Be Strong and Courageous

Well today is the day sort of anyhow, my 39th birthday officially does not happen- love leap year some times. I did not like not having a 13th birthday but I am OK with skipping over 39 as a number, well maybe. There a few things I wanted to get done before 40 so I better start kicking it into gear. I want to really get a hold of my health, I do not want diabetes like my parents, it is a life choice that I have continued to let fall behind all other things, this must change, I know. When I was little I dreamed of being a wife and a mommy, (check and triple check) I did dream of owning a home (check) and running it in a well mannered fashion like my grandmother did (check) that my kids would call home for years to come, not sure that this will be that house, it is our first home that we have owned but we have called 8 other dwellings home and they each hold memories. I always wanted to go to Europe (check), I never made it to France so much for 3 years of french in high s...

I love this sereis that Pastor Schreve did on Anxiety, Loneliness, and depression as well as other things that rob our JOY. If you have time go take a listen  http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/from-his-heart/listen/when-anxiety-attacks-pt-1-159784.html I love it in that it reminds me that We are Not to be Anxious about anything.

This journey of journaling again is healing and helping and hoping for the next miracle to unwrap and to give thanks for  the every day blessing of the breath He alone provides 126. Hot steam from the oven rolls into the kitchen 128. coffee with a new friend 132. Not Hurrying 136. Moonlight dancing on the window pane 137. A-D-D-Y-S-E-N  to the tune of do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do 142. crying 148. bath time 149. pink hair bows 154. Moonlight (again) on ponds - dancing 159. hawks in tree tops 163. snow capped peaks 171. rock formations that only God could orchestrate 176. 5 kids giggling 177. Hot showers to wart off cold flu like chills 180. Naps 186. after school conversations with 6 year old 191. love letters 192. Grace 193. braided locks fresh and smooth

The days are falling so closely together and I long for them to last longer. Not the cold or bitter winds but the days of being home more than not. With spring comes sports and more running and less home time. The blessing of my husband's schedule going back to days, and our marriage retreat just few weeks away. As the 2 oldest begin to focus their sports for college purposes and try new things to broaden their wings, I try and keep a cap on it. We have maintained 1 activity at a time since they were little, this year has brought some challenges. This year as a freshman, Andrew is participating in JROTC and doing well with it. They practice 3 times a week and have monthly meets. In the fall he did the push up squad at the football games and now that spring is upon us he has asked to play tennis for the first time.  He has played soccer since 2nd grade, not hard core, but liked it so it stuck.  He is wanting to expand his experiences in High school and that will all look gr...

This week on   foto-friday   the theme is shadows, I have not taken a lot of pictures this week,  so I dug one out from summer when the shadows were everywhere.  Just caught him picking flowers for  cousin, funny bow knelt down to give them to her.

So the / five-minute-friday-prompt-   for this week is 5 years ago. Where to start, 5 years ago, my baby turned 1, my oldest now 15 was on the brink of tween hood. My husband was freshly out of the military and we were settling into the mode of being civilian and having our hands full with 3 children.  We had just started attending a new to us church in town and were attending a small group. We are still at Trinity and have watched it go through some major changes these past 5 years. Just this last Monday our youth pastor ans his wife moved back to Texas to be closer to home and move on in their journey of ministry. I turned 34 that year and have yet to comes to grips with passing 30? Now on the brink of 39 in 2 days not much has changed, but yet nothing is really the same. 5 years ago we had been married for just over a decade and were still figuring life out together. God has taken gracious road with us and brought us to a most enjoyable time in our live now. 5 years...

I have been taking a break this week and concentrating on things other than the cyber world. We travelled last weekend to Portland and got to spend the weekend with my BFF and her family. It was supposed to be pretty low key, the only outing to join up with my sister for celebrating of birthdays and going to church with the Shepherds.  Well we made it out to party, minus Andrew who had a fever at that point, only to leave early because the flu was taking over my body. Hence no Sunday outings to church, the girls attended with our friends. I was feeling just well enough to drive Mom's car back home for her Monday (she had fractured her foot and could not drive home). Tuesday the the little one was not greatly rested and stayed with me while taking mom to her Dr's appt through out the day. Good news no surgery is needed.  All the kids were back in school Wednesday and yet Andrew came home worse off and so off to the Dr's we went with him Thursday morning, Walking pneumonia ...

  Five Minute Friday  hosts a challenge that looked like fun and since I don't post much on the weekends I thought i would give it a try. So take the challenge and write for 5 minutes on any given topic would normally stretch my limits but ask about friendship , I have so much to say. Not sure if 5 minutes will suffice. But here goes, I have had very few true, good, long time friends . I have had a handful of them through childhood, and into adulthood, as my life and my goals and purposes have changed friends have fallen wayside to my Husband and my Lord, and my family. But I have been blessd by the Lord with a handful of friend who hold the same ideals and truths that I do and these few women I a grateful to call friend . I have been richly blessed by a group of women that over the past decade have kept their lives real for me and shared their love for the Lord in such a way that I want to glean from them all that they might share, the good, the bad, and the not so bea...

this song is indeed AWEsome, scripture speaking truth!!

 For love of you - I had a great week leading up to Valentines's day, blessing Keith with a love letter every day. To you I give my life, not just the parts I want to To you I sacrifice these dreams that I hold on to   Your thoughts are higher than mine Your words are deeper than mine Your love is stronger than mine This is no sacrifice Here's my life To you I give the gifts Your love has given me How can I hoard the treasures that you've designed for free?   Because Your thoughts are higher than mine Your words are deeper than mine Your love is staronger than mine This is no sacrifice Here's my life To you I give my future As long as it may last To you I give my present To you I give my past Because Your thoughts are higher than mine Your words are deeper than mine Your love is stronger than mine Your thoughts are higher than mine Your words are deeper than mine Your love is stronger than mine This is no sacrifice...

Slow down, hurry up, come here, go there.  I sometimes think I have no idea which direction the day is going. there are things we must do, but they are far less than the 'wants' to do of the days 24 hour period. We are all handed that same beauty of the day that there are 24 hours of possibility to it. Why is it then that more often than not we feel like everyone else has the upper hand and can 'accomplish' so much more than us. I know that the plans for our days include TIME for all things He would have us do, and experience. So Slow down, sit down, take in and ask the Lord what would you have me do in this day, this hour, this moment; for it is from you and for you. Ecclesiastes 3 Everything Has Its Time 1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build...

What an amazing week of blessings being taken down on paper and held a little dearer to my heart. A week with way less fuss about the tiny wrongs and more about just taking in life in the moments. Less anger and more directed kindness. I hope that will just continue to flow over into the littlest of hearst in the home and take wings to those outside our walls that we interact with every day. I have reached my 124th blessing of joy seen and will share a handfull of them today. I think if I shared all 50+ plus again my fingertips would hurt :0). 31. Conversations with far away friends 32 Giggles of my 3 children 33. Tea parties with penguins 36. sudden rain showers 36. the book of Joel - the Lord will restore 39. My marriage, better now than ever 41. clarity of mind 44. Faithfull friends 50. Love note to my man 53. sunlights warmth 52, Teenage daughters - who still want hugs 57. tears that flowed as I reread chapter 1 of !000 Gifts 64. an hour long conversation with my BFF ...

I would say I do, today and everyday. For I am his and he is mine and together we are blessed.

 He is 15 now, months from getting a driving permit, shaving now (!!??!!) and taller than both his parents. Loving high school for the most part, and about to start Tennis (taking a break from soccer - been at that since 2nd grade).  Traditional pancake birthday breakfast, and blueberry smoothie yummy! Addysen and I took turns getting all the 15 +1 to grow on spankings in. Addy so willing to give big brother a hug goodbye for school, she really does adore him. Andrew chose a chocolate cake (I think because he knows Emma does not care for it) , I kept is simple with the upcoming parties on the weekend; which called for cupcakes and more cupcakes. The day finally arrived, Addy invited 11 friends and all but one were able to come, she of course was very overwhelmed once more than 3 guest were here and began to shut down.  She is not the total social butterfly that some think she is. She had moments of sparkling and I was glad to see them. She chose the p...

I just love this photo I caught last week and playing around with the color  was totally fun. I linked up over at Household6Diva  for her regular FotoFriday, have fun stopping by and looking at the amazing transformations.

This morning I came across a great give away The Reluctant Entertainer  is hosting a 4 part giveaway, to include 3 great books,    ,   ,   and an apron . Check it out.

Well the day has just about arrived, it's her first big girl party tomorrow.  Just started baking the cupcakes, frosting will wait til morning I think. Streamers and balloons are up (thanks Honey). She is so very excited and I hope that it is not too overwhelming for her, to 'entertain' her friends and stay in a good mood through the event. My oldest gets to celebrate freestyle with his friends tomorrow as well, in the evening. Pizza, soda, snacks and a WII playoff of sorts.  Not a lot of Mom's involvement on that one. The Middle child as she is now referring to herself has a Valentine's Party to attend and then a sleepover with the friend. she even gets to attend church with her on Sunday. It is a blessing for her and for us, that she has found a friend whose family is also Christian.   I hope and pray what ever the weekend brings you that JOY can be found in the simple grace of our Lord and the breath in your lungs is refreshed, by worship through ...

I cannot even tell you the gratefulness of having my book arrive today. I am so excited to get into the pages and soak in the heart of gladness and grace spotting.  I must leave this blog short and sweet to steal awy the next hour of a quiet home to engage this book. I have been rereading Isaiah this week and see the Lord who blesses those who  seek to love Him in their actions. I am blessed to have such a life, full of wonderfulness and glimpses of grace flowing around me. Have a blessed day and thanks for stopping by, I consider this a blessing as well.

I am excited to turn my blogs focus to the daily gifts that God lays before me.  I have decided that this well be my focus. His gifts daily bless my life and others around me and help me to understand that ALL I have is because He allows it. I have realized in the passed 2 1/2 years that some times tragedy's produce something in us that grows us closer to the Lord and a gift is born, "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes , the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." Isaiah 61:3;  and the Joel 2:25 "“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—" I am linking back to Multitudes on Monday  over a t A Holy Experience  . she has posted the first video connection for the book she wrote over at Daysprings InCourage stop by to begin the experience the depth of how our Lord loves ...

Late start Mondays are a blessing and a bit of a wreck some times. I feel rushed, because I let the kiddos sleep in, and hence the rush. I don't know what it is, but for most of my life I have been a '5 minutes early' kind of person; but in the past year or so I just seem to be letting it all slide on the time scale which gets me all frustrated. I am hoping to turn this bad habit around this week and get Addysen not only off to school on time but leave early enough to walk her in and have the last hug of the morning with out rushing. On another note, my book did not arrive today (bummer) but I have decided to go along with posting my first 1000 gifts post later tonight. I have been journaling them all week and will link it all up today. I hope that anyone who gets a chance to stop by has had a great Monday and been able to spend some time with the Lord thanking Him and taking in His Word.