Walk in the Woods

http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/selah-clanton-zephyrhills-fl/
Today's answer is A & B


I'm going to keep reminding everyone to give to Sonya~  http://www.gofundme.com/78kap0   to give on her site or through the church at
Grace Church
7060 Berry Road
Zephyrhills Fl 33540

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Whew!  This morning I went with Jon to the woods.  He  wanted to show me where the River is risen and is flowing under the raised train tracks....just a "little "walk....ONE hour later.....we got to the river and it was beautiful.  So sorry I didn't  take my camera, so very sorry because I will have to go back to take pictures.  What a walk....then an hour out....sweat pouring down my face.   My aunt always told me NOT to walk through or near palmetto palms as rattle snakes like to be up in them....guess what we walked through?  Acres of palmetto palms!   I had worn jogging shorts so my legs were getting whipped.  He wears jeans and a long sleeved shirt (I do not see how he stands it) 

Anyhow for a old man, 50 years old, he can hustle through the woods.  I'm already hurting LOL.  It was like walking on beach sand most of the time and you know how wearing that is.  But we got some good exercise!

Then I had to go to the store and since I was in town, I had a pedicure, I'm almost certain the ladies were talking about my dirty feet!  LOL  But I got nice red toe nails now:)  I almost fell asleep during the pedicure I was so tired.

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Have a good weekend!

Red Headed Woodpecker

http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/selah-clanton-zephyrhills-fl/
Today's answer is TRUE

Do you think we could hit 10,000 by Sunday????????

Please vote and share....THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!

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Let's keep giving to Sonya!   http://www.gofundme.com/78kap0   to give on her site or through the church at
Grace Church
7060 Berry Road
Zephyrhills Fl 33540

We have had $235 come in thus far......  our goal is at least $600 this month!  I know we can do it, every penny counts.  If you give on line, would you just drop me a line?  I'd love to tally up how much we give to them.  I want to see them fully funded!

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Well another field trip day for me:)  My roommate from my college days has bought a house down here ...WOOHOO!  So today they came over and we went out to eat (of course) and then to the Hillsborough River State Park which is one of the prettiest places on earth.  I was so happy that they got to see a REAL FLORIDA Gator sunning himself on a rock, we saw a ton of lizards, squirrels, a turtle and a Red Headed Woodpecker.  We were walking on the boardwalk and he was working on a fallen tree limb below us.  It was something to watch him knock the bark off the tree and get the bugs inside.  I've never seen anything like that before.  He was so loud, it sounded like someone was trying to knock a tree down with a hammer. 

Oh joy....my pictures aren't wanting to load so I can see them, I will trust they will load after I save this blog, for some reason that works LOL

Well hope you all have a great weekend! 

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Our nurse asked me to go cut some aloe off my plant.  She put in on Selah's lips/face area where she had bumps and they are GONE!  In the space of a few hours!!!!    so Aloe is a wonder drug!  I'm going to plant some more!

Voting Promblems

http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/selah-clanton-zephyrhills-fl/

the answer today is TRUE

If you are having problems or have had problems voting can you please email
Cheryl@evoked.com  OR you can call her at 407-302-4416    I called the van company this morning and almost felt like they thought I was lying about people having issues voting.  They then directed me to this company that is running the contest.  I think they need to hear of all the problems you all have had in this voting process.  Thank you for taking the extra time to contact them on our behalf!

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Let's keep giving to Sonya!   http://www.gofundme.com/78kap0   to give on her site or through the church at
Grace Church
7060 Berry Road
Zephyrhills Fl 33540
If you haven't taken the time to read their story, please do.  I just love this sweet family!

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This week has been a play week for me!  We've got to spend lots of time with various friends which has been great.  Of course I'm feeling overwhelmed today, with lots of things coming up, paperwork to do, laundry, it's a never ending cycle!  How did I forget to take pictures yesterday??????   We spent the day with my college roommate and her daughter. The family is moving down, and we met up at their new home.  Then we all went out to eat with some friends.  I could slap myself for forgetting pictures LOL!

Selah has been ok, but has had some awful cold sores. She gets those every now and then.  Although she is back on her med to regulate her heart rate, she has times that her heart rate goes up more than we'd like.  But everything else is fine with her. 

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Don't know if I posted but my thyroid biopsy was cancelled due to their machines having issues.....  I really took that as a sign and rescheduled myself at a hospital.  So the biopsy is scheduled for next Friday and I'm just a bit freaked out now.....

Just got a lot of stuff going on in my life.  Lot of deadlines for various things, trying to make decisions for some future things....feeling overwhelmed and "in over my head"   Next fall will be a big change for us with Steve in college, trying to figure out some logistics.... Nothing working out like I'd like it to work out. 

So Life goes on......

Even If The Healing Doesn't Come

          http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/selah-clanton-zephyrhills-fl/                        the answer is :   Channel or track wheelchair ramps 

I'm going to contact their headquarters because so many of you are telling me of the problems you have in voting.  Thank you for taking the time to vote, it has gotten tedious to me!  And I'm the one trying  to win a van!  Thanks to all of you!!!  We are over 7000 votes!  That could only happen through all of your help!

Don't forget about Sonya!!!!!!!!http://www.gofundme.com/78kap0   to give on her site or through the church at
Grace Church
7060 Berry Road
Zephyrhills Fl 33540

Watching the news tonight AND I recognized the square in Donetsk Ukraine where there is rioting by pro-Russian troops. We were there on one of the happiest days of my life, the day before we got the girls out of the orphanage, we were doing the PAPER chase for them. We went to the square to eat after we miraculously got every piece of paper but one before lunchtime.  We were so happy on that day, knowing they were legally ours, we'd gotten the precious ONE day Ukraine passport (usually takes 10 days) things had gone so good....now to see it with tires, barb wire and pro Russian flags...so sad. I also think they videoed inside the office of vital status where we went to get Sarah's birth certificate changed..... it's unreal to see History happening in a place you have been...... PRAY for Ukraine!!!!!!  My heart is heavy for the country and for our friends there and all the orphans. 

Everyone here is doing fine.  Selah had an outbreak of cold sores, our nurses have really been working on keeping her lips hydrated.  When our nurse woke her up this morning, she stretched and put her arm OVER her head.  She seems to only do movement like this when she is half awake. 

I've felt so discouraged the last few days.  Since the accident, I've kept myself away from other's blogs or groups, because I don't want to be discouraged and I don't want to hear anyone else's story, mine is bad enough and I live it every day.   But one of my friends posted about a child who is dying 8 years after his near drowning.  I went and read it....shouldn't have done it although my heart goes out to his family and to him.  I skimmed through trying to find answers on how to avoid problems, and thankfully we don't have so many of the problems that seem to plague kids who have been in near drownings.  In that sense we are very lucky.  It's just a hard journey, I'll never stop trying to help Selah and I'll never stop missing her.  I'm thankful we have all the things in place to give her the best life possible.  24 hour nursing is probably the thing that keeps her so well.  AND the fact we have great nurses that care about Selah and want her to do good.  We're blessed that we've been stable with our nurses for close to a year now.  Those first few months were a doozy.....but once we got our team in place, things got so much better. 

On my way to pick Shad up from school and take him to piano, the song "Even if the healing doesn't come" came on.....I fought the tears. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiYAUNJPrMU

Sometimes all we have to hold on to
Is what we know is true of who You are
So when the heartache hits like a hurricane
That could never change who You are
And we trust in who You are

Even if the healing doesn't come
And life falls apart
And dreams are still undone
You are God You are good
Forever faithful One
Even if the healing
Even if the healing doesn't come


Lord we know your ways are not our ways
So we set our faith in who You are
Even though You reign high above us
You tenderly love us
We know Your heart
And we rest in who You are

You're still the Great and Mighty One
We trust You always
You're working all things for our good
We'll sing your praise

You are God and we will bless You
As the Good and Faithful One
You are God and we will bless You
Even if the healing doesn't come
Even if the healing doesn't come

So we set our faith in who You are - to me that is the greatest sentence of the song.  Our faith is STILL in who HE is.....not what He might do for us.....our faith is not rooted in a God that we somehow think is a genie, there to give us everything we want.  

 

Recently I was talking with a friend who has lost his faith in God.  One thing I said to him is that so many people lose their faith because God does not act in the way they think He should act.  I've been guilty of that in the past, but I'm doing everything to hold onto that truth now in my life. 

 

I can not tell you how my heart aches at times, it's a crushing pain.  That pain may hit me at a store, or when I first wake up, it's random.  She is still with us, but she's not......Oh my God, how do you deal with that?  I would LOVE to stay in bed all day but I have four other kids, depending on me.  Somehow life just keeps going on.....I would love to run away.....actually the running away sounds much better,  but I can't do that.  Somedays I just feel hopeless, lost, overwhelmed, wondering how we will go on like this.....

 

I'm not strong, the little strength I have comes from God, I can promise you that!  Oh I can pull on my "big girl panties", and "pull myself up by the bootstraps" but I can't take away the pain in my heart.   There are days, when I know I look ok, but inside, my heart is so heavy.  This was one of those days!  I can function, take my kids to their stuff, go to lunch with a friend, go shopping, but there's an ache.  Sometimes I almost feel disbelief that we haven't been delivered from this - God worked so many miracles for us to get the girls and then that lady who came up to me in the mall.... the dreams I've had....  It all comes down to I must trust Jesus, regardless of what lies ahead.  He is good and faithful and of that I have no doubt. 

 

One thing I can tell you with all honesty, is I trust God, my faith lies in Him.  There is no one else to turn to, no where else to go.  He does give peace, even when the hurricanes of life come.  I thank Him for that.  Unless you've experienced knowing that God is in control, in a horrible situation, I don't know if I can explain what a rock solid feeling that is, in spite of the chaos around.  He's been with me in the first few minutes and He is still with me.  That is one thing I do not doubt.  Oh, my heart still aches but He is with me. 

 

I feel like I have so many "dreams that are left undone"......

 

So please continue to pray for Selah, I'll never stop asking for prayer for her and I'll never stop praying.  Not that I'm trying to "win my way with God" but I pour out my heart to God.  I don't understand everything about prayer, but I'm going to pray ......and I'm going to trust in WHO God is....

 

 

Gardens & Chickens

http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/selah-clanton-zephyrhills-fl/
the answer today is: the top one!

 Don't forget about Sonya!!!!!!!!http://www.gofundme.com/78kap0   to give on her site or through the church at
Grace Church
7060 Berry Road
Zephyrhills Fl 33540

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Today we had fun helping some friends put in some square foot gardens.   I LOVE gardening and Square Foot Gardens are so easy to make and maintain.  It's just pure joy to me.  Sometimes I think I've quite lost my mind, but I'm so happy doing my garden and helping others do their garden.  We found the perfect spot on their property and got them put together

 

 

We had some friends to help out.  The Guinea hens were really the funniest chickens/fowl that I have ever seen.  I should have taken their picture.  They seemed to discuss us like a bunch of old church ladies would talk about someone LOL

Steve and I hopped in the pool for a bit afterwards and that cooled us down!  I'm a Floridian & I don't like water colder than about 98 degrees LOL!  It was quite a bit cooler than that!   Shad rode horses for a little while.  The boy is really loving horses.  What will I do??

We are supposed to be getting some rain tonight and tomorrow, yeah for rain on the gardens.  Nothing like getting some plants in and then having the rains come to just make them grow like crazy!   I just heard a little rain and now my computer is messing up so I know it must be cloudy!

Hope you all are having a great day!  Thanks for all the prayers!

LOVE

http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/selah-clanton-zephyrhills-fl/
the answer today is: the bottom one- something like finding the cheapest van on line....


YEAH we have $235 that has come in so far for Sonya!!!!!  (So that was $125 today!)   You can be apart of helping this little girl by going to http://www.gofundme.com/78kap0   to give on her site or through the church at
Grace Church
7060 Berry Road
Zephyrhills Fl 33540

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Today a teen in our church asked me how did I KNOW Jon was the right man for me, especially after we only dated for one month when we eloped....  Well we told the story again and it just warmed my heart.....so I'm going to share it here.

In the fall of 1986 Jon and I were in a class Urban Context for Ministry, together.  I was the ONLY girl (Bible college is GREAT!) and he was the only guy I didn't know.  He didn't live on campus so I assumed he was married.  There was only about 25 people in the class.  The summer of 1986, I did an internship in NYC at Metro Assembly of God, an inner city church.  Also at college, I was leading a large ministry group that worked on the notorious OBT  (Orange Blossom Trail)  in Orlando.  We worked out of a soup kitchen, reaching out to the homeless & the prostitutes that worked the street and the strip clubs.  It was exciting times for sure, more than once I was threatened by pimps, as we rescued prostitutes from their pimps.  One time I brought one back with me, bless her heart, she only had one leg.  My roommate almost freaked out!  I helped the lady get into Teen Challenge.  Anyhow Jon knew who I was and was interested in me but I didn't give him the time of day since I assumed he was married (he lived off campus with his parents) 

After that semester, Jon took time off from college to work full time in ministry with Teen Challenge of Florida.  He spoke, traveled, took the choir out to churches on the weekend to raise money and worked with the program during the week. 

About three years later in the fall of 1989, I had graduated from college but was picking up some classes in education so I'd have two majors.  I had just broke up with my long term boyfriend.  Then I happened to see a flyer on the job wall looking for an assistant director of a homeless shelter, Talbot House.  I was THRILLED!  I loved working with the homeless but had never dreamed I'd get paid for it! 

So I called the number listed.  The first number an older lady answered, I told her what I was calling about and she told me that a young girl (I was ALMOST 24 years old) had no business at a homeless shelter.  I assumed she was the director's wife.  THEN she said I'd be PERFECT  for her son who LIVED at home.....  In a nice way, I told her I was only interested in a job, certainly not a guy who was 25 and living at home!!!!!!!   LOL

Then I called the OTHER number which was the homeless shelter and spoke to the director who was HER son NOT her husband.  I had so much confidence, I told him I WAS the ONE for the job!  He crossly told me I could come in the next day for an interview.  (he said he didn't remember my name and thought I was WAY too self assured)

So the next day, I went in for an interview (Sept 13, 1989)  I still remember what I was wearing, loved the outfit I had on.  We had a THREE hour long interview.  Then he carried my briefcase (yes I always used one) to my old 72 Brown Comet.  As I was leaving, I said that we ought to get together for coffee sometime.  He put his foot on the fender and asked me what I was doing that weekend.  (Had I known his recommendation for the job  was for someone else, I would have probably told him to "kiss my grits")

Well he submitted my resume and a mutual friends résumé  to the board,  the friend turned it down since he was also the pastor of a church and then the board met with me and hired me!

So Jon became my boss, we were inseparable.   I think I knew I was hired BEFORE our first date that weekend. 

So we went out to Olive Garden with his brother and sister in law to be.  Jon nor my SIL to be talked much but me and my soon to be BIL had a great date LOL.  They left and then we went to Lake Morton, the scene of many romantic evenings for anyone who lives in the Lakeland area:)    We talked for hours. 

My birthday came up that next week, he took me out again and took me by to meet his parents informally.  I WANTED to meet them since I'd come out of a relationship with a guy who had a CRAZY family life and I wanted to make sure I was not getting into something like that again LOL!  I found his parents to be warm and wonderful-they passed:)   I had REALLY wondered WHY Jon was living at home.  I'd be on my own since I was 17 years old and him living at home made me uncomfortable.  But I found out his mom had recently asked him to move home to help as his dad had opened heart surgery (remember that was 25 years ago and quite a bit deal) also one of his brothers had gone through a really hard time and his mom hoped that Jon would be able to help in that area too.  So then I was fine with him living at home. 

I KNEW  I had found the most amazing man, when one night on "rounds" at the homeless shelter with me, he saw a homeless man had kicked off his blanket, without missing a stride, he bent down, picked up the blanket and covered the man up.....I was IN LOVE!!!!!   Seriously, that act showed his heart and I had never seen a more beautiful heart. 

So we saw each other daily and within a week or two were talking marriage.  It was certainly a whirl wind courtship!  One night he was leaving to go to a speaking engagement and I was at the shelter.  He said he was seeing one of his closest friends and he was going to ask the guy to officiate at our wedding.  Just kidding around I said that he hadn't asked me officially yet....so he did ....AT the homeless shelter with one of the men calling for "Bro Jon" in the background LOL.  How fitting for our life......

Another  night I was up at the shelter and he went out with a friend.  The friend counseled Jon not to marry me since I had only been broken up with a long term boyfriend for about 4 months.  The next day we had a BIG discussion about things and I told him that when I was done with the other guy, I was done....   then somehow we got to discussing WHEN we were going to get married and I said something like December, April or today, I know I want to marry you.  So he said LET"S DO IT TODAY...I really thought he was joking.  REALLY! 

I went back to my dorm and changed clothes and he called the court house to see if we could really do it!  And we could:)  So we went down to the courthouse and got married.  At first we were going to get the license so our friend could do the wedding but then we decided to just do it there.  A lady justice of the peace, Molly married us!

We met on September  13, got married on October 12....same year......Crazy huh????

So as we were leaving the courthouse, I thought "what the hell have I just done??"  But really got over that feeling pretty quickly. 

Now it is so sweet to look back on our unusual dating/marriage. At the time, some  people didn't know what to think.  A few thought I was pregnant....NOT,   a few thought we were crazy but most everyone around us thought it was wonderful.  In the ministry/collage community we were both a part of, we had MANY mutual friends and over and over again, we were told by friends "WOW- you two are perfect for each other, WHY didn't you meet sooner????"

Jon's family was a little shocked but had met me a few times and thankfully taken a liking to me.  Jon called his mom and told her and she was cool ( years later my brother in love, told me she freaked out just a bit)  my father in law was quoted saying "what the HELL has Jon done?"  But by the time we got home from our short honeymoon, we were greeted with love and acceptance.  I had a great relationship with my in laws, my mother in law passed away just six months later in a car accident, that was heart breaking to me.  My father in law is elderly & deals with Alzheimer's, but remembers me. 

Since I only had my grandmother and great aunt, we didn't tell them on the phone but went up a few weeks later to see them.  My grandmother, who NEVER minced words said "Lord have mercy"  HAHAHA!  But they loved Jon, probably more than they loved me in a short amount of time. 

This October will be 25 years since this crazy love story started.....I'm blessed, Jon was the man I thought him to be and so much more. 

Do I have any regrets....NOT ONE!

Would I counsel anyone else to do what we did?  NO!

I'm not into any type of fixed style of dating/marriage.  The bible tells Christians only one thing "Not to be unequally yoked with an unbeliever"  I'm not into any of the new style of "courting" or any of that type of stuff.  I think the bible, gives freedom to date/court/get to know someone as long as you are both believers.  Of course I have some ideas of WHY our marriage has stood the test of time and that is because we were so very equally yoked.....we had the same heart, same desires for our future as far as ministry went.  We were both seasoned in ministry.   We both had dated before and knew what we wanted and what we didn't want in a mate.   Jon and I have seldom had a disagreement about basic things, we have the same values and goals in life. 

Now we certainly did not know we had so many of the same ideas but we were pretty much at the same place spiritually & emotionally that it just worked for us.  We didn't have big discussions about anything in the future BUT ministry.  We really didn't talk about kids for years.  So no we did not see ourselves the parents of FIVE kids!  LOL

As time has passed, we have become so much more interwoven with each other.  It is amazing to me, how we've become one.  We never set out to adopt kids, but God opened doors and we both heard from God and went through those doors.   Now we know what the other one is thinking about things, and we have learned to trust each other.  It was the hardest for me to learn to trust as I'd had such a crappy life growing up.   But I learned to trust his decisions and judgment and he has learned to trust mine too.  We make a pretty good pair.  He is generally the nice guy and I'm not :)   He is tactful and I'm not:)  He keeps me from getting killed probably! 

During the lowest point of the valley years ago, I thought about leaving Jon.  I was so angry at God and didn't want anything to do with God or the ministry, but I couldn't....and he couldn't....and we worked on things.....thank God. 

So we met and married in one month. Crazy true story..... 

If you are reading this and you are single, the one thing I'd advise you is to get close to God, set your eyes on Him and then continue to walk the path He wants for you.  We were both walking the path God had for us when we bumped into each other....

A funny coincidence....
On December 7, 1983, I was writing in my journal.  I prayed that God would save my husband to be if he was not yet a Christian.  THAT SAME DAY.....Jon "happened" to go to a church and gave his life to God.  We found my journal in an old box at my aunts house some years AFTER we were married.....  Kinda neat huh?

Weekends Rock!

http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/selah-clanton-zephyrhills-fl/
answer is:  mobility manufacturer


Don't forget Sonya!  I had another check come in to day from North Carolina so we are up to $120 in checks thus far.  http://www.gofundme.com/78kap0  give on her site or through the church at
Grace Church
7060 Berry Road
Zephyrhills Fl 33540


Yesterday we spent the day at a friend's house.  fun times, my son Shad now loves horses.  Me? I'm not a big horse fan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the evening, Shad was riding on his own and even doing some cantering.  He is a fearless child!

 

 

 

 

 

Today the guys worked on the yard.  Steve weeded the garden and around it without being asked....will wonders never cease?  Shad worked on the yard some, not quite as good attitude.   But they both got rewarded by getting to go to the new Captain American movie tonight.

 

 

My garden today....it is beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

Collards

 

 

Cooked collards:)  Fresh from my garden

 

 

 

I love the garden:)  I have a friend who is thinking about putting in a garden with us to help, and I'm so excited to do it!    It's really my only skill like that and I just love doing it.  It makes me happy!!!

 

 

Lots of prayer requests......

 

Please continue to pray for:

 

Ukraine

 

Sonya from Ukraine

 

my friend's grandbaby, Sabrina

 

Also please pray for Katie our friend who tried to commit suicide.  She is still in very very critical condition.  Her family is strong and there for her.  Please pray for all of them. 

 

And as always please pray for Selah.

 

And a new prayer request.........

 

the cop who was the one who took me from the accident scene to Strong's hospital ER- Denny fell this winter and is still not able to be back to work.  Being a cop is his dream, it's what he wants to do with his life.  Can you please pray that this kind man, be healed so he can go back to work! 

 

Thank you all for your prayers and kindness.