Oh, the places we've been!
Okay y’all! The giveaway for the book by Leigh Gray is ending on August 17, 2009 🙂
So HURRY!!
Don’t forget to head over to Mary Snyder’s giveaway too!!!
I’ve got more to say…but I’m really swamped right now…I will be back 🙂
© The Knightly News 2007-2009
I really don’t know where to start…and I KNOW you don’t have all day (or night–depending when you are reading this), but I have so much to be thankful for!
Iris is right on target about JOY! That is the first one! JOY is from within! The heart of every believer is filled with the joy of our salvation! Praises flood our hearts and fill the silence!
I am thankful that when I have such a bummer of a day (we all have them) that I can call on sisters of like faith to join in prayer with me and for me! (Thank you!!)
I am thankful for new and good books to read (bought an extra just to giveaway–see below this post)!
I am thankful for a sweet visit with an awesome sister! Lisa Shaw came for the weekend and we had a wonderful time in the LORD! (I don’t know why that picture turned out so small…but we look mighty little don’t we girlfriend!) Lisa has more pictures on her site and so does Susan!
I am thankful for my sweet darlin’ man–who just surprised the daylights out of me (ever had that happen to you?) with some beautiful flowers and it really made my bad-bummer day go away!
I am thankful for HIS WORD! Iris shared this verse: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”~ Romans 15:13 (ESV)
By the way, one BIG thankful I NEED to mention…the bio-natural hormone replacement therapy is working…(except this week—and the stress of life –was more at fault than hormones).
God is so good. All the time. I have more thankfulness, but I better stop right here…I feel the tears starting up.
© The Knightly News 2007-2009
Join the Sisters of Faith in welcoming Mary Snyder to the 2009 Bloggers Retreat!
MARY IS HAVING A GIVEAWAY THIS WEEK!!! GO SEE HER! QUICK!
Mary is one of 8 of awesome women who will be speaking and sharing their heart! I have had the pleasure of talking to this sweet southern sister on the phone just a few weeks ago—and she is PRECIOUS! You will love her to pieces!
You are coming right??
Mary Snyder is an author, speaker, wife, mother, blogger, girlfriend, but above all else a follower of Jesus Christ.
Mary’s walk of faith is a path littered with potholes and missteps. She has fallen in the potholes and tripped over her own good deeds, but the blessing is she serves a Grace‐filled and Merciful Savior who loves her and has called her into His service.
Her less‐than‐perfect life is the driving force behind her passion to see women come to a deeper relationship with the Lord. In truth and in love, Mary shares a message of hope, joy, and adventure in Christ Jesus.
With a passion for God’s Holy Word and a commitment to serve Him, Mary shares her heart with groups and connects with women of all ages.
Mary brings her love of all things girly and girlfriends to women’s groups and shares her heart in a message sprinkled with humor and wrapped in God’s Holy truth.*
To find out more about the retreat go to the site!
Bring a group of women! It will be worth the drive!
ON another note….if you have never heard or read Leigh Gray….you’ve GOT to!
I am going to GIVE AWAY one of her books!!! YEAH!!!
The way to enter THIS giveaway? EASY PEAZY!
Thought you’d never ask! Respond to this posting By commenting that you WANT to ENTER for the BOOK! THEN, go to MARY Snyder’s place and comment about the RETREAT!
If you get a chance, go to LEIGH’s SITE and tell her YOU are entering a contest on my page for her “autographed” book! “Loving God, Loving People” YOU will LOVE the book and LOVE Leigh Gray!
I know I probably confused you….but just do it….it’s sort of like a scavenger hunt! Right?? It will be fun! These two girls are so precious! And I really want you to meet Mary! She is giving away a $100 scholarship to the retreat!!!!!
A few days away. That’s the ticket! (As Father Tim of Jan Karon’s books on the life in Mitford would say)
To help me gain perspective on things…. again.
Being tired all the time doesn’t mean I have an excuse to avoid the Light. As a matter of fact, the tiredness and exhaustion has caused me to seek Him all the more. Are you that way too?
This is from a passage I read today, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35 NIV)
“Very early”….while it was still dark…He sought the Light. He was the Light, but yet, He needed to be strengthened. He was God in the flesh, and because of that very flesh nature, He got weary…just like you and me. That is hard for me to fathom. But He did. He went through the day to day—experiencing hunger, thirst, exhaustion, friendship, love for His followers, sadness, even anger. But without sin. Until the cross.
There He took on my sin. And your sin.
The Light of the world took on the dark ugly sin of the world, and while the enemy thought he had conquered my Lord, and even surmised that He had shut Him into the very darkness, he, [the enemy] knew so well, the Light became even brighter on His resurrection morning!
He arose! He is the Light of the world—having come so that we too could have LIGHT and life everlasting!
When your day seems dark—as they so often do—in these economic times, seek the Light. He is the Light.
When it seems that all your world is being stripped away piece by piece, seek the Light. He is your provider.
When it seems there is no answer for the questions that are plaguing your heart, seek the Light. He is the Answer!
There is no darkness too dark that His Light and love cannot penetrate!
Trusting Him,
Angie
Copyright The Knightly News 2009. All rights reserved.
Y’all. I have never—ever —ever in my life seen a man so taken with a critter. He decided when he saw it. Love at first sight. Then calls me. “Go see! Go see!” (says he). I went. I saw. I was licked on the chinny chin-chin. And in the heart.
After much discussion. Many phone calls (while I am trying to WORK for crying out loud)…we have a new baby. Another boy.
Believe it or not…the yellow lab is mine. The patio furniture chewin’, shoe gnawin’, stick eatin’, fish catchin’ yellow bundle of energy and love is mine.
The white fur ball of squeaky noise, howl when the light is turned out and his cage door shuts, follow your every step, under your feet, can’t read your bible for him pulling your pajama leg, bundle of sweet love, is Jeff’s.
Go figure.
and 
© The Knightly News 2007-2009
Now as grandparents, we do things with them that we did with our girls. Sort of.
For instance. I used to make the girls a tent in their rooms, or in the living room and dining room by using sheets and light blankets draped on the furniture. This was rainy day fun for them. When the boys come over, it is more fun for them to pitch an actual tent in the living room. Which we do. As you can see in the video.
When our girls were young, there was a time, maybe even twice that we had “no TV” for over a month. A choice made when it broke and we had no money to fix it! However, the month of July, has been sort of an unofficial “no TV” month at our house. It’s not broken, no one has been grounded…but we needed some silence from the chaos of the world. I have no clue what has been happening other than what I have been told. I have survived. I have still been able to eat, sleep and dress myself without the TV! Believe it or not! So has Jeff!
We have read, worked on a puzzle (a big one, not the one Zackary is putting together in the video) –I have done some cleaning—and enjoyed time without the influence of the world.
Before you watch the video—and you start thinking I am off my rocker, you need to know a little bit about the two miracles in the picture.
The first little fellow was a 2 lb. 7 oz. miracle born 2 1/2 months early. A little anxious to get here, he wasted no time. He has been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, along with other health issues. He is a live wire miracle!
The one in the tent is reading to us. This brought tears to my eyes. He is 7 1/2 and just started TALKING when he was just over 5. He was diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder and Grandbuddy began to pray earnestly for him to be able to talk just over 2 years ago. The week he began to fast and pray for Rylan we saw major improvement. By the end of the first 2 weeks, Rylan had said his first sentence. It was short…but it was a sentence!
So as you listen to his slow, but steady words, keep in mind the miracle that has taken place before our very eyes. He has just graduated from Kindergarten and will be going on to take on 1st grade! Each step with him as been another growth of faith in our lives.
I am thankful over and over when I peer into the eyes of these little ones. All of them!
On another note, I would like your prayers.
On August 15, 2009—I will be here. Barbara from the Ivy Path e-mailed me to be in prayer about speaking for them at a retreat. I began to pray. The LORD began to work in my heart and my mind a direction even before she told me what they wanted. The direction from Him and her request were the same. So, if you would please jot my name on your prayer list that God would use me as He sees fit —I would greatly appreciate it! AND if you can join us in Lake City, Florida—-that would be awesome!
For now, join us over at my friend, Lynn’s place—and let’s all be THANKFUL!
© The Knightly News 2007-2009
For those of you who follow the rambling, romping life of Max, here are a few updated pictures. Taken just this weekend. He is Mr. Serious. But only for these shots…in real life, he is a rambunctious pile of fur that loves to CHEW on anything. From sticks, to patio furniture–to rocks, towels, shoes, etc….you get the picture? Wait, he chewed the picture!
Yes, I know this now….but I wouldn’t trade him for anything!
You know, the LORD wouldn’t trade us for anything either. He knows our faults, missteps, and many times we do things that are against His nature, yet He loves us on. He points us in the direction of the Cross—if we are looking to HIM for the answer.
Max loves to play fetch. He will run and stand where he THINKS the ball or frizzbie will land…and sometimes I throw him off…just to see if he’s paying attention.
Sometimes God uses the oddest things to get our attention….to see if we are listening…and watching. He is constantly sending me reminders of His love. Much like the little hearts we pass around on facebook!
Let me share this passage from Psalm 139:1-3 (NLT)
There is nothing He is not aware of. From the trials you face today, to the joys that will come tomorrow! He knows all about it and has equipped you to face the ordeal around the next bend in the road. Lean on Him. Take your burdens to HIM.
Stand where He’s about to throw out the blessing!
© The Knightly News 2007-2009
(These feet don’t stink)
My sister, Aimee told me a little story of when she was working at the hospital (on the baby floor), a woman and her husband was in their room after she had given birth the night before, and when Aimee came on shift she said the whole floor stunk. She said it smelled like “collards cooking”. Everyone was complaining. They couldn’t find the source.
So Aimee set out like a huntin’ dog on a scent. She found the source. Lying on a couch in his wife’s room lay a tuckered out workin’ man—snoring loud enough to wake the dead…and with feet and leather boots stinky enough to kill ’em all over again!
Miss Fix-it found a bag to put said stinky boots in and tied the knot tight. When the wife roused from her sleep—she explained that they were “smelling so bad, it might upset your stomach when your supper gets here.” The sleeping giant of a husband never even skipped a snore. Kept right on sawing the veritable logs.
Well, that was your funny for the day. It was an old story from Aimee’s hospital days…but made me laugh. Maybe it did you too!
Strength from Pain.
Several months ago, I felt a twinge of emotional pain being inflicted from an outside source. I stood there —asking the Lord, why—-“Why would You make me face this? When so much is already going on? Why? Then He said to my heart—“he is having to deal with what he has done. He will have to face his decisions. It may be hard on you…but your strength comes from Me.”
While I fully realize that any strength I have comes from my Father, I also know that I can’t avoid the pain. He gives us strength to endure the pain. Every single kind of pain.
I had to have blood drawn last year for a simple cholesterol check. My regular nurse—the one that KNOWS how difficult it is getting blood from me and HOW TO DO IT WITHOUT KILLING ME had a baby and was not there. So —I got this little chick—who said—“oh it’ll be easy, I’ll just leave the blood pressure cuff on”. Yeah right.
So while the blood pressure cuff is cutting off the circulation to my hand, and sweet young nurse is tapping the inside of my arm to get a vein to pop up and say “here I am—stick me please”….I am thinking of Wanda. And how many times she was poked and prodded. How she endured needle after needle, blood draw after blood draw. Year after year.
She was given strength. To endure the pain. The pain wasn’t removed from her life just because she was a sweet precious child of the Father. But He gave her unimaginable strength to keep going.
That’s what He does for us. As we face trials and problems, situations that just knock us down, the Lord lifts up our weary body, brushes us off, cleans us up….sometimes even has to do a little “garment repair”—when we act out of character for our calling. I have had garment repair. In years past, my mouth got me in a world of trouble. WHEN I am not careful it still does.
So with caution I stand. Willing—unsure of my ability, but very sure of His ability.
Your strength and my strength, comes from Him. Yes, you may have to endure the pain of the drawing of blood….but He will strengthen your soul. He strengthens my soul.
Bless the Lord,
O my soul,
and all that is within me;
Bless His Holy Name!
© The Knightly News 2007-2009
Jeff & Angie 