Tennis Shoes

Tennis Shoes. One of the defining items of a little boys wardrobe. The fact that these shoes are on the hearth of our fireplace is a good indication that the boys whose feet go in them are in bed. My boys are constantly on the go. If the shoes are still, it means they are too. What a comfort for a mom to see the shoes on the hearth and know her boys are snoozing soundly after a busy day. It means that the little men are dreaming big dreams about cowboys, action figures, legos, soccer balls, and of course, dirt. Dreams that will eventually become being astronauts, fire fighters, football stars, and doctors when they grow up...dreams that will continue to evolve as they mature.

My dream is that they grow to be men who love the Lord Jesus... who follow hard after Him. My dream is that they learn to seek Him with all of their hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. My dream is that they would put Jesus' desires first in all that they do. A mom with Jesus in her heart knows that if this dream comes true, then all of the rest of everything will fall into place. Perfectly.

"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and your gates." (Deut. 6:6-9)

"But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children -- with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts." (Psalm 103:17-18)

FIREPROOF

Jeremy and I just returned from a long overdue date. We went to go see one of the best movies we've seen in a long time. We saw Fireproof. It was a story of Caleb, a captain in the fire department (Kirk Cameron), whose marriage is falling apart at the seams. His wife says she wants out. He all but gives it to her until his father challenges him to the Love Dare. The challenge is to do one thing for your spouse each day. The key is to do it 100% even if your spouse isn't returning the love or respect.

Caleb gets to day 23 and almost gives up. Finally, realizing, with the help of his earthly father that he can't give the love his wife needs because he doesn't have a relationship with his heavenly Father, he begins to change and chooses to love even if it's not returned.

I won't go on and give away the end - just in case you plan on seeing it. It really was great. I plan on buying it - when it comes out on DVD.

Make sure you take tissues. I cried through a good portion of the movie - which doesn't mean a lot seeing as I cry at the drop of a hat - however, I heard Jeremy sniffling too every once in a while. I think it's manly when they cry.

Anyway - go see it. Support the Kendrick brothers who wrote the movie, and stand up for movies that are pro-family - in more ways than one.

Wordless Wednesday

So Proud

Welcome Fall

As much as I reel against going back to school after summer, I do really enjoy the cool air and low humidity that autumn brings. Playing outside is never as fun as when fall brings the cool breeze. Our time outside is even more limited because I usually don't get the boys home until 4:30. We try to stay and play outside until daddy comes home. Some days are not nearly as long because after work meetings rob me of my afternoon outside time, but every moment outside is a precious one with boys that will be grown all too soon.

Today, after daddy got home, the play continued. I ran in to start dinner, and before I could start I grabbed my camera to get a few beginning of fall shots. It's cool enough here to wear a hoodie and still be comfortable. The boys and their dad played with the soccer ball, the big blue ball, the tricycle, and anything else they could get their hands on. What is it about boys and sticks, anyway? Chopsy even found his way into my garden.

Fingerprints (revisited)

These are not fingerprints, you say, however, they are a sign that my Almighty Creator has a very specific hand in every day. It is true that no two snowflakes are alike. I am amazed that the LORD takes such an interest in snowflakes and fingerprints so that all are unique.

This post is not really about snowflakes or human fingerprints, but God's fingerprints. Last week I was in a pretty scary place. It had nothing to do with health or relationships, but reliving an experience that I really didn't want to relive. I desperately prayed for the Lord to show me how His hands were all over the situation because I could not go through the situation alone. I cried out to Him in the morning to ask to be able to see His fingerprints - for some assurance to be confident that He was in control of it on that day. Well - the Lord showed up. He left His smudgy prints all over my day. It was the best day I've had in a long time.


Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him all peoples!
For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and His truth is everlasting. Praise the LORD! Psalm 117:1-2

'tis the season

The allergy/cold season is officially upon us. With the change in the weather, the welcome cooler temperatures and the opportunity to open the windows and let the fresh air in bring with them allergies and colds. And of course, knowing my family, asthma is right on our heels. Chops has been on his breathing treatments ever since school started. Today we made our first trip of the season to the doctor with an ear infection. "Doesn't Chops have tubes?" you ask. Why yes, he does. The infection was so thick that the drops we normally put in couldn't get to the infection. The doctor described it as putting a towel on a leak. So with prescription in hand I am off to our favorite shopping venue - Target - and to our favorite pharmacist in the world - Mr. Mark. Hopefully, we'll be through this round of medicine before Chopsy's second birthday. Thankfully, Monkeyman is still clear. I'm praying that he has finally outgrown the asthma issues he had when he was younger. I'm sure we will find out soon.

Other than that all is pretty quiet at our house. Monkeyman is doing great at school. We have resolved some initial issues that happened the second week. I think his teacher finally gets it. We wrote out some information on his paperwork when getting ready for school about SPD to help her in dealing with him.

Wordless Wednesday

Hooray for ice cream! He loves it almost as much as Mommy!

Can We Talk?

This is not a personal request but the name of a new Bible Study I started last Wednesday at church. The kick off for the Fall Bible Study season began, and I was ready to open my mouth and be filled with God's precious Word. I have always struggled with being able to actually study the Bible without a "Bible Study". This, in my opinion, is stupid. I have a Masters degree in education. I studied for years. I came through all of my years of formal schooling with great grades, yet I have trouble sitting down and ingesting God's Word. Why is it so easy to study academics and so hard to get into God's Word?


Well, hopefully with this study my prayers are answered. It's a study by Priscilla Shirer. She calls it an "un" Bible Study. She actually gives 5 steps that are fairly easy to remember to help you get into God's Word. The goal is to see Scripture as God speaking to you. It's a conversation. We speak to God through prayer and we receive God's Word as His message to us for the day. I'm only on the first week, but it's already looking like a great study. I highly recommend it. Further updates to come.

Now I gotta go. My OSU Buckeyes are playing the biggest game of the season except for the game against Michigan. My eyes will be glued to the tv for the USC game. My boys are underdogs tonight. I only have one thing to say..... GO BUCKS!!!!
Oh - it's gonna be a late night.... Michael Phelps is hosting SNL tonight too.

Washed by the Water (Part II)

Washed by the water...the song really rings true. As we know by experience, oftentimes God takes us through storms to grow us, to show us how we need to depend on Him. He never shoves us into the storm alone. He carries us through. We are never left to fend for ourselves. He knows we'd never make it. Our hope is always in our Comforter. His desire is for us to cling to Him through the trials, to admit we don't know the answers. Because He is God and is not limited by time and space, our future is already complete to Him. He already knows how the story plays out. So even when the storm comes we can experience being washed by the water. The water from the storm washes us, refreshes us, and tires us out.

A storm has an interesting way of making things new. After coming through a storm, hopefully, we are refreshed by clinging to the LORD. Just like a rainstorm that cleans the air, the sidewalk from debris, and the leaves on trees and bushes, a storm of life can have the effect of cleaning our souls by ridding us of the junk that has accumulated in our lives by bringing us closer to Jesus. It becomes clear how much we need Him in the storm, and everything else that seemed important doesn't seem so important.

This being said, the Lord answered a prayer in a very specific way today. Wednesday and Thursday of this week I had a very specific discussion with Jesus about the Monkster. For the first three days of this week he got stuck on the red light at school. For those of you familiar with classroom discipline, a stop light is often used for discipline. Everyone starts on the green light. After a warning for an infraction the child moves his name to yellow. If there are no more infractions the child can move back to green. If the child has to be warned again, he moves his name to red. A red light gets a note home. It takes quite a bit to land on red. Once on red there is NO HOPE of going back to green again for the day. This is how the first 3 days of our week went. After I called the babysitter on Monday and Tuesday and found out about the red days I became VERY scared about how the rest of our preschool year was going to go. The thought of last year's experience jumped into the forefront of my mind. Last year's experience DID NOT GO WELL.
Last year we pulled the Monkeyman out of school due to a lot of issues. It was just a really ugly experience. This week all of those wounds from last year were becoming fresh again. I was really beginning to doubt that school would ever go well for my boy. For a teacher that is devastating. I told the Lord in my discussions with Him that I couldn't do this again. I told Him how alone I felt even though I knew I wasn't alone. I told Him, begged Him to take this situation over. I also told Him that I needed to see His hand in this. I needed to see His fingerprints all over this situation.

Today - I saw the fingerprints. Monkey had a great day yesterday and today. He stayed on green both days. When Jeremy dropped him off his teacher gave him the "hold on" finger. She pulled Jeremy aside and told him that while she was out sick the other day she looked up sensory processing disorder, which is what Monkey was diagnosed with over a year ago. She was amazed at all of the information on it. She recognized symptoms in our boy and saw some solutions or at least some suggestions of what to do in certain situations. She went back and looked at his file and saw that I had written down the same suggestions. She apologized to Jeremy for not looking more closely at Monkey's file. She was very receptive to having our occupational therapist come and give her tips, and also was interested in talking with the diagnostic team that evaluated Monkey last spring. They offered their consultative services to us when we told them that Monkey would be going to a private Christian preschool.

All in all Jeremy's conversation with our boy's teacher was God's way of telling me that He had control. He was showing me His hand... His control over the situation. What a GREAT GOD!!! After I received this information by email I raised my hands in submission and praise to my God. I recognized again that I am but the created of the Creator. To God be the glory. He is worthy.

The squalls may still blow and the rain may still pelt my skin and soak me through. The storm may not be over, it may just be a break in the clouds for now. But because the Lord is faithful, He let me experience a warm ray of the sunshine of His love to reassure me that I won't be in the storm forever. Eventually, the clouds will disperse. The Son still shines. And I am washed by the water.

Wordless Wednesday

Is is Wednesday already? Here's it is.

I am washed by the Water

I had another chaotic day today. As my almost two year old stands here and screams because he wants to watch the Wiggles sing "Hot potato" on youtube, I am reminded that even in the midst of my chaos that my God is still good. Even when the trials of life are swarming around me like a category 5 hurricane and I can't seem to catch a breath for all of the whirling circumstances. The Lord is still good. He is completely aware and in control of every circumstance in life. Why should I feel frustrated and confused when the God of the Universe is looking out for me? I am confident that He will never give me more than I can handle... it's a promise! In my human frailty I forget the strength that is promised to be given to me in my weakness. With the faith of a mustard seed I can tell a mountain to move, and it will. That's POWER!


There is a music group called Need to Breathe. They have a popular song out now called Washed by the Water. The chorus reminds how God is there to turn ugly situations into blessings:

Even when the rain falls
even when the flood starts risin'
Even when the storm comes
I am washed by the Water.

What a blessing it is to remember that what the enemy means for evil my God turns to blessing. I am in awe.


I feel that the past week has been that of a complaining spirit. NO MORE! God is great and greatly to be praised in great times and in chaotic confusing times. He is my strength, my shelter, my strong tower. I will run to Him, hide in His protection, and give Him all glory and praise for bringing me through whatever is going on in my life. It is only by His Word that I see another morning. I want to live my life to praise Him in calm and in storm.

The LORD is greatly to be praised

It happened- today was the first day that the big Monkey sat with us in Big Church. The morning came with much fear and trepidation at the thought of my four year old boy sitting in church with people around us. Those of you who know my Monkey, know that he has trouble sitting for long periods of time in a quiet place. However, mom brought a bag of goodies and he did just fine. Thankfully, we knew the people in front of us, parents of one of our babysitters. They were quite understanding and weren't too far removed from remembering when they were in our shoes. I can't tell you how I had been praying over this day.

Monkey also got a new Sunday School teacher. Another praise... I knew her and she knew him. She is a psychologist and a friend that has 3 well behaved kids of her own. We've been through Kindermusik together and she knows my active boy. She also helped out in Monkeyman's Sunday School class last year. What a relief. After the year we've had - it was such a comfort knowing that things might just turn out okay... I know that God, Himself, is looking at me and reading this - and saying - "Child, if you would just turn things over to ME, and leave the things that burden you, that scare you, that worry you in My Hands I will do more than all you ask or think. All to the glory of MY Name.

Sorry for forgetting so quickly, Lord. I know that You are completely able. Thanks for loving me the way that you do - perfectly!

My best friend

Okay - my best friend- the one who got me to start this whole blogging thing - I love her. I adore her. And confession of all confessions - I envy her. (Are you surprised Heather?) She has the privilege of staying home to homeschool her wonderful boys, Lollipop - her little girl is under one and is not of homeschooling age - yet! That's not the reason I envy her. She happens be graced with four beautiful children who seem to be great at everything they attempt, are very smart, capable, athletic, sweet, and have a heart for Jesus! That's not why I envy her. And NO, it's not because of her husband. Even though I love him. With the commanded love of Christ -right Chris? No, I'm envious of her because she just got the sweetest new addition to her family. His name is Mosby. He walks on four legs and would probably give you a big sloppy kiss with his puppy dog tongue. He is so sweet.

We have a beast at home that we love and adore. We used to have two. Our other boy, Mattox had to be put to sleep 2 years ago after we found out he had an aggressive form of cancer. The day we had to say good-bye was the first day I ever had the feeling that my heart was being ripped out of my chest. Even now, tears well up in my eyes just thinking about it.

I didn't feel that it was right for us, or for his furry brother Shiloh, to go out and get another friend at that time. We needed to heal, and mourn, and I was going to have an infant just two months from the day Mattox left us. Now that infant is almost 2 years old. So maybe it's time to consider a new friend. After all - doesn't society say I need to keep up with the Joneses? If not them, then at least my best friend.

I love you, Heather. Give Mosby a big hug for me. Let him know that we'll be up to meet him as soon as we can.

Wordless Wednesday

Only 179 days left

My [daughter], if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And the find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.
Proverbs 2: 1-9

This was from my Bible study this morning. God really used it to speak to me. It's what I desire. What I long for.


A new countdown has begun. It seems as though I spend my life counting down. But when you are a teacher at a school with boys at home that you would love to be with, of course, you count down. I made it through my first day of preschool, again. It's beginning to seem like the movie Groundhog Day. Every year the class seems to be just a disjointed as the year before. The first day is never a stellar day for me. Don't get me wrong.. today wasn't bad. It was just chaotic. I'm getting too old for chaotic. From kids not knowing what bus they are on, to a child getting off at the wrong school and not being able to tell us his name (not to mention the fact that his parent had not written his name on ANY of his belongings (backpack, lunch box, bus card, etc.)) - it's just getting to be too much. However, my kids are very cute. And this morning was different than others, usually my new little ones cry for a least half the day the very first day. All crying is over by the end of the first week. However, today there was only about 30 seconds of crying. That was it. 30 Seconds. Great! It's a record.

The kids in my class are very cute. I have one girl and nine boys. Yes, that's right, nine boys! So much for diversity. No pink in my home or my classroom. Even if it is always God's will, it's just not happening in my life. Maybe God and I will have to have a discussion about this one. So the day went off without a hitch. It was a pretty good first day.

That being said... there's only 179 days left with kids. Woohoo.