & onion flakes)

Cook broccoli according to package directions. Do not drain water. Then add can of Cheddar cheese, cream of celery and Velveeta cheese. Cook on low until Velveeta is completely melted. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.

If you want something fast and easy, this is perfect. I baked some Red Lobster Recipe cheedar garlic biscuits to go with it and it was a perfect combination. Anita says it tastes like Applebee's broccoli soup to her. Hope you enjoy it if you try it out.

Love to all.

Laura

Abby Update

We took Abby to her Pediatrician in Mobile today for a follow-up appointment. Abby continues to have a bad "croupy" cough but otherwise is doing MUCH better. Her lungs are clear - no wheezing in a couple days which is great. The doctor read through all of her notes from our family doctor and the notes from the er (the night she was admitted to the hospital last week) and after looking through all of it, her first words were, "sounds like she may have some asthma problems". She too said that asthma is not officially diagnosed until later because you cannot do the appropriate tests on a baby her age. She also said that she hesitates to diagnose and document an asthma diagnosis for insurance purposes. She used a similar term that the doctors at the hospital used, "Reactive Airway Disease". I found a really good article that describes it and I thought it would be better than my feeble attempts to describe it.

"Reactive airway disease is a general term that doesn't indicate a specific diagnosis. It may be used to describe a history of coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath of unknown cause. These signs and symptoms may or may not be caused by asthma.

Use of the term reactive airway disease in part reflects the difficulty in establishing a diagnosis of asthma in certain situations — such as during early childhood. Although it's possible for infants and toddlers to have asthma, tests to diagnose asthma generally aren't accurate before age 6."

The doctor wants us to continue with the breathing treatments that our family doctor had started (Xopenex) if she has any more episodes of wheezing and she also gave her another 5 day regimen of steroids. She hopes this will kick the cough. This is her 5th episode of croup/bronchitis since January (I thought it was only the 4th, but according to her records, we have taken her one more time than I remembered). We are praying for her complete healing in this matter. It is very unnerving to be 2 hours from a good hospital when she gets as sick as she did this last time. Small town life definitely has it's disadvantages at times like these!!!

I know that this is an Abby update, but Zach would like for everyone to know that he is also doing much better! He is standing over my shoulder trying to see which words he can read .

Sorry that this was so lengthy. We love you all.

Don, Laura, Zach & Abby

Does Anyone Know a Good Auctioneer??

And then there's this....

Here's Lola Again!

LOL!

Good News

Just in case you don't read the comments below every post, here's what the good news of the day is:

From Aunt Linda - My right arm is NOT inflamed and has been doing better for almost 2 weeks. So, the left arm is improving too! Thank you for your prayers.

From Johnna regarding Mikayla's blood sugar - We have been checking it 3 times a day since last Wed. We will go to the dr for follow up on Mon. It's been running 73 to 120's. It's only been high 2 times! Praise the Lord!

Abby will be seeing the pediatrician this afternoon. We'll trust for some improvement with that. Hopefully Laura will have time to comment here later tonight. If not, I'll talk to her and post it.

In the meantime, my house is a MESS from the busy week, so I'm headed to pick a place to start to put it back in order....then tonight we're off again to see Brian Free and Assurance. In case you haven't noticed, we're BIG fans of his. They have the tightest harmony in Southern Gospel these days. You'd think I'd have gotten my fill of it last week, but I could never get enough.

Oh, The Glory Did Roll!

This was the piece I attempted to load this morning and ran out of time. I dedicate this to my dear Aunt Linda and Mark. I have a feeling they will get right down excited over it. I thought it was too cute. Even if you don't care about what you see, it's a good toe-tapper to make you feel good.

Howz the arm?

Aunt Linda - Want to give us a word on how your arm is? I keep forgetting to ask about it. I'll post your update.

Mark - Want to tell us all about your new position and adjustment in Oklahoma?

Mom - Want to post an update on Abby? Laura's too busy right now.

Anyone else have anything they want to update us on?

It'll Be Better Soon!

OK, so I know that in the last few weeks my blog has kinda gone downhill....with all my talk about NQC and such. I've been so busy, I haven't had a chance to put much on here. I actually started to download something just for Aunt Linda and Mark this morning and totally ran out of time. I had it pulled up on my computer, but just didn't have a chance. I'll get it on as quick as I can.

Anyway, just writing to apologize for the lack of substance lately and offer a promise that I'll be back soon! I'm working today so I have limited internet access.

Until then, I'm game for something to post if anyone feels the URGE!

Toledo, OH

This (click) is what's making news in Toledo, OH these days.

Now, how would you like that??

The Blood of Jesus

This video is on here because I promised Mom it would be. This is her favorite song. This is the Collingsworth Family. I am including a picture of the whole family, but this song is sung by Mom, Dad, and the oldest daughter. Harmony among this family is unbelievable.

L to R: Phil, Phil Jr., Brooklyn, Courtney, Olivia, and Kim Collingsworth