Thank You For Your Service.....

To all our gracious, brave servicemen....past and present....we honor and salute you!!!🇺🇸

Fun and "Whole"............

Yep.....that's us!!

Our entire family gathered last night for my nephews wedding!!

We had a lot of fun!!!!

My firstborn is in town just for the occasion.........It's going to be so hard to let him go today......He was here for just a blink of a moment......We won't be able to hug him again until mid-December!!! :(

My heart hurts already........

I have said it before but this firstborn child makes our family whole........He is generous and sweet......He is patient and loving.......He is such a gift to his sister who worships his very existence.....

He is a best friend and hero to his brother who's joy is immeasurable and vividly transparent when they are together.....I know he (my middle child) misses his best friend so tremendously...........My heart is so thankful that they have this relationship and this love for each other........It's so amazing to experience......

We are so grateful for this wink of opportunity to hold our son in our arms.......To be "whole" again for a couple days.......

Gosh, we are going to miss him......

"Blessed to be a Blessing"........

Another day....

Up before the sun, padding off to the kitchen for a make-shift meal of some sort.....

Spend less time than I should, talking to my Father in Heaven........

My gratefulness and my petitions of healing, he so graciously hears.....

Check calendar and emails......

Daughter rises; think its going to be a manageable day.....I am thankful......

My Wise Husband, already hard at work.....

My sons room shows signs of life......

Dress, wash, teeth........

Husband drives son, I drive daughter......drop them off at school.......

I pray for the gifts of their education and for their safety when I cannot be with them.....

I yearn for my morning boost.......

I order the regular......the one and only warm beverage I ever order........

The young man at the register says "It's been paid for by the woman that just left."

I am as surprised as I am appreciative and I scan the area trying to locate her......

She is gone.....

This one, small, seemingly small gesture of kindness will stay with me all day......

I am reminded that "I am blessed to be a blessing"..........

And I look forward to tomorrow.......

When I will make an opportunity.......

To bring a surprise and a smile to someone's face.......

This act of kindness.......

What a blessing!

I am so thankful......

The Undone "To-Do" List.........

As I look out my window today, I see my orchard.......the trees calling my name for their fall attention....

Not much is getting done around here......other than, clean clothes, a basically clean house, and food on the table, not much time for anything else........

Our focus and priority has been redirected.......

The trees open their almost barren arms, inviting me.........

Our poor Sadie, she desperately needs a shampoo, but she happily greats me still, with a hug and a smile......

The house trim outside is SO long overdue for some exterior paint........

My windows......Uuugggggg, my windows........showing months of dirt, fingerprints and snail trails.......

But, I am needed in other places for now, and that takes priority......

Everything else must patiently wait.......

As Ms. O'Hara would say, 

"After all.....Tomorrow is another day.".............

It's "Off-the-Chain"........

Today is the kind of day that feels as ordinary as any other day....

But life around here lately feels like at any given moment, the other shoe is going to drop....

Kinda like being on call waiting for your pager to go off (they don't even make pagers anymore, do they?).......

I can only describe it as being "off the chain" .........

It's been very stressful and even more heart-draining.......

On the bright side.....

It's 3:00 in the afternoon, and my heart is beating with normal cadence

And I havent yet broken down in tears....

That is something to be thankful for.....

There is no greater suffering in life, 

Than when the health and wellness of your child is in question....

There is no escaping the dark cloud of gloom that surrounds your every thought....

I just want my child to be healthy and well.....

There isn't anything I wouldnt do to make this so....

I just have to keep praying.....

But mostly....

I just hope he knows we are right by his side through this journey....

Every step he takes, we take with him....

And even more so........

I just hope he knows how desperately we love him.....

How much we prayed for the gift of him, 16 years ago.....

How thankful we are to be his parents....

What a blessing he is to this family....

Don't give up, beautiful boy......

Don't ever give up.....

Just one foot in front of the other.....

One day at a time.....

Just one day...

Just

Today......

And, We Raise Our Swords.......

This is the day the Lord has made......

With intensity and fervor, I grovel 

with petitions to my Father for his healing favor...

My husband reminds me

That to fully trust Him

I must relinquish ALL my armour

And let the power be completely His.

My husband's truth stings my focus

He words so clear, so strong

But my heart aches for the soul

That my arms cradle and yearn to protect.

The blood that flows from me to him

Is impossible for my being to seperate.

But

I will try

Everyday

Every moment

I will try

To trust God with my whole heart

To hand over the shields that bind me

To stand before Him 

With nothing but my cross.

Heal him

Lord.

Heal him

Fill his wounds with your love

Fill his ears with the sounds of your voice

Fill his heart with your love.

Sweep him up 

With your loving, divine hands

To the place you created him

To the only place that can heal him.

My Greatest Nemesis........

My greatest nemesis......

Foe of darkness, destruction and death....

My childhood comrade.....

The vehicle to my Father in heaven...

For my Father,

I am truly Thankful.

Nemesis, 

I have shaken you from my surroundings,

I have armored myself,

With knowledge and healing,

I have wiped you from the soles of my feet

And the cavities of my heart.

And you were there,

Quiet and still,

Lurking in the darkness,

Waiting for weakness,

For opportunity...

My calloused hands and heart,

Testaments to my journey

My resurrection,

My new life...

Yet you remain relentless

Merciless and vengeful..

Determined to destroy.

You seek the souls of the righteous.

The hearts of the faithful.

And here I am....

You reveal yourself, familiar foe,

Your words, your behavior, so predictable..

Yes, 

You are here..

Once again..

My most valuable treasures, you now seek...

My heart unpenatrateable to you now,

You have slowly seeped into my sacred places..

This time

With thunderous power.....

Cowered and shaken, 

I try to regain my footing....

I will NOT allow,

The old battle wounds

To reopen...

I will dust off my armour,

Make new plans of attack,

Prepare my temple body,

Physically and spiritually,

For what lies ahead...

I will try and regain my balance

Remove the fear that engulfs me

Hand over my trust

All of my trust

To the only one who can help me now....

With Him,

I CAN DO ALL THINGS,

Even this...

Even you...

I have been here before,

Standing face to face,

With You,

My Great, Evil One....

I have no intention,

to lose this battle,

This war,

That you insist to not relinquish...

I have no intention to fail,

I will not bend my knees

I will tighten my grip

I will engage the army

That lies within me

And your when your defeat is mine,

I will Praise His Name

you will crawl at my feet

Begging for the mercy,

You have denied me. 

I will proclaim His reign over you

Over all the earth,

That His is the Kingdom

And the Power

And the Glory

Forever and ever!