A Lifetime of Love

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” It has been a tiring week. I relied upon the above verse because I was feeling very overwhelmed with all of my commitments. As usual, I was being pulled in several directions and was having difficulty in prioritizing them. The reality of Vacation Bible School didn’t hit me until last Thursday evening. I met with the other teacher in the class to talk about our plan for the week. I left her house feeling both excited and panicked- I hadn’t prepared for the upcoming week through prayer as well as I should, and I had only myself to blame. The weekend didn’t provide much relief so I prayed every opportunity I had. We had our T-n-T campout last Friday, attended 2 birthday parties on Saturday, picked up my brother from the airport Saturday evening, and made final preparations for VBS on Sunday. The VBS kick-off was Sunday e...

I have added some pictures from various life events in which we've recently participated. T.G. is getting to be such a big girl, not just physically, but in every way. She never did take to a bottle, and put up a fight against the spoon, but now she loves to eat! She gets so angry if I eat something and don't share it- even if it's a burger! I have to pinch off a piece of everything for her to try. She eats pretty much anything she can get in her mouth. I was worried that she wasn't getting enough iron since she fought against eating infant cereal, but she's quickly made up for that! She eats the cereal, any type of baby food, plus whatever I can mash up enough to give her. She still doesn't have any teeth so I can't give her pieces too large. She eats regular bananas just fine, so that's a money saver! She also likes applesauce and sweet potatoes, plus toast and graham crackers. She's been sitting up by herself for a few weeks now, so that help...

I am very excited. . . I found out my sister is expecting her first child. She and her boyfriend Paul were going to get married anyway; the pregnancy sort of sped things up a bit. Nevertheless, I am very happy for her. Plus, her due date is my birthday, so that makes it more exciting! She really wants a boy. In fact, she already has a name picked out- Noah James. I love it! I would love for her to have a boy because I know how cool it is to have a boy first. I would also love for her to have a girl because her baby and T.G. will only be about a year apart. I told TJ last night I want to go and stay with her when she has the baby. I haven’t decided if I’ll go the same time as my mom or wait until after my mom leaves. He told me we have plenty of time to work out the details- I guess he’s right! Her husband is a Marine and she told me today that he is due to deploy to Iraq in March, when the baby is about 2 months old. He’s already been there at least once (I think twice) so I encourage...

I have had such a great morning despite the bickering between the boys. We went over to a friend’s house from church so I could get some godly parenting advice and tips. This woman also has 2 boys who are 2 years apart, and since they are older than mine, she knows exactly what I’m dealing with because she has experienced it with her own children. Additionally, she just recently resigned as the nursery coordinator for our church, so she knows my children extremely well and was able to provide me with some sound advice based on their personalities. I wrote before that I am doing a personal Bible study, and I have been convicted of my sins as a parent since the first page. She did the same study and encouraged me to keep going. She was such a huge blessing to me today, and I am so thankful to have such godly influences in my life. As I was leaving her house, I told her how much I appreciated her time. I honestly have already begun to put into practice some of what I learned today, and I ...

1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." Today was a bad day for me as a mother. I can’t even say I “lost” my patience because that would imply I had patience to begin with- I didn ’t. I was immediately convicted as soon as my mouth shut. I apologized for all the times I angrily lost my self-control, but I know words hurt the heart more than anything. While waiting for TJ to get home, the kids and I were playing in the backyard as usual. We heard sirens, and I looked at my watch and noticed it was 5:30. Bad thoughts and panic set in, and I frantically began calling TJ on his cell phone. No answer, of course! I waited 5 more minutes before calling again. During that time, I prayed that God would forgive me for my bad attitude today, especially toward my children. I sometimes need moments like this to help me gain my perspective back. It’s funny- I was thinking if something horrible did happen to TJ on the way home, I wa...

My life has been hectic as usual. I sometimes can’t seem to tell whether I’m coming or going. I have been going non-stop since last week, and today is the first moment I have found to sit down and write. Saturday evening was spent at my sister-in-law’s house. TJ volunteered to help out with a major youth event at our church, which left the kids in my care. It’s an hour drive each way to her house, and by the time I arrived, I was already stressed out due to the arguing in the van. T.G. was ready to nurse shortly after our arrival, and just as I got situated, my 5 -year-old niece informed me Ta was outside. My sis-in-law lives on a dangerous road, and her house isn ’t that far from it. There’s not necessarily a lot of traffic, but cars speed by going 45 miles an hour. Needless to say, panic set in and I ran to get him. Thankfully the Lord’s hand of protection was upon him, and he was sitting on the porch. I couldn ’t discipline him because he didn ’t really understand what he did wrong...

I am a little misty-eyed as I write today. Carole’s blog entry from last night really touched me. I have been thinking about it since I read it because I have been replaying in my mind various trials and hardships that I have gone through over the past few years. I consider myself a strong woman, and having since experienced certain life situations, I feel relatively grounded in my faith and know I have gotten closer in my walk with the Lord. But, as I read and re-read Carole’s words, I found myself second-guessing myself. Am I as strong as I think I am? If I were in her situation, would I respond in the same manner and with the same strength? I don’t know, and I selfishly pray I don’t ever have to find out. But, by thinking about this, the Lord allowed me to reflect upon the ways He has cared for me over the years. I know, I know. I’ve written before about the Lord’s provision and healing for me, but I cannot find the words to express my true feelings of gratitude for all that God has...