Getting Ready to Leave When....

This is why Bear coming home Saturday can't come fast enough.

This is why I would never last as a single mother.

This is why I'm so tired.

This is why she's so much fun. ;)

Four More Nights!!!!!

Just look at how short our prayer chain is!!! Woooooo-hoooooooooo! Four more nights 'til Daddy's home and it can't come soon enough!

I got to talk to Bear tonight for about 45 minutes which is crazy long. The past two times I talked to him last week was about 4 minutes a piece so it felt like forever...but in a good kinda forever way. :) We've been tearing off a chain every night & praying for the "Imbeeyan" people. Jonah's prayer stays pretty much consistent:

"Dear God, Please keep my Daddy safe in Imbeeyah. Amen."

Several nights ago, his prayer grew.

"Dear God, Please keep my Daddy safe in Imbeeyah and help them to know the Bible is Your True Word. Amen." (emphasis on True. Word. He was very dramatic emphatic.)

Sunday night, we went to the circus with Tantie, Cobb, and the Squishes. (The Squishes are my sisters unborn twins until we know the genders, which we'll probably keep the name but change any female twin(s) to Squishie(s) to make it more feminine. Yes, we're that weird.) Esther Grace has begun an obsessive love affair with elephants. I'm sure I'll blog more on that later. At least I don't have to worry about getting one as a pet. Annnnnnyways....

As we were walking through the parking lot towards the Gwinnett Arena, the sun was setting and I snapped  a picture with my phone. It doesn't do it any justice.

The light was streaming up into the heavens and it was just beautiful. Breathtaking. It was about 6:30 p.m. and I realized that it was about 5:00 a.m. the next morning in India. I told Jonah, "Do you know that the sun is setting here but in India where Daddy is, it's just coming up? God is sending our sun to light Daddy's morning!" It was such a neat thought. That night, Jonah's prayer grew even more....

"Dear God, Please keep my Daddy safe in Imbeeyah and help him to put light into the Imbeeyan peepul's hearts. Amen."

Tonight, we prayed Proverbs 19:21 from our prayer chain.

"Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails."

In previous nights, we've prayed about God's guidance and leading those from darkness to light. Jonah's prayer?

"Dear God, Please keep my Daddy safe in Imbeeyah....and could You just help him and guide him? Amen."

My heart could not be fuller! I think it might burst on Saturday when I've got my entire family home! :)

All You Blogging Divas.....HELP!

This is what happens when my man is out of town and I get bored. You'd think I'd direct my attention to more productive things like laundry, vacuuming, or dusting....no. I tinker with my blog and inevitably mess it all to pieces! So I was piddling around on some blog design sites and noticed that Leelou Blogs offers free blog templates. Hmmmmm, my curiosity got the best of me so I decided to experiment. In the process, I've erased my template in my HTML code & am stuck with this template. Cute, yes. But what happens when my ADD kicks in and I want to change it? If anyone has any ideas, PLEASE feel free to help me. And remember that I'm a stay-at-home mom who has no official income so paying someone to fix it is probably a last resort. I just want it back to the regular template but now all my HTML code is funky & I have no idea what is going on. I've always known that Satan lives in technology and now I have proof.....I really do, actually. But that story is for a different time. (Someone remind me, 'kay?)

Anyways.....if you do leave a comment, will you do one thing for me? Sometimes I can't reply to you directly and I get this really frustrating "no reply-comment@blogger.com" message. I'm linking you to Erin's blog because she includes pictures on her explanation of how to fix that and seeing as my mastery of blogging is quite limited (ahem....see above paragraph, please) it helped me out a lot! :)

"Imbeeyah"

We've made a prayer chain for Daddy while he's in "Imbeeyah". There's a link for each night he's gone with Bible verses that we can pray. When we get to the heart at the top that says "Daddy's Home!", it will be time for him to be back.

Jonah wanted to write "Daddy" all by himself. Not bad for a three-year-old but I'm biased. I know for a fact there are others in his class at preschool that could do way better. They're also girls, but you know....

Last night, while we were praying Ephesians 4 for Daddy (specifically verses 4 and 15) Jonah asked if we could tear off two links.
     "I want Daddy to come home.....now."
I know, Buddy. Me too.

After he went to bed, I was finishing up my lesson for BSF and kept getting hung up on one particular question. The lesson asked me to list promises from anywhere in the Bible that are encouraging me at the current time. There are so many! Where do I even start?! I was thinking about in John 17 when Jesus prays for His disciples and asks God to keep them safe by the Name He gave Christ. I tried to turn there but for some reason my mind kept thinking that "sheep" was in that passage and I know the sheep passage is in John 10 so that's where I ended up. Of course, that's exactly where God wanted me.

"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." John 10:16

Suddenly, my prayer turned from "Keep Bear safe, keep Bear safe!" to "Get those sheep, get those sheep!" Strange how God just turned my perspective around, isn't it? It's not about my fear, worry, and loneliness. It's all about Him and His glory. Always has.

So, Babe- wherever you are in "Imbeeyah"....get those sheep!

SSMT #4

Bear's in India and as I'm typing this he should be landing in Mumbai. They will be spending the night in the airport and then flying out to Hyderabad on Tuesday morning at 6:25 am (their time).... about 8 pm tonight (our time). I've been praying all morning that God provides them with a safe, quiet place to sleep so that they'll be fully rested and protected. I've also been praying Ephesians 6 over them like crazy!

We dropped Bear off at the church Sunday afternoon to meet up with the rest of the team. Jonah has cried several times over the past week in anticipation of Daddy leaving and going to "Imbeeyah" to tell the "Imbeeyan peepul" about Jesus. Sunday, he decided that if he pitched a fit than maybe Daddy would stay. It's been a great opportunity to teach Jonah that sometimes obeying God isn't the most fun thing. Daddy doesn't want to be away from us for two weeks. Daddy isn't looking forward to not seeing us nor is he excited about cuddling up with David at night either. (I know for a fact that he is very excited about what God's going to do in India though.) Regardless of the stuff we don't like, Daddy is being obedient to God and as Bear says, "It's better to be gone and be obedient than to be here and be disobedient. God's Will is the best...and safest...place to be." Amen to that! I can only imagine how much of a grump Bear would be if he were here over the next two weeks. So, it's been good to help Jonah see that we are to obey the Lord regardless of how we feel about it. Obedience is obedience and we're called to do it. No excuses.

As we pulled out of the church parking lot Daddy-less, I was trying to hold back my tears so as not to scare my children. My heart was breaking over the upcoming fourteen nights without Bear. Fourteen nights without someone to talk to before falling asleep. Fourteen nights getting the kids to bed by myself. Fourteen nights not having that security of Bear's back of solid muscle to hide behind when I hear a noise at night. Fourteen nights of restlessness. Fourteen! (I don't even want to calculate how many meals, loading/unloading of the car, diapers, etc. that is without MY MAN!)

Chris Tomlin's song "Our God is Greater" was playing on the radio. Yes, I know this song is way overplayed but it was like hearing it for the first time. He is greater. He is stronger. Greater than India. Stronger than my twisted up feelings in my chest. Higher than any other.

My previous memory verse for SSMT was Zephaniah 3:17:

"For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will sing over you with joyful songs."

(emphasis mine)

He did just that. How faithful is our God?! My next verse that I will be memorizing is a bit different. I personalized it just for me....

"[She] will have no fear of bad news; [her] heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord." Psalm 112:7

The Scripture actually reads "They" and "their". I'm pretty sure the Lord won't mind. I really wanted to memorize it in it's entirity of context but I don't think I could handle the entire 112nd chapter of Psalms! But it's a perfect prayer for "Imbeeyah" and the "Imbeeyan peepul" and the team's families at home.

"Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing." Psalm 112

Seriously??

Bear and I went out to eat Thursday night before his trip to India. It was such a treat for us to go out without children! My mom watched the kids and we went to Madison's Icehouse...which is under new management, by the way, and not as great as we remembered. It may have been our last visit. Anyways, when we walked up to the front door we saw this:

Seriously?? I mean, what does one do with a stolen cat? And why are there needed cats at a restaurant in the first place? Do they have that bad of a rodent problem or are they just being proactive? Weird.

He also saw this on his way home from work earlier that same day.

You know the poor girl stuck driving this thought she was getting a cool, cute company car. Little did she know....

Pop Quiz

What do these two  have in common?

Brooke, with Sarah                         Katie, with Cobb      
& Charlie                                                         

Brooke is Bear's sister and Katie is my sister. Both are married to guys with smooth heads....

Russell, Brooke's husband

...but that's really not what I'm going for. I've already given you two hints in the above pictures but here are just a few more to get you guessing-

Give up? Well....

Brooke is the mother of twins, Charlie and Sarah, and Katie will be the mother of twins this coming August!!!! We're so excited!

Love as a Verb

This month is Love Month and I've been trying to teach my kids the importance of loving others. Is there any perfect opportunity than Valentine's Day? We wanted to make Valentine's Day special for an important someone who we love very dearly, so we packed up our car and headed for Madison, Ga. Once we pulled into the parking lot of Morgan Memorial Hospital, we unloaded and prepared to deliver a very special package....

...to a very special Ms. Eugenia!

I wrote about Ms. Eugenia here and how dear she is to our little family. I'm pleased to say that the Lord is overseeing her recovery and she is doing fantastic! We visited for a good half hour before Esther Grace's temperment was less than tolerable. It was so good to see Ms. Eugenia and to see her bouncing Esther Grace on her lap. Yes. The woman has a broken hip and she was playing "Ride that Horsie" with my squirming, 25 lb. sixteen-month-old. I was scared to death that she was going to break her other hip but she just smiled and said, "They've got me lifting much more in my therapy sessions and she's a whole lot cuter to lift." Do you not see why I adore this woman? She can look at my snotty, fussy, offspring and think "cute".

How are you showing love to those around you this month? I'd like to get some good ideas for later on! :)

The Death of Me

Esther Grace thoroughly enjoyed sneaking Jonah's Valentine candy from his preschool party this morning.

This was her third bath of the day at 2:00. Does anyone see a pattern? A better question might be...does anyone know of a good stain remover?

Wordless Wednesday



Love as a Verb

Recently I found myself involved in a Facebook conversation on love. It all started with the question, "If God is "Love" and not all people know God, then how can all people love?" There were many responses and one thing was very apparent- we're clueless when it comes to love. This is sad considering Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Deidre over at "For Such a Time As This" has challenged those who are interested to post about love every day in February. Check out her post "Love as a Verb" for more details. As you can see, I'm already behind. I know I won't be able to post everyday but I do want to make a conscious effort to make this month about the Only Love that counts- His.

With all this said, this week at BSF I got the very opportunity to kick it all off. Every week since Jonah began BSF, Miss Eugenia has watched him before class begins so that I am able to set up my room for my group and pray with the other leaders before everyone gets there. She never fails. Every. Single. Week. Esther Grace will reach for her from across the hall when we get there. She loves my babies so faithfully and I adore her. This week when we arrived, Miss Eugenia was nowhere to be seen. I don't think Esther Grace even realized where we were without Miss Eugenia's sweet, warm welcome.

Sweet Miss Eugenia has fallen & broken her hip. I was heartbroken for her. I told Jonah about it and he has been very concerned. He prays for her each night and she's even made it into our dinner blessing all week. :) I wrote her a card & helped Jonah decorate one for her to stick in the mail today. (I really wish that I had taken a picture of it for this post but he was so excited to stick it in the mail today that it didn't cross my mind until it was too late!) But I don't think this is nearly enough....not for how much my heart just pours out for this sweet, sweet woman. If it weren't for her faithful volunteering, I wouldn't have a place to take my children so that I could adequately prepare for discussion group. If it weren't for her consistent face and loving disposition, my kids might not be as comfortable and willing to go to BSF and learn God's Truth. So I'm planning on another little project.....I'll keep you up to date. :)

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God..." 1 John 4:7

SSMT #3

I can't believe I'm already on my third verse! Time is definitely flying by but not without me having ample time to hide these Truths in my heart. I don't know about you but I've got the first two verses down pretty good. Let's see....

"You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance."

Psalm 65:11

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope."

Romans 15:4

I just typed those from memory so don't check my punctuation or anything. And I have no idea what translation they're in but at least I got 'em! Here's my third verse-

I stole it from Amy's post about Libbi's baby dedication. This just happens to be one of Libbi's life verses that they chose for her and I think it's absolutely beautiful. Don't you? Our God is so tender to us despite our failings and I need every reminder I can get.

I also chose it because I loved the part about God calming all my fears. Bear's headed to India with four other guys from our church on February 21. He'll be there for 12 days and we've never been apart that long. It will be an intense spiritual time preparing for his departure as well as while he's overseas. Please keep our little family in your prayers! This verse will be a great one for me to memorize prior to his leaving. I can see myself reciting it at night here at the house when I'm by myself. Such a comfort.

Can you type your first two verses from memory? What's your new verse? Maybe I'll steal it for my fourth one coming up....

"For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." Zephaniah 3:17, NLT