I can't believe our eldest is graduating in a few short weeks. Her childhood sure has flown by. We are soooo proud of her!! She is graduating with a 3.99 GPA, a 30 on her ACT, and a full scholarship for college. She begins her new college life soon and she is ready to begin soaring. Yet, she is not going too far because she loves her brother and sister and her parents so much she still desires to spend time with us. *wink* She is amazing!
We are preparing for 2 graduation parties. One with all of her friends, young and older. Games, food, time of celebration, time of sharing favorite memories, time of laughter, tears and PRAYER with one another! One with just our whole family......aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, siblings, parents. Though both parties are going to be incredibly different, they will both be amazing days of celebrating Clarissa’s birth, childhood, graduation and new beginnings for her young adult life. We are HONORED to be her parents! We look forward to the Graduation, the parties and the preparation of college days. Thank you, Lord!
She is an AMAZING daughter! She is a FANTABULOUS big sister! She is an AWESOME friend! She is a SPECTACULAR student! She is VERY responsible! She is BEAUTIFUL! She is TALENTED in so many ways! She is WISE beyond her years! She is, most importantly, a WONDERFUL child of GOD who chooses to live in HIM and for HIM!
Watching her grow and blossom into a beautiful young woman has not only been a privilege but an honor! I LOVED every minute I have spent with her! I raised her to love others, to be respectful, to obey authority (unless she KNEW something was wrong...then she told me...smart cookie that she is!), to love learning, to honor GOD, to be her own person and not allow the world to make her conform to somebody she is not. I raised her to participate in life by helping others, volunteering her time to help those in need, to use her many talents God has given her to bless others. I raised her to be grateful for everything. I raised her to be in prayer daily. She is going to make someone in her future a very happy husband. *grin* She is NOT selfish, arrogant, rude, crude, offensive, or self absorbed. Instead she thinks of others before herself. Clarissa.......... WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!! Thank you for being such a blessing to us! Thank you for being such an honorable and noble young woman of God. We are so proud of you. You may be soaring on into college years but please remember that even though you are becoming an “adult” we are always here for you and this will always be your home and you can always count on us. You will always be our baby-girl.
Clarissa’s a lot like her Momma..... =D I think of my husband and children before myself. I LOVE my husband and 3 children more than anything else in the whole world. I will ALWAYS think of their needs first! God has given me 3 children to love and nurture with all of my heart and being. I have always done so and will always do so. They are my FIRST priority in life! My needs will always be met but NEVER at the expense of my family! I choose to live a self-LESS life rather than a selfish life. If more people in this world would do this then many more marriages and families would stay together for the long haul. However, so many in this word live that selfish, sinful, self centered, self absorbed, crude, arrogant, rude, and offensive life. This is a CHOICE and for those who chose this sinful life over what GOD has called us to do...there will be consequences for this behavior. Often times it means your family falls apart. Sad but so true.
Becoming a “step” momma means nothing different to me than being a “momma”. My children are my children.... whether I have given birth to them or not. If God has blessed me with them I am going to love and nurture and raise them in a Godly home as I have done with my eldest, whom I did give birth. Whether one outright adopts or becomes a step-parent doesn’t mean they are not a parent. They ARE parents. In the eyes of the LAW, in MY eyes but most importantly, in GOD’S eyes!! Should adopted children be treated differently than a birthed child? NEVER! Should “step” children ever be treated differently? NEVER! Children are ALL gifts and should be treated as such! My little ones, whom Louis had from a previous marriage, that was extremely abusive in many ways, are my CHILDREN and I will love them as if I gave birth to them myself! There is NO difference. Just like adoptive parents and step-parents are still PARENTS and are NO different than the parents who have given birth to the children themselves. Louis is Clarissa’s “Daddio”. She loves him and he loves her. She is his daughter! Now and forever she will ALWAYS be his DAUGHTER! They have a wonderful relationship that is NO different than Louis’ relationship with our 2 youngest children. And it’s the same for me and my little ones. It always will be! They love me and I love them...unconditionally and forever. We are FAMILY!
Thank you, Lord, for bringing us all together and giving us such an amazing love for one another. Nothing makes me happier than to see my 3 children happy, healthy and growing in the Lord. Nothing makes me happier than being married to my best friend and growing in the Lord together with him.
To all who think life is “dandier” on “their” own terms I ask.... is it really? I have found that life is truly “dandy” when I live under GOD’S terms! Live for HIM and HE will direct you and BLESS you! He has truly blessed me!! I have an amazing 17 yo daughter, an awesome 7 yo son, an adorable 5 yo daughter and the most WONDERFUL, LOVING, CARING, HANDSOME husband! If I was not living for HIM (our Lord) and continued to live for mySELF then I know HE would not have blessed me with such beautiful gifts of Love. Living for HIM is what life is all about. It took me many years to finally understand that but oh how thankful I am that HE was so patient with me and never gave up on me.
Have YOU finally figured out your purpose in life? Is it to continue living for yourSELF or is it to live for GOD? You can't have it both ways. Either you choose to live FOR Him and IN Him and receive Peace and Love... or you continue to live your selfish worldly lifestyle that brings sin, heartache and pain to you and to those close to you.
It’s all a choice............
And your choice will have consequences.............. |
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New Life.. New Love... PURE DELIGHT |
What can I say? I LOVE MY LIFE!!!!! Isn't it amazing how God can change our lives so much in such an amazing and wonderful way when we listen to HIS calling for our lives? After all we have both been through in our past marriages I can say God sure had bigger, better and much more awesome plans than we had ever dreamed! Thank you, Jesus!!
We have 3 AMAZING children.....all whom have adapted so unbelievably well to our new marriage.....the new family unity in this home is beautiful. The Peace we live with is a dream come true! Watching our 3 children grow and blossom, maturing in their words and actions, growing taller and stronger and healthier daily. Most importantly growing in the Lord ! My 3 children and my husband make my heart sing daily! Seeing our 3 children interact in such a loving and healthy way with one another...... watching the little ones as they go to their big sister for fun and play as well as just "to talk" about life. They love her. They trust her. They respect her. They adore her....as she adores them. They look up to her. Clarissa absolutely loves her younger brother and sister and their relationships are as if they have always been siblings since day one. Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful for us to see.
Our eldest daughter, Clarissa, is receiving some amazing awards in a few weeks. I received a "Congratulations mom for a work of excellence" phone call last week. It was someone calling to congratulate me and let me know our daughter had been nominated and accepted as one of Tennessee's top 2 scholars/students in our region! She will be presented awards/honors at a huge rally in Nashville and afterwards we will be having lunch with the legislators and governor of TN at the Capital. She and I worked hard. I home schooled her from 3 years old (pre-K) all the way through senior year. She has 3.99 GPA with a 30 ACT score. This isn't only about academics.... our daughter has been raised to do volunteer work for her community and she has many other accomplishments such as singing the National Anthem for the Redbirds, Grizzlies, St. Jude Make A Wish parties, cancer patient fundraisers, etc. She has volunteered at the Memphis Union Mission to help serve meals, at the Children's Home to help throw fun parties/activities, and at our old local library. She has also won a National Silver Award Medal for her poetry/writing and has been published. She has been in the Honor Society for many years, holding important positions for every year except her first, even being the vice-president. She has been involved in a large MHEA yearbook and has held different positions including being the editor. She has 3 part time jobs... one is her very own photography company. She works in retail part time (but is soon going to give her notice for that job because she was hired at a photography studio!) as well as works as a freelance photographer and graphic designer. She has an awesome group of friends she loves to hang out with when she has free time. With all of this she manages to be an awesome daughter, sister, granddaughter and friend to so many. We are VERY proud of her... not just for her accomplishments in her 17 years of life but of who she is as a person! Who she is becoming as a child of God.... a beautiful young woman of Faith.
My son, Stephen, is an amazing young boy! He has grown up so much in the last year. One year ago he was this little cute faced boy who would need us to do almost everything. Now he has learned to become more independent. It's bitter-sweet to watch our children grow up so quickly. He is now desiring to do more on his own without help.....little things that are BIG to him! A right of passage, so to speak. I am so unbelievably proud of all he has learned to do this past year... How he desires to be a "big boy" now and make his Daddy and Momma Char proud. He does. Everyday. He makes us smile... watching him doing little things such as making his own bed, putting the toothpaste on his own toothbrush and feeling proud that he has now graduated to "big people toothpaste". He has been doing exceptionally well in first grade. He is in the Clue program and has a FANTABULOUS teacher! Jill.......... you rock!! Clue is for the kids who are exceptionally bright/gifted and have the ability to "think outside of the box". It's his favorite part of school. His grades are wonderful and he has a desire for learning! I use every opportunity I can to get his little mind thinking and asking questions. Even though he is in a public school we still use many homeschooling teaching tools to get him learning more! I use many fun activities and he loves it. He is an amazing big brother and little brother. He is an amazing son. He is an amazing grandson. I love being his Momma Char. Watching him grow... Watching him learn.... Watching him mature.... Watching him get to know about God, all HE has done and who HE is.... seeking to read His Word and apply it to his life as we do. It’s such a beautiful thing to witness and be a part of.
And my youngest daughter......my little bug. My Nina. She has a smile that is so tender and sweet... it melts your heart. And she knows it. *grin* She is also an exceptional child. (I must say I am blessed to have 3 of the best kids on earth) She LOVES art. Loves anything creative and artsy. And she does it all very well.... I have loved every moment I have spent just allowing her to be creative. Seeing her little head tilt sideways as she cuts paper with scissors. Watching her concentrate so much on details that she sticks her tiny tongue out just a little bit at the corner of her mouth. Little things she does, I take notice because it’s who she is. I want to know what makes her tick. What makes her excited. What makes her love to learn. She has learned so much this past year. She is growing up so quickly. Her once little baby face only a year ago is growing more mature features and she is looking like a little lady now. Her smile, her eyes, the bone structure of her little face. I see so much change... and I know it’s only a matter of time before she is in junior high school figuring out what she wants to be when she grows up. For now she is still content being a “princess”.
Louis and I have so much to be grateful for. We have 3 healthy, beautiful, vibrant children who are all different but have so many likenesses. Stephen and Clarissa are VERY much alike...except for one area. This one area is where Nina and Clarissa are very much alike. Sleeping.. Morning sleeping.. My girls are lethargic in the mornings. My son? Well, he is up and at’em with the sun and ready for the day and lots of play by 6am! I am more of a 7am girl so he kills me in the morning! However... my girls? Well, sometimes getting them up and at’em is what really kills me!! I have finally found a morning routine that has worked for all of us! It’s been awesome for us as their parents and awesome for them!! Thank you, Jesus, for providing the answers!!! Mornings are sooooo much easier now for all of us!
Louis and I are doing fantabulous! We are together growing stronger in the Lord each day. We are growing stronger as a couple each and every day! God has blessed us so much and I am so thankful. Before I set my feet on the floor each morning and before I lay my weary head on my pillow each night I thank my Heavenly Father above for what He has given us. A love so amazing that words would fail to describe it’s depth. I am so blessed! WE are so blessed!
I am daily reminded that His way of accomplishing that which we have entrusted to Him may be different from our way. But He knows, and we must be satisfied.
Oh how wonderfully satisfied I am!! Louis is a dream come true. I tried for so long to make something so wrong right (my first marriage). God has planned something so very different than what I had expected. HALLELUJAH!!! I am so glad I chose to entrust my life to HIM! He has truly blessed my faithfulness. Thank you, Jesus!!
My life is so very different these days. I am ME! I am FREE to be ME!!! Praise the Lord!!
I trusted the Lord, that was my part. His part was to accomplish the results. When we do our part, He never fails to do His, for no one ever trusted in the Lord and was confounded. I was no longer afraid. I trusted Him. When we trust, the matter will not end there. Trust is only the beginning and the continual foundation; when we trust, the Lord works, and His work is the important part of the whole matter.
When we look at it, only God, who created us at first, can re-create us, for He alone understands the “work of His own hands”. (Ephesians 2:10)
I, long ago, decided to let the Lord carry my burdens and manage my affairs, instead of trying to do it myself. I have been carried triumphantly through a life of unusual sorrow. Once I became a Christian I did not bear my sorrow and burdens, the Lord bore them for me. I took my troubles to the Lord and left them there. He did his Mighty Work in me and in my life. He had planned my life out for me. I am being blessed for trusting in HIS way and not my own.
If you don’t believe me........ just look at my life. Look where I have come from and where I am today. I have the LOVE of my life, my best friend. A love I never imagined having. I love like I never imagined loving. I have 3 beautiful children whom I adore with all of my heart. I have the life I have always dreamed of. I trusted and He kept me safe and has blessed me with my family.
Louis, of you are reading this, I love you sweetheart. To the moon and back, more than anything in the whole wide world (except for God), forever and always. I love you more today than yesterday. I’ll love you more tomorrow than today. I love you more each and every second of every day. I am honored to be your wife and have you as the father of my children. You have been and will always be my best friend. You are now not only my best friend but my lover, my husband, my soul mate for life. Thank you for loving me and Clarissa with such an unconditional love. Thank you for showing us respect and constantly telling us how much you appreciate us. We respect you more than you know. We respect you as a loving father, a fabulous husband but most importantly the man of God that you are!! You not only believe in our Lord but you desire to live in Him and for Him! Oh, how that makes me feel!!! Words can not express how I feel when I see you in the Word, reading it, and living it. We appreciate all you do for us... you work hard without complaint. You are always doing for us, even when you are tired. You never treat us like an inconvenience. Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me! I love you, babe. I really, really love you.
Forever yours,
Char~ |
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Welcome to the New Blog on CharMagnifico.com |
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Wow - a new year, a new name, a new blog. I'll be posting regularly to this blog page as well as to my Bible study notes page - check back often to keep up to date with what's going on throughout this site and in my life. |
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