Spring Break

I just got back from an incredible vacation.

  It was better than a luxury cruise or an all-inclusive resort.

Me and the kids loaded up and went to SEE MAUBRY and Lashae and Chaney!!!!!!!

It was a 17 hour  drive to get my hands on my grand baby.

Pretty sketchy roads for much of the way...

but she was worth every minute and every mile.

We, of course as is tradition, picked up people along the way.  

We picked up my cousin's daughter Brittany, and she was a rock star. 

She drove from the time we picked her up at

 3:30am  until 9:00am when we arrived at our destination.

She is a Montana girl and she knows how to drive FAST on bad roads.

  Brittany is close to my heart...she lived with us for 5 months a couple of years ago,

 and I can not get enough of this girl.

Between me and Charsie and Brittany all driving that car never sat in park longer than 15 minutes.

We had a great visit with the Bowen Family!!!

We got to go to Chaney and Lashae's church....we loved it. 

 The pastor had a message that was exactly what I needed to hear that day.

  God is good to allow me to go all the way to Montana and give me a special message.  :)

The kids played games and we exercised....and we did hair...and we played babies.....and we swam. 

 We mostly just spent time together. 

 We have all missed this Bowen family a TON!!!!

I didn't get any pictures of Chaney...he was working long hours.

  He has a great job and he is getting to do what he is enjoys the most...working with cattle.

Charlie flew out to Montana to drive his family home....I think he was afraid we may not come home if he didn't

 "help" 

motivate us to come back.  :)

I have to testify to once again to God's goodness, 

and His kindness to me.

I had prayed awhile ago that the Lord would help us sell a pickup that we had been trying to sale, so we could take our road trip to Montana and still have a little breathing room in the

 'ole check book.

Literally, as I was leaving town I deposited a check from the sale of that pickup.  

I just love that the Lord hears our prayers and He provides.

  I believe the timing was significant to remind me that it was HIM who provides. 

 I know that our relationships with one another are important to Him because He BLESSES the time we spend together.

  He has blessed me and provided for me, so many times, to allow me to see my kids frequently even when we are separated by many miles.

It's Official. :)

The sweatshirt says it all!!!! 

 I have a new son.  

His name is Claiborne and I didn't give birth to him or fill out stacks of adoption paperwork....but, he calls me Mama and that makes it official enough for me.

I have a habit of trying to "mother" other people's kids....and I do my darnedest, but most of the kids I try to "mother" already have  mothers who are loving  their job and are quite amazing at it, and they honestly don't need my help.

  Although they are gracious enough to "share" their kids with me occasionally.

I have claimed Claiborne as my own because he stole me heart even before I knew him.  

 I was praying for this kid as soon as I learned he was a friend of Kole.

  If you are a friend of my kids.....I'm praying for you....that's just the deal.

God has blessed my kids with some amazing friends!!!!

Claiborne calls me Mama now....AND HE EVEN TEXTS ME BACK. 

 Did you hear that KOLE??!!!!! 

 When I texted both my boys to make sure they made it back to college safe and sound....guess who texted back????  

My new son!!!!

My teenagers!!!

We had a fun week.  I enjoy Kole more every time he comes home. 

 I love when these kids grow up, and they come home with such a new level of gratitude. 

Kole has always been pretty grateful....but NOW he's even more so. 

Charsie and I cooked  and baked ourselves into a tither everyday that these boys were home, and it was so worth it because they totally appreciated it.

These boys stuffed themselves full of all the food and fun they could handle in 1 weeks time.

God was faithful to plant many good seeds and allow these boys to be  surrounded by so much love and support from 

MANY.

They had many divine appointments

.....in between the shooting and riding and tree chopping.......

Redeemer House night celebration.

Breakfast with Tom.

Dinners with friends.

Visits with grandparents.

Road trips to the middle of nowhere.

Church on both Sundays.

Praying for God's love to surround these boys every day  and for them to be

GOOD SOIL.

Mark 4:3-9

English Standard Version (ESV)

³ “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. ⁶ And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.⁸ And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” ⁹ And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Friendship and Fellowship

A picture of friends!!!!

At Bible Study this week, the subject was
"Friendship and Fellowship".

  There is a lot in the Bible about this subject.
  God is all about
love and relationship
 and this is what friendship and fellowship is all about.


Matthew 22:36-40

English Standard Version (ESV)

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

As we all know in life there are friends that are forever, there are friends that are family, there are friends that are for a season, long distance friends, close neighbor friends, childhood friends, and the list of friends goes on and on.

It is so like my Lord to show me 
EXTRAVAGANT
amounts of 
friendship and fellowship
 when He is teaching me more about it.  

 I feel like God is just up in heaven smiling BIG and saying to me, 
"You want to study friendship and fellowship....I will just SHOW you what it is all about".

It started on Sunday, I went and spent time with my sister, Marlece, for her birthday. 
 We have been the closest of friends and sisters since the day I was born. 
 And we have talked almost everyday since then.

Thursday, I had Bible study and a time of friends and fellowship and studying God's Word. 

 BLESSINGS!!!!

Thursday afternoon, my friend Valerie, did my hair. 
I love this friend,
 ...and she comes with benefits....
she tries to make me pretty. 
BLESS HER!!! 

Thursday night...dinner with
 FRIENDS
Our families are on the same adoption journey, and we don't waste much time on small talk....we get to the point of life....
we talk about Jesus and family and how to do all that is on our hearts while living in THIS world.

 Friday night,
SPONTANEOUSLY
.... a
 "friend gift" 
straight from the LORD!

**Did I mention He gives good gifts?**

A spontaneous gathering of girlfriends at my house.
 These are my friends that have known me and loved me through it ALL. 
 I have 
celebrated many things 
life has to offer with these girls and their families...we have
 mourned many disappointments and trials 
that life has to offer together as well. 

 Good times and hard times.

These friends have stood the test of time.
  We KNOW each other and all our junk and we love each other anyway.
 We may go weeks without even talking because we all have busy lives, but when we get together...we are thankful for one another.  
We know the relationships we share are a
 GIFT
 and we cherish these moments...especially the spontaneous ones when we can get together face to face and
 LOVE 
on one another.

Bebecca, Flash, and Devy.
Their "friend" names that only come with really having some serious friend history.  :)

Saturday morning I got the pleasure of running with a young and dear friend, Jilly Bean.

( I will not be posting a picture...she is way too cute and I don't want any weirdos stalking my young and single friend.)  

We ran 7 miles and had great fellowship through heavy breathing, (because she is young and I am old  Nay Nay).

 After my run, sweaty and all, I stopped by my parents' house to spend some time in
friendship and fellowship.

 To my very fun surprise, a cousin that I have not seen in 10 years, was there
"fellowshipping" with my parents.

 Hans has been a friend my whole life, we grew up together,and there was a season when we were really close friends, in location and in relationship.  
We had a great time catching up.  *gift*

I told him he is looking old and he said the same about me. 
 We must be honest friends.  

Saturday night...my college boy came home and brought a new friend.
  We are instant friends. 
 If you are a friend to my kids then I am automatically your friend. 
 (whether you like it or not.)

Claiborne's first time EVER on a horse.  :)

Sunday night was the grand finale....we had a Redeemer House night and 47 of us got together to love on each other and encourage one another and "fellowship with friends".

Games

Praise and Worship

Acts 2:42-47

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe^[a] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day,attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved..

Good food.  

Games.

Jenny was the champion of the musical chairs....Mark was making sure Kole did not fling his daughter out of the chair...the game got pretty competitive.

It's been a fun week.

Best Friends!!!!

She is GRAND!!!!!

I thought I would share something so GRAND!!!!!!

This is my sweet Maubry.

Isn't she just GRAND!!!!

I get a picture almost every morning saying, 

"Good morning Nay Nay".

It blesses me more than any other morning greeting.

Maubry Ann Bowen - My GRAND baby!!!!!