Diligence Revisited

Have you ever had a time in your life when the same topic or idea keeps coming up over and over again and you finally clue in that God is trying to get your attention?

I can point back to numerous times in my life when that has been my experience.  It usually means that God wants my obedience in a certain area that is lacking.  I can specifically remember the way the idea of adoption kept falling in my lap out of nowhere, or so it seemed, until I finally got the message.  Keith was a part of that one, too, of course.  God worked on both of our hearts for some time before we finally submitted to His will for us.  Little did we know the countless lessons and blessings that would be ours through the awesome adventure that awaited us.

There have been other times as well.  I can be a little slow when it comes to seeing the obvious.

Yesterday I posted some verses that God had impressed upon my heart about the need for me to be diligent in teaching my kids and others about the goodness of God.  It was the idea of diligence that struck me.

Today, I was studying the beginning of Psalm 119 and this verse jumped out like it was in bold print.

"You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently."  ~ Psalm 119:4 

So, not only does God tell us to diligently teach His precepts to those following behind us, but He has commanded us to diligently keep those very precepts ourselves.

What exactly does it mean to be diligent?

"Diligence:  constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind."      ~ Dictionary.com 

Constant...really?  Earnest...really?  All the time and with real effort.  That's what it means.  Not a haphazard attempt to throw it in here and there as you go through your day with your kids, or at work, or wherever.  Not a life of obedience when it's convenient for us or when it's easy.  It is a purposed, concentrated, "persistent exertion of body or mind."  I would go so far as to say body and mind since we fight daily battles in both arenas.

The psalmist was obviously struck with this idea of diligence, too, as he followed that statement with this one.

"Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!"  ~Psalm 119:5

As I purpose to teach my kids each day, I must remember the importance, the necessity, of keeping God's statutes faithfully and living them out in front of others.  Otherwise, my words mean nothing.  My prayer is that those following after me will see someone that preaches what they practice.  That I may, in all honesty, tell them to follow me as I follow Christ.

As I've thought on this today, I've really been astounded at the depth of this one word that God has impressed upon my heart.  If one word of His can have so much impact, it is easy to see how we will be able to study and dwell on the Bible for all eternity without exhausting it's depths.

Diligence

In my quiet time this morning I was reminded of the importance, actually the absolute necessity, of being diligent in passing on the ways of the Lord to our children and the generations that follow after us.  

Moses communicated God's message to His people in the book of Deuteronomy.  

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."  ~ Deut. 6: 5-7

Most of us are familiar with this passage in Deuteronomy but the thing that really spoke to me this morning came from a couple of follow on passages.

"Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the LORD which He had done for Israel."  ~ Joshua 24:31

Obviously the people were following God's command up to this point.  However, by the time Joshua died, someone--many actually--had dropped the ball.

"Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of one hundred and ten...All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel."  ~ Judges 2:8 & 10

I would contend that they didn't know the LORD or what He had done because no one told them.  The really disturbing part is what immediately follows those verses in Judges.

"Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals, and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who where around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the LORD to anger."  ~ Judges 2:11-12

In one generation, the elders had failed to pass on their knowledge of God and the consequences were devastating.  The people did evil in God's sight, served the Baals, forsook the LORD, followed other gods, bowed down to them, ultimately provoking the LORD to anger.  We see this playing out all around us, and I have to wonder at what point God will say "enough".

Although our culture looks like the people of Israel who did not know the LORD, I don't want that to be said of my family.  My prayer this morning is that I will be diligent about sharing with them all that God has written on my heart and done in my life and that has to start with me knowing those things myself.

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."  ~ Ephesians 5: 15-16

Blessings

I started this blog to chronicle the blessings in my life. There are many more of them than what I am faithful to get into print on these pages. Often, I would rather spend the time enjoying my blessings than writing about them.

Lately I've heard a song referred to many times. I had never heard the song until recently and now I'm hearing it everywhere. Today, I took the time to really listen to the lyrics. All I can say is WOW!

Last year, Keith and I read through Randy Alcorn's book, If God is Good, together. It was one of the best books I have ever read. This song echoes the truths in Alcorn's book.

Sometimes the blessings in life most certainly do come through trials, pain, and tears. I am grateful for all of God's blessings and was moved to share this song today out of thankfulness for them...however they come.

I can, in all honesty, say that some of the sweetest blessings in my life have come through very difficult times. I am so thankful that God knows what I need and is faithful to carry me through the difficulties to see the blessings.

Blessed Beyond Measure

When I first started this blog I said that I was going to use it to chronicle the blessings in my life. I have been blessed beyond measure and I'm thankful to God for each and every one.

Today is my husband's birthday. God has given me a rich treasure in the man with whom I share my life. He is more than my husband, he is my best friend. He is a man of honor and integrity, a faithful provider for our family, a caring father to our children, a hard worker, a diligent teacher, and many other things.

The thing I am most thankful for is that he is a loyal follower of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and a son of the Most High God. There is no one that I would rather spend time with doing something we both enjoy or doing nothing at all other than just being together.

He has led our family, he has taught me much, and I am better because of him. James 1:17 says "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..." and while I know Keith is not perfect, he is perfect for me and he is indeed a good gift.

You may think this blog post over the top but too many people only say these things about their loved ones when it is too late for them to hear it and I want my husband to know what I think of him now. He is one of my greatest blessings on this earth and so, today, I say "Happy Birthday, Keith! I am blessed beyond measure to be your wife and I thank God for each new day! I love you!"

Memories - Old and New

Last night I worked in the nursery at church. It was a fairly easy time since most of the children seemed a bit mellower than usual and the normal nursery time was shortened by a baptismal service that was planned for 7:45.

I was enjoying the time chatting with my friend, Stephanie, and as we watched the kids play, Stephanie got up to get something and her precious son, Hudson, went running across the room after her. Watching his little feet patter across the floor transported me back 21 years. The way his feet hit the ground as he hurried across the room looked just like my oldest son, Jeremy, when he was that age. It's weird, how the years can just melt away with the funniest things carrying you to another time and place.

Jeremy, 2 years old

We have a new memory to add to the bank from last evening. Our youngest child, Kara, was baptized last night. It was a sweet time. Kara asked Jesus to be her Savior last summer. We have had several baptisms at church since that time but because it meant putting her face under the water, she was hesitant to "take the plunge". When our pastor announced that there would be a baptism service in January, Kara decided she was ready...no prodding from us.

As we prepared for last night, she never mentioned anything about putting her face in the water, so neither did I. She went into the whole thing with such an excitement and joy and I was equally excited for her. She had to read her testimony in front of the church beforehand and my heart could have burst as I listened to her and marveled over the change that God has wrought in this little one's life over the last 5 years.

For those of you that don't know Kara, or haven't known her since we brought her home 5 1/2 years ago, let me explain what she was like in those early months and even years. When she was placed in my arms in China on July 6th, 2005, she immediately went into an emotional shutdown . For the first few days, I was a little concerned about her blank stares and lack of any definable emotion. I knew that this was a normal reaction under the circumstances but it was still disconcerting to be watching it lived out right in front of me.

Slowly, very slowly, over that first week, I believe she began to understand, as well as an 8 month old can, that I was not a bad person and that she could "trust" me to take care of her needs. She began to show me brief glimpses of the little soul behind the blank and distant stares. Oh, the memories of those early days still tug at my heart. Those bittersweet moments of loving her so deeply and wondering desperately what I could do to convey that to her and let her know that she was now safe and would be ours forever...that she would never have to be alone again.

When I brought Kara home, she was afraid of a lot of things, one of the most apparent was men. And I brought her home to a house full of them. She formed a fairly quick attachment to me and if I was in the room she was usually attached to my hip. She could function without me, if she couldn't see me, but there was no comfort in that for her. She was markedly detached whenever she was held by Keith or one of the boys in those early days.

If anyone at church tried to talk to her, she would bury her head in my shoulder and act as if she were thinking "I'm not really here, please just ignore me". As the months passed and she got a little older, as soon as the worship service was over on Sunday morning, she would immediately pick up my stuff and hand it me and say "Can we go home now?" Home was her favorite place...her comfort zone. Everything else was a walk on the wild side to her and it was obvious that she wasn't very fond of the wild side.

Kara never seemed to enjoy the nursery at church. I usually ended up staying with her, or she came with me to Adult Sunday School and worship. Just before her 3rd birthday she moved out of the nursery and started going to a program called Patch the Pirate on Wednesday evenings at church. She could go in with Emma so there was some comfort in that for her. After the first week of Patch she was eager to go back. After a few weeks, she would go on her own without me having to walk her to class. I don't really understand what caused the changes we were about to see in her, but I am confident that it was a work of the Lord.

Slowly, over the next 6 months, we watched the butterfly emerge from her crysallis. She found her wings and began to fly. Actually, I'm not sure that even describes the transformation we witnessed. It was like watching a flower bloom, each petal unfolding...one at a time...manifesting a thing of beauty with the sweetest aroma.

The first time I saw her crawl up into Keith's lap voluntarily, and then saw the look on his face, I could have wept for absolute joy. She was learning to trust in our love and it was such a beautiful thing. When he picks her up now and she wraps her whole body around him with a big old bear hug...well, I don't even have words for the thankfulness that wells up in my heart.

God has done a work in her. She is an amazing creature...created by a God that loves her and loves us. And we are blessed to call her our own.

I share all of this so that you can understand my amazement, joy, and utter gratefulness to God as I stood there last night and witnessed her read her testimony aloud to the whole church, climb into the pool, and conquer her fear of the water covering her face. She did look a little nervous as she clung to our pastor's arm because she couldn't touch the bottom of the pool; but, oh, the smile of sheer delight when she came up out of that water... buried in the likeness of Christ's death...raised to new life in Him. It doesn't get any better than that!

Veteran's Day Revisited

I spent some time last night thinking about Veteran's Day, especially with regard to my husband and my children. When our sons were all very young, they were not fond of the military because to them it meant endless goodbyes and having daddy gone for months at a time. They are much older now and understand better the necessity of what their father was doing but sometimes I wonder if they understand the sacrifices that he made to do it.

They know that they missed their daddy terribly when he was gone but, oh, how he missed them. His job required his missing some of their childhood "milestones". Those are things that can never be gotten back. That's hard for a dad.

Through those months, the boys had to watch their mother deal with things she wouldn't normally have had to. It is a hard thing for a dad/husband to have to hear about those things from the other side of the planet and not be able to rush home and fix whatever was broken or just to hold his wife if she was what was broken at the time.

Military wives know that major things seem to happen when their men are deployed. Many times, in our case, Tyler would have a major asthma attack or someone else would get really sick. Oh, what a challenge for a dad to be so far away when those he loves are really ill...when all he wants in the world is to hold them, comfort them, and be with them through it. To wait days for an update to know if they are better or worse...perhaps only those who have been far away from family for an extended period of time understand the depths of that ache.

These are just a few of the small sacrificies their daddy made because he loved them, because he loved his country, and because it is how God created him. But there were bigger ones as well. The kids and I are so grateful that Keith was not called to the ultimate sacrifice of giving his life but many close to him were. He was pulled off a plane in Germany, on his way home from yet another deployment, and handed a piece of paper with the words "F-16 crash, Aviano AB" written on it and instantly knew that his best friend had made that ultimate sacrifice for all of us. Just a year later, he got word of the death of another very dear friend just 2 days before Keith was to deploy making it impossible for him to even attend his friend's memorial service. Such burdens are difficult for most of us to fathom.

I do not write this blog entry as a chastisement to my children or to myself for not understanding. I write it as a reminder to us all that there are many sacrifices, large and small, being made by our military members and their families day in and day out. I know that my children missed out on some big things with their dad when they were young, but it was necessary. It's very easy to focus on ourselves and not think about the flipside. Without the sacrifices of these individuals, we would not enjoy the freedom that we do today.

I am married to an incredible man and I know that there are countless others out there like him who make these sacrifices daily without comment or complaint. They don't ask for our thanks. They do it because it is who they are, it is what they have been called to do.

I, for one, am so grateful for that. And so, to my husband, Keith, and to the rest...THANK YOU! Thank you for being who you are and for being willing to die... for me.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." ~John 15:13

Encouragement

I saw this on our local home school loop this morning and was encouraged to remember why I do what I do and exactly what my goal should be in home schooling my kids. Sometimes I lose sight of the important things in the pursuit of the academic goal. I'm sharing it in hopes that it will be a gentle reminder to others as well.

1 Corinthians 13 for Home Schoolers

Though I teach my children how to multiply,
divide, and diagram a sentence,
but fail to show them love,
I have taught them nothing.

And though I take them on numerous field trips,
to swim practice and...flute lessons;
and though I involve them in every church activity,
but fail to give them love,
I profit nothing.

And though I scrub my house relentlessly,
run countless errands,
and serve three nutritious meals every day,
but fail to be an example of love,
I have done nothing.

Love is patient with misspelled words
and is kind to young interrupters.
Love does not envy high SAT scores
of other home school families.
Love does not claim to have
better teaching methods than anyone else,
It is not rude to the fourth telephone caller
during a science lesson,
does not seek perfectly behaved geniuses,
does not turn into a drill sergeant,
thinks no evil about friends' educational choices.

Love bears all my children's challenges,
believes all my children are God's precious gifts,
hopes all my children establish
permanent relationships with Christ,
and endures all things
to demonstrate God's love.
Love never fails.

Where there are college degrees, they will fail;
where there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
For we know in part and we teach in part.
But when the trials of life come to our children,
the history, math, and science will be done away
and faith, hope and love will remain;
but the greatest of these is love.

~Arthur Unknown

Looking Back

Today is Memorial Day. On this day we honor those that have given their lives in service to our country to insure the freedoms that we enjoy. I am, indeed, thankful for what they have done and for the sacrifices their families have made and the pain that they have endured on our country's behalf.

Memorial Day 2010 is special to me for another reason as well. Twenty-five years ago today my father escorted me down the aisle of the United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel into the waiting arms of my husband-to-be.



A year earlier, as I toured the chapel for the first time, I had told my mom that I wanted to have my wedding there someday. I certainly wasn't thinking it would happen less than a year later but on May 31, 1985, there I was.

All of you that know my husband know that he is the writer in the family. I wish that I could convey my thoughts and all that is in my heart like he does. Since I lack his eloquence, I want to share a poem that I came across recently that captures the very essence of my thoughts and emotions on this most special of Memorial Days.

To my Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the east doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompence.
Thy love is such I can no way repay.
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

This poem could not speak more from my soul if I had written it myself.

I began this blog as a means of journaling all of the blessings in my life. Next to the saving grace of Jesus and His work in my life, the greatest blessing that God has bestowed upon me is that of my sweet husband.

For twenty-five years now he has loved me, protected me, provided for me, taught me, been my best friend and constant companion (except when the Air Force deemed otherwise), encouraged me when I needed it, lifted me up when I was down, and held my hand through it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly...just as he vowed to.

Over the last few months we have had the pleasure of watching our oldest two sons embark on their own journeys into the adventure of married life. It has been exciting to witness the occasions as they exchanged vows with their brides. It brought back some wonderful memories of that day in 1985 as I stared into the eyes of my groom.

I can honestly say, given the opportunity, I would marry my husband all over again...a thousand times ten thousand times. He is the love of my life and I am truly blessed to have him beside me as we walk this journey together.

This last year has been quite the roller coaster for us but, through it all, God has taught us to love one another better...more deeply...more completely...more unconditionally. For that, I am eternally grateful.

And so, today, I am praising God for the way He has blessed my life through this man. I am thankful that He has given us these last twenty-five years and I pray that He will give us many more to enjoy together.

To my husband...Keith, thank you for loving me with all that that entails. There is truly no one else on this earth that I would rather spend my life with. You are my HERO!!! I am yours for as long as God gives us on this earth and I am so glad that you are mine!

"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine". ~Song of Solomon 6:3

Happy Anniversary Keith! I look forward to the future with you by my
side.

Can you hear me now? A call to modesty.

My husband wrote a blog post last week and addressed it specifically to dads. Dads definitely have a responsibility here but so do moms and maybe even more so.

It is our responsiblity to set the example for our daughters. Please take the time to read his post if you have girls or even if you don't or even if you have no children at all.

God created men to have their attention grabbed through their eyes--and it is good. God said so! It is our responsibility as Christian women not to take advantage of that. Think of the men out there that we cause to struggle day in and day out because of our attire. Think of your sons or your friend's sons or the young men in your church. Or the older men.

It's an easy fix, ladies. Cover up! No, i'm not advocating the burqa but a camisole or tank top under a sundress or low cut top goes a long way. A good friend mentioned last week that she teaches the girls in her youth group to wear those low cut tank tops backwards under their clothes. Great idea! Thanks Jori! The point is that you can still look beautiful and quite fashionable without causing the men around you to struggle.

As a wife and the mom of four young men, this grieves my heart. Society would have us believe that we have a right to dress however we like and that it is the man's responsibility to "just deal with it". That is not what Scripture says. It is our responsibility to not cause our brother to stumble, to not defraud the men around us. If you disagree with this, it is not me that you disagree with.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

~1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Think about your husband. Just try to imagine, in our culture, what he is faced with day in and day out. It starts with us, ladies. If we are not willing to swim against the current, if we do not set the example for our children, if we do not teach our daughters the "why" of it all, then we are not the wives and mothers that God calls us to be.

We have a responsibility and it is not to bare our cleavage in some "I am woman, hear me roar" show of feminist ideology and immodesty. We have a responsibility to God Almighty to honor Him with our bodies first and foremost.

When we do that, we will greatly bless the men we so dearly love.

My babies are growing up!

Kara lost her first tooth yesterday! She was so excited. She immediately went to the growth chart on our kitchen wall to see if she had gotten taller. Too cute!

My oldest baby, Jeremy, turns 23 today and my youngest is losing her teeth. The years are falling off the calendar at an amazing pace. I am so thankful for my family and all of the milestones that God has allowed me to witness.

Answered Prayers

I'm sitting here tonight with a "to do" list a mile long. Drew will be married by this time next week with Jeremy's wedding to follow 5 weeks later. Keith, Tyler, and Austin are out tonight celebrating with Drew and some wonderful men from our church. I have put my sick girls to bed and the house is unusually quiet. And so I sit and ponder instead of tackling the cleaning that needs to be done. Oh well, the dust and grime will still be there when I get around to it. Funny how that happens...it never cleans itself.

Anyway, I started this blog as a blessings list of sorts but I have done a poor job of keeping up with it. These last few months have been filled with things that make one really search to find the blessings, and maybe I won't even see them until some time yet future. Nonetheless, I could not let this season pass with out recognizing the blessings that are, oh, so obvious.

Years ago, even before our boys were born, Keith and I began praying for their future spouses. We prayed, even when they were toddlers, that somewhere out in this big ol' world, God would be raising up little girls in godly families that would grow to be godly women to someday make wonderful wives for our sons.

Today I attended a bridal shower for a God-crafted answer to prayer. As I sat across from Alicia (Drew's fiance) and listened to some of my dearest friends whisper about how beautiful she is, I was overcome with thankfulness to God. Alicia is beautiful on the outside, but so much more important than that, she is beautiful on the inside. She has been raised in a family that knows the Lord, and her heart for Him evidences that. She knows that she is an answer to our prayers because we have shared that with her. I am so thankful that God has chosen such a one to be Drew's bride. She is a blessing!

Besides the wedding, this next week will hold another special moment for me. On Friday, I will finally get to meet another answer to our prayers, Jeremy's fiance, Tiffany. They will be coming in from Colorado for Drew and Alicia's wedding. We were supposed have met Tiffany the week after Christmas but our trip was cancelled due to a surprise blizzard and family illness. I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to share with Tiffany face to face, that she embodies God's well-designed answered to prayer.

I have seen pictures of Tiffany and so I know that she, too, is a physically beautiful young woman and though I have not yet met her, I am certain that she is truly beautiful on the inside as well. How do I know? Because I know my son. I know what Jeremy has always wanted in a wife, and I know that he has always had very high standards for the one that he would eventually share his life with. I can't wait to be able to blog again after next week and share what I will then be able to speak of first-hand. I am looking forward to the meeting, to being able to wrap my arms around another of God's sweet, sweet blessings in my life.

My boys have chosen well. I am so excited for them...for the adventure they are about to embark upon. I am so thankful for a God who hears and answers our prayers. He is GOOD, and He loves to give GOOD things to His children.

How cool is that!

My Chatterbox

Trip to Grandma and Grandpa's House

Two cups of coffee - $Free from home :)

One tank of gas - $60.00

One McDonald's lunch - $6.00

2 1/2 hours in the car with my daughters - Priceless

Kara, who is normally the quiet one, was quite the little chatterbox today as we made the drive from Wichita Falls to Plano. I thought I would share some excerpts from our conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

About 1/2 hour into the trip...

Kara: Are we still in Texas?
Me: Yes we are.
Kara: Well Texas sure is a big world.

Kara: Would it be funny if those cows over there were dancing in the middle of the field?
Almost immediately followed by...
Kara: Mommy, do you remember when we saw that buffalo poop?
Which was followed up with...
Kara: I smell a skunk. I think it must be skunk time. Mama, how can we smell a skunk in the car?
Me: Skunks have a very strong odor, Kara.
Kara: Do you mean they stink?

A short while later...
Kara: Are we there yet? My tummy is really hungry.
Me: Not yet, we still have a way to go.

When she wasn't rambling on she was singing to herself in the back seat. She loves to sing and when she can't think of a song she will make one up. I couldn't make out what she was singing today but given the conversation of the morning, I'm betting she was making it up as she went along.

The chatter continued with...
Kara: Where's Emma? I can't see Emma! Did we leave her at home?

Just before we made our mid-trip potty stop she asked...
Kara: Are we almost to Gatorade?
Me: To where?
Kara: Gatorade! You know...where we always stop.
Me: It's Decatur, Kara.
Kara: Oh...well are we almost there?

Kara: Mama, can you tell us when we get to a different state?
Me: Grandma and Grandpa's house is still in Texas.
Kara: Oh, well are we there yet?
Me: No.
Kara: I'm hungry though.
Me: I know, Kara. Just a little further.
Kara: Is there a McDonald's there?

After our potty stop...
Kara: Is Plano not far away from Grandma Judy's house?
Me: Plano is where they live.
Kara: But I thought you said they live in Texas.

Kara: Are we gonna sleep there?
Me: Yes, Kara.
Kara: Emma, too?
Me: Yes
Kara: All of us?
Me: Yes, Kara.
Kara: Why?
Me: Because we are going to be there until next Thursday and we can't stay awake that whole time.
Kara: But what if the phone rings?
Me: Well, someone will answer it.
Kara: LIKE ME?!
Me: Uh, NO! - like Grandma or Grandpa.
Kara: Oh.

Shortly before our arrival...
Kara: Does fired mean when you have a job you don't have a job anymore?
Me: Yes (wondering how much more random you can get than that).

Just after we hit the exit to Grandma and Grandpa's house...
Kara: Mommy, I'm tired of sitting.
Me: Me too, Kara.
Kara: Why do we have to stop at the red light? Move cars, move, I'm tired of sitting.

What a total crack up! She is never that talkative. I wish I would have had a way to record it all because I'm sure that I didn't remember all of it just as it happened. On the flip side of things, Emma was unusually quiet. I guess she couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Today is the Day!!!

Almost 24 1/2 years ago I had the distinct honor of watching my husband-to-be graduate from the United States Air Force Academy and become a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Force. Two days later we were married and the great adventure began. Within a month of that, we moved to Arizona and a few short months later he started pilot training. And the rest, as they say, is history!

It has been a good 24+ years. We have made some wonderful lifelong friends and we have enjoyed everywhere we have lived. We have seen many friends from the old days get married and we have stood by as a few very dear friends were laid to rest. We have met a lot of people and we have said lots of "goodbyes".

As I have worked on Keith's Air Force scrapbook these last couple of weeks, I was struck by the inevitable "finis" flight at each base...the final flight before moving on to a new station. There are many of those flights chronicled in his scrapbook. It reminds me of the saying that "all good things must come to an end". And so...today will be the final "finis" flight of his Air Force career...weather permitting...followed by his official retirement ceremony. As Keith's time in the Air Force comes to an end, I am moved by the fact that our God has always proven Himself faithful to us. He has seen us through the ups and downs of the last 24 years and has honestly blessed our socks off. On top of it all, because of God's grace, we know that we have eternal life...one good thing that will never come to an end. So...thank you, Lord, for your grace, your hand of protection, and the many, many blessings that you have bestowed on us these last 24 years, and thank you for my husband.

And, since I don't get to speak at the retirement ceremony, I figured I would take this opportunity to publicly thank my husband for letting me come along on this ride. It has not always been easy. When the boys were all little and Keith was flying F-16s, yeah...many of those days were tough. But the memories are so sweet and I wouldn't change any of them. God showed himself to me through those sometimes difficult circumstances and I learned much about Him and myself in those days.

I am proud of my husband. He is a man of honor and integrity. He has served his country well. He loves me and his children; but he loves the Lord most of all, and that is what makes him special. He has very high standards...he says what he means and he means what he says. He is gifted, motivated, trustworthy, and seeks to honor God in all that he says and does. I am honored to be his wife.

So...Keith...thank you for sharing your life with me. It has been a grand adventure and rather than look at today as an end or even a new beginning...I see it as a new day that we get to spend together, and I am thankful. I thank God for the man that you are and for blessing my life by putting you in it. I love you dearly! Congratulations, Hon, on this...your special day and thank you for all that you have done to preserve the freedom that we enjoy!

Not to be outdone by her sister...

...today is Kara's 5th birthday!!! It really is fun to have the girls' birthdays so close together. It adds to the excitement of it all. Happy, Happy Birthday to my girly girl...the one that always has a song in her heart. We love you!!!

Happy 7th Birthday Emma!

Today is Emma's 7th Birthday!!! Seems like it's impossible that she is 7 already. Yikes! I hope you have a wonderful birthday Emma...my little bundle of energy that keeps us from ever having a dull moment. We love you!!!

Answered Prayer

It has been a busy summer around here. I have a lot that I need to update on here but since several people have asked about my Facebook status, here is the story.

Tuesday night was the first meeting of a four week inductive Bible study that I am leading at my church on the book of Ruth and our Kinsman Redeemer. It is a Precept Upon Precept Bible Study. I have worked hard to get ready for it and was really excited about it.

This first week was supposed to be more of an intro to the study and a how-to lesson for those that had never done a precept study before. Keith taught me how to use powerpoint and I had worked up a fairly lengthy pp presentation teaching the method of inductive Bible study. I was all set.

Then Satan went to work trying to mess everything up. It started at 3:30 Tuesday morning when Emma woke me up. Both girls were wide awake and it appeared that they had been for some time. I won't bore you with all the details but 2 hours later they were still awake and consequently so was I. So, I was tired from the get go. It was one of those difficult days where everything you do seems to be wrong or go wrong.

I fixed an early dinner and started packing up to head to the church. I started a pot of coffee to take with me and the coffee pot was sounding very strange. I went to check on it (it is a new pot that we have only had a few months) and I had forgotten to put the lid on the carafe before I put it in the coffee maker so the water wasn't flowing through to the pot it was just filling the basket and running over into all the guts of the pot which was now full of grounds. Ugh! Keith cleaned it all out for me and ran a pot of water through it and then made another pot of coffee. It worked fine, thankfully.

So, then I get to the church. The projector at church has been having some issues but I really needed it for that powerpoint presentation. Keith had helped me set it up Sunday night after church. It took him a good 20 minutes to get it to work. Then he just put it on Standby so it would be ready to go Tuesday night. Well, when I got to the church the projector had been moved and unplugged. My heart sank because I just knew after the way the day had gone, that projector wasn't going to work and there went my entire pp presentation, which was all of the info that I needed to cover that night. I was going to have to wing it and I was nervous enough already. You know, that standing up in front of people thing.

I plugged the projector in and the power light wouldn't even come on. Turns out the plug I was using had been disconnected earlier that day. I switched to another plug and initially got nothing on it either but then the power light blinked so I knew that at least the plug was working. I worked for a solid half hour to get the projector to come on and it wouldn't even hiccup. I was down to 10 minutes and still had to set everything else up.

My head fell into my hands and I prayed, "God, Satan has been working against me since 3:30 this morning. I'm tired, frustrated, and discouraged. I know that this is your will and He doesn't want it to happen but I also know that you are so much greater than him. Please make this projector work and light a fire in these women to know your word. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

I lifted my head and put my finger on the start button and that projector lit up just like it's supposed to, not even a hint of a delay. I kid you not. All I could do was sit there and bawl like a baby. It was so incredible. That had to be the quickest, most obvious answer to prayer that I have witnessed in a long time. "I am the Light of the World" comes to mind. Beautiful!

The rest of the evening went well without even a hint of a problem with that projector. So for those that were wondering about my Facebook status...there you have it. God is so good and this is going to be a great study!

22 Years Ago Today...

Wow...I can't believe it has been that long! 22 years ago last month, I was hospitalized with pre-eclampsia. The day that I was admitted to the hospital, 5 weeks before my due date, the doctor said that I would be there until I was a mother...and I was.

On May 4th, 1987, when the doctors could no longer control my blood pressure, they induced labor and Jeremy, my firstborn, came into this world at 2:06 pm. It was a glorious day and we were so excited to be entrusted with the care of this awesome little being.

Jeremy...on his "birth"day

Jeremy at 2 years old

Jeremy at 5 years old

Jeremy in the 5th grade

Jeremy in the 9th grade

Jeremy as a senior in high school

22 years later, Jeremy is living and working in Africa. Who knew when that little baby was born what God had planned for his life. Jeremy, we are praying for you and excited to see what comes next in your life. I wish we could celebrate with you today but know that we are thinking about you and loving you dearly.

Happy Happy Birthday Son, from your proud Mama!

Easter 2009

Saturday dawned bright and early and dying Easter eggs was at the top of the schedule for the day. The girls were very excited. The box of PAAS that I purchased for the occasion (the original PAAS, not those newfangled things that never work the way they are supposed to) was short some of the color tablets so we had to make do with what it did include. The girls didn't seem to mind and they had a good ole time dipping...waiting...and removing their eggs. Emma is not so good at the waiting part.

Rain was in the forecast for Easter Sunday so we had the girls' Easter egg hunt on Saturday afternoon. Keith hid the eggs all over our front yard and then the girls set to work.

And because I rarely make it into the photos...

Celebrating Easter causes me to focus intently on the most important thing in my life...Jesus Christ. Not only did Jesus die for me but He conquered that death and lives again. Therein lies the victory!

We had a great service at church. Our pastor spoke on the significance of the resurrection...in other words, where would we be if Jesus was not raised from the dead. Praise God that He lives!

Here are a few pics of the girls and the family taken before and after church.

After church, we had some great friends over for lunch. We had quite the feast: ham, twice-baked potatoes, green beans, corn, deviled eggs, rolls, jello salad, fresh fruit, and an awesome dessert that Bonnie (my friend) made. Yumm!

It was a cool and wet day here but we enjoyed it immensely. We really needed the rain so it was a welcomed treat.

I hope you all had a very blessed Easter Sunday. We really should celebrate the significance of Easter every day.

Happy Happy Birthday Keith!!!

I know...most of you have given up on me and this blog thing...but I couldn't let the day pass without wishing my husband a wonderful Happy Birthday!!!

We celebrated last night because Drew and Tyler have to work tonight but I did make his favorite strawberry rhubarb pie which we will enjoy after dinner in honor of the occasion.

This is the 25th birthday that I have had the honor of celebrating with my beloved and I can honestly say that I love him more today than ever and I pray that God will give him many more happy birthdays and that I will be around to celebrate them with him.

I love you dearly, Keith. I hope your day was truly something special.

New Year 2009

Okay...this is the final installment of my holiday recap. Hey, it's only the 3rd of February...it could be worse.

My parents came up to spend a few days with us over New Year's and we had a great time. We played lots of games, mostly cards, and just generally enjoyed being together.

Mom had a craft session with the girls while she was here. They love anything that has anything to do with paint, glue, glitter, etc. They had a great time working on some flower magnets that they got for Christmas and I think Grandma had fun helping them, right, Mom?!...Mom...are you there, Mom?...Mom?!

While Mom and the girls were having their fun, Keith was trying to help Dad with a problem on his computer. They ultimately figured out that it was a Vista problem and one without a fix...go figure! Here is my handsome hubby...

My Dad loves genealogy and spends lots of time on his computer working on tracing our family lines. He has uncovered some interesting tidbits over the years. I don't know how he keeps all that information straight. I would have the lines all criss-crossed if I were him.

These pictures were taken the day they left to go home. I didn't have a recent picture of them together so I had to snap one while I could. I think they were both in the midst of saying something when I snapped the camera. Oh well...I tried.

Here is Grandma and Grandpa with the grandkids. Well, some of them anyway.

We really did enjoy the time that we had with all of our family over the holidays. It is always a blessing to be together and we miss them when they are not here. After Mom and Dad left, it was back to the old grind stone and it took us several days to find a real routine again. I think I prefer those days when the routine gets tossed out the window in favor of doing the fun things but if we did that every day we would never get anything productive done around here.

So, that sums up our holidays. If it had taken me any longer to recap them we would be prepping for Thanksgiving all over again. How is it that the months fly by so quickly. I know that age has a lot to do with it but this is crazy. January is gone already and Valentine's Day is on the doorstep. Since I do such a poor job of keeping up with this blog, maybe I should wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day now...then I won't feel bad when it's February 20th and I never did a Valentine's post.