"Trey Tuesday" - November 29, 2016

Heinz Ketchup

Do you remember the commercial?  The one with the ketchup taking forrrrrreverrrrrrr to drip out of the bottle?  Do you remember the catchy little song "Anticipa-aaaaaaation, is keeping me wa-aaaaaaaaiting."

Does summer vacation make you feel like that?  The anticipation is part of the trip!

And now at Christmastime....the anticipation of the lights, the snow, the shopping, and the music extend the celebration of Christmas well beyond one 24-hour period.

Imagine the anticipation through the eyes of your child/grandchild/etc.  The December days drag on and on and on and on....all the while you have strategically seized and stashed away a Hatchimal/Troll/Robot/Lego/etc.  There is so much trust and joy in anticipation!  Trey began the Christmas season with endless parade watching and Toys R Us catalog surfing....day after day after day.  We still preserve our catalogs in honor of Trey!  :)

Then why do we complain when God makes us wait for something!?!?  Can we count it ALL joy when we have to wait longer than Amazon Prime promises?  When the weight isn't as quick to get lost?  When the new job is slow in coming?  When healing doesn't feel like it's happening?

During the Old Testament Bible times, the world was a mess.  The people longed for a Savior to rescue them.  It was taking a long, long time, "But when the right time came, God sent His Son."  Galatians 4:4  God is always right on time.  He was then, and He is now. 

"This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asa,

Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

Uzziah the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

and Josiah the father of Jeconiah^c and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

Abihud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

Azor the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

Akim the father of Elihud,

Elihud the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah."  Matthew 1:1-17

"Trey Tuesday" - November 22, 2016

Power Supply

How are you going to make it through this "Happy" Thanksgiving week?  Will you be able to paste on a smile and go through with family traditions even though your heart is breaking? Will you be able to answer the great inquisition in light of the loss of your job?  Will you be able to set your differences aside and love the one you sit across from at dinner? Especially if it is a family member you rarely see? (Or maybe one you see too often!!!?) 

The human side of each one of us must answer with a resounding, "No way!!! That is an impossibility for me!  I cannot do it!"

Last week we talked about Joe and Bella being shining stars.  They have lost a brother at such a young, incomprehensible age.  Where do they get their shining power?  "this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."  2 Corinthians 4:7  Jay and Rachel have taught Joe and Bella of God's love.  They have walked beside them through their deep valleys.  They keep directing them to the infallible love and absolute truths of God.  Sometimes their lights flicker and dim, but that is exactly when God's light shines the brightest.

You can't do this thing called, "Life" alone.  Rely on God to provide for you this week - and every day of your life!  THAT is something to be thankful for!  :)

"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." 
2 Corinthians 12:9

"Trey Tuesday" - November 15, 2016

Shining Stars

This week's Super Moon is so close and so bright!  Have you seen it!?!

These crisp, clear nights offer such a contrasting view!  It takes the dark to shine the light the brightest.

Well, Joe and Bella are shining stars in my book!  :)

I had the opportunity to be at church with Joe this Sunday.  He listened and responded to the sermon like an adult!  Such a smart, kind, hysterically funny, TALL, soooo sweet to his grandma kind of kid!  :)


And my Bella....my heart leaps as I think of her super smiling face as she performed her baton twirling routine on stage this weekend!  She beamed!  Such confidence!  Such pride!  Her eyes, reflecting her joy coming from deep down inside her, matched her sparkly uniform!  :)

Joe and Bella have endured some very dark "nights" in their young lives, and yet they continue to laugh, smile, share, love, hug, and most importantly, live!  :)

"Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever."  Daniel 12:3

"Trey Tuesday" - November 8, 2016! :)

Hilarious!

So.....today is Election Day!  Finally!  The day we have all been dreading/looking forward to/looking forward to being over!

Today's date was also the date of the first day of our precious Trey's viewing, a day of sharing our heartbreaking loss with family and friends.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand today is my birthday!  :)

What a roller coaster of emotions all surrounding November 8.  I used to treasure that date.  As a child I would beam with pride when election day fell on November 8.  Everywhere people drove, they passed by signs that had MY birthday printed on them!  :)

As the calendar years flew by, I gave that "thrill" up.  I still enjoyed celebrating my birthday, though!  :)

And then came the BIG decade birthday years.  Yep!  Still enjoying my party!  :)

Birthday 2014 - the loss of Trey just days before....acknowledging that his viewing will begin on my birthday.  Believe it or not, it was a precious gift to/from Trey.  I "got" to share my birthday with Trey!  We gave each other that gift that day.

God asks us to be givers....cheerful givers!  :)
This Election Day, November 8, 2016, I put my trust and joy in the Lord.

I give my birthday - and every day - to God as a hilariously cheerful giver!  :)

Will you join me in my party?

"God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7

"Trey Tuesday" - November 1, 2016

Outlive Yourself

Time is valuable: Have you ever paid to hire an attorney?  Do you remember how quickly your newborn baby grew in to a teenager?

Memories are precious: All these Halloween photos are snapshots of happy, silly times together!

But a legacy lasts a long, long time - perhaps in to eternity!

Some of you may be wondering what this "Trey Tuesday" post is all about each week.  Well, it's the remembrance of a little boy (my nephew) who lived and loved on this earth waaaaaaaaaaaaay too short a time.  "Trey Tuesday" is an opportunity to pause to remember, reflect and grow from the influence of our sweet Young Warrior.  His story keeps going....it now includes you!  :)  His life was not just well lived....God is still using Trey's journey to share life, love and hope because of the love and power of Jesus!

What can you do this week/month/year that will pass on your legacy and help you outlive yourself?

"Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal."  Matthew 6:20