A Lifetime of Love

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...

The randomness of death is all around. I can’t seem to get away from it. We were walking last night at a local park and happened upon a monarch butterfly dead on the pavement. Th was brokenhearted; he wanted me to bury it. He had a difficult time just leaving it there on the ground. I didn’t know what to do, so I told him we could remember it by drawing a picture of it. A friend of my sis-in-law passed away today. About a month ago he was feeling ill with flu-like symptoms. Found out he had cancer and was immediately hospitalized. He never made it back home, but God sustained his wife through this ordeal as is evident in her journal she set up to keep friends/family members updated as to his condition. Perhaps I am just “noticing” death around me more since the passing of Mark. I don’t know. I know death is coming. I get that. I really do. Sadly, I sometimes feel like I am so caught up in my day-to-day activities that life passes me by. But I guess that’s why I write here. I can se...

I have added some more posts dated from May. Re-reading them helped make me much more aware of the Lord's involvement in my life, and more thankful for it. I mean, it's easy to see God when things are going good; it's when a person is knee-deep in muck that faith comes into question. May wasn't too long ago yet it's easy to forget the blessings, especially if I'm not paying attention. I think re-reading my older posts has helped me to really see that I am not alone in my motherhood journey, even though so often it seems that way. It makes me think of the familiar "Footprints in the Sand" poem. One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many time...

As you can see from the pictures, we went horseback riding yesterday afternoon with our T-n-T group from church. We had fun, especially the boys. We had a great turnout, and it was nice to see a certain family join us who hasn ’t been able to attend the past few months for various reasons. I greatly enjoy the fellowship this group provides, and I believe the other families do too! If you are interested in participating in our next event, contact me and I’ll give you the details. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful husband, and I was once again reminded of that today. TJ helped me clean, and then he occupied the children so I could relax in the bath. . . for an hour! It was so nice to sit and read my favorite magazine ( Family Fun ) in peace and quiet. What a wonderful way to start the week. Thank you, Lord, for my husband.

Hi! I am very busy today but I wanted to take a moment to let you know about Angel Food Ministries . "Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief to communities throughout the United States." Basically, pay $25 and receive approximately $50 worth of food. I have never done it, but being married to the thrifty person that I am, we placed our order for September's menu today. I emailed the company because I was concerned that if we did order, we would be prohibiting others who really need the grocery relief from receiving a meal since we do not qualify for food stamps, WIC , or any other type of government help. I was assured that it is open to anyone, especially those who recognize a great value, regardless of income. I hope this is valuable information for some of you, especially those who like to save money like us!

I visited with Val for a little over an hour last evening. I am so thankful I was well enough to go. We sat on the floor and cried, talked, cried some more, and talked some more, all while T.G. played around us. Mark's spirit was evident all around us from the pictures on the wall to the "We Love You, Dad!" banner hanging in the dining room. I have met some strong women over the past few years since attending Harvest. Each of them is strong for different reasons, and Val is no exception. She amazes me with her strength through what is probably every couple's worst nightmare. As we shared a moment of grief, she quickly thanked the Lord for the many blessings He's provided during this time. I think so often as humans we are quick to ask, "Why me?" or "Why didn't You do something to prevent this?", which is a totally natural response, but Val has a different attitude. She pointed out to me that although she misses Mark dearly, so much good ha...

I opened up my blog to allow anyone to read it. It scares me to do that; I am very apprehensive about not knowing who reads it. I switched to this hosting site to better know who was viewing my web page because of the comments left by total strangers at the last web host. BUT, not everyone wanted to log-in here each time. So, to combat that and to make me feel better, I have shortened all of our names to just initials. If you know me and my family, you should be able to figure out to whom I am referring. If not, email me and I'll consider sharing that information. I am also feeling better today. Just a little congested but nothing to complain about. I have a million things to do today and a few errands to run. I am actually excited about that since we haven't been out of the house in a few days. Well, that's not true. We did go to the doctor and library yesterday, neither of which was enjoyable. I am helping to bring a meal to Mark's widow this evening. That is weird t...