Well, as some of you might know, I have started a new job. I am working with Stephens Heating and Cooling at the Alabama Power Miller Steam Plant in West Jefferson. I would like to thank my uncle, Rick Alexander, for the good word. (and Bo) I go in a little after 6:00am and work on various HVAC units. We mostly change filters in very large units. Some of them take 50 filters per change. This job is Monday through Friday day shift mostly, but on occasion I will have to work at night or evening to do special projects. Most of the readers of this blog know my Uncle Rick. He can be a bit stoic, but has a big heart. 3 years ago, he was on his way to work one day and was hit by a kid, head on, while traveling on highway 160 in Hayden. On this day his life changed. He went from having a super job with Alabama Power to fighting to heal from a major accident. He has had a few surgeries to repair his leg since then and has walked with a cane. This, after months in a hospital bed and wheelchair. When I think of this, it reminds me how quickly your life can change. In the blink of an eye, through no fault of your own, you can have your life as you know it taken away. Everyone out at the plant says "Oh, you're Big Rick's nephew?". Everybody at the plant likes him and has only good words to say about him. They all ask how he is and if he will get to return to work one day. It is nice that I immediately have a connection with a ton of people through him. I have seen him be used in the gifts of the Spirit a few times and I know God has given him favor in his life. I'm not sure why accidents like his happen to the people of God sometimes, but I know that it is all for good. I am praying for his physical restoration, but above that I pray that he will be able to use his tremendous influence for the kingdom of God. With so many people thinking so highly of him, I know he could make a huge difference in a lot of lives. Please, if you would, take a moment upon reading this to say a small prayer for his healing. And pray that God will use this man in the future even more than his past....Anthony

It seems like Elijah can go from playing and being fine to having some gash on his head/face in no time. If this is how it is with boys, I don't think I'll ever get used to it! He's busted his lip two times really close together (like a week apart), busted his chin wide open on the dining room table (thought I was gonna have to have stitches there for a minute, but thanks to Michelle, we just bandaged him up-sometimes it pays to have a nurse as a friend!), bumps his head all the time (or gets it bumped with some help from his friends), and now this week.....scratches himself right under the eye with the buckle on daddy's belt! Well, through it all, he's a pretty tough guy! AND you can hardly notice the boo boo with his blue eyes shining so bright! ~Kristy

Jason and Heather at their post-wedding reception this past Sunday.

It is always nice to set aside a day to just hang out and have fun with friends! Anthony and I got to do that this past Friday when we went to Atlanta with several other couples! Check out the pics...

WOW! We had such an awesome service last night! I didn't get in bed till 11:00 p.m. The Holy Ghost was so powerful! I am so excited about what God is doing! Especially knowing that He is using ME, NOW, not sometime in the future. I say it like that because, you know, a lot of times we talk about having a move of God and we know it will happen, but in our minds it is sometime in the future. Maybe next month, next year, or even in a few years. But this time it's NOW!! It's time to "Go Forward" and have a "Breakthrough at Harvest Time!" I believe it is happening and we are going to see opportunities open up to us that will astound us! I get so fired up every time Bro. Ken and Sis. Holly get up and testify about the doors that are being opened up to our church. I believe that God is showing us that if we just walk with Him, He will take care of the rest. I am also really excited about the new areas of outreach that we are starting to do. I have been feeling God calling me in this area, so I know this will be a great opportunity to get out and touch people's lives. As we were driving home last night, Anthony and I were talking and he asked me if I saw Elijah praying for people. I didn't, so he told me a little about it. He said my dad was holding him in the altar area and he would point to someone he wanted to pray for and my dad would take him over to them. He would lay hands on them and pray for them and when he was done he would point to someone else.....Somehow he ended up in Josh Bittler's arms and Josh was the one helping him pray. I thought that was neat! In response to something Madison said, Elijah said " Josh already healed me!" Isn't it funny how kids think! Madison went on to argue that it was God that healed him, not Josh! Well, we tried to explain to her that although the power comes from God, He has given it to us to go heal the sick...So really, we can heal the sick...In Jesus' Name! There have been other times Elijah has prayed for people like that and it always touches my heart because I believe in the faith of a little child! It really fires me up to think about what these children can do for God! I absolutely believe that God is going to use Madison and Elijah in a powerful way. I just pray that He will give me the wisdom to give them the direction they need. I know God will! One last thing, and it's totally off subject......I've lost 20 lbs.!! WooHoo! I haven't done as good on my diet lately, so I was getting frustrated and discouraged and didn't even weigh last week. I decided to face the truth and deal with it! I was glad to see I had lost a couple more pounds since the last time! I am so excited and getting back into the swing of things! I guess I better get off of this computer and go "Walk Away the Pounds" with Leslie Sansone! Hahaha! ~Kristy

I am so glad that Madison loves reading! She's always been good at it and now that she's getting older, she is reading more and more. About a week and a half ago Nonna sent some books to Madison. There were two of them and they were chapter books. They weren't very long, maybe about 4-6 chapters, but she read them in no time. So, the next Sunday (which was this past Sunday) she told PawPaw to tell Nonna that she needed some more! The next day Anthony brought home a whole set of books! They are A-Z mystery books, so there's one for every letter of the alphabet. They are written by Ron Roy and they are really cute! Just right for her! She's already read several of them, I don't know how many for sure since she's not even going in order, but she really likes them. I can hardly get her to set them down! She even took four to school with her yesterday so the other four kids in her class had something to read too! We also have a few other sets like "Little House on the Prairie," and then a couple different sets of classic stories, as well. I used to read the "Little House on the Prairie" books to her a long time ago. They were a gift to me from my grandparents, on my Dad's side, when I was probably about nine years old. They are actually really interesting! As far as the classic stories go, she read a couple of those all by herself several months ago! I know one was "The Wizard of Oz." I thought that was really neat. I am so proud of her. I always hoped she would be a good reader, you know...a long time ago when she was a baby! I started reading to her before she was ever born! Maybe it really does make a difference! :) Well, whether or not it makes a difference, I really don't know. I just know she is incredibly smart and probably can be whatever she wants to be when she "grows up!" ~Kristy