Happy 100th Birthday...

...to my great-grandmother, Marguerite Foster!!!


Born on November 30th, 1907...


My great-gram is only 3 years older than my great-great aunt (her sister, Doris Dow)...

God bless both Grammie Foster and Aunt Doris.

I love them both so much more than they could ever imagine.

Olivia Megan Bate

Amelia (the big sister) hugging a stuffed animal that my mom brought down for her...

I imagine that she was probably singing when this photo was taken...

Amelia first meets Olivia (with the help of her mom and dad)...

She absolutely adores her...

Aunt Natalie and Olivia...

Amelia and Grammie holding Olivia...

This commercial makes me smile every time I see it...

Get Your Free "Lamb Hug" Today!

At the end of a long day of work and play, it's great to just sit back and get a hug from Jesus.

Oh, how I love Him.

September 11, 2001: Always Remember...

oh me of little faith....

What a close friend told me tonight:

"I'm not saying this in a negative way, so don't take offense. I just think you're expecting a lot to come from nothing and stressing about stuff and trying to figure out when it's all going to fall into place just doesn't work."

Why is it that we, as humans, feel the need to plan everything out by ourselves? Why is it that we don't simply trust the Almighty to lead us? We profess to believe him and trust him and want to obey him. And if that be the case, he says "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but rather in all your ways acknowledge HIM first and he will direct your paths." I can't even COUNT the times when I've completely disobeyed the command in that verse. I'm ready for the latter half of Matthew 6:33 ("...and all these things shall be added unto you.") to happen, but I've neglected to make it my daily task to do the FIRST half of that verse ("But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;").

How sad is THAT?!

Oh Lord, I pray that this Peter would learn to look you in the eye and walk the raging sea...

Carried To The Table

Wounded and forsaken
I was shattered by the fall
Broken and forgotten
Feeling lost and all alone
Summoned by the King
Into the Master’s courts
Lifted by the Savior
And cradled in His arms

I was carried to the table
Seated where I don’t belong
Carried to the table
Swept away by His love
And I don’t see my brokenness anymore
When I’m seated at the table of the Lord
I’m carried to the table
The table of the Lord

Fighting thoughts of fear
And wondering why He called my name
Am I good enough to share this cup
This world has left me lame
Even in my weakness
The Savior called my name
In His Holy presence
I’m healed and unashamed

You carried me, my God
You carried me


Leeland Mooring

Rachelle and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day...

The saga continues...

Alas, I must get back to work for another hour and 45 minutes.

Thank God I'm almost unofficially done here.

Pray for me.

horrible, horrible day.

maybe i'll explain in detail later.

but a multitude of things seem to be crashing down all around me.

i need a tissue...maybe 4 tissues.

So I'm at my work place.....after I've punched-out....using their wireless internet on my laptop. HOWEVER! I cannot access facebook or myspace, so I think I'm going to transport myself over to my church and use theirs.

I'm Not Who I Was
Brandon Heath

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I'm not who I was
I used to be mad at you
A little on the hurt side too
But I'm not who I was

I found my way around
To forgiving you
Some time ago
But I never got to tell you…so

I found us in a photograph
I saw me and I had to laugh
You know, I'm not who I was
You were there, you were right above me
And I wonder if you ever loved me
Just for who I was

When the pain came back again
Like a bitter friend
It was all that I could do
To keep myself from blaming you

I reckon it's a funny thing
I figured out I can sing
Now I'm not who I was

I write about love and such
Maybe 'cause I want it so much
I'm not who I was

I was thinking maybe I
I should let you know
I am not the same
But I never did forget your name…hello

Well the thing I find most amazing
In amazing grace
Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that's what love is all about

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I'm not who I was

truth in love

That we be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all tings, which is the head, Christ.

But how do you speak the truth in love when you know that the truth is still going to hurt the hearer (and you), no matter how much love it's doused in...?

Pray for me over the next couple weeks as I have a lot of love-drenched truth that I will have to tell.


Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having a high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised; and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.

annnnnnnnd...GO!

You know that game "Boggle"? Yeah, I like that game. But sometimes I don't like it so much when my mind is the thing that's being shaken up...having things falling into place...and then being picked-apart to find something meaningful.

19 is rapidly approaching. Where has this past year gone? It flew by much too fast, in my opinion. I should have savored everything a little bit more. The "uncomplicated days", I call them. Laying on a blanket in my back yard....under the lilacs....reading a book....being warmed by the sun.

But, man! In the middle of all of the...."confusion", or what-have-you, that the past 7 months have brought, I can truly say: Life is good.

Why?

Because GOD is good.

Everything that He's promised me has come to pass.

A major promise that has been fulfilled:
He restored my family...MAN! did He restore. Hallelujah. Praise God.

Nothing warms my heart quite so much as to see my mother and father working together in harmony around the house doing whatever. Or, what they were doing tonight, working together to get this weekend's crossword puzzle done. I also love to see what a change has taken place in my siblings lives. Instead of sibling rivalry there's a general camaraderie among them. I love it.

God is great, is He not?

So, even though I sometimes feel like my mind is the center of a complicated, sometimes confusing, game... It's a game full of surprises and blessings around each and every corner.

Okay, whose turn is it to shake the container? Wait, you turned the timer the last time...

i'm currently extremely tired. it was my 4th night in a row working until 9:50pm and getting home at 10:30. tomorrow will make the fifth. but hopefully i'll get done at 9:30 like i'm supposed to.

i need to get air put in my tires. and figure out why my "check engine" light is on. maybe i should check the engine.

our road is absolute crappingdom. mud mud mud mud MUD. you go 5mph and you're skidding all over the place as though you're going 25mph! crazy. i can't wait for warmer weather to make it all dry again!

our basement had flooded last weekend while i was away in massachusettes. but it's dried now. we found out what the problem was (the builder neglected to tell us about something we had to watch for.....lovely, right?) and so once we fixed it, it drained itself out.
at least we hadn't put down the hardwood flooring yet. just the drycore. and only a few pieces of that were "ruined".

um. okay. i'm going to bed.
i wish i had things of more substance to post.

i mean, i do have things of GREAT substance to post, but the majority of them would either confuse you, or you wouldn't have the patience to read them all. maybe i'll test your reading endurance tomorrow. or the next day.

quote of the week:

"You're paying for my therapy, Rachelle." -Daniel*, mah bro.



*-who is now taller than I am...................

seriously folks...

Who in their right mind would find this picture attractive?

I, for one, do not.

brian littrell's "we lift you up"

When I think of all things that God has done for me
And now my faith has always conquered adversity
I stand amazed to think that God really knows who I am
And to think that within me there is a master plan
And at night when I pray to the Lord that I know
I thank Him for His precious blood He gave to me save my soul
And that’s why

We lift You up
Higher than the heavens
We lift You up (because Your love is)
Deeper than the deepest sea
We lift You up
Higher than the mountains
We lift You up
He died for you and me

Let me share with you just how I know He’s blessed my life
He opened up His precious hands and gave me a wife
And he touched her deep down in her soul and gave me a son
For it is He that knows no greater love for He is the One
And at night when I pray to the Lord that I know
I thank Him for His precious blood He gave to save my soul
And that is why

We lift You up
Higher than the heavens
We lift You up (because Your love is)
Deeper than the deepest sea
We lift You up
Higher than the mountains
We lift You up
He died for you and me

We lift, we lift You
We lift You up

rachelle is...

in the middle of the biggest reality check of her life.

pretty much the only reason i'm working at staples lately...

In the morning, when I rise....

...give me breakfast.

crappy night's sleep

last night was not so good. i think i had a fever, and my mouth hurt from the elastics, and my nose was stuffed up...

so about 30 minutes before my alarm is supposed to go off, i can't stand it anymore. i reach around in the dark, find a water bottle from the other day, and manage to find the tylenol that was hidden in my purse, and i took one.

well, after i did that i thought "okay. i only have about 20 minutes of sleep time left....i think i'm going to reset my alarm." so instead of waking up at 6:30 i woke up at 6:45. and i actually sleep beautifully during those last 35 minutes...

now it's time for me to go finish getting ready for work and to get some breakfast.


p.s. i got Comatose a week ago and i LOVE LOVE LOVE it. you're right, danielle. it's amazing.

Just a little bit...just a little bit...

I'm just a little bit nervous about tomorrow. At approximately 12:30pm I will be having 2 teeth pulled.

This, of course, will involve multiple needles in my gums. And I, of COURSE, am NOT looking forward to that.

The other sad part is that my mom won't even be there for me. She, along with the rest of my family, are in Bangor. So, although this may seem immature for me being 18 (I don't really give a care about what you think about it anyway), my gram is going to come and sit with me while it's happening.

I hate stuff like this.

I've never ever been in the hospital for anything other than normal physicals, and the occasional ear-infection treatment, so I'm not really used to needles and all that jazz. I think it's more psychological in that I know that it's coming. It's not necessarily painful, because I remember having the needle for my once-and-once-only cavity filling. It's just a little pressure. For some reason when I think about the 2 teeth coming out, I hear a popping sound. I hope that that is not what happens. I don't want to hear anything. Maybe I'll take some music...

It's going to be good, Rachelle. It's going to be good. Just think what a blessing it is. Free orthodontics. Praise You, Jesus. Thank You for yet another blessing. Truly the banquet You've laid before me is good and my cup overflows.

I have chosen the good life that He has chosen for me.

Hallelujah.

Ba, da, ba ba ba....I'm lovin' it.

Guess where I will be using the internet for the first few weeks after I move.

Guess. Just guess.

McDonalds.

There's one in Bangor (the Broadway exit, I believe) that's a wifi hotspot.

Well, I hate their food, but I will definitely be indulging on their internet.