every captive thought

Protected by the dark of night, Jaimie Piper runs. But is anywhere safe when Evil is hunting you? She's just a twelve year-old girl, bumped around between foster homes and relegated to school classes for challenged kids, those lagging in their test scores or with behavioral issues. But her real problem is that she can sense something the other kids can't--something dark. Something compelling her to run for her life. All Crockett Grey wants is to mark the anniversary of his daughter's death alone. But when his student Jaimie comes to him, terrified, her need for protection collides with his grief, and a tangled web of bizarre events sends them both spiraling toward destruction. Crockett's one hope of getting his life back is to uncover the mysterious secrets of Jaimie's past and her strange gift. It isn't long before his discoveries lead him to a darker conspiracy, secrets guarded by the highest seat of power in the world--the Vatican.  ...

Some days feel like you've had a spiritual victory in one area of your life or another...and then the very next day you lose your grasp on those very things you took hold of the day before.  And it feels like defeat.  You have no choice but to try again the next day.  Wake up and determine that you are going to start the day off right, and keep it right.  Don't let satan get a foothold on your day, your attitude, your mindset, your thoughts. Yesterday was a bad day.  I had to do Jude's labs and that is never easy for me or more importantly, for him.  I hate that he has to go through so much.  Cancer in so inconvenient.  And I desperately want to be mad at someone or have someone to blame.  But I don't.  I can be mad at cancer but that isn't very gratifying.  I want to be shallow and spiritually immature and lash out against an actual person whom I could hurt with my biting words of hate and disgust at the imposition cancer has pla...

I hope you had a good Christmas.  Christmas day for us was just wonderful!  We woke up and Brad read in the Bible about Jesus' birth to the boys. Then it was time for presents.  The boys had so much fun! Trains, Trains and more Trains! He was one happy little boy! Excitement!   Next we went over to Nana and Papa's.     Farkle Play Doh with Madison Then we could not resist the snow any longer!  We let James have a quick run through the snow before lunch. Mom made a fabulous lunch of prime rib, potatoes, asparagus, hollandaise sauce, layered salad, Yorkshire pudding, and ham.  Yum, yum, yum.  After lunch Madison, Brad, James and I went back out into the snow. Where someone (ahem...Brad) started a snowball fight with our innocent, sweet, precious niece.  Rude. She held her own but I couldn't take it anymore.  I had to help her take him down.  Literally.  We won in the end.  Even James ...

The other day I told you about my Mom taking Jamesie for a day of Christmas fun.  One of their many activities was making these adorable Christmas mice.  Mom used to make them with me when I was little.  She is infinitely more patient than I.  There is not a chance I would've attempted this with a 3 year old little boy.  But he loved it! Ready to begin Dipping the cherries Skeptically admiring the vermin Tasting the goods Tonight we enjoyed a wonderful candlelight service at my parents church.  I pray that you have had a blessed Christmas eve and that tomorrow is a precious day celebrating our Savior's birth and surrounded by your loved ones.  I know we will be. I am about as proud of my sweet husband as I've ever been.  Today he made a tough stand for our precious children.  He made a wise choice and I know the Lord is going to bless him for his wisdom and love for Jude, James and me.  Being the Daddy isn't always easy....

So maybe night #1 of sleeping in his big boy bed, or as James calls it...his "special bed"...didn't go quite as planned.  This is how I found Jude asleep this morning. I would love to know how that happened.  Was he playing under James' bed and fell asleep?  Was it all just too much to take so he had to bury his head?  Was he there all night?  When I woke him up he was certainly disoriented and confused.  I would have been too if I woke up under the bed.  He had carpet marks imprinted on his face for half the day, poor guy. After my confession of letting Jude stay in pj's all day yesterday I thought I needed to show you that I did manage to dress both of my children today...and even myself! But just as soon as I got them both dressed Jude started disrobing to play with his feet.  I don't blame him...they are beautiful little tootsies.     He is seriously fascinated with them. The last few days have been challenging for me as far ...

This morning I woke up to find that James had completely covered Jude up in his crib with pillows, blankets, and the toy tool bench.  All I could see were two little legs sticking out.  Jude was stuck up to his thighs in between the crib slats and couldn't move or get away.  It broke my heart.  I was so horrified I didn't even think to take a picture for the blog!  Now that's bad...I take pictures of everything. I immediately got out the toddler bed and assembled it for Jude.  At least he will be able to get away and there are no slats for his chubby little thighs to get stuck in.  Jude was THRILLED with his new bed! He wasted no time trying it out. I put him down for a nap for the first time in his new big boy bed and he did great!  And yes I kept him in his jammies all day.  Don't judge. Today was my day for baking so the boys had to fend for themselves as far as entertainment went.  They did pretty well. I ordered pizza for lunch ...