We've loaded the trailer with pop, water, volleyball poles..

We've separated the t-shirts into groups according to size..

We've made the signs for concessions...

We've loaded ice chests with drinks and ice..

One band is safely sleeping at the Holiday Inn...

Several will be traveling tomorrow...

Thank you for every prayer.

I'll be sharing lots of pictures Sunday afternoon.

I love you all so much.

Oh, and Mom found a penny leaving Kentucky Christian University today after we watched one of the bands perform for a few minutes!  (Aaron Pelsue!)

I'll tell you the story about Nick and Aaron soon.

Believe it or not, God has been using Olivia's new kitten to speak to me this week while she has been away at church camp.

Not in real words.  Not even in "meows."

But definitely in actions.

See, I decided to keep Marble up on the hill in our clubhouse at night until she got use to our home so that she wouldn't run away.  And then during the day I would go and get Marble and bring her to our front porch where she would spend the entire day either under a bush or on our porch swing safely enjoying the breeze and the sunshine.  I put an old baby gate across our porch entrance so that our dogs couldn't get to Marble and everything seemed to be working beautifully.

But the day before yesterday around 8 p.m., Maria (Evan's girlfriend) and I were outside with Marble and I was getting ready to take her up the hill for the evening.  We talked about it, though, and decided that since she was being so good at staying near the house; we'd just leave her little cat box on the porch and let her stay there for the night.

Well, the next morning I had an early - morning substitute teacher training so I didn't have time to check on her before I left.  When I got home, I discovered that Snoopy had ransacked our front yard.  Landscaping mulch and tarp were dug up everywhere!  She had even eaten through part of my fountain trying to get to Marble who must have been hiding underneath it at the time.  I was so afraid Marble was gone.

Maria and I went out to look for her and finally found her way up in a tree looking down at us terrified.

We gave her time to come down but she wouldn't, so later in the day we got out a tall ladder and I climbed up into the tree branches to get to her.  She was hanging on for dear life to the branch and her claws would not let go.  I had to work and work and talk and talk to her to get her to release her claws so that I could hold her close and take her to the safety of the porch.

She was so happy to eat and drink!!!

A little later though I went outside and once again...

she had been chased into the branches!  UGH!

  

I decided to let her stay there awhile and put Snoopy in the house.

Finally she came down and returned to the porch on her own.

But guess what..as I mowed today, I realized she's right back up in the branches looking down terrified!

I HAVE BEEN JUST LIKE MARBLE THIS WEEK....

Knowing exactly where I need to turn for safety and protection, yet running up trees that offer some sense of temporary comfort but with no lasting peace (like eating an entire box of Sugar Babies..just because they were on the shelf at the store when I was picking up wax for Todd's braces).

Today, somehow through all of your prayers and my willingness to release everything into His hands once again......

and by releasing my claws from the branches of temporary protection..

I am feeling reenergized.

I put on my IPod Shuffle and mowed the front and back yard while listening to worship music and allowing God to speak to me through song after song.

As I was mowing, I saw Marble once again peering down from the tree top, and that's when it all came together in my mind.

God was saying, "Tammy, let go.  The branches below you only seem frightening because you have put yourself in a place where you are looking down not up!"

Oh, Marble, I hope you'll discover that you are safe on the porch!

Thankful for all of your prayers and for Marble's ministry to me.

Ready to face the tasks of today with His help,

Grief has reared its ugly head this week and somehow become intertwined with family drama.

I feel confident that this spiritual attack has its roots in the reality that Nickapalooza is closing in on us and the list of things to do keeps getting longer and longer even though I spend hours texting, emailing, and talking to people about big and little things like......

band schedules
sound equipment
having enough ice
tents
parking
hot dogs
hot dog sauce
the threat of rain
praying for no rain
funnel cakes
t-shirts
sno-cones
having enough insurance
permits to sell food
cotton candy
nachos and cheese
tarps for speakers in case it rains
lighting

and on and on....

The devil does not want this Saturday to be a success for God. He does not want people being drawn closer to each other and closer to the Lord. He does not want a county praying together.

So, he has done his best to steal my joy even though I've written about keeping the joy of the Lord in my heart. He has done his best to stir up situations in my children's lives that have consumed my emotional energy. He has done his best to distract me from all the things that I should be praying about and kept me worked up about things that only God can work out. He has done his best to stir up my memories of Nick to such a level that I just want to curl up in a ball and cry and cry and cry...................

I really want and need to do that............

And I will..............................

When Nickapalooza is over.

God has a plan. He uses every road we walk for a reason, so I cling to the promise that He truly brings good from all things for those who love Him.

And oh, I do love Him so. He is my everything. My absolute everything.

I've always done my best to be totally transparent with you in my blogs, but this is one of those times when sharing too much could hurt others and that is never my goal in blogging.

Just know that every prayer you whisper for me is felt.

Every promise you claim for me is appreciated.

Thankful that when I am attacked on two sides that I have all of you to join forces and pray the attackers away from every angle from all over the world!

Lord, thank you for my blogging family. What a blessing you have brought into my life. Lord, You are so good. You are my Provider, Comforter, Peacemaker, Shepherd.....truly you are my everything! Thank you. I look to You and You alone at this time of spiritual warfare knowing You are the ultimate victor in all battles! In Jesus' Your precious Son's Name I pray, Amen

Crushed but not destroyed,

I wish I could say more, but right now I just can't.

I just have a silent prayer request that is a huge burden to me as a mom.

I know that God will hear all of your prayers and mine and work things out in His time......just please pray, and I promise that I will share more when I feel that I can.

No worries.

Just please pray.

Thank you.

As we watched fireworks this past weekend, I noticed something.

Something that really made me think.

When I was a little girl, I remember getting soooo excited about going to watch fireworks!  I remember packing blankets and drinks and driving to a town near ours to find the "perfect spot" to see the huge display! 

I remember friends meeting us there!

It was a very special annual event.

And then as the fireworks began, I remember staring straight up at the sky wondering what would come next. 

Would it be loud,causing me to cover my ears? 

Would it be silent? 

Would it be all green or all red or multi-colored? 

Would it make a sizzling sound as different parts of the light swirled to the ground? 

Or would it simply appear and then be gone?

As each firework made its debut, we would all gasp and do our simultaneous ooohhhhs and aaaahhhhhhs.  Sometimes overly-dramatic, we soaked in each fireworks glory.

We knew the fireworks were nearing the end when suddenly firework after firework would light up the sky booming and banging us into the reality that it was almost time to load the car and go home.

This year as we watched the firework display which was very beautiful, I realized several things:

First, the fireworks were so close together that there was never a break in the beauty of a lit-up sky.  The darkness of the night sky never had a chance to regain our attention placing us on the edge of our "sheets" as we waited to see what was next.  There was no anticipation.

Second, there was very little ooohhhhing and aaaahhhhing from the crowd.  Mostly because we didn't have a chance to soak in one firework without seeing the next but also because, I believe, it takes so much more to impress us as a people anymore.

I guess I walked away from the fireworks filling a little disappointed in how "under enthused" my kids were about the night.  I even heard one child near us say, "They were ok..Disney World's are better."

So, I decided to take a little time and see what I learned from all of these thoughts that have been rolling through my mind and I think this is it.

I want to notice the beauty in ONE.

One person.

One verse.

One flower.

One tree.

One smile.

One moment.

One friend.

One song.

One hug.

One laugh.

One sunrise.

One sunset.

Lord, forgive me when I do not ooohhh and aaaahhhh over the miracle of each new day. Wake up my senses, Lord. 

You created the power of One...

Ephesians 5

⁴There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called

to one hope when you were called- ⁵one Lord, one faith,

one baptism; ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all

and through all and in all.

One voice thankful for each one of you,

 

Tim and I called Erich at midnight last night to wish him a happy birthday.  We woke him up!  It was only 6 a.m. in Kenya.

He sounded good though!

He's having a wonderful experience in the clinic there and has learned so much about medicine, illnesses, and the language of the people.

Today as I scurry around getting ready for Nickapalooza, my "little buddy" Erich will be in my heart.... (ok, he use to be my little buddy)

I'm whispering a prayer for all of you who visit here today.that your days are filled with the joy that can come only from the Lord.  One of the lead singers from a Nickapalooza band shared thise verse with me the other night,

"The joy of the Lord is my strength."

He then went on to explain that without the joy of the Lord we become weak and more open to the devil's attacks...as the devil is roaming around "seeking" whom he may devour.  He preys on the weak.  The strong have the joy of the Lord.

I have struggled the last few weeks with joy.

It was so good to hear these words from Joe.  Thank you, Joe!  They truly blessed me!

i pray they bless your day too.

With love and thanks for all of you,

Below is the subject line of an email I received tonight of all nights!

"Tammy, Been injured but haven't received your settlement?"

The email went on to say that my "injury could be worth $$."

How did this spam email account know what had happened to me this evening?

I'm wondering if there really was a hidden camera in our backyard!

See, Olivia is back at church camp (yes, she is gone for a whole other week!)  Because of this, I am on "Marble kitty duty!"  Tonight after putting on my jammies, I thought I'd go out on the back porch and hold Marble for a little bit while reading.  I went up the hill in our back yard (which happens to be totally saturated from a huge rain last night) to get Marble from the clubhouse.  When I got to her, she wasn't so thrilled about me picking her up. I decided to take her water and food dishes back down the hill to refill them and then try again at holding her for a while.

As I ventured back down our hill in rubber boots.

Not a great idea when the ground underneath you is super-slick..

I was shocked when suddenly my feet went flying up and I came down as hard as I could imagine on my back.  I remember feeling my jaw kind-of pop and my wrist and elbow go underneath me, but more than that I remember thinking, "Was anyone looking?"  Because it was definitely one of those moments that could have won money in a funny video contest.

Unfortunately, I don't think there is any point in trying to get any money our of this injury. 

I'll just be taking some Tylenol and heading to bed!

Please pray for us this week.  The devil is trying to get to us emotionally and physically..I think he is worried about Nickapalooza being a success for God's glory on Saturday.

(You know I love you all when I'm willing to share this photo.it was one of those moments when I knew that "pride goeth before a fall"...literally!")

Please pray for Steve McNair's family, too.  His poor wife and kids.  They need our prayers so badly.