Paige Barnes

 After much prayer and examination of my life, I realize that I live a life of wanton excess. I have filled many parts of my life with things other than Jesus. Food for example. I live to eat instead of eating to live, and my choices are not pleasing to God or healthy for my body. I have allowed my heart to be more focused on my material possessions many times than on Jesus who had none. I have spent much time trying to make my house look beautiful while forgetting the many people around the world who are homeless. I have wasted money on stupid things when I should have given it away. I want it to stop. I do not want to live like that anymore. I want to live a life that simply says, "Jesus is my enough". If I lost everything else, then Jesus would always be enough. No matter what. Like Job, when it is given and taken away - Jesus is still enough. When did Jesus become not enough for us? To start this MAJOR life change, I am reading this book and using it as a guide to...

Packing Diabetes Supplies Lots of donations! When deadly tornadoes swept across our state in 2011, we felt helpless at first. Most of the upper part of the state was without power for days. Grocery stores were closed and so were pharmacies. Since my son has Type 1 diabetes , we immediately thought of other diabetics who were suddenly without their life-saving supplies. We just started calling everyone we could think of and the donations started pouring in. Our family was humbled as we took supplies to several very hard hit areas. I am very proud of my son for stepping up, seeing a need, and doing what needed to be done. Our little family was blessed that day that God would use us in some small way!

My hero, my son. He is strong and beautiful. He is smart and inquisitive. He is funny and I love to hear him laugh. He has his daddy's eyes and my cheeks. He has a tender heart and a deep soul. He loves his sister fiercely. He is smart and imaginative. He is worth more than I could ever imagine. He is why I fight for a cure for diabetes. Please consider donating to our team walk to cure diabetes!  JDRF Red was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes four years ago at the age of 6. Diabetes is a deadly disease if not treated and taken care of properly. He takes insulin everyday to keep him alive. And he does not let anything slow him down. .

First Day of Fifth Grade   Age 10 - Fifth Grade Favorites Color: Blue Food: Pizza Sport: Football Team: Auburn Song: Never Say Never by Justin Bieber What I Want to be When I Grow Up: NFL Quarterback The drop off went well. Lots of smiles and high fives as friends welcomed each other back to another school year. Teachers greeting students. Lunches packed and supplies gathered. And just one last hug. The mom whispered to her son, "I will miss you today. You will have a great day, and I will be praying for you". The mom felt her eyes get misty and swallowed hard so as not to embarrass her young man in front of his fifth grade friends. He grabbed her around the neck and grinned that shy grin he grins when he is really touched by something and whispered back, "I love you mom". And mom drives home with that aching in her heart that can only be explained as inexplicable pride of what a fine young man he is and bittersweet sadness as she lets another...

This summer has been a precious time of working through the Bible with my son (age ten). I have always prayed that my children would come to know the Lord at an early age. Thankfully, my son did. He and I have been working through a wonderful book called The Purple Book . It has been a wonderful experience for us to study the word and pray together. It works through the basics of faith and then expounds upon that. Henry Ward Beecher said, "The mother's heart is a child's classroom". I pray that my children will know my heart on this, and that is that they will desire Jesus above all else. So I have spent this summer taking my spiritual leadership of my children up a notch. I see them growing and learning in the Lord and it blesses my heart so much. I pray that my heart will always be a classroom in which for them to learn. Lessons of love and peace and joy. Lessons of reaching out and serving others. Lessons that teach them that sitting at Jesus' feet and soakin...

Everyone reading this probably has been watching some part of the Olympics. I have never been an athlete myself, but I love watching the games. It amazes me to watch these people who have worked so hard for so long execute these amazing feats of physicality. I particularly enjoy the women's gymnastics. These young ladies never cease to amaze me with what they can do. Last night I so enjoyed watching Aly Raisman's parents watching her. In fact the whole world was watching them. They were so involved in what she was doing that they had a physical reaction to her every move. It looked crazy, but they were completely oblivious to anyone around them. Just in the moment. They could not do it for her, but they wanted so bad for her to do it well. I think of this and can't help but think about Jesus. Does he do that as he watches us on this crazy journey called life? I can just picture him twisting and turning as I struggle to make it through the tough situations. I see him r...

I had all these plans for us this summer. Nothing extra fancy, just activities close to home that did not cost too much money so that we could spend time together this summer. Just me and him. My boy and I. And then June got so busy because of a few things and that set July back. I purposely worked my July around having the time to be here for him, and because of events in June, none of my plans for July have gone as planned. None. And it makes me sad. I just want to cry at the way this month has turned out. So many things that I do not have control over. I have been wishing for August because August will be better. And yet, August brings the reality that school starts again. And there goes the time I had planned with him. And he will be in the fifth grade. He is growing up. I am trying to be everything he needs me to be. And yet, most days I feel like a failure.  I know the enemy is spending a lot of time telling me this. Because a few months ago God spoke a couple of things ver...