With grateful heart I thank You Lord for all these simple things..

  Thanksgiving is tomorrow. This doesn't even seem possible. It seems like just yesterday was January 1st.. This year is literally FLYING by. I don't know how I feel about this.. yeah sure, I am BEYOND excited to eat all the yummy goodness my family members bake.. but it's just not right this year. I feel like this is the last REAL Thanksgiving of my "childhood". This entire Thanksgiving week I've been home with my family, and the Bauers of course.. But next year, chances are I won't have that opportunity. I will have to fly in from Texas.. hopefully. Thanksgiving was my favorite as a kid. Yes, I was a MAJOR fatty (still am) , but the food wasn't the entire reason I loved it so much. I love Thanksgiving for many reasons. I love the family traditions we made. I love the food. I love spending time with my family. I love the memories. My Granny and Granddad always went ALL out on Christmas decorations. When I say all out, I mean it. The saturday before Thanksgiving a big group of family and friends would all work together to put up every scene in my granny's front yard and grub on my Granny's homemade chilli and cinnamon rolls. Every thing from Frosty & his family, to a family caroling, to a church steeple, to santa, to the manger scene, to the HUGE bible,  was put up every year along with the beautiful lights. Then, Thanksgiving night, after we held hands for our prayer and ate all the delicious food, the entire family would congregate out on the street to watch as my Granddad turned on the lights to mark the beginning of the Christmas season. I will never forget the way my heart raced as those lights came on.. the beauty of the glow of the string of lights on the Bible.. the proud smile my Granddad had as he saw all of us on the curb side.. the way my Granddad would yell "Jojo" and swarm me in his arms, my head onhis chest, as he whispered he loved me..  the entire night was miraculous. I will forever cherish those Thanksgiving nights. Whenever I think of Thanksgiving, I try to forget the year my Granddad was very ill with cancer. I try to forget that he couldn't keep down a bite of food.. I try to forget that he put on a "happy" face so we would all eat, as he sat on the couch without a single thing on his plate.. I try to forget that he took a bite so my mom would stop worrying, which didn't stay down either.. I try to forget his pain. But nothing, not even the cancer, could keep him from turning on those lights. But then I remember how his face glowed the second he hit the switch and saw the dark night sky light up. That moment, as I stood on the street, I knew that was the last time that would happen.. I knew that was my Granddad's last Thanksgiving with us on this earth.. I knew those decorations and lights would never go up again.  I  wish we could have continued to decorate my Granny's house every year. I  wish my Granddad was still here to celebrate with. I wish I could go back to relive one of those Thanksgiving nights for just one more time..  Over the past few years I have realized that traditions may change, and family members may die, but no matter what, one thing is definite: I am blessed beyond measure .

 
  

CMA's :)

  I do believe that God created country music with me in mind. There is absoluetly NOTHING else that makes me this happy. I really don't remember the exact moment that I fell in love with the entire country music genre. Thinking back to my childhood, I remember jamming out daily to Shania Twain, Brooks & Dunn, Reba, George, Tim, Faith.. and so many more. Who would've guessed that now, 17 years into my life, I would find happiness and comfort in country music??  I can picture it now.. a room full of mom's ranting about how awesome their children are.. My mom would be stuck saying, "Yea, well.. Jordan knows everything there is to know about each country star. Did you know that Miranda's dog is named Cher? Jordan told me that.." My poor family, they must be so proud.
    Tonight was the biggest night of the year for country music : The 44th annual CMA's. To say I lost it would be an understatement. The very second that the Red Carpet premiere came on I was GLUED to the screen. I was VERY VERY pleased with the winners in every category tonight. Brad won Entertainer of the Year :))) This made me VERY happy. I do love when men get teary eyed accepting an honor as big as Brad got tonight. He is an incredible man, I look up to him so much.
    My girl, Miranda, was up for 9 nominations tonight and went home with Female Vocalist, Albulm of the Year, Song of the year for 'House That Built Me', and Video of the Year with 'White Liar'. I have to admit that I did cry every time she was announced the winner of a specific category. Heck, I was so excited for her that I cried whenever she appeared on the screen. Did I mention that tonight was her birthday AND her first time to win any CMA award!!??!! And she went home with more titles than anyone else in Country Music did tonight!! Miranda Lambert is simply awesome, and I can't wait for us to be bestfriends. End of Story.

         Here is a list of all of tonight's winners:
Entertainer of the Year : Brad Paisley
Male Vocalist: Blake Shelton
Female Vocalist: Miranda Lambert
Albulm of the Year: Miranda Lambert's Revolution
Single: Lady A's 'Need You Now'
Song: Miranda's 'House That Built Me'
Video: Miranda's 'White Liar'
New Artist of the Year: Zac Brown Band
Group: Lady A
Duo: Sugarland

 Country music is the absolute best. I am proud to call myself a fan. I believe that some of these artists explain exactly what is so amazing about country music in these quotes..
     " Country music is the people's music. It just speaks about real life and about truth and it tells things how they really are. " -Faith Hill.

    " Country music has always been the best shrink that 15 bucks can buy." -Dierks Bentley.

    "Country music is still your grandpa's music, but it's also your daughter's music. It's getting bigger and better all the time and I'm glad to be a part of it." -Shania Twain.



  God is so good. :)) I am so thankful for all He has provided me.. Thank you, Jesus. Help me live my life for You. You are the potter, I am the clay.

"you'd find God's grace in every mistake & always give more than you take.."

   Christians and nonchristians both criticize and critique Eve for taking a chomp or two out of that fruit from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden.. and yes, I admit I've done it a few times as well. It is hard to pass up the convenience to blame the failures and wrongdoings I commit on her, especially since her action first brought sin into the world.
   But you know, in a way we all resemble Eve. Each and everyone of us are sinners, and if we were in her situation, we would have made the same actions that she did. Think about it, this little slithery creature comes on up to you, insisting that you take a bite out of a delicious & desirable, piece of fruit.. a piece of fruit that with one chew will make you all-knowing like God. Sounds pretty good, huh? I have to admit, I would have wanted to take a bite too. You know, Eve remembered that God had strictly and directly informed her NOT to eat anything which came off of that tree.. but that little slithery demon convinced her that God was "just kiddin". Think this isn't relevant to our life? In today's terms it could probably be translated better by a boyfriend/girlfriend when they say, "Its okay.. I love you. Come on, just have sex with me. God will understand that we're not married, he was just kiddin about that waiting 'til marriage stuff.." or a friend which insists, "C'mon, take a sip, take a puff.. Just do it. Nothings wrong with having a little fun. God will forgive you in the morning.." 
   You see, we are ALL guilty. We ALL do wrong and make mistakes.We are ALL sinners. There is absolutely no way to sugar-coat that or try to beat around the bush. Sin is our specialty as humans, and until we are in heaven with Christ, there is no way to hide from it. This is something I've recently realized.
   My entire life I have just went through life, repenting and asking God to forgive me of my sins.. when I really don't know for sure if I was genuinely sorry for them. Yeah, I felt bad, but was that really what God means by repenting? To repent is listed in the dictionary as: To feel such regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it. God says in Ezekiel 18:31-32, "Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!"
    Then, why is it SO hard for me to admit my sins? Especially since I know that God already knows what I did.. Why do I run from my mistakes?  Aren't mistakes supposed to make us stronger? Are they not learning experiences? If so, why do I feel so terrible? Why do I feel like I have disobeyed God and that He is angry with me? Why do I feel like my parents despise me? Why can't I get over it? Why am I constantly reminded of my wrong-doing? The only answer to this is simple : Satan. Satan is viscous. Satan tries to work his way into everything, and sometimes is successful. & once he does, he brainwashes me into believing that I am horrid. That God will never forgive me, that my parents hate me. That I am not a child of God.
  But not this time. This time, I am learning from my mistakes. I am not going to allow myself to be brainwashed.. I may not be able to stop Satan from plotting his way into my life.. but I CAN rebuke him and his evil ways. I can change my actions. I can repent and truly be sorry for my actions. My plate has been wiped clean, perfectly clean, by God through His love. A love so strong that it is binded through and with the blood of Jesus. I may not be perfect, but I AM a child of God.