Primos

Primos is a local restaurant that has been in the Jackson area since the 1940s. My folks lived here from 1950 - 1956 and ate there at Primos Cafe.  This is a photo of the original Primos...

After my husband and I moved up here, we started eating at Primos (it had moved to a new location). In fact, when I was pregnant with our first child, I had horrible all day morning sickness. When it finally started to subside a bit, the only thing I could eat and keep down was a grilled cheese and homemade veggie soup from Primos. I ate it daily!  The day our daughter was born, friends took Bill to lunch while I got a much needed nap.. they walked across the street from the hospital to.. Primos!

I worked around the corner from the Cafe and had many business breakfasts and lunches there.

And then tragedy struck... a fire.. and Primos was gone!

But not for long. They rebuilt.. in 2 locations.. and we were back in business!

Our kids have grown up eating there. It is a family favorite.  And it is still my favorite local hangout with my husband.  It is a bit like going to eat with family.  Home cooking.. daily specials.. and the bakery!  Oh my!  Primos is known for their bakery.. petit fours, cookies, mini pecan tarts, caramel cake, and so much more!

Primos is far from fancy.... and we like that about it... friendly hometown cafe where you can just go and be yourself and laugh with the locals...

This is what the Cafe we ate at looked like before the fire.

This is the front of one of the new locations... Love the neon!

The interior is very reminiscent of the original... in fact, some of the booths came from there and were refurbished.

Love the tables.... so 50s.

One of my favorites.. Chicken Pot Pie with a homemade Primo biscuit on top.

And lastly the bakery.. which was sooo empty the other night!  This was the day before Valentine's and they had been picked over by folks grabbing up goodies for V-Day parties.

Blessings continue....

51. Using old family things like crystal and plates and such.

52. 3 roses.. every year my husband gives me a white rose, our daughter a pink rose and our son a red rose for Valentine's Day.

53. Sunshine!  We have been having weeks of gray skies and rain.. sooo soggy here. Yesterday and today have been bright sunshiny days which I am loving!

54. My servants.. LOL!  A friend calls all our modern conveniences her servants.. in reference to the Proverbs 31 woman's servant girls (Prov 31:15).  So far today I have had my dishwasher, washer, and iron serving me.

55. Towels!  As I mentioned earlier we have had lots of rain lately and our poor yard is soggy and has some muddy spots.  The 2 pups who live here are indoor doggies, but go out regularly to do what dogs do outside. They are both low to the ground, which means they come in with wet paws and bellies!  And one of them loves to splash through mud puddles!  So I am very thankful for towels and wash clothes to clean them up (and again for a servant that washes all those towels and wash clothes!).

56. Family times... last night part of our family gathered to celebrate our daughter's 25th birthday. It was not grand affair.. but so wonderful.. we sat around our old kitchen table (been in my husband's family for several generations).. eating homemade lasagna... laughing.. conversing... lingering... it was lovely!

57. "Jean" Dates... My mother's name, my daughter and I all have the same middle name.. Jean. And Lord willing, I will one day have a granddaughter with that middle name. (We really love tradition here!)  The 3 "Jeans" try to have some just us time every now and then.... we got to do that this week with lunch out together. It was a hoot!  Such great memories being made!

58. Hot tea with honey... I love hot tea and I especially love it with honey.. local honey to be exact. And with this weather we have had lately, I have loved it more as it has soothed an itchy throat and help with coughs.

59. Waking up with a song playing in my head... 99% of the time it is a worship song or hymn... and it usually sticks with me all day. Love it!

60. NOT being on a cruise.. LOL!  This week a cruise ship broke down in the Gulf of Mexico and the passengers and crew (4600) were stranded with no power and little plumbing for several days as it was slowly towed to shore.  Far from an ideal situation!  Glad I was home.. on dry ground.. not stuck with a boat load of cranky folks!

Picking up where I left off...

Last year (or maybe even before then!) I started posting blessings. The plan was to post 10 a week. The plan failed. :-(  Life got in the way and I chose other things over blogging.

Well I started reading Ann Voskamp's books One Thousand Gifts recently. In it she talks of making a list of 1000 things that she is thankful for.. I am once again challenged.  And the thing I love about her list (what I have read so far) are that they are often the ordinary things we take for granted each and every day.. a bird, heat in the house, the mess of having children underfoot (my nest is almost empty, so trust me I know that one really is a blessing!)... 

I posted 40 things last year.. so today I am going to pick up where I left off. I like to write (talk with my fingers) so I tend to feel the need to expound on each thing I list. I think that is why I often didn't get around to it.. no time to go into detail.  This year I am not going to worry about that.. the details.. they may come at times, but even if all I can do is list some things.. that will be enough.

Thankfulness keeps me focused on God.. on His being at work in my life and the world around me.. lifts my spirits and encourages me to keep on..

41. Boxes of fabric ready to become quilts to wrap others in a cocoon of love

42. A car pulled through the carport and parked on the patio (yep.. on the patio).. that means the nest isn't quite empty yet. We still have 1 "child" at home for a bit longer.

43. My daughter's tweets which are often quotes... we share a love for good quotes!

44. An over-crowded deep freeze... means there is food to eat for the days to come.

45. Bowl full of my husband's freshly made pimento cheese.. yum!  Also means our child that doesn't live at home will be coming by.. she loves her daddy's 'minter cheese.  :-)

46. Quietness...

47. Watching our 2 furbabies play and wrestle with each other.. especially when Miss Mia gets fired up and starts to bark that sassy little bark of hers!

48. Seeing God at work in a very personal way in the life of someone I love

49. Online Bible Study with new friends (Let It Go study)

50. A clean kitchen... which I will have once I get off the computer! LOL!

Cornbread.... it's what's for supper!

I am a Southern girl through and through.  There are a number of Southern foods that course through my veins.. turnip greens, biscuits with fresh cane syrup, peach cobbler, chicken and dumplings, butter beans,..... the list goes on and on... and you can be sure that cornbread is a big part of it.

I was not a bit fan of cornbread as a kid. Probably because we had it sooo often. It was my mother's go-to bread.  Yeast rolls were a huge treat and came at restaurants or when we had company over and had roast. Biscuits were at least once a week, but I never grew tired of them.. how can you grow tired of biscuits!

I never remember having sliced bread at the table like so many families did. Nope, mother would throw together a pone of cornbread without thinking.. it was the most natural thing for her. I can close my eyes and see her in our little kitchen mixing it all together and later flipping it in the hot cast iron skillet. Pure Magic!

I married a fella who loves cornbread... would eat it every meal I think!  But I never learned to make it, so for the first 10 years or so of our marriage he got Cornbread muffins from Jiffy Mix. He never complained, but I know he relished those meals at Mother's and in restaurants where there was real cornbread.  After 10 years of marriage and the birth of our 2nd child, I came home and our income took a dive. I started learning to cook from scratch.. the way my mother and grandmother's did.  And I fell in love with it and, I might add, took to it like a duck takes to water. I saw unabashedly that I am a good cook.  You need only look at our waistlines to know that!

One of those from scratch things I learned to make was cornbread and with it came a new found love for it. I was no longer a kid bored with it over and over. I will eat it with a regular meal, but I really love it with soups and stews.  Oh my!  Soooo good!

Last night's supper was one of those meals... I discovered a wonderful easy to make soup / stew online this year.. Hobo Stew.  I love a dish where you toss stuff in a pot, let it cook and voila! You have a yummy meal!  And, of course, there had to be cornbread. It goes perfect with this!

Decided to document the process... phone pictures not perfect. I do not have photo worthy lighting in my kitchen... but they work...

I have no recipe (true to many things I cook)... and while I have lovely vintage Pyrex bowls I use for so many things, I always.. always make cornbread in a Pyrex measuring cup. No idea why since I never measure anything when making it. I just do.  I also have plenty of whisks, spoons, spatulas etc but I always mix it with a fork... my mom mixed hers with a fork... it's a family thing.

I have made cornbread for years in a skillet, but when my husband and his sisters were going through their parents estate, they came across cast iron that had belonged to their grandmother. I ended up with a few pieces including a corn bread stick pan. I had one before but the sticks were skinny and shallow and burned easily. This one is perfect!  Just the right size. And it is now seasoned to perfection! So in the batter goes.


And 20 minutes later out it comes...













Let's flip these babies over and see how they look...

        Ready to dip into some stew!

What is that Noise?

A week or so ago, I was outside and I heard a rat-tat-tat. We have several River Birches in our yard that are old and in bad shape. They will probably be coming down in the next year or so, which makes me sad.  A woodpecker had discovered a damaged section and was having a blast.  I even caught a photo of him at work....

The next day, I was walking in the yard ago and was right under the tree when once again I heard his rat-tat-tat.  I looked up and there was the hole he had made earlier and sticking out of it.. his tail!  It was priceless!  That tail was moving in rhythm to his tapping. So much fun to watch. Then one of the pups heard someone speak in another yard and felt the need to make his presence known with a bark.  The tapping stopped and then Mr. Woodpecker popped his head out and looked all around before flying up into the safety of the higher branches.

I tried to get photos and videos, but it just wasn't to be. But I have great memories in my mind of watching a funny bird that day.  As I have started before, I love birds and the Lord has blessed us with many in our yard to entertain and delight us!

Christmastime...

We are not one of those families who put Christmas up Thanksgiving night and take it down at Epiphany.  Nothing wrong with that.. just not our way.  When I was growing up, the tree went up the first day I was out of school for Christmas Break and it went down the last day I was home before returning to school.  My husband's family did much the same except the tree went down on New Year's Eve.  So we have a tradition here of putting it up around the 15th of December and taking it down New Year's Eve.  

This year it went up a bit early... first weekend in December. And it came down early... earlier than I wanted.. Dec. 27.  The boys were ready to have it gone! I got shots of the interior decorations, but not the exterior (which we awesome as usual).  No one forewarned me of the de-Christmassing of the house.  I went to work one morning with twinkle lights all around and came home to boxes ready to be stored away.  

Here is how the inside looked....

A small sampling of the nutcrackers my husband has collected over the years. Our kids gave him Sherlock a year ago with the new SH movie (a fave here) and the mouse king is one of him most special nutcrackers.. a gift from our daughter when she was a preteen. 

I love anything to do with snowmen or snow, so I love this nutcracker. Bought the Believe sign last year after Christmas on sale!  Had forgotten about it, so it was a new treat when we opened the decoration boxes this year.

A couple of shots of our kitchen table decked out for the season. 

One more... shows the view out the bay window... our lovely big ole Magnolia tree.

I also love love love sleigh bells!  Hubby found these last year and bought a ton (OK not a ton, but a whole lot!)  I love how they look in the trifle bowl.

And here is a close up of the plate settings. We were given these plates last year.. hand-me-downs.  Aren't they cute!  I used them for a Ladies Event at church this year.  Very cute!

The dining room table... which is normally sewing central for me.  It gets to dress up and show out during the holidays!

Hubby collects vintage ornaments. Many in the center bowl came from his mom and dad... memories of the Christmas trees of his youth.  The long tear shaped ones are from my great aunt.  

Dining room place setting. Our folks gave us Christmas china for several years when we were first married until we had a complete set including plates and cups for wee ones.  The glass plates on top came from my in-laws. I love the swirled edging on them.. it mirrors the Christmas china.  And the stem ware is nothing fancy... Oneida Chantilly Rose from the 50s. It was my folks "good silver".  I remember pulling out the brown wooden case and setting the table with it when we had special company or a holiday. We have that case now and use it fairly often.  Memories and family are a big deals here!

Piano in dining room.. yep, piano in dining room. We have 3 in the house, so we put them where ever we can find a spot!  This one was my grandmother's.. the first piano I ever played.  

Nativity... same set up as always... cannot imagine it in any other spot in the house.  Sometimes I see newer nicer ones and think how they would look here, but then I think Nope... we have a great one. We bought this one with Christmas money from our in-laws the year I was pregnant with younger child.  Our older one was 3.  So neither one remembers a Christmas without this nativity.  And yes, I know the wisemen were not there that night. I feel certain God is ok with them being with our nativity. Oh.. and the angel always goes on the shelf above.  :-)

Last but not least, the tree. (Notice another piano.. this one was my mom-in-laws pride and joy).  Our tree is not fancy.. not all coordinated and planned. There is an ornament for each of our 2 kids for every Christmas they have been alive.  Those are my absolute favorite ornaments!  Years ago when we had 10 or so, I would say "One day these will fill the tree!"  Well the kids are now 20 and 24... that's a lot of ornaments and they pretty much do fill the tree!  And again.. I LOVE IT!  Every ornament on that tree has a story or memory behind it.  Even the topper, which was a gift from my husband last year. (Isn't it great!)  This tree represents our family... our friends... our lives... Love... Grace... Joy...and that, to me, is what Christmas is all about!

30 Days of Thankful....

During November, I posted a "Thankful" every day on Facebook. Meant to post them here too.  So here they all are together... 30 days of Thankfulness....

Day 1 - God's Word which is more than ink on a page! Hebrews 4:12 tells us it is living and active. I am thankful for it and for the privilege to study it with sweet sisters in Christ.

Day 2... Provision... I am so thankful that God always provides what our family needs. Not necessarily everything we want, but what we need! And honestly, He has provided much of what we want too! AND in this, I pray that He gives me a grateful and content heart! Even the poorest soul in the USA has more than most of the people that live in other countries in our world. We are truly blessed!

Day 3 -- Thankful for an extra hour to sleep tonight! Seriously... I need it!

Day 4 -- Thankful for a Pastor who follows the lead of the Holy Spirit and preaches the Word with courage and boldness.

Day 5 -- Thankful that yet while I was still a sinner, Jesus died for me. (Rom. 5:8) Salvation -- No greater gift!

Day 6 -- Today's Thankful is fairly obvious.. I am thankful for the right, privilege, responsibility, freedom to vote! And for those who made (and are keeping) it possible!

Day 7-- thankful for my church family.... We laugh and cry together... Pray for and encourage each other... Worship together... And much more... We are far from perfect and love each other anyway!

Day 8 -- thankful for all the "Sisters" God has placed in my life over the years. I am an only girl in a family of boys. But throughout my life God has given me just the right sister-friends at just the right time!

Day 9 -- Today I am thankful for my neighbors. We have lived in this house for 21 1/2 years and have great neighbors! Some have changed over the years, but many have stayed the same. Our neighborhood is a great family place.. you will find folks walking, biking, kids laughing and playing all around Huntcliff. I thank the Lord for leading us here in 1991!

Day 10 --thankful for Clinton, MS. I remember Bill and I driving into Clinton for the first time as we were trying to decide where to live in the Metro area. We knew instantly this was home and it has been for 26 years. Clinton is a close-knit family-oriented community....a great place to raise kids...a great place to live!

Day 11 --on this Veteran's Day, I am thankful for those who have served like my Grandfather in WW1 & my dad and father-in-law in WW2.. And for those serving now, like my nephew, Collier, my favorite Marine! We benefit every day because of their service and sacrifice.

Day 12 -- Thankful for my good health. Something I think I take for granted. Had my annual physical exam today. 50 and fabulous! All my numbers were great... Bill and the kids are stuck with me a bit longer (Lord willing!)

Day 13 -- I was going to save being Thankful for my sweet William to the last day of November... saving the best for last.. but cannot wait that long! So thankful for this wonderful man the Lord sent my way. I am having a rough day today and he is all about making it better! He has always been great to help around the house and with the kids and never once complained.... he worked for years in a stressful job situation to provide for his family (And PTL God provided a change this summer to something sooo much better!)... he was 100% behind my decision to stay home with the kids and later to homeschool... and he understands my role in caring for an elderly parent these days. He often has to take last place with my time and attention, but doesn't fuss and is always there waiting for me. He loves the Lord and often amazes me with wisdom that can only come from listening to God. He loves our kids passionately and is there for them no matter what, when or why. And he puts up with the wild weiner dogs! LOL! He will always be my knight in shining armor...

Day 14 -- I am thankful for my daughter, Katherine Campbell... she is my precious firstborn... my favorite daughter! LOL! The best Valentine's present I ever got! We have had and continue to have lots of fun momma / daughter times .. we have been blessed to have never really had a season in life where we didn't speak (as moms and daughters often do)... She was born with a heart full of love and compassion and caring... a strong sense of right and wrong and a passion for justice... and she fell in love with Jesus at an early age and has been growing in her relationship with Him ever sense. She knows the value of chocolate, a good book, long hot baths and pedicures! She can be a tad bit stubborn (that is the "Jean" in her) but she is also fiercely loyal and sticks by her friends no matter what. From day 1 folks have told us how beautiful she is.. and they are right.. her smile is magical! but her beauty goes far beyond what the eye can see... She is managing a job and grad school and living with my mom! No doubt she can handle anything that comes her way! I love you, Kay-Doodle! You are my heart!

Day 15 -- Thankful for my "baby" boy... Luke Campbell My sunshine... no one can boost my spirits or make me laugh the way Luke can. He came into this world "singing" loud and arms flailing (I think he was looking for a guitar to play) and hasn't slowed down since! Anyone who knows me knows he is my favorite musician / worship leader. I could listen to him sing and play music forever. But he is more than a big bundle of musical talent. He has a sharp wit.. a keen mind for business.. and the depth of his faith blows me away. He is the worshipper described in John 4:23-24... and he is a Man after God's on heart. What more could a mom wish for! The boy seems to be able to do anything he sets his mind too... very much a renaissance man. And while he is so like his mother in personality, he has his dad's sense of leadership, integrity, work ethic and protectiveness over those he loves. If my Daddy were still here, he would say "He's a fine boy." And he is!

Day 16 -- I am thankful that as a believer I can come boldly before the throne of God and laydown my burdens, as well as those I carry for others. (Heb 4:16. Gal. 6:2). This week has been one of need after need after need.. a friend's mom was hospitalized for heart issues and while there the friend's husband lost his job and his sister died... the tragic wreck in Crystal Springs that claimed the lives of 3 children and their great-grandmother... the men killed in the plane crash in Jackson... the issues in Israel... a friend's grandchild is ill and the doctors cannot figure out what is wrong.. people in the hospital with pneumonia, cancer and other health issues.. financial stress.. marital problems... on and on and on... it can seem overwhelming BUT GOD... those are 2 of the best Words in the Bible.. BUT GOD is Sovereign in everything and He does not call me or you to carry these burdens alone... in fact, He tells us to GIVE them to Him.. (Matt 11:28, 1 Peter 5:7). Thank You, Father! The load is too heavy for my feeble shoulders to bear.

Day 17 -- Thankful for food... seriously... I am not talking about loving to eat, I am thankful that we have food in the pantry, fridge, freezer etc. That we have the money to go to the store and purchase what we need (and what we want). Hunger is epidemic in this world.. and the US is not immune. So many go to bed each night with empty bellies and no assurance of a meal when they wake up. Our church has a food pantry (that needs to be filled!), as do other churches and ministries.. there are soup kitchens and shelters that provide meals to homeless... please, please take the time to give to these.. send $, take food, give of your time to serve others. Let God bless someone through you and I promise you will be blessed too! “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat..." Matt. 25:34-35

Day 18 -- Thankful to see God at work in the "younger" generation. So often I hear folks talking about the problems with the youth today.. and I admit there are problems just as there have always been. But there are good "kids" out there.... God is raising up a generation that, I feel, is like no other. I see high school, college age and young adults on fire for the Lord....seeking Him... digging into the Word and really looking to see HOW to live it out. I challenge you to take time to talk with the "younger" generation.. you just might be surprised at what you find there.

Day 19 -- Today's Thankful is focused on material blessings.. specifically our cars! Here's the deal.. in 30 years of marriage Bill and I have purchased 9 cars (we drive them til they die!) .. that includes 1 for each of our 2 kids and 7 for Bill and I. The first 2 had car notes but since 1989 we have not had a note! And since 1992 we have lived on 1 income. God has kept vehicles going and provided the funds to purchase "new" (new to us) ones when He deemed it time. He blows me away with His provision! And when I would have those moments of feeling sorry for myself because I didn't have a newer vehicle.. or a cute one ... or come such silliness, I remembered that we each have a car that is paid for... no sharing... We act like it is a necessity, but it isn't.. it is a luxury.. one I often take for granted.

Day 20 -- Thankful for the beauty of nature. God has given us so much to enjoy with our senses. The colors of fall leaves ... Spring flowers... Green grass of summer.. A crisp blue winter sky.. The sounds of birds, crickets, even frogs.... The smell of a soft spring rain, gardenias and sweet olive in bloom... The taste of honeysuckle (I remember plucking them fresh off the vine at my grandmother's)....the feel of clover under bare feet... Wind on your face... I love God's beautiful creation!

Day 21 -- thankful that death is not the end for a Believer... "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants."(Psalm 116:15 NIV) I rejoice knowing that Bill Gambill is standing before The Lord whole and healed. And while my heart aches for his sweet Frances, I rejoice in the assurance that she is being held and comforted by her Lord.

Day 22 -- Thankful for the freedoms we have in this country... I am well aware of the changes in recent years.. the threats to our freedoms.. but as of today, we can still worship openly.... speak our mind... share Jesus... and so much more. Don't take these freedoms for granted....

Day 23 - Thankful today that I come from a family with a legacy of marriage and married a man who has the same. My folks were married 46 years.. their folks 49 and 58... Bill's folks 54.. his grandparents.. ready for this? 71 years! We are aiming to break that record! Today, we are going to celebrate my uncle and aunt's 50th wedding anniversary. In an age where divorce is more and more the norm, it is wonderful to have examples of folks not just being in love but being committed to staying together and having the Lord at the center of their marriage.

Day 24 -- in my drug induced state, I forgot to post a Thankful yesterday... Will go with an easy and obvious one... I am Thankful my Rebs won the Egg Bowl! Hotly Toddy!!!

Day 25 -- Thankful for the "Pauls" in my life... Those women who have shared wisdom and their love for The Lord and His Word with me. My mom and my grandmothers definitely fall into this group... As do others like Jinnie Boyd, Mot Lyons, Gale Jones and Lois Walker Breneman. I share things I learned from these ladies often! Thankful for each one!

Day 26 -- Thankful for Internet Shopping and Cyber Monday deals... I am not a big fan of shopping, so this is the way to go for me! But I do spread some $$$ locally too... I like finding unique .. quirky.. special gifts in little local shops. AND I am thankful that our family doesn't go crazy with gifts.. that my kids know there is a lot more to Christmas than presents under the tree (and the debt that often comes with them!)

Day 27 --- thankful for books and the ability to read. I really cannot remember when I could not read. Memorized and repeated stories my mom read to me or from my record player. Had those read along books... Mom said I would read them to my dolls and at end of each page I would say"turn the page" just like it said on the record! I was reading on my own at 4... Devoured books.. Still do. A total bookworm. And I love it! Fiction.. Non-fiction.. And most of all the Word! Parents, turn off tv, take a break from computer, Video games, iPad etc. and read to your kids! Teach them the value of reading... Expanding your mind... Being still and quiet and soaking up knowledge... Letting go of cares of the world and escaping into a great story! Books are magical!

Day 28 -- Yep, got busy and forgot to post yesterday! Thankful for the busyness in my life ... most days! LOL I love that my life is full... From my kids(who still need Mom even though they are grown) to my mother who requires more of my time these days... To ministry / church activity....taking care of my hubby and home... And other things that take up my time... I complain at times of being too busy, but I would hate to have nothing to do... No purpose... No one needing me... No call on my life. The key (and I don't always do this well) is balance. Learning to say no.. Stop and rest.. Relax... Think that will be a goal for 2013... Balance!

Day 29 -- Thankful for music. I grew up in a family of music lovers with varied tastes... So I tend to be very eclectic musically. My dad sang me to sleep with Patsy Cline and Hank Williams... Clarence would play Otis Redding and Ike and Tina as he drove me to school... Dan serenaded me with Simon and Garfunkel's Scarborough Fare, Alyson introduced me to America and Mother sang hymns and a funny wake-up song she made up. I grew up with Michael Jackson, Dan Fogelberg, the Comadores, Pink Floyd, Queen, Carly Simon, JT, and so many more! Love the old big band singers and rat pack! Some of my best memories were singing in the gym at Trinity at Christmas. Mrs. Parker was in center pounding out carols on the grand piano as we sang. I still revert to Latin when I hear "O Come all ye Faithful." My Mama Daisy set me in front of her piano when I was a tot and announced I would play one day! I married a musical fella and our home has been filled with song ever since. And one of my absolute favorite ways to worship is through music. Music.. One of life's greatest pleasures... No doubt a precious gift from The Lord.

Day 30 -- I am thankful for life.. the one God has given me and the one to come at death. The Word makes it clear that I am not an accident... God knit me together in my mother's womb (Ps 139) .. He has a plan for me (Jer 29:11).. and He has good works prepared for me to do from before the beginning of time (Eph 2:10)... I have had valleys and mountaintops and everything inbetween, but I have never once been alone (Heb 13:5)... I have been blessed in ways I never even imagined to ask... and the really cool thing is I know without a shadow of a doubt that once I leave this earth, my life will not end... in fact, my true life... one that is perfect.. no pain, no sorrow.. all mountaintop.. will begin and it will last forever! If you do not have that certainty.. you can. It is really very simple and straightforward. If you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and confess with your mouth God raised Him from the dead, you WILL be saved. (Rom 10:9-10). You do not have to clean up your act... get yourself together... say magic words.. do good deeds to earn it... nope.. Free Gift! (Eph 2:8-9) Yours for the taking! If anyone here wants / needs to know more, please message me. I would love to talk with you.. pray for you... I am hoping for a HUGE reunion in Heaven one day with friends from all walks of my life... will you be there?