Friday, June 5, 2009

Happy Anniversary to Tony

12 things for 12 years

1. When you're gone, I miss talking to you the most.
2. When you're here, I love when you make dinner.
3. When you're at work, I love when you call to ask if I need anything.
4. What I loved when I first met you was your sense of humor.
5. What I love most about you now is your dedication to our family.
6. While we dated, I loved all your letters, and playing mini golf.
7. What I love about your fatherhood to Todd is when you teach him Bible verses.
8. Something I loved getting you to do with me was watching Hayley Mills movies.
9. Something I'll never forget is how you proposed to me - in a horse drawn carriage riding through the streets of Dallas, TX
10. I have learned to be more compassionate because of your example in this area.
11. Something I enjoy doing with you is watch football.
12. I am grateful to you for being able to overlook my faults.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Mom

Mother's Day is coming and I wanted to give 10 things I love about my mom.

1. My mom gave her 20's and 30's and 40's and 50's to rear children. She continues to house some grandchildren and she does so with all the love in the world.

2. My mom prays for all 7 of her children daily and I learned the importance of prayer because she set the example as I saw her prayer book as a teenager. This definitely inspired me to go forth in the area of prayer in a big way.

3. She has great faith. She had to because she and my dad reared 7 children on a salary of $900 a month.

4. Her children have fallen out of God's will often; but she remains faithful and knows God will restore them because she trained them up in the way they should go.

5. I love to do things for her because she appreciates it like a child and enjoys it so much.

6. She has been married almost 36 years and that means a lot when I know how often the Devil has tried to destroy her family.

7. On holidays she did her best to make them special. Stockings were great at Christmas, Easter morning was finding candy all over the house, Thanksgiving was great food and lots of it, we made valentines, we didn't do Halloween that I remember; but it must have been okay because I don't remember caring about it.

8. My favorite holiday was her birthday because my dad would give us all $2 and would take us to the kitchen utensil section of Walmart and we would get her kitchen stuff. We went home and wrapped them and she loved opening them every year.

9. She is a school teacher and she loves it. I get my love for education from her also.

10. She knows she's blessed and often speaks of it.

I love her.

Happy Mother's Day
Todd is 27 months old and talking...a lot. I am not sure what to say to him when he says the same thing over and over. I try to acknowledge that I hear him; but, he often keeps repeating himself. Maybe he enjoys hearing himself say stuff. I don't know.

I tried introducing potty training back in February and he got strep throat 3 days into the process. I am now venturing back into the potty territory and he is terrified. He screams at the sight of a pull - up because he knows that means I am going to put him on the toilet. When I sit him on the toilet, I sit on the stool next to him and he puts his arms around me and cries and squeezes me. I am being very casual about it and only do it a few times a day so as to not stress him out. I fear if I don't do anything he will never get potty trained!!! But he just shakes on the toilet like someone is about to kill him. Why is this potty training stuff not cut and dry?

My favorite day is Saturday because I get to do all Todd's favorite things with him. Some are: walking by the lake, feeding ducks and throwing rocks into the water as well as playing in the dirty water while getting soaked and filthy, baths, McDonald's, (it has to be McDonald's fries - all other places don't have the "right fries"), going to the pet store to see all the animals, driving by farms in the area to see all the farm animals, watching train tracks in hopes of a train, watching Flipper and Animal Planet, playing at the park and eating ice cream, riding the carousel at the mall, playing on the moonwalks, and walking outside in general. Often, I get a little sorry for him because we have so many kids in our home Monday through Friday. By Friday sometimes Todd has had it and I feel the same way only I can't show it like he does.

Sometimes I am not sure he classifies himself as a human because he loves doing everything like an animal would do it - such as eating his food off the floor which he prefers greatly to eating it off the plate. He makes animal sounds all day long and goes around being animals all day and lately he keeps trying to climb the fence and saying he is running away because that's what our dog did. This animal stuff has gone too far because if he actually gets over the fence without me knowing; I know he's headed straight for the train tracks - maybe a leash is in his future - the dog was on a leash - just a thought!

Give God a good day

I have been going about my life all wrong. Today an application of a sermon made me realize that I am here to give God a good day. Not for Him to give me a good day. I am always praying how He would fashion my day; but, I should be praying how should I fashion His day so He gets glory. I have always heard the statement What would Jesus do? He's done enough and now it's my turn!!! I liken it to how I like to make company in my home have a good time and I do everything I can to make sure everything's perfect. I want to change my day consist of - is this making Jesus comfortable, is He having a good day because of my thoughts and actions? I am going to try and go to bed each night and ask God if His day was good and if it wasn't; I want to search and find out what I could have done better to make Him get the good day He expects from His servant - ME!

What about church?

I was asked a few weeks ago, "Why do you go to church?" I have gone to church 3 times a week for my entire life barring illnesses and such; yet, I didn't quite know the best way to answer this young lady, for you see, she was unsaved. Why my answer should be different for her than it would for a believer, I don't know; but I didn't want to give her an answer she wouldn't understand because of her lack of spiritual connection with God. I gave her an answer that went something like this: "I go to church because I am trying to keep fellowship with God and when I don't go to church often it is easy to misstep in my life and eventually I start making my own rules for life and forget I am living for God. Church is a weekly reminder that I don't have to do it on my own and puts great biblical resources and counselors in my path." I don't know if that was good enough or not; but I know it made me want to go to church with a greater expectation to get things from God because this young lady goes to church on occasion and I have a desire for her to see God in me. I have begun to thirst more for the Word of God to change me into what He wants so He can work His plan without me getting in the way.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Daycare thoughts

I began running a daycare in 2004 because we bought a house just for this purpose. I had all sorts of wonderful plans for me and my husband. I figured if I had a home and brought in money while I stayed home I would have the perfect setup for a family. I am a child of God and know that He always works His plan. Somehow, I thought I could make Him see things my way. God's hand in my life has played out obviously different than I would have done it; but, the important thing is that I understand this whole letting go and letting God now more than ever.
I don't think I ever wanted bad things in my life which always makes this philosophy of letting go harder. I figured I was wanting what God wanted. He has shown me so different. For me, the future holds great things unknown to me because I am done planning. I just want God to surprise me!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

I want to say that my life, though trial ridden, has been blesssed. If I ever write a book it will be called, "Life is Trials." I am not trying to be a downer. I am happy and content with life. I just think I somehow supposed everything would always be grand. I have not only learned it is not all grand; but, that it is okay to be less than grand. My slogan in life is be kind to everyone because everyone's having a tough time. I don't always have to know what the tough thing is for everybody; but, if I realize everyone is having a tough time and treat them with kindness no matter what - my world is a better place.