And then it happened...

Just a quick note to say that my sweet little Moe turned two yesterday. Suddenly, I am sad over not having a "baby" any more. I now have a strong willed, very opinionated, toddler. It's weird how she even woke up looking different to me...no, no, no, wait a minute...

That's right, it's all coming back to me now. That was just the sleep in my eye from being up all night because my precious little toddler thought she should be able to stay up all night for her birthday and the next night too! I thought the all nighters were only in the beginning and then at the end. Both causing stress and heart ache!?

On one hand, I'm weepy about not having a "baby" any more and then the very next words out of my mouth are, "Please, go to sleep, you're a big girl now!"

There are times when I think I might want another baby, and then in the words of Other Guy, the powder for my itch comes in the form of a small body, screaming at top of her lungs because she can't just eat the icing out of an ENTIRE BOX OF OREOS! Heaven help me, the hormonal surges are happening early!

Well, Happy Birthday, my precious little Moe, Moe. Know that your are loved more than you will ever be able to imagine. We love you very much and wish you a Happy Birthday! May you have a hundred more!

Peace Out!

One is the loneliest number...

Do you remember that song? I know this may come as a shock to some of you but I can't remember who sang it or the year it came out or now that I think about it, I really can't even remember all of the lines but I think he had it wrong! If you talk to any mom whose husband works out of town or any dad who has a wife that works out of town...one is NOT the loneliest number, sometimes it's two or three or four or even more (God Bless the parent of that many, or more, children!)

Other Guy has recently taken a job that takes him out of town sometimes. At first, I thought, hey that will be pretty cool. You know, catch up on my reading, organize the pantry, etc., etc. You all know what I'm talking about, the things that you want to do or need to do but don't really take the time to do because given the choice, you'd rather spend time with the person you love. Well, being alone STINKS! I love being with my girls, don't get me wrong. Speaking of which, Curly said the thing tonight that every mother longs to hear someday and she said it all on her own with NO PROMPTING! "Mommy, you are the best mommy in the whole wide world!" Boy howdy, I almost cried. But as sweet and wonderful as that was, it doesn't take the place of "Other Guy", the person that completes my thoughts, knows when something is bothering me, makes me laugh after a hard day, reaches for my hand in bed simply to tell me he loves me and that he hopes I have sweet dreams. I miss his scent and oddly enough, I miss the little snore he makes while he is sleeping peacefully next to me. When I wake up in the middle of the night after a bad dream, I simply need to hear that snoring man to know that all is well in the Kingdom known as our family.

I mean really, who wouldn't miss this face...

All that to say, I may not be "one" tonight but that doesn't change the fact that I'm lonely and I miss my husband. So, hurry home love of my life...I'll be here, waiting patiently for your return.

On a side note, God Bless all of the military families out there. To the ones who sacrifice so much for somebody like me. While I only suffer a night or two or three, I can not imagine the loneliness you face for months on end. Stay strong and I pray your loved ones come home safe and bring their scent and snoring sounds with them.

Peace Out.

Little Old Ladies...

I once received a card from a dear friend of mine that I still have to this day. I save it in a special place in my home that has cards and letters that I have saved from my husband, friends, family, etc. I came across that card the other day and had to laugh...the part that made this card so funny now is that our daughters are growing up together to be just as close friends. That particular day they were playing dress up together and I snapped a few pictures.


Here's the poem from the card and some photos to make you smile. In the words of my friend Christine & Tracie, "Have you found somebody to DO life with?" I love the fact that I have friends that I can call at any time of day for any reason at all but I also cherish the fact that I can simply grocery shop with them and it be meaningful!

Let's become little old ladies together - we'll stay up late looking at photo albums,

telling "remember when" stories, and laughing until our sides ache.

Let's become eccentric together - we'll be the kind of old ladies

who wear silly hats and get away with behaving badly

in public places.

And if anybody should ask how long we've been friends,

we'll say, "Oh forever - since before you were even born!"

Let's become little old ladies together - because a

friendship like ours can only grow better through the years.

-Jennifer Fujita

Peace Out!

If CANCER was a person, I'd like to meet him in a dark alley with my shoes off...maybe I could introduce him to a good ole' fashion southern woopin'!

This week has been pretty interesting for me. I have had two of my close friends call me this week to tell me that their father/father-n-law has colon cancer. Now, anybody who knows me knows that I have a big place in my heart for people struggling with cancer. My sister, Natasha, has fought the fight once and is currently fighting and winning the battle again. These phone calls really got me to thinking...how could I turn the word cancer into something positive, something with hope. So, this is what I came up with...

God is bigger than anything and everything and that includes cancer. That is really great news for those struggling with this disease. So, when you get that news remember...God is...

C - the Conqueror
A - the Almighty
N - the Name above all Names
C - the Comforter
E - Ever-Present
R - the Rock

In the words of S.M. Lockridge, "Death couldn't handle Him and the grave couldn't hold Him!"
You can listen to that speech if you click on his name. It is amazing...and I agree with him...THAT'S MY KING!

Just some more food for thought as I close, remember that your words have power and sometimes it's tempting to hurt the ones who are closest to you during your pain. Sometimes pain and jealousy cause a person to lash out, but don't do this. Please resist the temptation to hurt intentionally...it's just not nice, especially to the people closest to you, like your children. Be honest with one another and let God into the situation, He'll help you through it without a casualty of the heart.

Peace Out!

Long Time...no talk to!

Before you say anything...I know...I know! It's been a long time and I pledge here and now to be more proactive about posting. What can I say life just calls sometimes and it's called a lot here lately so the little bit of time I actually have on the computer goes to stuff like bills, email, Summer Break Out (our church's version of VBS) and MOPS (Mother of PreSchoolers).

Anyway, we are doing a sermon series at our church right now entitled "Dave" and it's on the life of David. Let me first say that Tim Howey and all of the staff at Grace Church are amazing. This series has really touched my heart. It has also brought to my attention the fact that we are not perfect. I know that may come as a shock to some of you, especially when it comes to thinking of me but it's true, I AM NOT PERFECT. The good news is though that even the person that the Bible refers to as "a man after God's own heart" wasn't perfect either! Going through this series has really brought my mind back to thinking of when I first gave my life to Christ. The timing in my life, the circumstances, everything all part of a bigger picture with a bigger purpose.

I have also recently listened to the words to a song by Third Day called "Mountain of God" and there is a part that says, "I thought that I was all alone, broken and afraid but you were there with me, always there with me. And I didn't even know that I had lost my way but you were there with me, always there with me...Even though the journey's long and I know the road is hard, you're the one who's gone before me, you will help me carry on. And after all that I've been through, now I realize the truth, that I MUST go through the valley to stand upon the Mountain of God!" Isn't that GREAT!

So much of this has led me to the point of wanting to share my testimony with you all. You see, I too didn't know that I had lost my way. I was a pretty good person. I never got into trouble, I never drank or did drugs or anything crazy like that and I thought that was good enough. It was only the bad people that really NEEDED God.

A lady that I worked with, Sherrie Lester, invited me to church with her. I was freshly out of high school and never wanted to hurt any body's feelings so I agreed to go...Once, that was it, ONCE! Thank God Sherrie quickly figured out that the key to my heart is children. So, she knew that if her girls asked me to go, I'd go. The girls kept asking and I kept going. Finally, on Father's Day of 1995, there I sat in Lake Shore United Methodist Church...listening, just listening.

Pastor Frank Seghers gave a real "to the point" sermon to all the fathers in the congregation. He explained to them that it was their job - their God given command - to be a Father! And not just any Father...a Daddy. My mom always used to say that any man can be a Father but it takes a real man to be a Daddy! I sat there in that pew in all my bitterness towards my own absentee father and wanted to shout out, "Amen Pastor Frank...you give it to 'em, you tell 'em!" Then that wonderful man said the words that to this day I will never forget. I'll give them to you in my translation because this is what I heard that day, the words God placed on my heart, whether or not they were the exact words that came out of my beloved pastor's mouth or not. He said, "For all of you out there with no father or with the one's that aren't answering their calling, it's time for you to suck it up! YOU are a child of God! He loves you and He can fulfill all your spiritual and physical needs if you will only trust Him!"

Did I hear that right? Me, a child of God? But what if He knew the real me, would He turn away? Did He really care about me? Want a relationship with me? I cried out to Him that very day and do you know what happened then? God ran to ME, yes ME! He embraced me and whispered in my ear the words I had longed to hear...I love you and I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU!

So, my question to you is this...have you answered His call? Are you listening to the words that the almighty God wants you to hear from a friend, a pastor, a blog? He loves you and take my word for it, He will fulfill EVERY need if you trust Him, if you truly take it all to the cross and leave it there. I hope you all have already found your way there but if not, talk to Him, seek Him out, He's been reaching for you a long time!

Peace Out!