Flu Shot

I got a flu shot today. I don't remember feeling so bad last year after I got one, but oh well, this will pass quickly and hopefully I will have a good winter with limited sickness!

Judgement House was GREAT. I believe somewhere around 60 salvations and over 250 rededications. WOW!! Praise God! That's awesome! Other than that, not much to report on. Well, my days sure are different lately, but nothing that I care to comment on right now. I will just say that times are still a little tough for me, but I have adopted the line from the movie Facing the Giants..."I've resolved to give God everything I've got and leave the results up to Him." That is my hourly motto these days. Even though I have complete trust, that doesn't mean that my emotions are wiped away and that I never feel sad. But I know He has a plan for me. I'm not really sure what that is...but I whole-heartedly believe that even though I don't know what lies ahead, if I trust Him to lead me, then I will be amazed to watch Him work though my life.

Other than that, the girls are good and cracking me up daily as usual. I try to count my blessings, but I have way too many. But I do know, that those two little girls, are at the top of my list.

Cool People

I've got 2 things to say...

1. We've got some WAY COOL people at Porter. The actors in Judgement House are phenomenal.

2. If you didn't book your spot early...too late. Spots were full weeks ago, so next year, you'll know better.

We had a timing rehearsal tonight...I got chills, I got enlightened, and I got down right "skeered"....and I knew what was coming. But most of all, I got blessed to see the heaven side of it too, and was very thankful that I get to be a part again this year. I'm excited!!

Do you trust God?

In doing my bible study this week, I read something that I want to share. It is a study by Charles Stanley and it states the obvious. Something we probably know, but need to be reminded of from time to time. There are so many times that things happen in this world (tragic things) and then there are times when we are placed in a difficult situation where we struggle daily wondering how to make sense of what is going on around us. I am lucky, because I have never questioned God as in "Where are you? Why are you doing this to me?" But I am rare. I know a lot of people have had those thoughts and it's natural to question when you are hurting. But I have been baffled by what's going on around me at times. Currently, I am facing some tough times and feelings that I don't know how to handle. Most of all, hurt that has been very difficult to get a handle on, although I am trying. But through the hurt, and through this process, I still don't doubt MY God. He knows best. I don't. It's really that simple. It won't keep me from hurting. It won't speed up the healing process, but it helps to know, and be reminded...HE KNOWS BEST. So I want to share this in case anyone else needs a reminder:

We live in a wicked, vile world where we are subject to the consequences of sin. Many circumstances are not God's perfect will, but He allows them through His permissive will, despite the pain they cause. In His omniscience, God knows what is ultimately best, including the long-term consequences of tragedies that seem heartless and inexplicable. We should not doubt God or abandon our trust when we lack understanding. Instead, we should surrender our lives to Him, accepting by faith that He is good and worthy of our full trust.

GOD IS PERFECT IN HIS LOVE:
1 John 4:8 - The one who does not love, does not know God, because God is love
Romans 5:8 - But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

GOD IS INFINITE IN HIS WISDOM
Psalm 147:5 - Our Lord is great, vast in power; His understanding is infinite.
1 Corinthians 1:20 - Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made the world's wisdom foolish? 1:25 - because God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you onto the right path.

GOD IS COMPLETELY SOVEREIGN IN HIS CONTROL
Psalm 103:19 - The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.

I might hurt, and there may be some days harder to get through than others, but I do not doubt my God. I wrote a while back about our instant world, and I think that's the reason we do doubt so quickly. We don't have any patience. But God promises us that if we give Him time to work, He will bless us. I am giving Him time, to work in my life. I want His blessings. But most of all, I want to be the child He created me to be...one who serves God because she is completely indebted to Him for giving up His son for ME. For MY SIN. For giving me a gift that I do not deserve, and could never earn on my own, which is eternal salvation. His blessings? Just come because He wants me to know how much He loves me. And because He's God. That's just the amazing way He works. And even though I am going through this, I am still SO BLESSED. And I am so grateful to be called His child.

Cowboys

Believe it or not, there are times when it's OK to hate the Dallas Cowboys, and tonight is one of them. Ugh...

Judgement House 2008-Revenge

Sound on please! This is a slide show of last year's JH (Thanks to Bonnie's son, Hobie for making this video!!). I can't believe it is just around the corner again! If you remember or were fortunate enough to see it, this is a walk through drama that follows a script going from a story line, into deaths, then into Judgment, Hell and Heaven. Last year's script was called Collision, based on an alcohol related car accident. This year's theme is Revenge. It is based on a high school shooting which is unfortunately, pretty relevant to what some cities are facing these days. But no matter what, in all the chaos, God is a big, big God and He is in control. We watched a video this past week by Louie Giglio called Indescribable. Wow. I wrote about this concept last year of what a big God we truly have and how teeny tiny we are. Yet He knows us intimately. This video is powerful. I highly recommend watching it. Just puts things in perspective. I know my God, MY PERSONAL GOD, MY FRIEND GOD, is in control. Of everything I can see, and of everything I cannot. I fully trust in Him, cause Lord knows my life changes with every breath I take (to quote Where the Heart Is). Some day I might understand it all, but regardless, His will shall be done in my life, because I am His child. Have a great week everybody!

Truly lost

For you non-saps, don't read this...I have a lot to share...Hello out there. It has been a long time since I have written, and a TON of things have happened in my life. Some I will share. Others, I'd rather not. Some have beaten me up pretty bad, but I am hanging in there. Updates on us...Kennedy was baptized on June 29th. I am so proud of her. Cadence is changing into this little chatter box who cracks me up. They both do with these nutty personalities, but Cadence has really come out of her shell lately. To call either girl sassy, is a HUGE understatement; however, MOST of the time, they keep it under control and it comes out funny and not disobedient. To add an update on me, I don't even know where to start. I haven't written about this because it's been very difficult for me to understand from the very beginning, so I had to deal with it one day at a time, and couldn't really explain a lot of what was happening. In a nutshell, I had finally given in to letting someone love me and to love wholeheartedly in return...I know...HUGE step for me. One that I honestly thought I would never be able to do before the girls were much older. But the situation was very complicated, to say the least. After much prayer and all situations considered, he and I now understand that we cannot be together. We've gone down an extensive road and our answer is a no. I do have to just talk for a minute though, about this man. I have only known him since September of last year, so not even a full year but it seems like a lifetime. He quickly became my best friend and someone I knew I loved very much; I just didn't really know how I loved him. Me and all my issues created quite a wall for someone to climb or at least penetrate through. However, he never gave up on me. He worked with me on all my issues with a pure and loving heart and encouraging me every step of the way. He loved me unconditionally and I can honestly say that I did things and said things to him that would have pushed any other man away. I had my own personal demons to deal with and instead of running away, he helped me fight them with a loving heart (sometimes tough love) and open arms through the entire process. I know that we haven't known each other that long, and it's not like one of those e-harmony things where we didn't spend real, quality time together. We met at church and we spent a lot of time together when he lived here in KY. But I can say without a doubt that he knew (knows) exactly how to love me. He wasn't perfect, and he knew I wasn't either. But he learned to love me as a person with faults. He didn't judge me, instead he got to know me better and to truly understand how I needed him to love me. I can honestly tell you that his love amazes me, it overwhelms me, and it paints a true picture of a Godly love-one that is unconditional. I have never had another human love me the way he has, and for that, I will be forever grateful to him. I told him all the time that I felt my love in return paled in comparison because I was time-contrained and emotionally-constrained for a long time. He assured me that I gave him plenty of love in return, but I just don't see how what I gave him, was ever worthy of what he gave me. The complication...he is gone now and living in another state. Because he is a wonderful father who is putting his child first, and I am the best mom I can be and keeping the girls close to their dad, we simply can't be together. Our prayer was not selfishly for our own happiness, but for what was best for our children and we prayed sincerely for God's will in our lives. I realize that we can't be together, and I know that God put him in my path for a reason. Maybe it was to teach me that I can be loved and can love in that way, after all. Who knows? But what I do know, is that even though I trust God completely and I know that He knows best...I hurt. I am truly at a loss on how to function. Because of the frienship we created at first, he became my "earthly" comfort. He was the one I talked to about everything going on in my life and he was the first person I called when anything happened to me. Good, bad, the ugly. I told him everything. Now, we are trying to distance ourselves because we know that we need to. But it's painful, and it creates a monster-sized emptiness. The saddest part about me is that I probably "missed" that kind of love all along. But I was too blind to even notice with all my "dude rules" or didn't even have time to care. I knew I was a little empty in that category, but I had plenty of laundry and mom-duties to fill the void. And I had so many walls, I honestly thought nobody would ever really get through anyway. But now that I've felt it, it's just hard to let it go, even though I know it's the right thing to do. Along with that, there are some other things going on with me...job, finances, family, the usual...but any prayers you could offer up on my behalf, would be much appreciated. Sorry to pour all of this out, I just had to finally talk about it. Thank you guys for loving me through all of my babbling...and Adam, thank you for showing me a love that I have never known. You are an amazing and wonderful man and I am so, so thankful that God blessed me through you. Knowing you and being loved by you has been the most amazing, life-changing experience, and I will never forget what you have done for me. I love you.

Kennedy's GREAT decision!

For those who don't know, Kennedy is my 6 year old. She prayed on June 4th to receive Christ. She has prayed before, but she didn't really "get it". Well that Wednesday night she was asking a lot of questions, so when we got home, we got out our bibles and I took her through the Romans Road and we talked about each step. I asked if she wanted to talk to the children's pastor some more or pray and she said talk to the pastor. But before bedtime, she said, "Mommy, I want to pray." I said, "OK" because she says the prayer most nights anyway. She said, "No, I want to pray THAT prayer." So I led her through the prayer and she repeated it and we talked about it some more with lots of hugs and a few tears. Then I tucked Cadence (her 4 year old sister) into bed and came back to Kennedy and she was just beaming. I said, "Why are you so happy?" Her answer was, "Because now I know I am going to live in heaven with Jesus." So we met with the Children's pastor the next week so he could get a gauge on her level of understanding and he said to me, "Mom, she got it. She has a full understanding of what she did and it was sincere." Wow!!!! She is going to be baptized on June 29th. GO KENNEDY!!!!!!!!! And how blessed do I feel to have been there and experience it with her?!?!?! I told some of you about this already, but just had to share with the rest of the world, JUST HOW EXCITED I AM!!!!!

I can't wait to watch how the Lord will work in Kennedy's life. She is in for some amazing times ahead. Not always easy, but amazing.

Thank you all for being a blessing to me and those of you who know Kennedy personally, thank you for being in her life.

God Bless!

The Alarm

I asked you guys to share funny stories with me a while back, so I decided to share my funniest, most embarrassing moment ever-with you guys. It involves firemen. Even better. It's kinda long, so bear with it. Let me set the scene. This all happened about 2 years ago. If you don't know me by now, to say I am a sucker for a man in uniform is an understatement. I was driving down the road one day with the girls in the back seat. I pull up in the lane beside a fire truck and this HOT fireman is waving at me...or so I think, until I look in the back and the girls are waving at him. He is just returning the favor. That next Saturday, I take the girls to some family fun event and there is a fire truck...lo and behold, Mr. Hottie Fireman is there and I smile and move on. But man, he was hot. So that Tuesday, I had an event at work and was there until about 8pm. The girls were with their dad, so I walk into my empty house. I take off my shoes and then this noise starts coming from somewhere. An alarm is going off in my house. It's coming from above the sink but there is no alarm there. I open the cabinets, I check under the sink, I pull out the ladder and TRY to peek in the attic to see if something is amiss. Carbon monoxide detector maybe? But nothing. Nadda. Couldn't see anything strange. I call the landlord and get his voicemail. The noise is obnoxiously loud and I am wondering if my neighbors are annoyed by this point. I don't have anyone close by at the moment to call, so I call the fire department's NON-EMERGENCY number in the phone book, explain the situation and ask if someone could come and check it out. A few minutes later, I am watching in disbelief as 3 fire trucks surround my house and the fourth parks just down the street. Spotlights, yes, spotlights, sirens, and red flashing lights are everywhere. My entire front yard is covered in fully dressed fireman, complete with oxygen tanks, boots and hats. I do a quick scan to make sure Mr. Hottie is not among them. He isn't. Whew! I lead the main fireman into my house and a few others follow in behind me. [Let me stop the story here and reiterate that I am a single mom. My house isn't always the cleanest and almost every visitor might get a glimpse of clean or dirty laundry somewhere in the house. At this particular house, there is no dishwasher, so there is a sink full of dirty dishes soaking in water, complete with broccoli floating in the top]. But it's OK. I need to make sure my house is safe when the girls get home. So the main fireman goes to the sink. Like me, he is looking up because the sound is the loudest from the ceiling. He looks in the cabinets and all around. Nothing. Then he proceeds to ask me where my fire alarms are in the house. One is in the hallway by the bathroom. It is up and functional and not going off. The second one...I look up...it is supposed to be by the back door. But it's not there. Wait...what did I do with it? Oh yeah, I changed the battery last week and hadn't put it up yet. I had laid it on a pass way from the living room to the kitchen, but as I look around, I don't see it anywhere. So the fireman starts to dig through my dirty dishwater. I don't realize what he is doing right away but as he swishes his hand around the sink, sure enough amongst the broccoli, is my back door fire alarm going off down in the water. The sound was muffled by the water but was bouncing off the ceiling explaining why it was louder from above. I guess one of the girls thought it was a bowl and happy-little-helpered it into the sink. As my face turns bright red and I want to cry, sure enough, I look over my left shoulder and who gets a front row view of my genius level? Yep. Mr. Hottie fireman. Ugh! The firemen ROLLED in hysterics laughing at me. They got my name and address and told me they had to make sure I was correctly blacklisted for playing pranks. My only response was, "How else can a single girl get this many firemen's attention all at once?" I was SOOO embarrassed. I tried to blame it on the girls, but as you know, they weren't home. So I have a hidden fire alarm and a messy house, but no visual kids to blame it on. They thought I was crazy. But it makes for a good laugh...so I hope you got a chuckle and I hope you have a great week!

Mini Mom & Many Moms

Happy Mother's Day! So, I didn't get to this yesterday. I was busy being a mom to a very feverish litle girl and her big sister, who, in trying to "take care" of little sis, made mess after mess yesterday. But when the day was done, I looked around my trashed house and smiled. This is what it's all about. I was extremely lucky to have such a wonderful mom (I can call her Mini Mom, she barely clears 5 feet). She worked too hard and was stressed out a lot, but she was fantastic. She taught me so much about life and what it meant to "give of yourself". I love her dearly and would do anything for her. Not only that, but I had many other "mom figures" in my life (Many Moms). Several moms of my childhood friends loved me like I was their own, and my mother-in-law (when I was an in-law) has been a great mom to me too. I stress as a mom quite often. I am always wondering if what I am doing is the best thing for the girls...Now this is going to get a little personal and I mean no offense in anything I say-Just Steph getting personal...What I mean by wondering...Most of you know that I am divorced. All reasons aside, I, ME, I moved the girls away from their dad. Again, circumstances aside, it was MY final choice to divorce. At the time, I was a Christian out of church, struggling to even acknowledge God on a daily basis and tired of explaining "God things" to a husband who wasn't even sure if he believed. We both had many faults and we both contributed to the final outcome. But it boils down to this...we were not on the same page in life. We didn't seek God's will in our marriage or in our lives, and me being the stronger Christian in the relationship, feel like I failed my husband and my marriage by not trying to keep it on the "God track". That is a hard fight to fight though-a definite uphill battle that leaves you feeling defeated and alone. But I wonder...If I had stayed married, would my girls even be in church? Who knows? As it stands, they are very active in church. They know who God is and believe in Him and don't question. So in some regards, I believe the divorce was the right choice. The girls know that I love them and would do anything for them. But is my love enough? I used to think so. But the more I learn about myself, the more I see a need for children to have a strong female AND a strong male influence in their lives. Now please don't get me wrong, I am not bashing their dad. He sees them every other weekend (and will be seeing them more the next couple of months because of Kennedy's baseball schedule). When he is with them, I believe that he is great with them. They go swimming and do fun stuff together. But the time is limited. And as much fun as that time is, ultimately, they are growing up in a home without a father. And don't get me wrong to the other extreme either. I had no desire to fight and fight and fight with their dad for the rest of my life. We weren't compatible. You think you'd figure that out before you marry someone. But we didn't. It's because we had fun in the short term, we laughed a lot. We had a great time together, we wanted to be married. But when reality hit, we fell apart because we were not on the same page, and God was not at the center. Period. But back to the father influence...I had a father in my home. He was married to my mom and he is my father. But he was absent both physically and emotionally from our lives most of my childhood. OK, well, all of my childhood and even into adulthood. I don't have a relationship with my dad. I hug him when I see him which is a few times a year at best and most of the time he isn't coherent. I love him dearly and wish to God I had a way to get to his heart and just tell him I love him. I LOVE HIM. The broken man that he is, I love. But was he a positive role model in my life? Sorry, mom if you are reading this...but no, he wasn't and isn't. And now I am learning that his absence created a hole in me that I have never been able to fill. And a sad note to anyone who's tried to be in a relationship with me, I apparently hold people to expectations that they would never meet. The hole is there and I need it fixed. I have tried to fix it through "people" throughout my life. But couldn't. It's scary to think of the ways a person can try to fill a void. Most of it is sin-related and self-destructive. I don't want my girls growing up with a void that I, mommy, can't fill-or one that they don't even know exists so they are not asking God to fill. But the truth is, that is why God designed us to be partners, and to raise children together. With a balanced family. I know that there are many families who have pieced together the influences needed to raise a healthy, happy child, and good for you. Because I also wonder, if my stubborn, "refuse to date" attitude is keeping the girls from another positive influence they could be having. Don't get me wrong on this one either...I don't ever want an influence to replace their father. I don't need another father for my children, they already have one. But what any child needs is many people who love them, and who create positive role models in their lives. Kinda like my "many moms" growing up. I believe the more people you have love you in life, the better off you'll be, right? Sorry to rant. Just thought I would share some of what I think about when I look into my beautiful girls' smiles. Will they feel like they are missing something because of my choice? I wonder...

Thank you

To my one funny friend, thank you for the smile. To the rest of you...you SUCK. Thanks a lot for being there for me when I needed you! Ha ha! I am completely kidding. I hope all is well with all of you! Just a quick update on me. I finally found out what was wrong with me. At least medically...Lol! I have something called Interstitial Cystitis (IC for short). Basically, no lining or damaged lining in my bladder. So with an extensive "No to this", "Can't have that", "Oh girl, don't even think about it" diet...I should be out of pain for the most part. It never goes away, but after the strict, strict diet for 3 months, I can start introducing foods back in one at a time to see if they bother me or not. And if they do...goodbye forever. You guys know me...I bake all the time and now I can't eat any of it...so friends that live close...lucky for you! I will be giving away lots of goodies! Friends that live far away...I wish I could send you some!!

Tell me a joke...

I need a pick-me-up. I have been kinda down lately...fighting it because I am usually a pretty happy person and I hate being down. But the past month has beaten me up a little. Come on...cheer me up. Tell me your best funny joke or funny story. I know you people are pretty quirky, I know you have some good ones...

Crazy Driving or Crazy Kids?

Today, I got the girls from school, and we were driving down a pretty curvy road...that had a few hills. Should I take note when they throw their hands up in the air and go, "Wheeeeee!" like they are on a roller coaster? Maybe slow down? I really think they were just being silly given that I was WITHIN the speed limit. It just makes me think about kids and how cool they can be sometimes. They can make the most of any situation. If I could see life through the eyes of a child again, how different would I see? I would believe that people drop gifts in my home when I am asleep, and that I was the smartest girl in the world because I learned a new word or read a whole book by myself. I would give myself credit and not beat myself up every second of the day. I would believe in ME, I would be invincible...Super Stephanie that could do anything, if I just tried. I would believe that most people want to be my friend and would help me if I needed it. That most people are good and honest and would do the right thing. Man, where do we lose that? Oh yeah....reality. But there's a flip side...if we want to believe in people, then we need to be the kind person that others can believe in too. Who said you can't be friends with someone you met 5 mintues ago? Why are we, as adults, so scared? Why don't we believe in "us" anymore? We act like someone might be angry at us, if we smiled and said hello. Ever try it? Most people smile back.  Some look like they might bite, but most won't. And I doubt you will get an invitation to be someone's "best friend" immediately, but hey, we're just not as cool as kids. Now I am not saying there aren't crazies in the world and we should throw all caution to the wind, but I am saying that not everyone is out to get us. When a kid sees a new person, they see a "new friend". They have no reservations. There is no "self-doubt" about "what if that person doesn't like me?" or "am I good enough to be that person's friend?" When we see a new person, we see "competition", someone that might be better than us or different than us or may not like us. Well, big deal. I say we all throw our hands up in the air and yell, "Wheeeee!". I want to believe like kids believe. I want to accept and be accepted like kids do. I think they are much happier for their way of doing things than I am. Now I am going to go to sleep, and maybe, just maybe, someone will bring me a present before morning!

Therapy Baking & Peanut Butter Zoom

Those of you who know me well enough, know that I therapy bake. Some people drink, some people paint... when I get stressed, I bake. It's great for the co-workers though! I bring all my treats to work the next day. So as my house smells like chocolate, and my cake is in the oven, I'll tell you about my past 24 hours. Kennedy, recently turning 6, requested a guinea pig for her birthday. Now, I didn't know very much about them, but we pigsat for a friend's guinea pig (thanks Claire!) to make sure we could handle it. We did fine, so we got one. Her name is Reese Cup. She looks like peanut butter and she had a mohawk down her back when we first got her. Now that she is fattening out, the mohawk is flattening out. She is cute and cuddly, and has only bitten me once. So, as we were cleaning her cage last night, she hurled herself over the edge and down about 2 feet to the ground and then ran under the entertainment center. No matter how far we coaxed her out last night, as soon as anyone flinched....ZOOM! Guinea Pig 500-little streak of peanut butter dashing back under the entertainment center. So I left her there. I was half wondering if I would end up with a pig in my hair midway through the night. She DOES love to tangle all up in my hair. Yeah, she is MY pet and I still say, "EWWW!" Her little fingernails do NOT feel OK in my hair. But she stayed there all night...all day...and was there until about an hour ago when I put on my war paint, got my trap set and went in for the capture. I went like this, she went like that. I said to Hollywood, "Where'd she go?" Hollywood says, "Where'd whooooo go?" (Top Gun Quote, if you didn't get that). Then I made my move...(insert official war/karate sounds here), and BAM! She was trapped in a pillow tunnel. She looked left, she looked right...she had nowhere to go but straight toward me. So I got her. Woo-hoo! But it stressed me out so much I had to bake. LOL. Hope you all are doing well!!! I will try to get back to blogging every now and again! And if you are wondering, I did NOT win the pickle contest-although I believe with every bit of me that even my dumb names were better than the winners. Not bragging...just saying...if I was judging the contest..well, of COURSE I would have won :) But thanks for your prayers!

"Add" itude Check

OK, so today is a pretty stressful day. I am at work with piles of stuff around that I can't seem to get to and I am getting frustrated. My attitude is not quite where it needs to be. And I go to the doctor and get what could be some not so great news-but could be fine-we'll see in 6 weeks. Meanwhile, I am lecturing a friend on his attitude and all the while, Hello? Get the plank out of your own eye, Stephanie. My attitude has been bad today. And the worst part? How much of my bad attitude did I "add"? I am paranoid, pouty, worrying about scenarios that might not even happen, yet they are affecting my attitude. How much of my mood is because I filled my own head full of stuff that I don't need to think about? I reminded my friend, and myself in the process, that people are watching. I am a Christian, and not only is it a duty, but it is a great opportunity to show people that the love of Christ is enough to sustain me-even in the tough times. I know that when I worry, it saddens God because in essence I am saying that I don't trust Him. How guilty does that make me feel? If He were looking at me with His hands out saying, "Don't you trust me?" I would be like that cartoon dog nodding my head up and down as fast as I could with my eyes wide open... "Of course, Lord! Yes, I trust You." Buy why is it so hard to make that attitude come to the forefront when you are burried in your own thoughts? Umm...let's see...because you are burried in YOUR OWN thoughts? We can't always see His answers. And we don't always understand, but sometimes it's because we have added so many of our own ideas of how WE need to handle it, that we can't get clear direction. Meanwhile, Satan gets into our heads and begins to manipulate. Pretty soon, our families, our friends and our coworkers see a grumbling, groaning, seemingly hopeless person who is NO reflection of God and all the glories He bestowes upon us.

1 Peter 5:6-9 says, "6.Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, 7.casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you. 8.Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9.Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your brothers in the world."

That's not to say we won't ever naturally feel down, confused or disappointed. We ALL have problems, and we ALL suffer. But it's our attitude that shows the rest of the world if we truly trust God, or if the Devil just won. Even for the day. One bad attitude is a missed opportunity to show God's faithfulness. I am going to try and get my "add" itude in check for tomorrow!

The Pickles

OK, I need to blog so you all would know what I asked you to pray for...

Mt. Olive pickle company held a contest through the end of December for naming what they called the "Pickle Pak". The product is individually packaged pickle cups to pack in lunches. Mt. Olive came up with four characters that each had unique personalities. Each of the characters needed a name and the contest was to name the pickles. I submitted countless names but only 2 that I feel are worthy of winning. However, their website still says "thanks for playing" with no winning names appearing. I feel that if I had won, I would have heard something by now, but the door is not closed yet. The prize for each winning name is $7,500. As you all know, I am not a greedy person at all. However, my debt mountain would look so much more attractive with...let's say....a few thousand dollars chunked off the top. The website is picklepak.com if you want to see these cool new friends of mine. Again...the door is not closed yet. So, pray for the pickes. :) Hope all is well and that you all had a SMASHING great Valentine's Day. I am going to bed at 10:30...that's what I say about Valentine's Day. Blah. XOXO

HSL-Henoch Schoenlein Purpura

So that's what I've been learning about the past few days. Either Kennedy's new glasses made such a statement that they sprayed pink spots all over Cadence, or she (Cadence) has this weird disease called HSL. Its main symptoms are reddish purple spots all over her lower half, swollen joints and tummy pains. It can last a couple of weeks, or up to six. Who knows? Hopefully it will turn into a nice, painless recovery and we wont see it again. In rare cases, more problems can occur so let's just pray we stay in the majority. Poor thing looks like a speckled easter egg and is "hobbling" around like a 90-year-old lady. She's pitiful. For the record, it is not contagious. But please keep her in your prayers!!

Hot Pink Glasses

Hello there! Just wanted to touch base and say Hi! I took Kennedy (almost 6) to the eye doctor this morning. She was indeed labeled "a product of her parents". With 4 bad eyes between me and her father, poor child didn't have a lot of hope. She has to have glasses-to wear all the time. So she is so excited she can barely stand it. We leave the dr. and she is practically jumping through the door of the "glasses shop". We try on a few pairs. They have all kinds of wired glasses. Pink, purple, brown, speckled...she's looking very adorable, of course. But then she spots a pair of plastic (ya know, the chunky) kind. Hot pink. WAY up at the top and she says, "I want those!". After she put those on, she didn't even want to look at any others. If you know me and have seen my red glasses...nuff said. She is SOOO her mama's daughter! We pick them up tomorrow afternoon, so there you go. Glasses in kindergarten. The good news is she is so excited about wearing them. I'll take that while it lasts. Blessings to you all!! And whoever reads this...PRAY FOR THE PICKLES. You may not know the story behind that...that's another blog, but I'll fill you in soon!!!

2008 and Cabbage Patch Dolls.

Woo-hoo! A brand new year. Scary. Exciting. Let's get on with it! Well, my bible study class had the 80s party for New Year's and it was RAD, of course. We had a lot of fun and laughs, and that is always good. Last week, Kennedy lost ANOTHER tooth. Now she is missing four. She talks with a lisp and I don't see how the poor child eats, but she stays happy because that is mostly what I see...the lack of teeth in the big grin she is usually sporting. I don't feel that I am new at this mommy stuff, but I swear I am still amazed sometimes at what my girls can come up with and say on a whim. I am constantly saying, "How did you learn to do that?" or "Man, where did she get all that character?" Both of my girls are full of spunk but definitely have night and day personalities. We were talking at bible study this morning about Abram obeying God and doing what was asked of him, knowing that it was not his, but future generations that would benefit. It just got me thinking about parents and the sacrifices they make for the sake of their children. I have days where I wish I could do more for the girls, and they talk about all of these things their friends do, or things they want to do, and we don't have the money to do them. And although that gets in my head as a negative sometimes, I stop and think...that's ridiculous. Growing up, I never had money. We didn't go on vacations and we didn't have the best of clothes and toys. Out of my whole memory of childhood, there is only one thing I can remember wanting so bad and never got, and that was a Cabbage Patch doll. Obviously, I didn't suffer from not getting it. But now my girls have them. They've had them for a while now. They sit on a shelf and are never played with. They don't care if they have a Cabbage Patch Doll or not. I can remember making a dollhouse out of a cardboard box and decorating with magazine pictures. I remember playing crash up derby on bicycles. Yes, me, my sister AND my MOM! I remember never feeling hungry or never feeling like no one was there for me. Between God, Mom and my sister, I knew I was loved, and loved generously. I am so thankful now for that background. It was hard to face it back in the day. When you don't want to be dropped off at the mall because your truck is 2 colors plus rust and black primer, or you don't want to go on a date because someone would have to pick you up at your trailer. But in the end, it made me who I am and made me understand what is important for me and for my girls. I would sacrifice anything to let them have the important things in life. Love, respect, responsibility, character, strength, security, a strong sense of self and Christian beliefs. My number one priority in life is to, of course, obey and honor God. But giving the girls what they need...those important things... I have and do and will always continue to make that my number 2 priority in life, no matter what sacrifices I have to make. I would imagine any parent feels the same. And does that mean I would give up my diet coke money for a cabbage patch doll? Sure, maybe. But not for the doll...for one more chance to make a toothless grin on the face of my daughter. There's just no match to what that does for my heart.