Thankful Thursday

I was trying to get some cleaning done today when this little beauty came up and said,

"Mommy, can I help you?"

My answer, was of course, "YES!"

Who doesn't want help while cleaning. And especially from a willing 5 year old, blue eyed, beauty? I was cleaning windows at the time so she did as high as she could reach. When I was done, she asked what else she could do. I told her I was done so she didn't need to do anything else. She then started naming off things she could do. I found her cleaning the bathroom. What a sweet girl! I love her willingness to help!

Today I am thankful for a daughter that has a servant's heart!

My Greatest Love Story

We are coming up on the last couple weeks of my "Greatest Love Story" series. It has been so encouraging to me to read how each person has come to a relationship with the Lord and to see how He has worked in everyone's lives differently. It just proves we serve a God who loves us individually. Today I get to share Candice's story with you. I have only known Candice for about a year and a half. She has become a great friend and I have loved getting to know her and watch the Lord work through and in her. She excepted the Lord, I think, about 3 years ago. When I first met her I thought she had known Him her entire life. She, clearly, jumped into a relationship with Him with both feet! Here is her story:

I came to know the Lord when I was twenty one. However, since accepting Christ into my life, I see Him at work much much earlier than when I actually acknowledged and accepted a relationship with Him. I was raised Lutheran, in what would be considered a “normal, American Christian” home. My father was catholic, my mother was Lutheran, and both were not (and are not) believers. I went to church every week because it was the right thing to do. I thought I was a good person—going to church, being nice, doing good for others. It never really occurred to me that there was something much deeper! Now looking back, I can see God at work in me as young as twelve (all though we all know He was working from the very beginning), through various life situations and experiences. It wasn’t until college that I truly began to understand that I could actually share a personal relationship with Christ—communing with Him, loving Him, living my whole life for Him. I began a bible study as a freshman. Two godly girls came to my door one day to invite my sister and I to a bible study they were hosting together. I don’t know why I agreed, but I did, and I will be forever thankful. This bible study was real, these girls were real. I
had never been around such real, godly people, which such a love and obedience towards their Savior. I envied the peace and joy they had and couldn’t determine exactly where it came from. Our relationship grew closer throughout time. I continued to attend bible study each week, and just listened. I didn’t know it at the time, but God was breaking my heart and my life for Him. As that year continued on, my sister (who was also not a believer, but growing just as
I was) introduced me to the Baptist campus ministry, where I attended worship each week, and grew with some of the greatest friends I have today. They had this joy in them too that I couldn’t understand, but I wanted it. I wanted to know more. Unlike many others, my acceptance of Christ did not occur immediately, and to this day I don’t know why. All I know is God’s time is
perfect. He is never early, and never late, but always on time. And for me, He was right on time. Looking back, I wish I would have known Him much sooner to have been able to love Him and live for Him longer. All though the majority of my friends in college were believers, and my sister was now also a believer, I still strayed with those who were not of good influence. It was almost as if I were living two lives. I wanted Christ so bad, and convinced myself so many times that I was saved, but that wasn’t even close to the truth. I had to choose which life I wanted, and never could seem to. As a sophomore, I studied abroad for a semester. I fell apart. I made poor decisions carelessly, and didn’t seem to care about the consequences they would hold. I thought, ‘I’m in
a new country, with new people. I can be whoever I want…someone new.’ Many nights before I fell asleep, I would see my bible setting on the table next to me, and never opened it. I knew God would reveal my sin and convict me of my wrong, so I continued to run from Him. This was so wrong! My friends at home stood close to me, and when I returned home they welcomed me with open arms. Once arriving home, surrounded by all of my believing friends, God made it clear He
was not going to let me go easy. He fought for me endlessly, and I could feel it. My sin was made known all of the time through much conviction. At the time I was in a relationship with an unbeliever. One day one of the girls from that same bible study long ago, sat me down and asked “Is he a believer?” I responded “no”. Immediately with no hesitation she said, “Then you don’t need to be with him”. That phrase sang in my head for the next many long months. Through
my continued poor decisions and poor relationship, my Savior longed for me, and begged me to repent and come to Him. At this time in my life, God felt closer than He ever has. He was fighting hard for me. Each day was a constant fight—my sinful flesh wanted to continue in that life (with my friends, parties, my boyfriend), but my heart longed for peace, and true joy. For the longest time of trying to be so many different people, I was miserable. This continued for what seemed like forever, when one night God broke me. I was stuck. I couldn’t make any decisions anymore because I wasn’t being real. I didn’t even know who I was. Down on my knees I went crying. I was crying out of frustration, stress, anxiety, confusion, and desperate need. I cried out for God to help me. He was so near. As I calmed down, I went to bed. For the next few weeks God was just
as near, and life was getting better. After much prayer, He revealed my need for Him, and my need to be baptized. That October I was baptized. My parents, not being believers disagreed and couldn’t understand. That was a great fight, but what my Savior asks of me I do. I wanted to start being obedient immediately. I wanted my life to be all His. In time, I removed myself from my
old “friends” who were not of good influence, and from my old life. I continued to study the word, and grew more and more each day. Today, I have been a believer for almost three years and I
will never look back. Life hasn’t always been easy since, but I wouldn’t change the life I have now for anything. I am currently preparing for my wedding to a very godly, loving man, and ask God everyday to create in me the best servant for Him. My sister, brother-in-law, myself, and my fiancé are still the only believers in my family, which means each day is a mission for our family to know Him. All though she wasn’t mentioned much in my testimony, my sister was in, around, and behind it all. My sister loved me through my wrongs, encouraged me to be better, was a daily witness to me, stood for her Savior even when I wasn’t a believer and couldn’t understand, and lived each day for the One that matters the most. To the believers reading this, be that to those who don’t know Christ and need Him and need you. Continue to love, encourage, and witness at every opportunity.

(Candice and her fiance, Ryan)

Thanks so much Candice for sharing! I am so excited for this next season of you life! I know you trust the Lord and he has great things for you!

WeekEND News

This weekend could not have been any better!

Friday night and Saturday morning Rob and I went to a marriage conference with Paul Tripp.

It was so enriching, encouraging, and challenging!

I was faced with some things I did not expect and encouraged by some of the same things.

I was reminded that my husband is such a blessing to me.

The kids spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa and spent the day with Aunt Kelly, Uncle Justin and their cousins. It doesn't get much better for them either!

After the conference we decided to pack up for the night, drive a few hours, and get a hotel room!

We have NEVER done this before. We are planners, so this is really out of the norm for us. It proved to be a great idea.

The kids jumped right into the bed as soon as we got in the room!

There was an indoor pool so we went swimming and then went out to eat.

The next day we went to a museum. We have been to this museum before, but yesterday was much different. Now that the kids are getting older things just flow differently. As many, smaller, children were melting down I was reminded of this post I did about my kids getting bigger. It was a good reminder. That, this season of life has great perks too!

It truly was an enjoyable weekend with all my loves!

Thankful Thursday

Spring (it actually feels more like summer)is here.

I always know it is Spring when I wake up to birds chirping out my window.

Over the weekend, on Saturday I woke up to an owl and on Sunday a Woodpecker.

It was such a welcoming morning call. I just laid there and listened for a while. The peacefulness of a new day. It was refreshing.

Today I am thankful for the sound of birds in the morning.

Greatest Love Story - Kylee

Today you get to hear from a girl I met through house church. She has become a great friend that often encourages me and I have never met someone who is so in touch with what God is teaching them. She is being very transparent today. Please enjoy!

When I first started to think about this "love story," I was kind of struggling a bit. Many times, God will be teaching me about something by way of bringing certain themes into my life seemingly everywhere I look. For example, the idea of this world not being our "final destination," but that we are citizens of heaven. And we should be working toward an eternal purpose and not focusing on things that will not matter from the eternal perspective. I mean, it's something I thought I already knew, but I think God wanted to apply it to me in a new way. So, at the time of this particular hot topic about our real citizenship, it seemed like so many things that I heard on the radio, read in the Bible or devotional book, heard people talk about about at church, or answered questions about from my kids had to do with that topic. Obviously God was placing these things in my path so I could pick up on them. This seems to happen every so often, and when I notice it, I figure I better listen up because God is trying to teach me something! Well, lately I haven't really noticed ANY themes, otherwise I probably would've written about that. It's sort of been a yucky couple months, because we have had so much sickness in our house. And so we haven't done too much besides take my son to school and pick him up (if he isn't the one who is sick). We had one weekend where everyone was healthy and we were able to visit family... by God's grace. Otherwise, we have pretty much been trapped at home, dealing with germs. And now I think I am able to clean our humidifier in my sleep! :) I figure this has been a test, and it's one that I haven't really done too well at. My attitude has been bad, I have complained, I have struggled with feeling sort of depressed, I have snapped at my kids and my husband, and I have been useless a lot of the time, just because of how I feel mentally. Oh, and I have plopped myself in front of the TV to veg out for hours because it's easier than dealing with how I feel and it's "easier" than actively seeking God's help and strength (I can be very stubborn). So I really don't feel close to God at all right now. Sure, I have read the Bible here and there and I listen to Christian music all the time, but my heart has just not been in it. You are probably wondering where this is going and whether I have forgotten about the "love story" theme! No, I haven't forgotten, and yes, I have been SO unfaithful to God. BUT, HE is still faithful, He knows what I need and gives me the grace I need, and I know He is there always and that He cares. His faithfulness, grace and presence are three things that NO MATTER WHAT I am going through or what kind of state I am in spiritually, I can bank on those things. So I guess these are my "all the time" themes. :)First, His faithfulness... He is a perfect God. If He promises something, He is faithful to complete that promise. If He says He is going to do something, He does it. This is so encouraging in a world where you count on people and many times they will let you down. It's bound to happen, because we are human and far from perfect! But to be able to rest assured that God is in control and will do what he says he will do is sooo great. 1 Thess 5:24 - "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." Not, "he might do it," he WILL do it. Love that! And also, Philippians 1:6 - "...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." It's so great to know that He will be faithful to complete His plan for us, and that he doesn't give up on us, even when we screw up. What kind of love is this?!Second, His grace. I don't know how many times I have just stepped out in faith (or in "partial faith," but wondering what the heck was going to happen) and God has come through with just the grace I need. It's not necessarily more grace than I need, but it's enough to get me through whatever I need to get through. He will never put you in a situation that is too big for you or that He cannot get you through. I have really leaned on 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 so much the past few years. It says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." A lot of things have come up in the past few years that have been struggles for me. When I first started working out of college, I had a job where I felt like I had no clue what I was doing. And it was very demanding. Soooo many times, I could see things fall into place with my work that absolutely had to have been God's power and not my own! It was great, because I KNEW I couldn't have done what I did, so it had to be all God. And that is just a prime example of how He has worked in my weakness. And He deserves the glory! One other example... We have one son who is almost 5, and two daughters who are 3 and 1. The girls both have hearing loss and wear hearing aids. When we first found out about our first daughter having hearing loss and that it was a genetic cause, we were so surprised and shocked, since neither of us had any family history of hearing loss. And I remember just feeling so bad for her and so helpless while we were in the process of figuring out how severe the hearing loss was and wondering what all we were going to have to do for our daughter. And wondering if it was even a situation we COULD do something for. Each step in the testing and diagnosis process seemed to take FOREVER. But we just placed her in God's hands (we kind of HAD to), and we were reminded about how much God loves her and that He in control of her situation and will make sure she will get what she needs. He loves her even more than we do! He gave us the grace to get through that whole process, and He has graciously allowed her (and her sister) to get her hearing aids and do very well with speech. At age 3, she is right on track with speech and should need no special services in school! Praise the Lord! He knows what we need and gives us just that. It may be a hard thing to go through, and WE may not even know what we need. But He knows and will always provide just what we need.And finally, His presence. I grew up in a Christian home and everything came pretty easy for me. I had a lot of friends, my family was great, was relatively good at a variety of things, and I really didn't struggle at all... until I moved away from home for my first job. Then started my struggle with loneliness. It was really hard. But at the same time, it was good that that happened, because it really got me into the Bible more than I had ever been before, and God really began to seem "real" to me. But ever since then I haven't really stopped struggling, at least from time to time. I ended up moving again, a year and a half later, to a new location because of the job situation. So that began a new place of trying to make friends and feel comfortable. That's where I met my husband, who is in the air force. We have since been moved here to Ohio and have been here several years. And while we have met some really great people here, I still find myself struggling with loneliness sometimes. Yes, I have my husband and kids, and yes we have some really great friends from church. But it's still really hard for me being so far from family and friends who have known me for many many years. I knew that was how the military life would be, and most of the time I am okay with it. But sometimes it does get lonely! But thankfully those are the times where I can remember that God is always with me. So I am never really alone. One of my favorite verses is Joshua 1:9: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." That just sums it up! Any time I am scared or lonely or discouraged, I can remember that God is with me. And he is El Roi, which means "The God Who Sees." This is by far my favorite name for God. He sees what you are going through! Your suffering is not for nothing! And even if other people don't seem to care or don't know what you are going through, it doesn't matter. God does, and He is the only one who matters anyway. I try to have an attitude of thankfulness for these struggles, because I know God allows them for my own good. And I am not just saying that. I know I pray more and get into the Word more when I "hit bottom" and have nowhere else to turn. I know I grow more as a child of God and learn more about Him when these struggles and trials come. So they are good. And like I said before, He will never give you more than you can handle. Our God is indeed good and I am so thankful to be His child! And I am thankful for friends like Amy and our other house church brothers and sisters, who are also on the journey of following Christ. Because had it not been for sitting down to write this today, I wouldn't have been encouraged by God's truths as I have been!

So thank you, Amy, for giving me this "assignment!" Thanks, everyone else, for reading and I pray you are also encouraged. Glory to God!

P.S. Just one more testament to God's grace... All three of my kids have just napped for almost THREE HOURS at the SAME TIME, allowing me to write this and do a couple other things. That never happens! This is clearly what God had in mind for today.

Talk about God working! Thanks Kylee!

Motherhood

As I sit outside and watch the kids play, a thought comes to mind. It is a thought I have been having a lot this week.

School will be out in about 2 1/2 months. Summer will race by. School will start again. Next school year is going to be very different for me. Both of my kids will be in all day school. This brings up the conversation of be going back to work part time. I knew in my head this day would come. I didn't realize in my heart it was coming so quickly. My days of morning play dates, mom's group, having to get a sitter so I can go to the doctor...well, those days are just about gone! I didn't realize how hard this would be for me. In fact, I have cried a few times this week because of it.

I take pride in being a stay at home mom. And to think that this could be coming to an end is sad. Yes, I will still be cleaning, cooking, doing laundry and going grocery shopping. Yes, I will be the one taking kids to the doctor, volunteering at their school and staying home with them when they are sick. Yes, I will have summers and breaks off. Yes, I will still be a mother. It is just going to look very different.
I am learning more, with each new phase of motherhood, what Luke 2:19 means: "But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart."

WeekEND News

Before you read this let me remind you that it is still March and technically winter. The first day of spring is not until Tuesday.

That being said...

Friday night we had Broderick's Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. He loves this stuff. He gets to design and decorate a car and then race it. It was fun to see him get so excited.

Saturday I had a bridal shower for a friend, Carys had a birthday party and the boys went to a Monster Truck show! Broderick got to do this with his cousins which made it extra special.

We went to church Saturday night. My best friend's husband was preaching. He preached on God's faithfulness. I walked away impacted by something else. He shared a story about how when he was in high school he believed in "lifestyle evangelism." (Basically, you live your life and when people ask why you are different then you share the gospel with them.) He said that his mom, on the other hand, believed in full out sharing the gospel. So, when he had friends over she would leave gospel tracks in their coats. I talked to Chris' mom after church and she said she didn't even remember doing that. I find that interesting.

Ya see, as a mom this says one thing to me: I may never know the impact of the things I do and how they will affect my children and/or their friends.

Sunday we took the kids to this great park with a ton of paved paths. We packed a picnic, rode bikes, played on the playground...it was perfect!

When we got home this is what happened:

You can't see Carys but she is in her bathing suit. They played in the water. Remember, it is March...technically still winter and my kids are playing in the hose!

Sunday night we went to my sisters to celebrate her birthday. The whole family was there and we got to sit outside and have more fun! It was such a wonderful weekend!

Thankful Thursday

Spring is in the air.

Thunderstorms. Flowers. Warmer Weather. Green grass. School conferences.

All the signs of spring and new beginnings.

I love Spring. It is my favorite season.

I love the bright colors.

The weather is perfect.

The kids get a break from school.

What is not to love?

(The thunderstorms!)

Today I am thankful for Spring!

My Greatest Love Story

I am so happy to bring another "love story" to you today. This one is from my best friend, Carrie. We have been friends for almost 8 years! We met in July of 2004 at a park. She called me about a week after that and we talked on the phone for about 2 hours. We have been great friends since then. We laugh a lot together...you see, she is always having me do crazy things. (Like come to parties and dress up!) We pray together. We have trivial conversations and watch stupid shows together (The Bachelor). We have deep, life changing talks. We have had babies 7 weeks apart from one another. And we have walked through some dark, sad days together. Here is Carrie's story:

Isaiah 41:10
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

My love story begins at a young age. The Lord blessed me with a family who loves the Lord and lives it! My mom and dad always had us at church and were always teaching us about the Lord at home. My parents taught us that it is about a relationship with the Lord and not just about attending a church or doing good deeds. One day when we were at church the pastor was talking about where we thought we would be when we die. Needless to say I didn’t know. I went home to my mom and started asking questions. She talked to me and told me that we are all sinners, but that Christ died for us, and that if we ask Him in our heart then we will be with Him when we die. So my mom prayed with me and I accepted the Lord! My life has never been the same. Don’t get me wrong I have had ups and downs. There have been many times where I had to get my focus on the Lord, but I don’t know where I would be without my relationship with the Lord!
The reason I wanted to put a picture of my mom along with our favorite verse is
because the Lord used my mom in my life in so many ways. She not only led me to accept the Lord, she was constantly turning my eyes to Him! When my mom was diagnosed with cancer the first time I struggled and then when it came back I struggled. The amazing thing about my mom is she kept her focus on the Lord. She would tell me she was in the Lord’s Hands. Right before she passed away she wanted us reading Scripture and devotions. She was a light to those around her. Nurses would say that all the time. Even as I write this I know she would not want the focus on her, she would want it first on the Lord! My mom’s life pushes me to continue to grow and seek the Lord! It has been really hard to lose my mom and I miss her everyday. She was my best
friend and we were always getting into something shopping, drinking coffee, laughing, and praying. I feel truly blessed that she was my mom and what I’ve realized typing this is that my mom not only led me to the Lord, but she continued to point my eyes to Him even through her
death! So thankful the Lord accepted me into His family and that He used my mom in my life to bring me to Him and keep me focused on Him! My dad gave us a letter from my mom after she
passed away and my mom said remember your first love! Thanks Amy for letting me do that through this blog post. Through these love stories I hope it helps others to remember their first love and for others to create one!

Thanks Carrie! I know that it can be hard to remember some of these things and I appreciate you sharing. Carrie's story and her mom have taught me several things, but mainly it is that being a mom is an important job. And long after mothers are gone we miss them and remember all the wonderful things they did for us. Mainly their relationship with the Lord. I don't know about you but that is good for me to know as a mom!

WeekEND News

Oh, Monday. Sometimes I look forward to you. It offers a new start. Today, however, I am feeling tired...thanks to Daylight Savings Time. Also, because my hubby was out of town over the weekend and I never sleep good when he is away. However, I will embrace this Monday with joyfulness.

While Rob was gone the kids and I spent most of our time at my mom and step dad's. (I am a BIG baby!) The kids, of course, loved it and I slept a little better than normal. I was planning on doing something fun with the kids on Saturday but Broderick started running a fever Friday night. So Saturday we rented some movies and hunkered down. I watched The Help and Footloose. Both pretty good. Sunday was gorgeous! We spent some time playing outside. It was great to just sit out back and let the kids play. It made me anxious to get the trampoline up. Rob got home last night around dinner and we even grilled out!

Like I said, Monday offers a fresh start. And that means Spring cleaning begins today. I am usually pretty motivated to do, but not this year. I will get there...hopefully!

Clearly I have Issues!

I tend to think that I have an addictive personality.

Diet Coke
Coffee
Reality TV
Chocolate
Graham crackers and icing
Zumba (wish I was more addicted to this)
A Clean House

Before you go thinking, "You are not addicted to those things." Let me stop you right there.
Monday all I ate throughout the entire day was coffee, diet coke, cookies (about 10) and a donut. Now...do you think I have a problem?

If it were my choice I would live on sweets. Trust me, by the end of a day like Monday I am feeling the affects. I am exhausted, my stomach is killing me, and I am thinking, "What have I done!?" But then Tuesday comes and it is a similar scenario. Symptoms of an addict? I think so.

So, what is a girl to do? I mean as much as I would like to, I can't continue eating like this.

I have tried to at least eat 3 "normal" meals this week. They may not be the healthiest, but c'mon...they have been better than cookies!

I know I have been talking mostly about food, but it is the same with other stuff. I will walk around my house all day and pick stuff up and put it away. I would watch just about any reality tv and crave more. When I am not at Zumba I think about when the next class is and how I can get there. (This doesn't always happen because I do have a family I need to be with. But if I could, I would do Zumba 6 days a week!)

How do I kick these habits? I know how to...but do I really want to?
And that my friends is the problem.
Do I want to? Do I really want to?

Tell me...what are you addicted to? (If anything.) Do you struggle with similar issues?

Thankful Thursday

It is a rainy day.

I love the sound of rain.

It is peaceful. Relaxing. Calming.

For some reason the rain reminds me to slow down and relax.

So this morning I had a little time to do just that.

Naturally I got on Pinterest.

This may seem crazy to some of you, but I love it. I am sure you have heard people say this. But seriously...it is amazing. Rob needed an idea for the boy scouts to make bird feeders. I simply got on Pinterest and searched bird feeders. 100s came up. Now...I understand I can Google bird feeders and kinda of get the same result. Notice I said "kinda"? It is not the same. If I googled it I would get bird feeders to buy and all sorts of things. But for the most part, on Pinterest, they are feeders we can make. Amazing! It really can make my life a lot easier when it comes things like this. (Sometimes it can make it complicated and expensive! Ooops!)

Today I am thankful for Pinterest!

So tell me...What are you thankful for today? Or what do you love about Pinterest?

My love story

Today you all get to read about a dear friend, Emily. Emily and I met when we were in 6th grade. We went to school together for only one year, but we were great friends. We were able to keep in touch a little after that year through Emily's cousin. Years and years passed and we lost touch. We both got married and started having kids. Then the wonderful Facebook came out and we were able to reconnect. We met up one and and it seemed as if we never stopped talking. For a couple years now we have been able to stay in touch and get together on occasion. She is one of those people that you just love being around. She is funny, compassionate, and encouraging. I am so blessed to have her in my life and I pray you are blessed by getting to know her a little better.

{Emily and her husband, Craig}

As a child I grew up in a Christian Home and prayed to ask Jesus to be the Lord of my life when I was seven.
Growing up had it's normal ups and downs. I drifted off the path the Lord had set before me and went my own way only to find myself lost many times over. But what I always noticed was that when I would cry out to the Lord to help me find my way back, He was there ready to lovingly put me in my place.

What I have come to notice in the last 23 years of following Christ is that the words the Lord spoke in Joshua 1:5 are true for me as one of HIS beloved children...

"Just as I was with Moses, so will I be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you."

To think that I, so much like a sheep, wander away from Him and yet His promise remains to not leave me or forsake me is more than I can comprehend. He is a Good Shepherd to bring me back to Himself over and over again. As I grew up and grew in my relationship with Jesus He has put callings on my life that I would have never ever done on my own. Just today my husband Craig and I were talking about the single hardest decision that we knew God laid before us. We followed Him, although terrified and uncertain. We had to to be reminded of Deuteronomy 31:6
quite often...

"Be strong and courageous. Do
not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

And there it is again, and again, we found it to be true. And He has blessed us immensely. Whether we willingly go off the path He put us on or we stay on His path uncertain of where it will lead... His word tells us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. One of my favorite quotes was said by Charles Spurgeon...

"Settle this in your heart: Whether I am up
or down, the Lord Jesus is the same. Whether I sing or sigh, the promise is true
and the Promiser is faithful. Whether I stand on the summit or am hidden in the
vale the covenant stands fast and everlasting love abides."

I am not living the life I had planned. I am thankful that because of Him, I'm living the life He planned for me and even when I start looking at other paths because I'm a little scared of the one He has me on, I can remember

"The promise is true and the promiser is faithful."

He will never leave me or forsake me, He promised me that.

There is truly no greater love than His.

{Emily's 5 beautiful children. Elijah, Noah, Grace, Elizabeth, & Hannah}

Thanks Emily for sharing! I don't know about all you, but I am truly amazed at how different each story has been! It just goes to show that our relationship with Jesus truly is a personal one. I am so glad that I have a Savior that knows me personally and cares for me!

What are you afraid of?

I am afraid of many things.
The dark.
Being by myself.
Something happening to the kids or Rob.

But my biggest fear is Tornadoes.

Ever since I was a little kid I have been afraid of them. I can remember hiding in the basement while my dad when stand outside and watch the storms come in.

Every April panic begins to set in. A usual day for me in the spring looks something like this:
I watch the weather every morning and if they are predicting storms I watch most of the day.
As it gets closer to the time when the storms will be hitting us I get super panicked. So much so that I put bike helmets, flashlights, candles, a radio, blankets, and a small mattress in the bathroom. (Most of the time I am in there too!)
About 90% of the time the storms weaken when they get to us.
This happens multiple times during tornado season.

It is not even the middle of March and we are dealing with warnings today. I have been telling myself all day not to panic. For the most part I have been okay. You see last May, I was out to dinner with some friends and we had a tornado warning with serious hail. I keep thinking, if I survived that then I will be okay.

It is now that time for the storms to hammer down on us and guess what? They have weakened. So most of the day I have spent worrying and preparing for a tornado. (I am laughing at my self as I type this.)

I know the Lord will protect me.
I know no matter what happens he will be with me.
I know that Satan loves to distract me and cause me to worry.

I need to overcome my fears and give them wholly to the Lord.

So tell me...what are you afraid of? How do you deal with them?

Thankful Thursday

{Me and my sis}

Yesterday you got to hear how my sister came to know the Lord. As I shared yesterday it was a very special day for me as well. Kelly and I haven't always gotten along. Growing up we fought, a lot! When we were really little we didn't like playing the same things. I liked Barbies and playing school. She didn't. As we got older I would always borrow her clothes and that would drive her crazy! When her friends were over I was the annoying little sister that would bother them. As we got into high school we started to get along a little better. Neither one of us were home much so we didn't have time to fight. And as I mentioned yesterday I was "preaching" at her all.the.time!

After she graduated she moved out. We really didn't see each other much but stayed in touch. By the time I graduated and moved out my mom lived in Alabama and my dad didn't live in town either so Kelly and I only had each other. This was when our relationship started changing. We both were engaged and got married 6 months apart. Once she had my nephew we hung out a lot. Once I had Broderick we were together almost everyday.

Now...she is the person I call if I want an honest answer. She is the person I call to keep my kids overnight. She is the person that makes my hair look fabulous. She is the person who helps me scrapbook. She is the person that, I know, would do ANYTHING for me and my family.

Today I am thankful for my sister, Kelly.