So much to say and so little sleep!

We just returned this afternoon from a week of camp with the elementary kids. I would say that a majority of these 75 kiddos were the age of 8!!!! That is the youngest camp ever so far. But by far it was one of the funnest!!!!

The week started out with rain. For 2 days it rained. Not all the time, but enough for us to have to change our schedules. It was nice though because it wasn't so hot!!! Until Thursday and Friday. Whew! We were hot!

I'm not much of a kid "teacher" type of person but I sure love going to camp each year with the kids. They teach me so much about myself, about them, and about God. Kids...they get it. Sometimes more than we do.

The week of camp is one that is filled with so much excitement and energy. We get up at 6:30am and go to bed after midnight. I couldn't even begin to tell you what part is my favorite. I think getting to watch the kids from the different churches interact together and become friends.
Sometimes we are so limited as children on where we go to church that we don't get the opportunity to interact with other churches. It's so cool to combine the camp and see them make new friends and branch out. There is no talk of "I go here or there" they are all just happy to be together. It's sad to see them have to part ways at the end of the week.

I was so proud of Lukus this week. He has grown so much and come out of his shell. All the kids are awared with camp nicknames on Friday and Lukus got "Praying Mantus". He got this because anytime they asked for a volunteer to pray, Lukus would volunteer. He led several prayers which is really hard for some kids to do in front of their peers. I'm so proud of him and how much he has grown up.

I'm proud of all the kids. New ones and old ones. They did such a great job. I just can't say enough about it.

But I will say...I'm SOOOOO glad to be home. There's no place like home.

Conversations ABOUT Terry Rush!!

Lukus: Mom...do you know that man who stands up on the stage at church?

Mom: Um...Shane?

Lukus: No, the other guy. The preacher man.

Mom: Oh...Mr. Terry?

Lukus: Yeah...I bet he gets embarassed to go out into the public and talk to strangers about God.

Mom: We'll have have to ask him sometime. But either way, I bet he's good at it.

Lukus: Yeah...but I know he gets nervous being on stage.

Mom: Really? How do you know that?

Lukus: Because he talks REALLY fast!!!

Do you think Tulsa's GOT IT????

I think it's funny how God puts his face on things in the neatest way.

Today on they news they announced a new campaign called "I Am Tulsa" You can check it out at http://ww3.visittulsa.com/

What I find unique about this were the words "I Am".

My first thought..."Hey...they stole that from the Bible"

Second thought..."They stole that from the Mark Schultz song"

Third thought...."I wonder how long it will take someone to protest that...like they protest a cross being displayed?"

I found it so amusing that they are using the words "I AM" So whenever you drive around you will see "I AM" How much of a part of this do you think God played a roll in?

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: John 11:25

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Genesis 15:1

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Exodus 3:14

.......for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Exodus 15:...26

.......that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
Exodus 31:...13

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalms 46:10

I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psalms 81:10

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
Song-of-Solomon 2:1

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea,I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isaiah 44:6

But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name. Isaiah 51:15

And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee. Jeremiah 1:19

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 16:62

Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. Haggai 1:13

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Malachi 3:6

And I could go on and on and on!!!!

So I think in some way shape or form, Tulsa may be just pulling a publicity stunt, but I think God is using these two words more than people know.

HOW BRILLIANT HUH???

Tuesday Thoughts

I'm not very fond of Tuesday's during the summer. That's the beginning of my school week, and usually the day of exams. Today was our 3rd exam and out of a possible 100% I made a 104%. (there was obviously a bonus and I got that too) I was really excited. I dread test days because I'm a HORRIBLE test taker. I'm getting better but I have that awful habit of changing my first answer and then I get it wrong. I should always listen to my gut on these things. The good news now is that I have 1 lab test left and I don't have to take the final because I already have an A! Yay!

Next week we will leave to go to Frontier City and White Water Bay. We haven't told the kids yet because we want to surprise them. With Ian's anxiety, it's very difficult to go to a big amusement park so we like to keep it simple and make the drives short. I think we will have a great time.

Chad has been working out of town for the past two days. I'm use to him comng home in the afternoon and just being around. Don't know what I'd do if he had a normal
8-5 job everyday.
It got me thinking. When we had been married 9 years, we decided to go through a very special ceremony of renewing our vows. We had been through a lot in those years and decided we needed to recommit to one another. It was a very special occassion.
This was also the first time I ever sang outloud in front of anyone. Even Chad. So I decided to surprise him. (Not the best time to try this)But I decided it was now or never. I was EXTREMELY nervous. I think there were a little over 100 people who decided to participate in it with us. No family or anything, just a group of wonderful friends. It was one of the most touching moments of our life.
So we had 2 special songs during it. One Chad knew about...and the other he didn't.
Here is what I sang to him:

And here is what we call "Our Song" I'm not too fond of the video...but love the song.

Never Alone.....

OrdinaryMiracles

I guess if I don't have anything to say, I'll share some of my favorite songs.

Confidence or not!

I was called into work today for about 7 hours. I wasn't looking forward to it, but the paycheck is always nice. I try to find the value of me working extra days. I feel God puts me there for some reason.

Today I had a young patient with CP. She couldn't communicate but I was told she loved little mermaid. She was sad, scared, and didn't seem like anything could help her deal with her fear and sadness.

So I closed the curtain and sat down with her and started to sing:
"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat, wouldn't you think my collection's complete...." and her eyes lit up. I couldn't just leave it at that, I had to finish the song. I sang through the entire song and when I was finished, I had an audience behind the curtain listening in. I found great meaning in the words of this song and I think she does too.

It was a precious moment for this young one and I look forward to her going home but if I see her again this week, I'll be excited to sing Disney to her anytime.

I met with my new vocal coach yesterday. He asked me:
"What do you want to do with your talent?"
I said "I don't know....I'm not sure I'm really good enough to do anything with it"

Today, I think I found out what I can do with that!

Life Plans

The title of my blog is "On A Mission"
I wonder what that means for me at times. I am a planner and have so many plans in my head for the future. Not just the distant future, but even what I will do today or tomorrow. I'm always one step ahead of what I''m trying to do in life. So I wonder, what is my mission.

In my plans I have 3 things...a personal lifeplan, a professional lifeplan, and a spiritual lifeplan. I made these 5 years ago in hopes for a better future.

Today, the professional life plan is going great. I'm right on track. Although, I thought I would have been finished by now. I guess somethings have to work in God's timing and not mine.

The personal life plan has gotten better. I wanted a better sense of self acceptance, be able to accept the love and compliments others gave me, do things that I wouldn't normally do to get out of my comfort zone, and continue to build a strong marriage. I haven't perfected it all yet, but I'm still on the right track.

The spiritual life plan well....that one didn't work out like I planned. I never thought I'd give up going to church on Sunday. It's really weird. I was most passionate about this lifeplan more than anything. I felt if I got this one on track, the other two would fall into place.
Saturday marked the 1 year anniversary at work. I've missed all but 4 Sunday's at church in a year. The longer I work, the easier it gets. But I have those times of breakdown where I just really need to be at church and not at work.
I've learned alot about myself in the past year. I have been taken out of my spiritual comfort zone NUMEROUS times and Satan has waged a war against me. He has really tried his hardest to bring me down. There are days I feel like he is winning, but God always brings someone, somewhere, somehow to bring me out of it.
That's just truly God. At times I want to give up and just throw in the towel, but God pulls me through. I miss the things that I love to do so passionately at church, but they will come again. So maybe this plan worked out just like it was supposed to. Not according to my plan at all, but His!

So my mission....well...I guess that still remains to be seen. I know how I want to be remembered. As a strong woman, with love and power, who rest securely in the arms of God, who stands strong from His strength...not my own. There are other things I could be known for in life...but this one trumps them all.

Tomorrow, July 8th we celebrate Ian's 12th birthday.

I'm so excited to be able to celebrate this special day with him.
12 years ago we didn't know what the outcome for Ian would ever be, and now he's growing up to be such a sweet young man. He continues to have struggles, but he has come so far.

I thank God for him daily and tell him how much he means to me. I could never imagne a life without him and that is all by God's design. I'm very thankful that He trusted me enough to be his mom.

This year we will ebrace new challanges that come up everyday. We will hold onto them, hold onto him, and hold onto God as we all walk through them together.

I am truly blessed as a mother. I wouldn't have it any other way.

4th, Fireworks, Irresponsible!!!

We had a great 4th of July. We started off our day by going to Big Splash. I highly reccommend starting there early in the day. It was so nice in the morning and by the time we left, the park was packed. We had such a good time playing with the kids and they were so good and had a blast. It was nice to see some fellow church-goers hanging out at the park as well.

We rested a bit before going out to my brothers house in Claremore. We always have a fun time playing in the field, fishing, driving go-carts, swimming and of course, eating. The highlight of the evening is when we shoot off our own fireworks. Yes, we always do something very stupid like walking right up to them when they are going off. Or how about the ones that are supposed to go up in the air, and explode right in front of everyone. Yes...the BIG ones! Or how about my brother throwing a black cat behind someone as they are trying trying to light the fireworks and then watching them fall over a bucket. If we only had a video camera at that moment we could have won on America's Funniest Videos.
I love the laughs my family provides. We always have a great time together...despite how different we all are from eachother.

The painful part is waking up early for a class that is 30 minutes away only to find out when I get there....it was cancelled. Ugh. That's frustrating. I'm just glad I don't have to really think about anything until next Tuesday.

I'm pretty smart!

Today was test #2 in class. (There are only 4 total)
I'm still holding my own....WITH AN A!!!! YAY!!!!

This one was much more difficult than the first one, but I pulled through. I'm refusing to settle for anything less at this point.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS....

When do you know you are really hearing God?
This is where trust and faith have to really come in.

This past week has really weighed heavily on me for many reasons. I've been so excited for this week to get here. A much needed vacation to Nashville this week has me so excited. A time to reconnect with friends, to learn some new things, and meet new people. And really, just a week of fun. One I've been looking forward to for a long time.

One that is now not going to happen.

This is where God comes in. Everything on the Nashville side as worked out. I have my plane tickets and I'm ready to go. But things on this side haven't worked out and I've had to make the decision this morning that I am not going to make it this time.

I've spent so much time in prayer over this and as my friend Theresa told me...."Pray and then flip a coin". Well...I thought that idea was just silly and laughed. Hummm...yeah...I did it...and again, God won. Even the coin told me not to go.

I could list all the reasons to not go on here and you would probably agree...I shouldn't go. Even my friends in Tennessee said it sounds like I should stay here. So that is my decision.

Every part of my selfish being wants to go, but I know where my heart needs to be and that is here. My plane tickets are good for anywhere in the U.S. for the next 90 days and I also have next weekend off.
Pros for me staying:
I get more time with the kids that have missed me from long hours at work this week.
I won't go and blow all my money.
I won't have to take a full essay make up exam.
I get to spend 4th of July with my family.
I get this weekend off.
I get to GO TO CHURCH!!!
I get to celebrate Ian's birthday with him.
I get to relax about making this decision.
I get the total comfort knowing that I made this decision based on God's plan, and not my own selfish needs. And I'm okay with it. I actually feel very at ease right now.

Random Facts

Theresa Tagged me! This will be the second time in my life. I feel honored!

Here are the rules:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.


And so... random facts...

1.)I'm terrified of fish and things that swim in the water. If I see a lake on the news, I burst out into tears. Really, I'm that afraid and I don't know why. So don't ever invite me to the lake for the weekend.

2.) Being recognized in public or complimented embarrasses me. I like to be praised privately.

3.) I love musicals. More than that, I love to memorize musicals. More than that, I love to sing musicals.

4.) I have very few enemies. (that I know of) I have some very genuine friends.

5.) In my spare time, I love to dance like nobody's watching.

6.) The silver surfer in Fantastic Four scared me.

7.) I loved being 17!!!! Life was good!

8.) I can't sleep past 7:00am. Even if I try really hard...it's just not happening.

So, I tag: Chad, Chris, Shane, and Leslie Ruth. Don't let me down!

Semi's, Rain, and I44

Today I was coming home on I44 when a semi decided to run me off the road. Fortunatley, the median at that point was grass. We hadn't gotten to the concrete barriers yet. I was fine as well as my car. (and yes..I was worried about my car)

I didn't get as mad as I normally do, but I was upset. I continued to drive with this trucker within my sight. I sat there in the quiet of my car for a few miles and just thanked God that I was okay.

I decided to exit at a different exit today and when it was my turn to go, another car slid into the intersection. Fortunatley, I heard the screeching of the tires before I went.

I have the dreams of rolling the car, being hit, being involved in shootings, or something tragic happening. One of the doctors at work told me that these visions are completely normal for where I work, what I do, and what I see.

I guess it's a good thing because it has made me a more cautious person over the past year.

no jinxing me now.....

I made a comment a few weeks ago that I don't like asking for prayers because I'm afraid it will jinx things. When I normally ask for something certain, usually the next day, things go all wrong. In my heart I know this is not how things really are, it's just me being hurt on the inside.

I asked for prayers for Ian and well....they have worked. Unbelieveably worked!!!

3 weeks ago I fought so hard against having to put Ian on antipsychotic medication. This is not a move I wanted to make. But they are truly working. Ian is becoming a child that is much easier to live with. He has started to eat, he now sleeps, and I am able to carry on a highly normal conversation with him without all the drama. I get a lot more hugs, and he wants to spend time with me.

I still see the occassional 'I'm bored' or a little whining, but think that's a bit normal for a kid in the summertime who just wants to be on the go all the time.

I stil haven't made a decision for school next year. We're still waiting on the United Way to make a decision. Until then we wait and paise God for all that He has done. I feel it's enough, but I want to ask for more, but afraid to. I feel like I shouldn't because He's already done so much.

Silly Girls....

Does this remind you of anything?

WHOOO HOOOO!!!!

After yesterday I really needed something to pick me up. I didn't sleep at all last night as the pain in my foot was pretty bad. I had a test this morning. My first big test of the summer. And for anyone that knows me...I don't like test!

However, this one, I not only passed it....I hit it out of the ballpark!!!
I made 108%!!! I answered every question correct plus the bonus questions. I couldn't believe it. After everything that happened yesterday, I was just sure I wouldn't do that well on the test. Little did I know that God had planted all that information in my head. It really made me feel great today!

If it could happen....

It's going to happen to me. Believe me, I have the worse luck of all the people I know. (except for Job) So today I'm having a pretty good day. Things are going well, I'm studying for a test I have in the morning when all of the sudden, I walk across the carpet and a FISH HOOK decides to reach up and grab my toe. Yes, a fish hook. Now...you might ask "What is a fish hook doing in your carpet" and my answer would be...I HAVE 3 KIDS! Nuff said.
So we took a trip to the ER to have it removed. Now...there is nothing worse than being in an ER where you work. The paybacks you get for all the things you've done to others comes back to haunt you. It was NOT a fun time and let me say...it EXTREMELY hurt when they got it out. I will spare you the details of how it came out, but just think of how to get a hook out of a fish. It's the same way with a toe. Did I yell....yes!!!
So now, other than being overly emotional from just everything that has taken place, I'm okay. I'm sad that I can't swim or take a bath for a couple of weeks. And all my frinds know how much I love the bath tub!
I took before an after shots. The after shots are kind of gross so I won't post those, but you can see the hook in this one. All I need now....probably just a good hug.

Still Blown away!

And so it continues....the semi finals!

Blown Away

Some things just blow me away!!!

Faults

I don't like to admit my faults. Especially to those that I look up to.

Last night at small group I admitted something I had done and was ashamed of. May have seemed minor to some, but was a huge slip up in my book. Definately a missed opportunity with my husband. It was even harder to admit that I am human and sometimes screw up. Nobody wants to be viewed was a screw up.
I have yet to have the courage to remedy the situation but pray that God will give me strength to humble myself before Him and show that I truly am the woman of God that I long to be.
It is in me...it is there. Just have to find the strength to bring that part of me out.

Staying connected

I often find myself trying to find ways to stay connected to church. It's pretty easy to not be connected when you don't go on Sunday's. I search for opportunities that will fit my HECTIC schedule. Between, work, school, kids, how can I possibly find time for just one more thing to do.
Today I was excited by Heather's enthusiasm when I asked if I could be put on a list where I can send visitors cards. I see their names in the bulletin and I felt so loved when I received cards as a visitor as well as new member. I remember it like it was yesterday...especially Terry's card. That one was fun. Even though he probably sent those out to ALL visitors that week, I felt extra special.
So, I find it funny to send cards to visitors that may never meet me due to my schedule, but it's a way to keep me connected and how cool will it be when I get to come back and one day...put a name with the faces. I'm really so excited about doing this.

Re: Chad's Blog

Okay...I thought it was really funny that Chad blogged about his Granny. Not so much that it was funny...but that he called her "Granny What"!

I must admit...this is a name I gave her in 1995 when we were married about a year.

Her name is actually Arlene Paessler.

She was always "Granny" but in 1995, she came to visit us for about 2 weeks. There were many moments that were a highlights but one stands out the most.

We had just moved in the first house we had ever owned. It was small and cute and needed some cosmetic work. Chad's mom is a go getter in this area. She just keeps on going and works, works, works. So we decided to decorate my kitchen. We didn't have a stereo at the time so it was hard to listen to music. We had received the video "Grease" for Chad's birthday so we put that in and watched it about 100 times during her visit. Granny What LOVED the music. So most of the time, we turned it on and started working in the kitchen. Jan and I would work, and Granny...bless her heart....would sit and watch Grease all the times we needed to hear it to keep ourselves working. EVERYDAY....ALL DAY LONG! It never got old.

Many times I would call into the living room to her and all I would hear her say is
"WHAT?" again...I would say something to her and she again would say "WHAT" in her own little cute voice. For two weeks I always heard her say "WHAT" so then she was named "Granny What" She loves her new name and always laugh when we call....because she knows....it's the kids from Tulsa. Nobody else in the family calls her Granny What but us and we love it. She loves it.

Granny What's visits are over here. She won't ever be able to come back to Oklahoma but we will never forget all the good times we had with her. She's truly a gem to love on.

Thursday's Field Trip

Yesterday was quite interesting.

I took the kids out to the SPCA to look at the animals. They liked this so much more than the animal shelter because they allowed them to play with the animals. They were so cute and the kids just loved them.

On our way home we were passing Rose Hill Cemetery. Lukus looks out the window and says:
"Hey mom....LOOK! They have a rock climbing wall over there in the cemetery"

I thought I was going to wreck the car from laughing so hard. What he was looking at was the outdoor mausoleum. So I decided to turn quickly and show him what it really was.
The kids were startled at the fact that I would drive through a cemetery for them. they began by talking about ghost and spirits. Again...quite funny. Here are some of the things they said during this drive.

Lukus: "I bet they come out at night and climb one the rock wall and see who can get to the top first"

Emilie: "Look..there's a grave with a broken heart...somebody was sad"

Ian: "That one has fresh dirt, that one must have just crawled back in last night"

Lukus: "Look that says HUGHES...we must know them"

Ian: "This is where all the spirits and ghost live and they come out at night"

ME: "What about God's spirit?"

Emilie: "Oh...Jesus comes out and plays with them too"

Lukus: "No..Jesus is with them all the time. His spirit is walking through here all the time. Even right now. Can't you see it Emilie?"

Emilie: "No...where?"

Lukus: "Right there...I can see him. His picture is drawn on that grave..so he's over there"

This certainly led for intersting conversation the rest of the day. Wonder what trip we will take today! Stay Tuned!

Something I'm good at...

I've always been good at making friends in my life. I laughed recently when explaining that I'm even friends with all my ex-boyfriends. I don't like to burn bridges or make people upset. If I do, I'm quick to resolve the problem. I'm better at doing that with my friendships, but not so much with my my family. It's a weird twist huh?

Today in my devotional I was excited to see how it talks about friendships.
Triple-A friendships to be more specific making sure to focus on Appreciation, Attention, and Affection.

In short it says:
Appreciation
Watch for the things you can appreciate in a specific person today.
Focus on the positives. Be willing to express appreciation where you can.
Attention
Be willing to slow down long enough today to give some focused
attention to someone in your top three relationships. Stop to really listen
when they are talking to you. Make the effort to look into their eyes when
you are speaking with them or listening to them. Book a time with
them to go for coffee or do something you keep meaning to do together. Be
intentional about your awareness and consideration of the other person.
Affection
Give affection to these most important people in your life. Don't be
stingy with hugs or pats. Speak with tenderness and kindness in your
voice rather than the hurried irritation that creeps into "too busy" lives.
Say "I love you" to those dearest to you often.

Hopefully you will bless the friends you have today and use the triple A effect to gain or mend a few others.
You can see the entire devotional at www.christianwomentoday.com

That time again.....

School started back up this week. My professor rides in everyday on his Harley. It's a site to be seen. But so far, so good. I'm really enjoying the class.

I didn't think the kids would enjoy having to get up at 7:00am everyday during the summer but they have been doing pretty well. I like getting up in the morning. My favorite thing is to sit outside and watch the sunrise. That's the highlight of my day. Yes....even the orange ones!

Today I took the kids on a little field trip. We were on our way to Mohawk Park where they love to play and they saw a sign for the city animal shelter. The kids saw it and asked if we could go. So I thought...why not. I told them ahead of time that in no way are we getting another dog right now, but we will go for the experience.
It was really interesting to see their reactions to some of the dogs. Lukus was particulary sad by the whole ordeal. He said:
"Mom...I can't stand to see them locked up like this. Some of them are crying and it makes me want to cry too"

It's amazing how their little minds work. Some of the dogs had just had puppies TODAY and that sparked some interesting questions.

The animal shelter doesn't allow you to take the dogs out and run with them for a bit but the SPCA does. So we may go and visit them tomorrow so the kids can see that at some places, animals do get to go out and play.

After that we made our way to the splash park and had a great time. The kids are such explorers of nature. They wanted to explore the creek more than play in any of the toys or get wet.

Cry Out

I have noticed I've tried to get a lot of "noise" out of my life lately. I sit in the house and just stare out the window. No TV, no music, just quiet. It's amazing what you can hear God tell you when you are silent and still. Today I have sat here all morning as the kids have slept and a song came into my head. One I haven't sang in ages. It speaks volumes to me as I cry out for His love to free me.
God has allowed me so many times to be weak and rely on his strength.

Theresa reminded me today that it's hard to feel free when I am still being wounded and it's hard to heal when that doesn't stop. Thank you my friend.

I guess it's okay to hurt, to cry, to be wounded. Just as long as I know where to come back to after a good cry.
I wish I would have thought of this song last night to sing, but for today...it's been very healing.

I cry out
For Your hand of mercy to heal me
I am weak
I need Your love to free me

Oh Lord, my rock
My strength in weakness,
Come rescue me, oh Lord

You are my hope,
Your promise never fails me
And my desire
Is to follow You forever.

For You are good
For You are good
For You are good to me.

The Graduate

Some things in life just don't even need explaining....

He got his GAME on!!!!

Today was the CD release party at the Circle Cinema. The girls were just screaming over him! The lady in the video is the one who made this possible and the guy introducing him is from Mikey B. from 106.9 K-Hits.

He's Got his Game on!

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Cause for trouble.....

These 3 grins alone are a cause for huge laughter and trouble. Especially when you sing on team together and sing songs that include funny words!!!!
I almost would venture to say this is a worship ministers call for migraine medicine.
3 of us on a couch = nothing getting accomplished = having a WHOLE LOTTA FUN!!!!

Thank You God!

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8

Oh Thank you God for giving me challanges but not crushing me. I will not despair. Thank you for not abandoning me but piercing my heart. I am strong, but you allow me to fall without destroying me. Please let those who see me, see Jesus in me.

Ice Cream!!!

After praising God...Theresa and I love to go out and "Trade our sorrows" with ice cream! It works everytime!

Laughter

Laughing is one of the greatest sounds in the world.

I hope you laugh a lot. There are days that I don't get enough of it.
So check back often....and you might read some funnies!!!

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mic, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mic cord as he went. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again.
After several circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered,"If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

Praise be to God and may He bless your day with laughter!

Shining Stars!

Do you ever sit out at night and just look at the sky? Are you ever amazed at how many stars are in the sky? I love the sky. Unfortunately, where we live, there's lots of noise and lights so it's hard to see the sky. But I love to go out when the kids are in bed and lay on the trampoline and just look up at the sky.

I dream about the stars that are up there and it's such a great time of reflection.

It's a little weird how I dream, but I use that time to think of all the stars that are filling my sky each day.
My family: How they are so near and dear to me.
My friends: What they mean to me, how they care for me, pray for me, support me, love me, miss me. What would I do without my friends.
My Co-workers: He each day they shine a light into my heart and into my future.
My patients: How their faith keeps them going to fight the good fight and no matter the outcome, accept the victory they have won.

I sometimes fail to tell people how much they mean to me. Sometimes take it forgranted. I have some very bright stars that shine in a great big sky.

Are your stars shining today? Have you told them how much you love them?
Don't pass up on opportunities to tell others that you love them because your upset, or angry, or it's just uncomfortable. These days are precious and numbered. Don't let it pass you by without reaching out to the stars in your sky!

I stand amazed

I'm not one of those with a wealth of bible knowledge. I'm one of those who knows enough to do good and right by God. I'm not one to pick up the bible and just start studying. I need structure. So I was searching some sites tonight and saw that 3rd John is the smallest book in the bible. So I sat down to read and find out why there are only 294 words in this whole thing:
1The elder,
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 6They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.
9I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. 10So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
11Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.
13I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

Are you kidding me? This speaks volumes to me. Every sentence speaks to me:
I have brothers and sisters who are helping me to walk in the truth and reminding me of my strength.
This reminds me so much of what it is I have to be doing OUTSIDE the church and how I represent God. It reminds me that nothing is about me and it's all about Him. What my struggles are here on earth, are where I can find my riches in Heaven.

I'm so excited about this tonight. Praise be to God!

He made me cry!

All I can say is Ian made me cry today when he sang this at the school talent show!

Talent Show

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Someone did a really good job putting a video together for this song. It was really wrote for the troops but I think this video was cool.

Talent Show vs Variety Show

Are kids talent shows really talent shows or Variety Shows?

I am quiet excited that all 3 of my kids this year made the talent show. Ian squeezed in at the last moment, but let me say..that kids just blows me away in singing. I wish at age 11 I could sing like him.

Lukus will be doing the "Cupid Dance" with about 12 boys from his class
Emilie will be singing with a trio "You are my sunshine"

Most of the kids do more of a "variety" act rather than true talent. There are 45 and yes...I said 45 acts in this show on Friday and I pray it goes quickly. Some of them get up and tell a joke or two so they are pretty quick. But I love to see that kids any age are not afraid to put themselves in front of the school. I still have yet to conquer that fear totally. I'm getting better but still am not fearless like my children.

So I will make sure to take PLENTY of video that I can post so nobody misses it.

Do you ever feel like giving up? How do you cope with that?
There are many things I do...and I do wrong dealing with the guilt of disappointment. But when that disappointment is gone...I begin to get scared. My feelings of love and happiness turn to numbness and the attitude of "I don't care".

It seems like quitting on something is the much easier way out. My parents raised me to be a very independent woman. One that doesn't have to rely on anyone else for anything at all. I'm not sure that was a good move. I've been raising my kids like that I'm at the point of figuring out that it's not the best way. But then again...is there really a best way? Probably not.

I have the personality of a commander yet one that is sill able to laugh and have fun with the rest of society. On the homefront, it's not the same way. I play the role of many different faces here at home and it gets tiring. I understand my personality very well, and really...I like it. I like who I am. But when things go wrong, I doubt my self confidence and question who I am as a person.

God didn't make me to be the shy and quiet type, but rather, a go getter, a leader and a follower, a person that others look to when they need things done. God gave me a voice so that one day, I will take it out into the world and do something spectacular with it. I haven't found the cause yet, but it's out there.

I will probably do things in the future to disappoint myself, disappoint others, and disappoint God, but I'm working on making everything right in the eyes of Him, instead of the eyes of others. Again, it won't be perfect, but worth it in the end.

Mother's Day

I'm always amazed at what gifts I receive on Mother's day each year.

My absolute favorites are the things that are made by my kids. Especially the things they bring home from school that they work so hard on.

This year, Lukus made me a bowl in art class. He crafted the clay with his hands and it has his figerprints all over it. I couldn't be more happy.

Emilie wrote me a book. The teacher was a bit concerned because when she asked the kids to pick out the cover with their moms favorite color, Emilie choose black.
The teacher stopped me in the hall on Friday and asked me...and I confirmed, it is black.

Ian didn't make anything, but he didn't need too...the best gift he gave me was being wonderful in school all week! YAY!!!

Working on mother's day or any holiday isn't as bad as it seems. We just go on and it seems like another day. Besides you can celebrate mother's day...everyday.
Yesterday was an extremely hard day at work, emotionally and physically. Normally I work with 8 patients, and I had the entire floor yesterday. It was a bit overwhelming. Things were not going as planned. Well...not by our human plans...God had something different going on yesterday.
So I was in a patients room and several of the nurses come and call me out. I keep telling them I'm busy and I'll be there in a moment and they are rushing around..telling me it can't wait..I need to come now. My patient was stable so I dropped what I was doing and started to run out.
When I got out, my kids and Chad were standing there with flowers, balloons, and a gift.
It was so worth coming out of that room to see what was waiting for me. I needed those hugs and that love that could come from noone else but my family right then.

That's the kind of stuff that makes Mother's Day worth while!!!!

A day to celebrate

Ian had a really good week so we went to celebrate!!

What kids do!!!

Kids are just funny. I took apart an old desk and the drawers were still sitting in the garage. The kids decided to put them on their skateboards and well...you can see what they are doing. I guess when you won't buy more toys, they will start to make their own.

The Switch....

Today I was watching the E!True Hollywood story on Katie Couric. I was amazed and inpsired by her story of being a cancer survivor.
One clip had a relative saying:
"I never heard Katie say 'why me' or 'what did I do to deserve this'" But what she did do is became an advocate for the cancer society and urged people to go get checked. So many lives were save because of this.

I started thinking about our situation at home. I wish I could be one of those people of inspiration that you could say "Brenda never said....why me!" But in fact, I have said that. I have wondered what I did to deserve it and if it were also some cruel joke.

But I wonder where the "SWITCH" takes place. That switch where you go from being down and out, to I'm going to conquer this...and help others too.

I've realized so much this week.
I've taken time every day to go and eat lunch with Ian at school. It's certainly not about the food, but I think during our 30 minutes together, he feels that he has someone to talk to and has a way to get his feelings out and regroup for the rest of the day. He has had some really good days since I've been out of school so I will make sure that I have lunch with him until school is out this year. He deserves that from me. He has great insight into the things he loves and he just needs someone to sit and listen to him. Who better than his mom!!!

I had a great time watching Lukus and Emilie at SSBkids yesterday. (www.ssbkids.com) Their skills are really progressing and they are advancing faster than I thought they would. It's amazing what they have accomplished in 8 weeks! Lukus obviously has more talent in tumbling then I anticipated. He desires to be on a competivite team. I'm not sure he's at the right age for that. Chad was able to go with us and the kids loved him being there.

So back to my original thought here....where does the switch take place? That switch where you go from anger and denial...to acceptance and happiness?

I think I'm 3/4 of the way there now. I've really enjoyed my time with Ian over the past week and a half and I've seen some very postiive growth in him. I think he may resent me right now for going back to school. So when it starts up again in a few weeks, I'm really going to have to work hard to make sure he still feels the love and attention he is getting right now. They dynamic is so odd. I never really noticed how much my time in school is affecting him. So now I have a new set of task to work on. And I think they will work. I'm excited about it.

One Flaw in Women

Celebrating Mothers Of Special Needs Children


One Flaw in Women
By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
"Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold four children at one time,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart
-and she will do everything with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements.
"Only two hands!? No way! And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."

But I won't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
"But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft," the Lord agreed,
"but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."
"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate."
The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy,
her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love,
her loneliness, her grief and her pride."
The angel was impressed.
"You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing."
And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness,
love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.
However, If There Is One Flaw In Women,
It Is That They Forget Their Worth.

THURSDAY'S A COMIN!

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED for Thursday to get here. I can't wait for the MWS concert! Below is just one of my favorite songs!!!

National Nurses Week

May 6th thru 12th is National Nurses Week

If you know a nurse....show your apprecitaion for all they do. It's truly a rewarding yet demanding job.

Odd??

What two things do you like together that seem odd?

I get teased in the house because.....

I like eggs...sunny side up...and Dr. Pepper. I'm not sure it's a weird combination.

WHEW!!!

2 FINALS DOWN......

2 TO GO!!!!

If you have the time....

http://www.autismspeaks.com/sponsoredevents/autism_every_day.php

Please go to this website and watch the video on Autism Every Day. The link is at the bottom of the page and it last 13 minutes. Here is a 30 second Intro clip.

Please support Autism Awareness and be supportive of familes around you who are living these lives every day.

If you have the chance to watch it...let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you.

Song I love for the week!

Grace by MWS

I was lost when ya found me here
You pulled me close and held me near
And I'm a fool but still you love
I'll be your fool for the king of love

He gave me wings so I could fly
And gave me a song to color the sky
And all I have is all from you
And all I want is all of you

It's grace, grace
I'm nothing without you
Grace, your grace
Shines on me

And there've been days when I've walked away
Too much to carry
Nothing left to say
Forgive me Lord when I'm weak and lost
You traded heaven for a wooden cross

And all these years you've carried me
You've been my eyes when I could not see
And beauty grows in the driving rain
Your ode of gladness in the times of pain

It's grace, your grace
I'm nothing without you
Grace, your grace
Your grace, your grace
I'm nothing without you
Grace, your grace
Shines on me

Anniversary and Crosses

You know how much I love crosses! No matter what the shape or size, I can't help but think of Jesus everytime I see a cross! On our anniversary this year, Chad and I went to the Purple Glaze on brookside to make our own mosaic crosses. It took about 3 hours and we really had a great time together. When we went in, we thought we were going to have a nice quiet peaceful evening together...we were the only ones there. Then a group of little girls from a birthday party came in and well....that was that. We still had a good time. I think it was God's way of letting us know we'll always be around kids. ;o) Here's some pics from the evening.

Lots to say....

I will probably blog many times today as I have many thoughts in my head.
First I'll start with this one.

Wednesday my cousin Sarah had her second baby. Kaden! He is absolutely handsome!



This is my mom!

Could you live in my world?

This has been a rather rough week with Ian. It's been extra hard on us.
The hardest thing is when others don't want or care to work with him. They are not willing to give him a chance.

One of the hardest things is when it feels like it is pulling our family apart. We can't do things together. Normally, Chad will have to leave somewhere with Ian and go back home so that the other kids can have a normal everyday life.

It's also hard when I see other adults being mean to him. Today that happened right in front of me and I said something to this person. I held my composure but it was just easier to punish Ian, rather than the adult. It was easier just to send him away and say it was okay for someone to talk to my child that way.
IT'S NOT OKAY! A place where he should feel safety and comfort, is a place he hates to be. A place where he could go in times of struggles, has become a place where he is not accepted by adults and kids alike. We can move, we can run, or we can just hide up in our house. The fact is, we are living this life with him everyday when society is tellings us that he is not acceptable. Anywhere!

I get tired and grow weary. I need time to cry. I need time to be mad. I need your love. I need your hugs. Just don't be surprised if all those emotions come all at once. I long to be happy. I long not to blame. I long for the challanges to go away. I long for acceptance...for us and for him. It's just one of those days that I need to feel held by God.


GOD MADE ME FOR YOU

Just because I'm not all there,
Please don't think it isn't fair,
God Made Me For You.

You may think now you've been left out,
I'll bring you joy there will be no doubt,
God Made Me For You.

I'll be the apple of your eye,
Tho now and then I'll make you cry,
God Made Me For You.

I'll be some trouble there'll be no doubt,
But God told me you'd work it out,
God Made Me For You.

Even tho I'ts not the way you hoped it would be,
God said you'd take good care of me,
God Made Me For You.......

Me and Birds....funny story!

WE JUST DON'T GET ALONG!!!

I can tell you that many times in my life, I have been attacked by birds. So now, I have the terrible fear of them.

At school we have these geese that love to come and just make their home on the campus and in the ponds. That's great...except when you are trying to drive down the road and they are walking across.

So today, I'm leaving school and of course, here are a couple of geese blocking the road. BOTH WAYS! I honk, I edge up to it, but it won't move. So I thought I would get out of my car and try to shoo it away!!!

Before I could get about 3 steps out of the car, it starts coming at me hissing!!!
It's going to bite me!

I jump back in the car....as I'm screaming....and it starts pecking at my car. It won't go away. The other one finally moves and I am able to get away quickly!

Tip of the day: I'm not sure I have one...I've been traumatized!

When Darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

Oi!

The time has come....we must make a decision.

Ian was denied all the schools we applied for this year. I can't see him going to our home school (Whitney) without him being eaten alive.

So today we called to put our house up on the market. It's not what we want to do, but I'm not sure what else to do. I want him to go to Town and Country, but we can't afford the tuition...but we could afford to move. When we do, we want it to be final.

Now I pray that we are able to make all the necessary improvements to the house, quickly!!! Poor Chad...God didn't make him to be a handy man. He tries hard, but it's just not in his blood.

This may also help me decide on when to enter the nursing program. I may go ahead and wait a semester...but that's not really what I want to do.

So we need to:
Finish our house...quick
Put ours on the market....quick
Pray it sells....quick
Find another....quick
And make a decision about school....don't have to be so quick at that.

I delighted in the fact that the thought of all of this is not overwheming to me. I will just have to pick up and move on. The only part that I find overwhelming is if he has to go to Whitney. Then....I may have to quit all together and homeschool. I can't put him through another bad year...or bad school. I just can't watch him go through anymore.

Crashed!

Yesterday, I bought the new version of 2007 Microsoft Home. I've been waiting several months for this to come out as I really needed an upgrade. Many times I went to the store and they still convinced me to wait for the newest thing. So I did.
I was so excited to get home and get everything loaded onto my computer. I was frustrated as it took a little longer than I expected.

I have a test today, and I desperately needed that up and running so I could get my things together. After what seemed like 5 hours (was really about 30 minutes) it was finished. Yay!

I took a break and spent some time with the kids and came back to it later when I had some peacful time to sit and write. I had many pages that I needed to complete before today. But I wasn't worried. I was on top of my game.
However, my computer wasn't.

I sat down to look at the new 2007 Microsoft Word and thought "Wow...it's got some new features...Pretty Cool" but I didn't take the time to play. I had to sit down an start writing.

About 5 pages into this.....my computer decided to have a mind of its own...and it shut down. NOTHING WAS SAVED!!! It is now 9:30 at night and I am literally in tears. I was so frustraed I seriously wanted to cuss! But all I could do is cry.
Well...knowing that wasn't going to get me anywhere, I just picked up and started over.

Chad...being the awesome husband that he is....finally comes and dictates everything to me so I don't have to take my eyes off the screen. He knows doing it that way, I can get it done much faster. A few hours later, I am finished. It's not originally what I wanted it to be, but it's what I needed.

I STILL have not figured out how to work this new software and I will be looking for a "Word For Dummies" book to get through it.

Me...and self confidence

I decided today that my study needed to be over self-confidence. I did my typical scan through my study bible and this is the first thing that came up.

Job 4:5-7
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;
it strikes you, and you are dismayed.
6 Should not your piety be your confidence
and your blameless ways your hope?
7 "Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?
Where were the upright ever destroyed?

I'm not one that has a very high self confidence. I question a lot of what I do and when it is good, I'm not convinced it is good enough. Is that okay?? No.

I have lived a very long time judging my life based on the opinions of others. Believeing what others had to say about me. I became okay with it. Others became okay with it. That's what I grew to become.

I try very hard to not belittle myself to others. Lately, it's come out more than I would like it to. Guess you can say it's me just being me. But it's not really who I want to be.

When I do things, I need to be doing them for the Lord. Everything I eat, drink, the way I live, the way I raise our kids, the way I walk and the way I talk, needs to be for the Lord. If it is for anything else, then I have failed the one that believes in me the most.
Proverbs 3:25-27
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is in your power to act.

If you have something good to share with others, why hold back? Why be timid? Why be shy? What do we have to lose? Not really anything. What do we have to gain by doing good for the Lord? EVERYTHING!

By doing what I've always done in the past, I'm able to convince people that I'm not good enough. Maybe I don't want to seem arrogant. But I'm going about it all wrong.

I want to praise in the good things of my life with others. I want to live in the moment and enjoy it with others. If I screw up...who cares!!! AS long as what I am doing is to glorify God....there is nobody else that matters.

In Case you missed it!

Here's the story....you just can't see the video.


8 On Your Side: Chain Letter Alert
Thursday April 05, 2007 12:12pm Reporter: Cindy Morrison Posted By: Kevin King

Tulsa - Thieves have found a new way to take your money. And, it could be sitting in your mail box right now. It's a new twist on the old chain letter. It promises you'll be rich if you just keep the letter going. 8 On Your Side investigator Cindy Morrison explains how it works.

The letter shows up on a regular envelope and claims you can make hundreds of thousands of dollars by following the instructions to the 'T'. But, one of the requests has our viewers worried about their personal information.

Brenda Hughes was targeted twice with the chain letter.

"I just thought it was strange that it was sent to me by someone I did not know," she says.

They all start out the same, claiming to be sent by a retired attorney who stumbled onto this easy way to make money -- just send out a dollar to the names on the list. Then, put your name on the letter and send it to hundreds of other people.

Within weeks, you should be rich. But, where are you supposed to get hundreds of names? The letter says it's easy. You can buy lists of names off websites, over the phone, even by mail.

But Brenda says she doesn't know how her name got on those lists in the first place.

"I'm not in the phone book," she says. "Not listed anywhere, my name, address or phone number."

So, our team started digging to find out just how those lists are compiled. We learned almost any company can sell your name. That means, every time you give information to stores, catalogs or to websites, you could end up on a list.

These days, it's impossible to keep your address private.

"If you have a car or home or pay utilities, chances are you're going to be listed on some website," says Postal Inspector Al Chapa. "Those are public records."

As for those chain letters, Chapa says they are illegal.

"It's based on false statements," he says. "In itself, you have mail fraud, but you also have fact that you're asking somebody to send you money for nothing."

The punishment for mail fraud depends on several factors, like the number of victims and the dollar losses. It could range from fines to jail time. If you get one of the letters, you can turn it over to the postmaster or postal inspector.

For more information on the chain letter, visit http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/chainalrt.htm

All things new....

Update on TV thing....

Just an update.....the report will NOT be aired until Wednesday night at 10:00pm. Don't know why they decided to wait...but I'll just assume it was a better news story!

My TV debut....

I told Carrie I wouldn't blog about this...so then she threatned that she was going to...so here ya go.

Today I did a story for Channel 8 (8 on your side)

I don't want to spoil the story so I'll just have to let you watch it. It will be on Tuesday night at 6:00pm and 10:00pm.

God makes great things!

Meet my friend Tisha. I feel so blessed that God put her in my life. We met long ago when I was in the 8th grade. I can't tell you exactly how we met....but we just did. We met a the Tulsa Workshop and we've been friends ever since. Can you believe that we've never lived in the same state? We've been able to keep this friendship all these years without even having to really think about it. Who other than God could be a part of that?

I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world to have Tisha as my friend. She is so caring, so loving, so selfless, and so God centered. When you see Tisha, you see Jesus in her.
Some of my funniest....matter of fact....almost all of my funniest moments have seriously involved her and lots of laughing. When we are together, we laugh, we cry, and we most of all, share a common love for the Lord.

I wish we could be closer and spend more time together, but I think that it makes our time together even better. I miss her terribly and can't wait to see her again.

Tisha....I love you my friend!!!

I only wanted a 25cent refill!!!!!

About 15 years ago I decided to take a job for a local mall management company. I was very young but smart in the way of things worked in a mall. Not sure why...I never even hung out in a mall until then. It was a pretty cool job which lead me to many different roads in my life.

While working there I had many different experiences. I was right out of high school and wasn't a shy girl at all. Except when it came to one thing...meeting guys. I was awful at the dating scene. However, between age 16 and 19, I managed to go out on a lot of dates.

Life was like that up until one day I met this guy at Subway. I would frequently go down the escalators to get a drink refill for only 25cents. I wonder if he ever noticed that my drink started disappearing quicker and quicker??? He must have noticed, because soon, my drink refills were free.

I thought I would play hard to get with this one...but he did that right back. I was in shock. This was not the normal behavior of the guys who hang around malls. He refused to call me, and I told him it was polite for the gentleman to call the lady. He decided to cut his losses and went on his way. I stood speechless!

So one night, as I was closing up the mall with security, a very nice lady came over to me and brought me the most beautiful rose I think I had ever seen.
On the outside of the wrapping it had the name "Chad" and his phone number.
Sheesh....well....I guess I had to call him and thank him for the rose huh?

We soon went on our first date....then the next morning, he totaled his car.
A few months later, he came down with rocky montain spotted fever.
Then his car broken into at work, and so on and so on and so on.
6 months after we were dating, he asked me to
be his wife. (I'm sure he was waiting for that bolt of lighting the next morning) I couldn't think of a better question to be asked. And I made sure to give the appropriate answer.

Tonight we will go out and celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary. Not sure what we will do, but we are very spontaneous. It's really weird that over the course of 13 years, the timeline of events in our life has not been one of positive happenings. It's had lots of hurt, lots of damage, lots of sorrow.
But with that comes lots of healing, lots of resotration, and lots of joy.
The other day, I sat down and tried to list all the things we have in common. Sadly, I didn't come up with very many. I was so upset by this. I know we have a lot more than I came up with!!!!
However, our love for each other is one that I can't describe.
Have we had rough times? Yes! Have we had joy? Yes!!

On this earth there is nobody that I love more than Chad.
There is nobody's arm's I would rather be in.
There is nobody who loves me like he does!

This is the song that we had Tisha and Brishan sing at our wedding...and it still holds true today!
I asked the Lord for someone,
and I always knew that in God's time and in God's way
it would be someone like you.
All my hopes and all my dreams
were suddenly fulfilled
It's almost unbelievable
our love is in his will.

Only God could love you more,
for he gave me this love I have for you.
What a blessing to know He's your Lord,
For only God could love you more, than I do.

I'm tempted to be saying ,
that we met by chance
But God was there at every turn,
In every circumstance
To share this life God gave me
seems such a fearful task,
But every moment we have shared
is more than I could ask

It could be so simple.....but.....

I learned of some news yesterday where some Christians were not being very...well....
"Christlike". All of them from the same denomination just walking different ways in God's green pasture in different congregations. Some wanting to play the "I'm right" game. But why I ask? Who's the only one who is right? Our Father perhaps????

I don't really understand all the disention between congregations especially here in my home town. It seriouly breaks my heart and I imagine what it is doing to God. Sure....He's a pretty big God, and I'm quite sure he can handle all this, but why should he have to?
In the Bible it says that the world will know that we are Christians by love. So...do they? Does the world know that?
It's pretty amazing that God gave us an entire list of instructions to live by and the people who are representing Him...our Father...Our Christ the King, our risen Lord, the healer of all things, can't seem to come to a consensus and live together in harmony.
"Greet one another." Romans 16:16
"Be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:2
"Be kind and compassionate to one another." Ephesians 4:32
"Accept one another." Romans 15:7
"Serve one another in love." Galatians 5:13
"Encourage one another." 1 Thessalonians 4:18
"Build each other up." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Don't slander one another." James 4:11
"Don't grumble against each other." James 5:9
"Forgive each other." Ephesians 4:32
"Confess your sins to each other." James 5:16
"Stop passing judgment on one another." Romans 14:13
"Be at peace with each other." Mark 9:50
"Be devoted to one another." Romans 12:10
"Carry each other's burdens." Galatians 6:2
"Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom." Colossians 3:16
"Pray for each other." James 5:16
"Spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Hebrews 10:24
"Love one another." John 13:34

Can you look at this list of instructions and see any that you need to work on today? I can find at least 3 and there are proably more that I don't realize.

Oh Father~
Please help me to understand all these instructions you have set before me. Father help me to communicate to my fellow brothers and sisters how you have guided us to live in harmony with one another. Father, you make it look so simple, and it is. Help us to not complicate things. Help us to not rearrange your words. Help us to keep Satan away from attacking our thoughts and creating our own agendas. There is only one agenda that matters in this world and it is yours. Help us to not not fall away from the plan you have made so clear. Amen

Why we love our friends!!!!