A Different Anniversary

I started writing about this a couple of nights ago. It was extremely long-winded and incomplete. Henry was exhausted just listening to me read my intro to him for his approval.

Now, I've ditched the previous post and I'm going to attempt a bullet-pointed piece that will hit the highlights and you'll just have to ask me to expound if you want to know more.

*September 10th was the one year anniversary of our house being for sale.

*We put the house up for sale so we could move into a house with a smaller house payment, a smaller drive to all things, and a smaller bunch of expenditures (like neighborhood associations.)

*We have wrestled with God about whether or not this was the right thing to do.

*We have wrestled with God about why He hasn't sold the house when we feel He asked us to be obedient in marketing it.

*We have been blessed with the spiritual process of waiting and trusting.

*We have gained a freedom in exhausting all human means of selling this house.

*We have experienced awesome bonds in friendship with others who are praying with and for us.

*We have great confidence in God's plan and anxiously await the end result of this adventure.

Seriously, I could write volumes more about this. I could go into great detail about the spiritual and emotional ups and downs. I could list out all the amazing experiences with people (especially my awesome parents!) and situations we've had over this past year.

It's been a journey, no doubt. It's still a journey.

God is the Alpha and the Omega. Things start and end with Him. Time is in His hand.

I love His provision and I love Him for revealing Himself in new ways. I'm thankful for His mercy as He is teaching us incredibly valuable truths and is strengthening our marriage, our resolve, and is encouraging us to persevere. I thank Him for answering my prayer for faith-strengthening in such a loving and gentle way.

I love you, LORD and I worship You!

10-4 Good Buddy Is Here!

I'd like to announce the early arrival of my newest nephew, whose blog alias will be 10-4 or Good Buddy....not sure which CB radio reference I'll stick with. I really hoped he would weigh 10lbs 4 oz but he missed that mark by a hair, coming in at 4lbs 8oz.

He wasn't due to arrive for about 6 more weeks so he'll need to wear this special space man suit for a little while but things are looking good for him. His birthday is April 22nd.

This is Lou (Henry's sis) and Grainger's baby boy & they are going to be great parents! Please be in prayer for their health, well-being, and family bonding.

Jackson - Update & PRAISES

Thanks for praying, y'all! Keep it up!
From Mom Tracie:
I know that good news travels fast and so many of you may have already heard the latest reports about Jackson. We all arrived back in the states on Friday night, and Jackson was admitted to UAB Children's Hospital under the care of a neurologist and his team. After a late night of blood tests and muscle checks, we found out Saturday morning that Jackson's CK Test (the muscle enzyme test that was in the 6,000s the day before we left Vienna) was down to 650, just slightly higher than the normal level of 150.
Saturday morning the doctors evaluated Jackson, and they are convinced that it is not a degenerative muscle disease or a chronic auto-immune disease. They suspect that this is Benign Parainfectious Myocitis, which means that there was some type of infection, probably a virus, that caused Jackson's muscles to become inflamed, and that it is a temporary response which will eventually get better. The doctor said that often this particular illness targets the lower extremities, and in Jackson's case his quads, hamstrings, and psoas (which is a muscle that runs from his low back into his legs). These muscles are all very painful and also tight, so Jackson has pain walking and walks slightly bent over and on his toes.
The doctors don't want to repeat any of the countless viral and blood tests that were run on Jackson in Vienna, but they want to do an MRI to look at his muscles and to see the nature of the inflammation. Apparently, if it is Benign Infectious Myocitis, then the inflammation will look a certain way on the MRI. So rather than waiting in the hospital over the weekend until a pediatric MRI is able to be scheduled, they went ahead and sent us to _____ for a few days until they call with an appointment to come back for the MRI and a meeting with the doctors. If they confirm that this is what is going on, then they will just keep Jackson on Motrin for pain relief and send him to physical therapy until his muscles are better and working properly again. We aren't sure how long this process will take, but please pray that we will all be able to return to Romania together, as Robert will have to return on March xxth.
Already, we are seeing amazing improvements in Jackson's ability to walk and his pain level. We had a wonderful time yesterday returning to our home to see family and friends, and it was such a great distraction for Jackson as he was spoiled with every Easter candy and toy that a little boy could ever want. He even went on an Easter Egg hunt through the yard with the help of our friends. He is like looking at a different child altogether.
We will let you know how the MRI next week goes, but it looks like things are going to be ok, and I wish you could all know how we feel. On the way home from the hospital, Robert and I couldn't help but just pray and sing and thank God for the way that He has cared for us these last few weeks. From the amazing support network of our family, friends, and colleagues, to the kindest people that we met along the way in our travels, to the healing that we are still witnessing right before our eyes- we are overwhelmed. We have had cars loaned to us, money donated, prayer meetings held, and family make sacrifices of travel and time. We have treasured your e-mails, felt your prayers, and in the middle of wondering if our little boy would ever walk again, we felt hope. I am crying just to think of all of the love that has been shown to our family. Here it is early on Easter morning, and we are so acutely aware of the love of Christ, who is both powerful enough to overcome sin and death and also to heal our sweet Jackson.
In Him, Tracie

Brothers & Sisters In Christ, Please Take A Moment

God Speaking Through Rick Burgess

I struggle to figure out what to type right here.

But after listening to the last words of Rick, in the unbelievable message he gave at his son's memorial service, I realize I need to toughen up. I need to quit being so easily defeated. I need to be about Kingdom work.

Pasting these videos into my blog is but a mere fraction of what I can do but it is something I MUST do, nonetheless.

Please watch these to the very end. I'm praying very specifically about some of you I know come to my blog. Please receive Jesus. He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life! Life's struggles are light when you are yoked with Him, and death is defeated when you accept His mercy and salvation.

Again, please watch these powerful videos. (turn volume way up)

A Prayer I Have Begun To Pray

St. Ignatius Loyola prayed, "Teach us, Good Lord, to labor and to ask for no reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will."

Being the "words of affirmation" love language that I am, I struggle with being satisfied that following God's will is enough.

Take this house-selling stuff. I think it should be completed by now because of it being God's leading to do this. If God said to do it, shouldn't it be done by now? Shouldn't we be rewarded with an easy experience since we are being obedient and willing to sacrifice the luxury of our own large home?

"Teach us, Good Lord, to labor and to ask for no reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will."

And homeschooling... Shouldn't the kids joyfully bounce out of bed every day and gratefully get started on it and thank me profusely for being such a wonderful change from "real school?" Shouldn't we be in a groove by now? Shouldn't I feel accomplished at the end of a school day? Shouldn't I be gifted with perfect organizational skills and educational enthusiasm?

"Teach us, Good Lord, to labor and to ask for no reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will."

(NLT) Psalm 128:

1 How joyful are those who fear the Lord—
all who follow his ways!
2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
How joyful and prosperous you will be!
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,
flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees
as they sit around your table.

So I will continue to fear the Lord and will continue to seek and desire and earnestly strive to follow His ways. I have faith that my joy will be full. And I pray, "Teach us, Good Lord, to labor and to ask for no reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will."

Whoever Said Homes Weren't Selling?

No, I'm not posting with the excellent news that our house is sold BUT I AM posting to complain (I need one of those bracelets!) that nearly every house we have been interested in has sold.

Hmph.

Deep breaths...

I set up a new blog to highlight our for-sale house. It's a work in progress but maybe it will help??

www.EmeraldMtn.blogspot.com

By the way, THANK YOU so much to everyone who prayed and is praying for us. I am not forgetting that many of you dear readers are in the same boat of needing/wanting your house to sell, too! I assure you, I am including you in my prayers and look forward to the day we celebrate this milestone!

Even in my complaining, I truly do know God has this planned and I am praising Him for it! What incredible mercy we are shown in this fallen world...

How Not To Obsess?

I don't know how Henry does it but he has no problem watching TV & letting his mind focus on the fictional & non-fictional sagas portrayed there. I, on the other hand, can't sit still for more than a minute or two without hitting the online MLS sites. I've tried detaching from the house I want by continuing to search online for potentials in our parameters. And when I get tired of looking at the same old houses over and over again, I start searching for any new houses in similar description to our for-sale house. In my obsessed little head, I think that continuing to look for houses will keep me from being so absorbed in the one that we really want.

But I'm SO not emotionally detached.

The evidence of that came today when Henry called to say "our" house had the for-sale sign out of the yard and a couple of cars under the carport. Online, the house is listed as "contingent."

Crap.

This past Tuesday, I prayer walked around and throughout our for-sale house. I'm being reminded over and over that it doesn't matter how much advertisement is done for our house. When it's time, it will happen. I am confident God has a plan to send the right person at the right time. I just wanna know when that will be. And I wanna know what house is for us after it does happen.

Waiting is so hard.

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT

Back To Talking About The Family - Funny

Indie got real excited today when I climbed onto the bed beside her for naptime. I had Captain with me and she squealed, "Ohhh, I've never taken a nap with Captain!" Then she started patting his back and kissing on his bald little head. I told her, "You need to be sure you talk with your husband before you have children and make sure he knows you want your babies to sleep in the bed with you."

She asked, "Why?"

"Because y'all need to talk about it and make sure you both want the same things before you start having children."

"But where else would the baby sleep?"

"Honey, a lot of people put their babies in a crib. We did that with you and Ray because we thought we were supposed to."

Looking bewildered, "Why?"

"Baby, that's why you need to talk with your husband before you have children. A lot of people don't believe babies should sleep in the parents' bed."

"That's weird. If they don't sleep with you, you would have to get up every time they cry."

I figured there was no need to tell her about the idea of "cry it out" at this point.

Lord, please prepare a loving husband for my daughters and a loving wife for my sons and let their marriages glorify You in all ways, including a like-mindedness in all things that could cause a struggle between them. Please work in the lives of the sweet children and their parents right now as You move forward with the plans You have for them. Please continue working in me and Henry as we have been given the blessed opportunity to raise these sweet babes. Help us to mold them with Your Hands, God. Prepare a blessed union that will serve and glorify You through another branch in Your Vine. Amen.

Flipping Out

Last night, Henry and I sat down with the kids to kinda put our feet down about behavior lately. We are all in desperate need of more prayer and bible study time. Henry and I have both been kinda stressed but I think that Henry is probably stressed because I've been in a pretty cranky mood lately.

I'm not sure what it is.....other than it being a spiritual issue. I'm not in a Bible study right now and I'm really not doing much 'quiet time' on my own. It's pathetic that I need the accountability of a Bible study but it appears that is the case. Otherwise, I stay up entirely too late (just ordered more Mannatonin to try to correct that again, though) and just plop right in bed without reading my bible. I'll get into some reading during the day some but it's definitely not anything of much meat. My phone is ringing constantly or a kid is needing me for something. As much as I hate to admit it, I am just not reading my Bible lately.

So, after this meeting last night where Henry and I told the kids we were going to do better and how we expected them to help do better, I flipped out.

It started at Walmart -- kinda -- well the flipping out didn't start, but the pressure started building. All I have to say is "Walmart" on a December afternoon and I think the rest can be figured out. I wanted so badly to get in and out of ther quickly. But there are WAY too many distractions for kids right now and every step was, "Momma, look at this." "Momma, what's this?" "Momma, can we get this?" Or "Momma, didn't you say we needed one of these?" ARGH!

Then, in a rush at home (getting ready for a Mannatech meeting), Rocky locked He-Man in his bedroom by himself. He-Man was fine until he heard us trying to get in. Then he started getting upset. ARGH! And Rocky was warned about this LAST NIGHT!

THEN.....just a few minutes AFTER the locked door incident....I'm draining the noodles for spaghetti and SPLAT....the noodles ended up in the sink.

THAT is when I flipped out.

I told Henry I was leaving. Of course, it was time to leave anyway but I know the way it sounded was like I was leaving 'for good' or something.... It was one of those things where I just HAD to get out of the house.

I was so frustrated. I didn't care what Henry ended up doing with supper, just as long as I didn't have to do anything with it. I was done! (He did fine, by the way. Made some more noodles and served it up......just a little later than was originally planned).

I spent my whole car ride to the meeting in prayer. My biggest issue was that I did not want the Evil One to use this incident for his purposes. I prayed that God would please protect my children, Henry and me from harm because of my sin. I prayed in Jesus' name and I prayed for forgiveness. I sang praises to God knowing that it was for THESE REASONS that I needed Jesus...I'm such a sinner.

And thankfully, meeting went extremely well. It was our first official training meeting and the turnout and substance was really good. God blessed it even though I didn't deserve it.

Isn't God's mercy overwhelming?

They Never Cease

My children amaze me all the time.

Rocky came running inside, "Daddy, Momma! We need a bowl for Ray to put the lizard in!"

Yes, my darling, sweet little Ray is a lizard-wrangler.

The big kids are on the porch right now building an ecosystem for their new creature. Poor fella. Hope he's had a good life because it's likely to end today.

And speaking of kids....

Teething has become a nuisance again. He-Man had a really nice stretch of just enjoying his mouthful of biters but now he's growing 2 more. This causes him to want to nurse alllll the time. He wakes crying if he's detatched but if he's latched on, he's fine for the course of the evening.

And during the day, all he wants to do is sit in my lap and nurse. He'll have stretches of wanting to get down and play but many times he wants to nurse for just a little bit. The precious thing is that he is very appreciative. Yesterday evening we were outside enjoying this gorgeous weather and he needed to stop playing to nurse a little while. When he was done he covered me up and said, "Done. Thank you, Momma" and then gave a wonderful little grin over his shoulder as he walked away.

Lord, please help me remember THAT instead of the seemingly constant nagging. Lord, also help me remember that these days are so short and that it won't be long before he's running away from me to catch lizards and chase girls.

Lord, I also pray for a really great sale on digital cameras the weekend of October 29 so Henry can finally go get his birthday gift for us all to enjoy :)

Meltdown - Life-changing experience

Actually, there hasn't been a 'meltdown' but in this heat, I don't feel I could adequately name the entry "rundown" because I ain't running no-whar today!  It was so hot today that the kiddie pool (pretty big this year by the way!) went from being a refreshing place of fun this morning to a boiling hot tub this afternoon.  Henry picked up 3 bags of ice at the gas station to throw in the pool with the kids and it melted, literally, within seconds.  It was so unbearable that He-Man cried and said, "hot" when we tried setting him down into the water.  It was terrible!

But I'd still take this heat to freezing temps ANY day!

OK - now for the meltdown/rundown of this week's life-changing experience...

Both girls prayed to God to save them by professing their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.  They prayed for forgiveness of their sins and a belief in Christ's taking on of their sins, His death and resurrection, and a committment to Him to live a life to glorify Him.  It was quite awesome!

The best part about it was the peace I had that their prayers were genuine.  I love it.  I questioned them enough for them to be certain of what they were saying and doing and enough for me to feel sure of their understanding.  But I didn't want to make them doubt what they felt led to do.

And a cool encouragement from the Lord this week has been their 'blooming' of their faith and desire to publically profess their salvation.  Originally they were nervous to just tell their Daddy.  But as the week went on they were more and more willing and even desiring to tell grandparents and church leadership.  Tomorrow both girls will "walk the aisle" and make a public profession to the church of their salvation.  Henry and I are praying for this to be a time of committment and profession of a true conversion and not just a ritual of church membership.  Please pray for this with us.

Thank you Lord for saving my sweet girls and bless us all to continue leading so that the boys can be saved in the very near future as well.

Glory, Hallelujah!   I am in awe of your faithfulness!