Friday, May 29, 2009

Welcome to our GRILL

Hey ya'll. I'm so glad you stopped by. If you had a chance to read my blog from yesterday you'll know this week has been rough. But you know what I realized last night? I've allowed the circumstances of this week to control my attitude. Instead of allowing God to give me peace & joy throughout my circumstances I've spent the whole week with my God on the side and just running crazy with frustration and negative thoughts. I have asked God for his help this week and then not even given him an inch to work his will into my life this week. I've hogged up all the room with my bad attitude and mood. I had a conversation with my aunt last night who is SO excited her oldest child is graduating high school tonight. She's thrilled and wanted to share that with me and to talk about how proud she is of her child and all 3 of her children. In the middle of our conversation she was talking about how she had been crying before she called because of the new chapter her daughter will be starting and then she said, I just had to call Angel (that's what my family call me) because she (me) is ALWAYS happy and in a good mood. I set there listening to her tell me that I'M always in a good happy mood and I realized my personality my attitude is my gift that God has allowed me to have and all this week I've taken that gift of positive happy smiling attitude and shoved it under my kitchen table and put on this horrible angry face and frustrated attitude that is not even me. I thank God for allowing me to see through my aunt how I have chosen the feelings and mood I've been in all week. I've allowed circumstance to control my personality this week and in doing so I've allowed people who count on me to be the happy friendly person that God has allowed me to be to see this ugly side of me that I'm not proud of. I saw a scripture verse this morning through Proverbs 31 devotion (I love those daily devotions) it was Romans 8:37-38 ( In all things we are more than conquerors thru him(God) who loves us. (I'm paraphrasing but check out those 2 verses because realizing that God has me in all situations how can I be so shallow as to think that through bad weeks God can't help me make it through those too.)
Life is filled with divine moments some are awesome and full of God's glory and some are aggravating and made so that we will grow in our knowledge that we need God in and through all circumstances. May your Friday and you weekend be filled with joy and may you and I both remember daily that God never leaves us.
All 4 HIM, Angela

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Week of frustration

Have you ever had a week that seems to be trying you on every level? That seems to be how my week is going. It's a short work week with Monday being Memorial Day so we only have 4 days to work. But I feel like these 4 days are stretching like stretch armstrong or a ball of silly putty. Each morning I say ok today will be different I'll go in to work and be positive, be a wonderful witness to the people I work around, and be happy in the midst of chaos. But each day this week has ended the same... with me telling God I'm sorry for letting work get the best of my attitude and that I'll do better tomorrow. Well tomorrow obviously hasn't come yet because my frustrated attitude is still hanging around with me. I'm curious to anyone reading this blog today. What scripture verse(s) helps you get through a rough week? I need some Godly intervention this week to keep me smiling in the aggravating chaos called work. Thanks for stopping by the grill & I hope you have a beautiful day!
All 4 HIM, Angela

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Saddened Gladness

Hey ya'll thanks for taking time to drop by the grill. I hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend. We'll be camping all weekend!! I'm thrilled to be going on our 1st camping trip of the season. If you've got a minute let me share my saddened gladness story with you this afternoon. We just found out that in 2 weeks we are loosing our youth Pastor at church. He informed Jim on Tuesday evening and last night He and his wife told the whole youth group. Everyone is very sad to be loosing them. He was offered a full time youth pastor position at a church in Tuscaloosa AL. It's a wonderful opportunity for him, his wife and children. And when they tell the whole story of how it all came about and the different situations that played out during the time they were being offered this position you can tell with out a doubt it's where God is leading them. We are so happy for them but we are sad for us (saddened gladness). Be in prayer for our wonderful youth pastor and his family, and be in prayer for our church and pray for the youth pastor that God willbe bringing to us next.
We love our youth Pastor & his family and they are going to be missed by us all. Thanks for allowing me to mention that to you. Have a safe weekend.
All 4 HIM, Angela

Monday, May 18, 2009

Laughing in the rain

Hi guys!! It was a great weekend. We had a yard sale and God showed up! Let me explain what happened. All last week it rained. Contrary to what the weather was doing we advertized in the local paper for a 1 day yard sale. And the rest of the week I lifted it up in prayer. See to catch you up with the whole yard sale thing.... we need a new pump for our swimming pool and the yard sale was my idea of coming up with the extra money to get a new pump. That pool is an important part of our family summer fun. So 4:30am Saturday morning Jim and I begin putting everything out in the yard, and Jim put out the yard sale signs. All day it rained all around us. People kept saying we were going to get rained out, but I kept saying maybe not. I've been praying about it and I think God will hold the rain off until the yard sale is over. Well about 1:30pm we went inside the house and as a family we prayed over the yard sale and the money that we had made before I ever counted it. When we counted it we had made just a tiny bit over what the cost of our pool pump will cost..... it wasn't 15minutes after I had announced to the family that we had our pool money made the bottom fell out and we were putting the rest of the yard sale stuff up in the pouring down rain..... I couldn't help but laugh the whole time we were out ther getting soaking wet in the rain. WOW! I had to share that faith story with you. Have a wonderful week. And when you get a chance Laugh in the rain it'll bring out the kid in you!!!
All 4 HIM, Angela

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Looking back Living forward!

Hello everybody! I hope Mother's day was wonderful for all of you moms. Mine was great. Jim and the boys washed my van Saturday night, made me breakfast Sunday morning and the cutest cards. Ty also gave me a flower in a cup that he had made at school. Alex offered a Mother's Day massage. After church Jim grilled for lunch. Once again GREAT! We spent Sunday afternoon with my mom & dad. This Mother's Day weekend was really wonderful and sweet. This is the first Mother's Day that we have not had Jim's mom with us. Jim handled Mother's Day very well. I know most of the day he was thinking of her and wishing he could be with her and so was I. You know it's so easy to take for granted the precious time God allows us to have. Last year on Mother's Day I would have never thought that would be our last Mother's day with Jim's mom. Would we have spent that day differently a year ago if we would have known the future? My guess is probably so. Isn't it just like us to look backwards and say: if only I would have known. I want to start making an effort to live life looking forward and making the most of every single moment. Let's make a challenge to ourselves that starting this day we will begin to say "Because I live" instead of "if only I had". God gives us one life to live and I believe He would rather us Live forward instead of Looking backward. We can't change our past but we can definitely choose to allow God to direct our present & future.
I would like to ask you to pray for Jim. He has decided to stop dipping and this is a HUGE process for him. I am lifting him up in prayer everyday. I pray that God will deliver him from his nicotine addiction and that it will be easier than what he expects. I am looking forward to the day that he realizes he no longer craves dip and I can say to God be the glory He held you through the whole process. I love when my God shows up and gives us a glimpse of His Mighty Hand. Have a wonderful week and LIVE FORWARD!
All 4 HIM, Angela

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Mother's Day

To all of you wonderful moms, mommies, mothers. It's a little early but I saw this poem this morning and wanted to share it with you. Have a terrific Thursday and join me in taking our smile and our Jesus everywhere we go today. Growing in Christ, Angela

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
They don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
Are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
Filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough
Doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what
The vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask "Why me?"
And get their answer when a little
voice says, "Because I love you best."

Real Mothers know that a child's growth
is not measured by height or years or grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

The Images of Mother
4 years of age - My mommy can do anything!
8 years of age - My mom knows a lot!
14years of age - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either!!!
25years of age - Well, she might kow a little bit about it.
35years of age - Let's get mom's opinion.
45years of age - Wonder what mom would have thought about it?
65years of age - Wish I could talk it over with mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,
Because that is the doorway to her heart,
The place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not a facial mole,
But true beauty in a woma is reflected in her soul.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day !!
From the Walkers




Wednesday, May 6, 2009

High School is coming.

Thanks for dropping by the GRILL. Speaking of grilling ... Jim grilled chicken quarters last night and they were GREAT!!! Our family absolutely loves summer time, longer days, the smell of our grill fired up, and being outside until bed time. As the school year comes to an end for my children. I have alot of mixed emotion. My oldest son will be starting high school next year and I'm finding that very difficult for me as a mom. Can anyone else relate with this feeling. I'm so excited for him as a young man venturing into high school & starting a new chapter of his life. But at the EXACT same time I'm so sad to be closing a chapter of his childhood. I'm so thankful that God is allowing my 3 sons to be healthy and grow as they are suppose to, but wouldn't it be great to be able to keep them little where we control most of their surroundings for their whole lives!! I know that as he goes off to high school he will be surrounded by choices and decisions and so I must continue to know that the most important thing I can do for him and my other 2 boys is to keep them lifted up in prayer to God for protection, direction, and guidance in their lives as they grow into young men.
I pray that God will continue to protect and watch over my children and grow their hearts & minds into the character he has planned them each to be. I've attached a Bible verse that I hope will be as comforting to you as it is for me. I love the beginning "Do not be anxious about anything" Anyone who knows me knows that I sure need daily reminders from God's word not to worry.

Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Phil 4:6)
All 4 Him,
Angela

Friday, May 1, 2009

Most Important about Today!!!

You guys I almost forgot to share the most important part of today with you...... 11 years ago today my handsome, adorable, incredible, wonderful, husband asked me to marry him!!!!! And of course I said, " EEEEECK!!!" Long story I'll share at another time, but the important detail to this story is we are still living.... Happily ever-after!!! I love you Jim Walker.
Stop back by the GRILL when you get a chance we love having company drop in.
In Christ, Angela

TGIF

Ya'll -
It's Friday again! Comes around every 7 days just like clock work. YEEHAW!!! When I titled today's blog TGIF it hit me "Thank God it's FOREVER." Isn't that just perfect to be thinking on a small scale like thank God it's Friday and God shows up and give you a larger scale of thankfulness. It has been a crazy work day but you know what?, I've been praying for God's guidance and direction all week and just to feel His presence in everything I'm involved in. And amazingly He has answered that prayer all week long and especially today. As wild as this work day has been I have had such a peace about it and things are still getting done even though God is allowing me to be calm and guarded against frustration and chaos.
This week through prayer and also in conversations with people in my life God is showing me that our life is really about FOREVER not FOR RIGHT NOW. Do I have anyone else reading that is like me in this: I'm so bad to worry about FOR RIGHT NOW. I forget to allow God to show me my FOREVER. I mean to say, " if we are only focused on the immediate moment we will usually miss out seeing even a piece of the grand picture. So the next time we are caught up in a moment of concern I challenge you to stop and lift up your prayers to God and allow Him to give you perfect peace as he shows you a greater destiny than just FOR RIGHT NOW. Have a wonderful WEEKEND in our Lord Jesus Christ and remember don't leave home without HIM!!! Also want to mention A dear friend of our's is celebrating his birthday this week so a big SHOUT OUT to Cedric.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, we love ya man.
All 4 HIM, Angela