Paige Barnes

We are having a girl! We will name her Kate Jillian (the Jillian part being after her aunt B). So, since we are having a girl, here are a few things I have been looking at.

Eight years ago today, I married the most wonderful man in the world. He is smart, well, brilliant. He is funny, but it's a weird sense of humor. Like he almost never laughs at his little funny sayings, but they almost make me fall over they are so funny! He is very strong. He has never failed me in opening a jar or reaching a dish up high or moving the furniture because I had a hankering to do so. He is a total geek and that is one of my favorite things about him. He has never once yelled at me. And he only once raised his voice at me (I deserved it). I have watched him cry over a Disney movie because it made his son cry (in a sweet tears sort of way, not scared tears sort of way). He is one of the most godly men I know. His knowledge of the Bible and its scripture is immense. But his wisdom in them are truly a special gift from the Almighty. The first gift he ever gave me was a cross necklace for my birthday way back when we were dating. He told me that the world thinks ...

Matthew, Today is your 7th birthday. I've been meaning to write these down every year. I guess better late than never. Here are a few things about you at age 7 and the past year. ~This year you were diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It has been the hardest struggle of our life. And you have triumphed through it. You are so brave and strong. ~This year you were home schooled due to the diabetes. The hardest thing you and I have probably done. But I have so enjoyed our time together and will miss you dearly when you go back to school in the fall. ~You love anything Star Wars. You are currently "writing" the 7th episode. You've even made clay models of the new characters in your "movie". ~You are very into history and love learning about the Civil War. Your great-grandfather passed away this year and gave you some of his medals from World War II. They are a few of your greatest treasures. ~You are very good at math, just like your daddy. You still nee...

So, Job is not one of those books of the Bible that most people just pick up and begin to read. In fact, I tend to read it most when I am really struggling. Finally after the last few months of feeling far from God and wondering where myself actually went, I am slowly beginning to feel like my old self again. I feel God. I feel His closeness. I know He was never far from me. In fact, I'm sure He was holding me, perhaps so tightly that I couldn't even feel it. So, I decided to pick up my Bible and read through the book of Job. Here are a few lessons learned this read. ~When the worst happened and Job lost all of his children and belongings, He still had strength and faith enough to bless the name of the Lord. In fact those were some of the first words out of his mouth. That's strong faith. I want that kind of faith. ~When his friends didn't know what to say (at least at first) because the situation was so horrible, they just sat with him. They didn't speak f...

One Pure and Holy Passion By: Passion Worship Band Give me one pure and holy passion Give me one magnificent obsession Give me one glorious ambition for my life To know and follow hard after You Give me one pure and holy passion Give me on magnificent obsession Give me one glorious ambition for my life To know and follow hard after You To know and follow hard after you To grow as your dicsiple in your truth This world is empty, pale, and poor Compared to knowing you, my Lord Lead me on and I will run after you Lead me on and I will run after you Give me one pure and holy passion Give me one magnificent obsession Give me one glorious ambition for my life To know and follow hard after you To know and follow hard after you To grow as your disciple in the truth This world is empty, pale, and poor Compared to knowing you my Lord Lead me on and I will run after you Lord to know and follow hard after you And to grow as your disciple in your truth This world is emp...

There is a new project starting up in the Barnes household. (Aside from the baby that is currently growing in my belly). :) We are going to be writing down our experiences over this past year since our son's diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes. We have no idea of knowing where this will go, of course, but we have spent this last year spinning up and down and all around. If there is an emotion to be had, we've had it this year. And we have grown as a family more than we ever imagined we could. So we decided that perhaps others could be helped from our experience. We have long given this diagnosis over to the Lord for Him to make us (especially our son) stronger because of this. For Him to use this to help others. So after a night of being awake all night and feeling a prompting from the Lord, and after a family meeting - we are all in! So, we are praying about where God would lead this new endeavor. And we give it over completely, 100 %, whole-hearted to God for Him to use i...

I am notorious for buying books and letting them sit on my bookshelf for years before I get around to them. I'm like a book hoarder, so I can never get them read in a timely fashion! I am reading a book that I've had on my shelf for a few years. It's called "Life Wide Open - Unleashing the Power of a Passionate Life" by David Jeremiah. I've read several things by David Jeremiah, and I highly recommend him. He's an easy, to the point, simple facts and thoughts kind of writer. A good, quick, encouraging read. I am not very far into this book yet, but it's already speaking to me. See, I think for the past year one of the things lacking from my life has been passion. Too many things have gone on and taken over and, I guess, kind of squelched the passion way down. But this is not what we created for - to be passionless. I read this just tonight and just had to share. "That wellspring of all that is good and pure and vital is placed within each ...