Peace....

Personally, I am seeking peace today. The peace within, not without. An inner peace that has nothing to do with my circumstances...that can, at times, be more cumbersome than I can handle, or want to handle...as they can be with everyone at some point in life.

I DO know however, even in the most chaotic moments of life....peace can break through and swallow our deepest fears and bring about an immense end to those things that engulf my mind and soul. If I allow it, a clearing of mind and a cleansing of spirit can wash over me, take charge....bring peace...beyond understanding...beyond measure...in the midst...of even the most tumultuous of my circumstances...(of which are not definitive of me).

Yes, today the goal is peace....tomorrow...who knows...maybe the park...

The Few or The Crowd...

I have to confess something I have been pondering for quiet a while, something that has held my heart and mind captive over the past several days, even weeks, something that I want to know deeply. I sent many of you the thought, and decided I would share with a larger audience.

Here it is...deep breath....

If I were alive when Jesus walked the earth, would I be one of the few, or just a part of the crowd?

I actually cringe when I think of that question. I do know Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life, however, would I really know him if he walked up to me. Would I know him enough to not have to hear an introduction come from his wise lips? Would I be able to look into his passionate eyes and recognize who the man was and what he did for me, without a word?

My best friend can walk up to me, and without a word, I recognize her and know exactly who she is and what she is all about! Would I know Christ my Savior THAT well?!

I pray I would, I long to know him passionately and intimately. I desire to sit at his feet and learn from the greatest teacher of all times, to hear the ardent exclamation of what life is truly about, and how to attain it, or how to love even in the midst of anger, or dislike. How to be satisfied with little or with plenty, and how to gain true happiness in either case. To learn to walk through the storms of life with my head held high, my mind truly focused on the end result, not just focused on the thunder and lightening flashing and clashing around my head. To recognize when I pass through a raging river, he will lead me safely to the other side, scripture tells me, “When you pass THROUGH the river, they will NOT sweep over you...” Isaiah 43:2 (He will not leave you in the midst of your struggle, and you will make it to the other side...)

I have been studying the book of John and the reoccurring theme of the chapter seems to be one that asks the question, do I know him intimately? Not just knowing about Jesus...which is NOT enough, but TRULY KNOWING him INTIMATELY, just as you know your best friend.

Many of the crowds around Jesus were well read in the scriptures and have an immense amount of book knowledge of who the Christ was, and what he would accomplish, however, they lacked one thing, the willingness of the heart to accept a gift given for ALL, not just the elite. They did not accept the fact that God sent someone to them who was not what the crowd expected, nor desired. Their expectations were of a regal king who would be respected by the crowd and others of their stature. Not a lowly man who was born in a mere manger stall, their expectations were for God to give them more...a regal king with the fanfare to boot.

There Jesus was, right in the midst of the crowd, the crowd talked and physically walked with him. The crowd came to see and hear Jesus, the crowd watched him perform miracles right before their eyes. The crowd wondered and talked about him...and sadly, the crowd missed it...they missed the opportunity to drink from the well of life. The crowd learned about Him in scripture, but when face to face with what the crowd claimed to be faithfully in wait for.....the crowd missed the obvious. He was there with the crowd, trying to tell them, to show them, but the crowd's hearts were not open to receiving the gift of life.

There were the few, however, that GOT IT! The few recognized him! The few were not the ones who were well read and maybe not even the brightest, however, they were THE FEW... Hallelujah for THE FEW!

So, back to that original question:

If you and I were alive back then, would I be one of the few....would you....or just another part of the crowd?

How about today...the few, or the crowd...you decide.

Mt 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Winter Wonderland....On the Gulf Coast??!!

We live in a large town on the Gulf Coast region of Texas, where our winters usually amount to rain and maybe a little sleet, but seldom. The cold here is unlike cold in the cooler climates of the country. It is one that is wet and miserable, when, and if, it gets cold.

Well, a MIRACLE happened here a few days ago, on December the 10th to be exact! There was a cold front that was heading our way and was bringing blistering cold temperatures to the northern states. Normally by the time those fronts make it here it is down to a minimum, so we might get to the 50s, which is pretty chilly for us. However, this blast made it's way and actually drove the temps way down.

It is true about what they say of the weather in Texas...you never know what the temperature will be, so you better pack for rain, sleet, sun.....and now even snow!


YES, IT SNOWED! Now, I know you sweet people up north are chuckling at my response to the snow, but it was absolutely a remarkable moment! Normally, IF it snows, it is just a little dust with very few flakes. When the few flakes occur, we Texans run outside and try to scrape up the snow on the car and make a six inch snowmen on the hood. Not THIS TIME! No, it was far greater than the snowman hood ornament of the past.



I was in the kitchen and my husband excitedly told me that it was snowing. He and my kids get excited about the dust snows we have, so I just kind of shrugged it off. I then received a phone call where a friend informed me of how huge the flakes were. I got off the phone and took a peek outside and was astonished! The snow was inches thick! Never had I seen so much snow in the Gulf Coast! It was breath takingly gorgeous.

As we stood outside watching the flakes you could hear the snow hitting the branches of the trees. My husband remarked at how peaceful the sound is. It truly was a moment I was taking in. You could hear the kids in the neighborhood out in the yards having snowball fights and building their first REAL snowmen. Now, I have been in snow in the past that was much greater than this, but it was an amazing moment for it to take place here. The last time it did this was on a Christmas Eve about five or six years ago, and there was not this amount.

Our moment of solitude was broken when my girls came running! I ran in and got our ski toboggans, scarves and gloves...then guess what WE did! Yep, we started building a snowman! We could actually roll the snowball without worry of leaves and pine needles being stuck all in the snow! It was a memory burned deep within my mind, and will not be forgotten anytime soon.





We played out in the snow for a couple of hours, it was 1 or 2 in the morning when we finally came in for some hot cocoa. Yes, I know, it was crazy to be outside playing at that time, but HEY, we knew it would all be gone by morning! In Texas it will freeze one minute then have a tropical storm bringing in the warm air the next!

The only bad thing about the memory is that Alan was not with us, however, he was in the snow too, just a little north. Believe it or not, we got more snow than THEY did! HA!

Well, I am dreaming of a white Christmas this year, but I think the white is gone. Today it is getting up to 67, so I guess the tropics are blowing in. Oh well. Life is great, and that snow was a reminder of miracles within life.

I will leave sharing a few more of the memories we made on the blessed night of December 10th, 2008!


Even the dogs got in on the snow fun!


Catching snowflakes on our tongues!


Jen trying to escape her dad's powerful snowball....yeah right!


Holly cuddling with dad!


Bently with his snowdog!

Rennovations After The Storm

Well, they arrived with a loud knock in the early misty hours of morning. I was thrilled with their presence, all six of them with tools in hand pressed close against the front door excited about the destruction, I mean...construction, project.

Hurricane Ike succeeded in damaging several rooms within our home and left us without carpet, roof or ceiling in many places throughout the house. We did what we could to remedy the immediate issues within our home, but it still left us with bare floors and plastic on the roof and ceilings. Little did we know the mess would become LARGER when the rennovations began...

Yes, it was early one morning when they all showed up. Sweet, hard workers stormed the house and made paths of destruction throughout. Their main goal was to have all the ceilings ripped completely out and replaced by the end of the day, well, replaced with the sheetrock. So off they went!


All I can say is WOW! They worked with such fury and down right focus and determination. I could not believe the work I saw happening in such a short amount of time. The ceilings were ripped out, and the new sheetrock was hung. One man was upstairs on STILTS working on the ceiling. It was rather interesting. I kept wondering HOW he got up on those things. I would definately fall and break my leg...well...probably my neck with my luck! I would have asked him how he did that, but all he could do was smile and say, "Si, Si." I have no clue what he was saying yes to.

So, we are all kept hostage in our own home at the moment. We are containded within the kitchen/dining area and 2 bedrooms. There is stuff EVERYWHERE, not that there is not stuff everywhere anyway, but just MORE stuff! Also, I have never seen so much dust in my life!

Okay, so I am not griping at all. As a matter of fact, I was upset that our insurance company was dragging their feet so. We have twins coming in a matter of about six weeks and we need a room for them to live in, a livable one!



They DID get the sheetrock hung. There is still so much more to do. We are deciding to go ahead and rennovate some other areas of our home as well. There are things that need to be done, so why not just get them done now, right? Just pray that Jen will hold on for the next six weeks, although she is about to pop and is miserable.

Brent, of course, is having to work. He has called ME to be foreman and I have no cluse what the heck is going on. Someone come and help me! I put him on the phone with them. I just want to go shopping or something until they are done.

Okay, so here is the run down; the house is falling apart....and getting uglier by the minute, a sick dog, a pregnant daughter, a sick mother in law and all I want to do is go shopping. Yep, a nice escape would be great.....or just some coffee...

Grandmother Names

So, now I am trying to come up with a grandmother name. Not one that is old fashioned, that is just not me. I need one that is hip and stylish, lots of flair, and unforgetable, because that is the kind of grandmother I wish to be, unforgetable!

I don't care if anyone else remembers anything about me, but I sure want to leave a legacy for my children and grandchildren that they would be proud of. After I'm gone I pray that they will sit around and talk about all the crazy and funny things I did while they were growing up (...and there are plenty of the CRAZY things to talk about!). Hopefully I have embarrased them, at some point, AND made them proud. (Embarrasing my children is something I do really well. I plan to continue that tradition as I enter into this new era of my life.) I just want them to have unforgetable moments with me that are full of love and laughter.

Some people take life so seriously and forget that they have the right to experience joy! I want to experience a moment of joy and laughter every day. I feel there is too much drama in the world, I want to add some spice!

As I ponder the thought of being a grandmother I have a warm feeling that rises from within. I can not wait to see those sweet little faces, and to kiss their little cheeks. I still can not fathom the pure joy of adding little ones to our brew.

One thing I know for sure is that I am going to lavish each moment as it comes. I think as a young mother I looked to the future too often. I couldn't wait until they were out of diapers, could bathe themselves, could go to school, could drive, and so on. I realize NOW that I rushed through some really special moments that I will never have back. As a grandmother I refuse to do that.

I can not fathom the thought that I get to somehow make a mark on another generation. I pray I do this right! What is the right way to do this? You know, I believe it is to walk as Jesus walked in front of this new generation who will be here soon. To love as he did, to touch as he did, to provide as he did and to teach at every moment just as he did. That is what I want to be to the new generation...Jesus' hands and feet.

Well, I am still looking for the perfect name, any suggestions? (Please make it hip and fabulous!) I gotta run, I am looking up granny names on the internet!

Oh, by the way, I am going to teach the babies to call my husband Grumpy!! It fits, doesn't it?! Later! ;o)

Introducing Kade and Konner Alsbrooks/Thibodaux

Here are the boys. They are due to arrive on February 5th, but the dr. said it is highly unlikely she will carry them that long. Since she is already on bedrest, we are expecting them to come early, just not too early. We are anxiously awaiting their arrival. What a miracle it is to see new life.
Praising Him,
D'Ann

The Email...

Hey,

You know, I have been just marveling in what God has done throughout this whole situation. Never once have I been mad, afraid, or nervous about anything. It has been amazing, really. The only problem I had was when I couldn't get to her while we were gone and she was so upset about the babies. I wrote my testimony out because my cousin asked me if I was excited, and this was what I wrote, kinda long, but it is exactly what I want people to know about what has happened. I am thinking about sharing it as testimony some time...

The pregnancy was a shock, (the thought of TWINS was a TOTAL WASH AWAY!), but God was SO FAITHFUL and he prepared my heart, unknowingly to me at the time, the day I found out.

I had been studying Romans and that day I was in Chapter 4. The chapter is about Abraham and his faith...and grace (boy do I need that!). I wrote in my Bible, "When circumstances arise it is not for me to question God about them, it is my duty to trust him and know that he is working all things together for my good." (Which is exactly what Abraham had done concerning the promise the Lord gave him of being the Father of Nations.)

We were at the lake house, which was another God thing because it was spur of the moment and it was just the kids, my husband and myself there. I was under the house, it is on stilts and the underneath is a concreted patio, doing my Bible study when all of a sudden a heard a bird screeching. I looked toward the sound and all I could see of the bird were these huge wings and his belly and I knew he was HUGE. I thought he was going to hit the side of the house, but no thud nor fallen bird!

I got up and went to see what was going on with him and when I got to the side of the house he was sitting on the rail. It was a HUGE hawk, at least 2 feet tall and gorgeous. He looked at me and screeched, and I was talking to him. All of a sudden he started moving closer to me, the more he screeched the more I talked and the closer he would move. He was about 5 feet from me by the time he finished moving. We stood there staring at each other for a while, he then hopped up and flew into a nearby tree and sat watching me.

I went back under the house to finish my study and was still all excited about being so close to that bird! (There really is a point to all of this madness and I am getting there.) Anyway, I began reading again and I came to a verse that I have read before and it never meant more to me than what it said, until now. The scripture was still talking about Abraham and his faith. It mentioned Abraham's God and it said, "He is the same God that raises people from the dead, and calls into being things that were not."

I was stunned. I started thinking about that hawk and how God had called it into being. I marveled at the thought of God's magnificent voice. I knew God said, "Let there be light," and there was, but for SOME reason this verse struck me as being so profound....because of the bird....little did I know, God was using that bird to keep that verse close to my heart that day.

We left the lake house and went to town to get some college stuff lined out for our son, and I was telling my husband and the kids all about my experience with the scripture and that bird. We had a huge conversation about God's character on the way. Good stuff!

Well, to make a long story short, our daughter became ill, and she was sick on the ride home. I started thinking back the last couple of weeks and I began to think we might have to deal with a situation that I had dreaded having to, possibly, deal with her whole life, Heaven forbid. The minute the thought breached my mind I began to rationalize it out and decided that the thought was wrong and it was not what I was thinking it could be, surely it was a stomach virus.

When we got home I went and sat out on the porch to work on some stuff when she came out and said she was hungry. I told her we had just eaten, and she said, "Well, I'm really hungry." I then began to question her. Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked down and said what needed to be said. I asked if she was concerned and she said yes. I asked if she was afraid and she again said yes. I told her that all would be ok, and that I loved her no matter what.

I told her to go lie back down and I would go talk to her dad and we would get her something to eat. I went and told my husband that I thought we might have a problem and he said, "You think??" He had already figured it out. He asked if I thought it would do any good if he blew up and acted like an idiot and I, of course, said no and he agreed. Sooo, we went upstairs and loved on her and assured her that all would be fine, and I prayed with her right there.

When I had questioned her on the porch and saw her tears, the verse from that morning rushed at my heart...."He is the same God that raises people from the dead, and calls into being things that were not." I cried too. I had felt her slipping away about a month or so earlier and I suspected what was happening in her life. I prayed for God to bring her back into the fold in whatever way he deemed necessary to complete it....so I am walking that road with her, and loving her the whole way back.

There have been some awesome growth spurts in her life so far. My heart was broken for her and I told her I was sorry for the pain she was experiencing. She said, "Mom, don't feel sorry for me, I did it, I made a huge mistake and I created this mess myself." She informed me that she could do nothing now but to move forward and to grow from her mistakes and hold her head high, even when the circumstances become extreme, and we all know they will. I am not one that can stand in judgment of her nor her boyfriend, as a matter of fact, her dad and I are the main ones that can minister to them because we were them 21 years ago! They will make it, with our love, and God's help.


My daughter nor her boyfriend are where they need to be. The scripture says....."He is the same God that raises people from the dead..."

Those babies were not here a few months back. The scripture says"...and calls into being things that were not."

You see, I now know that scripture wasn't about the bird...it was about my daughter, her boyfriend...and two babies.

I am resting in a verse I was given in Habakkuk 3;17-19:

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights!"

I am getting my "deer feet" and am excited to see what is going on at the top of the mountain!

We ARE excited! His parents are excited too. I mean, why not??!! These babies are coming and God will bless, and he does, even when we are so unfaithful. Who am I to question God calling them into being?! He has a plan and he will be faithful to complete it in our lives! Just thinking about it gets me excited!

I am standing marveling at what He is doing. Sometimes those storms are tough, but as long as we keep our eyes on Him we will not sink. And I am not saying that the sin was right, nor was it good, but God is and he is just and able to forgive us for our sins.

If I am unwilling to take on this cross I might be somewhere else in life....comfortable, but more shallow in spirit, right? God is growing this whole house, and I will rejoice! Blessed Be the Name of the Lord!

There are going to be tough times ahead for her, that is the consequence of her sin, because of the sin being so visual, but I know that God will never leave her nor forsake her, he is going to be closer to her now than ever before. I am being Jesus to her, or as much as I can be...I am nowhere NEAR being able to fill His shoes, I am just his hands! I am wanting to make Jesus famous through this. It can happen, and it will. I know that he called those babies here and I am going to love them with all my heart.

Sorry for the sermon!! I am trying to reassure myself this morning I guess....and you just happened to be the one I replied to!

Love ya,
D'Ann

Update: This email was sent back in June. Just for the record, all things are wonderful, my daughter and her boyfriend have grown by leaps and bounds in life and in spirit. We are thrilled watching what God is doing. Join us.