Birthday

Last week we celebrated Russell’s Birthday.  As Kinley and I were preparing for the evening, I couldn’t help but be encouraged by Kinley’s excitement about her daddy’s birthday. (She was so excited she woke up at 5:30 a.m. and was non-stop till dark!)

I started thinking about how much we look forward to our birthdays when we’re young.  But, as we get older, we tend to not look forward to them as much. Why is that?  Is it because as we get older we tend to look more at our physical appearance and dread the changes that happen to our bodies? Or, for me, I think it’s the reality that life seems to pass by faster the older I get.  (Especially when it comes to celebrating the girl’s birthdays).

Anyway, I’m accepting that if I were to just look at the surface of my life, I will never be satisfied with where I am. There will always be the physical parts that need work and the worldly expectations that need to be met.  But, that’s not the way God intended any of us to live our life entirely. Jeremiah 1:5 says “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”

How profound and mysterious… Before he even created me, God had a purpose for my life that is different from his purpose for anyone else’s life. And in making me, He gave all the grace and talents I need to accomplish that purpose, Wow! 

So, I can look at the outside part of my life and say “I am too old for this or I’m not quite old enough for that” or I can look at every day as a gift and one that only gets sweeter with time. That’s not to say that I will sail through life without problems or obstacles, but Christ will give me everything I need to take one step in the direction I feel He is laying before me and see where it goes.  I’ve got to trust Him to direct the course if I get it wrong.  I should never let the fear of getting it “wrong” keep me from getting started though.

He will provide what I lack.  He will empower me and redirect me when necessary.  He will take care of the details, probably in ways I can’t imagine.   Christ will always give me the grace and love that will help me handle each year. To make a long story short, I’ve got to make every year of my life count for Him.

(Just in case your looking for a great way to celebrate a birthday, here are two amazing recipes brought to you by The Pioneer Woman;)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/brisket_baby/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/08/the-best-baked-beans-ever/

My sweet girls!

These sweet precious little girls belong to God and He has entrusted me to them.  What a wonderful GIFT!

Got Lemons?

The girls and I just sat down for dinner when Russell called from the airport explaining his car wouldn’t start.  I told him I would head his direction as soon as dinner was finished. Conveniently, there are two different airports in Dallas, so to make the adventure more memorable; I ended up driving to the wrong airport in the pouring down rain.

Have you noticed when you’re a mom the more times you’re thrown into life’s unexpected situations, the more resilience you tend to build?  That’s because God knows that as a mother, we must face these small trials in order to see that we do not have total control over our situation. He always finds a way to graciously throw us those unexpected lemons. 

I finally made it to the right airport and after we made it home from our night of adventure, I started wondering why these things happen in my life. As I walked into my bedroom closet, I read the small plaque hanging on my wall that says; “Be still and know that I am God” Psalms 46:10.

What an inconvenience it was to go through that trial. But, what if going through that event was God’s protecting hand on my husband not driving that night?  Or even taking that small detour prevented something bigger from happening?  Yes, it’s true “understanding God would be easier if we had infinite IQ.”  But unfortunately we don’t.

Although I will never understand the entirety of my “whys” in life, maybe it’s through these ordinary mundane things where God is speaking to me the most?  There will always be those unexpected lemons, just like last week I spent 45 minutes with Bailey in the waiting room until finally they said they had forgotten about me.  Or that inconvenient moment half way through the grocery store when Kinley needed to go potty and she couldn’t wait. Sometimes the lemons seem to come so often I wonder if I should start my own lemonade stand.

But, it’s during those moments I have to stop and recognize that this is where God wants me to be. I have to trust that it’s through these little promptings in my daily life, He is speaking directly to me. “Be still and know that I am God” has taken on a new meaning in my life and one that will remind me that I must be still and know He is my only way; He is the only one that can give me deeper purpose in life.

The Wife of Noble Character

Is there really such a thing as a total complete Proverbs 31woman? As I read this scripture the other day, I started feeling myself getting a little overwhelmed. When I was making my checklist and comparing notes, I couldn't help but think I sure have a long way to go to reach this woman God desires me to be. However, this scripture also gives me something greater to strive for in my daily life as a woman who loves Christ, a wife and mother.
 
Being a proverbs woman like anything in life takes work. I've got to work at becoming a good mother, good cook, good wife, and all those oher things.  We don't wake up one day and automatically become that woman. (Although it would be nice if I could magically have all of these qualities and never have to work at putting God and my family before myself.)
 
I've noticed as I reflect on areas of my life, I don't see any area that doesn't need work. There are times that I keep my house maintained and I am well aware of the things that are happening in my household, while other times, I feel like I'm missing the boat on so many levels. I don't think God's intentions were to overwhelm us as women, but to allow us the opportunity to live a deeper more fulfilled
life within him.
 
Keeping our life in tune with Christ is a huge part of making our qualities as women something that reflects Him and his life we have in Him. It's not an easy journey and one with many challenges but I'm fully up to giving Him my best and trusting He will do the rest. It's a never ending challenge and one that is well worth the price in the end.

The MOPS story

I am beginning my first year as the coordinator of Grace Avenue MOPS group, and my fifth year in MOPS.  I have been married to Russell for 6 years.  We have a 4 year old little girl named Kinley and a 15 month old little girl named Bailey and another due at the end of March!  Russell and I moved to Frisco almost four years ago from the great little West Texas town of Midland. We were High School sweet hearts who couldn’t wait to finish college so we could finally live our life together.   

After Kinley, I had full intentions of going back to work and the last week left of maternity leave my heart did a huge twist! I decided my role as a new mom was where my heart was pulling me so I chose to leave my career and become a stay at home mom.   

I soon learned that with all of the rewards also came the fears and struggles and the need to connect with other moms with young children.  My dear friend, Kirsten invited me to visit our local MOPS group.  At first, I was just so excited to find an activity I could be a part of, but now the meaning of the group has grown to include the friendships, support, fun, leadership opportunities and spiritual growth that MOPS has provided to me.  I hope this will bring you the same joys of connection and understanding that MOPS has given to me. 

Last year we learned together about ourselves as we went through the adventures of motherhood.  We celebrated and embraced the fun in the experiences, even in the midst of daily mom life that stretched us emotionally and spiritually.  The theme for last year “Adventures in Mothering” with the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the amusement park, motherhood felt like a sensory overload. But, the main underlying reason for the theme was to allow us to focus on how God is with us in our mothering adventure.  The knowledge that God is with us on the mothering adventure gives hope and that God’s love is big enough for the magnitude of the adventure!

This year’s theme is “Momology the Art and Science of Motherhood”.  Mothering is both art and science.  There’s the scientific side of mothering where we develop a hypothesis based on certain principles, test and keep refining our hypotheses until we find what works for us. Intertwined with the scientific, mothering requires an artistry that shades with our personality, colors with our unique gifts, and blends past and current experiences. The Theme passage for this year is “Even there your hand will guide me your right hand will hold me fast” Psalm 139:10.  Anywhere we go, God sees, knows, and guides. So we can lead — and love — knowing God will get us through all the hard spots, all our decisions, all our roles, all our times we can’t hold open our eyelids and the times we’re bursting with joy. God’s hand guides us as we guide our children. As we study Momology together to become better moms making a better world. I hope this MOPS year we can learn together how to “experiment” the “Art” of mothering so that what begins in MOPS will serve you as you go out into the world.  Here is our 2010-2011 Steering team!! ENJOY!

The Snow Cone Lady

It’s the end of August and another summer’s promise is almost gone…though the long summer heat is coming to an end, we were excited to spend the last day of August at the Snow Cone lady. (The most famous woman in our house during these hot summer days!)

 
Have you ever noticed that our lives unfold through seasons? We experience periods of joy like robbing your daughter’s piggy bank for $3.00 and meeting great friends for a snow cone, to times that we experience
sadness and emptiness, like the trees in winter that sleep for a time. In spite of that, like the joy of eating a snow cone in the summer, so also the trees in the winter are called back to new life with the
blossoms in the spring.
 
During my difficult times, I sometimes begin to feel that God has forgotten me, left me in darkness. But no: God never intended for any of us to stop seeking him, we were made to have communion with him in
every situation. It amazes me, just when I feel complacent in my walk with Him, He allows adversity to happen. Gratefully, With those hardships, produces more dependence on Him. And in many ways helps me
have more compassion and understanding for others. Perhaps I can't make a difference in the world if I can’t relate to the struggles of others?
 
The Lord says it simply and directly to His people: “I am concerned about you.” And it’s more than a soothing sentiment. God came down from Heaven, and He experienced suffering and sorrow in human flesh.
We know that in Jesus we have an advocate who is compassionate and understanding. May I never doubt His concern for me.
 
Father, help me appreciate all the seasons of my life. Weather in summer or fall may I honor You, in Christ’s precious name. Amen

GG

                                            Gloria "GG"  January 10, 1931 - August 22, 2010

There are a handful of people who come into your world, and touch your life in a dramatic fashion.  Some of the people are just flickers of light during a long life, while others are consistent glows for years.  For me, GG was one with a bright everlasting glow.  She was a woman who lived life to the fullest and loved from her heart every chance she got.

She was so much, to so many. I remember the first time I saw GG was 10 years ago as I was playing a “Space Girl” in the famous Summer Mummers play back home.  You couldn't miss her, of course.  She was the beautiful 70 year old woman who was the first card girl in the “Olio” act that started the year I was born in 1979. Almost 32 years ago!! Her contagious personality could be received for miles…Tina (my counter part at the time) and I admired her beauty and classy style. I remember us both telling her we hoped we looked that good at her age!!!  She just had that special glow about her.

As I look at her life, it amazes me to see how she was so much too so many.  She lived a long beautiful life as a mother of four, and was a member and volunteer for several local charities in the Midland area over her years.  It has been said that "one of our greatest gifts to us is each other" and she truly reflected this in her life.  She was extremely beautiful both inside and out.  To those who knew her, no explanation is necessary... To those who didn't, no explanation is possible... GG, you leave an everlasting legacy, thank you for your beautiful spirit.

After Glow

I'd like the memory of me
to be a happy one.
I'd like to leave an after glow
of smiles when life is done.
I'd like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times
and bright and sunny days.
I'd like the tears of those who grieve,
to dry before the sun
of happy memories
that I leave when life is done

I Get to have another baby

Well, we finally decided to make the announcement!  Here lately I've been starting to feel a little less overwhelmed about the thought of having three.  Today, I’m counting my blessings and realizing as I begin bending my knees, God is showing me that "I get to have another baby." Nothing is going to happen during this time in my life that God and I can’t handle together.

“Because I get to have another baby”

As I look back at the unfolding of this reality, I remember how my heart started racing when I saw the positive sign on the pregnancy test.  I remember the look of excitement on Russell’s face as I told him the news.  I remember the exciting night I made baby back ribs just to announce the news to our girls. It was so exciting to watch Kinley's reaction when she was told she was going to be another BIG sister… Yes, we are truly blessed and highly favored, we get to have another baby.

As the time is slowly moving along, I have the beautiful opportunity to hear the brand new heart beat and the comforting noise that tells me the baby is still well. Not long from now I will get to feel the flutters of my baby and know that God is present in me and building this precious life that will soon reflect His love in this world.

I get to “gracefully” see the swell of my belly and try not to get bothered by my weight gain Whoo!!! I get to laugh at Kinley’s names she has already picked out; Bailey the 2^nd  and Marsh Marlow just to name a few. 

I get to learn the rhythms, the active times, the sleep times, the hiccups and the guessing of movements all before I see that beautiful face. I get to fold the little bitty clothes and cherish the quietness of their sweet coos.

I get to imagine the arrival into the world and all the wonderful feelings of holding and touching that sweet soft skin against mine.  I get to again, feel the real presence of the Lord right beside me as I love and nurture this sweet gift of life he as freely and lovingly given me.

I get to have another baby. Again.

Isn’t God so wonderful to allow our lives the unending blessings that come with parenting and motherhood?  I am so thankful he has led me to this precious time in my life as a mother. 

Every child comes with a message that God is not yet discouraged of man.  Rabindranth Tagore