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Wow! That Was Hard!

Valerie Basham

December 12, 2007

I’m really out of shape! Yesterday, I did the Denise Austin Kickboxing workout, and let me tell you, it was hard! I felt great – when it was over! I’m pretty sore today, so I’ll do something easier like walking or an easier workout video to give my muscles a rest.
The exercise made me feel so much better, though. I had energy for the day, and I had that “after workout happy feeling.” I’m glad I did it.
The best part was as I was doing the punches and kicks, I could let out any frustration that I had! It was great.
I highly recommend exercise if you want to boost your energy level or get out any anger or frustration that you’ve been hanging onto. Oh, and it’s good for your heart!
Of course, the best thing that you can do for your frustration or for your heart, is have a close walk with the Lord. I’m constantly working on mine. I want to be closer to Him everyday. Reading His Word, talking with the Lord, and then trying to obey Him- that’s what I work at everyday. It’s a blessing to know that I can call on Him 24/7 about anything, He’s never too busy. At the same time, I want to take care of the temple He’s given me, so I can reach my maximum potential for Him here.
Feeling blah? Try exercise! It will give you a boost! And thanks for praying for me! :0)

My Greatest Weakness

Valerie Basham

1 comment

December 10, 2007

Proverbs 17:28 says, Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

I am a talker. That has gotten me in lots of trouble over the years. I just want to say to all my friends and family: I’m so sorry for saying things that have hurt you over the years. Thank you for putting up with me, and loving me in spite of myself.
My tongue is definitely my greatest weakness. Every time I read the verse above, I get convicted – okay, anytime I read a verse on talking or the tongue, I get convicted! (See my Proverbs for today)
The Bible says the tongue is a world of iniquity in James 3. In fact, that chapter has a lot to say about the tongue! The tongue is dealt with a lot in the Bible, so I must not be the only one who struggles with this. The tongue must be a battle for all of us. (whew! at least I’m not alone!)
I tried as a teen to change my personality, to suddenly be quiet, so I could stay out of trouble! When I tried it, everyone thought I had a bad attitude! It was then that I realized I can’t change my personality. I simply must control it. I still struggle greatly. I would probably cry if my friends wrote in and listed all the times I had said something that hurt them – because I never mean to hurt anyone with my words. But it happens so fast! I must guard my tongue diligently.
I ask of you, dear reader, for two things: 1. Please forgive me if I have ever said something that hurt you. I assure you, I never meant to do it. I need every friend I have, and I need new ones, too. I don’t want to run you off!
2. Please pray for me that I will control my tongue better.
I want to “refrain my lips” so that my foolishness will be hidden. Maybe one day I can even be mistaken for a “man [woman] of understanding”! :o)

Some Things I Want to Lay Aside

Valerie Basham

1 comment

December 8, 2007

The new year is drawing near! I love making new year resolutions. I don’t always achieve the goals that I set, I but something in me says “Make a goal, try to reach it!”
This year instead of resolutions, I am going to use Hebrews 12:1 as my goal for the year. It says Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
I want to lay aside some “pet sins” this year. Oh, I want to take off 10 lbs., read more books, finally get my photos in albums and other “resolution” type things as well, but mostly, I want to start 2008 with fewer sins in my life than ever before.
Here are some of the things I want to get rid of: (please pray for me)
1. I want to keep all bitterness out of my life forever, but forever starts with 2008. Bitterness creeps in when you’re not looking. You can be bitter at an enemy, or at a friend who forgot to invite your kid to her kid’s party. I know, I’ve been bitter at some people that are very close to me. Bitterness is like drinking poison, and then waiting on the other person to die. They don’t get harmed by it, you do. I don’t want to be bitter at anyone in my family, my church or at any of my friends. (I don’t know of any enemies, but I don’t want to be bitter at them either!)
2. I want to lay aside the sin of worry this year. It’s a battle. I’m a mother, therefore, I worry. I can only achieve this goal by maintaining a close walk with the Lord, and by trusting Him when heartaches – or the fear of heartaches- loom ahead.
3. I want to lay aside myself this year. I want to be self-less, not selfish. That’s hard, because I have a certain way I like to do things. I will have to put my wishes aside and give over to others, maybe even to some I used to be bitter at! That’s really hard! But again, through Christ I can do it!
4. I want to lay aside pride for 2008- and forever! Pride is terrible. It also creeps in unaware. It looks harmless, but it is one of the seven sins that God hates. (See Prov. 6:16-19) Pride keeps me from getting right with the Lord, or from going to that person that I am bitter at and making things right with them.
These are sins that I have worked to get rid of for quite a while now. I feel just like Paul did in Romans 7:18-20 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
I battle the flesh constantly. I know what is good to do, but when I’m in a situation where I need to be self-less, I see that I’m selfish. When I need to have a lowly spirit, I catch myself having a superior attitude. When I am broke, or a child is ill, I start to worry without even noticing. That is, until the Holy Spirit says “Uh, Valerie, I think you are supposed to be trusting Me.” Ouch! I tell the Lord how sorry I am, and that I knew better. And then I get up and try again. He’s so longsuffering with me. In fact, I need to be more longsuffering with others myself. That’s another one I should add!
I hope I can start, not on January 1st, but on December 8th, to lay aside the weight of my pet sins, and start 2008 lighter than I’ve ever been before! :o)

It’s a Special Day in the Basham Family!

Valerie Basham

4 comments

December 7, 2007

One year ago today, the Lord blessed our home with our precious Laci Elizabeth! I am so thankful for you, sweetie! I pray that the Lord gives me wisdom as I raise you for Him. I pray you will trust Him at a young age, and live your life to please Him.You bring great joy to me and your Daddy and your brother and sisters.
We love you so much!!

Laci is all smiles!

I’m one, I’m one! It’s so much fun!

Laci asleep on our way home from ArkansasLaci about 7 months

Laci after a bath: clean and happy!

Laci is a happy baby! She is always smiling, laughing or babbling trying to tell us something important! We are a blessed family to have four precious bundles of joy!

Good Friends are Forever

Valerie Basham

4 comments

December 5, 2007

I’m so sorry that I failed to mention in a previous post that our Missions Conference was Dec. 2nd through the 4th! I was unable to post everyday because of homeschooling, cooking and preparing for our services each night.
We had a wonderful conference! We had Jeremy Tyler, and his family, missionaries to Brazil, as our main speaker. The church increased it’s annual missions budget by over $5,000! We also took on two more missionaries! What a blessing! The Lord has done this.
I first met Amanda Tyler in 1994 at summer camp!! She lived in Illinois, and I in Arkansas. We saw each other once a year until 1996 and we wrote letters (long before email was available or affordable, I’m not sure which!). We continued writing, calling and emailing over these past 11 years and I was wondering if I’d ever see her again!! We wrote while she was a student at Crown College, after we were both married, and while our families were growing, but never seeing each other. Praise the Lord, we finally got together! I got to meet her husband and their three precious boys!
We just picked up where we left off, or at least I felt that way! I enjoyed their visit so much, but it went by way too fast! I hope and pray it won’t be another 11 years before I see her again!
I have another great friend, Dixie, whom I’ve not seen in over four years! (or is it six?) I have friends in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee – that I keep in touch with, but don’t get to see too often. I hate that. I was thinking about it yesterday, about how I seldom see my close friends, and got a little teary. You know me, I get reminiscent very easily! I should call this blog “Going down Memory Lane”! Anyway, I thought about how I don’t see most of my friends too often and I realized that I will see them again…someday. I will either see them here, or in the air when the trumpet sounds! We have one grand thing in common: we’re saved. We know we’ll be in Heaven someday. That is a great comfort. I wrote the following poem to express my feelings (writing is good therapy. Judging by this blog, I’ve got lots of problems! ;o). Please don’t criticize it, I’m no poet, that’s for sure. I just want share my heart with you.

When Will We Meet Again?

When will we meet again, my friend,

Our friendship to renew?

Will our visits be abundant,

Or will they be but few?

I so enjoy the time we spend

Sharing in God’s sweet gift.

When I’m with you my burdens ease

And my spirit seems to lift.

Our laughter fills my heart with mirth-

With joy and happiness!

I cannot put it into words,

How our friendship gives me bliss.

I know for sure our hearts were knit

By our Savior up above.

He made this bond within our souls

By His redeeming love.

You ask when will we meet again?

This comfort I can share:

If I don’t see you here, my friend,

I’ll see you in the air!

Eleven years haven’t changed Amanda a bit! What a joy to get be with her again! Thank you for coming down, Amanda!

Lauren enjoyed being with Josiah (left) and Jonathan.

Jeremy and Amanda Tyler, Missionaries to Brazil.

The Whole Tyler Gang!

I am praying for you guys to have safety, and to gather your support quickly!

Thank you for everything!

My Home was a Haven

Valerie Basham

2 comments

December 3, 2007

I remember my turbulent teen years like they were yesterday. If you didn’t go through some rough, emotional times as a teen then I’d like to shake your hand. I think most of us had a hard time being a teenager. The age between childhood and adulthood is difficult. As you near the “big” age of 18, the pressure just increases. “What will you do with the rest of your life?” Everyone seems to ask. If you do have an idea of what you want to do, chances are it won’t work out exactly as you have in mind. That’s life.
If I did anything right as a teen, it was having a good relationship with the Lord, and with my parents. Oh, I put them through a lot of late night talks and some tears, but we loved each other. I knew it, and I hope they knew it too. I had plans to marry a certain someone. He turned out to be a fake and a liar. I just want to say “Thank you Lord for not letting me get involved with that guy forever!” It was hard to let go of him, because I had those afore- mentioned plans. I did it though, because I knew the Lord didn’t want me to be with him, and I knew my parents didn’t.
After the break up, I just wanted to be away from everybody. All my close friends were either married or engaged. I didn’t fit in anywhere…anywhere except home.
Mom and Dad were always there. Steadfast in their Bibles (Dad would often read it aloud while Mom fixed her hair for work). Steadfast in their zeal for the Lord – they were genuine, faithful Christians. They were steadfast in their soul winning efforts. They both made telling the lost about the Lord a high priority. They were steadfast in their love for each other. Oh, they had a disagreement or two…who doesn’t? But I never feared my Dad and Mom getting a divorce. I knew they loved each other. They were steadfast in their love for me. When this guy was gone, they were there. When my friends moved away, they were there. When I eventually moved away, they were still there if I needed them. I got phone calls, letters, cards and most of all, I knew they were praying daily for me.
My home was a haven. When I broke up with that guy, I stopped going to Taco Bell after church. (Our local church hang out) I went home and enjoyed a Subway sandwich with Mom and Dad and all the love a girl could need. I hope and pray that my home is a haven for my family. I don’t want a home that is full of strife, or hatred. I want people to feel our love for each other the minute they walk in the door.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for making my home a haven.

My Holiday Letdown Response System

Valerie Basham

2 comments

November 30, 2007

I love this time of year. I enjoy some cold weather. I enjoy trying to think up great gifts for friends and family – especially Terry! He’s hard to buy for and to surprise! Last year, I shocked him by getting him a bi-pod for his gun. And he thought I didn’t know about guns! (Well, I don’t, but I’m observant! I saw him eyeing one at the store once!) I love the food, the decorations, the food, the music, the lights, the food…well, you get the idea. I love it all!

The down side is, that when it’s time to take down the decorations and lights, turn off the music and start losing the weight from all the food, that I can get very melancholy. I feel like it was all over so fast! I was so excited about it, and then it’s over, that fast! I’ve been looking back at all the photos of past Christmases and I can’t believe how much my kids have changed! It’s already been almost a year since Laci was born! I guess I’m just “female”! I go from up to down so quickly. And when I get down, it’s hard for me to get back up again!

Because I’m aware of the “get excited, have the event, get blue pattern” (or my “holiday letdown pattern”, I’ve developed a “holiday letdown response system.” Or, H.L.R.S. for short. My system is simple: have something fun planned to do after the big day! I am blessed to have an anniversary on January 2nd. My Hubby and I try to go out to eat that day, or do something together. But, that sort of blends in with the other holidays, so I try to plan something else after that. Maybe I plan to go to the mall to spend some Christmas money (I hate to admit this, but I don’t buy clothes! I usually buy books!), or a trip to the library, or I may plan to call a friend and visit. I plan something. Something that I can immediately shift my focus to after the holidays.

I am also prone to look back at the past all year long. I look back at old photos and think about when the kids were smaller. I think about the friends and family that I never see, I think about my Dad and I feel like I didn’t get to have him long enough – though I know others who’ve lost parents when they were younger than I, I still wish I’d had him longer. I remember the great Christmases Mom and Dad gave me, and on and on I go until I’m in tears! It’s not pretty! But, I’ve developed a system for those times too! When I feel that way, I remember Phil. 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Now, I know Paul was probably saying that we should forget the mistakes of the past and move forward, and that’s so true. But I also have to forget the good times. I can’t dwell on the happy memories of yesteryear, because I begin to feel like I’ll never be happy again, that life stinks, oh-poor-me, and so forth. After all, if I stay in that mood, I certainly am not getting anything done for Christ. No, I have to forget those good times (temporarily) and move forward, making new happy memories, today. Yesterday is over. I’m so glad I got to live it, and there are times I can look back and not feel so blue, but I need to focus on today. What can I do today for my kids? How can I invest my life today so that it impacts eternity? How can I help you today? This is the stuff the Christian life is made of: giving ourselves to Him, so that someday, we can stand in Heaven with no sorrow, no regret, and no “holiday blues” – but with satisfaction of a life lived wholly for Him.

Do you have a Holiday Letdown Response System? I sure couldn’t make it without mine!

Happy [after] the holidays to you,

Worldly Thinking

Valerie Basham

2 comments

November 29, 2007

Here is the devotional that I shared with our ladies at our November fellowship. My Mom wanted to me to share this, so here it is. I hope it is a blessing, and I hope you have a spare hour to read this! :0)

The Lord began showing me some of my own “worldly thinking” shortly after my Dad went to Heaven. At that time I began to think that I should go out and get a degree in case Terry died suddenly. I would need to find a good job support myself and four kiddos! (After all, I certainly couldn’t continue in the family business, could I?) What would I do? Well, my mother, who holds several degrees, pointed out that I was using worldly thinking. She reminded me that God could provide for me, and if I needed a degree, it would be in His timing, not mine. As I nurse a baby, home school two kids and rear a lively toddler, when could I find time to work on a degree? I’m struggling just to write this now! No, I need to just wait and trust Him. There’s nothing wrong with planning for an emergency, it is wrong when we do not seek His face before plunging ahead with our own ideas. He may have another way- a better way, and perhaps, an easier way. But we must trust Him, and go to Him. We cannot possibly plan for every possible circumstance that may come up! We must trust Him, and rely upon Him.
Why do we need to shy away from worldly thinking? James 4:4b says “whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” I surely do not want to be God’s enemy! I’m also aware that sin begins in the mind. If I keep my thoughts pure, then my life will be pure. It’s definitely a battle for the mind!

Oh, I also want to add that this is not an exhaustive study. This is just the tip of the iceberg. My hope and prayer is that this will be a springboard to an even deeper and more personal study for you. May God help all of us to clean out the cobwebs of worldly thinking that have settled in our minds, and replace them with the glorious sunlight of God’s Word!

I.What does the Bible say about the world?
A. Who rules the world? Satan!
Eph. 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:2 Cor. 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.Rev. 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

B. As Christians, how should we feel about the world?
The Bible says we’re different, and others should be able to see that clearly. Not just by how we dress, that’s way overemphasized – but by our attitudes and actions. After all, if our hearts are right with God, then will submit to His authority on everything, including our clothing. Get your heart right, and the rest will fall in place, and it won’t be hard at all because you’ll be sincerely desiring to please Him!
2 Cor.6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
1 Cor. 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.James 4:4b whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

C. How do we act toward people of the world?
We love them! See John 3:16, and 1 John 4:8 & 16

D. How should we live in this world?
Live right, do what’s right. Go to church, read the Bible, pray, be honest, witness, be real, and on and on.
Tit. 2: 11-12 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;E. We love the people, but not the “way” of the world.
1 John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

F. We should love Him, and the things that pertain to Him!
Col.3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
We can overcome this world.1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.Your faith is what overcomes this world. You have the power already in your hands, or heart. But which one are you “feeding”? Your faith, or your flesh?

G.Where does it all begin? In the mind!
Do you feed your mind filthy TV, wrong music, bad books? Then you will not be an overcomer! You’re feeding your flesh and not your spirit. I don’t even watch the news because all the media does is tell you all that’s wrong in the world. I want to dwell on what’s right – and only one thing fits the bill – Jesus! Let’s dwell on Him, and His Word!

Do you use worldly thinking? I think we all do without even realizing it – I know I do, anyway! Remember, we’re in the world but not of the world. We should think according to the Bible. With that said let’s try these on for size:

II.The following are some comparisons of worldly thinking to Bible thinking.

The World says: “She (or he) deserves that!”The Bible Says: We should be forgiving and longsuffering with others.
Eph.4:32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.Matt.5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.Matt.18:21-22 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Prov. 24:17-18 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

The World says: “I have to take care of myself, because no one else will.”Are you a child of God? If so, then that’s not true! God takes care of His children.
The Bible Says:
Matt.6:25-26Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?Ps. 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.Ps. 37: 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.*Note: What about the beggar Lazarus in the NT? He was saved, yet he was a beggar! I believe the key to this verse is that David said he hadn’t seen the “righteous” or those living right forsaken. Perhaps Lazarus wasn’t living right! Maybe that’s why we see some saved folk suffering financially. Maybe they aren’t tithing, or living right according to God’s Word. Just a thought!
I Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

The World says: “No one can make me do anything.”The Bible Says:
I Cor. 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.I Sam. 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry….Gal. 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.Matt. 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
The World says: “I’ll serve God, but my family comes first!”The Bible Says: We should put God ahead of all other people in our lives.
Gen.12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee:Matt. 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

The World Says: “Okay, I’ll help with (fill in the blank). But I’m doing it my way!”The Bible Says: We are to submit (which means to abase or humble) ourselves to others, not take over.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.Eph. 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.I Pet.2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
Here’s the one that gets me!
Eph. 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

The World says: “No one notices what I do, so why should I bother?”
The Bible Says: We aren’t to do things to get man’s attention, but we are to serve God out of a heart full of love for Him.
Matt. 6:19-20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:Eph.6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;Heb. 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.Ps.100:2a Serve the LORD with gladness:…

I’ve Earned $2.21 in Two Years

Valerie Basham

1 comment

November 28, 2007

I was recently cleaning out some of the obscure areas in our home. Areas like our hall closet, our bedroom closet, the pantry and the laundry room. I was cleaning the shelves above my washer and dryer when I saw a wide assortment of little things on the shelf. There were three cherries and a bucket from the Hi-Ho Cherrio game (what was I thinking in buying that game anyway? I bet we’ve lost all but four cherries by now!). There were three shoelaces…but don’t ask me which shoes belonged with them! I also found six safety pins and (drum roll please) all of the loose change that has been found in the washing machine! A grand total of, yep, you guessed it – $2.21! That is approximately $.09 a month for 24 months! Oh! Along with the U.S. money there was also one Brazilian coin that one of the kids had gotten from a missionary, but I didn’t figure that in my total! :o) All in all, I’d say that I’m overworked and underpaid, as are all stay-at-home-moms! I think I’ll be discussing a possible wage increase with my boss today when he gets home. ;0)
Really, I thought this was interesting. After two years of cooking, cleaning, serving, washing, refereeing, teaching, disciplining, decorating, shopping, “doctoring”, loving – I only have $2.21 to show for it…in one sense. If I were seriously looking at the financial benefits to being a stay-at-home-mom, and a home schooling mom, then I wouldn’t be doing it! The world has way more to offer me in tangible benefits than this line of work! But I realize that I am getting so much more than the world could ever offer me. No, there’s no paid vacation, or sick days, or even a small salary package. But I get the unconditional love and admiration of four sweet children! I got to hear my daughter, and now my son, begin to read!! I get to see their faces light up when some difficult subject finally “clicks.” I was there for their first smiles, their first steps, and I was there when they were hurt or sad. I’m there each morning to greet them with a hot breakfast, and I’m there in the afternoon to see them play at the park. I’m there every night to read to them, kiss them and tuck them in their beds. I’m there to spot character flaws and point them out, before they become habits! I’m not out conquering the business world. I don’t hold a degree of any kind, unless “Mrs.” counts! I know several women who are mothers, in that, they did bring forth children into the world, they have the title “mother”. But, some moms, sadly, leave their children with the nanny or babysitter -indefinitely- so they can go fulfil their own “dreams”. I’m not trying to bash working Moms, because you can work a job and be an excellent mother, no doubt about it. What I’m talking about is mothers who seem to be able to forget that they even have kids because they get so wrapped up in their own separate lives. It’s so sad. I believe “mother” is a noun and a verb! It’s work, and love, and more work! I feel that I hold an even higher position than any female CEO in the country – I’m a Mom! Not just in title, but in deed.

There’s No Place Like Home….

Valerie Basham

3 comments

November 27, 2007

First of all, thank you so much for praying for our heat to be fixed. It was repaired yesterday at about 10:30 and the minute that heat started blowing we rejoiced! Thank you to Bro. Scotty Bristow for coming over and repairing it for us. Also, my thumb is so much better! I can’t believe it is already doing so much better. I appreciate your prayers so much.

I had such a good time during my last trip to Arkansas for the Thanksgiving holiday.Here’s Janet Drive, the street on the side of our house. It was so lovely to see the falling leaves!! It’s something we don’t see down here in autumn. We have the Live Oak trees here and, oddly enough, they lose their leaves in the spring! I couldn’t resist snapping the photo below. It’s kind of relaxing, don’t ya think?

Here is my nephew, Andrew. He is holding, well, trying to hold Laci! Melanie’s boys loved her so much!

Here is David Allen, Melanie’s oldest boy with Laci.

The three Musketeers! L-R: David Allen, Mitchell and Andrew

Here I am with the three little ones. L-R: Leslie, Laci and Stephen

My Mom bought new pajamas for the grandkids. These five here spent the night at Mom’s house on pallets on the floor(For you Andy lovers out there, they called it “adventure sleeping”). Terry and I and the little girls stayed at a motel. Lauren was the only girl, so she didn’t get Spiderman PJ’s! She loved her penguin pajamas though! They all had a blast!

Here’s the whole gang: L-R: David Allen, Andrew, Stephen, Lauren, Mitchell and Leslie (who’s trying unsuccessfully to hide. She’s the shy one.)

A proud Aunt! Here I am with the cutest clan in the world! Okay, I’m a little prejudiced! :o)

Leslie was a busy girl during our trip. She was always trying to fold blankets, or help Mom fold towels. She also enjoyed coloring! Her baby doll Lucy is beside her. Lucy has seen better days, as you can see!

Stephen, Melanie’s youngest boy, just adored Laci! He kept asking her if they could have Laci for Christmas! He would come up to me and say “Valry, I love your baby!” and then give her and me some kisses! He’s a sweetie! He was such a good “babysitter”. He kept Laci happy so I could visit with my Mom and Melanie.

The kids had so much fun together. Uncle Walter took all the older ones to the park three times, and the weather was nice enough for them to play outside.

Here’s one of my three sweet nephews! I sure miss him, and the whole family.

David Allen and Mitchell had matching Spiderman pajamas, which, by the way, came in very handy those two nights the heat was off!

Lauren and Stephen enjoying the building blocks.

Valerie and Terry ~ still in love after all these years!

We had such a great holiday. Thank you, Mom, for treating us to such a great time. I made memories that, Lord willing, will last my lifetime.

We don’t have lots of money, or a fancy car. We don’t have designer clothes or a bass boat, but we are so rich. We have a loving family and a home that is truly a haven from the stress and turmoil of this world. We have a great home because we have Jesus! The song says: “With Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm” and for a child of God that is so true! No matter what is happening in my town or around the world, I can smile at the storm because I have the giver of peace with me each and every moment. Even during the times of no heat, and painful burns, I have so much to be thankful for!