A Sad Day

Well, I knew it was coming.... but I still wasn't ready. Last night, my favorite American Idol bid farewell to the show. Jason Castro was a long shot I know, but I loved him none the less and can't wait for him to produce an album. Maybe we'll get really lucky and it will be a CCM album to boot! I know that I'll be the first in line to support him if he does. Until then, I am left with videos of my favorite performances like this one. Here's Jason Castro with Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Bro. Iz's version). Enjoy!!!

Spring Cleaning

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." Psalm 51:10-12

This is my prayer today... create a clean heart in ME! Sometimes we just need a spiritual "spring cleaning" you know? It's often said that we are headed for, in the middle of or just coming out of a storm. If that's where you are today, and trust me we all fit into one of those categories, pray this Psalm for yourself. Don't merely read it and hope for change, but pray it... all day long! At the end of the day I promise you will be a different person if you allow God to minister to you through His Word.

Blog Travel

Good morning! I have been reading all of my favorite blogs this morning and a couple in particular just jumped out at me. I have a lot of favorites, but these two are particularly high on my list and I wanted to share them with you.

The first is 22 Words, http://twentytwowords.com/ , blogging by Abraham Piper, son of John Piper. Each day he atempts to sum up his thoughts in only 22 words and each day I count them just to make sure he doesn't go over :) Todays post is really simple, but makes a bold statement. Abraham says, "Tactics that make the gospel memorable are worthwile - if they're truly for the message, not the messenger." Wow! How many times do we get that one wrong? I know that I have and so as not to get on a soapbox I will simply encourage you to check out 22 Words for yourself... you never know what you might stumble upon!

My second inspiring read for the day comes from Angie Smith who is married to Todd, lead singer of the awesome trio Selah. Todd and Angie just recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Audrey Caroline. Audrey only lived a little over 2 short hours, but she left a legacy bigger than most. If you are broken and need to be lifted... if you need to be humbled... if you need a reminder of just how big our God is then head on over to Audrey Caroline: Bring the Rain and read Angie's posts. She is one fabulously talented writer and I know you will be inspired by her story.

As for me I am off to read the rest of my feeds for the day! Happy reading to you too!

I Cross My Heart

This weekend I had the priviledge to attend a beautiful outdoor wedding where another one of my "younguns" tied the knot. Matt was one of my first kids to babysit and now he's all grown up, married and going to be a daddy. No doubt he will be wonderful in all of his new roles. I however am not doing so well in my new role of "old person" who used to babysit and teach these kids in Sunday School. None the less, he's another one of those kids that I am proud of and I was proud to be there for his big day! Here is a picture of the new couple... Matt & Sarah Eaves.

The Eaves, May 3, 2008

Currie & Pam

This is Matt's little sister Currie and their mom, Pam. If you know my family, you will recognize that they are pretty much family to us too. Currie is the little sister I never had and she is growing up entirely too fast... But isn't she beautiful!?!?

Same yesterday... and today!

Okay, so I missed posting yesterday... oops! I thought about it around 9:30 last night and decided that I didn't feel like pulling the computer back out to say I posted. But, I am here today so here goes. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 Consequently this post is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow :) Have a great weekend!

P.P.P.

Favorites...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

This is my absolute, all-time, never failing, never ending favorite passage of scripture. Even before it was plastered all over everything this was it for me. Of course to get the full effect you should really read the verse in context beginning with verse one of chapter twenty-nine, but for the purpose of this post I am just going to tell you how I see it.

It's really simple and can be summed up in three words... Provision. Presence. Purpose. God always provides, He is always present and He does everything with a purpose! It doesn't get much better than that. So, go check out Jeremiah chapter 29 and see for yourself!

Later, Ash

My life just got a whole lot better.

Did I win the lottery? No, well kind of... NKOTB is back!!! Yes I was, am, always will be a NKOTB groupie. Can't help it.. they got the right stuff and I love it! I have waited 14 long years for this one and to think just 2 months I finally gave up my NKOTB blanket for my sweet Lucy to sleep on. I knew I was making a mistake, but I think I still have the rest of my memorabilia in cluding my Joey Mac hat with a hole in the top :)

Hope you got a good laugh out of all that... but seriously... I am so psyched!

Anyone want to go to a show with me?????????

The Case of the Missing Blogger.

Case File
Crime: Blogging infrequently. Blog abandonment.
Suspect: Ashley Bradberry
Last seen: With the exception of a couple videos, February 19, 2008.
Investigating officer: Aunt C
Sentencing: Yet to be determined.

Well, here I am. Just released from my holding cell, better known as a crazy work load. I apologize for abandoning all 10 of you who check out my ramblings with some sort of frequency! And, so as you don't have to listen to my excuses I'll get right to my "blogging" for the day...

I love quotes. Quotes by famous people, quotes from movies, from books, from anywhere. What is it about someone else's words that make my day. Perhaps it is the simple fact that they seem able to express my own feelings without knowing what I'm feeling. Maybe it is the rhythm in which the words seem to flow out of the mouths and pens of those more intelligent than I. Or perhaps I am in love with the dreamy ideas that I am often left with after reading such quotes.

Take for instance one of my all time favorites by Augustine. He says, "The world is a book and those who don't travel read only a page." My mind immediately floats over many pages and I become overwhelmed with the desire to finish one book and go to the next. My "books" are of course more like countries and destinations... Africa, Ireland, Greece to name a few. But the point is that the quote inspires something... travel, reading, history, etc. If only we read more - imagine the places we could go!

See you tomorrow. Ash.

Holy WOW!!!

Check out this stellar performance from the Top 8 American Idol contestants last night... it's only taken them 3 seasons to get the drift that "we" aren't going away and that we will not deny our faith!

The Lord's Prayer... this will be my child someday!

Has it really been a month?

Granny telling Paw Paw that she's gonna kill him for not telling her about all of this!

Blowing out the birthday candle!

The gorgeous birthday cake courtesy of Mrs. Sandy

Granny's Tea Pot table and china gifts
The party planners!
Heather, Me & Shannon

Memories table!

Well, so much for online journaling :) I have clearly failed at that task... but all is not lost. I have many post-it notes on which "journaling" has taken place! If you know me at all, you know I love notes... post its, note cards, scrap paper, etc. And you can find a great number of them wherever I am and on any given day. So enough about that.

What has been going on? Well let me just mention a few things in hopes that I will return to this blog to give details later. The biggest thing this month was the celebration of my Granny's 80th Birthday!!! Praise the Lord for allowing me to be a part of the family He chose for me! I will just go ahead and get the next statement out of the way... I HAVE THE BEST GRANNY IN THE WHOLE WORLD and I can think of no one more deserving of a great surprise party than her! Me, my mom, my Aunt Carolyn and her daughter Shannon and my Aunt Bun Bun and her daughter Heather planned and plotted for several weeks and with the aid of Paw Paw were able to pull of the biggest surprise in family history. We had a Tea Party for my Granny complete with all of her closest family and friends. It was wonderful! And just so you don't have to listed to me ramble I'll just leave you with some pictures from the big day!