My Story

Hello out there! I am alive and kicking. It seems like every time I have sat down to blog something has gotten in the way. Maddie for the moment is soaking in a Barney and hopefully picking up some healthy habits and nice manners, so I have a few minutes. How are you? I felt compelled to share my testimony with you today. So here is my story......

One summer day when I was at the wonderful age of 16, my friend Amy invited me to go to the beach with her. My skin is so stinkin' pale that I should really live at the beach, but since I don't have the funds to back that up I just go when I can. We "layed out" for a few hours and then decided to go to the little carnival across the street. You see the "Tilt A Whirl" was calling my name. I just love that ride! So we packed up and started the task of crossing the street to get to the little carnival thing. We crossed several lanes of traffic successfully and then as I proceeded to cross one of the other lanes, I stepped out in front of a red Ford pick-up truck and was struck on my left side. The impact threw me 30 feet in the air. I guess you could say I went airborne?? I know I went into shock because all I can remember is the sensation of going up and down and that was the helicopter air lifting me to the hospital in Pensacola, FL. My next memory is getting x-rays taken and the technicians were talking about what they were gonna get at the local Taco Bell. I was like hello people I am dying and all you care about is your beloved bean burrito. You will be happy to know that I have long forgiven them. I was actually released from the hospital on the day of the accident. My parents later took me to our local hospital where I spent a week in rehab, because I was in so much pain and couldn't move. I was so blessed with wonderful cards and visits. One of my sweet friends from work came to see me and accidently spilled my sprite in my lap. Of course I told her that it was fine, but before I could change into something else my choir from school came to see me (they had a performance in the area that day and decided to stop in). Can you see where this is going? I'm sure they probably saw my wet lap and thought that poor girl. It was on one of the final nights of my hospital visit I couldn't sleep. I began to think through all that had happened to me and what could have happened to me. I had a Christian background and had even been attending church regularly during this time, but was overwhelmed with the realization that if I would have died in that car accident I would have perished in hell. But God in His wonderful grace extended His love to me and He became my Savior that night in my hospital room. I remember just being so grateful that God would go to all this trouble to call me. My greatest prayer is that I never get over what He did for me. Thank you Father! I owe everything to You!

Contentment

Hi all! How are you? I am an avid reader of other folks' blogs and while reading through some the other day I came across this statement:

"I do solemnly resolve to embrace my current season of life and will maximize my time in it. I will resist the urge to hurry through or circumvent any portion of my journey but will live with a spirit of contentment."

Man, this really spoke to me!! I have been so convicted about the many times a day I complain, either aloud or to myself, about all the responsibilities I have and how I can never get anything done because of all the interruptions in my day (and on and on and on). When I read this wonderfully put together sentence I thanked the Lord for meeting me where I was and helping me do something about it. God is so awesome in a hundred thousand ways, but one way that I have been thanking Him for lately is not letting me stay in a state of discontentment. He wants the better thing for me. After some prayer and talking it out with God I have come to some conclusions that I need some sort of  break each week from the stuff that I am called to do, but on the other hand I can control my attitude about how I am going to react to the situations that arise in my day to day life. I know that I will not be perfect about this complaining stuff, so don't think that about me at all. It will be a work in progress, but thank you Lord for the progress!! Paul said to be content in whatever circumstances you are placed in (Phil. 4:11). He was talking about some money issues going down, but I can take away from this verse the ability to resolve to be content with the place that God has me in right now. I love you all.

P.S. I got the "contentment statement" from Priscilla Shirer's blog. Her web address www.goingbeyond.com/blog. She is totally cool!

My Expectations

Well, Happy Thursday to you! I sure hope your week is going good. I had the distinct privilege of attending the 3rd grade awards day at Gracie's school a few weeks ago. My girl has worked so hard this year and was recognized many times over for all of her efforts, but that is not really the point of my blog post today. Don't think for even one millisecond that I am not proud of my sweet daughter's accomplishments. It's just that God really spoke something powerful and profound to me on my short ride home from the ceremony. I was sincerely thanking God for all He has done in Gracie's life and told Him how she has surpassed all of my expectations. That's when it hit me like a ton of bricks (not literally, of course-talk about painful). What my pint-sized plans for Gracie had been were exchanged for some God sized plans. I ordered the regular and God up-sized it. I don't want you to think that I didn't have dreams and goals for Gracie. I just didn't think she would be able to do so much. Do you ever limit your expectations for something (or someone) for the sake of being scared to ask for the bigger stuff?  I am guilty of doing just that. When God is doing the thing it's so much better than I could ever think it could be. Isn't He so good? Yes He is! I am gonna answer my own question because frankly I can't help it. The Lord reminded me of a verse in Ephesians (3:20) when Paul says: "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." Who am I to limit what my children are capable of? I love the fact that even though I plan out things for my kids to accomplish and try to fit it all into a decently organized box, God takes it and makes it into something more than I could ever ask or imagine. I want to give over my plans for my children to the One who has the greatest and most complete plan for their lives. Gracie, Noah and Maddie (and your children, too) can do anything when God is at work in them!!!!! God, You are so worthy of my praise. Thank You for being everything my sweet babies need and could ever want. I love You!

My Big Mouth

Hi everyone! I hope today finds you well. Craig and I were talking the other night and for some reason I started telling him about something really dumb (and really funny) I did many years ago (this is just one of the really dumb things I have done, believe me there are many more). Let me just start by saying that I was kinda innocent on this one.

It all began when we went over to my aunt's house to visit with some of her friends, Ava and Greenly, from Mississippi. They had a daughter about my age so I was looking forward to spending time with them. We all were piled in the den watching some kind of nature show when my aunt's friend Ava kept reading everything that came across the T.V. screen. I first thought, OK, she is one of those who likes to read aloud, good for her. This kept going on for what seemed like forever. Words would come across the screen and like clockwork Ava would read them. I started getting a little irritated but tried to just let it go. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore!! The next time she read something I proceeded to say, in a half-joking way, things like, "OK, we've got it!" "We're good without you reading it to us, thanks." "We can read." Before I knew it I was called to come in the kitchen by my aunt and mom. I knew something was up and I was probably about to get into trouble. I went in and my aunt said "Laney, Greenly can't read. That's why she was reading everything aloud." Oh man, talk about feeling like a dog. I didn't know why someone (anyone) couldn't have taken just a minute to tell me about Greenly's reading struggles. I would have never said anything about little Ms. Reader doing her thing.

Alright, there's my "you really did it this time" story for the day. Happy Monday sweet friends!!!!

You talking to me?

Craig and I started listening to a relationship series from a church in Charlotte, NC last week. I love love love when we do the Jesus studying stuff together. The point that really spoke to me was when the pastor said when talking to your husband "you can either speak to the prince or the punk".  How we as wives speak to our husbands makes a huge impact on how they are going to respond to us. Say for example Craig left his shoes and socks (that leave little black fuzzies all over the carpet) in the den instead of taking the shoes to the closet and putting the socks in the dirty clothes hamper. Would you believe me if I told you this was totally hypothetical? I wouldn't if I were you. I could approach Craig with this two ways. I could lay into him telling him that he is a no good forgetful so-and-so who never does anything right (I know your saying that's harsh Marsh), or I could go to him and tell him how much I love and appreciate him for all he does and then ask him to make a concerted effort to pick up his shoes and socks after he takes them off. I am thinking that he would respond better to the latter of the two ways. I actually know he would respond better to the second way, because believe me I have said some things that sound just a smidge like the first way and it didn't work out to good for either of us. I want to speak to my prince not my punk. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:24: "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." So go get your buzz on and talk sweet to yo' man (or girl, depending on your situation).

Monday Musings

Hello out there! I pray that you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday. We had a really great day and I am so thankful that I have the privilege of worshiping a living Savior. I just want to say that my boy Noah cracks me up. We were riding in the back of the van this afternoon talking about different stuff. Noah was telling me about Jack's (his imaginary friend) birthday coming up and then he starts sharing with me about a little girl in his class. He said "Momma, I like her but sometimes she gets on my nerds". I couldn't help but start laughing at him. As I was laughing he said, "I'm serious, she gets on my nerds". I did have to explain to Noah that you really shouldn't say that folks get on your nerves, or your nerds.

On an entirely different note (lalalala), I was so proud of Gracie for inviting her friend to church yesterday.  You see, her friend is Hindu (that's her religion, not her name-just wanted to be clear).  Her sweet momma shared with me on the phone that no one in their family had ever been to a Christian church before. I couldn't believe that they were actually going to let her go. God does some things that just literally take my breath away. It is very possible that Easter Sunday 2011 was the very first time that this precious young lady ever heard the truth about Jesus. Because Gracie simply invited her friend to church, she will never ever ever be the same. I want to be more like my daughter. Until next time...

Today

Hello friends! I was going through some stuff that has been laying around on my bar (I'm not talking about a wet bar or anything). Do you have spots in your house that get really cluttered?  I definitely do.  Spots? What am I talking about?  I have huge places in my house that get cluttered. Well, my bar (again not a reference to an alcoholic beverage storage area) is a place that collects a lot of stuff in our house. You can find just about anything you need up there. Say you needed an Easter hat. Your in luck there is one on my bar, or what if you were just dying for some strawberry lip gloss. You guessed it.  It's on my bar. I came across a Publix Babyclub newsletter while I was trying to declutterfy the messy bar.  I love Publix!! They send me coupons and helpful advice for my kids. What a great store! Anyway, it had a little poem on the newsletter that I would like to share with you.

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why we call it "The Present".
                                -Anonymous

I really like this poem. I want to live today like it is a present, because it really is. It's a present from a sweet Father who loves me and you dear folks. I desire to make great efforts today to not let the little petty things get me all flustered and frazzled (like my cluttered bar). Remember today is a gift from Him to us.  Let's show Him how much we appreciate it by the way we live today.