final post

Hey guys!!  I hope that most of you have already visited the new website.  I will no longer be posting on this blog.  A few of you have had a little trouble connecting to the new blog with the link I have provided.  The web address is:


thelandofjudah.org


Bookmark it in your computer or phone!  Thanks for your support and have a SUPER day!!

finally!

My website it FINALLY up and running.  Hopefully for good! 


Click HERE  to visit thelandofjudah.org

favorites friday

How precious.

Happy weekend, friends!

downtown travelers rest

We made the best of our snow day!  Actually, the majority of our day was spent laying around the house screaming at - I mean - spending quality time with the boys.  By the time 3:00 rolled around, we were completely SICK of being in the house (and sick of one another!).  We jumped in the car and headed to Travelers Rest for about an hour.  It was the perfect amount of time to spend out in the FREEZING cold! 

I am including a lot of photographs of Travelers Rest in my South Carolina portfolio.  It is such a cute little town.  In fact, it is currently "in the running" for BEST SMALL TOWN.  I will share more pictures another time, but here are just a few...

Again, I apologize for the quality of the pictures.  Until I get a website, unfortunately, this is how I will have to post pictures. 

Greenville County is out AGAIN today!  Hopefully, I'll have more pictures to share from our adventures on our day off -- I can PROMISE we will NOT be inside the house all day!

Until next time...



snow day

I apologize for the quality of these photos.  As you can (probably) see, I took them on my iPad and THEN took a picture of the iPad with my phone.  Sad, I know.  But otherwise, I am not able to share pictures with you at all.  I won't go into how frustrated I am with Blogger - been there, done that. 

Well, South Carolina is experiencing their version of a  "blizzard" at this very moment!  My sister and I took the boys out in the yard yesterday afternoon to play.  It was fun for them.  We were probably out twenty minutes when Preston began to cry because his "hands hurt."  That's when we decided to come inside.  Sure enough, his little digits were blood red.  Poor baby!  And we have been inside since that time.  I am beginning to get restless.  I know JP is -- my boy had the flu last week and has been stuck in the house for a solid WEEK.  I have no idea what the school system will decide to do about school tomorrow, but I know one second grader who will be VERY HAPPY to go back! 

I am SUPER bummed about the website issue.  I had already written three posts - pictures included - to share with you guys.  When I cancelled my account, they were lost.  I did get my money back, thank goodness.  I am going to spend a little time this week trying to find another host to use.  Maybe by the end of the week I will have another site.  We'll see.

We do not have much going on around here.  I am spending most of my "free" time studying.  My anatomy class is EXTREMELY difficult.  I have also been working to build a portfolio of photographs and articles to submit to local Greenville and South Carolina magazines and/or papers.  I am excited about that.  I plan to have the name of a publisher to send an inquiry letter to about my children's book.  It's ridiculous that the complete manuscript is just SITTING in my laptop bag! Although I am studying to be a therapist and I enjoy the health science field, my absolute FAVORITE thing to do (obviously) is write and take pictures.  Maybe one day I will be fortunate enough to support myself and JP on that money alone.  Fingers crossed! 

Preston is beckoning me -- it's time to cut with scissors/paint/color and glue!  HAPPY SNOW DAY!

false alarm!

OKAY, until further notice, I will not be posting.  After reviewing my banking information, the amount debited for the new website was not correct - at all!  I have cancelled my account with the host until I can resolve the issue.  I apologize for the inconvenience, but when you are dealing with the internet and your bank, you can NEVER be too cautious!


I will let you know when (or if) it is up and running in the NEAR future. 


Thanks!!  Have a great week.

move on over!

Land of Judah is FINALLY an actual website!  I invite you to head on over to the new site!


Click HERE

jp, MD

Goodbye Angry Birds poster, hello Human Anatomy!  These are the posters JP asked me to hang on his bedroom wall. He may be eccentric, but he'll most likely be your doctor one day!!

I love him so much.

jesus loves me

Preston made his musical debut Sunday night with Mike!   It was priceless.  We've been building this up for about a month.  I had no doubt that he would stand in front of everyone and "play" his guitar, but I had NO IDEA he would sing the way he did. We were all shocked.  It was so awesome!  He sang "Jesus Loves Me."  As you can see, he positioned himself right in front of the microphone and sang like he had done this a million times.  A little boy after my own heart.  We were all so proud of him!  I cannot wait until next time!



a reflection

Several weeks ago when I dropped JP off at his children's program at church, I noticed his leader sat down and began talking with him.  As I was walking out of the building, I actually thought to myself,  " Oh no!  I hope he doesn't say anything to her that would embarrass me!" 


If you are a parent, I am sure you can relate.  JP is a reflection on me.  I spend so much time teaching him right from wrong.  In our home, everyone does their best to stress the importance of kindness, obedience, respectfulness, and above all else, LOVE!  Now, I have not written these things down for him.  I talk so often on the subject, my prayer is that my words will somehow stick in their little minds.


I wonder if Jesus cringes when he sees me sitting down and talking with certain people.  As His child, my life and my words are a reflection on Him.  He has spent countless hours teaching me the importance of kindness, grace, self-control, obedience and, above all else, LOVE.  And unlike me,  He DID write it down!  In fact, he left behind an entire manual.  All we have to do is pick up our copy of God's Word and begin reading.  The Bible is called the Living Word for a reason.  Our Creator comes to life in each chapter.  If you listen carefully, you can hear His voice on every page. 




As it turns out, JP (thankfully) did not embarrass me that day.  I was, once again, very proud of him.  I want my Father to be able to say the same thing about me.




When He looks at his reflection creation, I want Him to be proud.

friday

This is where I will be spending the majority of my time over the next few months -- although I am extremely fascinated by what I am learning, it is almost too much information for any one person's brain to absorb.  Hopefully JP will help me!  LOL!  (But, seriously...)

As you can see, I dropped off one happy child at school this morning.  Can you say, FOUR DAY WEEKEND?! Yay! 

I am excited to have my boy home with me for a long weekend!  We do not really have anything planned,  thanks to the $300 I dropped today at the college bookstore.  UGH.  I do still have the Regal gift card from my birthday.  We did not go see the dinosaur movie.  JP decided he would rather see the movie, "The Nut Job."  Maybe we'll do that -- it looks really cute.

I hope all of you have a great weekend! 

Until next time...

resolutions & a few good reads

* EDITED TO ADD (again):  Here is another post I wrote a few weeks ago.  If nothing else, at least I am cleaning out my "drafts" folder!  HAPPY THURSDAY, friends!!

A new year.  A fresh start!  Does this excite you??  It does me!  Although I have learned invaluable lessons and grown in my relationship with Christ (as well as with many others), this past year and a half would not be one I would necessarily sign up to repeat any time soon -- if ever.  Many of you may feel the same way.  I am not one to make resolutions.  Mainly because I am not one to KEEP them!  Having said that, I have made a few, umm...let's call them PERSONAL GOALS, for myself and my son.  

1. Morning Quiet Time:  JP and I are pretty consistent with our Bible reading/devotions.  We have always done them at bedtime.  I certainly do not feel that there is a "right" or "wrong" with this, as long as you are spending time in the Word.  However, my new goal is to have this time first thing in the morning.  It serves several purposes.  A) NEITHER of us are morning people.  So, by approaching the Throne when we first get up, we are making a small sacrifice.  It is not easy, and definitely does not come naturally.  We will be stepping outside of our comfort zone.   B)  I feel like this teaches JP (and myself) that spending time with Jesus should come FIRST in our day -- not last.  And C) It simply begins the day on the right track.  So, we'll see how this goes.  We began this January 1st and it's working well so far!
2. Volunteering:  I was inspired by an interview I watched on FOX news with Candice Cameron Bure.  She, along with her husband and three kids, take advantage of a variety of volunteer opportunities in their area.  For example, every Christmas morning they serve homeless people in a shelter and then sit down and eat breakfast with them.  How cool is that??  I am not sure what exactly JP and I will do.  I have been on GOOGLE today researching different ideas.  I'll keep you up to date with this one, but my thought is that maybe once every month (or two) JP and I can serve our community in some fashion.  I think it would be very rewarding and an amazing experience for both of us.

Those are the two GOALS I have set for the time being. 

Maybe there are a few of you out there who are looking to add a quiet time to your routine?  If so, I thought would share with you a few of the resources I have enjoyed. 

I read from Sarah Young's Jesus Calling with JP.  I must admit, though, that I enjoy this one just as much as he does.  I strongly recommend this read for your kiddos.  Each (short) devotion is written from Jesus TO the reader.  I would probably suggest reading this with children AT LEAST five years of age and older.  There are times when it is over JP's head, (he is seven), but he understands the gist of it. 

If you or your child have an iPad, The Bible App for Kids is a pretty good one.  It's interactive and easy for them to maneuver on their own.  Unlike the Jesus Calling devotional, this app is geared towards the younger kids, in my opinion.  JP still enjoys listening to the stories and answering the True/False question at the end of the passage.  It's FREE -- what have you got to lose?!

This is not the greatest picture, but I keep this little treasure in the bathroom (as you can see).  "Power Thoughts"  by Joyce Meyer.  This book is great for those of us who do not always have time to sit down in the mornings and read for fifteen or twenty minutes.  Basically, the whole idea of this book is the importance of positive thinking.  Speaking prayers out loud and memorizing scripture along with a "power thought."  It has been a great reminder to me that, by filling my mind up with GOD, there is little room left for negativity.  And we all need to be reminded of that, right? 

Well, I hope that these help you to get started, or at least give you a few ideas!  Have a GREAT day!!

Until next time...





knowledge is...

.... power?  Not necessarily.  We've always heard this particular saying, but I do not believe it to be 100%  true.  I am privileged to know MANY intelligent, "powerful",  and successful people who did not pursue a higher education. 


I prefer to say that knowledge is FUN!  At least I am beginning to think so.  And those of you who have known me my whole life understand what a big deal this is.  What brought this on, you ask?  I attended my first anatomy lab and lecture tonight.  While I will certainly be the first to admit how difficult the class is going to be, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  (Ask me in another two weeks and I may have a different attitude!) While sitting in the lab tonight, looking at the power point pictures and labeling the many organs inside the human body, I had a fleeting thought.  If I were seventeen years old and just embarking on my college career, I think I would go to medical school to become a doctor.  I am not joking -- I was THAT fascinated by the material.  Now that I have shared this with you, I'll probably bomb the course and have to retake it! LOL.  It is definitely going to be a tough semester, but I can promise you I'll try my very best.  We'll see what happens...

" The more you read, the more things you KNOW.

The more you learn, the more places you'll GO!"

Dr. Seuss

I am still working on the site.  At times, my iPad will allow me to upload pictures and other times, it won't.  I decided I was going to research a variety of internet hosts and weigh the pros and cons of switching.  It may be time to convert the blog into an actual website.  I do appreciate your patience.  It is very frustrating.  God continues to give me writing material.  In the car line today I had to whip out my journal and jot down three separate ideas for posts.  I promise to share when I have the time (and mental capacity) to put them together.  Some days, it's easier than others.  Welcome to a writer's world! 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Wednesday! 

Until next time...



my little corner of the house

*EDITED TO ADD:  I wrote this post about a week ago -- I couldn't decide when I wanted to throw it on the site.  I thought today would be a good time since I am not able to upload pictures and quotes*






When JP and I moved into my parent's house last year, I had to condense my stuff immensely.  Have you tried moving an entire house into two bedrooms?  It's NOT easy.  I have to say, though, it was nice getting rid of junk that I didn't need.  While I certainly would rather have my own home, I have tried to create a little space for myself that feels like "home." 

I am thinking of ways that I can redecorate.  I think that I will keep the colors of my room.  They are brown and blue.  I would love to have sort of a "beachy" feel, but we'll have to see how that goes.  Here are a few pics of my room as it is now.  If I get the energy to redecorate, I will keep you up to date with the progress and "after" pictures.

I kept my bed from my old house.  And I do like my comforter.  I will definitely leave the white.  My best friend made this pillow cover for me to match my "Live, Laugh, Love" blanket that I have.  I just need a pillow to put in it!

This is the Thomas Kincaid painting that hangs above my recliner.  This is probably one of the most meaningful gifts I have ever received.  When Kathi and I traveled to Guatemala in 2007 to get JP, my missionary friends took us shopping for a day in Antigua.  It is such a beautiful, historical town.  I have a picture of me, Kathi and (baby) JP in front of this very building.  Well, apparently, Thomas Kincaid thought a lot of the site as well.  Kathi and her husband, Dave, found this painting and had it shipped here for my birthday last year.  So special.

Speaking of Guatemala... here is the Guatemalan flag and the letters of JP's name that I bought in Antigua.  When JP was a baby, I had this flag framed and it hung on the wall above his changing table.  The frame broke and I never replaced it.  That is definitely something I plan to do.

 

I currently have a rocking chair in the corner of my room that serves as a hat and bag rack.  Nice, huh?!  I will soon be replacing the chair with a desk and chair.  I NEVER sit in the rocking chair and I need a space to write and do homework. 

I take lots and lots of pictures.  I have pictures of friends and family all over my room.

 I also LOVE inspiration/encouraging quotes and saying...

I am so blessed to have children in my life who mean the world to me.  I need a bulletin board, but for now, I have pictures they have made/colored on my wall.  LOVE each of them.

And no room of mine would be complete without a little bit of the beach in it!

So now you know where I spend the majority of my time.  Happy Tuesday, everyone!!


Until next time...

weekend recap

Good morning/afternoon or evening to you!!  HAPPY MONDAY, everybody!  At least I hope you're having a happy start to your week.   I had an amazing weekend.  I don't think I even realized it until now.  But, it was a really good one.  The funny thing is, I didn't really do anything special.  Actually Saturday and Sunday I was REALLY lazy.  Maybe that's what I liked so much about it!  Seriously.  Saturday, I peeled myself out of my pajamas long enough to make a trip to Walmart.  Once I got home, I climbed right back into my comfy pants and t'shirt.  Some would call this pitiful -- I call it MUCH NEEDED.  My semester begins this week.  No more rest for this girl!  Today is my last day of complete freedom before I morph into a bookworm engrossed in the human body and all of it's marvelous functions... UGH.  There is a (very) small part of me that is looking forward to the challenge.  What I am NOT looking forward to is the almost THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS I have to fork out to pay for the book and lab materials for this ONE class!!  I am having to say goodbye to the beach trip I planned to take this month.  I'll definitely have to teach a few more times before I skip off to paradise.  I'll survive.  I do have a girl's weekend trip planned to Tennessee in February...that should quench my desire for travel for a few weeks!


Friday night I went out (in the nasty weather) to Liberty Taproom at the Drive stadium.  It was SO GOOD!  As always.  Although, this was the first time I had been at night.  If you live in the area and have not been -- GO!  It is great. 

Always enjoy time with my girl!

Seriously, this was pretty much all we did on Saturday. Poor Preston wore his pj's all day long. 

JP came home after church on Sunday. Thankfully, the sun decided to make an appearance.  We were able to spend a little time outside, which is always nice!

As I said, it was a great weekend.   Have a super day!

Until next time...

* FYI:  Blogger.com is experiencing serious technical difficulties.  In order to post (with images) I am having to go back and forth between my laptop and iPad.  It is beyond frustrating.  As you can see, I was able to upload pictures from my iPad, but now, all of a sudden, it is no longer allowing me to.  I am going to attempt to contact their offices to rectify the problem.  In the meantime, you'll just be subjected to more of my ramblings.*   

thankful

I shared with you in my last post how God has been reminding me of how I need to rely on His strength, and not my own.

Today, I thank Him for that reminder.

verses & some bulleted thoughts

I realize that it's only Wednesday, but this has been a very frustrating week.  For starters, it has been FREEZING COLD here in South Carolina and we have not had heat for two days.  Brrr.  Honestly, at night it has not been too bad.  We've all doubled (and tripled) up with blankets on our beds.  Waking up each morning has been a different story.  Thankfully someone is supposed to swing by tonight to fix the issue, or at least let us know WHAT the issue is so that we can work towards fixing it.  I do believe it is "warming" up.  And by warming up I mean, it's not going to be EIGHT DEGREES outside tonight.  Thank God!  Literally.  Due to the weather and a few other stressors in and around my world, my mind feels so boggled.  It's not been easy putting my thoughts together.  Hence why I have not written anything too profound for you to read! LOL.  I haven't felt well either.  Resting is rarely an option in my household, so I guess you could say, I am pretty much a wreck.  Oh well, that happens from time to time, right?!  No shame here!  I figure, as long as you can write about it and laugh about it, IT'S ALL GOOD. 


It's always funny to me how God works.  I am reading several different devotionals right now, and although the stories in them are completely different, there is definitely a recurring theme.  Strength.  This seems to be a message God is really wanting me to hear at this time in my life.  (Can't imagine why).  Yesterday I read a passage entitled,  The Joy of the Lord.  The scripture was taken from Nehemiah 8:10:

 "Be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."  

 In other words, STOP WORRYING ABOUT EVERYTHING!  Jesus is my strength.  He's got this!

Today, the verse was from Isaiah 26:3-4:

 "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts you.  Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord, is everlasting strength." 

 In other words, I need to keep my mind on Jesus rather than the circumstances that are continuously unfolding around me.  I feel weak because I am weak.  Thankfully, God doesn't expect me to be responsible for the world around me.  That's HIS job.  I just have to move out of His way. 


Now, on to my random bulleted thoughts.  I have not planned these out.  I am hoping by spitting them out onto this page, it will clear my mind!

• I am so proud of JP and how he is reading
• It REALLY bothers me that I cannot turn left onto the ramp towards Greenville off of Pelham Road at the bridge.  That happened to me today and I was very frustrated.  I didn't want to drive all the way BACK down Pelham road.
• I still cannot upload pictures onto the blog and I am getting really angry over it.  Please be patient with me!
• I am only teaching half a day tomorrow (in the morning) and I am already dreading having to wake up and get dressed.  I think I am spoiled.
• I am looking forward to a much needed girl's night out this Friday
• JP is getting fitted this weekend for a tuxedo to be in his dad's wedding.  I won't get to see him in the wedding, but I cannot wait to see pictures of him all dressed up.

Okay.  I am distracted.  JP is begging for dinner -- the nerve!  Can he not see that I am BLOGGING?!!  LOL 


Have a great night, friends!  Stay warm.  Since it is so late in the day, my next post, (in case you're beside yourself with wonder), will be on Friday.

stay tuned...

Check back later today for a post.  I have not been feeling well.

In the meantime, here are a few cute pictures of my loves: