Tiny Truth's Thursday...."Hollering" for Jesus

This Thursday I am bringing out an old post...just cause I can...and because I love this story about my then 5 year old son Charlie. This is a story about "hollering" and not for pigs people.....for JESUS!

Psalm 98:4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.

Psalm 100:1 A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

Psalm 95:1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

A few years ago Charlie started to come into “Big Church” on Sunday nights. The first year he slept through most of the sermons but on occasion he would stay awake. Sometimes he still falls asleep and will occasionally snore (loudly)...much to his father's horror!

One evening we were especially excited about the evening service because Ric was preaching. I told Charlie that he was going to get to hear his daddy preach for the first time that night. Charlie had a puzzled look on his face and asked me really seriously, “Mommy, does Daddy "holler" for Jesus?” I kinda giggled and said “What?” He asked me again “Does Daddy "holler" for Jesus?” I once again giggled and said “Charlie, what do you mean?” He said “you know, like Bro Mike(our former pastor)…does he "HOLLER" (imagine him raising his voice really loud) for Jesus?” Well I about fell out. It was so funny. He knew Bro. Mike liked to get loud and he wanted to know if his daddy did that too. “I looked at Charlie and told him, “Yes son, your Daddy "hollers" for Jesus, but in a different way.” You see Ric might not get loud when he preaches, but his life "hollers" for Christ. We certainly don't have to scream Jesus verbally...our lives should live it out loud for us!

Well it got me thinking.. do I "holler" for Jesus? The scripture shows us that we are to SHOUT for Him. "Holler" is southern for shout, right? Our lives, if we are a follower of Christ, should scream...shout...holler who we are in allegiance to. In our society everyone is vocal about who they follow...whether on twitter...facebook...if they are a fan of a football team, celebrities, athletes...you name it, and someone is vocal about following it. Our lives as Christians should be noticeably following Christ.

I looked at my life and wondered if my son could ask me if I "hollered" for Jesus. I pray that my life would be one that did shout and sing praises. One that was unashamed at my allegiance to Christ. One of my favorite songs talks about Shouting, a.k.a. "Hollering"…

Shout to the Lord

All the Earth

Let us sing

Power and Majesty

Praise to the King

Mountains bow down

The sea will roar

At the sound of Your NAME

May our lives "HOLLER" for Jesus

Tiny Truth's for This Thursday~

~ Kid's are going to sleep in church (snoring is optional)

~ Bro Mike was definitely a man who hollered for Jesus...in more ways than one:)

~ My life should shout who I am in allegiance to

~ "Holler" is the southern word for Shout

~ That my son (when he was 5) hears what is being said around him...whether it is loud or quiet

BLOG HOP.....The Water Bowl

I decided to join in the MckLinky blog hop since today was favorite kid photos...I love these of Jesse and just had to put them on here....yes there are a bunch, I just couldn't pick one!!

Splish Splash!!!

Thanks for everyone that is praying for Stellan...he is hanging in there and will be flying to Boston for surgery...he is finally out of SVT...but still very sick. Keep praying for him!

Saturday we worked in the garage all afternoon cleaning it out. The kids were outside with us that evening as we were finishing up and I heard something splashing. I look over and see Jesse playing in Sadie's water dish that I had just filled.....and yes, it is a baking dish....but I use it for Sadie's bowl because it is too heavy for her to carry off and chew up. Did I run over and scream "gross...get out of that"....nope, I ran and got the camera and got some great shots. I probably should have gotten him out of the water...because it is gross, but he was having such a great time that I couldn't resist letting the fun continue.

Jesse when he was caught in the act:

Sadie finally came over to see what the commotion was all about...I think she was saying "you better back up Blondie....this is my water bowl"

Jesse was saying here...."Look dog, I will rip your ear off...I'm playing here"

Jesse let Sadie get a drink and when he was sure she was gone.....he sat right back down and played in the water. After he finished playing he stood up...brushed the water off of his big belly and then he danced for me....he was seriously cracking me up.

Look what else this big guy is doing...when he is not splashing in the water bowl....he is in a big boy bed. That's right....16 months old and no more crib. While we were on vacation, he got spoiled by sleeping in the bed some and when we got home he kept waking up at all hours of the night crying. After several delirious nights I laid him in the bed in his room and he just passed out. The next morning I was packing the crib up. He has done the best of all our kids in transitioning to a bed and I could not be happier. He doesn't even get out of his bed without calling for me first...he is awesome. He may not be able to get out of the bed due to the fact that I have a pile of pillows around him so high a show dog couldn't jump over them...but he stays in the bed...just sayin'!!!

Sweet Stellan

I know that some people think that this blogging "stuff" is crazy....unnecessary....mindless....time-killer.......well look at this little guy's face and tell me if you still agree.....

(Taken by his mother, Jennifer McKinney)

This little buddy has been really sick for the majority of his life....including when he was in utero. He has SVT...which is a heart condition. I could go into explaining it, but I think his mother does an awesome job of that. He has been in and out of the hospital numerous times to try to regulate drugs and to hopefully fix his little heart. God has truly used Stellan to work in the lives of so many people. And that my friends is why I love this world of blogging.

You see, about 4 or 5 months ago, Stellan got really sick and had to be put in the hospital. I was so saddened by everything this little guy was going through....and I have never even met him...or his mom for that matter. I was reading Angie's blog and she talked about how her and her husband were praying for Stellan...and she explained how they were, together, in tears over this child. I wanted to yell at the screen and tell Angie(whom I don't know either) that I felt the same way....and I went to Ric and in tears and sobs prayed with him for this baby. My heart has been burdened for him for almost a year...and I believe God has used this little man to strengthen my prayer life. Sometimes when we read of sick children or people with illnesses we will pray for them...but mostly just be thankful it's not us going through it...that it's not my kid. God has used this child to change my mind frame on prayer...instead of just being thankful it's not me.....I am just praying whole hearted...almost like he is family to me. I believe God wants us to pray for one another....earnestly.

James 5:16 - And pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

I am storming heaven on behalf of this child.... because Stellan needs healing and I believe that my God can do it. I believe that God can use this little boy and his precious mother for His Glory. My prayer is that you would storm with me........that you would get on your knees and pray for the Mckinney family and for Stellan. Pray for his doctors.....and pray that he would be healed. Please go to his mom's blog and read about this amazing family....and this sweet little boy who has captured my heart.

PRAY FOR STELLAN!!!

Show us your life...Wedding Dresses......

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is doing a "show us your wedding dress" day...and well, since I loved my dress...and the man I married, I thought I would join in on the fun. Who would of thought that nearly 9 years later I would be just as crazy(if not more) about this handsome guy as I was this day.

Well I am excited to show you my dress....even though the pictures are scanned out of the album...and yes they are horribly grainy. The pictures are gorgeous in real life, but when you have been married for 9 years and all you have is an old school album...it'll do.

My mom, sister, MaMa and I went shopping at a neat little bridal shop in Roanoke, Virginia called Bride's House and this was the last dress I tried on that day. I was never one for big bows or lots of dazzle, so this dress just fit me. I loved the train and the bead work on the bodice of it...and the neckline. I really wanted a strapless dress, but I have a really ugly scar on my shoulder from having reconstructive surgery when I was in college. Gotta love college sports!

The reason I love my dress is because of what happened on that day....I married my best friend. The dress was one day, but what took place that day will last a lifetime. I love my husband and am so glad that God brought us together in his perfect time. The best memory of the dress.....this is the dress I was wearing when I kissed Ric for the FIRST time! Yes, it was worth the wait.

These were the shoes that I made for the wedding. My keds with a little bling and satin ribbon. I loved them and needless t0 say....my feet felt great the whole day!

My dress sits in a vacuum sealed box in my closet with the hopes of one day my girls wanting a piece of the material or some of the beading for their dress when they get married. I am not one to hope that they will wear mine....I would not wear mine today...just saying, styles change! It has grand memories in that box...but so glad that I live them out day to day. God's been good to me....He has always been good!

Tiny Truth's Thursday....Jesse doesn't give up!

Tiny Truth's Thursday....Jesse doesn't give up!

Well, I have officially written a tiny truth about all of my children but Jesse. I know there is not much material since he doesn't say anything…….ever, except when he screams MOMMA or DADA at the top of his sweet, little lungs! Even though he can't speak he taught me something this week.

Last night Ric spoke about Moses in the youth group and the things that took place throughout his life. It was an awesome service and if nobody else needed to hear it……I did. He talked about leadership and also about when we fail. You see sometimes I feel like a big flop…that I can't get anything right, and then yes I beat myself up about it. Ric told us that is fully human to fail. He told us that just because we fail…it doesn't make us a failure and that we are not a failure if we get back up. Moses failed in his life…he ran from things after he had killed that Egyptian man. He didn't obey God in several areas . God took Moses, with all of his failures and He used Moses in an awesome way. He took Moses…a man born in Poverty, raised in royalty, who lived in obscurity and He brought him out in victory!

When Ric asked the teenagers what they thought a leader was , we all heard a ton of different answers. The one quality that I voiced was that a leader is someone who doesn't quit when things get hard….because they always do! Sometimes in life I want to throw in the towel….when times are tough…when the kids don't listen….when the house is a mess and I need to cook dinner and change a diaper all at the same time……yes, the thought sometimes enters my mind that I want to quit. God gave me four children to mother and whether I like it or not….to lead. I can either lead them in the right direction or the wrong. I can either quit when things are tough, or I can keep plugging along.

Where is Jesse at in all of this you ask? Last night when we got home, I had put his PJ's on and was getting ready to lay him down and he found a "new" toy. It was actually in our yard sale and no one bought it so I gave it to little man to play with. It was a Little People's Noah's Ark. He couldn't figure out how to get the roof of it to get the animals out so he just kept sticking his fat little hands through the windows until he could squeeze the animals out. Once he got each one of them out and inspected them he wanted to put them back in. He would maneuver those little animals in every direction so they would fit back through that little window. Sometimes it seriously took several minutes for him to get one back in. He was so persistent…patient….focused….and he didn't quit. Some kids would have just left the toy alone after the first failed attempt…but not Jesse. He gave his best effort, and he didn't quit. He played there for about 15 minutes and I just had to get pictures of how cute he was with the animals. He never did figure out how to do it the easy way….and I decided to not show him….I would rather he do things the hard way sometimes….just like God wants me to do the things that are hard and not take the easy road out.

So now I will go clean my house, change that diaper, discipline my kids, stick things out….because God wants me to not quit. I know I will never be anyone of great importance in this crazy world…but I know four little ones who look up to me…so no, I won't quit!
Jesse showed me, in his own little way, to not give up….and I am so in awe over God's perfect timing. He taught me the same lesson twice in one night. How unbelievable He is!!

Tiny Truth's for this Thursday

-I am going to fail

-That Jesse seriously needs to learn to talk

-That God's timing is perfect

-That Little People animals can fit through the ark window if placed just so

-That I can't quit…and by the Grace of God I won't!

What a GRAND day!!

Wow....that is seriously all I have to say. I awoke this morning to little Miss Shelby Jean telling me I needed to check my email. Little did I know what I find in my inbox. COMMENTS!! My husband knows me so well...he knows that I love to blog and absolutely love getting comments(which I don't get very often), so what better gift than to fill my comment box! I was so blown away that so many people took the time out of their day to not only read my blog, but to leave a comment! I would check my email periodically throughout the day to see what new messages were coming in....I was seriously like a giddy 6 year old on Christmas morning.



The sweet things that were written were just a blessing and I needed tissues after some of them. What was even cooler than being blessed by the kind words was just knowing that someone had looked at my blog. You see, I started blogging to keep family updated. ALL of our family lives away from us, so I wanted to do it to put up pictures...funny stories about the kids...just what was going on in Blazi land. As I got more into it I started to write things that God was showing me, teaching me, or doing in my life. I started to have a desire to truly use this site as a ministry. Is every post I write one that is going to minister to people.......no, but I believe God can even bless people through my nutty humor. I am by no means a good writer, use correct grammar, or more spiritual than others. I just write what's in my heart. Sometimes it's bad...sometimes I love what comes out. My prayer is that God would continue to bless this crazy blog and minister to someone in need...someone who is hurting. That is why I do what I do....and most of the time I do it, there is a screaming child in the background....just keeping it real people!



Thanks again for literally making my day yesterday......65comments in all....can I get a woot woot!! I love my man for doing this for me and I thank you each for putting up with my ramblings long enough to get to the comment box. What a great day it was! I hope that people come back and keep reading about this path that God has me on....what a grand path it is!

Not my Child.......Monday!!

Mckmamma over at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ is hosting a "not my child" day today! Every day in the Blazi household is a "not my child day" so I figured I could jump in the fun. Hope you enjoy some of my "fun" experiences with the greatest kids ever!!

Today we went to the splash pad at our local state park to meet up with some of Addie's friends from school. They had a blast and the kids loved being in the water on a hot day...even though the water was freezing...they were literally shaking!

It was not my child who seriously drank about half of the water from the splash pad....lake water people...yeah I know...nasty...but it wasn't my son so who cares!

Thank goodness it was not my girls who laid out their towels and laid in the sun like a bunch of diva's.....I don't know who these girl's are ....but I am glad they are not mine!

It was not my child that fell asleep in the front row of church a couple of weeks ago and snored so loud the preacher heard him....nope not mine.

It was not my child that told her beautiful, pregnant aunt that she weighed "a lot" when she overheard said aunt say "I wonder what I weigh" ..whose three year old would say something like that??? Thank the good Lord it was not my kid!

It was so not my child who just came downstairs in her cheetah print...velour sweatsuit...zipped up...in 87 degree July weather.....nope, not mine. I am so glad it was not me that just let her keep wearing it either. Some moms are so lazy!! Ok the other child that is not mine came down in matching cheetah pants....and a stripped sweater!!

I have never had to deal with kids cutting their own hair either.....thank the Lord for that. Nope...my kids know better than that!

If you would like to read more wonderful stories of parenthood, go check at mckmamma's blog!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Monday!

Small Town Saturday Night

I live in a small town....and I love my small town. Saturday night was the annual "Whitesburg Block Party". We had fireworks...free hot dogs...pony rides...and just good people! You know you live in a small town when your kids automatically know that their school friends are going to be there...just 'cause there is nothing else to do on a Saturday Night....except go to the dirt track races....that I hear every Saturday night from our home.

The track is about half a mile behind my house...I don't even know if it is that far. Can't see it but you can hear it. If we are playing outside on a Saturday night....we stop and show respect when the national anthem is sung...since we can hear it and all! I told Ric a few weeks ago..."wow that girl can really sing...like Leann Rimes good"...and he said "it is Leann...on a tape!". Too funny...so yes people, I love my small town!

Back to the block party...the dirt track got me off track! We took the kids and loaded up our van with blankets, chairs, bug spray, drinks, popcorn, and more bug spray and headed up to the park. To be such a small town....the fireworks they put on where great! You can totally tell that it is a bunch of local guys that are doing it because there would be breaks in between each set where I am sure one of them was yelling at the other..."hey, where did you put the lighter at". Just kidding....well not really, but seriously they were the best we have seen this year. Last year when they ended, one of the pyrotechnic "techs" yelled "That's It". I was hoping they would do the same this year...but I was disappointed. How does a small town like ours afford such a display...I don't know for sure but I leaned over and told my husband that he had helped fund this here display of fireworks! Our town is a speed trap......'nuff said! For his defense, he has been clean for a long time. The deputy's call him "Preacher" too. Isn't that a hoot!! It is seriously Mayberry!

We are getting big time though...a hot dog stand is opening...ice cream shop...and a new Antique Store opened called Antiqueloco...and it is seriously to die for. I could really get in trouble there. Gorgeous stuff! I love our small town...hope to keep raising my kids in this small town...it's good enough for me!

Here are some pics from our Small Town Saturday Night!!!

And no Small town Saturday Night is complete without some good ol' rolling down a grass hill kind of fun!