Pictures from Easter

We had a great Easter in middle TN celebrating with my Granny & Pop and all our Hasty family there. We also got to see Daniel and Joanna on our way in, which was really nice.



Playing peek-a-boo..........where's Braelyn??
There she is!!!!
Birthday boy, Jackson (3 years old) and his brother Colton
What a beautiful Easter morning!!
Mattie and Braelyn

ooooooooh! What a pretty yellow leaf :)



The Byrd boys....Colton, Jackson, and Hayden Too cute
All the grandkids on the Hasty side
The Jones'

First easter egg hunt. She wasn't really competitive...she just wanted to examine each one after she found it for a while




I am really excited about a couple of things.....one, I got to plant some flowers on Sunday, actually quite a few, in pots and baskets. and most of the time, i was all by myself in the yard, just enjoying the beautiful day without any interruptions. it was so nice to spend so much time on one task and feel like i actually accomplished something :)))) and now I get to smile and enjoy them every day when I look at them. Our God is SO creative (wish i could think of a more brilliant word), when you look at all the flowers, all the details in each one, all the different kinds. I praise Him and thank Him for allowing me the privilege to enjoy them each day.

secondly, I am really excited about teaching a children's class at my church this summer, ages 8-9 year olds. we are using Desiring God's children curriculum, which I have never done before, but am really excited about. I have been wanting to be more involved at church and God has answered my prayer :) We start next wednesday night. Please pray for me and the children. That God will be glorified and hearts will come to love Him and treasure Him.

For me.....God brought to my mind yesterday the word "surrender".......i was reading in the power of a praying woman....GREAT book, and she was just talking about how we must surrender EVERY part of our lives in order to be fully used by God and to experience what God has for us in the fullest. I struggle with this bc I like to be in control and I think I know what I want and what is best for me---WRONG! I have to let go of what I "think" I want....and what I "think" will make me happy. Surrendering my life daily to the Lord and TRUSTING Him to provide and reveal His plan day by day is where I can find true joy. Many times I am so ashamed of how little I trust Him. I think I trust Him a lot, but then when I look at my actions and my attitudes and my thoughts....I just have to pray "Lord help my unbelief and help me trust you more."
"For I am crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, then Christ died for nothing" Galatians 2:20-21
"If anyone would come after me(Jesus), he must DENY himself and take up his cross DAILY and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." Luke 9;23
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3: 5-6

Say Cheese!

Would you like to count my teeth??

Finger lickin' good spaghetti!!


Nana and Braelyn playing outside at Nana's house.

ok, i just wrote a blog post, and somehow lost it. so i'll update with words later. here are some pics of braelyn. aaron has been working a lot the last six weeks, but will be on a better schedule starting tomorrow!! Thank you Lord....I miss my husband. looking forward to seeing Sarah and Martin soon ;)

Who is an overcomer?

ok, so I wanted to share how God encouraged me this past Tuesday at bible study. The study was focused on 1 John 5. Here are verses 4 and 5

"For whatever is born of God overcomes(present tense, which means "continuously overcomes", it's an ongoing action) the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith."

There is so much good stuff, but honestly I can't convey it all on this blog. Kay Arthur taught us that the word for "overcomes" in that verse is the word "nikao" which means "to rule over, subdue, CONQUER". It is also what Nike shoes comes from, just a side note. So here is the SUPER EXCITING thing that just really sank in and stuck with me in a real way.......if you are a child of God then you are an OVERCOMER!! You can't not be an overcomer, bc God's children by definition are overcomers, bc we have Christ in us. And Christ is our greatest example of overcoming.
In John 16:33 Jesus says to his disciples, before his crucifixion "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." This is the first mention of the word "overcome".
Kay Arthur also reminded us that this doesn't mean that 100% of the time you are victorious in life, but as a pattern or habit of your life, you live in victory. I have been struggling lately with different things, and honestly, have really not felt like an overcomer. But this message was just so encouraging to me.....to know that being an overcomer is not something I choose, it is WHO I AM IN CHRIST!! Yes, I have to choose to believe this and set my mind on it, when Satan tries to get me down, but it will ALWAYS be true of me and of you, if you are a believer. I hope this realization sticks with me until I see Jesus face to face. I pray that God will use this to encourage someone else who might be struggling.
I am so thankful that we serve a RISEN Savior! One of the girls at my AWANA group last week had never heard that Jesus rose from the grave! What a privilege it was to share with her that awesome/exciting news. Hope you all enjoy celebrating our risen Savior this Easter weekend and all year long.

1 John

So, I've been doing a bible study on 1 John for a while now, although I have to confess that I have not been doing the homework the past couple of weeks. But I went this morning anyway and still learned a lot. It is a Kay Arthur study and boy is she good! I love the way she teaches because she just tells it like it is and doesn't try to sugarcoat anything....truth is truth! And that's what I need to hear, and we all need to hear. So, I just thought I would share a few things I learned this morning.
Some parts may seem random, but i'm still going to share.

It was mainly on 1 John 4. We talked some about verse 18 which says "There is no fear in love; because perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment , and the one who fears is not perfected in love." I have heard this verse a lot and read it a lot through the years, and usually just tried to come up with my own ideas on what it meant(still mostly confused), not really using the context too much. And I had heard a lot of people just quote this verse by itself and use it in different ways.....well, I felt like I got some new insight on this verse that I hadn't had before. And the Holy Spirit revealed it to me first a few weeks ago while i was studying these verses, and then confirmed it this morning during our discussion time. It had been a long time since I felt like the Holy Spirit had taught me something new in my own quiet time, so I was excited just to experience that. It may be something you already know, but it was new for me.

I learned that the word "fear" means "to run away from in terror" in this verse and it is referring to the fear of God's judgment. When I realized what this was talking about it reminded me of when I was young, before I was saved. I used to lay in bed at night and wonder what would happen to me after I died.....and it was terrifying, bc I didn't know.....I just thought of total darkness and being alone. THEN, when I became a Christian, I no longer had that fear....I knew I would be in Heaven with Jesus. People who don't know the Lord do have a reason to be afraid and to run in terror because there will be a real day of judgment and they are enemies of God. They don't have Christ's righteousness in them to make them presentable before our Holy God. This makes me want to go out and share with people so bad, yet when I go out, I make excuses and don't say a word most of the time. I am really missing sharing the gospel with people, just talking to people about Jesus.....I hope and pray that God will give me boldness and opportunities soon. so back to the verse, it just made more sense to me....when we are saved through God's perfect love, we need not fear the judgment, because we have Christ in us and our sins have been forgiven. but those who fear the judgment, as they should, have not surrendered their life to Christ and have no righteousness on their own, they are enemies of God....not a good place to be.

every week, i want to write about stuff from this study, but then I don't. it has just been so good, but so hard too. it's all about knowing that you KNOW, that you really KNOW that you are saved. If you have doubts or have friends/family who have doubts, 1 John is the book that gives you the tests and helps you have that assurance of salvation.
"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" 1 John 5:13

Spring fever!

Soakin' up the sun!!

Braelyn discovered the headband at my mom's house and just thought she was the coolest thing!
Aren't I pretty? :)
Hanging out with my cousin, Mattie, at Mamaw's house. They had lots of fun playing together.
Just a random shot of Colton, my nephew....showing off his creative skills. He actually did this all by himself, and he's not even in kindergarten yet! I was impressed! Pretty cute.

Well, I am so thankful for the sunshine and warmer weather we have had recently. It has been so refreshing to be able to get outside and enjoy some sunshine. We have been to the park twice already and Braelyn loves it. Things are starting to bud and green shoots are coming out of the ground- woohoo!! I love watching spring unfold and watching things grow. I have definitely been more motivated to get some things done lately. I am almost done organizing all of Braelyn's clothes, which feels nice. I like being organized, but a lot of times I lack motivation.

I wanted to share a few pics. One of the days when it was really pretty we decided to just move Braelyn's chair out on the deck for a picnic lunch. She loved it. Aaron and I decided that we might need to invest in some outdoor furniture for our little deck so we can eat out there more as the weather keeps getting nicer.

Braelyn was excited to get to see her Nana yesterday and today. Aaron's mom came up and spent the night with us last night and we were so glad to have her visit us. I am thankful that we are close enough that she can do that. And I got to go get some shopping done while Nana took care of Braelyn :) Thanks Nana!

hope everyone has a good weekend

Aaron's Award winning Chipolte Chicken Chili

First of all, I have to say that I am copying Aaron's handwritten recipe.....so hopefully I will be able to decipher all the steps/ingredients. Here it is.....

Makes 8 servings

1 1/2 -2 lbs chicken (ground or shredded) Aaron used 1 lb ground chicken and 1/2 to 3/4 lb of a rotisserie chicken
4 Tbsp Chili powder
2 tsp Cumin (ground)
2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz each) Aaron used the ones that come with green peppers
1-2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp Tobasco chipolte sause to taste
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans rinsed & drained (Aaron used 1 black bean and 1 tri-bean blend)
1 can drained whole kernel yellow corn (save juice, Aaron used 1/2 for more liquid)
*1/2 Tbsp chopped garlic
*1/3 cup ranch dressing
*1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

*Aaron's own additions to the original recipe

1. Cook chicken in oil and half cumin & chili powder.
2. Mix everything else together (on stove or in crockpot) Bring to simmer. Add corn juice for more liquidy soup.

Hope you enjoy it!!

Pics from February

So, this blog covers all of February. First of all, I wanted to show Sarah how cute Braelyn looked in her outfit that she got her. Everyone at church just went on and on about it. And as you can tell, I think Braelyn liked wearing it too :)


Next, we have the one and only 1st place winner of the Chili cook-off at our church about a week ago. There were 16 chilis entered and Aaron won!!! I was shocked, mainly bc he just threw it together about an hour before we went and had never made it before. But apparently it turned out GREAT....people are now asking for the recipe. He even got a trophy!! And a $50 gift card to FATZ. Sounds like a date night to me.
And here is Braelyn modeling an outfit I put together and thought was pretty cute. The sweater is from Aunt Sarah (you got it a long time ago, when she was little) but it has little bunnies on it. And the dress part was Caryss'. Thanks for all the clothes, we really enjoy them.




We got to go visit my friend, Stephanie and her little girl, Addie. This was the best picture I had of them. Maybe we'll get a better one next time. It was fun to visit, even though Braelyn was a bit rude to her friend Addie and kept wanting to hit her :(.


Valentine's Day!!!! Thank you Dwight & Andrea (all the Disneys) for the cute dress. It was perfect for the occasion. Aaron got me the Glory Revealed 2 cd, which is really good. We made it a week long celebration bc we went to Knoxville for a few days and got to go to a movie and out to eat a few times while Aaron's mom watched Braelyn.






Braelyn has begun brushing her teeth now and she really likes doing it......BY HERSELF. She gets frustrated when I try to help her, but it must be done. One good thing is that I can clip her toenails and fingernails while she brushes her teeth....good distraction.
And this is a picture of her first ponytail. Her hair is getting really long, but she won't leave anything in it for any amount of time. Usually by the time we get to church or wherever we are going, she has pulled out the rubberbands. Oh well, maybe someday.
We are really looking forward to spring and ready to get out of the house!!!! Goodbye February, come on Spring!

More pics from January

This is Braelyn's favorite place to be outside, even in the snow!! She loves her swing.


This is Braelyn's new friend, Madelyn. They are really sweet together. I am thankful that Braelyn has a friend here. She has another friend, Kyrin, but we don't have a picture of him yet. They all three like to get together and play.
I think Madelyn is reading to Braelyn, while they both watch some PBS.

For some reason this picture just cracks me up. Just hanging out with God's word. She will find my bible and say "bible".

update on pics

Thanks Aunt Laura for my cute outfit!! I really enjoy wearing it :)
Dreaming of going outside to play...one of her very favorite things~
Striking a pose
Would someone please take me outside?
)Cheese!!!

Carla and the boys (left to right: Jackson, Hayden, Braelyn, and Colton) came to stay with us one Friday night and it was a lot of fun. Colton especially enjoyed putting bows in Braelyn's hair. And believe or not, she actually let him and LEFT THEM IN!! Only for her cousin :

This is the first time she ever "cheesed" like that for the camera! It was SO FUNNY :)
My Granny and Pop Hasty.....with some of the GReat grandkids

Sorry for the long delay in updating with pictures. Here are a few to start with and hopefully more to follow soon. Braelyn is 17 months old now. Hard to believe. The first year seemed to go by pretty slow for me, but since she has turned one, it's passing quickly. I am enjoying this time though. Braelyn is so funny and is such a happy girl most of the time, thank you Lord. She is getting a lot more teeth, and has to be reminded often that it's not ok to bite your Mommy :) And she is learning to say "sorry"...it is so cute. Sometimes I struggle with keeping a "stern" face when correcting her bc she makes such funny faces even when she's not trying to. She LOVES to dance and is able to put her CD into her CD player all by herself and push play. She can even change CD's. She also likes to fake sneeze and just say "achoo". And she will say "Hi" to everybody we pass in Wal-mart or at the mall. One of my favorite things she does sometimes is when I am putting her to bed at night we always pray right before I lay her down and sometimes she will reach her head up and give me a kiss while I'm praying!! It just melts my heart. She is kinda stingy with her real kisses, but will blow kisses to anyone. ok, gotta get to bed....will continue this on another day.

Get to know the persecuted church around the world

Hey everyone, I just wanted to share this, in case there are some people out there who are not aware of this great ministry and resource for the persecuted church. It is called The Voice of the Martyrs, they have been around since 1967. They have a website www.persecution.com . Please check it out. My favorite thing is they have a FREE newsletter that you can sign up for, once a month, that gives you updates on what is going on around the world with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When you read these updates, it really brings things into perspective AND it really reminds me that we are ONE BODY of believers here on this earth and we are called to pray for one another and bear one another's burdens. There are even links that you can go to on the website and are able to print and send a letter of encouragement to another brother or sister in Christ who is being imprisoned for their faith!! Isn't that amazing? I haven't done it yet, but I plan on it. Can you imagine how encouraging it would be to get mail from someone halfway around the world and hear that they are praying for YOU?? These Christians you read about in this newsletter/magazine......they are the REAL DEAL. They are risking their lives and they are losing their homes and jobs and loved ones because they LOVE JESUS!!! Their boldness and their faith encourages me, and convicts me of why I am not sharing Jesus with more people here when I don't even have to fear my life??? Lord, give us all boldness and opportunities to share and bring glory to your name.
So, PLEASE, share this info with others you know, sign up for the newsletter, and PRAY for our brothers and sisters around the world!