Category: God


Feb
2012

Bedtime Prayers

categories: April, Funny, God, Kids

Okay, I had to write this down just so I don’t forget it…since we all know how forgetful I am…or have you already forgotten that? If so, you are in good company. 🙂

Anyway, I  wanted to pray with Ainsley and Daisy before they went to bed tonight so I asked them what their prayer requests were. I’m just going to write what they said or at least as close as I can get to remembering it.

Ainsley: “I want to pray for all our military families who are missing their loved ones. Especially for the kids without dads at home.” (This is the only predictable prayer request because Ainsley does seem to have a heart for the military, she is always praying for them…even at dinner.)

Daisy: “I want to pray for all the kids in foster care that they get nice families.”

Ainsley: (adding on to Daisy’s) “Especially Jada.” Jada is one of Ainsley’s friends in Florida in foster care.

Daisy: (adding to Ainsley’s adding to her request) “Yes, can Jada come live with us?”

Mom (Me): “Jada is with a loving family in Florida now.” (This is true! Thank you God!!)

Daisy: “I want to pray for all the people that have cancer….that they would get better.”

Ainsley: “I want to pray for The Foundation.”

—– Long Pause by all —-

Mom: “What Foundation?”

Ainsley: “Where people donate their things to other people that need them, like hearts, kidneys, body parts. Because those people are sacrificing themselves to give someone else a second chance.” (I know that most are not technically “sacrificing themselves” but that is what she said.) 🙂

Mom: “Okay, that’s a good one. Anything else?”

Daisy: “I want to pray for Carter, he’s been out of school for two days.” (Our first local prayer.)

Then the girls prayed for what they requested and went to sleep. I was laughing with Daniel about the randomness of their requests later and then I realized that we should all be more like children. They ask God for the big things…world changing things. They aren’t focused on themselves. They aren’t limiting God’s ability to do anything and everything…even cure cancer with this prayer.

I am a lucky mom to be raising these beautiful girls who inspire me to be the kind of person who thinks BIG when it comes to prayer! Don’t forget to take a few minutes and pray with your kiddos before bed. You may be surprised and inspired by what is on their hearts.

 


Feb
2012

Hip Hip Hooray!!

categories: April, Autism, God, Mothering

 

Hip Hip Hooray!! This last two weeks has been full of ups and downs…as my chaotic life is prone to be…and today I am going to tell you about the uppiest up of it all. Jerilyn qualified for services through the state of Arizona.

“Services….What are services?” you say.

Well, services include occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, habilitation (teaching life skills) and respite care. YES…respite care!! Oh and all of these services add up to about 90 hours a month!!

For those of you not in the special needs realm…respite care is basically babysitting or kid-sitting in Jerilyn’s case, which is not easy to find. I can’t just call up the local babysitter and expect them to be able to handle everything, especially on one of her off days. Our lives are going to be changing around here! I am so excited that I am sure I am overusing exclamation points….but it is a huge answered prayer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best part about it for me is an infusion of HOPE. Hope for Jerilyn’s future. Hope for our family’s future. I’ve known for a LONG time that I am incapable of being all that Jerilyn needs. The needs surpass me and often overwhelm me. I am so excited for Jerilyn because she will now have a team of people who actually know what they are doing and can help her. My hope for Jerilyn is that she will grow into a young woman who understands her challenges, sets boundaries for herself and succeeds in life.

It can only help Jerilyn to feel surrounded by more people who love and accept her for who she is today, and believe in her ability to learn and face tomorrow. The other great piece of news that goes with this is that services, as needed, will follow her into adulthood here.

Thank you God for moving us to Arizona. Unfortunately all states are not created equal in this area. None of these services were even made available in Florida. Please pray that we are able to line up the right therapists as quickly as possible for her. Thank you!!

 


Feb
2012

How old do you have to be??

categories: April, God

I was told today that a young child could not make the eternal decision to accept Christ. Actually, it was a little more personal than that, because I was really told that I couldn’t have accepted Christ at the age of six. Yes, apparently another Christian feels that they can judge my salvation experience. What adds insult to injury to this is that it is someone very close to me.

I’m trying to figure out why this bothers me so much and it boils down to the fact that my encounter with God is discredited with one fell swoop of an opinion. I was told that a person truly couldn’t make a decision for Christ until they were 12 or 13 years old.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t find ANYWHERE in scripture where God says we have to be 12 or 13 before we can choose him. There is an often agreed upon term among theologians coined  ‘The Age of Accountability’, which is basically the age that we are held responsible for our decision to either accept Christ as our Savior or deny him.

There is debate about what this age is, ranging from 13, because it’s the age for a Jewish barmitzva, up to 19, due to brain development. I personally believe that our age of accountability is a number only God knows. Our God is an individual God, he knows each one of us intimately. He knows our mental abilities to even understand our need for Him, along with our individual emotional and spiritual maturity.

However, even then, an Age of Accountability, signifies when someone is held responsible for making a decision, the term is not used to say it is the first moment someone can make a decision.

Yes, that's me from two angles just in case you wanted two angles...

I was only six years old when I asked Jesus to come live in my heart and forgive me of my sin. I remember so many details about the experience, which alone is rare, considering my memory or lack thereof. Honestly, this is probably the clearest memory I have in my childhood. I remember the Holy Spirit’s prompting and the feeling like I was going to jump out of my skin waiting for the invitational hymn to start. As soon as it did, I popped out of my seat and heading to the front pew. I had no doubts.

I sat there with my pastor and prayed. I immediately felt a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders and thrown as far as the East is from the West! I felt light and free. Even at six I was amazed because I couldn’t remember ever feeling that weight until, all of a sudden, it was gone.

I will NEVER forget that moment. You know what I love most about it? It is the fact that I never, ever question whether I was saved that moment. It’s as clear to me as the fact that the sun will rise tomorrow.  It bothers me that someone I love is trying to tell me that it didn’t happen or didn’t “count” because I wasn’t a certain age.

I have walked with Jesus since I was six. I’ve not been perfect, but I’ve never strayed far either. I’ve always said that God has kept me on a short leash. I didn’t have to come back to God and re-decide. I was eternally grateful from the instant He saved me. Thank you God for OUR story….I love it and You! I just wish others wouldn’t box you in and limit what you can and will do in the life of a child.


Nov
2011

Unraveling

categories: April, Friends, God

Sometimes it is when you least expect it that life throws a curve ball. That happened this last month. I have a close friend who is experiencing a major life curve ball, the kind of ball that hits the batter, then the umpire, then the catcher and somehow bounces off the catcher and hits anyone left within range. Sort of like that Seinfeld episode, The Spit Heard ‘Round the World.” (Honestly, if you don’t like Seinfeld….I just don’t know if we can be friends…I make way too many Seinfeld references!)

The sad thing is the result of this curve ball is that my friend’s marriage and family are unraveling. The other sad thing is that we all have someone we know whose experiencing the same thing, it may even be you. I will never forget the day my world started unraveling. I had someone very close to me come and tell me my then husband had cheated on me…with her. My whole world stopped, except I still felt like I was trapped on one of those horrible carnival rides that wouldn’t stop spinning, leaving me sick to my stomach. Learning about what had happened was only the beginning of a landslide as well.

I’ve talked with enough women to know that I am not alone. Lives…marriages…families… shatter every day. I can say with confidence though that God had me in the palm of his hand even when everything was falling apart. He had blessed me with the best friends a girl could have – one who would get on an airplane and fly across the country without even knowing why she had to (thank you Misty) and others who came over and literally picked me up and prayed God’s word over my life. I honestly don’t know how I would have survived that time without God and His provision of my friends.

I often wonder how women endure these kinds of blows in their lives without Jesus, our Comforter and Healer. Even those of us who know and love the Lord can experience a crisis of faith during this time. My faith was definitely rocked, but God’s love for me was steady and sure. In the end, I had to decide, do I…

(1) Throw my entire faith away?  Because, let’s face it, if God would allow this to happen to my family, do I even want to know Him, let alone worship Him?; OR

(2) Continue to walk in faith, even without seeing or understanding? Do I decide that ‘Yes, there still is a God’ and ‘Yes, I still trust Him’ even though life has unexpected, painful twists.

By God’s grace, I chose the latter and He has proved time and time again that He loves me and has wrote a plan that will take the ugliest stuff and turn it into something that will bring Him glory.

If someone you know is going through this right now, come alongside of them. Be open to the Holy Spirit and whatever he asks of you.  Sometimes you are needed to help pick up the broken pieces of a shattered life. Sometimes you are needed to speak the truth in love into their life. Sometimes you are needed to [….insert whatever He tells you to do.]

In the beginning of this post I was referring to the unraveling of a life. When I think of that I see a piece of yarn being pulled from a completed work. At some point the unraveling stops and that is when, if we let Him, God goes in and completes a new work that doesn’t even compare with the first version. Hmm…am I going to let God create a new masterpiece in me?? You betcha’.


Aug
2011

Frozen peas….upside a head.

categories: Friends, Funny, God, Misty, Mothering

First, let me start by saying that I just read Julie and April’s posts about how we all met and I should just tell you that it’s all true, but they left out a LOT of details. I’m a details kind of girl, just ask April who doesn’t remember what happened 5 minutes ago. But, for the sake of a “short” blog, I won’t go into those details. I will tell you that you should be jealous of these friendships though, because we are kind of awesome. The kind of awesome that needs its own Lifetime movie. What are you waiting for Lifetime? Make a movie about us already.

Did anybody notice we are Christians? Uh-oh. Don’t worry, we’re not whack-a-doodles who handle snakes and drink kool-aid with special night-night pills inside. But I would say we are card-carrying lovers of Jesus. And that’s all the preaching I will do. I just mention the Christian part because, well, just like all people…we still have our issues. And sometimes, people want to relate those issues with the fact that we’re crazy Christians. When in fact, we’re just plain crazy. For example: let’s say some of us have more than 2 children. Like I don’t know, me. And let’s say that you’re in a grocery store with 3 children and you’re pregnant with your 4th and people feel the need to explain to you that you have too many children and what you should do about it. Here are some things you might hear:

“Do you know what causes that?”

“Wow, you’ve got your hands full!”

“All girls? I hope you’re having a boy this time!”

“You’re done after this one, right?”

Let me assure you that I have answers for all of these questions, and almost none of them have anything to do with Jesus. I am not Michelle Duggar, nor do I want to be (God bless her ovaries). And my husband and I are not trying to “be fruitful and mulitply” or start an Army for God. We are normal people. I don’t know when this world started hating kids, or thinking that there was something wrong with the people who had more than 2.1 children, but it is HELLA annoying when people assume you are retarded, or that you are a nut job with a Bible, and need education on how to NOT have any more kids. I’m sorry, did I ask you? Do I know what causes that? Sure. Do you know what causes this bag of frozen peas to land upside your head? Yeah, it’s cause and effect. I love my husband, he’s kind of hot and we have a pretty friendly disposition towards each other when it comes to the bedroom. Sometimes that equals: babies. You are stupid and rude and sometimes that equals: you getting hurt by frozen peas. See how that works? I’ve got my hands full? Duh. Thanks for noticing, Captain Obvious. You hope I’m having a boy this time? Wow, I didn’t know we were living in China. Hey, and thanks for saying that in front of my daughters. I don’t want them thinking they’re special in any way.

Here’s my point: I’m tired of stupid people. And not just the stupid people at the grocery store either. I’m looking at you Katy Perry with your stupid song about Last Friday Night. Two words for you: sell out. Seriously, I wonder how you sleep at night peddling your crap-lyrics to girls across the nation. And Lady GaGa who is about as originial as  Milli Vanilli. Way to use sex appeal like you’re the first person to think of it. You are not as cool as you think you are! Okay, okay, now I’m just being mean. Don’t take me too seriously though, unless of course you trust the opinion of a woman who voted for Sanjaya on American Idol. (I stand by those votes…he had a freaking pony-hawk, people! A pony-hawk!)

But you get it, right? Get what, you say? Good question. God bless us, one and all. Especially the one’s who need frozen peas upside their precious heads.


Jul
2011

And then….

categories: April, Friends, God, Julie, Misty

Having just read April’s post about the beginnings of her friendships with me and Misty, I just had to give you the rest of the story.  April and I lived near each other for over three years, and during that time we grew as close as sisters.  April’s life is in every sense of the word, a three ring circus.  Add to that Misty’s frequent visits from the east coast, and life really got exciting.  We also had our friend, Maureen, who is my winner of “the Mom of the Year who also doesn’t take herself too seriously” award.  It was such a sweet time in my life, and then I moved.

Moved because of my husband’s job.  Moved because I knew my husband would regret it if we didn’t.  Moved because I felt like God had opened some really heavy doors.  Moved because I love my husband.

As you can probably tell, I didn’t want to leave Florida.  I had incredible friends, a great church, a fulfilling job, a paradise-inspired neighborhood, and was within a day’s drive of my parents.  But you know what I have come to discover (and try to remind myself of frequently)?  The “and thens…” of life are often what you end up counting as some of your greatest blessings.

“And then I moved”….turned into “and now we have our surprise blessing.”  A few months after moving, my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our sweet daughter.  We had prayed for her for years.  Since both of our boys were born in Albuquerque, NM, my husband and I had to ask ourselves, “Are we only fertile in high altitude?” (We live in the Rocky Mountain area.)

“And then I moved”….turned into “and now I get to focus on my husband and children and not my social circle.”

“And then I moved”….turned into “and now we get to live in and explore a beautiful part of our country.”

“And then I moved”….turned into “and now I know what it means to bloom where you’re planted.”

I could go on and on about how the sadness turned into joy.  Of course, I have my days when I miss April’s circus acts, Misty’s smarty pants comments, and Maureen’s hilarious kitchen get-togethers.  But then I just remind myself  that I’m moving in a year or two.  And then…


Jul
2011

The Beginnings (Part Two)…

categories: April, God, Julie

Fast forward 10 years or so to when Julie and I crossed paths. We were both new to Florida. Julie was already friends with Maureen, my new neighbor and soon to be BFF (yes…I stand by the belief that you can have more than one BFF!). Maureen and I were headed to the pool in our neighborhood, already in the stage where we had loaded up small children and tons of gear and had actually made it all the way to the pool parking lot before one of Florida’s legendary “chunky” rainstorms begins.

 

Julie is rushing out of the pool area now with her boys and runs into us. Maureen quickly introduces us and I invite Julie to join us at my house so we can let the kids play together at least. She gives Maureen the, “Who is this woman I just met inviting me to her [messy…she would discover] house?” After Maureen gives her the “She’s OK” nod, we head to my house and start getting to know each other. You know…details like how Maureen never yells at her kids, I yell at mine too much, and Julie falls into the happy medium. Until the “Crazy Momma” scream just has to come out.

My friendship with Julie was really cemented when she approached me shortly after and said that God had placed it on her heart to begin a Bible study. She was prepared to administrate all the details, but she needed a facilitator. Viola….I am a facilitator AND a horrible administrator. It was a match made in heaven…literally. 🙂  Of course, Julie thought she needed a facilitator because God couldn’t possibly be implying that she should teach as well….WRONG. Julie and I both ended up facilitating a YMCA Bible Study group. Absolutely one of the best honors of my life, to be a part of something that had God’s hand all over it. Thank you Julie for your obedience in beginning a good work. He was and continues to be faithful to complete it!

I love Julie and you will too. She has a heart that loves God and her family with passion. She is my go-to-counselor in life, always full of wise advise and fresh ways of looking at life. Thanks, Jules for helping to keep me sane….or at least close enough that I can fool almost everyone. 🙂

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Jul
2011

The Beginnings (Part One)…..

categories: April, God, Misty

 

Whenever I run across a blog I really like, I find myself scrolling back to discover its beginnings. With that in mind, I decided to start this blog with OUR beginnings.  How I met Misty and Julie and let everything build from there.

I met Misty about 15 years ago now (which by the way blows my mind) at a church we were both starting to attend. The pastor came up to these two young couples (us…back then) and gave us tickets to a AAA baseball game which of course we all politely accepted, even though 3 of the 4 of us hated sports. We endured that day, but little did I know one of the best friendships of my life was just beginning.

I actually remember (I say “actually remember” because I am the queen of forgetfulness and often tell Misty that I need her because she remembers my life WAY better than I do!). Anyway, back to my memory, Misty and I were in a Bible study together and I was thinking it would be really cool to be friends with her…she was and is the funniest person on the planet to me.  If you don’t know Misty yet, you will soon be thinking the same thing!

Thankfully, we both helped each other through a lot of CRAP, which cemented our friendship and now there is absolutely no way we can shake each other. She’s stuck with me for life.  Or I’m stuck with her. It depends on who’s having the breakdown that week.

Well, that’s enough for this post. I like posts to be short since I, and many of you out there, are ADOS – Attention Deficit….Ooh Shiny.  I’ll finish tomorrow with my story of how Julie and I met, another total blessing in my life.

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