Farewell 2009, and Good Ridden

I didn’t write very much last year because my life was consumed with situations that I “couldn’t” write about. So I was respecting other’s privacy and I am glad to say goodbye to 2009.

I am thankful for all the wonderful life lessons that I learned along the way, and I am thankful for the strengthened relationship that I have with God. We have been through a bit this year now God & I are pretty tight. :-) Ok, maybe I’m still clinging to his pant legs (or robe), but either way I’ve accepted that fact that I need Him dearly. It is because of Him that I can walk out of 2009 a better daughter, friend, wife, mother, and woman.

2009 was quite a year:

A battle with cancer that truly tested limits, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Relational roller coasters

And then the year ended with the deaths of my step-dad and grandmother (my mom’s mom). My poor mom’s world was turned upside down at Christmas.

However I can still say that 2009 was QUITE a year!

My mom is beginning to cope with all the secrets that are being revealed about her husband’s life. My heart breaks for her, but I know that God will pull her through this crazy time.

My dad kicked cancers butt! He had battled with liver cancer while being on dialysis for kidney disease and this Gladiator of a man fought and won. The cancer had grown so big and resisted all chemo, and then after the doctors tried all that they could, we turned to family prayer: all 12 kiddos, and eight grandkids. Then within days the tumor started dissolving… granted it turned into liquid that had to be drained, LOTS of liquid that had to be drained. The draining process took another 2 months, but all is heading in the right direction. We are not completely out of the woods yet, but I am thanking God that my Dad’s appetite is back, that he is looking stronger, healthier, and happier. I’ll write more during another post, because the story is truly amazing. I have received permission to share this wonderful journey with you and to give God all the glory that He deserves. (The doctors are still baffled… and amazed).

All roller coaster rides have been exited and are no longer in operation.

What Makes You Smile

Thank you DAD! 

My father is one of those men that is not only my father, but also my best friend.  It speaks pretty loudly to the kind of man that he is because I am not his only child to call him their best friend.  Actually, six of us do!

He is an amazing man that encourages us all to continue growing stronger and learning in all areas of our lives.  After all, God didn’t put us here to become stagnant.  And despite what Lauren thinks, no one knows EVERYTHING.

We’ve all experienced not-so-enjoyable moments and stressful situations in life.  It’s almost inevitable, but it’s how we respond to those situations that define the kind of person that you are.  These are all situations that we can learn from and our responses should get better each time and hopefully grow more mature as we learn.

One of the best bits of advise that he’s given me is to be kind, be strong, and always forgive.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. – Ephesians 4:32

Although, we are human!  It’s not always as easy as it sounds, right?  Well wrong.  We are in control of our thoughts.  We are capable of choosing to go walking around pissed off, with a chip on our shoulder, or feeling like a victim.  Then again we are also capable of taking control of our outlook on life and choosing to be positive.

My dad shared this knowledge by telling me one of his college stories. 

No it’s not that kind of college stories… Goodness, what did you do in college?

He conducted an experiment.  He would take his subject talk to them about something that really upset them.  Sometimes, it would take a bit… but, soon he would find their button and the subject would open up and share about whatever it was that upset them, it be their job, school, professor, husband/wife, boyfriend/ girlfriend, kids, or parents.

After he encouraged them to talk about the negative subject, only re-upsetting themselves as they retold the stories.  He would wait until they were apparently upset and then hand them a piece of paper and pencil and then ask them to list things that made them happy.  As he handed them the paper, he would begin timing just how long it took for them to change their mindset and begin to think of things of a positive nature. 

As he explained this to me, he made me realize that we all have a switch and that we are in control over that switch. 

Can you instantly begin thinking of things that make you happy?  How long does it take you to be positive after focusing on negative thoughts?

Some people may take seconds, minutes, hours, days, and some may not be able to begin thinking of “happy thoughts”.  As we mature and gain control of our mindset then it is much easier to truly be kind to even the person that is creating those negative emotions.  I always try to remember that God created them too, and that He made us all.  Who are we to chose to be rude to one of His creations?  We are ALL human.  We ALL make mistakes.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. - Colossians 3:13

Welcome to SCA

SCA? What the heck is SCA?  You mean you DON’T know.  Just Kidding. ( I had an extra shot of espresso today.  Please excuse all “smart-butt” comments).

Let’s begin with a bit of background.  Way back in the day when I began this blog (last November), I stated in my profile that I was a Christian.  That’s true.  I am.  I believe in God.  I love God.  I so bad want to be the woman that He designed me to be.  However, my free will gets in the way.  Why in the heck did He give us free will?  Ugh!  I can totally hear Him up there belly laughing and answering my question.  He wants to be loved.  He wants us to WANT to spend time with Him.  He WANTS us to desire to do the right thing. 

I get it.  I do.  Who wants to be in a relationship when they feel like they are making that person spend time with them.  Who wants to go on a date with someone to only watch the person spend the entire night playing on their phone throughout the entire date.  (Seriously, be considerate!  Not that I know anyone that does this… I’m a people watcher & I see it happen).  Recently I went out to eat with Lauren and witnessed a guy spend most of a date on his phone.  Which brings me back to the title.

SCA is Struggling Christians Anonymous and I am a member.  Like I said before I am a Christian, but I am also human.  As I watched this scenario unfold the last time I went out to eat, I couldn’t help but think of 1 Corinthians 13:4

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy (jealousy)…

And I couldn’t help but wonder… because it was obvious that this girl was jealous of a cell phone.  Yes, jealous of a cell phone.  All she wanted was some of her boyfriend’s attention (I didn’t see wedding rings).  So as I observed this couple and thought of this verse I wondered how often Corey & I have been here.

We both enjoy our phones.  He loves all the sports apps and I like to read blogs.  I wonder how often he was upset that I was giving my phone undivided attention and he was hurt and I know that I’ve felt that way.  I realized that jealousy comes in all shapes and sizes.  There are many things that can get in the way of people interacting and truly relating to one another and touching each other’s hearts.  Jealousy (or envy) isn’t always about being jealous of your significant other giving their kindness to another person of the opposite sex but just giving positive attention to anything or anyone.  When someone doesn’t feel loved, or they feel ignored, belittled, demeaned, or disrespected it doesn’t take much for them to get upset about their significant’s positive attention going elsewhere.

However, I know from experience that usually those that are in a good relationship rarely feel jealous, because they are secure in their relationship.  They know that they are loved above all else (Except God, hopefully)…  they feel respected, they feel enjoyed, they feel cherished, they feel pursued. 

Wait!  Isn’t that the kind of relati0nship that God wants from us?  For us to WANT Him…  For us to WANT to know Him better…  For us to read want He has to say.  It is!

The funny thing about that is that when I was find myself in a good positive relationship I have to work harder at my relationship with God.  Yes, you read that correctly.  When life is good, I’m out there happy and enjoying myself.  I am thankful and I appreciate all that God does in my life, but I find myself opening the Bible less.  I am distracted by all the bliss surrounding me.

However, when life keeps throwing curveballs I turn to Him to fill me up with love, understanding, support, and to remind me of who I am when I feel belittled.  That isn’t how it is supposed to be. 

Here I was enjoying a nice dinner with my daughter and watching a couple’s lack of interaction and I could feel God completely calling me out on my own lack of interaction in my relationship with Him.  Not to be gross, but I felt as if I was being told that He didn’t want to just be an emotional tampon.  There to soak up the sadness, loneliness, and be supportive.  He wanted to enjoy the good times too.  He wants to take long walks on the beach (a.k.a spend quality time with me reading the Bible and getting to know Him better). 

As I reluctantly looked back at the couple, and watched the guy tapping away on his phone I vowed to set aside some “date time” with God.  I want to let him know how thankful I am that He is so persistent,  that He makes me feel so loved, and I want the opportunity to let him know just how much that I love Him by pursuing Him too.

Watch out! She just might explode.

So often you meet those people that seem to have it all together.  They appear to have the perfect marriage, the perfect kids, the perfect well… everything.  For me, it’s those people that I second guess the most… I mean seriously if someone is trying that desperately to cover up the imperfections then I can’t help but wonder how bad it really is.  My heart goes out to them and I want to comfort them.

Then there is the other extreme, just throwing out all your dirty laundry for all to see.  While that can cause some complications on its own, I can only imagine that it would be therapeutic.

My husband is the first type and I used to be more of the second type.  However after almost five years of marriage, I probably fall in the middle.  I don’t blog about my marriage unless it is good and paints him as a saint, but all the rest is out there for all to read.  Out of respect to him, those are the boundaries that I have chosen.  I am not trying to be misleading, but there are some things that should stay behind closed doors (good and bad)… so to speak.  I have had a few anonymous emails lately with questions regarding my relationship with Mr. Incredible, and I will answer all questions with these statements.

He is the man that I chose to marry, the one with who I want to spend my life!  I was very selective about this choice.  I dated, and searched for “Mr. Perfect for Me” for years.  I dated many amazing men, but it was only him that convinced me that he would be the husband I wanted, a good father to the children that I wanted to have, and a friend and partner for life.

To sum up the answer to three other questions, yes, of course, there are days that I feel hurt and alone.  I also know there are days that I know that I get on his every nerve… I can tell by the way his eyes are rolling in the back of his head as I order salad instead of lasagna or pasta while trying to watch what I eat.  And of course, we get on each other’s nerves. 

There are times I think that he has driven me insane and times when I think that I’m about to drive him just as crazy.  It isn’t always “perfect” but it IS always real.  I would much rather have a REAL relationship with someone and know that they love me for me and know where things stand than a superficial one and always have to play a guessing game because my other half won’t tell me what is really going on with them.

However, at the end of the day, we love each other and wouldn’t want to live without each other.  I am not here to paint an unrealistic picture of my marriage.  Just like any other marriage ( I assume, this is the only time I’ve been married), it takes work on both parts to have a successful marriage.  Just like any relationship, friendship, or job, you have to invest time, energy, and thought into your marriage to strive for success. 

Most importantly, for me, it takes a lot of prayer.  Prayer that I make the right choices, that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing to be a good wife (after all it is my actions that I am responsible for…  not his), and prayer for perspective… I pray that God will show me the perspective that he wants me to see.  When upset, I know that it is hard to see your spouse as a good & loving person, but when you ask that God reveal your spouse through his eyes then you are able to see them in a completely different light and sometimes it will remind you just why you fell inlove with them in the first place. 

So the answer is, “Yes we do have a REAL marriage, with ups & downs, and I love him more today than I did the day that I said “I do”.

Just one question…

A girl went to her friends house and she ended up staying longer than planned, and had to walk home alone..

She wasn't afraid because it was a small COMMUNITY and she lived
only a few blocks away.

As she walked along under the bike trail Diane asked God to keep her safe from harm and danger.

When she reached the alley, which was a shortcut to her house, she decided to take it.

However, halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing at the end as though he were waiting for her.

She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for God's protection.

Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security wrapped round her, she felt as though someone was walking with her.

When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely.

The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley just twenty minutes after she had been there.

Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she began to weep.

Thanking the Lord for her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to the police station.

She felt she could recognize the man, so she told them her story.

The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup to see if she could identify him..

She agreed and immediately pointed out the man she had seen in the alley the night before.

When the man was told he had been identified, he immediately broke down and confessed.

The  officer thanked Diane for her bravery and asked if there was
anything they could do for her.

She asked if they would ask the man one question.

Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her.

When the policeman asked him, he answered, 'Because she wasn't
alone.

She had two tall men walking on either side of her.

Amazingly, whether you believe or not, you're not alone.

Forwarded Email

I feel like it has been FOREEEVVVVEEERRRRR since I have connected with the Internet.  I have missed you.  I have still been reading your posts via Google Reader on my phone even though I haven’t been faithfully leaving comments. My bad :-).  Please forgive me.

Today I received a forwarded email from a friend and thought that I would share it with you.

This explains why I,(We) forward jokes.

A man and his dog were walking along a road.  The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years.  He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road.  It looked like fine marble.  At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight..

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.  He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.

'Wow!  Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

Of course, sir.  Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.'The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.

'I'm sorry; sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed.  There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

'Excuse me!' he called to the man.  'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in..'

'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump.'

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, and then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.

'This is Heaven,' he answered.

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said.  'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates?  Nope.  That's hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

Soooo...

Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes to us without writing a word.
Maybe this will explain.

When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do?  You forward jokes.

When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes.

When you have something to say, but don't know what, and don't know how, you forward jokes.

Also to let you know that you are still remembered, you are still important, you are still loved, you are still cared for, guess what you get?

A forwarded joke.

So, next time if you get a joke, don't think that you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought of today and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile.

You are all welcome @ my water bowl anytime!

God is GOOD! (an update & kudos)

An Update:

I just wanted to share with everyone that helped pray for health that the prayer was answered!!

The doctor gave us a healthy report and now I am happy to give God the glory. I am so thankful that I can honestly say that I am speechless and sitting here with a perma-grin spanning from ear to ear.

Bloggy Kudos

My marriage to my husband has brought me two beautiful children, two goofy puppies, and a lifetime with an amazing man. He has also introduced me to some great friends. This blogger is someone that he grew up with and I believe they even went to prom together. She is a wonderful mom and a beautiful lady. Her posts and her Lessons From God have definitely been encouraging during the last few weeks.

Apple Slices: So simple and Soooo True.

Everybody Poops: What can I say... I married Corey.  All conversations with him lead to this topic at some point. It's not just me... all conversations with almost everyone. :-) He makes me laugh.

Big Brother: I love the reminder of innocence. if we could only bottle this up and encourage our children to drink it again when they are sixteen... or whenever that rebellious age may be.

These are just a few of her recent posts. I hope that you take the time to enjoy her blog.

Technorati Tags: God,Faith,Family,Bloggy Kudos

Praying hands are out again!

For those of you Internet friends that have been reading this blog for awhile then you will know what I'm referring to. For all others, I will apologize about being vague, but either way prayer is prayer and God will know exactly where it is needed.

I have a relative undergoing tests today and I am asking for prayer for HEALTH! So please join me in prayer.

I also wanted to ask for prayer for someone that commented last week. I had to delete a post & her comment requesting prayer was deleted with it. However, I wanted to tell Karenlizzy from LA that my kids & I have been praying for you & your family everyday. We pray that your husband will find the job that he has been looking for and that you will know that it is from God. By the way, I have to tell you that your name made me smile... I have two sisters that share your name; my sister, Lizzy and then my sister-in-law Karyn. Karenlizzy, I do pray that everything begins to fall into place for your family again.

My apologies

If you are coming to this site via a link that is not working then I apologize. I had to take down a few posts that were referring to a family health situation. Although we are still requesting prayer.

I had tried to be vague while requesting prayer to respect everyone's privacy but someone's privacy wasn't respected and the last thing that I want to do is to make a difficult situation more difficult.

Revised post:

Just a month ago, I was sitting back after a family gathering thinking to myself that I was one lucky individual. I absolutely love my family!! I even wrote about it on Facebook. (Yes, I am a dork like that. When I am happy I love to shout it from the rooftops or Facebook). I felt so lucky to have recovered from my cancer scare and just felt well... lucky.

Within the last few weeks, my husband was injured and had to have surgery on his knee, and then another family member found out that they had liver cancer.

Needless to say, our world has been rocked. I have been praying and pleading for strength for both my self and my other family members 100s of times throughout the day.

Regarding the liver cancer:
In the beginning I felt strong and confident, and I was able to easily calm others and talk them through the process of what was happening to our relative. However, I can honestly admit that I need more information about "the process and the procedures" myself. Not understanding what is happening to their bodies and not knowing what to expect is creating a fear that I can't seem to fight off. I am amazed by the strength of our relative and am proud at the way they are fighting the cancer.

If anyone out there knows anything about liver cancer I would LOVE some information and advice. I would also love advice regarding diet... what foods are easiest to hold down.

I am so thankful to God for taking care of Corey throughout his surgery and he has been healing really well. He is even going back to work tomorrow, just five days after his surgery. I am thankful that he feels good enough to do that. (Unless we are on vacation, he has a difficult time staying away from his office, and sometimes he has a tough time even during vacation not calling 10 times,. His business is his baby). So I know that even taking off a few days for his surgery was hard for him to do. He enjoys his job.

While I haven't been posting as much because my mind has obviously been on these matters, I have been reading yours and have been pulling from your strength as you walk through and overcome different trials and have thoroughly enjoyed laughing at your posts because I can honestly say that I have NEEDED your humor more than you know.

These situations were the catalyst for the Bloggy Kudos post. I honestly don't think I could be walking through these sitautions without the strength, humor and reminders that God's hand is in this! So again, thank you!

I Declare!

Lately, Corey & I have been hearing a LOT about the power of words. It seems to be coming from so many different areas of our lives. Our small group had a guest speaker come to talk to our group about that very thing. Corey was able to hear him, I had a doctor appt in Texas at the time. I was sorry that I missed it. Fortunately, I heard that the powerful voice of the speaker was able to reach so many that were there to listen.

We all know that this very topic was marketed via a book and a DVD a few years ago which is called The Secret. So many people really appreciated the concepts in the book and what I found ironic is that this concept is actually biblical. Again, it was the book and not the Bible that people were dropping off at Corey's office for him and friends were calling to tell him about it. I was very excited to see what a surge the book was creating in so many people. While I wish that I could have witnessed that same surge of people fired up about receiving the same message via the Bible, I was glad that the message was out there.

Today I came across the same message on a blog, Everything Beautiful, and what I love is that Liz is giving all the glory to God. I really hope that you drop by her blog at least to take a look at a few of the scriptures that she has listed as sources to support her point.

Here are two of the examples that Liz had posted:

James 3.3-5 (Msg)
A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything or destroy it. It only takes a spark to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.

Ephesians 3.20 (Amplified)
Now to Him who is able to carry out His purposes and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think (infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams). According to the power that is at work within us.

This message is SO true. We have the ability to change our situations by the way that we approach them and the things that we say. When I was young, my grandpa used to tell me that it isn't so much WHAT you say but the WAY you say it. (Even as a young child I had the tendency to be a bit ... um, well... direct). As a mother, I realize more than ever the power of words. The words that I choose to use while loving, playing with, teaching, and disciplining my children all make an enormous impression. However the words that I speak OVER them and pray over them are just as POWERFUL. The way that you talk to someone and about them behind closed doors can impact that relationship greatly. Those words are so powerful that they not only affect those that you are talking to, the ones that you are talking about, but they also affect you and YOUR belief system about that situation.

An example:
If you truly want something to be successful but all you do is whine, moan, and groan about how terrible it is, then eventually all you focus on is the negative aspects. Your negative words and thoughts have declared negativity over that situation and negativity is what it will reap.

Instead of praying for someone's sickness, pray for their HEALING!

However in the same sense, when you focus and speak positivity over your life and declare God's word in prayer you will begin to see God's work in your life. I not only pray this over my own life but I pray this over all that read this and all those that don't.

Pray for those that need your prayers, declare God's word over their life. Pray positively.

Feeling Not Good Enough?

I am sad to say that I have heard quite a few people say this lately. Men that don't think that they are measuring up and providing enough for their families, women that feel like they aren't good enough mother's, friends, with their careers, and just people in general.

Last night as I was driving home I felt a huge urge to write about this in general but more than anything to write a special note to one dear friend. I want her to know how I see her, how others see her, and more importantly how God sees her.

He created you, perfectly!
You are beautiful
You are peaceful
You are not only smart but you share your wisdom.
The sound of your voice calls others to worship God
You have put yourself in the midst of people that are not Christians and you witness to them through your actions and God's Word.
You have a magnetism about you that draws others to you.
Others can come to you & talk with ease & have a meaningful conversation!
You open up easily therefore making others feel safe so they can be open.
You have a colorful style that radiates happiness and joy. You are a joy to watch & admire.
You are loved!

There are times when you may feel like you are not measuring up or not good enough but please shake that thought away. It is not of God! God is a God of love. He pours his love into you and I'm sure his arms are wrapped around you! (He is always with us). As someone else said, we are definitely good enough... good enough to die for, good enough for Jesus to die for us!!

I pray for anyone who is reading this, who has had those feelings and felt that weight on their shoulders... I pray that those feelings be removed and that they are able to see their true worth. That they are able to see themselves as God sees them. That they can see His child (YOU) who He loves and adores. That their heart swells as they see the pride in their Father God as he rejoices in them.

As a parent, I don't love my kids any less when they don't obey and I NEVER think that they are not good enough for ANYTHING. I know that when they do obey their lives are smoother, less bumps and bruises, and I'm sure the same goes for us. When we choose to obey God things are much easier for us as well, but I know that He doesn't stop loving us. I have made SOOOO many mistakes in my life, and I am so thankful for His grace and His love. And while there are times I feel like I don't deserve it I am enjoying doing what I can to show Him how much that I love Him, and that I am thankful for His love.

Embrace the Moment Monday #2

This is quite the post to follow up the Chicken & CPR post. LOL.

FYI: The giveaway post will come later this evening and will close at midnight on Friday.

When I think of the word love the first thing that comes to my mind are the people in my life that I love. Then of course I am drawn to the true source of love and that is Jesus. There have been times in my life that I would love to forget. I literally shudder when I think of those awful hurtful memories. However, I also embrace them because they make me face that amount of grace & love that God has had over me & my life. I am truly overflowing with gratitude for the protective coverage that He has had over me. Seriously, I have trouble forgiving myself for many of the ignorant choices of my past and I work every day to forgive those that have hurt me. So needless to say, I can't understand, but am extremely thankful for His love & grace.

Have you ever felt like things couldn't get any worse and, of course, they did? I unfortunately have experienced that way too many times. However, each and every time I was given strength to overcome each and every obstacle. God has always been a part of my life (I just wasn't always a good listener and not as obedient as I should have been). Like any loving parent will tell their child, "They have set rules & boundaries for their protection and if the child will follow those rules and learn what the parent is trying to teach them, then life will flow a bit more smoothly. PLEASE don't get me wrong here... I am not saying that when someone tries to do everything right that nothing wrong will happen in their life... not at all. I love the idea of potty trained puppies that stay small, cute & cuddly & rainbows 24-7, but we all know that is unrealistic. Instead, they will have peace to make it through the situation because of their faith in God. (AND they won't receive AS MUCH trouble by bringing more hardship upon themselves).

Like most females (I said "most" I left room in there for the exception), I enjoy being pursued, sought after, thought of, and I enjoy feeling loved. I can honestly say that I have felt very loved by God. There were times in my life that I flat out rebelled, but He always pursued me! Times when I felt abandoned by those I cared about here on Earth, but through my tears, I knew that I was not alone. When I simply would take a walk through the park, and would feel overwhelmed by the beauty that God created just FOR US... I felt LUCKY and very thought of! And when I think back to all those "close calls" and unanswered prayers, I thank God for loving me so much that He protected me and for holding out on those prayers with something better in mind for me. I honestly can't think of ANY greater love than this! I would love to spend the rest of my life showing HIM just how much that I also love Him!

TO GOD: Thank you God for everything that you do in my life. I really appreciate you in so many ways!!

P.S. I am terrible about praying in front of others (easily embarrassed) so this is probably the closest that I have come to that. Thanks for sharing this first with me!!

Please join us, link up and share your Love Story on Embrace the Moments Monday with Mr. Linky below.

WooHoo!!!

Today has been an absolutely FABULOUS day on so many levels.

I had the ultimate Tackle It Tuesday and was able to get so many things accomplished today. I purposefully don't have any pictures for you because of sheer embarrassment of the state that my house was in. Yeah, it was THAT bad. I hadn't taken the much needed time to DEEP clean the house in two weeks... you say that is nothing... well then you haven't met my two kids. They have the effect of two twin twisters on our home. I normally have to do this every other day. I don't know how they get food on the backside of the toilet or the baseboards (food doesn't leave the kitchen), but it somehow happens.

More importantly, not too long ago I was told that I had bladder cancer. I was totally floored and this really rocked my world. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it. I could understand it if they said any other type of cancer, but this one (okay maybe not prostate... LOL). I don't smoke nor have I ever had a UTI (urinary tract infection) and I'm young. (oh hush Corey! I married a man younger than me so he LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to harass me about my age & call me old, ancient, "old gray mare" and no I don't have any grays... yet). My solution to this problem was to drive four hours to Dallas to visit a natural doctor and he is treating me with vitamins & nutrition. (More so the vitamins because I have been terrible about eating what I am supposed to be eating). Then of course I had to have a "backup plan" in case that didn't work. So I had appointments with the medical doctor & urologist and was (am) totally ready to take their advise if the natural medicine didn't work. Well yesterday I had another doctor visit & tests with a local medical doctor. So to make a LONG story short... all the results are GOOD from their perspective. So I have my follow up with the TX doctor in a few weeks and I am hoping that I get good test results then as well.

I honestly can't believe that I have gotten better so quickly! I am totally amazed.

The last month has been a whirlwind. After hearing the word cancer, I have felt like a teeter-totter (due to my analogies, you can definitely tell that I spend me days with kids). I have gone from feeling strong and confident that God was going to take care of this and that after I was cured I would be able to glorify Him for healing me then I jumped to feeling scared and sad and not ready to leave my kids behind. I felt like my purpose has yet to be fulfilled. Of course I don't know what God's will is for my life, however I do have a gut feeling that He has a lot of work left for me to do. After going through just a short bout of this, I understand that the "what ifs" and the mental/emotional portion of this sickness could potentially be more damaging and could feed the sickness in your body. It can be quite a struggle to focus on the positive. This part may sound weird but I had to print off pictures of healthy organs and physically view them & focus on health and constantly turn to God for strength to stay focused on healing... daily (sometimes hourly).

I was excited to see how God was bringing other people that were going through the same thing into my life (and I wasn't directly telling anyone about what was going on). You, the Internet, knew more than anyone. Now that I am able to pass on this information to hopefully help others I am able to open up about it a bit more. (You have no idea just how hard this is for me... I just caught myself grinding my teeth... jk - about the teeth anyway). I do believe that God brings others into our lives to help each other and if we don't communicate about what is happening in our lives then how can we learn from each others experiences.

Now don't get me wrong here. I'm NOT telling anyone to stop the chemo & go to ANY natural doctor. First of all they are all different and second... I had a back up plan. I would NEVER want to be responsible for anyone not receiving the medical care that they needed. However, during chemo and going through cancer... we all have down times. During this "down time" it wouldn't hurt to be on a vitamin regimen. When you go back to your doctor to do your follow-up tests and receive miraculous news, it is SO worth it. (If anyone wants the number to the doctor that I visited, just email me and I will be happy to hand it out).

The last month has encouraged me more than ever to Embrace the Moments with those that I love. I have become a better mother, sister, wife, and friend. This precious time has taught me to stop waiting until tomorrow to change things that need to be addressed today. I do believe that prayer will always lead to the answer.

I also want to say thank you Frank for letting me take some time from our project. There will be a full court press on compiling your book... um right after this post.

One Day at a Time

For the past few weeks, I've been avoiding "personal posts". Since I am new to this I honestly don't know how much is "too much" and every time I sit down with my laptop all my thoughts go to this "personal" topic. The last thing that I want to do is make anyone feel uncomfortable, but I have to get this out... and since I don't talk about this at home with family & friends, nor do I want to, I will open up to you, Internet.

I'm Straight SKEERD! (That's scared for those of you not from the midwest or the south).

A few weeks ago I have had some health issues arise and right now I am left with lots of questions. I have more doctor appointments scheduled but until then my mind is more than just a little dizzy with all these unanswered questions rolling around.

On the bright side, I have made it a point to embrace each day.

My Princess

My Protector

Embrace Each Day

Due to some Oklahoma Bloggers having a night out (Thank you Dawn's Diversions for organizing it), I have been introduced to some new blogs (new to me anyway) and one that I enjoyed immediately was Having a Ball. She posted a video that seems to have already made it around the Internet and somehow slipped by me.

It seems that God has been knocking at my door (& yelling through it ) lately, trying to encourage me in ever so subtle ways to EMBRACE EACH DAY!! This video was sending the same message and I got the message and I think that I just might be able to retain it for more than 48 hours. (That has been the routine in the past... I get the message, embrace, & slow down for about 2 days then life slowly, but surely, returns to normal).


I really have so much to say on this thought but I think that Lauren said it best as we stepped outside this morning to go visit her cousin.

"Hey Mom, look at this whole pretty world!
(Getting louder)
It's Pretty!! IT'S PERFECT!
(Hands held out high)
I LOVE YOU GOD!

I love her excitement and enthusiasm. Her zest for life and for this incredible world that God has put us on encourages me each and every day.

Of course this remarkably profound statement was followed by this one as we were then driving down the street behind a bright yellow van.

"Hey Mom, look at the van in front of us. It's not orange and it's not yellow, It's HOT yellow!!"

What can I say... it works for pink.

T.G.I.M.

Thank God It's Monday!!

I am exhausted! Throughout the week, life is busy with the kids but then when the weekend hits time seems to go into hyperdrive. I always thought that I was a pretty social person... until I met Corey. Between the two of us & the plans that we both make with our families & friends we are rarely home, just the four of us. I honestly can't remember... definitely more than two weeks, maybe three.

We both enjoy catching up with friends and finding out what is going on in thier lives or just visiting and joking around with family, but I don't think that either of us hold a candle to our little super-socialite daughter. Each day begins with, "Mommy who are we going to see today?" It's not about where we go, or what we do, or the experience because to her it is ALL about the relationship.

I have to say I'm sure that this is one of those times that God is pinching me saying "See, see... she gets it". So often I get so consumed with my LISTS (I love them) and tackling projects so that I can make our lives easier, cleaner, and more organized, that I forget what life is all about!

I have to stop and remind myself, "Self, if you were going to have a conversation with God is He going to ask you did you keep a clean house? ... NO

Is He going to ask me, "Did you get your house organized & make it a HOME?"... NO

Is He going to ask me, "Is your house decorated and aesthetically pleasing?"... Unfortunately NO.

I know that He is going to ask, if I loved others, if I cared for others (and not from a distance), if I took the time to listen and be there for them, and more than likely if he is going to ask about anything at all, it will be about the individual relationships in my life and about the time that I invested in each of them. What I did, and how I could make them better.

I know deep down that God could care less about my sock drawer and whether or not it is organized, even if it does make life easier when it's time to do laundry... if organizing the drawer is taking time away from the time that I should be investing into a relationship whether it be with my kids, my husband, my family, or friends. I know that I should pick up the phone and reach out more than I do and I guess I should thank my daughter for bringing that to my attention. God definitely knows there are times when I would rather just relax and read a book. While organization, cleaning, and reading are wonderful I probably shouldn't be doing them at the expence of a realtionship. I wonder if there is really time for everything?

The Category 5 Tornado

Yeah, it is bad... very bad. The category 5 tornado has touched down in our home then rolled around and thrashed & rolled some more. Before anyone starts checking the weather channel I need to be perfectly clear that it was NOT an actual tornado. We are in the middle of rotating our house. And I say this with my eyes completely loaded with tears of sadness (not that my house is in shambles but having to use the word "rotating".

It's funny how songs, places, and even words are associated with different times in our lives. I can't hear the song "Jesse's Girl" without smiling and thinking of my awesome friends & memories that I cherish. I can't drive by a boat-filled lake without thinking of wonderful summers spent with my friends & family that were filled with laughter. And I can't hear the word "rotating" without thinking of countless hours spent in my dad's garage trying to clean the garage, but there was a catch; we had received STRICT orders to NOT throw anything away. Due to the rules attached to cleaning the garage, my brothers, sisters, & myself renamed the dreaded chore to "rotating the garage". Does anyone know how hard it is to actually clean something if you are not allowed to throw away 20 years of accumulated trash? If you can't throw things away & actually clean then the chore NEVER ends. In looking back at the other parenting methods that my dad implemented, I realize now that he probably did this on purpose. He probably had us forever cleaning a space that could never really be cleaned to keep us busy. (Yes Dad, if you are reading this be forewarned the waterline story will be blogged someday. And I love you).

Needless to say my memories of sweating like a pig while rotating the garage in the hot June -August summers isn't one of my fondest memories (Yes Dad, I can hear you laughing from HERE). So when I think of rotating my own house, I can feel chills down my spine & my eyes swell with tears. When we first moved into our house only two years ago, our kids were not old enough or capable (although they would have tried) to use the stairs so I moved them into bedrooms downstairs like any other paranoid over-protective parent would. I do realize that MANY homes only have one bedroom downstairs and all the youth bedrooms are upstairs. I also realize that all the children in those homes grew to be happy healthy adults but at the time I couldn't do it. What I found humorous is that when I stated that it was time to make the transition, it was my husband who didn't want them to move upstairs NOW. Now they are totally capable, but he was concerned. It felt really odd being the one who was positive that everything would be fine and and watch him be over-protective. Usually it's him saying "oh, the kids are in the street... it's OK honey, they are fast, they can dodge that car". And me: SUCKING ALL THE OXYGEN out of the two mile radius surrounding me as I gasp when I see anything that could potentially hurt them. (I am over-exaggerating a bit here... well about Corey anyway). I am getting better about this due to Corey, however this definitely proves to me that God does put the people you NEED in your life to become the person that He wants you to be. (No, I don't think that God wants me to constantly look for ALL the DANGERS, I do believe that He wants me to have a little more faith that He will take care of things... despite things from my past).

This is a big move... for us as parents, we have to admit that our babies are growing up and our children are ecstatic about the change; they think they are so BIG now. We have experienced a little attitude from our Evan, who is 2. All it takes is a soft whisper about his new room and he begins to strut around the house and talk about his big boy room. It does bring me joy (and laughter) when someone who is soliciting comes to the door and the kids talk their ear off about their new rooms. I have to draw the line when they want to invite them in so that they can show them. Usually the sales person is grateful for the exit at this point so they don't push for any sales.

We actually began the transition on Christmas eve. Yea we are those parents, we incorporated moving them into their big kid beds with Christmas gifts. Well for all that we put into it... it was a HUGE gift. We didn't exactly throw a mattress down and say Merry Christmas, I built & decorated and my husband drove HOURS to pick up our bargain purchases. So for the BIG DAY we moved everything around as much as possible so that at least two of the rooms were completed.

Now as for the rest of the house, well let's just say it is a work in progress. Let me tell you what the transition (I refuse to call it rotating) actually includes; we moved two bedrooms and the kids bathroom, and playroom upstairs. Then we moved a guest bedroom, bathroom, his office, scrapbook room (15 years worth of supplies), and family room (Corey's video game room) downstairs. The only rooms that remained as they were would be the kitchen, our bedroom, and our bedroom and MY OFFICE was the catch-all room. Sadly, it reminded me of what the garage used to look like, but with prettier walls of course. I couldn't even get to my laptop. However, this did provide motivation. It motivated me to work, clean & organize faster so that I could catch up with all that was happening in your lives. I have missed my blogging friends.

We have definitely made headway in most of the rooms. We still have to paint the guest room, do some work in the closets, move a few more pieces into the attic, CLEAN my office (I need more than just a path, and with each day it is all improving. Consequently, I can say I will not ever rotate my house again. It honestly felt like moving without the boxes, but I am glad that an end is in sight.

On the bright side, I will have two years worth of Tackle-It Tuesday's blogs if I break down each project & take pictures of the progress.

We Are Not Worthy

A few nights ago, the moon was so breathtaking and bright that the night sky was a beautiful blue. The roads were busy with people traveling home from work but I wasn't the only person that pulled over on the side of the road to get a picture. (I had to actually get out of the car because the vibration of the motor was causing the picture to be too blurry... and let me tell you it was... COLD, but worth it).

Later that evening my husband told me that the moon was the closest to the Earth that it has been or ever will be again during our lifetime. So needless to say, I was very pleased to have a picture to remember the moment.

At moments like this, I am so thankful to be able to enjoy all these experiences that God offers us. I feel extremely fortunate and so thankful for his amazing grace. Because let's face it...

(Doing my greatest Mike Meyers' SNL Wayne's World impersonation)...

We are not WORTHY! We are not WORTHY!

What is Moxie?

I have had a few people ask me what exactly moxie meant. So here is what dictionary.com had to say:

1. energy; pep.

2. courage, determination.

3. Know-how, expertise.

Now I MIGHT have to rethink the title of my blog. While I think that I have energy & pep; after 15 hours of entertaining my two and my three year old, I have learned that it is sheer adrenaline pumping through my veins carrying me to the next destination. Seriously, my reflexes are in better shape than ever. My children have no fear and a lot of faith that I will be there to catch them. I have learned that I can cook with my daughter and jump over a kitchen counter to catch my son from trying to do a swan dive off the back of the couch simutaneously. Kids really do teach you about many abilities that you never knew you posessed.

Courage & Determination; I'm not going to say that I love "difficult situations", but I have faith in God and His purpose and that we can learn from it and overcome any situation. L & E are young but I try to teach them with every opportunity that arises to work hard and to finish what you start. Their faith is so strong that I believe it has been them that has been teaching ME. They give me courage to overcome any obstacle so that I can be the mother that God needs me to be for them.

However know-how & expertise, I don't know about expertise these days, it feels more like a "Jane of all trades". You just do what you have to so that you can accomplish your goal. As a mom I've learned to use my resources more than ever to acquire the "know-how". I am definitely a DIY girl. I love learning how to do new things and then completing a project. Much enjoyment can be found while sitting back and seeing the fruits of your hard work.