TWAS THE NIGHT....

The Night Jesus Came

'Twas the night Jesus came And all through the house,
Not a person was praying, Not one in the house..
The Bible was left On the shelf without care,
For no one thought Jesus would come there..

The children were dressing To crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling Or bowing their head..
And Mom in the rocking chair With babe on her lap,
Was watching the Late Show As I took a nap..

When out of the east There rose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet To see what was the matter..
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters And lifted the sash..

When what to my wondering Eyes should appear,
But Angels proclaiming That Jesus was here..
The light of His face Made me cover my head...
Was Jesus returning Just like He'd said..

And though I possessed Worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him In spite of myself..
In the Book of Life Which he held in his hand,
Was written the name Of every saved man..

He spoke not a word As he searched for my name,
When He said "it's not here" My head hung in shame..
The people whose names Had been written with love,
He gathered to take To his Father above..

With those who were ready He rose without sound,
While all of the others Were left standing around...
I fell to my knees But it was too late,
I'd waited too long And thus sealed my fate ...
I stood and I cried As they rose out of sight,
Oh, if only I'd known That this was the night....

In the words of this poem The meaning is clear
The coming of Jesus Is now drawing near...
There's only one life And when comes the last call,
We'll find out that the Bible Was true after all...

I'm Thankful for.....

I'm thankful for a gracious, forgiving, loving, merciful God!

I'm thankful for my family - ALL of you!

I'm thankful for my friends - yes, ALL of you!

I'm thankful I get to be the favorite one. LOL!

I'm thankful for oranges, filet mignon, birds, bees, honey, trees, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th chances, Angel Food,

cookies, ice cream, peanut butter fudge, contacts, crayons, wet wipes, Spray-n-Wash, music,......

You get the point - I could go on & on & on! Let us not forget to count our blessings.

Love & prayers to you & yours during this holiday season!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What's Happening in November?

Ahhhh, NOVEMBER- my FAVORITE month of the year. I just love this month! It's the month when leaves have (or are beginning to) turned beautiful colors. It's when the Brannen family usually celebrates "Christmas" - yes, we begin opening presents this month! And, we don't have to be stressed about buying that last present for Christmas time either. It's a time of year when most folks say (or at least think about) what they're thankful for. Many other times of the year we (as people) forget to say what we're thankful for. It's the beginning of that "magical" holiday season. It's when cookies are baked and turkeys are cooked. And, Aunt Bo's fudge is usually made! Mmmmm! See what I'm talking about!?! I can't think of one thing about November that isn't grand!

As you can see by my November calendar, there's lots to do and celebrate!..... If you've got a November birthday, or anniversary - please let me know. I didn't intentionally leave it off. :-)

Nov 2nd - Johnny Pollard turned 21! Joan Bush had a birthday!
Nov 3rd - Jack Breese has a birthday!
November 4th - Cantra Cobb turns 21!
November 5th - Scott Retzleff has a birthday! Jonathan & Katie Slater celebrate their 1st wedding anniversary!
November 7th - Judy & Ray Retzleff celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary!
November 8th - Wayne Adams has a birthday!
November 9th - Florence McLane has a birthday!
November 10th - Cole Tatum has a birthday! "Men's Cowboy Day" at 4pm at Grace Assembly - if you're a man, you're invited!
November 11th - November 14th - Carl Harris in REVIVAL at Grace Assembly of God - YOU are invited!
November 14th - Hank, Me & Julian Bandiaky celebrate birthdays!
November 16th - Jonathan Slater has a birthday!
November 17th - Jeremy Keith, Randy Carr & Ray Retzleff celebrate birthdays!
November 20th - Uncle Lowell Brannen has a birthday!
November 21st - Amie Crockett turns 26!
November 22nd - THANKSGIVING! - My FAVORITE DAY!
November 24th - Sydney Crockett turns 9!
November 25th - Lamar Crockett turns 60!

I Am A Christian!

Christians
by Maya Angelou


"A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
that a man should have to seek Him first to find her."

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'"
I'm whispering "I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain..
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

A New Crockett Added to the Clan!

Well I can't believe it - and you probably can't either - but TODAY, Monday, October 22nd, 2007, Amie Michelle Garrett became Amie Crockett! She married Curtis' son, Terry Wayne Crockett! Now I officially have a daughter-in-law!

Even better than this news - they Both re-dedicated their lives to God! Please keep them both in your prayers - they will need strength and guidance. Please pray for peace and happiness in their home. With that, I'll share a poem that one of my cousins gave to me and Curtis when when got married.......

Marriage Takes Three

Marriage takes three to be complete;

It's not enough for two to meet. They must be

united in love by love's Creator, God above.

Then their love will be firm and strong;

Able to last when things go wrong,

Because they've felt God's love and know

He's always there, He'll never go.

And they have both loved Him in kind

With all the heart and soul and mind;

And in that love they've found the way

To love each other every day.

A marriage that follows God's plan

Takes more than a woman and a man.

It needs a oneness that can be

Only from Christ - Marriage Takes Three

Philosophy

You may have already seen/read these - but they're too good not to make them public. Thanks to one of my favorite cousins for sending this to me.......

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD
1) Growing up is mandatory; growing old is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.

SUCCESS:At age 4 success is . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is having friends.
At age 16 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is . ..having money.
At age 50 success is . . .having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is ... having friends.
At age 80 success is.. . not peeing in your pants.

Always remember to forget the troubles that pass your way; BUT NEVER forget the blessings that come each day.Have a wonderful day with many *smiles* Take the time to live!!!Life is too short!

Adventure - It Runs In The Family

Just ask Lydia.....

She just got back from a road trip full of adventure. She and four of her friends went to ........ Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky & back to Tennessee. I guess living in Cleveland, Tennessee for most of her life - an only making one trip to Africa wasn't enough - she had to see more of the world!

I'm glad she had the opportunity, but I'm glad she's back! If you're family - I'm sure she'll be glad to give you the details at Thanksgiving!

That's all I have time to talk about for now. I'll try to do better at posting more often. Luv to you - my favorite family member!

VACATION - WHAT AN ADVENTURE!

I'm a little late telling you about my vacation - but I am the mother of a 2 year old and a 22 year old - so maybe I sort of have an excuse!

The last week of August, beginning of September, my hubby, my 2 year old and I were fortunate enough to go to Florida and stay at the Crockett resort. Never heard of it? Well, it's my brother & sister-in-law's house. And it FEELS like you're staying at a resort! Every single day was filled with excitement & first time experiences for Chloe.


The first night (Saturday) we arrived to a house full of family and friends to greet us. On Sunday, our brother & sis-in-law and Curtis' nephews & their families took the day off to go to the beach with us. This was Chloe's first trip to the beach/ocean - so we were very excited. She squealed with delight and talked about how blue the ocean was. At first she was a little afraid of the waves, but more so of the sand moving beneath her feet. Once she learned how to keep her balance, there was no more fear! She LOVED it! We did have a little too much adventure on this day - Curtis' nephew's wife, Cate was on her surf board & ended up cutting her nose with the board. It was the first time I'd actually seen an ambulance/rescue squad on the beach. She's doing great now - but is very lucky.


On Monday, our sis-in-law was off from work. We picked up our great-nephew, Wyatt (he's 4) from "school" and went to lunch. We also did a bit of shopping. I was proud - I didn't spend any money on this shopping trip and was taking Chloe to the car to change a poopy diaper. Well, let's just say, I ended up with brown stuff on my shirt. It stunk so bad that I had to go back into the store and buy a new shirt. The one I did have on was a "crappy" shirt anyway. :-)


Tuesday was our wedding anniversary. So, we took Chloe and went to the beach. We ate at Breaker's restaraunt and watched the ocean. Then we took our "beach baby" to the beach. With her little hot pink sunglasses & bikini - she was "Ms Hollywood". This day we drove down the beach & opened the van door for her. She really thought this was something big! She had fun again in the water and sand. We had fun too!


Wednesday, we went to SeaWorld. Our brother & sis-in-law both took off of work and brought our great-niece Adelle (she just turned 2 at the end of September). First, we went to "Breakfast with Elmo & Friends". Chloe literally shouted with Glee and hugged, kissed, held and danced with Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie, Zoe and Big Bird. It was worth getting up early to be there and was worth the money you paid in addition to your SeaWorld admission fee. I'm not sure if you've even been to SeaWorld, but it has changed a LOT since I was a little girl!


Thursday we went back to the beach and went shopping. We also swam at the Crockett resort. Very nice inground pool. By this day - Chloe was jumping off the diving board! (This is a BIG deal - we started off the summer in a little kiddie "boat" float. Now, she's jumping in on her own - with the help of floaties). Thursday night we were treated to "Fish Bones" restaraunt. I think it was the most expensive restaraunt I've ever eaten at. And the seafood - OH MY! What a treat!


On Friday, "Uncle Mar share his boat" - We went out on the boat with our bro & sis in law. This was Chloe's first boat ride. Also, Curtis' nephew, Brian took the day off from work and we took his boat too. Our dog, Rosco, even went on this trip. We went to "Disappearing Island" (as the tide goes in/out - the island appears/disappears. While we were there, Brian had to battle a small shark with his fishing pole. He promptly quit fishing & got back in the boat!


On Saturday we were having so much fun that we stayed an extra day. All the family and some friends gathered at Brian & Carrie's house for a football party. Fun was had by all.


Sunday we traveled to Georgia and visited with some more of Curtis' family and some friends. We stayed at his friend Chris & Kim's house - which is next door to his cousin Tammy's house. It was nice to visit with them.


Monday we traveled home - just in time to was a few loads of clothes before returning to work on Tuesday.


As you can see - there were a LOT of "firsts" for Chloe. That's what made it all so much fun! Again, we owe a special Thanks to "Aunt Glo & Uncle Mar" for letting us stay at the Crockett resort!

P.S. YES we got pictures! Maybe one of these days, I'll be able to add them to my posts.

My Life - The Adventure Begins!

Ever since birth - my life has been an adventure! I think I'll tell you a little about it - from the beginning......


Back in 1965 our family lived in Tellico Plains, TN. My first adventure was when my Mom actually told my Dad to go faster! You see, I was ready to see the world & I wasn't going to wait much longer. I even made Dad miss preaching his first Sunday in our new church building. He got us to Knoxville, TN and I was born. I took time to meet some important family members. But I didn't want to waste time - I had to see the rest of the world! So, at around 3 months old, I took my first airplane ride. We flew away - across a great big ocean to Guyana, South America.

It was pretty cool. My Dad caught fish from the upstairs of our house. It was built on stilts - cause when the rainy season came, the "basement" area would flood. Our house had metal fencing around it. I remember seeing a cow in the gravel road, on the other side of the fence. Back then, a lot of the Guyanese folks worshipped cows - so the cows could go anywhere they wanted to. Also, on another side of the fence was my best friend, Saniota. My sister & I would often climb the fence to go to 'Auntie Devico's' house for tea. We had hot roti with sugar - mmmmm. I also had some pretty cool toys. Family members sent lots of nice things. I had a hot pink dish drain, a tricycle with a bell & sunglasses.

We also had visitors from the states. I remember my Aunt Beth, Uncle Curtis & cousins Ramona & Charles came once with my Mamaw & Papaw. Our cousins couldn't believe we didn't have a TV. When they asked what we did for fun - well we said "we squash frogs!" Charles brought a water gun, but Millie (our Nanny) didn't like being squirted & she put it on top of our refrigerator. Charles did not like that!

Even though we didn't have TV, we had pretty normal lives. Mom made sure we had a birthday cake and a Christmas tree. We also had dogs named Tippy & Tiger. I don't remember much else, but pictures have helped tell the story. In the pictures it was easy to see which one I was. I was the little white girl with blonde hair - among a lot of dark people (they called me Snow White). Even my parents & older sis were dark (not as dark as the Guyanese people, but still dark). About 4 years later, my baby sis was born and she was whiter than me! When my baby sis came, she wanted to see the family, so we came back home to the United States & lived in Lenior City, TN. And, then another adventure began......

Oh, What Do I Know?

What do I know? Not much, but I thought I'd try this anyway. I don't have any pics to post & not even a digital camera, but I've got a willing heart. That's gotta count for something.