It’s been a while since we’ve all been together. Our nieces and nephews are really growing up, two of them are teenagers now.  Keith’s mom Gloria, made about a dozen pies.  And of course, I had to have a slice of each one. On Sunday morning before church, I got a cup of coffee and pulled out a slice of her famous blueberry pie.  I told her I had to work out the schedule so I can be sure to get a taste of all of them before I leave!

Some of the cousins from Lousiana, with their cute girls, who I have not yet met, came over on Sunday, and it was so nice catching up.

Each summer, when we visit I try to take time with the kids and go out in the yard and have a “photo shoot.”

My oldest niece being the teenager, is now “too old” for this, but I snagged one anyway on Sunday…so beautiful…I can’t believe she’ll be going into high school this year….Oh, the “teen” years…

The younger kids soaked it up, and really got involved in our fun time.  Especially my oldest nephew, he is always up for an adventure with “Aunt Jenn” -

{Bare feet, are one of life’s best things}

Keith’s brother smoked a turkey and a boston butt (yes, a butt! and a big one too!) and Gloria made a ton of veggies, fresh out of their beautiful garden.

Paw-Paw or “Uncle Earl” brought out the watermelon, another southern favorite summer moment…

…this made all the kids super happy!

{my favorite photo of the summer}

After teaching these innocent babies how to have a “watermelon seed spittin’ contest” – I sent them back to their mom to show off their new skill. LOL.

These are truly “Happy” days, worth celebrating.

{Photos via, Hudson July 4th}

Ahhh…all this gekko chasing now has me thinking about abour car insurance, LOL! ~

Two weeks later on Sunday evening, May 30th, Frankie brought her six adorable baby kittens to live at their new home!  We estimate they were born sometime around Mothers Day this year.

They are just adorable, and best of all Keith and I adopted our first lil’ baby from this little bunch.

She’s a calico, we named “Mille.”  My Aunt Gloria helped me pick the name for her when she visited early in June.  We talked about how much Karen would love to see all these kittens on their visit in July.  My cousin loved cats, and owned two of them.  I know Karen would have enjoyed hearing about my saga with this kitten, and I miss sharing these kinds of moments with her.  It has been such a joy to share in Karen’s love for cats, and bring Millie to our home as our first pet.

“Millie baby” is very playful, a social butterfly and has acclimated to our home so well.  The first night she was a little bit scared, and cried for a few hours.  As long as I was with her she was ok, but when I left she would start crying.  That was the only night she did that.

Who said cats were clean?  This one is a messy trickster!  I cleaned her box, swept up around, and as soon as I finished, she did this, again -

…three times I swept up, then I watched her the third time, as soon as I put the broom away she came running over to her liter box and did this and ran away, as if she were playing with me. I think she just likes to see me get the broom out!

She seems to be really happy with us and we, (meaning Keith) spoil her too much.  She loves to sit with me and watches me write, and she has to follow me where ever I go.  We just love her already!

My mom still has 4 sweet kittens in Wetumpka, AL, that need a good home, they are just adorable….call me if you are interested: 334.207.2297.

My other cousin Syn-d, Karen’s sister, snapped this moment with her phone while we waited for our breakfast that summer morning in that little Destin diner.   ~   I never knew this would be our last trip together…our last few precious moments together. Our last laughs, our last goodbyes.  My heart was broken when my dad with trembling lip and tear filled eyes, clinging to my sorrowful mom, shared the tragic news with me that my precious cousin Karen had fallen while rock climbing in west Virginia. I have been told that she instantly went to be with the Lord, after her 60 ft. fall on June 12, 2010.

The news media reported the story on the local stations and in the papers.  Our family created a facebook group in her memory, with links to all of the articles and news report.  To her honor over 400 of her friends and family have joined and journaled their memories of how her life touched them in some way.

~

Last year, we spent a week at SanDestin Beach Resort with the cuzins and the kids on our traditional family vacation…

Moments that seemed so fleeting and non-momentous, even silly perhaps, are now precious stones of remembrance that my heart will embrace forever…

That week at the beach we celebrated Karen’s 33rd birthday on the June 23rd eating out @ her requested place…PF Chengs.

The day after we came home from the beach, June 25th was my 30th B’day.    Syn-D cooked my favorite tex mex meal that night at our grandma’s house, chicken fajitas, delicious homemade guacamole and salsa!

Karen and the kids went out that afternoon and surprised me with princess party decorations and princess bling! Elli was quick to pull me over to the table she had prepared with all the pink bling bling jewelry, which she so fashionably bejeweled me with.  She was so serious and sweet in those moments treating me on my birthday.

We all put a few rings on our fingers and played a fun round of pin the tail on the donkey. It was one grand party!

This particular shared birthday moment I  celebrated with my cousin Karen, I will now cherish forever.   We both opened presents and cards from the family that night after dinner.  And we caught a round of those infectious silly southern giggles with our pink bling during gift time!

I’m missing her more each passing day.  For some reason during the afternoon setting sun I think about her the most.  Thoughts abound of her family, her children, the life left behind, and her glorious new life in heaven – which most of all gives me hope.

My life will forever be marked from this point on, like a stone of remembrance, a book mark or pause that awakened my soul to a newness of celebrating small moments and insignificant pleasures…a phone call, a letter, a text or an email.  Our relationships and our love have greater meaning to me than ever before, they are more beautiful and special. They are now more worthy of celebration and worthy of experiencing.

My heart is stirred to a new level of comprehending as I embrace the true value of life and our moments together.   A piece of my  heart was torn apart as she was torn from earth that day.  But as my brother David so poignantly stated, “she may have fallen on earth, but she stood up in heaven.”

I watched Karen’s six year old daughter Ellianna, leave the funeral home after saying goodbye to her mommy.  She held her little best friends hand as they walked toward the car, her best friend sobbing and weeping over the understanding of loosing her “Auntie Karen.”   Sweet Elli, in the form and spirit of her mommy, took her friend by the hand, embraced her and whispered to her, “It’s going to be all right.” Those words pierced my heart as if Karen were holding my hand and speaking them herself. “It’s going to be all right.” I don’t know how, or when, but I know that’s what Karen would be saying right now if she could embrace us and show us the eternal glory.

I will miss my angel-cousin Karen, every part of her, she is so beautiful and I love her deeply.  This is one of the songs I had the privilege of singing at her memorial service.  The words truly reflected our heart to the Lord and her beautiful life.

*Please pray for Karen’s family (the Feher’s), her parents (the Esterlines), her sister, her brother and the community of friends and family that are grieving during this loss.

I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small. Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”

Oh, praise the One who paid my debt, And raised this life up from the dead.

Lyric Credit: Copyright © 2006 worshiptogether.com Songs / sixsteps Music (ASCAP) / Admin. by EMI CMG Publishing

My favorite quiet place is usually sitting on the couch, reading the word, meditating on the word, and if there is a serious need or situating in life, then I will become the floor pacer prayer warrior. That’s where I find I can enter into the place of intercession, as if on the threshing floor, pressing through, pushing back and entering in. I will find myself on my knees or occasionally on my face during that type of prayer. But these moments are not routine. They don’t happen everyday. My daily love talks are where I most like to pray about everyday life. On a walk, or driving down the road, these love talks are as if I’m just in a simple conversation with my closest friend. I just talk to Jesus in my heart, or out loud. These are the times I usually have my personal pity parties and let God how I think he should work things out. It’s also the place I can feel him most guiding me and gently explaining that His plan IS the best.

The “Stepping Up” mandate to “find my place, on my face” daily was not, I confess, something I looked forward to committing to. It seemed so liturgical and planned and routine, coming from a pentecostal, free worship style upbringing. It’s by far not a traditional way of prayer in my church. Growing up, we would sometimes “kneel” at the altar, maybe stand and pray, and we most definitely would have our hands raised!

During summer visits I remember my grandparents making all of the grandkids kneel on the floor with our faces on the couch to pray every night before bed. My mom and dad would always tuck us in bed, and we would say our prayers. But laying on the floor, face down to the carpet, was a new thing for me.

Let me tell you…it has completely changed my prayer life, and my day. I actually feel like my day is getting started when I find that time on the floor. I feel like I’m truly putting God first, and my heart is more free in this “commitment” than it ever was with the random, spontaneous “freedom” of praying whenever. To me it seems like such a small, simple gesture. Just a few moments or minutes? It’s not even long enough for a deeply serious conversation. But it’s a gesture! I feel like it’s my “Daniel” time – when I go lay on my cute brown blanket below my favorite window looking out into the world where I live. Just a little commitment, a small gesture, the bible tells us clearly can do so much! And, in just the past 10 days, it has indeed revolutionized my heart, and my walk with Christ.

I can’t explain how God can do so much, giving strength for the day in a mere three minutes, but He does. If you are looking to “Step it Up” like I was, try stepping down, and even laying down like I have. I promise you won’t regret~

This is my prayer….

I truly count it an incredible blessing that God chose my life to be lived in the 21st century. I LOVE all forms of technology, and often find myself in a media tilt-o-whirl, screaming for more! Like that feeling you get half way through the ride, when you are over the nervousness and you think to yourself, as soon as I get off here, I’m buying more tickets so I can do this again! However, in today’s ultra-fast, media-based, electronic world, we have somehow ended up conversating via 140 characters per moment.

Friends are precious gifts from God. Cultivating that friendship can be achieved through social-media tools. And as rewarding as a DM or @reply can be – it still in no way compares to the ever precious voice mail that says, “Hey girlfriend, I was just thinking about you and I miss you – I miss dropping by your house on my way home from work to rant about my work drama! I miss my Jenn-time.” (like the one I received last week that I listened to four times, and made my husband listen to twice that was followed with an hour-long skype session with that precious gal)

Oh! I miss you too real-life friend! Lets not forget today to take time for social engagement, and not just interaction. So go plan a “friendly drive by” and call them up and tell them I’ll be there in 5 minutes for a quick Chick-Fil-A sweet tea run. You never know how special you will make them feel…just between friends!

photo via: lorimarsha

Here’s how it began:

“I need to share with you something that is rising up inside of me. Just this past weekend, I saw the desperation written on your face and honestly I felt partnered to it – like what’s going on inside of you has been going on inside of me. Because, I know that look! I’ve been living that look. The look that desires change so badly, that desires to break free, but feels incapable of going there…but knowing you are destined for it, but have somehow lost the way and are trying every possible outlet to get there.

What we both need in our life is mentorship and life coaching. We need a clearly defined plan of action. That’s my goal and my prayer this week, for both of us. To finally posses definement. We were made for a purpose and to have our plans from the Lord fulfilled. When those purposes and plans are NOT being met – our soul can war. Deep down in side, right now, it’s like we are at war. This is the moment when the will begins to rise up. Because we were created for a greater purpose, and our spirit is calling out for it. If we don’t add the Power of Pursuit to that purpose, we will lack PASSION, we will lack motivation. The opposite of passion is ‘passivity’ – meaning a ’submission to others or to outside influences.’ We begin to submit our passions to “outside influences” and in the long run can be left with feelings of guilt, regret, anger and a sheer longing for what might have been. That’s not God’s divine plan for us.

First of all, you can not let “Guilt” or any feeling of condemnation take root in your life. You have to learn to sort out the Good fight with the Bad fight…What battles are you fighting? What is going on in your spirit? Is the unhappiness a good thing? the ache in your heart really a longing, that is ultimately launching you back into your divine destination?

Seek it out. Most of all Begin Walking. Begin pursuing this dream.Don’t let the enemy or any other ‘influence’ take you captive and hold you up in that room of despair. You have to come out of there. For the sake of your future, and your family. The past failures will not define you, but your ability to overcome them will.

In the name of Jesus…we are letting go of hurts, and disappointments, shame and grief. Roots of bitterness, Memories of brokenness, failed promises, betrayals and back stabbing. They are being washed away under a rapid filled river of release. Once you let go of something under the powerful force of that rushing river, you know, it can never be recalled again. It’s gone forever.

Maybe I needed to rise up for you today, ultimately to rise up for me. Because in the process of giving this out, God is filling me up right now and I know this is not just for me. It’s for you too!

Tonight I had a powerful revelation, that there are spiritual laws in place, unnamed, but very real. In the spirit world there are the same equal and opposite forces at work. Isaiah 61 touches on a few of these…Beauty for Ashes, Strength for Fear, Gladness for Mourning, Praise for Despair.

The the first mentioned for example. It’s something I talk about often. Beauty. There is a spiritual world that would tell us that we are as ashes, dirt, messy, the epitome of ugliness. But in the Light of Truth, Isaiah 61 covers us with the conquering spirit of Beauty. It’s a war that happens in everyone who experiences the tug of The Liar telling them they are not beautiful. But God has come to give us life abundantly and set us free from these warring spirits.

What is the tug-of-war in your life? Understand that on the opposite end of that muddy battle is the Truth, and The Life, fighting for your behalf, fighting for your True Beauty, for your True Freedom, to give you Hope in the place of Hopelessness….every spirit has a spiritual counterfeit, the equally opposite. Begin taking a spiritual look at what needs to be exchanged in the light of Christ, to reveal the Truth in your life.

An old favorite, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus” reminds me today to look to the light of His Glory and Grace.

Another praise, I have to say is that I love being married for four years to my best friend! October 29th was a wonderful milestone in our marriage. I am noticing that in the 4th year our relationship has increased like never before! I’m discovering, marriage is like a baby. The first few years are the nurturing years, and the communication is literally like learning “baby talk” or a foreign language, and loving just comes naturally. The second and third year, you begin to understand the full sentences, you start learning preferences and favorites and you can interpret more clearly the mmms, the hummms, the huuhhs, the ohhhs, and the difference between the whats!!, the whats? and the whats. But in the fourth year – oh this is the sweetest year yet! Beginning to finish each others sentences and communicating beyond words is an amazing experience. And, having someone who knows your tampon preference is something to smile about. Yes, it’s the little things!

October was a really busy month for Keith and I with family reunions and a visit to see our new baby niece, Anna Rene’ Hudson! We also took a weekend last month to go to Birmingham and stay a few days with David, Missy, Andrew and our other new baby niece Abigail Grace Russell! Having two new nieces in two months is so much fun!

Yesterday dad preached a wonderful & fired up message, called “8 Reasons Why Christ is Coming Soon” about the last days, the prophecys and the Great Revival! Sometimes I just want to jump out of my seat on Sundays and run around, because I get so passionate about what the word is saying to the church! God’s word is so alive in me that I just want to shout it up, like a fan at a football game! But I’ll refrain, and spare the family some hilarity and just stick to being dad’s little cheerleader from the front row. It was great to be back in church at Bethel Worship Center, after being gone for a few weeks. Having a church family with people who love and care about you is a another wonderful blessing that I’m counting up today.