Drum Roll........

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!

Thank You!

Wow.

I appreciate all of your supportive comments on my decision to leave the bloggy world behind.

I want to respond to those comments in one post here.

After talking with my dear, wise counselors that I trust and venerate, I have decided to step away from my blog for a non-specified time period.

I realized that I didn't want to lose the things I've written on my blog. I couldn't just delete all of the things that I've written here.....that would be like deleting my heart!

So, for all of you who have been wondering about me since I made my decision, there it is.

I will be keeping in touch with all of you who want to through email. I already have the following email:

Marsha
Chickadee
Angel
Emily
Gayle Westie
Gayle B
Duckygirl
Heather
Christine
and hmmmm.....

If there's any other gals out there who have read my blog in the past or present and would like to still keep in touch, please feel free to email me through my profile page.

I can tell you that in the week that I have made this decision, I feel so free and that I have so much more constructive time on my hands.....

I'll be back.......

The End

I've made a decision.

I've been thinking and pondering the past few days.....actually, if I were totally honest, this decision has always been in the back of my heart, but it's come to the forefront in the past few months, clamoring for attention.

I won't keep my few readers in suspense any longer.

I've decided to go back to being a private citizen.

With private thoughts and a private life.

I have realized how much of a burden and obsession blogging and reading blogs has become for me. I've come to envy those who've never heard of blogging!

I'm actually breathing so much easier now that I've made this decision. I'm feeling so much better now that I've plotted a course of action.

I miss my paper journal. I miss sitting down in the mornings with the Lord and writing to Him in my journal. I miss the feel of the pen and the flow of the words. I'm going to get back to that.

This obsession has gotten so out of control for me that I now bring the laptop out to the living room when I get up, and, after a very short reading and prayer time, I'm on the computer.

I'm so grieved by that! I'm so grieved by the fact that this thing called blogging has taken the place of God in my life.

I can no longer allow that.

I miss having a private life. I know it was my own decision to make my life public by starting a blog, but the fascination is over for me.

I guess you could say I've grown out of this blogging thing.

Over the past several weeks, I've been slipping into an unhealthy state with this computer. I went from not blogging every day, to blogging a couple of times a week, to blogging every day, and now, I'm checking in on my laptop several times a day and constantly thinking about the computer....

I hate that.

I'm putting a stop to it.

I hate the lazy me I've become.

I want to concentrate on being a great wife. I want to remember what it's like to spend lots of time with my kids, having circle time and tea parties and spending one -on-one time with my son. Before they get too old.

Blogging has become a major distraction and a detriment in my life.

So, I'm cutting it out.

The dear friends that I've made online with my blog will know where to find me.

I feel so much lighter since I've made this decision! I feel like vast open spaces await me, to fill with everything productive!

I've decided to permanently delete this blog. I've also decided to no longer read blogs too. That part was a painful decision, but I can't wait to be free again....

I am so looking forward to being old fashioned and behind the times again!

I was so much happier before this blog.

I know it's going to sound funny to you, but I prefer being a private person. I prefer being in silence and solitude to anything, and my heart longs to go back to that, where the only people I share myself with is my family and my husband, and a very few good friends.

That's what I want and that's what I miss.

I don't have much of me, and I've spread myself way too thin, so that I've made the grave mistake of giving my family the leftovers at the end of the day. Gross.

So, this is goodbye. I'll still check my email, but I think I'm going to narrow it down to every couple of days. I will leave this post up for a week, and next Sunday I will delete my blog.

I think I hear my family in the background, cheering and clapping madly!

Phillipians 4:8

Well.....

I was leaving the post about the film up for a few days, to see if I'd get more comments and to see if you all would post a link to the film group's site on your blogs.....

I'm admitting here that I'm so sad that nobody wanted to post the link!

I was so hoping that we could all give Advent some word-of-mouth publicity, and that those of you who have lots of readers would be interested in posting the link.

I guess it didn't work like I thought it would.

Or maybe you guys just didn't see the link....or didn't go to the link......or something.

Advent Film Group is such a noble cause to support. I myself want more films that are truly family friendly, truly God fearing. I want films that have a multi-generational theme of faithfulness! I want films that showcase true modesty and what a real family picture ought to look like......I want the films we watch to follow whatsoever is true, whatsoever is honest, whatsoever is just, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is lovely, whatsoever is of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Phillipians 4:8)

Don't you??

I don't want to see films that are "pretty clean". I don't want to see films with disrespectful children and polished, preppy moms. I don't want to see films in which women dress inappropriately. I have a responsibility, as a Christian, to not set anything evil before my eyes. I don't want to see films with potty mouthed "humor". This is also why we chose not to have access to TV.

That's why I'm so into what Advent Film Group is doing. They are changing the market for films by generating extremely favorable responses to Come What May, and people in the secular world are starting to take notice.

That's what it is going to take to change the film industry.

Let me ask you a few candid, honest questions:

Do you bring R-rated movies into your home, for just you and your husband to watch when the kids are in bed? Do you truly enjoy these movies?

Do you laugh when filthy or off color language is used?

Do you notice the female characters' attire? Do you often say how cute immodest clothing is on the main female character?

Do you think that children using filthy or off color language is funny? (I recently was subjected to a trailer of a new movie, in which a child called an adult a jacka**. The crowd around us laughed.) Do you find yourself laughing too?

I'm not accusing anyone here. What I am trying to do is to get you to examine your standards. What kinds of films do you love to watch, and why?

Would you feel comfortable watching something like 24 or LOST with Jesus? How about The Bachelorette? I've heard some Christian ladies talking about how much they love this show too.

Look, I'm just wondering out loud here. I'm not pointing any fingers. I sure hope I'm not making anyone mad....

I just want you ladies to really think! Ask yourself some of the questions I've asked before you turn the TV or DVD player on.

I'm going to challenge myself to live by Phillipians 4:8, in whatever I do.

Will you?

Listen, I used to watch American Idol sometimes online. It was weird, because when I watched the show, my stomach would get all tight, and I would get really nervous. What's more, I didn't want my girls to see it, for some reason. This really puzzled me! I mean, it's just a singing show, right? Well, my husband finally told me he thought that the show was totally wrong, and he didn't want our girls to look up to or emulate those women on there!!! AH! So that's why I felt so guilty for watching it! The women's attire leaves little to the imagination, for the most part.

That was enough for me. I stopped watching it and feel a weight off my chest.

So.

Before you watch, read, or look at anything, ask yourself if it measures up to Phillipians 4:8. Try it! And I'll be trying it right along with you....

Oh, and then, go to this link:

Advent Film Group

And really think about what the team is trying to do.

Please?

A Disclaimer

In my post below, I left a link to the fim group's website.

Please be aware that the music for the trailer was not done by my husband. It was not written, composed, or orchestrated in any way, shape, or form by Dave.

My husband just told me that it was an old trailer and it was made in the beginning of production.

To hear an excerpt of the original music written, composed and orchestrated by my husband, please follow the link on Advent's site to my husband's website.

Thanks!!

Our weekend

Hi ladies!!

I had a wonderful weekend!

First though, let me say a huge THANK YOU for all of your supportive, encouraging comments as I announced that I'm pregnant! I was gone this weekend, and didn't get to post or log on, so when I did this morning, I was overwhelmed and flabbergasted! 17 comments!!!! Wow! I read all of them, and I'm trying to reply to all of them too. It makes this wonderful thing that God has done for us even more special when there's support and kind words, instead of frowns and ridicule.

You gals are great!

On to another subject....

Many of you knew that my husband was working on a feature film this spring. He composed the music for a film, and it is now officially on DVD!! We got an invitation last week to the premiere in Grants Pass, showing this past Saturday.

My husband is a mailman, and he works on Saturdays!!!!

Dave's producer called him up and really wanted him to be there, so they prayed together about it, because we thought there was no way that we could get away to go to it. We also began to pray as a family that we would be able to go, as my husband was an integral part of the film........

Well, Dave asked his boss early in the week if he thought it was going to be possible to get Saturday off......and he said no. So he asked again if he could just come in really early (6 am) and sort his mail then leave. We didn't know if this was going to happen until Friday after work!! We were set to leave Saturday at noon. Quick timing, huh?

So Dave got home from work at noon and the kids already had the car packed to the very teeth! When the Clan travels, we pack heavy! No packing light for a family of 8!

We were all so excited! Off we went, down the highway on a grand adventure!

The town we were going to was one state south of us, almost to CA!!!! Over 5 hours of driving one way, as the crow flies...

We had no idea where we would stay, so Friday morning, I'm frantically searching the internet for hotels in this city. There were only two hotels with vacancies! And if you've got a big family like I do, and have tried to travel with them, you know you can't book anything online, you have to call.

So we picked out a hotel, I called, and we had a family unit reserved for us.

Meanwhile, Dave's producer had been working behind the scenes, and he called to say we would be hosted by a local couple!! All 8 of us!!!!!!

We were so excited, because this is what we really wanted. We love to stay with local families wherever we go. It's more fun, you get to make life long friends, and you get a flavor for the community much better than staying by yourself in a hotel.

Their house was better than a 5 star hotel! They were such lovely, warm people! It turns out that their ministry is hosting families who come in from out of town....

God wanted us at this premiere!

We had no idea what to expect. We had never done anything like this before! We didn't even know how big the city was that we were going to!

Dave's producer told us that the auditorium in which the premiere was to be held seated 800 people. Okay. We knew there wouldn't be that many people.....

May I say that we pushed the envelope as far as speed was concerned? I won't try to justify it, but suffice it to say that we left our town at almost 1 pm, and the premiere started at 6:30......we were going to sail in at just the right time, and we did.

We got there and went right in.........as we got in the doors, people were milling about, and a couple of the cast and crew were on hand, as well as Dave's producer. Dave stood with the cast members, chatted with them and got to know them better. Everyone felt like they knew each other anyway, having worked on the same film for months on end.

Then it was time to go get seated, and since we stayed out in the foyer meeting and greeting for so long, we almost didn't get a seat!

All 800 seats were packed, and there were even people standing in the back!!!

We watched the film. We loved the film.

After the film, there was a Q&A time, and the audience was very gracious with their praise and their applause.....I mean, the applause went on and on and on! It was as good as a standing ovation, which some people actually did stand!

My husband had an opportunity to tell how he got involved in the film and how a mailman from a small, no account town came to be composing for movies. He gave quite an inspirational talk. He encouraged the audience to reach high, and to strive to obtain their dreams.

When the audience left, the cast/crew went out to a local pizza restaurant, and then we followed our host couple to their gracious home out in the country...........

And the rest is history!

The movie garnered an extremely favorable response.

I want you all to do something for me. I would be ever so privileged if you would post a link to the film group's site on your blog, so that we can generate even more publicity for the film.

On the site you will read all about Advent Film Group's mission, their goals, and the people behind the group. You'll also learn about the film, and there is a link to my husband's website too, where you can listen to an 8 minute sampling of what will be on the movie soundtrack CD.

Here's the link:

Advent Film Group

If you would please post this link on your blog, we would be immeasurably grateful.

Word of mouth generates a lot of publicity....and we want this film to touch hearts for Jesus!

Poo!!

RRRRR!!!!!

I typed the post below TWICE!!!

I was sure I had told the largest font to go back to normal size after our announcement, but apparently it didn't! So the post is extra, super long due to the extra super large font!

So sorry........

!!!!!!