Happy Thanksgiving!
What I love so much about the holidays is being with family...going back home...a few family traditions like taking pics of the kids here on the "farm" and recognizing all that we have to be thankful for and more gifts from God...

11. family time

12. being out in the country

13. sleeping late

14. laughing

15. teaching PaPa to set up a blog

(http://noelwilson.blogspot.com/)

16. watching the boys play horseshoes

17. endless movie time

18. games

19. enjoying our kids



20. many messages from friends

21. cowboy game

22. Thanksgiving meal

23. contentment

24. west texas sunsets

25. biscuits and gravy

26. knowing there is

more family

time to come!

I was reading a blog from stuff christians like and the writer wanted to know what blogs other people like to read. It was so fun seeing what blogs others enjoy. My favorite was http://www.aholyexperience.com/.

Ann Voskamp challenged me last night to start jotting down a list of all that I am thankful for - One Thousand Gifts List. This is not a list of gifts that I want, but of gifts that I have. It is recognizing the goodness of God in everyday life...noticing how God touches my life. my heart, my world. I am starting my list tonight...not just because we are two days away from Thanksgiving, but to keep satan from wanting me to see the "yuk".

This gift list is about gratitude...but it is so much more...

1. God

2. my family

3. my church family

4. friends

5. holidays

6. my hometown

7. teenagers

8. prayer

9. worship songs

10. beaches

...and more to unwrap....

Blogging is great!!! I am one that has good intentions of journaling...especially ever January 1st, but usually fall short of this goal after 2 or 3 entries. It is much more fun to write random thoughts or what's on my heart when I can add pics, etc....

Gram (my husband's grandmother) use to write every day in a spiral. It was usually just a couple of sentences telling who came to visit...or talking about who was at their birthday club...or who won the 42 game. But, I always loved the fact that she would take the time to write what was going on in Bugtussle, what had happened in her life that day. And all of us, her family, are mentioned in her journal several times.

Not long ago, I remembered a sweet memory from my childhood that I will write about one day...but I was so worried that I would forget that I quickly jotted it down in one of the many journals that I had started.

Thanks to Annalee and all of her fun writings...and introducing me to blogging...I'm in the club! It is actually becoming one of my new obsessions.

I don't have the advantage that Annalee and her friends have writing about their children from birth through every stage of their growing years, mine are grown or almost (junior in college, junior in high school, and 8th grader in middle school.)

So many of my thoughts will be random...a sweet memory.

Recently some picture cd's were returned to me that I had been missing. I was so excited to get these back because it was a mission trip to Mexico that Kacie and I had gotten to take together. Most all of my friends and family know how much I love this trip...and it was always something I wanted to share with my kids. Many obstacles kept Kacie from going until 2006, when she graduated from high school.

I will share a few pics from this trip, but want is always amazing is God's perfect timing... how he puts us in situations that allow us to shine for His glory...and that he gives us opportunities to make a difference in not only someone else's life but our own. God used Kacie this week to connect with the kids ---her spanish, her enthusiasm, her energy, her incredible attitude and her willingness to serve! For one week in Torreon and San Pedro, it wasn't about Kacie, but about the people there...the children in the orphanage...helping to build the church in San Pedro...and many other incredible moments. Praise God!

How You Live

I love the words to this song because it reminds me that I don't always live my life doing what is important. And what may seem a big deal...is often not. So I will use my good dishes, I will want what I have....

How You Live ------Point Of Grace

Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open. Don’t hold in your anger or leave things unspoken.Wear your red dress use your good dishes. Make a big mess and make lots of wishes. Have what you want, but want what you have. And don’t spend your life looking back.

Turn up the music. Turn it up Loud. Take a few chances. Let it all out. Because you won’t regret it. Looking back from where you have been, because it’s not who you knew and it’s not what you did, it’s how you Live.

So go to the ballgames and go to the ballet. And go see your folks more than just on the holidays. Kiss all your children. Dance with your wife. Tell your husband you love him every night. Don’t run from the truth cause you can’t get away. Oh no, Just face it and you’ll be ok.

Turn up the music. Turn it up Loud. Take a few chances. Let it all out. Because you won’t regret it. Looking back from where you have been, because it’s not who you knew and it’s not what you did, it’s how you Live.

Where ever you are and wherever you’ve been.now is a time to begin. So give to the needy and Pray for the grieving, even when you don’t think that you can. Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you. So think of your fellow man, and make peace with God and Make peace with yourself. Oh yeah, Cause in the end there’s nobody else.

Turn up the music. Turn it up Loud. Take a few chances. Let it all out. Because you won’t regret it. Looking back from where you have been, because it’s not who you knew and it’s not what you did, it’s how you Live.

Because it’s not who you knew and it’s not what you did, it’s how you Live.

Lately, I have been thinking about my obsessions. So....I am confessing my obsessions.....

I'm sure we all have things in our life that we think we can't do without. Wouldn't it be great if it was God. I need reminded daily that He is what I need!

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

I Corinthians 10:31

Luke was inducted into National Honor Society tonight with his friends Paige, Josh, Glenn, and Jessica.









about Cody and Kacie...
Cody had a great year playing quarterback at DeZavala. Kacie made a special trip home from ACU to see him play. He is now playing basketball.

Kacie is having a great year at ACU. She is a junior and is loving living off campus with her two roomies Macie and Lauren.
It is a fun time to be an ACU football fan! They are 10-0 and headed for their first playoff game this Saturday.

When we started Bunco over 20 years ago, most of us did not have kids...we planned the perfect meal and the house had to be completely decorated to whatever season it was. I remember one year wanting to make chocolate lace dessert cups. When I melted the chocolate I had burned it, so I went back to the store for more chocolate. I spent hours lacing the chocolate around a small pyrex dish...and then freezing it so that it would become its own bowl. Some had crumbled...so I made more. By the time I was finished, I had spent hours and $$$$ on a dessert for my friends. I want to believe it was to do something special for my friends, but it was probably to impress them.

Twenty plus years later...one in our group is a grandma, several have married or engaged children, all of us have kids in college...our jobs have changed...some have moved.... but one thing that has not changed is our common bond in Christ. We have shared tears, laughs, smiles and pranks, joys and heartaches.

Praise God for friendship!

Tonight we met in a restaurant. There were no holiday decorations, or the "perfect" home cooked meal, or even a fancy dessert, but there were twelve women sharing in one of God's greatest blessings to us...friendship!

IHS Playoff Game

Philippians 4:11
...for I have learned to be content
whatever the circumstances.
These pictures were taken after our playoff game against Wylie. Even though we did not win the game, it was a great opportunity for our team to play in Texas Stadium.
And if Luke's attitude was measured by touchdowns, we would win state! He teaches me to be content.
Luke is wearing is 'mohawk' proudly...as did several
football players and his friends on Tiger Guard.
Mark, Keith and my cousin Gary were at the game as
well as several faithful friends who continually support
the tigers.(Thanks for being there!!!)
One last comment...after the Mac game, Mike did get voted as Coach of the Week by Inside High School Football. Yea!
(Does this make me wife of the week?)

(Annalee, if I post 2 days in a row, does that make me a blogger? )

When I was thinking about some of my favorite bible verses, I realized that two of
my favorite verses had 'whatever' in them - Philippians 4:8 - "Whatever is true....." and Colossians 3:17 - "Whatever you do in word or deed....." So......I googled bible verses with the word 'whatever' in them and found 173 verses. I love that word because I do believe God gives us amazing whatever moments to honor him, to love him and to do what we do in his name!

God is giving me great opportunities this weekend with a playoff football game, children's fun run and a cheerleading competition to do all I do in his name giving thanks to Him!

Colossians 3:17 - And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

It is football season at the Luttrell's and that is my excuse for not blogging ...along with perfection, worrying about who my audience is, not sure what to write about and many other hang-ups that do not matter. Thanks to my 'cheerleader' (and i'm cheering you on too!) for nudging me to get started on my profile, blog and "gadgets".

It would be no surprise to my family, in fact it would make them proud that my first entry is about football. This picture was taken in October when Kacie was home to see both her brother's football games.

On Friday, Irving High will play in Texas Stadium against Wylie in the first round of playoffs!

Go Tigers!!!