There's No Place Like Home....

First of all, thank you so much for praying for our heat to be fixed. It was repaired yesterday at about 10:30 and the minute that heat started blowing we rejoiced! Thank you to Bro. Scotty Bristow for coming over and repairing it for us. Also, my thumb is so much better! I can't believe it is already doing so much better. I appreciate your prayers so much.

I had such a good time during my last trip to Arkansas for the Thanksgiving holiday.Here's Janet Drive, the street on the side of our house. It was so lovely to see the falling leaves!! It's something we don't see down here in autumn. We have the Live Oak trees here and, oddly enough, they lose their leaves in the spring! I couldn't resist snapping the photo below. It's kind of relaxing, don't ya think?

Here is my nephew, Andrew. He is holding, well, trying to hold Laci! Melanie's boys loved her so much!
Here is David Allen, Melanie's oldest boy with Laci.
The three Musketeers! L-R: David Allen, Mitchell and Andrew
Here I am with the three little ones. L-R: Leslie, Laci and Stephen
My Mom bought new pajamas for the grandkids. These five here spent the night at Mom's house on pallets on the floor(For you Andy lovers out there, they called it "adventure sleeping"). Terry and I and the little girls stayed at a motel. Lauren was the only girl, so she didn't get Spiderman PJ's! She loved her penguin pajamas though! They all had a blast!
Here's the whole gang: L-R: David Allen, Andrew, Stephen, Lauren, Mitchell and Leslie (who's trying unsuccessfully to hide. She's the shy one.)
A proud Aunt! Here I am with the cutest clan in the world! Okay, I'm a little prejudiced! :o)
Leslie was a busy girl during our trip. She was always trying to fold blankets, or help Mom fold towels. She also enjoyed coloring! Her baby doll Lucy is beside her. Lucy has seen better days, as you can see!
Stephen, Melanie's youngest boy, just adored Laci! He kept asking her if they could have Laci for Christmas! He would come up to me and say "Valry, I love your baby!" and then give her and me some kisses! He's a sweetie! He was such a good "babysitter". He kept Laci happy so I could visit with my Mom and Melanie.
The kids had so much fun together. Uncle Walter took all the older ones to the park three times, and the weather was nice enough for them to play outside.
Here's one of my three sweet nephews! I sure miss him, and the whole family.
David Allen and Mitchell had matching Spiderman pajamas, which, by the way, came in very handy those two nights the heat was off!


Lauren and Stephen enjoying the building blocks.

Valerie and Terry ~ still in love after all these years!

We had such a great holiday. Thank you, Mom, for treating us to such a great time. I made memories that, Lord willing, will last my lifetime.

We don't have lots of money, or a fancy car. We don't have designer clothes or a bass boat, but we are so rich. We have a loving family and a home that is truly a haven from the stress and turmoil of this world. We have a great home because we have Jesus! The song says: "With Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm" and for a child of God that is so true! No matter what is happening in my town or around the world, I can smile at the storm because I have the giver of peace with me each and every moment. Even during the times of no heat, and painful burns, I have so much to be thankful for!

My Life in the Hill Country

Here are some photos from recent days. I did get lots of good photos on my trip home!!! I'll be sharing those tomorrow. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into my life in the hills of Texas...

Terry increased his workout. He's made it triple effective!

Leslie has learned that good eye protection can make all the difference!

Our last ladies fellowship was held November 17. We had a Thanksgiving theme. Here are some highlights. I shared a devotional thought that I've been mulling over for a while on "Worldly Thinking." The Lord really used it to work on me.

We had a great turnout!

We had a few autumn-type snacks. I made my Aunt Dorothy's famous Cranberry punch, and it was a hit! (Thank you, Dot!)

I made a cake that was supposed to look like a cornucopia, or horn of plenty. I had fun doing it, but I don't know if it turned out exactly right!

I have had computer problems this morning, so I won't have time to post the photos of my trip home today. We are also without heat here in the parsonage and it's 36 degrees! We hope to have it fixed today. In the meantime, we are using two small space heaters and we've all been sleeping in the same room, with one of the space heaters. This morning, when I went to plug in the other heater, it sparked and sizzled and burned my left thumb pretty badly. It burned the cord into two pieces and left me crying. I'm just so glad it wasn't one of the kids who got burned! If you think of me, please pray for our heat, and my thumb! :o)

So now you're up to date on my life in the hill country! I know Mondays typically stink, and I'll admit that mine has started out lousy, but with God's help I hope to make it a profitable day. Not just for now, but also for eternity. I hope you can do the same! Have a great Monday, and thanks for stopping by!

My Heart Is Full, and Overflowing

This will be my last post until November 26th. I will be leaving to go home on Monday to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my Mom and my sister and her family. I am really excited about it.
Thanksgiving often gets overlooked. We are all in such a rush to get to Christmas that we forget about the sacrifices the Pilgrims made so long ago that have made our lives possible. God's grace alone saw them safely over to the New World from Holland aboard the Mayflower. It was no wonder they knelt immediately at Plymouth Rock to give Him thanks. When they arrived, and nearly froze to death or died of starvation, it was God alone who kept them alive. It was God who allowed them to meet the Indians that helped them that first year. What if they had isolated themselves from the Indians because they were "different"? They would've starved to death for sure. They showed thankfulness to the Indians by inviting them for a big feast - sharing in the bounty that God so graciously provided.

We live today in a world that's very different from the Pilgrims' day. Kids don't know how to say "thank you." Most people don't send written thank you notes for gifts anymore. What has happened? Have we no time to be thankful for that which God has given us? I hope I don't become captive to the attitude of "un-thankfulness." I want to always remember to thank God, and others, for the kindness they show me. As I consider all He's given me, my heart is full and overflowing. I'd like to share some of the blessings for which I am thankful:

My Parents, Ron and Carolyn Courtney, for looking to the cross when trials came into our lives and making Christ so real to me. For staying faithful to a church that was falling apart, all the while trusting God to send His man, which He did! For not quitting no matter what happened. My Mother used to quote from Job,"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."

My Salvation - God graciously convicted me of my sin on June 12, 1993, and I accepted His gift.

My Husband - A man who loves the Lord, and me. His humility has enabled him to have a walk with the Lord that few can have. He is a loving and encouraging companion as I walk life's road.

My Children - Why would God allow someone like me to be a mother? And not once, but four times? He is so merciful and loving to me.

My Church - We waited for seven years on God's perfect will for a church to pastor, and on Sept. 11, 2005, God answered! He had a people and a place that He was preparing just for us. What if we hadn't waited on Him?

My Friends- I don't have a vast number of friends, but I have some faithful friends. Friends who have known me for years, and like me anyway. You are a gift - thank you.

My relationship with the Lord - He has provided for me when no one else could. He has listened to me when no one else would. He's given me strength to stand against wrong and He's been by my side when I stood all alone. He has kept every promise. He's never let me down. I've not always understood His ways, but I've always known He was with me through every trial. He speaks to me, He isn't just a God who lives way out in the galaxy - He's my very best friend.

Those I've led to the Lord - I've led many people to Christ, and that is a blessing. We are only commanded to go, not win them, so to see some saved is a bonus.

Yes, as the song says: "I've got so much to thank Him for."

Finally!

Here are the photos I mentioned a while back. I've been meaning to post these for some time now! These first ones are of me and my hubby painting our entry way at our house. The church painted all the walls white for us before we came, so they would be fresh and clean. I have gone through and painted some myself, choosing something other than white. I thought it would be welcoming if my entry way were a warm color so I chose a kind of mocha color. Oh, and we did this back at the first part of October.

Laci wanted to get in on the action!

Thanks, Honey, for your help! :-)

Here I am doing my part on the entry way. I didn't have any old shoes to paint in, so I went barefoot! And yes, I did step in wet paint!

During the month of September, Terry led our church in a Sunday School campaign/contest against his brother's church in Trenton, MO. The loser had to get a pie in the face, and well, we lost. We did get some great photos from it though! :o)

Lauren got to do the honors! She was only too happy to oblige!
She got him so hard that she bent the pie tin! Luckily, it didn't break his nose!
He's officially been "creamed."

The kids are enjoying breakfast! Say cheese, er, uh I mean oatmeal!

Leslie enjoys a smile and some cereal early in the morning.
This is kind of dark (sorry) but it's Laci on the treadmill! She's trying to walk, but I don't think she's ready for a treadmill yet!

Lord willing, we'll be getting to go home for Thanksgiving! I know! I was just home less than a month ago! What a blessing! My sister, Melanie, from North Carolina will be there this time with her hubby and three boys! I am really looking forward to it. I haven't seen them since last Christmas! I will try and get a whole new batch of photos for you. But, don't hold your breath...you know what happened last time I went home!

Who's Winning?

I Peter 1: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
I Peter 2: 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
I'm trying to do better. I don't watch much TV, and I only listen to music that was produced 10 years ago, or was done by a "non-professional", but I still struggle. Do you ever play a song on the radio or stop "surfing" to watch a show that you've heard about, only to feel a terrible struggle 'neath your chest? I have! That struggle, if you're born again, is the Holy Spirit and your flesh battling it out. Who will win? Well, the stronger of the two, naturally. You may be thinking, "Well, that's the Holy Spirit- He's God, He's stronger than anything." Well, think again! You see, the Holy Spirit is very sensitive. You can quench Him easily. If you feed your flesh more than your Spirit, then your flesh will win. You do this by ignoring the Holy Spirit's tugging at your mind. When He tells you "You know this is wrong, don't do it." and you refuse to listen, then each time after that, the voice will not be as hard to ignore. If you rarely read your Bible, attend church, tithe, or do for others, oh, and here's a biggie -pray, then you will have an anemic spiritual life. Your flesh will be stronger, and your flesh will win those "battles", if you even have a "battle" going on. Maybe you never feel the Holy Spirit tugging at your mind. If you don't then you need to have a check up. Ask yourself: Am I saved? If you are for sure, then ask yourself :When was the last time I had a spiritual "meal" of Bible, and prayer. Not a "ritual" but an actual time where you talked with God and listened to His Word? There's an old illustration of the flesh and the Spirit that goes like this: A man had a white dog and a black dog that he was going to let fight each other. He fed the black dog meat two or three times a day for a week, while the white dog went hungry for a week. Which dog do you think won the fight? It's obvious: the black dog. The white dog was too weak with hunger to defend himself. Which one do you feed?
Christ is our example. We aren't to measure up to "Mr. or Mrs. Super Christian", because even they at their best are still just human. We are to measure up to Christ. We are to be holy, because He is holy! I have a loooong way to go! Would Jesus be pleased with my watching that new TV show? Well, there's cursing, nudity and inappropriate dialog...I don't think so. Does he want me listening to that new Southern Gospel group that sounds more country than Gospel? Does He get glory from that? No, I doubt it.I don't always choose for my Spirit - sometimes I fail and give over to my flesh, but I don't want to make it a habit! I want to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and feed my Spirit. And when there is a battle going on for my mind, I want my Spirit to win, hands down.

A Beauty Tip for Everyone

My Proverbs for today is one that brings back many memories!
Proverbs 11: 22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.
Isn't this an unusual scripture? In today's world, I've seen jewelry in some very ridiculous places, but one place I've never seen it, is in a pig's nose!
I say it brings back memories, because I first read this verse when I was 10 years old in a book called Those Kids from Proverbsville by Elizabeth Rice Hanford. My sister bought it for me as a gift at the gift shop at Hyles-Anderson College when she was a student. There was a story in it about discretion using this very verse as it's foundation. I will never forget it, because this was an area in my life that my Mother was really trying perfect in me.
As a talkative person, I often speak before I think! I hope I'm a lot better now, but at 10, I had a lot to learn about discretion! I would say some things that would hurt or even offend others, simply because I wasn't thinking about what I was saying and how someone else would take what I was saying. I also tended to "dominate the conversation"! I didn't mean for others to think I was trying to "take over", I just really enjoyed talking and trying to make others smile or even laugh! Back then, I just made people cry! (And not tears of joy!)
Today's verse is also a beauty tip! After all, who wants to look like a pig with a ring in her nose? Yet, the Bible says that's what an attractive woman looks like when she has no discretion. She's repulsive and odd!
I hope I'm not alone in this "battle for the tongue". I still want to be very careful in choosing my words, and in my spirit as I speak those words. I don't want to repulse others. I want to be warm and friendly and welcoming to those God allows me to meet. Not domineering, just a "happy medium" as my Grandmother used to say.
I'm a pastor's wife, and I feel pressure to be "just right" for everybody. I worry that when a visitor doesn't come back to our church, it might be because I wasn't friendly enough, or maybe I was too friendly! But, then the Holy Spirit tells me that I just have to relax and be "me" and He will give the increase! Whew! That's a relief!
So by God's grace I will go out tomorrow and do my best to be pleasing in my speech. I pray that the folks at my church see, and hear, Jesus in me everyday from the inside out!

I Love to Escape!

As a stay at home Mom, I find my life somewhat isolated and tedious. That's why I love to escape! Sometimes, I escape with my husband on a date! But, that's not too often. I can't get out alone or on a date when I want to, so I try to escape with a good book whenever I get a few minutes. Here are a few of my favorite stories. Please email me at valeriebasham@yahoo.com or please post here if you have any goodies that you'd like to share. I'm always looking for new good books! Oh and by the way, some of these are young adult books, but I feel that a good story is a good story, no matter what age group! I must also add here, that these do not ever replace my Bible time! In fact, I try to not pick up a book to read for pleasure until I have read my Bible for the day, it should be first on my "reading list" everyday!

The Laura Ingalls Wilder books
The Anne of Green Gables series- L.M. Montgomery
Tuck Everlasting -Natalie Babbit
Number the Stars- Lois Lowery
Christy- Catherine Marshall
The Love Comes Softly Series -Janette Oke
The Canadian West Series - Janette Oke
The Blue Bottle Club- Penelope J. Stokes (I'm reading this one now)

I love reading Biographies, but haven't read any lately. The one I've read most recently is Laughs, Luck and Lucy by Jess Oppenheimer, the creator and producer of the I Love Lucy show. It is very funny and a good read. I also love the book Gifted Hands, the autobiography of Ben Carson, a famous neurosurgeon who came out of the projects of Detroit to be one of the most renowned surgeons of our time. He is a Christian. This will encourage and inspire you! Also, the autobiography of George Mueller is excellent. Another must read!

Here are a few of my favorite non-fiction books:
Sheet Music - Kevin Leman
Making Children Mind without Losing Yours - Kevin Leman
What Every Mom Needs - Elise Morgan and Carol Kuykendall
Honey for a Child's Heart - Gladys Hunt
More Hours in My Day- Emilie Barnes
Things Happen when Women Care - Emilie Barnes
50 Veteran Homeschoolers: Things We Wish We'd Known - Compiled and edited by Bill & Diana Waring
Slow & Steady Get Me Ready!- June R. Oberlander (a book to help you prepare your pre-schooler for school)
Help for the Harried Homeschooler - Christine M. Field

Odds & Ends I enjoy:
Simple & Delicious Magazine
Fix it & Forget it - Feasting with your slow cooker (a great cookbook - recipes do not have very many ingredients and it's all for your crockpot! Even desserts!)

Maybe you can try some of these books on for size to create your own escape. It's really wonderful to get new ideas, to travel back in time, to visit different places or to meet famous people without leaving the comfort of your own home! So happy reading!!