Here and There!

This is a little behind....ahemmmmm (I'm talking to myself!!)
Hoping you had a fun and enjoyable Easter with family and/or friends! Easter is in my top few holidays as it is NO stress for me! Spring is here, the pastel colors are beautiful, and

 C H O C O L A T E!! 

What could be better! 

And now I have this little bunny to spoil!

 Great Great Aunt Michaelene knitted her a bunny hat!

Her Mommy said I was out of control since I bought her 4 pair of bunny ears! NO....not me!

Grandma LOVES to do bath time!

 And she can't resist getting a new hair bow whenever she is out shopping!

We had a wonderful church service and Lily-Jo ended up in 2 Easter dresses....she had a MAJOR explosion in the diaper and had to be bathed in the bathroom sink and then redressed in her 2nd dress that Mommy just happened to pack! Quite memorable for her first Easter! We then headed over to Grandma Ruth's for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. It was our first Easter without Grandpa Nelson there so that was very hard and he is deeply missed. The extended family is growing and so all the next generation is fun to enjoy.




I seem to be "calendar" living right now. Which means I'm constantly looking at the calendar to see what is going on today, what is coming up, what is the next event to get ready for. My husband is heavy into track meets right now and is very busy. That will last through May.


My baby, Darbey Rhea, is Graduating! UGH...I said it!  We are busy getting plans for "outside" work to get done to celebrate with a Graduation Party! It will also be the same day as her 18th birthday!  

And then we begin the crunch of July wedding plans! We have really gotten a lot done and I'm not stressed but still lots to do! 

Gotta go...what am I doing sitting here typing! HA!

Stand By Me by Neta Jackson Book Review

"Sometimes the person you most need is the one least like you." 

This book had me right from the beginning...page 1....wondering how the title would fit this catchy phrase. 

  Stand By Me is the first novel in the new SouledOut Sisters series, which follows the Yada Yada Prayer Group Series and the Yada Yada House of Hope series.

I really enjoyed this book and was able to really identify and get to know these characters. Avis, the elementary principal, was easy to relate to as I am an elementary teacher. I appreciated and understood Avis! Kat, a college student, was familiar to my past and youth! I loved how the story led you to believe they would never connect or need each other. But oh how that changes! I really enjoyed the Christian influence each had on one another. I appreciated their faith and how the church family dwelt in all of them. A close knit group of people who relied on each other. 

Set in Chicago, Avis Douglas and her husband, Peter,  dream of selling his software business to go on a mission trip in South Africa. And of course, there are problems. A pastor of SouledOut Community Church passes away suddenly, and Avis and Peter are asked to help and assist with the leadership of the church, but that creates an all-black leadership, stirring up some issues in their multi-cultural church.
Meanwhile, Kate Blanchard arrives in urban Chicago with three friends. Kate feels a closeness herself to Avis, bit Kate's good intentions grates on Avis. With time,  they realize they need each other.

Neta Jackson has a whole series of award winning Yada books! I can't wait to visit all of them. She has such a way to make you feel like you are right there and living their trials and joys and hard aches and blessings. 


This book gets 5 stars! 
Pure, wholesome, good entertainment with a great story line.

A free copy of this book was provided for me through the Booksneeze program through Thomas Nelson. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Jesus' Words

My husband and I were driving to KC to go to Home Depot and we were listening to a Christian radio station talk.  I don't recall the speaker but it really caught my attention. He spoke on the 7 phrases of words that Jesus spoke before his death. It was a powerful talk he gave. I got home that night and grabbed my Bible to review them again. 
My thoughts were that if I was being led to hang on the cross and then was placed on the cross in pure pain and agony.....I wonder what my words would have been. Some things I know about myself are that I would have bawled, I would of begged, I would have pleaded, I would have screamed, I would of been scared.  Jesus did not do any of those things in the hysterical way I would have. HE did was was required of him....HE fulfilled God's plan.


I want to share those words that he spoke. Think about them. Think about HIM. Think about how HE thought of others. YOU and I! HIS mind was not on HIMSELF. HE thought of HIS mother Mary. HE thought of the two who hung beside HIM. HE thought of those who condemned HIM. 


Many days I think of myself wayyyyyy too much. My stomach is growling, I have a headache, I have too much work to do. I'm worn out. I'm tired of not having any free time. I have laundry and dishes to do and I don't want to.  Do I think of others enough? NO! Is there someone that has it worse than me? YES! Do I help others as much as I should? NO! Should I ? YES YES YES!


During this Easter season, we tend to focus MORE on Jesus' death and resurrection....but it should be in our hearts and minds EVERY DAY! Think of Calvary, think of the crown of thorns, think of Mary watching her SON, think of the empty tomb, think of heaven, think of the blood that was shed, think of the bearing of the cross by Simon of Cyrene. 

What beautiful things to think about because it was done for us.

And think of these words that Jesus said....

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Gospel of Luke 23:34   "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Gospel of Luke 23:43  "Jesus said to his mother: "Woman, this is your son".
Then he said to the disciple: "This is your mother." Gospel of John 19:26-27   "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34   "I thirst" Gospel of John 19:28   When Jesus had received the wine, he said,
"It is finished";
and he bowed his head and handed over the spirit. Gospel of John 19:30   Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit": Gospel of Luke 23:46     

    Jesus practiced what He preached: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).