Queenies Little Kingdom

I’ve been busy this weekend. That’s just how I roll. I like it that way. Saturday night was the final Taste of Sweet Sounds event for my Sweetboy. We happily attended that yummy performance (The catering is off the charts delicious! Thanks AJ). The Jazz Band played throughout our entire dinner which lasted around two hours. When Gavin made it home, he said his lips and mouth were completely numb. He plays the heck out of the euphonium. I just thought I’d jazz that up a bit….did it sound as amazing as I’d hoped it would? Good. He really does make that baby sing. More jazzing…just work with me. It’s late!

Sunday evening we scored some tickets (it had been a sold-out free event for almost a week) for our church Easter cantata held at the local Park Theatre. I know why. God wanted us to be there. We left blessed. The performers were awesome! The music was beautiful. The story never gets old. And my heart really needed it. I found myself crying at the strangest times. It was one of the best presentations of what it must have been like following Jesus. I am so proud of my fellow church members who made this happen. These people have worked very hard and it really showed. I loved it! Thanks FBC Choir and many supporting actors.

Enjoy a few photo’s of the two evenings. I hope your Monday is going fabulous! Remember, this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. I’m just sayin! Be happy!

It is crunch time! We have been procrastinating working hard on filling out every single scholarship we can get our hands on. Sweetboy needs the money, ya’ll! He’s going to be in college a. very. long. time. His education is very important….ok everybody’s education is very important. But his is first on my list right now. It’s my first taste of college with my own offspring. He doesn’t quite have the realness of what it’s going to cost to finish a medical degree. However, he can see a really hot car far off in his “graduated” future. 🙂 Boys! That’s how they think, you know? Divide and conquer. Oh but the blood, sweat and tears that it will take. Hmmm.

As we have sat filling out and talking over essay questions we’ve come across some really cool scholarships. No matter what you can think up….there’s most likely some money being given away for it. I think that is so cool. But, how easy is it to actually get selected? We’ve just been notified in our school this week of the local and very coveted Lilly Scholarship recipients. Our community only gives out two and they are all the buzz for weeks as we wait patiently to hear..WHO?? This scholarship pays for everything for four years. We were so excited when they announced one of this year’s Lilly scholar’s was one of my son’s closest friends. So cool! He really deserved it, too. Congrats to you Ronnie! We celebrate with you!

It’s almost time to wrap this final school year up. His future is opening right before our very eyes. We are so excited to watch as he moves forward. We have loved raising him. He’s been such a good boy. I know I say all good things about him when I talk about him….but it’s because it really is true. He is a great person with admirable integrity. Something I will forever be proud of.

Now we wait. We pray. We give it all over to God. If God wants him to have any funds from scholarships…..He will. We trust Him either way.

Do you think I’ll have to call him Dr. Galloway if I’m ever his patient? Oh …. probably not! Sweetboy will have to do. Goodluck, son.

If you’ve been anywhere in blogland…then surely you have run across a “Pray for Stellan” button (see mine on my sidebar). This little munchkin is sick! He is a miracle baby to begin with. Stellan is only five months old. But he has touched the lives of people all over this world. His mama (MckMama) is the coolest blogger and she has chronicled her life and the lives of her sweet brood on her awesome blog My Charming Kids. Right now baby Stellan is in the hospital and MckMama is tired. She’s definitely a lady to admire. Her strength is an inspiration as is her hope. Go check on her and Stellan. Pray for him……and drop her some lovin! She’s certainly in the trenches of mother stress right now.

God, we love you and we trust you. You are all-knowing and you are all-saving. We rest in your hands knowing that you have a plan for Stellan. We claim your power over him and his very sick heart. We know you are working and for that we thank you.
Amen.

Yesterday morning when my radio alarm went off….I heard the radio DJ commenting on Jon and Sherry Rivers. In my sleepy stupor it didn’t register what she said until later in the day as I was driving my daughter Gates to the orthodontist. I flashed back to the morning and remembered I had heard her say…”Jon and Sherry are going through some diffulties”. Huh? What? What difficulties? Where are they? Why aren’t they on the radio? Klove, what’s going on?

For the last eight years or more….we’ve listened to Jon and Sherry every morning as we drove to school. They are like family to us. We love them. We enjoy their silliness and funny stories. We laugh at their “normalness” and connect with them knowing they are just like us. Real people! They have touched our hearts.

I don’t want to act like things can’t happen to people. They do. It’s just difficult to take when it’s someone you’re counting on for something. For us, we count on them to entertain us on to school. We listen to the christian artist chatting with them in their home studio as if we were there having a breakfast muffin with them. It’s like a window into the lives of the musicians we love through Jon and Sherry.

I’m praying for them. Life is tough. None of us are immune to problems. Right now, I just feel sad for them. It’s not fair for me to speculate what could be wrong….but as we read and learn everyday…people make wrong choices and fall short of God’s glory. I will just leave it at that. God….please work in the lives of this family and bring them back to us soon.

We miss you …… Jon and Sherry in the morning!

Change can be hard. Especially for people like us. We tend to be “rut” kind of people. We get into habits of doing the same ole thing and like it that way regularly. Today was hubby’s last day serving the sweet folks at Brushy Fork Baptist Church (out in the country as we like to call it). After a very long eight months of no pastor….they’ve found God’s man for them. We are so very happy for them and pray that God would bless this new pastor and the very deserved church family that has called him. We know that this new stage (honeymoon) is not always easy. It can make or break a ministry. We celebrate with them as they embark on a whole new phase in their church.

After the morning worship the congregation hosted a little thank you party to say goodbye to our family. We felt so honored. It has been our pleasure (even being separated on many Sunday’s from our dad) serving them in their time of desperate need. Anybody who has been without a pastor knows….that’s very hard on a church body. We are glad God used us to minister to them throughout this last year.

We wish them great blessings and lots of new experiences as a church. We grew to love them during our time there. Now it’s on to what God has next. Our hearts are open…

Our family at the thank you/see ya later reception…

Oh yea….great job honey! That sermon rocked! You were on fiyah!

Last Sunday’s sermon was on reaching out and “doing” something for someone else. I love that idea. I’m into blessing people. It’s more fun to give than to receive, haven’t you heard? I’ve certainly been on both ends of the blessing and I have to say…..both pretty much rock!

Yesterday when we checked our mail there were two cards from friends that we’ve been privileged to bless (and them bless us). It reminded me how little things can really mean alot. Something that seems small to you may be huge to someone in need. I don’t want to miss out on those, do you? Every little thing we do or say….matters somehow to someone.

Today I feel so blessed! My heart is at peace. My kids are all happy, my husband is home relaxing (tomorrow is his last day interim preaching at Brushy Fork) and I don’t feel all stressed to get something finished. I love it when life feels this way. Don’t you? Jesus set us up for this. He came (so we can live life abundantly, remember?) not live stressed and overwhelmed. I hope wherever you are today….you feel that blessing. If you’re not, maybe you need to “do” some blessing to get some. Here’s a few ideas…

Call someone who you haven’t had time to chat with and JUST CHAT!
Take someone to lunch and pay (it can be a cheap meal…just do it)
Send someone (you know would smile) a card or a letter in the mail.
Give….if you have money…pay attention to who doesn’t & give something!
Pick up little presents here and there….give them to someone you know.
Write 10 things you love about a family member and give it to them.
If you’re a mom…of girls…have a finger & toe painting session. You’ll love the conversations.
Stop and look at your husband…and tell him how you love and appreciate him.
Help a neighbor. Return their trash cans after they’ve been dumped.
Stop and be personal with people working in your world.
Offer to pray for someone in need…don’t just say “I’ll pray for you!”.
Make a friend dinner! Or take someone dessert. Major score, ya’ll!

Be open and loving. You’re leaving a legacy! A little kindness goes a long way.