Life's adventures

Homecoming at Rosehill Christian School

2006-10-29T08:13:00.000-06:00

Just a crack...

2006-09-16T14:53:00.000-05:00

This is what I feel like- a little crack and the light has started to shine through. I want to keep the light. I am trying to learn how to do that.

On the day I saw these clouds it was amazing to watch them shift and change. The light was always there-never moving- just dancing in and out of the clouds as they shifted. I saw different areas experience the light. They were illuminated- basking in the warmth for awhile then the clouds would change and the light would shine in another place for awhile.

This feels like my life. God is always there, his love seeking to warm and illuminate my life. As different parts of my life come under that I am changed. Sometimes for a season- sometimes permanently. I like the permanent changes- the ones that revolutionize my thinking and my life. They are the ones that help me realize that the lesson I have learned has sunk deep into me and transformed me. The seasonal changes are hard. It's like I've only just begun to grasp what he has for me-or I have replaced one thing with another that is not healthy. Arrgh! SO frustrating. I am trying to enjoy, no embrace the process more so that the transformation is more permanent.

Just a crack and already so much Truth to embrace...

George Bush singing "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

2006-08-16T19:26:00.000-05:00


Thanks to http://onegoodmove.org and Rx @ http://thepartyparty.com/ Greets to arstechnica!

Where do people find the time?

Silence and All at 6am

2006-06-18T14:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I decided that if I woke up before I needed to I would not go back to sleep I would get up and spend time with God. Today was the first time since I made that resolution and it was awesome. I woke up at 6am and was uneasy- I didn't feel bad I just was not rested, so I got up and went into the living room and spent time with him.

The scripture was Ephesians 3:20, which is kinda odd because its in the middle of a thought.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasureably more than we ALL we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,..."

Obviously it is the "All" that caught my attention. If I ask God to do what I know I can do, where's the glory? How does that bring glory to him? When I trust him to do the "all" that's when his glory shines and I become a testimony, an arrow pointing toward Heaven. The "All" has new implications for me. How have I read this and missed that?I need to dream big.

Daddy God,
I want my life to bring glory to you, in the "All" is where that rests. Help me to ask "All" and turn it over to you.
Amen

Chasing Butterflies

2006-06-17T22:54:00.000-05:00

This is a link to my friend Colleen's sight. She is doing amazing things to honor the memory of her son. Hope this is a great venture for her!

UGH! Whine for the day

2006-06-14T08:46:00.000-05:00

I have to work today. I am so not up to it. What a whiner I am! I love where I work, it's just that I am inertia girl & that makes it hard.

Inertia- the tendency of an object in motion or rest to stay in motion or rest.

What that means is, if my lazy butt has been sitting at home for 3 weeks that's where I want to stay- not go to work. Well, I have no choice so that's the Whine for the Day!

Silence

2006-06-13T10:36:00.000-05:00

Sunday evening we had The Gathering which is our communion service and worship time. We have started doing this once a month and I love it. Some friends of ours usually lead worship for us, but this week Jenny was sick. She called me a couple of days before and sounded awful. Anyway, without someone to lead in music Danny & I prayed about it and decided to do a concert of prayer. This is an idea we got from World Changers.

Every summer Danny is the Project Coordinator for at least one WC project and this is something they do one night for worship. Its a time of guided prayer and silence-something we never have enough of. In the course of the evening we also took communion.
What an amazing time. I am a person who seems to need very little silence so when I find myself craving it I know I'm at my end. Sunday wet my thirst for it. I don't know when I'll get it. With 3 kids and countless summer activities it seems like a challenge. I tried today but my super-cute daughter decided to get up early-surprise. Hopefully it will work out soon. Maybe I need a retreat. I would like to go here.

Summer Adventure # 1

2006-06-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

First full week of summer has my super cute daughter at cheer camp! The rowdy boys have been swimming & playing x-box. Christian hurt his finger last week playing basketball so he spent the week in a splint-no big deal-but this was our first"emergency" visit to the Dr. We're very glad that this was no biggie. Here's some pics for your pleasure.

Hannah & Jessica Cheer Crazy

Hannah & Jessica Crazy Day shirts

I'm actually blogging!

2006-06-01T17:52:00.000-05:00

I have a myspace and I am totally addicted! I thought that I didn't have time to blog but I am realizing that I do. Since my hubbie went to Nepal I have checked that blog religiously. I guess I am just prioritizing differently. I will admit that I am a bells and whistles person without much substance so myspace is great! I love that I can easily put up pictures and music -that is fun! I am also not a tremendous typist so I get tired of correcting all my mistakes. It make publishing something serious tedious.

However, all excuses aside I now see that my excuses are baseless and I need to just suck it up and post or get rid of my blog. So, I am going to suck it up and get over myself!

Tonight we are going to see a good friend who moved to Dallas, they are in town for the weekend and I can't wait. Her daughter and mine are best buddies. WE love their family. If your church is looking for an awesome music minister her husband is THE MAN! Let me know I'll get you his resume.

Hannah & Madison at the pool

Logan & I -he's so cute!!!!

Love those Bennetts!

Check it out!

2006-05-18T21:34:00.000-05:00

Check out my other blog. My husband has gone to Nepal on a mission trip & this will give you the info. By the way, that is not my husband.

Micah's Big Day!

2006-04-15T12:35:00.000-05:00

February 26, 2006

What a great day for Micah! This was the day he got baptized.

He was the first person ever to be baptized with our new church. We had a the baptism service at the pool of a couple that comes to our church. It was a beautiful day! The weather had been horrible but this day was perfect. Here's some pictures of the event.

Danny baptizing his son

Danny & Micah

It is truly an amazing thing when a child so young wants to ask Jesus to be the King of his life. Micah knew absolutely what he was doing and he has been a different child since. I am so humbled to be a part of this aspect of my children's lives! Micah was so happy! He was happy because MiMi, Nanny, & G-Daddy got to be there.

This is a picture of everyone who was there for the baptism. We also had a couple who got baptized that day. He's our drummer and they are our neighbors. This was truly an amazing day !!!!

Josh & Christie-freshly dunked!

My Hero!!

2006-02-07T22:49:00.000-06:00

This is my daughter, Hannah. She's 9 years old and I love her!! This is her before picture. She has been growing her hair for over a year to donate to Locks of Love.
http://www.locksoflove.org/index.php

She goes to a private Christian school and before she cut her hair she spoke to the elementary school at chapel to encourage other girls to do the same. She wanted the girls to realize this was something the girls could do completely on their own... no money to raise, nothing to sell, just sacrifice.

She said Jesus sacrificed his life for us, what's a little hair?! How cool is she??!!!

I am amazed that I have been given the gift of such an amazing young woman to be in my life. She constantly finds ways to give to others through gifts and acts of service and love. You never hear a negative thing come out of her mouth. I could go on and on, but it will suffice to say that she is my hero and I hope I can continue to encourage her to be a woman of great character!

My friend, Coco, cutting Hannah's hair. Coco teaches Cosmetology at a high school. Their were about 20 girls there and they were all amazed at what Hannah did. We got to tell her story and it was very cool to see how they were so impressed with her sacrifice.

Hannah with beautiful short hair!!!

And the back...

Now go do something great for someone else!!!

2005-12-29T12:03:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!!!

The whole clan on Christmas Day...

From Left to right: Mom(Peg), Brother(David), Nephew(Clay 19 mos.), Sister-in-law(Jenn), Son(Christian 11), Son(Micah 6 ), Daughter(Hannah 9 ), Hubbie(Danny), Me, Dad(Wes)

You can imagine how crazy it is to get everyone to smile at the same time. Hope you had a very blessed Christmas.

Passing theTorch

2005-10-16T23:05:00.000-05:00

Greatness comes in many forms. A man of greatness passed away on Friday, October 14th. There are many things to remember Benton Gragory for, many that made him great. Ben was only called Benton by his beautiful wife, Bette. The rest of us loved and adored him as Ben.

At 61, he had lived an amazing life full of love, friends, and the Lord. We only knew Ben10 years, so there is much of his life that we only heard about. The life that we shared with him was one of service. Ben was the kind of man that loved God through his service to Him. He was a deacon at his church and he served on the facilities committee so he could care-take for God. I have so few words to describe the life of sacrifice he led. Mostly I am grateful that we were able to be a part of his world.

My heart aches for my dear husband at the loss of his friend, mentor, wood-working buddy, missions partner,surrogate father, and friend. Men don't seem to make friends as easily as most women I know, but the friendship that my husband had with Ben is one that was amazing. They would take Mission trips together, repair homes, build churches, wood-work,and just be men...much that I don't understand. I am grateful that my husband had a friend like Ben. He was a man who modeled much of what I think Christ was like; compassionate, loving, sacrificing, never complaining, always the hands and feet of Christ.

My life is better for knowing Ben and Bette and for the love we share. I am grateful. MAy your life be full of people like Ben.

Here's Danny!

2005-10-11T22:59:00.000-05:00

You are Lucy!

Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

This is what my husband is! It's so true... I laughed , HARD!!!!!
He sat there and said ,"What?!!!!"

2005-10-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

You are Woodstock!

This is definitely me! Which one are you?

Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

More to come

2005-10-07T02:34:00.000-05:00

I have made alot of changes in my life lately and would like to share them. Hopefully I can do that this weekend. I have a new job and now my time is very precious so we'll see.....

This is just a teaser, check back, I will update shortly.

Anticlimatic

2005-09-26T15:02:00.000-05:00

This is how my three kids are wasting their day.

Christian

Micah & Hannah

They're watching Jimmy Neutron, Kim Possible, and My dad the Rockstar

If that doesn't fry their impressionable minds enough I'm sure there's enough other junk that they can watch on their "we're out of school for the hurricane" day.

We ended up getting lots of wind with no damage, only lost power and internet. Thank you for all your prayers. We really missed a huge tragedy and we are grateful!

Waiting for Rita & Redecorating

2005-09-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures of my latest remodeling.

What do you think?

This is my 10 year old son's touch

So while we wait and fill every imaginable container we can with water, the kids played outside. Since we boarded up our house is crazy dark! I told the kids they had to go outside and play until dark or it storms, whichever comes first. My brother, Dave, his wife, Jenn, and their son, Clay, arrived yesterday after 8 hours on the road. We only live 45 mins. from them. We are glad they are here. They live in an apartment on the Southeast side of Houston and we live on the Northwest side. Needless to say they were happy to be off the road!

Most every road in town is empty now- the calm before the storm! I know a bad joke!

http://www.khou.com/

This is news station we watch for the most realistic news. My husband really likes Dr. Neil Frank's approach to reporting the weather.

Well, I'm going to go clean the kitchen and then go outside myself. We are doing well, but I am too distracted to write well now.

God Bless!

Hurricane Rita

2005-09-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends-
We are hunkering down, boarding up and staying put. We were going to leave but the roads and gas are so bad that we are staying. What can you do? PRAY!
Pray for:
· The kids-that we will have words of comfort, that they won’t freak out, that they will know that we have no plans to put them in danger
· Me- my anxiety issues tend to rear their ugly head in this kind of unknown situation
· Danny- as the head of the house I know he bears all the burdens for our safety and well- being.
· For those on the road- that they not be stuck there when the storm comes in.

Mom & Dad were going to leave but now they are going to hole up at his church. My brother’s family, Dave, Jenn, & Clay(15 mos.) left this morning for New Braunfels to stay with her grandparents -pray that they arrive safely.

As long as we have email we will check it. We’ll let you know how things go!

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you!!! Holding fast to the promise!
Lizanne

World Changers

2005-06-13T21:45:00.000-05:00

We are in Sunny South Florida! Danny's surgery went very well and he has recovered nicely. Thank you! Now we are in Vero Beach, Florida with a group called World Changers. It is a very cool thing. We have about 300 people from all over the country here to repair roofs and paint houses. Because the kids are willing to sleep on the floor of a school and work hard in the HOT Florida sun they earn the right to share the Gospel with the people in the community. We have already had 2 people make decisions to begin a relationship with Jesus! How cool is that?! Today was only the first day of our week-long project. We hope to fix up 26 homes by Friday and win many new believers to the Kingdom!!!!

When we leave the people that we have had contact with will be contacted by local churches and mission people who will help them grow in their new relationship. For more on this checkout http://www.studentz.com/v2/default.asp

I can't wait to tell you what amazing things God has done!

Graduation and Hernias

2005-05-16T22:12:00.000-05:00

Who knows when I'll be able to post again? My husband is having hernia surgery tomorrow. We have to be at the hospital at 6:15am so we will soon be going to bed. Pray for us please.

Tonight my 5 year old graduated from Pre-K. It was the last of mine to go through it. A zillion little kids singing and generally being hilarious on stage. It was a great evening. Micah loves a little girl in his class named Isabelle and he wants to marry her. He told her tonight that she looked beautiful in her new dress. I love it that he notices!

Happy Graduation, Micah Man !

Chasing my Doubts Away

2005-05-16T10:18:00.000-05:00

"I spent a long time trying to come to grips with my doubts, when suddenly I realized I had better come to grips with what I believe. I have since moved from the agony of questions that I cannot answer, to the reality of answers that I cannot escape...and it's a great relief."

Tom Skinner

This is where I have been for awhile. I've been struggling and have felt so distant. I recently took up a practice that always renews my spiritual life...claiming what is true about God. Natala has recently inspired me with this http://heretogoal.blogspot.com/2005/05/my-fear-my-faith-and-who-my-god-is.html#comments

I find that I read other people's thoughts and it raises many questions for me. Now don't get me wrong-I don't question my faith or God's love and care. It's more the practices or doctrinal debates that are taking place so much now. I am not by nature a deep philosophical thinker and sometimes I feel as if I "should be " addressing deep thoughts that others have. What I am realizing is that God has created me a certain way and he needs me to reflect him that way. Not everyone is supposed to be serious and philosophical. Also, not everyone is supposed to be such a goof ball like me! Most of my friends are very organized serious types who always know where their kids' shoes are and have the perfect scripture references to fit life's occasions. Now I know as well as you do that they don't really have it all together but they certainly give that appearance. I love the orderliness they bring to me and the ways that they encourage me. Several of them have said to me that I am in their lives to lighten them up! Ha Ha!

So all of this to say that I am refocusing! I am grabbing on to the TRUTH and allowing it to set me free. I am taking captive every thought and making it obedient to Christ (man, is that hard work!). I am being renewed by the transforming of my mind-you should try it sometime! And last but not least I am reveling in the way God created me; fun-loving, silly, gregarious, scattered, creative, passionate, encouraging....you get the picture.

Hmmmm,....seems like it's a little too quiet here. This may be a good day for a water balloon fight with the kiddos!

Have a great day!

The Mommy Test

2005-05-10T10:04:00.000-05:00

This came from a good friend and I loved it too much not to post it. Wish there really was some kind of Mommy Test to prevent so much of the awfulness that we see with families today. Enjoy!

THE MOMMY TEST

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter.
She picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her
mouth. I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that.
"Why?" my daughter asked.
"Because it's been laying outside, you don't know where it's been,
it's dirty and probably has germs" I replied.
At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked,
"Wow! How do you know all this stuff?"
"Uh," ...I was thinking quickly,"All moms know this stuff. It's on
the Mommy Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy." We
walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently
pondering this new information.
"OH...I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass the test, you have
to be the daddy."
"Exactly" I replied back with a big smile on my face and joy in my
heart.

Update on the Pyro

2005-04-07T16:54:00.000-05:00

Since posting about my little pyro a.k.a. Christian I have learned that playing with fire is a boy thing. Every mom I have shared my story with has been appropriately shocked, yet every man I shared this with said, "Oh yeah, well that's what boys do." I work at the YMCA in the weight room from 5am to 8am Mon.-Thurs. and this is a time when mostly men come in and work out.
It was quite interesting to hear about the things these men have caught on fire and my terribly shocking experience didn't phase them at all. So I guess as a mother of 2 boys this is one of those mysteries that I will have to learn about.

This is what I want to know:

What is it about boys and fire...why do they want to burn things?
How can I let my sons be the wild things that God created them to be while insuring that nothing expensive or valuable(i.e. my house and family) gets damaged in the process?
What else is coming down the pike that I will look at my son and wonder what ever possessed him to do something like this?

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Quickie

2005-04-06T18:07:00.000-05:00

Dear Hubby has been out of time this week and my kiddos have had big projects so no time to blog-boo! Also, due to the crash of my hard drive I have been rebuilding my computer this week...Yuck. I tend to fall asleep when things get monotonous so staring at the computer for hours is not my fav. Tomorrow I am posting about my roll as reluctant homeschooling mom. Until then......

Pyromaniac

2005-03-31T16:37:00.000-06:00

Well there are those things that you think will never happen in your home and it happened at me today! My son, Christian (10), decided that after watching Jesse James burn something on Monster Garage that he could do that too. So while I was talking to my hubby, he lit some paper, let it burn, blew it out, and stuffed it in the trash can.

I come out of my room and smell something that has been burnt. So of course I freak out! I ask my 3 kids about it and this is how it goes:

Who was burning something?

Kids

Not ME!!!!!

Micah(5)

It was HIM!!!

as he points to Christian

Christian

No I didn't!!!!

Come here!

imagine me pointing my "Mom"finger and giving the "death look"

I stomp back down the hall with Christian glumly following behind

OK, smell that?I know that someone was burning something...want to revise your story?!

AS we stop at the door to his room where the burning smell is still scary strong.

Christian

I lit the lighter.

reluctantly spoken

Oh no, there's more to it!!!

by now I think the smoke is coming out of my ears

Christian

I lit a piece of paper

eyes downcast- shoulders hunched

WHAT?!! What did you do with the paper?!

I'm sure I'm losing my mind at this crazy turn of events

Christian

I put it in the trash in the kitchen.

at this point I run down the hall, knowing that I am going to find the trashcan blazing

Did you wet it down before you stuck it in there?

Christian

No, I just pushed it all the way to the bottom

OK, let me get this straight, while I was in the bedroom talking with your dad you lit a piece of paper in your bedroom, took it all the way through the house, stuffed it in the kitchen trash where it could smolder and catch fire and spread through the whole kitchen possibly burning down the whole house?!!!!!!!!!!

I think my head spun around a couple of times while I said all of this

Christian

Yes.

completely demoralized

My HUSBAND

Where did you get this idea?

Christian

Monster Garage... that guy that burned stuff(Jesse James)

this is a show that he watched with dad

Needless to say this incident ended with strong discipline and I am planning a trip to visit a fireman friend who will show him the danger of fire that is improperly handled. I am also beginning to get leary about the whole puberty/testosterone/preteen thing. Lots of prayers would be good.

I hope this gives everyone a good, "Thank God, that' not my kid!"

In Christian's defense, he is an awesome kid who is amazingly smart, and very creative. I love him even when he is plotting our family bonfire.

CRASH!!!!

2005-03-31T16:28:00.000-06:00

My hard drive has crashed! I can't even begin to explain how crazed this makes me!!!! I have lost so much stuff. I know, I know... back up everything! This is a sad excuse...I don't know how. I am so ignorant about my computer and my husband is a techno-nerd so it's kinda like the cobbler's children having no shoes... All this to say it will be a couple of days before I blog again. I have to rebuild my computer stuff-YUCK!!!!! Pray for me - I need patience.

What a concert!

2005-03-26T00:43:00.000-06:00

We had an AMAZING night! One of the things that is really important with the church that we have started is to be a part of our community, to live and move, and be a part of where we live and be where people are. The problem with that is we don't live in an area that has a great place for people to hang out. To help remedy this, we are hosting a series of free concerts at a local shopping center. We will do them every other week with different kinds of musical artists to provide a way for our community to come together just to be.
Tonight was our first one and we had about 250 people...Not too shabby! The band was great, the sound was mixed well, Starbuck's made a killing and people had a great time. Next time, we are having a Jazz group play-I, personally, am very much looking forward to that!
I think the thing that is so very cool to me about what went on tonight is that all kinds of people came together and connected, and that our baby church got a chance to do something for our community without expecting anything in return. I LOVE IT!!!!!! Sunday, we have a community-wide Easter egg hunt before our service. It will be interesting to see how things go! I love to think that we have the opportunity to reach out and do things, big or small, for our community that say, "Hey, we love you and you know what?God does,too!"
Easter to me is about so much more than bunnies and chicks and I am excited about the opportunity to proclaim God's love in a way that looks a little different to the World. It is my prayer that we will constantly seek ways to clearly communicate God's love to those we are in contact with!

Happy Easter!!!!!

He is Risen !!!!

May we never be the same!

Contradictions

2005-03-16T12:50:00.000-06:00

What a paradoxical life we lead. Here are some contradictions that jumble my brain.
Becoming an adult:
You can drive somewhere between 15-17 years of age
(if you live in rural Texas you have probably been driving since you could reach the gas pedal)
You can see a rated “R” movie at 17
You can have an abortion at 16 and your parents not know
You can’t drink, legally, until you’re 21
When you’re 16 if you run away from home the police won’t force you to come
home, yet your parents will be held responsible if you are truant from school
You can serve in the military and die for your country at 18
In some states you can get married as young as 16 without parental consent
You can get birth control without parental knowledge as young as 12
You can’t buy cigarettes unless you are 18

No wonder teenagers are so confused! I know I couldn’t figure it out.

About life:
Abortion at any stage of in-utero life is permitted in the US
If some one kills a pregnant woman they can be charged for a double homicide
Lawyers have been appointed for the unborn in court to protect their rights
A woman in Colorado was charged and sentenced because she failed to swerve to
avoid a squirrel and killed it
A farmer mowing his field was arrested for killing a rat when he unknowingly
mowed over it, apparently it was an endangered species of rat (are you
kidding me?!)

Now for me…it seems that I share a common affliction with Paul, “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” There are too many conflicts to list just suffice to say that I do not wish to be “double-minded” James 1:8. So I am working on my inner (wo)man to be strengthened in Him. Pray for me as today has been a struggle of “taking every thought captive”. Yuk, what a day! I am not a fan of contradiction.

Two Loves and Other Thoughts

2005-03-11T11:34:00.000-06:00

"There can only be two loves," wrote Augustine, "the love of God unto the exclusion of self, or the love of self unto the forgetfulness and denial of God."

Wow! I am amazed at how I waiver between the two. And, yet, I totally agree. It's either Him or me and too often it's me.

Better Days

2005-03-07T17:14:00.000-06:00

Today was a yucky, rainy, and cold day. Then the rain stopped, the sun came out and it was 70 degrees. This all of a sudden change seems to reflect my life. Last week was crazy but this one has already started well. We had new families visit church Sunday and some who came last week, came back again with other family members. How Cool! We sat down as a family last night and talked about our week and what we had going on. This is a first for us but I hope we can maintain this. The other cool thing is that I have been in a parenting rut and God has given me some creative things to do that I hope will help inspire my son to greatness, or at least to a more respectful attitude and a more Christ-like heart.
My dad's doing well-thank God! His 64th birthday was yesterday so the clan ate at Buca di Beppo http://www.bucadibeppo.com/
We all stuffed our faces and sang Happy Birthday!
What a great start to the week!

Hard times

2005-03-03T10:02:00.000-06:00

This week has been something else! My dad had cataract surgery on Tuesday so I went to stay with him and my mom all day and I stayed the night so I could take him to the Doctor on Wednesday morning. This was supposed to be a no brainer…people have this done all the time with no problems and that was our expectation. Leave it to my dad to make things more challenging.
He was doing fine on Tuesday, a little nauseated and weak but ok. When he got in the chair at the eye doctor’s they had him put his head in that little thing to look at his eyes. He had to stop because he was feeling nauseated. Then he started feeling really bad-the nurse put a wet cloth behind his head and left me alone with him to go get the doctor. The color drained from his face and his eyes were all glazed over, then he started moaning and snorting… it was so scary. I was slapping his face and calling his name-he was completely unresponsive. Finally a nurse put her head in the room and I said, “Could you please not leave me alone with him?!”
Shortly thereafter the doctor came in and he said, “Call 911!” At this point I am completely freaked! They got him to respond a little so they said to forget 911 and they gave him some oxygen. He came around a little more and I suggested that it might be his blood sugar because he hadn’t eaten much in 2 days. A diabetic nurse ran and got her glucometer so she could test his blood. His sugar was 65(normal is 70-120). They gave him some crackers and juice and he started to get some color back and become more responsive.
During all of this I called his friend Katie since she is a doctor and was familiar with Conroe, where Dad lives. By the time she got there all of this was pretty much over he was sitting up, his color was better, and he was drinking a coke. We ended up leaving there to go to his primary care doctor who did all kinds of blood work and an EKG to double check. He said my dad’s hypoglycemic and gave him some instructions concerning diet and we went home.
It’s amazing that a lifetime can pass so quickly. This whole scenario took place in under 30 mins. Inconceivable! (I do know what that word means.)
I have never been so scared. When my mom almost died from her aneurysm I never saw her except in the ICU, this was different because I was present for the whole thing. I have never seen anything like what I saw yesterday except on TV or a movie. Trust me its totally different. I know that lots of diabetics and their families deal with this all the time but that’s not my reality. I feel like I got a glimpse yesterday of what my dad will look like when he dies…no color, eyes glazed over mouth slack… if I never see him like that again I would be completely happy!
OK, this is a long post , so I’ll be done. I just needed to get it out!
Things to thank God for:
That this happened at the doctor’s office and not at home or in the car
That he is fine if a little thick-headed
That I went through something horrible and didn’t have a panic attack or complete breakdown.

It's War!

2004-12-10T11:15:00.000-06:00

Can I just tell you that I hate Satan?! I hate the way his manipulative little mind works…the way he damages relationship and tears at friendships! It makes me crazy that he whispers in our ears and distorts things before we can “take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ”! And just when you think you’ve seen it all, he slips in and stirs things up in way you didn’t think was possible.
Now don’t get me wrong. I know who the Winner is. It’s just that it is so stinkin’ frustrating that he tries to taint everything! The thing is I see what he’s doing but others have to see it for themselves. It’s not like you can go, “By the way. Satan is really using you right now to tear up our friendship.” Because I tend to be a straight shooter I really resent the way he manipulates people. GRRRRRRR!!!! I am sooooo frustrated.
I guess the thing to remind myself is that he comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, and so I have to remember to look at the bigger picture.

Who is the ultimate winner & which side am I on?
What is he trying to steal, kill, or destroy?
Where does my focus need to be?
What do I need to do to be ready for the attacks of my enemy?

Of course, knowing these things is important it’s just that sometimes I need to rant a little bit! I think I’ll go read Ephesians 6:10-20 now and do a little work on my armor.

JESUS ROCKS!!!!!

2004-12-08T11:23:00.000-06:00

The Birthday Boys!

Happy Birthday!!!!

2004-12-08T11:16:00.000-06:00

Well an amazing thing has happened in my life. My oldest son turned 10 on Saturday and my youngest son turned 5 yesterday. Okay, now for the corny part… “It seems like just yesterday that they were babies… Where has the time gone… How can they be so old already… My babies are growing up”
For the record My 10 year old would greatly resent being called a baby! You know it’s a funny thing, you get married and you’re so full of love for each other it just spills out to become a baby. Babies are so cute and cuddly. Mostly they smell great, their skin is so soft and they make these great little cooing noises when they sleep. Then they grow up.
I now have 2 children on the precipice of adolescence and I can’t decide whether to push them off and encourage them to fly or to hold on and drag them from the edge to keep them “safe”. Thank goodness Micah is still little. 5 year olds still cuddle and love to sit in your lap. They rarely understand “cool” and aren’t afraid of what others think.
I feel so ill equipped to shepherd Christian and Hannah thought their teenage years. I am convinced that you should have a do-over when it comes to kids. You have no idea what you’re doing when you have the first one. I have screwed Christian up so bad and I don’t even mean to! Hopefully I am teaching him to be full of grace since I will need it from him.
It’s amazing to watch your children grow. I have so much from them and I now understand God in so many ways that I don’t know if I could have with out them. Some days I know I have done a great job as a mom-other days I am filled with self-doubt and questioning. I wonder if that ever changes or if this is the lifelong state of motherhood.
Happy Birthday Christian! Happy Birthday Micah! I love you guys and love being your mom-for better or worse!

Heaven on my mind

2004-12-06T16:01:00.000-06:00

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set out on foot to convert the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this one. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth “thrown in.” Aim at earth and you will get neither.”
--C. S. Lewis

When I read this quote I was struck by the obvious reality of it. It is my prayer that I will learn how to aim for Heaven. That I would be able to maintain that as my focus, as I live and move here. And that I would be so affected by the reality of Kingdom life that the Kingdom Of God would overwhelm the mundane of my life.

2004-12-02T10:10:00.000-06:00

I am going to have to figure this thing out. I have been encouraged that my thoughts are there to blog…its just that with 3 kids and a crazy life, the luxury of typing at the computer rarely happens.
That said, onward to deeper thoughts! Ha Ha!
Part of the challenge put before us by Danny is to personalize our Core Values. So tonight I am chewing on Valuing People. The basis for this value comes from Luke 5:30-6:32 and Matthew 18:14. (For anyone that reads this and is not familiar with what I am talking about, these are passages found in the Bible in the part called the New Testament.)The passage in Luke tells some very cool stories about Jesus and the way he puts others first.
Jesus and his followers were hounded by the Pharisees (who were the “most righteous” religious leaders of the day).Jesus invited Levi, a tax collector, to come and follow him. Levi was so happy that he threw a banquet and invited… SINNERS! Well this created no small uproar with the Pharisees who thought that they had to be pure and could not be around “sinners”. They could not understand how Jesus- a teacher with a great following would allow himself to be defiled by those who did not live the way the Pharisees thought was appropriate. Jesus response to them is so beautiful!
Jesus answered them saying, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Tax collectors and sinners were welcomed by Jesus. They knew they needed Jesus’ help. Pharisees on the other hand had the terrible self-imposed burden of having to appear righteous. To me this sounds a lot like the way many Christians view others. Although we are supposed to be a refuge for the “tax collectors and sinners” too often our self-imposed burden of right appearances keeps us from truly being Jesus to those who need him most.
The passage out of Matthew quotes a story told by Jesus about sheep being lost and that the master is not willing for even one to be lost. See we are the sheep- they tend to be stubborn animals that require much tending to make sure they don’t hurt themselves or fall prey to predators. God is like the shepherd who carefully tends the sheep so that not one will be lost. Like us sheep are destined to choose their will over that of the shepherd’s. Sometimes our choices bring us closer to the shepherd and sometimes they take us farther from him-just like sheep.
OK, what does all this mean to me about the core value of valuing people? I love to see how Jesus treated others! It is so important to me to be like him! What I understand out of these passages is that God loves us all so much that He wants us all to be with Him. His son loves us so much that he showed us the way to love others… spend time with them, be in their lives, be a part of what they do and at the same time love them and encourage them to a better way. I definitely agree that this should be one of the core values of “The Way”. We can’t expect to have anything to offer others if we don’t know who to look to, to model our behavior after.

The beginning of The Way!

2004-11-21T22:24:00.000-06:00

What an amazing day!! We had the first preview service for the new church that we are starting and it was really amazing! It was evident that the planning was very important. We had 34 people there.
We talked about our core values and began the process of identifying to others what we will look like as a body of believers.
We are family.Therefore, we value:
PEOPLE
RELATIONSHIPS
SERVING OTHERS
BIBLICAL UNITY
CULTURAL RELEVANCY

This is what we talked about today. We also participated in an amazing time of communion. This afternoon we went to Pappasito's for a celebration dinner. It was a wonderful time of fellowship! God has really blessed us with some amazing people who are committed to building the Kingdom of God and serving others.

What a great journey we are beginning at The Way.

Blog challenged

2004-11-19T18:32:00.000-06:00

Well- I thought I was putting that picture in my profile -obviously not! Please know that I am not normally so bold-ok so maybe I am. Anyway, I always like to know who's doing the talking so...

Beginnings

2004-11-18T11:45:00.000-06:00

Grrrr... I am so frustrated. I typed this really cool blog and I lost it!!!!!! I am so a newbie to this whole blogging thing.
We'll see how it goes. I am a poor typist and a slack journaller. However, I do like to share my thoughts and opinions and I enjoy dialogue with others so maybe I will be faithful enough for this to be good.
We have had a lot of experiences with new beginnings lately. My son has needed a lot of them this week. It is amazing how quickly he would fall into doing something that he was not supposed to do and then want from me a new beginning. As I read this I realize that I am desperately in need of new beginnings. How can I expect my children to be obedient when I am so rebellious?! GRRRR! I frustrate myself. What an imperfect example they have to follow!
This whole topic makes me think of Paul. He said that he often found himself doing the very thing he did not want to do and the good he wanted to do he did not do. Quite a conundrum! Yet this seems to be my reality.
How grateful I am that God's mercy and overwhelming grace is new every day. I am in such desperate need of this gift that I abuse. How 'bout you?