Then Sings My Soul - In The Waiting

This is one of my very favorite bands - FFH. Paula and I were actually members of the fan club back in the day (and my friends, that day was not so very long ago!!). They have AMAZING HARMONIES!!! They give a rocking show. But most of all, they have an awesome love of God. And it shows - in their music, in their testimonies and in their lives.

I love the message of this song. That even if we don't SEE God moving right now, we know He is still there and we will WORSHIP IN THE WAITING.

BEFORE we see Him.
BEFORE we feel Him move.
BEFORE we get our breakthrough.
EVEN IF we don't get our breakthrough, we will worship and KNOW that HIS plan is soooooooooo much better.

When Paula died, as she took that last breath, all I could do was worship. I know that some people thought that was weird. Some even asked how I could still trust when He had not answered my prayers.
MY prayer was for her healing - yes, I miss her and would have loved it if her healing could have been here with us, but make no mistake, she WAS healed! He just chose to do it in HIS presence. And how awesome is that for HER?!?!?!?!?!

I am still waiting for answers on that one - as well as many other things in my life - but I choose to worship while I wait.

I don't have the answers, but I know the One who does.

And that is enough.



Visit Signs, Miracles & Wonders for more songs that speak

Still Alive, Just Not So Much Kickin'

It's been a dry week post-wise. Pretty much it has been dry week life-wise. Not a BAD week, just a dry one. I love my life, so I am NOT complaining, but it is not always a walk in a sunny, breezy, butterfly filled park. SOMETIMES it is a walk down a path that has either weeds and thorny bushes or, like this week, a barren desert with nothing to look at or focus on whatsoever. And this is where I have been walking.

Sunday was a great day! GREAT!!! We celebrated our pastor Andy and his wife Denise's 20th anniversary at the church. What a testimony to following and FOCUSING on God's will. There have been some pretty tough times at the church (before us, so we are just taking the word of those who made it through) that Andy and Denise have weathered and seen the body through. From youth pastor to worship pastor and now Senior pastor (and Denise has been JUST AS BUSY!!!!) they have seen it all. It was a wonderful event and we were Blessed to be there.

Sometime in all of that I hurt my shoulder. I cannot tell you how, but I got an extremely sharp pain shooting through and then could hardly move my arm or feel my fingers for a couple of days. Have I mentioned that Sophie is going on 24 pounds?!?!?! YIKES~~~

Tuesday was therapy so I had to load up the girls in their carseats ... it was all I could do not to cry! Then Tuesday night I had a meeting at church. It turned out well, but there were some, let's just say EXCITING moments. Feelings hurt and hearts bruised, but in the end I hope we all found a way to take a look at the big picture and realize we are all there for GOD's will and not our own.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE the family of God?!?!?!?!

Then Wednesday.... oh Wednesday...
The B Boys spring hunting trip is almost upon us. For MONTHS I have had it in my pretty little head that it was this weekend. Gearing myself up for the loneliness that I feel when my man leaves for a few days. I know that some women LIVE for this, but I HATE it. HATE IT with a white hot poker in the eye kinda hatred. I do LOVE that my man gets a break and comes home refreshed and that he gets to have some fun with the men in his family. I really do love that for him. But for me, it is not so much good-ness. HOWEVER, he lets me do my things and so I TRY not to complain ... not always very successfully. Sorry Honey. ANYWAY, on Wednesday I realized that he is not going this week, he is going NEXT week.... Then we both realized that this means that he will be gone for Mother's Day. I am afraid that I did not do well with this information. I KNOW that this was an oversight on his part and so I am trying not to be hurt - please pray that I don't make him feel any worse than he already does. He is feeling pretty bad.

Add to that that this was the day that I learned that my Suns were out AND they voted out my Brooke from American Idol. Sad day all around.

The rest of the week has been pretty much more of the same. Finances are pretty tight so we have had to let some friends down in a joint business venture. And they are so sweet and kind about it all. We also are having to change some details of our anniversary trip in a couple of weeks. We are going to Mackinack Island - a dream destination of mine since I first saw "Somewhere In Time" in high school. We had planned to stay in the Grand Hotel because we got a GREAT deal because it is early in the season and before things really take off. However, a great deal at the Grand Hotel is $392 for ONE NIGHT!!!!! And now we just cannot swing that. So we are going to stay at a lesser hotel and maybe VISIT the Grand Hotel for a meal or something. Or maybe a t-shirt. Or even a hoodie. It will still be a great trip because I will be getting undivided time with my favorite person on the PLANET!!!!

So, nothing really BAD about the week, just nothing really good either. I have NOT done well on my fitness plan. I am a total emotional eater and, while I have not gone hog wild, I have not been at ALL diligent either. But, then again, I don't have to fit into that fancy dress to just BE at the Grand Hotel after 6pm anymore either. So it all evens out.

On a happier note, my girls are GREAT - Sophie is even doing well through all of these weather changes this week. We have gone from FREEZING and frost to rain and warm (well, in the high 60's).

Yeah, Freezing and frost.

In MAY.

Have I mentioned that I have a few words for a certain moron whose initials are Al Gore?!?! Global warming ... HAH!!!

Did I mention that I LOVE my life? Even on weeks like this (or Heaven forbid worse), there is NOTHING else I would rather do with my days. Thank you GOD for the blessings you have showered on me. Please let me be worthy.

I Have Been Tagged ... and boo!

OK, first the sad news ...

I saw it coming ... there is always a fear in me when the Suns face the Spurs.
And this time they got stuck with them in the FIRST ROUND! So, I kinda knew it was gonna end, but still had the hope of a true Suns fan ...



Still, my heart ... broken

(and thank you Frydaddy for rubbing it in!)

On a happier note, my bloggy buddy Kate has tagged me for a meme (there's that word again. Still no idea what it means, but I have been tagged and I must follow the rules!). Here are the rules:

The Rules:

1. Write your own Six-Word Memoir.

2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want.

3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.

4. Tag at least five more blogs with links.

5. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

So, here goes...

Trusting His Will for my life

I have been in that place - I lived there for a LOOOOOOONNNNGGGGG time - where I think I have it all under control and MY plan is what will be the best. And, may I just say that in his ABUNDANT grace and love for me, He swept the legs right out from under that way of life.

And I thank Him for that every day of my life.

I look at my husband and my children and my LIFE and wonder how I ever got HERE.
Only by His grace. And it is all I never realized I ever wanted and needed.
I could not ask for more!
Thank you Sweet Lord!Now I trust HIM for everything and go NOWHERE without Him leading (at least I hope and pray I don't!).

SO - who shall I tag? I don't know that I can do 5 of ya that haven't already done this. So I will leave it up to you all...

YOU ARE ALL TAGGED!!!

Just come back and let me know you played and I will come and see what ya did...

Of course if I have to tag specific people, I choose

Abby
The Kirks (that is Erica and Aron, so that makes two in one!!!)
Marla (even though she will hate it)
Jenn (here is one to help you out Jenn - "Sit On NO GROSS HOSPITAL FLOORS!!!"

Have fun!!!

Picture Perfect Monday - SPRING!!!!! (at least it WAS...)

We have been having some lovely weather, which has allowed some lovely springtime activities to take place in our yard ...








... making for two very happy girls and two parents with muscles achin' after pulling weeds, spraying the weed "stuff" and raking leaves that have been covered by snow all winter long.
(Of course, being that we live here in ever-changing-climate-land, today's high is supposed to be in the low 40's ... with rain ... and no sun ... **sigh**)

What Motherhood Means (in my humble opinion!)

Those lovely ladies over at 5 Minutes For Moms are havin' a contest. A picture could be worth a thousand BUCKS!! Who can resist a thing like that? Not this mom!
The rules go like this: Choose or take a picture that exemplifies motherhood to you and post it. Simple, right? Except for one little thing ...

A picture? One? UNO? Are they kidding?

Motherhood is many things to me, so I am posting a few and it will all culminate in the one Photo that is to be my OFFICIAL entry!
Here we go....

Everything I learned about the wonder of being a mom, I learned from the BEST mom in the world ... MINE


She taught me that being a mom is all about letting your children be who they are ...
...even if it IS a pizza eating pirate in Diego Pajamas (yep - that's my little girl!).

It's about teaching them to care for each other - and others too for that matter.

Letting them have adventures ... ... and giving them a safe place to relax when they need it.

Sharing the everyday ... ... as well as every bold new adventure.

So, pretty much it comes down to this ...

You gotta let them explore the world around them and become who God created them to be, but give them boundaries that protect them and stay a step behind to catch them - or at least pick them up and dust them off - whenever they fall... ... just love them. And lead them to the feet of the One who loved them first.

Life's an adventure ... let them find theirs!