Friday, December 30, 2011

Christmas Chaos!

Well...it's finally over, 8 Christmas's and 1100 miles later we are finally done with the holidays!! It was wild, but good. We were so blessed this Christmas and got some amazing things. But most of all we got to see all of our family, and that's what's really important! It's funny as you get older, and your priorities change...things you used to want so bad really don't matter any more! I am just glad that I am in a happy, loving marriage, have a job, and my bills are paid. Life is pretty good if you ask me! Some really great things coming up in the new year, and I can't wait to share them!

SO for now, here are some pics from this eventful holiday!

 My first round of holiday cookies! And they turned out amazing!
 Sampson waiting for his gifts!
 Sampson after the holiday!
 Christmas 2011
 Joey the elf???
 That is a cat dancing on a scratch pole...just fyi





 SANTA



 My little ladybug being her usual self posing for the camera!

 Can we say YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 This is Mia...right as she is about to stick her face into the Happy Birthday Jesus cake...

And there you have it! Merry Christmas every one!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

30 Days of Thanks

Wow have I been busy! The end of the year poses many things that need to be done in our little family. We have celebrated 4 Thanksgivings, travelled over 1000 miles doing so. I love seeing my family, and my husbands family. I love this time of year! We have so many church things going on, so many people to see, so many things to do. I am so thankful for such a wonderful family!

1 Timothy 4:4-5

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,  because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

God is good...God is so good that there aren't words to decribe his love. As I celebrated my 25th birthday this past Saturday, I looked back at my life in the past year! So much has happend. So, here I will list my 30 days of thanks!

I Am THANKFUL for...
1. The love of Jesus, my Savior.
2. My husband, whom I adore more than life itself.
3. My job, because I have one, and it pays the bills.
4. My home, because it is our place of rest.
5. My family, we have been through a lot, but at the end of the day, they are some of the most amazing people I know.
6. My old friends, they have a special place in my life. As we grow up and move away my love for them will never change! I couldn't have made it through the past years without them. Love you Kristi, Madison, Amanda!
7. My new friends, growing up is hard. Meeting new people is even harder! I am so thankful for the new friends I have made in my life. Like Kori, she is amazing, and my life wouldn't be the same without her!
8. My Church, they are the backbone of our ministry. I know that I can go there and find rest, and get fed.
9. My church family, they are spread over many states! Without these people I couldn't have made it through 2009-2010. They truly are my family.
10. My horses, they have been there for me for over 15 years. They have been my friends when the human ones weren't. I have poured out my blood, sweat, and tears for them. They are a part of my soul, and always will be.
11. My puppies, they are ROTTEN, but they are my children. And they keep my feet warm at night.
12. Being hot, because that means I have heat, and a warm place to go. There are so many people who don't...
13. Being cold, becaus in the summer it means I have somewhere cool to go and get out of the heat.
14. My pants being too tight. Funny right? Well I am thankful for that because that means I have had lots of food, and I'm not hungry...
15. Having a closet full of clothes, that though I may not like, I still have plenty of things to wear
16. Cold weather! It means Christmas is coming!
17. CHRISTMAS! I love December...caroling, hot chocolate, and most of all celebrating the birth of Jesus!
18. My Pea Coat. both of them! They are snuggly and warm.
19. My cars, I am just thankful that they are nice cars, not fancy or souped up, just nice cars with heat and air!
20. My brother. He was my first friend, beat me up a lot :), but tought me not to take crap from anyone. He is the link to my past! He is one of the most amazing people I know. And I love him more than he could possibly know.
21. My Boss, he drives me crazy sometimes, but he is a Godly man, and a great boss.
22. The sunrise, it reminds me I have made it to another day, and for that I am truly thankful!
23. My bed, I have one! Even though it is taken up mostly by the puppies, I do get to snuggle next to my husband, and it's better than sleeping on the floor. 
24. My health. I may be over weight, not work out enough, eat too much chocolate, but I am healthy and alive. Being skinny doesn't make you healthy!
25. God's provision. Enough said!
26. Technology. Though sometimes I want to throw my computer/cell phone/ television out the window, I am still thankful I had it. I did grow up in a time where you didn't! (Makes me old I guess)
27. A hot bubble bath. There is nothing that a hot bubble bath and a good book can't fix!
28. My education. It may have taken me forever, and I may not have done everything right, but I am lucky enough to have a good education and have a good head on my shoulders so that I can help this country become a better place.
29. My wedding day. It was perfect, no it wasn't fancy, but I got to marry the love of my life.
Last but NOT least..
30. I am thankful for our youth...they push me past my breaking point, expect me to know the answers to lifes questions, put their burdens on my shoulders, hold me to a higher standard of living, demand more time from me than there are hours in the day, and want more love than I think my heart has to give. But I would not trade them for the world. They make me a better person, push myself, and strive to be the best influence in their lives that I can be. They will never know how much I care about them, and their lives. They are my children, no matter how old they get, they always will be. I never thought I would be a pastor's wife. I feel fairly sure at points I am not a good one. But there is no one in this world that loves them more than I and Christopher do!

So there you are. I could have made a billion things that I am thankful for, but here is my 30 for thanksgiving. I will try to do better about keeping up with this! Lots of great things going on in the month of DECEMBER!!

Love to all!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

What's up with this name?

So, as I am sitting in my recliner yesterday after I got of work, my husband comes in an says jokingly "so you started a blog and didn't even tell me." I laughed and told him I was bored and decided I needed to do something productive with my time. His response "Oh...I thought maybe you had gotten some spiritual enlightenment and decided to write about it." My sweet husband... then he goes "Well what's with the name?"

I'm so glad you asked!

There are a few reasons this blog got named "The Light is Still On"
Reason # 1: Our last name is WATTS, you know like the light bulb, but plural. I thought it was a funny play on words. Maybe I'm a dork...or a genius, I'll choose the latter :)

Reason # 2: Many years ago I came across this book

It caught my eye because of it's name. I thought it was funny and decided to pick it up. Now I'm not usually about self help books, because well...we can't help ourselves, that's why we have Jesus and God, to help us. (But I'll get to that in a minute). But this book is funny, and really puts some things into perspective. Here is an excerpt from it

"Can we really experience a happy, even fabulous life no matter what the world throws our way? The answer, my friend, is yes. And together we're going to figure out how.

" Who turned out the lights?
So what's stopping us? Why aren't you and I happy, peaceful, and vibrant with hope every single day of our lives? Oh yeah. I remember why.
Stuff. All the stuff that happens all around us all the time: relationship stuff, career stuff, money stuff, making a home, making a living, and make do with unmet needs in any category; broken dreams, big boo-boos, little letdowns; memories that hurt, shoes that pinch, bosses that pinch. The pinscher next door that ate your cat.
   Or maybe it's swimsuits that shrink two sizes over the winter, shrinking eyebrows, that ring around your toilet bowl, that ringing in your ears, and the wedding ring on the finger of the cute guy you just met in the peanut butter aisle of your local Piggly Wiggly. It cold be that bad news phone call, the creep who broke your daughter's heard, the promotion that went to the assistant you hired on the same day your fortune cookie said, "It doesn't look good. Maybe you should have stayed in bed."

Doesn't this sound like some of our days? Any way...this book helped me name the blog because well, the light isn't turned off..in fact it is as bright as ever which brings me to my next point.

Reason # 3: Ephesians 5:8
For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

Jesus is referred to the "light" many times in the bible. I love this verse, it so muchly describes my life. At one time I was in darkness, alone, and afraid. It was where I had to be to realize what amazing things I had. When I found Jesus again, I became whole again, I became the LIGHT again. This scripture tells us to walk as a child of God. When I am in His right alignment my light can be seen by everyone. I don't have to thump a bible in their face, or prove I know the most scriptures! The living God lives as a LIGHT inside of ME! So as the song says, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine".

So there you go, since you were wondering where this name came from, there it is.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The start of something new

I have caved in....

I didn't think I would get into this blogging madness, but every day as I follow my friends, I find myself wanting more and more to get out into the blogging world. Perhaps this will start as a way for me to share my faith, feelings, and random things about me that the world might want to know. My mother always told me writing was good for my soul.

I don't suppose I have that interesting of a life at this moment. Just a loving husband and two rotten puppies that I adore. Oh..I guess I should mention I have about 10 teenagers...oh yeah...we are youth pastors. These kids are the ones who take up all my love, keep me awake at night, worry me to death when then aren't home on time. They are our all consuming babies. These kids will never know how much we love them, though we try to show them the best we can.

So here you are...the start to my blog. Can't give you to much can I? Hum...this could be interesting!