Dear God, this is me, Emily

Dear God,
this is me, Emily.
thank You for a family that loves me, for dr marla who wants to help me, for max our puppy who licks me and for bubble gum medicine.
God, this is me, Emily.
thank You for grandma's who pray for me and for pizza hut's chicken alfredo pasta, for strawberries, for cheerleaders, for my friend Avery, for my cousin's Landon & Aubree.
God, this is me, Emily.
thank You for my scooter and for barbies, for Grant & Grayson and baby Charlotte.
thank You God for helping the medicine help me. thank You for september 11, 2011, my spiritual birthday.

thank You God for everything.


Mom note:
Little Miss Emily has been sick for over a week now - ugly cough, puny in spirit, tired, weird skin rashes, hives, lack of appetite and attending school as much as she has missed it (even missed the 1st day of school). We are so thankful to have prayer warriors lifting this sweet one up and for God to heal her sweet body. I pray she is on the mend and I also pray for all moms & dads who have sick little ones . . . lifting them up to the One who speaks life!

Mr. Max

Welcome to our family Mr. Max!
This past Sunday, we welcomed a new addition to our family . . . that is the fact, but not the whole story . . . okay Paul Harvey, tell us the rest . . .

Clark & Marilyn Wedel's dog, Sammi, had babies (5 to be exact) and Eric & Christy Clark's dog was the daddy. So, in theory, we should have named him Clark, but that would have been kind of weird – don't you think??? Anyway, yes of course we wanted one, but “you.know.who” absolutely, positively did not and said so. So, we declined when we were offered.

But, okay a big BUT!!! one of the persons who was going to take a puppy changed their minds. Whoo, Hoo, maybe it was meant to be. Long story, short: we prefaced Ryan with the possiblity (always complete denial); then Emily started not feeling so well and so on the "decision morning", the girls texted him with please, please, please and lots of praying hands . . . and, he gave permission under certain conditions.

So, here we are – seriously, what are we doing? Like any of us has time to deal with a puppy – he's cute, but he eats & drinks & poops & bites & is a big pain in the rear. But, he is cute and right now he is ours.

The girls have been really good with him. I have had to be the mommy and get up each night to take him out to poop and pee . . . its really quiet in the early morning hours, quite peaceful . . . except then there is yiper piper. I hope the girls enjoy him like I enjoyed the dogs I had while growing up. I hope they learn responsibility and realize that taking care of a baby is ALOT of work, even a baby puppy.

God, thanks for this opportunity. Help us to be selfless in this endeavor and we hope Ryan does not regret his decision.

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

“trust in the Lord and do good” Psalm 37:4

Help us Lord, to do good, even in these seemingly trivial things like taking care of a puppy.

m.

Tell me, once again, who I am to You, who I am to You.

Dear Ellen,



Like the song says, "tell me, once again, who I am to You, who I am to You".Your self.evaluation/questionnaire is precious.You are a wonderful person. Not perfect, but perfectly made.Your glass is half full and we love that about you.To your dad & I, Ellen, you are loved and wonderful and our 1st born and we are so grateful!To your heavenly Dad, You are His child, precious & holy. He created the moon & the stars for you--you are His.Thank God, you are His!

Why are girls so mean?

Dear Daughter, I warned you junior high will be your LEAST favorite period of schooling. I wish i were joking; i am not. I am just telling you now: I love you. I am sorry. I am here for you. Always. Keep your chin up. Know whose you are. You are His. We love you. I am sorry. It hurts. It gets better. It makes you stronger. You will survive. You will have grown. You will be better because of it. You will learn who You are and what You are made of. You will rise to heights you thought impossible because you will overcome. You are precious and loved. Always. Now, go forth and spread "Beauty & Light". Love, mom!

I just miss her.

Goodness, today is like a solomn Monday all over. I am not sure why, but today i am just missing my sweet sister so much! Oh girls and girlfriends, cherish the gift God has given you if you have someone you call your sister. I am jealous for you in a way that wishes I had what you have, but still wanting you to have it too! Consider yourselves richly blessed and remember life is precious; cherish it. Believe me, in the grit & grime of life that thought is overwhelming and not real exciting, but God walks it with us, thank goodness. I am going to try and post a picture of my sis & me here in the next day or two. She was a blessing in my life, more than I realized . . . thank You Lord for letting me have her for awhile. Please tell her i look forward to being with her again. Faith, hope and love abide, these three. But the greatest of these is love. Dear Sis, I Miss & love you dearly! M.

1st Day Jitters

Yes, you might be thinking, "ahhh, first day of school sports practice", "nervous kids, 1st practice anxiety, what to expect, etc..." AND, You would be right (but not all right). Today was the 1st day of Kansas School Sports practices. Our oldest daughter, Ellen, is going to be a 7th grader and for ALL OF US, this is a first! Not only a first jr. high practice, but a first of our lives entering a whole new realm of life - after school activities and ball games we will be traveling too because we are her parents and we love her and want to support her and her team. Life, as we have known it, changed today . . . quietly, without much notice, but at 3:45 p.m. when Coach blew her whistle and began practice, our world moved--not 'earthquakey' like or 'tornado' like, but like a gentle passing breeze; routines were altered and we began something new. So, 1st day jitters belonged to Ellen, yes; but to mom mostly. I love that these girls are growing and I pray, growing in love and faith and a desire for God. Yet, i am selfish, and there are times i want, like Joshua, for the sun to stand still - let time stop and let me just hold on to these moments, this day, these girls. However, "there has been no day like that, before or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man . . . where the sun stood still, and the moon stopped." Joshua 10:14,12. So, I choose, Lord, to thank You for this day; for time marching on, for new opportunities, for learning and stretching and growing. In Your great name, Amen.

A good reminder: Be like a river. Not a flood!

Wow! Have we gotten rain. and rain. and more rain. and then after a brief respite, some more rain! Really, it has been crazy!!! Now, we have needed it and we are not complaining; however, as the rains came down so fast and furious at times we and our neighboring towns had flash flood warnings; some had evacuations; some without electricity, water in basements and so on... In fact, Ryan's mother's house had sewer back.up - which was caught in time but gross nonetheless (and we have been there a time or two ourselves!). Anyway, i am reminded to be NOT like a Flood, but MORE like a river - be life.giving; moving, growing, carrying life within it. Both rivers and floods are bodies of water - can be large bodies of water but unlike a river - a flood comes with warnings and danger and destruction and sometimes death. Lord, help me to be more like a river. To see life as a journey (not a destination), to be ever changing and growing and seeking new and different paths; to be life giving to myself, my husband, my girls, my family and my circles of influence. Lord, help me to be transformed from the deformed desires of this world and not get caught up in the on.slaught of what this world says we need to saturate ourselves with . . . the things, ideas, desires that don't lead us home to Him. Sweet Jesus, thank You for your 33 years on this earth where You taught us by being the true Living Water among us - may we drink plentifully from Your life giving well. Thank You Sweet Jesus for Your pouring out of water on the cross - when the spear pierced Your side and You poured out Your spirit so that we may all have part of You with us on this earth. In Your precious name, Jesus. Thank You and Amen!