The Strength Within

Quick Update

2011-02-28T10:33:00.001-08:00

It has occurred to me that I am way overdue for a quick family update.

I will do my best to make it quick and entertaining.

First of all, to finish the raccoon story, we thought that there was still one "guest" up in the attic.

As time went on, we heard nothing. This meant one of two things:

Both raccoons had gotten out prior to Hottie Hubby sealing up the hole
Or

The other raccoon was trapped up in the attic, remaining quiet and must have slowly died silently

We were hoping for #1 and since we have not picked up any foul smells, I am going with that option.

HOWEVER, two nights ago I awoke to the sound of metal being torn, followed by the sound of feet over my head.

Once again…lovely…

So I got up and grabbed a flash light. I shined the light right out our bathroom window up at the eave and

…sure enough…

The metal covering right next to Hottie Hubby's previous patch had been torn and pulled back.

Hottie Hubby proceeded to try and scare it out with the help of The Older Brother.

Thinking the raccoon gone, Hottie Hubby sealed up the NEW hole.

Later that night, we were woken by the sound of a very fat sounding raccoon desperately trying to break through the board which patched the hole.

Hottie Hubby finally went out and removed the board.

A little later he went out and replaced the board, hoping the desperate raccoon had fled.

We have not heard any noise since, so we are hoping the raccoon decided our attic was NOT a good place to make a nest for its babies.

I will keep you updated if anything else transpires.

For the rest of the update, I will give you a visual…once I figure out my new blogging technique. J

Raccoon Guests

2011-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well, Hottie Hubby got up in the attic

and cleaned up the "mess" he found.

No "guests" were seen.

So he put a board over where they were getting in.

Problem solved pretty easily.

Yeah right!

One night after putting the board up,

Hottie Hubby says to me,

"Here comes the storm."

Then we both laid in bed

and listened

as the heavens opened up.

Then came an intense scratching sound.

Hottie Hubby lept from bed

to run to our bathroom window

where the recently installed board

can be seen.

Much to his demented...

I mean manly...

delight,

he found the expelled

raccoon

hanging

from all four claws,

completely upside down

from the installed board,

pulling desperately,

but to no avail.

Hottie Hubby was...

well...

giddy as he came back to bed

exclaiming,

"I got him! I got him!"

I was unsure Hottie Hubby would be able

to fall back asleep.

He was like

a child,

on Christmas Eve.

Much amused at my

precious Hottie Hubby,

I found my way back to sleepland,

thankful that the hunt,

had been so easy.

Of course,

I would only relish

this thought

for about

a day.

2011

2011-01-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

Well...here it is...2011

Four days into it actually.

The decorations are all put away.

The house looks like it is fresh and new...just moved into (but not really).

All the guests are gone.

Memories are made and tucked away in our hearts.

Wait...

I said, "all the guests are GONE."

What is that noise we hear?

Oh, yes...

the uninvited guests.

You know,

the ones who find your home so comfy

that they make themselves at home,

move right in,

so to say.

Now, I am all for having guests.

I say it time and time again,

this home is God's home.

Who am I to turn others away?

But sometimes...

sometimes...

when your guests insist

on making themselves known

late at night

in your attic

while you sleep...

you just have to draw a line...

and start googling

HOW to get your unwelcomed

raccoon guests

gone.

Hello 2011...

what memories do you have in store for me?

Aprons

2010-12-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

Here is my first crafty post.

I found these cute little aprons at a local everything store.

One for me, one for The Girl, and one for The Girl's American Girl, Nikki.

Here is what the fabric looks like unfolded.

All the pattern and the instructions are printed right there on the fabric.

All you have to do is cut it out...

Attach the flounce by lining up the markings on the patterns and pin.

Then you sew the two together, which is the only hard part with these aprons due to the circular pattern on the flounce.

Once the flounce is attached, then you zig-zag around the edges,

fold under the edges,

and run a seam around the apron.

Once that is completed, it is time to make the neck and waist straps.

Once the straps are completed (following the directions on the fabric),

attached the straps to the neck and waist,

then your apron is completed.

Super easy!

Here is the adult apron on The Girl.

This size fits her perfectly.

So I knew the child one would be too small.

We ended up giving the set to my sister who has a two year old daughter.

Although we were tempted to keep the one for Nikki (The Girls American Girl).

We decided to try some other patterns from scratch.

Here is what the set looked like completed.

It made a great gift!

Camping

2010-12-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

Well...the computer is still speaking Spanish to me. Not sure what I did...guess it is a new way to expand my Spanish?

Also, I have been very busy working on many crafts around here. I just have to remember to stop and take pictures every now and then so that I can share them with y'all.

BUT...the reason for this post...

We rarely watch TV around here.

Really, there is WAY too much to do to let the tube suck our time away.

Yet every now and again, we find a good, family friendly show to watch.

One of the recent ones, is....Sarah Palin's Alaska.

Yes, we love nature and you know what, we even like Palin.

Hottie Hubby made the comment that he hoped she did not decide to pursue another bid at the presidency because he thought she was doing quite well there in Alaska.

We like her.

We really like how she is spotlighting Alaska.

We may never have gotten another chance to see it otherwise.

So, when we saw that Kate and her crew were going to be on the show, we decided it would be too interesting to miss.

We were right.

Hottie Hubby and I have raised our children camping.

True temperatures do not get as low as they do up in Alaska, but we have seen some pretty cold evenings...and rain too.

I am not even sure what to say about the way Kate was acting on the show.

I think perhaps The Younger Brother (who is 9) put it best...

"Of course she is cold, she is just standing there. Move around! Do something! Play with your kids!" (all spoken at the TV...or rather, at Kate).

This morning I found lots of head lines asking, "Would you go camping with the Palins."

All of my family is in agreement...yes.

And from what I saw, most of Kate's kids were having fun too...unless TLC cut that part out.

The joy of getting away from it all and just being with family more than makes up for the cold.

I realize this is just our family's opinion, but seriously, there is just something about it.

I am not even sure what it is, but we all LOVE to be in nature.

In His creation.

Together.

2010-11-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

Well hello there! Sorry it has been so long. Life does get crazy.

I have recently discovered the fun of looking at creative blogs.

That is perfect since I have been in such a creative mood lately.

I am hoping to get some photos up on projects I have been working on...

although please be aware that I have no intention of becoming a "creative blog"...

just sharing what I am up to...

once I figure out how to get my computer off of spanish.

Cancun Vacation 2010

2010-07-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

We recently went on a vacation with Hottie Hubby's family. Every five years his parents do a reunion to get the brothers and their families together. Five years ago it was Disney World. This time it was Cancun, Mexico.

Our family...notice how Older Brother is almost as tall as me.

The cousins, minus the four year old.

Hottie Hubby and I in the pool at the condo.

The Older Brother

The Girl

The Younger Brother

The Older Brother with his uncle, the youngest of three boys.

The Girl zip lining into a sink hole after we went on the zip lines at Selvatica. It was awesome!

My sister in law and I

Hottie Hubby on the plane

The Younger Brother and his cousin, who is 10 months younger, waiting at the airport.

The Girl and I at the airport.

Memories

2010-06-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...

these items (and many more just like them)

can be found all over our yard.

Bring on the memories!

Peace

2010-06-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been just flat out annoyed with some people?

Yeah...me too.

The problem with my mind is

I will replay those annoyances

over

and over

and over again.

Each time I replay it in my mind

my emotions regarding the situation

just get

stronger

and stronger

and stronger.

Today God reminded me of something,

then revealed just a little more

as He likes to do.

When I get annoyed,

I need to try and rest

in His Peace.

You know...

that peace that transcends all understanding.

It never fails me.

His peace that only He can give

always quiets and calms my soul.

Now the problem is

sometimes

this calm and quiet

irritates other people.

I was beginning to think

these certain people,

who would try to drag me down

when I was in my place of quiet and calm,

were just jealous

of my awesomeness.

(my awesomeness comes from the fact I am God's princess and He adores me)

God revealed to me today

these people

are not jealous.

Simply put,

they do not have

peace.

How sad.

So,

instead of being irritated with them

and replaying those situations

over

and over

in my head...

I am going to pray

for them, that

they would feel

His peace

which transcends

all understanding,

that they would feel

the quiet

and calm.

By doing this

I will guard my mind

and my heart.

I also just might start

to see those people

as a blessing in my life

rather than an annoyance.

Update

2010-05-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

So...it has been a while since I have posted.

Will some pictures make up for the lapse in time?

Shirley "GiGi" Haller

2010-03-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

It happend one week after moving her into the nursing home.

She loved gardening.

She loved her hot tea (true to her Scottish heritage).

She loved her family...

all the way to the end.

We love you and miss you GiGi!

G.G. and Alzheimer's Disease

2010-01-24T18:23:00.000-08:00

Hottie Hubby's grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease several years ago.

As is the case with all patients with AD, the disease has progressed as time went on.

The kids and I have spent quite a few after noons sitting with G.G. (Great Grandma, she chose the name G.G. herself when I was pregnant with The Older Brother).

The kids have responded so well to the AD. They understand that G.G. may repeat herself and ask the same question over and over. They simply answer what ever the question is even though they already did.

Pretty mature for such young kiddos.

I am very proud of them.

Well, the other day G.G. collapsed and ended up in the hospital.

Now the word is she will not be released to return home...

ever.

They will, however, release her into the care of an assisted living facility.

This has not been easy on Gramps.

He has been taking care of G.G. for the last several years.

But, the decision was made for him.

Now he has to decide which facility he will entrust "his bride" to.

Hottie Hubby made a very good comparison today.

He said, "it is just like in the movie "UP".

yes...but that was so sad...

So here we go down a new road of experience.

We will visit G.G. regardless of where she is.

And we will have Gramps over for dinner a lot more.

I have to say though,

the last two days that we have visited G.G. in the hospital,

she just keeps telling us how proud she is of us,

and how much she loves us,

and how she loves having a family

that is not afraid to show love for one another.

How awesome is that!

The thing replaying on her mind

is the love of family.

Nothing else.

Not material things,

or regrets

or losses.

Just love.

Shouldn't all of our focus be like that?

"God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16)

Putting It Into Practice

2010-01-20T15:36:00.000-08:00

So, Hottie Hubby's new job required a vehicle change.

This was not a problem since he was still driving our 1997 Lumina.

And also because we have a car allowance.

So one week ago today our, new to us, Expedition was delivered.

Today a semi-truck hit a Lincoln

that in turn

hit Hottie Hubby.

Yeah.

Blessings:

1)no one was seriously hurt,
Hottie Hubby's back is beginning to hurt him,
but we will see

2)no MAJOR damage was done to our new Expedition,
that we can tell right now
but the Lincoln did hit Hottie Hubby hard enough
to open our sun roof panel...hmmmm

3)we do have full coverage on the vehicle

So, once Hottie Hubby got over the language barrier

(neither one of the other drivers spoke English)

he was able to let them know to pull off the highway

and he called the cops.

Since my older brother was a professional truck driver

I called him.

He recommended we right down ALL information possible.

Hottie Hubby did that.

Cops got there, ran the semi's info and found

that things were not coming back exactly as they should.

Not to mention everything had expired on

both the truck

and the driver.

Lovely.

The ironic thing?

My devotional this morning

reminded me

that I

am not

in control.

Jesus is the boss

and may make things happen

that don't make complete sense

but they are for my good

and that His way

is so much better

than mine.

All I have to do

is simply trust Jesus.

Then,

once again,

I was given

Jeremiah 29:11

"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 a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

So appropriate.

But, that is how God works.

OK, Lord...

You got this...

I will wait to see

how Your plans unfold.

At Those Hard Moments

2010-01-20T07:47:00.001-08:00

Some days are harder than others.

The more I try to glorify Christ,

the harder the enemy attacks.

Is everything in life peachy and wonderful?

No.

BUT

when I do what was encouraged yesterday,

and I let the Light of Jesus shine on all situations,

it seems a whole lot brighter.

But then,

there are some times

when I try to let His Light shine on the situation,

yet others are bound and determined

not to let that happen.

They want to drag me down

because His Light

is hurting their eyes.

Resist.

Resist the devil and He shall flee.

Man can that be hard at times.

So

I will fill the house with

music that praises Him

and

I will bite my tongue

again

and

I will try

to make myself

invisible

that way

His Light

can shine

through me.

Live Radiantly

2010-01-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

My devotional this morning said to do just that,

"Live Radiantly"

because the light of Jesus

is shining on every situation

so I should expand my vision

to include Him and His Light.

So much has occurred.

So many little stories have ran through my head,

all of which I wanted to share.

But sometimes,

to do that,

I would have to leave

the very situation

that is bringing about those thoughts.

So I will try to QUICKLY bring you up-to-date.

Hottie Hubby was blessed with an awesome job

which he started right after the new year.

We have been blessed tremendously with

the home of my prayers.

Family ties that were broken,

sometimes for years,

have been mended.

And friendships greatly missed,

but never forgotten,

have been rekindled.

In each situation,

I can see the Light of my Savior.

Sometimes more than others,

but none the less,

all credit goes to the only One

who credit is truly deserved.

Thank You Jesus

for the opportunity to

Live Radiantly!

All Dogs Go To Heaven

2009-12-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

Two or three days ago we watched the movie, "All Dogs Go To Heaven".

Today, as we drove back home

The Younger Brother asked me,

"Mom, do all dogs really go to heaven?"

What prompted this question?

This morning he woke up and told me

that he had been wondering all night

where his sleeping buddy was.

Immediately we all set out looking.

Chewey is a social butterfly and an escape artist.

I knew that if he had been out all night,

there may not be good news.

The street one over from ours is a popular cut through

for those who do not want to deal with traffic lights.

It is also a popular stomping ground for our social butterfly.

Hottie Hubby and I divided the neighborhood.

I had the kids.

We didn't even make it a full block.

I saw an elderly lady and a gentleman

standing over a black heap.

I pulled up farther

then got out.

Before I even made it to them

I asked if he was dead.

The man nodded his head.

"Is he your dog?"

Yes.

I called Hottie Hubby who

was over by the golf course.

I left the kids in the truck

until Daddy got there.

We had our other dog with us.

I told The Girl to bring the other dog.

I set our other dog down

next to her best friend.

She immediately started sniffing.

Then she found the blood.

She slowly started walking in a daze.

She sniffed the gentleman...

it seemed she was asking him

if he had done this to her best friend.

Then something in her doggy brain

told her to escape.

So she took off

toward that exact same busy street.

The Girl and I lunged after her

and caught her at the same time.

I held our lonely dog.

She tried to climb over my shoulder

away from her best friend.

I told the kids to return to the truck

and to hold our lonely dog tight.

The gentleman had retrieved a trash bag

and a doggy carrier for us.

Hottie Hubby gratefully accepted the trash bag

but put Chewbacca in the back of the truck

instead of the carrier.

Thanks anyway Sir.

I thanked both of these strangers

who are my neighbors

and even hugged them

since they had shared this

very difficult time

with my family.

As I drove away

The Younger Brother asked,

"Mom, do all dogs really go to heaven?"

Tonight may not be the easiest for that little guy.

Growth

2009-12-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

When the kids come to me

and say,

"my leg hurts"

but there is no real harm to the leg

I just explain that it is a growth pain

and the proof

is in their pants,

or lack there of.

To which I have found a great solution

with a homeopathic remedy that

the kids love

and I agree with.

Growth is necessary.

But it does not stop when you become an adult.

You would think,

maybe,

at some point

you had learned enough

and the growth might stop

but it does not.

And here is the thing with growth

it typically comes with change

which is not always easy

but some times

extremely

necessary.

and scary.

sometimes.

The "what ifs" that come with change

and growth

can eat you alive.

But I read something

that really helped.

I think it was Beth Moore.

What if _____?

What if?

No matter what that blank is filled with

as a Christian

my answer that follows

is

...then God.

What if?

Then God.

God has this.

An opportunity has presented itself

and

I am starting to get consumed

with

the what ifs.

So this is a little reminder

to myself.

What if...

...then God

as always.

"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 a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Lost Job

2009-11-29T14:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, about three weeks ago

this one income family

lost our only income.

So how are we doing?

One day at a time.

God has always taken care of us

and He continues to do so now.

Some days are good,

some days are

not so very good.

But through it all

we walk by faith.

This song says it so well.

If your speakers are off,

turn them on to hear.

Hillsong "Desert Song"
Album: 'This Is Our God"

Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise
I'll stand

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be empited again
The seed I've recieved I will sow

Test...again

2009-11-09T07:20:00.001-08:00

I got the new Blackberry Storm 2 (which I love!)...so I am trying to set up the blogger from this phone as well.

Pumpkin Patch Pictures 2009

2009-11-03T06:32:00.000-08:00

2009-10-24T15:41:00.001-07:00

The kids were invited to a party with an 80's theme. We put together The Girl's outfit using only what we had already.

Hottie Hubby asked me if that was really what I use to look like. I told him, only on a good day.

Scary...

The Big 12!

2009-09-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

That is how many years ago I delivered my first child...

I can hardly believe he is

Hottie Hubby and I are reading a book right now that makes a great case for considering someone an adult at

We agree with the book...it is "Men of Honor, Women of Virtue" and the fact that at

we should start treating him like an adult and giving him more responsibilities...at

not at 13, or 16, or 18, or 21, or whatever age some actually start considering you an adult...no, for us, it is

and that day, is today. The Older Brother knows it too and is ready for it. All week he kept praying, "I am almost

Lord, please help me to be ready to handle the responsibilities that they are going to give me.

Such an important age in this household. You know, Jesus was

when Mary and Joseph found him in the temple after searching for three days. He's a good example to follow. Yes,

is when the journey of maturity begins in our minds. Now, let's see if I can find

pictures of my young man for your enjoyment.

Friends

2009-08-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

We have some precious visitors with us right now.

The kiddos that you see above have all known each other since they were born.
(with the exception of Older Brother, he was 5 months old when Hottie Hubby and I met the other parents)

The kids all get along so well...the way true blue friends do.

You know the kind where you know what the other is thinking,

or you give up your desires for the benefit of the other.

Some times we face resistance,

but for the most part it just works out so naturally.

Their entire family is such a blessing from God.

I get excited thinking about what their futures hold...

all of them.

More Random Sayings From Around Our Home

2009-08-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

We were in the truck today on our way home from golf lessons (First Tee program is great!) when I heard this in the back seat:

Older Brother: "I would like to test y'alls Star Wars knowledge. Who can tell me the name of Anakan's squadron?"

The Girl: "What's a squadron?"

I think that answers that question.

Yesterday this was the exchange I heard:

The Girl: "UH! That stinks!"

To which her brother, who was obviously a little offended, responded:

"It took me like twenty minutes to get that room to smell that way!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2009-08-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to change gears in the midst of tragedy...but for one special little boy it is necessary.

Today my sweet baby turns 8!

OK...so technically that means that he is no longer a baby,

but since he is the last one I gave birth to...

He woke up this morning telling me

"you need to make me breakfast...

and I want to eat it in your bed...

with hot chocolate in the big special cup...

and you need to wake up S and A so they can help you..."

He has it all planned out...

I love a man like that!

(Even though all of the above is a family tradition for every family member on their special day.)

Now, for your enjoyment...

Happy Birthday Precious Boy!

2009-08-02T20:52:00.001-07:00

I got a text from a friend yesterday whose father was given six months to live no more than 1 (?) -2 (?) months ago.

Her text was simply and said it all...

"he is gone".

She did also let us know what time and that the family was there,

but her first sentence got me thinking.

I think she put it the most appropriately...

...gone...

I remember the day the doctor told me over the phone about my own father...

"we worked on him for about twenty minutes...then he expired"

Expired?

Who says that?

Did he have an expiration date?

No, my friend said it best...

...gone...

...like when the kids wake up in the morning and sometimes say

"is Daddy here?"

and I say,

"no, he's gone"

of course he returns and they get to see him again.

This time though, for my friend, her dad will not return...

...not here on earth...

...but she will see him again...

...I don't believe he "expired"...

...I believe he is just "gone"...

...but will return to her at another date.

The sad thing is that in the mean time,

just as Daddy misses all the little things the kids say while he is at work,

my friends dad will miss all the things that happen here...

...but my prayer and my hope for my friend is this...

...that in the end, the reunion they have will make all the hurt and sadness melt away.

Release

2009-07-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

Many years ago a dear friend of mine encouraged me to read the book "The Power Of A Praying Wife" by Stormie Omartian.

So I did.

Then I got the prayer cards.

Since then, I have been praying for my husband.

Lord, grant him wisdom.

Lord, draw him close to you.

Lord, grow him into a man after Your own heart.

...you get the picture...

I meant well, really I did...

...but the thing is, sometimes to answer my prayer for my husband...God has to put that same husband, whom I love dearly, through a trial.

...a pruning of the branches...

This is the man who is the strong leader of our family.

This is the man God uses to provide for us.

This is the man who protects me when I need it.

This is the awesome father of my children.

Now here I am wanting desperately to fix things for him...

...to heal his hurt...

...to make him feel nothing but love...

but...I can't.

Oh, I am absolutely here to support him and love on him,

but you see, God has specifically told me that I have to let go of him.

Let go of him?

Yes...

...I have to trust God to heal my wonderful husband.

I have to realize that sometimes only God can heal someone's hurts.

Of course I realized this for me...I have known that for some time...

...but I never realized that I was trying to fill that position for God in my loved ones' lives.

So as much as I want to fix it myself...

...I can't...

...but I can pray for him, just as I always have...

...only this time I will truly release my precious husband to my Lord and Savior...

...believing that God loves my hubby just as much (actually more) than I do.

God will protect him.

God will love on him.

God will grow him.

God will prune his branches...

...so that my hubby can produce more fruit...

...that's just how our Awesome God answers prayers sometimes.

Storm

2009-07-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

In the book of James we are told to "consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds." (James 1:2)

Not IF...WHEN

That means the trials are coming.

I have heard it said that the Christian life is like a roller coaster of storms, you are either going into a storm, in the middle of a storm, or coming out of a storm.

I must say this is so true in my life.

Just as in the old prairie days, before the weather report and doppler radar, you can never be quite sure how bad the storm is or when it will be over. All you know is that there is a storm and you must do everything you can to weather it.

I am so thankful for Jesus. He is my Shelter, my Strong Tower and my Prince of Peace.

He is my Hope.

He is my Refuge.

I know that all I have to do is turn to Him and He will handle it.

Jesus is my Superman - more even.

There is no kryptonite for Jesus.

He can withstand anything and even better, He can make things change.

There is no magic better than a prayer to Jesus Christ.

Today, I take refuge in Jesus.

The storm is coming.

I have no idea how long it will be or how long it will last.

All I know is that I must weather it.

So I choose to stand under the umbrella of my Savior Jesus as He wraps His arms around me for comfort, peace and protection.

Thank you Jesus!

Just Try To Imagine It

2009-07-18T08:15:00.001-07:00

My Hottie Hubby and I were just talking about when Jesus was found in the temple at the age of twelve.

Mary and Jospeh had been looking for Jesus for three days. Jesus simply said, "Did you not know I would be in my Father's house."

That got me thinking of how Jesus already knew God was his Father.

Did he always have this knowledge?

Did Mary and Joseph tell Jesus from the time he was young that God was the one to create the pregnacy, or did Jesus already know?

I mean he is part of the Trinity so did he always have the memory of Heaven and His Father even from infancy?

Is this what helped him live a sinless life?

And what exactly is considered sin for an infant since we know that we are all born sinners.

Is it simply the presence of the sin nature?

I am trying to imagine Jesus' childhood.

As a toddler did he ask, "but why Mommy?"

Can you imagine it?

What do you see?

Whispers

2009-07-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

Thought I was gone didn't you? Well, I'm not...I am here. Actually, I have been here quite often. I have tried so many times to write out the thoughts in my head concerning my last post. The fact is, I get half way through what I am writing and a small voice in me says, "no, not yet Kathi". I have NO idea what that means, but I believe that is the Holy Spirit speaking within me, so I must obey. Plus, there is SO MUCH to say...but in God's timing, not in mine. Just know that my dear friend Hannah did not do what she was accused of and in fact there was a great conspiracy behind the accusations. There is so much I want to tell you...just "not yet". Soon.

Hannah Overton

2009-05-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

I have some posts in the work...mostly in my head right now, but I will be working on them while on vacation.

I would like to start bringing awareness to a great injustice, and how it all began.

I am going to tell you about Hannah...but for now, just watch this 20/20 segment to get caught up.

2009-05-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

You know how you start out in life with all of these big plans.

Then life takes a turn that you might not have expected?

I was going to be a veterinarian...but then along came...

I was going to go to Bible college...but then along came...

So, by time this one came along...

...I knew that my life was in someone else's hands.

God had different plans for my life that I had never even really considered.

Being a Christian, I accepted that He knows best and is looking out for my best interest.

Now I just go along for the ride.

There are ups, and there are downs.

But at the end of the day,

this...

...and this...

...make it all worth it!

Walk By Faith

2009-05-08T11:52:00.001-07:00

Ah, yes, to walk by faith. This is something I know a thing about.

When we made our recent move, all I knew was that God told us to go.

My kids had a hard time trying to understand where we were going to.

All I could tell them was the name of the town and that God told us to take this job transfer...the rest He would work out.

"It's called faith sweetie. God told us to go, so we go. Faith."

After a month in a hotel, God did work things out. Granted it was not the way we thought, but His way has proved to bless our life so much more.

Now, in faith, God has asked me to hand over the hurts others have given me.

I will quickly say that it was so much easier to pack up my kids and move to only God knows where than it is for me to let go of these hurts.

I have tried, but I am finding it hard.

I give it to Him and feel very peaceful, but soon those hurts and negative thoughts come back.

Today He gave me something so simple, yet so peaceful.

Daily...daily I am to seek healing for those hurts.

For some reason I was thinking that after I gave it to Him once, I would magically be healed of the hurt forever.

Silly me...I should have known better.

I am sure there are some hurts that do work that way, but some of these hurts are too deep.

Daily...it is daily that I go to Him so that He can put His healing salve on my wounds. Over time, they will heal, just as His salve has already healed some wounds.

So simple, yet more than enough to help me walk by faith.

Test

2009-05-08T10:27:00.001-07:00

Test

Perspective

2009-05-05T06:38:00.000-07:00

"Do not be overawed when a
man grows rich,
when the splendor of his
house increases;
for he will take nothing with
him when he dies,
his splendor will not
descend with him.
Though while he lived he
counted himself
blessed -
and men praise you when
you prosper -
he will join the generation of
his fathers,
who will never see the light
of life."
(Psalm 49:16-19)

"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say,
"Here's a good seat for you,"
but say to the poor man,
"You stand there"
or
"Sit on the floor by my feet,"
have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" (James 2:1-4)

I will quote it again...

"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism." (James 2:1)

New Creation

2009-05-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

God has promised me that He is molding me into a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.

Here is the thing though, that old stuff still creeps up.

As soon as I am on the right track and doing really good...BAM...I am slammed with something that brings up things from my past.

It happened again today.

Everyone has different things from the past and some of us more than one thing.

Today it was my temper. I let words escape my mouth that were not uplifting or glorifying in any way.

I may have done some damage to a potentially new Christian.

I want to plant the good kind of seeds, the ones that will find fertile soil and grow into healthy God glorifying fruit.

Instead, I fear I may have planted a seed (or a bunch of seeds) for the enemy.

So what do I do know?

I pray. I pray that God would forgive me for my lack of self control and much more.

Then I humbly ask the great physician to put a salve where I have caused a potential wound and to dry up any bad seeds I may have planted.

And, of course, I submit myself to my Heavenly Father above so that He can continue to mold me and shape me into that new creation He is working on.

I am so thankful that He never gives up on us, even when we stumble and fall.

Quote of the Day From A House Full of My Offspring

2009-04-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

"My chocolate praying hands broke!

And Jesus broke the bread and said,

"Do this in remembrance of me."

I will eat this in remembrance of you."

Homeschooling

2009-04-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

OK, so technically we were not at home...

...but then again, I never have been one to stay inside the box.

"For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these"

2009-04-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)

"Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few."" (Matthew 9:37)

It is said that some plant the seeds, some waters the plants, and yet others harvest the crop.

God uses people of all shapes, sizes and ages to get this job done.

Do not think that just because they are children, or young adults, that they can not be used powerfully for Christ.

""I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them." ( Mark 10:15-16)

Gotta Love 'Em

2009-04-07T07:11:00.001-07:00

OK, so if you have been following my blog you may remember an earlier post about my #3 in which I stated I could not get a normal picture from him. This has even gone so far as to get me in trouble with my grandmother since E (#3) has decided to frown in all of his pictures now. She wanted to know what exactly I did to him to make him frown like that. Honestly, nothing.

Well, the other day we had baseball pictures. I decided to take advantage of my new camera and take some baseball pictures of my own. Plus, I could do different poses, not just the same cattle herding "hold this"...snap...next..."hold this"...snap...next.

This is how my picture taking experience went...

I decided maybe we needed a new pose...

That third child...gotta love 'em (by the way, I'm that third child).

I would not trade E for anything in this world. He brings a smile to my face every single day. I get so excited just thinking about what God has planned for him and what E is destined for. It is guaranteed to be a fun journey, whatever it is!

Once again, Thank You my King!

I mean just look at this kid, he just looks mischievous...

Love

2009-04-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love my little mini-me!

God, You are so Awesome! Thank You so much for this precious blessing in my life! She is the perfect blend of her father and myself. Thank You my King.

Joy

2009-03-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

I remember the day I gave birth the first time. I felt like my heart had exited my body and was being carried around.

I was never the same again.

I think all moms, no matter how you become a mom, feel the same way.

As a mother, I can not help but be proud. I mean, that's my heart out there walking around you know.

Here is a sampling of what it looks like...

...it's enough to make this Momma cry from joy!

Poor Me

2009-03-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

So here I am feelig sorry for myself because of this...

...but the fact is, it is my fault. I can not get it through my thick head that I am not as young as I use to be. There are still a great number of things I can do, but RipSticking with my daughter does not seem to be one of them. I can, however, roller blade. Or at least I could before I sprained my ankle. Now I will just have to wait and see if I can still do even that.

Back to my point, here I am feeling sorry for myself. Poor me, I can not move my ankle, drive, or even walk properly. My kids think it is cool though. They want to tell everyone how their mom sprained her ankle on one of their RipSticks and how they get to play with my crutches. Which just reminds me of how much I greatly dislike those things.

I want to be able to move my ankle, or drive, or walk.

Poor me.

Then, as God often has to do with me, I get slapped upside the face. I went into the blog world and found this site again and this site.

Poor them.

Let me now stop thinking about this, actually blessed, situation I am in and let me start praying for others.

Thanks for keeping it real with me Lord.

2009-03-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

ALL RIGHT! I surrender...

...let them throw the hurts my way...

...I am bowing at the feet of my Savior, my Protector, my Refuge.

I was holding on, but now I surrender it to You Lord.

If they hurt me, You will heal me.

...I surrender.

Again...for the first time

2009-03-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have been reminded today, once again, that I need to love and forgive with grace.

God has forgiven so much from me, how can I not forgive someone else?

Even when they do exactly what they have done to me in the past.

It is obvious that when I got upset and threw a fit back then, it had no effect.

Otherwise they would not be doing this to me again...right?

So, this time, no fit.

Just forgiveness.

With grace.

Like Jesus.

"We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:19-21)

What Matters Most

2009-03-10T08:44:00.001-07:00

I found a great quote by Beth Moore that really hit home with me.

"Dear One, I believe with all my heart that God has great things "stored up" for those of us who esteem Him and take refuge in Him. I'm not talking about trivial things like earthly riches. I'm talking about things that matter - like a life of purpose, tremendous fruit, deep satisfaction, godly influence, open doors for ministry, restoration of relationships, and astonishing breakthroughs. Are these things dependent upon prayer? Often the answer is "yes!" They are stored up by God but released by prayer. In the process, an incredible thing takes place. It's called relationship."
-from Beth Moore's Bible study on Daniel (great study, highly recommend it)

This is what I want! I want to serve God with all my heart. I want the things in life that really matter. Not what the world tries to tell us matters, but what really and truly is remembered on our death beds or after we die. Did my life glorify my God? If not, then my focus is wrong. Prayer will help keep me focused, help keep my mind on the true issues of life.

Letting Go

2009-03-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

I was saved at the age of 16 while still in high school, just in time to order my letter jacket with a scripture on the back. I felt as though my chosen scripture was very appropriate for a high schooler looking for guidance for the rest of her life. What was that scripture you ask?

Psalm 119:105
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

Now, here I sit years later and that same scripture is still so true for my life. It is His Word that teaches me how I should live, how I should react to others, train my children, honor and respect my husband, etc.

There is always something new for me to learn in God's Word.

A scripture that I have read several times before can all of a sudden take on a new meaning. It is as though God has turned on the light for that scripture.

God in all His wisdom does this only at the stage I am ready for.

My current stage: letting go.

God has told me to be sold out for Him.

James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourself. Do what it says."
and God encourages us "to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)

God is telling me to let go of even the smallest thing that might pollute my soul and keep me from being sold out for Him.

For me, that means that I will spend some time in my iTunes today deleting songs that God tells me are pollution...for me. It has taken a long time for God to get me to this point and I must say, I still have great reservations about it.

I LIKE my music, but I LOVE my God.

God may not be calling you to refrain from certain music. I challenge you to ask God what it is in your life that might be polluting your soul.

Rest assured, dear one, God does not take away something without giving back.

I have recently discovered some AWESOME Christian music that has the same beat as my other music, but the lyrics are God honoring and good for building up the soul.

It may only be a small tweak that needs to be done to remove your pollution.

You love to read, but you change the type of book. You love t.v., but become more selective on the shows you allow into your head.

Perhaps it is a bigger change, such as in your behavior or your attitude toward certain things.

Maybe you will be like me and have multiple areas to attack.

Be honest with God. I told Him, "I really love music God." He said, OK, then here is some that is positive and encouraging.

He is happy, I am happy.

He will do the same with you, just be honest and talk with Him.

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it -- he will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:23-25)

I don't want to just go through the motions. I want His all consuming passion inside of me. To get that, I have to get rid of the pollution. I have to let go.

One of My Loves - Part 3

2009-02-12T06:42:00.000-08:00

He decided to make his entrance into the world on Labor Day of all days. Actually, my labor was on labor day, he joined us 43 minutes later (12:43 A.M.) on his great-granddad's birthday. He changed our lives forever. My oldest has been a blessing from above. I could not have asked for a better first child. He has a heart of gold and most of it belongs to Jesus. He adores his siblings and is setting a wonderful example for them to follow. I realize that I could have been stuck with a first child who taught the others to rebel, but I was not. As he gets closer to the teenage years, he is striving for his own independence, but is still remaining respectful on the whole to us. He wants to be a soldier and then a pastor. I hesitated to tell him he could be both since I don't want to lose him to war. I realize that I want God's will in his life more than anything though, so I told him. We will see where the future takes us. Until then, I love seeing him act out any scene he likes, build confidence within himself, and make memories with his sister and brother. I present to you, my oldest (with his little brother)...

My Rock

2009-02-11T09:04:00.001-08:00

The other night at Bible study I found myself asking the ladies, "but HOW do I make it through this situation?"

Which situation you ask?

Take your pick.

Your probably have a "situation" that comes to mind.

The response I got was simple, you just have to pray about it.

Sounds simple, right?

Yet, it is not.

And then again...it is.

Then in my quiet time I was shown this:

Isaiah 40:27-31
"O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding . He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:27-31)

God is my refuge, my rock, my strong tower and my strength.

I can rest in the safety of His wings knowing that He IS there with me.

I find peace in that.

So when the situation arises I just repeat, "God is my refuge, rock, strength and strong tower."

Some how, that makes the situation easier to bear.

Thank You my Rock!

One of My Loves - Part 2

2009-02-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to figure out today how exactly to post a video clip. I have not achieved that as of yet, so instead I will post the website.

A couple of months ago my wonderful, Hottie Hubby and I took my brother and his wife to the movies. What was the movie we saw...well "Fireproof" of course.

I LOVED it! I think they did a wonderful job with this movie.

So of course I pre-ordered...one for me, one for my brother.

Hottie Hubby and I just watched the DVD last night.

I know I will pass this DVD around to my friends. Hottie Hubby and I even prayed over that last night. We prayed that other couples would be touched, inspired and blessed by this movie.

I love seeing an actor, Kirk Cameron, who is not afraid to stand up for his beliefs.

My favorite part...the extras. Not only are they funny, but this is where I found out that the one scene that bothered me, was really my favorite.

I was wondering how Kirk Cameron, such a strong Christian, could kiss a woman who was not his wife. That bothered me.

Then I saw the extras where they showed us that the woman he kissed was really his real life wife Chelsea in a wig.

Automatically the scene became my favorite. I love that they stood next to their morals.

It reminded me so much of my Hottie Hubby!

Awesome!

http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/

One of My Loves Part 1

2009-02-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

Continuing on my theme of hearts and love...let me tell you about one of my loves. From the very beginning there has never been anything typical about this little guy. He decided to let me know about his impending arrival three days after his sisters first birthday. He kicked the snot out of me while pregnant, always the active one. He broke every rule his OC mother had set up. (Have to be born on an even number day like siblings. Have to have eyes open in first photo like siblings. Have to come out with no surprises like siblings.) He surprised us with a cleft lip when he did arrive. He has always been very head strong and determined. (He must get that from his father ;-) )

I called him my gentle brute. As a toddler he would take you down in a heart beat, just to give you a hug or a kiss. One of his first words was "ball" which is still an obsession with him. His first season of soccer I had to remind him that we did not tackle someone just because they had possession of the ball. He would knock the other kids down, then turn around and offer them a hand to get back up. Same thing happened in baseball. The coach knew, just get the ball to him and he would chase the runner down until they were tagged out or safe on base.

He is so full of energy and surprise that he keeps us all on our toes. When I go to take a picture, he will change his pose at the last minute to ensure that the picture is unique. It use to be a ninja pose at the last moment, now it is a frown. (That got me in trouble with my grandmother who wanted to know what I had done to him to cause such a look).

With him being the third child just as I was, I find myself watching out for him. Really though, he can hold his own. He makes friends extremely easy. He just walks up to kids on the playground and says, "Hey, you want to be my friend?" (His sister is still baffled by this, being super shy herself.) When asked about his third uniquely positioned front tooth, he just shrugs and says, "that's because of my cleft" and looks at the kid like they should have known that already. He also claims that his cleft is the reason he is such a GREAT burper. Oh yes, he learned his alphabet by burping them.

His arrival in the family knocked everything off of the "perfect" path and made nothing work...and I LOVE it! I would not miss a moment of the new adventures every day that we are taken on. And so, I present to you our most cherished EJ:

You didn't expect a normal photo...did you?

Heart of Worship

2009-02-02T09:28:00.001-08:00

During this time of hearts and love, I decided I would like to focus on my heart and my loves. The song Heart of Worship is very appropriate for this season of my life. I am coming back to the heart of worship where it is all about Jesus. The line that says "I will bring you more than a song" is SOOO true for me. If you have ever heard me sing, you would most definitely agree. I wish I could sing, but I would be one of the laughable auditions on American Idol were I ever to audition (which will never happen).

What I can do, however, is offer a heart of loyalty that seeks earnestly to serve and love my God. I, unfortunately, do not always achieve the intended goal since I am just human. Still, He loves me and He forgives me when I fall short.

God has been showing me lately what it truly is to love Him. When asked in the book of Mark what the most important commandment was, Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)

Loving God is the easy part. Loving my neighbor...well, some people take more effort to love than others. The term neighbor does not just refer to a physical neighbor as in the person that lives next door to you. It is referring to anyone who is near you in any form. Sometimes, I do not want certain people "near" me because I do not feel like exercising this commandment on them.

Then God showed me this: (1 John 4:20-21) "If anyone says, " I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." Brother is referring to:

1) a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother
2) having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or countryman
3) any fellow or man
4) a fellow believer, united to another by the bond of affection
5) an associate in employment or office
6) brethren in Christ
a) his brothers by blood
b) all men
c) apostles
d) Christians, as those who are exalted to the same heavenly place

That tells me that the people I really do not want to show love to are included in that term brother. So I have been wrestling with this fact. God has told me that if I love Him, I will love those who are unlovable to me right now.

Have you seen my profile picture?

This is one of two truck hitches made by my very artistic husband while he was obtaining his college degree in art. It is also the logo for the business we started. It is on all of the shirts for our business, the cards for our business, the invoices for our business. It is also how I sign a lot of my letters. It means "Love In Christ".

I have made an outward statement. I love God. Now, I have to get my heart back to the proper "Heart of Worship." IF I love God the way I say I do and IF I want to serve Him with every move I make, then I have to die to my own selfish desires and love those who are simply unlovable. The Word clearly states it, "We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

I'm Here

2009-01-19T08:11:00.000-08:00

You thought I was gone didn't you? I'm not. God has told me to be still and know that He is God. I will be back to posting very shortly. Keep checking.

My Little Girl

2008-12-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

So here's the deal, I never thought I would have a daughter. My precious one that you see here is the first girl born on my husband's side of the family in 74 years. I thought I would have three boys. I was wrong (surprise, surprise). Not only did God bless me with the gift called daughter, He put her right in between her two brothers where she will forever be cherished and protected.

When we found out we were having a girl, we asked them to triple check it. Then everything we bought pink, we asked what the return policy was...just in case.

When she was born, all 9 lbs. 1 oz. of her, she was full of so much emotion that I knew I would spend a lot of time on my knees praying for her (and me). I was a tomboy growing up and I did not have the greatest relationship with my mother. I worried that my relationship with my daughter would mirror that between my mother and I.

God quickly reassured me that I was a different creation from my mother and although Alora looks like me, she is a different creation from me. God was involved this time. As He normally does, my precious Jesus took my hand and started to show me how to mother this treasure. It seems as though boys are more resilient than girls. Emotions can burst out of her over any little thing. Wrestling on the floor only makes it worse (as opposed to her brothers). She needs guidance with how to handle things. She is watching me as her role model.

My heart has grown more than I could have ever imagined. I LOVE having a daughter! I love that I have someone I can shop with, talk with, cook with, do hair with. I love that I can dress her up and put make-up on her for her dance recital (see picture). I love that she looks like me. I love that she looks to me to set an example, for now anyway.

You see, I had all these plans for my life and none of them included a daughter. Oh how I love that God is in control and not me. What a life changing, heart exploding blessing I would have missed out on. Thank You Jesus!

Jeremiah 29:11-13

"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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Mystic Blessings

2008-12-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

December 10th is my precious daughter's birthday. This year she turned 9 years old. Before the move, we would have a big party for her with lots of friends. This year, we are new to the area. Luckily, a family of dear friends came into town to help us celebrate. We Mommies took the kids to the Galleria to go ice skating. All the kids (even the brothers) were excited. Our other scheduled stop while at the Galleria was to the BIG candy store. We finished up with dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. It was a wonderful day full of blessings. God, however, had another one waiting for us. As we were leaving, we discovered it was actually snowing outside! This was the best blessing of all since it very rarely snows where we are. Then put on top of that the one day of snow came on December 10th, Alora's birthday! I am telling you, God is just waiting to pour out blessings on His children! As we were driving home in the snow, Alora said, "This is the best birthday ever!" Thank you God. Now for some pictures of the event.

I love how the brothers were on the outside, like they were protecting the girls.

My friend said this was a good example of their future, going off together, helping each other out when one falls down. I told her to be quiet before I started crying. She was right though.

Yes, we wore the tiaras all day. We know that we are princesses because our Father is King of Kings! I got the biggest one through process of elimination, not because I chose it.

Into The Mystic

2008-12-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs a break now and then. Even Jesus went off by himself sometimes. I recently got one of those breaks. I did not go far. My loving, wonderful husband allowed me time to lock myself into isolation while I read a series of books. It was a cheap get away to a land in my imagination. I emerged so refreshed. I needed that little get away more than I realized. Life has been interesting for us for the last two years. This little escape allowed me time to recenter and refocus. Amazing how a simply book (or four) can help bring to life that part of me that had been silenced. I am renewed. The strength within me is renewed. I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted. I am ready to go, hand-in-hand with my husband, into the mystic - that unknown God has laid out for us. Together. Facing whatever battles or blessings come our way. What a precious gift from my Lord!

I Surrender All

2008-11-24T11:26:00.000-08:00

One major lesson I have learned in life is to mean what I say and not to say anything I don't mean. There have been times in my life where I have said things that I never should have. There have also been times when I should have said something, yet did not. I have made it a rule in my life, that regardless of what I say, I will not deny it. As a result, there are times I have to go back and apologize and ask forgiveness. Situations such as these are so humbling and hard to go through that I try my best not to repeat them.

As a Christian, there is a need to watch what I say. I am always being watched by someone. Of course I do not always say the right thing. None the less, our words matter, especially when the One Who Matters is listening (which is always). While praying, it is best not to become complacent with the surroundings. When prayer becomes just words without feeling, the words are still being heard.

Several years ago, I prayed for patience. I got my daughter. The way God decided to give me patience was to grow me through a trial in which I needed it. This was my first realization that God was listening and would answer my prayers so I needed to mean what I prayed. I love my daughter beyond measure and I am blessed by the beautiful creation God is growing her into.

My neighbor and friend prayed that God would use her to spread His Word and bring Him glory. She meant every word of it, but she never expected God would use her the way He chose to. God took her into a prison to minister to the ladies there. She did not serve on a ministry team, she actually went to prison. She was put there for reasons that were not her own but that of a corrupt system. Spiritually we knew it was to minister. She lead several ladies to Christ as well as leading them through Bible Studies. God saw her heart and decided to use her, leaving her children and husband at home waiting and praying for God to restore her to them.

Another dear friend of mine recently lost her daughter to leukemia. At the memorial, my friend stated that she had always been sure she would want God's will in the life of her children, even if it meant their death. When it actually came to that, the human side came through. She wanted her daughter, she did not want God's will fearing it would lead to death. What mother would not understand that? I think that is only natural.

All of this got me thinking as I was praising God. If I am going to sing out to Him that I surrender all, do I really mean it? Am I really ready for Him to separate me from my family or take one of my children? I thought it was difficult going through the answer to my prayer for patience. Can I really handle if He has some greater trial for me?

The answer lies within my heart. I need to mean what I say and say what I mean. I will watch my words while I search my heart. I will make sure that when I tell God that I surrender all, I really mean it.

(1 Corinthians 10:13)

Spoken For

2008-11-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

The quickest way I have found to pull out the fighter in any parent, is to attack their child. My kids could be on a crowded playground with a hundred other kids, but if someone were to go after one of my children, I would be there in a heart beat. My children are mine. I am their protector and I will go to the ends of the earth for them. I will gladly and proudly stand up for any one of my children whether they are right or wrong. They are mine.

This overwhelming parental feeling, that is exactly how my Jesus feels about me. I am His. When I am being attacked by Satan, I can almost hear Jesus saying, "Oh no you don't, this one is mine." I know Jesus has my back, whether I am right or (more commonly) wrong. I know that no matter what I do, Jesus will be there to hug me in my joys, "kiss my boo-boos" as I do for my children, or just hold me in His arms while I cry as His peace surrounds me. It is for this reason that I say, "my heart is spoken for!" I am loved, no matter what!

When that day of judgement comes and all my wrong doings are being thrown in my face, Jesus will step forward and say, "Father, this one is mine." These words are all that need to be said. I will then take my place with all of my other brothers and sisters in Christ as we watch our Jesus take His rightful place.

I am loved. I am spoken for. How about you?

2008-11-13T07:39:00.000-08:00

A working on her needle point badge.

New Girl

2008-11-13T07:08:00.001-08:00

I have mentioned before that I moved around a lot. Changing schools often meant that I was the new girl most of the time. After a while, I got use to the jittery feeling and was not as intimidated as when I first began switching schools. I make friends easily and if someone does not like me, I have learned that is their loss, not mine. Apparently that is ALL different when you are the mommy.

Last night A had her first meeting for her new scouting troop. She is a member of American Heritage Girls, not to be confused with the American Girl dolls. They are not associated with each other in any way. AHG was started about 12-13 years ago by moms who participated in another scouting program for girls, but wanted Jesus put back into the foundation. So, AHG was started and has grown to be all over the nation now. To learn more go to http://ahgonline.org.

A had been part of the original troop in our previous location due to the fact I had helped start the founding charter troop in that area. A grew with the girls in her troop and really started to come out of her shell (she is naturally very shy). Her best friends were part of that group. She had a place where she belonged.

Then we moved. Last night, I got the new girl jitters all over again. This time, however, it was for my daughter. Let me tell you, as a mother, my jitters seemed to be magnified by ten for my precious daughter. I think she handled it all really well. She kept to herself some what, but did not hide behind me like she would have in previous years. Things were going as expected for the "new girl". That is until the end of the evening.

A had made her way over to the table where I was checking her handbook. On top of the table were some Littlest Pet Shop toys. A noticed them and mentioned them to me, "look Mom, someone here likes Littlest Pet Shop too!" She did not touch them, did not even get close to them. A was just sitting at the table with them. Eventually, one of the little girls from the troop came over, grabbed the toys and said, "mine! these are mine!" then walked away.

Now, as a mother, I know children will be children, but what broke my heart was when I looked at A. Her face had turned so pink. A is so shy, I know this had to all but destroy her on the inside. I just looked at her and winked. I think that helped some. She hung around me just another moment or so (I think to regain her composer) then returned to her desk. I was so proud of her. In the past, that might have driven her to tears. My little girl is growing up...I just wish it were a little easier on Mommy.

2008-11-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Since I am on the go a lot, I am attempting mobile blogging. This is only a test.

Memories

2008-11-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

Last night as I laid in bed listening to the thunder storm all around me, I felt my maternal instincts kick in and I began wondering if we were under a tornado warning. I closed my eyes to concentrate on the sounds outside. What did they say it sounded like? A train?

All at once memories came flooding into my mind. Memories of being in the hallway of my elementary school, sitting facing the wall with my hands covering my ducked head. All up and down the hall other children were doing the same thing. Suddenly the doors at the end of the hall blew open and we could see things blowing around out in the playground.

My mind snapped to another memory of my mother telling me a tornado had gone right over the house in the middle of the night as we all slept. Luckily there was no damage to us or the house.

Then another time when my mother had us under a bed making sure the mattresses were protecting us as we waited for the tornado.

Yet another memory of my mother calling home telling us to watch the cat. If the cat started acting crazy we were to run to the bathroom, get in the tub and cover ourselves with pillows. She was on her way home and would be there as soon as she could.

We moved around A LOT. No, it was not the military. Remember that bitter divorce I told you about on an earlier post? Over the course of my life, I have lived in over 30 different houses and attended more than 15 schools. Memories are easy to recall based on where we lived at the time.

As the memories ran through my head last night, I wondered if I was passing the same thing on to my kids. My daughter is definitely afraid of the thought hurricanes and tornadoes. At least she was until the recent hurricane that we went through. There was no fear in her that night. The boys do not seem to mind. Is that one of the many differences in girls and boys?

Whatever their memories become, I want to pass on the calm that always over came me in those situations. The calm I saw in my children the night of the hurricane. The calm that comes from only one provider, our Prince of Peace. I will teach them to praise Him in the storm.

What about you? What are your memories of storms and did you feel that calm?

He Gives and Takes Away

2008-11-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

There is a Christian song by the Casting Crowns called "Praise You In This Storm".

"As the thunder rolls

I barely hear Your whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away"

We had our own little storm this morning as I taught my kids to praise God whether He gives to us, or takes away. Our new little puppy did not handle her treatments well. I held her as she took her last breath.

This is very hard on my children, to lose an animal, but they know loss. We lost one of their friends two years ago. My daughter was almost inconsolable at his memorial. I realized then, that she was looking to me to see how I would handle things. She would not cry until she saw me cry and knew that it was OK. I told her it was OK to feel sad. We all missed him.

Today, she did not look to me first, she knew it was OK to feel her emotions. I just want to make sure I am also passing on the praising of our Lord, no matter the situation. We praise God for the short time that we had the puppy. We focus on what God has given us. We praise God regardless of how He answered our prayers. He is still God. We learn to pray for others who may be going through similar situations.

I also get to use this to teach my kids to "bear each others burdens" as we are taught to do. As sad as it is for us to lose the puppy, I have a dear friend whose own daughter is fighting for her life in the hospital. The little bit of sorrow we feel is nothing compared to what my friend is going through. We have made it a practice around my house to pray fervently for others, especially in their most trying times. We also praise God for when He answers our prayers and brings them through their storm. I look forward to praising God as my friend comes out of this storm. For now, our sorrow will spur us on to send our ardent prayers to heaven for them.

Music

2008-11-09T21:03:00.001-08:00

I love how music can take you back in time or bring back an old feeling of a time long gone. My siblings and I were talking about music the other day. That is when Skid Row came up. Oh, to grow up redneck in the 80's. Maybe it was because we moved so much and we were exposed to a variety of music. Through time we all had different experiences, but we shared the same music. So to commemorate our childhood and teenage years I have added Skid Row to my playlist. Play on boys...

Family and Friends

2008-11-09T06:59:00.000-08:00

I was raised in a big family. There were five kids in the house. I was in the middle. There seemed to always be a lot of people around. I can not recall a time that I was ever by myself growing up. Until I turned thirteen and moved in with my father. Suddenly my world was turned upside down. I was so lonely I would cry most of the time. I had no contact with my siblings or my mother. There had been a bitter divorce 10 years prior and communication had never been fully restored. That was a crazy time in my life. I found myself longing for the fights with my siblings and the messes that they left everywhere. I was willing to trade all those little annoying factors for the lonliness. I just needed my family again.

Life is what life is and that never occurred. I lived with my father until after I graduated high school. I think the lonliness slowly turned to bitterness. I found it was easier to be angry than sad.

God has great ways to ease our pain though. In high school I got involved with a group of friends that quickly took the place of my siblings. I will not for one second pretend it was easy for them to handle me at times. They did not know my past or my hurts, but then I did not know theirs either. Regardless, they were there for me. I even started attending youth group with some of them on Wednesday nights. I would say this was the turning point in my life. This is when the anger started to slowly melt away.

I learned that I am never truly alone, there is always One who is with me.

Now, fast forward 12 years, I still have that same group of friends. They have become family to me. They get to watch my children grow up as I too get to watch their children grow. I thank God for blessing me with them.

God does not stop there though. He promises to restore what the locust has eaten. He has restored me to my siblings as well. We now have the Sundays from our childhood. As adults, we have determined to recreate our good memories and to pass those memories on to the next generation.

My family may have been taken away for a short time, but when it was returned, it had multiplied tremendously. My friends have become like my siblings and my siblings have become my friends.

I had to go through a time of hurt so that I could grow and let go. The Bible calls it pruning. Just as a plant is pruned so that it can produce more, as Christians we are pruned so that we can produce more Christ like features. There will be many pruning times in life. I encourage you, if you think you might be being pruned, take comfort in the thought that all the pain is going to be worth the fruit that will come about. You are being shaped into a gorgeous creation!

Boxes

2008-11-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

Boxes are everywhere. No, I am not talking about the kind that I just unpacked after the move. I am talking about the invisible boxes that people walk around in. You know, the boxes that tell you to live this way, to wear these clothes, to drive this vehicle, to be friends with these people. Boxes are OK for some people, but no for this girl. I know people who need those boxes. It is their security, how they identify themselves. I am not saying there is anything wrong with boxes. I am simply saying that I, personally, feel like a caged animal inside a box. I like to visit boxes, but not live in them. I do not want walls that define me. I want to be able to go with the wind, wherever it takes me, remembering always who it is that makes the wind blow.

So what about you? What do you think about boxes? Do you live in a box? Are you comfortable in your box? Are you like me, a box hopper? Or maybe you go with the wind as well?