Suzanne Griffin

I am so sad to miss out on this opportunity to get to celebrate LeAnne and the gift of this baby boy. I was asked to share a devotional and while honored, I also know my wisdom and experience pales in comparison to many ladies that are in LeAnne's life. Especially the example of her mom Judy. I am so thankful for their close relationship and friendship and the instruction that her parents and Josh's parents give to them to seek after the Lord. The is no greater accomplishment. My own parenting has been a constant learning process and with each new child I realize how little I only thought I knew. I pray for less of me and my weaknesses so that HE can fill and lead our family. Devotional: Live Fully in the moment. While it is easy to love a sleeping, snuggling, cooing baby. Kisses on warm fuzzy heads & velvet skin. Chubby little fingers, toes and thighs. That breathtaking love so deep that our hearts hurt as they sigh and find utter fulfillment resting on our chests. ...

We are moved and not settled and will be moving again in the next 2 months. Or at least that is our personal goal. Allen's new job has relocated us out of state and back to my hometown. The house we are planning to move into is a HUD home so it is taking a little longer to close than what anyone thought. For the time being we are staying with my parents. Thankfully they are very hospitable. After closing there is some work to do before we can move in, or at least before I want to move in. Everything is in storage at this point other than the box of clothes that each person has to live out of. There is still much to be done...new driver's licences....tags...storage building and business back in Arkansas. The kids are enjoying swimming lessons, volleyball camp, and most of all grandma and grandpa.

After 4 hrs of sleep last night, I would just like to give a shout out to Kaldi the Goat Herder for your wonderful observation skills and sharing the wealth of your knowledge. Also like to say a huge THANK YOU to Allen's grandma as she came over today, helped with meals and swept and mopped and held Wesley a lot in spite of his almost incessant protesting for me. Thank you so much grandma! Which Here's a funny video about cleaning with kids in the house. The story of my life. Wyatt and Makensie got physicals and shots today. Thankfully the Dr. & her staff know us since Wyatt was wearing the pair of jeans with both knees ripped out, sporting 2 days worth of dirt and I'm pretty certain he was wearing the same underwear he had on BEFORE his bath on Tuesday. The homemade tattoos in green marker all over his back, hands & feet compliments of Gabby were generously pointed out by Makensie. Wyatt is walking slower than normal at this point from the "holes poked in hi...

I am tired. This has been a long and rewarding day that started 23 1/2 hours ago. I got up at 4am to feed Wesley and could not go back to sleep. I did get some much needed quiet time though. I don't sleep well with Allen gone. I saw a sign that made me laugh and thought I might need to write this and put by our door. It said, "Prayer gets you in touch with God, trespassing will get you there quicker." :) Got some smiles from Mr. Serious. Gabby gave me a good laugh today when she was playing with Wesley and trying to teach him to say, "Hi!" and then tells me, "I sure hope that when Wesley starts talking he doesn't speak Spanish and does speak English." As if it's already in there we're just waiting to see what comes out. lol. Got to briefly see a precious friend who is so amazingly giving much time and love to those affected by the tornado in West Siloam and Joplin. She has such a huge heart. Today was Day 1 of the challenge to pray daily fo...

We each have a different message that haunts us through our lives. Satan knows us. He knows what our destiny is and he knows how to cut deep to discourage us. He won’t bring adversity and pain to us just once, and he isn't random in those attacks. If you’ll look at your hurts, there is a theme to his attacks, to make sure we get the message loud and clear. It starts with our own parents, friends and peers, strangers, and then it carries over into our marriages. Think for a minute if you have ever had any of these thoughts towards yourself: I’m not good enough Someone else does it better No one will miss me If I were a better wife or mom or Christian I would be loved more I feel lonely and I don’t know why I wish I did not want to be romanced If people knew the real me they would not love me. I’m not worthy of being loved Every time I open myself up I get hurt. I don’t want to be a burden No one ever chooses me 1st My personal message started being memorized. “I am not enough to abs...

Little Man Wesley It was a month of many storms. Lots of rain, terrible floods, the Joplin tornado and the reminder of a promise from a loving God. The last get together of the year and probably the last time for me to have tea with ladies from our homeschool group. I have been so blessed by such wonderful women. Brian and Wyatt playing "Cops". Brian looking into Wyatt's eyes with the flashlight asked, "Have you had anything to drink today?" Wyatt told him, "Chocolate milk". Then Brian asked him, "have you thrown gasoline on yourself or anyone else today." :) Wyatt (yes this is his current uniform of choice most days because he daddy has an outfit just like this). Wyatt repurposed Allen's ear protectors that he wears while shooting. They are now for blocking out bossy sisters and crying baby. Year End Pizza Party for the Elementary Homeschool Group. I feel so honored that I got to serve as the coordinator for the past 2 years. I also was ...

When I recently received an email asking if I would be willing to share what I’ ve been learning thru the book, “Captivating” by John & Stasi Eldridge, I sat and stared at the words on the screen. The words, “would you be willing to share? Could just as easily have said, “Are you ready to risk adversity and open yourself up to satan ’s attacks and the Lord honoring your obedience with growth by stretching and pruning you?” I prayed about it and felt like I could do this and know upfront I was prepared for the trials should they come. I slowly typed in “yes”, and then hit the “send” button. It was as if that very action set in motion the start of an intense battle. What I thought I knew I was going to be able to easily share regarding the insights I have gained from this book; all uplifting to encourage other ladies, became even more personal for me. There are 3 chapters specifically that really spoke to me and followed just what we’ ve been talking about over the past year. Tho...

After being self-employed for 6 years and going thru all the joys, frustrations, feasts and famine. Allen was physically and mentally worn down. He had a couple of job offers in Tulsa, OK and while I didn't say no, I, in my best non-outwardly-hormonal-just-had-a-5th-baby-hysterical are you crazy?-way, relayed that if we were going to be moving, I would prefer it not be to a large town in which we knew absolutely no one. Please. Honey. We have tried to move closer to my family on a couple occasions however the doors have never opened and we had in turn all but given up on that as an option. So 2 weeks ago we sent out a couple of applications to Kansas and within a weeks time Allen had 2 interviews and one offer. He agreed to take the job, although my heart ached to think of him taking a job that is not in line with his interest just to pay the bills. And it was a wonderful company and a good fit for many men. He went to Kansas just 2 days ago to go thru orientation and a drug test. ...

Wesley Allen

One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organizations do not constitute a church any more than eleven dead men make a football team. The first requisite is life, always ~~~Tozer~~~ I saw this quote recently. How true. How many of us are Sunday morning and Wednesday evening Christians, then the rest of the week behind closed doors our love for the Lord isn't enough to make us repent and live a consistent and fruitful life every day that will glorify Him. Would we openly act, speak or live the same way in our homes or with friends that we present ourselves as in the Church building? Christ said that WE christians are the church. Not just at certain times each week but always. Lord increase my love for you so that I have no desire to live in any way but one that honors you. Let the life we live be one that others will desire to be around to know that fulfillment that only comes from knowing you. Let us be an example at all hours to those we don't even rea...

I haven't been writing much at all lately. I miss it. I have found myself substituting status on FB as a quickly way to update, however fear how much I'm forgetting to jot down the fun things in life in a permanent place. We have 16 days from today for our official "due date" for this little man. And honestly I wouldn't be offended if he decided to make his appearance a little sooner. I have always loved being pregnant, however have found myself sick, hurting to the point of barely walking or struggling with migraines for the past 8 1/2 months. It has been discouraging and exhausting all in one. Thank goodness we moms tend to forget all that when we hold that precious little baby and kiss and smell their warm little heads and chubby fingers and rock their tiny bodies against us as they sleep so contently. We look forward to the gift of a new baby and selfishly I'm looking forward to walking normally again:)

I have not been good at keeping up with my journaling . Life has gotten busy, but those little precious moments and comments still come and I so want to remember them verses letting them be lost. --------------- After going to see a friend's 5 day old baby, on the way home, I asked Gabby if it made her excited about our little one coming in just 8 weeks. She said, "Well, I'd be more excited if it was a girl, but ya get what ya get." --------------- Each of the kids have a prayer journal and once every week or so we go back thru and cross off anything we have received an answer on or changed our minds about. This morning after Brian and I's time together and marking off several requests, he commented, "It's so cool. It's like almost anything I add to the prayer list and pray about gets an answer. I should totally pray more." Which allowed me to mark off a little request for Brian to understand the power of prayer off my list. --------------- Wy...