Two, already?

I cannot believe that Sunday my baby girl will be TWO! I don't even have a gift yet. I cannot believe how much she has grown. I cannot believe it. I am too excited (and nervous because I have not had time to plan the details). I did make Will go to the store and order her cake (I cannot believe I let him do this!) But this is it ladies and gents. This (hopefully) is the only time I have to let someone else do all the fun stuff (and not so fun stuff).

Pray for my dear friend Alice this week. She is going through a tough time with her illness and her treatments and I have mono so I cannot go visit.

Pray for me, I have a test Tuesday. I am so unprepared!

Thank you, Lord, for healing Rachel. Thank you for my girls. Thank you for the small family of four that you have created with us. Thank you for the time we spend together. Thank you for the possibility of a new schedule at work. Please be with me as I go to work and do clinicals. Please be with the girls and Will as they do their things. Bring us home safely to each other each night. Thank you for Jesus. I love you. In Jesus name, Amen.

God still performs miracles!

Sunday I received an extremely depressing call that a friend of ours from church was undergoing double bypass surgery. Rachel is 35 years old. She had her first baby last Monday evening, delivered early at 35 weeks due to pregnancy induced hypertension. They went home on Friday, by Friday evening she was having left arm pain and coughing up blood. She was rushed to the ER and they discovered she had a mild heart attack. She was put in the ICU to be monitored more closely. Her cardiac cath was scheduled for Monday since it was not "life threatening". . . yet. But on Sunday, the cardiac cath/ open heart team was called in early for a patient needing an emergency heart cath. That patient was fine, but since the team was there, they decided to go ahead with Rachel's case. She flat lined on the table in the cath lab (her heart stopped beating, completely). The doctor immediately opened her chest and began internal compressions (cardiac massage) to circulate the blood through her body. For fifteen minutes she received compressions until they could place her on heart lung bypass and do open heart surgery. She came off of bypass sometime close to 3pm. Her heart was beating on its own. Doctors assured her husband that this was one of many hurdles she would have to jump to her road to recovery. The plan was to wake her up slowly over 3 to 5 days. God had other plans. many prayers have been lifted up for the healing of Rachel and the recovery of Rachel. By 330 am Monday morning, she was awake, alert, and extubated. Her husband was able to talk with her and she seemed to remember everything. God still performs miracles. Rachel is a miracle. Just ask the doctors. THANK YOU ALL for your prayers for Rachel. Continue to pray for her healing and for her premature baby, Leah. God is so awesome!

A hamster

"Please keep all of the pet hamsters safe, so that one day one can come live at our house. In Jesus name, AMEN." ~Kate
Our neighbor bought their son a pet hamster. We haven't even seen it yet and Kate already wants one. . .

A crazy week

Monday morning I woke up early to get started on my first semester of my last year of graduate school. My laptop would not charge. I sent Will to buy a new plug. He took my computer and my plug to make sure it worked before he left. The Geek Squad said it was not my plug. It was my motherboard (doesn't that word look like it should not come out of my mouth...). Said it would be about $500- $1000 to fix. WHAT?!?! So, after a LONG day of thing after thing going wrong (I'll spare you the details). My brother concluded it was the power cord. Still waiting for the new one to arrive. Still without a laptop. Getting behind on school work by the day. . .


And I am having to use Will's mac (which I love), but not only will South Alabama NOT let me do most of my schoolwork on a mac, but Will actually has his own work that needs to get done.
Wow, how did my blog turn into me complaining? Oh, yea. I guess that is a good outlet to vent. But, if your wondering why no blogs are appearing. I'm a little busy not having my own laptop to do my work on everyday =( But, if I can get Will's computer to view the disk Marion made--- I'll have more pics of the girls up soon! (Since I am STILL without a camera, I don't have any of my own).

School started back today

I am so glad that I have my family and friends supporting me through NNP school. All I did was log on to look at the calendar. wow. wow. Is it possible to be overwhelmed before the semester even starts? this could possibly be my last post this year. wow. I was just going to look at it before I went to bed. wow. I'm kinda glad I can't get the printer to work; otherwise, I would be organizing this stuff tonight. wow. well, I guess I better get some sleep. this might also be the last decent night of sleep I get this year. wow.

Why I do not want to go to work today

• I let the girls stay home from MDO, but I still don’t feel like we spent enough time together
  


• Kate wrote me a letter (all by herself), it says “Mommy I love you”
  


• I’m tired
  


• I feel rundown
  


• My head hurts
  


• My neck hurts
  


• I don’t have an appetite
  


• I don’t feel like doing anything
  


• I need gas in my car
  


• I have to go in early for a staff meeting
  


• It’s cold outside

God, please give me the energy, strength, and attitide to go to work. I miss my family. I feel so empty just thinking about being away from them. Come and fill that empty space. Be close to me. Don't let me linger on how much I miss them and all the reasons I don't want to go to work. Let me focus on you. I have faith that you will bring me through. School is starting back in just a few days. Along with all of the studying, papers, assignments, exams, and MANY, MANY hours of clinicals, you have allowed me to be part of a wonderful family. I already feel like I don't see them enough. Please multiply the time that we do have together so that it feels like we are spending lots of time together. I'm making myself depressed over the whole situation. I don't feel well, but I think a lot of it is mental. I am mentally drained and I need a pick me up. I need to be able to have more time to express my love for my family. They miss me, too. Kate tells me DAILY. Be with Kate, Cali, and Will. Help them to have a good next three days (since I won't really see a lot of them). Give us all peace. Get me out of my rut. Send me someone to share your word with at work. Let me be a light for you, Lord. Don't let my attitude hinder your work. I love you. In Christ's name, AMEN.

Now all they want is Mommy

Okay, so we will all quickly realize that I am NOT a photographer (I wish I were, but I am a little preoccupied with other things). I could not resist taking these pictures the other day when the girls cleaned their play room. After they both moved in to Cali's room, Kate's room became the play room. When we were cleaning I found Baby. Kate got this doll from my brother, Sandi, and Chloe when she turned a year old. She had to have it to nap and to sleep from that point moment forward. We were going through all the toys and deciding what to get rid of and what to keep. Kate said we could get rid of the baby. I still don't want to get rid of the baby. It has so many memories for me =) I took pictures so I can tell Kate about Baby when she gets older. My little girls are growing up so fast! I cannot wait to get finished with school so we can spend more time together!

Do I look like I want to be kissed???

Back to work

I have been on my seven days on seven days off schedule since the first week of August. This past week I have finally had seven of my days off! It was so great. I love spending time with Will and the girls. I used to think that I could never be a stay at home mom (too stressful), but after spending all this time with the family this past week--- I LOVED not having to go to work and being able to just enjoy them. So, tomorrow, I am back at work for seven on. I work a double on Monday, Saturday, and Sunday (all dayshift doubles). This is my last chance for overtime to help out with some bills before I start back to school on Monday the 12th. I'm not looking forward to it... I miss Will and my girls already =(


I pray for safety and protection over Will and the girls as I go back to work this week. I pray for my safety and protection as I work this week. I pray that Will has a good week with the girls and that the girls have a good week as well. I pray that they don't miss me too much. I pray that the time I do have with them feels like longer than the time I am away from them. I pray that these next seven days (and twelve months for that matter) go by quickly, stress free, and pain free! I pray that God will use me to further His kingdom. I pray that God will use Will and the girls to further His kingdom. I pray that I have the mental, physical, and spiritual strength to make it through. I love you, Lord. Thank you. In Jesus name, AMEN.

Cheating God

Tithes. I have not heard a sermon on tithing in over five years. I think that a sermon on tithing would step on a lot of toes. I think that a sermon on tithing would convict a lot of people. I think that a sermon on tithing is not what an in-debt, out of work, America wants to hear. I think that Jerusalem didn't want to hear what Malachi had to say about tithing either. I think that a lot of people have not read Malachi (okay, or most of the bible for this matter). I think that some people that read my blog would actually go get their bibles to see what I am talking about. I think that some of you know what I am talking about. I think others quit reading after the word "tithes" in the first line. So, for those of you who would not go get your bibles, and those of you who are still with me. Here is what Malachi has to say about ROBBING GOD in chapter 3:

6 "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

Okay, now did you read verse 8 and 9? Read it again. The whole nation was cursed because they were not giving tithes and offerings to God. The whole nation. God considers this stealing (Commandment 8: Do not steal). Wow.

Now, re-read verse 10. Now that is big. How awesome is that? The more I give back to God, the more fulfilled I am. I have heard stories about Rick Warren tithing 90% and living off of 10% (reverse tithing). Wow. I want to do this. I know that it can't be an immediate thing (at least not for me), but it is an attainable, long term goal.

So, where do we stand on tithing? Tithe. It works. Tithe first. Before the bills. It's the only way it will work. It's the way God desires it to be. Remember Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)? Abel gave from the firstborn of his flock. Cain brought some of the fruits (consider this a "convenient" offering). God looked with favor on Abel's offering, but not Cain's offering. Cain got angry. Angry because God did not look with favor on his offering, his convenience offering. Then, there's God, knowing Cain's bitterness, and he says to Cain, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Cain was bitter and instead of making things right with God, he rebelled. Don't rebel. Do what is right.

Playhouse and Cake

It is amazing how many things and people can fit into this tiny house! The girls love their playhouse (as do we, when they are entertaining each other=)! Here are some snapshots of it.

Also, I thought everyone might want to see my "birthday cake" we baked for Jesus on Christmas Eve. I looked everywhere for my cake pans (they still have not shown up!). When I could not find them, I just baked cupcakes. Kate had already decided what she wanted the "cake" to say, so Will just put all the cupcakes together while I was at work and they decorated it.

Now, for some news... BAD NEWS FIRST... There won't be any pics for a while (at least not any new pictures). My camera is experiencing technical difficulties and if Kodak won't cover it under the warranty, then we will not have new pics for a while. Sorry.

Then, the GOOD NEWS... God-willing, I graduate NNP school this year =)

Christmas

Christmas. Another one come and gone. Why is it that Christmas is such a milestone for the year? Why is it that we say, “slow as Christmas” or “Christmas will be here before you know it?” I can remember so much more about Christmas time than any other time of the year. So, what did the girls get from us for Christmas this year? An indoor/outdoor playhouse ($78), each got a pair of rainboots ($12.99 +tax each), each got a "hopball" ($5.99 + tax each), each got a barbie ($9.99 +tax each), Kate got a word puzzle ($10), Cali got 3 new easy puzzles ($7), Kate got a kid camera ($24), Cali got a Leap frog fridge letter thingy ($15).

And while I do believe that while people pride themselves on worrying about Christmas being commercialized, the worry and the publicity of the concern will not change the world. Like most things, it's what you make of it. Well, to be quite honest, the bible tells us how the story ends. The Bible tells us things will get worse before they get better, but in the mean time, what could make a difference? If it is changing the commercialization of Christmas, then I am sure that it must begin at home. There is a difference in knowing the story of Christmas and experiencing the story of Christmas. Not only the birth of Jesus, but the life of Jesus, the purpose of Jesus. Teaching our children about the ten commandments, teaching our children the law of God, teaching our children about SIN, teaching our children about the penalty for SIN {insert HELL, yes, I said HELL here}, teaching our children about our payment for SIN {Jesus, in case you are new to this}, and the importance of a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ, not just a knowledge and “belief”. Then, when we are done teaching our children, let us tell our neighbors, let us tell the people we meet, let us tell the rest of our family. I may be teaching my children, but I fail miserably every day at telling “everyone else”.