Words to live by...

"Treat Me As I Treat My Neighbor."by Max Lucado
Are you aware that this is what you are saying to your Father? Give me what I give them. Grant me the same peace I grant others. Let me enjoy the same tolerance I offer. God will treat you the way you treat others.
In any given Christian community there are two groups: those who are contagious in their joy and those who are cranky in their faith. They've accepted Christ and are seeking him, but their balloon has no helium. One is grateful, the other is grumpy. Both are saved. Both are heaven bound. But one sees the rainbow and the other sees the rain.
Could this principle explain the difference? Could it be that they are experiencing the same joy they have given their offenders? One says, "I forgive you," and feels forgiven. The other says, "I'm ticked off," and lives ticked off at the world.
It's as if God sends you to the market to purchase your neighbor's groceries saying, "Whatever you get your neighbor, get also for yourself. For whatever you give him is what you receive."
Let's take this a step further. Suppose your neighbor's trash blows into your yard. You mention the mess to him, and he says he'll get to it sometime next week. You inform him that you've got company coming and couldn't he get out of that chair and do some work? He tells you not to be so picky, that the garbage fertilizes your garden. You're just about to walk across the lawn to have a talk when God reminds you, "Time to go to the market and buy your neighbor's groceries." So you grumble and mumble your way to the store, and then it hits you, "I'll get even with the old bum." You go straight to the skim milk. Then you make a beeline to the anchovies and sardines. You march right past the double-chocolate ice cream and head toward the okra and rice. You make a final stop in the day-old bread section and pick up a crusty loaf with green spots on the edge.
Chuckling, you drive back to the house and drop the sack in the lap of your lazy, good-for-nothing neighbor. "Have a good dinner." And you walk away.
All your brilliant scheming left you hungry, so you go to your refrigerator to fix a sandwich, but guess what you find. Your pantry is full of what you gave your enemy. All you have to eat is exactly what you just bought. We get what we give.Some of you have been eating sardines for a long time. Your diet ain't gonna change until you change. You look around at other Christians. They aren't as sour as you are. They're enjoying the delicacies of God, and you're stuck with okra and anchovies on moldy bread. You've always wondered why they look so happy and you feel so cranky. Maybe now you know. Could it be God is giving you exactly what you're giving someone else?

Angels Over Our Campus...

Well they look like Angels to me... :)

I have posted a picture of the beautiful sunset over our campus before and today as I was driving in, I saw the clouds that looked like Angels to me. I think it is awesome how they look like they are hanging right over our Chapel. Remember when you were a kid and used to look at the clouds and they looked like certain animals or other things. Well apparently I still do that... :) They just seemed so peaceful and pretty so I had to snap a picture. The weather is beginning to warm up and it is starting to feel more like spring. YEA!! I just hope as the winter disapears, so does all the cold and flu mess. Gene is home with a fever right now. Get better Babe! I hope everyone has a great "Fat Tuesday"!

Busy but Beautiful Weekend

The girls feeding the horses

The girls with Devin...Logan's friend and teammate

Logan feeding the mini some apples

It was a busy weekend as usual....on Friday, Logan had his square dancing performance and then Saturday morning he had his last regular season basketball game. The Stars won!! He kind of got into it with another little boy and the boy called him a loser...well held his fingers in the "L" position. I think the little boy ended up getting tossed after he fouled Logan while he was trying to make a lay-up. Pretty intense for a 5 year old game of basketball. Trinity had her friend Emily over and then on Saturday she spent the night over there. On Sunday we went to Logan's first tee-ball practice. He is playing with Coach John and most of his basketball teammates. This will be his first time at this sport so hopefully he will catch on. Poor Coach John has his work cut out for him! After his practice we got to go feed his coach's horses. My kids love horses and being out in the country so they had a blast. It was back home to ride bikes for a bit before calling it a night. So a weekend full of square dancin, friends, horses, sports and beautiful weather...you can't beat that!

A Square Dancing Fool...

Logan and Silje..so adorable

Logan's school had their annual Chilli Supper Dinner/Performance. They had to dress in their cowboy gear and they danced and sang their little hearts out and then we all had yummy chilli for dinner. It kind of took me back to my college days in the Stockyards.....except Logan was sober and I never square danced at Billy Bobs! :) Ok that was a joke...kinda. Well back to the performance....we showed up and were walking to the door when I hear "Hi Cute Logan" and Logan responded "Hi Silje" (pronounced Seelya). I looked over to find this cute little girl looking at Logan with a big grin. Logan also had a huge grin. It was so cute. I found Silje's Mom inside helping with the chilli and I told her about the "flirting". She laughed and said "Silje comes home everyday telling me oh Mommy, Logan is so cute". So before the night was over I had to get a picture of them together. Gene just sat back and rolled his eyes...his usual reaction when I bust out my camera. Enjoy the video of Logan getting his groove on...he's got a little pep in his step...he got his rhythm from his momma...ok but his daddy sure can move also.
(Don't forget to pause my playlist before you start the video)

Our Future Home????

The lot...

The view from our future home

Gene checking out the lot size

We are desperately wanting to move closer to school/work. With our late nights with sports, it just makes sense to be near by our home. There is a development only 11 miles from our campus. It is out in the country and we love it! We have met with a builder and the owner of some of the lots in the area. Today we chose a lot and will put a deposit down on it next week. Now we haven't even put our house on the market so it will probably be a year before we call it home but I am so excited. I pray everyday that God wants us to be there and I know if that is His plan then it will happen. If for some reason it is not, we will be happy in whatever home He chooses for us. Logan keeps asking Gene and I if we will buy him a 4-wheeler if we move there...I told him today that he just needs to keep praying about it and we will see what God wants. All of a sudden the back of the car got really quiet and I looked back to see his hands clasped and his eyes closed. Then he burst out with "Mommy...I just talked to God and he said that he wants us to build there and we can get a 4-wheeler". I got teary eyed...surprise surprise and had a big smile on my face and I told him "That would be great buddy". So if you are reading this, say a little prayer for us Watts people...we sure hope it all works out. Today when Gene and I went out there I took some pictures of possibly "our future home".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!!!

My honey and I in the gym...surprise surprise


My honey in college.(also in a gym)...lookin good

I want to wish my wonderful husband a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Gene is 44 years young today. I don't know what it is but he doesn't seem like he has aged in the past 13 years since we have been together. Not fair!! He is an awesome Dad, a supportive and loving husband and most importantly a Man of God!! I look forward to spending many more birthdays together. Thanks for loving me through the good times and the bad. Love you babe!!

My Family...Then and Now

Click on "My Beautiful Family" to watch our slide show...don't forget to pause the music on my playlist first. Enjoy the pictures of my family....then and now.



My Beautiful Family

Basketball is almost over...spring season is here!

Logan with his "serious" pose


STARS 2009....how cute are these boys...

I absolutely love watching my kids play sports...it is my favorite thing to do. Logan has had so much fun playing basketball this season with the Stars. After their season is finished, they will put their basketballs away and get out their bats for baseball. This will be the first time for Logan to play baseball but he loves the sport and will do just fine. Basketball season is coming to a close for Gene's teams as well. Both his girls' and his boys' team have qualified for the Division I bracket at the SPC Championships next week. I am so proud of him. It has not been easy to practice for 4 hours straight every day but he has done it for the past 3 months and he has done a great job! I am looking forward to the spring....coaching tennis, watching some baseball and enjoying Easter with my family.

Logan is a Saint!!!

Logan and his Momma with his Saints Box

Logan and Daddy...so proud!!

Ok so maybe that title is misleading a little...but he WILL be a Saint in the fall!! We found out this weekend that Logan has been accepted for Kindergarten at All Saints' for the fall of 2009. He will be in the graduating class of 2022!! Crazy huh! We feel so blessed that our kids get to go to one of the top college-prep schools in the state of Texas! It will be so nice to have all 3 of them at the same school. The education that they are going to receive will prepare them for college and beyond. I love to walk down the halls or into the cafeteria and see my kiddos there. All Saints' is truly an extension of our family! Logan is excited and can't wait to play quarterback for Coach Beck, point guard for his Dad and pitcher for Coach Hardgrove. He is looking forward to bringing All Saints' many SPC Championships!!!