Saving Grace...

Sunday while we were at our church, our pastor began his sermon and I could feel a stir in my heart as if I should be on alert for my childrens hearts. You see our pastors father passed away in his sleep two weeks prior and his sermon began "you are never promised tomorrow." Knowing the fear that this can bring forth in children I perked my sensors in case I needed to offer up peace to one or two of them. However, no such signs of fear were present in their faces. We have discussed the fact that everyone will die but only when God calls them, and I assumed this was the cause for the peace in their hearts during the sermon.

Today as the kids and I were sitting around, the discussion on the pastors sermon began...Kiely: "I was up all night thinking about dying and that scared me"
Me: "Death is nothing to fear...if you are a child of God you will live forever with Him in heaven."
Kiely: "Dont you worry about dying?"
Me: "My only worries are...have I led my children to the saving knowledge of Christ...because I dont want to spend eternity separated from you guys."
Kiely: "Thats your only fear?"
Me: "Thats my only fear..."

The conversation ended because as with most conversations in this house someone interrupted and sent our brains into a totally different direction and conversation. But then tonight after all the others had gone to bed and were asleep...Kiely came down stairs in tears...I assumed missing her daddy, but actually she said she was thinking about our conversation earlier and she wasnt sure that she had salvation...she wanted the assurance that she would be there too and that she has felt God pulling at her heart since Sunday (she must have been the one I was on alert for). She prayed and we talked for over an hour about her decision and I am proud to say that Kiely has accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and my heart is busting at the seams with joy that I cant even put into words. Hallelujah!!! Amen!!!

Happy Veterans Day 11-11-11

"Freedom isn't free!!!"...that is the phrase we hear most often on these days of remembering our heros. And it is true! But if you were to ask a soldier, both past and present, they would tell you the sacrifice is worth it. No one wants to be separated from their families, but when a soldier is called, they feel that calling from the deepest part within. Its a calling that most of us dont experience, but there are those few who seemingly are born to answer it. My husband, Big Papa, is one of those people. I burst with pride knowing that God made him in his mothers womb to come out a fighter. Does it hurt like crazy to be separated from him while he answers his call? Like a knife stabbing me in the heart!!! But the kids and I know that being indifferent is no good. There must be someone to stand up and fight. We are proud of his God given ability to get the job done. Some of us are called to be the workers in the field, some are called to invent those machines that make the workers lives easier, some are called to give us music while we work, and some are called to document these days in writing and photos and films. Then, there are those who are called to fight to give us others the freedom to choose what we want to do with the lives we have been given. Today is the day we honor the fighters. Happy Veterans Day!!!

To all the men and women in my life that have served, are serving, or will serve...Thank You!!!

Looking For Serenity...

These days of trying to kiss boo boos, dry tears of broken hearts, teach ninja moves to 3 & 4 year old boys (in order to balance the barbie play they have to endure with 6 sisters), give my best advice on lifes ups and downs, teach reading to dyslexic 7 year old, teach pre-algebra to hormonal teens, stop the cat fights that happen when you have 5 girls 7-14 yrs of age, keep the house from looking like a tornado of: shoes, baby toys, matchbox cars, pillows that never get back up onto the couch, school books, sweaters that we needed this morning but not this afternoon but they never got hung up, dvds all over the floor because the baby now knows how to open the cabinet and pull them all out...and we let her to keep her from making screaming noises while we are doing school,...not to mention a dog that apparently suffers from some disease that makes him stupid enough to eat an entire chair that was left outside yesterday to help the little ones up on the trampoline (which he ate the other chair months ago), kittens that arent even ours destroying the garage, and a momma cat that constantly scratches on the door as if we are going to let her in (whose cat is she anyways?)!!!

Anyway, all that list is just to say "Wow! I would love to be back at the beach sitting on that balcony and looking out at this view and enjoying a cup of coffee...yeh right...if you know anything about me, you know that is a lie...I drink Diet Pepsi. However, no matter what you are drinking, you cannot deny that this view is a view of peace and serenity. Not to mention the fact that we were so far out there that there was nothing to distract that sweet peace...it was just me, God, and the ocean...and the perfect chaos that comes with 8 children going on behind me inside the beach house...but when the doors are shut it only causes a faint roar in the background.

Come on summer...Momma needs another beach trip!!!

A Moment...

Sometimes on this journey of Big Papa being oceans away, there will come a night that seems more lonely than the others. For some odd reason, tonight is one of those nights. It doesnt make sense to me. I went to dinner with a friend and that was nice...however, it made me miss my man even more. I walked upstairs to put my hobo shoes on after returning home (cause my boots hurt my fat foot)...and I could have sworn that I smelled Big Papas cologne (its really body wash but it knocks my socks off...tmi). Maybe the kids found it and were playing with it, but it made my heart ache to be close to him. I miss you Scooter Boo!!! Dont worry...Im staying composed its just one of those nights...just hurry home to me and Ill be alright!