Trip To Michigan for Christmas

I'm back!
We went to Michigan for a week and a half :)
I was so glad to be in my "homestate" for this Christmas!
I loved seeing all of the snow again
and visiting the whole family.
I thought I'd make a quick post
and share photos of our trip and Christmastime.

Here's some pictures of the deep snow...


The deepness compared to a car...!


Our van was covered...


All of the store parking lots looked like this...


This was a big tire on the freeway...


My favorite road in Michigan... lol

It's pronounced 'shay-ner'.
I love the way it's spelled! :)

Here was the road right after snowfall,
and right before the plowing...


The garabage cans had a hard time holding it all!


Suzie enjoyed the snow too!


Here is mom getting hit with snow
while the others were having a snowball fight...

LOL!

We had a wonderful Christmas!
But I'm glad to be here again in NC.
Stephani and her family went to their grandparents
down in Florida while we were gone too.
We both got back on Saturday and shared the homecoming together.
We later went out to get pizza...


Anyway, I shared in another post how I crocheted
everyone gifts for Christmas.
Now I can post the pictures...
(NOTE: All the patterns are ones I designed;
except the three which I give credit to)

I made a bag for my Gramma...

I know she could use it since she goes to dialysis.

This was a scrubbie for my aunt...
(I got this pattern from a potholder magazine)


A potholder for my other aunt...
(I got this pattern from the same as above)


A shawl for my great grandma...

Here I tried modeling it, but you have to look close...


A hat for Will...


Matching hats for Beth and Carolynne...



A tea cozy for mom...

And a placemat to match it...

Also a seasonal placemat...
(I got this pattern as a 'take one free' at Wal*Mart)


A cherry potholder for Mrs.Amy...
(which I forgot to give her in MI!)


A baby blanket for my cousin who has a 5mo...


I also made different potholders for
all of the ladies at our church,
but was dissapointed to realize that
I forgot to take pictures of them. :(

Here's a few things I recieved...
From my parents I got...
A new mp3 player...

I'd been hoping to get a new one,
since the one my dad loaned me had broke!
This one is much nicer too.

I also got an speaker case for it.
the mp3 player gets plugged into it
so you can listen to it without the earphones...


Oh yes, and a venti decaf mocha ;)...

I loved the holiday print they've
been using around Christmas...
Doves and snowflakes!


From Gramma and Papa I got...
Bird dishes and salt and pepper set...

(I had actually been planning on getting these sometime!)

I also got a gingerbread serving dish and oven mitt...
(and some yummy smelling lotion!)


Some cute glass owls...


And Papa's old cuckoo clock...


From my great gramma, I got a flameless candle...

It lights up by a battery and gives off a scent.
Adds a lovely touch to my room!

From my aunt and uncle I got a digital photo album...

It holds over 1,000 photos and plays mp3s.
(The photo I have displayed is a bluejay I
photographed in my backyard.)


This Sunday was the All Youth Service at our church.
I plan to post pictures and maybe videos soon :)
Today was Beth and Carolynne's dentist appointment
and tomorrow is Mom's.
Tomorrow is also our New Year's Eve service
and Friday I have a rheumatologist appointment.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas
and have a Happy New Year!
I'll see you all next year :)

That Ye May Know...

For quite some time, I have been struggling with assurance.
I've been sometimes worried that I doubted my salvation
because I thought if I really was saved, I would know it!
I thought that I was the only one, but over the past few months,
I've realized how other dear Christian friends
I have struggle with the same thing!
I've been praying about it for quite some time,
and thought I'd share what the Lord has revealed to me,
in case any anyone else has struggled as well.

I remember when I was 5 years old,
I understood I was a sinner, that Christ died for me,
and I didn't want to go to hell.
I knelt by my bed and prayed and asked Jesus to
forgive me and come into my heart and save me.
When I was about 9, I felt I may not have
really been saved and that I was basing my assurance
on a 'profession' I had made.
So I told the Lord I was sorry for my sins
and that I wanted Him to forgive me,
come into my heart and save me.

Age 12 I struggled.
Age 14 I stuggled.
I have to say, though, that I've struggled the most this year.
In March I said a prayer to 'make sure'.
In June I said another one to 'make sure'.
But after a while, I'd start doubting again.
Sometimes I just didn't feel saved.
Finally, back in October, I told the Lord about it.
Somehow, I figured He didn't know or care I felt no assurance.
I knelt beside my bed and cried out to Him.
I told Him I was doubting and that I was tired of it!
I was so scared...
did I repent enough? did I say the right thing?
did I have enough faith? did I base it all on a prayer?

But then He stopped me and reminded me...
It's not if what I did was good enough,
It's about what Christ did.
He reminded me that His blood was enough.

Romans 10:13 came to me...
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

All I need is enough faith to just ask Him
and to know I'm a sinner and am sorry.
He reminded me of the time I did that.
When I really called to Him.
I was saved... am saved!
My assurance comes from trusting Him to keep His promise!

I thought I'd share some verses He used to speak to me...


"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;
and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
John 6:37

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

"If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father,
will he give him a stone? or if [he ask] a fish,
will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children:
how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
Luke 11:11-13

I knew I was saved... I just needed to trust Him
that He really did hear me and save me and keeps His promises.

It's not God's will for us to be doubting our salvation.
The devil tries to get us to doubt.
Since he cannot have our souls,
he wants to keep us from doing as much for God as he can.
If we spend so much time wondering if we're saved,
we become discouraged and not as useful for Him...
we can forget about all those souls we need to tell, too.
That is our job as a Christian,
and satan tries to keep us too busy with ourselves.

Also, doubting is a sure sign of backsliding.
And when I heard that in a message,
I looked back and realized it was so in my life.
Anytime I wasn't in God's Word,
or did something I knew the Holy Spirit 'pricked' me about,
I would sure enough start doubting.
And after a while, the Holy Spirit will stop 'pricking'.
God will always be there to come back to,
but if we're going to ignore Him, He'll sit back.
Then I really started doubting, since I felt so numb
to the things of the Lord.
But when we're completely right with God,
completely trusting in Him and His Word,
we're not going to doubt!

Praise the Lord that He never gives up.
His mercy and grace never end!
We fall aside so many times,
and when we come back, He's always forgives us!
This wonderful God sent His son to die for our sins.
All we have to do is believe and accept His gift.
If you have done that but are doubting,
I encourage you to tell the Lord about it.
He knows and cares that you are, and He will help you.

"These things have I written unto you that
believe on the name of the Son of God;
that ye may know that ye have eternal life,
and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
1 John 5:13

Family Photos...

As I stated in our last post,
mom and I were sewing for our family pictures.
I thought I'd share the finished projects
and the photos we took last Monday...

Here is the whole family...
(For these, I put the camera's timer on
and had to run back to my spot :)



And with Suzie, our dog...




Here are my parents, just being themselves ;)



LOL ;-)

Here am I with the best brother in the world!



And all of us siblings together...



And with Suzie...



I hope you're all having a great week!

The Week Gone By...

Last week sure was a busy one.
As I mentioned in the previous post,
we watched Mrs.C's children as she and Mr. were out of town.
They were gone from Thursday to Saturday.
It was interesting having 3 dogs in the house.
They enjoyed the sleepover as well... :o)





Here are Stephani and I reading my latest
issue of Taste of Home...


We spent a lot of our time crocheting for Christmas.
I'm finally finished with almost all of my crocheting!
Only a few more things are left...
but I can't post pictures until after Christmas :)
I can post a picture of me sewing on the crocheted
poinsettas to the treeskirt I made mom last year...

I just finished it and am very happy!
I can't wait to use it!

This Wednesday we had a Thanksgiving Service at church.
Stephani spent the night Tuesday
so we could make desserts together.
It was a great time of food and fellowship...


Also, I was 'swept off my feet' in line...

Daddy was being so sweet,
as he knew I was having a hard time getting
around and standing... so he decided to carry me!

We ended up staying pretty late at the fellowship,
chatting and goofing off some...
Stephani with the camera...

Me, after she messed up my hair...


Thursday we went to our friends' house for Thanksgiving dinner.
Mr.C grilled ham and Mrs.C made the turkey.
We brought along some sides and such.
While there, Stephani and I crocheted more :)

Here are the children enjoying the food...


Stephani and I decided to eat while enjoying
the wonderful weather...


Later on, the dads made a fire outside...


Also, this past week, I went back to the doctor
and she put in a referral to see a cardiologist and
a rhuematologist... answers to prayer!
We've been hoping to get me into those
for the past 2 years and pray they may figure something out.

Saturday mom and I spent most of the day sewing
everyone's matching Christmas clothes.
This year we chose red snowflake fabric.
We finished all of the girls' dresses.
Will gets a bowtie and dad gets a tie.
We plan on taking family pictures this week.

Thank you all for understanding the busyness.
I hope to post a little more regularly after Christmas.
Next Sunday is our 10th annual
Carolina Christmas Pig Pickin' at church.
The week after is our sacred Christmas music concert.
Then I'll, likely, be offline for a week or two around Christmas.
So I plan to be very busy the next few weeks!
I'll try to post where I can :)
(Especially on my other blog :)


"The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy."
Psalm 103:8