Hello my dear blog readers.....I've missed you! I looked back and besides Danny "hijacking" the blog for the day of prayer post, the last time that I wrote was back in December. Wow! A LOT has happened since that time.

I would like to blame the fact that I haven't blogged in some time just on the fact that I have been "busy", but that has not been the case. It has come to my attention through various ways that there are those that read my blog to sort of be "nosey" if you will as to what goes on in our family, then there are some that do not like me or wish me well and only want to read it so that they can criticize. I am sorry that I let them silence me. I have a friend who has gone through a very public "fall" and has lived her life out loud on her blog. Come what may or whomever may criticize her, she has blogged away about her ups and downs. I read it everyday. I rejoice with her when she is up on the mountain and think of her and pray for her when she is walking through the valley. I wrote her an e-mail last week about how courageous I thought she was and what her blog meant to me. She reminds me so much of myself at times the way she reacts to different things, I catch myself laughing out loud at her at times, she has a great sense of humor. I thank God for her. She reminded me of a few important facts about the blog. First of all, I don't know who is reading as she does not know about hers either; which is the scary part. However, the good part is that I have in times past gotten lots of positive comments either on the blog or by e-mail thanking me for my "openness" and was told how what I wrote encouraged that particular person. My friend encouraged me to keep writing since "it could help someone out there". So, I have decided to take her up on that advice and keep on writing. To my family and friends, I hope that when I am up on mountain, that you will rejoice with me and when I am down, I hope that you will pray for me. To my critics, again, I am sorry I let you silence me. I'm sorry if I have offended you in any way, please forgive me. To those that have said, she's been through too much and God will never use her, well....I'm happy to say that I am having the time of my life. I thank God that He is not like people who will so quickly write you off. I am going back to the original reason I started the blog in the first place, to be able to share our lives with our family who we don't get to see often, to let all my girlfriends out there know that they are not alone and to hopefully, just maybe help uplift someone. I pray that whoever reads this blog, friend or foe, will be able to see Jesus in me, for without Him I am nothing. I am so thankful for what He has done in my life!

Thank you Shileen for the blessing that you are to me and for the encouragement to stand tall and be me.

Blessings friends,
Cheryl

P. S. ~ We've had some changes in our family as well. Our nephew Jon who lived with us for almost 2 years turned 18 last month and moved to Georgia. I believe that God has some great things in store for him.

I can't wait to hear from you!