Not-So-Stay-At-Home-Mom

New Beginnings

2010-04-25T01:16:00.002-05:00

Through a series of unrequested events our family changed houses of worship recently.
*long pause*
**deep breath**
For many reasons, I cannot go into details regarding our departure. However, I DO want to share with you some of the unexpected blessings of our new beginning.

Our new pastor has been ministering in the same church for *wait for it* 38...yes, I typed that correctly...thirty-eight years! That is just unheard of these days! The true blessing of this is there are so many people in this church who have known him so deeply for so long, we have no doubt that he truly is a man who loves God with all of his heart, mind, soul, and strength!

What's more is he also truly loves people. All people. With a "1st Corinthians" type love. He gives of himself constantly. I've never seen a congregation have more respect for a leader than this church has for our pastor.

We've been in so many churches in so many different places that we can truly appreciate how rare a find this is! I keep thinking I need to pinch myself so I'll wake up from this great dream I'm in!

For the first time in so many years, when I was at church Wednesday night, I exhaled and felt the tension release from my shoulders. I was at church...and I was relaxed! Is this a possible combination?

In addition to actually feeling like we have a pastor with genuine integrity, we have a good thing going with the choir, the musicians and our sound guys! It just seems like there was an instant connection with everybody.

I am not naive enough to think they all voted for us and everything will always be this happy-go-lucky, BUT I will say, it sure is nice to be embraced by a body of believers. It sure is nice to feel instantly comfortable with people you've just met. It sure is nice to feel like we're home.

Even our children have weathered the transition easily. We are suffering withdrawals from Nana and Papa because we got used to seeing them 5 or 6 times a week at church. And we also miss the friends we made in our last Sunday School class. They were a true blessing to us. But overall, the change to our new church has been for the best.

Maybe it can best be summarized by the statement of promise our pastor pronounced over us during our first night there. He told Steven he wanted to "interview" us. Being new, we didn't realize that we would be interviewed in front of the whole group of Wednesday night church-goers! We were the latest in the line-up of church members to be interviewed...evidently a new person was questioned every week as a way for the body to truly get to know about one another. The following is a copy of the e-mail I sent to the pastor the morning after our interview:

"Our lives have been relatively insane since about 2007, but this past year has been one of the hardest for our family. I'm sure you are unaware of this, but this past Sunday, March 7th, was not only Steven's last Sunday at Eastern Hills, it was also the one year anniversary of his best friend's death. Sam was 29 and died very unexpectedly of a massive heart attack. He and Steven had been more like brothers than friends since they met in junior high school.

Another thing you are unaware of is that my parents divorced in 2007 after almost 35 years of marriage. When that happened, I was so angry and so deeply hurt I let myself become unsure of almost everything about God. Healing has been a slower process than I would like, and has been far more intense than I would have ever bargained for.

I tell you these two things for a reason, and I preface the purpose of this letter by telling you a few other seemingly mismatched details as well...

Last March, for the first time in 2 years (since the divorce), I was able to tell God, "I love You." I was finally able to pray out loud again. This came about three weeks after Sam's death. I believe God used something Rev. Neal Hughes said at Sam's graveside service as a catalyst for this "chunk" of healing...

Neal's words were not overly profound in and of themselves, but they fell on fertile ground in my heart. He read Isaiah 40:31...a verse I'd heard hundreds of times before. His words were so simple. They went something like this:

'There are times in our lives when we are soaring with God and it's wonderful! But then something changes and you're not quite soaring, but you can still run with Him and things are good. And sometimes you're tired and weak. But He gives you the strength to walk...to walk and not faint.'

Those words have stuck with me throughout everything that's happened in the last year. And I truly believe that small bit of truth Neal shared that day ministered more healing and hope to my soul than anything else had in years.

Last night Steven and I were having a heart to heart. He was sharing how difficult this past week has been for him...so MANY changes have taken place in such a short amount of time- not just with churches, but personally and at his school. We were talking about how easy it is to lose faith in Him when you face such hardships in life...especially when you keep getting slammed with things you have absolutely no control over.

I shared Neal's message with him. I told him it was what Neal preached at Sam's funeral. And I told him that even though we have been beaten down, we are still walking. I told him one day we would soar with God again, but for now, He is giving us the strength to just keep on walking...and I believe God understands where we are, and He knew way back when He had this verse written that sometimes walking IS our absolute best that we have to give. But one day, we WILL soar again!

Tonight, after our interviews, I almost lost it right there in front of everybody!! I was almost a sobbing, bawling heap, because you said, '...we know you have roots...we want to give you wings...we want you to soar!'

In my phraseology, is that a God-thing or what?!!"

Blueberry Junior

2009-09-16T23:40:00.002-05:00

Most of you never had the privilege of meeting Blueberry Senior before he expired on Monday, September 7th, 2009 (Actually, he may have expired a few days earlier. We're really unsure. But judging from his appearance he was either Cajun fried or had been lying "in state" a couple of days before we found him!) He was a good fish. He never jumped out of the tank. He always tried to be entertaining, and he never, not one time, complained about eating only dried blood worms for every meal. Beloved pet of Master Thomas Sessions of Montgomery, Alabama. He will live on in our hearts, though his body may be in the sewer, for years to come. He is survived by his aquarium rocks and special plastic tube-thing in which he slept.

R. I. P.
BLUEBERRY
July 31st-September 7th
2009

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am one of those mothers. You know the kind...the ones who try to spare their kids from reality until they are "old enough" to handle it. Yep, that's me!

Upon climbing into bed Monday night Thomas reported that something was wrong with his fish. I asked him how he knew.

"We-e-ellll," in the slowest, most drawn-out southern he could muster, "he's not moving."

"Is he on the bottom or the top of the tank?"

"The top."

*momentary silence*

"Okay. Well, I'll check on him in a minute. You go ahead and get into the bed and go to sleep."

I waited until he looked like he might be comatose, then tiptoed over to his bookshelf where I discovered the deceased. I gently lifted the body and it's tomb and slowly turned to exit, praying that I would not trip or step on any deadly legos or micro-machine airplanes. Successfully entering the kitchen, I dumped the remains, cleaned the crud, and grabbed my purse and keys.

You see, just a few days ago, my son captured a caterpillar (no, nothing that moves and is smaller than him is safe) and put it in his butterfly cage. We took great care to feed the caterpillar grass, tomatoes fresh from the vine, enough water to thrive, but, alas, the little fella just decided he'd go on to meet his Maker instead of forming a cocoon. When we found him fully involved in rigor mortis, my sweet little boy dropped his head and buried his face in his tiny hands...tears streaming down his face. He was mourning the worm!

And Blueberry was his fish! Blueberry had been around much longer than the worm. He'd slept next to him every night. Thomas fed him and took care of him. He proudly introduced him to our company. Every day he would announce from his bedroom just how cute Blueberry was! Thomas and Blueberry were tight! If saying goodbye to the worm was that bad, we were DEFINITELY NOT going to be saying, "Sayonara," to the fish!

Praise the Lord, Petco was still open! I looked through about 35 Crowntail Betas that night until I found the one that most closely resembled Blueberry...Senior. Thankfully, no Petco employee was feeling helpful. I really did not wish to reveal my impending deceitfulness to the teenagers working the night shift. I made my purchase, drove home, replaced the fish, and repositioned the tank without even dirtying up my superhero mask or cape!

The next day Thomas informed me that I should clean Blueberry's tank more often because it made him feel GOOD! He was swimming in circles and jumping through hula-hoops...well, maybe that last part is a little bit exaggerated! ;)

Blueberry (Junior) has made the transition from the pet store pancana of betas to treasured family pet and resides in the former home of the esteemed Blueberry Senior atop the bookshelf in Thomas' bedroom.

So please, dear friends, if you stop by my house, please refer to our piscatory friend by his first name only so as not to upset the locals! And, in case you're wondering, the moral of this story is never say what you will never do for the love of your child because I have indeed become one of those parents!!!

Another One Bites the Dust

2009-07-15T10:39:00.004-05:00

This was Rachael's second time to ice skate and Thomas' first time. Overall, I was pretty impressed with them both! They did a lot better than I would be able to do!

Orange, the Olympian

2009-07-11T22:20:00.003-05:00

I looked in disbelief. I was pretty sure I saw what I thought I was seeing. But maybe I should ask someone else just in case.

"Steven," I whispered, "Do you see that?"

"What?" He said much too loudly.

I was afraid the sheer volume of his voice would cause the scene to vanish before he could validate its certain absurdity.

"Oh!" He exclaimed.

And then we both sat in silence for a few moments taking in the oddity.

Thomas finally peered over the edge of the examination table to check out the object of our attention. Being thoroughly 4 and thoroughly impressed, he hopped up and grabbed it before we could stop him.

We were at the Children's Hospital waiting to see if the doctor could fix a mild internal defect Thomas was born with. He had already been through so much that day. His little body had endured some really traumatic testing, and this was the first sign of excitement he'd shown the whole time we'd been waiting for results. But I have to admit, I wish we'd been a little bit faster and snapped a picture of this before it was too late.

When we arrived that morning Thomas was given a comic book, some coloring sheets and a small package of crayons. He clung to them all day even though he wasn't very interested in playing. While he was resting on top of the table, he accidentally kicked off one crayon- I believe it was orange.

It fell down and landed perpendicular to the floor- NOT on its side and NOT on the big end. The thing was standing on its drawing tip. A brand new, unused crayon had fallen off a table and, without bouncing, landed on its tiny end and STAYED!!!!

Orange stuck its landing without so much as a wobble! I expected it to throw up its waxy arms in salute to the judges' table and wave to the television cameras as it made its way to the Olympic platform to claim its gold medal. I mean, WOW! This crayon could do it all!

Luckily Steven and Thomas were there to keep me from re-enacting this whole Olympic Fanfare scene. Otherwise, they may have sent me to another hospital in Birmingham...one with doors that lock behind you. I digress.

I've meant to blog about this crayon incident before...I've meant to just TELL people about the crayon before. But I've forgotten. And as far as I know, this is the first time I've talked about it to anyone except Steven. But I had an epiphany-type moment earlier this week with God having to do with the crayon...much like the moment when God spoke to me (in my heart, not audibly) through my bagel at Judson- but that will need to be for another post.

Anywho-

It doesn't matter if you are the pink crayon or the cornflower blue crayon; if you are from the kid's meal package of four or the classroom pack of 800; it doesn't matter if you are Rose Art or Crayola- there will come a time in your existence when you are hurtling through the air so fast and furiously there will seem to be absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. Some crayons may have taken this plunge on their own, but most have been kicked off the table without a choice. The detriment befalling them will occur no matter what they do.

So what do we do?

When life-altering situations arise and we are powerless...
When we are asked to bear hurts that seem impossible...
When you know God is capable of healing but He chooses not to...

Life happens. We can't stop the pain of it. So what will you choose instead?

I want to be like Orange. I want to choose to stand straight and tall even in the hardest position possible. I want to look over at God's judgment seat with my hands raised up in victory! And I want to feel His arms around me when He, like Thomas, looks down from the examination table and snatches me up because He's too excited about me to leave me there! And I will know He is impressed with me because HE made me just the way He wanted me...the exact shade, the perfect balance of waxiness and pigment, large and washable or a glittery Twistable! And the best part is, all I had to do was choose to be what He made me and stand up for Him.

In closing, I will share one last thing that probably sums up what I'm saying better than anything else:

When Steven's best friend died unexpectedly earlier this year, Neal Hughes, a dear friend and worker with the North American Mission Board, came back home to preach at the funeral. He read Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." He talked about how glorious it is when you feel like you're flying with God. But then sometimes when you just can't fly, HE still gives you the strength to run. And then, if you just can't run, He still gives you the strength to walk without fainting if we but WAIT on Him.

This year we, as a family unit, have known pain, hurt, betrayal and trials the likes of which we have never experienced before. I know many of you will say the same about your own situations. And so many times, I have not had the strength to even keep walking. But, I STAND. And, in the name of Jesus, I WILL STAND.

And, every time I see a box of crayons, I will be reminded to just keep on STANDING!

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, TO STAND." Ephesians 6:13

baHA!!! The hubby as Beckham!

2009-06-05T15:28:00.001-05:00

Born May 29, 2009, 4:23 a.m., Our Nephew

2009-05-29T07:27:00.002-05:00

Carson Joseph
7 pounds, 20.5 inches, Strawberry Blonde hair, absolutely beautiful!!!!!!!!! Lizzie is doing great also!

Wordless Wednesday...6

2009-05-27T14:21:00.002-05:00

Our Sweet Granny

2009-05-25T21:24:00.000-05:00

another flood image

2009-05-11T15:10:00.001-05:00

Down the street from us...
Who needs a car to pick up your kid from school? Fishin' boat works fine in Montgomery!

I LOVE PICNIK!!!

2009-05-09T07:27:00.004-05:00

Where has this editing software been all my life?!?!?! And it's free!!!!!!

Less than a Quarter Mile away

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

more pics

2009-05-07T16:19:00.003-05:00

down the street from us about a mile

Bridle Brook Farms- East Montgomery

Pics from today in Montgomery

2009-05-07T16:05:00.003-05:00

This is the backyard of a friend of mine's daughter...yes, the inside of her house is flooded too.

Gallaxhar...

2009-04-28T12:38:00.005-05:00

My little man has a good eye. He rarely uses this talent because he thinks his sister doesn't want him to draw. Yes, I know it's sad, and I've tried to rectify the situation...but, alas, he refuses to draw if she is here.

So I am always amazed when he brings home pictures from school. I brag on him to try and encourage his skill. He will tell me about his drawings...but still, no drawing at home is his rule!

He brought home the picture below, and I immediately knew what it was. If you have not seen the movie Monsters vs. Aliens then this might look like a jumbled up mess- but it's not! It's Gallaxhar from the movie! He is not allowed to see the movie, but he got a Happy Meal toy of Gallaxhar last week. TaDa! Here is Thomas' masterpiece:

I am including a still from the movie so you can compare. Sure, his eyes arenot in the right spot...and his legs are on top of his head instead of underneath his body...and the shape of the head is kind of upside-down...but all-in-all, for a 4 year old, I think it's fabulous! After all, he IS my son! ;)

John 4:35

2009-04-22T20:24:00.004-05:00

"Tough"does not come close to describing these young ladies. They have street smarts a small-town girl like me can't even begin to comprehend. Most of them have lost a family member in a random act of violence. All of them have at least one person they love in prison. The ones who are regulars in my Team Kid class have been walking to church by themselves for years; often with four or five younger siblings in tow. One of my fifth or sixth grade babies pushing another baby in a stroller with toddlers walking behind them- that is a regular scene on Sunday mornings at our church. The construction developers call this area "Midtown," but those who attend services there will all agree- this is as inner-city as it gets!

We've been at Highland Avenue Baptist Church almost four years. Every Wednesday night for the past two years, I've spent with my girls (5th and 6th graders.) They are rude, impatient, greedy, stubborn, and full of anger. They are also innocent, fun-loving, loyal and hungry for Hope.

In the beginning I was hesitant to love them. I really didn't want this job. I was more "told" that I would be teaching them than asked. And, let's face it, they are NOT easy to love...until you get to know them. I spent my first year with them wanting to walk out and never come back. It wasn't until last spring that I was even able to pray for them. This year MY attitude has been better, but theirs got worse!

Most of our meetings this year were spent on keeping things quiet enough to just start the lesson! Add to this noise the occasional fist-fights, curse words and obscene dancing, and anyone would understand why we may have finished only three or four lessons out of the twenty we started!

That is why tonight's Team Kid meeting was so amazing.

The next lesson in our book was on Jeremiah. We studied Isaiah the week before, and everyone just had a horrible time trying to understand what a "prophet" is and how that's any different than the lady down the street who reads tarot cards. So rather than spending another week on a prophet/tarot-card-reader (from their perspective, these people would be one in the same) we skipped ahead to the next story...Daniel and the Lion's Den. Aha! Something concrete! Laws and lions- they'll get that!

The Bible story was read. All the review questions were answered. And we still had twenty minutes on the clock before snack!

*insert brakes squealing here*

Extra minutes! This has NEVER happened before! What now?

ENTER: GOD...

In a moment of Divine Intervention (i.e. God's grand entrance above) I asked my girls if they thought Daniel was afraid; possibly more afraid than he'd ever been before in his life. The majority concurred that the Lion's Den would definitely be frightening in the extreme! Then I asked, "What are you most afraid of?"

Answers varied from violence, death, being robbed, losing a family member...
Then one of my newest students said, "Going to Hell," and several others agreed.

I asked them if anyone could tell the class the only way to avoid going to Hell. I got so many different answers, but none of them said Jesus. (Which, by the way, is a sad commentary on my teaching skills during previous lessons!)

I was praying so hard!!! I looked at Susie (my helper,) and I could tell she was too.

Then I asked all of them to listen harder than they've ever listened to me before. I asked them to keep their mouths closed and not talk to me or their neighbors.

I am still in utter amazement of the stillness and attentiveness that followed.

Not a word was spoken while God gave me the opportunity to share Jesus with them. I got to tell them how much God loved Jesus, and how He was willing to give up His Son for us...how the innocent blood of Christ would cover up the ugliness of our hearts...how we can live righteously through repentance...how God's Power can keep us even if we mess up...Romans 3:23...Romans 5:8...Romans 6:23...Romans 10:10-13.

I got to share my Jesus, my sweet, precious Saviour...the One I love!

I asked them to not only close their eyes but to put one hand completely over their eyes. I summarized briefly all that we'd discussed, and gave them a short time of silence to talk to Jesus is they needed to. Then, before they removed their hands from their eyes, I asked them, if they were brave enough, to raise their other hand if they'd asked Jesus to be their Saviour...

And every hand went up...

All nine...

And nobody was even peeking!!!

I prayed for them. I thanked God for them. I thanked God for HIM, Jesus, who made all of this possible!!!

In the middle of my heart crying out in praise to Him, I am also whispering a "thank You" to Him for one more detail...

Tonight was my last night with them. Steven and I have accepted the call to another church, and this was my last chance to speak about Him to them...my children, whom I love.

I am humbled and honored that God was able to use me for His glory. And I am so grateful that He allowed me to share in the reaping His harvest.

"...open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." - John 4:35

My Precious step-sister and Rach

2009-04-19T19:44:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday...Sandi Patty

2009-04-08T21:56:00.002-05:00

Read This First

2009-04-06T16:29:00.002-05:00

If you are actually going to take the time to read the small book in the entry below, you should be aware this is the newest part of what God's been doing in my life. If you haven't read the first part, this will make much more sense if you find the entry entitled "Transparent" from last fall. Thanks! Sheri

Transparency, Part 2

2009-04-06T16:26:00.000-05:00

It happened in a hotel room.

We were enjoying a women’s conference in Pigeon Forge when my friend said, “Oooh…the next speaker is talking about forgiveness!” With that statement, she looked at me as if to say, “The next hour will be spent talking about what’s wrong in your life!”

“What?!” I shot back, eager to defend my innocence, “I don’t have any bitterness in my heart towards anyone!”

“Really…hmmmm,” she said.

I did not like this discussion at ALL! Obviously she disagreed with me, but the conference was beginning. I informed my friend that this conversation would be finished later.

Session ended. Lunch was over. We wasted more than enough time at a local pottery shop. It was time to revisit our discussion from earlier. As we drove back to the hotel I asked her if she really thought I had not forgiven my mother.

Her answer was one word, “Maybe.”

I explained again that I harbored no bitterness towards my mom. The problem, as I saw it was dealing with fresh pain; the new wounds that were being inflicted at a very steady rate. I had to find a way to deal with them as they came. I was becoming numb to everything. It’s just easier that way; with one exception:

I missed “feeling” God.

Years- That’s how long it had been. With one precious exception…

Three weeks earlier my husband’s very best friend died unexpectedly. His death occurred just a couple of weeks after my best friend lost BOTH of her parents in a week’s time. Also, in that month, because of some bad choices he made and several lies he’d told, my church family lost our pastor. This particular Sunday morning was the day after my husband’s friend died.

We both struggled through the song service- me, from the choir loft, and him, from the pulpit…he is a Music Minister. He was hurting so terribly. And the songs he’d picked on Thursday (before losing his friend) for worship this week were all about Heaven. During our fellowship time I left the choir loft to hug him.

I was coming back to my seat when I “felt” God. Tears were flowing down my face, and I heard the other soprano’s voice. It sounded so pure and rich. The altos broke into harmony, and time stood still. I know it was only a few seconds because I never stopped walking and my chair was only a few steps away. But it seemed to last for an eternity. I sensed Him near; so close I could breathe Him in. The sound of the voices singing pierced my soul. And then, as quickly as it began, it was over.

The heaviness covered me again, and there was nothing. No feeling at all. Complete numbness. I was back to what had become my emotional “home” for so long now.

By this point in the conversation we had been in the hotel room for quite some time. I was a blubbering mess of emotion from reliving this one experience and sharing it with her. Because she is such a close friend, she regularly asks invasive questions. She was “Johnny-on-the-spot” that day too!

“So do you love God?”

I did not like that question. Of course I loved God…right? I am a minister’s wife! I teach Bible stories to children every week! I’ve been a Christian for 16 years! I never miss a service at church unless one of my children gets sick. I sing solos at least once a month. I must love God. I must…

Being the persistent friend that she is, she asked again, “Do you love God?”

Why couldn’t I say it? Why couldn’t I admit that I love Him? Furthermore, why wasn’t I able to give her words like adore or precious to describe how I felt about God? I thought I had healed more since September when I was actually able to pray again for the first time since my parents’ divorce. Yet, how long had it been? When was the last time I’d just said to God, “I love you?”

I couldn’t remember.

I wasn’t expecting the roar of emotions that screamed silently inside me. There was a battle happening. A line was being drawn, and I needed to decide- do I love Him?

I know what I wanted the answer to be. I knew what the answer had to be, but fear gripped me. Why was I afraid?

Isn’t He the Lover of our souls? Didn’t He promise to protect us and shield us from our enemies? Didn’t He give up His Son…for me?! What was there to fear?

As these thoughts swam in my mind, I silently prayed, “Why am I afraid?”

And He answered.

The dam burst, and a waterfall of insight and knowledge rushed through me. I understood what was wrong! I could see it!

I couldn’t love. Not just God, I couldn’t love anyone! I could provide plenty of cheap substitutes. I could pretend to love all day long. I could serve all day long. As long as I was “doing” it looked like love. But real love…

Real love is risky. Real love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Real love never ends. Real love does not keep a record of wrongs. Real love knows fully, and still chooses to love fully. No holds barred. No self-preservation. No choice of persons. No fear…because…

Perfect love casteth out every fear.

I couldn’t say I loved God, because what if I wasn’t good enough? What if I’d already given Him everything I have, and it STILL wasn’t enough? What if I’d done everything in my power to “be” the “right” kind of person and He still thought I needed to be more…to be better? What if I was already the best mom, wife, friend, sister or daughter I knew how to be and it wasn’t right enough? What if I trusted Him with everything again, and He pulled the carpet out from under me? If I admitted I loved Him, would He even love me back, or would I just be left with nothing…no relationship. Would I feel even more empty inside?

Then I realized, God is not like my mother. I don’t have to be good enough for God! He died for me before I was even born- before I could even work on being good enough! God doesn’t want me to be exhausted from giving everything I have…He wants to give me HIS strength to give! He doesn’t want me to be “right” by anyone else’s standards…He wanted to show me “right” Himself and then share His might with me so I could become that person! He loves me for myself! I KNOW He does! He CREATED me just the way I am! I don’t have to be afraid to trust Him! He won’t betray me! The Bible says He is close to the broken-hearted and SAVES those who are crushed in spirit! And as far as being left with nothing…that’s impossible! He will never leave me or forsake me!

I had been listening to the lies of satan; for WAY too long!

Knowing now that it is safe to love God, I made a choice. Do I love God?

I couldn’t speak so I nodded my head, “Yes!”

It hurt intensely. I was wrestling with the Prince of Darkness. I was letting go of so much pain and internal sickness in one simple “yes”. My friend was praying over me. I was sobbing.

She read my mind and asked me if I wanted to pray! I knelt down beside the bed, and barely uttered, “I love You,” weakly at first. Then again, “I love you, God!” Then again, and again. Such simple words. Such empowering words. Words of FREEDOM. “I LOVE YOU, GOD!”

Later on, our roommates came back from an afternoon of shopping at the outlet malls. “Did you guys have a good afternoon?”

Wow. How do you answer that question?! There was so much to say and so few words came out,

“Yes, we did!”

I briefly told them we spent the afternoon crying and praying then crying and praying! I promised more details would follow soon. And the details are still following. I am a Babe in Christ again. I am growing. I have been given new eyes and new strength. I am learning to walk with Him all over again. I am reminding myself to get up every morning and start my day by simply saying, “I’m here, God. What do You want today?” But the best part is, I am loving.

I am thinking about who I am with, and what I am communicating to them about Christ from the time they spend with me. I am loved, and I can “feel” God again. Not always the strong, booming way that is so nice to experience every now and then; but the still, small voice that constantly whispers, “I AM, and I am here!” I have peace. I have God and He has me. What JOY!

For those of you who read my last letter in the Fall, you will appreciate this last question from my friend that day in the hotel:

“Where is God now?”

“Right here. Kneeling beside me. With His arm around my shoulder.”

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-18T09:01:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday...little boy, big school

2009-03-04T08:18:00.002-06:00

Well, the Spelling may be off, but the Meaning is THERE!

2009-02-28T19:33:00.002-06:00

As all parents of toddlers do, Steven and I spell to avoid sure and sudden conflict with the small fries. Earlier today, my hubby walked through and said, "Do you want to go to the Z-O-O?" Since we had been trapped inside the house, if not the hallway with pillows, for about 24 hours, I agreed that fresh air and animal antics would probably do us some good.

Obviously, we were not leaving the house in a timely fashion because Thomas suddenly announced, "I want to go to the K-O-S! Now! I want to go to the ZOO!!!"

Well, alrighty then!

I Am Angry

2009-02-26T08:46:00.002-06:00

At first I was shocked, then confused. A few days ago I found myself sad. But now, I'm just flat out angry. Many of you know that we finally found a pastor last November after searching for 2 and a half years...YEARS! We were told his wife had severe rheumatoid arthritis and would not be able to make the move here with him. She was also staying behind to care for her elderly mother. Understandable...if it were true!

Last Wednesday night, our illustrious pastor had a "friend" sing a solo at church. He then introduced her to us as "the woman he intended to marry on Feb. 28th at 1:00 in the afternoon". Did I mention he followed that up with asking the deacon body to be his groomsmen?

A. When and why did you get divorced?
B. When were you going to tell us you got divorced?
C. Does your wife know about this?!?!?!

OK, I know C. is obviously not the point...but it does cross the mind when you hear a "married" person is going to "get married". This past Sunday he resigned. We are now without a pastor again...AGAIN! Am I angry that he's gone? No way! We could never have him as our pastor again because we could never fully believe he was being truthful!

Last night at church a large meeting was held with *unfortunately* an open microphone for those with questions and statements. The good, the bad AND the ugly came out then! Our sweet, sweet church administrator who was also on the pastor selection committee has been lied to and put in horribly awkward situations due to his lies now for the last few months...to the point that she is physically ill. And a dear, precious choir member thought all of this was her fault because she and her husband were the first to see the marriage license announcement in the paper. So much raw pain and heart break filled the room.

SIDEBAR: In the middle of the pain, two women decided to use the open mics as opportunity to discuss the choices of a man in the church post-mortem. One of them being his ex-wife and the other his lover (by the way, she decided to inform the church that she has no remorse for breaking up the marriage and is not sorry for the fornication---- can I just say, I was feeling the urge to break and run before the ceiling fell in or lightning popped her!)

So I don't feel sad anymore. I'm just mad. Mad that a supposed "man of God" could proclaim his love for Jesus and in the same breath cause tremendous disrupt and agony in Christ's Body, the Church. He will answer to God for this...maybe we'll let him stand beside the fornicating woman...

Wordless Wednesday...no, I did not do this to her.

2009-02-11T09:19:00.003-06:00

Wordless Wednesday...one day late!

2009-02-05T08:15:00.001-06:00

Two of the Most Amazing People I Know

2009-01-31T12:07:00.004-06:00

Don't pictures like this,

and this,

and this,

just do your heart good?

They've been married for more than 30 years. I've known them for about 10 years. And they just seem to grow in love for one another more and more every day.

I pray our marriage will be like theirs.

By the way, these are my in-laws, Robert and Susan Sessions. They are so precious and dear to me. I can't imagine what my life would be without them or without their example!

From our TN trip...Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T17:28:00.001-06:00

Thomas' Christmas Program

2009-01-05T10:08:00.003-06:00

There's only so much behaving one can ask for from a hyperactive 4-yr.-old boy! Plus, at his preschool they always dress-up the kids in animal costumes for the Christmas program. It's a precious idea and they all look so cute...but it's a little much for Thomas to handle! He lives in his costumes at home...and his personality instantly changes to suit whatever costume he's donning as soon as he puts it on! Needless to say, these are just a couple of pictures from a very eventful event where Thomas was dressed as a raccoon! Enjoy!

Need a pick-me-up?

2009-01-04T18:49:00.003-06:00

We can't see Him the way we wish we could all of the time, but we can lift our hands to His and do what He longs for us to do....walk and believe...

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe...
Romans 3:22

The above is photographed and written by Angie Smith...wife of Todd from my favorite group "Selah". I swiped it from her blog "Bring the Rain" which is by far one of the best, most well-written, heart-wrenching, joy-filled, faith-inducing thing on the internet! Check it out for yourself! See my link on the right! Have a great day!

2008...the year in review!

2009-01-02T08:14:00.002-06:00

An unexpected blessing ~ my Father remarrying...I've gained a wonderful friend in my step-mother and a precious step-sister who already mean the world to me!

Feeling important ~ when my sister-in-law was planning her wedding this past summer, she asked me to be her matron of honor...I was surprised! I love her so much and have always known she loves me, but I didn't realize that I was that important in her life! It really did make me feel special!

Craziest thing I did ~ Got a dog...nuff said.

Smartest thing I did ~ There is a person in my life who is extremely unhealthy...or toxic as my husband puts it. But it is someone I cannot dismiss. When the time was approaching for me to see this person, I decided to concede my will to the Lord's will and just see what He would do. Things went sour, as they always seem to do, and in the end, it was my fault, as it always is, according to said individual. But, I say this was the smartest thing I did because in choosing God's way, I have no guilt...I KNOW I am completely innocent. And that peace and assurance is a priceless gift!

Sentimental moment ~ The Thanksgiving Feast and program at my little boy's preschool...when I was snapping pictures all I could think about was how this was going to be the last one of these I get to attend at his school before he's all grown-up and starting K5 next year!

Most enjoyable gift ~ For our anniversary last year, my hubby asked me what I wanted. This is always a tough question for me because typically the things I want are either so ridiculously expensive that I dismiss them or they are experiences requiring time and resources that are just not there...so I also dismiss them. So I told him what I really wanted was to see my precious friend from Tennessee. Both of her parents require constant care right now, and she never has a moment to herself. She works full-time, goes to school and in her spare time (yeah, right!) she takes shifts taking care of a dad with horrible emphysema and a mom who fell 2 years ago and suffered significant brain damage. My husband kept the children and sent me away for a wonderful weekend with my friend and we BOTH got time off!!! It was fabulous!

Craziest purchase turnabout ~ This is not exactly what this question means, but when asked what they wanted for Christmas, my kids had a standard answer for a couple of months...tents. Nothing specific other than "with Lightning McQueen" or "with Cinderella on it!" So now they have been given not one, not two, but SIX tents between the two of them! Did I mention our house is only 1125 sq. ft.? If we put them end to end, I do believe it would take up most of our house!

Moments of maturity ~ "This year has proven that no matter how much you try to love someone and protect someone, sometimes it just isn't enough." This quote is Nancy's answer, but I'm using her words because I think the answer is the same for me!

Huge answers to prayer ~ My step-mother passed her Real Estate exam, my son came through surgery with flying colors, I'm actually able to pray again!

Consider yourself tagged! Please tell me about your 2008 or leave me a comment so I can visit your blog! Happy New Year!

Pride Cometh Before the....WHOOPS!!!

2008-12-24T01:00:00.002-06:00

I must confess. Admitting is the first step to healing, right! I have a shoe addiction. When my babes were born I gave up my addiction to afford things like diapers, clothes, wipes. And having been born with ski boats instead of feet, one must do what one can to at least make the enormous pontoons easy on the eye!

So I found them! On Amazon...with FREE shipping! And they had a heel, but not too much. And it was thick so I thought, "Hey! I could walk in these!" Furthermore they were normally $65 and were on sale in a size 12w for only $15.99! They had to be mine!

I waited with baited breath. Yesterday the doorbell rang and my husband rounded the corner with a box in tow. My eyes sparkled. Saliva dripped to the floor. And an anxious giggle protruded from my voice box! They had arrived! I opened my glorious package to find this:

And they fit my big foot! Naturally I proceeded to strut into the living room to announce my reign as the returning queen of all fabulous footwear. Nose high in the air I called everyone to attention. A shoe this good must be shown a proper amount of respect. As I skillfully leaned to the side to show off my new favorite thing, and to command at least one "ooh" or "ahh" from my hubby, a stab of guilt from my pride invaded my ankle. All it took was one good twist and I went from showcasing the black and white beauty to sporting this:

So unfortunately, during this holiday season, instead of my new shoes, I will be groovin' in the yellow crocs with a big, blue bag hanging off my ankle. Tis the season. :)

Much Afraid

2008-12-19T01:33:00.002-06:00

So I just got an e-mail from a friend who's decided to survey momma's from several generations and stations in life. Her goal is to try and compile the information she receives into some form of encouragement for the mommies out there who need it.

First of all, I applaud my friend! Great idea! But she made me think too late at night when everything is quiet and things can be taken too seriously. She asked a tough question, as only true and good friends will do:

What is the hardest thing about being a mom?

My answer (straight from the survey):
Not knowing what to do but having the complete knowledge that the small decisions you make (while not knowing what decisions you should make) will permanently affect and/or alter your child’s future…maybe even 60 years from now…that’s a lot of responsibility.

Does anyone else feel that way? I'm telling myself that surely it's not just me, but then there's this part of me that's pretty prone to paranoia (wipe the grin off of your face, Myra!)

So, Blogger buddies, what say ye?

Transparent

2008-12-10T20:48:00.004-06:00

God has been working in my heart. The old me would be broadcasting from the hilltops how amazing He is and what He's teaching me. But the person I am today is a little too timid to proclaim Him boldly as of yet.

In an effort to truly share my Lord and His grace, I've decided to begin posting from my heart...just an open, honest account of His work in me. If I am unwilling to be transparent with others, why should they believe me when I try and explain how much He loves us? Why would they think He could make a difference in their lives if its not blatantly obvious how much He has changed me?

So, the following is a letter I wrote back in September. It kind of explains why I'm spiritually a baby again. I invite you to know me, and most importantly to know Christ more through His work in me. I covet your prayers. Thanks for reading....

My Dear Friends---

I write today to record a spiritual happening in my life; to make sure I do not forget. And also to have those who love me to remind me of the truths that have recently been exposed to me.

I have been on a journey this weekend…not physically, but emotionally and spiritually. You all know that this summer makes a year since my parents divorced. In the busyness of life I have failed to really sort through the wreckage in my heart. Instead, I subconsciously decided it was better to just keep moving…after all, no one else really knew what a junkyard there was in there.

Nobody but God.

And that’s where the true problem began. If God knows all, controls all, and loves all, then how could He really let this happen? I’ve been through some things in my life…sexual abuse, almost losing my eyesight, death of a friend, suicidal thoughts and depression, being told my baby was dead, having no money, and I mean no money…and every time I was faced with something, it didn’t matter because I knew my God. I knew He was real and He had it all under control. I knew His plan was bigger and better than mine…and whatever happened, I was okay with.

But in all of those situations, my God chose to allow what I consider “good” outcomes. Outcomes that confirmed He was trustworthy and loving; outcomes that encouraged my belief that He was always good. How small my faith has been.

I believed selfishly. I believed He would make an outcome pleasing to me. And when my Mom left for good, I realized I was wrong. So this past year, I didn’t just lose my family unit, I lost my God…

Before you freak out, I am NOT saying I lost my salvation or God left me.

I am a visual thinker. My knowledge of anything or anybody translates to an image. My family unit physically changed, but my God changed in my mental image.

When thinking of my Saviour, I always imagined Him near me, holding me. He was always smiling and radiating joy. I was safe around Him. He was wholesome and wore white linen. He was beautiful in every sense of the word. To be near Him was to feel purity and holiness. To be near Him was everything…my whole world.

Then my circumstances changed. Everything I knew changed. All the promises I grew up believing changed. Truth was no longer evident. Maybe there was no wrong or right; maybe it just depended on the moment. Maybe it was okay for feelings to be the determining factor. Who knows what love really is or really does.

My Jesus, my heart, was still there. But He wasn’t Himself. He was at a distance; always just out of arm’s reach, even if I had the strength to try. He was still and silent. His garments were lackluster and His skin was hard and leathery, like a really old chain-smoker. I could see Him. He sat in the chair at the dining room table while I was on the couch. He never left my house, so I didn’t doubt His existence. But a great chasm was there making closeness with Him unattainable. When I stood to try and cross it, a howling wind ripped across my face and knocked me backwards. A strange coldness left my heart shivering and afraid of Him. Was this what it meant to “fear the Lord”?

I would like to report this nauseous relationship with Him is over; that we are back in good-standing. But I can’t. Just this past weekend a dear friend and sister pointed out to me that my image of Jesus right now is that of a corpse, a dead man; at best He is paralyzed and incapable.

As she continued to point out, how is it possible to believe in someone who is dead or dying? After all, isn’t the hope of Christ in His resurrection? Isn’t His power in the gift of eternity? This image created in my mind is a wax figure of Christ, proposed by the devil himself and prolonged by my belief in it’s truth.

As she prayed over me, the wax figure melted away. Someone fresh was there. Someone with tears in His eyes and His arms stretched out toward me pleading with me to come; to feel His touch, to know His joy again. I tried to move and realized I couldn’t walk yet. I was a one-year-old precariously standing on wobbly legs. I reached for His hand and He grabbed my finger to keep me from falling. Realizing I couldn’t fully make that step yet, He chuckled and patted the seat beside bidding me to crawl over and pull up next to Him.

And after praying, for the first time in a long while, I felt something new. It took a moment to put my finger on it. It’s been so long. Maybe, just maybe, it might be hope.

So, friends, I’m not where I should be with Him. It will take me a while to get there. So I humbly ask for your prayers as I timidly approach God. Everything still seems so new and scary. But this I know for sure; HE IS ALIVE!!!

In the van yesterday, I prayed- for the first time in a long while – and asked God to fill my household again. Then for Him to fill me again…and He did! I rested! While driving, peace settled over me like a warm fuzzy blanket and a cup of hot cocoa on a snowy day; that sweet, unexplainable peace only He can give. How precious, how priceless! I haven’t known that feeling for a very long time.

Thank you for your prayers and your understanding! I love you all! Sheri

Max is a good boy!

2008-12-02T08:23:00.002-06:00

Not many dogs would let two small children dress them without ever attempting to bite! He's a good one! Kind of reminds me of a song..."If I die before I wake, feed Max. He's been a good dog..." :) Yeah, I know it's cheesy!

Forgetfulness

2008-11-24T15:05:00.003-06:00

I find the more busy I get the easier it is for me to forget to thank God for the little things...I can remember the biggies like family, a roof over our heads, food to eat, good friends. But so often I just enjoy certain things in life without ever expressing my appreciation to God for them.

So *insert drum roll here* without further ado, here's my list of little things I'm grateful for. Dear God, thank You for:
* the smell of a clean towel after a hot shower
* the crackle that comes from the wood in the fireplace when it's lit
* the beautiful aqua color at the bottom of the flame when things get really toasty
* the security of being able to speak Your name to calm my fears
* the warmth of my blanket when I'm going to sleep
* my dog, who makes me smile with his antics
* finally giving someone the genius to put lime in Diet Coke
* ink in my printer finally
* a voice to sing
* friends who don't always believe me when I say I'm doing okay

I know it's a small list, but it's a start...OK, now it's your turn...if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged! :)

Tagged

2008-11-23T18:58:00.002-06:00

I was Tagged..

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? I prefer paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? We have pretty much always had a fake tree.
3. When do you put up the tree? whenever we find time...this year, it will be tomorrow
4. When do you take the tree down? around first of the year
5. Do you like eggnog? Yuck...no I don't
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I can't recall any childhood presents right now...I'll update later when I think of one
7. Hardest person to buy for? my Dad
8. Easiest person to buy for? my kids
9. Do you have a nativity scene? YES!! We bought it the first Christmas we were married when we lived in Ft. Worth
10. Mail or email Christmas cards?Usually hand-delivered if you get one...who can afford a couple of hundred stamps?!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? a Lilac colored sweatsuit...pastels are just not me...neither are sweatsuits
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? easy one...National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
13. When do you start shopping? usually in after- Christmas sales the year before
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? does Fruitcake count?
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? my MawMaw's ham and Chocolate Cake
16. Lights on the tree? Yes! Small white lights
17. Favorite Christmas song? Sweet Little Jesus Boy, O Come O Come Emmanuel, Joy to the World (Avalon version), O Holy Night, We Are the Reason, Jesus Christ the Apple Tree....shall I keep going?
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I'll be home for Christmas!!!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? I think so
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star!!!
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowds
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Peppermint this year...it changes frequently
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? don't really care but I need to be with the people I love
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? to spend lots of time with my family
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? a person with time on their hands
27. Who is least likely to respond to this? who knows
I will tag....Nancy, Susie, and Abby

My Favorite Thanksgiving Commercial Ever

2008-11-21T08:28:00.003-06:00

Blinkx Video: Funny Exclusive Ads 173

Posted using ShareThis

Click on the link and sit back and wait for a laugh!

My Judson Little Sis Update

2008-11-21T08:18:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to let you all know that Lindy's step-dad passed away on Sunday and the funeral was Tuesday. The family feels sad, but relieved. Please continue to pray, especially for Stevie's wife, Mary. When all settles it will be hard to rebuild life after saying goodbye to a husband who was perfectly normal only about 7 weeks ago. Thanks.

Thanking God

2008-11-18T20:12:00.002-06:00

Baby boy is home and doing well! He has finally stopped throwing up from the anesthesia. Right now, he and his father are on a run to Wal-Mart...they just needed to get out for a while together...to do "the bonding" (for those of you who are fans of "The Wedding Planner"). All went well...and much faster than expected. He's got a really, really sore hiney...so prayers over the rumpus would be much appreciated...especially as he will be having his first bowel movement sometime in the next two days. So on your daily trips to the john, maybe you could lift us up as you pause around the throne---Okay, I know that was sick ,but I'm tired...you won't hold it against me, right?! :) Thank you so much for praying for my baby! Also, for those of you that know Sandy and Brent Bradshaw, they were a couple of rooms down from us today...their one-yr-old was having a port put in for Chemo. They'll be there until Saturday for massive Chemo doses and will then be sent home with more Chemo pills. Please, please pray for them too...I just can't imagine what they'll be going through.

My Boy

2008-11-17T15:32:00.002-06:00

My little man is scheduled for his surgery tomorrow. Please pray for him and a speedy recovery! We don't know what time the surgery will be yet. We'll update you as soon as we know something!

Being in Love

2008-11-13T09:10:00.005-06:00

You know those moments when you fall in love with your husband all over again...I'm having one of them! We've been married now a little over 6 years, and I truly do love him more today than I ever have. I used to kind of laugh at people who always cry at weddings. I didn't understand it. But now, I think I do.

Yes, the whole event is beautiful. The bride is *hopefully* looking better than she's ever looked before in her life. The groom waits in anticipation. Moms and Dads are weeping. Bridesmaids are uncomfortable in not-so-rewearable dresses. And smartly dressed groomsmen smile as they think more of that night than that moment.
But the true beauty of a wedding is what will come over the next 50 to 75 years. Life together.

In our first 6 months of marriage we moved 4 times. We went to seminary...and came back home. Steven stayed sick for 3 months before they finally diagnosed him with whooping cough. I found out I was pregnant and was then told my little girl was dead (obviously they were wrong!) My parents separated for the first time. I was put on bed rest and Steven was too sick to walk outside, much less go to class or work. We lived on prayer because there was NO money...all we had was kept in our dresser drawer...then it became empty too. And through all of this I kept falling more in love with Steven. He was my partner. Everything I went through, he went through also. When I was hurting or scared he was hurting and scared too. And more than falling in love with each other that year, we fell in love with God. We trusted Him more than ever because we had to...there wasn't an option. Faith was a necessity. My husband and I helped each other believe.

We've had so many couples tell us that we went through more in the first year of our marriage than they have in 15 or 20 years together. I don't know if that's true, but it was encouraging to hear at the time. What I do know to be true is this: I love this man God blessed me with so much more deeply than I ever could have dreamed was possible on our wedding day. And I would walk life's road by his side for a million more years if we were to live that long. What can I say...I love him.

So when a couple says "I do" for the first time, I must confess that I, too, shed a few tears because now I understand a little bit more the magnitude of those words.

June the eighth, 2002, will always live in my memory as one of the best days of my life.

Dearest Steven--- I love you, honey. You have given me the best years of my life. Thanks for saving yourself for me and then agreeing to wait and share our first kiss on our wedding day. You are the love of my life, my soul mate. And I'm so thankful God planned you for me.

Our First Kiss

Thomas' Surgery

2008-11-06T09:30:00.001-06:00

Hi, everybody. We spent the better part of a day at Children's Hospital in Birmingham yesterday. Thomas evidently has a birth defect called a Redundant Rectum. The surgeon said he's never seen anyone with this problem before...leave it to our family to be original! :) Anyway, it mean his rectum is shaped like an S instead of just diagonally like a slide (the normal way). So they will do surgery on Tuesday, Nov. 18th. We don't know what time yet. They also said he will have to stay on Miralax the rest of his life. The gastro-surgeaon is hoping this surgery will work as it will be outpatient and relatively easy for him. If it doesn't, they will go in and actually stretch out the rectum and tie it off somewhere inside. The surgeon thinks the easy surgery will at least hold until he gets a little older, so that's what we're praying for! Any prayer support you could give us we'd greatly appreciate! Thanks friends!

Just a Reminder

2008-10-31T15:51:00.001-05:00

God Keeps His Promises

My Judson Little Sis'

2008-10-29T08:04:00.002-05:00

Please, please pray for my Judson Little Sister's step-Dad. He started declining rapidly about 3 weeks ago and they finally have a diagnosis...he has the human form of Mad Cow Disease. Before this he was completely normal by all standards and this devastating decline in his health has all occurred in just three weeks. The following is her description of what has happened. For those of you with church families, please pass this along also to get as much prayer support as possible. They are from Prattville. Thank you.

The diagnosis for my stepdad...
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Yesterday at 10:42pm
Many of you have asked about my status and the devastating diagnosis I mentioned. Some of you may know that my stepdad has been sick for about 3 or 4 weeks. He was completely normal and healthy up until that point, driving, holding a job... Just a normal 59 year old adult. A few weeks ago he started mentioning he was becoming more forgetful. We kind of didn't put a lot of stock into that at first, but then we started noticing that indeed he was becoming forgetful. He forgot things that normally he wouldn't have.

By week 2, his memory loss continued to get worse by the day, so mom took him to his general medical doctor. They ran every lab test they knew to run, and obtained an MRI all which came back essentially normal. At this point Mom couldn't let him drive anymore, because there were so many times he didn't recognize where he was. We soon realized that he was definitely getting worse, so his doctor referred him to a neurologist in Montgomery to see what else could be going on. They had to wait several days before they could see the neurologist.

By week 3, Stevie saw the neurologist. He reviewed all the labs and MRI findings and said everything looked normal. The only thing that showed up abnormal was his EEG (electrical readings of brain waves) and he thought he had "dementia." That was sort of a wide range diagnosis without telling us anything. By this week, Stevie was having a lot of muscle jerking and loss of balance. He was walking with a "frankenstein" type gait, very rigid, and his behavior and confusion was worse and all so bizarre. He started really sleeping a lot too, but even while he slept he would jerk and have constant movement and muscle rigidity. The neurologist he saw said he didn't know what was going on, so they set up an appt. with a neurologist in Birmingham (UAB). That appointment was set for Nov. 11th.

This past weekend I saw my mom and stepdad, and was absolutely confounded at how much he had changed in a week. Stevie would try to stand up and would nearly fall. He stumbled, walking around with mom's help, and would have complete muscle tightness and shaking, nearly like a seizure. I told her Saturday night that this was too much. There was NO way on earth "nothing" could be showing up but him being THIS ill. I went home Saturday and really Googled rapid onset dementia with ataxia and muscle rigidity, etc, etc. I found out something that I didn't want to hear: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).

I called my mom early Sunday morning to tell her what I found on the internet, and how CJD seemed to more than fit the description of what Stevie had. She sounded broken a little... choked up... then told me she had found the description herself for CJD a few days back but was almost in denial that it could possibly be that.

For those of you who are like me, and have never really HEARD of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, it's not without reason. It is extremely, extremely rare -- only 1 out of a million people have this disease. On average, only about 200 people a year in the entire US are diagnosed with this. Basically, it is a complete medical mystery as to what causes the disease, and there is absolutely NOTHING that can be done to treat or cure it.

CJD is a terminal diagnosis. It's nothing you want to believe or hear your loved one has. Basically, most people have heard of 'Mad Cow' disease... and CJD is in all actuality the human form of Mad Cow. It is a neurodegenerative disease that attacks the brain and basically turns it into spongey material, therefore it is classified as a "spongiform" encephalopathy.

With the very fear that this could be what he had, my mom made the decision to finally get a diagnosis no matter what she had to do. She took Stevie on Sunday afternoon to Birmingham -- UAB -- to the ER there in a last ditch effort to get SOME type of diagnosis. We had to know what we were up against. After she told them all of the symptoms... the memory loss, the confusion, the loss of balance, unsteady gait, the muscle rigidity... and the fact that it HAD HAPPENED ALL IN 3 WEEKS TIME.... the medical team knew what to look for. God bless UAB for being current and well educated on uncommon diseases.

Apparantly, the MRI that Stevie received in Montgomery was ONLY looking for tumors (we initially thought he had a tumor since everything was so fast). The neurology team at UAB knew that you had to run a stroke series of MRI's to see the disease we all believed it to be. And there, at last, was the result: Stevie had the classic MRI of a person with Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease. They did a lumbar puncture again too, to send off to test for a special protein that would be supportive to that diagnosis too, but it will be a few weeks before we hear the result of that. Basically, all they need to make the diagnosis is a positive MRI (there is cortical ribboning that only shows up with CJD) and the symptom history and rapid decline.

We found out that our "hunch" was right. We figured it out, and the actual neurologist in Montgomery didn't have a CLUE... or else didn't care to "go there." Stevie is a medical enigma at UAB right now and all the medical students are on his care team. It's so rare, that they are able to really see this very often so they can learn from it and the presentation of symptoms. They ran multiple tests on him to make SURE there wasn't anything else that could be going on and be treatable, but everything else has come back normal.

As of right now, we believe he will be discharged home tomorrow (Weds) to go home with Hospice care. He's been given a prognosis of anywhere from 2-12 months, but the neurologist believes that based on the speed of his decline, it may be much closer to the 2 month mark. We will be getting him back home tomorrow, and set up and comfortable. We want him to be happy and comfortable in what little time he has left with us here. The good news is that the decline with CJD is typically NOT painful, and people don't usually suffer. He will be given medication to control the uncontrollable jerking and seizures to help him rest at night especially.

Please, please, pray for our family. Anyone who knows my mom at all knows that she has had a very difficult life and truly seems to be dealt with more than seems to be her fair share in bad "luck". But she and I KNOW that ultimately Stevie will be with the Lord soon, and we want HIS will to be done and Jesus to be glorified in whatever may come.

So Sweet

2008-10-24T07:15:00.001-05:00

Conversation with my daughter this morning:

Rach: "Mom, do you drive to Heaven?"

Me: "No."

Rach: "Does God pick up you?"

Me: "Yeah."

Oh, the pain!

2008-10-23T12:20:00.002-05:00

So, the boy child has injured himself...again. Yes, it happens all the time...sometimes several times throughout the day! This week he ran into the corner of our kitchen counter. Did I mention he ran into it fast enough that his little chest actually bled? I, of course, immediately responded by procuring the Band-aids from their hiding place. In our household, no matter the injury, no matter the pain, a Band-aid or a ziploc full of ice will cure all ills befalling you. However, the sticky healers must be placed in just the right place or it's healing power fades dramatically. Hence the reason we, as mature adults, make sure to ask, "Would you like Mommy [Daddy] to put it on or do you want to?" Almost always the children choose the accuracy of their own germ-filled hands. This, too, was the case after the counter injury.

In proud display of his Band-aiding capabilities, Thomas came to show me how he had stuck the little piece of magic in just the right spot...
As he was making this gleeful announcement, "Look, Momma, it was a BIIIIGGG boo-boo," I looked up to see the Band-aid sticking 4 inches or so below the actual injury....taped across his right nipple.
"Yes, son. That is indeed a big boo-boo."

49

2008-10-17T07:46:00.001-05:00

The weatherman on the radio just said the temperature tomorrow night is supposed to get down to 49! WOOT! Praise God for cool weather!

Watermelon Bliss

2008-10-04T20:59:00.002-05:00

That's a Good Cup of Joe!

2008-10-01T08:45:00.002-05:00

I have made a large purchase...I know...totally unlike me! For those of you who have never gone shopping with me, you may not know that I am more than frugal. If an article of clothing costs more than two dollars, you can almost bet it stays on the shelf. Shoes may stand a chance of purchase if they cost five or less. I don't just pinch pennies, I jump up and down on them! So for me, the $23 I spent yesterday is a HUGE purchase! Why the sudden splurge? September is our hardest month of the year financially. Everything is due then! So since September the 8th, we have spent NO money except for gas and perishables (milk, bread). So yesterday after depositing the hubby's paycheck and getting out enough to buy "Ironman" for him, I decided it might be okay for me to get something too. After you stretch a dollar for so long, sometimes you just need a little splurge! What did I buy? A coffeemaker! I know, not a huge deal for most folks, but for me...YES! Something about the smell of brewing coffee in the house makes me feel like an adult! Furthermore, since joining Weight Watchers, a sugar-free, fat free cappuccino is sheer heaven in a cup! Since yesterdays splurge I have enjoyed not one, not two, but three 20 oz. mugs of the good stuff! It feels like I'm being wickedly sinful without actually costing me any points! Shangri La! As I take my final sip, I must reiterate, that's a good, good cup of Joe!

From Rachael's 5th Birthday Party

2008-09-25T18:55:00.002-05:00

And some of you say that she's never shy!

God, the Donut...update

2008-09-24T22:06:00.002-05:00

For those of you counting on going down to Krispy Kreme for a worship rally tomorrow, I am sorry to report God is NOT a donut! Yes, I know. None of you agreed with Thomas. But I just want to clarify so as not to wage a holy war against some innocent pastry-craving citizen!

Thomas' preschool teacher, Mrs. Michelle, came out to explain we all have a God-shaped hole in our middle that only Jesus can fill up! Hence, the "God is a donut" comment from my son last week.

Being Thankful

2008-09-20T19:23:00.003-05:00

I have so much in my life to be thankful for. It's rare that I actually take the time to say it though. This past Wednesday I was so encouraged by a friend I haven't seen in years! She was my English teacher in High School. Her name is Jackie Earnest, and she is a remarkable woman. Nothing is really extraordinary about her to most, but she changed my life. Her constant encouragement and compassion made me believe I might be able to actually succeed in life. In my college years when I found myself in a slump, I could think of her and suddenly I had the energy to refocus and keep going. At my first art show in 2007, I was nervously greeting people and hoping my work would not disappoint when I looked up and saw Mrs. E. with her arms outstretched to embrace me! I can't describe the rush of joy I felt! This is just one example of the kind of impact this woman made in my life. I tell you this story to illustrate how much the Lord takes care of my heart. I was on cloud nine after our lunch meeting and carried that feeling throughout the rest of the day and church that evening. As soon as I walked in the door from church, the phone rang. It was my step-mom calling from the emergency room. Something was wrong with Daddy's heart...

Most all of you are on facebook or get my e-mails. So the rest is history. But I just wanted to share my gratitude this evening; thankful to my God for lifting me up and giving me the constancy of support and love I've always known from Mrs. E. before the storm hit that night. As Heather Little used to say, "Thank, Big G.!"

HOT NOW!

2008-09-15T15:46:00.002-05:00

So I'm a little concerned. My son just informed me a moment ago that in chapel today Ms. Alice (the pre-school director)said that God is a doughnut.

(long pause in thought inserted here)

Wow.

What do you say to that?

Can't wait to see Ms. Alice on Wednesday and get the full scoop! :)

I suddenly feel the need for a Krispy Kreme run!

A Little Hair Here, A Little Hair There

2008-09-09T08:30:00.007-05:00

Have I ever told you about the time Rachael cut her own hair? I'm convinced every child must at least experiment with this. I know I did as a kid (gave myself pumpkin teeth on my bangs!). I was hoping to skip this part of parenting, but alas, last August it hit suddenly as I was feeling "relieved" in my bathroom.

You can imagine, I'm sure, this scene as I was "seated" in the lavatory (no, as a mother, you NEVER have any privacy):
RACH: Mom! I need to come in!
ME: No, you can wait until I come out.
RACH: No! I need to show you someping (and yes, I spelled this correctly if we're going phonetically here).
ME: No, you need to wait!
RACH: But Mom, I cut my hair and I need to show you!
ME: (silence)
RACH: Mom!! Please can I come in! (she enters during my silence at this point)
RACHAEL COMES IN TWIRLING AND RUNNING HER FINGERS THROUGH HER CHOPPED UP HAIR
ME: Wow, Rachael. You DID cut your hair.
RACH: Brudder helped! I cut my hair, then Brudder cut my hair, then I cut my hair, then Brudder cut my hair...

You get the picture. She was so proud of her creation and Thomas' cooperation that I was just speechless. The pictures say it all. So much for Bathroom Breaks! I don't think I've had one since then and it's been over a year! By the way, to add insult to emotional injury... When I found a really long thick strand, I put one end in some glue and let it dry so we would always remember how beautiful and long it was. It stays in my jewelry box on my dresser...well, it did. The insult? Recently I discovered that Miss Scissor-Happy has cut off and discarded all of that hair also...right up to the glue nub!

Too Much of a Good Thing

2008-09-02T15:01:00.002-05:00

I've always thought Dora and Diego were good influences...helping my children to become slightly bilingual. However, I am beginning to think I may have allowed serious confusion to occur instead.

This morning as I was cleaning out a closet, I heard my son responding excitedly to Diego (Dora's cousin for those of you without preschoolers). And then I really started listening to what was being said:

Diego: "Say amarillo!"
Thomas: "a home we go!"
Diego: "Now say rojo!"
Thomas: "Blow Hole!"

Indeed, too much of a good thing!

Snaggletooth, Part 2

2008-08-28T14:28:00.002-05:00

I was woken up this morning by a 5-yr.-old bouncing around the bed saying, "I'm ready to go to the dentist now!" She was so excited! She's even looking forward to bedtime tonight to see what the tooth fairy will leave her for her tooth! Hallelujah! Thanks for your prayers! She couldn't be happier!

Snaggletooth

2008-08-27T08:16:00.003-05:00

My sweet little girl is going to have to have one of her front teeth pulled! A few years ago she fell at the zoo. The trauma received to one of her front teeth was enough to kill all the nerves inside. They did a nerve treatment forever ago hoping to be able to save the tooth. However, it abcessed last week. So now they have to pull it! Try explaining this to your 5-year-old! We haven't told her yet...not really sure what to say! I think she'll be a cute snaggletooth, but I know how much it hurts having a tooth pulled when it's not loose! Please pray for her! They are pulling it at 9:00 tomorrow morning. Thanks, friends!

my HOT Hubby! :)

2008-08-19T08:10:00.002-05:00

Look at these headshots! Doesn't he look good?! Steven had an audition with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival yesterday. I am so proud of him! We won't know anything until mid-September. But I just wanted to brag on him for a minute for stepping out of the box and trying something new! He worked really hard to prepare and I'm sure did a bang-up job! His voice is amazing, and he sang "Close Every Door" from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". HE also did a monologue where he was a bakery employee who got caught eating up the profits...it was humorous...for those of you who know him, I"m sure you can imagine just how humorous...he spent the rest of the monolgue trying to convince Mr. Reilly that he wasn't eating up the profits, he was actually increasing them! I think he did well...I venture to say he probably did a lot better than he thinks he did. Either way, I'm so, so proud of him for putting himself out there and broadening his horizons! Way to go, Hubby! I love you!

Life Goes On

2008-08-13T15:14:00.004-05:00

Well, the BIG day came and went without much fanfare. My girl seems all grown up now and is spending the majority of her day with someone besides me...scarier than I ever imagined. I have to say I catch myself thinking about her and wondering how she's doing many, many times throughout the day. Thomas gets ready to go pick her up about an hour after we drop her off...then an hour after that...and an hour after that! He misses her too. I'm so proud of her for being such a big girl, but, wow, it's a huge change. Already I seem to have so much more time in the day. I think I'm going to be bored next year when Thomas starts. I've forgotten what is was like to be leisurely about anything. I have older friends who have been telling me for years now that I just stay tired because I have little ones, or I'll have a lot more time to clean the house or do whatever when they get a little older. It's so strange because I'm beginning to see how that's true. Very true. I've been soaked into this sponge of motherhood for 5 1/2 years now. I can't imagine having time to myself at all. I've gone from taking my free time for granted to being overjoyed to have no free time (when they're itsy-bitsy babes) to wondering if I'll ever even have time to sleep again to wishing I just had one hour alone to realizing it's not so bad carting them wherever I go to again enjoying their company (when they're not fighting) to realizing I don't have much of their time left to wondering what in the world am I going to do with myself and all this non-kid time!!! And, yes, I know that was worse than the turtle-crossing-the-road-in-the-Grapes-of-Wrath run-on sentence! I ran out of Lexapro a couple of nights ago and just got it refilled...can you tell?!?! Anyway, enjoy the pics of her first day of school!

The BIG Day

2008-08-10T19:23:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the big one...the one I've been thinking about since May 16, 2003. Rachael starts Kindergarten. It's not so much K5 as it is the elapsed time between 2003 and 2008. Furthermore, tomorrow will not be hard because of school, but because tomorrow means high school graduation will come, then college, then maybe grad school, et cetera. Then there's the whole possibility of growing up and meeting a man...YIKES! So friends, as you see, I'm not one of those raving psychotics who is sobbing relentlessly for weeks before K5. I'm just a little teary over how quickly the last 5 years have passed...and also knowing the next 13 years are going to seem just as quick. My little girl is growing up. Wow. So here's to Rach Anne! May she be God's little missionary in our public school system, and may the Lord watch over her tender heart as she is led by people we don't yet know. I'm so glad He loves her even more than I do!

Please Pray for my Friend

2008-08-04T21:35:00.002-05:00

Some of you know my dear friend Mary Sue and her husband Herb. She is so dear and precious to me and is such an amazing example of faith and hope. But today that's coming a little hard for her. Her husband had a heart attack this morning. They did an emergency heart cath., but even then the findings were not very encouraging. To make a long story short, he's going to definitely need open heart surgery and will kind of be like a time bomb until he is able to get it. There are lots of details to get bogged down with here, but just pray that the Lord will, as He is SO capable of doing, masterfully orchestrate all of these problems and provide the funds, time and correct motivation for the surgery. And please, please lift up my sweet friend Mary Sue. She's been through so much already and she desperately needs lots of prayer support now. Thank you, friends, for joining me in prayer!

Please Come!

2008-07-25T12:59:00.002-05:00

For those of you in the area, I'd love to see you at my pottery show reception! It's on a Thursday night and there will be refreshments- and pottery, paintings, and photography. Hope to see you there!

So It's Been a Month

2008-07-23T22:35:00.000-05:00

Long time, no talky! So Sorry! Anyway, two weddings, three emergency room trips, and one VBS excursion to Outrigger Island later, I am finally ready to update my blog. I could bore you with details, but there's truly nothing amusing to say about most of the above topics. I will, however, say that my Sister-in-law's wedding was absolutely amazing and I wish you all could have been there! She was stunning! And none of the music was traditional, which added to the beauty of the ceremony. The congregation sang "In Christ Alone" (the newer praise version, not the old Michael English version!). Then Steven sang the third verse as a solo and it gets really big and voluminous (is that a word? it should be!). Then a really big piano part and the doors flew open and the 4th verse was played instrumentally as she came down the aisle. Then Steven sang the last verse...and it was one of the most beautiful moments I"ve ever experienced! Truly, it was a picture of what we, as the church, should attain to be as the Bride of Christ. And truly, my, now, Brother-in=law, was the epitome of our Lord Jesus as he stood, in purity, watching his spotless bride approach and weeping with joy. In today's world, this was a rare, rare moment...which made this moment all the more special in my mind. I can't wait to get some photos from the bog day so I can post them also! In other unrelated news, Steven and I just got back from Atlanta. I was a bum...it was fabulous! I slept until 2:00 in the afternoon one day! The final day of our excursion I ventured forth into the unforgiving traffic of downtown and made my way to the Botanical gardens. I got to actually TOUCH a Dale Chihuly installation (don't tell...I'd rather not be arrested!)in the Fuqua Orchid Conservatory! He is my FAVE artist right now! He's a glassblower in case you're wondering. Check out his website...it's amazing! And I actually watched a man blow glass...it was awesome! I"ve got to learn!

I Know my _____ is Real

2008-06-26T16:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, I wonder what should go in that blank...my child seems to have a different opinion than the rest of the world! "I Know My God is Real" is one of the songs from VBS this year. When we were leaving church last night, with the church secretary and one of the deacons coming out behind us, my kids were singing this song. Though Thomas couldn't seem to get out God...he was singing "pod" instead and this change evidently confused the girl child! Suddenly Rachael proudly proclaimed, "I know my POOP is real!" Needless to say, laughter ensued from everyone except my husband and I who, I think it's safe to assume, were BOTH mortified!

Weddings

2008-06-25T15:48:00.000-05:00

Well, my Dad got married this weekend, and my sister-in-law, Elizabeth, is getting married on July 12th. Today I got to see her bridal portrait proofs and they are phenomenal! We told her if she wasn't so beautiful it would be alot easier to decide which picture was the best! A guy from Kim Box photography did her shots and did a fantastic job! Their photos are more like pieces of art instead of just pictures. I'll post one as soon as I have one. Same with pictures of my Dad's wedding...too much to say to blog about that one right now. But I will say briefly, the happy couple is having the time of their life right now in our favorite place on earth, Disney World. And last night, they had prime rib inside Cinderella's castle and watched the late night fireworks show being shot off less than 100 feet away! I'm so jealous! She was a beautiful bride, and my father was handsome as ever. The only down side was the idiots who worked at the venue...but again, I'll save that for another post!

The Blessing of the "Greats"

2008-06-19T00:44:00.000-05:00

This summer has afforded some sweet times with Rachael and Thomas' great-grandparents. We are so blessed to have them as an active part of our lives. On special occasions I think about this and thank God for His gift of time and relationships. I am so thankful to be loved by Steven's grandparents equally...as if I were born to one of their own children.

Today I was leaving Granny and PawPaw Sessions' house before Steven and the kids. I looked up when I was leaving and there stood Granny at the window waving to me just like she would do for all of her grandchildren. I'm not sure that it surprised me as much as it soothed me...it probably doesn't seem like a big deal to most people. But, Wow! To me, that was such a confirmation of her love for me!

And our sweet Granny Tucker...the Alzheimer's is taking her faster than ever, but I grow to love that woman more and more every time I see her. Not that her words or actions nowdays make her more lovable, sometimes it's quite the contrary, but just the blessing of being in her presence...remembering what it was like to experience the fullness of her love and grace...what an honor and a privilege to be able to serve her now...to keep her company, or bring her dinner...to know that she calls our house if she needs someone quick...my heart aches for the Granny we've already lost, but rejoices for the new ways God has given us to share in a loving relationship with her now. What a tremendous blessing. At Lizzie's wedding shower a couple of weekends ago, we got to see Reny in all her glory again~ when she walked into the room, the same poise, grace, smile, gentle laugh and touch, and witty charm swept over her as she greeted long-time friends and acquaintances and asked about their families. She was the Bell of the Ball...for a brief moment she was shining again in that special way only a lady of her class and caliber can sparkle. And in a flash it was gone. Back to reality and the dull ache of loving and losing...but that's so much better than having never loved her at all.

I'm posting some pictures of the "Greats" with Rachael at her ballet recital this year. The Sessions' are the "Snowcaps"---thus leading my children to refer to her as "The Clean Granny". Granny Tucker has been dubbed "The Real Granny"...don't ask me why, I couldn't tell you! :)

My Cup Overfloweth

2008-05-23T21:52:00.000-05:00

Children, Children,. everywhere! We have a neighborhood full of them! And I think it's a great thing (i.e. my earlier post "I Love Lucy Kind of Hood"). But today, we had two girls, who we've never seen before, come into our house to play with our children for over two hours. Hello...Mother, Father, Aunt, Cousin...is there any family member out there who knows or cares where these babies are? And I do mean babies...one of them was about Rachael's age! Is this scary to anyone else but me? And may I also say that the blue playdoh in my carpet and the pen drawings on my wall did not quite concern me as much as the lack of parental care. Okay, I just needed to vent! Our house has become quite the hangout for the youngsters...all 11 in the 'hood...not counting the two infants...lots of children are good...but where the heck are all the parents?!?!?!

"I clean it with my tongue!"

2008-05-20T22:29:00.000-05:00

Guess which one made that comment! This is a two and a half minute video clip of my children frosting Rachael's birthday cake. If you need a laugh for the day, take a moment...I guarantee at least a chuckle!

Field Trip to Atlanta

2008-05-19T15:20:00.000-05:00

Recently, we used some ill-form of discretion and spent way too much money on an overnight family trip to Atlanta. We had a great time and have since decided sometimes you just need a break even if you can't really afford it! Thanks to the Bush Administration (sorry to bring him up, Lisa!) we are not feeling the brunt of this trip too much anymore! Anywho, here are some photos. The aquarium was worth going to just because of the whale sharks and the beluga whales! They were amazing! The whale shark in the picture was actually the smallest one in the tank...they are, by the way, the biggest of all things in the ocean except maybe those monstrous squid that live in that monstrous trench! :) The picture doesn't quite do it justice...it only looks a little bigger than the people in that same photo, but, trust me, the thing is enormous!

A Rare Moment

2008-05-19T14:27:00.000-05:00

Wow...quiet house. Children playing sweetly in their room. Dog not biting anyone. Children not biting dog. What to do?

So my friend's post has gotten me to thinking...dangerous I know...if you could have any job what would it be? I had an answer, an immediate answer, but an inconvenient answer. So when you have a family, should you just trudge through financially and try to wait until the kids are old enough for you to pursue your dream job, or should you just choose an alternate course...one that you will like, but is maybe not your dream? Thoughts, anyone?

My husband swears we'll make a million if I just start writing children's books...though I'm thinking it would be harder to market those than he thinks...

Friends...I need your thoughts...Art field or Real Estate (it's the people part I think I would like in this field).

A Soft Heart

2008-05-14T12:23:00.000-05:00

Rachael has been asking so many questions about God lately. And she has developed a real interest in the Bible itself, which as a parent is a tremendous blessing! The other day she brought her Bible to me and asked what was written inside. I told her that the Bible was God's Word for us. She asked if it was God's gift to us, and I said it was. She disappeared for a minute and came back with this little wooden bunny rabbit she had colored with marker. She said, "Mommy, this is my gift to God, would you give it to Him? I made it for Him in Sunday School." Is that not one of the most precious things you've ever heard? I love that kid!

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

2008-05-04T19:27:00.000-05:00

I promised the little princess that I would make her hair curly if she would be cooperative and extremely obedient the rest of the day...there's only
so much
"magic"
a mom can
make happen,
but I felt confident
I could hold up my end
of the bargain
if she could hold up hers!
Here are the results...
Diva Extraordinaire!
The last picture
is my little man's
idea of getting dressed up...
we may need to call
"What Not To Wear"!
Bless him!

Singin' in the "Rain"

2008-05-02T00:40:00.000-05:00

My sweet little boy was just singing his heart out in the shower tonight. You have to just wait for the first 12 seconds of the video, but then he starts singing Sandi Patty's "Via Dolorosa" and of course, I think it's absolutely adorable!
I hope this adds sunshine to your day!

Where do these people find us?

2008-05-01T14:20:00.000-05:00

I just got an e-mail from someone claiming to help me lose 15 pounds immediately. The sender was called Colon Cleanse. Wow. I think I'm gonna jump right on that one. Is there anyone out there that still sends real e-mail?

100 Things...the first half

2008-04-28T21:31:00.001-05:00

I've been tagged by Mash to give 100 Factual Things about myself...Here we go...
1. I'm ever so thankful that I was born a girl---had I been male, my Father was going to name me Hank.
2. I have one sister, Dana, who is 17 months older than me...I am about to gain 3 other siblings on June 21st...Brittany, 18, Ashley, 16, and Billy, 9.
3. My favorite toy as a child was a rubber Incredible Hulk. I slept with him every night. Due to the incredible amount of love I had for the little green guy, my father was forced to operate several times... I believe all appendages, including the head, fell off of his body at some point in time and had to be melted back together.
4. My sister and I were very violent to one another. She stuck a thumbtack in my neck and I stuck an ink pen in her wrist.
5. As we grew older, we decided it was time to call a truce. We started making "Best Sister Awards" for each other by late elementary.
6. I still have one of my awards! It's a little piece of a post that my sister said was a totem pole...she wood-burned Best Sister on it.
7. By Junior High, we didn't like each other again!
8. Now that we're both adults, we like each other and actually plan to keep it that way!
9. I was very sick in elementary school. I kept strep throat all the time, at one point I was a border-line diabetic, and then I was diagnosed with Histoplasmosis in 6th grade...they had to do emergency eye surgery that day (hence the blindness in my right eye). I am very blessed because all the spots on my lungs are calcified.
10. I fell in love for the first time when I was 13. He was red-headed and named Ken ( so glad my name's not Barbie!)
11. He was a junior at the time and I was in eighth grade...we were together a wopping 6 months and I still have the love notes he wrote me somewhere...I'm saving them in case Rachael gets heartbroken one day...in hopes that she will believe her life will go on as did mine!
12. I finally got over Ken when I was a junior.
13. Then, we had a short-lived resurgence again when I was in college ( i can't let go of people, can you tell?)
14. I started asking questions about being saved when I was 6.
15. When I was 8 I got baptized, but always had doubts about whether or not I was really saved.
15. Because of #14 I claim my salvation date as March 24th, 1993, when I was 15, because then I knew, that I knew, that I knew I was the Lord's child.
16. Life got harder after I got saved, contrary to popular belief.
17. Even though it got harder, it has been so much better! Following Christ is the best decision I ever made.
18. One of the desires of my heart is to stand beside the person who sexually abused me as a child and for both of us to share our testimony of what God has done in our lives...for every child that has been abused, there's an abuser out there who is equally loved by God.
19. Choosing to forgive my abuser was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
20. Every time I've done a Beth Moore Bible study, my life has been altered permanently ( for the better!)
21. I was forced to have my nipple pierced...yes, it's true...at the dentist's office while having a cavity filled, he accidentally hooked me with that big curved loop he uses to scrape stuff off your teeth...it left a big hole and bled a lot.
22. When I was in Junior high and High School, I had a list of women written in my journal which I referred to as my "Awesome Category". When people asked me who I wanted to be like, the person who came to mind was a big conglomeration of the best qualities from each of these women. For those of you who may know some of these folks, here are a few from the list: Jackie Earnest, Winni Carlisle, Margaret Smith, Celeste Tilley, and Lisa Green...oddly enough 5 for 5 of those ladies were my teachers!
23. The ladies named in #22 will always hold a special place in my heart, and my life has been modeled greatly after their example.
24. I used to have collection of houseshoes in High School. I had Bulldogs ( mascot of our school), a pair of cows that mooed if you touched the ear, and my favorite, bananas! I actually wore each of these to school at least a few times during my teen years. I even wore the bananas to my class' Baccalaureate service...the school colors were green, white and gold...yellow can be considered gold, right?! :)
25. Another of my great decisions in life was going to Judson College! I chose it for the fabulous alma mater..."Mother Judson, Alma Mater, We have seen thy glorious light1 Like a beacon on a hilltop burning brightly through the night! La da da da da da da d a....water...mel...on....Mother Judson...water melon...water, water....melon!"...ha, ha, ha! :)
26. I don't like sleeping in my own bed when napping...the big green couch is the only way to go!
27. My hubby and I shared our first kiss on our wedding day.
28. The new Iced Frappe things from Sonic are my new favorite sinful treat.
29. I teach pottery and LOVE it!
30. I think part of the reason I love it is because when I first started I thought I would never be able to learn how! (It took me somewhere around nine straight hours to make my first pot!)
31. The good thing about having such a hard time with it is I can pretty much assure them if I can make a pot, I KNOW you can too!
32. I've learned way more about God than pottery while teaching it!
33. Since becoming a mother, I have successfully mastered the skill of taking a nap with two 45-pound children bouncing on top of me.
34. I'm seriously thinking about becoming a real estate agent.
35. I have a hard time picking a career field because the thing I am most passionate about is people...and you work with them in any field!
36. When answering the phone, my voice apparently mutates according to who is at the other end of the line...I've been told this several times by the husband and a few close friends.
37. My nose swells at night...Claire says I have more physical oddities than anyone else she knows...I also have 5 baby teeth that have no permanent teeth underneath (maybe that should have gotten its own number!
38. My friends are all so different it would be completely awkward to have more than 2 or3 of them together at once.
39. I love meeting and getting to know weird people...they are so much fun! And far less likely to be judgemental than people who tend to "fit in".
40. I used to be able to sing "Camptown Races" in burp...one of my lesser known talents!
41. Almost all of my best friends I met at Judson. (Ashley, Claire, Myra...thanks for loving me!)
42. After Judson I was going to go to the 10/40 window as a missionary, but my eye disease came back and after much prayer and deliberation, I stayed here.
43. I went through somewhat of a depression after that, but then God gave me a mission field in my own backyard working with mentally retarded adults.
44. I grew to love the Lord in a whole new way while working there and also learned that maybe they're normal and the rest of us aren't! After all, God doesn't make mistakes...we just assume there's something wrong with people who have different physical and mental capabilities than we do.
45. I changed my first adult diaper while working there. I'm so thankful God allowed me to grow up there...it's been a real honor and joy to help take care of other family members who needed that kind of help since then.
46. The "Princess Diaries" will always be one of my very favorite movies.
47. Number 46 is something my husband will never truly be able to comprehend!
48. For all the good, and in spite of, all the bad and the ugly things we have shared, I still fall more in love with my husband everyday. He is the love of my life and has my heart completely.
49. Our pet name for each other is "you weirdo!"...ahh, true love is a mystery! :)
50. Why are you surprised? I told you I like weird people?! (Not sure what this says about you, Myra, Ashley, and Claire!)

OKAY---I know this is not the full one hundred, but I am posting the first 50 tonite with promise of more to come!

The Greatest Men I Know

2008-04-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

This week a friend of ours passed away suddenly. He was the kind of guy everybody just like immediately...good, honest, reliable, funny, hard-working, loved his kids, still in love with his wife of over 20 years...it's always a wake up call when someone you know suddenly goes to be with the Lord. For me, this man's death prompted a thankful heart for the blessings I've been given. The two men in my life happen to be the greatest men I know. Everyday I love them more, and everyday I'm amazed at the pureness of heart God has put in each of them. They have my lifelong love and devotion, and I pray that my little boy will grow up to be the perfect mix of the two of them. God has given Thomas two incredible role models in these two men and I praise Him for putting them in my life, my Dad and my dear Husband!

Definitely not the Roarin' 20s (aka Poor Max!)

2008-04-18T08:15:00.000-05:00

The poor, poor dog! My daughter, considering herself the mother and head of family for Max, decided it was time to feed him last night. Food is not bad in and of itself. But too much is not so good. Too many Milkbones is certainly not good! And three-quarters of a box is most definitely BAD, BAD, BAD! The poor dog! His stomach was as wide as the whole length of his body! He could barely walk! His ribs were sticking out so far it looked like he swallowed a hanger! The results of this episode leave a lot to be desired...as a friend of mine would say, he didn't just have the #@!&@, he had the ROARIN' #@!&@. Well, it's definitely not the roarin' 20s, that's for sure! Within three minutes he'd gone three times...though I will say after that he was finally able to move again. The pictures I am posting are AFTER the initial three expultions! By this morning his stomach was only swollen slightly. I'm just thankful he's still alive! Good intentions...what else can I say?

Octavius Maximus

2008-04-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

We have a new addition to our little family...his name is Octavius Maximus (Max for short) and he is 6 weeks old. Rachael took one look at him and said, "His name is Max!" (Those were the first words out of her mouth, no joke.) Though after getting to know Max a little bit, we realized his small stature did not do him justice. Nooooo...he is indeed large in personality. Hence the addition of further syllables to an otherwise simple name. Aside from the ceaseless howling at night, we have quickly adjusted to having another baby in the home. I must say I'm thankful the human babes came first as the canine babe seems rather easy to care for relatively speaking! But tonight, an Advil PM is already calling my name, and the little dude with the larger than life persona will be enjoying an evening in his luxurious low-rise, one bedroom condominium in the playroom with the door closed... we will also be closing all doors in between, leaving all bathroom fans running and the children's sound machine on full blast. If this does not allow me to rest, tomorrow we shall add all the television sets to that list!

I Love Lucy Kinda 'Hood

2008-04-14T19:42:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned that we live in a fantastic, "too good to be true" type of neighborhood? It's kind of like stepping back into a 1950's era TV sitcom. One Saturday we drove into our cul de sac to find ALL of the kids from every house out side playing kickball with a few of the dads. Every couple of days, our doorbell rings and a skinnier version of Beaver Cleaver asks if Thomas and Rachael can come out to play. And everyone actually waves and smiles as they leave for and return from work. I didn't know this kind of place existed anymore. It's refreshing to know there's still an environment like this for my children to grow up in. The only bad thing is there's not enough empty houses for you all to come and join us! Today, I'm just thanking God for providing us with this blessing. I hope you all can say the same!

Pottery Pics

2008-04-11T12:22:00.001-05:00

Okay, here are a couple of my favorite pots. Hope you enjoy!

The Potter's Hand

2008-04-11T00:22:00.000-05:00

So I haven't mentioned yet that I am a Potter by trade...amongst several other things...however, teaching Pottery is by far my favorite job that I actually receive monetary benefits from. I have learned so much about how God works in our lives from my successes and many, MANY failures on the potter's wheel. I'm going to try and post some pictures in the near future to describe just what I mean. For those of you in my area, you should come to my studio so I can show you what I mean. (Laura, you should come before the baby does!) In the meantime, what is it the Potter is trying to mold you into? Just a thought for the day...

A Laugh for Today

2008-04-10T09:37:00.000-05:00

So is there anyone out there who hasn't seen the YouTube video of the little boy getting baptized? You'll love it! I've posted the link. If you have a minute, you should check it out...it will brighten your day!

2008-04-09T14:44:00.000-05:00

So it's time to celebrate! Both of my kids had good reports today at school...no, not report cards, just reports. This may sound silly to some of you who do not have children yet, but trust me, when you have a 3-yr.-old, you'll understand. We've now been in the "threes" for two years (first with Rach and now with tom), and I'm pretty sick of it! I think the day my son turned three, some sort of alien invaded his sweet, precious little body, and out came this monstrous dinosaur of an attitude! He has gotten good reports two days in a row at school now, and that, my friend, is cause to rejoice! Furthermore, there has been no screaming and/or gnashing of teeth between the two of them since we got home, which, yet again, is cause for rejoicing! Ha! I feel like dancing! :)

I Finally Jumped!

2008-04-08T23:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, since I know there are so many of you out there waiting to read the dramatic episodic drama I refer to as my life, I decided I should finally just jump in and start to blog! And now, I don't know what to say....
Good news- the short and sweet of it- my Mother FINALLY signed the divorce papers yesterday! HOORAY! It's officially over! Maybe some of the drama will cease now! For those of you who walked through parts of this with me and will actually read at least part of this (namely Mash), you will be proud to know I have been taking some fabulous meds to help me maintain some normalcy in life, and I no longer want to cuss like a sailor every waking minute! More to come when it's not so late!