I REALLY AM IT!!!

I got tagged by Shana.....

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

10 years ago I:
1. Was 30 years old (where did the time go?)
2. Had been married 5 years
3. Was skinny too Shana :-)
4. Got my dog Nipper for Christmas
5. Thought 40 was old (not anymore!)

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1. Go to work
2. Feed and walk Nipper
3. Get groceries
4. Iron clothes for tomorrow
5. Update my blog

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Ice Cream
2. Chips with ranch dip
3. Cereal
4. Chocolate (anything)
5. Cookies

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Pay off my house
2. Buy a beach house
3. Pay off my parents houses
4. Pay on the building fund at EMC
5. Travel a lot

5 places I have lived:
1. Dalton, GA
2. Stone Mountain, GA
3. Vinings, GA
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Rocky Face, GA

5 jobs I have had:
1. Vet assistant at Dalton Animal Care - I was 12
2. Sales clerk at Baskin Robbins
3. Sales clerk at Proffitt's
4. Customer Service Rep at World Carpet
5. Customer Service Rep at Oriental Weavers


The rules say I have to tag 5 people.
So I'll tag:
1. Marilyn
2. Cyndi R.
3. Tamara
4. Brandi
5. Jennifer

CASTING CROWNS

Last Saturday night we went to see Casting Crowns at the world famous Dalton Trade Center. I know, I, too, was amazed that we could get tickets to this most famous place...but we did.

We had a total of 27 (I think that is right) from EMC attend the concert. Several from the youth, the 30's & 40's...and a couple of those rocking 50's. It was great fun. Several of us met early for dinner at Chili's....it was great but they are soooooo slow. Then we headed over and got in the big long line. The doors were to open at 6:00 with the show starting at 7:00. We were in line by about 5:15 and it was already long. Thankfully, they decided to open the doors a little early and we were able to go in around 5:45. We had general admission tickets so we all rushed to the front to get seats. We ended up in about the 12th & 13th rows I think. We had really great seats. The ushers did get onto us several times about saving seats....but in the end we all ended up together on these two rows. (We only made about 6 people feel so guilty for sitting in our row and taking up our seats that they moved.... 6 out of 3000 to 4000 people is not bad is it???) Oh well, we just like to be together don't we guys?

The warm-up band was a group called Four Days Late ( we had several ideas about what this name meant and some were not good....haha). They are friends of Eric & Angie's from college. They were great! And they are a true rock band.....LOUD!!!! But we really liked them a lot. We are hopeful that since J103 sponsored the concert that they will start playing some of their music. Request them if you think of it.

Then after a break it was time for Casting Crowns. What can I say except they were awesome and we love their music. They put on a great show. Everyone had to stand up and sing along. It was so good to see so many people of all ages supporting Christian music.

We all had a great time. It was good to see great show and hang out with our friends. Below are some of the pictures from our evening out.


The long line

Lacey nursing Laura who got stung by a bee

Waiting for the show

Sarah & Keith

Keith & Tamara

Marisa & Jon

Marilyn & Kurt

Jennifer & Wade

Four Days Late

They were sooooo loud!!!

He was jammin'

Watching the show

Casting Crowns

Praising God

She was good!!!

Love the words in the background

They Rock!!!

We had a rockin' good time and were home by 10:00. Don't you just love small town America?

Tammy

FEAR - UPDATE

Update: I took Nipper back to the vet last Friday. He had finished up his meds on Thursday. Our vet, Dr. Moore, checked the place on Nipper's face and said that it was not as hard as it had been before. He wanted us to stop the ointment and watch the place and see what happens over the next several days. If the place begins to get red or infected looking or begins to swell up we have to start the ointment again. He did say that since it had gone down some and was not hard like before that he still believes it is a gland problem. That is much better than him thinking it is a tumor or cancer any day!!!!

It's been 4 days since Nipper has had any ointment or medication. He is doing well. The place does not appear to have gone down any more than before...but I am wondering if it may have always been as big as it is right now but covered with hair. He has always had a big brow above his eyes...and this place is right where his eyebrow is...I think. It's hard to tell since only one side of his face is shaved. I guess I will just have to wait and see how it looks once the hair grows completely back in. He seems to be feeling good and he has not been limping since we started the ointment 2 1/2 weeks ago. The place on his face is pink and does turn red occasionally...but usually when he is up running around...so I think that is just the blood flowing into his brow.

I am hopeful that he is fine. I will be watching his every move until I know for sure.

Thank you for praying for Nipper and for me and for asking about him. Most of you know how in love with Nipper I am and I appreciate you sharing my concern for my little guy. You are my true friends and I know I can can share my heart with you anytime. I will keep you updated as we go along.

I love you guys,

Tammy


Are you ever afraid? I don't mean just a little bit afraid....I mean mind numbing, life consuming fear? Do you ever have a problem with trust? Do you ever doubt that God can or will do the right thing by you?

That is where I have lived my life for the last three weeks.

Nipper has a place that has come up on his forehead that our vet has been treating for three weeks. They are not sure at this point what the problem is. They seem to think that it may be a gland but it has also been mentioned that is could be a tumor or cancer. It looks like a big red knot right against his left eye. He was also limping on his left front foot. Our vet Dr. Moore said that if this is a gland it could be what is causing the limping since it is on the same side.

They put him on a two week course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and they did not seem to help much at all. As you might imagine during these two weeks I was consumed with worry about Nipper. My mind ran the whole gambit of thinking ...what if this is something more serious than a gland? What if this is a tumor? What if this is cancer? And the very worst thing of all...What if this is what takes Nipper from my life? It was consuming to my whole thought pattern every single moment.

During this time I poured my heart out to God every waking moment. And God in is graciousness reminded me over and over of all the times that he had protected and healed Nipper. There have been many times that Nipper has been sick with dangerous things. There have been many times that he has done crazy things that could have killed him. During every single thing God has protected him and allowed him to be healed. He has given us wonderful doctors and staff who have treated and taken care of Nipper when he was in need. He has over and over been Nippers healer.

During this time my precious Father constantly brought calming scripture into my mind when I was afraid. He even brought the song....I am the Lord his (I know it's usually your but I heard his) healer to my mind constantly. That would calm me for a little while and then my fear would return.

I took Nipper for a re-check after two weeks of meds and there was very little improvement. Dr. Moore called me and said that he was now concerned it could be a tumor and wanted to remove this place. Talk about putting fear into my heart....that really did. I told him he could praying that if it was a tumor or cancer that we had caught it early. Shortly after that Dr. Moore called me again and said once he had sedated Nipper and shaved his forehead he found about six small spots instead of one and one additional place close to the other eye. Seeing several places made him more convinced it is a gland problem so he didn't cut the place out. That was a huge relief to me.

He decided to do another two weeks of the anti-inflammatories and antibiotics and he added an ointment to be rubbed on those spots every day. The ointment is a deep follicle flush to clean out any bacteria that may be clogging up the gland. The ointment does seem to be making a difference. After a couple of days Nipper stopped limping and the place on his head seems to look better. It is not gone but I think it looks better. He still has four more days of meds to take and then he will have to go back for another re-check.

I do not know at this point if Nipper is okay or not. I know that my heart hopes for the best and I know that God has the power to heal him. I know that God has healed him many times in the past. I know the memories and the scripture and the song to calm my spirit came from him. I even know that God will never take Nipper from me until it is time for him to go.

YET....I AM STILL AFRAID.

Do you ever feel this way when facing something that is a great fear in your life? Like loss...of anything that you love with your whole heart. Be that an animal, a person, your job, your dreams...or whatever it might be. Are you ever consumed by what the loss of this _______ would do to your whole life? Do you trust God to have full control of the things that mean everything to you?

Give me your thoughts.

Tammy