Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

where were you…

i remember that day like it was yesterday…

i was at work when someone came into our office and told us a plane had hit the world trade center…i remember thinking they HAD to have gotten the information wrong…but within moments we were all crowded around the only television in our building…we were there watching the towers fall…all staring in shock…

after flight 93 crashed in shanksville we were told they were letting us out of work early…i work for the state and they were afraid of an attack on state buildings…

i remember the only thing i wanted to do was hold my babies close to me…jade was 2 and joey was 4 at the time…i couldn’t wait to wrap my arms around them…hold them close and protect them…i had a million questions running through my head…what did this mean for their future?

as soon as joe and i both got home that day the first thing we did was get out our american flag and hang it on our front porch…we stood there, looking at the flag and held hands…it was a day we will never forget…

in the following days i wept many times…for those who lost their lives…for children left without parents…for families that lost their loved ones…i remember thinking how horrible it must have been knowing your fate and making that last phone call to your loved ones…knowing you would never again see them…even now thinking of that i am tearing up…

in the following days i was also SO proud to be a christian and an american…we were united as a nation…we prayed together, wept together, held each other…we were kinder, gentler and more patient with each other…we held doors open for strangers and didn’t get angry when someone cut us off on the freeway…

i wish i could say we were all still practicing that grace towards each other but, sadly, we aren’t…we’ve continued on in life and we’ve forgot…i’m totally guilty of this as well…as i think of this today i’m reminded of the following verses…and i strive to remember everyday grace given is grace received…

Luke 6:35-37   But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

out for now
~kisses

[jetpack-related-posts]

lots-o-pics

so here are some pics that i’ve been meaning to upload since last weekend and just haven’t got to it yet.  the first set of pics here are from our erie trip last weekend.  the lake was just gorgeous and the lighting was perfection!!!  i could never have turned down taking pics there, ever. 
can ya’all see that joey is almost as tall as me now?  how CRAZY is THAT!!!
this picture is from our car ride home.  you know the kids and i have to do something so we aren’t bored the entire time.  so i got my camera out and we took crazy pics.  super love the look on joeys face here…
these are more pics from my early morning walk last weekend…i just ADORE the pic of the hay bale!!!  especially in black and white.  i’m fairly sure that one will be getting framed in my house somewhere.  and the pic of the little bird…it was almost as if he posed right there for me. 

out for now
~kisses
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~*hump day hellos*~

i am so thankful this week is half over…sometimes the short weeks feel the longest don’t they?  i am so so so ready for the weekend to get here…it’s going to be a fun one!!!  friday our store opens…it will be open from 11 – 6…i’m so super uber excited about that i can’t hardly stand it!  i’m heading to the store around 3 to hang out and will be there until it closes…stop in and see us!  after i leave the store i’m heading home for a family pizza and movie night…i so ♥ those nights!!!  we will be watching coraline and michael jackson:number ones…

saturday i’m sure i’ll spend my day cleaning house, getting out more fall decorations and burning some yummy fall candles…then in the afternoon i have a special meal planned and i can’t WAIT to make it!!!  we will be having crispy fried tacos, mexican white rice with fried plantains, nachos and fried ice cream.  oh yes, it’s mexican night at the cutlers!!!

sunday after church we will enjoy a good family dinner then in the late afternoon it’s off to jade’s first game of the season…she can’t wait to cheer!!!  the first game starts at 4 (joe’s group will be cheering) and jade’s game starts directly following (my group will be cheering)…and for the next 6 weeks that is how we will spend every sunday afternoon…

i was blog hopping today as i sometimes do and i came across a very touching blog…heck, it was more than touching…i sat and cried as i read some of her posts.  on her blog i read this and it SO hit me like a ton of bricks…we don’t always KNOW why we go through trials BUT we have to trust that He brought us there for a reason and that we aren’t alone…

And I don’t know the reason why you brought me here

But just because You love me the way that You do
I will go through the valley if You want me to
Now I’m not who I was when I took my first step
And I’m clinging to the promise You’re not through with me yet
So if all of these trials bring me closer to You
I will go through the fire If You want me to
It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that’s not my own
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I’ll never go alone

If You Want Me To by Ginny Owens
 
out for now
~kisses

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