It's Been Awhile.....

Its been months since I have last posted and so much has happened I am not sure were to begin. So in a short and sweet way here is what has happened to the Leeper Family of Five in the past few months:
-My BFF is prego for the third time
-Her sister n law is Oregon for the second time
-Jordan got her drivers license (make sure you get off the rode)
-school started...Christian is in the third grade,Reagan is now in Middle School and Jordan started her Junior year
-The company Jimmy and I work for is opening another dealership on the East Coast so the hubs has been out of town a lot
-Christian started playing ball at Northwest Rankin
-My very dear friend has been diagnosed with breast cancer :(
-I have realized how important family and friends are
-I had to have my gallbladder removed
-Our labs ran away so now we have a new puppy

In a nutshell this was our life the last couple if months.

Baseballer's Prayer

I stole this from one of the dad's from our team, Corey Wolfe, and it's just so awesome that I had to share!!! Thanks Corey for capturing this picture!!

God grant me wisdom,
to tell a strike from a ball,
to know where to throw
and never to fall. Keep me always in the base line,
running straight and true
and I'll look for your sign,
to stretch one into two.
God give me vision,
to see every pitch,
so if a player needs help,
then I will see which.
Let me always hustle,
so I'll be at my best
and take pride in myself,
in sports and the rest.
God be my strength,
when I throw the ball
when I'm far from home plate,
or against a wall.
So I never miss a base,
please guide my feet,
bring me home safely,
so my job is complete.
When I help younger players,
let me always give praise,
so they'll see you in me,
in all of my ways.
God please guide our coach,
to be fair and smart,
to teach us to be good,
let it come from his heart.
Let me take a loss,
just as well as a win,
to do any less,
is surely a sin.
As long as I can play,
let me make my parents proud,
as proud as I am,
when they yell MY name out loud.
However my games end,
let me always have fun
and if Heaven has All Stars,
I want to be one.
When my games here are over
and my seasons are done,
let me play on your team.
just like your son.
Amen.



Old Waverly Golf Course West Point, MS

This past week I have been in West Point, MS for Warranty training on Paccar Engines..........The owner of Peterbilt Truck Centers (my place of employment) let us stay in his lodge on the golf course.  Here are a few pictures of the lodge.



HCS Field Day 2011

On May 6th Christian participated in his very FIRST Field Day EVER, boy did he

and his friends have FUN!!!



Parenting

No one said parenting would be easy but I sure do wish someone would have told me about the times that will make your heartache.  For the past month or so my 8 year, who is normally a really good kid, has decided he was going to get this attitude like he runs the house.  I let it go and just brushed it to the side for the first week because I thought well if I just ignore it he will stop.  Boy was I WRONG, it has just gotten worse.  Last night we were at the ball fields (our second home) and Christian was wanting to go to a friends house, I told him no because it was a school night. Well he came back at me with an attitude from hell.  Of course it was embarrassing because here we are out in public and my 8 year is attempting to tell me what he is and isn't going to do........straight to the car we went.  On the ride home I asked him what his problem was and proceed to tell him that the attitude he has been getting was ending right there and now.  My response from Christian was "Mom I'm really sorry, I don't know why I act this way, the devil must have a hold of me." My heart began to break, that is not something that a mother wants to hear.  I felt like a complete failure.....not only have a failed my son but I have failed our God because here my 8 year old is telling me that he has the devil is inside of him.  At that moment in my heart I prayed to God that this would change, I asked for God to show me the correct way to rear my child, the way to Him.  All I could say to Christian was WE need to start praying more, actually I really didn't know what else to say for once my tongue was tied.
Me being me it's hard to ask for advice but here I am asking for some tips on not only how to control my sons fierce attitude but how do I get him to feel like the devil doesn't have control of him??

Art Work

Some of Christian's artwork that he did for school.............

This one is my favorite!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2 John 1

 ¹ The elder,
   To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— ² because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:
 ³ Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.
 ⁴ It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. ⁵ And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. ⁶ And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

 ⁷ I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸ Watch out that you do not lose what we^[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. ⁹ Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. ¹¹ Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.

 ¹² I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
 ¹³ The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.

Service yesterday at church was wonderful, I wish Christian would have been sitting with us to hear this message and this is something that as a mother I am going to continue to work on since my child looks up to me.  Verse 4 stands out to me stating....."It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us."  I want more than anything not only with Christian but with the girls is that people can be around them and see and feel the love for Christ they have, and see them as good Christian children.  Being a new Christian I am still learning myself so it's extremely hard for me to teach Christian and the girls the right way to follow God.  In my heart I feel I am doing the best that I can but sometimes that is not enough, we all make mistakes.  So from here forward I am going to step up my game so my children KNOW how about God and how to act as a Christian.  I want them to know that EVERYONE makes mistakes and commits sin but we have to ask for forgiveness when we do and try our best not to do it again.  The Second Beatitude states....Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  as a Christian we should mourn because we have realized that we sinned against God and brought dishonor to his name.  Like in the prodigal son story in Luke 20 where the young man comes back home after living a life of sin and tells his father, "Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am not worthy to be called your son. Just make me a servant of yours at the lowest rank, for I need to be comforted. Save me, for I am lost."  I want my children to realize like the young man did that they too are lost and that it is better to live with Christ in your heart.  I hope and pray that God and show me the right way to raise my children.  What better day than Mother's Day for this to really hit home with me!

Central Mississippi ORANGE CRUSH

I am proud to announce that Central Mississippi Orange Crush is now a TEAM!!! Jimmy and I are looking forward to spending our summer with these boys and their parents!! We truly believe that we are going to be a great team and we will go far in this journey! There are some awesome select ball teams out there but I think we can take them..............(a few pictures from our first practice, pictures by Howard Sanders)

1st Team Picture

Christian

 Payton

Parker

 Carson

 Mason

 Ty

 Joshua

 Mason

 Cade

 Gage

Tyler

Let's hope the boys don't get this "look" to many times!!! ha ha

Just a test.......

Seeing if this blogger mobile really works, just found the app on my phone! Ha

True meaning of Easter

As I am preparing myself, my heart and my soul this week for Easter my co-workers were talking about what their children and grand children's Easter baskets were going to consist of.  I politely interrupted and said, "We don't do Easter baskets."  One co-worker looked at me in like I was crazy, she just couldn't fathom that I wasn't doing anything for my children for Easter.  Later that afternoon she approached me and asked, "Explain to me why you don't do Easter baskets?"  I simply explained that Christian holidays like Easter and Christmas are getting way to out of hand and everyone is missing the TRUE meaning.  Once again I received a look like I was in the wrong.  I thought to myself..........Am I the crazy one?? Should I be going all out for my child?? Then it hit "Nope Brande you are not."  Now don't get me wrong I have in the past.....done the whole dying eggs and big candy filled baskets thing, but in my heart I feel that I do not have to go along with society and waste money on eggs, dye, or candy that my children will have nothing to do with once it's said and done.  I need to be teaching them the TRUE meaning of Easter, so this week I will be reading the Easter story to my 8 year old, both he and I will be attending our churches Living Lord Supper and I will be watching The Passion of Christ (hope I can handle it).  As a parent it is my responsibility to show my children the right way and the wrong way, it's my responsibility to show them how to live the Christian life and to love God with all their heart and all their soul.  I pray to God that I am leading them in the right direction and that one day, when the time is right, that they too will open their hearts to Jesus. 

John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Romans 1:4-5
And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit.  Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...

On Easter Sunday we are to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Jesus paid the penalty for our sins in return gave all who believe in Him, eternal life in Christ Jesus. 
THIS IS WHAT I WILL BE TEACHING MY CHILDREN!!!

The things I love.....

I'm excited about my blogs new face lift!!! I love it, since I am talking about love here are a few things that make me me and somethings that I absolutely love................

• God
• being a mommie
• taking pictures
• dirt track racing
• my little man
• the girls
• spring flowers
• little man's baseball games
• four wheel riding
• the mountains
• the hubby
• summer rain
• rainbows
• kisses and hugs
• my friends
• my momma
• road trips
• the four legged kiddos
• fireworks
• auburn football
• boating
• falling leaves
• mascara
• being romanced
• falling in love
• smell of fresh cut grass
• the beach
• the sound of crisp leaves crunching under my feet
• the little brother
• white Christmas's
• snow angels
• the color pink....green....and brown
• learning new things
• shoe shopping
• Christmas time
• my grandma
• the inlaws

Encouraging Words

James 1:3-4.....Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Romans 8:28........And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.



Baseball

Baseball is back in full swing and we are LOVING every bit of it...........

The season started this past Saturday, since Jimmy is on the Forest Hill Youth Club Board

we were at the ball field by 815am (Christian's game was at 1pm)

that's call dedication, ha!!!  Got to watch the BFF's daughter, Hailey Grace, play

and they did so well!! She's Little Miss Softball! They won 18-17!

Then on to Christian's game.........

We started going strong then the other team came back at us strong.

We ended up playing 7 innings and won by 1 run, 19-18!!

We have A LOT of good players this year, it's going to be a GREAT season!!!!

Yes we know the pants our LOUD.........

He Still Moves Stones

I just got done reading He Still Moves Stones by Max Lucado......WOW what a wonderful book!! I truly enjoyed reading this, I recommend it to anyone especially if you are trying to get through a rough season in you life.  I like most people struggle with things from everyday life to being a stepmom to a teenage daughter.  My BFF (who doesn't read) recommended this book to me and of course I LOVE anything Max Lucado writes so I purchased it on my Kindle and that's where it will stay forever, if I ever need it again (and I'm sure I will) it will be right there waiting on me!!

This is what I have learned or just hit home while reading this wonderful book (some are quoted directly from the book):

• Our God is the friend of wounded heart, He is a God who is the keeper of your dreams.
• God has left us a message on the cross with His blood. His message is: NOT GUILTY....I also don't judge you guilty John 8:11
• The world will break you off and snuff you out but God won't.
• A cloud of self-pity blocks the view.
• Since I am a child of God NO ONE will take away my sonship.
• My relationship with God is more important than what I don't have.
• Wise are we if we rise above our hurts.
• I don't want to miss the party because I am hurt or bitter.
• "As long as you think you can control people's behavior toward you, you are held in bondage by their opinions. If you think you can control their opinion and there opinion isn't positive, then gues who you have to blame? Yourself."
• Let God give you what your family doesn't.
• Let God fill the void.
• Rely on Him for your encouragement.
• "You are God's child, and God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child" Gal 4:7 with emphasis added
• It's one thing to accept him as Lord, another to recognize him as Savior but it's another matter to accept him as Father........
• I have accepted him as Lord, I know him as our Savior but I have not made it to accepting him as Father but working really hard on this and doing a lot of praying.
• My place at God's table is permanent.
• My family's approval is not necessary for my happiness.
• I cannot quit, if I do I may miss the answer to my prayers. 
• "God still sends angels and God still moves stones."
• Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you be innocent and without any wrong. Philippians 2:14-15

Literally the list could go on for days, I have really opened my eyes from reading this book, I don't want to be blind nor do I want to miss out on the party!

Baseball is in full Swing.........

Baseball draft is FINALLY over and it's now that time of year that our

house eats, sleeps and breathe baseball.

Except the girls have decided not to play softball, which came as a big shock to the both of us.

Christian is going on his 3rd year @ Forest Hill Youth Club playing

in Farm League.  He loves it and we love it!!!

Jimmy has decided to be a head coach and be on the board of directors

at Forest Hill........WOW is all I have to say!!

For the first time since Christian started playing ball (age 3) I'm tired of hearing about ball ALREADY!!!

But what do you do when you're the coaches wife..........You get knee deep in it as well.

We had our "official" parent's meeting last night and guess who along with our

asst. coach had to conduct it.........yours truly!!!

I must say it was a success and I'm really looking forward to the season we have in store for us!!!

I believe we will have a great team with great support from the parents.

I do have to give a BIG THANK YOU to Wynndale Steakhouse for stepping up and being our team sponsor!!!! Thanks Scott & Deanne and all of Wynndale Steakhouse.

So for the sake of ball season starting up here are a few pictures from last year and Allstars!!!