~Happy Easter~

I just want to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Easter!!! I'm so humbled on this day for everything that HE did for me and for you. When I sit and think about it it brings tears to my eyes knowing what Jesus went through just for me.

I thought I would share this story of my Mam-ma Bullocks story about when she got saved. I'm blessed beyond measure for the heritage that I have!!!

During my lifetime I have forgotten a lot of things, but time can never erase from my memory the great change that was wrought in my heart and life the day I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. As I reminisce today it is still fresh in my mind. That day was February 13, 1949--a little more than 60 years ago.
There were a number of things that led to this change. My husband and I were raised in a small town in East Texas and were nominal church members; however we knew nothing of real salvation. We were doing the things the world did and were headed in the wrong direction. I had lived for the day when I would be grown and could go to all the places and do the things that those who were just a little older than I were doing. It looked like such fun!
Well, I reached that age and started doing those things, but they didn't satisfy! It seemed so vain and hollow, and left such an empty void in my life. I would go home at night thinking, "Is this all there is to life?" "I've lived for this and now it seems so empty." There was the feeling of disappointment as tears would drop on my pillow before I went to sleep. There was a deep longing for something better, but I didn't know where to find it.
During my senior year in high school I started dating Foy Bullock shortly before he went into service during World War II. Because Foy was from a broken home I only knew a part of his family when we were growing up. Little did I know that his mother was a praying christian lady.
In 1944 we were married and my husband went overseas. He made the landing at Utah Beach during the invasion of France, and after the war was over he returned home
in December, 1945. We moved to Dallas where we secured employment and my husband attended the University of Dallas. In 1947 our home was blessed with our first son, Rex. When he was about a year old I went back to work and my husband's mother came to live with us and take care of Rex while I worked.
On Friday nights we took Mrs. Bullock across Dallas to the home of a friend who lived near her church. She was a part of a prayer band that had Friday night prayer meetings at the church. We didn't know it but our names were on their prayer list.
My husband and my youngest brother were attending a new church near our home where they taught Sunday School classes. By this time I was feeling conviction for sin and was searching my heart. After they left for church I hooked the screens so Rex could play around the house as I prayed. I began to tithe, sending it one Sunday with my husband and the next with his mother to her church.
In a few weeks I prevailed on my husband and brother to go with me to Mrs. Bullock's church. After they consented to go, I called my best friend, with whom I had grown up in East Texas, and asked her and her husband to go with us. The service was wonderful--God was everywhere and I cried all during the service. When the altar call was given I asked my husband to go with me, but he said, "No." I thought I wouldn't go either, but the Holy Spirit was dealing in such a way that I suddenly felt I wanted God and the forgiveness of sins more than I wanted anything in this world. I quietly made my way down that long aisle and knelt at the altar. My mother-in-law came and knelt beside me and as I lifted my heart to the Lord, asking him to forgive my sins and make me His own, He came. I knew in a moment that Jesus was the one I'd been searching for all the time. He slaked my thirst! Jesus was real to my soul! That load of guilt and condemnation that I had carried for so long was lifted from my shoulders and I became a new creature in Christ Jesus. That night my husband was saved! It was wonderful! It literally changed the course of our lives. Our love for one another deepened and took on new meaning as we started on this path with the Lord as the center of our little world.
Soon we heard preaching on sanctification and we were candidates for all God had for us.
We committed our lives to Him for time and eternity. No turning back! We had entered this race to win.
Shortly thereafter my husband was called to preach and the next step was a move to Bethany, Oklahoma, where he entered Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University). From graduation in 1953 came our first pastorate, and in time God gave us another son and a daughter. Life was sweet as the Lord led us a step at a time.
Were there no battles? No mountains to climb? No rivers to cross? No valleys? No sorrows? No heartaches? Yes, they were many! Were we perfect? No, never! Did we make mistakes? Yes, numerous mistakes and blunders! But as we walked in the light, read His Word and claimed His promises, one victory led to another and it became a romance to walk with the Lord! He gave us strength to climb the mountains and cross the rivers. He whispered words of encouragement in the valleys, dried our tears, came and blessed us in our souls, and when we made mistakes He picked us up, dusted us off and said, "This is the way, walk ye in it."
When my husband went home to be with the Lord in 1983 I felt that my world had come to an end, but as I leaned on the Lord and sought His face, He comforted my heart and brought me through! He has given me the grace to go on, and has been my Comforter, Counsellor, and Leader over this uneven journey of life. My sins are forgiven, my heart is clean and by His HELP and GRACE I mean to keep the fire burning in my soul. "Too many sunsets lie behind the mountains, too many valleys my feet have passed through, too many loved ones are waiting over yonder. There's too much to gain to lose." My heart is fixed! I HAVE ENTERED THIS RACE TO WIN!

~Tomorrow is the day~

Tomorrow morning I go to pick up Marcus!!! I can't believe this day is here.....it has seemed like a long time coming! I will post some pictures when he gets back of the homecoming.
Thank you all for your prayers and encouragment!!!

Almost Home!!!

We are almost done with this deployment!! I remember the day he left just like it was yesterday! It was a nasty rainy day for saying goodbye to the man you love and sending him away for 7 months. It has been a long 7 months but we have come to the end of it and I'm so happy!!! It seemed like this day would never get here. They are on their way home and should be here in about 12 days! I'm scrabbling around trying to get the house finished up and going shopping looking for a new dress and shoes. I'm SO excited!! It seems like these last two weeks have been dragging by and I just want to fast forward to the day that he comes home. I will have someone there taking pictures for me so I will post them for you all to see!
I just want to say thank you for all your prayers for us while he has been away. We have felt every single one of them. It is great to know that you have friends scattered around the world praying for you. I also want to say thank you to my husband for what he is doing for our country and for us! Thank you Marcus...you are truly my hero!!

New House!

If you have been wondering where I have been....well take a look at the pictures below and you will see!!! I have been moving these last couple of weeks!! We hadn't been planning on buying a house until the realtor of the house we were renting told me that they were selling the house.....so I went looking and this is what I found!! It was still being built and I was able to have just a little say about what I wanted. I LOVE IT!!! I have the kitchen of my dreams and I love the wide openness of it all. We live further out in the country and it is so quiet here. At night you can hear the big ole bullfrogs croaking in the pond not far from the house!! Now to have the man of the house home to share it with me!!! I'm still setting everything up but when it is all done I will post more pictures!!

~John Zachary~

I am a proud aunt once again!! Brent and Jalynn had their baby this afternoon!
John Zachary weighed in at 7lbs 11 ounces and was 21 inches long.
Mommy and Baby are doing good. He has lots of black hair.
Of course you all know that Grandpa and Grandma Batton are
on cloud nine right now. I don't know if we will ever be able to get
them down. They are going to call him Zach.
Welcome little Zach....Aunt Julie can't wait to meet you!!!
Congrats Brent and Jalynn!

~SNOW~

We actually had snow here today!! By the time it was all said and done we had about 3 inches!! (it snowed more after these pictures were taken) They haven't had snow here since 2004. Schools were cancelled and store were out of bread, milk and eggs!! It is hilarious how the people here in the south react to snow!! The roads were clear and they still cancelled schools for tomorrow!! HAHA
This was Gunners first time seeing snow so it was fun to be out playing with him in it. He ran around the yard and I threw snowballs at him and he was having a blast. We just wish that Marcus could have been here to enjoy it all with us.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Marcus!! God has truly blessed me with the best husband ever!! He is the sweetest, kindest person that I know and would do anything for me. I wish he was here so we could celebrate together....I would have fixed him his favorite dinner....steak, potatoes, corn on the cobb and a chocolate cake!!! :) I'm planning on doing that for him when he gets home. We have less then three months left!!
Happy Birthday Babe I love you with all my heart!!!