5 things

5 Things on my mind...

1.) I chose to work today ... a Sunday ... so I could be with my sister and her family tomorrow. My nephew is having major surgery tomorrow... and I know I made the right decision to work - on a typically non-working day - when the Lord blesses everything I lay my hand to, I see Him working all around me, I am able to remain extremely focused and see things come together that otherwise and previously have not, time flies and I have peace. Now, I can totally focus on my family...the most important thing right now...Lord, heal him quickly if it be your will ... and bless my sister's socks off.

2) I love fall...I love falling leaves, pumpkins, anything orange, scarecrows, corn stalkes, hay bales, sweatshirt weather, homemade vegetable soup, fall decorations, apple cider, did I mention ... I love fall.

3) I had the MOST DELIGHTFUL Saturday...yesterday. At mid-afternoon, my family and I decided to drive to a new area of Kentucky we had never visited before. And, yes...it has a story. Two weeks ago, during the Beth Moore Simulcast I attended, I had the privilige of sitting behind some delightful women. As I worshipped, I happened to notice with my "typically-feminine" keen observation skills that each of the 6 women in front of me had a similar quilted Bible covers, just in different colors/patterns. I suppose you could say that all of a sudden I had "Bible Cover Envy". I just adored their little Bible Covers...they were primitive looking - old-timey...just my style. I inquired about them...and they got so tickled. One lady spoke up and said she owned a store in another community about an hour away that sold primitive home decor and gifts and she had gotten them all one to bring to the simulcast together...WELL - NOW - THAT WAS A GOD ORDAINED APPOINTMENT! We shared some sweet conversation and I took her address/phone #. Needless to say, the first lazy Saturday we had and we were bound for shopping. And, yes...I came home with a Bible Cover...

...and some primitive curtains, home decor, and more...probably not your thing...but, TOTALLY mine! And, we had the MOST fun driving there and back on the little two lane road- counting little country churches - over 20, looking at old farm houses, teaching the children about old country ways...it was a fun, great day!

4) Our internet was off for two nights...and I had a hard time. Wow...we use it alot.

5) The more I cannot control, the more I am ok with that.

Over- or Under- Stretched?

I have often wondered if I was the ONLY girl in the whole world who owned a STRETCH ARMSTRONG. I wanted one from the time I saw it on the commercial on t.v. as a child. I thought it was a fascinating concept...a man who looked farely normal...somewhat muscular, but could be stretched in all directions. He could be pulled, contorted...

...until he looked like this...

...and I would pull, twist, turn, writhe...to stretch him as far as he would go! I even thought that at some point, he would never be able to bounce back. But...he always did. He always eventually returned to his original, natural state of "normal." He would look like he originally did...the stretching did not "appear" to have damaged to him in any way.

ONE DAY...[don't you love it when a story changes??]...yes, one day, I was in our basement playing with STRETCH. I had pulled, stretched...laughed and played. When I was finished, I layed him down on the concrete floor and ran off to something else that had grabbed my attention. When I returned at a later time to STRETCH, he hadn't completely returned back to his normal state. I was devestated. I showed my mom and she said that over time, because he had been stretched SO much, it had worn him out and he couldn't take the stretching anymore. His outer protective layer had cracked...he began leaking...and the inward parts came pouring out like a flood. STRETCH could no longer be used for his intended purpose.

Analogy anyone?
Feeling a little stretched?
A fair warning from my dear friend, STRETCH ARMSTRONG...

You may think you are invincible. You may think you have it all under control.

You may be under the false impression that you can do it all alone...be stretched in too many directions and continue to do it all well.

Well, my sister, my brother...my friend.
Don't wait until you crack like this old walkway...leading to unknown destinations, with unsure footing...unbalanced, uneven...broken.

...and the most meaningful parts of who you are lost to who you could have been.

Now, doesn't this walkway look much more balanced, peaceful, calm [looks like a great place to read, for those avid readers like me]...leading to rest, peace, joy, and a water source?

I am full-out focused at this particular time in my life on un-stretching myself...not living as the world would have me live - stretched in a zillion directions - but as Christ would have me live...resting in His arms, feeding on His Word, enjoying His peace, experiencing and sharing His joy...drinking from the Living Water every day.

And mostly, taking everyone I can with me to this place...

Storm-Chaser

It is just incredible to me that I can see time passing so quickly and I am heart searching so much more...nothing has crossed my path the last few months without an impact. Is it my age causing this? Am I more contemplative than before? Am I more aware of God's presence and movement in my life than before - it seems so much more vivid right now. And I am glad.

I love rain...actually, I enjoy a good rolling thunderstorm now and then. Anybody feelin' it? In my region of the world, the rain has been falling alot lately. And, as the thunder rolls, I listen for God to say "I'm with you." He has been so apparent in quite a few storms...

A few weeks ago, my precious 4 year old daughter had a bad fall from a piece of playground equipment onto her head...as she lay unconscious on the ground...I screamed for my mother to ''call 911" as I cried for Jesus...Can you guess who showed up first? He was with me in the storm. He stilled the raging storm in me, helped me calm my child when she regained consciousness and walked me through whatever was to come. Our Abby was healed and God is faithful in my storms.

The past few months have brought challenge after huge challenge in my striving to be a working wife and mother. I laid awake at night - often on rainy nights, listening to the thunder roll - praying and listening, seeking Godly counsel. I waited on the Lord...waited...waited...waited. I continue to wait on Him...and I will continue to wait as He delivers me daily from the storms that I fight to be all that He desires me to be.

I love my family so much and I have watched my sister walk through her own storms bravely this summer - being away from her amazing family for 4 weeks, one week at a time to work her way through school courageously - all for HER family. I prayed her through her storm ... she made it through...He is ever faithful in the storms.

I saw my own personal storm come this summer - even though the weather man may try to predict a storm...it seems we don't want to believe one is coming until we see the dark clouds come ourselves, huh? Well, my personal storm came in the area of a health difficulty that was beyond my control...nothing related to poor health habits or choice...just chance. The only option was surgery...then waiting to see if...if...the storm was going to keep blowing or settle down. Thankfully, this storm has calmed for now. My God is faithful and good. And, he uses my storms to teach me...I want to be teachable.

Now, I watch others I love go through storms, hurricanes...yes, even tsunami's. I watch the weather reports - 'the predictions.' But, I have learned with time that science and history does not always know everything! And, I know beyond the shadow of any doubt that my God can calm a storm with a word,
"Peace, be still!"

Making and Playing

One of our great family members bought this toy for Abby for Christmas and I put it up in the closet for a great rainy day activity. Recently, we had that rainy day and this was the perfect thing - a Build-A-Bear Make-And-Play Bear. It was a delightful project and Abby was just purely smitten with it. But, more than the bear, we enjoyed the time together - about 2 hours, just the two of us...Making and Playing.

As soon as I presented the idea to Abby and got the box down from the top shelf of the closet, she ran to the living room and dumped all the supplies out on the floor.
"Are we really going to sew that bear all by ourselves, mommy? That'll be great!"

She stayed with the activity entirely until it was completed...and sometimes, it became pretty tedious. She and I worked together very hard for about 2 hours, sewing, sewing and more sewing. We then had to stuff her, decorate her clothing with paint and iron-ons, and dress her. Whew...what a job!

We took our time so she could learn how to do it, and she really enjoyed the independence and the craftiness of it all.

The large plastic needle was just the right size for her tiny hands.

Abby was so ecstatically proud of our accomplishment!
What a great day with great memories with an amazing daughter!

Teddy turned out pretty cute too, huh?

THE DEEP END

Alot of the time, the Lord uses me to teach my children. Right now, He is using my children to teach me...to lead me.

After Isaac began gymnastics, Jonah said, "...but mom, what can I do?" So, the discussions began. It was dead of winter...but all he could think of was that he wanted to learn to swim better. We began working and working to find him some instruction and was so blessed to find someone at a local college campus who took a personal interest in him and decided to teach him one-on-one every week.

He has made tremendous progress and now is able to swim the full distance across the pool without stopping - breathing well, coming up for air...we're so proud!

Next, he had to tackle...THE DEEP END!

For two weeks in a row, we prayed, talked about it, encouraged him, cheered him on ... did everything we knew to do to help him overcome his fear - but he continued to have just a tremendous fear of swimming in the water that was over his head. He began thinking about the bottom - the area he couldn't see or touch - and would panic. Although the water or his skill level hadn't changed - his mind had!

BUT - this week - this week...things changed to the glory of God!

As soon as we arrived, Jonah went straight to the five foot waters (which is a foot above his head). He got in confidently and swam beautifully. Mike and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. After a few minutes, I said, "Well, Jonah, where did that come from?"

Believe it or not, my 8 year old son looked me in the eyes and said,
"FEAR'S NOT GOING TO RULE MY LIFE!"

I said, "Huh?" And, he yelled it again,
"Mommy, FEAR'S NOT GOING TO RULE MY LIFE!"

Michael and I looked at one another in shock - did he really say that? Where did that come from? And I asked him..."Jonah, where did you hear that? Who told you that?" He just casually said,
"Nobody mom, God just put it in my heart."

After I regained my thoughts and processed what had just happened, I said, "Jonah, what happened to the Jonah that was here last week - the one that was afraid, cried and wouldn't let go of the wall?"

His reply: "He got swallowed by the whale, mom!"
hehehehehe...

Jonah loves to float in the water...

He swims whereever he wants now.

Practicing his breathing and kicking...he works so hard.

What a handsome doll baby!

Lord, teach me to have courage when I can't see or touch the bottom!

But It's My Dream.

"But, it's my dream, mom." Wow! I never expected to hear those words from an 8 year old boy. It was a week night and he asked me to sit on the couch. Usually, it is the reverse...I am asking one of MY children to it on the couch...so I can get their attention, help them focus on what I am about to tell them...so I can look them in the eye and have them hear something from my heart to theirs. But, that night...he needed mine.

You see, since the boys were small, we had allowed...even encouraged them...as they pursued athletic interests - they dabbled in a small, local basketball league for two seasons, they played Little League baseball last season (and did exceptionally well, I might add!) But, this year was going to be different, I could see. My children were developing their own thoughts and ideas...their own dreams.

Isaac asked me to sit ... to hear his request ... a request I had heard casually many times, but hadn't actually listened to or taken seriously for some reason. Did I think it was a whim, did he really know what he was asking to do, was it possible that I had a prejudice that I didn't want to deal with?

He said plainly, "Mom, I want to take gymanstics. It's my dream. Can I? I think I can do good."

Of course, I immediately said, "Let me talk to dad and we'll see what we can do." I did my research and within the week had him in the local Tumbling class. After the first class, the coach came to me and said, "...you were right, mom. He's got talent. I think he can be competitive in a year or less." Wow!

Now, after 3 months, two standing backhand springs independently, 10 backhand springs consecutively (being spotted of course), trampoline work and much, much more, he continues to work hard to see his dream become reality. He never walks anywhere now...he flips, flops and tumbles.

He enjoys it so much that his teachers have to remind him to quit smiling and "get focused"!
His natural agility is so fun to watch!
He's making great gains and we are so glad that we are following his dream.
Is there anything your children are telling you that you haven't heard lately?

Resurrection Sunday...just amazing.

I am so very sincerely thankful to be a child of the resurrected King! And, for some reason, this particular Resurrection Sunday morning, I was particularly excited...I felt a stirring in my spirit...His Spirit calling me to worship as never before. His power was on display as I hadn't experienced it in a long time...more than likely my issue...definitely not God's! It was a revival for my soul, an awakening of my mind, a drawing of my heart...a uniting of the body of Christ. And, I wouldn't have missed it for anything at all.

Following our church celebration, we continued the celebration with our families...and here are a few pictures to help us remember - it is good to remember.

It's not about us...its ALL about Jesus.