In Need of a Little Privacy....

....for a while, anyway. Thimble Thoughts will be going private in a few days. If you read my blog and would like to continue reading, please message me your email address and I'll send you an invite. If I understand how this works, you'll have to get a blogger account, sign in to read my blog the first time, but once you do that, you shouldn't have to do it again. Some of you that have your blog set to private, is that how it works? Bruce and I have discussed this over the few years I've blogged and I'm just now rounding the decision to do it. I'm sure people will ask why. I could go into great detail, but it really doesn't matter. The point is, it's a decision I've made and, not lightly, I might add. So if you're a close friend or family member, or someone I've known through blogging over the years, please message me your email address and I'll add you to the invitations. You can leave me a comment here with your address and I won't publish it. Thank you so much! :)

Grace

We had a wonderful time at the Women of Honor Ladies Conference at the Bright Light Baptist Church in Concord, North Carolina. The Pastor and his wife there are Brother Ronnie and Frances Simpson. We heard some of the finest speakers I've ever heard. Each one bringing something new to the table. They did not plan their lessons around each other, but God sure did plan them and they were fantastic. I know I brought some things home that will be with me for a very long time. The music was outstanding and the fellowship with my sisters in Christ was incredible. I can't wait for next year's meeting!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mrs. Rebecca has asked me several times to speak to her bus ministry class of teenagers. This Saturday I will be doing that. She asked that the subject be on grace, to go along with the lessons she has been teaching. If I have ever experienced grace it has certainly been within the last year. But I wasn't sure of which direction to take *grace.* Sitting here tonight thinking and praying over it, the Lord confirmed something in my heart and I'll share that with you all later. But please pray the Lord will use it Saturday to His glory. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We had a great service today. I heard the morning service was good. I was in nursery with some of the sweetest little angels this side of Heaven. Then tonight we had Brother Clint and Donna Kearns from Brother Sammy Allen's church here with us. I have a lot of their music on my iPod and we enjoy listening to them often. It was so good to hear them in person tonight and my-oh-my, what a blessing!! I was speaking to someone after church and we both felt the Heavens were going to open and we'd be caught up in the sky at any moment. That obviously didn't happen. But you know what? It still could happen tonight...at any moment. God's people are seeing other people saved over and over again. We're meeting in prayer and praise and God is coming back! I hope you're ready.

See Ya Later!

Here's a few of my favorite shots from the wedding last weekend. Brother Ronn and Mrs. Gayle were so happy. Mrs. Amy and her sister in law, Laura, did a fantastic job on the reception decorations.


These were the favors that were passed out. Brother Ronn and Mrs. Gayle love their coffee. So inside each small, brown bag, was a pack of coffee. On the front of their bag was a picture from their engagement shoot we like to call "Carolina Gothic" and it says "A Perfect Blend." Very cute idea.



The rest of these are the ones that just make me smile.
Here you see Abby peeking around Aunt Amy just before coming down the isle.

The cutie pie ring bearer with the flower girls as the adults smile and think how cute they are.

Brother Mark making a joke and causing Mrs. Gayle to lean back in laughter.

The grandsons of the bride looking, oh so innocent, after making her break in laughter.

A stubborn Abby, whose last several pictures were the exact same pose.

Sweet....just makes me smile. :)

Loving on Papa.

The ever crazy grandsons. Jordan just would not behave!

She got him, folks!

The lovely cake.

The happy, dancing *other* Gail.

Not a fan of slicing through that cake....

No, they didn't shove it in each other's face. And I'm so glad. But they did have an interesting time feeding each other. O_o

Sitting on the makeshift front porch.

Birdseed? What? No way. Let's kill 'em with silly string. That's way more fun.

Mrs. Gayle told him to lift her veil for a kiss. haha

What a fun wedding!! I do believe the bride and groom had a very good day. I haven't tried sharing a link from KLM's facebook page, but you should be able to CLICK HERE to see more pics.

~~~~~~~~~~

After I finish this post I'll be packing my bags to leave for a ladies conference. We always have a great time on these trips and I'm really looking forward to it. It's my understanding that we have a pretty good crowd going this time. I'm glad.

Justin got a job working second shift at a place just five minutes from our house. The Lord sent that to him just in time. Right now it is temporary, but could open up permanently for him in June. We're praying about that. He's still putting in his applications and resumes in at fire stations. He would really love it if something would open up right here at the department he volunteers for. But the Lord knows his heart and his desires. So he's just waiting patiently for something to open.

We had a teacher's workday today. More like a teacher's playday. Hannah, Harrison, and I went to pick up some picture orders, had lunch out, and did some fun shopping for spring and Easter. We had a good time. I loved spending that time with them. They are two great kids, if I do say so myself!

And thus concludes this post. Gonna go pack now. Hope everyone has a good weekend. See ya later!

What A Weekend!

Last week was the busiest week I've had in a while. It was a good busy though. I had three photo shoots. One for the Griffins. Y'all saw one or two of their poses. Then one with a little cutie pie. I'll share one of those if her family gives permission. And then, of course, the wedding!!!
That was the sweetest wedding I've ever been to. Seriously. It was something else! Mrs. Gayle was a beautiful bride and Brother Ronn was looking quite dapper!

Friday night was the rehearsal and dinner. They were married at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Kings Mountain, which is three minutes from my house. I met them there for the rehearsal and then we all went to Ted and Rebecca's for the rehearsal dinner.

Of course Brother Mark, Mrs. Amy, and the boys were down from West Virginia. There were two better pictures than this one of Bruce and Brother Mark, but I liked this one.

:)

Mrs. Gayle's grandson, Luke, gave her away. It was so sweet.

Jordan played the guitar and sang. He wow'd Bruce and me. We were so impressed with his song and talent.

Hayden was his usual, crazy self. He is such a LITTLE NUT!!!!

I couldn't resist snapping this. We were praying over the ceremony and Abby was playing with her chewing gum.

Rehearsal went good. Everything seemed to be planned and in order. When we were finished we all headed over to Ted and Rebecca's for a fantastic meal of lasagna, garlic bread, and delicious salad. They had several different lasagnas and they were all so good!

We also helped celebrate some of the March birthdays in their family. Justin, Jordan, and Tim (who you can't see in this pic, but he was blowing candles also.)

There were lots of laughs and story telling going on. Like when Brother Ken almost shot Brother Mark through the walls at the church. And when Brother Mark dared Brother Ken to drink a whole gallon of fruit syrup, which nearly sent him into a sugar coma.

Mrs. Amy posed for me. Isn't she lovely? That's right folks...she's the pastor's wife at Ripley Baptist Tabernacle. Stop in and see her sometime. Just be careful which hand you shake. lol

I have no idea what my husband is doing here. lol

Hayden wanted to pose for the camera. He's such a ham.

The bride and groom were cracking each other up. The spirits were very light that night.

We made new friends with Laura and Jim. They are so. nice!

And Tammy, Amy, and Ted practiced their song they were singing for the wedding...Oh Rejoice in the Lord. It sounded lovely.

They're all happy to be siblings now. lol

Everyone rested well that night. The next day I went to the Crossroad's Fellowship building where the reception was being held and took some pictures of the beautiful decorations that Amy and Laura spent so much time on.

Here are a couple of pics from the wedding and as soon as the bride and groom are back from their honeymoon I'll share more.

This is Abby and Naomi twirling around in the church yard. They were so cute.

We enjoyed the wedding and the good fellowship and Sunday morning we were able to hear Brother Mark preach. I was supposed to work the nursery but my stomach was upset and I wasn't sure if it was a stomach bug or something else so I stayed in service. It was meant to be because that message was for me, about leaning on God.

I have built a wall and tried to ignore the pain I feel from losing daddy, instead of just simply leaning on Him for what I need done in my heart and mind.

"Ain't nobody that can satisfy like Jesus." ~~*~~Mark Leonard~~*~~

All in all, it was a fantabulous week with a superbulous ending...or beginning. Depends on how you look at it!

Vintage

Brother Rocky and Mrs. Debra joined the church a few weeks ago, which means the Crossroads Rescue Mission is back at Faith. We are so glad to have them all back home.
We were VERY glad to have one of the men in the mission to play and sing with Vintage the other week. We thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to hearing more from him.

The Griffins

This is Brother Leroy and Sister Joyce Griffin. They are missionaries and, Lord willing, going to Montana in May. They will be helping pastors out there, encouraging them and helping in their churches with evangelism and tract ministries. They are the nicest couple!!

They were wanting some pictures for their new prayer cards and I was glad to offer my lens. We had a nice morning, but a little chilly. Poor Mrs. Joyce did some shivering, but she survived. They were good sports considering the walking we did.
They'll be having a yard sale this Saturday, March 19, and the money they raise will be going toward their trip to Montana. So if you live in the area and want to help them, stop by their yard sale. There will be two other families with them and also they will be selling construction items from their former business.
The yard sale will be at 2338 Flinthill Church Road, Boiling Springs, and begins at 7:00 in the former Griffin Choice Buildings shop.

Please pray for the Griffins. This has not been an easy road for them, although they have some great stories to tell about their road trips and how the Lord has proivded for them each mile of the way.

Love you, Brother Leroy and Mrs. Joyce. Thank you for letting me take your pics.

The Mighty Dollar

I am appalled that at our local Mighty Dollar they are now selling pornography, out in the open for any man, woman, and child to see.

I did call the store and I did tell them how I felt. Apparently there have been MANY calling to complain and that's good. If you shop at this store and you know about this, go ahead and give the manager a call. That number is 704-481-1061. They gave me the number to the corporate office, which was of no help and also the person to contact. That number is 828-245-1162 and the person would be Christina Cubal. If you have more success than I did speaking with her, please let me know how you did it.

Because I could not get in touch with Christina through this number, I checked out their web page, which has no contact on it. I did, however, leave a message in the Franchisee section. Hopefully they will read it and actually do something about this.

Meanwhile, I will not be spending my dollars at the Mighty Dollar until the pornography has been removed from the store. And I encourage all of my friends in this area to do the same. I do not like the fact that it is there for anyone...ESPECIALLY my children...to view as they walk through the door.

And you know, I really liked this store too. I would much rather pay full price for something at a reputable store than pay only a dollar for it at a store that doesn't care about what they market or who they market to.

ETS: Shortly after a phone call and sending that email, Mighty Dollar decided to pull the porn.
Thank you, Mighty Dollar. We appreciate your cooperation.

Sounds of Faith with Gary Dover, The Savior's Precious Blood Covered it All

I'm so glad the blood of my Jesus covered it all for me.

The Star Spangled Banner

Here's Justin singing the National Anthem at his graduation Friday night.
Good job, son!

It's Official...He's a Firefighter

Congratulations, Justin. We are so proud of you!

II Timothy 4:7 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith."

Babies, Engagements, and Weddings...In That Order

There were a lot of babies born the other day. Of course, I'm sure there were a lot of babies born all over the world the other day, but I'm referring to people I know. And they were all born on the sixth! Obviously a good day for babies. So congratulations to all the little ones born on that special day and to their mommies and daddies and grandpas and grandmas, and aunts and uncles, and etc, etc, etc. :)

Mostly our Pastor and Mrs. Ava, or as they'll be better known now, Mi Mi and Pa Pa. Pastor cracked me up so bad at church last night with his excitement and pure joy over their first little grandchild that I just couldn't help but be excited and full of joy with them. I'm thrilled for everyone that is goo-gooing and gah-gahing over all these new little babies.

I'd share pics and names but I don't like doing that with newborns when they're not my family. But they're all so cute I could just squeeze 'em!

Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Also, some good news....Jeremy proposed to Ashley. Jeremy is my red-headed step child....Justin's best bud. :) I am so happy for Jeremy and Ashley. There is no doubt the Lord brought them together and I have seen some great things out of these two. I can't wait to see them get married!! T'will be a happy day, indeed. <3>

Genesis 2:24 "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


And on the weddings end, we have Brother Ronn and Mrs. Gayle. I had an opportunity to do a mini photo shoot with them last Saturday. They'll be tying the knot next weekend. I am very happy for them and love them both very much! Can't wait to share in their day.

Proverbs 18:22 "Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mom has been down in her back. I took her to the doctor this morning. Everything is ok, just pulled some major muscles. She could barely move for a couple of days and spent those days in bed. She seemed to be moving a little better today. I was glad to see that. The doctor told her moving was good and she needed to stay mobile. So when I got her home she was up and down and about and doing good. Hopefully she'll be back to herself again soon.

Dolly (mom's dog) kept begging mom to go out. Not because she needed to potty but because she wanted to chase the squirrel in the front yard. It was pretty funny listening to mom carry on this conversation with the dog about the squirrel. It also made me think of the movie Up where the dog would say, "SQUIRREL!"

When we left mom's house, Hannah and I stopped at a thrift store I discovered a few weeks ago. I found two skirts for her, a skirt for me, and a pair of cargo pants for Harry, all under four bucks. Not bad! I love this store. It's my secret place and I'm not telling where it is!!! Is that terribly bad of me? Oh well.

So that's it for now. I'm getting ready to take Hannah to Driver's Ed here in a little bit. Hope y'all have a good day. :)

Of Birthdays and Babies

Pizza and coke and birthday cake too
But poor old Jamie had not a clue
Forty years old he turned, you see,
Hey Jamie, guess what, you're older than me!

Happy Birthday, Jamie! :)
Dawn, you did a great job and, obviously, he was blown away. We love y'all. Thank you for including us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Besides birthday celebrations, we also get to celebrate the birth of our Pastor and Mrs. Ava's first grandchild. He made his way into the world today and we are all happy for Mi Mi and Pa Pa! I haven't spoken to either of them yet, but I just know they're about to bust.

Congratulations to the entire family on Baby H***!

Serving the Ushers

Brother Jr and Mrs. Debra always give a dinner for the ushers each year. Since Justin is a jr usher, we were invited to join in on the festivities. We always have a good time of food, fellowship, and fun!


One of Shelby's finest officers right here. LOL


Mrs. Debra is here with her handsome grandson, whom we just don't get to see enough of. He's a terrific young man.


Some of the ladies helped serve our dinner of beef and pork bbq, with red slaw, and chips.


Mrs. Katherine was at the end of the serving table.


Mrs. Reba enjoying some fellowship. :)


There was a lot of laughing going on at this table and Cammy was right in on it. I love to hear her laugh. She's so sweet.


When we were finished eating, Brother John O' gave a message...the best message really I've ever heard...about ushers. Great job, Brother O'!


Brother Jr asked Brother Arnold to the dinner and it is always an honor just to be in his presence. He is truly a man of God and loved by everyone. In the, almost ten years, we've been at Faith, I've heard him only say a handful of words. But when he does, he pours out wisdom and teaching. Last night he said something for all of us to think about, that when you pray for your pastor you begin to criticize him less and love him more. And when you pray for your church you begin to criticize it less and love it more.


One of our deacon's wives. Sweet lady right here!


Brother Doug and his wife, Mrs. Lucille. I love these people!!!! They are so kind.


Brother and Sister Leonhart. Now these two people are funny! We have a lot of good laughs when we're together.


Our sweet and very talented piano player. :)


LOL...Brother Street is gonna get me for this one.


Brother Mike playing the Minute to Win It game. This is Harrison's Sunday School teacher. Harrison loves his class.
OK, the object of this game is to get the cracker from your forehead and into your mouth without touching it. You have to work it down with your face muscles. This was the most HILARIOUS game to watch. If the cracker fell (which several of them did) you had to start over with another.


Brother John O' looked like a pirate here. hahaha


Pastor Goodman and Mrs. Ava were in on the fun too. It won't be long and their first grandchild will be here. Won't he be proud of his grandparents? haha


And these are the champions, my friends.....lol

Justin, Jayme, and Brother Johnny.

Thank you, Brother Jr and Mrs. Debra. Y'all are a blessing and, as usual, we had a fantastic time!