Rough Week. . .Random Thoughts. . .

I am a child of God, I struggle daily with the devil and his minions.  This week has been particularly difficult, my children are being tested/tempted by the devil and I am very worried for them.  We know that the devil is everywhere and that he is good at what he does, which is to tempt and tease us into doing things that we would not normally even think about doing.  His prime time to try and take hold in our lives is in our youth and this is what I am talking about with regard to my children.
I will not go into detail but I ask for prayers for both of my boys especially Sprat in Boston.  I ask for prayers for safety, peace, guidance, comfort, and healing.
When your kids are young you can protect them from most all things designed to do them harm, as they get older your ability protect gets less and less effective. It is not a fault of yours it is just the design of life, your kids get older and must make their own decisions.  All you can do and the most difficult job of my parenting adventure thus far is to let go and just keep praying.  I never realized how much of a control freak I was unit this year when Sprat went to Boston to college.  This week has tested my patience and my religion.  Sprat's concussion is getting some better and that is good and I am relieved and very thankful.  There are other things going on that I really cannot write about other than he is having a difficult time and so is mama.  Some days I miss those early mornings when the boys would come in the bedroom and crawl in bed with me and cuddle.  I even miss those wee morning hours when they would have bad dreams and I would crawl in their bed and hold them till they went back to sleep. 
This week has left me feeling very out of sorts, and we have a couple people out at work with various sickness and surgery so the extra work will come in handy for both my pocketbook and my sanity. 
I ask for prayers for both boys especially Sprat as we make our way to Thanksgiving and I get to see my boy for the first time since September. 

Update on Our Clan. . . Bring on 2018. . .

I have been away for a bit, life happens and we must continue.  Some days are more difficult than others with regard to my work.  It is quite sad sometimes the situations I must hear about.  My sister keeps reminding me I am where I am for a reason and that God has put me in this job with  a purpose.  I still cry some days as I am making my way home and I will call my hubby on the way and cry to him about my day. He is my rock and my cheerleader on those days that are so difficult (grateful moment).   It is hard to believe I have been with this company for over a year now.  I kept thinking they were going to fire me for the first 9 months I worked there, you know the old dog new tricks.  I had my PCI review last night, I worked night shift last night.  I  had a good review and they are pleased with my performance and for that I am truly grateful, this job came at a time when my family needed the income and I needed to be able to help my family.  My very sweet hubby carried our family for fourteen years and I would not take that back for anything, I was there for my kids when they most needed their mom.   My schedule is pretty flexible so, I am still able to be there for my boys if they need me. (another grateful moment). 
The hubbs had a banner year with his job and we have made great strides in paying our house off and saving for college.  We are thrilled Sprat will be going to his number one pick college in August with a merit scholarship, it will not cover everything but it is a nice start (grateful moment).  Big T has soared this year in his new school, I never know what he is going to come home with.   Big T is learning how to interact with local business members of our community.  He has made presentations for the business leaders and for the various eighth grade classes in the County. Big T took a test that is given to seniors right before they graduate to see where they will be placed in college classes and did really well and does not have to take that test again (grateful moment). 
Yes, I am bragging just a little but we had a rough go of it last year and I am just extremely grateful for the blessings we have been given this year.   I have said many times that God will bring us to our knees so that He can lift us back up again.   We have been lifted and I am humbled by his grace. 
We are struggling these last few months with family troubles with extended family, so I ask for prayers, God knows what our families need.   I am praying for peace, comfort, and strength for our families.  I probably will not be back until after the New Year, lots going on with work and family.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year. 

Happy Thanksgiving. . . .

Just a quick post today to share how truly thankful I am for my family and friends.  We have been blessed this year by many prayers.  I am not sure we would have survived this year with out prayer and the good Lord above directing our path.  He does move mysteriously, sometimes he takes things away from us only to give us something better and make us realize that we still need Him.
Thankful and looking forward to what 2017 holds for our clan.
Stay tuned for we do not know what the future holds, but I know who holds it.
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Feeling Accomplished. . .

I am feeling accomplished today.  It has been a long week but I feel good about myself, my job, and my family.  There were several days in these last seven weeks or so that I felt completely overwhelmed.   I am a little ashamed to admit that I also felt like giving up a couple of times too.   I felt like; what am I doing trying to go back to work after thirteen years?   I must give huge thanks to my sister, my mom and my very sweet, loving, and supportive husband.  I am very serious when I say if it were not for their support and confidence in me I would have given up on myself.   My sister reminded me that God was working in my life and that I should walk in Godficance (confidence in God) and that is what has gotten me through to this point of thankfulness.   I am also very thankful to my friends that have kept us in their prayers.   I have renewed my relationship with God on this journey and that may have been His ultimate plan.  I have really leaned on Him as well through this tumultuous time in our lives.
The hubbs is back at work with his old job and we will not be as naive as we were the last time.   There is no trust there anymore with job security for either of us.  We are saving for the kids college and paying off our house as fast as we can.  In true Dave Ramsey fashion we are also padding our emergency fund for when this happens again.   Based on our experience, I suggest you shoot for at least a six month emergency fund.   It took my hubby exactly six months to get his job back and it took me three months to find my job.   I talk an awful lot about Dave Ramsey but, we are a prime example of what can happen and that Dave's plan does work.   You do not have to trust me check it out for your self do your own research but, make a plan.  As Dave says, it will rain and you should be prepared for that rainy day.

More Hotcakes. . .

I love my new devotional book "Hotcakes and Hallelujahs"  today I was reading the part about a new beginning.  The verse that begins this sections is 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are new."  This is so appropriate at the beginning of a new year.  You take stock in your life, what things you would like to change or stop doing all together.  There may even be things that you would like to do more of, like growing your relationship with God.  Spending more time in prayerful conversation with God.
I have to share this with you about my Ethics class I am taking for school.  We were talking about what ethical system drives you.  I picked religion, because that is the basis of my life.  I had a young man question how I could blindly follow something I could not see or touch.  He was attacking my faith, but I did not get offended, he obviously did not know any better and was repeating what ever he had heard from someone else.  Again, I was not offended, I took this as an opportunity to witness to this young man that was obviously confused.  He thought it was insane for someone to "claim" to walk and talk with God.   I shared with him the fact that I carried my two boys in my body and gave birth to them was all the proof I needed to know that God was real and that he was working in my life.  I see God in my everyday life, I journal my prayers for my family and when I go back and look at them I can see exactly where God stepped in and moved us along.  We had an interesting discussion on this subject of religion.  I do not know if I made a difference or not with this fella but he has been added to my prayer list.  I know that God puts people in your life for a reason, whether to teach you a lesson or for you to teach them.  I feel like this fella is the later.
How would you feel if someone said these things to  you?  Would you be offended or would you take the opportunity to witness?  Let me know what you are thinking.

Update on My Challenge to Me. . .

At the beginning of October I set a challenge to me, to pray for all of my Facebook friends everyday.  I am proud to say I did pretty good.  I think I only missed a few days. 
Now,  I am sure you are asking how could I pray for all of my friends specifically?   Well,  this is how I did it.  I pray each morning after my crew has gone to school and work.  That is my quiet time to talk with God about what is going on in my life.   I called each persons name in my friends list and asked God to watch over that person and their family.   I lifted each person to Him for His grace.  I know, I don't know their troubles or pain but He does. 
When you pray for others, putting yourself aside, you are also blessed.   I do feel blessed because of this challenge.  It made me aware that I should think of others and always be praying for those in need whether I know them or not.  
I am not a holyer than thow kinda person.   I just have a passion for God in my life and I want to share that with everyone.   My family and I have been so blessed by God's grace and I just want everyone to know how great He is.   I am not perfect and the great thing about that is,  God does not care.   He wants us, in all our imperfect ways, and for that I am grateful. 

My Dad and My Heavenly Father

Those that know me, may know this story but it needs repeating.  This may help you understand who I am and why, I am the way I am.  In early 1996 my hubby and I had just celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary and I had gone home to celebrate my Dad's birthday.  It was early March and the weather was trying to warm up.  My dad is not someone that can stay couped up inside when the weather is nice.  Dad and mom went to the barn, dad was determined to work on the barn roof.  They had been gone maybe a couple of hours when I got the call from mom.  Dad had fallen through the roof of the barn, around 20 some feet to a hard dirt floor.   Mom could not get 911 on her cell.  I hung up and frantically called for her.  I grew up in a small town where everyone knows everyone else so when that call went out over the scanners everyone knew it was daddy.  I raced to the barn and when I got there, there were 4 fire trucks and at least 2  ambulances.   They had dad on a stretcher wheeling him to the ambulance.   He was alert and talking which is a miracle in its self.  In the ER dad was talking and trying to make jokes to sooth mom.  He had to have surgery on his arm, it was crushed and that is all they knew.  He was in surgery for 5 1/2 hours.  We were all terrified  about what else they might find.  He did well and would have to stay in ICU for at least 3 days.  These three days turned into 3 weeks due to complications.   I stayed with mom the whole time, otherwise she would have never left the  hospital.  This is where my relationship with God was made stronger than it has ever been.   I spent many hours a day in prayer for my daddy and my mom.  I felt like I was on a first name basis with Him when all was said and done.   Dad had fractured his pelvis in several places, lacerated his liver, and of course crushed his arm.  They gave him 18 units of blood during that 3 weeks in ICU.   He was on a respirator for over two weeks and in traction for his pelvis for 6 weeks.  He turned 64 in ICU.  There were many scares during those trying weeks of ICU and they were not sure if he would walk again and a couple of  times they didn't know if he would live.   This is why I believe in the power of prayer and why I pray all the time.   I don't always get the answer I want but I know He is giving me what he wants for me. 
Mom and I saw a lot of sadness while we sat in that ICU waiting room.   I learned a great deal about myself while waiting to see if my dad would live or not.   I am glad to say we all weathered that storm and since, my dad has weathered yet another storm with regard to skin cancer and losing his ear.  Years after this incident my dad pulled me aside, he talked to me about being in ICU.  He told me at one point he was at peace and ready to let go.  He said I could have just gone to sleep but, God had a plan for me.  God was not done with me, so I faught back.  My dad is 82 now and still works and he and my mom work out at the gym several mornings a week.   This is why I pray all the time, miracles do happen but you will never know the true love and power of the Lord if you do not talk to him.   I am not a "holy roller"  I just know how truly blessed I am and I want everyone to know they can have the same.   

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,  with thanksgiving , let your requests be nade known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,  will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." 

Philippians 4:6-7.

Interesting Conversations with Big T

Big T gets in the car after school on Friday and starts telling me about these monsters that came and did a presentation at school.  He was so excited  and said they were doing the full show at a local church Friday and Saturday night and he wanted to go.  I said sure we can do that, he never elaborated about the "monsters" again.  I thought it was some sort of puppet show. 
Nothing was said again about the "monsters" until Saturday.   Big T pulled out the brochure that was sent home with him from school about the program.  They were monstrous alright, monstrous body builders and extreme athletes with a message.  They are called Faith Force, they go around to the local schools and perform, now they can't talk about God at school but they talk about choices you make.  We went to the Saturday evening program and it was great.  They gave their testimony and talked about how God had changed their lives.  They use their abilities to reach out to young people and witness to them.  This is an awesome ministry if you ever have a chance to see them I would. 
It was a moving service and at the end they gave an invocation.   They prayed and asked if anyone did not have God in their heart and wanted him there to repeat the prayer.  Then they asked whoever had prayed the prayer with them to come forward, many went down front.  As Big T and I were leaving he asked what that was at the end with the prayer.  I told him that was for people who did not know God or have a relationship with him.  Big T said, " mom I prayed that prayer I just didn't go down front."  I told him that was ok because I prayed the prayer too.   I told him I had been baptized and so had he and that he had asked God to come into his heart before and it was ok if he did not go down front.  I also reminded him that we pray together every night and that is having a relationship with God.  Big T then said, " mom I pray every night  too after I have gone to bed."  I did not know that.   Trying not to just blubber all over everything,  I told him that prayer is a conversation with God.  I told him that it is great to be able to talk with God and that is a relationship with him.
I hope that my kids will always go to God in prayer especially when they feel like there's nobody else they can talk to.  If my hubby and I have done nothing else we have been diligent in praying for and with our kids.  I hope that sticks with them throughout their lives. 

A Challenge to My Self. . .

A friend of mine gave me a challenge to pray for ten people.  I have decided that I cannot pick only ten.  I have decided that I should pray for everyone on my Facebook friend's list.   As I said in a previous post, I don't just friend anyone.  Each person I am friends with on facebook I am friends with face to face.  Some are long time friends from school and church, some are more recent friends I have made through interaction with my kids.
As this month moves along I will be covering each of them in prayer.   Some people do not take friendship very seriously this day and age.  It is just something you say or something you do on facebook.  I guess I am just old school, I take saying someone is my friend very seriously.   I would do anything for my friends.  As my dad always says, "you can only go as far as your friends will let you go".  

New Bible Study. . . .

I have joined a new Bible study based on a book, "What Happens When Women Say Yes to God."  We read and do work in the book and post online our thoughts and such.  As you know we do nightly devotions as a family.  We read a devotion "Keys for Kids" it is an online site that does great devotions for kids and we read the Bible.  We have read all of Proverbs and are almost through with Psalms.  I was not in a good mood last night and feeling kinda blah and I was only going to read out of the Bible and not do the online devotion.  Big T came up first and sat beside me on the couch and while we were waiting for hubby and Sprat, Big T said can we please do the online devotion.  I reluctantly agreed, I was just really tired.  I pulled my computer out, got my hamsters running and finally got to the website.  The devotion was about how Satan can goad you into doing things that go against God's commandments.  The little boy was getting bullied on the bus from school.  His mom told him he needed to try and find a way to deal with his frustration with this bully without fighting.  The next day he came home and was very happy.  He had sat at the front of the bus and avoided the bully all together.  His mom got to thinking about how her son had changed his circumstances and avoided the bully by moving closer to someone in authority.  His mom said maybe she should move closer to Jesus and try to have a closer relationship with him to keep Satan away from her.
I felt like this mom in the devotion.  Big T made me read this devotion and it just reinforces my need to be in my new Bible study.  I always laugh when God just comes right out and says this is where you are supposed to be.  Last night I thanked my sweet Big T for getting me to read the devotion, it was Gods' plan all along.  I said yes, and got  a lesson for myself.   So thankful!!!!!

Praying Parent. . .

I have read and re-read The Power of a Praying Parent, by Stormie OMartin, as a parent it is our job to pray for our kids.  We must pray for them and teach them to pray, it is important for them to know that adults need someone to lean on too.  If we teach them to lean on God at an early age imagine what they will be like as adults.  Imagine what our world could be like if more people would lean on God instead of damning him.  My dear hubby's niece recently had a baby, she is a beautiful baby girl.  I gave her this book, it is never too early to pray for your children and their well being.   Stormie gives you specific prayers to pray for certain things and I am so thankful for that.  Sometimes it is hard to find the right words to pray for your kids.  One night I was praying and my husband came upstairs, when I was through he came into the room and asked me who I was talking too.  I told him, God, he said oh and went back downstairs.  It is so funny, because he knows I pray but he did not realize I prayed out loud.  I also have a book by Stormie called, The Power of a Praying Wife, I use it also and I have seen some interesting things in my husband and it has opened doors for us to talk.  I did not realize just how spiritual my husband was until one day we were talking about our garden.  I was asking him about the things he planted and he was telling me that after he had planted our potatoes that he prayed over our garden.  How many men do you know pray openly and pray over their garden?  That intrigued me and I later found out that he prayed as he worked in our garden.  That explains a lot.  It explains the huge harvests we have had of zucchini, potatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes.   It makes me smile every time I think of him praying over our little garden.
We celebrated our twenty year wedding anniversary this year and I love him more and more each day.  

Teenage attitudes. . .

I am the mother of a teenager.  There really should be a special support group for parents of teens.  I know I am not the first and won't be the last and that my problems are not the worst.  We really need to band together to fight the nasty, smarmy, poor pitiful me attitudes of our teens.  I love my teen but he really knows how to push those buttons with his brother and with me.  He really is a great kid in general but, when those teen hormones start rocking he turns into an alien. 
My teen before he was a teen; he was smiling and happy, he would talk to me about things going on at school, and in general was mostly pleasant to be around with the exception of torturing his brother.  The later I could accept as normal sibling rivalry.   As a teen he has morphed into this smarmy, sarcastic, frowny faced, and brooding young man.   There are days when I see a glimpse of that pre-teen young man but they are few and far between lately.  He is still a good kid, please do not misunderstand me, and I love him dearly.   I know we are all suffering growing pains but, as a mom I want to fix everything and I want a quick fix.  I know that is not possible and I know that this is something we must all endure. 
I still refer back to my, "Power of a Praying Parent" for comfort and prayers.  If you are a parent of a teen I highly recommend that book.  The Author, Stormie O'Martin, gives you specific prayers to say for certain areas of your child's life.  She also recounts some of her own road blocks as a parent and how she prayed through them.  I always say as parents we should spend our time in battle on our knees.

Election is over. . .

I am so glad this election is over.  I really hate all of the mud slinging on both sides.  I voted and did my duty and I am sad my guy did not win.  I do know however, that God has a plan.  We are not privy to that plan yet but when he is ready we  will know.  I have faith that God is in control and that he will guide and protect my family and others that have that same faith.  Last night before bed I prayed and gave it all over to Him once again.   It is hard to see our great country in such turmoil and to have to read it all over Facebook.  I do know that God will bring us to our knees to remind us that we still need him and maybe this is the case this year.  We have forgotten, as a country, that there is only one in charge and he is in Heaven waiting for us to wake up.
I have seen a lot of posts on Facebook about freedom of speech and freedom of expression ect. . .   Yet these same people want to crucify the President of one fast food chain for his freedom of expression.   Why is it ok for them to express their feelings and beliefs and yet it is not ok for him?   One side has become overly tolerant and the other side has become intolerant.  Where do we go from here?
I will be spending a great deal of time on my knees in prayer.  I am not only praying for my family but everyone including the President.  I hope that he will take the next four years and actually do something to bring our country back to the Great Nation it once was.

Knitting. . .

I am a part of our Prayer Shawl knitting ministry at my Church.  I am a beginner knitter.  Sorry for the bad grammar.  This is a group of women that knit shawls and squares for our sick, elderly, or anyone that may have lost a loved one.  We knit the shawls and squares and our Minister delivers them when needed.  We have only been doing this since the beginning of the year.  We have given many shawls and squares to people.  The squares are small knit pieces, almost like a pot holder, we call them prayer hugs.  We use these for kids and men.  The kids and most men would not use a shawl per say, but they can hug and hold a prayer square.  We also have lap shawls for the men as well.
As these items are made they are prayed over by the person making them.  Once they are complete the group  prays over them too.  We get together a couple of times a month to talk and knit and enjoy fellowship with one another.  Those of us that are beginners get help on our shawls where we have made mistakes and so on.  We also get advice along the way on how to do better the next time.  I am so glad to be a part of this ministry.
I learned to knit from my niece when she was in High School.  She is now in College. She and some of her college friends made baby blankets and took them to a local Hospital.   She inspires me.  I am excited I am almost finished with my shawl I have been working on for a while.  I knit very slowly.  We have thrown around the idea to make prayer scarves for our youth for Christmas.  That one is still up in the air.