Happy Thanksgiving

Hey all...just wanted to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. What a great day to remember all the things we can be thankful for. Actually, we should have Thanksgiving everyday. Daily thanking the Lord for all He's done for us, given us, and spared us from. He is a good and faithful God!

So, today I am blessed because I have life, not only physically, but life in Him! I have a wonderful husband who is healthy and able to work to support all of us in this crazy economy. I have 5 gorgeous children that are able to stay home with me, and I have the pleasure of schooling. I have not lost my home, but am safe in it. I have my health, and that is priceless! Even more of a blessing...so does everyone in my family. I have neighbors who I can freely witness to. I have family, friends, a car to drive, food to eat, a yard to enjoy, a church to worship at, photography jobs, blessings upon blessings, there is no reason to complain!

So today I will be thankful, and though my pick for President was not MY PICK at all, I know my God has allowed him to be there to finish what He has started. My friends...we are on our way HOME!

God bless...have a blessed day!

What Is A Real Friend?

Ok girls...this is the biggie! We (as women) have been on at least one up and down roller coaster of friendship in our life. Whether it be when we were little girls, teens, adults +, or somewhere in between. We have all experienced the good, the bad and the ugly of friendships. One thing to remember is that each one is special. May not always be good, but there is something in it that God wants us to get out of it!!!

I want to encourage each of you to take a look at the friendships you have encountered in your lifetime and think about what God might have taught you during that season. For some it may have been patience, others maybe trust, how to encourage or offer grace, and maybe even how to love more like Christ. I need your help...please respond to my blog or email me at etm5@q.com with some personal stories of what you have experienced in your friendships over the years, stories of what you have loved about the friends God has placed in your life, and even the difficult times you've had with them. If you're brave, share the stories about how you've been a good or not-so-good friend at times. I will update you as I get to where I'm going with it all. One day at a time! As the Lord leads!!!

I also just got the book "Grown-Up Girlfriends, Finding and Keeping Real Friends in the Real World" as a bday gift from my dear hubby because I told him I wanted it! I know some of you from Calvary did this as a Digging Deeper class. I would love any and all imput you are willing to share.

If you want names kept private just let me know...not that I'm using it for anything right now, but since this is a blog and all!


God bless...Tonya

Feeling A Heavy Burden For Our Nation

PLEASE WATCH THIS LINK OF A DADDY & HIS BABY IN CANADA! click here

Tomorrow is the big day. Many of you are voting, some are not. Some for McCain, others for Obama. I am troubled that we as Christians can not see the handwriting on the wall. True, we must not fear, we know nothing surprises God. Though the end of time is eminent, we must not just sit back as Christians while our Nation slowly walks away from it's Christian roots.

No need to go into anymore detail than the letters below have expressed, but as far as I can tell there should be one issue in this election, and that is LIFE! If we choose to go directly against the Word of God and expect Him to heal our nation, we are sadly mistaken. If we vote our conscious we can stand proudly. The economy always has a way of finding it's way to recovery. Are we really ready for "Change" when we are uncertain as to exactly what that might mean? Read below for a personal message from me, and a true story about a mom in Canada forced to abort her unborn baby under the new health care system the democrats would like to see put into place in the US.

As the Newsboys say: "If the truth be know, truth is more than to each his own!!!!!"


So I've been pondering, as we all have, about this election and what it might usher in. My heart is heavy, and in some ways I feel excitement that we are closer and closer to our Lord Jesus' return, and in other ways feel a bit dismayed as to what we might have in store before His return.
That being said, I fully trust my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, Whom knows all and is in full control!

I've been thinking a lot about some Scripture that I feel may pertain to us during this election year. I'm wondering how many of you have thought the very same thing. I've often thought of how the Israelites cried to God for a king (1 Samuel 8). God's heart was not to give them a king, however hear His words as He speaks to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you (Samuel) but they have rejected Me (God) from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day-in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods-so they are doing to you also. Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.". In verse 22 of chapter 8 God granted them their king, even after Samuel's warnings of how they will cry out after what their king has done, and unfortunately God would not answer them in that day. He granted them their wish, He gave them Saul. How many times they cried and complained about their new king, wishing that God had not put them under his leadership...oh how this in so many ways seems to foreshadow our Nation today.

We have a Nation of freedom. Freedom that came at a price. Freedom that Christian men and women have given to us, and fought to keep for us! God has blessed us with abundance in this great Nation, but more and more we turn from Him, do things our way, directly against His Word, and then shake our fist at Him, blaming Him for all the tragedies we face. It goes completely against the Word. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 we see how God feels about His people seeking Him... "and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Will we stand? Will we remain one Nation under God? Though I trust the Lord completely and know He will use whatever comes our way to bring about His will, I also fear what we as a Nation are bringing on ourselves. If we vote in a president after being warned over and over again of the ungodly things he's done/taken part in, and stands for, shame on us. If the only reason we would vote against Obama was because of his stance on abortion, that would be enough. We all know how important life is to God. However, I believe we need to take heed! The warning signs are everywhere! Our Nation is at an incredible low, what a perfect time for one world government and currency. Can't you see it? If the people get what they want, we might just be ushering in the end of times.

Pray for our Nation...for those who don't know the Lord...and share Christ's love, He may not return for many more years, but we are warned to pay attention to the signs of the times, and I have to wonder...

God bless...Tonya


One of my closest friends has a very close friend who moved here from Canada recently. Remember, Canada is using the same health care system that the Democrats are promising to put into effect if Obama takes office. Here's what happened to her...

She was pregnant, was forced to have an amniocentesis, the test proved her baby would be born with down syndrome. This very health care system Obama praises, forced her to have an abortion against her will because the gov't didn't see fit to allow her to keep her unborn down syndrome baby. Today she is still dealing with depression over the whole situation.

So we take away choice from the unborn baby first. Then after convincing the country to vote in a leader who will push this kind of health care system, we will essentially not only give up our unborn babies rights, but our rights to keep our unborn children if the gov't decides it's in their best interest to abort it.

So I ask...do you really want your rights as a citizen of this great nation, to be stripped away little by little? That is what is happening. It's happening in Canada, and it will happen here if we vote in a leader who will support this kind of health care system.

Thank you for your time, please pray, & vote your conscious!!!...Tonya