So Much To Be Thankful For

Today on this drab, dreary, rainy day I have so much to be thankful for. I have a nice house that is warm and dry, while so many people around the world have no shelter at all. I have a pantry full of food and everything I need to cook it, while many people will have to go out no matter the weather and forage for food, even eating out of garbage cans. There will be many people around the world that will simply have to watch their children go hungry. I have a closet full of nice clothes and shoes while many people will put on shoes with holes and clothes that are rags. I have a loving and supportive husband while many women wonder whether they will be beaten today or if a pay check will make it home to take care of the family. I have two amazing boys who follow Christ while many parents don't even know where their children are or can't sleep at night because of what they are involved in. My son will be home for the holidays this year while many parents will have to miss theirs because they will be serving in a war zone. I am healthy while so many people are in the middle of treatments to save their lives and around the world there is not even medicine or treatments to give people a fighting chance and children are left to face the world alone. I was born in America where my life has been full of choices and across the world people's lives are dictated by their government. I could go on forever but there is one thing I am more thankful for than all of these. I have a savior, His name is Jesus Christ. He is the son of the one living God and He gave His life so I could be saved. Not only for me but for every one  across the world, He is available to all and He is waiting for you to call out to Him.

Veteran's Day

I've seen plenty of war movies to know it is a terrible place to be, it's dangerous and scary . The scars it leaves both physical and mental last a life time.If it were not for the brave men and women who have put themselves in harms way we would not be the country of freedom we are today.

Being the mother of two boys I wondered what it would be like to send my son off to war. It used to be a common experience but now it is strictly volunteer. Years ago before computers and e-mail, instant messaging, Skye and even before telephones mother's sent their sons off to war. I can not imagine not hearing from your soldier for months on end and knowing by the time that letter arrived their situation would have changed to who knows what.

War is an ugly thing but even in His word God tells us there is a time for it. I am thankful for all those soldiers, past and present who suffer the unimaginable so that here in America we can be free. God forgive us for using that freedom for indulging our sinful flesh. I am thankful for technology that allows me to stay in touch when it is my son in the middle of a war zone.I am thankful for every soldier who has a heart to serve his country and all those he loves and all those he doesn't even know.

A Son At War: part one

Its early morning, dark and still. The duffle bag is loaded in the trunk and my soldier son in the front seat; we are on the way to the armory. I’ve known this day was coming for a year now but I am not prepared. I’m in the back seat alone as my husband drives and my son copilots, waging my own battle against all the what ifs that are assaulting my mind. What if he never comes back? What if he comes back with out limbs or a mind that allows him to live a life free from this war? The tears begin to fall quietly as I grasp hold of the only thing that will get us all through the year ahead, faith in our God who is sovereign. I believe He has a plan for my son over there beyond what the Army has and I know that He goes with my son. It has always been my hope that both my boys would follow God’s will for their lives. So as this brave young man steps out of the car gathering his gear, he is a hero already to this mom. He is serving his country in a time of war but more importantly he is serving his Lord. As we walk into the armory I am proud and I am confident in my God’s ability to take care of him but I am still a mom sending her son off to war.  

Getting What You Want

My, how times have changed. I was not raised getting everything I wanted. I was prepared to live in the real world that is not going to be all about you. After all it's not good for us to have everything we want, you know how those people usually turn out.

If you ask my children they will tell you they didn't get everything they wanted or even allowed to do everything they wanted to do. I see so many parents giving into their children to stop them from crying, but I discovered long ago it will not damage children to let them cry and can be even good for them. I'm sure I gave in plenty of times when I shouldn't have. Now as I have gotten older I have a different perspective.

When I was employed as a teachers assistant I took a class that told us when teaching children we should prepare lessons so that they do not have to wait. You should go from one thing to another and one child to another without any one having to wait. I questioned the wisdom of this in my own mind immediately, can you say road rage! Back in the day we learned early on we had to wait our turn. What kind of people are we raising that they think they shouldn't have to wait. Then I saw it on the news, a young woman who was jumping through a drive through window attacking someone because she couldn't have chicken nuggets, the restaurant was serving breakfast. People don't know how to wait anymore, they want what they want and they want it now. Not good for any of us.

Poor Micheal Jackson wasn't raised getting what he wanted really, we learned after he grew up what he really wanted was a normal childhood and a father who knew how to love him. When I watched interviews with him I remember feeling an aching for what he had missed. Certainly as an adult, his fame made it possible for him to have whatever he wanted and I'm sure that is something you can quickly become accustomed to. In the end it cost him his life. This doctor turned a blind eye to everything he knew to be right and gave him what he wanted even though it wasn't what was best for him. It is tragic.

I am so glad my heavenly Father doesn't always give me what I ask for. He loves me so much He gives me what is best for me even if it makes me uncomfortable or causes me pain. When I think of some things I have asked for in a fit of stupidity, it makes me shudder. All I really want is to be in God's will for my life, so thank you Lord for loving me enough to give me what is best for me not always what I want.

My Baby Boy

I call both my boys that at times. It's probably irritating to them now at ages 27 and 22, but in a mother's heart that's what they always are.

When the first was born, it was the biggest life changing experience I've had. God actually whispered in my heart "this is how much I love you, I gave my son's life for you." I could never understand God's love for me, until then. I was so unprepared for how much I would love this child and I knew I could never give him up for anyone. I realized the most important thing I would ever do would be to raise this boy to know God, to love him and to serve Him. I also realized that was something I could not do on my own and it was then that I gave my life completely to Christ. God revealed Himself in the face of my beautiful baby boy!

I did not have any specific desires of what I wanted Graham to grow up to be, only for him to follow Christ's will for his life. He has done just that all through out his days. God has had His hand on Graham always and today he will be ordained into the ministry. I am a very proud mother and a very thankful child of God.

That's Not What We Had Planned

Well, a week ago I left the US so excited about the wonderful plans and trip my husband had made for me! I know all of Heaven must quake with the laughter of our Lord sometimes at the plans we humans make. I also had a few ideas of my own in the mix. I know you have done the same thing, it is a common human condition.
My oldest son is a planner far beyond even his father who is meticulous. It gives us humans the delusion of being in control.

The fact of the matter is, even with the best made plans, anything can happen and there we are. In the middle of a situation, caught so off guard that we plunge into despair. God is never caught off guard and has already prepared the help He knows we will need, even while we stand there and worry. Time after time He has demonstrated this very fact to me and yet time after time I find myself in that worrisome place.

When things don't go as planned it is not because God decided He is going to smite us. We don't purposely do bad things to our children, do we? No, it is because we live in a fallen world and we suffer our own consequences or someone else's. In this world there is sickness, death, accidents and sometimes just plain crazy people. Yes we experienced that last night in the hotel, more about that later. If you are a child of God, He's got your back! Through out these last four days God already had it worked out, He had prepared the help ahead of time. Bubba had been here three weeks so the hotel staff knew him and it is a wonderful staff. He had me come over and the people Bubba works with worked together to solve the only issue we really had which was paying the hospital bill. Even though the hospital aggravated me to death about it. They better be glad my sister Marie wasn't here, she would have let them have it!

This hasn't been exactly what we planned but it has been what God knew would happen. He has taken care of us. We have one more day to sight see and try to keep Bubba calm, so I guess I better hold back on the shopping. Then God will bring us home and life goes on with all we have planned but we know it doesn't always go that way. It has been a wonderful trip.

How Quickly Things Can Change

My goodness, how quickly things can change! We spent the weekend in Paris seeing things we have only read about, architecture so beauitful it just leaves your mouth hanging open. More about that later, on Sunday morning Bubba, my husband, gets up with a nose bleed that last 4 hours. He has these on occasion but can usually get them under control in an hour or so, this one is bad. It finally does stop and he wants to continue sightseeing in Paris. Through out the day it bleeds off and on, not out his nose but down his throat but he will not give in and leave. He is determined to show me Paris and so he does. We naturally stayed later than we should have before starting back to Antwerp but what else would you do in Paris?

The drive back was uneventful and we arrived at the hotel around 1am, you can say we were exhausted and went straight to bed. I am awaken about 4am with Bubba jumping out of the bed and running to the bathroom. He is bleeding very badly again and we can't get it to stop so the hotel calls for a taxi and we are off to the emergency room in a foreign country. They get it to stop and we go back to the hotel to rest, it begins again and we are back at the hospital. They have admitted him and he will stay again tonight, the bleeding has slowed but not stopped. It was crazy yesterday and I had several melt downs and cried in front of who ever was standing there.

I didn't want to go back to the hotel by myself last night but it is not allowed for you to stay with your loved ones in the hospital here. So I had no choice but God had some schooling for me while I was alone. This is what I learned or at least was reminded of.

The same God that is always with me at home came with me to Belgium, as a matter of fact He was already here. It was His plan that I come to begin with to be with Bubba when this happened, Paris and all the other awesome stuff are the good that God brings out of bad situations when we belong to Him. He is taking care of every need for Bubba and myself in magnificent style, the Hilton Hotel are treating us like family and Capsugel  has sent us a helper and are keeping tabs. So I need to dry my tears and start acting like someone who knows the God of the universe loves her and will take care of her. I am so thankful He understands about women and tears though, oh yea He made us! So today I am in Belgium and Bubba is in the hospital and God is in control! My how quickly things can change!