"Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns...

Casting Crowns are one of my favorite artists, and they have done it again. They have come up with another song, that speaks straight to the heart. It is a slow fade, it starts with just a little thought, then you ponder on it, then it becomes a desire, and that desire sets a flame that can turn into a blaze so quickly. Before you know it, you are deep in a sin. Either, enjoying it at the cost of your precious relationship with Christ. Or, your heart is sick with regret that you let yourself burn a little longer. Praise God for His forgiveness!
I pray that the Lord will keep watch over my eyes and my heart. That He will protect me from a thought turning into a desire. That he will convict me, and bring me to my knees! And praise God that his mercy and forgiveness are available, if we will humble ourselves, and go to Christ and ask for it;

Psalm 86:5~7 "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; And give heed to the voice of my supplications! In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, for You will answer me.

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
The journey from your mind to your hands Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
Oh be careful little eyes what see Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

WARNING~~You might Laugh!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

"Why do fools fall in love", is the theme song. This was Elijah's idea. He kept putting the hat and glasses on, and making funny faces. It was sooo funny, we all decided to do it! But, I must say it took 30 mins to talk Sheldon into doing it. I guess he is just "too cool" for his family! :} PUSH PLAY

Diana gets married, and little family history...

This is my aunt Onorina. She is my dad's sister, and the oldest and wisest of 19 children. She turned 73 in September. She is an amazing woman. I love her very much! After I got taken away from my mom, she took me out of the group home I was in, and gave me a chance to be a part of a "real" family. It was not perfect, and she would admit that also, but I do give her a lot of credit, for who I am today. I praise God for the people He placed in my life, at the right time, and for the self destruction He saved me from! This photo was taken in 1951. My grandparents, (Giovanni and Carmela (Pagnozzi) Manfredonia), are holding my dad, Albert. Onorina is the oldest, to the far left.









These next pictures are with Onorina, at my cousin Diana's wedding. The picture at the bottom, is of my cousin, Adelina. When, I got these pictures, it was so strange seeing her as this beautiful adult woman, when my memories of her , are more like the picture at the right. She was about 9 years old, and I remember sitting with her at the bottom of my grandma's stairs. She would tell me stories about the bible, always filled with joy and excitement.

What battle ?

Grace about two years ago.

She fell asleep reading the book "Battlefield of the mind".

Silly Cilla

It was a Sunday evening, (the first Sunday of Fair), that she, Priscilla, decided she was coming out of my womb. Of all the labors I have been through, I remember Priscilla's the most.

We were at the Fair, of course! Now, I know most of you will not believe this next part, but it is true! As the contractions are getting stronger, and stronger, I tell Cleyo that we need to leave. But, I can not get Cleyo to stop talking to people!!! Seriously, I am telling him how much pain I am in, and he is still not hearing me. So, I do what all loving wives do, I get mean! Finally, we leave!


On the way home, it was all I could do to bear the pain of the contractions. Refusing to be in labor, I go home, start on housework, and let out moans in the process. I was not suppose to be going in labor, I had another two weeks until she was due, and a c-section planned in 9 days. So, I was refusing to do this!



It was driving Cleyo crazy, that I would not go to the hospital. Teressa Pierce calls, and wants to know how I am doing. Cleyo tells her that I am refusing to go to the hospital. Teressa gets on the phone and tells me to go now!

So I listen! Why? Because their is something about Teressa, that when she told me to do something, I could not help but listen. Teressa and Daniel even came to hospital within a few minutes after we arrived.

I told the nurses that I refused to be in labor! Can I still have my c-section? They kindly tell me, "well, we have to talk to the doctor". I guess they did not want to tell me,"no"! Because, shortly after that, Priscilla arrived! Although, I did not get my way, I am thankful that the labor was quick, not easy , quick!


The name Priscilla was decided last minute. We liked the name, but it was not a name that you hear anymore. Would it be too antique for a little girl? Would people call her "prissy"? (some did) Thankfully, kids that could not pronounce her name call her Cilla, and that has stuck with her. Then came the strangers... "Oh, like Elvis & Priscilla"? NO. Like Aquila and Priscilla. Three days ago, someone asked me where I got the name. I said, it is a bible name, and went on to tell a little about them. Great conversation starter. Although, I recognized this lady from a couple weeks earlier when she stopped at my home to invite me to her church. I think she was a little surprised that I knew where it came from. I do not believe that she remembered me, but I remembered her.

Who can forget the famous Christmas card,
"Look what we picked for you"!





Although, she was smiling in almost every picture I found of her. That is not how I remember it! She had severe colic! By the end of a day, I could not mentally focus on anything! No matter how much bouncing, rocking, or swaying I did, nothing would calm her down. And even to this day, she can be a major drama queen! (She gets it from her dad, JK, I know that I can be overly dramatic). She is also my boo-boo girl, every little scratch deserves a band aid. She also gets her stubbornness from me. She will flat out refuse to do something, and like two stubborn bulls, we will go head to head!



Unlike the four children before her, she has not had a sibling that she bonded to. I think the reason is because she spent two school years at home with me, while the kids were in school. For two summers in a row, I could not get her to play with the other kids for even five minutes, she was by my side for everything I did.





She also loves to aggravate people. (She does get that from Cleyo) Poor Elijah, everyday after Kindergarten, she would drive him crazy, make him cry, and she loved every little bit of it. And when my friend Susan would watch her, she would drive her little boy Sam crazy. When Sam's mom would tell him she was coming over to play, he would say; "Not Priscilla!" I don't know why, but their are certain kids that she loves to make them cry. She has gotten better. And she does play with the other kids now. Her and Abby also have somewhat of a bond. (only if Abby doesn't have someone else she would prefer to play with, then Priscilla is on her own). She also loves to play the Nintendo, and takes it very seriously. She has been grounded from it many times for breaking controllers. (because she slams it to the ground when she loses).




My
Pretty
Priscilla.

Priscilla turned six in August, and is now in Kindergarten.






I pray Lord, that she will trust you as her Savior. I pray that you will give her a heart for others. That she will love others with an unconditional love. I pray that she will not believe the lies of this world, and that she will choose to believe that she is precious and beautiful to God. I pray for the man that You will bring into her life, I pray that he will know you as Savior, and that he will be a man of God, that he will be trustworthy, and a man of wisdom and strength. I pray for her health. I pray that you will take her strong will and stubbornness, and make use of it, to bring Glory to You! I pray that her bond with her siblings will grow closer and closer with every passing year. I give You all Praise and Glory for giving me the blessing of Priscilla.

Miracle's baby, Emilia

Picture4 011 by miraclejeanne

Girls Gone Wild

Some of you reading this blog, knew that I went to Chicago this past weekend. But, did not know the purpose of my trip. So, over the next week, or so, I am going to share what the trip was about, and how God has used this trip, to pierce my heart, and a desire to become "A True Woman that Lives a God Centered Life" !



It was the first National Woman's Conference, and it is called "True Woman 08, Now is the Time" ! There were 6,300 woman that attended. And, I believe they said, women from 8 other countries made the trip to attend, and some of them had to spend a $1,000, just to get to the conference. There is a link, on my blog list, if you are interested to learn more about it, or want to watch video from the conference.



There were two session times set aside on Friday, and each session had 10 to choose from. One of the sessions I attended was Girls gone wild. But, it was not the first, nor the second at the top of my list. The first two were filled before I even got there. So, now what? I thought. I do not want to fight the crowds, and keep finding them filled. Looking at my list, I decided to go to Girls gone wild, even though the title was a little thought provoking! It was held in the convention center, and that meant I was guaranteed to have a seat.



The speaker was, Mary Kassian. I really enjoyed her personality, because she told it like it was, and was confronting the issue with truth. It is so awesome how God worked it out for me to be in that class. I have to admit that I was drawn to that class, but I did not want to take it because of the title. But, God placed me there anyways.



I want to share with you some of the notes I wrote down, but that was not all that she shared, I was too slow to catch it all. If you have not read, or can not remember what Proverbs 7 says, then I recommend you open your bible, read it first, and then continue on with my notes.



The Proverbs women is described as the "wild women", (occupied with outward appearance, flaunts her body, is like a prostitute, flirtatious, forward, suggestive, brazen, and much more). I quit taking notes of the wild woman, because I wanted to focus on her points of a "WISE WOMAN".



THE WISE WOMAN;

Her physical appearance is 2nd to her spiritual appearance, Beauty of inner self, Noble character, Dresses modestly, is "Modest", is "Temperate", has "Decency", dresses femininely (clothed in fine linen, appropriate for women), Guards her dignity (no deceptive charm), Purity, Busy with personal mission, Busy with good deeds, Does not eat bread of idleness, Arms to the poor, hands to the needy, Wins her man over with Pure/Holy Behavior, Stays away from potentially compromising situations, Propriety, Worthy of Respect, Gives the enemy no opportunity, Avoids trickery/craftiness/manipulation, Not a "gossip" or a "busybody", Judicious with wise words, Influences without words, Speaks with Wisdom, Not a malicious talker, Other focused/Happy to serve, Provides food for her family, Her husband takes his seat at the city gate, "Quiet Spirit", Gentle disposition that defers to others, Gentle and Quiet Spirit~(repeat) Bible says; it is Precious in God's sight, Respects others, Affirms, Receives, and Nurtures Strength and Leadership from Worthy men, Quietness and full submission, Obeys, (like Sarah choose to be submissive to Abraham, Has Godly priorities and Joyfully fulfills her Responsibilities, Watches over the affairs of her household, Manages her home, Works with eager hands, Brings up her children, Contented (mark of Godliness), Confident in God's Plan & Provision, Put their hope in God, She can laugh at the days to come, Understands that Christ is first place, She is Dedicated to Christ, Keeps herself for Marriage, Guards the Purity & Sacredness of the Marriage bed (in her thoughts and beliefs), is "Purity", Faithful to her husband, Enjoys and Invites Sex~understands that sex is an expression of a Profound Spiritual Truth, "Coverings for her bed" (she makes it inviting), Does Not "Deny" Husband (1 Cor. 7:5), Does not wrong men, with regards to sexuality (1 Thess. 4:4-6), Values what God values, Not with gold,pearls, or expensive clothes, Dedicated to Christ, Of great worth to God, Respects and Honors men in attitude, speech, and behavior, Brings her husband GOOD and NOT HARM (when we hurt our husband, we are hurting our own household), Her husband is Respected, Honors her Commitments, Does not give in to fear, Her relationship with God, makes a difference in how she relates to men, Her Behavior is of a woman who professes to worship God (1 Tim. 2:10).



Lord, I want to be a WISE WOMAN. Search my heart, reveal my wildness, catch me when I fall, but most of all, CHANGE ME !

Elijah's response

Earlier this evening, Elijah read the post I wrote about him, (3 times, I think), and then came to me with tears in his eyes.
And says; " Mom, I read what you wrote about me, and it made me cry several times".
Lord, I pray that in my everyday moments as a mom, that my children will know and believe how precious they are to me!

Something else I wanted to add in his post was a funny story on a talk between Elijah and his dad:
About a month ago, Elijah was riding home with Cleyo. So, Cleyo decided to take advantage of the alone time. Cleyo, wanting to give Elijah an opportunity to ask him any personal question that he would like to. Cleyo asks Elijah if there is anything that he wanted to know about him, or something personal that he has maybe thought about, but was too embarrassed to ask. I do not know for sure the exact way Cleyo stated it, but I know Cleyo was trying to open it up for personal questions, or maybe something that Elijah wants to know about, but doesn't get the chance because of always having siblings around. Expecting something personal, and maybe even shocking; Elijah asks, "How old were you when you got your Atari"? Cleyo answers, then tells Elijah, "Is there anything else you would like to know"? Elijah answers,"No, that's all I wanted to know".
I thank God, that his heart is still innocent.

HELP !

IF YOU HAVE TRIED TO VIEW MY BLOG TODAY, WHO KNOWS WHAT YOU FOUND! I TRIED TO CHANGE MY BACKGROUND, BUT I GUESS BLOGGER ONLY LETS YOU USE THE ONES THEY HAVE AVAILABLE!
THE WORST PART IS, I LOST MY LAYOUT, MY BLOGLIST, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW TO FIX IT! I DID SAVE IT, LIKE THEY RECOMMENDED, BUT HOW DO I GET IT BACK? ANY IDEAS? I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO ADD THE BLOGS I READ BACK TO MY PAGE! HELP!?

My Gentle Giant

Years ago, I decided to start a journal for each one of my children. I would assign one night of the week to a child. I wanted to write funny things they did and said, my prayers for them, and bits and pieces of my life story. But, that did not last very long. By bedtime, I was exhausted. My daily to-do list never shrinks, and with all of the demands in a single day, I never found the time to just sit and do it.

When I started this blog, it was mainly to keep family and friends up to date with our family. But it quickly, turned my thoughts in a different direction. I wanted to use my journal idea with this blog. Also, if something happened to me, my children will have a place to hear my heart,to know my struggles, to know that the Lord is my Salvation, that He alone is my Rock, and without Him, I am worthless! Also, to hear how I felt about being their mom, the wife to their dad, and to know it is only by the Grace of God that I made it through my childhood

So, I guess I feel the need to say, that this late birthday entry, is not because I love Elijah any less, and did not want to make the time to offer up my praises to God for his precious life. (I am also behind on Priscilla, she was in August also, and three new ones in October, so, don't be surprised, if the next four birthday entries are late). One of the many things that I don't like about myself, is that I am a "procrastinator". I will put it off, until it has to get done, and then stress out and turn into a raging maniac.

SO, to get to the reason I wanted to write this. He is the fourth of eight children. In the first picture, I believe he was two years old. In the next couple of pictures, he is pictured with his sister Abby. They were the closest we had to "terrible twins", until Shiloh and Daniel came along. Elijah is one year and three days younger than Abby. Elijah has always been in the 90% range for his height and weight, and Abby has been in the 15% range. So, every where we went, people assumed they were twins. I know this is about Elijah, but I felt the need to share the "twin bond" that they shared. What was really strange, not only was there a very close bond, and they looked a lot alike, but they got the same exact teeth in, at the same exact time. No joke! All, other than Abby's first two.











He is all boy. From the rough deep voice, the desire to play pro-football, and to the love of tools. But, at the same time, he has a big heart. He is kind and loving. He is a Giant, with a Gentle Spirit.





He is also one of the most disciplined children we have had. I do not mean that, he has a disciplined character about him. I mean that for about three years, on a daily basis, he was receiving discipline. He can be quick to anger and frustration, and loose focus on reasoning.




In the last two years, I have seen some major differences. I have seen a huge growth in his maturity. The teachers at school love to tell me how smart he is, and they love to hear him verbalize how he processes math problems in his head.



He gets that from Cleyo. I hate word/math problems, my mind does not move that slow. I know some of you will find this hard to believe, but I think my mind goes twice as fast as my mouth! Ok, be nice, no comments please, you can just laugh at me from your side of the screen. I don't need someone to point out my sin issues, God has been faithful to reveal those to me, and I am working at being faithful to practice obedience. Why is it people feel the need to point out yours sins to you, as if God is not capable of doing that on His own??? (I)ncluded. Sorry, off subject again! Another one of those things that bothers me about myself! I can never just get to the point!



Lord, I praise you for the blessing of Elijah. I praise you for the desire he has to know you more. I praise you for the growth we have seen in him the last two years. Disciplining him was never easy, and for many days, even years, it seemed that it there was no progress. (I wonder if God ever feels that way about us?) I ask for forgiveness, for the many times I lost my patience with him. When in my anger, I have been a bad example.



I pray that he will know You, as his Lord and Savior. I pray for his life to bring honor and joy to You. I pray that he will be a faithful and honest man. I pray that you will give him a wife, who loves You, and knows You as Lord and Savior. And even though, at this moment, he is yelling and screaming at Sheldon. I would be broken, if anything ever happened to him.
I pray that You will give him patience, and give him calmness
in his moments on frustration.
I pray that you will use his life to bring Glory
to You. That Elijah will have a testimony of You.
That the bond with his brothers and sisters grow closer and closer, with every passing year.
I also pray that as parents, we will raise him in a way that is pleasing to You. Give us patience and grace, as we will not always do what is right.






Elijah, I love you, and I am thankful that you are my child.
I praise God for the gift of you! I praise God for your sweet
and tender heart.