6 Year Anniversary of 9/11

I can remember where I was on 9/11. I was in class at Gainesville college. We went to the auditorium & watched the events unfold on the big screen on CNN. Eventually, they canceled all classes & sent us home. Shock, disbelief, anger and extreme sadness all describe the feelings of that day. It's so sad to think of how right after 9/11 we all came together as Americans. For a brief time, we seemed to be ONE. Now, 6 years later, it seems as though we're all back to living for self. The little slogan of "Never Forget 9/11".. I don't think anyone will ever forget, but I think the unity that it created and the impact it had has definitely faded. Of course we all want revenge on those who plotted this evil attack. But, we need not seek revenge. Vengence is God's alone!

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Below is a pastor Allan & I love to read and listen to. He's the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He's an awesome preacher. You can read up to 25 years worth of sermons on his website at www.desiringgod.org

Terrorism, Justice, and Loving Our Enemies
By: John Piper September 12, 2001

Someone asked me after our Tuesday prayer service in response to the terrorist attack, "Can we pray for justice, and yet love our enemy at the same time?" The answer is yes.
But let's start with our own guilt. Christians know that if God dealt with us only according to justice, we would perish under his condemnation. We are guilty of treason against God in our sinful pride and rebellion. We deserve only judgment. Justice alone would condemn us to everlasting torment.
But God does not deal with us only in terms of justice. Without compromising his justice he "justifies the ungodly" (Romans 4:5). That sounds unjust. And it would be if it were not for what God did in the life and death of Jesus Christ. The mercy of God moved him to send the Son of God to bear the wrath of God so as to vindicate the justice of God when he justifies sinners who have faith in Jesus. So we have our very life because of mercy and justice (Romans 3:25-26). They met in the cross.
So we are not quick to demand justice unmingled with mercy. Jesus demands, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Mathew 5:44-45). And, of course Jesus modeled this for us as a perfect man. "While we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son" (Romans 5:10). And even as he died for his enemies he prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).
So the resounding command of the apostles is, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. . . . Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. . . . Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. 'But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink'" (Romans 12:14-20). When we live this way we magnify the glory of God's mercy and the all-satisfying Treasure that he is to our souls. We show that because of his supreme value to us, we do not need the feeling of personal vengeance in order to be content.
But it does not compromise this truth to say that God should also be glorified as the one who governs the world and delegates some of his authority to civil states. Therefore some of God's divine rights as God are given to governments for the purposes of restraining evil and maintaining social order under just laws. This is what Paul means when he writes, "There is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. . . . [This authority is] a minister of God to you for good . . . it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil" (Romans 13:1-4).
God wills that human justice hold sway among governments, and between citizens and civil authority. He does not prescribe that governments always turn the other cheek. The government "does not bear the sword for nothing." Police have the God-given right to use force to restrain evil and bring law-breakers to justice. And legitimate states have the God-given right to restrain life-threatening aggression and bring criminals to justice. If these truths are known, this God-ordained exercise of divine prerogative would glorify the justice of God who mercifully ordains that the flood of sin and misery be restrained in the earth.
Therefore, we will magnify the mercy of God by praying for our enemies to be saved and reconciled to God. At the personal level we will be willing to suffer for their everlasting good, and we will give them food and drink. We will put away malicious hatred and private vengeance. But at the public level we will also magnify the justice of God by praying and working for justice to be done on the earth, if necessary through wise and measured force from God-ordained authority.
Seeking to magnify ALL of God's glories,
Pastor John

Indulging Laurie...

Just for you LaLa!

Indulge

Main Entry: in·dulge
Pronunciation: in-'d&lj
Function: verbInflected Form(s): in·dulged; in·dulg·ing
Etymology: Latin indulgEre to be complaisant transitive

verb1 a : to give free rein to b : to take unrestrained pleasure in : GRATIFY2 a : to yield to the desire of : HUMOR b : to treat with excessive leniency, generosity, or considerationintransitive verb : to indulge oneself - in·dulg·er nounsynonyms INDULGE, PAMPER, HUMOR, SPOIL, BABY, MOLLYCODDLE mean to show undue favor to a person's desires and feelings. INDULGE implies excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires . PAMPER implies inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect . HUMOR stresses a yielding to a person's moods or whims . SPOIL stresses the injurious effects on character by indulging or pampering . BABY suggests excessive care, attention, or solicitude . MOLLYCODDLE suggests an excessive degree of care and attention to another's health or welfare .
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Maybe I should have used 'mollycoddle' since 'indulge' isn't allowed in my small WBHS vocabulary!!! :o}
Ya see.. my sister seems to think just because I don't always verbalize certain words that I'm not allowed to use them when writing. I didn't see that rule in Bloggers Rule Book. Sorry. :-P

True Words

Came across this quote today and found it to be so true.

"Your children will see what you're all about by what you live, rather than what you say." - Wayne Dyer

How true is that!?! Guess I need to make sure I'm walking the walk, not just talking the talk! If I expect my children to live, act, and talk a certain way, I better make sure my life reflects those expectations. Otherwise, I'm wasting my time. And, we already know time is not on our side!

A different kind of TIME OUT

Can I call for a Time Out?!

It seems like just yesterday that big brother, Nate was crawling along side little brother, Alex. Now, big brother, Alex is crawling along side baby brother, Seth.

Time really scares the beejeebers out of me sometimes! I wonder why there are days that seem like they'll never end. And, then there are days that are over before I even realize they began. Even though I think we have plenty of time to teach our boys about life, in reality it's only 18 very, very, very short years. It makes me want to push the pause button, open up their minds and hearts and just pour in every ounce of knowledge and wisdom that I have to offer about life, the choices we make in this life and how those choices impact their life after this one. Before I know it, we will have 3 big teenaged boys. I pray that God will give us everything we could possibly need to raise these sweet little boys into Godly young men. It makes me so sad for my sweet little boys to grow up. A friend sent me a little blip written by a mother of boys. And, everytime I read it, it makes me cry. Thanks, Jen!

Maybe I should share it for the mothers of boys out there who need to hug their sweet little boys a little tighter today!

Crying the little-boy blues

By MARY JACOBS / DMN Contributor

Somebody stole my little boy. Somebody came into the house one night and snatched my sweet, tow-headed little fellow, and replaced him with a big beast of a guy with sprawling limbs, large feet and a deep voice that mostly says only two words: "Mom. Food."
Apparently this happens all the time, but I was unprepared. Nobody explained how, when your little boy morphs into a big 17-year-old boy, it leaves you bewildered and a little sad.
Nobody warned me that my son's group of little friends, the ones who giggled and raced through the house and played Thomas the Tank Engine, would one day disappear, like mist on a summer morning. They'd be replaced by a small herd of dinosaur-like males, lumbering about the house, foraging for food.
And nobody explained that, despite having bathed his little naked body thousands of times, I'd feel slightly squeamish when my son slouches into the kitchen, shirtless, in the morning, scratching his chest with one hand and bachelor-drinking juice straight from the carton with the other.
Rationally, of course, I knew my son would grow up, but at some level, I'm not sure I'll ever wrap my head around it. Every morning, I watch him saunter out to his car, football gear slung over his shoulder, and I can't quite feature that that is the same boy who loved to eat pancakes for "breaknast," who called me Mama and wore alligator jammies.
My daughter is 14 and almost as tall as me now, but somehow the transition doesn't feel so jarring. Maybe because she's going through the same changes I did, maybe because we still share our love of ballet and clothes, or maybe just because she's not driving yet.
Of course there are new wonders and surprises that come with this testosterone-transformed boy. I get to needle Dad that our boy could whup him any day. I take much pleasure in my son's prowess in physics and lacrosse. And he delights me daily with his sharp wit. (Mom: "Why do you listen to rap music? Why do you put such junk in one ear, while we're paying so much for tuition to put good stuff in the other?" Son: "Equilibrium?")
And sometimes it feels like old times . One night last summer, my son got together with buddies he's known since age 3. They'd all gotten their first cars within the same few weeks. They parked them in front of our house, hoods up, and strutted and gloated and whooped over their new "beasts." If men and boys differ only with the price of their toys, maybe my little boy isn't completely lost.
When my kids were little, older folks would say things such as, "Enjoy these days. They go so fast." And of course, I didn't believe them. Some days I thought they'd never end - such as when a baby was teething or my thoughts were interrupted for the 82nd time by a request for juice.
But those days did end, and now there are days when I realize I'm grieving for my lost little boy. I see mommies with sweet-faced toddlers in the store, and I blink back tears. Or I stare, unable to take my eyes off the little one.
"I used to have a little boy," I say. And when the mom looks up with an expression of consternation, I explain: "Now I have a big boy. A tall, hungry boy with big feet."
And of course, I love that young man who occupies my little boy's bedroom. But I miss the little boy. And I think I'll miss him for the rest of my life.

Preschool

Yesterday was the 1st day of Preschool for Nate & Alex. They're going to Hebron. This is Nate's second year and he was ready to go back. He's going 4 days per week. It's Alex's first year and he'll be going 2 days per week.

For breakfast, I made them pancakes in the shape of their initials. They gobbled them up while they were half asleep! **note to self: must get kids in bed earlier** We woke them around 7:45 and they looked at us like, 'what's going on?!?'

I thought Alex may be a little apprehensive about getting out of the van during carpool, since they don't allow parents to walk the kids in. WRONG! He jumped right out of the van with Nate and went on in like he'd been doing it for years. He was so excited to get to go to school with big brother, Nate. They were so cute holding hands on the way in. I wish we had the camera. Oh well, some memories are just for Mommy & Daddy! Daddy got to ride with us since he was home due to having an interview later in the day. It was a nice blessing that he was able to be a part of their first day, even though it was just a ride to the church!

They had a wonderful first day!! They have excellent teachers & it's going to be a GREAT year!! I'm looking forward to it!

Welcome to Bulldawg Country....

It's that time again! Time to hunker down & watch some Bulldawg Football!!!

The Dawgs kick off tomorrow night at 6:45 against Oklahoma State. We'll be watching it in the comforts of our own home since we didn't get tickets this year. And, most likely we couldn't convince a sane person to watch our three children at the same time anyway! So, we'll be hanging out in front of the tube with good munchies in hand!

I'm sad that this will be the first season watching the DAWGS without our dog, Brutus. I can't believe it's already been 3 months since we had to make that horrible decision. He was our little mascot and he will be missed!

C'mon... help me out here... " I said it's great... to be..... a Georgia Bulldog! Said it's great... to be.... a Georgia Bulldog! Goooooooooo DAWGS! Sic 'Em! Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof !!!!! "

Nate's First PreT-Ball Game Weekend

Once again we had an awesome weekend.

Friday night we went out for ice cream. The boys absolutely LOVE going for ice cream. And, to be honest, we indulge them with the treat a little more than we like to admit! Also, doesn't really hurt that Mommy & Daddy love ice cream, too!

We also had pretty severe storms on Friday night. When we were sitting and eating dinner we saw lightning strike a house. I thought it was in our neighborhood, but as it turned out it was in a neighboring subdivision. But, it burned the entire house. When it hit, I told Allan, "Now that hit something"... sure enough about 1-2 mins later we saw billowing black smoke. Later on, we rode by the house & it was a total loss. It was so scary to see how everything you've worked your entire life for can be gone within a matter of minutes! Very sad.

Bright & early Saturday morning, the Cubs took the field & played the Braves. They were so cute, but so tired. In my opinion, 8 AM was a little early for 3 & 4 year olds to be playing, but they survived. Nate was yawning the whole time he was in the outfield. We found out they don't keep score with the PreT games & both teams are allowed to let every player have a bat. So, basically, Nate's team batted then the Braves batted and the game was over. That pretty much took up our hour of field time. Nate was pretty cute. I sat behind homebase. When he was running to homebase, I was cheering him on to go home & rather than run home he decided to run to me and see what I was wanting! hehe.. I think everyone thought that was pretty funny.

Enjoy the pictures. We had a great weekend!!

All the little Cubbies in the dugout

Nate hitting the ball

Nate runs to 1st Base

Other big news:: Friday Allan submitted his resume for a job with Crown Financial Ministries. Within a couple of hours, he had a phone interview set up. It went very well & he will be scheduling an in-person interview soon. This would be really great, since the job is in Gainesville and it sounds like they really encourage working from home. This would really be a great opportunity for Allan to use his abilites & talents to glorify God! Thank you all so much for all the prayers you've been praying for our family. The Lord is hearing them and we feel them everyday!

Great Weeeeekend!

The Rainey household had a great weekend. Friday night kicked off our weekend. Nate had ball practice. We took him & Alex to Sonic for corndogs before practice.

Then after practice we went to eat Mexican. The boys were especially happy because they got ice cream sundaes. They thought it was something to go straight to dessert. LOL.. they forgot they ate earlier in the night! Saturday, Allan worked on our brickwall and we just enjoyed time at home together. Sunday kicked off a new school year for the church. Allan & I will be teaching Nate's class this year. We got to meet all our new kids. It's going to be a big class. We have 34 on roll! Of course, not all will be there every Sunday, but Lord help us if they are!! Then, in our Sunday school class, we got to hear another awesome message continuing on what happens to us after death. This is such a great lesson. I am really enjoying it. Keep in mind, you are more than welcome to join us any Sunday in our class! We would love to have you as a guest! We did the park n ride yesterday and rode the shuttle in. The kids absolutely LOVED riding the "bus". Nate is still talking about it!

And, here's a couple pics of our sweet Seth. I wonder how much dinner actually made it in that tummy since all of it seems to be on his face!

Our little slugger...

Tuesday night began Nate's PreT-Ball Season. We went to practice and we thought he would be sooo thrilled to play ball. Well, practice was anything but good! He cried & screamed the whole time. Granted, he was there on no nap, it was 103 degrees, he stepped in fire ants & he was being made to wear tennis shoes rather than his comfy sandals. Sooo, I guess I would have been an unhappy camper, too. Last night, we got out & practiced with him some more and he loved it. He has been asking to 'practice baseball'. So, hopefully, while I'm at my Bible study tonight, Allan can get out with him to play. He looks so cute in the helmet though.. like a little Bobble-Head!! Cute. He'll be playing for the Cubs in Dacula.

Hmph...

"What's the world coming to when you can't even trust your crack dealer?"
LOL... that was Allan's comment about this article!
Some people I just wonder about....

ROCHELLE, Ga. -- A woman was arrested after she called local police to help "get her money back" after she was unhappy with the crack cocaine she purchased.
Police reports say that Juanita Marie Jones, 53, called Rochelle Police late Thursday night after she purchased what she thought was a $20 piece of crack cocaine.
She told officers she broke the rock into three pieces and smoked one, only to discover the drugs were "fake."
She took Officer Joel Quinn and Deputy John Shedd of the Wilcox County Sheriff's Office into her kitchen and showed them the drugs.
She was promptly arrested on charges of possession of cocaine.

Four Things

Four things about me you may not have known...

A. Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Ingles Markets Bookkeeper
2. Chiropractic Assistant
3. Dental Assistant
4. Dental Office Appointment Coordinator

B. Four place I have lived
1. Winder, GA
2. Auburn, GA
3. Dacula, GA
4.

C. Four TV shows I like to watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. ER
3. Desperate Housewives
4. Supernanny

D. Four Places I have been on Vacation:
1. Bahamas
2. Pensacola Beach
3. Jamaica
4. Japan

E. Four of my favorite foods:
1. Sushi/Thai
2. Buffalo Wings from Ray's in Dacula
3. Mellow Mushroom Greek Salads
4. Sonic.. anything

F. Four places I would like to be right now:
#1-4 Vacation!

G. Four friends I think will respond.
Well, since I'm putting it on my Blog... none!
Most never respond to these anywho!

Varsity Hats

The Varsity was at the church last night for the Community Movie Night. Picked up a few hats. Nate & Alex love theirs... Seth, not so much! ;)

Mentally Exhausting-Spiritually Refreshing Week

Well, as most know we've had an eventful week.
Monday Allan's work was filled with rumors of the company closing its doors.
Tuesday came the bad news that the rumor was true. Immediately, I dispatched all of our praying friends to join us in praying for our family & situation as Allan is the sole provider of our house. Within two hours of the first news, Allan contacts me that he was one of the approximate 100 out of nearly 1500 that still had a job.. for now anyway. And praise God for Allan's previous employers to be so willing to help us out with temporary jobs in the mean time. We believe God doesn't close one door without opening another. We believe God to do great things in our family!
On Monday, my devotion was on God stretching us to develop perseverance. Ironic.. I think not. I believe He was telling me that He was going to stretch us a little. And, we welcome the stretching! God is refining us to deepen our dependence upon Him. We know He will provide for our family. We serve a mighty and awesome God.

Last night we were able to enjoy a movie on the church lawn.. Charlotte's Web. The kids had a great time even though it was unbelievably hot! I believe the van said it was 88... at 9PM! It's always nice to be able to fellowship with friends.

And, we got Nate's PreT-Ball team name today! Nate will be playing for the Cubs. We're so exicted about this. So, stay tuned for pics!! He's gonna be so cute... we can't wait!!

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
And, our Sunday school teacher is going to be doing a lesson (2-3 Sundays) on 'End Times'.. what happens when we leave this planet. Topics we will discuss and explain are words/events/happenings like: Rapture, Tribulation, Great Tribulation, Abomination of Desolation, The Bema Seat, The Great White Throne Judgment. If you would like to go with us, please let us know. We would LovE to have you in our Sunday school.

More Encouragment for Us Moms..

I get a email newsletter from MOPS. They are always encouraging & helpful.
I really liked this one.

There are times when parenthood seems nothing more than feeding the hand that bites you.(Peter De Vries)

You Want a Piece of Me?

"You want a Piece of Me?!?" is a common expression from two men getting ready to fight. Their fists are upraised; each guy ready to punch the other and give him a knuckle sandwich.
As a mom, however, those words have a different meaning. Some days I feel like everyone wants a piece of me - the baby that needs to nurse, again! The toddler that can't find his blanket. The first grader that needs help with her reading. Then there's dinner to fix, errands to run, baths, reading, prayers, one more potty stop, one more drink of water, one more nursing and honey, don't even look at me with those bedroom eyes!
So where do I go to find strength to get it all done?
Exercise classes these days talk a lot about strengthening your core. The core, your midsection, helps give strength for all the movement you do throughout the day. When everyone "wants a piece of me," I need to think about strengthening my core. I don't mean going to a Pilates class. I need to find ways to strengthen my mental, emotional and spiritual core. I call a friend, go to MOPS or listen to inspirational music. I pray and ask for help. I read the Bible. These sources of strength help me through those hard days. They help me grow strong because as my children get older, I'm finding they never stop "wanting a piece of me."

Prayer From a Mother's HeartDear God, help my child learn to cast his cares on you, knowing that you will sustain him. (Psalm 55:22)

Here we go again....

Here's another story. In an interview, the coroner stated that family members weren't suprised because she (the mom) had made comments about doing something like this. HELLO?!?!!? Why do people not ever take suicidal people seriously?? The other lady in Boston reportedly made similar comments. So, note to anyone reading this blog... if I hear you make a comment that even makes me think for one second that you will take your or someone else's life... you better bet I'm turning you in! People, we have got to start listening to the cries of those who are mentally sick... Ugh, just saddens me.

CINCINNATI -- A Delhi Township, Ohio, woman marked her children for death before killing them Tuesday morning in a murder-suicide, police said.
Hamilton County coroner O'dell Owens said Wednesday that it appeared that Jacob Wittich, 10, and Sydney Wittich, 7, were drugged with Benadryl or a similar substance, then shot twice in the heart at point-blank range by their mother, Mary Ann Wittich, reported WLWT-TV in Cincinnati.
Owens said each child had an X written with a black marker over the heart.
Owens said Mary Ann Wittich then shot herself in the heart.
Neighbors said Wittich was distraught because her husband had left the family, but they said they never expected anything like this.
"My wife said it was our neighbor, and I said, 'No it can't be.' I'm kind of still in shock," said Robert Satzger. "It would be the last thing I would think anybody would do, much less them."
Court records show John Scott filed for divorce Jan. 24 from Mary Ann Wittich.
One of the couple's older daughters came home to find the children and her mother dead, and Scott, who had moved to Highland Park, arrived shortly after at about 3:30 p.m. to pick up the children, authorities said.
The couple also has two adult children, Kathryn Wittich, 24, and Lindsey Wittich, 20, and had recently agreed to share custody of the two younger children.
Neighbors said they heard gunfire Tuesday afternoon, but Owens said it appeared the three died sometime Tuesday morning.
"This is probably one of the worst scenes I've seen. This is a very sad situation," he said.