Me & the Family

Me & the Family

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Look at the time!


It seems my life these days is monitored in minutes...and since I only have 6 before I need to head to the bus stop I guess I better type fast!

Excuse the errors.  :)

Starting a few weeks ago I began watching my neighbor's daughter (1 year) during the day and their oldest comes home off the bus in the afternoon.  It is such an exciting adventure for me and I love ever moment of it, but there has definitely been some adjusting.

I have not had a baby in 10 years.  

God really moved lots of mountains recently, especially with the coming of the bug.  You see, I had been praying about it for a while...what if I watch the Bug?  Her parents work full time and I knew she was in daycare.  I felt weird approaching her mom about though...because it just seems weird.  

"Hey - what do you think about me watching your baby?"

The day I was going to approach her, after speaking to the hubby (of course) she called to see if I could watch the Bug.  Now...I had never watched the Bug before so you have to see the irony.  I said sure...and told her what I had planned to talk to her about that night.

Strange.

We left it at that and we met a few days later to talk about the what if's and in-betweens.  I left knowing that there was uncertainty and a heavy feeling in my chest.

And a need to write.

So...write I did.  I poured out my heart.  I poured out my love for children.  I poured out my desire to stay home AND I poured out what I wanted to be for them.

I told them to pray about it...

We found out that they did have apprehension about it as well.  They felt discouraged and were praying about it and asked God to show them a sign.

Then pops checked his email.
And found my heart.





So, now the Bug is with me!  We have lots of adventures which you will now hear about, especially since I am all better!

BUS STOP TIME!

Talk to you sooooon!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Matters of the Heart.






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The heart is a muscular organ found in all vertebrates that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The term cardiac (as in cardiology) means "related to the heart" and comes from the Greek καρδιά, kardia, for "heart."

******

We all have a certain plan about how our lives are going to proceed.  Even those that hate planning ahead there is a certain amount of planning that everyone does.  

What do I mean?

Even if you are not a planner and you accidentally get pregnant your life, from there on out, is kind of mapped out: when you will have your baby, give or take a day or two.  You also now know when your child will head off to their first day of school and when they will get their drivers license.  You have an approximate time in your mind of when your own child will get married and one day you will be a grandparent.

Plans.

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Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

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A Sick Heart.

We all know how quickly a heart attack or stroke can change the lives of those that we love and adore.  In a heart beat someone can be gone or unable to communicate through various consequences of damage.  

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I am part of a group of people that have the same type of cancer as my sister.  Through that I have learned something about those with cancer and how they look at their lives.  You see, my sister in the year 2008BC (before cancer) was going on youth group trips, working part-time, enjoying baking and hanging out with her kids, hosting parties with those that she loves and being a part of the world.  

Amy loves to entertain.

Most of you know that my sister's cancer is on her heart.  An unlikely abnormal place to get it, even for the type of cancer that she has...but I tell her "you would get it somewhere weird..." 

Oddly enough, her cancer healed a lot of things in her life.  Yes, the thing that could end up taking her cured her as well.  I will not go into details about her life but I am telling you the truth.  It healed her marriage.  It healed relationships because through it we were all able to get through the garbage of life that pulls us down to see clearly.

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We learned that there is just no time for it.

My nephew graduates from high school in just a few short weeks and my niece will be turning 13 soon too!  By the grace of God my sister has been able to be here for the past two years and we are so very thankful!

Yes, most of her time is on the couch, but it's TIME!

Today she talks to the doctor and finds out how her scans went yesterday.  To make it a little harder my uncle passed away this week, his body riddled with cancer.  With all things I must put it into perspective: my uncle was in his 70s and has smoked and drank his whole life, in excess.  He had quadruple bypass surgery a few years ago.  

His body was tired.

He is a place of no more suffering.

******

A Broken Heart.

During difficult times it is hard to not completely turn against God.  Why does HE want to take my sister home so soon?  

What I realized through this is that Earth is just temporary...and honestly if I had a chance to go to Heaven and have no more pain and suffering...I might sign up!  Of course, as a parent, we all want to make sure our children are raised completely and totally and I know that is a heavy weight on my sister's heart.

It does break her heart.

But God made her a beautiful heart.
AND God has healed her beautiful heart.

Even through her cancer.

And when God calls her home then I know that Heaven will be blessed.  I also know that I will see her again.

In due time.

For a parent who's child is suffering from a disease, addiction, or physical and emotional set backs...this too can cause a broken heart.  

A parent who looses their child...their heart is broken and shattered.  A broken heart beyond my own comprehension.

Completely broken.

The parent can only hold onto the fragments that are remaining; the family and friends that they love and love them, and hold on tight. I pray that for those that suffer in this way that some how I can be there to help them hold on.  

I think about that kind of loss and know that having God in my life and faith in Heaven, that is the only way I would be able to get through it.  

Faith, family and friends.

Jeremiah 24:7




I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

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Life is not easy.  

The pain and suffering of this world are heart wrenching.  God gave us life and the enjoyment of every day we are blessed with.  Sometimes that time is filled with grieving of a loved one that has gone home.  Other days we are stuck on the couch dealing with cancer or having heart issues.

All of the above things can lead to anger, depression and a life time of disappointment if we stray from God's truth.

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Every day that we are here, we have to remember that Heaven is an awesome place with no pain and no suffering.  That every day that we are here is to serve others and offer a spirit of love.  

To thank God for another sunrise, even through our pain and suffering.  

There is HOPE.
Always.

So long as we can keep in perspective who has our heart?  Who gave us our heart?  Who knows our heart?  

We, as Christians show that love through our words, thoughts, prayers and most of all...our actions.

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Love heals the heart.


*****

How is YOUR heart?


Have you  someone who needs it?

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Good vs Evil - (repost 2/2/09)


Good vs Evil.


I believe in good, therefore I believe in evil.  I say that you cannot believe in black and not believe in white.


It doesn't make sense.


With that I am going to take a quote from a book that I am reading.  It is called The Shack.


"I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships so will our healing..."


This sentence really struck me when I read it.


How profound.


Many times we are hurt by something that someone we love says to us.  We build our wall, nice and tall and stronger then anything we have ever built before.
  

A fortress.


A fortress that is impenetrable.


A fortress with a moat that we built when more then likely we miscommunicated or reacted.


More then likely we forget the reason for the argument.  Yet that little argument took something so beautiful, like a marriage, and destroyed it.


Or so we let it.


Words.

"We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.


When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.

Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.



All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."  

~James 3:2-12

Have you ever said something that was misunderstood and it snowballed?


At the same time, how soothing are your words to your child when they scrape their knee?  Or your friend when her parent dies? 

 
With the same tongue you can heal and hurt.



Good vs. Evil



.


It all comes down to taming it.
Teaching yourself to control it.

What comes out.

How it comes out.

When it comes out wrong...owning up to it and apologizing...yet learning what not to say.

More often then not, it's thinking about others more so then thinking about yourself.

............

Has your tongue gotten you into trouble?

............

Monday, March 1, 2010

I'm here!

Sorry kids.


I've been a bit busy!



God moved many mountains which I will go into more details tomorrow, but I am now at home for good. I am watching a little BUG during the day and she is just adorable! :)



Today was day 1.



Trip to the grocery store. I brought my friend who's son is about the same age. She is updating me on what to do and what not to do. 10 years is a long time to not have a little baby!



I plan to write during nap times 2-3 times a week.



First will be tomorrow!