What it's all about

So, I wasn't going to post anything else until after Christmas so everyone would have a chance to see our Christmas letter when they read my blog, but something took place yesterday that I just have to write about....you know, it's my therapy!


Yesterday my family and I (along with 2 other amazing women) met at our church to distribute gifts to the single moms at our church. These 2 women are on my branch of the Care Team at church and in less than 2 weeks have pulled off what I would call a Christmas miracle. They found out needs of the single moms in our church and their families, they organized the needs, distributed them out (to our amazingly loving church) and then organized the gifts again to pass out to the moms. Here are the statistics: 13 families touched, over 170 gifts bought and given, $150 cash donation, over $500 in gift cards! Does our church rock or what?

So, yesterday morning we all met at the church to distribute the gifts. We were a shop ready for business and all the moms had to do was show up and get blessed! I took my kids so they could also be a part of blessing others. They got to play "elf" and carry the gifts to the cars for the moms.

It was an amazing morning. I heard "this is the best Christmas my children have ever had" and "this is enough to make us believe". My prayer is that their belief is placed in Jesus, who without HIM, we would never have had the opportunity to bless the mothers.

I have spent 24 hours thinking about how much this mission has blessed me. In my family's time of grieving, it is soothing (can that be the right word?) to help others in need.

I also remembered something about my father in law. Around 14 years ago, there was a young man that VT had come to know. He had only his mother and they were very poor. VT took him under his wing and organized getting their needs met several times over the years. VT treated him like one of his own children and was devastated to learn that this young man had Lou Gerrigs disease. Over the time this young man deteriorated, VT still took care of him and his mother. He took him to the doctor, made sure they had food, and even fed the boy when he no longer could do that for himself.

As VT lay dying in his hospital bed, of all the things he could have been telling us (about his successful business, his home, his cars, his money) he CHOSE to talk about that young man. You see, VT believed this man knew Jesus before he passed away from that horrible disease. And VT was HONORED that he had played a key role in helping him find salvation.

So, my prayer is that these mothers saw Jesus through us yesterday. What an honor I would consider it if Jesus used me in even the smallest of ways to show his love.

Merry Christmas everyone! Let someone meet Jesus through you this season!

Merry Christmas

Most of you know by now, I do not send Christmas cards. Long story, but Jay and I decided with the modern invention of email (and now blogging!) that we would save our picture and postage money and he would allow me to have the money to buy pictures for US! So, I thought I would use the blog to share with you all our family photo and to let you all know what has been going on in our lives this year.

2007 has been a rough ride for us. There is no other way to say it other than it's been a long year. In February we lost VT. He had a long fight with emphysema and he was tired. He was just ready to go meet his Lord and Saviour. His death was hard for us, but we were blessed to watch the miracle that comes when a soul like his is headed to Heaven.

In April, Jay's mom decided to move to Florida to spend time with Jack, Jon and Sherri. It was a good decision for her as she wanted to get to know her 4th grandchild like she knew her other 3. I am glad she took that opportunity because in November of this year, very unexpectedly we lost her too. It was a shock to us all and we are still mourning her now. Just as we were thinking how we would survive this Holiday season without VT, we now have to do it without Bug too.

So, this year has been a sad one. But it wouldn't be fair to tell you that we didn't have some great times. We took the kids to Disneyworld this year and it was such a blast. I think it was our best vacation ever. When your children are all out the stroller and independent, it makes for a much more relaxing, peaceful vacation. The girls loved meeting the princesses, and eating with Cinderella and Jayson loved riding the coasters. Jay and I just loved watching them! After Disney, we spent some time with Jon, Sherri, Jack and Bug in Jacksonville. They are wonderful hosts and we just had so much fun being with them.

Jayson entered 7th grade this year and played his first year of Middle School Football. It wasn't the glorious season he is used to from his little league team, but it was a lot of fun. He got to play starting tight end and he played defensive end (Mom is not good with football lingo) and he also played kick off return. He made some great blocks and scored his first touchdown ever. Of course, they racked him after the catch and Mom was ready to rumble, but Daddy held me back as not to embarrass the boy. Jayson also took a big role in Midsummer Night's Dream and had us all in tears from laughing when we watched his play. We have always called him dramatic. He also joined a "practice" band and is learning to play his guitar with a band! He still loves playing it, but to tell you the truth I think there is nothing that beats spending time with his guitar teacher Scott. There is just no one cooler than Scott.

Hunter is in 3rd grade and just as smart as a tack. She is the love of her teacher and is an excellent student and a girl of terrific character. She is as sassy as she can be and has tons of spunk, but we love it! She is still tumbling and working on perfecting her backhandspring. She has expressed interest in starting dance again, but that will wait until the Holidays have past. She has become our expert roller blader in the house (literally) and skates around our house all the time. Hunter started a class at church this year called The Princess and the Kiss and is learning all about purity and making good choices as a young woman of God. The teachers of her class are doing an excellent job and have lots of hands on teaching to make it a concrete learning experience and she is really getting it. Actually she explained to Katie (who is boy crazy already) that she (Katie) is too young to have a boyfriend and should never kiss a boy until she was sure she was going to marry him. THAT works for me. I always knew Hunter was smart!

Our little Katie Kate started Kindergarten this year and I am still trying to figure out how to survive without her at home with me! She LOVES her teacher and her friends at school. She is our social butterfly. She just loves people. On a recent field trip I saw her hug just about every kid in her class at one time or another. Yes, the boys too! ha ha She loves tumbling and she is learning quite fast. She has perfected her cartwheel and moved to a roundoff. She tries to convince the teacher to let her do a backhandspring, but we are waiting just a bit on that. She terrifies me on the trampoline because she is just not afraid to flip, flop or fall at all. Katie is always going to be our baby and she just really works us with her bubbly personality. We know it, but we can't stop ourselves!

Jay, with all his grief, also ended up taking a new job this year. The good news was WE DIDN'T move! Jay is busy trying to acclimate to his new job and all the technology toys that came with it, but I think he will be fine. He always gives a 100% and has never had an employer be sorry they hired him. He is also leading the coaches of Liberty High School in a Friday morning Bible study. He loves it! The coaches are awesome and they have supported him through his loss like they have known him forever. It's a God thing and I know his Dad would be proud of him.

I am blessed to call this man of God my husband and my children are blessed to call him Dad. He is always present running the clock for Jayson's games, jumping on the tramp with the girls and riding bikes with us. He is the fun parent! ha ha ha

I, of course, have had to adjust to having no kids in my nest during the day. I started subbing in the classroom to be near the kids and earn some extra money. I like it because I say yes when I want to and no when I don't. I have joined a Discipleship Bible study and convinced Tara to join with me. It sure is nice having my sister so close! It is a real blessing. I am no longer the MOPS Coordinator since Katie went to Kindergarten. But, it didn't take me long to find another place to volunteer. I am serving under Holly at our church. She has me shepharding leaders in our care ministry. I am not leading, just taking care of the leaders. 2 ministries under my care are Single Mom Support and Marriage. It's very heart filling work for me.

I can't believe this is going to be 6 years we have lived in Texas. I am thankful for our church family and I am thankful for all our family and friends. I am thankful for the gift of the Baby Jesus and the salvation that that gift has brought to us. Without Jesus in our lives, this year wouldn't have had any of the joy that it did. Joy that comes from knowing God and resting in His plan. Yes, this year at Christmas, we will be thankful for our salvation because through it we will see our loved ones again in Heaven some day.

So, that's a very condensed version of our year. I know, I know, it's still long! The truth is, I can't tell anything without doing it the long way around.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! We love you!

Today I subbed in our school's Active Learning Classroom. It was hard work, but fulfilling. I love subbing in that class, it reminds me of why I started out my career path as a Speech Language Pathologist. These children have multiple disabilities and the job is very physical, but even just a smile will make these children's day. They are all just darling!

As I interact with these very special children, I realize how thankful I am for my healthy children. For the fact that they can walk and talk without difficulty. That my children can tell me they love me and hug me. And that when I tell them that I love them, they understand.

It has been rough going in this house the past few days and as we round from sorrow into a new stage of grief, tempers are flaring all around here. Everyone seems stressed and ready to blow given any chance (yes, me too). But after today, after working with children who require me to work at THEIR pace, I think I may have learned a little bit more about patience and understanding.

Today instead of being stressed, angry or frustrated, I choose to be thankful that my children have words (even if they are angry ones) and I choose to be thankful for their ability to function physically (even if they are hitting and kicking each other). I choose to be thankful that they can hear me when I tell them that I am sorry for my temper and I choose to be very thankful when they have the heart to say "it's okay mommy, I love you anyway".

Why do my best lessons always come from children?

Jayson

Here's a picture that Desiree did of Jayson. I love this shot. My boy is truly a very handsome young man!

Hunter

So, here's my fiesty redhead. Isn't she gorgeous?

Katie

And here's our sweet, happy Katie Kate. Isn't she adorable? She melts us with that smile!

God's plan

Today Pastor Steve gave the most excellent sermon. I just love to hear him preach. He is such an awesome teacher and minister of God's word.

Anyway, he was explaining God's plan through telling the story of Mary (you can download his sermon's from his website www.stevelucas.org or our church's website www.findgrace.org). Although I have heard this story numerous times it was like the first time today. God allowed it to be a very cathartic time for me as my tears flowed freely down my face.

As he described what the angel Gabriel told Mary about the baby she would bear and then what he did NOT tell her, I was moved to tears. Steve went on to explain that if Mary had been told everything that she would endure as the mother of our Lord and Saviour she may have responded differently to that angel. I know that I sure would have. The exchange would sound something like this "Uh, no thank you, I don't care to endure the pain of watching my child be beaten, ridiculed and hung on a cross like a criminal. Thanks for thinking of me, but I think I may pass on that one. Get back to me when you can come up with something that causes less pain."

Then I started to think, if God had told me that in this one year my family would endure the pain that they are going through, I would have said, "no thanks, Lord. I will just protect them all by keeping a healthy distance from VT and Bug. That way they don't have to endure the pain of losing them." Yeah, that would be great, wouldn't it? Uh, NO!

Steve was right, I wouldn't have been able to handle "the plan" and I would have stopped my children from loving fully and completely from their whole heart. They would have missed out on so many happy years, happy moments.

Yes, this is God's plan being revealed and I am thankful that He didn't give me the whole story up front. I am just thankful for the strength He gives me daily to endure this part. After all, it is a good plan He has promised for us. And today, I choose to trust in that plan.