not so wordless wednesday

This past weekend, I went to a country music festival that my local radio station has every year. It was rowdy, but awesome (like always).

On Saturday we saw: Kris Hitchcock and Small Town Son, Jana Kramer, Dustin Lynch, The Lost Trailers, Love and Theft, Lee Brice, and Dierks Bentley.

Sunday we saw: Kari Lynch Band, Thomas Rhett, Gloriana, Frankie Ballard, Chris Cagle, Brantley Gilbert, and Montgomery Gentry.

We didn't get very close seats on Saturday, but Sunday we got a lot better seats, so I got more pictures on Sunday. 

Here are a few:

Katelyn, me, and cousin, Anna waiting in between acts.

Got to meet Love and Theft!! (I had been waiting for this ever since I found out they were coming to this)

Me and the sweet cowboy hat Love and Theft signed.

Dierks Bentley!!! (This guy was great)

Sunday: Katelyn and Alex relaxing.

Chris Cagle, I loved him. He adored the support that he got from all of us.

He really loves his fans.

Montgomery Gentry then came out!!!! I loved them as well, they know how to entertain. (This one is Eddie)

T-roy Gentry

On our way out, we saw Montgomery Gentry's Tour Bus!

(The one with the red flames)

It was a great weekend and I will definitely be going again next year. 

children of God

"Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father." For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children."

Romans 8: 15-16

"But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God."

John 1:12

We have been redeemed and we can be called:

Children of God

why God?

As you all know, recently President Obama came out in support of gay marriage. I'm not about to go on a whole "anti-gay" speech, but it just made me think once again "there goes more of God." It sounds really bad when I say it that way, but here's what I mean:

We keep coming up with new laws in this country, and every one of those laws is all about political correctness and equality. Every time we have a new law or idea, God is pushed more and more out of our country. 

For me, something like abortion is an obvious no. A baby is a human being and has every right to life as any other human being would. But with other things (like, gay marriage), it's not so black and white. A lady asked me before, "What do you think about this gay marriage?" I told her "I don't agree with it, but I will accept people who are gay." Which is my exact viewpoint on it. I don't agree with it, it is against Christianity, but it is also against my religion to exclude those who are different than others. Which is why it's so hard to argue against it.

Okay, so back on track here, I see our country heading in the way that gay marriage will be allowed everywhere, in every state. Well, what's next? Having more than 1 wife, or more than 1 husband? People might say "That's crazy!" But is it really? People were probably saying that same thing about gay marriage a few years ago.

People always say that church and state should be separate. I, however, disagree. Our country was founded by those who came here to practice Christianity, it was built off of Christianity. Why can't we stay focused on God? When we all look toward God, we are all united and focused on one thing. And that one thing (being God) helps us in our walk through life. 

So I guess I kind of do have an argument against all that stuff. Yes, I do believe in equality, but I also believe in a very powerful God and I live by His word. If we are all focused on God, our country would be much more united. So while people say, "We have the freedom of religion in this country", that's true, but why not practice the religion that this country was founded on.

More and more I see God getting pushed out of this country, not only by these new ideas, but people are trying to express their freedom. Like when they try to take "under God" out of the pledge of allegiance. That's what really makes me wonder "why God?" There are much better things that I can think of that we should push out of this country, and all of these "politically correct" people are trying to push God out, really?.

I know this post probably won't make a difference in how people think now. But I am, along with many others, focused on God, and I pray that He will help our country out. He is a very powerful God, I will always count on Him. So while there's not much I alone can do, I know there is a lot God can do. That's why I pray, that's why I believe in God.

getting organized

I am a very organized person, my family all says I'm OCD, but I don't think I'm quite that bad. I just think being more organized makes things a lot easier, and it makes everything look so much neater.

I am so thankful to Pinterest for giving me so many ideas on how to stay organized. Some ideas I can use now, and some when I move out into my own home. I just hope that Pinterest lasts for a very long time so I will always have these tips around.

Here are some of the ideas that I find (or will find) very useful:

1. Using containers and letter stickers to label the food in the pantry, this will make for a much neater pantry and it will be easy to keep it neat.

 

2. Still in the pantry, we all know how hard it is to organize all the canned goods. While, this won't work for all-sized cans, it will work for the standard-sized that are the most numerous in our pantries. Storing these in pop can boxes will work very well:

3. Using little plastic containers for our medicine cabinets. Store all the cold medicine in one container, pain meds in another, etc.

4. In my family, it's very hard to find presents for my dad. I think it's pretty typical for a lot of families that men are very hard to shop for. This would work as a great gift for them, organizing their work-space for them, using PVC piping:

5. There are many things you could do with this, but it is a great scheduling system. It can be hung in the kitchen or wherever is most convenient for your household:

wordless wednesday

deep in thought (part 2)

Again, I was listening to music the other day, and came across another

thought-provoking song. It talks about the trials that God puts us through, but no matter what, we still belong to Him.

But there is one line of the song that really made me think:

"If I lost it all, would my hands stay lifted,

to the God who gives and takes away?"

I always think about stuff like this. I have been through some tough times in life, and I always look to God for help through these times, and later I realize why He was doing what He was doing at that time.

But then I look at how much other people are tested, way than me, and they talk about how God has helped them through their trials. I think "Wow! They have a really strong faith in God! I don't know what I'd do if I was in that situation."

I know it's so stupid to say "bad things happen because God is testing us," but it's so true, God wants to see if we can trust Him after all he puts us through. This is where the thought process starts. I don't have to wonder what would happen if I was put in a worse situation. God puts me in the situations He knows I can handle, even though He is testing me, He always knows what the outcome will be. He puts different people in different situations knowing that they can handle certain situations.

I have a strong faith in God, and all of the trials that I have been through have only made it stronger. At first I'm always curious about why in the world He would do this to me, and then later I look back and think "Wow!"

But I also want to add, God doesn't want bad things to happen to us, He doesn't make our lives miserable (that's Satan's job). He will let the storms and the clouds come into our lives, but once we get through the storms, He will send the sun and rainbow. He lets the waters rise, but He doesn't sit there and let us drown (we might struggle, but the water never overtakes us).

No matter what we are put through in our life, we will always belong to God.

(You knew the video had to be comin', so here it is)

I'm Still Yours

Kutless

deep in thought

I was outside recently, listening to my iPod, and came across the song "How Great Thou Art." I am a huge country music fan, but I also listen to Christian music as well, but I am not that into hymns. But there are a few that I really love, How Great Thou Art being one of them. 

As I was listening to this song, I just closed my eyes and listened to every word of it. There is not a time or place where this song would be inappropriate, each verse talks about the greatness of God, and just how powerful He is.

The last verse talks about the time when I/we will finally come home to God. This is my favorite part of the song, it is usually sung with the most power, and it adds so much to this song.

Then I was thinking about a time when I was watching this song being sung on TV, and our TV was fading out because there were storms. Then I thought, "the first verse talks about the thunder rolling..." When the song got done, I realized, that we could not really hear the song because the "thunder was rolling", but in a way, we really were hearing the song, outside.

All I could do was think "Wow! Our God truly is amazing!"

I may have posted this video before, but no matter how many times it is watched, it is amazing each time.