A Life of Gratitude

This afternoon I told Evan that his screen time was over. He responded by whining about having nothing to do. So, I listed off several things that he could do including drawing, legos, board games, play dough, etc. He quickly said, "Mom, those things are from the olden days. No one wants to do that stuff when they could play an Xbox or Nintendo DS."  I could barely contain my laughter! He is so funny! His "boredom" reminded of a project we had bought the materials for but never done.  Evan is a giver. He loves to give gifts and cards and really anything that will make others happy. He has a box of materials that he uses to make gifts for others anytime he desires. This new gift is simple and fun and he is so excited about making these for family and friends. He made the first one this evening for his dad!  The final product!! A key chain that says, "Best Dad!" Bryan loved it!  Today I am grateful for this sweet

As a post-abortive woman, I feel like I have to speak up!  The law passed in New York yesterday legalizing full term abortions has stirred up all kinds of emotions in me. As I've been thinking and praying about this issue, I can't help but wonder how heartbreaking this must be for our Father and Creator. He has breathed life into each and every child ever conceived and humans think they have the right to take that life.  Who do we think we are? Two out of four of my babies were born at exactly 37 weeks, which is considered full term.  Take a look at this photo of one of my sweet boys only minutes after he was born. Does anyone actually believe he wasn't alive the day before?  No, no one truly believes that.  And actually, I have several more questions.  If someone kills a pregnant woman, at any point in her pregnancy, they will be charged with 2 counts of murder. Is it really okay for her to choose to kill her baby at 36 weeks, but if someone else k

This morning was the beginning of the third semester of Students of the Spirit! I began this homeschool co-op in February of 2018. It was totally God's idea and He led the way, for sure! I'm still unsure how this all came together. With the help of several special people, Students of the Spirit has become a beautiful opportunity for our homeschool students to understand and experience what it means to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  We worship together as a group then the kids split up into three groups according to grade level. They have a "Worship through Art" class, a "Bible Education" class, and the opportunity to hear from a guest speaker.  This is someone in our community who allows the Holy Spirit to lead them throughout their daily life. This semester the students will hear from Missionaries, a Prophetic Dancer, a WWII Veteran, an Advocate for the Vulnerable, a Blogger, an Aroma Touch Therapist, and a former Public Assitant Princip

I’m prone to worry. It’s something I’ve always done. When I think about all the hours I’ve wasted worrying, it saddens me. I’ve lived out many horrible scenarios in my mind that never even happened. That time spent worrying did nothing but take joy from the present because it’s so easy for me to forget WHO is in control and how much He loves me. If I had to guess, I bet most humans spend too much time worrying. But why? Why do we spend so much time worrying over what will happen because of this or that choice, or what someone thinks about us, or where we’ll be in 5 years? Planning and preparing and being aware of the possible outcomes from our decisions aren’t bad things.  In fact, thinking through things, being prepared, and planning for the future are really good things---things that God gave us the ability to do!  But if doing those things causes us to worry and steals our peace, it is no longer worth our time. Matthew 6:25-27 “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about

Isn't funny how we change as we get older? When I look at pictures from my early twenties, I am usually just amazed! I was so hard on myself back then. I always said the meanest things to myself.  After having four babies and suffering daily from a terrible auto-immune disorder, I wish I looked like I did back then! I wish I could go back in time and tell myself how pretty I was!  Lately, God has been teaching me so much about beauty. He's given me a new definition of beauty. In fact, He's helped me to see that I've never known what beauty truly is. My view of beauty has been very distorted.  Ankylosing Spondylitis can wreak havoc on a healthy body.  I feel different and look different after fighting this disease for 10 years while undiagnosed. Now that I have a treatment plan, I'm hoping the progression of the disease will slow down significantly and I'll be able to feel better. But, no matter what, I will never feel the way I use to feel and I will n

My sweet seven year old, Evan, has been having a hard time making good choices lately. Just like every little boy, he has a hard time obeying mom and dad when there is something else he wants to do. Therefore, there have been some consequences. Tonight I had the opportunity to talk with him for a while. He expressed some concerns which caused me to realize that the enemy doesn't just aggravate adults, he is at work in the minds of our children as well! So, I boldly spoke truth over Evan! I reminded him that he is a child of the One True King and that God made him to brave, strong, obedient, kind, courageous, and full of the Holy Spirit. I told him that he was born for a purpose and God has big beautiful plans for him. I reminded him that God imparts the fruits of the Spirit to him so he is full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.  Evan looked at me and said, "Mom, now that you have confident me, I know I can be

When I think of 2018, the first thing that comes to mind is being diagnosed with an incurable, debilitating auto-immune disorder. That specific thing tries to cloud over the year and say, "2018 wasn't a good year." But when I take a few minutes to consider all the good that has happened this year, I remember so many sweet moments! 2018 had a few not-so-good days but overall, it was a really wonderful year for our family! Bryan and I traveled to Gatlinburg for a long weekend away! We had a great time together. We even went zip lining! As a family, we traveled to Branson, Missouri. We had so much fun together. We saw shows and rode on a Duck Boat and visited an aquarium. In this photo, we traveled by golf cart through the Lost Canyon Trail. It was beautiful! After being diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, I had a lot of really bad days because of my medication. My sweet family took such good care of me! We spent a lot of time this year making