Happy Birthday Boo!

Three years ago we went from this...

a happy little couple, married for a few years, and desired for the Lord to give us a child...

And He answered us...

with Boo! We will celebrate Boo's birthday over the next few days and then complete it next week with a birthday party at his favorite place.

I will be completely honest, I got teary this morning when Boo came running into our room and I realized I have a three year old!! Here is just two of my favorite pictures...

Daddy snuggles

First smiles

I could probably post pictures all day...

Happy Birthday Boo Bear! I love you! May the Lord have His way with your life and may you sail your boat anywhere His wind blows.

I love you,

Mom

Bob Builder or Handy Manny?

Hm...can't really tell...is Boo being Bob Builder or Handy Manny? He is into Handy Manny now, since watching the Disney Channel, and decided yesterday afternoon (while foregoing his nap!) that he wanted to play with his massive amount of tool toys that he so lovingly was given from his aunt She-She and my co-worker Paulo...


Here he is....
Boo in total cuteness mode - cheesy grin

Hammer...showing me how it's done...
Saw...again, showing me how to cut your leg off...

And my personal favorite - measuring my feet. Nice, huh?
Enjoy!

Karen :)

I gotta have this!

Picture little precious blue eyed blond hair little girl staring at you...and then say, "I gotta have that!", or in this case, "I GOTTA HAVE THIS!!"
5 Minutes for Mom and Philips are giving away a 9"Digital Photo Frame!! HELLO!!! I really gotta have this!! It's so awesome! So, I am linking up and hoping for the best!

I suppose if you want one too, you can click on 5 Minutes for Mom and it will take you to the contest...
hee hee

--Karen

Change is Coming...

The title seems funny to me since change always comes. And now, it occurs to me that maybe the the title of my blog should be Changing by His Love - which implies a constant state of change, correct? Well, none the less, I am forever changed by Christ's Love and we will leave it at that...however, CHANGE IS COMING!!!

Aren't you glad I warned you?

You will have to stay tuned...

My family is so hating me right now...

Love,
Karen

Love on Heather

Today is "Love on Heather" Day in bloggity world. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor just a week ago and although battling the tough decisions and issues of doctors and tests, her and her husband are headed to the Mayo Clinic in just another week. We, in bloggity world, are helping send them off in a sweet way with much prayer and funds. If you would like to contribute to Heather's Love fund, you can click on the picture below and make a donation. Everything is anonymous and internet safe.

Heather-We love you girl!!

Serving Him-

Karen

Life

Life is crazy...it's corny, it's fun, it's tiring, it's long, it's short...
It's all kinds of things at all kinds of times.
Can I get an AMEN? I can't hear you!!

I suppose I would be remiss in saying it's not always fair, right? That's how the saying goes, normally. I haven't so much been caught up in the unfairness of life, but just the "I don't want to's" of life. Some times I just get tired of doing the same thing, having the same feeling, and it's time to say I have had enough. Most of the time I sense the Lord saying, if you just would have handed it over to me a week ago.... I am still learning!!
So, we all agree that life has it's ups and downs...which brings me to my point...
God is allowing some very serious storms for some special people in my life - Marla and Heather. Marla is a fellow pastor's wife who is dearly loved by so many people. She is married and has two beautiful boys and her battle with cancer is coming to a close, but God is ever proving Himself faithful and glorified in her remaining time. You can visit her Caring Bridge site at the link provided above. Heather is a sister in Christ that I may never meet in person. She does web design and I met her through the 5 Minutes for Mom site and she helped start and design Moms of Grace and Faith Lifts with her friend Laura. I have enjoyed getting to know her through blogging and was saddened to find out this week that she has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I was in shock, as was the rest of the community of people we all blog with.
Would you please join me in praying for these two wonderful ladies.

Thank you Lord, that because of what you did on the cross, our life is in your hands.

In Him-
Karen

Picture Season

I go through spurts...don't you? It seems that after the holidays I normally back off on the picture taking and then by Easter, I am just reved up for some cutie shots of the Boo. Not to mention, he just had his haircut the other weekend...


Well, to my delight and to my shame, that boy pulled out all the stops and managed to have the photo shoot of his life. I say Photo Shoot, because oh my word, he was all posing and stuff and he just OOOOOZZZEEDDD cuteness. I was in shock and the photographer was eating it up. You know what happens next...you all know...


There are just too many good shots!!! And, she even had to delete some!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHH! Nightmare for the mommy. The Mommy, who thinks her Boo is the cutest thing on earth, only to have her Mom (i.e. THE Grandma) make him totally believe that! So, after 45 minutes, I walk away with all the pictures I need, which oh my word, made Husband freak out. No worries...it's his birthday shots too. That tidbit did not seem to help me at the time! :)


So, do you wanna see one??? I brought one to work to put on my computer desktop, which means I scanned it in, so here ya go...

Totally smiling and totally cute. Look at those teeth!!!

So, here's to another great year of pictures...

--Karen

Easter Weekend

Happy Easter!

I pray you all are celebrating the miraculous death and resurrection of our Lord this weekend. I had the pleasure of being off on Friday, by my choice, and I so enjoyed spending the day with my Boo bear and some friends. Jeremy did some golfing, even in the cool weather, with 3 of the other pastors, and I know they enjoyed themselves despite the wind.

I found myself caught up on several of my Daily Visits to the right hand side reading the wonderful words about Easter and our Lord. I am consumed with Him, ya know. I don't understand all of His ways, but oh, I can't imagine a day without Him.

It's sometimes hard putting into words what the cross means to me...I see His suffering there, His pain, and I feel it, but nothing like He felt and endured. I weep for Him, but am consumed with His perfect Love. I raise my hands to Him to see His outstretched arms. I long to be near Him and imagine often what Heaven will be like.

All that gets a little bit fuzzy when I think about my friend suffering with cancer. She is a wife to a fellow minister, mom to two awesome boys, and to be it bluntly, she is escaping this earth a little bit more with each passing day...

It all gets a little bit fuzzy when I think of M, H, and C - three children, among many, who never breathed a breath on this earth, born to two of my dear friends. Their sadness and life realizing they would never see them again till Heaven...and then to see the Lord give them back healthy, strong children to love and care for.

It all gets a little bit fuzzy when I think of B, a dear friend of mine who desires a child more than anything and is struggling to get one.

I have learned to trust His heart on these occasions that come under the unexplained category. I have said on previous posts that God is God! He is in control and He can do as He pleases, which dismays some people. He is no less on His throne and no less the Lord because of the circumstances in our life. Can you handle that? Difficult to swallow? Not what you wanted to hear?

I have been there. I have been in those shoes where it was hard to comprehend why or how the Lord was doing or in the midst of something. The fact is, I don't have to wonder, I just have to have faith. Just have to have faith...as if it's something I JUST GET. Not normally that easy, but I often sense the Lord asking me, "Do you trust me? Can you trust me in this?" If I say no, then I am saying I don't believe in who He is...if I say yes, then I must gather the sense to trust Him. It's daily. It's active. It's relational.

As you approach the cross this weekend, particularly tomorrow, and you burst into songs about it and the Lord rising again, think of what He did and then think of what He wants you to do about it now.

Embrace the cross...

In Him-

Karen

Opening Day

Yesterday was Opening Day for the Atlanta Braves! Now, if that doesn't scream April, I don't know what does!!! I was thrilled to be able to listen to the game on the radio from my office and the Braves won 5-3 over the Phillies. The day was beautiful and I could just imagine what my grandfather's view from heaven was like...

The Braves uniforms have a patch on them this year. It has the number 33 on it - in honor of my grandfather and Johnny Sain. They spoke about it on the radio...I immediately teared up. This season just wasn't going to be the same as years past. I called my daddy to talk to him last night. He felt the same way. I imagine if he gets the chance to come up this year it may be hard to see a game and know that my grandfather isn't there. His picture hangs in the Braves Hall of Fame...my husband told me I could go down there and see it any time I wanted. He's right.

I hope to take in a few games this year...more than last year, hopefully.

So, it's April. Spring has begun - the pollen is evidence. And baseball fans everywhere are hoping their team comes out swinging (pun intended). Enjoy the season!

--Karen

Birthday Month and more...

It's Birthday Month for my Boo bear...yet again! It feels like I just wrote this same post...
Boo will be accepting gifts, cards, money, packages and more from now until the end of the month. He will be 3. I tell him often lately that my big boy has grown up. He got a big boy haircut yesterday...I will have to post a picture of it tonight. He's so cutie!!! We are going to get our pictures taken on Wednesday night for Easter. April is picture month for us, since we try to do his birthday shots too, but not for another couple of weeks.

"April showers brings May flowers"
We kicked that off pretty well this weekend with a nice downpour on Friday and Sunday here. It was nice to see the pollen washed away, however, it was back on the cars this AM...just not in full affect yet.

Atlanta has been packed with people this weekend with the Final Four being here and the Braves opening day is today!! Woo Hoo! I have a radio that I brought from home, so I can listen to the game while at work. I would do it on the computer, but it doesnt' have speakers...crazy huh?

I pray your week is great and we remember the significance of the Passover and Easter this week and weekend.
"Let is be said of us...that we choose to be a blessing for life..." by John Waller
In Christ-
Karen