Latest News/Staying strong

Latest news
Well, May 3rd we found out whether this new bundle of joy is going to be a boy or a girl! We are all excited to say we are expecting ...Drum roll please!... a boy!!!! Hannah has broken the Aulridge tradition of all girls! Yay! Don't get me wrong we love having all of these girls in our family, but I think we are ready for some boys! :) I am so excited to meet this little guy!!!
My friend I mentioned my last post is also having a boy! Our church has a slew of babies on the way right now and we are all elated! Please keep them all in your prayers!
Sadie Mae is walking around everywhere now! She loves to be tickled, and playing the piano, and she loves to sing the B-I-B-L-E. She's getting so big!
Bekah passed her entry exam for the community college in Hartville! She will be graduating on the 21st of next week! So happy for her!


Speaking of Hartsville! They had a bad flash flood yesterday with some pretty bad damage from the looks of it! They are expecting more rain and flooding today too. I was reading a report on it just now and I can't help but laugh!
"Flooding of low lying and other flood prone areas will be possible. People who live along creeks and streams should monitor water levels and be prepared to take action. Travelers should be alert for water covering roads. Turn around, Don`t drown."
The "Turn around, Don't drown." though. Really? haha! Yes, Please don't drown!
In all seriousness, we need to be praying for the people in that area. I remember the Carthage flood back in 2010. I cannot believe it has been six years! I haven't heard of any causalities, but I know that floods cause a lot of damage, so please pray for the people in Hartsville!


Our church got the chance to bring a group of people to a tent meeting in Kentucky. It was very good! I got a blessing from just the ride over and back home too! Thank GOD for good preaching and good Christian friends!


Staying Strong
I must admit I have been struggling with my commitments with music and movies lately. Even though I have not gotten back into the mess I was in before, I could sense my mind set easing back in that direction. That is a scary thing. I had gotten to the point I felt as though I couldn't lean on the friends I had. We had a lot of the same weaknesses. That makes it hard not to slip. For whatever reason, GOD has allowed me to kindle relationships with other people in my life that are much stronger than I am in their walks with HIM. These people are an encouragement and true motivators to do right. I don't want to let them down, and I want to please the LORD too. I had been slacking on my bible reading, and my prayer life was almost non-existent. All of my time had been consumed by stupid and worthless things. The more time I spend with my friends, the more time I want to spend with GOD and that is a wonderful feeling! To feel convicted by your friends' testimonies, is a great motivator to want to strive to do and be better for Christ! HE has been so good to me even when I paid HIM no real attention! Boy, HE's good!
God has been beating me up the past couple of weeks and continues to do so! I haven't had my heart in what I was doing, therefore the realness and the meaningfulness of it was beginning to slip away. I wasn't motivated. I was becoming comfortable with where I was at. I'm not doing any of the stuff my old friends are. I'm doing okay. Is "okay" or "good enough" truly enough for our Creator? Our Savior? Not at all! Motivation seems to be an unintended theme at church lately. I haven't been able to get Brother Earl Ankrom's message from a few years ago off my mind. "Leftovers". I've been giving GOD my leftovers! Isn't that backwards? I don't deserve the crumbs from HIS table and yet HE gives me a seat and full course meals! That should motivate me! Here I was giving almost nothing back! I've gotten motivated to do more. Through friends, church, and well, GOD! I hope you all will pray for me! Also, please pray for Cornerstone! I believe GOD is working on something big behind the scenes! Take heart and stay strong my brothers and sisters! Give HIM your all!


Simply,
      Sarah