A Life of Gratitude

"He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." Psalm 91:4 Okay, so the picture above gives Psalm 91:4 a whole new meaning me for me. I've always liked the imagery of being covered by the wings of God but I don't think I ever considered how amazing that type of protection could be. I am utterly amazed by the swan above. She is completely covering her children with her wings. They are hidden within her "armor." She is protecting them from the world around them; from danger, from weather, from other animals but she is also comforting them and providing a resting place for them. That's what God does for us and we don't even realize it!  The swan and her children offer a  beautiful picture of God's love and the security He offers to us. The world is a pretty scary place these days. You only have to listen to the news for about 3 minutes and you'll hea...

The plan was to start homeschooling Dylan this past Monday but it had to be postponed a week due to my surgery. (That's the beauty of homeschool, it can be postponed!) So I've been getting things ready this week. Its taking a while but its all coming together. Believe me, it isn't easy for a classroom teacher to move from a classroom full of stuff to a small closet full but I am super excited about this new adventure!  As a family, we have been working on a chart stand for our pocket chart. We all helped and it turned out great! We will start using it next week. Today I am thankful for little family projects. Its fun to work on something as a family and to have a functional final product. I am also grateful that Dylan is always so willing to help. He is learning to work together, to follow instructions, and to make things instead of always buying them. Plus, I love doing just about anything with my little family!

"You,   Lord , keep my lamp   burning;   my God turns my darkness into light." Psalm 18:28 Spending several days in the hospital and then several more days cooped up the house can start to get a little depressing. I am unable to pick up my sweet baby and I've still been in a lot of pain so I've been feeling pretty blue today. After feeling upset all morning, I cried out to God (yelled really) and begged Him to restore me. A few minutes later I turned on the radio and I heard a portion of a song that said "He will not give you more than you can handle, just hold on." Feeling as though God was reassuring me, I pushed through the rest of the afternoon.  Later I spent some time in the car while driving to get my haircut. I listened to several of my favorite Christian songs. As I sang, I could feel God answering my prayer. He was restoring me.  In our family devotions tonight we discussed God being the Light. Jesus Calling for Kids shared that...

My boys have been so loving and sweet since I got home from the hospital. Evan hasn't sat still for more than 5 minutes since he was 5 months old but since I've been home, he has been laying with me for 20-30 minutes at a time. Dylan has been sharing the couch and watching movies with me. He has also been a very big helper. I think my boys missed me. I certainly missed them. Four days is just too long to be away from these angels! Today I am thankful for the sweet snuggles my little boys have been giving me. Before I know it they'll be too big to snuggle with Mommy so I'm going to soak up every minute of this! These little guys are God's gift to me and I think I become more and more grateful for them every day.  

My husband is always amazing but this past week he has been extraordinary! With me being so sick, in the hospital and now so puny because of surgery, Bryan has taken over all the Mommy responsibilities! He has been cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, grocery shopping, changing diapers, giving baths, making bottles, taking the boys places, and taking care of me. He has always been extremely helpful but lately he has done it all by himself.  Today, I am thankful for my husband and all he has done for me lately. When we got married 8 years ago, he joyfully said "in sickness and in health" but I'm sure he never imagined he would be taking care of me so much. He does a really good job and doesn't receive nearly enough appreciation. God truly blessed me when He gave me such a wonderful man! Bryan, You are the milk to my cookies, the cheese to my macaroni, the rock to my roll, the apple to my pie, the peanut butter to my jelly, the ketchup to my frie...

Although I am overly excited to be at home writing this blog from my comfy couch, I have to express my gratitude for Room 632 at High Point Regional Hospital. From the time I entered that room on Tuesday until the time I left today, I had a wonderful experience. No, I'm not saying that needles, medicines, puke bags, and bland cafeteria food are wonderful but other than all the typical hospital stuff, I really did have a great experience. Today I am thankful for all the nurses that cared for me while I was in the hospital. They did a great job of keeping me medicated, informed, and comfortable. I'm also thankful for the doctors that did my surgery, the anesthesiologists that helped out during surgery, and the Hidascan Technicians that found that my gallbladder was only functioning at 22%. Overall, my time at High Point Regional was a blessing to me. I have heard so many stories of people who have dealt with these same symptoms and it took them months to figure out th...

" The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace." Psalm 29:11 Yesterday and this morning I had tests first thing in the morning. I didn't know what time my tests would be but I woke up about 7:00 each morning to read my Bible. I didn't set an alarm or anything; I just woke up (which is especially surprising since I've been taking Phenergan for nausea which usually causes me to sleep for days.) Both mornings, as soon as I had finished my quiet time, the door opened and my chariot(aka wheelchair) awaited.  Tonight, as I reflect over the past few days, I am utterly amazed by the peace I have experienced. Through all of the pain, the tests, being away from my family, the hours without food or drink, the nausea, the vomiting, being stuck in 8 different locations for IV's,  the wishy-washy diagnoses, the medications, and finally the gallbladder surgery, I have had a peace that has truly passed my understanding. Being worried...

Today has been quite crazy! I started the morning doubled over in pain. My mom rushed over to watch the boys and Bryan took me to the Urgent Care (since I'd already tried the ER with no luck). The Urgent Care I go to is a part of the primary care doctor's office so they actually got me in with my primary care doctor. She was so kind and helpful. She could tell immediately that my gallbladder was causing my problems. She sent me for an ultrasound, where they found my gall stones. Although people can live with gall stones and the ultrasound didn't technically show irritation or inflammation in my gallbladder, she got me an emergency appointment with the surgeon because she could tell how miserable I was. So, we went to the surgeon this afternoon who decided to admit me into the hospital. I'm here mostly so they can keep an eye on me and manage my pain. I will be having another gallbladder test done in the morning and the doctor will make a decision about surgery after th...

The past couple of days have been kind of rough for me. I started having horrible pains in my upper stomach and chest on Saturday. It got so bad during the night that I went to the Emergency Room early Sunday morning. The doctor checked my heart and did some blood work. He  thought I probably have gallbladder problems or a peptic ulcer he was  unable to make a diagnosis because they could not get a good look at my gallbladder with ultrasound and they were unable to do a endoscopy. So, I left the ER in the same pain that I went there with and I have been struggling with the pain since. I have an appointment with my family doctor tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to have the gallbladder and stomach tests done really soon.  Today I am thankful for my husband who has taken such good care of me, for my mom who brought us dinner tonight and for the easy day I had with my boys. I was here by myself with them and I was worried about feeling so badly and taking care of them bo...

When my grandmother was in the hospital she needed platelets and quickly received them because of a faithful platelet donor. Platelets are the part of the blood that help it to clot by putting a temporary plug in a wound. My mom has donated platelets in the past and I have considered donating before but once someone in my family needed platelets, I realized how important platelet donation really is. So, this afternoon, I donated platelets!  It was an amazing procedure. I sat in a relaxing chair with both of my arms propped up and watched Bride Wars while the donation occurred. The blood was drawn from one arm and went first to a cell separator machine. The process is called apheresis. The platelets were separated and sent to a collection bag, and the remaining components were returned into the other arm. The procedure took a little over two hours. It wasn't bad at all. Other than being really cold, I really enjoyed just relaxing in a comfy chair for two hours!  The ...

We've had our house on the market for a couple of months now but we haven't had any real interest. As you can imagine, I was very happy to hear that we have a house showing tomorrow evening! Dylan has been praying for a while that the perfect person would come and buy our house. So, I couldn't wait to tell him that someone will be coming to see the house tomorrow. When I told him, his face filled with excitement and he exclaimed, "Ok, so, can Evan and I bring our night-night toys to our new house?" I want faith like that! He has been praying for the perfect person to come and since we have a showing he believes we will be moving! That's the child-like faith that Jesus tells we need to have. I think I'll believe right along with him! Today I am thankful for this little reminder to believe like children believe! Even when the odds are against us, even when there is a chance it won't happen, even when others might see our faith as silly, we will ...

I was invited to brunch with a bunch of special ladies this morning. I had an absolutely wonderful time. We spent time in prayer, discussing the Word, planning for future women's ministries, and sharing how God has been at work in our lives. I enjoyed being with a group of ladies that are head over heels for Jesus! I left there feeling so refreshed and excited about my walk with Jesus!  Today I am thankful for the refreshment I received while spending time in the presence of these lovely ladies. I am also thankful for their enthusiasm, willingness to pour into me and other young mothers, and that I was invited to the brunch this morning. God knew I needed this time of revitalization! I am so thankful for the precious ways He blesses me each and every day.

"Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with Your hands. They will perish, but You remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. . . . But You are always the same; You will live forever."  Psalm 102:25–27 (NLT) Today's Words of the Day : Unchangeable and Unchanging .  I must have heard these words or variations of these words at least 10 times today. For example, first thing this morning I heard a song that I haven't heard in years. One of the main words in the song that is repeated over and over again was unchangeable . This afternoon, I watched a video that praised God for His Faithfulness because His love always remains and never changes . This evening, during family devotions, the topic in Jesus Calling for Kids was about God's consistency, His unchanging presence , and our ability to trust Him. And that's just a few examples! When this happens, I start to think that maybe God is trying get my attention. ...

During our worship service today, Pastor Steele shared Bryshon Nellum's story. Bryshon was a star long before he ever stepped foot on a college campus. He was destined to be an Olympian but on Halloween Night in 2008, Nellum was shot in both legs during a drive-by shooting. The doctors believed that he would walk again but most likely never run again. Nellum, however, had a dream and nothing could stop him. After countless hours of training, Nellum pushed himself all the way to the 2012 Olympics. He won silver in the Men's 4x400-meter. After a vote by his team mates, Nellum will be carrying the American Flag during tonight's closing ceremonies.  Can you imagine the dedication it took for Nellum to make it to the Olympics? The doctors thought he would never run again but he won silver in the 2012 Olympic games! The hours of training, the sweat, the tears and the countless frustrations reveal his Olympic sized dedication.  That's what I want! I want Olympic size...

Bryan and I have had our house for sale for a while now so, our ears perk up when we hear about other homes that have sold. In the past several months, we have heard some really awesome house-selling stories.  A while back one of my friends, whose family was in need of a larger home because of their growing family, told me an amazing story.  They had their home on the market for a while and then took it off. They were considering re-listing it when one of their neighbors knocked on their door one afternoon. The neighbor proposed that they "switch" homes but pay their current house payments. The neighbor's children had grown up and they didn't need all the space any longer but our friends were in need of much more space. God out did himself with this one! My friend and her family ended up with a huge home on a cul-de-sac with a fenced in back yard with a pool and playground. A few months ago, our Pastor was called to move to a church in Mississippi. He and hi...

Bryan and I are constantly giving each other puzzling looks as we hear and see the things that appear on TV these days. We are super strict about the things Dylan watches on TV because even seemingly innocent cartoons have tons of inappropriate things in them. So, I am always thrilled when I come across a good, family-friendly movie. We spent the evening at church, with friends, enjoying Family Movie Night. We watched The Lorax. Not only did we have a very nice evening but the movie was excellent! Of course, there were a few words and references that seemed unnecessary but overall, it was terrific.  Today I am thankful for family friendly films. Its rare, these days, to watch a movie with a good message, appropriate language, numerous positive elements, and that's refreshingly "clean." The Lorax is certainly one of the better choices for families today. It also gives the perfect opportunity for parents to discuss with their kids what God expects of us as s...

There is a new song I keep hearing on Klove that I absolutely love! Its "Forever Yours" by Dara Maclean. Part of the song goes like this: "You came and You rescued me Showed me life as it's meant to be So beautiful You love me so differently Chase all my fears away I'm finally whole Oh, oh, Thank You for finding me when You did You changed my life, now I believe That love is all, that I'll ever need I promise my heart and all that I am I'm Yours forever, my Love" This song seems to encapsulate something I've been pondering lately. I keep thinking about where I would be if God had not picked me up and changed my life. There was a time when I was completely oblivious to God and doing things that I am utterly ashamed of now. There was also time, after I was saved, that I slid so far backward that it was no longer aparhent that I was saved. The things I said and the ways I acted were so fleshly and self-focused. If God had not pulled me out...

Back in April, Dylan and I planted seeds in a few pots on our back porch. I never really believed they would produce anything because I do NOT have a green thumb...I don't have a green anything. So, I have been pleasantly surprised by all the cucumbers we have harvested! We also have tomatoes but they haven't done quite as well. They do taste yummy though!  Dylan has really enjoyed watching the seeds turn into plants, start blooming and then start producing vegetables! It really is awesome if you think about. Each thing that is grown from a seed truly is a gift from God. In Exodus, the Israelites receive "manna," as a gift from God. "Manna" was a bread like substance that fell from the sky each day. That's pretty crazy!  In reality, the fruits and vegetables that just pop out of the ground or suddenly hang down from trees are just as amazing as that bread from Heaven! Watering our freshly planted seeds (in April) The cucumbers are starting to ...

My doctor recently decided that I will never be able to teach in a public setting again because of my back injury. So, for the past week, I've been going through boxes and boxes of teaching materials, books, classroom decorations and lesson plans. We had a yard sale today and I sold over half of my teaching stuff! I hope to sell the rest tomorrow. It hasn't been easy going through everything and selling it because of all the time, energy, and money I've put into this stuff. Not to mention, being a Kindergarten teacher was my dream for years and years.  When I was 16 years old I did an internship in a Kindergarten classroom. I absolutely loved it! I fell in love with teaching and wanted to be just like Ms. Swicegood. She had the most adorable classroom and did so many fun things with her students. I remember taking photos of things in her class and asking for similar things as Christmas presents every year until I graduated college. My mom had a lot fun helping me prepa...

I must say, I was proud to be American today! Dylan, Evan, and I joined some friends at Chick-fil-a today for lunch. We got there at 11:00am, thinking that they kids could play first and we would eat around noon. Well, I am glad we got there when we did! I got the last spot in the parking lot and my friend had already pushed the last 2 tables together so we could all sit together. I waited in a crazy line to order food and waited even longer to receive our food. Even though I could hear my kids from across the restaurant, the wait and enduring the crowd were definitely worth it!  Crazy crowd at Chick-fil-a....and its only 1130am This line is out the door and down the sidewalk. By the time we left the line was out the door and down the sidewalk, the drive thru line was wrapped around the building twice, and the managers were outside directing traffic. The best part of it all: everyone was happy. I never heard one person complain, whine, or act impatient. It was so ni...