"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

New Love

I have found a new love....shooting a gun.  It is exhilirating.  I loved it.  I had never held a gun before, much less shoot one.  I went to the shooting range today and thanks to my buddy, Bob, I am now able to find my way around a gun.  It was so much fun.  I can't wait to go out there again.  Here are some pics.

Before I took my first shot.

    I think I am going to love this.

Reflection

As Thanksgiving is upon us, it is fitting that I take some time out to reflect on what I am thankful for and to give God glory for His faithfulness and for blessings that I know are undeserved, but somehow make their way to me.  I have so many reasons to be thankful, but here are the top 10.

1.  I am thankful for my salvation.  Thankful that God sent his son, JESUS, to bear my burden and to take my place.  I am thankful for my life verse and for the purpose behind it.  This verse says that Jesus gave it all for me and I can live because He lives in me. I am thankful that Jesus guides, teaches, disciplines, and loves me.

2.  I am thankful for my parents.  My mom and dad are two of the greatest blessings.  I am fortunate to have them and I am inspired and encouraged by them every day.

3.  I am thankful for my brother Loui and for my sister Lisa.  They are two awesome people and I am privileged to be their sister.  They make me laugh and they are passionate about what they do.  We love, support, and look out for one another.  The coolest thing is we get to do ministry together.  It's a blast!

4.  I am thankful for my precious nieces and nephew.  I have the honor of spoiling 3 beautiful girls and 1 baby boy.  My nieces are pure joy.  We always have a great time.  And my nephew, well what can I say, at 7 months, he's already so spoiled.

5.  I am thankful for my pets.  I am thankful that I have 2 awesome dogs and 5 know-it-all cats.  I love animals.  I want to get another dog.  Hopefully soon.

6. I am thankful for my friends.  I have some great friends that I share my life with.  I am close to a precious few and I am truly blessed by their friendship.

7.  I am thankful for the Cornerstone Kids team.  I am humbled and excited to partner with the people that I do children's ministry with.  They are a bunch of selfless, giving, enthusiastic leaders and I am amazed by them and the gifts that they bring to our team.

8.  I am thankful for our Pastor.  Pastor Loui is a great man of vision and purpose.  He's a great leader and I am blessed beyond measure to partner with him and the rest of our staff at Cornerstone Church.  Our Pastor's desire is to make the name of Jesus known throughout our Valley and our world.  His passion and drive inspire me.  He allows his staff to be the leaders they need to be.  He does a great job of leading us and I thank him for supporting us and for leading Cornerstone they way God wants Him to. 

9.  I am thankful for grief.  As odd as that seems, I am thankful that God has seasons designated like that for us.  Without grief, we would never be able to truly appreiciate the good that God has blessed us with.  This past year, I have witnessed grief in different forms.  It's always hard, but always worth it.

10.  I am thankful for my freedom.  I am thankful for the men and women who defend our country.  I am thankful for the men and women who have defended our country.  We are a nation of freedom because of the sacrifice of so many.  Our brave men and women deserve every ounce of gratitude and recognition.  They are heroes and have truly embraced what it means to serve.

So, as I reflect on my thanksgiving, I am thankful for so many blessings.  I am truly blessed and completely blown away as to God's giving.  I am so humbled by His love and so thankful for what He has blessed me with.  I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you take a moment to reflect on all that you have to be thankful for.

Operation Christmas Child

Had a great time at church today.  It is always great when our kids can be part of the service and today was a blast!  Every year, Cornerstone takes part in a great ministry outreach called Operation Christmas Child.  Through this great ministry, we get to reach out to children around the world by providing them with gift-filled shoe boxes and the message of Jesus Christ.  It is wonderful to see our church reach out and to see our children discover the joy of giving and serving others.  Operation Christmas Child is a great way to kick-off the Christmas season.  Here are a few pics from the shoebox dedication.

 

Well, it happened...

This past Thursday, one of my favorite CSI characters made her departure.  Sara is no longer on CSI.  It was a sad ending, but the writers/producers did a good job on her exit.  It was very much the kind of exit I would have expected from this character. This was one of the most powerful character derived episodes to date.  I love this show.  I am hoping that somehow she will come back.  She is such an integral part of the show and it would be so great to see her return.  You never know...Keep your fingers crossed.  Here's a snippet of her good-bye.

Day At The Park

Yesterday was a great day.  The kids only had a half day of school so my sister and I picked up my nieces and took them to the park.  My cousin met us there with her boys and we had a fun time eating pizza and playing.  With all the slides and swings around, the kids decided that the merry-go-round was the best place to be. We had a great time and I love spending time with my beautiful trio of nieces. 

Clarissa passing by

Elizabeth taking a breather from laughing so hard.

Alexa loves to fly.