Star Spangled Banner

Did you know there was more to this beautiful song that our country claims as the National Anthem? Did you know that there are more verses to be heard? To be sung? And it also tells us what our motto should be "In GOD is our trust!"The second and third verses are telling the story of the battle that Francis Scott Key must have been witness to. The fourth verse gives GOD all the glory and honor. "Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven rescuted land, PRAISE THE POWER that hath made and preserved us a nation.

In high school, I honestly can not count the number of times I sang the Star-Spangled Banner. I would sing with or without the school's band for MANY sporting events, mostly basket ball and some football. I sang our National Anthem for DARE Graduations and DARE training events and award ceremonies. I sang our country's theme song with multiple choirs I belonged to. In one of these choirs we sang our National Anthem for a St. Louis Rams Game. I sang it by myself for my uncle's last basket ball game he coached. I sang it by myself when my sister wrestled in the State Championships... .... Never once did I know there were more words. WHY?!?! Why in schools are we not taught the rest? Why do our schools try to teach us that the country was founded with men of a great many faiths? Why are the schools trying to cover up the truth about our country's history? There is so much I wish I would have known...


Here are ALL the words to the Francis Scott Key's beautiful song he wrote for our nation in 1814. May we never forget that our COUNTRY was grounded in Christianity as our founding father's were. May we never forget that GOD is who we should place our trust, not on the things of this world. May we never forget that WE are FREE because CHRIST died for us!


Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Happy birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you so much. I'm glad I am yours and that you love me. I hope you had a good day today. I am sorry I don't get to see you but know that I'm thinking about you! Matthew thought it was pretty special to have your and Grandpa's birthdays so close! You're amazing Mom. Thank you for teaching me more of who I want to become.

mom and me just after the wedding

Mom and Matthew and me, Matthew is 5 or 6 days old.

Matthew and Grammy on the STL Zoo train July 2008

Grammy and Mark, 12-24-08, one day old.

Grammy and Mark, May 2010

me, Kris and Mom, May 2010

Happy Fourth (tomorrow)

Here's the cake I made for today's cookout at my friend Kathy's parents' house. I was pleased. You can't tell from this picture, but it's a two layer cake. Red cake on the bottom, blue on the top, white icing of course and the sprinkles!

GOD BLESS AMERICA. MY HOME SWEET HOME!
OH GOD BLESS AMERICA, MY HOME SWEET HOME!

June 2009

June 2009

June 2008

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and my Daddy's birthday. If you get to watch any fireworks... he'd tell you they were for him. (This must have really been said a lot as a child, be/c I just went back in my posting archives and basically said the same thing July 4, 2008 and 2009).

Happy Fourth, America! I pray that we'll be able to get out of the mess we're in as a Nation. I believe that if our founding fathers could see what we've done to the nation they worked so hard to build and keep our freedom safe and secure, they'd be horrified. However, we are instructed to respect our authorities. This comes hard in a situation where you do not think your leader is deserving of respect. But it's not up to me to decide that now. He is in charge and it's our job to pray for him. And to pray for those serving him. And to pray that lots of people vote in November! (cough cough) okay, I'm very rarely political in my postings, so I'll stop. but there you are. Either way, America has survived another year. And we have MUCH to be thankful for. God has blessed us with a great freedom, both in this country but also so much more importantly, from our sins, through the blood on the cross shed by Jesus Christ, His Son. Thank you Lord for the Cross!


And thank you Lord, for my Daddy.

My daddy, leaving me at the aisle to marry my sweet Jamie.
Oct 2, 2004

May 2006
Grammy and Grandpa

July 2007 (with Matthew)

July 2008 (with Matthew)

August 2009 (with Mark)

May 2010 (reading stories on Memorial day morning)

Happy birthday Pop! I love you so much.
I hope you're having a great time in Arizonia with Kris.
Here's just a few things my dad is good at (I went to excel and put it in alphabetical order so no one can know what I thought of first haha!)

-Being a good example

-Being a grandpa. His boys love him.

-Being a pillar of strength

-Being a teddy bear when no one is looking

-Being a voice of reason

-Cooking

-Dancing. I can remember dancing on my daddy's feet when I was little. I bet he'd still let me…

-Driving -Eating whatever I cook.

-Grilling

-Holding your hand, even when he might not want to

-Hugging

-Knowing what you need to hear, even if you don't want to hear it.

-Loving -Loving my mom

-Making breakfast in general

-Making Eggs

-Making the Goofy and Donald noises

-Making waffles

-Making you spit milk at the table… and I swear it's his goal to get me to do it every trip I go back home…

-Playing cards… well playing any game really

-Quoting old movies

-Requiring laughter when you're sobbing

-Showing respect for my mother and teaching us girls to do so

-Singing

-Watching movies (with you)

Father's Day weekend pictures

Father's Day weekend threw us many emotions. It was definitely a roller coaster of events. It's started with horribly sad and tragic news Friday. Matthew's birthday party on Saturday. Leaving our children Sunday morning and driving towards family. Sunday afternoon spending with Granddaddy and celebrating his 84th birthday. Sunday night at a funeral home. Monday morning, saying goodbye to Jamie's cousin, Katie. Monday afternoon driving back home to pick up our children and hold each other tight as a family unit. We had such sorrow mixed in with moments of happiness. I tried to capture the happier moments. At the end of the day, we're still family and we need each other.

Remember to hug your children before they go to bed tonight. And if they are grown, call them. Tell them you love them. You never know when it might be the last time to say so.

Matthew's party:

Matthew with his conductor's hat!

Happy birthday time!

Mark and Papa
Matthew and his presents!

Matthew and an upclose of the Thomas Train!

Grandaddy's Party Sunday:

Granddaddy and his cake!

Jamie and his Nanmommy

Jamie's mom and me

3 generations: Jamie, his grandaddy and his dad.
It physically hurt that Matthew and Mark weren't there with his granddaddy.
We'll have to go back soon.

Us kids: Jamie, Kate, Rick, Chasity and Kimby

After the service Monday:

Jamie and his Nana

The men:
Rick, Chuck and Jamie

The girls:
Kate, Sandy, Kimby, Chas

The family, minus the children:
Rick, Chas, Nana, Kimby, Chuck, Sandy, Jamie, Kate

Being that it was Father's Day weekend, let me share with you the gift that Matthew made for Jamie at church. ( I love our church! ) On a travel coffee mug is Matthew's big smiling face. And in someone's neat handwriting is Matthew's dictated words: "What I love about my dad is that he plays puzzles with me and makes bacon with Mommy." It was a sweet gift. We'll cherish it. Thank you to Matthew's teachers at church for it.

Pastor's Thoughts on growth.

This is a direct copy from my Pastor's blog. It is too good to not share. If you'd like to read more on my Pastor's blog, click here! I am amazed by how much his postings are relevant to whatever I'm going through when I'm going through it. You wont be disappointed if you choose to follow it.

I’m sure you know Jesus’ parable about the seed representing how we grow spiritually. Some is picked away, some has shallow roots, and some is choked out by weeds. I’m concerned for the church of God in these days because I see people believing in Jesus but not staying close enough to Him to grow. So how do I put down good roots?

1. Be cultivated. God’s truth will never take root and produce fruit if I don’t let it in and let it do its work of breaking, convicting, and instructing.

2. Embrace the compost. You know what compost is, right? Animal waste, rotten garbage, and microorganisms. They all enrich the soil. The suffering in my life–whether self-inflicted by bad judgment or brought about through no fault of my own–is the compost accelerated spiritual growth.

3. Surrender. There’s deep, hidden work underground before a seed sprouts and grows. And if I don’t surrender the time to wait for God to do the deep, hidden work underground, I won’t surrender anything else.

4. Nourish. Plants need sun, water, and carbon dioxide. Believers need the Word, prayer, fellowship, service, and worship. Photosynthesis is the miracle of plants turning energy from sunlight into life. There’s a similar miracle through exposure to the nourishing elements of growth for believers.

5. Participate. Plants work together with other life forms for mutual benefit. God desires that I bring my uniqueness to the family of believers and participate. We have let too many mundane things take us from our commitment to God’s family, and our lack of participation is often at the bottom of stagnation and lack of growth.

I believe God wants me to bear fruit; I can’t do that unless I’m growing. Are you growing? Am I?

The Lord's day

Today in Sunday School there was some good conversation about "keeping the Sabbath" and the Lord's day... did you know that Sunday isn't actually the Sabbath? The Sabbath, in Jewish culture, is Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown, making Saturday the Sabbath. Back in the time of Jesus (and I'm betting some small number still today) those who truly kept the Sabbath holy did no work of any kind from Friday pm to Saturday pm. And we were told today that THEN, after they'd rested Saturday then they went back to work on Sunday as the first day of the work week, then after their work was done, Sunday evening met for a time of worship and remembering of Christ's death on the cross and Resurrection from the grave. We are busy. We are a busy people with many places to go and much to do. We don't think there is time to "keep the Sabbath." But here's what the Bible says in Exodus 20: ⁸ “ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Can we even imagine that? On Saturday, to do no work. No laundry. No yard work. No house cleaning. No food preparing. ... In today's day and age, we can't even try to process this. It is a good thing that we live under God's grace. (Something else greatly talked about in the message from today's sermon) Without God's grace and mercy we'd all fall short.... And while we can't possibly do all that Ex 20: 8-11 says to do about the Sabbath. What we can do is make sure that we are honoring God. That if we have laundry to fold or the yard to be mowed, we're doing it with a clean heart and with a cheerful spirit. That we aren't grumbling or complaining. That we are living our daily tasks with God on our mind and not the world. As we go to the ball games and the concerts and the festivals and the backyard, that what we ARE doing, whatever it is, is pleasing to the Lord.

Personally I don't even like the idea of laundry or chores on Sunday. I don't think I really knew before today that the Sabbath wasn't Sunday but Saturday but even still and now knowing that... There is something about working or doing chores or even having a ball game on Sunday that has never sat right with me. I do it if it needs be done, but something about it has always made me feel funny. Sunday is the day we choose to go to church and worship as a family and take time to publicly honor God in his Sanctuary. Sunday needs to be a day to spend as a family--loving each other, praying together, helping one another... it should be a day of grumbling, arguing or being apart from each other. It should be a day we devote to God and all that we do, do it for His glory. ... I think if we can manage to attempt to do this on Sundays, then perhaps we can hold on to the attitude of Christ's a bit longer and stronger and our days throughout the rest of the week may not be so cumbersome. Not that there wont be trials. The Bible says we will face trials. I just think that if we can come together and start a fresh on the first day of the week, Sunday, as a family, strong with the body of Christ, then how mighty will our attitude be, ready to face the week ahead?!

...

Something else to say, we again sang the song during worship time Blessed be the Name of the Lord.... and there is something about that song that makes me just tear up. It says "You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be your name."

In this past week, we've gone to a funeral and a wedding. We have seen such deep sorrow and also such great joy. We have been a part of a deep pain and a grief that is momentous to bear and we've also celebrated the happiness of a new marriage, a new life.

In all that happens in our lives, the good and the bad... Are we willing to say "Regardless Lord. Regardless of what you take or what you give... I CHOOSE to say, Lord Blessed be your Name. I choose to say that YOU are still God and you are my God and you are the God of the nations, you are the King of Kings, you are the Lord of Lords."

It is a choice.

You can choose to let something other than God rule your life...

or you can choose to say "Lord, BLESSED BE YOUR NAME!"

Kate, a featured reader

Hello there~ I'm pretty proud of something that happened yesterday, go to the coupon goddess' blog and see ME on the front page!!! It's about three postings down now, so you'll have to scroll, but there I was all day yesterday! Being that it was Matthew's birthday I didn't want to take away from his spot light on my blog yesterday, but I was pretty pleased with being a featured reader for the coupon goddess!!!

Go check out my couponing story over there!

Four.

How can it possibly be four years already? Matthew Christopher, I love you so much. You are really growing into a beautiful child and a good boy. I pray that you will continue to grow in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus and that you will someday ask him into your heart. I love how you're starting to play with your brother and how you love to sing songs with me. I love how you like playing games with daddy and love to be read to. You've got such a sweet smile and beautiful eyes and cute freckles starting to pop up on your arms and torso. We still battle your eating but I've come to accept it. You have very limitted food chocies: bacon, bars, yogurt, fruit, cereal, peanut butter...that's about it. You have started doing some chores and like wiping off the table. You are so wonderful. You're a joy to my life.

The day you were born.

a day or two later

first birthday

second birthday

third birthday

fourth!

my two boys, being a train.

Here's a peek at the beautiful percy cake I made for Matthew's Percy Party. It was awesome. I am pleased with how it turned out. Complete with tracks even!

special moments

Tonight while reading to Matthew, Mark climbed up in my lap too. I sat their reading with one boy on each knee. They both sat there really good and quiet and attentive. It is rare moments like this that I will try to savor and help me through the hard times. Moments where I hope I can remember later what the feel of their skin was... the smell of their clean still damp from baths hair... the way Mark smiles and wrinkles his nose just like mine does... the way Matthew hugs me so tight and says "I love ya, Mom"... when did he get to be such a big boy?

Tomorrow we celebrate Matthew's fourth birthday (even though it's not until Wed) with a Percy Party at the train tracks. I can't wait. He's so excited. I've made another huge cake (a Percy cake), complete with rice crispies treats tracks. ((Not even close to coming as cool as the snowman, but it's neat!)) I will do my best to have a good time. Though inside I am really hurting. We had a hard day and some very tragic news today.

All I will say for now is that life is too short. And God does not owe me one thing. He doesn't owe you one thing either....

I'll leave you tonight with a Point of Grace song that's been in my head all day.


Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want but want what you have
Hmmmmm
And don't spend your life lookin back

[Chorus:]
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
And let it all out
Cause you won't regret it
Lookin back from where you have been
Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you lived

[Verse 2:]
So go to the ball game
And go to the ballet
Go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don't run from the truth cause you can't get away
Oh No...
Just face it and you'll be okay

[Chorus]

[Bridge:]
Ohhhhh
Wherever you are and wherever you been
Now is the time to begin

[Verse 3:]
To give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
Even when you don't think that you can
Cause all that you do is bound to come back to
You
So think of your fellow men
Make peace with God but make peace with yourself
Cause in the end there's nobody else

[Chorus]

Cause it's not who you knew and it's not what
You did
It's how you lived

music needed

Sometimes you just need a little Phil Cross ... This morning on the way to VBS I just felt like I needed to listen to Phil Cross. I have been really struggling emotionally this week. One night Jamie said I was being distant and I didn't realize I had been. Each day after VBS I've cried. Mark moved up to the walkers room from the baby room and I think I just was not prepared for how this would effect me emotionally. I knew he was moving up and I knew he was switching rooms and I was thinking I was okay with it... but I just have struggled. He's not in the baby room anymore. I don't have a baby anymore. I have a toddler. ..... Tuesday was especially hard and cried to Nic and to my mom. I've been emailing with another friend seeking advice and support. Today, I'm currently on the sofa of friend Nancy's and have cried to her today. I know that God does not owe me one thing, but man the closer it gets to September, the harder it is.... When we lost our first baby, I was pregnant again and though I was grieving, I had another happy time ahead of us. I had a date to look forward to past the angel bean's due date. Mark was thriving and growing inside me and was our Manna baby and I was able to heal my brokenness in the joy of his upcoming arrival. With this loss, it's just been so hard. It gets harder day by day sometimes instead of easier and easier...

God, I need you. Jesus hold me. Help me overcome this. I need your strength to be able to handle day by day the struggles that are keeping me down. Father, remind me that you do not owe me one thing. Remind me to stop complaining. To stop wallowing. To enjoy the sweet boys I do have. To love and cherish what I do have. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your son that you gave for me. Thank you for the gift of motherhood you've given me.... the gift of fatherhood you've given Jamie. Amen.