Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all my family and friends! What a glorious day to celebrate the love of Jesus....the sacrifice He made for us all!

We went to the sunrise service. Now it is noon and Easter dinner is cooking. Everyone but Thomas and I are napping. I am going to finish up on here then head into the kitchen to make deviled eggs. Then rubberstamp a little so Ic an get swaps done. This afternoon may be my nap time! :) Maybe!

Have a beautiful day and remember why we are celebrating on this day!

Vacation in New York

I spent a week in NY visiting my parents. I left my husband and child at home so it was a nice reelaxing time. I relaxed, stamped with my mom and enjoyed time with friends from high school who I haven't seen in a while.

I was there for my birthday. Pictured above is a book my mom made for me. It is really pretty and pictures do not do it justice. Each page ahd an envelope on it and there was money in them for an activity we/I would be doing while there. I really enjoyed looking at each apge.

A wonderful stamping store in Corning did a private class for us. We made a friendship book using envelopes. I really enjoyed the class and bought a few things there. It was a nice store and will definitely visit there again.

I do plan to try to go back up there before the year is out. I will go for another week again. Maybe in September so I can go to the stamp show with my mom in Rhinebeck and see my cousins, aunt and uncle at the same time.

I also hosted 3 flat dolls in NY and took as many pictures as I could to send back to the owners. Hopefully they came out. Will find out this week when I pick up my pictures.

I also visited some cross-stitch stores as I am getting back into doing that. If I didn't spend so much time on the computer, I could stitch and stamp more....LOL!!

Book #6

I finished Book #6 yesterday. It was a book by Francine Rivers about Bathsheba. It is called "Unspoken". It was a very good book and gave em a lot of history on Bathsheba, David, and the times they were living in. The battles going on both within David's life and around his kingdom. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

She wrote 4 other books about other women in the Bible. I am hoping the library has them. I would love to read more books by her.

In 2 weeks, I leave for vacation in NY visiting my parents. I will be there for 1 week. I am looking forward to spending time with family and friends. And, maybe getting some reading done too.

Book 4 and 5

Boy, I am late in posting. I finished 2 books. They are both by the same author. One is called Sadie in Waiting and the other one is Mom in Miami. It is a series book. They were quite enjoyable.

Tomorrow we are celebrating our anniversary. Our anniversary is Feb. 29. Yes, you read right? Leap Year day. We are running some errands and going to lunch...probably at Olive Garden. Then who knows what else. Tuesday, I go back to work after a looooong vacation.

I was off Thursday and Friday per doctor's orders with severe pink eye in both eyes. What a pain! They burned, itched, hurt and were swollen and blurry. James had a fever for a couple days so we were both at the doctor's on Thursday. We asked if we could get a "group rate". They just laughed.....they want their co-pays.

Booked my trip for NY and leave on March 26 for one week.....about a month from now. I hope there is no snow by then.

In Honor of April Fisher Barber-April 3, 1978-Feb. 19, 2011

This post is to honor a wonderful friend who is now in Heaven dancing with Jesus after her almost 3 year battle with cancer. First, you will read a snippet from her obituary from the paper then a letter about a vision that a prayer warrior had seen about 3 minutes after April passed on. I will close it with my own thoughts.

APRIL JOY FISHER BARRBER:
Mrs. Barber was born April 3, 1978 in Texas. She passed away Feb. 15, 2011 at EAMC. April was a member of New Covenant Fellowship. She was an award winning salesperson, having worked at Verizon Wireless for 13 years. She exuded the love and joy of Christ to everyone and was an inspiration to all who knew her.

As you read the following VISION, remember that April passed on at 3:15pm and it was written by a lady in Texas who did not know the family but was a prayer partner of someone who did.

VISION

"At around 3:18pm on Feb. 15th, 2011, I was driving and praying for April and I had the following vision in the spirit realm. I saw a long road/path and on both sides, all along the road, were high, tall, powerful, mighty angels standing shoulder to shoulder to shoulder. The road was clear and smooth, nothing to stumble over. The angels were all very happy and excited as if their was a Great Celebration. Their happiness, anticipation and excitement reminded me of the huge ticker tape parade and celebration in Times Square at the Victory won in the World War II European Campaign. The angels were looking down the road toward the earth. Then I saw Jesus Christ of Nazareth walking/carrying April Home. She was smiling so wide and deep that pure happiness and joy were flowing abundantly from her spirit. She won her race not missing a step and was greeted with a hero's welcome as she journeyed Home with the Lord. Then I heard a voice say:"She is a Heroine of Faith." I felt deeply and profoundly as if the angels, being shoulder to shoulder, were providing a high, thick wall of protection as April and the Lord ascended the pathway to the 3rd Heaven. Then I saw April dancing before the Lord and singing His praises. I, in the natural, felt happy, peaceful, exhilarated, thankful and privileged to have witnessed such a glorious Homecoming. I know April is now looking down urging and encouraging us to carry on and run our races as we fulfill our destinies."
Peggy Gough

Wow...what a vision! This was read at a memorial service Wed. at her church and at the funeral on Sat. I love it!

Now my thoughts from my heart right now: we lost a wonderful, God fearing woman who was an inspiration to everyone including me. She always had a smile on her face that radiated her love for God and others. I work at Dandyland and when McKayla was almost 2 years old, she started there and was in my classroom. That was when I first met April and saw that she was always smiling, and a great mother. Shortly after that, we were asked to attend church which happened to be Community Fellowship Church. When we walked in, the first people I saw was April, Jason and McKayla. We ended up continuing to go there and became friends with her whole family. As we all went our separate ways years later, we still remained friends. April was always encouraging me and no matter what I was going through, she always had an encouraging word or smile for me. I remember that one of the last times I chatted with her was on Facebook right after her bone cancer diagnoses, she said to me "I am at peace with whatever God has planned." Wow! Could I say that?

Her going HOME has caused me to examine my life. What am I doing to show God's love to others? What will my legacy be when I go? What do I need to do to begin this new journey in my life? Questions that I will be working through.

Please pray for this family. April left behind a loving husband, and 2 young children(10 and 4). Also pray for her parents, Dave and Gail and her sibling, Joanna, Jamin, Josh and Mindy. Plus all the friends and family she was an inspiration to. And, pray for those now battling cancer in any form...they have a long, hard battle in front of them.

Fireproof your marriage

James and I started a Couple's Bible Study based on the movie Fireproof and the Love Dare book. It is a very enlightening Bible Study and I think it would help any marriage. In August, there will be a marriage conference here in Opelika with Kirk Cameron and Warren Banfield. We are also going to that, too. It will be a great conference and really exciting time.

Tomorrow, Missy is going to the vets to see why she is feeling so bad. I think it has to do with her ear problems. We will see what the vet says and what our next move will be.

I am heading to NY march 26-April 3 to visit my parents and friends. It will be a fun time.

"Choosing to See"

I just finished my 3rd book for 2011. "Choosing to See" is written by MaryBeth Chapman, wife to singer Steven Curtis Chapman. She writes about their life....the good times and the really ahrd times. In 2008, they had a tragic accident happen in their family. She is open and honest about her struggles and what is happening through the grieving process for all of them. It is a great book....very inspirational and real. It is a real person wrestling with what God is doing and seeing the blessings through it all....though sometimes it is hard to see them. A wonderful book to read.

I also started my Women's Bible Study tonight. The study is:"Lord Change my Attitude". Boy, this may hit home for me. Tonight was an introductory. I will keep notes in here along with the books I read.