Thankful For A Safe Place

 Hey Friends,

Bad weather has been plaguing our land. As I type, we are watching for more storms. We have been praying for many of our friends who have been in the path of the storms! Our county in Ohio is under a tornado watch for several hours over Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

I have been extremely thankful for my 

Daddy’s foresight. When he designed my home, he made my master closet a safe room. It has a concrete ceiling and block walls, so when storms come, I have a safe place to go!

We are prepared to run in there during this bout of storms if needed. We took shelter in the safe room Sunday night. A tornado came through our area. The Lord protected us, and I am so grateful! We did have a dead tree fall behind the barn, but it just laid over!

I have been thinking a lot about the safe place we can run to as a Christians. I remember the scripture that Dad wrote on the walls of my safe room while we are building the house.

These verses have brought comfort to my heart many times. I thought I would share them with you today, I hope they comfort to your heart!

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: My God; in him will I trust.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭91‬:‭1-2‬ ‭

Thank you for reading! I will see you tomorrow!

Odie 

Happy 6th Birthday Charlie

 Hey Friends, 

Welcome to Wednesday. Today is not just an ordinary Wednesday. Did you know it is time to celebrate?

Charles Ray Shoemaker was born April 2 2019. The world was changed forever that fateful day when a bouncing baby boy entered our lives. He has brought so much love and joy to all of his family! I blinked, and it is six years later!

Happy 6th Birthday, Charlie! We love you so much! You are a sweetheart and encourager, already at six years old! You know how to make my day a little brighter with a special. I love you or smile! You give the best hugs!

I hope you have the best birthday ever! I wish we were there to celebrate with you. We are hugging you and celebrating with you in our hearts! 

Thanks for turning in! Please leave a comment and wish Charlie a happy birthday. here are just a few of my favorite photos from the last six years. It's hard to pick because I have so many great ones.

I will see you all tomorrow!

Odie

The Martins March 2025

Hey Friends,

Thank you for joining us. I hope you are having a great day. Welcome to April! There are no April Fools jokes here today. 

We are rewinding to Saturday, March 23rd. Mom and I traveled to Washington Courthouse, Ohio, not too far away.

We went to Heritage Church to see the Martins in concert. It has been years since I have seen the Martins live. I was thrilled to receive a notification about this concert in my area on the Bands In Town app! We were home and able to attend. 

It was an appreciation concert for Sunday school teachers and church workers in their fellowship. They honored several people. 

Then, it was time for the main event of the Martins. Thanks to Heritage for a great night of music! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. 

The Martins have been family favorites for over thirty years, and their singing has always inspired us. 

The concert was incredible! I smiled all night and kept looking at Mom, saying, "Wow!"

The Martins are a sibling trio: Joyce, Jonathan and Judy. They were all there and came out to sing. After the first song, we were told that Jonathan did not have enough voice to sing the entire concert. They had reinforcements waiting in the wings. Judy’s son Jake Hess the III was there. 

Jake did a fabulous job filling in for his Uncle Jonathan. This was the first time he sang live with the Martins.

He was nervous but was having a great time. His Mama,  Judy and Aunt Joyce were so proud and thrilled to be singing with Jake! It was fantastic to witness this night in The Martin’s history!

Here are my pictures from the evening. I hope you enjoy the concert virtually!

Jake also sang two song he has co-written. Both songs have been recorded and released by others. Turns out Mom and I already knew both songs. We did not know he was one of the writers. 

It was a wonderful night of laughter, music and tears! I felt like it was much needed for both Mom and me! Thank you to Joyce, Jonathan, Judy and Jake for a fantastic concert!

See you tomorrow!

Odie