Casting Crumbs

The other day I walked into my kitchen and heard a little Jaden voice saying “Night Night, Mama!” I couldn’t find him. Then I heard some rustling sounds coming from the pantry and this is what I saw.

It was really cute. Every so often I find him hiding in there. What is it about little kids and hiding? I was thinking the other day how I loved to hide in small cozy areas when I was little. There was something magical and safe about it.

Then last night I was having a really hard night with the kids. Tom had gone to the men’s study and I was left for the evening alone with three kids who all seemed to start bouncing off the walls. They fought, they teased, they screamed and then I screamed. I usually don’t scream at my kids at the top of my voice but I found myself doing just that. I finally thought “I need to go hide for awhile!” There was no pantry big enough for me, so I locked myself in the bathroom and had to pray outloud to get myself back in a normal frame of mind. (I ignored the incessant knocking and screaming on the other side of the door.)

God heard my feeble prayers from my watercloset hiding spot and somehow the kids settled down and we began a game of race down the hallway and everyone was having fun – including me. The kids were ready to go to bed and I even got “I love you, Mom” from the two that could talk.

Moral of the story: when you feel like you need to hide . . .do it!

Question for ya – Where was your favorite hiding place as a child?

I first wanted to introduce you all to a friend of mine who is starting a new blog – Weekly Scribbles. Her name is Megan and she is a very talented young lady. She takes some phenomenal photographs. You might want to check in on her from time to time.

Welcome to the blogging world, Megan!

http://preciousgem.wordpress.com/

Now for the side of guilt. . . not really

I have been asked by many people, “Just what is a blog?”

Well, a blog is basically an online journal of conversation and my life. It is the term “web log” that is shortened to “blog”.

The main purpose of a blog is to converse with those reading about what is going on. To dialogue about the thoughts and activities in your life and theirs. It’s a new form of communication that is much easier than conference calls or writing letters. It’s a way for many people to communicate about a subject at a time.

SO!! All you people out there reading. . .feel free to Comment!! It’s part of the experience. I love hearing yor thoughts and ideas.

I know some of you will probably never bring yourself to comment but it is actually very easy and once you start, you will get the hang of it. Just click on the “COMMENTS” at the end of the post and you can read everyone else’s comments. Then post your own comment in the box at the end of the thread of conversation.

I promised everyone some pics of the cruise Mom and Dad went on, so here are a few shots of some of the things they did. You can tell they had a wonderful time!!

Mom and Dad in front of the Galaxy

Looking out of a glass bottom boat

Jamaica!

Panama Canal

Visiting a coffee plantation on Costa Rica

Mom’s girlfriends

Dad’s buddies

The food seemed unbelievable!!

One of the formal nights on board

A quick update on Mom. . .
She spoke to her Oncologist this week and they want to go ahead with the last chemo treatment even though her numbers are all in normal range. So, one more to go!! Praise God.

Well, after waiting all day for a verdict from the Dr., Mom’s tumor marker count came in.

She wondered if it would go up since she had skipped a treatment. Would the cancer begin to grow again? Would it stay the same?

Well. . .it was 32 last time. This time it was 13!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Praise the Lord! She is in the NORMAL range.

Lately I have been having the old Steve Camp song in my head, “He Covers Me”. It has been with a new appreciation for the word “Cover”, though. I had always considered that God “covers” me by protecting me, hiding me in His will, under the shadow of His wings, it’s where I try to continually abide in Him. . .does that make sense? However, lately I have seen how he covers FOR me. He covers my backside, watches out for my stupidity, lack of organization and scatter-brainedness! He keeps me from looking stupid.

The other day I was running late to take Julian to school and I was loading all the kids in the car and I heard in my head “snacks“. My guts immediately went cold and I thought “Oh crud, is today Julian’s turn to bring snacks!” I ran upstairs to check my calendar and sure enough it was his day! I was angered at my lack of organization and I knew that I didn’t have anything to send. I happened to open my very empty pantry on the way back to the car and realized that Tom had picked up a giant bag of pretzels a couple days before. He never buys pretzels. I had a snack to send! I know that sounds silly, but I kept thanking God for covering my butt on that one. He had prepared in advance for the snack and even somehow reminded me of the day!

Then yesterday I had a bigger one. . .
We are starting a new Beth Moore study at church and I volunteered to lead it. It was the first day and I needed to get to church to set up the room, move couches, figure out the sound system, get the coffee brewing and I was running late!! I had bags of stuff to take inside, kids and diaper bags, signs to hang on the doors, etc. So I just pulled up right in the circle drive to unload my stuff and kids. I left my van running and piled everything in, hung my sign on the door and started packing everything upstairs. Andrew was there to show me the sound system and I starting to feel like everything was going to be under control. We got the room ready, set up the tables, figured out the system, got the kids to the nursery and all was well. Until. . .I happened to go downstairs and walked by the front door. I glanced outside to see Tom getting into my still running van in front of the church. My first thought was “what is he doing here!” and then I realized that I had totally forgot about my van running out there in front with my purse still in it!!!!! I know I was busy, but I had totally forgot the van! I would not have remembered until the whole study was over two hours later!

I felt so stupid and extremely grateful all at once. God was once again covering my butt! (pardon that expression, but that’s how it felt). Later I asked Tom why he was at church. He said that work called and he wasn’t going to have a patient till 1:00 and so he just kept thinking “I should run up to church.” So he did. Our church is not just on the way to work, it’s way out of his way. I know it was a moment showing God’s sovereignty in my life. He does cover me! He does watch my backside. He cares about the smallest details in my life like snacks and that my van doesn’t get stolen from my lack of stupidity! He does care. He cares about you too!

He also covers my kids!! Here’s one way. . .

I walked into the living room this morning to see this sight!

Oh MY!

Hi Everyone -

Thought I would let you all know how Mom’s Dr. visit went. Her blood work they take prior to giving the chemo was good. All the blood work was “normal”, which was very good. The tumor marker they take will not be back for a day or two. She is anxious to see if it went down since she was off the chemo for several additional weeks for her trip.

The plan from the Dr. is to do one more treatment after this one. He said the toxicity that the chemo has on her body becomes more of a risk than the cancer itself. So they will continue to monitor her blood work and will do another scan after that final treatment.

While she is very excited at the prospect of only one more treatment, she would greatly appreciate your prayers that by that time her cancer would be GONE! I think they will stop the chemo treatments regardless (at least for now). So please pray that God will continue to completely rid her body of this cancer.

I believe He CAN do it! I believe He WILL do it! I believe his promises are true and that He doesn’t speak, only to go back on His word. He will do whatever brings most glory to Himself. Stand with us and watch what He will do.

Why so downcast oh my soul? Put your hope in God, I will yet praise Him!

Micah 7:7, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”

I just thought I would let everyone out there, who checks in on Mom, know that she will have another treatment tomorrow (Wed). I know that she is dreading it.

She has been feeling so good now that several weeks have passed without a treatment – because of their trip. I know that she dreads going back to feeling so poorly and weak all the time. She is planning to ask the Dr. if he can give her any idea how long she will have to continue this, if her blood work continues to improve. I think she is really hoping to have an end in sight, something tangible that she can look forward to.

Pray for another good report, for strength and determination for her! Thanks so much for all your prayers and encouragement to us.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Friday night we had the joy of celebrating Evely’s 1st birthday with family, food and all the birthday fancies. It was so fun. Evely was quite the ham that night, too. I had looked and looked for a theme for the party and couldn’t find anything I really liked. Everywhere I went I saw all the cute Valentine stuff and decided to make that her theme. Everything was hearts and chocolate – a girl’s favorite things. Might as well start her off early.

This picture was taken of Evely on her actual birthday, Jan. 27th.

Here’s a first-hand look at the destruction of her personal birthday cake.

The saucer was one of my Great-Grandmother’s.

Getting started

Diggin’ In!

MMMMMMmmmm

Here’s some of my favorite pics of our “loving family”!!

Bill and MK **** Kenny and Barb

Mom and Dad **** Ross and Rita

Danny and Marlena

Thanks Everyone for helping us celebrate! You can see all the “love” in the air.

I had a really great paradigm shift this week. Doesn’t happen too often, so I thought I would share it with you. You know how you hear something and it is really good, but then you hear some things and it just changes your life. . .well that’s how this was.

I was watching the 700 club a few days ago (something I have come to look forward to during the kid’s naptime!) and they were interviewing Bill and Gloria Gaither. They were the most down-to-earth, loving, real people! They were discussing how they never planned to write music and travel and sing together. It just happened, it was an interruption in their normal everyday life.

Gloria told how, as she has aged, she has come to realize that real ministry and really meaningful things happen in the “interruptions” of your life. Even if you look at Jesus’ ministry, very important things happened through interruptions. Like the woman who touched the hem of his garment when he was on his way somewhere, or the great sermon he was preaching until the roof was taken apart and a man lowered down to him.

She encouraged everyone listening to embrace the interruptions of your life because these are the moments where you will make a difference. I guess this really got me because, as a stay at home mom, I feel like my life is one interruption after another, after another, after another. I am constantly sidetracked, surrounded by unfinished projects, my sleep is interrupted most nights and even my brain doesn’t seem to move in a constant harmonious flow anymore.

this is me.

So. . .embrace this?? Yes! I must. I must realize that all these interruptions are my real calling in life. I have really pondered this when I feel a little hand pulling at my sleeve or rocking a two-year-old at 1:30 AM. It has really given me a new perspective.