I would like to talk about sheep. I am currently reading a small pamphlet call "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" by Daniel P. Douglass.

It has been a really good read, but I have learned so much about myself and my shepherd Jesus Christ. And I have learned that sheep are more smarter than I thought. Here is what I have learned.

First of all I have learned that Jesus has many names. Two of His names that are really important to me are Savior and Shepherd. Savior is what Jesus was when I became a Christian, he will always be the one who saved my life from sin. But now I am looking at the name of Shepherd, this name is important to me because He is the one who will herd me through life, He will protect me and He will guide me. I am learning that the role of a shepherd is really important to the sheep.

A shepherd is the protector of the herd of sheep, if you look into the role of a shepherd you will learn that if a sheep is being threatened by a predator, the sheep will look to it shepherd for signals on how to get out of the danger. If the shepherd is calm and aggressive towards the threat, the sheep will be calm. But the sheep will not do anything until it is guided by it shepherd.

A sheep will not go to any other shepherd, it only goes to it's shepherd. A sheep will only listen to the voice of their shepherd. The author was talking about how other shepherd tried to lear another shepherd's sheep from him and they would not budge.

If a sheep keeps wandering from the herd, the shepherd will break the legs of the sheep and keep the sheep close by him while the legs are healing. By time the sheep is able to walk by itself in the herd, it will not leave the shepherd or wander again.

The shepherd will leave it's flock to find other sheep that have wandered off. The sheep will not leave and will stay together until they hear their shepherd voice. The shepherd is also the physician of the flock, he will nurse the sheep back to health and stay by that sheep until it is well.

So there are many different role of the Shepherd and you can find all of these verses in the bible to back the role of the shepherd.

Seven evidences that my Shepherd is leading me from Colossians 1:9-12:

1. I walk worthy. (as a child of the King: a princess or princes)

2. I am fruitful, (I live for everlasting things) (Fruit in me, Gal 5:22-23 love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Fruit through me John 15:1-7, 16)

3. I increase in the Knowledge of God.

4. I am strengthen with all Spiritual might.

5. I have patients in long suffering.

6. I am joyful.

7. I give thank to the Father, in everything.

*Are these evidences seen in your life? I have decided that this is going to be my resolution. Not loosing weight or any other resolution. It is to follow my Shepherd and be everything on this list above. I hope that you will come with me and make this new year 2010 full of God and all the directions He has for us. Love all of you and God bless you.

Merry Christmas to all of you!!!! I can not believe that today is Christmas day. It has been a little crazy around here, but good. First we were hit with sleet and snow on Christmas eve. It made travels a little slower than usual. But we made it to Grandpa and Grandma's house and we had a great time with family. Here I am with my angel pendant that I picked out. I thought that it was so beautiful.

Then I took some picture of the weather while it was getting dark out side. I love my camera, it took cool pictures of the snow as it was coming down. It is cold out side definitly and the wind does not help it much. I wonder what the ride home will be? The rest of our evening was visiting, play Apples to Apples and laughing. We love to laugh, and have a good time.


















After I night with Jeff's parents, Jeff, Luke, Melanie and I went home and did our own Christmas. The kids had a blast and Melanie was in seventh heaven with all of her gifts. Then the kids went and did what they wanted while Jeff and I fell asleep watching TV. It was a good night and I had such a wonderful time. I really feel blessed and I am so glad that we have such a wonderful family.

So, this morning I woke up and looked outside and this is what I seen. This is my front door, see how high the snow is the base of the door. And the snow is blowing all over the place. It is really cold this morning. It is beautiful though. Well, I hope that all of you have an awesome Christmas and I love you all. God bless you from my house to yours. Love Tanya

I was reminiscing the other night with my sister in law Teresa. I was telling her about this Christmas that I remember as a child. I think I was about nine and my parents were still married. My mother worked for a home for the challenged and she had invited a couple of her clients home to enjoy Christmas with us. I can see dad right now playing chess with one of the clients and the other one helped mom in the kitchen. I have had many Christmases since then, and every single one of them was special. Or they were challenging. I had one Christmas that was so challenging to me and the hand of a stranger got me through it. I was stationed in Germany and Jeff and I had just been married two months before. Jeff was stationed in Maryland and we were apart for our first Christmas as a married couple. I so hated it and I wanted to be with him so bad. I had no where to go and this lady asked me to come to here home and celebrate Christmas with her and her children. Her husband was in Desert Storm and she was just as lonely as I was. So she invited a handful of soldiers to her home to celebrate the holidays. It was so awesome and I was so blessed by her generosity. I hope during this season of love and giving that we all extend a hand of grace to someone who does not have a place to go, or family around them. Reach out with our hearts and our love. God bless you all and I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Love Tanya

Well, it is the weekend before Christmas and I have many things to get done. I have also taken on a new adventure to meet women. I have become a Mary Kay consultant. I have to tell you that my decision was really prayed about and there just seem to be so much peace about it. I can not believe that I now have my own business and the support of my husband and I get to talk to women about make up, but most of all, I will be able to share the gospel. This is really awesome for me.

I have to share also that this is the first year that I have really not worried about anything. Oh, most Christmas's in the past I worried about if we would be able to have enough money for gifts, or can we fill up the kids stockings. Sometimes I was worried about food for the table or paying the bills. But I have peace, I started this peace the night I went in for the surgery on my appendix and I have not lost it, it has felt like a gift from God. For the first time in my life I am not worried about anything, money, bills, food or friendships. I am just looking up and adoring my savior and shepherd. And I am going to hold on to this peace even after the New Year begins. I pray and hope that all of you find it this Christmas and hold on to it through the whole year. It is awesome and I want to share it with you all. God bless all of you and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families. Love Tanya

I can not believe that it is December already. I am wondering where this year went. It seems like each year goes faster and faster. This is Luke's junior year and Melanie is now in middle school. Soon, Luke will be off with his life and Melanie will not be soon behind him.

I normally put all my Christmas items up the weekend after Thanksgiving. But we were in Georgia, so I slowly put items up and I think I am finished. I do want to get some snowflakes for the tree or something that will capture the lights.

The Lord has been laying on my heart lately to start a women's group in my home. I really was not sure why God wanted me to start one. I prayed to the Lord and I said, "Lord if this is what you want, you need to give me some confirmation of some type." So last Saturday a dear friend of mine came to visit and we got to talking. She has really missed the fellowship of women since our woman's group disbanded and she was desiring this again. It was the confirmation that I needed. God has even given me more names to add to my list, ladies that I would of not even thought about asking. So, late January I am going to start this group. Of course I will stay with my other groups, I so love to be with them, but I believe God is trying to get me out there with other ladies. I feel like I am the encourager, prayer warrior of my family, if I am not in the word or looking to God, I loose hope. And if I loose hope, I believe that my whole family looses it also. Most of the women in this group are possibly non-churched or have had church in the past and are not attending one now. I have learned from the Pregnancy Center, I can not judge that young mother coming in the door with children who are unruly. Maybe the mother has not been taught about discipline. So, I need to pray for her and sit her down and show her how to discipline her children. Give her tools to use and then let her do what she feels comfortable for her family. Judging her is not one of the tools I should teach her, guidance and love is. I have been to full of judgement in the past and I do not want to do that. I have no idea what that mother or father has faced in their past or how they were taught. I believe that as a christian I need to teach God's word to the mothers and show them how to pass it to their children. So, God is giving me my chance, to show God's love and His word to ones who do not know them. This should be really awesome and I am ready for a new season in my life. I hope that all of you are seeing the next page God has you going too. It is awesome to see growth, trials, and directions. God is good, all the time. Bye

It is beginning to look like the North Pole.

I can not believe that the snow is so deep. It is amazing. We have been shoveling all day and I am shocked at the amount of snow we have. It started snowing while we were outside and the wind started. I guess we are in a blizzard warning for the rest of the night and half the day tomorrow. This is our front door and my flower pots are growing snow flowers.


Here is our van covered with snow, and Jeff out shoveling us out. I wish that I had gotten a picture of our dog earlier. He could not run through the yard it was so high. He hops and it makes him look like a bunny instead of a dog.


Well, only seventeen days left until Christmas. Where is the time going? It seems like it is flying by. Keep warm everyone and have a wonderful evening. Love Tanya

This award is from seasons of my mind. She awarded this to all the blogger who read her blog and I am doing it the same way. One hitch is that you have to tell what your favorite things are. You have to state five of them. So here are my favorite things.

1. I love my Lord and my bible. I would not be the person I am today if it were not for the Lord changing me and my bible showing me the directions I need to go.

2. I love my husband, I have many wonderful friends in my life. But Jeff is my ultimate friend. He is the one I tell all my secrets to. We are very close and I am so glad that the Lord matched us up.

3. I would have to say that homeschooling my kids has been one of my favorite. I love to spend time with Luke and Melanie, we laugh, learn and talk so much. I am so grateful for my kids and the freedom to home school.

4. I love Christmas, not just what it represents, but that it was my mother's favorite holiday. She would just become gitty as a child during this time. She would play Christmas music in September and burn candles. It was really magical for me. I miss her during this time, her memory will go on forever for me.

5. I love family. I have not really appreciated what family represents for most of my life. I am realizing that family is not just blood relatives, but it can be close friends. I am so blessed by so many wonderful sisters in Christ and my family is growing more and growing close. I am so glad that I see family in such a different way.

Now it is your turn, copy the circle of friends symbol and list five things that you are thankful for or are your favorite. Can not wait to see what you say. God bless all of you, Love Tanya

Well, I feel a little better today after I have gotten some sleep. Driving really took it out of me. I usually have our decorations up after Thanksgiving, this year I did it after we got home. I got most of them up, the tree is not decorated yet. That is usually the kids job. I would like to share a Christmas that we had with my sister and her family. This is her Christmas tree, it had really neat decorations on it. I really loved the angel on the top of it.

This is Charlene and her husband Jim. She is opening a gift that we gave her. It was a really peaceful day and a great day to just get reacquainted with each other.

This is me on the couch unwrapping the gifts that she gave me. I got three scarfs, body soap and lotion, a peppermint sucker and a bag to put all of my items in. The best gift was the glad candle and refills that Charlene gave me. I love the smell of them.

This is Luke with his Yoda that he got from Charlene and Jim. He did an awesome impression of Yoda and we all had a great laugh. He is so funny sometimes. He also got a cool hoody and a t-shirt.









Here is Jim opening up the tools that we got him. Charlene said that he needed them. I am all about getting things that people need. I love giving gifts and seeing their expressions as they open them.






Melanie got this beautiful watch set from Aunt Charlene and Uncle Jim. She can change the bands and the little ring for the outside of it. She loved it. She had to have it with her all the way home. She loves the necklace and the earrings that go with it. She asked Jeff and I if she could get her ears pierced. I am surprised, I thought she would not want to.



This is my favorite picture of all. Charlene and Jim got Jeff Star Trek ornaments for his tree. He has a Christmas tree with three Star Trek ornaments already. He got a phaser and the other one has Capt Kirk, Spock and Captain Pike on them from the original series. He is so excited to put up his tree this weekend.






Here is Tasha with her book. She loves to read and she always had some book or magazine in her hands while we were there. I am glad that she likes to read. It is important to like to read.







Here is Charlene taking pictures of the family. It was really great to spend the holidays with my family. I have not gotten to do that for some time. I hope that they have a great holiday.

This is Nana and she loved Jeff's back. She is so cute. She looked so sweet in that picture. I am glad to be home, but I will never take the experience we had in Georgia for granite. Family is forever and should grow.

On Wednesday November 25Th, Jeff, Luke, Melanie and I started out for Georgia. This was going to be my first Thanksgiving with my sister in years. And her daughter Tasha just had a baby, so we were going to meet Jeffery James Rowley for the first time. This is Jeff driving and their was a beautiful sunrise in Missouri.







Luke and Melanie fell asleep in the back seat of the car. They slept for some time. I think they slept till we got to St. Louis.








This is the Arch in St. Louis. It was absolutely breath taking. I just loved the scenery throughout the trip. It made it so fun.






This was the sky line in Nashville Tennessee, It was so awesome to be driving in the city where so many Country singers got their start.







This is Tasha and little Jeffery. I am so proud of Tasha, she is a good mom. And Jeffery is in good hands. Jeffery James Rowley weighted 7lbs 3 oz and he was 19 inch long.






This is Jeff my husband and I have to tell you that he is eating a green bean cassarole. My husband does not eat green beans ever. So Thanksgiving was a real blessing this year.









This is Jeffery, he is so awake the morning that I was holding him. Look how alert he is. He was such a good baby.



I just could not get enough of him. He loves to cuddle and he loves to be talked to. I really enjoyed my visit with my sister Charlene and Tasha. We got to see Charlene's husband Jim for a couple of day and then he had to get back on the road. I will post our Christmas pictures tomorrow. I hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am so shocked that Christmas is just around the corner. Great to be home and I love to travel, but home is where my heart is. Love all of you and thank you Charlene for all that you did to help us get to your home. Love ya sis.