He Has My Tears in a Bottle!

Psalms 56: 8

“Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

Some days life just gets too much to handle. No matter what my sorrow, or longing may be. I know I can always find an answer in God’s Word.

Our lives change everyday. Some days are so hard to handle, but we must take comfort. As Christians, our lives are in God’s hands. Isn’t it amazing to read in the Psalms that God catches our tears in a bottle! He cares that much. I’ve shed many tears over my lifetime and to think that He has each and every one accounted for.

How can I not trust Him? How can I not worship Him? How can I not serve Him?

We shouldn’t worry or think about tomorrow-We don’t even know what is going to happen today!

The world is full of troubles. But if we hold to His hand, and ask for His mercy and His strength, when bad days come, we will have what we need to face them!

Fifty-Two Lessons I have learned in fifty-two years!!!!

1. Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans!
2. Love conquers All!
3. Never miss an opportunity to tell people what they mean to you.
4. Be true to God-and yourself!
5. Surround yourself with positive people-negative people suck the    life out of you!
6. Make friends-not enemies!
7. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything!
8. Learn to say NO!
9. Never think someone can't take your place!
10. Dare to Dream!
11. Step out of your comfort zone often!
12. God has all your tears in a bottle!
13. Use your best china everyday, not just on special occasions.
14. Travel makes great gifts-wonderful memories to last a lifetime and it doesn't get too little, lost or broken!
15. Respect your elders-they are responsible for your future accomplishments.
16. Be proud of your heritage.
17. God is good…All the time!
18. Be yourself-no one else can play the part.
19. Family usually makes the best friends.
20. Not all family is blood related.
21. Do what you love and love what you do.
22. Don't judge-you don't know what you would do until you face their circumstances.
23. The God of the Mountain is still God in the Valley!
24. You fall in love many times in life-if you are lucky it is with the same person-I'm lucky!
25. Words hurt-think before you speak!
26. Being a teacher is like being a missionary.
27. Being a grandparent is truly "grand"!
28. Housework will always be there-family won't!
29. Take naps!
30. Don't wait to chase your dreams, start now!
31. Live in the moment!
32. Growing old is a blessing-enjoy every day!
33. God always answers prayers-sometimes yes, sometimes no, sometimes wait.
34. Never be too busy for someone.
35. When in doubt, throw it out-covers a lot of topics in life.
36. A deep breath is medicinal!
37. The simpler, the better!
38. Go with your gut!
39. Live for the future, not the past.
40. Reflect often.
41. Never get comfortable with yourself, always evolve to be more.
42. The Bible is the greatest romance novel you will ever read!
43. Never stop learning!
44. The older I get, the less I know!
45. Music makes everything better.
46. Reality TV is NOT Real life!
47. Always eat dessert!
48. Mothers make the best of friends!
49. I don't know how I how survived without my cell phone for 40 years!
50. Prayer is the best medicine.
51. Pretty Little Liars is the best show ever! And we will never know who A is!
52. Diet drinks are poison!!!

Superbowl Sunday!!!(Now who's playin' again?)

 When I was in seventh grade my teacher told me,"You are a disgrace to the Webster family!" (Really, how's that for building self-esteem?) You see, I come from a family of athletes and well…I'm not. We were playing in a basketball tournament, and I was forced to play. I knew nothing about the sport, and I could have cared less until the moment I found myself with the basketball in my hand and everyone else on the other end of the court. So what's a girl to do but….shoot! Swoosh! Score! (How was I to know that after half-time they switched the goals!)

Years later, I'm still not a dedicated sports fan. I love high school football games! I mean, everyone in town comes to the game and you can visit with old friends and catch up. I love the kids, my students and former students are playing, and I love to watch and cheer them on! After all we have won more 1A State Championships than any other team in the state. But I don't know the rules and I don't really care to learn them. I just enjoy the socializing.

Last night at our Super Bowl gathering, I sat and played with Cam and ate and talked while others cheered on their teams. I didn't even watch all the commercials. I do love the cameraderie that family and friends exhibit for the big game. 

Have you ever thought how the big game can relate to your life spiritually? We have a coach-God has called us to be on His Team.
Philippians 3:14 "I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ."

We have competition. 1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour."

We have rules. God's laws and the ten commandments keep us in the game and give us points of reference for gaining or losing ground.

We must train for victory. 2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word, be instant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.

We don't play alone. We are part of a team. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh in all." Only when each player works with the other players with the same goal in mind, do we achieve our goal.

Victory! A winning team in the Super Bowl may win trip to DisneyWorld and a ring, but we will receive the crown of eternal life! 2 Timothy 4:7-8 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up of me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

I may not be an athlete, but when I focus on Him, and I run the plays He calls for me, I will move toward His Goal and be a winner and spend eternity with Him!

Are We There Yet?

I don't know about you, it seems I have lived my life by "when I get…when I go…when I have…or when I do"….or even past tense
"when I was…or when I went…" you get the picture, right?

As I look at the present, in a little over a week I will be 52, yikes! I realize it's pretty great being in the here and now! I mean…I'm healthy for the most part (old age creeping in), I have the most amazing 23 month old grandson ever, I have 3 beautiful children (grown) a husband who tolerates and loves me anyway, a wonderful family, wonderful church family, great job and co-workers that love me (except for Koty, LOL) nice, warm home, I just completed my first novel (a lifelong dream come true) and more blessings than I could ever count.

So why do I continually look beyond the present and stretch for something that may never be? I hope to spend the fifty-second year of my life just enjoying where I am. I mean, that's where I am, right?
I am there? Are you there yet?

Elvis,Powersurges and Basketball...

What a month! As you should know on January 8th we celebrated Elvis' birthday! Can you believe he would have been 80 if he had lived? I actually had reservations to attend his birthday celebration at Graceland this year and canceled at the last minute because I had a gut feeling that I should stay home. As I watched the cutting of the birthday cake live on the internet, not only was Priscella there, but so was Lisa Marie and all four of Elvis' grandchildren…and I missed it!

I really have no regrets considering the bitter cold weather that hit that week. Maybe I can make it next year. I hope to go to visit Graceland in the spring this year. Memphis is one of my favorite spots, so much to see and do and all things ELVIS!

We had a very exciting week at school. I thought I was losing my mind when my computer kept saying it had lost connection. I jiggled and pulled every wire in my classroom. One minute it was working fine and the next it would shut down. After lunch there was an announcement that we were having power surges in the building and everyone was asked to head to the gym. What fun with 200 middle school students and teachers in a gym with no electricity. After we were all in the gym they turned all the power off to the building for safety. My nerves were really shot! And let's not forget the three middle school basketball games we had this week. Guess who works the concession stand for the games? Yep, what a week. You've heard the saying too blessed to be stressed…I guess that's me.
Very Blessed,
Latresa :)

Welcome 2015

This is my first post of the New Year! Time seems to fly by so quickly. Just look at my grandson, Cam. He will be 2 years old in March. That just doesn't seem possible.

Our Christmas was challenging this year. It was the first year that my precious sister-in-law Karen celebrated Christ's birthday with Him! What a joyful Christmas to celebrate with our Lord and Savior, however, it left a big hole in our Christmas celebrations. Karen was always a planner and kept us all straight on where we needed to be and what we needed to bring. You never really realize all the "firsts" you must encounter when you lose someone you love and someone who is such a part of your life until they are gone.

Our family received the gift that kept on giving this year for Christmas-the stomach bug! It started with Cam on Christmas Eve and he "shared" with a total of 13 others in the family throughout the week of Christmas!

Hopefully as temperatures plummet this week, the germs will die out and kill these viruses and flus that are plaguing us across the country.

I spent the biggest part of my Christmas Break trying to organize my kitchen with the aid of pinterest. What did we do before pinterest? I ended up with five large garbage bags of unnecessary things or outdated food items. It shamed me that I had been so wasteful with the canned goods that could have fed families in our community, but because of my lack of organization skills and thoughtlessness, the food was ruined and no one benefited.

The financial waste was also shameful. I'm not much for New Year's Resolutions, but I do hope to make better use of my time by trying to stay organized and being more money conscious in the coming year.

I pray that I can learn to be a better friend and be more dependable to those who are in my life! Life is just too short on this side!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Time flies! Can you believe it is the last month of 2014? We are almost at the half- year mark for the school year. I guess I could say time really does fly when your having fun! November is a blur with a season of Thanks for our blessings and let’s not for get our Veterans. It is a tradition at RMS for our seventh graders to choose a living Veteran of a war and interview them, write a report, and prepare a poster board in their honor. Then on Veteran’s Day, the Veterans and their families are invited to our school for a program in their honor. My class provides snacks that we have prepared and the poster boards are on display for everyone to enjoy!

As we headed into December, our Youth as Sweetgum had a spaghetti dinner after church to raise money for a trip to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We took a bus full of young people and several carloads to spend the day enjoying the Christmas shows, shops and don’t forget the rides in the pouring rain!

Camilla and Jacob setting up tables for our Spaghetti Dinner

Clayson with that killer smile LOL

Clancy and Megan checking out the Dessert Table….Looks good Ladies!

Will is in charge of tickets

And we're off to…..Dollywood!!!

Our Women at church have an annual Chinese Christmas Dinner and gift exchange. You wouldn’t believe how violent church women can become when gifts are involved. Right Sharon? We shared lots of great food, fellowship and memories to last us a year. It’s also a time to reflect on the past year and miss those who loved this celebration of sisters in Christ who are now celebrating with Him. Karen Webster and Lavonne Siler, you were remembered and missed! But we rejoice in your celebrating your first CHRISTmas with the KING of kings!

Lots of Gifts to choose from….