De- Clutter

 Beautiful day for outside play!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really need to learn how to do little girl hair:) 

 

Lots of running around today....getting ready for Steve's birthday party tomorrow:)  I ordered him a real surprise cake:)

 

I also tried to winterize my closet, I know we live in Florida but I was taught no white after Labor Day even if it is 100 degrees LOL!  When I change out clothes and shoes, I give away everything I didn't wear over the past season.  I love to go through things and clean out and give away things.   I used to watch "Clean House" and have to go through a drawer or two afterwards LOL  I really thought about starting a business and becoming a closest organizer but I did some work for some friends and had them all crying LOL  Really....they were crying.....   I am not attached to much...especially not clothes!   Although I find it very hard to give away any of Selah's pre accident clothes.   So I found out that most folks aren't like me!  And I'd get too annoyed with someone holding onto things and the crying too that would annoy me!    BUT I love my friends who let me clean out their closets LOL!!!

 

To  me DEcluttering  is a way of life (and a new word according to my spell check)  I love to get rid of clutter.  My great aunts were hoarders....not the crazy nasty ones you see on the show but they kept everything....  So I am rebellious....I try to keep as little as possible.  With 7 people in our house, that is hard!  But I try.  I do have a big pantry and lots of things that I need for the little ones, like diapers that I store away till needed.  But I don't hoard a lot of stuff that wouldn't' be useful.  In fact we got a shipment of syringes that we didn't order and the company can't take back so I gave the boxes away to a thrift store that sends things to missions hospitals.  I hope someone will find a use for them! 

 

 

When I declutter, I feel lighter and happier....try it, it's good to not hold on to a lot of stuff and it's good to bless others with things they might be able to use.  If something is really junky, I usually throw it away but most things can be recycled. 

 

 

I also went through Sarah's clothes, last winter I bought her size 3T.....they are all in a bag to either go to the consignment shop or the thrift store based on how worn they look.  No size 3 girls around here!!!!  I love that she is getting chunky:)

 

When we got Sarah she was a bag of bones.  She weighted 19 pounds at 5.5 years old.  When I first changed her in the orphanage, I started crying as I put her new dress on.  There were a lot of symbolic emotions going on but I was crying looking at her tiny little body.  Her hipbones were so pronounced and her pelvic area was so sunk in, I've never seen anything like it.  Her rib cage was so clear you could literally count every rib.  I almost took pictures, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.  I didn't want to have a picture of my baby looking so bad.  When we were on the plane, we tried to keep her covered up, she looked so weak, with no hair and scabies from head to toe....we were afraid someone would call the law on us! 

 

But she doesn't look like that anymore!  And I love every pound that I have to haul around when I carry her!  Although we do tell her that she has to start walking soon:)   You have NO idea how I love those pounds and the slightly chubby legs and the round belly....:)   She even has a little fat on her back!   Now I want her to be healthy, and not overweight but she is WAY below the curve for a girl her age still but she is on the way UP the curve:)   And I LOVE it!

 

 

 

 

This week has been full of so much work for me.  Now with Selah starting back HBOT there is a lot of rearranging of schedules and trying to figure out how everything is going to get done.   It's going to be a crazy time as we get all the evaluations scheduled for the little ones schooling and Sarah has a some appointments coming up.  Hopefully school will start soon for the little ones...but it's going to be a fast month of November with so much going on. 

 

We are going on a short vacation with a dear family right before Thanksgiving.  Those 4 days are my goals as I hit all this stuff running.  If I can just get it done, then we will be relaxing in a nice cabin out in the woods,  with life long friends.....  I can't wait!!!!!!

 

Hope you all have a great start to your weekend. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eternity

Today was a busy day....LOL  every day is a busy day around here.....

We first went to Lakeland and picked up our winnings at Sonny's.  Steve had texted and won a "Tailgate Party".  It included a grill/smoker, 2 nice camp chairs, a cooler, Sonny's sauce set  and a big tent/awning:)  We also stopped by the Family Christian bookstore so I could get a new CD of "Big Daddy Weave".  Then we rushed home so Sarah could have her Physical Therapy.  Then on to pick Shad up and go to the other side of the county to Steve's ortho appointment and my favorite "whole organic" supermarket. 

Also today we had an extremely complicated situation with Selah's insurances and meds get worked out today.....And on top of it all being worked out, we may even be refunded all the $100 copays we've made over the past 9 months!!!!! but it is so wearying to have to fight fight fight all the time......!!!!!!!!

While at the bookstore I picked up a book "Appointments with Heaven" by Dr Reggie Anderson.  I'm interested, as most folks are, about heaven but some of the "Christian " books are just plain WERID!   The only other one that didn't make me feel uncomfortable was "90 minutes in Heaven"  ( what I mean is many of the books say things that don't line up with the bible)   I saw the book was foreworded by Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman so that gave me hope it was not some flaky book.......well I could not put the book down, I read it all today despite all the crazy running around we did! 

Awwww......this book made me look towards eternity.....a reminder that one day all things will be made new and all heartaches will be gone......   I needed that reminder......I NEEED that reminder every day!  

It's a good book and it will encourage you to look at death differently.

I'll be honest I am "scared to death of death"  I trust God and I do believe in heaven, it's just the getting there and the separation that frightens me.  I'm so afraid of leaving my little ones.....   this book was like a breath of fresh air.  I encourage you to get a copy and read it.  I sped through it, I need to go back and read it slower.


I wanted to clarify something with Selah's HBOT treatments.  The clinic advised us to wait at least 6 weeks in between treatment sets to get the BEST outcome based on what they have seen before.  We did 20 days/2x a day for a total of 40 treatments.  Then we waited....and looked at things to see if we should do it again.  We think we should do it again and see if we have anymore significant changes in Selah.  Oh I pray we do!!!!!!  

The schedule is grueling, getting her up and there 2x a day.  Nothing else can be done during those 20 days.  The treatment takes up the whole day but it is worth it if it helps Selah even a little.  I still can't say that I whole heartedly endorse HBOT BUT there is enough proof that there were some changes in her so I think we should try it again.  If there is just a chance to help her some, how can we NOT do it?????


Thank you all for your prayers.  We will again be praying and attempting to do the Daniel Fast during her HBOT sessions.  I say attempting the fast LOL!  It was hard to do and be so busy.  We know God knows how seriously we want our daughter to be healed.  But we also recognize He is a God of grace!

A big Scare!

 

 

the first time since the accident that all five of my kids have been outside playing together......

 

Florida is wonderful from October-April:)  We'll be outside every day!

 

 

 

Selah sat with me on the big swing and we swung for a long time

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selah had an appointment with Orthopedics today and it went GREAT!  The doctor was pleased with her legs/ankles and feet!  In fact she only has to wear her leg braces for 12 hours a day now instead of 23 hours a day!  she had surgery in March to correct the damage done to her legs/feet and ankles after the accident.  they drew up terribly but they look great now!  She has no more drawing up and they don't expect anymore issues with it!!!    We talked about her hands/wrists and he was actually glad at the way they have drawn up.  It is easily correctable and much different than most kids like her.  Her thumb is stiff but we are going to put something like a bike handle in it at night just to help round it out.  He said she will be fine.   

 

I had to do a lot of calling today, getting some of Selah's meds straighten out.  Being the mom of special needs kids can be complicated in a way that no one would understand UNLESS they are a parent of a SN child or a caregiver for a chronically ill person....all the hoops and phone calls....just to try and have everything run smooth for your loved one.   Sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode!   NOTHING absolutely NOTHING is easy....... 

We had a great time outside as you can tell.  We were out for 2 hours and the kids were all HAPPY:)  Love our weather! 

We all came back inside and I started cooking Shrimp Jambalaya and black beans and cornbread.  it is one dish that really doesn't blend up good so Steve was feeding Sarah something else for me. (she usually eats what we eat, I just puree it)   I had made her a drink of Pedisure/ice cream/ strawberries for her dessert.  I had blended it and it was thick like a custard.  Well all of a sudden he yelled "Sarah is choking"  I turned and screamed for our nurse and he ran in right when I got over to her.  As he is coming down the hall he yelled to turn her upside down to Steve and then he grabbed her and did the Heimlich.....   One of the strawberries hadn't completely been pureed.....   As soon as he turned her right side up, she sat on the floor and opened her mouth for more....   It didn't seem to frighten her, me?  I'm still shook up about it.  We love our day nurse Aaron a lot anyhow but now........   we are eternally grateful to him.   I've had CPR but he did everything so quick and steady.  thank God we had a nurse here today!

Sarah was shoveled food in her mouth in the orphanage.  She doesn't know how to chew, there is NOTHING wrong with her mouth but since she was feed for 5.5 years by having food shoveled down her throat, she can't seem to learn to chew nor does she have any desire to do so.   She learns other things so easily, and LOVES food....you'd think she'd catch on but she doesn't.  She has a therapist who is working with her weekly but the only thing she has learned so far is to drink from a straw.  This is the first time she has ever choked on something and I feel horrible!!!!   I've used the Magic Bullet now ever since she has been home and it usually purees food perfectly but maybe it is getting dull since it is in use several times a day!  I also usually stir things just to make sure everything is the right consistency.   This little piece just was hiding.   I am so very grateful for our nurse and so thankful to God that everything is ok!!!!  And I'm glad she isn't upset by it. 

It amazes me how life can change in an instant...we'd all been outside playing, came in and we could have had a tragedy happen.....Life is precious  and kind of scary too!  


Whew.....I'm just ready to go to bed and pull the covers up over my head!!!!!!!  Steve wants to go take a CPR class and I think I'm ready to renew one too! 

Sam used to stop breathing when he was little, it was beyond awful.....the first year of his life was filled with times of me having to do CPR and once our neighbor had to do it for him....    I do NOT know how we got through that first year!   Today reminded me of that year......my kids age me!!!!!! 

So we are thankful tonight that all is well with our baby girl!

Well we have decided we should take Selah back to Hyperbaric  Oxygen Therapy  (HBOT)  We ( us, her nurses and even one doctor!)  feel that there has been an improvement in her.

What we have seen:
1. tongue control.  she holds her tongue in her mouth always ( she keeps her mouth open but most folks who have a trach do that even if they have mouth control)  she moves her tongue around and  does some things that the ST told us were very important (moves her tongue when touched etc...)

2. she turns her head towards someone talking to her  she rarely did this before.  Every since the HBOT we have had many folks remark on this. 

3.   she has a little more head control and moves it much more   we all agree on this.

4.  she seems more alert    this is hard to "prove" but we all feel like this.

5.  she no longer tests positive for MRSA!!!!!!!!!   out of curiosity the clinic asked that we have her tested for MRSA again (she has been positive since the accident)   Well we did and it was negative for it....  she still tests a low positive for the sudamounia...(a trach infection and NO I didn't spell it right, I have no idea how to spell it)   Everyone was wondering if the HBOT would make a difference in the MRSA and it seems like it did!  MRSA doesn't usually go away once it is colonized like it was in Selah.  Everyone is finding this "interesting" 


Some of these things are subjective BUT the tongue movement is not, she started it on day 10 of HBOT and has not stopped it.  We were worried that it was an abnormal movement but no one seems to think that thank God!

We are grateful they have agreed to give us the same deal they did last time:)  HBOT is expensive and not covered by insurance but we feel that it has helped her and may help her even more so it is worth it to us. 

Please be in prayer for Selah as we get ready to start next Friday Nov 1!   She did great with the HBOT last time, no issues and we are praying it will be the same this time.  Pray that God will use this to help heal Selah.  I figure God made oxygen and gave this idea to someone.....  it is about as natural of a treatment as you could do for someone.....  I was encouraged by one of our doctors ( I won't "out" him on here) but he told me he has seen some of his kids really helped by HBOT even tho it is not "medically recognized"   We think there has been some small significant and lasting changes to Selah because of the HBOT.....maybe there will be more!

Ok everyone have a safe and good night....I'm fighting taking one of my "happy pills".  going to try and relax.....go to sleep if I can!  I maybe a bit stressed out, but I am so thankful my little Sarah is ok and playing happily on the floor in the living room.   Her food will be checked totally from now on and I'll make sure nothing like that ever happens again!!!!! 

Great Day LOTS of pictures......New bike and baby turtle.....a day in the life of the Clanton family

I have to admit we had a very good IEP homebound meeting this morning.  didn't have as many as expected as somethings are still being set up but I feel like it was a productive NON adversarial  meeting.   There have been many changes in the administration of our area and I'm basically dealing with new people.  They all seem like they see the need for my three little ones to have services and have them as quick as possible.  That is very appreciated!  So hopefully things will begin to take place so that we can get all the services all three of them need.  Sam will just start again with what he had and I was pleased with the amount of services he was getting.  The girls still need a few evaluations.  I have to say I am happy with the outcome of this meeting as long as things proceed as stated.

Then I had my weekly appointment with my friend:)  We only have 2 hours a week we can get together and those two hours are very important to me.  We had a good lunch and a good talk.  Some deep conversation along the lines of "Pentecostal"  It's funny my friend is coming from a Baptist background and has gone through quite a progression in the last decade.....at the same time, I'm coming from a Pentecostal background and have gone through quite a "regression (some would say) in the last decade.  We are about at the same spot I guess LOL  But I don't believe in eternal security,.   Today we touched on that issue too.  We were talking about hell being a FOREVER place of punishment....no get out of jail card.....  and I said, "I believe in eternal damnation just not eternal security.  We both got a laugh out of that!   Eternal security basically is a doctrine that most Baptist believe, that once you become a Christian, you are always a Christian no matter how far from God you may walk.  I do not believe that......  anyhow we had a really good time talking doctrine and eating Sonny's:)

Then a rush to pick up Shad and back to the church to meet with our bookkeeper....got all that done.....

While we were having our IEP, our Physical Therapist was working with the kids.  Sarah and Sam got to use the handicapped accessible bike.   Thank you so much to the wonderful family who gave it to us!  Both kids took to it immediately and really enjoyed it.  I walked outside to see Sarah just pedaling away and almost started crying!!   This is a little girl who until a year and a half ago was considered bed-ridden and hopeless......  This is a girl who was strapped to a bed.....

 

Look at her go!

 

 

 

 

 

she is doing it all herself!

 

 

 

my fav picture of her!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now here goes Sam!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just needed a little guidance in steering

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOVE this picture

 

 

And I have to say a BIG thank you to our wonderful therapist Ms Chris!  She has added so much to all three of my little ones' lives in the past 9 months she has been working with them. 

 

 

 

 

Look what Shad found right outside the church!

A baby snapping or alligator turtle.

I've never seen one this small

 

 

 

 

 

LOVE this picture of Shad and his turtle!

 

 

 

see that pointed head?  If he were big, he'd be biting and snapping at us.  these guys are MEAN!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve took it to the corner of the swamp and let it go...

 

Live Free.....

 

 

 

And if you are wondering what a Camo bathroom looks like.....

Thanks to Shad....

 

 

Thought you'd like all these pictures:) 

 

It's been a good day!

 

Selah is doing good, our bookkeeper said she looked focused and more alert than the last time he saw her which was months ago.  I LOVE hearing things like that!!!!!!!  Please keep her in your prayers.

Just another Manic Monday

Long day....Cleaned the house, still have things to do. Getting ready for Sam's, Sarah's, and Selah's IEP tomorrow morning....expecting 15 people (at my house)  and fireworks if they don't get services started by Nov 1 (we've been yanked around since Feb1~can we say OUT OF COMPLAINCE?????? I HATE the public school system! Drove to pick up the little's new handicapped accessible bike - a long hour's drive, Steve drove and almost had his first accident, but thankfully we didn't! Had to go to Walmart... and now regret listening to Shad's idea to do the bathroom in camouflage...sounded good at the time LOL Shad's happy......that boy is truly southern redneck down to his toe nails, don't let the Asian look fool you! Going to mop the floor now.....

 

WHEW!!!!!!!

 

 

It's been a long day but boy have I got a lot of stuff done! 

 

Will blog more tomorrow, all is well around the Clanton household:)  

Strange Fire?

Some of you evangelicals  may know about the conference "Strange Fire" that John MacArthur had last week.  MacArthur is a well known reformation author/pastor. He basically wrote a book and had this conference to combat problems he sees in the Charismatic/Pentecostal world.  MacArthur is Calvinist and a Cessationist- which means he believes that visions, revelations, voices from heaven, messages from the spirit world...,dreams, speaking in tongues...,trips to heaven, anointings, miracles, are all lies, all false, all deception." (some of these things I wonder a bit about)  MacArthur believes that the Gifts ended at the end of the Apostolic Age, around 100 AD.  He has been very critical over the years of the Pentecostal/charismatic movement.    SO he is not a part of that movement but yet he feels the need to bring correction to it.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nakedpastor/2013/10/john-macarthur-sends-500000000-charismatics-to-hell/  

God in Hell” (by nakedpastor David Hayward)

 

 

 

 

Read the above blog, it's a good discussion on this. 

 

 

 

Here is the whole conference if you are interested.....   http://www.preteristglobal.com/?p=718

 

 

I have listened to most of Joni Eareckson Tada's session.                              

 http://www.preteristglobal.com/?p=718          She was injured in a diving accident years ago and paralyzed.  She talks about her journey.  While I am compassionate towards her and encouraged by many of her writings......I do feel she is biblically wrong in believing and teaching that her accident was from God to her for the purpose of "growing her"

 

Now of all people in the world, I do believe that trials grow our faith.  I firmly believe that.  However I do not believe that God Himself preordained the trials nor do I believe He sends them.  I believe we live in a fallen world and LIFE happens.....  there is death, disease and accidents, sin, and sinful hearts.....   all those things together bring plenty of heartache to the world.  We don't' need God's help in having more heartache!   As in a famous Madea statement  "I can do bad all by myself"  Well the human race can do bad all by itself.....LOL

 

I also do not believe that the devil brings trials into our lives either for the most part (like 99.9% of the time)   Again the human race can do bad all by itself.....

 

Jon and I were talking about this....obviously ANYTHING to do with healing or suffering, is interesting to us as we walk the path we are on.  Just looking at our situation.....not even taking into account my little ones who were born disabled....let's just look at Selah's accident.....  if I were to go with the argument that Joni E Tada gives for her accident that "God caused/allowed/preordained it to bring her closer to Him"   How would that work with Selah?

 

I can see that Selah's accident caused Jon  & me to draw closer to God BUT would God cause/allow/preordain the accident to punish Selah or "draw her closer to Him?"  Selah had the understanding of an 18 month old prior to the accident......it's not like she had the intellectual capacity of an adult by any means. 

 

Did He cause the accident for Jon's and my growth....that is sick.  I guess if God was into the business of hurting people, He would have chosen Jon or myself to be in a coma, or injured so we could personally grow..... Obviously I do not believe God is like that. 

 

 Did He cause the accident for others to 'get saved"?   Some folks have suggested that to us....that God allowed the accident in order to draw people to Him......ok, that is just SICK!!!!!!   Jesus died on the cross to bring others to God.  He paid the price for the forgiveness of sin....He doesn't need to put a mentally delayed child into a coma in order to bring people to Him.  Selah did not have to pay some penalty of sin. 

 

We think and discuss things like this.  We are so careful NOT to try and come up with some type of doctrine JUST based on our situation but based on what the BIBLE teaches.  When you study the bible, you must study the bible in Context and you study by comparing scripture to scripture, using the whole bible, not just cherry picking out ONE verse to make a point.

 

 

Joni Eareckson Tada did have an experience in a "healing meeting"  that I can certainly relate to.   she was in a huge meeting, setting in the "handicapped section" (the real handicapped section- wheelchairs, canes, walkers)  and people were being "healed" in other sections and then the service was over, no one came to her section except to ask them to take turns on the elevator.....

 

We took Sam and Shad to a "healing meeting" and took them forward for prayer.   When I got to the minister, I turned the boys toward him and the guy almost peed his pants!!!!  It was even funny to me at the time.  Here were two little boys who were obviously in need of a miracle.  Shad is basically missing an eye and Sam is very obviously blind.....  These little guys were not like some of the folks who came forward for headaches, diabetes, even cancer....it was in your face.....

 

The preacher barely prayed for Sam who obviously needed more than just his eyes healed to be whole.  Then he prayed for Shad and told Shad to cover his good eye and asked him what he saw.  Shad said "nothing"  he thought it was a game or something.  Then the guy just left us.  He was totally overwhelmed, it's one thing to pray for someone's headache, it's quite another to pray for major obvious disabilities.  If we were to take all the kids NOW to a healing meeting, the guy would for sure pee in his pants LOL!!! 

 

Now I say all of that "tongue in cheek"  Personally I believe God can heal.  But I also believe that He choses to allow the natural laws to this world to prevail in our lives.  In other words, I believe God could cause someone to live for 500 years.....but because of the Fall of Man (Adam and Eve in the garden) natural laws of sin & death went into affect.  Now Jesus came to forgive us of sin, and give us eternal life.  So He freed us spiritually from the Fall....but physically we are still dealing with it.   

 

Anyhow getting back to the whole MacArthur/Strange Fire conference ......

 

I believe that someone who is not in our movement is pointing out some major issues within the movement.....

 

I am NOT a Cessationist by any means....I feel God has spoken to my heart before and I believe He has had some of his servants even give me a word from Him a couple of times that totally was for real.  I believe God can and still does "signs and wonders", I believe He still heals, I think I even still believe in speaking in tongues and of interpretation of tongues ....

 

HOWEVER.... I believe that many Pentecostals/Charismatics have very very faulty theology.  I believe that many would rather have a "word from God" than to get into the word of God!  I believe that many seek after signs & wonders & healers rather than seeking after Jesus.  Many would rather have a message in tongues, than have a doctrinally sound sermon.  Many want the excitement and thrill of hearing from God and some are so out there.....

 

Oh my....one day a friend and I went out to eat and the owner of the small place we went to started talking to us....oh but did she have stories....angels' visits, god's protection....story after story....BUT when she was asked where did she go to church....she told how she had a problem with this church and that church and this pastor and that pastor.....   Please know my eyes were rolling out of my head......    Often I see the P/C movement like that lady.....they want all the signs and stories but they don't want to have the disciplines in their life of healthy church attendance, tithing, submission to authority  (cause they are God's CHOSEN so they don't need to listen to a pastor) 

 

Then you have the crazy false NON biblical teachers who are in the Pentecostal/Charismatic camp.....  The Word of Faith "health and wealth gospel" Hagin, Copeland, Benny Hinn, Meyer, Joel Osten.... the list goes on and one....

 

 

So we almost end up having to have someone from the outside to come in and point out the excesses!   Because for some reason, pastors do not teach their folks enough sound doctrine so that their congregations can discern for themselves the false doctrine.   Many pastors do try and teach sound doctrine but unfortunately people often have itching ears and they'd rather hear how God will give them a new car and a new house (and I do believe in the blessing of God)   than how to walk  through valleys.

 

I think all churches have their strong points and have their weak points.  I think the P/C churches have the strong point of hearing a fresh word from God, livelily worship, inspiring messages....but can be  weak on sound doctrine, aren't strong in walking with folks through trials, and based on too much emotionism.  They also don't have a strong outreach to the poor, needy and sick - often the outreaches are done in order to "win" the person to God or the church, rather just reaching out to help and leaving the outcome in God's hands.  And don't let me get started on their response to orphans.......not much of one......

 

The mainline churches are generally strong in the "social gospel" area and basic doctrine.  They seem to be freer to reach out to others without trying to "win" them.  But often there is no inspiration, no personal  or practical application and not a big emphasis on living a holy sin free life. 

 

So I think we can all learn from each other.  No church or movement is perfect....no one's doctrine is perfect  (except mine LOL)   I feel if we believe in Jesus as Savior we are all brothers & sisters, even if I don't like you LOL! 

 

So MacArthur, who by the way, is the 5th cousin of  US General Douglas MacArthur, that might explain his militant way of slamming the P/C movement LOL!!!!!

 

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Ok sorry if this blog was boring to you......doctrine is very interesting to me.  I have a BA in Biblical studies and love to study and debate.   I appreciate my heritage in the Pentecostal movement but I am not blind to the problems we have.  but I love the movement, the freedom of the Spirit.  I have been in services where I felt God's presence in a special way.  I've heard messages in tongues and the interpretation of those tongues given that were from God.  I've been in large services where the whole congregation went silent before the Lord, even small children who were silent, as a message in tongues were given.   I've had a few dreams that I feel were directly from God.  I've felt "impressions" in my heart that I've felt was God's leading.  I've had a few "words" that I believe came from God....the woman in the mall was the most amazing...  I believe that God sent an angel to me in China to help me and Shad, I mean a real angel.....like from heaven above.....  I even believe I was in a service about 17 years ago where we heard angels singing.....   I was a bit overwhelmed by that!    I think these things are little glimpses of what lies ahead for us.....  but I think most of our walk with Christ is a walk by faith and not by what we see or feel......

 

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Everything is good here, everyone is doing good, no issues. Sarah's bumps are gone.  Selah is doing good.  I meant to take pictures today but we had a lot of folks to talk to after church and then it was time to go eat:) 

 

We are so excited about what God is doing in our church....it seems He maybe opening a new door of ministry  again.   The Spanish ministry is off and running.....We are getting the word out and excited for this opportunity to partner with a ministry that can meet the needs of our community. 

 

We do want to impact our community.  While we want to do everything without any ulterior  motives, we do want to see people come to know God and have peace in their lives.   We do love to see growth in our church as we can grow together and meet the needs of the community together.  It's a good thing to fellowship together and to have each other as friends to encourage each other in our walk with God. 

 

It's exciting to see what God is doing. 

 

 

 

'LIVE YOUR LIFE SO THE PREACHER DON'T HAVE TO LIE AT YOUR FUNERAL"

Today was a memorial service for a beautiful lady from our church.  The service was peaceful & moving.  Irene was a lady who was deeply loved by many.  She had long term relationships with her friends & family.  One of her best friends was here, they'd been BFFs for over 60 years!  Irene was a spunky happy person. She was so interested in our church and seeing it grow, she said "one day this church will be filled"   Well it was filled to overflowing today as people streamed in to show love & respect to Irene and her family.  What a joyful, well lived life.....no regrets.....

The funniest thing happened this morning, I was getting ready and Shad came running to tell me that the florist was here, so I hurried up and grabbed some clothes to go out.  Later I realized I had grabbed my one chrisitian tshirt....  I LOVE IT (and I'm not into "chrisitain" tshirts  But this one says on the back, 'LIVE YOUR LIFE SO THE PREACHER DON'T HAVE TO LIE AT YOUR FUNERAL"    (I know the grammar ain't that good LOL)

How appropriate.....

Irene lived her long life well, no one had to stretch the truth today....they were all able to share about her character and her good deeds.

That's how I want to live my life.  I want to live my life truthfully, faithfully, and whole heartedly devoted to God.  I don't want anyone to say that I "talked" a good talk but there was no real walk there....   I want people to be able to say I gave it my all.  That  I loved my God and my family and others....  I don't want to live just for myself.    I don't' want a selfish life, I want to live freely....with an open hand, ready to do what God leads us to do. 

We all have ONLY one life or YOLO (you only live once)  I want my life to count for God.  What about you?   I was challenged by the service today to live this life that I have whole heartedly for God.   Don't live your life with a clenched heart and hand, especially if you are a Christian, live your life freely, joyfully & boldly.  Love others, build relationships, be kind, be faithful......  then when it is your time to go, you can go with a peace that is beyond anything this world could ever offer. 

I'm a better person for knowing Irene, the world is a less place today but I am challenged to live my life even more fuller for God.   I hope others will be able to say the same about me one day.