A Lifetime of Love

My little girl is getting so big! At 2 ½, T.G. has learned how to pump her legs on the swing. Th didn’t learn until he was 4, and Ta was 3. I suppose having older siblings to model the skill definitely had an influence on her learning. Her vocabulary is also blossoming. She cracks me up with all that she says. She even reprimands the boys when she knows they are doing wrong; it must be her natural instinct to “mother” them. What’s even funnier is that they listen to her! Today we are embarking upon a new skill, one of which is my least favorite: potty training. Alas, I know it is a skill that is a necessity for independent living. In spite of all the benefits and such, I still hate it! But, my little girl is a trooper, and she’s done excellent today. She went potty on the toilet when she first woke this morning, before her nap, and twice after her nap. We had some errands to run this morning before lunch so she did wear a diaper, but since we’ve been home, she’s worn her panties. I am...

Vacation Bible School just ended last week; it was great! I had 25 boys aged 9-11 (5th/6th grade) every day, with the exception of Monday when we only had 18. The boys were very well behaved and my youth workers were excellent with them. Much to my surprise I even taught a boy, named T, who I taught last year as part of an autism course I took at the college. He is non-verbal for the most part, a little aggressive but very affectionate. My helpers were great with him as he needed much one-on-one. This year's VBS was the best by far, and it is a testament to God as I did not really want to teach this year. With graduation, family visiting, and my final 2 "teacher tests" (which I took yesterday, by the way), I have just been swamped with trying to get ready for everything. VBS was the last thing on my mind, and I did little to prepare. Honestly, when I was asked to teach, I originally said no. But, the Lord convicted me and about 2 weeks later the organizer approached me ag...

"Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace'." ~Luke 7:50 I am going to share a secret with you (my reader, whoever you are): I carry an immense amount of guilt with me about my abortion 13 1/2 years ago. I know that when I placed my faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save me, all my past sins were forgiven (even my abortion) and I am now righteous before the Lord (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:1-9, Romans 5:8-9). However, the pain and guilt as a result of such a horrific sin were often brought to the forefront of my mind each time I heard the word 'abortion.' I have been struggling and dealing with these emotions for a long time; I even consulted with my pastor looking for wisdom and insight about the forgiveness offered by the Lord. Sunday I received my answer in the form of the above verse. Do you see what it says? Did you read the words carefully? It says my faith has saved me; GO IN PEACE . That is such a freeing statement that I immedia...

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us," ~Ephesians 3:20 Today the little kids have their end-of-the-year parties at preschool. I just cannot believe how fast this year went by, and how gracious the Lord has been to us this school year, particularly to me. I keep thinking about and meditating on the above verse, and how the Lord has truly shown Himself to me through this verse not only over the course of the school year, but my entire life. He has answered so many prayers, and provided for me in ways that I never could have imagined. God really is so good despite the fact that I am so undeserving of any of His blessings. Let me share just a few of the ways the Lord has blessed and encouraged me: · Salvation- this in itself is a miracle and you can read my testimony here . · Meeting TJ- read about our life together here and here . · Miscarriage- God used my grief for His glory. Read about it ...

"When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them." ~Psalm 11:3-4 I'm still here. Not much to say or write about in regards to me or my immediate family, at least not anything that really matters in light of eternity. Received some news this evening at church. Brandon, a 12-year-old boy in my church, battled a brain tumor at the age of 9. He found out this morning it returned. His mom, Kristy, notified my pastor this afternoon, and my pastor notified the church family tonight. Yes, I wrote church family, because we are a family. We laugh together, cry together, encourage and support one another, and pray for each other. Brandon's news is testing the foundations of our faith as a church; however, as the above verse continues, the Lord still reigns and is in control over the situation. In my human-ness and limited understanding as ...

I just wrapped up my first week of being out of school. Surprisingly, I stayed constantly busy! I thought I would have more time to get all of my "To Do" list items completed, but I was wrong. With the few weeks of school that remain for the kids, I am trying to stay involved and volunteer. I spent time in the classroom at the preschool and Th's school this week, as well as chaperoned a field trip yesterday. We had fun and my kids are enjoying the one-on-one time with me. I am also trying to get ready for VBS. I am teaching again this year. I have the privilege of teaching the 5/6th grade boys. I am excited and need to get working on decorations for my classroom. The theme this year is "Polar Extremes." I thought I would decorate the class with a snow theme. I plan to incorporate some fake snow, if I can find it at the craft stores. Since it's almost summer, I don't know if it will be available to purchase. Despite everything else, most of my thoughts r...

Teagan is 7 months old today! I can’t believe how fast the time passed since her birth, especially in the last 2 months since she’s been receiving Early Intervention services. She has made such great progress with the help of her Early Interventionist (EI) and physical therapist (PT). In fact, this past Sunday, Teagan finally began rolling over independently! T.G. was sick so I kept her home from church Sunday night. I had her in the bathtub, trying to bring her fever down a bit. I had Teagan playing on the carpet right outside the bathroom door. I had placed her on her back and put some toys just out of her grasp, reachable only when she rolled onto her side. I was washing T.G. and periodically checking on Teagan. I heard Teagan begin to fuss, and when I turned around to check on her, she had rolled onto her belly! I was very excited! She rolled 2 more times before I actually witnessed her rolling, and then she did it again yesterday for her EI. I can’t wait to show her PT her new ski...