Someone Does Care

....Don't be discouraged if you find that some Christians, even those very close to you, don't have the patience or skill or the compassion to handle another person's pain.

....You can always turn to God. HE will NEVER leave you or forsake you....HE will NEVER judge you or give up on you...HE will always be there to love you....He will stand with you through your pain (physical or emotional) with compassion and tenderness...loving you like no other....

A Christmas Wish Fulfilled.....

There were mixed emotions at our home last night. We found the family of the puppy the kids rescued!!!

As I was talking on the phone to the mom, she shared with me that the only thing her little daughter wanted for Christmas was to find her puppy and have her back home!!! What joy filled my heart as I knew how excited she would be to have her puppy back in the comfort of her little bed as she drifted off to sleep!!!

When they arrived at the front door, the mom and the daughter's faces were filled with smiles!! The little girl, dressed her her footed pj's and fluffy blond hair, could hardly wait to get the leash back on her little dog!! She put the leash on her puppy and ran to their car....my kids followed her out the door, not understanding what was going on. Where was this precious little dog, that they had quickly fallen in love with, going?  The mom handed me a card and off they went.

As I shut the door, I realized this was an opportunity to share with the kids how they helped a little girls Christmas wish come true.

They miss the puppy and have asked hundreds of times today where she is. I have to admit, I miss her too. I even think our golden retriever, Espn, misses his little play mate. But, our hearts are happy knowing that she is where she belongs....with a family that loves her!!!

Lord, thank You for Your hand in this situation. For allowing us to care for this puppy while looking for her family. For the laughter, smiles, and giggles that filled our kids hearts and faces while she was here and for the smiles, joy, and giggles that are surely filling that precious little girls face today. I know to some, it may seem like a silly prayer, but we know Your presence in everything and we thank You for leading us to her family! Thank You for allowing us to be able to fulfill a Christmas wish of such a precious little girl....may she grow up knowing You are with her in all things.

In His Grip~

Lost But Found.....

Oh what a sweet sweet puppy my kids found over the weekend!!! She is a miniature pinscher!! She isn't a stray by any means of the word. She had a collar on but no tags to identify who her owners are. So, lovingly, we took her into our home with the hopes and prayers that we will find her family and return her to their embrace.

Last night as we were getting the kids ready for bed, the puppy ran down the hall and jumped into Ashley's bed and under the covers she went. Ashley was beside herself with joy at her new "bunk mate". I stood outside their bedroom door and joy rushed over my heart as I heard the twins in there laughing and giggling at the new roommate that had settled in for the night.

My heart was heavy though. I know she is a pet that is loved by someone and she is being greatly missed right now. We have made trips around our neighborhood, and surrounding neighborhoods, in an attempt to find her family....nothing has turned up yet. The kids and I went to PetSmart and PetCo this morning and posted signs and get her some puppy food and a few small toys to keep her company.

It might seem silly to those of you who don't have a pet, but the kids prayed this morning at breakfast that we would find her mommy and daddy. They are truly concerned that she is missing her family. I prayed that whoever has lost her will have a peace in their heart that she is being well taken care of and loved on and that we are searching for her family. I remember as a young child, we lost our cat. My brother and I were DEVASTATED throughout the night. Luckily, she came home....my momma found her that next morning. She had taken shelter out in the wood pile!! We were so excited that she returned home!!! And my hopes for the day is that we can give her family that same joy of finding their little family member.

Here are a few pictures of her first day with us....I'm not a small dog person....but she is a SWEETHEART!!!!

A Thought Unable To Shake....

"If everything was easy and obvious....we wouldn't need FAITH in our lives"

Have you ever read something that seems to be stuck in your brain? Well, this past week, I read the above quote from an amazing book inspired by a very young person. How simple he said it....and how completely he believed it and lived it.

I think we sometimes expect life to be easy. I know I have. But if life was always easy, would our faith continue to grow into a more deep, dependent, intimate relationship with God? Would we need Him in all things like He so desires us to?

I wish I would have read this book a few years ago....it would have changed my persepective in regards to what we have been through in our family. It might not have taken the pain away, but I think it would have helped all of us feel like our pain was not in vain...that in the midst of trials and tragedy, God is ever so lovingly with us. That within each of us is truly a warrior possessing a strength that only comes through abiding in Him and that it is in being a warrior we can help others who find themselves in battles.

But then on the other hand, I realize that it was God's perfect timing that I did read this book...for it explained a great deal of what we went through and why. Have all the questions been answered? No! Not hardly....but I see through the questions that the peace in not knowing can only truly come from having FAITH that God is truly in control and our trust in Him during the upheavals of life is the anchor that will keep our feet on solid ground when all else is sinking sand....

I hope that in the difficult times and times full of question that will certainly present themselves in the future, I will find my FAITH present and unshakable and that I will trust, more than question, the author of my life.

Hidden In My Heart



To Purchase This  Amazing CD ~ Click On The Title Of This Post & You Will Be Directedto This Website

 Most of you know my love and passion for music....not just any music, but songs that change your heart. This CD is by far one of the most eloquent and peaceful compositions of Scripture expressed through music that I've ever heard. I find my heart grows still, and I feel life return to a place of peaceful existence. Especially during this time of year. The business of holiday preparation and memories of the years past can take one to a place of hectic existence.... This CD brings it all back into perspective.

Perfect gift for a baby shower that will stay with the child for years to come. Wonderful idea for parents that find themselves on that ever so unwanted journey of days and weeks in the NICU with a premature or ill child. Excellent stocking stuffer for a person of any age that longs for peace. I truly truly love this CD and can't wait to purchase my own.

Be blessed in all that you do and be a blessing to those in need.

In His Amazing Grip ~

A Few New Pictures

It is so much fun to watch them grow... see their precious eyes fill with wonder as they explore and learn new things. They truly are no longer babies...but as Ashley would say "I'm just a kid"... At any stage, like always in my eyes, they become even more precious.... May these pictures bring a smile to your face as they have ours.

It IS The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year....

Thanksgiving.... accomplished!

Christmas Decorating.... In progress!

Celebrating the True Reason for this wonderful Season.... Always!

Merry Christmas! May this Holiday Season be filled with Christ and His love for you!!

To Be Thankful...

Thanksgiving!!!

I love Thanksgiving!!!

Partly because it falls during my FAVORITE time of year...
The leaves are changing into beautiful hues of reds and oranges...
The air is intoxicated by the scent of warm fires and burning leaves...
It's a time of shedding and renewal...
It's a time to reflect in gratitude for the blessings in our lives.
(And of course ... I must mention ... FOOTBALL is in full swing!!)

I look back at where we were last year and I am so encouraged by the journey that God has taken our family!! I am so thankful that God, though appearing silent and not present at times, was ever so present and working "behind the scenes" to bring our family to where we are today!! It's a journey that I didn't enjoy and didn't embrace, but looking back, I am thankful for each step that He carried us through.

The strength that we as a family now possess will always be a reminder, should we enter any other seasons of challenge, that even when our earthly eyes cannot see the presence of God, He is in fact with us and most certainly working around us. I have learned to be thankful for the silence of God. It has strengthened my faith. It has made me realize that I don't always have to know what He is doing, I just have to trust that He IS doing.

This year, my heart is with those of you who find yourselves in a season of challenge or change...loss or loneliness. For those of you who are struggling to find those things in which to be thankful for. I know it isn't easy and words can seem void of true compassion. I just want to send loving encouragement out to you to hold true to the course. Keep your eyes focused on God and trust that He is with you and that He is working among you to bring you through your season to a new "spring". God never promised us that life would be easy...but He HAS promised that He will be with us, guide us, and provide for us as we stay in the shelter of His presence.

I truly wish you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING and a season of peace and joy! Know that I sit here in prayer for you that He will reveal even a small ray of His light, if not illuminate your path, as a reminder that He is with you always!!!

In His Grip,
In His Grace!

Pictures from Kristi

Click here to view these pictures larger

There Are No Words....

All I can say is that I miss you Major....Your time here....FAR too short..The questions...Still so many....The pain...Will always run deep....I will always always love you sweet boy....Always and forever you will be in my heart!!!

I can hardly breathe through the pain....it penetrates every ounce of my heart...I look at your cousins, Meg and Ash and the pain strengthens and overtakes my soul...To just say "I Miss You and I Love You"...doesn't express how my heart feels...I'm at a loss for words...The years do not make it easier...They make it more difficult...I cannot hide behind a smile and say that I'm okay...it's a paralyzing pain and grief...I am not okay...None of us are...I do NOT understand this...I LOVE YOU MAJOR...LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!!!!!

Beyond Blessed By His Grace

I am BEYOND blessed to be sitting where I am today!!! The smiles that fill these precious faces light my heart up!!

"Jesus Loves Me...This I Know..."

The other afternoon, Ashley told me ~ "Mommy...I'm going to wait outside for Daddy to come home." She scurried out the front door. After a few moments, I went out to check on her. I spotted her sitting on the curb just at the end of our property. She looked so cute. So quietly, I walked over to where she was. I could hear her saying something. I didn't want her to know I was there. So, I got down, and crawled on my stomach until I could make out exactly what she was saying. She was singing...singing a sweet song to Jesus..

.

"Jesus loves me this I know...for the Bible tells me so...."

As a mommy, this made my heart swell with joy that at the tender age of three she knows who lives in her heart. She will tell you all on her own that "Jesus lives in her heart".... and I couldn't be more proud!!!

Monkey, mommy loves your sweet tender heart and how you love to sing songs to Jesus about the love in your heart for Him!!! I pray daily that your journey will always be rooted, grounded, and established in the love that God has for you!!! May your steps be guided by His truth and may your every bit of self esteem come from knowing Him as your Lord and Savior!!! I love you, Megan and Kory so much!!!

Bath Time Giggles!! :)

Surrounded By Love

Ah....what more can I say? When they lavish each other in sweet hugs and kisses, it makes my heart overflow with great joy!! I love you sweet kids!! Mommy loves you so much!!

Marriage ~ A Must Read

I ran across this story that was posted on a friends page on Facebook...Wow! It is truly a moving story about marriage...most of us know that it's not easy.

When you don't have Christ as the center, most marriages suffer a great deal when they could have been thriving and lavishing in the love of Christ. I had to post this on my blog as well. It truly is moving. So many men have sent me notes that this really moved them to tears so I pray that as I post this tonight, it will touch the heart of at least one person or couple who might find themselves struggling to "survive" in marriage.

May God bless you as you read this and may your hearts be changed and inspired! I love you all so much and thank you for the support and encouragement that you have been in my life throughout the years.

In His Grip!
Kristi

Marriage ~ A Must Read

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into
tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.

My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband....

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. SO FIND TIME TO BE YOUR SPOUSE'S FRIEND AND DO THOSE LITTLE THINGS FOR EACH OTHER THAT BUILD INTIMACY. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage.

MANY OF LIFE'S FAILURES ARE PEOPLE WHO DID NOT REALIZE HOW CLOSE THEY WERE TO SUCCESS WHEN THEY GAVE UP.

A CHRIST-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS A MARRIAGE THAT IS SURE TO LAST A LIFETIME.

“So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:6

For those of you who are contemplating divorce… take a step back and think about the days in your relationship when you both actively pursued one another and you could say you were truly happy… remember when you looked forward to seeing your spouse, spending time with your spouse, and doing things for your spouse that you knew would make them smile… what happened?? When is the last time you did those things?

I CHALLENGE YOU TODAY TO STOP BEING SELFISH AND TOO PRIDEFUL!! HUMBLE YOURSELVES AND START PURSUING YOUR TWO!!!!!! MAKE AN EFFORT TO MAKE EACH OTHER SMILE! YOU WILL BE SURPRISED HOW FAR A SMILE WILL GO!

HOW STRONG ARE YOU.... TOGETHER?? ARE YOU ABLE TO ACCEPT THIS CHALLENGE? I KNOW YOU CAN!!!! GOD KNOWS YOU CAN! IT’S NOT TOO LATE!