An Amazing Story...

Some friends of ours were blessed with a miracle today. Click here to read their story!

He is not here...

YOU still amaze me...

Your grace still amazes me! Thank you Lord for your forgiveness. You CHOSE to die for me. For that I am FOREVER GRATEFUL! Thank you for your grace, and that I didn't have to do ANYTHING accept say YES!

The man of my dreams

So, today is our 10 year anniversary! Ten years, it has flown by, if we didn't have four children I would swear it was only like two! I was thinking back last night at how God brought me to the beautiful place.

I started praying for Jason, not knowing it was him, when I was in Jr. High. Yep, Junior High. I believe I was in 7th or 8th grade, and one of my leaders at church encouraged us girls to start now praying for our future husbands. Whatever is what I thought then, why then. But, I started it. I had a small slip of paper that I listed all the traits I would look for in a husband. As I grew up I would add different characteristics that I felt were important. I had it in the front of my file box that held prayer requests for different people. I had categories and would pray for a different list of prayer requests in each category each day, but always prayed for the husband I didn't know everyday. That piece of paper was very worn out and I would have to copy it from time to time, but the list kept growing. Little did I know that God was slowly answering all the things I had been praying for. Jason fits every single quality I prayed for in a husband. I can't list them all but he is definately honest, trustworthy, loyal, patient, caring, loving, thoughtful, funny, loves me for who I am, loves me for who God is making me to be, faithful, genuine, great father, sensitive, compassionate, selfless, servant, giving, manly, sweet, great listener, loves God with all his heart, spurs me on toward the Lord, and I could keep going.

I walked down the aisle to GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, one of my favorite hymns, and God has truly been faithful to us in so many ways! He has blessed us with four beautiful, fun, loving children. He has blessed us with a wonderful house and a great community to live in. He has blessed us with the ministry we love at our church. He has blessed us with so many individuals that have come into our lives. He has blessed us with the same passion for Him and the same passion to see others come to know Him. He has blessed us with a love that I can only pray our children find someday. He has blessed us with helping us through all the good and hard times that have come. He blessed us in finding each other and helping us to see that we were made for each other so perfectly only on our perfect heavenly Father could have planned.

I praise God for Jason and thankful for the ten years that we have had together and I am so excited for each and every year He continues to bless us with. May in ALL THINGS we continue to glorify Him.

The treasures you find

I am in the process of cleaning out two rooms in our house. While doing so I came across a poem that my son, John, wrote for me last year. I love finding treasures in such surprising places. Here is his poem (just as he wrote it):

JOHN LOVES YOU

I like mom oh yes I do.
and mom heps (helps) me too.
See loves mom.
I'm reiley (really) good kid
my sistars are dad.

I'm 7 years old
and I will nevar stop
loveing mome
you the best mom in the
WORLD!!!!

My day has just been made.
What are some things you have found around that you hold and treasure?

A mommy "no no"

So our youngest started Cubbies this year at Awana. All of the other kids looked forward to saying their verses and did it with no problem. Well, the little one decided that she didn't want to say her verses until she was four. She has always been on the shy side, so I just decided to go with it and I didn't want to push her. All year she has not said a word to anyone, not even if she needed anything. The volunteers there still think that she can't talk and that I am making it up. Seriously, I am not sure why she can't actually do that at our house someday??? Anyway, last weekend she turned 4! Yeah, we have been building up for a week, "You get to say your verse at Cubbies!!! Yeah, they will be so excited!!!" So, yesterday we went over the verses at lunch. She looked at me and said, "I am not going to say my verse." Promises. They are a big thing to me and I have been telling her that she promised them that she would start saying her verses to them when she turned four. So, I wanted her to realize that when she promises something, she needs to do it. So, she starts bawling. Tears streaming. Alligator tears. I took her in my lap and calmly told her that I knew it would be hard, but she has been saying all year that this is when she was going to do it.

THEN I DID IT, THE MOMMY NO, NO!

I told her that since she promised that could not leave that night until she said the verse. Yep, I did. I SHOULDN'T HAVE! Once the words crossed my lips, I knew I shouldn't have said it.

I dropped the kids off at Awana, the little one insisted that I drop the older ones off first. Nervous, I understood and did so. Then we headed to her room. Her leader was happened to be waiting right by the door. LIPS PIERCED. I smiled and said to the leader, "This is your lucky week, she turned four last weekend and so you get to hear her say her verse tonight." She looked at me with big eyes PLEADING. You said it, you need to make her do it was all I could think. I had to go. I help out with the community youth at our church while the kids are at Awana. I couldn't stay. I left her with the leader, PRAYING SHE WOULD DO IT! I came back, was running late, and there I saw here. Her leader was heading out the door. She participated in gym, but I have still not heard her speak. THUMP went my heart. NO! I couldn't leave the room with her.

I HAD TOLD HER SHE COULDN'T LEAVE. THE MOMMY NO,NO!

The other teacher from the other room brought my other kids in. We sat waiting. I told the other teachers to go. We were not going to leave until she said her verse, even if it was just to me. The halls were clear. Just me and my kids in an empty classroom. 9:00pm hit. Still no verse. Then I started thinking, is this right to sit here and MAKE her say a verse. Yes, this is where the will is won. Right? I had to keep telling myself I was doing the right thing. I mean now it was just our family and she STILL was not saying it. She cried. I told her that was not going to get her out of it. 9:10 pm. The kids were getting restless, my husband probably thought I had gotten into a car accident. I couldn't go. People were wanting to lock up the church. Car. I would sit in the car. Come on, was all I could think. Just say it!!! I had to inforce other disciplines. Finally, around 9:15pm. The words, through the tears, came out and she finally said the FOUR words I had been waiting to hear, "Lord, teach us to pray." That was it. That was all I had wanted her to say. Well, He had taught me in those LONG minutes. It was FINALLY time to go home.