Ecclesiastes 3. 1-8~ Read this, see what season you are in!

JULY:  I love the month of July as it reminds us of the freedoms we have been given!!!... as a nation and as individuals.  I am so proud to live in this free country.  We may not have everything right, but then again what country does?  All we can do is live, educate & vote in ways that we believe are right.  Many of you know that I believe in the Lord Jesus.  He has given me true freedom in so many areas of my life.  I was so bound by fear & anxiety even just a few years ago that I would've never sat down & wrote a blog, letting others know how I feel, believe, etc.  I would've been so completely absorbed in the worry of what others would think... & it would've never dawned on me that others may possibly agree & be blessed by what I/God had to say through me.  There were many nights I couldn't even take a bath alone due to anxiety.  I would have my sister sit in the bathroom & visit w/ me... I couldn't stand the terrors of my own thoughts.  This is not to say that I never have fears or anxiety now, but they do not plague my everyday life like they used to.  For that I am always greatful!  Thank You for the freedom you have given me Lord.  Do you have fears?  Anxiety?  Share them w/ me!... YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!  Don't let the enemy decieve you into believing you are.  I'd love to help you in any way I can.

This month has also brought some very sad moments.  July 2nd I lost my uncle Ron to a motorcylcle accident.  I was so blessed to be able to go Rapid City & help plan the funeral and his memorial.  I got to see him one last time before he was cremeated.  His wife & kids allowed me to be a part of their grieving & planning & for that I am honored.  I have so much to write about this, but feel the tears welling up inside & won't be able to see the screen soon, so I probably won't get much done at this time.  I just want to say, he lived his life as if there were no tomorrow & my prayer is that we would all do that too... always look for the positive in people & situations, keep smiling, treat others as you would want your children to be treated (sometimes we don't think so highly of ourselves, but we love our children... even if they are only our spiritual children, such as my own lol, & would want them to be treated Very well)... he always treated me as one of his own.  That means the world to me!  My dad wasn't always around, but God put people like Ron in my life to love me along the way.  Some may be offended by this, but I'd have to say too... keep riding!  He looked so peaceful when he left the earth because he was enjoying himself as he left (I believe).  He wouldn't want us to stop enjoying the small things in life, such as this just because there was an accident.  Honor our parents as he did... always helping them out around the yard, fixing things & he was grandma's favorite dishes partner :)  You get the point... MAKE THE MOST OUT OF EVERY DAY!

July 16th I lost my friend Jackson.  He had been having a hard time after getting out of rehab.  The months drug on for him as he tried to learn how to cope w/ life sober.  He was one of Dillon's (for those of you who dont' know, Dillon was a guy I dated off & on for 7 yrs.) best friends, so when God tugged at my heart to reach out to him after reading some of his facebook posts I wasn't sure that I should, but boy am I now greatful that I took the risk & did.  I am not usually bold & put myself out there like that, but God lead me to just love on him.  If you know me, I am not the "preaching" type, I just share what God has done in my life & hope it blesses you.  From our conversations, I feel God blessed Jack.  Who has God told you to reach out to lately?  Have you?Jack was a funny guy, who always wore a smile... and tie-die lol.  I'm missing our chats on fb friend.  It always meant a lot that you would still send me invites to concerts as well.  Some people treat me differently because a relationship ended, but you never did & I'm very thankful for that!!  (wow, am I really going to publish this?! lol, sure why not? lol)

Then a few days ago, I lost a lady I've known since I was in daycare.  The accident was due to drinking & driving.  This is tragic.  YES we should all learn from this, BUT we shouldn't be so quick to judge!  Have you ever drove drunk?  I know I have & am blessed that I never hurt myself or anyone else in the process!  Ok, maybe you've never done that, but I'm sure sometime in your life, you've done something foolish that could've hurt another, so quit pointing fingers & just learn from this situation.  I'm not saying everyone is judging this, but I am saying there are some & it completely adds to my heartbreak.  Judy was a bright & strong lady.  She had gone through a lot in her life & kept on pushing through.  She left 4 boys, so please be praying for them!  She'd appreciate knowing that we took the time to care for them in that way :)

Well I can't leave you on this sad of a note, so I want to say I love you!  I love you because you're you!  HONEST!  I challenge you to live today as if it were your last!!  I challenge myself to this as well. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog... it means a lot to me & I won't take it for granted!  God has a purpose for your life so seek Hiim as to what that is... He's anxiously waiting for you to ask :)  & I dedicate this song to you... my readers, my friends, my family...

As you can see I am not very good at this blogging thing haha.  I love all the social networks, but if I'm not careful they can take over my life.  Andy & I got an amazing deal on Droid's a few weeks back, so that has definately helped.  I don't spend nearly as much time on facebook & finally created a Twitter account :)  Welcome to 2010 Alicia! lol.  I enjoy being a blessing through each of these sources though, so I'd love to have you follow me on those.  There are links to the right if you'd like to follow me on facebook/twitter.  I'm definately going to try to do better at blogging by actually adding it to my calendar.  Let me know if you are reading these because then I'll definately be sure to write then!!

Andy & I had a great time this past weekend.  Friday afternoon we headed down to Branson Mo for Andy's first game w/ the Crusaders.  It was 74 & sunny when we arrived!!! We spent the night w/ my family, the Baer's.  They are always great hosts.  Then Sat. afternoon I got some time w/ my younger cousin Trina.  We just hung out & shopped a little. 

My family was smart & decided not to go to the game w/ me.  haha  It was 30 degrees w/ sleet like no other.  I was only a few mins. late getting to the game & there was already a qtr. inch of ice on the bleachers... glad I brought a couple of blankets.  One to sit on & the other to wrap up in.  By the time the game was over though, you couldn't even see the bright red one I was covered up in because of all of the ice & little bit of snow on top of me... brrrrrrrr. 

The Crusaders did great!  Andy has never been happy to lose a game, but this time he was.  As were all of the players!!  They all played their hearts out!!!  It was one sloppy mudhole, but sure looked fun.  They lost 28-6, but really, they won!!!  The scoreboard did not do them justice.  They played well as a team after working some things out in the 1st qtr.  Since we let go of two of the owners just a couple of weeks ago & they guys only had about a week & a half to learn their offensive playbooks, they really proved who they are & are going to be!!!  I am very proud, as well as Andy, to say that we own a team that has such great men as players!!  It is quite an accomplishment to have a brand new team, w/ many recent changes, hold the seasoned Springfield Lightning to only 28 points!!  Afterwards we hung out with most of the team & it was really fun & great to get to know each of these men on a more personal level.  We truly look forward to football & friendships w? each of them in the future.  Bless you Crusaders!!!!

My mother-in-law recently posted this video on her facebook.  I enjoyed it so much & it is perfect for the season I am going through, that I felt compelled to share w/ all of you.  Never give up!  Don't lose hope!  Be Free!

Today I just want to share some one-liners about leadership.  We all lead in one way or another, whether it be in our home & families, at work, others watching us as christians and/or role models, coaches, etc.  I pray these challenge you to be a better leader and person of integrity...

Authority does not make you a leader; it gives you the opportunity to be one.

Leadership depends on the ability to make people want to follow Voluntarily.

Learn self-control before attempting to control others.... Ouch lol.

You cannot lead any farther than you have gone yourself.

A good (boss/coach/spouse/servant leader/etc.) is someone who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit... I could definately grown in this area, how about you?

One is not qualified to give orders until he is capable of receiving orders.

Action is the only true test of ability.

Good leaders never set themselves above their followers- except in carrying out responsibilities.

A Good leader inpires others with confidence within himself, a Great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves.

People have a way of becoming what you encourage them to be & say they are- not what you nag them to be.

It is easier to follow the leader than lead the followers.

Make people feel they are working with you- not for you - and you will get far more out of them.

To be prepared, be pre-prayered... LOVE!!!


Please feel free to leave your quotes or comments on leadership, integrity, etc.!!!!

Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And for your sake, I am glad I wasn't there, because this will give you another opportunity to believe in me.  Come, let's go see him."  John 11:14-15

Recently I have gone through some situations, in which parts of my life have "died."  I have had to really press into God for understanding because it is a confusing time.  Just as the disciples stood there, knowing it was not God's will for their friend to die, we sometimes stand there knowing that a certain area of our life is not supposed to die either.  It is not God's will & we have peace about that.  So why would he allow it to happen?  I'm not saying everytime something "dies" in our life, that it is God's will to reserrect it... BUT it just might be.  Seek Him, ask Him, be real- open, honest, etc. with Him.  He will reveal to you if He is going to resurrect this area of your life. 

Jesus is no longer on earth w/ us, but He sent His Holy Spirit to guide & empower us!  He tells us to speak to the dry bones in our life.  Read Ezekiel 37 for more on this.  I personally grow the most when I am in a valley.  Do you?  If so, then be of cheer even though it's a dark time or there are areas of darkness.  Praise God from where you are!  He promises good things to those who love Him. 

What areas in your life are dead or dry?...  Finances?  Marriage?  Work?  Health?  Etc.?  Be obedient in these areas as He leads you, but also SPEAK life into these areas!  Speak love, encouragement, etc. into a dry marriage.  Praise God for the finances you Do have & if you are tithing 10% (being obedient) then look up verses on finances & speak them aloud over yours, pray them over your finances!  We truly cannot outgive God.  Andy & I are a living testimony to this for over 1 year now.  Confess that you have favor at work!  Pray for favor w/ family members, friends, etc.  I think you get the point. :)  Speak life, not death.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. ~Proverbs 18:21.

So in answer to my question above... why would God allow these things to sometimes happen?  It just might be to draw you closer to Him.  To build your faith.  To teach you a new thing.  To bring you resurrection life!  To God be the glory!!  The thief comes to kill, steal & destroy BUT Christ came so that we can enjoy an Abundant Life!  John 10:10  When we are sick, struggling in our marriage or finances, etc. it takes our eyes off of Jesus.  This is satan's plan.  Do not allow him to be successfull!  Allow God to bring resurrection life!!  To ALL areas of your life.  He wants to, you know!?!  He is waiting for you to Believe!  To do your part & stand in faith, patiently waiting for Him to complete the work!!  Just as he did w/ Lazarus.  Read the story... it's a good one!  Be encouraged friends & let's live a powerful life together!!

Here are the pictures that were included in our new year's letter.  Our letter is also in the blog below...

Many of you stated you were not able to open our New Year's Letter or accidently came to my website, so I've decided to post it on here as well!...


Happy New Year Family & Friends!!

We’ve decided, instead of doing an annual Christmas letter, that we would do a New Year’s letter J (we were very busy w/ moving, the holidays & dealing w/ Alicia‘s health). We had a Very Merry Christmas, snowed in together!! We played games, Andy started a couple of fires (in the fireplace haha), read the real Christmas story & cuddled together watching lots of movies. 2009 was a very enjoyable year for us, full of lots of changes & adventures!

We moved to a town home in Dec., shortly before Christmas and are really enjoying it. It has a full basement, a 2 stall garage & a second floor. Fathead (our cat) is enjoying all of the room as well, to roam & play! No more walking up 3 flights of stairs in the bitter cold! We have had some pretty amazing drifts here though. 8 foot drifts out our front door & another 5 foot drift on the garage roof. Ready for Spring!!! (note the paper) J

God has been very good to us this past year. With the economy being slow, Andy’s business has soared. Ouch come tax time though haha. God also made a way for us to get a new car by the time we went to Texas over Thanksgiving!! We had a great time seeing our new baby niece Isabel “Izzy” & Andy’s older brother & wife. They took as to Galveston TX & Moody Gardens for a mile long walk through Christmas lights. It was hard for uncle Andy to leave his new niece because he was so proud! We also welcomed our niece Lilah, Alicia’s older step-brother & wife’s, youngest of 4. We look forward to hopefully meeting her this year! We were able to see a lot of our family this past year, including Alicia’s cousin Trina who came to stay with us for a couple weeks this summer. Having a teenager around was great for Alicia. They’d stay up late every night chatting & giggling like little girls. They both were a huge blessing to one another. Wish we could make a tradition of that!

In August we were able to go on our late honeymoon to Orlando & Daytona Beach, FL. We had an amazing time. Andy did well on his first time flying, but after having gotten stuck for hours at the airport, on our way home, I think he’d rather drive from now on. We went to Orlando Studios for 2 days. It was so much fun being a kid again. We saw Fear Factor Live, road many 3D rides & watched the Blue Man Group. The resort we stayed at had 6 pools which we enjoyed a lot. Then we headed to Daytona Beach. We were greeted by a nice surprise… a beach front room! What a breath-taking view!!

We went camping in Genoa this summer with some great friends Jesse & Amanda & my brother David. That was a lot of fun. Alicia drove the 4-wheeler for the first time & did really good. She also had us set up with everything you could think of for a good camping trip! She says she gets that from Scott. J

Andy has a new adventure this year… football! He started pre-season practices for a different team, but after having learned of some things the owners were doing that he didn’t agree with morally he quit & is now part owner of a semi-pro arena football team!! The Omaha Rhinos. He will be playing middle line-backer. He would love to have you come to cheer him on this year up here in Omaha or at his away games (4) in KC… let us know if you would like his schedule!

I am so proud of Alicia. She has grown tremendously this year. She is mentoring & life coaching several ladies, who adore her. The Lord is doing a great work in her life & is causing her to share it with others just as God spoke into her life on our wedding day. He lead her to apply for a mentorship program with million-copy, best-selling author Shannon Ethridge earlier this summer. She got accepted, along with only 40 other individuals from countries all around the world! I feel one day God will write many books through her. She has also done a great job on a new website & blog. God is touching many people through her words!!

The Lord has grown Andy so much this year. He is leading us in new, exciting ways! His younger brother David wanted a bible study for him & his friends, so Andy stepped up to the plate & began leading them. He asked me to join their bible study & it has been so thrilling to watch him lead & grow!! I am so proud to call him my hubby J

Another big change took place this summer when the Lord lead us to leave Trinity church, where we got married, to grow closer to Him through an organic church called the Storehouse. We have met some amazing people & God is teaching us how to seek Him in new ways!

This is a letter to share with all of our family & friends what has happened in 2009, but we have to share a couple of things that have already happened this year in 2010. We welcomed another baby into the family… Alicia’s sister Tiffany had her baby boy, Taiten, this past Tues. Alicia is very excited to give him all of her loves. It will be a lot of fun to have a little one close to home. Thank goodness for Facebook though so we can enjoy watching the other little ones grown up! Andy is desiring to do something else other than laying tile the rest of his life, so as we are praying about where God is leading him, I decided to do something fun to earn us some extra cash. This will help us pay off our debt more quickly than the 2 yr. plan we originally had. I’m selling Scentsy candles & they are really amazing. They are safe for kids & pets because they are wickless & the wax doesn’t get hot enough to burn you! I’m excited to cheer Andy on in this way, just as he has cheered me onto my dreams, and it will be a great way to meet new people up here in Omaha as well.

Hope all of you had a wonderful 2009 as well & we look forward to 2010 with you!!!! Love, The Todd’s

ps~  There were pictures in the letter format, but they are not copying in here.  I will try to figure out how to post them.

So it's 2010 & I am finally ready to move fwd w/ this website.  I look fwd to many blogs to come, though I am not sure what I will write. :)  To those of you who will be viewing this throughout this year, please leave a comment of things you would like to see on here, subjects you would like me to write about to encourage you in all you are going through, etc.  Blessings!!