Blessed with Six

 "Take it easy.." the chipper college age cashier said as he handed me the receipt at Ingles. I smiled back and left the store with that in mind. I have not heard that phrase in a while and I wondered if his parents raised him listening to the Eagles. It brought a smile to my face and made me want to adopt that phrase to everyone I see. Hey, take it easy! Life isn't easy, is it? Every day has a new challenge along with what has lingered from the day or even the month before. It is not easy raising children, especially in this society. It is not easy running a small business or getting up for work each day to pay the bills so we can have a decent quality of life. It is not easy to go to school to better our education. It is not easy managing a health crisis or the uncertainty of relationships that seem so fragile. It certainly is not easy to lose weight or kick an addiction habit. Life is just not easy.  We think of our English definition of Easy: causing or involving litt...

  "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.   Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.   For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.   When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4 This verse became more relevant to our family this week. My beloved father-in-law, Verlon, was called home to Jesus on Wednesday. The day he lived for arrived, and he stepped into Glory in one breath and blink of an eye. My husband, along with is mom and brother, were able to be by his side as he quietly entered into the Kingdom. It has been difficult to put the events of this past week into words. There have been so many emotions. My six children were extremely close to their Pawpaw. Having to tell each of them what was about to happen was by far the most difficult ta...

I could not think of another title for my post today other than BLESSED.  Here is the definition, I have highlighted what is relevant for me today: Definition of blessed (from Merriam-Webster)                                                      1 religion a : held in reverence : venerated   the blessed saints b : honored in worship : hallowed   the blessed Trinity c : beatific   a blessed visitation     2 : of or enjoying happiness ; specifically ,  Christianity ...

I sat in the Women’s Center lobby patiently waiting to get called back by the technician for test results. The past two weeks had been very stressful. I had just turned 40 the week before. Earlier this week I had to see my doctor for a yearly visit which resulted in my first routine mammogram. The results were back within 24 hours. He called me himself to let me know I needed further testing as soon as possible. This was not what I wanted to hear. It was bad enough that I had just turned 40, a life event which I had fought for the past year. I held onto my 30’s with white knuckled fist. I was just not ready to grow old. Forty means so many changes, children growing up and moving on, our parents growing older, things that I am just not ready for. Now my health was in question. The two days that followed my doctor’s phone call I spent in prayer. I would have my quiet time, but I was in a constant awareness of my mortality. I tried to be brave, I was scared. I was not prepared for ...

Just do it Inhale Exhale How does that feel?  Now do it again. Inhale. Exhale. Isn’t that amazing?  The past couple of months I have been doing a lot of soul searching. Praying. Deepening my walk with my Savior. What I am learning is this life is anything but ordinary. We get caught up in the daily activities and we do not even realize what is right in front of us. We are meant for so much more than the rush we have in our lives. Our purpose in this life is to point toward the Father. We live in a crumbling world, but He has overcome the world. The more I study and pay attention, the more I see how BIG our God is. This scripture jumped off the page at me: “the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of  life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 It gives me chills. Imagine the God of the universe, the God that created all of nature, planets, the moon sun and the stars, spoke and ...

This summer I devoted my mornings to Beth Moore’s “Children of the Day” in depth Bible Study. It was wonderful. The Lord has given her such a gift of delivering His message. I also asked Him to allow me to see others as He does. The souls that He loves. I found myself with an aching heart. Life has been routine. Waking up, getting ready for work and the kids for school, coming home, rushing to get dinner done or kids to their sporting events, rushing home, showers, bedtime devotionals and prayers, and we dive into bed anticipating a good night’s rest only to start again in about 8 hours. Here we are going about our routine, swinging away at life. We are not created for this. God wants so much more for us. Yet, things are very different than what they were a year ago. We just passed the one year anniversary of Daulton’s wreck. I am still learning truths from the Lord. What friends, family and even myself did not realize, is that it had more of an impact on Daulton than we k...

If anyone knows me well, they would know that I love quilts. I love the possibility of making something out of materials that I have chosen and seeing it come together. This love was instilled on me by both of my grandmothers. My Granny Cain hand pieced each of the quilts that she made. The tiny stitches and care into each masterpiece. My Granny Smith sewed clothes on her sewing machine. I use to sit and watch her sew as a child. I loved to watch her. I received my first sewing machine for Christmas as a child, it was a battery operated Singer made just for children. It was awesome. I would take it with me to my Granny's house, she taught me the basics of sewing. I can stay in a fabric store for hours. The thought of creating something that could possibly be cherished and the look on the recipient's face is priceless. I find joy in that. Now that I am older and my children aren't so dependent on me, I am able to put a little more time into the craft. I usually make abo...

No, the title is not what you think. I know, Aerosmith is playing in your head right now, right? This is just a little story about the sweet innocence of a child. The Faith of a child. The belief of a child.  I have had the privilege to work at the school that my little one attends. This is our last year together. It has been one of my joys! We come in together, I see her at lunch every day and sometimes we eat together. I get to go by her classroom for special events. We leave at the end of the day together. I will miss her so much when she moves to the intermediate school next year. At our little school we have two floors, which allows for a small elevator. Granted it only goes two floors, but Addison loves it. She loves taking the elevator everyday upstairs to leave. I on the other hand would rather walk the stairs, it just seems faster. When we ride it I pretend that I can do magic and make the door open and close, Addison hates it when I do this. I love to aggravate her. ...

This past week has been very emotional and challenging. I have had to rely on my Savior now more than ever. Since August I have had major changes in this house. It is all surreal. The Lord has been faithful. As you all know by now, we moved Devyn out to Texas this past weekend so she could start her life with her new husband. I am so thrilled for her. She has a cute place that is really big for the two of them. They are starting to make memories and enjoying marriage as best friends. I pray for the Lord's blessings upon them.  The Lord has been revealing himself to me in so many ways. I have known for a while that she would be gone by March. He had given me the peace of that a time ago. He allowed her and I to have the four months that Joel was a Basic to spend together. Then He sent a winter storm two days before she left so we could spend the final days together without the stress of school and work. The Lord has a way of using Winter Storms in our life to carry ou...

My friends, if you read my blog you know my life has been a bit of a whirlwind since August. This has been the year of change for me and my family. This post is about recent events so it will be a long post. If you are willing, grab a cup of coffee, hot tea, coke or what ever your fancy, and join me as I shed some light on the path I am on.  I have taken a right turn on a road that I have never traveled on. I can't turn back now. I do not see a Uturn ahead. Its a little bumpy, but My Savior is driving, so I know I am safe on this ride.  While my oldest son, Daulton, has had this Momma's heart stretching, now my oldest daughter is spreading  her wings. I knew that this day was coming. I actually knew this about four months ago. When Devyn starting dating Joel, I knew in my heart that he was going to be the one. I felt that the Lord had given me the four months with Devyn while he was at basic training to spend with her. I knew that she would be leaving soon. I had...

“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:6-9  The past two weeks have been quite eventful for my family. We had a wonderful Christmas. It was great to have all of my children at home. I know that the times are changing, and this will become a rarity. Next Christmas could be very different. With Devyn being engaged to Joel, she will be moving to Fort Hood Texas very soon. While it does sadden me, I am thrilled for her.  This young man is what we have prayed for. Since she was a toddler we have prayed over her. We prayed for her protection, guidance, health and for her future and her future husband. So I guess you can say we have been praying for Joel for a long time. We asked the Lord to give her someone that Loved Hi...

Today is the final day of 2013. What a year it has been!! Every holiday I reflect on the years past and think about the years to come. How our lives can change dramatically in a second. This year was an adventure, and 2014 looks to be a continuation of it. If you read my blog on occasion then you know most of the highs and lows of this year. I get caught up in the business of life, I tend to get rebellious, and say words that I shouldn't. That is what happens when we allow the flesh to take over, but it does not change my Love for my Savior. His forgiveness makes me want to love Him more and repent and not do those things that I am in habit of doing. He wants me to put life in perspective. He has taught me so much this year. This has been a year of major changes in our family's life. So many more are coming. At first I was sad, my heart ached. Then the Lord reminded me that life is not about everything staying the same. As much as I want all my little birds in the nest...