Where to Begin?

This weekend was absolutely wonderful for me. I really can't stand when things are bitter-sweet in our lives. We had a awesome time, and did NOT want to come home, however, life does go on. SO, as previously stated, our "weekend" started with me taking Tom to get his driver's license...he passed with flying colors..thank the Lord. Then we all loaded up the car and headed up to Medford to spend the weekend with the Saunders family. It was (again) WONDERFUL!! Getting to see old friends, and making new friends....being blessed and hopefully being a blessing...I cannot think of how this weekend could have gone better.
Let me show you what God did this weekend:
First....through the generosity of friends...my way was "made" so I can go on the women's retreat with my friends...I cannot express how very excited I am about that...how much I need it, how much I felt I was supposed to be there (for me)...I just really felt the Lord wanted me there, but it did not look like I was going to get to go...and I was sad, but OK with it...and God's grace reached down and made a way for me.
Second....AGAIN through the generosity of friends....God's grace reached down and touched my son with a truck (his realistic dream truck as he puts it) for free. He will take possession of said truck soon (we did not bring it home yet)....the gift has made him a jolly, happy, can't stop talking about it..kid.
Third...We got to make new friends....AGAIN...by God's grace, He introduced us to some fellow "family members" and hopefully we can all get to know each other deeper.
Fourth...We got to meet up with some "already" friends...that was a great blessing for me as well.
My heart is overflowing with joy and love right now. I (we) deeply deeply love the Saunders family, and I know they are only 3.5 hours away....but I wish we lived 3.5 minutes away from each other...ugh!!
I love that God loves us so much, that He can bring people into our lives that we can truly love for a lifetime...the Saunders family are one set of those people in our lives....we ALL love each other...there is no my kids don't get along with her kids, my husband and her husband don't see eye to eye but put up with each other for the sake of their wives....none of those things. Yes, the kids are kids and they have their spats...but God has richly blessed us all.
I am in much anticipation for what God has for me, and wants from me this weekend....I hope this week flies by!!
Have a wonderfully blessed day!!

NO TIME

Just a quick note before we leave for Medford....Thank the Lord, Thomas passed his test with 0 mistakes...thats "zero". I am so proud of him...thanks to all who prayed...now we are off to Medford!

Typical

I suppose if someone was to ask me what I thought about my life...my answer would be, "I love my life! I love my God, I love my husband, I love my children, I love my friends and family, I am very blessed." If someone was to ask me what I DO NOT like about my life...I would emphatically say..."Sometimes it just seems like it's too busy!" A very typical day has me doing a lot of busy stuff. In general, I don't mind..I mean, I AM a wife and mom, and I DO have church activities to attend etc etc....but sometimes I feel like I could use a good nap. I have to fight (sometimes) envying my sister, she has a pretty laid back life and doesn't have to do a lot of running around. Well, that is not entirely true...at least she USED to have a laid back life...now every time I call her, the kids tell me she is running somewhere to do something....so, maybe she is actually catching up to me. Can you tell, today has been one of those busy days? ;-) I had to get up early and get to the DMV (we lost our registration to the car that Tom will be taking his test in tomorrow....FYI: go to the DMV right after they open...no long lines). Because I was able to get in and out of there so fast, I was able to make it back to Blue Lake in time to make it to the kid's awards assembly....now I am home trying to lighten the mountain of laundry in my home, must have clothes for my much anticipated trip to Medford....I can't wait to see you Saunders Family!!! So, now, I have a moment between loads to drop a quick blog. WHEW! To me, it does not sound like a lot, but it sure feels like a lot. And yes, this is a fairly typical day for me.
All that being said...would I say my life is TOO busy....the tired part of me would give a resounding yes...the God Loving part of me says "not to grow weary while doing good."
Pray for me.
Pray for Tom, too...he takes his drivers test tomorrow morning.
Have a wonderfully blessed day!

P.S. WWWWAAAHHHHOOOO!! I JUST HEARD I GET TO MEET UP WITH TAWNY AND DARLA TOO....THIS TRIP JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER!!

He Makes Everything Glorious

I have that David Crowder song "He Makes Everything Glorious" (maybe it's just "Glorious") running through my head this morning. I love the line: He makes everything glorious, what does that make me?" If He made EVERYTHING glorious, and He made me...that means, to Him, I am glorious too. Sometimes I have to remember that, I am VERY good at self-condemnation. I don't ask people to feel sorry for me, and I don't usually let it keep me from being "me", but very frequently I have a very low opinion of myself. I have just learned how to not listen to THAT voice, and get on with "it", and be who I know God has called me to be. And one thing I KNOW I am, is glorious...to HIM.
A while back, after we put the kids to bed, Erik and I sat down to watch a little t.v., we landed on PBS and an orchid hunter show. Now, orchids are no where near my favorite flower...I am more a sunflower girl myself, but I was brought into such a state of awe watching this program because they would get real close up pictures of these orchids, different species of them, just a rainbow of orchids so to say. I was struck deeply of God's creativity. I wish I could describe how I felt in that moment of understanding, however much my feeble mind could, what an amazing God we have, and how much more important to Him WE are, than those orchids, but look at the tender care he gave to decorating them for us.
As long as I am on this earth, I don't know if I will ever truly see myself the way God sees me....to know that the God who created this earth, grew these trees, flowers, bushes, grass, put the oceans into place, put the lakes into place, created human beings, decorated (intricately) each and every one of his creations, could destroy our enemy with the mere blast of the breath of His nostril....that this same God looks down, over, into me and sees an amazingly beautiful daughter of His. That brings me more peace and joy and comfort than I can express.
Have a wonderfully blessed day!

What a Beautiful Morning

Every morning when I wake up, it is usually still dark outside. I love to open my curtains while it's still dark, and just watch the night sky light up into day. We were supposed to have a nasty storm this last weekend, and while we DID have a "storm" we have had MUCH worse. So, I wake up this morning, to this:






I know I am so blessed to be able to have such beautiful views every single day. A few years back I determined I was a winter person...mostly because I really really hate the heat of summer. I like the sunshine of summer, just not the heat, then we have mornings like today...a beautiful sunny day, and 45 degrees outside. Maybe I am just a not-so-hot summer lover? But it IS beautiful this morning.
I have been having a problem with contentedness (is that a word). It's kind of hard to admit, but I know God is dealing with me on it. I have no idea why, but I believe God has put Nebraska on my heart...perhaps we will move there someday, and I cannot adequately express to you how much my heart longs for Medford again....I LOVED IT UP THERE!! Well, that longing for Medford, and this thing in my heart for Nebraska has really led me to not enjoy my surroundings, and I feel a bit of shame over it. Don't get me wrong, I love my life, I love everyone in my life, and I love everything I do in my life....but there has been this "thing" in me that has always believed California is not our settling place, and in my desperate need to always be in God's will, sometimes I forget that maybe things like Medford, or Nebraska ARE God's will, just not God's timing, and I should enjoy it here while I can.
I feel as though I am rambling....can anyone relate with me?
I have determined that I am going to be content no matter where we are...besides, I can always go visit Medford, pretty much any time I want, right?

Have a wonderfully blessed day!!

HERE I AM

So, I start again on the whole blogging thing. I really do enjoy blogging, I don't know if anyone enjoys reading my blogs, it has been quite a while since I have blogged. I have a friend who has a blog, and one of the things I appreciate about her blog, is that she is honest about everything, and does not hide who she is from anyone...in this aspect, my plan is to blog "the same" by the same I mean, I intend to be brutally honest as well. Our lives are too short, to complicated and to "real" to NOT be real with each other. I take comfort in knowing I am not the only one going through one thing or another, and maybe someone, somewhere will take comfort in my struggles, and my joys as well. We are called to comfort and encourage on another, how can we do this if we are too busy putting on our "Christians are wonderful happy and joyful ALL the time" face? The fact of the matter is, that is not true. Yes, we do find great peace and joy in spite of any storms, however, we still HAVE storms, and they still effect us emotionally, and there is nothing wrong with that. Quite contrary, it's those times, that we seek the Lord even more, even deeper...don't you think that is why we have those storms in the first place?
So, why HERE I AM? Because, that is my heart for the Lord, "Here I am Lord, no matter what you want from me, I am willing to do, or go, or be, knowing that the only way to get there is by YOUR strength and guidance!" I know that no matter where I am, even if it is in the bottom of a pit....HE is there, tending to me and helping me out of that terrible pit!
So, this first blog, of my new blogging, I guess is meant to let you know, who I am, where I stand, and to hope that while I share my growing pains and joys, that it will somehow be an encouragement to someone.
Have a wonderfully blessed day!!