A Lifetime of Love

The 10 year anniversary of my salvation is approaching. I have been reflecting on my life since that day, and actually the years before, and God’s goodness throughout. I would like to share with you, but I warn you, this post is long and not for the faint of heart. I also want to add that I am going to share some ugly details of my past, so stop reading now if you think it will change your opinion of me. Finally, I want to add that although I am not proud of my past (I am dreadfully ashamed!), God is so amazing and forgiving, which is why I am sharing. If He can forgive me for my most horrific sins, He truly can forgive anyone (Psalm 103:12). I hope from this post you will better understand the God I serve. He is an amazing God, full of love, forgiveness, hope, compassion, strength, more than any man can know, and all that I am lacking. It is because of His love for me that I was saved 10 years ago and have changed to be a new person, conformed to the image of Christ His Son (2 Corinth...

Tomorrow is the 1 year anniversary of Joseph's birth and death due to complications from Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH). Since I am going out of town, I am posting this today. In my mind the last few weeks, I've been thinking of ways to best honor him, his family, his life. I can't really express my feelings; for some reason I am having difficulty putting my thoughts and feelings into words. The Lord has just really layed it on my heart to tell everyone AGAIN about what a special little boy Joseph was/is, and the incredible strength his family has. To honor his short life, my post today is dedicated to him. I am including links that his family feels are important, and my hope is that this will help spread awareness of CDH. I also want to share how God has used Joseph to bring me, and undoubtedly others, closer to Him. Romans 8:28 says that the Lord works all things together for good. The Olson family has suffered terrible pain and loss, but God has been working in t...

I feel like I am sleep-walking. I am mentally drained. This has been a difficult week for me. I started the semester Wednesday, so I now have the added responsibility of school along with my other duties as a wife and mother. The lack of sleep this week is getting to me, too. Last night was the best night of sleep I've had in a long time. I was asleep by 10:30 and didn't wake until 6:20. Almost 8 hours! Watching the children went better than expected. My verse for the day was Philippians 4:13. I woke up at 2:30AM because I was paranoid I wouldn't hear my alarm go off at 4:15, so from 2:30 -4:15 I just sort of dozed for about 20 minutes at a time. During this time I prayed and prayed that the Lord would give me the patience and endurance I would need to face the day. I also prayed He would allow the children to behave (mine, not the others). God is good and answered my prayers! There was some fighting between my kids, but overall we had a good day. The sugery went well, too...

I am panicking tonight. I normally try not to let stress of the unknown get to me, but tonight it is. I offered to keep my friend's youngest 2 children (ages 11 months and 2 1/2) for her tomorrow because her husband is having back surgery. I know what it's like to not have family nearby to help with childcare, and I didn't want her to not be with him at the hospital because of lack of childcare. So. . . I am keeping them for her. No big deal. Except the baby doesn't like to take a bottle (sound familiar?) and doesn't care for food too well. And his surgery is in Charlotte. And he has to be at the hospital by 5AM. Yes, you read correctly. I am getting her children at 4:30AM. I just pray they go right back to sleep! I've been up since 4:20 this morning because of my own children. I know God's grace is sufficient, and I am thankful I am able to help her out. Just pray for my sanity tomorrow as I care for a 9 month old, 11 month old, two 2 1/2 year olds , and 4...

I finished transferring all of my old posts over from the other website. Transferring them allowed me to see God's blessings in my life. Some of my favorites are listed below: Carole The Season of My Life Get Growing! Be Strong, Like a Tree I hope you read all of them, not just those listed above. The Lord has definitely reminded me of His presence in my life over the past few months as I re-read my old posts, and I'm thankful for that.

". . . the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight." Proverbs 27:9 NKJV We spent the morning at the park. It was very nice, especially since a friend from church met us there. The youth pastor ( YP ) and his wife Julie had a new baby a couple of weeks ago so my friend brought their children with her to give Julie some time alone with the baby. Th and the YP's oldest son Caleb are great friends. Talking and sharing of God's goodness is what I love to do, and I had an opportunity to share with my friend today. We have a similar background, so she understood a lot of what I was sharing. She was such a blessing to me, and I feel very refreshed this afternoon. I'll share my story with ya'll someday soon, I promise. I had Caleb over last week to play to give Julie a break while her other children napped. As you can see from the pictures, the two boys think and act alike. They had fun, and that's all that matters! We all need friends, no matter our age. ...

I’ve not written in a while because I’ve been busy preparing for various events. To make a long story short, the Lord really blessed me on Friday. I ended up saving $35 off the total bill for some clothes I purchased for the kids. The cashier made a minor mistake but felt so bad for it that she gave me 20% off in addition to a $10 coupon I had. That was an awesome feeling, especially because the cashier really didn’t have to do anything! I also helped prepare another meal for Val on Friday evening. I was hoping to be able to deliver it, but my schedule wouldn’t allow it. Although disappointed at not seeing them, I was still grateful for the opportunity to be a blessing to this family. Saturday we had friends over from the MOMS Club for a family cookout. It was really nice. I am hosting one every quarter and limiting participation to the first 5 families who RSVP. Because it’s small, we are better able to get to know the entire family, not just moms and kids. It’s an even better way...