A Season for Everything

Well gang, we know that to everything there is a season.  And my season here has been done for quite some time.  God has been doing great and amazing things in my life in the past couple years.  He's been stirring and preparing me for something new. 

You'll now find me at my new site, Lasting Thumbprints.  It still needs a lot of work (just like me!), but I wanted to share it with you now.  I hope you'll join me over there, it's going to be a good time!

One Thousand Thank Yous?

No.  It wouldn't even begin to suffice the endless gratitude I have in regards to my mother.

I'm not even sure I could adequately begin to know how to say thank you.  Or where to even start.  So here is a meager attempt to express my thankfulness...to you, Mom. 

Have I ever told you the most important gift you gave me? 

You.

That is our greatest calling after all isn't it?  The giving of ourselves.  In blood.  In sweat.  In tears.  The laying down of our own flesh for our families.

 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 
John 15:13. 

And that's what you did. 

Oh, there is joy in the giving of oneself.  In the raising of sweet babes.  Growing these little humans into adults.

But now as a mother myself, I know the cost firsthand.  The cost of being a mother who is trying to walk in greater love.  Love given to her thousands of years before her feet even touched the earth. 

I know the cost you gave, Mom.  At least a portion of it anyway.  Part of the price can only be known between you and God.   

But you gave yourself. 

When it wasn't easy.  When it wasn't fun.  When it hurt beyond belief.  You still gave.

Thank you, Mom.  A thousand million times thank you. 

I love you. You mean the world to me.

  



Just A Reminder...

Because sometimes I really need one.




You are His beloved. 

To All The Muthas Out There

One of my favorite funny ladies, Anita Renfroe, delivers once again.  And I'm feelin' it so much that it's pulling me out of blogger exile. 



By the way, I think (and really hope) I'll be back to regular posting next month some time. 

Consider yourself warned. *insert evil, maniac laugh here*

And Now We Are Six

**Still having computer issues, but I snagged a couple pictures off my mom's camera to share.**

Titus Josiah

1/13/11

7 lbs. 5 oz.

19 1/2 in.



All the kids were born in different months, but they have maintained sequential dates.  Craziness!  Caleb was born on the 10th, Samuel on the 11th, Abigail on the 12th, and now Titus on the 13th.  

Our welcome committee, minus my mom

The kids absolutely adore their baby brother!  We have to pay close attention to make sure Abigail doesn't love him too much. *grin*

We were so blessed to have my mom come and stay with us for a little over a week.  She arrived two days before he was born, went home to grab one of her dogs and then came back for another five days.  I cannot imagine making it through this first week without her!  Thanks, Mom, you rock!

I hope to share more later, but I wanted to get something up about our newest little one.  He has been a pure delight!  He has been a wonderful newborn and I cannot get enough of this bundle of sweetness. 

Titus, you are a complete joy and I am so happy to be your mommy!  We all love you and cannot imagine our family without you!

A Little Pre-Thanksgiving Laugh

I know this commercial has been around for a while, but it still makes me laugh. Especially as I remember celebrating an early Thanksgiving at the beginning of the month with my side of the family and we ended up with a 36 pound (!) turkey a friend of the family had raised. It was HUGE and if raw poultry wasn't still grossing me out so much, I would have taken a picture of Abigail next to the gobbler as it was bigger than her.

Of course, the Thanksgiving that my mom chased one of my sister's around the kitchen with a turkey neck still ranks as the most memorable for me.

No, I don't have a strange sense of humor, why do you ask?

My Jesus by Todd Agnew

A song I recently heard (yes, I do need to turn on the radio more) that gripped me. There is one word in the song that originally caught me off guard and could be offensive.



My Jesus. Precious Jesus.

There are so many days I reflect the polar opposite of who You are.

TWO New Family Members This Year?

Our little family just keeps on growing and in unexpected ways.  No, we didn't find out we're suddenly expecting twins.  Would it offend you if I added a sigh of relief after that one?

Save Children

We've sponsored a new child through Compassion International.  A six year old boy from Guatemala.  And we are so happy to have him as part of us now!
 
I say it happened unexpectedly because we had other intentions for the monthly sponsorship money.  Our own intentions, like lessen the strain on our monthly income since Richie's salary has been reduced like so many others during the current economic situation.  So nothing extravagant, but God still had other plans.

I pulled into the parking lot to cancel life insurance policies we had on the boys and as I opened my car door, God began to speak.  He basically told me that the monthly payment we were making on the life insurance should be used to bring LIFE to another child right now.  

And now we have a new child in the family.  Caleb helped choose which child should receive our sponsorship. Honestly, I was leaning in a different direction, but I want our kids to have a connection with our Compassion child(ren), so I left it mostly up to him.  It has been amazing how this child that we will likely never meet has already worked his way into our hearts! 

Of course, the minute I see any of the pictures of the many children waiting to be sponsored automatically grabs my heart.  I've been crying over these children and those like them since I was a child and saw my first Sally Struthers commercial.  (Do you remember those?  I would seriously bawl.)  My heart breaks for the littlest of these.  I remember when I've traveled overseas and the conditions the "less thans" of this world live.  The dirt, the stench, the poverty.  The loss of hope.  The need for Love. 

So, I find it a privilege that God would lead us to this little one and use us in his life.  He may not be in my home or within arm's reach, but my prayers and God are never far from him.