Sundays

Sundays are great but they can be exhausting for a pastor & his family.  We had another great Sunday with a special singer, Gloria Elliott.  But now I'm in my fleeced PJ's checking my emails, fb and doing a quick update on my blog.  By the end of Sunday, there is always a sign of relief that it is over to be honest....I don't think there is any pastor who would not agree with me (unless they were trying to prove how "spiritual" they were....I'm not ....LOL) 

One of the nicest things was we welcomed two new members into our church!  Joe & Caroline joined this morning:)   Eight new members in 2 weeks!  Love it!!!!!  And love them, two of the sweetest people:)

Tomorrow Jon & Shad have off...yeah!  I have a doctor's appointment in the morning but the rest of the day is free!

Last night I found the report from my last thyroid ultrasound almost 4 years ago and it made me feel much better.  Back then the cyst in question was 1cm....now it is only 1.2 cm....  meaning it grew just 2mm in 4 years....WHEW!  After reading that last report it encouraged me.  I somewhat feel like the medical group I am going to tends to send patients to specialists for everything as the group has their own specialists, therefore it makes them more money to refer someone.  Not that this shouldn't be checked out but the language on the report is so different (in an alarmist way) than the other reports I have going back 7 years.  Anyhow....I'm calming down a bit!

Well it is cold here in Florida!  Sometimes it is cold in the norming, and you dress accordingly THEN by lunch time you are dying of heat exhaustion!   Not so today!  I wore a sweater dress all day and was quite comfortable:) 

We are going to sit and watch a movie tonight and eat popcorm:)  Hope you have a good night and a nice day off tomorrow (if you have the day off!)

Keep Trusting!

Quiet day for us here.  Jon did a funeral for a former inmate's mom and Shad went with him.  When they were leaving I was talking to Shad and reminding him to stay right with his dad and behave.  I thanked him for wanting to go to the funeral and asked him why he thought it was important to go.  He said  "so they can see how good I am"  AFTER I finished laughing....I told him the importance of going to a funeral was to show support for the person's family.  He came home and told me all about it.  Jon said that Shad solemnly shook hands with everyone:)   Who knows if Shad doesn't become a preacher:)

My friend Christy laid her husband to rest today.  My mind was on her all day and I prayed for her throughout the day.  I want to share her FB  post

Though my heart is broken, I look toward the future with hope. Hope in Savior who hears me when I cry. Hope in the Christ who forgives all my sin. Hope in life eternal. And, hope in hearing the voice of my Steve as he yells my name when I near the end of my race on earth and cross that finish line into pearly gates of Heaven and walk on the streets of gold as together, we proclaim the only name that matters.....JESUS!

What an incredible faith filled post!   That post encourages me more than anything I've read lately!  Here she is facing a day in which she is to bury her husband, the father of her 5 children and yet she can write this......  she has had to walk through fire this week but yet she is holding onto to Jesus.  She has chosen (and believe me it is a choice) not to charge God foolishly but rather to hold onto Him tightly.  We will all face something like this in our life.  We have the choice to hold to God through it or to lash out at God bitterly....  I've done both and I've learned there is nothing like the Everlasting Arms of our Savior wrapping around you at the moment you think you can't even breath any longer....

God is a good good God, life can be and will be hard at times but God is still good.  I've tested Him and found it is true.  He's a God you can trust even when your heart is breaking!  I know He is and so does Christy.....how about you?  Learn to trust God with your life.  It's not always the easiest thing but nothing in this world is like the peace of God.

Christy sung at the funeral (she and Steve have always been musical)  I saw the ending of her song, I hope someone posts the whole song.  That was amazing to me!  I'm so proud to have a friend who is clinging so close to the Lord at a time like this in her life!   She encourages me to hold onto God tighter and to not give up.....  I'm not really talking about not giving up about a miracle for Selah.  I'm talking about not giving up my faith because we haven't had a miracle.  She didn't get the miracle I'm sure they prayed for BUT she is still trusting God.  She hasn't left God, she hasn't turned her back on Him just because He didn't hear her cry and restore her husband....she is looking forward to THAT day when all will be made right...all will be restored.  That kind of faith, encourages my faith and I hope yours too!

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some pictures......

Little sisters:)  these kittens are so sweet & good.  We are enjoying having them!

 

 

 

some more love....Sam and daddy!

 

 

 

 

 

Baby it's cold outside but Shad was pushing Sarah who was loving it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

this picture was taken last night.  I bet they'll all be snuggled up together soon.  Brownie is such a sweet dog, she loves her cat friends.  there are a couple she sleeps with outside.  the little babies didn't know what to think of her at first but they are seeing she ignores them but she loves to snuggle so I bet I'll walk back there and see them sleeping together.

 

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/18/health/fish-oil-recovery/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

 

some of you may have seen the CNN article above, it mentions Selah!  she obviously did not improve as much as some of the patients who had had a traumatic brain injury to a specific part of the brain BUT she has a marked improvement from day 1 on the fish oil. ( TMIs that do not include the WHOLE brain are much easier to recover from  Selah had a whole brain injury)    she is still on it now over a year later.  Some of her doctors feel it has contributed to her good muscle/skeleton tone.  As well as neurologically helping her.  I love when I'm told OVER & OVER again that she is so much better than anyone would expect from a child who was without a heart beat for 45 minutes.  I LOVE going to a new doctor who has her record....and then they see her and are shocked at how good is doing.   I know she still has a long long way to go but compared to how most people in her situation would be....she is far far far from that!  Thank God and I'm thankful for Dr Sears and his research.   We and everyone involved in her care feel the fish oil has made a huge difference in the quality of her life in every area.

 

She got a bath today and did not appreciate it LOL  she was very awake and not happy with us but the nurse and I both took an end and got it done asap so she wouldn't be too mad.  It was a bit cool today!

 

 

Please pray for Christy and her dear family, Selah, me (I'm really trying to trust God) and a family I just read about today who has been following our story also.  Their son is very ill, he is adopted from Ukraine. 

 http://childrenpreciousinhissight.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-sweetest-face.html 

 

 

 

Southeastern University!

 

 

Today was Southeastern Day for Steve.  We took him and had some seminars, tours lunch and appointments. Above is the dorm I lived in my first year of college (30 years ago this Fall)

 

 

 

 

Surprise!  A friend Steve used to go to school with sat right in front of us and shared lunch with us.

 

 

 

SEC friends do you remember Sammy?  He used to hang out at SEC and still does!  Time is moving on tho and Sammy is now grey.  I couldn't believe it when I saw him, right in front of the snack bar just like years ago!

The Chapel where we spent a lot of time:)

 

Love this picture of Jon and Steve

 

 

 

Me and my baby (with no beard)

 

 

 

 

Bye Bye  (sniff sniff)

 

I took a picture here on the back dock years ago so we walked out there today.  It's where the old trailer park used to be but now SEU has bought all of that area and turned it into a parking lot. 

 

We had a great day hanging out with Steve, getting more info about the university and planning:)

 

 

the little ones had some friend of ours keep them and they had a good day.  Selah has had a great day too. 

 

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Some cute animal pictures from last night.

 

 

Brownie was happy on her bed

 

 

 Baby kittens were happy in their bed.  They are getting used to the dog.  It was so funny to watch them at first, they'd fluff up and Brownie just ignored them.

 

this is not staged....shad falls asleep really easily.  He was having such a good time playing with the cats that he fell asleep with his head in the cat box.  He loves his kittens! 

 

 

 

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thank you for all your kind words and messages.  I did get my doctor's appointment moved up to the end of January.  I'm fighting "terror" at times but trying to stay positive.  I don't do good with medical stuff for myself at all!!!  

 

 

 

Good news/Bad news

Well the good news first....the cyst is gone off my ovary.  It probably comes and goes with my cycle and is nothing to worry about:)

Bad news, got the radiology report and it's recommended that I have some follow up exams to exclude malignancy as one of the nodules/cysts is larger than 1cm and has irregular lobulated margins and looks solid.... I looked it up on line.  I'll be calling tomorrow to try and get in quicker as I was given a date for mid February!  I'm a little bit freaked out......

Tomorrow we go to SEU with our son for the day!  We have a baby sitter for the little ones and Shad is staying home to help out.  If you think I'm bad for letting him stay home, just let me tell you something.  Shad started this year in 4th grade work and is now in 5th grade work in all areas!  He did a year worth of school work in less than a half of school year!  Yeah Shad!   He is highly motivated and likes learning!

Selah has had an excellent day today! 

Well I'm off to get ready for tomorrow and to stop reading things on the internet!!!!!!

Peace speaker

This is the peace that having faith in God will give you......
(my friend's fb post)

Christy Jordan Meeks

My dear sweet friends, it is with great sadness I write tonight. Thank you all for your calls, texts & messages. My darling husband woke up on the streets of glory this afternoon. He with the saints proclaiming the name of Jesus. We are mourning, but not as those without hope of Heaven. We will see him again.

My heart is moved when I read her post.  Yes I am so sad for her!  But when I read this short statement I feel the faith and the hope that shines through....Can't you see that too?  That's what real faith is.  It's not always being on the mountaintop with a perfect life, it is trusting God when you hurt so bad you can hardly breath.  And that is the point when you will know God in a way you could have never imagined. 

 

I do not like walking through a valley, no one does.  But the thing I've discovered is, when you walk through a valley, you get to know your Savior in a way you could have never imagined.   And it is sweet, there is nothing to liken to, nothing to compare it to, just knowing the Creator of the Universe is with you through trials. 

 

We've all heard of tragedies, and thought to our selves "how does this person go on?"  They may still have heartache but they "go on" with an underlying peace if they know the "Peace speaker".... Christy is famous for singing that song, I don't have a video of her singing but here is the song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF8BTMZO0Jg      (I hope it loads for you-I had issues)

 

So please keep my friend and her five children lifted up in prayer.  It is a blessing when you have the prayers of God's people to support you.  I can't explain it but it makes such a difference.

 

 

 

 

 

Today I had an ultrasound of my thyroid.  I knew I had cysts and they've grown each time I've had them checked.  I started with one small one.  Now I have three and one is larger than 1cm so I imagine I'll have to have a biopsy.  I was told at 1cm they'd have to be checked.  Mine are the thicker more complex ones :(   I really do not want to deal with this!  Tomorrow I go for an another ultrasound.  I also have a cyst on my left ovary.  It's been there for awhile and has stayed stable.  They really don't suspect it will ever be a problem BUT it has to be checked out.  Next week I see GI for an endoscopy down my throat!  And I also see urology......Geez......this is getting crazy and stressing me out totally!   I'd appreciate your prayers about all of this and please pray that I can be peaceful during this time.  I get very anxious, overly anxious about medical stuff when it comes to myself.  I think of all the responsibility  I have and how much I am depended on by my family. 

 

Everyone is doing good, Selah is great, still more mucus than we'd like but she is really great other than that.  Sam & Sarah got over their little colds on their own.  I started to get sick over the weekend but I swear by HOT TEA!  It really helped me and I'm fine now. 

We are enjoying "Shad's" kittens!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eternity

Today one of my very closest friends came to visit.  We were room mates in college together.  To say we had a wonderful time together is putting it mildly:)   We encouraged each other, laughed and got caught up.  Hopefully we will soon see more of each other.....:)

So I had this incredibly wonderful day and then I got on FB and saw that another one of our college friends' Christy had just had an terrible tragedy.  Her husband Steve passed away suddenly just a few hours ago while at a job site.  Steve & Christy went to college with us and have 5 kids.  Christy has been such an encouragement to me from the beginning of the girls' adoption through the accident and through all the changes life has given us.   My heart is broken for this family, completely broken for them.  Please pray for this dear family, pray that God will give the comfort ONLY He can give.  I know God can bring peace, He did for us....

My friend's last FB post a few hours before anything happened was this  'The storms of life rage BUT there can be peace and joy in the midst of it all. Talk to Jesus today for He is the Peace Speaker. '   Who knows but that God was preparing her heart?  I don't think God caused Steve's death but the bible tells us that it is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgment.  We are like a flower, here today, gone tomorrow.....but God is eternal.

Steve knew God, we know he is with God now.  The bible says "to be absent with the body is to be present with the Lord" 

When I first heard this news, my heart literally felt like it dropped to my feet.  I began praying for my friend and her family.  Although they are all believers, death is still hard.  They don't want to be separated from their husband/father/brother/son......   but in a few minutes I began to think "Steve is with Jesus right now"  What an amazing thought that he is experiencing heaven.....

Steve didn't know when he woke up this morning, that this would be his last day on earth.  We do not know the future, all we know is "our times are in His hands".  But Steve was ready, he was prepared.

You can also have the same assurance.  I don't "preach" much on here but I have to share my heart and my heart now is thinking about eternity. 

"Life is short, eternity is long"

So I encourage you to get your heart right with God.  Ask Him to forgive your sins and then walk with Him.  One day will be my last day and one day will be your last day......we all have an eternal appointment.  Be ready for that day. 

WORMS and a SHOOTING

Sarah is a sharing person, she has shared her Giradia with me....so I have worms.  Not really worms but it sounds good LOL

I got the call from the health department this morning.  What was funny is I had called my doctor to see if the tests were back on me and was told everything was normal.  Not 5 minutes later I get the call from the health department and just cracked up.  Obviously someone didn't know how to read the results!   I guess we will all have to be checked now....  I don't have any of the symptoms just some tummy pain.  The nurse was going down the list...."have you lost your appetite?"  NO!  "have you lost weight"" NO...... BOO!!   In fact I feel better after I eat, the worms must get hungry LOL   I am dreading taking the medicine, I tend to have reactions to medicines, you 'll  never have to worry about me getting hooked on pills or drugs!  UGH!

The movie theater we often go to had a shooting today!  Just Saturday we were in that area to eat and do some shopping.  http://tbo.com/pasco-county/deputies-reports-of-two-people-shot-at-wesley-chapel-theater-20140113/ I take the reports with a grain of salt as I (of all people) know how things can be reported wrong.  It seems from what I'm hearing personally that the younger man was very aggressive with the older man but who knows, it seems like the older man could have just called the cops. I did hear he went to the front and ask for the manager to deal with the younger man.  But like I said who really knows yet?  I'm sure our sheriff will get to the bottom of the story.

It's just weird to think that a shooting happened in a theater that I go to all the time with my kids!  I don't know about you but I'm ready to buy an underground shelter and just go live in it!!!!!  That has become my fantasy!  Of course trying to get all my people to live underground for the next few decades....no one else is too excited about it LOL!  It seems only my friends with kids get it!!!

Selah is having a lot of secretions but managing them so far.  Steve got the all clear from his foot doctor to start back jogging today and I got several doctor appointments scheduled for myself for things I've put off for awhile! 

Busy day!

Please keep Selah in your prayers!  Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes I get, you all encourage me!