All Creatures Great & Small

Since I was little, I have always loved the poem All Things Bright and Beautiful, by Cecil F. Alexander.

I learned this poem when I was introduced to my favorite books written by James Herriot about a country vet in England a long time ago.

The main verse in the poem goes:

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

In waking this morning, I read the incredible blog post from a pastor of one of the Colorado shooting victims. The lady's name is Petra, and she was shot several times in the arm and once in the face. The shot to the face went through her nose, and up the back of her skull. Everyone had feared extreme brain damage, but doctors were astounded to find an undetected "defect" in her brain that she had since birth. A channel of fluid existed exactly where the bullet passed, and because of this, her damage was very minimal. She is talking, and an attempt to walk is being made as you read this post.

It struck me that we choose to call things like this a "defect". In the post the pastor goes on to say it is "previent grace"...something specially planned by God before we ever really even exist. God created Petra with that channel of fluid in her brain years before that shooting ever happened.

Have you ever felt like you were given a specific gift, or meant for a certain time?

How great it would be to have that feeling. As a Christian, I know I was made for a reason. So far, I know it was to be Noel and Hope's mommy. :)

Being a Science nerd that I am, I actually thought of this last week.
I stepped outside of my house and directly where I was about to put my foot, there was a seed.

Seeds are pretty amazing {ok, well maybe just to me}, and after taking many Biology and Botany classes, I have learned the ins and outs of them. Pollination is just as amazing, but Ill spare you my geek-rambling.
Back to seeds....
Layers on the inside...different parts meant to nourish, grow and protect.

That tattered "wing" looking part on the top of this particular seed is actually created to help this seed travel by wind- ready to land wherever the wind drops it.

This seed has been through a lot, it looks like. Its flying days are over.

If you've ever blown a dandelion, you have seen first hand, the wind dispersal of seeds.

God created such an amazing system to spread his creation, whether it be by wind, water, fire, or even animals.

No matter how small....even the seeds that blow in the air...the Lord God made them all.

Pray for Petra and also for her mom who is in the late stages of breast cancer too.

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A Little Life Update

You wouldn't know it from this post...but I am trying to get away from talking so much, and showing more pictures in posts...lol....maybe starting tomorrow?? ;)

______________________________________
If you would have told me 7 months ago we'd be out of the Marine Corps AND still living in Arizona, I would have told you that you were nuts.

It was Christmas Eve and we were packing for our plane trip to California on Christmas Day. I didn't want to cook and mess up the kitchen, so we got take-out Chinese food, which is a Christmas Eve tradition in my husband's family, anyway.

My fortune cookie gave me this little note...

I'm not one to believe in these things, but I thought it was nice, so I put it on my fridge.

We came back a week later with the new feeling we needed to get out. We realized we were at the end of our road with the Corps, and we were trusting God to show us the rest of the road.

We had just been told the renters were moving out of our house in N. Carolina, and knowing the economy there, our house would be a trial to sell or re-rent.

It has been.

Even now, almost 8 months gone...it is still sitting empty.
If you've read my past posts, you know that this challenge with our short sale and leaving the Marine Corps has been a pretty stressful one. Being 18 when he enlisted, my husband had just learned to drive, never had a real job, never had to interview for anything, and had no vision for what he wanted to do in his future. He joined the Marine Corps because God told him to.

The night before he went off to boot camp, we hung out for only the second time. We left and I said "Ill write to you". Letters and hours of phone calls...4 years of "dating" long distance... and then 5 years of marriage and 2 girls later, we continue to just trust in God.

I couldn't have orchestrated it any better. Well, of course I wouldn't plan to be going through a short-sale or other financial stresses that have come and gone, but I know that its all part of our story. It was written before time.

Before Levi even finished his last month with the Marine Corps, he had been asked to interview for Intel. We would have to fork over money for a plane ticket to N Carolina, and some travel expenses for him to just go attempt an interview. It was going to be a costly "maybe" kind of thing, but we did it anyway.

Within a day he had the ticket, the new suit, and his bag packed.
He came home feeling unsure, but when the job offer came over email the following week, we knew what we were supposed to do. How awesome would it be for God to supply a great job with half of the hours he had been working as a recruiter, same money, just 20 minutes from where we already lived.
That's what He did.

Our hopes to move near family in Northern California were dashed, and we were sad. We accepted the job anyway, since we knew we couldn't gamble a living in California with no job.

After his last day of recruiting, he had 2 weeks of "decompression time" before starting his Intel job.

I knew he would have some mental breakthroughs during that time, but I didn't realize how much of a "mini- mid-life crisis" we would experience. Recruiting is more than a job....heck, being a Marine is more than just a job. Deployment and the stress of recruiting had gotten to him more than we had had time to realize.

 Many times he'd just sit and have "light-bulb moments"... things like making plans for his future were new to him. Before the Corps would tell him what he was going to do and when.

He left for work on his first day at Intel...I said a prayer and hoped it would be a good one. I kind of felt like a mommy letting her kid go off to kindergarten, hoping the other kids would be nice and not do anything detrimental to him.

I was relieved and ecstatic to see his smile and hear his positive words about his first day. I knew it was going to be a good change for him and for us. He says people want to talk to him, and eat lunch with him.

Daily, he has something new to tell me about Intel.
He starts with "Did you know...." and I just have to let him tell me, even though its obvious I don't speak "tech-geek" language at all.
He's excited to be talking to engineers about tech-stuff, and having a video game break room with all you use PlayStation's, x-boxes, and endless Starbucks coffee and fruit.

He's now in his second week and on his way to finishing some training.

In the Marine Corps, they take classes about weapons safety, and tactics
At Intel, Levi has to attend classes about how not to get "keyboard wrist" or "gaming-related injuries"

LOL!

You should've heard the shock and seen his face when he got the text from a new co-worker asking to hang out. He looked like a deer in the headlights..not knowing how to respond.

Its fun to see Levi gaining new confidences in an area of his life, and making friends. I can't count the number of times he's said "I can't believe people actually want to hang out with me"

We've got a lot of hope and our future riding on God's plans, and I am just so thankful we don't have to figure all of this crazy life out.

We couldn't be more blessed, with happy-healthy daughters, and a job.

Please continue to pray for us, our short-sale, my small-business/hobby and our beauties.
If you have a prayer-request, please let me know too!
Happy Tuesday!

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A God of Absolutes

I am an imperfect mom with faults and trials just like the next person.
I am not one to tell people how to parent, how to live, how to eat or whatever.
Its nice to know we don't have to have all of the perfect answers, or be that strong person all of the time.

Its hard between the kids, the husband, the bills, the house, the hobbies to keep my life consistently going at a smooth pace. Bumps in the road and trials are bound to appear. In talking to a friend recently, I said we all have our Ritz Carlton and Roach Motel kind of days.

 {guess you had to be there ;)}

You may find yourself in a valley or in a mountain, but the reassuring thing is our absolute God comes with us.

                                                                            source


Absolute words like
all
everybody
 each
always
no one
nobody
 never
 none
every
everyone
are like the plague to some...contract lawyers love them. I love absolutes too.

Would you jump from a plane if you knew absolutely your parachute would work?
Would you buy that house if you knew absolutely the market could only improve?

Anytime someone uses one of those words in a statement {if they are telling the truth}, whatever they say is firm, undeniable..no wiggle room.

Everyone has a bellybutton? Yep.

Well, I am thankful God is a God of absolutes.

God says He will never leave us or forsake us. (Deut. 31:6)
How comforting is this promise and all of the others He has given to us in the Bible.

Do you feel like you need something absolute today?

He tells us to trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5)

I know its hard to submit to other people in our lives, but if there is anyone to submit to, its reassuring to know its the One who created us, loves us, never leaves us or fails us.

I'd say think of a mountain you can lean on anytime, but God can move the mountains.....

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A Random-filled Tuesday

Oh how I wish I had something super wise and funny to share with you today...unfortunately, all I have is this short few minutes I could steal away...having 2 mobile kids has changed my life!! I am lucky if I get to blow my nose with both hands for a quick second...

Our lives are in a big transition, as you may know....

You see, this is a monumental week for us. For the first time in 9 years, I know my husband as a civilian.
How weird is this?? {I think to myself}
Its only been a week and a half since his haircut, and already he's feeling his head saying "I can't believe how much hair I have!" LOL...It is a little long, but Im letting him decide when he wants to get his next haircut. Secretly, I am hoping he doesn't go more than 2 weeks since I love his hair short.

Already, he's answered his phone a time or two with  "Sgt. Stu-----.....umm.,..this is Levi"....its going to be an adjustment for all of us.

He's finding freedom in the little things, like deciding if he wants to shave in the morning or put on a belt. These were things that have become so routine.

How many prospects does he have for next month?? This infamous question no longer applies...and it makes both of us a little relieved.

This past week I have been a little under the weather...remember me mentioning that gray cloud of doom over my head? Well, it rears its ugly head in my life daily when I get ugly letters from the bank in the mail reminding me that this and that are missing, and our short sale process is in litigation. All of these mailers are routine, and we are doing everything we can, but getting this useless & negative mail everyday (almost) is not helping. You'd think banks would be interested in saving money, but the cost of a stamp is nothing to them, I guess.

It's even sort of put a damper on my craftiness...haven't made anything these last few days, which is abnormal for me.

I am remembering that God has this situation in His hand, just like he does everything else.
He thinks about my life's situation and me more than I know...the Bible says in Psalms

¹⁷ How amazing are your thoughts concerning me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

If you've ever visited the beach with your kids, and had the pleasure of cleaning up sand off of your floor, you know sand is minuscule and scatters everywhere. God thinks of us more than each of those pesky granules.


Well, I know its Tuesday, so keep on doing what your doing. Think of ways to serve someone in your life somehow...it will make you feel good.

I have a basket of groceries Ive been wanting to donate..thinking of putting it in my car to give to someone I find in need...but then again, groceries in a hot car probably wouldn't be good.

As I sit in my air conditioned house when its 100+ degrees outside, and get the joy of playing with my healthy children, I can't help but be thankful.
Have a great 6-19-12!

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I'm Not Right

Yikes! I blinked and I am about to turn 29! This year has been monumental.... I had my second daughter, and learned a lot about being a mom and more. My most recent lesson has been humility.

 I sometimes feel so much older than my age, which isnt' really a good thing. In reality, I am excited about my 30's approaching.

Today's post is short and sweet, since I just want to share something on my mind for the past month.
I have been working on biting my tongue and using my ears and heart before my mouth.

I call it a "Thumper Attitude" : If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Granted, this attitude is sometimes hard to keep in tact when trying to motivate my husband to do housework;)

I also added my own half to the quote: As I get older, I get more experienced and maybe more wise, but my wisdom gained from experiences doesn't  make me RIGHT.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who think they know everything about everything.
 It occurred to me recently that the reason they annoy me so much, is because I am one of them.

I've started to realize that just because I have experienced military life, breastfed babies, potty-trained my toddler, taught middle school for a couple of years, created {fill in the blank}, doesn't make my methods the best, the easiest, or the RIGHT way.

I may have baked something one way....you can make it you're way and it will still taste good.
I sleep-trained my babies one way...you can do your own way, and they will be just fine.

Instead of giving my "2 cents" in other peoples lives, I'm try to invest much more...lending an ear, a prayer, and an encouraging word to someone before lending my "2 cents".

Think about how you contribute to your friend's lives...hopefully, you're not big-headed like I used to be all of the time.

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Keep In Step

Have you ever gone on mommy playdates or shopping with friends only to realize they have another pace than you? Its so hard, especially when you have kids, to manage the kids, chatting, and walking together all at the same time. It always seems to me, when I try, that I end up ahead or behind the gang...usually is my 2 year old's fault ;)

When I am kid-free, I have to tell myself to walk instep with the group, because I have a tendency to walk fast.

Well,  it got me to thinking this week when I was in church as we read Galatians 5:22-26.

Those who have grown up going to church, probably, have learned the fruit of the spirit backwards and forwards by the time we can write our name.
But it hit me differently this week for the first time...the fruit of the spirit are not like a bunch of different fruits...but one fruit.
If you have the spirit, it's not like you have some, and not others, but all of them. Some just need more maturing.
Walking with the spirit is how we mature that fruit and grow.
AND:

Walking with the spirit is just as important as keeping in step with the spirit.

Its when we walk with the spirit that we can be led the way He wants us to go, and keeping in step with Him tells us when to slow down, speed up, take a left or a right....sometimes even a u-turn. Taking the u-turns can be the hardest part....or even stopping can just be killer for me.

As a mom, I am on the "go-go-go" all of the time. As a Christian, unfortunately, I think I determine my own speed, and hope God catches up with me. Other times, I feel I don't keep up...and sometimes the fruit I am nurturing sometimes gets left by the way-side.
Patience is an area of weakness for me.

Anyone else happen to read this and feel this way?

Thankfully, the spirit is in us wherever we go, helping us to grow closer to Jesus and knowing the right path for our lives. If you read the more recent post about the upcoming changes for our family, you'd know that I am just about as nervous about our path as it gets.

Another verse I trust in every day is:

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.


Thanks for reading my blog ;)..feel free to comment

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