10th Anniversary

Wow! I can't believe I've been married to my best friend for 10 years. Time has flown! We actually celebrated in May on our trip to Tybee Island. But Ben didn't forget to make the actual anniversary date special. He surprised me with 10 red and white roses at work. Chloe spent the night with Memar. Ben and I had dinner at Las Palmas then a quick trip to Wal-mart for dog food! But you know...it was perfect!

The card read....

"Happy Anniversary~ Precious memories, the years equal 10, if given the chance, I would marry you again, I love you far more now, than even back then, all of me..Ben"

Then at the bottom of the card was Proverbs 18:22

I honestly don't know what I did to deserve him!

"And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." Genesis 2:18

Father's Day

Today was Father's day. You would think I'd have some great photos of Ben and the girls. Would you believe I didn't even get my camera out? Instead, I'm going to tell you about something entirely different.

The day started at church. Josh Pilgrim was our guest teacher in Sunday School. He is such an anointed young man. God is using him as a great tool to preach His word. The lesson was so good. It was centered in Romans 3. The verses are familiar. I'm sure you've read it many times.

"There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God..." Romans 3:10-11

There is none righteous, no, not one. Several times during the lesson my eyes welled up with tears, not from sadness but from ultimate gratefulness to what God has done for me through Jesus. Josh used an illustration of an 18 month of child wanting something it couldn't have, but the verse rang true today in a five year old. When it happened I immediately thought of the lesson in Sunday School.

Hannah and Lauren were over visiting for Father's day. Lauren had accidentally left her wallet at our house on Friday so she was anxious to get it. She comes to me and says, "Kim, do you know what happened to $20 in my wallet? I had $78 now there is only $58." I said, "I have no clue." But then I remembered on Saturday Chloe wanted to look in Lauren's wallet. I told her she could bring it in from the car but to leave it alone. It was Lauren's wallet and didn't belong to her. Right after I said I had no clue I start to think maybe Chloe had something to do with it. I call Chloe to our bedroom to ask her about it.

Me~ "Chloe, did you take money out of Lauren's wallet?"

Chloe~ No words, just head shaking NO

A slight pause....

Me~"Now Chloe, if you took money out of Lauren's wallet, you need to come clean now and apologize to Lauren. Taking something that doesn't belong to you is stealing."

Chloe~ (In true Chloe fashion, meaning lips tightly clinched just barely opening enough to mutter) "Welllllll, I guesssssssss, but Mama, I wanted that money."

Me~"You need to tell me where the money is and lets go give it back to Lauren and apologize."

She lead the way. I followed her closely into her room and there on her nightstand was the folded $20 bill. She took it, hesitated, looked at me as if she were thinking, do I really have to... then took it to Lauren and gave it back to her. Again in true Chloe fashion, lips tightly clinched, said "sawwwrrry."

I started thinking about our lesson this morning. Ben and I didn't teach her to steal. We didn't teach her to lie. She was born that way. We are all born that way. We are born selfish sinners. It is only by the gift of God's divine grace we are saved.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.." Ephesians 2:8

*Honey, Happy Father's day! We love you so much and I'm blessed to call you the father of our daughter. I remember when we first started dating and I saw your bible for the first time. It was beaten, torn and tattered. I knew then you were a good man! I'm so thankful the girls are able to see Christ in you even if they don't always agree. You are a perfect example of what a Godly father is. I praise my Father in heaven for the father he has given my girl! All my love...

Happy Birthday Honey!

That Godly,sweet, strong, wonderful providing man I call my husband turned 42 years old today. What a wonderful husband~father he is. I'm so thankful for him. Chloe and I bought him a book for his birthday and she lovingly signed it for both of us....


"i love you more then you love me Daddy Love Chloe And Mama"




I started to make her change it, but after thinking about it for a few minutes, while giggling myself, I decided to leave it. It's her trademark saying these days...


"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1

"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:17-19

The Vinedresser

I spent the morning covering grape vines in my grandmother's yard. It reminded me of when I was a little girl. I remember my daddy and mama going every year to her yard to help her cover the vines so the birds would not get to the grapes. Then in July/August I remember the sweet smell of grape juice boiling on the stove soon to become grape jelly. It's been a while since I've seen grapevines. I had forgotten that it appears there is just plant after plant but in reality there is only one main branch. The grapes grow horizontally but they are all attached to one main vine.

The verses in John 15 kept coming to my mind. I started telling Chloe what the bible says about Jesus describing himself as "The True Vine" and the Father as "The Vine dresser." We then noticed one small dead branch, the grapes had withered and the leaves were brown. It made me think of how the Father prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it may bear more fruit and takes away the branches that don't bear fruit. My daddy said he must have clipped that one branch with the weedeater causing it to be separated from the main branch. The vines MUST remain on the branch to bear fruit. Funny how Jesus used the imagery of agricultural life to describe the basis of Christian living.

We MUST remain in Him to bear fruit....there's no other way....

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15:1-2

"I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." John 15:5-8