Welcome!

George Payton Guenther

7lbs 2 oz 19"

July 1, 2010

Wonderful Parents: Jerry and Kerry Guenther

Excited Grandparents: Rick and Cindy Ford

Loving Aunt: Ashely Ford

Rain

Happy Mother's Day

5-8-2010

2 Corinthains 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

God's Perfect Timing

I will have to explain this picture a little bit, so that you don't worry and think this was us, but it could have been, that's why I'm so thankful for God's perfect timing.

We started out on our trip to Stone Mountain GA to snow tubing on Friday afternoon and we had rented two movies for the kids to watch from RedBox. Just as soon as we put the movies in the yelling started, "push play", "push stop", "go forward"...Travis and I quickly realized that something was wrong the the DVD player and we decided to pull over at a gas station and try to fix it. We're only about 20 miles from home at this point. Just as soon as Travis put the car into park, we both heard a crash behind us and we turned around and saw a Kia flipping and flipped three times before it landed on all four wheels. Travis gave me his phone and told me to call 911 as he went running towards the vehicle. Another man was got to the Kia as soon as Travis did. The man driving the Kia was bleeding, but was talking to them and was able to call his wife The young boy who hit the Kia was also find.

The first evidence as to God's perfect timing was an ambulance was passing by on the other side of the road and the accident happened right in front of it and they were able to turn around and be on the scene in seconds. As the kids and I sat in the van we prayed and thanked God for the ambulance driving by. We thanked Him that the DVD player had stopped working so that we could be there to help. We thanked Him that the DVD player didn't started working again right away or we might have been pulling out onto the road at the same time the accident was happening. We thanked Him that our trip was being delayed, we were going to miss Atlanta traffic at rush hour and He could have been protecting us from another accident down the road. We thanked Him for our Daddy who was willing to run help not knowing what he was going to see when he got to the vehicle. We thanked Him that His timing was perfect!!!

No Game Week 3

We didn't get to have our soccer game this past Saturday because of all of the rain on Friday. The girl's were a little disappointed, but I would not be telling the truth if I said that Travis and I didn't enjoy the morning at home.

On Saturday night we were able to go back to the first first church we served in, Southside Baptist in Gaffney. It was great to go back and see so many familiar faces and yet great to see new faces too (that means there has been growth!). Travis and I were able to sing with some dear friends again and both he and I were able to sing in a combined choir of new and old choir members. There are so many sweet memories from that time in our lives - we thank God for them!

So that's about it from The Sparks Family, but don't let that fool you - we are busy, busy, busy. I turned my calendar over this morning and was a little overwhelmed with the month ahead, but I know God will see us through. Happy October!

They Are Coming!

I learned something last week - you can not wash and dry a memory card reader and expect it to work the next day.

So, that is why I can't show you any pictures from the first day of school yesterday.

It was a good day. We began our drop-off's at 7:00am and then once the kids were all at school Travis and I had breakfast together and spent the day together. It's a tradition that I hope can continue every year.

Our round of pick-ups began at 1:30 and ended 3:30 - I have the funniest picture of Seth that really shows how we all felt by the time Bubba was getting into the car; come back Friday for that.

And to top it off - Samuel had his first football practice last night. The girls enjoyed playing on the playground, but Samuel had a pretty rough practice to start with. The summer of relaxing has now caught up with him.

I have to tell you I had some moments of tears yesterday, but none more special than last night. Samuel was having trouble finishing his lap around the field and was about to and wanting to give up. His Daddy, my wonderful husband, got on the field with him and ran/walked along side him until they both finished. Oh my goodness did the tears start to fall. I am so thankful that God has given me a husband who is such a wonderful Daddy.

Well, I did not intend for this post to be this long. But, I do promise, the pictures are coming!

Popsicle Praise

We finished up Vacation Bible School last night at church. We had a great week-end, but I am glad to have some down time.

After the Thornley Girls visited with us a few weeks ago, Travis and I decided that for a Family Mission Project for the summer we would send a care package to Andy. When I asked Leigh about it, she told me a few thing and then told me of a great need for phone cards for Andy to give out to solders who come into his office who are down and need to call home. So, I talked with some folks at church and during VBS this week all the money that was given was to be used to buy phone cards to send with the care package. We called it Operation Popsicle, because one of the things Andy is doing to taking Popsicles to the men and women out in the desert while sharing the love and salvation of Christ with them.

A little phrase that Andy and Leigh taught us to use in VBS is Bible, Buddy and Buck; each child was asked to bring their Bible, a Buddy, and a Buck (or any money) to VBS each night. We set a goal of $200 for the week and promised the kids they each would get a Popsicle at the end of week if we met our goal. Praise the Lord - our goal was met and we went over it by about $100! They kids gave around $300,which will get between 50 - 60 and phone cards to send to him. I cry as I type this at what he Lord has done and will do and how wonderful a church He has given us to get behind a ministry that they just learned about through us.

So today instead of Friday Family Funny - I am Prasin' The Lord for Popsicles!

Here are my three silly kids as they enjoy their Popsicles.

Friday Family Blessings

Travis and I both said that this morning instead of our Friday Family Funny we need to give praise and glory to our Lord for the blessings he has given us over the past couple of days.

Tuesday night at Upward we were given order forms for pictures that will be taken tomorrow. This week is what we call a "non-pay week" which means that I only got paid this week and I wasn't sure how we were going to afford pictures for three kids on Saturday. Travis called Wednesday morning and said, "The Lord is good, He has provided our yearly bonus this morning and I wanted to let you know so you wouldn't worry about the pictures on Saturday." So that was our first blessing.

With that bonus we were also able to get a new living room suit - that was much needed. We are all very excited about new couch and love seat!

I will tell you a funny story about putting the couch together. Once the couch was delievered, Travis had to go back to work for a meeting and I was left with the old couch in the garage and the new set on it's side, without feet, in the living room. So, I decided, I could put the feet on - my Dad and Step-Dad are both very "handy men" and I was by their sides growing up. I was using the electric screwdriver to put the screws in each of the feet. After I put the first screw in, with a big smile on his face Samuel said - "Mommy you are your Daddy's daughter - you can use tools!"

So, we are very thankful for our new couch and loveseat and tables!

Our second and third blessings came this morning.

One of the tires on the van has seemed to be slowly leaking during the week, but we couldn't fine anything in the tire, so we just kept putting air in it and checking it. On the way out the door this morning, Samuel informed me that he needed make-up sponges for drama class today and we were rushing out the door and yep - a flat tire on the van. We jumped in the car - which had NO gas - and headed to the store to get make-up sponges and a gas card. As we were heading back to the car, a van stopped to let us cross the parking lot. In that van was our neighbors (we pick each other's kids up sometimes). I asked her if she could take Samuel to school and told her that the Lord has sent her our way.

As I was heading back to the house, Travis was pulling out of the neighborhood to see if the tire store up the road was open yet. I followed him to the tire store to find that they didn't open until 9am - it was 7:30am. We were getting ready to put fix-a-flat in the tire and what did the Lord send? He sent a man who works at the store who was coming in early! Praise the Lord!

By this time we had found a screw in the tire. He was able to patch the tire right then and only charged us $10.

So today we are thanking God for the blessings He has sent our way in the forms of meeting financial needs, neighbors and a man at a tire store!

The Lord Has Done Great Things!

I am doing Beth Moore's new Bible Study, Stepping Up, and last week we studied Psalm 126; verse 3 says, "The Lord had done great things for us; we were joyful" (HCSB). The Message says, "God was wonderful to us; we are one happy people."

We were asked to share something wonderful and great things that God has done for us. I want to take this chance to share something great and wonderful that God did for us this past week-end.

You know that we have been attending New Prospect Baptist Chruch and have been able to jump right into the ministries there and are kids are enjoying Awana and Sunday School and we are able to play Upward there.

This past Friday evening, we had the music minister, his wife and their three kids over for supper. From the very beginning we all "hit it off". Their oldest son is 10 years old (the same as Samuel) and they have twin boys that are four. Samuel and their oldest son have become great friends and our girls love playing with their twins.

After supper Samuel and Micheal went into Samuel's room and we didn't know they were in the house and we were graced by a "show" by the other four kids. As we sat and watch them I was "one happy person". I have great childhood memories of Steven, Miranda, Amy, Laura, Kendra, Tara and I putting on shows for our parents - we charged them a penny each to come. I have desired that for my children. It was a great night and I praise God that He led us to a church where our children are happy and have such great fun and friends.