in case you haven't stood in awe of God lately

it never fails that when i get too sure of myself or get to thinking that i might be something

God brings me to my knees not because i'm not special to Him

but because He is so much more special than me

it's not about me

we studied creation this week in sunday school and the teacher in me came out as we read the first verse of the bible,

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  

This whole book is about Him.  

This  is His story not Adam's or Eve's, not Moses, or Paul's, or mine. 

HIS

by Him, for Him, about Him

because He is an awesome God

        from the prophet Isaiah chapter 40

“To whom will you compare me?

    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:

    Who created all these?

He who brings out the starry host one by one

    and calls forth each of them by name.

Because of his great power and mighty strength,

    not one of them is missing.

thank you Jessica for sharing this with me

i hope you stand in awe today and every day

because He is worthy of our praise


Lovely Linkys
Kristen @ We are that Family
Emily @ Imperfect Prose

backseat sermons that speak to you

i hear the familiar sound of the pages turning
and then i hear him read
"Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good;"
and in the 3rd row seat of the new car
i hear them listen
and he says "did you hear me that is Psalm 85:12"
and the cousins begin
"yeah, i can find that verse too"
and "yeah, God is good"
and he says "yeah, i like that one"
and then the youngest says "hey you got some money, i forgot"
and he excitedly pulls his wallet out 
and says "yeah i got 3 dollars, one for each of us, i got it from the tooth fairy last night"
and the dollar bills go out, one for each of them

from the driver's seat i fight back the tears
6, 7, and 8 years old, these boys have it figured out

read His word and believe it 

give, put your hand out when one is without

they will take their three dollars that daddy and i put under his pillow late in the night
and give to bible school offering for the victims of the Oklahoma tornado
and they will smile and not think twice about keeping it for themselves
because they have faith in the Word that says:

"Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good;"

what biblical truths have you learned from children lately?

lovely linkys:

michelle @ hear it monday, use it on sunday
jen @ soli deo gloria

imagine summer without....

imagine summer without....

summer porch love

• sun kissed arms aka farmer's tan
• time with friends....it may take me all summer to see them all...but i will see them all
• cleaning....closets, the top of the refrigerator, the laundry room, the play room....those places that all year long i say "i'll do that later"
• random road trips to awesome places right down the road
• popsicles but not more than 5 a day ;) 
• poptarts and cereal for supper because it is way to hot to cook
• carrying a pool bag and bathing suits in the car with you just in case you need them
• naps
• watering the garden every morning
• movies and books

......oh wait i think this is not summer at all, it is called the school year

so glad its summer and i'm not sitting around imagining what it's going to be like not to have bed times, homework, and papers to grade

what are you imagining these days? or are you living in the moment?

a brother and a friend

A friend loves at all times,

    and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

i pray that they always be more than siblings but friends.

loyal

honest

supportive

helpful

the characteristics of a friend float around in my head.  you know a true friend.

and i can't help but be thankful for the christian men and women who showed these characteristics to myself and my family as i grew into the person i am today. 

 may i be the friend that they have always been to me.

what friends have helped you be a better friend?

lovely linky
Jumping Tandem
Hear it on Sunday

views from storms to sunshine

photo credit randall blackburn

 last night the storm clouds rolled in
they were strong and fierce
they moved quickly and left rain and
thunder rumbles












within the hour 
the rainbow appears
with the promise and hope of Him
and i wonder how those without God view rainbows












this morning the world was shiny and green
and the sun danced on the trees and smiled at me
with coffee in hand and the Lord on my mind
i knew that all the views of His great works 
are marvelously planned

You who laid the foundations of the earth,

So that it should not be moved forever!

Psalm 104:5

lovely linky
Five Minute Friday w/ Lisa Jo Baker

excited about things to come

in no particular order

• this picture   

• summer time ----- coffee on my porch, hanging out with my kids and my family, the beach
• gardening ----- growing your own food is a reward from God
• VBS ---- its a farm theme, how can you not be excited
• a new school year and basically a new job
• i graduated nc state university with a degree in middle school education with a concentration in language arts and social studies.  i student taught social studies.  i said i am going to teach social studies and i would love to teach 8th grade.  july 2006 i was hired for my first job teaching.....math.  the last seven years i have smiled though.  my friend yesterday said but your good at teaching math and i said its my job.  i did everything i could to make my math class unlike any other math class.  don't get me wrong i taught the math but we read books and colored and cut and pasted and sometimes they would look at me like i was crazy and say but this is math class. i always felt they learned the math but maybe not the best way.  but next year i get to do what i went to school to be and maybe it won't be as great as i imagine but at least i get to find out
• making progress with my children and entitlement ------- my son cleaned both toilets this morning and swept and mopped his bathroom, i'm not saying we're cured but celebrating progress
• reading ------ my list of books to read is growing and my free time is about to significantly increase
• BABIES ----- my best friend and college roommate had a sweet baby boy this week, my "sister" is having a baby in november and we find out what it is in june, and my very good friend and church sister is having a baby in august!!  there is nothing sweeter than seeing your friends have babies and knowing the love they feel deep inside because you feel it too for your own children
• weight loss ---- i have lost 15 pounds since august and i am hoping this summer i can really get into an exercise routine 
• 30!!! --- i turn 30 soon, i'm excited and terrified!

so much excitement

so thankful to God for all the blessings in my life

anything exciting happening in your life these days???

comfort in being loved

the comfort found in knowing you are loved 

is like a warm blanket on a cold day

it brings a peace deep inside that one can not explain

only feel

and this love is one we all long for and search for

there are few places in can truly be found

the first place is from your mom

my mother award for 2013 from owen
"she love my hart evrywere and anywere"

the comfort only she can give

to heal scrapped knees and hurt feelings

the second place is from your own children

no matter how much wrong you have done in the past

or how imperfect a mother you are

they still love

they look at you with those bright eyes and toothless grins

and love you like no one else

and the third place

is the most filling and everlasting

the comfort in knowing you are loved by your heavenly father

and to know the He loves YOU

is enough to carry you through the darkest days

it is what makes me wake up with a smile

it is what gets me through

and even though my love with never be enough

His will

i hope you find comfort this weekend in loving your mom, your children, and your Lord.

you may not have the first two, but we can all find comfort in our Heavenly Father.

Happy Mother's Day



linking up
Five Minute Friday w/ Lisa Jo Baker

why i teach and the best teacher appreciation gift

why i teach.....
believe it or not its not to make them smarter although i do try
it is most definitely not for a good test score
its not to make me look good
its not for the money, fame, or honor
it isn't because i even want to sometimes
it is because it is what God called me to do
i show up every day because He called me to teach
He holds my hand all day long
and it doesn't matter what I'm teaching 
God is teaching through me
and i'm not perfect
i make mistakes
i am not the greatest teacher
but i work hard to make sure my students are loved
they are listened too
they are notified of the fact that this world is big and beautiful
and they are lots of places for them to go and lots of things for them to be
and to soak in all the knowledge they can because their brain is growing
and until God calls me somewhere else
i will teach
i will love their sweet faces
i will forgive them when they do wrong
i will encourage their learning everyday
because God needs me to

***the best gift you can give for teacher appreciation.....

pray for your child's teacher every day and tell them you are praying for them

lovely linkys
Jen @ Finding Heaven                                                  

brave

brave

an old picture of Owen
"is this snake real?"
brave

i was brave once
i confronted a friend
i faced my parents when i had done wrong
i stood in front of 28 6th graders and taught algebra
i had a baby...oh wait i had two

brave
i am not
often i don't say what i need to
often i crumble and go home

but brave people.....
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
the person waking up with cancer every day
the president of the USA
Daniel
the mom with a sick child that won't ever get better
.......these people are heros
and braver is the truest sign


"Brave is a whisper some days and others its a battle cry."  Lisa Jo Baker


Linking up 
Five Minute Friday

letter to an addict

dear addict,

let me start by saying

you...you are loved...you are more...

i know it is hard.
it is raw and real.
you are fighting a fight you can't win...alone.
you can't say no...alone.
you can't walk away....alone.
and you don't have to do it alone.  
this drug that calls your name is big and ugly and mean and strong.
it has taken more from you than you could ever know.
memories, time, love, money, energy, relationships.....your health...your life
and yet it wins.
but you know all this.
you've promised "i'm going to do better, i'm going to stop. i'm not addicted"
               and maybe you think you can.

my friend kendal...she had a drug called ED...she wrote a book about her fight with ED.  i remember reading about how much she hated not having her drug.  she hated when people took her drug away.

another friend...he had a drug called pills....he didn't fight...they are still winning.

another friend...she had a fight with alcohol....she fought, her family fought...she doesn't reach for beer but friends now.

and the friends could go on, yours, mine....and some fight and some don't.

but you...you are loved...you are more than this drug.

i don't know what your drug is.....meth, heroin, pills, alcohol, porn, an eating disorder, gambling, sex, anything that can take the pain of life away.........

but you will have to have an army to win against it.

and at first you will not be the leader of this army and you will HATE the army
because the drug has you convinced it is better and worth it.

it's not.

let them fight for you until you can fight for yourself

friends

gosh i can write about friends....all day long and tomorrow too
i have so many that are tried and true
friends take work and understanding
truth and honesty
and it was late in life that i figured out i sucked at being a friend
i was not dependable, selfish, and just a plain ol' lazy friend

but do you know who taught me how to be a friend.....the one that became my best friend
Jesus

there was a time i went to Him last......
i ran to the current boyfriend
i celebrated with worldly things
my treasures were disposable and "fun"
friends i called them some....when it was convenient
but when you put Him first
everything and everyone else fall into place

hey i've wrote about friends before  here

it is always a good time to reach out to a friend

linking up with
Lisa Jo @ Five Minute Friday

jumps of life

the jump of life comes full force most days
a thrilled child running at you
it came out
it came out
i twisted it and look!
his has lost his first tooth
and i wasn't ready for this jump
i wasn't ready to look at my sweet little boy
toothless
with small tiny tooth in hand
the tooth that i cradled and soothed
as it broke through just yesterday....right?
but the jumps of life
don't wait for you to be ready
they don't wait for you to prepare yourself
they just happen
and you must choose to smile and enjoy
and pray and be thankful
that God is in control
of the jumps of life

lovely linky's
Lisa Jo @ Five Minute Friday

cleaning house

have you ever asked a kid, yours or someone else's, to do something and the answer is "why do i have to do it?"


it is at this point that we make a decision
a) slap them
b) reply with "because i said so"
c) calmly explain to them the significance of being a citizen and their obligation to life in general

i have thought many times about choice a but never followed through
i am guilty of b but try hard not to say those words
i am working on instilling c so that explanation is not required

some of us have joined together in reading a book that addresses this giant entitlement issue that we have in our culture.  Cleaning House: A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement  is Kay Wyma's documentary of teaching her children month by month the important things in life and that hard work isn't fun, but we all have to do it.

"I love you.  I believe in you.  I know what you're capable of.  So I'm going to make you work." Cleaning House

these are not common words in the home or society in general

work? what is that?


Month 1:

Wyma's sets to have her children, all five, clean their rooms daily.  Meanwhile, she finds herself reflecting, how did I get here?  Adopting the "it's easier to do it myself" mentality.
Aren't we all guilty.  Teaching, mentoring, guiding children it's hard on the emotional well being of a person.   It requires patience I can only find through the Lord himself.  When you are 15 minutes into a battle of stubbornness, it takes all the strength you can muster up to hold your own, but next time it will only take a 10 minute battle.  I often say it is much easier to be a bad parent than it is to be a good parent.  

Month 2:

Cooking.  Wyma's children each take a day of the week and must plan, shop, prepare, and serve their family dinner.  How would your children fair?  I think the biggest eye opener for myself here was that children have no concept of money and the cost of food.  As a teacher, this is an area where I can assist in the entitlement.   Do you take your children shopping with you?  Do they know where food comes from (the agriculture activist in me comes out)?


Month 3:

This chapter is my favorite.  I live on farm, I grew up on a farm, we play in dirt.  The conversations in this chapter regarding weeds and yard work are great.  The children paint and plant flowers and find happiness in their work.  Are you giving your children things to be proud of, even if they aren't as perfect as you would like?  

"Each day the culture drops seeds in the minds and hearts of our kids - seeds of insecurity and inadequacy, of greed and consumerism, of selfishness and cynicism.  As with the acorns, our efforts at combating these invaders will be more effective if we act before they take root.  We can have the conversations, present strategies, be honest, and work together to help our kids build up their defenses." page 71


 how is this book affecting my life?

• i fight the battle till i win
• i let mistakes happen
• owen is cooking weekly and grocery shopping
• addie has to clean up her mess
• yes, they pull weeds
• do not worry about what others think of your parenting, your house, your children
• they are planting their own garden
• stick by your words

questions i'm asking?

• how do we stop them from thinking they need "things"?
• how do we help them recognize their significance to society as whole?
• how do we stop playing the "safety" card?  we can't let them do that, they might get hurt.

how are you battling entitlement in your house?

Other's writing about Cleaning House:

 http://spring.gouette.com

 http://www.onlyhere-onlynow.com

 http://www.amylsullivan1.com

here

today is an enrichment day
which means i don't have to be a boring math teacher
teaching the logical steps of computation
i can teach cool stuff
like the 50 states of the USA
you know the country we live in

so i'm keeping a list of the funny things out of the mouths of 6th graders
concerning this great land.  their words in italics.

What's next to California?
Alabama

What's next to Georgia?
India

Hey is this North Carolina, this big state?
(points toward middle of the country)

Isn't Rhode Island the smallest island in the world?

Hey can you help me find Canada?
Canada's not a state in the United States.
It's not?

Is Australia a whole different country?

I can't do this, I don't know the world map.

Can I write in the golf of mexico?

Where do I put Spain?

Arizona is the state above California.

yes here in my classroom. these words really were said.
but they did leave knowing where california and new york are located.





lovely linkys
five minute friday

is it well with your soul?

so i find myself singing these words really really slow all day long.......
It is well,...... with my soul,........It is well,........it is well, with my soul.
because attitude is 90% of the problem
believe me i know i hang out with middle schoolers all day long
and i'll be honest there are times my attitude is no good
and i'm really bad to let others attitudes influence mine
when people yell, i want to yell back
when people are rude, i want to be rude back
when people are not helping, i think why am i helping
when people don't listen, i scream "what are you doing?"

but if this wellness we sing about is real
and is real in our soul
our attitude will be it's mirror

"Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul."

let my attitude reflect the well of my soul.

gifts caught with the camera

 a few of my many gifts of life
caught in action this weekend
sometimes you just don't realize
how good ya got it
till you see it in still frame

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven
Ephesians 1:3

If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone 

else's, we'd grab ours back.

lovely linkys
Deidra @ Jumping Tandem
Michelle @ Hear it on Sunday
Jen @ Finding Heaven

life from here UBP13

Hi, friends!  Welcome to life from here!  Pull up a chair, click around, and make yourself at home.  If you are here often, I'm linking up for the third year with 5 minute moms annual ultimate block party, thank you for reading my craziness.  If your new, thank you too and we are glad you are here.

About Me

Name:  Karrie, Mom-my, Moma, babe, Mrs.Combs, sweet pea

Occupation:  disciple of Jesus, teacher, sunday school teacher, prayer warrior, mom, wife, friend, sister

Birthday:  July 19, 1983

Education:  BS in middle grades from North Carolina State University  GO PACK!!

Place of Birth: Northwest North Carolina - neighbors include chickens, cows, corn, yadkin river - common mode of transportation 4-wheelers, gators, pickup trucks, tractors

This is me and my sweet little girl!

About the Blog

I write, sometimes its good, sometimes its not.

I write about my faith, my kids, scripture, life from my little corner of the world. 

I write because I don't scrapbook or have baby books. (I know i'm bad, but I do have an awesome aunt who makes me really cool photo books. Thank you Aunt Debbie!)

I write because Jesus is worth writing about, He's worth sharing.

I used to worry about my readership and my digital platform, but I realized I wasn't writing for  the whole world.  I was writing for the one or two or however many or maybe just me who needed to hear from God that day.

I'm not on a blog schedule, I don't usually plan my blogs.  I have done some book studies.  I do link up with some awesome people.

Blogging is not my life. I don't make any money at it, although it would be awesome.

foothill farm life

So, there ya have it life from here in a nutshell composed my me, Karrie.  Hope to see your beautiful self again!

2 Corinthians 5:20 -21

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

after

Hanging out with Lisa Jo today....
 Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt “After” with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.
.....ready, set, go........

life after surgery

after the nap

has been pretty good
i have hung out with kids and my mom
but i'm ready for normalcy
work and my students
i'm ready to see faces other than my own
i attempted to work on wednesday
but they sent me home and said
no work after surgery
till the doctor says ok
my bandages are off 
and i'm feeling pretty good
with a little pain just now and then
but i think i'll live
and i hoping
that life without a gallbladder
is better than life before

yeah so that was the first thing that popped in my head.....
happy friday!!

lovely linky
Lisa Jo @ Five Minute Friday

listen to the music

All I can say is that my life is pretty plain,

I like watchin' the puddles gather rain.

And all I can do is just pour some tea for two

And speak my point of view but it's not sane.

It's not sane......

 taking it back with Blind Melon today

but i can so relate to these words

some days i feel insane

so my word for 2013....listen...
and i must tell you that i have been working really hard at this....really
there was i time that i listened to music all day long and since kids and work and life have happened...
i have put my music listening  aside
but i have been working to incorporate music as much as possible 
and i'm here to tell that i am happier for it
my children also love it and it keeps us from watching tv all the time
and maybe i have lost a pound or two 
because we dance in the kitchen, in the living room, in the bathroom...or maybe owen just has pee

some of our current favorites...i'ts a mixed bag for sure

addie's favorite





just got these guys new CD....it is awesome!!  you can check 'em out http://www.countyclareband.com/fr_home.cfm


the dancing song.....fast....slow....stop and sway....fast


the sing along  ----- is hellava a bad word????

tell me what you are listening to these days???  we need to add to our collection....please...i love music!

lovely linky's
Emily @ Imperfect Prose