BIG GOD!!!!-little giants

Last week we had a revival and preachers meeting at church. We had a different preacher each night (Sun-Fri) and 4 preachers on Tuesday morning during the preachers meeting. It was definitely different with so many speakers. God is sooo amazing! The preachers were all from different areas and told to preach whatever God gave them. All the messages tied in together like it had all been planned out(which I guess it had and His plan always works best). I did miss a few nights but God used the days I was there to give me just what I needed. I thought I would share some of the points that really hit home with me from one of the messages.

We were reading from Numbers 13 when the 12 men were sent out to check out the promise land. Ten of them saw some BIG GIANTS and a little God and were scared to go in. Two of the men, one being Caled, saw a BIG GOD and, oh yea, there are some little giants as well. Caleb remembered God's promise and knew He would fulfill it. Caled remembered all the times God had taken care of them on the journey and knew He would continue to do so. Caleb did not know how they would overtake the giants, he just knew they would. CALEB TRUSTED GOD!!!

How many times do I look at the BIG GIANTS in life and see God as so small? WAY TO MANY!! I have got to stop looking at things backwards! I must remember that my GOD is BIGGER than any problem I face. I know that He has promised to never leave or forsake me. He made the promise and it is my job to BELIEVE it always. He will not/can not break a promise. HE IS GOD!!! He took care of me yesterday, he is taking care of me today, and he will take care of me tomorrow! I don't want to follow the crowd of untrusting men that forgot what God had done for them all along. I don't want my kids to follow the crowd of unbelievers that did not expect God to fulfill his promise. I want us to follow God! There is no reason that we can not live our lives as Caleb did. We just have to have faith. We have to always remember who we serve-an Almighty, All Powerful God that loves us. When I see what is normal in our society I can get discouraged. When over half of marriages fail, how can Monty and I stay married until death-don't know but God can do it! With all the corruption in the world now, how can we raise 3 children with character and some morals-not sure but God is working it out. With all the times I find myself being impatient and inconsistent, how can I homeschool 3 well educated children-no idea but He brought us to it and He will take us through it! I trust Him! I DO TRUST HIM! I HAVE to trust him or my life would be a wreck. The thing I have to work on is trusting Him ALWAYS! EVERYDAY! EVERY HOUR! EVERY MINUTE! EVERY SECOND! There are still times that I see the giants and get a little intimidated. I have to stop that. I just have to remember at ALL times BIG GOD-little giants!

ORGANIZATION IS A MUST!!!

All homeschoolers talk about it and I thought I was pretty good at it(I'm no Martha Stewart but I have always done OK). This summer when I knew I would have All the kids home ALL the time, I really started trying to get more organized. We rearranged both kids rooms and the school/play room. I got rid of tons of things I had accumulated but now knew were not gonna work for our school. I thought I had done pretty good! I WAS WRONG!! Since we have been doing school (about a month) I have to sit with the kids through our whole school day. I have to read everything to the girls and help them through their assignments. Kenyon and Jacinta are doing the unit study so I have to be very involved with them as well(partly because it is fun and also because I am learning as much about geography as they are-I never had a geography class). I have been lucky to cook everyday and load the dish washer. That is literally about all I was accomplishing. I looked around the other day and realized MY HOUSE IS NASTY! I mean unlike any thing I had ever lived in before!(I thought about before and after pictures but decided whatever you imagine is probably better than the real thing.) Luckily my husband is not a clean freak and still loves me. Normally when I think my house is awful he says it is not so bad. This time he agreed with me so I know it was bad. I called an emergency fall break for Thursday and Friday and we have spent the last 2 days cleaning and ORGANIZING. You should have seen all the laundry that I have gotten folded and PUT UP!! I still have a pile of laundry but now it is a neat pile that does not obstruct my laundry room door. I have gone through everyones clothes and now have 4 boxes to send off to the thrift store. WE HAD SOOOO MUCH JUNK!!! The kids think I am crazy! They have really been doing pretty good but can't seem to understand MY definition of clean. I am going to make a chore chart next week and really start implementing it(they will really think I am crazy then!). They have always had to help out but now I see the need for structured daily chores! Most schools have a staff of janitors so no reason ours shouldn't. There is NO WAY I can maintain the house and school by myself! School has gone great so far but keeper of the home as not been so good! The good news is-I AM LEARNING and I am happy to say that now my house is back to livable(so no need to call DHS). We are gonna figure this out! I have got some plans to rearrange the living room next! I have always been a list person but realize I need to become a DAILY list person. I am gonna get a notebook and really plan out daily and weekly house things that must get done. I would LOVE to know what things have worked for you!! PLEASE-any help is welcome!

BLESSINGS!!

Our piano player at church, Brother Jayson, has recently graduated Bible college with a Biblical counselor degree. Several months ago he gave a lesson on the importance of recognizing and counting our blessings, especially the small, not so obvious ones. He showed us how doing this daily will change you outlook on your life and your love for the people in your life. It brings to light how much The Lord is truly with us in everything. GOD IS GOOD-ALL THE TIME-ALL THE TIME-GOD IS GOOD!! Since then, several people in our church family(and even some from other Churches)list10 blessing a week and email them to each other. It is so wonderful to see how The Lord is blessing others-it ends up being a blessing to each person that reads them. It is an email we all look forward to each week. I will post my list here each time and would love for you all to share your own list.
HERE ARE MY BLESSINGS FOR THE WEEK.....

1.OUR MENS GROUP AND MENS TRIO AT CHURCH-I COULD LISTEN TO THEM SING ALL DAY(I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE CD!!!).

2.GETTING A CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT FROM BROTHER (DR.) JORDAN-I DIDNT KNOW MY NECK COULD FEEL SO LOOSE-IT FEELS GREAT!!

3.SEEING MONTY IN A SHIRT AND TIE-IF I CAN GET HIM SOME MORE DALLAS COWBOY TIES MAYBE HE'LL WEAR ONE EVERY WEEK!

4.KENYON AND JACINTA ACTUALLY WORKING TOGETHER AND HELPING EACH OTHER DURING SCHOOL-NOW THAT IS SOMETHING I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE.

5.GETTING TO HOLD BABY CONNER TODAY-I CANT BELIEVE I HAD NOT GOTTEN TO HOLD HIM BUT KESLEE HAS SEVERAL TIMES. HE IS SUCH A CUTIE!!!

6.QUIET TIME ON THE PAPER ROUTE. IT IS A GREAT TIME TO HAVE 2 HOURS ALONE TO TALK WITH GOD!!

7.KESLEE TELLING ME ALL ABOUT HER SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON-I AM SO GLAD SHE IS LISTENING!!

8.KALYSA SAYING SHE DID NOT EVEN CRY WHEN KESLEE PROMOTED TO A DIFFERENT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS-AND I HEARD SHE EVEN TALKED TO BROTHER JAYSON(she is shy and usually lets Keslee talk for her).

9.KENYON HAVING SOOO MUCH FUN WITH ALL THE PREACHER'S SONS AT THE PREACHER'S MEETING. I AM SO GLAD HE IS MAKING FRIENDS WITH GOOD KIDS AND WILL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT TIME THEIR FAMILIES GET TO VISIT OUR CHURCH.

10.LAUGHTER!!!- I HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH MY CHURCH FAMILY PREPARING LUNCH-IT IS SO GOOD TO LAUGH WITH/AT EACH OTHER!

MY POOR HOMELESS DAUGHTER!

Do you remember things from when you were small. How old were you at your first memory? I have memories from when I was about 3 years old. Have you ever wondered what happens to all the memories we make before we are 3, 4, or 5? I have always believed that children probably remember things from before they could express them. As we get older we naturally remember less. It just makes sense that the first few years of our lives are the first memories lost. It is always a special treat when we get a glimpse into how children felt about the times they remember but could not yet talk about.

My youngest, Kalysa, was born premature(26 weeks gestation). She was 2 pounds and 4 ounces and was 13 inches long. She spent the first 10 weeks of her life in the NICU at Mercy Hospital, 5 of those weeks were on a ventilator.

Yesterday I was going through some old pictures and Kalysa was enjoying all of them. She wanted me to explain where we were, what we were doing, and where was she(most of them were before she was born). I finally got to a group of pictures that had a lot with her in them. She would tell me everything about them; what she remembered about the trip to San Antonio, or a favorite toy she remembered playing with. She really loved to see pictures of her as a baby with the "special" blanket she still sleeps with today. Then I found some from her time in the hospital(she has seen them all before). This is the conversation that followed....

ME: Oh look! This is when mama first got to hold you.

Kalysa: Yeah, that was before I had a home.

ME: WHAT?!? Of course you had a home. Your home is with me and daddy and Kenyon and Keslee!

Kalysa:I know! And I wanted to go there sooo bad!

WOW! Did my tiny daughter truly feel homeless? Was she wondering everyday why we were leaving her at the hospital? Did she lay in the little incubator everyday for 10 weeks just yearning to leave with us, to be with her mama all the time, to hear her brother and sister running and playing instead of the beeping of monitors from the neighboring beds. Was she dreaming of daddy picking her up in the middle of the night instead of a different nurse every 12 hours? Did this teeny tiny baby already realize that there was a place she was supposed to be and the NICU was not it-it was HOME and she wanted to be there!? I believe each answer is yes.

The question for me is not "when does life begin?" but "when do the memories begin.?". When does an unborn baby begin yearning for home, waiting for mama to hold them, dreaming of kisses from dad. According to Kalysa they had already begun 14 weeks before she was even due to experience any of them.

MY FRIEND AMY

This time of year is my favorite. It brings back memories of the time that I met the true epitome of the word friend. I met Amy 18 years ago this month as we were both starting college. We had grown up a mere 15 miles from each other and had done the same things and gone to the same places but somehow never met. Late September 1990, we met a few times and spoke in passing as we both settled into college life. One evening in early October, she had something she needed to talk about and for some reason she came to me. Our lives were both changed that day. We love to tell people how we slept together on our first date and the rest is history! OK so it is not exactly as it sounds...she told me what she needed to talk about and our relationship officially began. We ended up going back to my dorm room and laying together in my twin bed and talking all night long. Those late night(often ALL night) analytical conversations became a staple of our relationship. Most people think of a soul mate as their spouse, and not to take anything from our husbands, but Amy and I are soul mates. God brought us together for a reason. Over the years we have loved each other, hated each other, cried with each other, yelled at each other, strengthened each other, lifted each other up, and grown with each other. We have been bad together and been good together. There have been many times that we had moments and could say "this is why God brought us together in the first place." She is a part of my family and I am a part of hers. My sister can think of her as a sister, my parents can call her a daughter, my brother loves her(first because he was a teen boy when they met and she is gorgeous but now because she is family). Now we are both at a time in ours lives that we can say "THIS is REALLY why God brought us together!" About the time that I was having a renewal in the Lord-she found Him. My husband is soooo much like her and hers is a lot like me. She helps me understand him better. When her husband said their children would not be going to public schools, I researched homeschooling along with her. The Lord brought us both to similar decisions at the same time. I have started my second year of school and she has just begun her first. Her daughter is 4 months younger than Keslee. We go through the same situations with them together, they are just alike(and destined to be best friends). We live 4 hours apart but are closer than ever. God had our paths cross 18 years ago so that we could walk the same path, side by side, today. She can see God working in my life and I see His work in hers. Amy tells me that she is proud of me and looks up to me. How can someone that I look up to also be looking up to me? I am so proud of Amy! I love her! I thank God daily for her! I can not imagine my life without the kind of friendship we have, it surely would not be as rich. I pray God will someday bring my girls a true friend to grow with and share life with. I hope you all have a girlfriend like mine-that adds so much to the time we have here on earth.

I THINK SARAH PALIN IS ARMED

We made it home from church just in time to hear Governor Palin's speech tonight. I have been reading a lot about her but this was the first chance I had to hear her talk. I do have to say that I like her. I liked what she had to say but I really liked the way she said it. Her personality really came through and it did not seem at all stiff and rehearsed. Anyone can write jokes for her, but the proof is in the delivery. She came off to me as a strong women that is not afraid to stand for what she believes in and will not back down. The way that she picked out many of Obama's biggest weaknesses and highlighted them in humor was priceless. I think she let him know that she is not intimidated by him and really has no reason to be. She was standing in front of cameras from every branch of the media and let the "liberal media" know she is not here to gain a glowing opinion from them. This is not a popularity contest for her but a way to serve her country and it's people. I think she did a great job. There are already people pointing out that she had a speech writer. GIVE ME A BREAK! They all do! The media talks so highly about how great Obama speaks but I guess we all saw how great he did without his speech writer in the saddleback interview. I can't wait until the vp debates because I have a feeling she will come through just as well on the spot. In high school (when I was a snotty teen) there was a saying that I loved....I refuse to have a battle of the wits with an unarmed person. Based on that saying, and Palin's delivery of the speech tonight-it is a good thing for him she doesn't have to debate Obama(although it might be fun to watch.)

WARNING TO ALL READERS....

WOW! When I first decided to blog I thought it would be really exciting. I could just imagine writing the wittiest post and have tons of comments from like minded people as we all rejoice in the truths of my thoughts. Well I haven't even really started and it is a little nerve racking! People are actually LOOKING at what I wrote(not a lot of people but someone other than just my sister or my mom!?!?!) I did not post yesterday because I just did not know what to write about. What if I sound stupid or am totally boring? I want people to enjoy my writing if I am gonna take the time to do it. I feel like I have to live up to someones expectations and I don't even know who that person(or people) is. And what if my friends from church read and realize through something I wrote that I am even less spiritual than they thought? What if an old friend that I have not seen in a long time reads and my thoughts have changed so much since we last talked that they don't know or want to know me anymore? What about other people in my family that do not hold all the same beliefs I do? WHAT IF I OFFEND SOMEONE WITHOUT EVEN MEANING TO??? I tell ya it is a lot of pressure and I was not expecting it.

Well I better just tell you now....I have never really cared a whole lot about what others thought of me. I know I am a sorry sinner that falls short everyday but I also know that through God's grace, truth is available. I want the truth. This is my search for and sharing of that truth. If I feel it, then I think about it. When I think, it most often leads to research, prayer and reading until I know it. When I know it, I usually talk about it. I say what I feel and often times before actually thinking about how it will be received(editing may help with this some but I doubt it will work completely.) When I feel strongly about something, I can get quite passionate about it. I truly do not intend to offend anyone but if you are offended by my feelings or thoughts than I believe you have bigger issues(unless I PERSONALLY attack YOU which I hope to never do). I have been known for arguing but I do not want this site to be used as a debate forum. These are MY thoughts. I am not always right but if the thought has already gone through my feel/think/know process, then it is obviously to the point of being a belief and I refuse to believe things that are not true. If you have some truth that will enlighten me, then by all means, let me know; but there are many things that God himself will have to clarify for me before I change my mind so there is no sense in mindless bickering. Also...I HATE political correct anything so don't expect to see a lot of it here.

And just one last note of explanation-I just watched the republican national convention speeches and really thought about writing about it. Everyone says never talk politics or religion....Well my Christianity is all that is important to me and what I try to base my life on. This year I have really followed more in politics than EVER before and feel so much more knowledgeable than before. When I think I know something I naturally want to share that knowledge! How can I write my true thoughts and feelings if I were to avoid those 2 topics? The answer is I CAN'T so be forewarned.