TREASURES

~ Inspired by Pastor Doug Crumbly ~

2012-02-08T13:52:00.004-05:00

~ A Journal Entry ~
Dear Daddy-God,
I saw a glimpse of you today at church,
a bit of your nature was revealed to me like a snapshot picture, and the image still burns in my mind-
the Pastor's hand was cupping a young girl's face,
a girl brave enough to walk down the aisle and stand, waiting her turn for prayer.
his face was close beside hers, but not face to face,
she was looking straight ahead & he could be seen by the audience,
his mouth was positioned near her ear, speaking words packed with faith,
his eyes were closed and his brow scrunched tight, intense & engaged,
shooting his words, arrows of truth, straight into her spirit.
I didn't mean to stare, but when I saw a glimpse of you Daddy, I couldn't look away.

~ sacrifice ~

2012-02-01T14:22:00.003-05:00

I have missed writing and posting pics on my blog. My bestie Jessie inspired me to get back to it.

So...today is Feb. 1st 2012, the first day off of my month long fasting in January. While fasting last month, I talked to a new friend who is Catholic and she was talking a little about lent and that it makes her remember the Sacrifice of Christ. It was such a simple statement, but it has had profound meaning to me. After that day, every time I would crave dr. pepper or McDonalds french fries, I would hear that quiet voice in my spirit speak that one solitary word. Sacrifice. And I would think how very very small a sacrifice I was making compared to Christ's enormous sacrifice for me. Sometimes I would feel disgusted with myself because even though I had been fasting from 5 specific things, I had not been daily praying for the 5 things I had committed to pray about. My focus seemed to be only on what I could not have versus the more wonderful things that I could eventually have from God's hand: a stronger marriage, an adopted child, job stability, etc.

This morning I went to women's Bible study. The group leader at my table opened with these words, "As I was praying for you this morning, the Lord gave me a word for us at this table, I was expecting it to be something like freedom or prosperity, but the word is SACRIFICE." Yes. I am indeed at the right place, at the right time. Thank you Jesus that when I feel like I am going backwards, you affirm me and say, "Yes, you are exactly where I want you. I may have been quiet lately, but I am still with you."

My 33rd Birthday

2010-10-20T19:04:00.005-04:00

Chuck grilled chicken, steak and pork shish kabobs on the grill for me, Stacy made me an Owl birthday cake and she also made me an Owl blanket. Mom & Dad gave me a New Living Translation Bible and spoiled me with other gifts. Honestly, the greatest gift is their love for me and friendship. I'm a blessed woman. = )

EAR FILTERS

2010-02-08T10:47:00.002-05:00

"Prayer is what moves the heart of God....We're in serious trouble when the voice of God is not a priority...Make sure that your filter for hearing His voice is clean." - Mary Ann Brown

This morning, I was thinking about this idea of a clean filter for my ears

and I think that there are different colors of filters when hearing God's voice.

sometimes my filter is red because i am angry at someone or something and i when i hear Him it is filtered through anger.

sometimes my hearing filter is blue because i am depressed and what i hear is laced with hopelessness.

sometimes my filter is purple because i have slipped from confident to arrogant and my hearing is pride in myself.

sometimes my filter is orange because i have had too much caffeine and i am over zealous and what i hear comes out loud and obnoxious.

so, I came to the conclusion that my filter can be washed clean and made CLEAR by His Word. Then I can listen with respect to my King and My God and hear Him with a pure filter.

Below is from one of Beth Moore's studies and complements the hearing filter concept:

"The virtue "Gentleness" has 4 components: submission, humility, teachable and teaching ability. It stands between 2 extremes of: 1. uncontrollable and unjustified anger and 2. not becoming angry at all no matter what takes place around you."

"Gentleness is the power and strength created from submitting to God's will. It is responsibility with power."

My husband is naturally gentle, but I am not. I think that when my hearing filter is clean, then God's voice to me will be gentle and calm. And when I speak His words they will be clean and pure.

~ Scripture from Job ~

"A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it....

My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it...

Listen carefully to my words; let your ears take in what I say...

Men listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel.

After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears.

They waited for me as for showers

and drank in my words as the spring rain."

(NIV, Job 4:12, 13:1, 13:17, 29:21-23)

Jennifer Bowden

New Bedroom.....Finally!!!

2009-09-22T22:31:00.003-04:00

Chuck remodeled our bedroom and it's 99% done!!! Yeah! Smokey likes it too! I need a new lamp! = )

Lucy in Savannah

2009-09-21T15:10:00.003-04:00

We went to a hippie store in Savannah named "Loose Lucy's". I found a cool shirt and Lucy loved the big hat and sunglasses.

Tybee Island Sept 09

2009-09-21T14:58:00.004-04:00

We had a blast at Tbee Island and I LOVED Savannah. I ate shrimp and grits at Huey's on Riverstreet. Yumo! I had boiled shrimp at the Crabshack and Lucy got to feed live alligators there. And I had yummy she-crab soup at Dolphin Reef. Yes, my travels are dictated by food!

Lucy loved feeding the birds on the beach and picking up seashells. It was really beautiful there.

my lil flower girl & her cuz Jordan

2009-08-31T18:43:00.008-04:00

Jordan and Lucy sittin' in a tree..........

Tile in the basement

2009-08-12T22:20:00.003-04:00

It looks GREAT!

~ summer fun ~

2009-06-10T10:25:00.004-04:00

"Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

FRIENDS

2009-06-10T09:49:00.003-04:00

"Childhood...a far away land, simple, so simple were we,

Days of Play, Going our Way,

Having fun, no care, for another day,

time for us stood still, playing king of the hill

Childhood...summer time was fine, when friends were kind,

swiming holes were filled, our hearts were thrilled."

BEACH PICTURES

2009-06-02T09:56:00.011-04:00

~ Daddy and Lucy~

~ Mommy and Lucy~

Lucy loves her Poppy!!! He played with her in the sand at the beach.

We went to Starbucks at Pier Park on a rainy day. It was a blast. My hair was so wet and gross, I had to buy a new hat. The yummy coffee hit the spot and gave us a jolt.

They had so much fun riding the boat in the strong waves.

"You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomine, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing, and grace before I dip the pen in the ink." - GK Chesterton

Lucy Loves Liam

2009-05-06T12:10:00.001-04:00

My Parents Farm

2009-05-06T12:02:00.005-04:00

Here are a few pictures of the cows, goats and chickens at my mom and dad's house.

It's like a petting farm. = )

"That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;

That our daughters may be as pillars, sculptured in palace style.

That our barns may be full, supplying all kinds of produce." -Ps 144:12-13

Resurrection Sunday~

2009-04-11T08:09:00.003-04:00

I looked up the word "resurrection" to see if I spelled it correctly and I thought webster's definition was neat: "a rising from the dead", "a coming back into notice, use," and "Revival."

"It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection."
- voltaire

"You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here."

- Mark 16:6

I am so thankful for Jesus and His life. He is everything to me. He has captured my heart.

He is my love, my joy and my song. jenn

happy easter~

2009-04-09T21:57:00.001-04:00

we didn't plan on doing this......(i don't have any makeup on), but it was fun.

~Alan Charles Jr~

2009-03-29T18:46:00.004-04:00

I always think of my strong and solid Man when I hear the song Storm by Lifehouse.

Here are a few lines.

"I know everything will be all right....you will catch me if I fall....If I could just see you, everything would be all right....this darkness would turn to light."

maybe it's because we went to a wedding yesterday that I'm in a gushy lovey mood. = )

sometimes I wish I had one of those bumper stickers that said "I LOVE MY HUSBAND."

draft of a post from 3.7.09

2009-03-07T22:40:00.004-05:00

hey~this morning I was sitting on the couch drinking my coffee and trying to read/do my bible study while simultaneously Lucy is sitting with me and dipping her pop tart in my coffee. anyway, for some reason we get to talking about muscles and so I flexed my bicep and said, "Look Lucy, it feels like a rock." Lucy looks at my muscle and then touches it and she says very seriously, "It feels like.....(pause).....It feels like JESUS!" Ha!Ha! I loved it! I don't know why, but it made me smile and laugh. I love hearing her pure thoughts and ideas. She was exactly right by saying that the muscles feels like Jesus because he is Strong and our Rock. He is our muscle.

pig tails

2009-02-24T20:49:00.004-05:00

hey~ okay, so I only have one child and it's a girl. I admit to being a little overboard about taking her picture, but it's so fun! I have begun experimenting with fixing Lucy's hair. Today they were having "farm day" at school and the only farm clothes that I could come up with was a denim skirt and black cow girl boots....and pig tails! she loved them. she kept shaking her head from side to side.

~Valentines Day~

2009-02-15T22:10:00.011-05:00

Chuck and I went to Big Canoe on a much needed romantic getaway trip for Valentines this past weekend. We went hiking on Saturday. We love being in the woods together and enjoying God's creation.

"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me." -Psalm 42:7

my lucy

2009-02-06T17:22:00.002-05:00

I took this picture of Lucy this week. We were headed out the door to take her to preschool and she was just too irresistible, I had to take a picture. Her imagination is really blossoming. It's amazing. We "pretend" play a lot. She loves to sing, if she hears me singing, she picks up the song really quick. she can write her name and a smiley face and she writes it EVERYWHERE, like the couch pillows, my red chaise, the living room walls, her nightstand, just to name a few.

I don't say anything to other people about it, but people notice how smart she is. = ) She came home from school yesterday with a craft they had made and it was a black paper bag with medical suppllies in it and on the outside it said....."DR.LUCY."

silly time

2009-02-06T17:15:00.005-05:00

hey~we had some family silly time the other night. we colored with markers on each others bellies. = ) Chuck got a rainbow heart, I got a flower and Lucy got a butterfly. it was fun.

i'm not putting the picture of my belly on here. no way.

Magic Eraser

2009-02-06T17:11:00.002-05:00

Ya'll this thing is really magic. If you have never tried it, then you are in for a real treat. I was blown away by its cleaning power. = ) not joking.

Praise

2009-01-24T08:28:00.002-05:00

Praise (shabach) - to commend, to adore, to still, to quiet.

Shabach goes in 2 directions - Praising & Calming

"My lips shall praise you...I will lift up my hands in Your name." ps. 63

"There is power in lifting up our hands and praising God out loud.

Some are uncomfortable with this, because they think it makes them appear fanatical.

In reality, it is their PRIDE that's being confronted, they don't want to be thought of as foolish or strange.

David knew that there is a spiritual dynamic released when we begin praising God and lifting our HANDS toward Him. Don't be afraid to worship God with all your might whether at home, church, etc." (or in your car!) *smiles*

~Daughter of Mine~

2009-01-15T11:34:00.008-05:00

me and Lucy played barbies the other day. it was so fun. she put Ken barbie in timeout. ha!ha!

"My beautiful daughter, love of my heart,

I hope that you know you're wonderful and smart.

I cherish you dearly for the person you are;

You have passion and caring that will carry you far...

You have my love forever; I adored you from the start;

It's a privilege to be your mother, Dear daughter of my heart." - Cari Vick

"Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it - because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim His truth." - 1 cor 14:1 msg

book club - ch 1-6

2009-01-14T09:28:00.008-05:00

Okay, so I finished book one, chapters 1 - 6. Here are a few thoughts.

words to look up: inveigled, cerise, sheeny

quotes:

"When I grow up and know that I am going to have a baby, I will remember to walk proud & slow even though I am not a Jew."

"I'll have a desk like this....and a row of shining yellow pencils always sharpened for writing and a golden-brown bowl with a flower or some leaves or berries always in it and books...books...books."

"coup de grace"

"Flossie was starved about men and Sissy was healthily hungry about them. And what a difference that made."

"She loved to hear him {her Papa/Father} talk."

"I drink because I got responsibilities that I can't handle."

"Francie knew that Mama was a good woman. She knew. And Papa said so. Then why did she like her father better than her mother? Why did she? Papa was no good. He said so himself.

But she liked Papa better."

"Poor people have a great passion for huge quantities of things."

"something alien, yet beloved."

"They (the Nolans) just couldn't get enough of life. They lived their own lives up to the hilt but that wasn't enough. They had to fill in on the lives of all the people they made contact with."

***

I like/appreciate how there is a long line/blank in the place of the "F" word (pg 29). I guess that is because it was published in 1943.

I found this pic of Brooklyn on the web, it looks just like the streets that i saw when me and my mom went to NYC a few years ago., jenn.

Book Club - January

2009-01-12T14:36:00.003-05:00

I have began a book club with 2 friends, Val and Jess. For the month of January, Jess has chosen the American classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I only received my book today and have just finished the Forward by Anna Quindlen. (fyi: A. Quindlen is journalist, novelist and editor for Newsweek) I'm very excited and wish that I had all day, all night to devour this book quickly, but I have school, wifely duties and a Lucy-bug to play barbies with. smiles!

So...........first let me say, I am keeping an ongoing list of words that I look up the definition to. doesn't mean that I always don't know what they mean, but I want to get a deeper meaning. I love http://www.dictionary.com/. The first 3 words from the Foreward are: feckless, indefatigably and equanimity.

Here are some of my favorite lines from the Forward:

* "a story about what it means to be human",
* "Honesty is casting bright light on your own experience; truth is casting it on the experiences of all"

* "the fabric of family, the limits of love, the loss of innocence, and the birth of knowledge"

* "only tree that grew out of cement, a tree that liked poor people"

* "words that came in a can; the freshness was cooked out of them"

* "she suddenly sees the world as dingy and flawed, her parents as human and not omnipotent"

* "reads indefatigably, writes obsessively, dreams of a future different than what the past & present would portend."

I won't always have this much to write, or have the time, but the beginning is always exciting.

Love, Jenn

late night blogging

2009-01-05T23:02:00.003-05:00

did the picture totally crack you up or what?? i want this to be ME this year. = )

i'm copying my friend leah fink and putting something on my blog about HEALTH.

so, i'm off my meds right now and getting ready to make another bowden human.

per my psych-O doctor, i need to continue to take my vitamins, eat right, drink water and exercise. currently i take a prenatal vitamin, an omega 3 fish oil, B-12, evening primrose oil, and glucosamine complex. i sound like such a geezer!

i did some research tonight online and one of the important things for me (and everyone) to eat is foods that are rich in FOLATE. folate helps with making babies. fyi: lithium causes birth defects. "Brith defects of the brain or spinal cord are the major defects associated with inadequate folate intake. Folate is necessary for women of childbearing age and at the beginning of pregnancy for a healthy child."

So....here are a few foods that i like that are rich in folate: Black-eyed peas, Okra, Kidney beans, northern beans, Broccoli, Iceberg & Romaine lettuce, Sunflower seeds, Spinach, Corn, Asparagus, Baked beans, Green peas, Baked potato, Cabbage, Avocados, Peanuts, Orange juice, Strawberries, Oranges, Eggs, Bananas.

tonight i ate an entire container of strawberries, so i think i'm good on folate for today!

i dipped them all in cool whip too! it was so good. i think i ate so many berries b/c i didn't eat any meat with my dinner, chuck grilled pork chops and i'm cutting back on pork and beef for a while. bring on the chicken, tilapia, tuna and sushi please!

Happy New Year!!!

2008-12-31T11:43:00.004-05:00

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true. ~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson

For last year's words belong to last year's language

And next year's words await another voice.

And to make an end is to make a beginning. ~ T.S. Eliot

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on,

with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~ Hal Borland

Time to Cherish

2008-12-27T12:20:00.005-05:00

"At the end of life you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a spouse, a friend, a child, or a parent." - Barbara Bush

"Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that you cherished them." - Gail G. Sweet

"Every material goal, even if it is met, will pass away.

But the heritage of children is timeless.

Our children are our messages to the future." - Billy Graham

"May the Lord richly bless both you and your children." -Psalm115

"I FEEL SO CRAZY BLESSED!"

baby feet

2008-12-27T12:11:00.005-05:00

"I cannot name myself as one

Who never goes astray,

Who never stumbles on the road,

Or leaves the hallowed way.

But when I know that baby feet

Will follow where I've trod,

I walk with care that they too may walk

That road that leads to God."

- Margaret F. Powers

"The walks and talks we have with our two-year olds in red boots have a great deal to do with the values they will cherish as adults." -Edith F. Hunter

Lasting Legacies

2008-12-27T11:50:00.005-05:00

"There are 2 lasting legacies we can give our children. One of these is roots; the other, wings."

"I long to put the experience of 50 years at once into your young lives, to give you at once the key of that TREASURE chamber every gem of which has cost me tears and struggles and prayers, but you must work for these inward TREASURES yourself." -Harriet Beecher Stowe

"A cheerful giver does not count the cost of what she gives. Her heart is set on pleasing and cheering the one to whom the gift is given." - Julian of Norwich

"You may not be able to leave your children a great inheritance, but day by day you may be weaving coats for them which they will wear through all eternity." - T.L. Cuyler

Joy Is...

2008-12-27T11:17:00.005-05:00

"Joy is the touch of God's finger. The object of our longing is not the touch but the Toucher.

This is true of all good things - they are all God's touch.

Whatever we desire, we are really desiring God." - Peter Kreeft

"Joy is really a road sign pointing us to God. Once we have found God...we no longer need to trouble ourselves so much about the quest for joy. - C.S. Lewis

"Joy is the echo of God's life within us."

"Now the God of Hope fill you with all JOY and peace in believing." -Rom 15:13

Lovin' from Aunt Suki

2008-12-18T23:34:00.006-05:00

Lucy LOVES her aunt Suki, aka Stacy Clark, my sister.

(fyi - Suki means "beloved")

Suki bought Lucy a Snow White Princess outfit for her birthday. Do you see how far that girl has her hip and booty jacked out? oh my goodness!

Lucy's Birthday Party

2008-12-18T23:16:00.005-05:00

Lucy's birthday party with her friends was a total blast! Lucy and Liam are best buds and love making silly faces together. The 3 princesses sitting on the bed are Madeleine, Natalie and Hannah. Lucy's cake was Yumo!!! The kids sitting around it at the table all kept sticking their fingers in it and eating the icing. We have all the culprits on video! = ) Last picture is Lucy smiling all sweetly while sitting beside her neighbor Caleb.

Happy Monday!!

2008-12-01T12:45:00.008-05:00

well, I am totally overwhelmed with all that I have to do today and this week, so what do I do?

I post a pic on the blog of my baby girl. It always cheers me up!

Yes, that is a margarita glass she is drinking out of, but actually contains blackberry& banana smoothie, it's really very healthy, with plain yogurt, orange juice and some honey!

About 2 seconds after I took that picture, she spilled the drink all over the table and floor.

It was a huge mess, looked like Purple Passion (val and jess will know what that is!)

Lucy cracks me up! She busted out singing this morning, "I like to move it, move it, I like to move it, move it!" It was hilarious. I was wondering where she heard that dance song and then realized it was from the Madagascar dvd. =0 )

Trip to Dahlonega

2008-11-05T10:44:00.004-05:00

We recently went to Dahlonega and it was so incredibly beautiful. I went to a winery for the very first time. The vineyard among the mountains was truly a sight to behold. These pictures are nothing compared to the reality.

In the book Naked Fruit by Elisa Morgan, the fruit of the Spirit Love is represented by GRAPES ! "The quality of a grape is directly related to its host vine. Grapes abide in their vine. Detached from their source, they wither. Grapes offer an example of commitment through the easy and hard times of life. In fact, vine growers say that the sweetest grapes come from the most stressed vines.....Love is not about being nice for the sake of niceness; it's about being like Jesus."

Papa Al carves a Pumpkin

2008-10-22T10:32:00.007-04:00

We had fun at the Lake this past weekend. Papa Al carved a punkin' and we named him Fred and brought him home with us. Fred is a "hot-head"! = ) Alan also cooked me a yummy birthday, steak dinner. We are so spoiled and rich in love.

Poppie, Granny & Lucy

2008-10-22T10:27:00.002-04:00

Be still my heart! It overflows and explodes with love for these ones I treasure.

Costume Party

2008-10-22T10:12:00.003-04:00

Chuck went to the Costume party as Hawaii Barbie and I was his Ken doll. = )

Chuck won 2nd place for best costume. We had a blast. I forgot to get a picture of his fake, plastic booty!!! LOL!!!

Lucy & Smokey

2008-10-13T09:29:00.004-04:00

After my quiet time this Monday morning, I was making a list of all the things that I need to do today, you know the usual, dishes, laundry, grocery store, email so and so, call so and so, etc.

And the Holy Spirit said to write "PLAY WITH LUCY". So I wrote that on my list really big and I am doing it!

She LOVES her kitty cat. He is very tolerant. = 0 )

Smiles for you~

2008-10-01T12:06:00.003-04:00

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to walk from here?"

asked Alice.

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,"

said the Cat.

- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

this and that and cute pics of my lucy-bug

2008-09-26T21:02:00.005-04:00

I have come across some really good quotations, song lyrics, and passages lately.

Here is one by C.S. Lewis:

"If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world."

The CD Barlow Girl -Another Journal Entry is awesome (to me).

I love these lyrics:

"I don't deserve You

But I need You to love me,

and I won't keep my heart from you this time...

I just never saw how You could cherish me

Cause You're a God who has all things

and still You want me

Your love makes me forget what I have been

Your love makes me see who I really am"

Lake Winnepesaukah

2008-09-25T12:43:00.003-04:00

Me and my mom took Lucy, Hannah and Sarah to Lake Winnepesaukah last Saturday.

We had a blast. Lucy's favorite was the train and antique cars. Hannah and Sarah rode the cannon ball roller coaster 4 times. My favorite was the junk food! = ) Since our 40 day fast from media and sweets starts tomorrow, I overdosed at Lake Winnie with dippin dots ice cream, cotton candy, candy apple, popcorn, corn dog, etc. The tilt a whirl almost made me sick.

JESUS

2008-09-17T09:28:00.010-04:00

"Jesus' love does not depend upon what we do for Him.

Not at all.

In the eyes of the King,

you have value simply because you are.

You don't have to look nice or perform well.

Your value is inborn. Period."

HUMMINGBIRDS

2008-09-17T09:28:00.007-04:00

Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy & celebration. Hummingbirds open our eyes to the wonder of the world & inspire us to open our hearts to loved ones & friends. Like a hummingbird, we aspire to hover & savor each moment as it passes, embrace all that life has to offer & to celebrate the joy of every day.

The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation.

Lucy & her Granny~

2008-09-15T08:42:00.003-04:00

"Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God's people,

Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.

Sing to God a brand-new song.

Let loose and sing!

Bring a gift of laughter,

sing yourselves into his presence.

GOD is God. He made us;

We're his people, his well-tended sheep."

- From Psalms Message Bible

Lucy's 1st day going toSchool

2008-09-08T22:32:00.003-04:00

Lucy started pre-school last week at Wildwood Baptist. She is in the Older Two year old "Turtles" class. She loves to learn. She asks a lot of questions. Mommy, "what is that, what does it do?" (if it's a mechanical question, I have to say, I don't know, we will have to ask Daddy).

Some days I wonder if she is more like me, a lover of words and reading because she LOVES books and loves to stack them and read them and she especially loves to SMELL books. weird.

and then some times I think she is more like Chuck, a lover of numbers and figuring out how something works, an engineer's brain. She lines up her ducks and counts them, and if she doesn't get it just right, she starts over. I guess maybe she is a little of both of us. no wonder every parent thinks their child is a genius.

Drinking Apricot Tea & Wearing Hats

2008-08-29T20:48:00.012-04:00

"When the world is all at odds & the mind is all at sea, Then cease the useless tedium

& havea cup of tea. There's beauty as you'll see; All because you stopped to HAVE A CUP OF TEA with me"

What is A Girl?

2008-08-29T18:20:00.006-04:00

"A Little Girl can be sweeter (and badder) oftener than anyone else in the world. She can jitter around, and stomp, and make funny noises that frazzle your nerves, yet just when you open your mouth, she stands there demure with that special look in her eyes.

A girl is Innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot...

God borrows from many creatures to make a little girl. He uses the song of a bird, the squel of a pig, the stubbornness of a mule, the antics of a monkey, the spryness of a grasshopper, the curiosity of a cat, the speed of a gazelle, the slyness of a fox, the softness of a kitten, and to top it all off He adds the mysterious mind of a woman.

A little girl...is loudest when you are thinking, the prettiest when she has provoked you, the busiest at bedtime, the quietest when you want to show her off, and the most flirtatious when she absolutely must not get the best of you again.

Little girls are born with a bit of angelshine about them, and though it wears thin sometimes, there is always enough to lasso your heart." - Alan Beck

Jenn's 1st Day at KSU

2008-08-29T18:07:00.005-04:00

Chuck took this picture of me on my first day of "school" at KSU. I am taking 2 classes this semester and working toward completing my BA in English. I LOVE it!!!

The mascot of KSU is an OWL. It is so fitting of the word that the Holy Spirit gave me for this year. BE WISE!!! This is the verse that has been on my mind lately, as the Lord has been giving me wisdom in what to step down from and what to step UP to. "The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." - Prov. 16:9

More Pictures from Lake Sinclair

2008-08-06T11:08:00.002-04:00

Weekend at the lake

2008-08-06T10:57:00.003-04:00

Lucy's first trip on the tube at the lake.

We had an awesome time with Grandmama and Papa Al out on the water riding the boat.

Lucy's Buddies - Julian & Liam

2008-08-06T10:51:00.003-04:00

MY LITTLE DIVA

2008-07-24T12:22:00.002-04:00

LUCY IS "FRU-FRU"~

SHE LOVES HER JEWELRY, SUNGLASSES, LIP GLOSS, PURSES, SHOES, ETC.

SHE FILLS OUR HOME WITH TONS OF JOY, LAUGHTER, AND SPUNK!!!

My Love, My Prince...King-Lover

2008-07-15T09:21:00.001-04:00

"You protect me from foxes on the prowl,

My lover is mine and I am his.

My man is one in a million, there is no one quite like him.

With raven black curls and eyes like doves,

soft and bright, but deep-set, brimming with meaning, like wells of water.

His face is rugged, his beard...his voice, his words, warm and reassuring.

Fine muscles ripple beneath his skin, quiet and beautiful.

He stands tall, strong and deep-rooted,

Everything about him delights me, that's my lover, that's my Man!"

- Song of Solomon Message Bible

To My Little Daughter

2008-06-17T14:27:00.002-04:00

"Across the grass I see her pass,

She walks with stately grace;

A winsome little brown-haired lass,

With rose-buds in her face.

Fairest of all fair flowers that grow-

A lily, pure and white;

The one fond TREASURE that I know,

Most perfect in my sight.

My every joy - I hold it true -

In you must find a part;

You are the sunlight breaking through

The winter of my heart."

- E.J. Francis Davies

The Clark Family

2008-06-17T14:13:00.003-04:00

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this TREASURE in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed...Therefore we do not lose heart...Inwardly we are being renewed day by day. - 2 Corinthians 4

Father's Day 2008

2008-06-17T13:02:00.005-04:00

"I could not point to any need in childhood as strong as that for a father's protection." - Freud

"To be a father of a nation is a great honor, but to be the father of a family is A GREATER JOY." - Nelson Mandela

Chuck was awakened on Father's Day by Lucy blowing on a soprano. Rise and shine Valentine! Honey, you amaze me daily with the gentle and also firm way that you have with Lucy. She adores you and so do I!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-17T12:42:00.009-04:00

"His heritage to his children wasn't words or possessions, but an unspoken TREASURE, the treasure of his example as a man and a father. More than anything I have, I'm trying to pass that on to my children." - Will Rogers

"My love for my father has never been touched or approached by any other love. I hold him in my heart of hearts as a man apart from all other men, as one apart from all other beings." -M. Dickens

Daddy, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! I love your smile and your laughter and the way you tell a story. I love the warmth of your hugs and the tenderness of your love for me and all of our family.

LUCY

2008-06-09T13:18:00.003-04:00

"Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." -Isa. 61:9

Our First Family Camping Trip

2008-06-05T21:25:00.006-04:00

Camping with a 2 year old turned out to be a lot of fun. Lucy loved it! She is a nature lover just like her Mommy and Daddy. We waded in the water on Lake Allatoona and skipped rocks; we caught a green lizard and watched it turn brown. Chuck forgot to bring our hamburger meat to cook "silver turtles" over the fire (my family calls them "hobo dinners") so we ended up eating dinner at the lodge restaurant. It was a good memory to make. = )

Lucy

2008-06-05T15:33:00.000-04:00

There are some days when you wonder if you are doing anything right as a mom, a parent.
and then there are those days when Lucy is playing and all of a sudden she starts singing, "You are Holy, Holy." and I look at her and smile and inside I am thinking, "that's right Precious, sing girl sing, give praise to your Maker." She is His. and she is a Treasure.