{ Friday Foto Friends #139 }

I thought it'd be fun to take a stroll down memory lane with the homes I've lived in during my lifetime.

The first house I ever knew, but can't remember living there because I only spent my first year of life in this home. I spent many more years to come visiting and spending the night though.  This was my Papaw and Mamaw's home where Mom and Dad lived until I was about a year old while their home was being built on some property my Papaw gave them.  That's my Momma standing beside the house a few years ago.

This was the home I actually grew up in. Oh, the sweet memories of living there with all those pine trees and the carport that Daddy built and his blue car parked under it!  That's the front door I fell out of (don't remember that, either, Mom told me) and I still have a scar on my chin as a reminder. It has been remodeled and added onto since this foto, but in my mind's eye I can still see the big blue lights around the window at Christmas-time and the candles in the window and my Dad letting my brother go down the front yard on his red bike without the training wheels and sitting in the yard under a tree studying my Sunday school lesson and raking up pine needles and Daddy paying me ten cents for a days work and push mowing the entire yard....whew, to be young again!  And, you can't see it in this foto, but wandering the woods behind our house and our uncle's who lived next door and never once seeing a snake or getting poison. Sweet, sweet memories, Y'all!

(I'm so glad I was prompted to take this foto probably close to 50 years ago)

I don't have a foto of the first place Pappy and I lived after we got married. We rented a small mobile home from his parents but only lived there for 3 months until we rented this little block home from my Mamaw's hubby (not my Papaw, he had passed away by then). There's a whole 'nother tale about the love story between my Mamaw and her second husband.....so, so precious! Interestingly, this home has been upgraded, the block painted white and it was recently sold and a church has opened it's doors in this home. For some reason, that kind of makes my heart happy!

 This is where Pappy and I live now, the home we built and moved into only a couple of weeks before Jess was born almost 39 years ago. It was nowhere near completed and LOTS and LOTS of sweat have gone into making this house our home and where all these years later, it's in much need of remodeling on the inside, but our 4 grand kiddos don't seem to mind that one bit!

Would you believe that all of our homes are within a mile, or less, of each other?  Neither of us strayed too far from our original homes and we stayed in the same community. 

 That makes my heart happy, too!

Ain't Good good?

Oh, YES HE is!!!

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{ Father's Day }

Two of the most important fathers in my life (besides our heavenly Father).....

my own precious Daddy who went to be with Jesus almost 23 years ago and Pappy.....

true blessings!

Happy Father's Day!

{ Friday Foto Friends #56 }

Last week I said I would share some of our CHRISTmas decorations, but I'll save that for another Friday Foto Friends.

Today, this handsome fellow is celebrating a birthday!

Happy, happy birthday to my hubby!

We're gonna be heading out a bit for a day of celebration so I might be late in visiting to leave you a comment on your link-up.....

but I'll get there.

HOPE everybody has a great weekend!

{ Simply Stated}

Pappy's new shirt makes a simple statement full of truth!

HOPE everybody has a terrific Thursday!

Don't forget tomorrow is Friday Foto Friends #46.

{ Friday Foto Friends #6 }

Edited:
I'm so sorry about the link-up.
It's active now!

First of all, did y'all watch Coat of Many Colors last night?  Oh, my word!  It was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time......completely faith-based. One minute I was laughing and the next crying like a baby and toward the end when her Daddy accepted Jesus......
well, I kinda lost it then!
I HOPE they show it again soon, and I've heard  there will be more movies about Dolly Parton's life.  I've lived in Sevier County, TN my entire life, went to Sevier County High School (just like she did, except she's about 9 years older than me) so this movie meant a lot to me and how I was "raised up", too.

Now on to the topic of today......

 How did we get to Week #6 already?
And, how can Christmas Day be only two weeks away.....
and 2016 just right around the corner?
Time really doesn't stand still for any of us, does it?

This picture was taken in 2007, just a short time before the birth of our second grandson. It was taken by our daughter of Pappy and me, and she also took some of us with our oldest grand-boy.  I'm sharing this particular one because it's Christmas-time!  I'd be honored if you'd share a picture of your own.

We're having our family get-together tomorrow,

so I'm hoping to have some pics to share next week.

HOPE everybody has a great weekend!

{ Wednesday's Word - Suffering }

 A few weeks ago I shared a little book of scriptures that I compiled for somebody going thru a rough time on their job.  That someone is my husband.  You might recall that he was out of work for exactly a year, almost the entire year of 2012.  The job he is doing now is a type of ministry, something we prayed for, and he truly feels it is where God placed him.  With that being said, though, he is suffering persecution.....terribly.....to the point that it's affecting his health.  This isn't the first time that I've seen him go through a really hard time because of his convictions, and it's heart-breaking to see somebody you love suffer for doing good.....

for standing up for their beliefs, for what is right.....

even if it means standing alone.

I know God has a plan.....

and it's a good one.....

we just have to keep trusting and keeping our HOPE in HIM!!!

May I ask you to add my hubby to your prayer list.  

I know I have so many readers who are true prayer warriors.

Breathing in Grace,

{ McCloud Mountain }

Most of the time Pappy and I work around home on Saturday.  There's ALWAYS so much to be done around our homes as they get older.  A couple of weeks ago, because neither of us really felt so great, we decided to take a little trip.  We only had to travel about 1.5 hours from home and got to see some of God's beauty.

You might want to get you a tall glass of iced tea, or a cup of coffee because I'm forewarning you......

Picture Overload

We drove about 2 miles up the mountain to get to our destination.  

Two very winding miles where sometimes I thought we were meeting ourselves!

This was my view sitting at our table at lunch.

I was completely wowed!

I told Pappy this showed me just a bit of God's view of the world.  

He sees the "big picture" and I only get a view of certain things.  

A huge cross that lights up and shines down on the valley below.

Looking back toward the restaurant from the "gazebo", a little overlook built just for those visiting the restaurant.  I've gotta be honest here.  I am EXTREMELY afraid of heights, so Pappy had to take a few of the pictures from the gazebo because I just could not go out on the edge, even though the area was enclosed.  Yes, that's a fear I need to ask God to help me get over!

The rest of these pictures were taken from the "sky walk".  It was built out over these natural rock  formations and the view was absolutely awesome.  I'm thinking we'll have to go back once the leaves change colors.  Can you even imagine the view then?

I think this vulture sensed my fear of heights and was just waiting for me to fall off the edge!

Pappy and me.....squinting from the sun.

Here's a little video to give you a better idea of the place we visited.

Also, and this is just so very neat.....

on Sunday after we took this little trip, 

we were watching a local TV show, "Tennessee Uncharted", and would you believe that McCloud Mountain was featured?  I recognized the fence at the Sky Walk!

Psalm 96:11-12
Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
    Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
  Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
    Let the trees of the forest sing for joy.

HOPE everybody has an awesomely blessed day!

Breathing in Grace,

Wednesday's Word - Anniversary.....

Thirty-eight years.

Happiness and tears.

Deaths and births.

Love and hurts.

Joy and sorrow.

There's ALWAYS tomorrow.

~~~~Deb Huffaker~~~

I wouldn't trade the last thirty-eight years with this man for anything in the world. I know without a doubt that God put us together and has certainly blessed us beyond what we could have ever imagined.  

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Two people are better off than one,

for they can help each other succeed. 

 If one person falls,

 the other can reach out and help. 

But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 

 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. 

But how can one be warm alone? 

 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, 

but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. 

Three are even better, 

for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

April 22, 1977

April 22, 2009

(one of my favorite pics of us!)

April 5, 2015

Breathing in Grace,

A roller coaster day.....

WARNING:
wordy post

I don't like roller coasters.

Actually, I'm not fond of any types of carnival/fair rides because they have a tendency to make me sick.  By the same token, I don't really care for days that leave me feeling like I've been on highs and lows, just like the twists and turns of the roller coaster track.

Yesterday was such a day for me.

It started off with as soon as I bowed my head to pray during my devotional time, I couldn't quit crying.

I wasn't even sure where the tears were coming from,

but I just kept pouring my heart out to the Lord and felt His comforting arms around me.

A short time later, Pappy called to tell me that he had locked his keys in his car.

He had me search for a key here at the house and bring the one he thought would work to Knoxville.  I stopped and picked up my Mom to ride with me.  I was a nervous wreck, because I don't like to drive in Knoxville.  I'm used to driving in the country, not the "big city", although I used to do it every.single.day!!!  Anyway, I had prayed before heading out and when I pulled onto the lot, there were 2 men there who already knew the situation with Pappy's car and would you believe I never even got out of the truck because one of the men did it all.  The key didn't work.....and our insurance didn't cover road-side assistance on that vehicle because we got the cheapest coverage on an old car....sigh!  Well, this man got out his cell phone and started making calls, asking me if I had the money to pay for a locksmith....which, I did not, but my Mom spoke up and said she had cash, so I was just going to pay her back.  The man walked off and was on his phone for quite some time.....and when he came back, he told me that he had called Triple AAA and they would be coming to unlock the car and it wouldn't cost us anything.  I tried to pay him, but he wouldn't take anything.  I assured him that God would bless him for his kindness and how good God is (ain't that right?)!!!  As I was backing out of the lot, he said, "oh, by the way, I'm Jack's boss".  WOW!! What an awesome boss to do that for his employee!  

So....Mom and I head home and I talk to  Pappy and tell him what just happened and how I was still about to start crying all over again and we decided that we would at least buy this fellow a gift card.  I stopped by Cracker Barrel (who doesn't  LOVE Cracker Barrel) and got one for him as a "thank you".

I get to Mom's and she asks me to come in that she has something to show me.
She goes into her bedroom and brings back my Daddy's billfold.  Mom told me that she didn't know why after all these years she hadn't looked in it, and my Dad has been in heaven for over 20 years.  As I unfolded the pictures that he had so carefully placed into the slots, I found one of Pappy and me and Jess.....3 of Jess  (oh, how he loved that girl).....one of Mom when she and Daddy were dating....and one of him and Mom, along with his driver's license and several other cards that meant a lot to him.  But, what I saw was my Daddy's heart.  Holding his billfold in my hands.....one that I'm pretty certain I bought for him because it was leather with ducks and reeds on it, something he adored.....the tears started again.  And, then Mom opened up the place where he kept his money....and there were three $100 dollar bills.  Still as crisp and new as when he placed them there.  She gave one to me....one was going to my brother....and she kept one.  I hugged her and told her how much I loved her and we talked about how much we  both missed Daddy.

Then, I get in the truck to come home.....
FINALLY!

I decided to check my e-mail before I left Mom's driveway and read one about the death of a sweet, dear lady I used to  go to  church with, Ms. Norma. We still kept in touch.  She sent me a text just a short time ago  telling me how every time she saw a cardinal in her yard, she thought of me (if you know me well, you know I adore cardinals....and owls). That brought on more tears.  I had to call our former Sunday School teacher and my mentor, Ms. Thelma to share the news with her.  Oh, what an awesome conversation we had.  This woman is so wise and truly knows her Bible.  I just love and admire her so very much.  She cheered me up and  confirmed some decisions I had made that I was doing the right thing.  I sat in the truck and talked with her for over 30 minutes.

Then.....
I come in the house and get ready to keep 4 kiddos for about 5 hours!

So, see why last night I went to bed feeling like I had been on a roller coaster ride all.day.long?!?!
I also didn't sleep because I had so much to PONDER on!

But, this morning, all I could think of was this verse of scripture.....



Amen!!!

Breathing in Grace,

Melancholy Monday.....

Well, Pappy returns to work today.

After having him home since last Wednesday,

and us spending every.single.minute together.....

well, it makes me kinda sad.

I miss him....

:-(

We had such an awesome time celebrating my birthday.

I'll try to share later on this week some of our thrifty finds.

But, for today....

it's back to cleaning and laundry and catching up on those things I didn't get done last week.....

because I was having too much fun!!

HOPE everybody has a blessed day!

Breathing in Grace,

What are you FOCUSing on?.....

Pappy and I took part in a Prayer Retreat at our church this past Saturday morning.  We are in agreement that it was one of the most Spiritual events we've ever been a part of.  At the end, when asked if anybody had something they wanted to share, Pappy told how he had a really difficult time focusing when we were praying individually and he had to mentally tell himself to FOCUS!  I had noticed him hurriedly jotting something down and here's what he came up with and shared with the rest of us.....

on the spur of the moment.....

which, had to totally be inspired by the Holy Spirit:

F - Forget everything for now that distracts me from being Christ-centered.

O - Open my heart and mind to hear from You and Your will for my life.

C - Commit my life and all to You, God!

U - Understand Who God is and how sinful and lowly I am.

S - Seek God now and start to be in the right frame of mind when I worship, wherever I am.

Isn't that just AWESOME?

And, may I say how blessed I am to be married to this man?

Plus, y'all know how much I adore acrostics.

I told him that I believe FOCUS should be his word for 2015!

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, 

that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, 

what is good and acceptable and perfect.

HOPE everybody has a Terrific Tuesday!

Breathing in Grace,

Friday Foto.....

Pappy and I recently realized that we've known each other for 46 years.

He surprised me last night when he told me that he asked for today off.

Oh, how I look forward to when he can retire and be home every day!

HOPE you all have an awesome weekend!

Breathing in Grace,

Whatever your hand finds to do.....

  We were out and about the day after CHRISTmas and came across this journal and Pappy got it for me......

notice that it's PURPLE.

So, I decided that it NEEDED a bookmark,

and what better than an owlie to mark my place?

I'm really getting excited about how God is speaking to me about my 2015 word.....

PONDER.

HOPE y'all have a Sweet Saturday!

Breathing in Grace,

Friday Fotos.....

I don't do quite as much decorating as I used to.

I actually am planning to go through all my seasonal decorations next summer and donate a lot of them.

(because they're stored in our cold basement)

Pappy bought this little nativity set at a yard sale just for our grand kiddos!

I saw them rearranging it when they were here last night!

This is on top of an old dresser that sits inside our front door.

It was actually my Mom and Dad's first bedroom suite,

and I refinished it many years ago.

The "hurricanes" were made from vases and candle holders purchased at the Dollar Tree and glued together with E6000 glue.

My sis-in-law gave me the rusty "peace".

And, that ship in the background.....

my precious brother made that just for me when he was just a teenager!

This nativity is one of my very favorite CHRISTmas decorations.

Pappy and I bought it the first CHRISTmas after we were married.....

thirty-eight years ago.

It's "Home Interior".

See that stable?

My Daddy and Pappy made that out of paneling that looks like barn wood.

I hot glued Spanish moss to the top.

It just means so much to me knowing my Daddy had his hands on it,

since this will be his 20th year actually celebrating CHRISTmas in heaven.

So, that's that about that.....

a little saying my Mammie used to quote.

HOPE y'all have a Fantastic Friday!

Breathing in Grace,

Happy Birthday.....

to my man!!!

Thank you for your love, support, and encouragement.....

but, especially, for your Christian leadership!

(yes, he reads my blog)

I love you, Pappy!

HOPE you have an awesome birthday!

Numbers 6:24-26

‘May the Lord bless you
    and protect you.
 May the Lord smile on you
    and be gracious to you.
 May the Lord show you his favor
    and give you his peace.’

Breathing in Grace,