~Our Faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ~

Why I'm blogging...

Welcome to our lives, our farm, and our family. Here is were we give you a view into our daily walk. I pray that it might encourage you while giving you a real life glance deeper into our lives. May we honor the Lord in all we do and say. My greatest hope is that anything you admire within our family points you right back to the Lord Jesus Christ and our love for HIM.

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Green Grass and Motivation

 Dear Friends,

I find it very interesting what motivates us in life. Today I watched my children head to our corrals, pull a clump of GREEN grass and hand feed our horses. The same horses who avoid us all summer when the pastures are full of grass. The same horses who are ornery and do not want to be ridden and so they shy away to an outstretched hand. The same horses who were once well trained and their skills show through when an experienced horseman gets on the saddle. Those horses came up to the fence and serenely allowed themselves to be hand fed the yummy, luscious treat. Even the Llama got in on her treat. The cows however are not so motivated. While they would have loved the grass, they allow fear to override their common sense even though we have raised them from babies, they know where their food comes from, and we are never unkind to them. They are NOT as smart in my mind.
In the same manner, people have things that motivate us. Most women in my circle of friends are pretty familiar with the “5 Love Languages” book by Gary Chapman. As discussed in this book, they are Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. Depending on what your love language is depends on how you feel loved and valued. We might have a little of all five, but all of us have a primary one. Do you know your love language?
I believe mine to be quality time. I enjoy physical touch, but weary of people in my space. I am blessed with gifts, affirming words, and acts of service to me, but the way to my heart is simply to sit with me and spend quality time. To me, I am motivated by the time a person will put in to hear my heart and then trust me with theirs. If this intrigues you, you might want to take this little online quiz to see where you fall.
With as many children as I have, they each have a different love language. I wish I could share what Millie’s was, but I honestly do not know. What it was not, was physical touch. She was a ‘touch me not’ much of the last year and a half. I do not know if that was from pain or just being irritable, but she did not really want people touching her a lot from age 2 until about her last 6 months. At that time, she started touching David and I all the time. She even started allowing the other children to hold her, rub her legs, lay in her bed with her. They were such a blessing of comfort to her!
My next children are so varied. One is a strong ‘touch me not’, does not need gifts, does not seem to need acts of service, does not seem to need affirming words but seems to enjoy spending time together…. Quality time? I do not know for sure as it is hard for me to pinpoint others.
Another has always been physical touch, with a strong second to affirming words. Again no big need for service, gifts, or even quality time that I see.
Then I have one who thrives on affirming words. Because that is the gift that thrills her heart, she in turn is excellent at giving that gift to others. To watch her on the ball court cheering her teammates on blesses me.
Another one is the gift of quality time. If I neglect to offer that, it leaves a feeling of unconcern and not being cared about. This child will often follow me around the house just talking to me about whatever is the current fancy. Right now it is learning Spanish… I do not even understand a lot of what is being said, but hey we are spending time together.
The next is a HUGE “Words of Affirmation” gal. My bible is stuffed full of sweet notes that say, “mom, I hope you have a good day. I love you!”. When Millie got sick, she created a daily devotion book for me with things like “Day 1 remember you are loved” “Day 2 You are a great mom!” “Day 3 Trust in the Lord”. She spent so much love and effort making that to keep me encouraged.
Again, I birthed a quality time child. She does not ask for much; gifts are appreciated but not needed. She likes a hug but is fine for one a day. She does not need me to do much for her or say much to encourage her but LISTENING to her… now that is another story. I often fall short and she says, “You are not listening!” We have long interesting conversations with big words, deep meaning, and great understanding. Today after hearing the definition of a Philosopher she asked me if I thought SHE was a philosopher? She reasoned she enjoyed knowing things and sharing them with others. The NEED to be HEARD! (Philosophy is the study of underlying things. This means philosophy tries to understand the reasons or basis for things. It also tries to understand how things should be. "Philosophia" is the Ancient Greek word for the "love of wisdom").
Finally, my little man is a TOUCH…TOUCH… and in case you missed that PHYSICAL TOUCH! He loves to snuggle, rock, and is always trying to get something on him to touch my skin. Either his hand in my shirt sleeve or his face buried in my neck. When he climbs in bed with me he needs to put his feet on my legs or his hand on my back. He feels loved with he is touched.
Knowing all of that, you would THINK I would best know how to love each of them, but alas… I still mess it up. The physical touch ones I often offend because I hug quick and step back. The words of affirmation that I give have to be well planned out otherwise I feel like I am being fake. There are two children that do love gifts, but even so I forget to buy ‘just because gifts’ very often. The one I mess up the MOST is the QUALITY TIME one… How is that possible?? My love language is quality time. You would think I would understand this one the best, however all I can guess is if you have two quality time people together and they BOTH want to be HEARD it is hard to pour into each other. As the mom, it becomes my joy to set aside my need to be heard and listen instead. If I selfishly demand to be listened to instead it gives the idea that they are not important to me. SO FAR FROM THE TRUTH!
Boy this parenting stuff is hard…
Relationships are hard...
And yes my husband is physical touch AND acts of service. I had to figure him out too.
Blessings sweet friends…
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆ 。・:*:・゚★。・:*:・゚☆
I still believe in Millie’s Miracle
。・:*:・゚☆Hebrews 11:1 。・:*:・゚☆
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵

It's time to pray

 Dear Friends,

My heart is broken with the thought of where our nation is headed. It does not matter what side you fall on, believing that either Trump or Biden is right, reality is we all lose with this lunacy. I know many believe Trump incited this violence and just as many believe that Biden cheated the elections. Either way, the AMERICAN PEOPLE are the losers. This political mess has left us suspicious of each other. It has left us divided. It has filled our nation with a HATE for our fellow brothers. I fear for the future. I fear for the America my children and grandchildren will live in…
…however, I have to remember this world is not my home. I am called to a higher standard of behavior. I am called to be kind even when I disagree. If I am not, then I simply am NOT following the command to LOVE God and Love my neighbor! This post is not political. You do not NEED to know my thoughts about our President. This post is about GOD’s thoughts…his words…the BIBLE.
I am calling all Christians to please PRAY first off, but secondly please consider what you SAY to others. How you carry yourself. How you condemn others sharing your own opinion. We are called to a higher standard of conduct. We are called to be a LIGHT to the world.
Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Mark 12:30-31
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Matthew 5:16
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Blessings sweet friends…
*****Please honor me by NOT expressing which side you are on. I want absolutely no arguing on Millie’s page. I am very aware that we all hold our own views and we don’t need division here. I can not even bear to share a Millie picture with my heavy heart*****
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆ 。・:*:・゚★。・:*:・゚☆
I still believe in Millie’s Miracle
。・:*:・゚☆ Hebrews 11:1 。・:*:・゚☆
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Cherry Poptarts and the gift of Presence

 Dear Friends,

If you show up here each day it is pretty clear what my writing centers on. A belief and relationship with Christ, Our Family, Millie and our Grief journey, Relationships with others (Friends), and an odd assortment of random topics of things that flit in and out of my brain through out my day. I often think “I need to share that” but before I get it written down it fades away into the foggy spaces in my brain. I will grab my phone and make a keyword note to remind me, but you would laugh when often that does not even jog this tired brain. Grief causes such a fog to envelop us. It must be our body’s way to soften the world around us, blur the lines, and numb us to more pain.
I received a beautiful gift today… in the form of a Poptart box. After reading my woes about the Brown Sugar Poptart fiasco in our home,
this friend showed up with a double box of CHERRY…my kiddos dream! Like any good mom, I promptly let them have a package for dinner WITH their other food of course, minus the vegetables. It was date night for Daddy and me. On those nights we skip the good nutrition in favor of fast and fun for kids.
This same friend brought me another gift. The gift of her presence. She came, listened, cried, shared, and bonded with my heart. We have only known each other a short time but I would dare say we will be friends for a lifetime even if we never see each other again. There is some comradery found in two mothers who are both grieving the loss of their precious children, while resting in the knowledge that they are with Jesus.
Right now, relationships with people are a top priority. I am driven to invest in the lives of others while allowing others to get close enough to minister to me. That is an important statement… I have to LET others get close enough to minister to me. WHY? Because it is all too easy to withdrawal, to turn my focus inward, to let my thought simmer and start to drown me. If I allow others in, I am allowing them the opportunity to walk this journey with me. Any journey walked together is always more fun than a solo mission. We NEED People! It is the same for others. If they allow me a peek into their hearts, then maybe I can ease their burden ever so slightly. Not because I can give a solution or a fix, no one can fix your child dying! Rather because my shoulder has that familiar comfort of someone who has walked this road, knows some of the mire, and is willing to journey along side of them.
Life is lonely in grief. It is lonelier in the current times of quarantine and fear. So many people have given up any social and physical contact for safety, but the trade off is often the loneliness that creeps in. I understand both sides of the equation…the fear is real…the need to continue on in life is real. It is very similar to the walk we cancer parents take. You keep your child home to keep them safe. You sanitize everything and wear masks when you go out. You change your plans and your life for cancer…and it is lonely. There were months on end we could not go to church and when we did it was rarely all of us. Someone stayed home with Millie. We did not go to stores or restaurants. We were cautious! The rest of the world has joined the life of an immune – compromised child (and their family!) What we missed the most was the relationships. I am so glad our family (especially grandparents) came to see Millie anyway. I was heartbroken enough every time we were kept apart during hospital stays due to the one parent rule. Families, especially sick ones, NEED each other.
One thing I have been so impressed with in this time of uncertainty is how some people are working so hard to bring us together even in times of separation. The hospital would play virtual bingo with the children from their rooms. If they won, the prize was delivered to their door. School field trips have gone online and really it allows children to see things that they might never physically get to see. One that stands out to me is the online ‘Zoom’ meetings. This has allowed our bereaved cancer moms to have our support meetings in our own home with woman from across the state. Another is that God’s word is being proclaimed every Sunday on so many platforms that were unheard of a few years ago. All things can work for his GLORY!
Relationship, though harder to maintain right now, really are the fabric of our society. I challenge you to look outside of yourself and how you can form a bond with another human.
• Write a letter and MAIL it!
• Text or email but seriously WRITE the LETTER!
• Buying a small “I’m thinking of you” gift.
• Offering to run an errand to someone who cannot get out.
• PRAYING for others, whether they know or not!
Some of these cost money, but most are free…
Take some time and invest in others. You will never know how that kindness might encourage someone.
Blessings sweet friends…
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆ 。・:*:・゚★。・:*:・゚☆
I still believe in Millie’s Miracle
。・:*:・゚☆Hebrews 11:1 。・:*:・゚☆
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵

Monday, January 4, 2021

What Tools are you using?

 Dear Friends,

Many of us make the (RE)commitment to get healthy in the New Year. Most of us fail by the first week and then we return to our habits that caused us to be overweight, out of shape, and sickly as if they were calling us like a (not so) long lost friend. Going through old paperwork I found my body measurements from a few years ago when I attempted to ‘lose weight’… somehow those are measurements that are now a weight I would LOVE to call my own! The last year and my own lack of discipline has left me farther back than my starting point…again!
This time however, I have a few more tools to aid my journey. I have my trusty THM guidebook, new and updated. I have my planner to keep track of my goals set and then goals MET! I have my shot of motivation in the form of a sixty-day devotional that gives an extra umph of decisiveness each morning. I have my realistic workout plans, not that crazy exercise that last hours every day and let it take over my life…for ten whole minutes. I have a photo food log app and an accountability partner who holds just the right firmness but balances it with understanding. I have a weekly Podcast and an audio book to spread motivation and encouragement to my project. I have a new necklace that I put on each day to symbolize my daily commitment. Some of these tools I have had a while, yet a few are newly purchased for this project.
The biggest tool in my toolbox is the one called HABIT! If I pull out that tool and use it, the rest of my tools will be the perfect companion. Without habit, I am simply throwing multiple tools at the project but not using them consistently to make a difference. Can you imagine me trying to hang a picture frame? I get out my nail and hammer, I start to swing the hammer at the nail. Once, twice…wait… now I will use a screwdriver! Or maybe a pair of pliers will do the trick? Should I remeasure the wall? Maybe I should paint the wall first…. So many choice tools, but if I had just consistently swung the hammer at the nail my job would have been completed.
So, you might wonder what habits have I instilled longer than a few days? Because lets face it, everybody has PLANS to do better, right?
• Using the photo app ATE to take a picture of ALL the food I put in my mouth. This app is connected to the phones of my daughter in law, my accountability partner (bestie), and a few other dear friends. I have learned I cannot sneak another dessert and still follow through without someone seeing it. If I disappear a few days, they ALL know I am circling the drain and need a hand to get back on track.
• Drinking between 88 and 110 oz of H2O a day. I use Stevia drink mixes from Trim Healthy Mama called “Hydrates” and a ‘True Lime” packet to make it Cherry Lime flavor. YUM!!
• Using Stevia for all my sweetening. I have not cooked with sugar in years unless you count those circling the drain moments. Again, I use the Trim Healthy Mama versions or Pyure from the store. If you do not know about Stevia it is an all-natural herb, not artificial sweetener. It can be bitter if you use too much or get an off brand, but these two are great tasting and easy to use!
• I have switched up my cooking oil for Coconut oil.
• I gave up salad dressing. I now drizzle my salads with olive oil, then salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. This really intimidated me to start with and I was sure I would HATE it, but I actually LOVE it. So yummy, easy, and healthy!
• Cooking THM style of eating proteins but separating my meals into Fats (S) or Carbs(E). When separating the types of meals I make, I can still have most everything, but it allows my body to burn up the fuel I choose to consume at that meal.
• Eating on a smaller ‘salad plate’. I bought two in the Christmas section that say ‘Blessed” and “Grateful”. Good reminders of what I should feel daily. My soup bowl says “Thankfulness” to add in another heart check.
Sometimes I forget that it has taken me 17 years to get into this mess and I want it fixed…yesterday! My action steps are slow and steady. I might even buy myself a turtle charm as a reminder. I do not need to make huge changes. I need to make CONSISTANT HABITS that lead to small changes that lead to big successes. Putting this out there is pretty humbling. I often think I ‘hide’ my issues well, yet reality is just one look and you can visibly see what changes I need to make.
I will share pictures of the tools in my toolbox, but if you want the name of my accountability partner/coach (and great friend) please PM me. If you want to join me, please speak up. Any journey is better with a group of friends to encourage each other. So far it is me and Jesus, but he would love for you to join in… How do I know? Because HE delights in fellowship with us. Who better to eat with, talk to, talk about, and study then our Lord?
Psalm 37:23
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
What steps are you taking in 2021?
Blessings sweet friends…
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆ 。・:*:・゚★。・:*:・゚☆
I still believe in Millie’s Miracle
。・:*:・゚☆Hebrews 11:1 。・:*:・゚☆
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵

Sunday, January 3, 2021

Journals of redemption

 Dear Friends,

Recently, I had a shot of encouragement show up in the form of rereading an older journal I had written many years ago. Every few months, I had penned a heartfelt prayer usually in desperation, about how the relationships in our family were going. These were words I could say to no one but Jesus. They were written of great fears, huge disappointments, extreme worries, humble failures, and desperate pleas. I wrote about things that I was sure could never be used for God’s glory…
And yet…
Ten years later, God has redeemed those days. At that time, I had two teenage sons ages 16 and 14 and life felt difficult. Please do not mistake my words. They were not ‘bad’ kids, but they were finding their way as teens and it was not always pretty. I have never been as relational with teens as I am with preschoolers. I have to work to be interested, invested, and inviting to them. If it has been a few years since you have had a teenager you might have forgotten how most every word that parents say elicits a sigh followed by an eye roll. If it is a teen boy though it sounds more like a mumbled complaint and stomping feet. As I think back to those days everything I wanted to instill in them, every ethic I wanted to impart in them all seemed to be slipping by and not soaking in. I was worried! My mind often filled with questions if I was ruining them for life?
However, in the last 10 years of our sons lives, the Lord has restored what I feared the locust were rampantly eating.
Joel 2:25
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming [a]locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.”
These boys have grown to be men. They are men that love JESUS. They are men of CHARACTER. They are men that hold high MORAL STANDARDS in their lives. They are motivated, hard workers. They study to do new things. They work to provide for their households. One holds his wife and family so dear while diligently training and providing for them. The other reserves himself as he waits and prepares for his (someday) wife and family. Watching each of them deal with Millie’s diagnosis, her demands, her physical sickness, and her need to be with them thrilled my heart. One little girl reached way deep into her brothers’ hearts and firmly planted herself there. I have seen them show compassion to her every step of her journey all the way to the gates of Heaven. I have seen them allow her to do things they would never do for another (you know tough guys right?). The Lord has used them to be the hands and feet of Jesus to her and I will forever be grateful.
Next I found a journal entry from just a few years ago, again expressing those same fears and worries. Those same desperate midnight prayers. Those same tears being shed and the wondering if we would get through it. This time it was over a teen daughter. The attitudes, misunderstandings, and disagreements were not very different than they were eight years prior with our boys. Yet once again, God was faithful to grow and mature her into a woman who loves him with all her heart. She is a woman of good character. One who is trustworthy, hardworking, responsible, motivated, and filled with initiative to achieve her goals. She had a heart of love for Millie, constantly doing funny things to make her life enjoyable. She has learned of heartache and how-to walk-through grief long before anyone should. To lose a baby sister, to navigate the grief, and to continue on planning out her own life in the middle of the chaos has been challenging.
Psalm 66:10 “For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.”
James 1:2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
The refining fire our family has walked through, the reminder that God will restore, and the JOY we find when we see the fruit in our children are the things that help us hang on in the tough times. With 3 teens now, two that will soon be there, and one sweet blessing that missed those rough years completely, I am sure I will be looking back at today’s journal entry and reminding myself… “See it will work out for God’s Glory. See it is not all for naught. See in due time we will reap. Remember where our greatest joy really comes from…”
3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
Blessings sweet friends…
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆ 。・:*:・゚★。・:*:・゚☆
I still believe in Millie’s Miracle
。・:*:・゚☆Hebrews 11:1 。・:*:・゚☆
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵

Saturday, January 2, 2021

Walking out Relationships

 Dear Friends,

I don’t make ‘resolutions’ each year, although I did mention the two things I wanted to focus more on into the coming months. Neither had action steps or even a way to achieve them. Both are simply areas I know I am being led to make changes… in my health for the better and in my relationships because I want to value my time with PEOPLE each day.
The RELATIONSHIP one seems easier to walk it out.
1) Listen – simply being attentive when someone is speaking. Looking at them an turning my body towards them. Putting down my phone, putting a smile on, and valuing them over the interruption aggravation that I often feel.
2) Be interested in others and what they enjoy. I often let my fatigue get in the way of wanting to go to events.
3) Be intentional in CHOOSING to plan time together. A few years ago, I wrote a list of maybe 20 couples that I wanted to go to dinner with. I never told them they were on my ‘list’, but I intentionally made time to cultivate new friendships. Some were family members, others were church members, some homeschool or work friends. Many I did not know very well; some became close friends as we shared hearts and lives over a dinner date.
4) PRAY for people. They do not have to know they are being prayed for although that encouragement is often the strength someone needs to continue on the fight. I keep one list in the back of my bible, I make other lists in my journal and my planner, and when I see a need on social media I often stop and pray over it. We need to pray for others.
5) Sending a card, note, text, or small gift to another fills most people’s heart. I once visited with a friend at a ladies’ retreat that expressed how she though my PJ’s were cute. Inexpensive Walmart pj’s were all they were. However, they were something that she had not been given in a long time. After the retreat, I made a quick shopping trip that did not cost me much but did fill my friend’s heart with love knowing she was cared for. Can you buy someone a coffee, a potted plant, a special treat or even a stranger a tank of gas? LOVE God by loving his people.
Mark 12:30-31
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Over the years I have collected a good group of friends that exhibit the above qualities. Most do not know each other, but the common theme is they are GODLY women who truly CARE for others. When Millie was sick one did my laundry, another grocery shopped, yet a third babysat. When my babies were in NICU, I have one special friend who came to sit with them so I could have a few minutes to rest. Another sweet friend sends me the most encouraging wordy texts and then delivers coffee syrups tied with fun bows to my house. On NYE, one of my newer friends texted to make sure I knew she was praying for my heart as we entered a new year without our precious girl.
I feel like I could keep going for paragraph after paragraph. Some of these ladies will be my forever friends, some are here for a season. Some bring an understanding of my grief; others bring an opportunity to walk away from it for a few minutes. Some have known me many years, others just recently entered my life. I PRAISE God for each of you! Both the ones I know in real life, the ones I talk to on the phone, and the ones I visit with on social media. We need each other.
I am grateful you heard the call and chose to bless my life!
Speaking of gifts I received one of the sweetest, yet heartbreaking gifts yesterday. I have eagerly awaited it since June of 2020. When we knew that Millie's tumors were growing so fast that we would not be able to stop them ((My heart still screams...HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?? and for a moment my chest pounds and my breath is sucked away)), then I am forced to focus on my thoughts of the here and now.... when we knew she would die soon, the hospital staff did some amazing cherished gifts for us. They footprinted and handprinted her. They got her finger print. Our nurse Ashleigh spent the day painting with Millie using pale pink paint. Millie thought her friend had come to play, yet I knew she had really come to give me a forever gift. They gave us a bunny with Millie's voice recorded on it... I still can't bring myself to listen to it, even though I do listen to her videos. The gift I have been waiting on so long arrived New Years Eve 2020...the last day of the last year that Millie lived in. It was her heartbeat set as the rhythm to her favorite song "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". I listened... I sobbed... I remembered... and I am thankful for loving and kind gifts.
James 1:17
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Blessings sweet friends…
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆ 。・:*:・゚★。・:*:・゚☆
I still believe in Millie’s Miracle
。・:*:・゚ ☆ Hebrews 11:1 。・:*:・゚☆
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵

Friday, January 1, 2021

My heart misses Millie

 I can't begin to describe what this video does to my heart. I love to hear her precious voice. I love to see her enjoying herself. I love to hear her explaining what she wants.

What I hate is to see what cancer did to her. She couldn't play with two hands, her IV was in the way. The crankiness shows up when she tells us to stop guys. The pain shows up at the end when she says, “owie.”
My precious sweet one went through so much! I miss her every moment, sometimes it is suffocating. But I also know that she is not going through those things now.
She is HEALED! 💖🦋
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆ 。・:*:・゚★。・:*:・゚☆
I still believe in Millie’s Miracle
。・:*:・゚ ☆ Hebrews 11:1 。・:*:・゚☆
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵