Wherein I excuse my absence

Seriously, chalk that one up to neglect.

Or just plain craziness.

This blog has fallen to the wayside and the weeds are growing all over it.

Not that it was ever tended with much TLC anyway.

But the excuses this time are valid.  For real.

Like having sick kids for two weeks running.

With which I am about to scream, "I am crazy. I am high on Vick's.  And you can't stop me."

I, myself, have not succumbed to said illness

But all the sleepless nights and crying kids

Do make one feel like they would much rather put their head in the sand

Than wake up to face another day.

I don't have pictures of this period of our life,

Because, get real, that'd be a form of torture.

To photograph a poor child's feverish eyes.

But I do have a mishmash of other useless and perhaps useful information.

Here's a useful tip for colds, fever, etc. that has gotten it's fair mileage the last 2 weeks

And that, I believe, has kept me from going under the weather.

Mix two parts olive oil with one part castor oil.

Rub behind the ears, on the neck, shoulders, anywhere you begin to ache.

Then sit in either a steam bath, or make a steam tent.  And let it work it's magic.

It cleans the toxins out of your body.  And everytime I felt the glands in my neck start to swell,

I did this and immediately after felt much relief.  

I also did this for the kids alot, and I swear (except I don't)that this cleared up their ear infections 

Faster than an antibiotic ever could have.

We also had winter Camp Meetings last week.

Always love seeing God's presence affect people and change lives.

I won't pretend to admit that I wasn't completely exhausted

From having sick kids and a whole house full of people

But what is the grace of God for, if not to help us make our way through

Something that seems completely insane and exhausting.

Yay, God!

 We have church in this grand old Baptist church building.

I love the old Architecture in this town

 The Baptist church that meets here on Sunday mornings,

Is actually slowly dying out.  The church van doesn't go out to pick up community kids,

It goes to the nursing home to bring in their elderly members.  No joke.

This town's younger generation, for the most part, doesn't even know 

What the inside of a church looks like.

It's crazy to me that, back a hundred + years ago, Charles Finney preached in this town

And revival was huge!

This church, alone, had hundreds of people in it's Sunday School.

We're praying, again, that a move of God would visit this town and many would be transformed

By the very presence of Jesus.

 This picture was taken during what we call "Car Wash" prayer.

All the pastors and their wives lined up in two rows

And everyone else went through the middle of the two lines and got blessed

With men/women of God laying hands on them and praying or speaking words of truth over them

You come out the other side feeling all squeeky clean and refreshed.

And of course there was worship.  Lots of it.

There is nothing quite like laying down a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God

When you are utterly exhausted and spent from sleepless nights and sick children.

Something happens in your spirit as He begins to fill you back up

As you pour yourself out to Him

Thanking Him for the healing for your kids (that you have not yet seen)

Or whatever it is that you're dealing with.

Giving Him thanks for the end result that you haven't seen yet

And then believing that He is faithful to bring that to pass.

So there's my excusable absence. :)

Oh, and another thing, these pictures weren't taken by me.  No way,hosea.

I didn't have that kind of time last week.  But my friend, Bri, borrowed my camera

And put her pictures on my computer.  So I hijacked them.  Call me a thief.

JO

JO