Thursday, March 29, 2012

Earth's Colors Unfold

I’m a sucker for earth colors created naturally by erosion or whatever…..isn’t this cool? 
 This is along a popular highway locally that I travel once in a while.  It has always intrigued me.  I’m not any earth scientist or anything so it makes me ponder more about how come this is happening in this one spot?  All the layers exposed like that just keep going downhill and nothing grows here….no Kansas cedars taking over or anything.  Cattle are sometimes in here.  I’m sure each layer has a nice scientific name. 
We have to be careful in life that when we expose our layers we don’t go “downhill” as well.  When anger, jealously or other negatives creep into our life nothing good can grow in us either.  The deterioration keeps taking a person down.  We’ve recently been accepted to a table to talk with hopes of reconciliation involving one of our children from an incident years ago that continued to grow and fester and deteriorate like this land…..soo much so that both my husband and I denied communion when it was last held in church because we knew things weren’t right….it has seeped into other people around us too and we feel great pain in the experience over something that should never have grown as large as it did.  So….pray for us as we’ve requested numerous times to meet in peace and I pray for open hearts and ears to allow healing to begin, and now God is saying the timing is right.  
 Post:  I wrote this right before we found out the meeting was cancelled....with great sadness, we will find the courage to put this behind us and move forward....   People run from doing hard things in life all the time - this wouldn't have been easy for us either - but it was the right thing to do.  I see my children run from difficulty - it is human nature....no one enjoys conflict resolution.  Saying "I'm sorry" is a life long lesson in humility and growth.  So I'll continue to try to teach my kiddos by example the hard path isn't smooth sailing but the rewards are so much greater on the path less traveled.  **Sigh** it has been a long week.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Courtney turned 13!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COURTNEY!  You are now 13 as of last week.
Cupcakes taken to school...
I’ve three teenagers in the house….Yikes.  Gulp.  Sigh.
So….dear Courtney here are 13 ways I show you that I love you:
1.       I’m here for you every day.
2.        I greet you with “rise and shine!” every morning.
3.       I love you unconditionally as much as humanly possible.
4.       I do your laundry weekly with joy. J
5.       I listen to you from my heart-space and answer your questions.
6.       I hug you when you allow me to.
7.       I desire only the best for you and sometimes that means pushing you to your best.
8.       I’m proud of you and the young lady you are becoming.
9.       I love to make you laugh.
10.   I love to teach you about feelings, tell you the truth, share your dreams and celebrate mistakes through forgiveness.
11.   I love to take you swimming and see the joy you have in the water.
12.   I honor your differences and respect them.
13.   I take you to church and pray that Jesus will someday be your personal savior.
This and more – I do because I love you.  And while 13 feels big, you haven’t been on this earth very long and I look forward to many more years of being your Mom.

Pics of the happy celebration weekend.




 

Monday, March 12, 2012

Before and After - Braces!

These were her teeth BEFORE:
 These are her teeth AFTER:  
 Late summer of 2009 these metal train tracks appeared on her teeth for seriously medically necessary reasons, working constantly and quietly to straighten,straighten and straighten some more.  Banding, bite adjusting, saving gum tissue and teeth that may have had to be pulled…..phew, the journey has evolved a beautiful girls’ smile into a whole new realm!  Lovely! 
She has endured me not allowing gum, hard carrots or hard/sticky candy and popcorn…..so we’ll celebrate with a Popcorn party!!!!  Yahoo   Those Damon braces did a great job.  Next set can be her expense!  Hopefully not needed…..
She was so excited at the possibility of getting them off a few weeks ago – then delays, more banding and she said to me “I’m not going to believe them anymore.”  Another let down as hopes were dashed…but today is a new day….a new outcome!
Tobias had braces too – with less drama through the whole experience – but the same result of beautiful straight teeth making his smile pop as hers does now.  A journeys reward that shows perseverance of time. 
I pray her soul and spirit continue to undergo their “braces” of change as she sees the good results in a life well lived through the gift of salvation some day, the gift of adoption, the gift of second chances, the gift of a new family that loves her deeply and only wants the best for her.  So we’ll continue with our invisible braces of life, straightening our path, guiding us to what we hope will be viewed in the same passionate way as a good thing. 
Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path…  Psalm 27:11

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Here is the Church, Where are the People?

 Here is the church,
Here is the Steeple.
Open the doors and where are the people?
 Here is the Church,
Here is the Steeple.
 Open the doors and there are the people!
 Remember doing that when you were a kid?  I still like to do it with my kiddos.  A simple hand game using motor skills, but think of the message…a church is the people.  I am so grateful for my church family and the support/love I feel from them.  They are awesome.  Hoping this Sunday that you have felt or are feeling the love of a congregation somewhere.  
 

 May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 2 Chronicles 6:20

Popular Posts