God is so good to me...

...that is what is on my mind right now.

Maddie loves playing a game on the computer that teaches you to type using the proper finger positions.  Jake loves all things Maddie.

I challenge anyone to catch more lizards than Jake...



Or slugs...

Reflecting

My journal entry for today...

In my morning reading spot where I was writing in here just three short days ago, I pull out the tray I use to set on the ottoman for my coffee and see a few scraps of the tissue paper from Maddie's Mother's Day gift.  Sunday morning, in this same spot, I was praying for Maddie and how we would tell her we needed to test her and thought she might have type 1 diabetes like Sam.  I prayed she would come down here so I could talk to her alone before anyone else woke up.  She never gets up before Jake and never comes down early like he often does.  But on Sunday she did.  She was so excited to give me my Mother's Day gift.  She made a card with words for each letter of my name a vase she made at school wrapped in the tissue paper.  I pulled her on my lap and opened my gift.  Then I told her daddy wanted to check her blood sugar this morning.  I know panic rushed through her.  From Sam she knows what that means.  She started asking why so I told her how he just wanted to check since she had been very thirsty lately.  She kept asking if Sam or I thought she had diabetes.  I had to tell her we did and we just needed to  check so she could get the medicine she needs.  I loved on her lots and told her we would all figure it out together.  Together we walked upstairs, woke Sam up and tested.  It was 321 and we knew.  Same talked to her a while about diabetes -- about how he, Ben and Granny have it and are still doing great.  She didn't cry (can't say the same about me) -- still hasn't -- but she looked worried and scared.  Jake eventually woke up and joined us in our bed.  Sam even tested his blood so he could be part of it.  Sam called the ped and we were told to meet them at Wolfson's Children's Hospital ER.  We took our time getting ready and packing our things to go.  We weren't sure how long we would be there.  She was so brave and tough the entire time.  As much as I was trying not to be emotional or cry, I had several bad moments.  I hated it because I knew it would make her think I was worried or scared, which would scare her.  I know God has a good plan for Maddie and is in control.  Maddie and I even talked about it that Sunday morning on my lap before we went up to test.  I need to keep finding my comport and peace in God.  I kneed to make that intentional.  To not try to control and worry about things I can't control.  To not try to think far into the future for now.

Not the Mother's Day we Planned

Getting ready for a sleepover with Maddie at Wolfson's. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes this morning. I'm so grateful I KNOW God has a good plan for her, for awesome friends & family to pray for her, and for lots of good diabetes mentors in the family (including her dad, uncle and granny).

Here was my journal entry from Mother's Day morning:

Up bright and early this Sunday  morning with tears in my eyes.  We are pretty sure (Sam is positive) that Maddie has type 1 diabetes like him.  She has been looking really thin and has been drinking water non-stop all day/night yesterday.  We plan to test her blood when she wakes up and then call the ped to see where to go from here.  I am just praying God has a huge calm come over her to not be afraid and to know He and all of us will take care of her.

I know we will have a lot of rough times ahead learning the ropes and getting everything worked out with insulin.  I pray we will draw closer to God and lean on him and feel his hand on everything.  I am so thankful that both Sam and I rely on God and trust God has a good plan for Maddie in this.  Let us feel that, live it out and give God glory.  Let it be genuine for me and Sam, not just what we think we should say or feel.  Please give Maddie peace and comfort in this.  Please give us words and actions to grow her faith -- and ours -- through this.  I'm such an emotional person and I pray I can hold it together and not cry over everything. Please God, help me there.  I want to be strong -- in my head I am -- I just cry when overwhelmed and nervous.  I don't want that to be an outward sign of lack of faith because I 100% believe God will be with us and for us through it all. 

Please help us find the right doc, specialists and treatment plans for Maddie.  Please accelerate the cure for diabetes.

I've been feeling for some time that I was being prepared to go through something.  I thought it would be a health thing with me (and it still may be).  God let me not waste any of it.  Let us grow, strengthen our faith, strengthen our love, prove to be genuine and obedient.  Let us see you.  Let us grow closer as a family.  Give us unity in decisions.  Have your hand firmly on our decisions.

Sam and the kids Mother's Day Eve at Cheesecake factory:

My office today

School is almost out and the summer fun (and craziness) will begin.  I decided to take my office to the beach, along with my bible study and journal. 

What's Your Anything?

I just started a new book called "Anything: The Prayer that Unlocked my God and my Soul" by Jennie Allen.  I am just in the first chapter, but I think I am really going to love this one. 

Old Blog Link

Here is a link to our old family blog.

Bye, bye mosquitos (hopefully)

I have very high hopes for you, Mosquito Deleter...

Breakfast...It's What for Dinner

When Sam is out of town, the kids favorite place to eat is Cracker Barrel.  Yum!

Nehemiah

We start a new Bible study on Thursday.  I love the start of a new study.  Getting a new book to dive into and the anticipation of what God is waiting to show me. 

Mini-Me Runner

Maddie ran in a race with Sam this weekend and did so great!  She is such her father's daughter...

 

 

He. Is. Risen.

He. Is. Risen. So blessed with wonderful friends and family to celebrate Easter, but even more blessed to know my future thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus. Amazing what a difference a resurrection can make, followed by the power of the Holy Spirit. I often imagine what it would be like to be in the room in Acts 2:1-4 “…all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” Wow!

 

 

Good Reads

I've been thinking it would be fun to get some magazines for the kids.  I remember how fun it was to get a magazine in the mail, plus it gives you some fun, light reading to do between books or when you just want to chill out.  Maddie has enjoyed an issue of the American Girl magazine.  It has great crafts, recipe ideas, fun articles, etc.  I ordered that for her, but was also looking around for others, particularly some with a Christian focus (since so many of the ones targeting young girls seem to focus on appearance or celebrity).  I'll post any good ones I come up with.  For now, here are a few that were recommended to us...

Sick Kiddos

Jake has had a stomach thing for the past couple of days...poor boy.  We had the day off today for Easter break.  We had planned to go to the beach with some friends, but instead we will be spending some quality couch and movie time together.  Maddie found some fun crafts to make from her American Girl magazine.  She even made a cute frog from buttons for Jake.  Hoping everyone feels better tomorrow.

Easter Conundrum via Jen Hatmaker

Love these two posts from Jen Hatmaker...

Easter Conundrum - Part 1

"Assessing the typical American Easter, on one side I see Jesus on the cross, humiliated and mutilated, bearing the failures of every person past and present, rescuing humanity through an astonishing miracle of divine redemption, splitting history in two and transforming the human experience for eternity. On the other side, I see us celebrating this monumental heroism with chocolate bunnies and boiled eggs, with Jesus as an afterthought. It doesn’t make sense."

"Jesus is a redeemer, a restorer in every way. His day on the cross looked like a colossal failure, but it was his finest moment. He launched a kingdom where the least will be the greatest and the last will be first, where the poor will be comforted and the meek will inherit the earth. Jesus brought together the homeless with the privileged and said, “You’re all poor, and you’re all beautiful.” The cross leveled the playing field, and no earthly distinction is valid anymore. There is a new “us” – people rescued by the Passover Lamb, adopted into the family and transformed into saints. It is the most epic miracle in history.

That is why we celebrate. May we never become so enamored by the substitutions of this world that we forget."

Easter Conundrum - Part 2

"I wondered if the American church was like well-mannered nice-talkers, sitting in a living room sipping coffee, talking about choir practice, while the world burns down outside our windows. While the richest people on earth pray to get richer, the rest of the world begs for intervention with their faces pressed to the window, watching us drink our coffee, unruffled by their suffering."

"So I blubbered in front of 3000 women, bawling for the anguish of others and my own heinous disinterest, worried we were missing the point. I told the story about giving away my boots and asked if a similar moment wasn’t in order – not that shoes will change anyone’s life, but there is something spiritual and submissive about offering the shoes on your feet, the sweater off your back. It tells Jesus: I’m in."

Scrabble strategy

These two are so much alike in so many ways, especially their love of Scrabble....



April Fools

Looks like St. Patrick's Day and April Fools crossed at our house today.  Here is what we found...

The "city" has a Green Cross & Green Shield (instead of Blue Cross and Blue Shield) and a Greenfish Restaurant (instead of Bluefish, a restaurant in our neighborhood.

Future researcher

Jake was outside shooting some hoops and Maddie decided to categorize and tally his shots from the window.  Here's how he did...

Giving Squared

I've been struggling and praying so much about what God wants me to do.  How I should spend my time, money, acquired skills.  I am such a doer and ofter want to just jump into my own plans.  I want (and pray) to learn to really listen and do God's will and plan, rather than my own.  It is hard and I am learning what a bad listener I really am.

Giving Squared is something Melanie and I started to try to make a difference.  All of us are constantly shopping for gifts...friends, teachers, kid's friends, etc.  We wanted to create a shopping experience where people can buy gifts and give gifts to missions at the same time.  At Giving Squared all of the profits go to missions.  We have selected 7 missions for 2012 that we will be supporting.  Since we started in November 2011, we have been able to give over $2,000 to missions (including some of the lemonade stands we hosted).  Not huge numbers, but something is better than nothing.  I always consider what Mother Theresa said..."God doesn't call us to be successful, He calls us to be faithful." 

God, help me be faithful and a good listener and a fearless follower!

Sometimes I would love these people to just show up at my house...

Tell me I am not alone!