Bikes & Bruises

Ugh - it has again been so long . . . but, hey, at least I'm here now! Gosh - we've been on vacation; school has started for Ellen (3rd grade) and Erin (1st grade); Emily has started ballet at Angel Feet Dance here in town. Ellen & Erin are both playing soccer--I'm Erin's coach, sweet thing. I'm teaching Sunday School for the year now as well - first, Erin's class, then Natalie's; then Ellens!

Emily is not going to preschool yet; maybe in January. I tell you what - my life is crazy! I definitely feel like the mom & the dad in our lives right now. No, I don't mow the lawn (I could), but I really feel like I do everything else. Oh, yes, the older 2 girls started piano lessons and they are learning so well! I am so excited for them.

BCO has its 50th celebration this weekend. Of course, Ryan's been busy with work, but then again, he's always busy with work. I'm ready for him to have a change so we can have a life again.

I'm doing another Beth Moore bible study - the Psalms of Ascents and it is so good! I love God's word and need to be in it so badly!

I was at a Library Board meeting on Monday and, of course, Ryan wasn't home yet; so the girls rode bike and I walked up there. My meeting started at 7:00 and Ryan came to get the girls. Ellen & Erin wanted to ride home, so on the way back there is a pretty steep hill that they were traveling down at a pretty decent speed (note, I was not there and ryan was in his pu). Well, Erin's handlebars were going back & forth and she hit the bridge posts with her bike and flew onto the concrete bridge. She got up and was bleeding from her mouth down and blood was coming out of her left ear.

Ellen came to get me from the library and we went to the ER at the hospital. Dr. Ratzlaff finally came (of course it seemed like forever) and assessed her. All the while she was moaning, crying out in pain--bleeding, just terribly uncomfortable and hurting so badly. Ellen & Emily were in the hallway just watching/witnessing everything. Ellen was awesome! She took care of Emily; prayed with her; just was an awesome big sister! Praise God for her.

Erin was such a trooper! Granted she was so miserable, but she didn't freak out and maintained relatively calm there. Dr Ratzlaff put 4 stitches in her chin - she had a deep cut there (it looked like someone took a serrated knife and cut on her chin). then we went to the dentist (Dr. Dillnar and he took x-rays). Her ear bled all that night and that night was miserable! Erin complained of her tummy hurting the worst. We just didn't know what to do for her . . . I'll tell you, though, God is good and He so protected her! I fully believe that will my whole being. She did not land on gravel (where they would have had to pick that out of her cuts). Her eyes were not harmed; she did not fall over the bridge or hit the bridge railing with her head or neck (her flipflop was in the water). She was missing her 2 front teeth, except for 1 that was just coming in; consequently, the roots were still open and it doesn't look like she will lose them. Oh, PRAISE YOU GOD FOR YOUR PROTECTION OVER YOUR SAINTS!!! YOU ARE GOOD! THANK YOU SO MUCH LORD JESUS!!!

Thank you mostly for the promise of Your word; Your love; Your steadfastness in the midst of our harlotry. Praise You God, Praise You for Your mercy and lovingkindess to us . . . Praise You! (Psalm 124)

Note: I prayed the last portion of Psalm 91 over my sweet broken, hurting baby . . . Because Erin has set her love upon me, I will deliver her. I will set her on high because she as known My name. She shall call upon Me, and I will answer her. I will be with her in trouble; I will honor her and deliver her; with long life I will satisfy her and show her my salvation. Love, the Lord God Almighty!

Headaches

Yes ~ again, it's been forever--seems i skipped the whole month of July--so much to tell. Summer has been wonderful albeit a few mishaps. We had the joy of having our nephews from TN down for 10 days and we had a ball with them! We also went up to TN to SURPRISE Reid for his 40th Birthday - it was such a great time. Oh Lord, I was so challenged in my thought closet and I held up the shield of faith and I prayed what I knew--that your love for me is greater than the worlds--and I was so confirmed - oh thank you Jesus, thank you, thank you! A short synopsis would be this: I was so discouraged by an opportunity given to someone else, when the Lord knew that was on my heart to happen for us, and I just questioned. So . . . I went to God in prayer and held up that shield and prayed for my unbelief and confirmed my trust. Then, I went to pick Ryan up from the Memphis airport (he had been in St Petersburg, Russia) and he shared (like the 1st thing he shared) was about a brief encounter with this man in the Moscow airport and his recogniztion of Ryan's wristband which shows this: a cross > i. Ryan explained how it meant God is greater than he is. "So," the guy replied, "you a Christ guy?" Ryan said he was and the man in his overtly loud voice, while slapping Ryan on the shoulder, said "me too! I just tell my wife, she's a Jesus freak."

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? God spoke directly to me through a man Ryan met in a Moscow airport - God - YOU ARE AWESOME!

Secondly, I had a screaming headache this morning. Actually, I had it last night and instead of waking up, I was just so tired that I would rub my eyes and then fall asleep. So, this morning when I got up to run, my head just throbbed. So, while we were running I would get these sharp pains about every other step right above my eyes. I just prayed. I prayed for God to take the pain away and I also prayed if I was to have the pain, please let me bear it. Doug also prayed for me and HONEST TO THE CREATOR OF LIFE ITSELF by the time we were done running, my headache had totally disappeared. GOD - forgive me when I am so human and so petty and so caught up in temporary. God - help me to show others how to live in Jesus. YOU ARE SO VERY AWESOME!!!

Oh - so much more. I love my husband, I love my girls, I love our families. God, thank you for your blessings. No, thank you for your extravagance! IT IS AWESOME!

The Shack

Hello there!
I need to get ready for work here very shortly; however, Dear Jesus, I just wanted to verbalize with words my love for You and my thanks for the work You have done ~ You are amazing!!!
Ryan & I finished reading The Shack, by Willam P Young. Wow! What an amazing book. I love so many things the author brings out/portrays. Some are hard for my mind to wrap around them, but boy do I love how the words put such thoughts & expressions together. I love to think that you, Jesus, are "especially fond of me!" I love the conversation You had with Mack about forgiveness and what forgiveness is and what it is not. I love Your redemption given to Mack and to all people who ask. I love that You did Your part once for all to be reconciled to us; now it is our choosing. I love that You love me!

Lord, I pray right now for Carmen Friesen Cutting and her family with the passing of her mom, Ellen. I pray for my Aunt Vickie to whom Ellen was a dear, dear friend. Lord please help them in their sorrow and their hurt and help them to see beyond this pain. Lord, I also pray for Your guidance regarding service. Help me to follow where You lead.

And, Lord, I pray to adore people like You do! "Because . . . if anything matters, than everything matters!" (the Shack)

Amen.

Is Green so Good?

You know, I think so often we act the way we do and others act the way they do is because of the green-headed monster called Jealousy! Man - why is it so hard for some to compliment, encourage, empower others? I love making people feel good; but, alas, I must be the first to admit that I struggle to compliment, encourage, engage those who are ugly to me; who have hurt me; those to whom the only relationship between us is based on more negative than positive. I am so often--daily--reminded of Eph. 4:1 - 5 which says to "walk worthy of the calling to which we were called. Be completely humble & gentle; patient, endeavoring with one another to work for unity in the bond of peace. There is one spirit; one baptism; one body; one Father of all who is in all and through all." Okay - that was from memory and I know I missed some. But, what I remembered is pretty darn convicting. Today Lord, help me to walk worthy of the calling to which I was called. Help me to display Your splendor. Help me to guide my girls to see & long for the calling You are purposing for their lives. Help me Lord to better because of who You are in me. Much love,m.

Pick Up Day

Saturday morning! Light Rain, a good cup of coffee right next to me, leaving in 10 minutes to get Ellen - I can't wait!
God - You are so good. Thank you for completely gracing me when I am so awful. Thank you for loving my heart even when it feels so unlovable.
Dear God - please tell my baby sister hello and that I miss her just terribly and that I wish so much she were here with me.
Extended family get together last night at Harvey County Park (Norm & Nadine's kids were all home & around). I met some really neat people and learned more about others. There family seems to just love each other - its really neat. They just seem to enjoy being around one another--not to brag about themselves or their lives, but to just build relationship. That is what it seems (totally could not be that way). I pray for my girls a love like that - one that enjoys each other because they are God's creatures and nothing more. Ellen - I can't wait to see you!

Wow - Ellen is going to camp for the 1st time in her life and for the 1st time in her life she will be in someone else's care other than family. Lord Jesus, I pray your protection over her. Guide Your angels to make straight her path and keep her safe. Lord, I pray also that her eyes may be opened and her heart enlightened and her spirit be more aligned with Yours. Thank you for the willing volunteers who will care for her these next few days.

99 Balloons, A Tribute to Eliot. What a touching memorial to a little boy with Trisome 18. Thank you God for revealing yourself through him and for parents that loved him and love You! What a blessing.

b/t/w - it was my birthday on Tuesday - 38 years young! I miss my sister soooooo much! I miss having a girlfriend that just loves me for me. Thank you God for allowing her in my life - because, truly, it is better. Thank you for allowing my girls to be plural. I pray they learn to cherish each other so completely and in doing so, they honor each other and You! Thank you Lord Jesus for being my Savior - not because You had too, but because You chose too. You are Amazing. Thanks.

Again . . .

Again, more than a month has passed since I've written - ugh!!!
Gosh, school is out in 5 days - my babies are growing so fast (tear). Steve & Steph are moving into their Brand New house this weekend (it's gorgeous). I'm trying to be jealous FOR them and not OF them. I am really having to practice 2 Cor. 10:5 - I give it to You, Lord. You are so faithful. You have so blessed me. Forgive me. Thank you Jesus, thank you.
Life has been rather harried with the 'state of the economy'. Bradbury Co. has had to let 40 people go . . . not easy things. Ryan & I have been down on our knees . . . again, God--You are faithful. God, we walk not by sight, by faith. Increase our faith.
Ellen, Erin & Emily are just awesome - I love them sooooo much. I have been having such fun with my mom as well - she is one beautiful person and I am so lucky to have her in my life. She is one person (besides Ryan) who truly encourages me and tells me I do a good job. I have never understood why people withhold blessing like that? I don't know, maybe I over do it. But, I have learned (albeit painfully) that some people like that power so I choose not to allow it over/on me. I have stopped trying to 'please' people and gain approval. My esteem is not based on others' affirmation, rather on my God's view and approval of me. AGain, thank you Sweet Jesus!

Almost midnight, the clock's about to strike and off come the glass slippers.
love,
m.
p.s. i did the OKC 1/2 marathon again this year. ry is so supportive. God, thank you for allowing me the ability and opportunity to run. Let it be for your glory!