Go to the site below to enter a cloth diaper giveaway. Enjoy!
http://theecofriendlyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/10/cloth-diaper-giveaway.html?showComment=1255440804816#c8692809551738025106
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
His Plans For Me ~ My Portion
As a Christian, I believe that the Lord has control over every aspect that touches my life. Jeremiah 29:11 says: “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I find it amazing that the Lord Himself has plans for me and they are always for my Good. As I deal with the frustrations of life it is easy to lose sight of this fact and respond by grumbling and complaining. Is it my place to decide that this particular circumstance or event belongs to my lovingly assigned portion while that one does not? Psalm 16:5 says: “LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.” The assignments are not up to me. “Your will be done” (Matt 6:10) means exactly that. My acceptance and invitation of the Lord’s will in my life. My trusting in Him and His ultimate plan for goodness even when I don’t understand. My response of gratitude regardless (I Thes 5:16-18).
The past few days have been a roller coaster of ups and downs. Jason is very sick again, and somehow our circumstances ~ the seemingly endless doctors appointments, hospital visits, car problems, mounting medical bills, children who are stressed and respond by being high maintenance, sleepless nights while caring for him and our little ones, special arrangements for the kids while going to all of these appointments ~ have become overwhelming to me. I trust that I am only seeing a small part of the plan that God is unfolding in my life and in the lives of my family. This portion is for my good ~ for the good of our entire family.
Sunday evening we made the decision to take Jason back to the emergency room because he had a severe headache that had not abated in two days. He had become almost non-responsive whenever I checked on him, and I was growing concerned about his stiff neck and fever along with the headache. As I was dressing and preparing the diaper bag, baby girl had a “blowout” diaper in the exersaucer. Our first delay. Again, not the timing I would have chosen, as I had to change her entire outfit and throw everything in a washing machine to soak while I was gone. Thy will be done, Father. My parents graciously came over to be with the older children at a moment’s notice, but as they entered the home they informed me that my van tire was completely flat. Apparently, I had run over a nail on the way home from church on Sunday morning. We switched the carseat and strollers over to the other van and continued our trip to the hospital. Another part of our heavenly allotted portion, allowed by the Lord for our good.
In spite of these delays, we arrived at the hospital quickly and were taken back to a cubicle immediately. We were in and out of the hospital in under three hours ~ our quickest visit ever. The doctors and staff treated him very kindly and were compassionate as they ran tests and administered medication. When we got home, my Dad had plugged our tire ~ a blessing both from my earthly father and my heavenly one.
Today, mentally and physically exhausted from several nights of shortened and interrupted sleep, I did not greet the day with my usual energy and enthusiasm. I was weak and I knew it. Crying out to the Lord, He showed Himself strong in my life and was gracious enough to allow me to recognize those blessings as they came. The kids were happy and school went smoothly. I was able to get Jason into our family doctor where he was immediately taken back and given a shot that has helped him sleep this afternoon (although the headache is not any better). My mother brought leftover roast and vegetables for our dinner so that I didn’t have to worry about cooking or clean-up this evening.
So many smaller blessings that I recognized throughout my day, and I was thankful to realize how much the Lord loves me and is Present to me throughout our trials. Each and every circumstance was and is part of the portion the Lord has prepared for me. Knowing that He loved me enough to give Himself for me, trusting that He will bring glory to His Name in the midst of these circumstances, believing that He has a plan for good in everything He is allowing, I thank Him.
The past few days have been a roller coaster of ups and downs. Jason is very sick again, and somehow our circumstances ~ the seemingly endless doctors appointments, hospital visits, car problems, mounting medical bills, children who are stressed and respond by being high maintenance, sleepless nights while caring for him and our little ones, special arrangements for the kids while going to all of these appointments ~ have become overwhelming to me. I trust that I am only seeing a small part of the plan that God is unfolding in my life and in the lives of my family. This portion is for my good ~ for the good of our entire family.
Sunday evening we made the decision to take Jason back to the emergency room because he had a severe headache that had not abated in two days. He had become almost non-responsive whenever I checked on him, and I was growing concerned about his stiff neck and fever along with the headache. As I was dressing and preparing the diaper bag, baby girl had a “blowout” diaper in the exersaucer. Our first delay. Again, not the timing I would have chosen, as I had to change her entire outfit and throw everything in a washing machine to soak while I was gone. Thy will be done, Father. My parents graciously came over to be with the older children at a moment’s notice, but as they entered the home they informed me that my van tire was completely flat. Apparently, I had run over a nail on the way home from church on Sunday morning. We switched the carseat and strollers over to the other van and continued our trip to the hospital. Another part of our heavenly allotted portion, allowed by the Lord for our good.
In spite of these delays, we arrived at the hospital quickly and were taken back to a cubicle immediately. We were in and out of the hospital in under three hours ~ our quickest visit ever. The doctors and staff treated him very kindly and were compassionate as they ran tests and administered medication. When we got home, my Dad had plugged our tire ~ a blessing both from my earthly father and my heavenly one.
Today, mentally and physically exhausted from several nights of shortened and interrupted sleep, I did not greet the day with my usual energy and enthusiasm. I was weak and I knew it. Crying out to the Lord, He showed Himself strong in my life and was gracious enough to allow me to recognize those blessings as they came. The kids were happy and school went smoothly. I was able to get Jason into our family doctor where he was immediately taken back and given a shot that has helped him sleep this afternoon (although the headache is not any better). My mother brought leftover roast and vegetables for our dinner so that I didn’t have to worry about cooking or clean-up this evening.
So many smaller blessings that I recognized throughout my day, and I was thankful to realize how much the Lord loves me and is Present to me throughout our trials. Each and every circumstance was and is part of the portion the Lord has prepared for me. Knowing that He loved me enough to give Himself for me, trusting that He will bring glory to His Name in the midst of these circumstances, believing that He has a plan for good in everything He is allowing, I thank Him.
Friday, April 24, 2009
I feel so blessed
I read a post from a dear MOMYS friend named Tina, which truly inspired me today. In the midst of her hardship, she has displayed such joy and love for her family that it uplifted me in a way that is difficult for me to express. May we all walk through life's trials with the joy that Tina is experiencing.
http://awomansjourneyhome.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-feel-so-blessed.html#links
Blessings on your day!
http://awomansjourneyhome.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-feel-so-blessed.html#links
Blessings on your day!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Jump Back. . .
My blog has been patiently waiting for me while I have neglected it, so I thought it was time for me to update. We have kept very busy as a family recently. After joining the YMCA a few weeks ago, we have been swimming on a regular basis. Very fun for all of us because the pool is indoors and they have cool fountains and sprays and a huge water slide for the kids, so we can enjoy it in all types of weather. We also enjoy it when regular kids are in school and it is less crowded. My kids love our new PE outings and their swimming has improved greatly.
We have also enjoyed a family vacation to San Antonio this spring. We visited the Alamo, Riverwalk, Sea World, Wildseed Farms and Cascade Caverns and had a fun time relaxing in the evenings around the indoor pool at the hotel. Knowing the rough year we had last year, it made this trip very meaningful for all of us, and time passed way to quickly. Everything about the trip was perfect, the weather, the kids, everything, so other than baby cutting a tooth, we all had an awesome time. It was a blessing to borrow my parents van, which is a little bigger than ours and has a CD player. We spent many hours listening to the Jonathan Park series, which was a big hit with all of the kids, but especially with "Meanie".
Jason has been having vision issues and seen several specialists down at Dean McGee this spring. We are going next week to see our fourth eye doctor, so hopefully we will get some answers to the problems he is having. Right now, we have three different doctors with three different diagnoses, no treatment being done, and everyone keeps passing the buck to the next doctor down the line :-(
Hope all of you are getting out and enjoying this beautiful weather. Kind of makes me want to invest in a hammock. . .
Be blessed!
We have also enjoyed a family vacation to San Antonio this spring. We visited the Alamo, Riverwalk, Sea World, Wildseed Farms and Cascade Caverns and had a fun time relaxing in the evenings around the indoor pool at the hotel. Knowing the rough year we had last year, it made this trip very meaningful for all of us, and time passed way to quickly. Everything about the trip was perfect, the weather, the kids, everything, so other than baby cutting a tooth, we all had an awesome time. It was a blessing to borrow my parents van, which is a little bigger than ours and has a CD player. We spent many hours listening to the Jonathan Park series, which was a big hit with all of the kids, but especially with "Meanie".
Jason has been having vision issues and seen several specialists down at Dean McGee this spring. We are going next week to see our fourth eye doctor, so hopefully we will get some answers to the problems he is having. Right now, we have three different doctors with three different diagnoses, no treatment being done, and everyone keeps passing the buck to the next doctor down the line :-(
Hope all of you are getting out and enjoying this beautiful weather. Kind of makes me want to invest in a hammock. . .
Be blessed!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Hospitality
Since having so many littles, I have found it more and more difficult to be hospitable, in part because I tend to be a perfectionist. If my house cannot be perfectly clean and if I do not feel on top of my "chores", I do not feel like having company. I have come to realize that, as a mother of many young ones, I am never going to feel like my house is clean enough or that I am on top of all of the projects I would like to complete. Granted, after the year we had last year, things around our home could be better, but this is really no excuse. God calls me to be hospitable.
This can mean different things at different stages of life. It may mean having someone over for snacks and a movie. If things are really bad, it may mean meeting them at the park for a picnic lunch. In our case, our house is particularly small. We don't even have room at our dining table for all of *our* family members--let alone adding extras, so when we have company, we have to be creative. Between the coffee table and the dining table, we can usually squeeze in. We've even been known to have people sitting on chairs with a TV tray next to them or using our little kids outdoor picnic table for small ones :-) The point is, I don't have to offer a Martha Stewart perfect experience. It doesn't even have to be an entire dinner. It *does* need to be filled with love and a desire to make our guests feel welcome.
Recently, we've been working again on being more hospitable. We've enjoyed having a few people over and have kept things simple to avoid the chaos. It will definitely be easier when the weather gets nicer and we can extend our hospitality into the backyard :-) But, for today we are offering what we *do* have and being blessed in the process.
This can mean different things at different stages of life. It may mean having someone over for snacks and a movie. If things are really bad, it may mean meeting them at the park for a picnic lunch. In our case, our house is particularly small. We don't even have room at our dining table for all of *our* family members--let alone adding extras, so when we have company, we have to be creative. Between the coffee table and the dining table, we can usually squeeze in. We've even been known to have people sitting on chairs with a TV tray next to them or using our little kids outdoor picnic table for small ones :-) The point is, I don't have to offer a Martha Stewart perfect experience. It doesn't even have to be an entire dinner. It *does* need to be filled with love and a desire to make our guests feel welcome.
Recently, we've been working again on being more hospitable. We've enjoyed having a few people over and have kept things simple to avoid the chaos. It will definitely be easier when the weather gets nicer and we can extend our hospitality into the backyard :-) But, for today we are offering what we *do* have and being blessed in the process.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
I've Lost It!
My digital camera, I mean. . .lol. Last week, I took some adorable pictures of my children out in the snow. We didn't leave the house till Sunday, and on Sunday we realized it was missing. So, chances are good that it is around my house somewhere. They really should make digital cameras with beepers you can page like cordless phones and some remotes have :-)
We've done some detailed looked in the front part of the house, but haven't found it. . . so today I guess we are going to have dump everything and go through every nook and cranny we can find. Oh yeah! I've kept hoping that we would just come across it this week without having to tear through everything. On the upside, I guess it will give me an opportunity to explore corners of my home that have been too long neglected :-) I've prayed for several days that God would allow me to find it soon, because it is stealing my peace. I think he's decided that I need the joy of looking for something and an additional opportunity to learn patience instead :-)
We've done some detailed looked in the front part of the house, but haven't found it. . . so today I guess we are going to have dump everything and go through every nook and cranny we can find. Oh yeah! I've kept hoping that we would just come across it this week without having to tear through everything. On the upside, I guess it will give me an opportunity to explore corners of my home that have been too long neglected :-) I've prayed for several days that God would allow me to find it soon, because it is stealing my peace. I think he's decided that I need the joy of looking for something and an additional opportunity to learn patience instead :-)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Wow, we missed a month!
After at least one trip to the hospital each and every month from December 2007 to December 2008, the pattern has finally been broken. We've missed a month! Hooray! No one in our family had to go to the hospital in January 2009, PTL. Praying for a healthier year with, hopefully, fewer (or maybe even no) hospital visits.
I've been very neglectful of my blog recently and have had several people inquiring about Jason's health. PTL, Jason has been working steadily since the middle of November. He has good days and bad days and is very blessed that since his return to work, they have had him training three new mechanics that have been hired to work in his area. IMHO, this has been a win-win situation for both sides. Jason is such a knowledgeable mechanic, that he is definitely missed when he is not working. The department has been overloaded for some time, so this will help keep the workload more manageable for everyone. While he is training the new crew, he has times when he can stand back and simply oversee their work, which is definitely easier on him from a physical standpoint. Of course, he is still doing mechanic work himself, but at least his new responsibilities have allowed him to make a slower transition back into the heavy manual labor. He is still in pain, but is learning to grit his teeth, so to speak, and bear it.
Jason did return to the hospital on Dec 29th for a few hours, because his pain was very bad. After doing another CT scan, we were informed that he was still inflamed and that there was really nothing they could do for him. Jason is allergic to anti-inflammatory medication, so other than rest/time, we knew that nothing would really help. At this point, he decided to just go back to work and deal with it, knowing that the only alternative is for him to get on disability. It is very likely that Jason could get on disability, but at this point it is his desire to continue working and we are both praying that God will allow him to do this for quite a while.
We've not had any luck whatsoever with getting Jason in to a pain management specialist. No one is willing to take him, probably because they know that, other than narcotics, nothing they can do will help. Unfortunate, but we have come to accept things for what they are until the Lord tells us differently.
I have found myself perplexed right now as to exactly what I should be doing each day. After our trying year, things have become chaotic, housewise, schoolwise, child training wise, etc. I feel compelled to get things back in order, but am overwhelmed with the task of where to begin. Also, we have made so many trips to the hospital that I feel that I have to be prepared at moment's notice to have our lives thrown into a new round of hospitalization (read: chaos).
In many ways, I would just like to take some down time and relax and enjoy some things with the children, but at the same time I don't feel that I have that luxury when Jason is still not doing very well. I am trying to find balance in all of this, but it is difficult because the Martha in me wants to get everything organized as quickly as possible. I am praying the Lord will help me prioritize my time and allow me to focus on the things He would have me to do with my time and energy.
I've been very neglectful of my blog recently and have had several people inquiring about Jason's health. PTL, Jason has been working steadily since the middle of November. He has good days and bad days and is very blessed that since his return to work, they have had him training three new mechanics that have been hired to work in his area. IMHO, this has been a win-win situation for both sides. Jason is such a knowledgeable mechanic, that he is definitely missed when he is not working. The department has been overloaded for some time, so this will help keep the workload more manageable for everyone. While he is training the new crew, he has times when he can stand back and simply oversee their work, which is definitely easier on him from a physical standpoint. Of course, he is still doing mechanic work himself, but at least his new responsibilities have allowed him to make a slower transition back into the heavy manual labor. He is still in pain, but is learning to grit his teeth, so to speak, and bear it.
Jason did return to the hospital on Dec 29th for a few hours, because his pain was very bad. After doing another CT scan, we were informed that he was still inflamed and that there was really nothing they could do for him. Jason is allergic to anti-inflammatory medication, so other than rest/time, we knew that nothing would really help. At this point, he decided to just go back to work and deal with it, knowing that the only alternative is for him to get on disability. It is very likely that Jason could get on disability, but at this point it is his desire to continue working and we are both praying that God will allow him to do this for quite a while.
We've not had any luck whatsoever with getting Jason in to a pain management specialist. No one is willing to take him, probably because they know that, other than narcotics, nothing they can do will help. Unfortunate, but we have come to accept things for what they are until the Lord tells us differently.
I have found myself perplexed right now as to exactly what I should be doing each day. After our trying year, things have become chaotic, housewise, schoolwise, child training wise, etc. I feel compelled to get things back in order, but am overwhelmed with the task of where to begin. Also, we have made so many trips to the hospital that I feel that I have to be prepared at moment's notice to have our lives thrown into a new round of hospitalization (read: chaos).
In many ways, I would just like to take some down time and relax and enjoy some things with the children, but at the same time I don't feel that I have that luxury when Jason is still not doing very well. I am trying to find balance in all of this, but it is difficult because the Martha in me wants to get everything organized as quickly as possible. I am praying the Lord will help me prioritize my time and allow me to focus on the things He would have me to do with my time and energy.
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