Time to Confess!

I confess... I got my tax refund this week. I had planned on putting it on the credit card to pay it down, but I already did that a few weeks ago with some money I had been saving so I've decided to get the new pipes for the motorcycle that my husband has been drooling over. The stock ones that came with this bike are so quiet.Since riding, I pay more attention to the sounds of motorcycles around me and this ones are too quiet. Loud pipes save lives.

I confess... I havent told my husband about this change of plans yet... I told him I want to go to SLC HD tomorrow to look at new chaps. LOL

I confess... I took Ty to the Dr last week and she was diagnosed with Patella-Femoral Syndrome. Basically her one muscle is too tight and its pulling her knee cap out of place and the other side is too weak that its not pulling it back in line. Ty had her PT appointment yesterday. She has some excersises she has to do at home to stretch and strenghten. We go back in two weeks for a follow up.

I confess... The PT guy said that she needs to ride a bike 3-4x a week. The only bike would be at the gym we go to. I asked the guy this morning how to add my daughter to the account and b/c she is only 12 (you have to be 13) she can't... however if we bring her with us when he is there, he will just let her in. Oh, how nice...and he's saving me money. Even better!

I confess... I am down 12 pounds. It's been 10 weeks of working out and eating right. I feel really good. I went to get a new shirt last weekend and the large was too big. I'm not sure I've ever worn a medium before!

I confess... I found some new flip flops that I am in love with. They are Nike with the comfort foodbed squishy stuff. Oh my. They are normally $32-35 and I got the hot pink and black ones on special last weekend for $21. When I was at the store getting Ty a new knee brace last night, they had the brown and light blue ones n sale for $19. Uh... of course I had to get them :)

What are you confessing? Link up and tell us about it!

Books of Ezra and Nehemiah

The Life Project: Ezra and Nehemiah
Matt Roberts

One of the greatest privileges of my life is to be a father to four of the most awesome, ornery and brilliant little boys I have ever met. No experience in my life has taught me more about God than the job I have been given as a daddy to Jaden, Cael, Owen and Toren. It is a job that has stretched my resume to include give horseback rides, four on one wrestling matches and becoming an expert on various cartoon characters and super heroes. As I studied the books of Ezra and Nehemiah this week I was reminded of one of those heroes. His name is Bob. Bob the Builder to be precise. Bob is a quirky little fellow who is in the business of fixing broken things that most people would discard and forget about. With each new job Bobs catch phrase is "Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" What a fitting question and response for these two books. In the lives of these two Biblical heroes we see the heart of a God who builds. A God who rises to the challenges of His people and becomes the foreman of one of the most beautiful restoration projects in history. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah remind us that God was and is in the business of fixing broken things and broken people with the confidence and skill of a master craftsman and artist.

The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah pick up at the end of one of the darkest times in the history of Israel. The mega-power of Babylon had marched into Jerusalem 70 years earlier and swallowed up all that the Jewish nation held dear. Their promised land was now a pile of ashes and rubble. Their Kings were long gone. Their temple was broken-down and abandoned. The great wall of Jerusalem lay in shambles. Those that remained were shipped off to Babylon as slaves with no homes to long for and no hope of a future. It seemed as if all was lost and the most devastating part is the fact that they had it coming. God had promised to protect them if they remained faithful to Him, but he also prophesied impending doom if they turned their backs on their calling as a "Holy Nation". And for over 450 years sin ruled and reigned in Israel. It seemed as if each new generation sank to lower and more despicable lows. The laws and promises of God were lost, Israel's identity forged by the faithfulness of Abraham and the vision of Moses was all but gone. Babylon simply struck the fatal blow. The game of cat and mouse Israel had been playing with God was over. There was nothing left but ashes and mourning.
All indications pointed to the sober reality that God had finally given up on His people. That the God of grace and forgiveness had finally had his fill of a sinful, rebellious people. Babylon had inflicted a much deserved verdict upon Israel and all hope was lost. Or was it? It seems if we listen between the lines of Ezra and Nehemiah we here the whisper of heaven. Can we fix it? Yes we can! This proclamation of hope is found prophetically through the words of the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

God was on the move once again. What the world saw as a hopeless pile of junk, God saw as an
opportunity for beautiful restoration. He was calling forth leaders who had a passion to rebuild sacred
spaces and fortifications that had been long destroyed. God had a passion to build a people from an
ancient blueprint that would once again establish Israel as a Holy Nation. It is hard to read these books of builders and not wonder: "If God can fix this mess, what can't he fix!"
The answer is clear. God is still in the business of restoration. This world may have tried to convince you and I that we are too far gone, too lost, too broken to be fixed. But today, the same heavenly voice speaks over you and over your circumstances: Can God fix it? YES HE CAN! Don't you think it is time to trade in those ashes for beauty. How about a little gladness for mourning? God is still in the business of total restoration. What if we stopped running and let our lives be next on his list! What an exciting thought!

Weekly Reading Of Ezra and Nehemiah
Monday - Ezra 1-5
Tuesday - Ezra 6-10
Wednesday - Nehemiah 1-4
Thursday - Nehemiah 5-7
Friday - Nehemiah 8-10
Saturday - Nehemiah 11-13

Books of Chronicles

The Life Project: Chronicles
Candice Roberts

Remember the Lion King? Hakuna Matata, the Circle of life? There is a scene in the movie where an exiled Simba is brought by the wise Rafiki to a pool to remember his father. It goes like this.

(Simba looks into a pool of water.) Simba: "That's not my father, that's just my reflection" Rafiki: "No, look harder." (Simba's reflection changes to that of his father.) Rafiki: "You see? He lives in you!" Mufasa's ghost: "Simba." Simba: "Father?!" Mufasa's ghost: "Simba, you have forgotten me." Simba: "No! How could I?" Mufasa's ghost: "You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life." Simba: "How can I go back!? I'm not who I used be!" Mufasa's ghost: "Remember who you are. You are my son. Remember..."
Remembrance.

This is the dominant theme of 1st and 2nd Chronicles. The Chronicler is writing this history for the people of Israel who have just returned from Babylonian exile. I imagine they were feeling pretty defeated, unsure of themselves, unsure of who they were. And so the chronicler takes them on a journey from Adam to Abraham, to Joseph, to King David, to Solomon, and so on. The stories had already been told. After all the Israelites had the Pentateuch; they had the books of Samuel and Kings. But the Chronicler, inspired by the Holy Spirit, felt the need to retell these stories. God wanted to remind His people that they were still His people and they were “more than what they had become”.

Maybe you are a bit like Simba today. You are ashamed of what you have become. You remember what you’ve done. Maybe you are still living with consequences of your sin. Maybe you are scared to death to live for Christ, constantly reminded of your failures. You may have tried to live this life of faith and failed so many times, that you are just about done trying. I am sure the people of Israel felt that way. How many times had they walked away from God? How many chances had God given them and how many chances had they squandered? The people of Israel were a completely unfaithful lot. But the good news of Chronicles is that God is a completely faithful God, full of second chances, full of mercy.

2nd Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” No matter how many times the people of God missed it, no matter how many times WE miss it, if we are willing to turn from our sin, and remember who we are; God is willing to take us back.

I believe God is still in the business of calling us back and reminding His people who they are in Him. So then, who are we? 1st Peter 2:9-10 says this, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness
into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had
not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” This “royal priesthood” is the same heritage
that God has given to us. If we are part of the “priesthood” this means we have direct access to God.
Gone are the days when only a select few can approach the throne. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then
approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in
our time of need.”

Not only can we approach God as priests, which is indeed significant, we can approach God as sons and
daughters. Galatians 4:4-7 says, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a
woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba,
Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also
an heir.”

While we once were exiles, homeless, orphans; now we are priests, children of the King, heirs to His
throne. Kind of changes things, doesn’t it? Aren’t you glad that God is in the business of reminding us
who we are?

Chronicles Suggested Reading
Monday- 1Chronicles 1-10
Tuesday-1 Chronicles 11-20
Wednesday- 1 Chronicles 21-29 and 2 Chronicles 1-3
Thursday- 2 Chronicles 4-14
Friday- 2 Chronicles 15-25
Saturday- 2 Chronicles 26-36

St. Patrick's Day 2012

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope everyone wore green... unless you like being pinched, up to you!

Our plan was to go out for a friend's birthday and a week or so before the party, he canceled it. Bummer! Well, my parents had planned on going too and we had already gotten rooms at the hotel in SLC so we decided to keep the reservations and go anyhow. We took the kids with us, dressed in new green St. Patrick's Day shirts (which I just realized I forgot to take pictures of), and we went to Olive Garden for dinner. After dinner the kids went swimming, where there was a group of drunk men doing belly flops for $20/each. Uh... ok. Thankfully they didnt land on my kids.

We got them all situated in the room and went out to get a couple drinks... after a while, Ty text me and said that Taylor's uncle works at the hotel and wants to upgrade us to a different room that has free wi-fi. Uh, ok. So we went and moved things around. We went from the 3rd to the 11th floor and when we walked in the room, we freaked. It was a Suite!! Our room and my parents room connected and the kids had a huge space to be in. Very cool.

We went back down to the hotel bar when Ty calls me again and says "Room service just dropped off stuff, can we eat it?". Ice cream and popcorn and a comped movie for them to watch. So cool... what a blessing. The kids were thrilled!!

Books of Kings

The Life Project: 1 and 2 Kings
Matt and Candice Roberts

King Solomon was one of the central characters in the Books of Kings. He had every opportunity to be the hero that God had called, the hero that he started out to be. In the third chapter of 1st Kings, we find Solomon asking God for wisdom and a discerning spirit to better administrate justice. The Lord tells Solomon, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” God was for Solomon, because Solomon was for God. He was dedicated to the things of God and to glorifying God.
But for all Solomon’s wisdom (he did after all write most of the book of Proverbs), and all Solomon’s good intentions, he was a man who did not finish well. 1st Kings 11:9-11 The word of God says this. “The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. 11 So the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.

Solomon had gone from worshiping Yahweh to worshipping other gods, chiefly the god of self. Solomon was amassing women, wealth and fame and slowly losing regard for the things of God. He was promoting self, when he should have been promoting the Almighty. And God won’t tolerate this kind of behavior for long. When Solomon was glorifying God, God showed him favor. And when Solomon began to glorify Solomon, God tore the kingdom from his hands.
What lessons can we learn from this king? After all most of us are probably not in the office of a king, or a president. Most of us probably aren’t even the boss at work. But all of us have been given a position of influence. God has called each of us to make a difference in our world. With what attitude are we treating the calling of God on our lives? Do we feel like we have earned the position we have? Do we feel like we deserve the blessing of God? 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” We must be careful to remember that we are jars of clay. Whatever good we do for the Kingdom, is because God has purposed us to do it, and has given us gifts and mostly His Spirit to enable us to do it. If we start taking credit for what God is doing, WATCH OUT!! The keys to His kingdom will be ripped from our hands!!

The second lesson we can learn from King Solomon is to guard our hearts. Not only was Solomon led astray by his own pride, he was also seduced by the things of this world. Seduction is a slow process. There is an Eskimo legend that gives us a good visual of the power of seduction. The Eskimos needed to keep the wolves away from their camps at night. So they would place knives, blade up, in a circle around their camp and coat the blades with blood from seals. During the night, the wolves would smell the blood and begin licking the knives, hungrily, excitedly. Once they taste the blood, their licking would become more feverish until the wolves would cut their own tongues without realizing it. They continue licking, now their own, fresh blood. After the frenzy of licking the wolves have lost so much of their own blood that they are too weak to attack the camp. Instead they lay down to die. Seduced by blood, once they started licking, the wolves could not stop.

And we are the same way. We allow ourselves a little of this world, not too much, just a little. We allow
ourselves a little sin, not too much, just a little. And before we know it, we are licking our own blood,
slowly bleeding to death. Proverbs 4: 23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring
of life.” Interestingly, Solomon penned these words. But he was unable to follow his own advice. He
was unable to resist the women, the riches, the glory. He was unable to resist the taste of his own
blood.

Selected Reading For 3/12 - 3/17 In 1 and 2 Kings
Monday, 3/12 - 1 Kings 1-7
Tuesday, 3/13 - 1 Kings 8-15
Wednesday, 3/14 - 1 Kings 16 - 22
Thursday, 3/15 - 2 Kings 1- 2 Kings 8
Friday, 3/16 - 2 Kings 9- 2 Kings 17
Saturday, 3/17 - 2 Kings 18 - 25

Friday Confessional

I Confess... that I have the BEST BFF. He came over to fix my internet last night while I was out with the kids AND he brought me Dunkin Donut KCups for my coffee machine. Love you Blake!

I Confess... we are going out for Blake's birthday next weekend. PF Changs and the piano bar. I am so excited. Its kinda been a tradition to eat dinner there and go to this bar, but we've been slacking for a few years.

I Confess... my child had an issue at school this week and she's been 100x harder on herself than I have been. I think she figured it out and I would be suprised to see that action again. Good thing, I was about to strangle her!

I Confess... I am thankful for my ex-inlaws. My exhusband had surgery yesterday and its his weekend with the kids. His parents are going to take them tonight through tomorrow evening instead. I am so happy theyhave the relationship with them that they do.

I Confess... I am slowly making my way out of debt. One credit card is completely paid off and the other one is half paid off. With the money I usually pay for the first one being put on the 2nd one, it shouldnt take too long.

I Confess... I am feeling a lot better this week, even though my eye lid still has a lump on it. Praise God!

What are you confessing? Link up with Mamarazzi and tell us!

My Favorite Things Swap

I participated in Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap again this year and was paired up with Sarita from http://lonetater.blogspot.com/. She is a doll! I was so excited when I found out we are Swap partners b/c I've been following her blog for a while and we have a lot in comman. Good choosing, Mamarazzi!

I was kind of bummed out on Monday when I got the notification that my package was delievered, only to find out it wasnt there and there was no note saying which post office I could get it from. I left a note on my door and in my mailbox saying "PLEASE leave it!!" and ended up finding it yesterday in the mailbox. Yay!!

I was pretty dang excited when I saw what I got... the "Thirty-One" lady was at my church a little bit back and I wanted to get a new bag from her to use as a church bag... bible, notebook, pens, etc. and I never had a chance while she was there. I got the catalog and lost it (I think hubby threw it away, to be honest) so I never had a chance to order my bag. As you can see, I got one! It's a cute brown and white polka dot which is what I would have chosen for myself.

I got some hand cream to try out... which makes me wonder if I complained on my blog about how dry my hands have been since going to the gym.

I got some new nail polish, which is good b/c I am getting a pedicure on Saturday :)

I got the Blindside movie... great!

I got some very nice silver hoop earrings to go with the ring Mr. Husband got me for Valentine's Day.

I got a very cool 10oz Tervis Tumbler that has a biker-ish feel to it with the heart with wings. That worked out perfect b/c my large setting on my Kuerig is 10 oz.

Thank you so much for everything Sarita. It was fun!

Ty's Baptism Day

My sweet girl got baptized yesterday. I am so proud of her. She made the commitment to God and proclaimed it to her family and friends. What a blessing.

We had a lot of family to come to support her. Her dad, his parents,his aunt and her family, and one of his brothers with his family. My parents. My husband's mom and 2 brothers with their families. My cousin with her family. My BFF's girlfriend and daughter, only without my BFF b/c he was out of town working... as well as my friend Mary with her family. And of course, our amazing church family.

When Pastor Kirby invited Ty up to give her testimony, everyone cheered. He went on to say how she is already working in kids ministry, when she is still of age to be IN kids ministry. How he trusts her with the babies and what an impact she is making. It was so good to hear those words and get the reaction they did, b/c when I looked over at her dad, he had tears in his eyes.

Afterwards, my parents and Bryan's family all went to Golden Corral for lunch. It was a very blessed day :)

The Books of Samuel

The Life Project: 1 & 2 Samuel
Paul Pope

The story of God and His people, the Israelites, continues in 1 & 2 Samuel where we pick up immediately following the book of Judges. Judges were the anointed leaders of the Israelites. Their role included that of a prophet, military leader, and judge. The role of a judge was definitely significant as It carried with it great power and influence. However, the role of a judge paled in comparison to that of a king because God was intended to be the king of the Israelites. He wanted His people to see that He had all authority and power. He wanted His people to see that if they would follow Him in faith, He would lead them to places no human leader could ever hope to go. We learn in 1 & 2 Samuel that the Israelites were not interested in allowing God to be their king, they wanted a human king to lead them (1 Samuel 10:19). 1 & 2 Samuel is the story of the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel as we see the rise and fall of Israel’s first 2 kings: Saul & David.

1 Samuel begins with the story of Hannah as she cries out to God. She wanted a child. 1:11 She made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life. One of the great passages of scripture is 1 Samuel 1:28 where Hannah follows through on her promise to give her most precious treasure to the Lord as she hands Samuel to the priest Eli. From there Samuel grew to be a great servant of God. Samuel was actually the final judge of Israel as God granted them their desire for a king (1 Samuel 8:19-20) and Saul was chosen to be the first king of the Jews (1 Samuel 9:17). Samuel tells the Israelites despite their foolishness for wanting a king when God is their king; they still have an opportunity to be blessed by God if they follow Him. 14 If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God. 15 If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Does this sound familiar? Read Deuteronomy 30:19-20 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for [x]this is your life and the length of your days, [y]that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

From here until the end of 2 Samuel we see a sharp contrast in the first two kings of Israel: Saul and David.

David
Saul A man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) A man after people’s praise (1 Samuel 10:23-24)
Kind and benevolent (2 Samuel 7:29)
Cruel (1 Samuel 20:30-32, 22:11-29) Courageous (1 Samuel 17:32-40, 48-54) Fearful (1 Samuel 17:11)
Forgiving (1 Samuel 26)
Unforgiving (1 Samuel 18:9) Repentant (2 Samuel 12:13) Lied when confronted (1 Samuel 15:10-31)
His kingship is eternal through Jesus (2 Samuel 7:29)
His kingship is rejected (1 Samuel 15:23)

Of all the differences between Saul and David, the most striking to me comes from how they dealt with their sin. As
you read through the accounts of David’s reign, you will find that he was by no means perfect. He sinned like
everybody else who has ever walked this earth, expect for Jesus. Yet, he was referred to as a man after God’s own
heart. Let’s take a closer look at the sin that he committed with Bathsheba to see how this is possible.
In 2 Samuel 11 we learn the details of David’s fall. Gazing out from the rooftops of his palace, he sees Bathseba for
the first time. He immediately inquires about her and is told that she was married to Uriah. His passion and desire
take over as he pursues her despite the obvious sin. His pride leads him to commit adultery with her. He soon learns
that she has become pregnant, which meant there was no way to cover this sin up since Uraih was away at war. He
then sends orders to his general to send Uriah to the front lines and then withdraw, essentially, covering up his sin by murdering Uriah.

Then in 2 Samuel 12, David is confronted with his sin by Nathan. His response to Nathan’s rebuke is what makes
David stand out. He did not run or hide from it. He did not defend or deflect it onto someone else. He owned it and it
broke his heart to the point that it changed him. This is repentance. This is what made David great.
David’s story should encourage us. This is one of the great men of the Bible and he was far from perfect. If we take an honest look at ourselves, we will find that we also are not perfect. God desires that we be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:15-16) yet He knows that perfection was only possible for Jesus. One of the great paradoxes of faith in God is this call for perfection combined with the absolute inability to fulfill it. David shows us how to navigate these waters with true repentance.

Confessions

I Confess... I've had my Swap stuff ready for a couple weeks now, all wrapped and ready to go. The USPS box has been driving around with me all week. I need to get it mailed today.

I Confess... I am way sick. I had a feeling I had a sinus infection and/or bronchitis but I went to the Dr yesterday and I do have a sinus infection... AND bronchitis... AND an ear infection... AND some kind of infection on my eyelid. Shingles, maybe? Orbital Cellulitis, could be?

I Confess... thanks to my TWO doctors I had to see yesterday I now have to choke down 12 new pills a day for the next two weeks.

I Confess... I am hiding behind my glasses with some coverup b/c this bump on my eyelid is UGLY. It hurts and is hard. He said that regardless of what it is, since they didnt give me a definate diagnosis, will be covered under either of the 2 medications I now have to take.

I Confess... I just want my eye back!!

I Confess... Ty met with our kids pastor yesterday and she is going to get baptized this Sunday. I am so proud of her :)

I Confess... Drew had his last basketball game this week... He made a basket. He did really well. He's got some speed on him :)

I Confess... today we are going bridesmaid dress shopping for my nephew's wedding. Should be interesting. Maybe a whole blog post of its own, LOL!

Big Decision for a Little Girl

For a while now, my daughter has been telling me she wants to get baptized. I told her that's a big decision to make and to pray about it and when she feels the timeis right, we can go talk to our Pastor.

Last night on our way to church, she told me she was ready... that she wants to talk to the Pastor and let him know she wants to get baptized. When we got there we found the kids Pastor and Ty ran up to him and said, "I've thought about it and I want to get baptized"... so he invited her to a meeting tomorrow to discuss over smoothies in the coffee shop.

Last night she was working on reasons as to why she wants to get baptized and she made a list:
1. I want to have God in my heart
2. God's good. He's my best friend no matter what I do.
3 I want to be a better person in Christ.
4 I want to know God better.
5 I want to teach/tell people more about God.
6 His son died on the cross for me.
7 I want God to help me make make choices.

Well said my darling daughter. I am so proud of her...the little lady she is becoming, the servant of God that she is, and the wonderful example to others. I am blessed.