Bless me so that I may bless others.

"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; ...The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness". Psalms 41:1-3

I recently wrote about how my dad was struck on the head when a telephone pole fell. Amazingly, he is doing good. But I am not surprised that the Lord protected him from what could have been a fatal accident. The Lord has miraculously protected him time and again.  Falling off the top of a 12 ladder just weeks after the telephone incent.  Once he was passing a semi and another semi appeared and just as he thought they would hit head on the road made way for oncoming semi to pull on the shoulder.  Everyone unscathed. 

As I read these verses too many memories of my dad's generosity flooded my mind to even mention. My dad has not only helped out each of my siblings as well as my own family. But he has for years employed many individuals, some that most wouldn't even give the time of day to. Some he hired when he didn't need help, but they needed money. He has bought tools for men to be able to work, bought an air conditioner for an employee with small children, sponsored numerous school activities, girl scouts and church events. Just recently he posted bail for one of his employees, not only once, but TWICE! When we went up over Easter we enjoyed a meal out, which he quietly picked up the ticket before the waitress ever brought it, and then when we got home from our trip, I was taking Wyatt out of the car seat and found that he was sitting on a $100 bill. My dad has many times hidden money around our house, or filled up our vehicles with gas just to be a blessing to us, and never has he said he did it. He just quietly goes on his way of being kind hearted to the poor.

My dad has been an excellent example of showing a meek and humble concern for those who are struggling. He is a mentor to me without saying a word. I thank you Lord for a Father who has such a caring heart.

Hearts, Butterflies and Tornados

Saturday the older three kids were all sitting at the table making me Mother's Day cards. Although the element of surprise was missing, the thought warmed my heart. Gabby finished her card 1st and showed me. It was covered in hearts, next was Makensie and her card had butterflies. Lastly Brian brought me his and it was filled with all sorts of wild and colorful scribbles. I said, "oh, wow, this is a really colorful...picture, thank you." He then proclaimed, "It's a tornado, just for you." Nothing says love like a tornado. Much like their personalities, each picture was so different. Gabby is so loving, Makenise is a little flighty and Brian is definitely like the like tornado in our home.

Accidents come in three's

I have so many happenings and ideas I want to write about and share, it just seems like the days are rushing by. Wyatt is growing and I even occasionally (as in twice) get an entire nights rest. As long as I get in 6 hours I usually feel pretty good til I can catch up with a nap sometime.

Accident #1 - My dad took on a pole and the pole won. He was setting a telephone pole and it slipped off the tractor and his head held catch it. The pole knocked him out, took one of his teeth and gave him quite the shiner of a black eye. He finally saw a Dr the week after when his headaches didn't subside. He has a concussion and whiplash.

Accident #2 - Allen was working with the screw gun and the screw slipped off the metal and went into the side of his hand hitting and splitting the bone between his thumb and pointer finger. He didn't go to the Dr. as he set it himself and taped it for good measure.

Accident #3 - My brother Jason who manages my dad's auto shop was doing who knows what at the shop and caused something to explode...in his face. He looks a little like a turtle with his hair, eyebrows and gotee gone. He didn't go to the Dr either because a couple a couple 2nd degree burns never killed anybody.

Words of Encouragment

We were getting ready to start devotions and Brian was still playing upstairs. Allen hollered up to him to come down and join us. Brian hollered back down in return, "I'm playing." Allen hollered back up again to come down for devotions, however this time there was no response. As Allen got up to head upstairs and retrieve our little man, Gabby offered her words of encouragement, "Go get him, Tiger!"

Condolences

This morning as I was nursing our little man the morning news shows were all covering the tragedy of the Virginia Tech shootings. They made me feel so tired, so worn out, so thirsty to be in God's presence for peace. I do not have any personal connections to any of the losses, and cannot pretend to begin to understand the loss that moms, dads, siblings and friends of those killed are going through and will go through. I could only imagine as I looked down at my baby that I was so gently cuddling and rocking how my own heart would feel as if it were literally ripping apart if I lost any of my children.

I thank you Lord that we can find comfort and healing in you. I pray that your love and peace will shine evident in such a horrendous situation.

FYI

Magic Eraser will not take permanent marker off highly textured green walls, white walls, white trim or white bathroom sink tops. Just thought I would let you know what we found out as Brian was experimenting today.

Adoption Stories

As a little gift from my hubby, the 1st day home from the hospital with our new born, Allen enrolled us in the expanded cable. Up until now we had 15 channels and that was fine with me. However, I have grown to enjoy more options as I'm spending a lot in the rocking chair nursing at all hours of the day and night. I enjoy the HGTV channel and have found renewed inspiration for working on our own old house. But even more so the kids and I enjoy the channel that shows the baby stories, large families and adoption stories. Maybe it's hormones I'm still wading my way through, but I always end up crying as I watch these touching documentaries.

Here are these little babies, so innocent, so helpless, so in need of someone to hold them close, to take care of them, to love them, to sing to them, to read to them, to just rock and cuddle them. And then their are the couples that want children and can't or just have a pressing on their hearts to take in these little ones. The couples that cannot have children of their own that are finally paired with their own little blessing after sometimes years of struggles just touch me so. It has always been so easy for us to become pregnant, I can't even imagine the emptiness in some of their hearts. Longing to know the joy of little ones in their home. They choose those children, they choose to open their homes knowing that they would be hurt and disappointed by these kids at sometime in life and yet willing to love them unconditionally.

So to it is with us and our Heavenly Father. He choose us and His son paid the price. He has a longing in His heart to love us and care for us, we let Him down, hurt Him and yet He loves us unconditionally in return. This week is the Holy Week. Let us all be aware of that high price His own son paid to adopt us.

They Are Just Too Much.

We have been diligently/frantically working the last couple of days on finishing all the illustrations and reviews and About the Author information for the girls books they have written. This afternoon the girls were to finish the illustrations for the front cover of the book. Gabby's book was about going to the zoo. She drew a picture of a tiger. However, she also drew the tiger with razor sharp teeth covered in blood with a man beside him laying on the ground covered in blood. I asked what was going on, she told me, "That's the man that got too close to the cage." We did draw another cover page.

Makensie dictated what she wanted me to included in the paragraph about the author. She wanted to make sure to add that she liked to pretend that Captain Jack Sparrow is part of our family.

As I 1st started this journal post the girls were drawing, Brian was outside playing on his fire truck and I thought I smelled matches. Then I became sure that I smelled matches. I headed out to see if I could see smoke anywhere and find Brian. I found him in the garage surrounded by about 30 matches that he was lighting and blowing out. I asked him what he was doing, "Nothin". I asked, "If you were doing 'nothin', then how did all the matches catch on fire?" Brian said, "I saw that little glowing ghost named Casper."