Desperate for Jesus Flash Mob

Oh my, my, my ... what a time we had! All ages, all shapes and sizes, but all for Jesus. I almost talked myself out of it. So glad I didn't. This was part of our Women's Conference Desperate for Jesus Kingdom Woman Conference. Nice surprise for the afternoon.

Enjoy!

Is this thing still on?

My, my, my .... I love, love blogging, but somewhere in the last few months LIFE took over. Friends passing on to be face to face with our Father in Heaven, church conferences, school ending, summer trip already completed, etc. etc. I am going to try and get back on the ole bike and write a few posts each week.

I like to write down my thoughts and have some built in memories for my family, but especially for my boys who as crazy as it sounds, they like to "visit" my blog, look at old pictures, read the "happenings" in our family and take it all in and walk down memory lane.

We have had a full summer and I can't believe school is exactly 4 weeks away!!! We visited the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, visited family in Kentucky, ate Cajun food in Louisiana and once back home RESTED, RESTED, RESTED.

I love that my boys are home and  that I have had the time to stop and chat with each of them, cooked for them (While teaching them a few things), showed the how to load the dishwasher, clean the bathrooms and yes I know ... I will slowly begin to miss them as we start the preparation for the next school year. Time waits for no one.

What I don't want to happen is have these summer days go by while I am home with them and DO NOTHING. Make no impact at all. Which actually could be very easy to do. Let them wake up late, have some cereal and sandwiches and send them off to their rooms for a video game marathon. You  know more than just a lazy day. I am learning I have to be INTENTIONAL with my moments with them and you have to admit, sometimes it takes EFFORT. But what do I want them to remember about their mom? That I cooked, cleaned and drove them around? Or that while I drove them around, we played, prayed, talked and that I was genuinely interested in what they had to say and what they were thinking and that their mom had time for them.

These aren't just summer days .. these are their lives. This is my life. There aren't as they say any "do overs" for the time and the lessons I have taught and will continue to share with them.

Pretty sure I am all over the map today ... lots going on in my head. Thankful that God gives us new days ... so even if I have fallen off the horse and what and when I share with them .. I can start fresh and I can start right now.

Gone Too Soon ....

2 friends in 3 weeks. Gone. One killed in a car accident, the other died helping a lady with 6 kids in her car who ran out gas. He was hit by a driver who fled the scene. Coward.

Both under the age of 50. Both we ALL feel are gone too soon. Of course we are left here on earth trying to make sense of both tragedies. BUT God was with both of them .. even as the angels carried their souls away.

I'll admit I've gotten more serious about enjoy each moment of life since I had a breast cancer scare and my son started having seizures again, but in the last three weeks upon hearing the news of both deaths and I immediately thought ... surely the Lord is coming back and He is coming soon.

I already know and am for certain that He is coming back, but what gripped me for just a minute or two, ok perhaps an hour was FEAR. How would I die? What would happen to my husband, my children? Who would cook for them, who would make a Gazillon calls to clear up medical bills and get referrals for services? Who would drive them around and make unhealthy afternoon snacks and laugh, read and just enjoy them? WHO?

God was there with Rosheeda and Michael and only He knows when and where for me. He has my family in the palm of his hands where I go to Heaven now or later and I have to trust His words to me.

I refuse to walk around in fear, paralyzed and afraid to live my life.

Thank you Lord for your words ...

1. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT
2. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32 NIV
3. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Psalm 34:7 NIV
4. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matt 10:31 NIV
5. Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. Deuteronomy 13:4 NLT
6. I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 NLT
7. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 NLT
8. But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 1 Peter 3:14 NLT

(Credit Bible Cafe for Women)

Reading these as a reminder of what I KNOW in my head, but need to apply to my heart.

I.AM.NOT.READY!

We are three and a half weeks away from school starting and I have been looking forward to this day for the last year .. I.AM.NOT.READY!

JackJack has been waiting to join his brothers in school and they actually have been wanting him to join them, but now that the days are getting closer and closer. I.AM.NOT.READY!

I think it is mainly because of the hustle and bustle, homework, driving 20 mins one way to get them there, parent teacher meetings, making 15 lunches per week, meeting new teachers, making new friends all overwhelms me and it makes me want to hide under the cover for another 5 weeks, because just the thought of it makes me scream .. because I.AM.NOT.READY!

So when we get back from vacation, I will refresh the kids uniforms, start inventory and ironing, start the hunt of buying new socks, underwear and shoes - it will be right in my face, because the week we get back, we have 2 parent orientations and meet the teacher nights and then we jump right into school and I.AM.NOT.READY!

School's out!

We have 10 weeks of summer, 10 weeks of crazy, 10 weeks of laughs, 10 weeks of I'm bored, 10 weeks of stay in the house (too hot in TX), 10 weeks of cleaning the house from top to bottom, 10 weeks of when are we going to Kentucky, 10 weeks of counting down to the 1st day of school and JackJack joining the other 2!

and we are headed to our new drink station every week of the summer!

Whohoo!

Back again ..

Wednesday we head to the hospital so #1 son can have a sedation MRI. The surgeon wants to check the tumor site to make sure nothing is growing back or forming anywhere else in his brain.

It's been 2 years since we spent 2 weeks in the hospital and J had 2 surgeries .. and we are SO grateful for son's healing, but when we have to go back for the MRIs  .. those two weeks of memories just comes flowing back to the forefront of my mind.

I will NEVER forget what God did - the healing, the providing, the talks, the disbelief, the shock, the snow and ice, the doctors, the other families, the hospital bills, the LOVE shown by members of our church and community - the MIRACLE!

No matter what words we heard, the tests performed, the medicine incorrectly given, the extra nights in ICU, the heart murmur - God WAS there and He will be with us tomorrow as well.

Even when it doesn't feel like God is there - no doubt, He is. He will always be there ... no matter what the situation, the problem, the people, the doubt, the disbelief, the words, the darkness - HE IS WITH US - HE IS WITH YOU.

What Jesus did ....

Besides Christmas, Easter is one of the most glorious days in my Christian life. I LOVE Christmas and adore Easter, but as I age, have begun to appreciate even more what God did for me and for YOU. When I sit back and think that Jesus was born to die. He died for me. He took my sin. He hung on a cross. FOR ME. I shutter inside just thinking about it.

The life God gives us is not a dress rehersal .. this is it. Jesus was born for a purpose, he died for a purpose. So we could live forever WITH God. But while I am on earth, I want to fulfill my purpose, do the job God wants me to do, be the woman, wife and mom He wants me to be. Fulfill my purpose. Living out my thank you to Jesus for loving me enough to do what he did.

If you don't know Jesus, have questions, want to know more, do not want to be judged because you don't know where to go, what to do - you can start here.  http://needhim.org/

God Bless you - I pray that you can come to know Him and what He did for me and YES even for you!

2012 ....

As many other people you know have shared, I can't believe another year has come and gone. My father used to say, "be careful, if you blink, you will miss something". I totally agree. 2011 was the year to get through. We made it through the year, but I can't tell you much about it except we were busy and it seemed the like the "wheel" would never slow down. There was ALWAYS something to do, ALWAYS somewhere to be, ALWAYS something marked on the calendar .. 2012 will be no different, but this year I intend to be intentional about what I am doing, spending time with my family and making memories and treasuring every .. single .. day.

The kids are older and the memories of toddlers and preschoolers are fading in my memory, but I want to capture each moment, each smile, each disappointment, each tear and learn from them, help the learn from these situations and have more teachable moments. More time with God, more time for God, more time doing what He's intended for us to do.. all of us .. the whole family.

Praying for Kate MaCrae

When I started blogging I think it was 3 years ago, I blogged for my inlaws so they could watch their grandchildren grow up and be a part of their lives some 700 miles away.

Then I started reading blogs and being introduced to blogs .. and met this beautiful little girl .. and my whole family started praying for her.

Won't you join us?

prayingforkate.com

test, test ...

I haven't been able to post any drafts .... can you see this one?