My Testimony

There has been something on my heart for a couple of weeks now, and I really feel like I am supposed to share this.  I'm not sure why, but I guess someone out there needs to read this. 

We hear so many people talk about testimonies, or they make a comment similar to "Oh, he/she has such a good testimony, have you heard it?"  One day I started thinking about my own testimony.  I have never had an Ah-ha moment when one minute I didn't believe and the next I did.  I honestly have never asked God to come into my heart. 

I started to get a little worried and wondered what that meant for me, and then it hit me.  My testimony is of faithfulness.  Not my faithfulness to God, but his to me.  I have always known God.  I did not have to ask God into my heart becuase like my parents, he has always been there.  I do not remember a time of not knowing God.  I was brought up in church and some of my earliest memories of childhood are of being in the Presbyterian Church in Washington, Pennsylvania.  That is where I learned the Lord's Prayer.  When we moved to Alabama my brother and I continued to be raised in church, and I have stayed very active in church my entire life.  I, like every one else, have had ups and downs in my life, and through every single one, God was there.  He has never left my side.  He has been faithful to me since the moment I was born into this earthly world.  Now, in all honesty there have been moments where I have felt him more, or I can look back and say, yes, he definitely had his hand in that situation, but even in the times when I didn't necessarily "feel" him, I knew he was there. 

And now as I look at my children, I can see this same testimony in their lives.  They have been in church from the moment they were conceived.  I remember each one of them jumping in my belly as we sang songs in church, and they continue to be active in church today.  And I know going to church does not make you a Christian and does not mean you have a relationship with God, but I see God working in their lives.  I see them praying to God and it makes my heart glad.  I know there may come a time when they may doubt, or wonder away from church or God, but I know God will continue to be faithful to them.

God has been faithful to us all, no matter how long you have known Him.  "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord . . ."  Jeremiah 29.11.

So if anyone else out there is wrestling with not having an "ah-ha" moment with God, that's okay.  Your testimony is different, but just as good as everyone else's because it is yours, whatever it may be.

January-March 2013

I'm very confused how it is already April.  Didn't we just start 2013, and now we are already a quarter of the way through it?  So I guess that means that once again I'm playing catch up. 

As mentioned in my last post (back in December), we had Christmas in Pennsylvania. We had a great trip and I hope the kids loved it as much as Joe and I did.

                              

Just out of curiosity  who do you think has changed more, Tommy, or the girls?  (Isn't it neat how the girls are even sitting in the same order as the earlier picture.  CUTENESS!!!!)

Joel loved Cameron:

Joe celebrated his 31st birthday, and Josie her 7th.  Josie got a party, Joe didn't.  Josie had a Madeline party.  (It was it was a cute idea since her middle name is Madelynn.)

A new little one has been added to the Anderson clan.  This is me holding Blake, my nephew, on his birth-day:

Joe shot two deer during deer season and even took the girls hunting:

I actually have had some "me" time.  I had a girls' night out with Sheila and our friend Kristina:

And I went on a women's retreat with our new church.  It was exactly what I needed, however, the only pictures I came back with were of the camp pig, Frank, and a cross:

We took the kids to the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. (But if you ask them, the thing they remembered was the picture of a naked lady.  We found out later how much this impressed them when they blurted it out to our neighbor.)

Other Mama and I took the kids to the Zoo.  It was during this Zoo visit that we learned that Joel has been taught that an elephant says, "Roll Tide."  He was so darn cute the whole time.  Do you see the toy phone he has in his hand, well at every animal he would flip it open and take a "picture" of the animal.  He had Other Mama and me cracking up the whole morning.  In this picture he is taking a picture of me while I'm taking a picture of him and Other Mama:

We celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday:

Jolie the Sneetch 

 Josie, a/k/a Cindy Lou Who

 Joel, the Mayor Whoville

 Josie singing for Read Across America night at school:

We played in the mud on a Sunday afternoon:

We had some good ole cousin time (Joel, Jolie, Tanner, & Josie):

Josie, Joel, Ansleigh, Jolie & Caden:

And most recently we have celebrated Easter and Holy Week.  The kids walked in waving their palm branches on Palm Sunday.  (Although the week before Jolie had gotten her Alabama pom-poms and told Joe she had to take those to church to wave.  Palm, Pom, yeah they sound alike.)

And then the kids lead us worship by singing Praises to God.  Both girls did an awesome job.

After church on Palm Sunday the church had their Easter festivities for the kids:

And we ran to see the Easter Bunny that day too:

We had a a great Maundy Thursday service and when the kids woke up on Good Friday this is what they found in the yard:

As always, I cried at the Good Friday service.  I had pretty much kept it together until a soloist sang "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord."  I had woke up with that song in my head, and I just broke down as soon as it started playing.

Saturday we went to the Egg Hunt at 1st Pres.:

 Is it cheating if Pap-Paw helps?  (I love this picture, it just makes my heart happy.)

The Easter Bunny came Saturday night, 

And the next morning we got ready for church 

                                       

But we tried our hardest to stress to the kids what the day was really about.  Before going to church we changed the cloth from black to white:

News, I don't have pictures for:

Josie has been on the A & B Honor Roll all year long.  GO JOSIE!!!  This past Monday Joe took Jolie to register for kindergarten.  She had to meet with someone to see at what level she is, and she did great.  She knew everything she was supposed to know.  Joel is a the sweetest little hoot you'll ever meet.  I am so blessed beyond words.  

Well that about sums it up.  Until next time.....