Six Flags

So yesterday was our big day out to Six Flags. It was a little sad because Keisha ended up not being able to come...but the three of us still headed out for a day of FUN and FUN we found!! Nina picked Patti and I up and after filling the cooler with our snacks (of which there was PLENTY) and saying a prayer over our day together we were on the road by 9:15!!

The first picture of the day! We decided to start out with a smaller ride, as Nina put it...to get our tummies and bodies ready for the bigger ones that would come later!

Don't Patti and Nina make a wonderful royal couple? They are sooooo regal!!

What day of fun is complete without a self-taken group shot? We all laughed and commented on how short Nina looks in this picture!

At about three we headed to the car for our lunches. It felt soooo good to get our socks and shoes off! I laughed at how ill prepared I came. I said that if I had packed for the day for my family....I would have had extra clothes for everyone, hand sanitizer, bug spray, a water mister, band aids....but packing for myself? NONE OF THAT!

After lunch we headed back in to the park to finish off our day. We saw the singing and dancing show. It always amazes me that had I been able to start in April I could have been in that. I auditioned wayyyy back the winter of my senior year. It was a really good show and had some great dancing. We also went on Superman, the Viper, Ragin Cajun (again), Raging Rapids (again). The Demon was closed for maintenance so that was too bad, but otherwise we really got to go on all of the rides that we wanted to.

I think the best part of the day was just the commaderie that we had. We laughed so hard, acted silly, talked about serious things, shared parts of our stories...it was an amazing day with amazing friends that I will cherish for years to come!!

A little more Six Flags...

So we had some fun photo ops...lol


George Jetson and I strike a pose!

The Superman ride was almost a lil much for me...lol....almost!

Nina and I

Patti and I

Our soaked "after" picture from the Roaring Rapids (I think that's the name) Let's just say I wasn't thinking very much when I wore a white t-shirt to Six Flags and then went on water rides...lol!!

More Six Flags...

The many faces of my girl Nina...lol

Gotta love her!!!

I've Been Tagged!!! 6 Random Things

Hey everyone---so my lovely She Speaks friend, Dana tagged me. So after reading my 6 random things....hop on over to her blog, Filled with Laughter to see her answers! For those of you I am tagging, please follow the rules listed below. Incidentally, here's who I'm tagging:
Amy
Jess
Ali
Sarah

These are the rules:
1) Link to the person who tagged you
2) Post the rules on your blog (this is what you are now reading)
3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below)
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them (This is only a game)
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up

And here are my six random things in no particular order....

1. I LOVE reality TV. lol...So You Think You Can Dance, Big Brother, Run's House, Little People Big World, Survivor, Project Runway. I do think it's my nosy nature and love of people that just makes me so interested in watching other people's lives...lol!

2. I love to play in the rain with my kids. We have major water fights at the end of our driveway on really rainy days...splashing and running through it...it's a blast!

3. I have a wall in my dining room full of pictures...but my goal is to have pictures covering the whole ENTIRE wall. I love pictures!!!

4. I am the world's biggest procrastinator. I am always running late, finishing projects late, putting things off...it's a horrible thing sometimes. It is better than it used to be but part of me just knows that it's how I am now and I try to compensate for it. Like if I have to get up at 7...I set the alarm for 6:30 so that I know I will be out of bed by 7...lol

5. I crave physical attention and touch and it's super hard because I am married to a man who really does not like physical attention and touch at all. Just being honest.

6. I love each of my kids more than I can even fully put into words. I would lay down my life for any of them and am so excited and can't wait to see them grow and change into adults!! I love how each one of them is so extremely different and a total individual. They are each so beautiful with so much to offer the world and it is a pure blessing to be their mom!

So there you go. Six random, unrelated, off the top of my head things about me :)

Girl's Day Out!

I am soooo excited!! Today I am going with my friends--Nina, Patti and Keisha--to Six Flags for the day. I don't know if my old body can handle it though!! I pulled a muscle in my back on Saturday and it's really not any better. I'm glad that I took tomorrow off too because I think I'm going to need a day to recuperate...lol.

I plan to take a bunch of pictures as I think this day will be one for the history books!!!

Talk to you later :)

Jubilee Sunday

Today I was a part of a panel for Iced Expresso

The topic...Friends with Benefits: Caution! You may get burned! It went really well. There were 4 of us & the audience were women in ages from 20s to 50s. The concept of this ministry is "older" women befriending & mentoring younger women. The topics deal with real life issues & ways to rely on God to get us through them. I think because of everything that I did...the choices I made...there are certain things I can speak about in a way thats different. I used to be afraid that my testimony would be too wild. Then I saw how God used that to reach people who thought they had messed up so much that God wouldn't want them. Now as Christian woman & with me being so open about struggles, temptations, mistakes...I see how God is able to use that too, especially with younger Christian women who might be having the same kind of stresses. I can't be anyone but me & there is no point to pretend.

Now I'm just relaxing, watching Marlon do his origami & feeling rested & happy. Hope you all had nice weekends too!!

Just a good day....

Lisa, Jessie & Autumn enjoying our staff dinner for camp.


Sweet Christie, excited to have her first strawberry daquiri (yes, it was non-alcoholic...lol)



Our group :)



Sarah & I



Just thought I'd share a few pictures from our staff dinner last week.


Today was such a nice day. You may remember me blogging about a community cook out we were having at Frame Park this afternoon. Our family (minus Jordyn who was working and hangin' out with her friend) all worked really hard together. We headed to church and loaded up the cargo van with all of the food, games, tent, etc at about 9:45. Then it was off to the park to set up. I got so excited when at 11:30 a couple of people already started showing up! (it didn't start until 1pm) By 12:45 the grills were fired up and a group of about 50 people had showed up. In all, I figure about 300 people came. We served food, had music, sno cones, face painting, kickball, games and crafts for the little ones....many had heard about the picnic from the flyers, Salvation Army, the Women's Center, James Place....but many just stopped by because they heard the music, smelled the food....just as we wanted. So many great conversations...so many smiles...so many people eating their only meal for the day. In fact, some of my 3rd cousins came and I was able to talk to them...meet their kids. At 4 we started packing up and with all that was left---we sent a ton home with many of the attenders. One of the sweetest moments for me was seeing this man I always see around town....a homeless man who is often garbage diving...sitting under a tree with a full plate of food, two sodas, and a huge smile!! I mostly face painted, did games with the little ones and walked around praying and mingling.

I think my favorite part of the day though was later when my friend, Patti and I went for a walk around the river. Jaden came to play with the boys and we got to have a really great talk & get to know each other better. Jaden & Izzy are on the same team and we've become fast friends, but haven't really had a lot of just girl talk time. So that was a fun time. On Tuesday, she, my friend Nina and Keisha (a woman from church who I also know from Heyer school with the kids) are all going to Six Flags. I can't wait!

Content. In every and any situation. Today was a gift and so easy to be content.

Still here.

You may be wonderin' where have I been and what is up?? It's been a longggg time since I've gone a week without posting. It was quite a weekend and I found out some really sad news on Monday that just had me really contemplative the last few days.

Last Friday Edie, Steph and I took the staff from Camp Zoom out for dinner. It was a really fun time just getting to know them in a non work way. We went to Jose's. It's kind of our spot...lol.

The weekend was spent with a tournament for Izzy with baseball. I actually stayed home on Saturday and did some cleaning, walked and then went in for the later game. Sunday Marlon spoke at his grandfather's church for Men's Day so I was at the game all morning. We swam in the afternoon and then walked. We're starting up a little mini weight loss challenge with just my immediate family (parents, sister, brother in law and our good, good friend Katie) and I'm so excited because Marlon is going to join us this time! He's already doing so well!!

Monday I found out that my friend from work miscarried. Upon finding out about the miscarriage and going to the dr to make sure--she found out they were twins. My heart just aches for her because she and her husband were so excited to be pregnant again (they have a 5 yr. old) and she is just a great mom. Also on Monday, we found out that our dear friend and co-worker JJ's wife lost her battle with cancer in the wee morning hours on Sunday.

I want to share something JJ wrote on her carepages blog from the cancer center to give you a little glimpse of the amazing witness that he and Lori were to all of us....


29 July 20, 2008 at 01:25 PM CDT
I had just finished reading the latest updates on the Care Pages to Lori from my laptop while she closed her eyes and listened. After reading the touching message on the message board from our son Johnny, I told her, “See you are a Proverbs 31 woman.” She just smiled and quietly said no.
At 7:45 the doctor who earlier had requested 2 ultrasounds politely knocked and entered our room, set down and gave us the results. Lori’s liver was beginning to shut down, what was happening was irreversible. We asked what will happen next, he answered as kindly as he could. The toxins in the liver were depriving the blood of its platelets, the unprocessed bile would get into the brain and cause confusion in speech and thinking processes, and it would only be a matter of time before she would lapse into a coma or her heart would simply stop beating from the toxin build up. Neither one of us shed any tears at the news and Lori thanked him politely for as much as she understood. Before leaving he suggested that we should plan to return to family and loved ones no later than Tuesday. Lori and I had always talked about this eventuality. We never lost faith in God’s ability to heal, but we knew that God is sovereign and we don’t know his plans. We saw this time in our lives as a path that God had put us on.

All along the way there would be flowers on either side of the path. We saw these “flowers” in the many cards and words of encouragement and prayers that were said on our behalf as we proceeded obediently trusting the Lord every step of the way. We had always left open the fact that God might eventually bring us to a fork in the road, and that he would take her home first.
Our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ was sure and our faith unshakable. The news from the doctor while unwelcome was not devastating. There were areas where we could be thankful. Thankful that the care rotation (that was planned weeks ago) worked out that I was here instead of my 16-year-old daughter when the doctor came in. Thankful that I got to share her birthday with her. Thankful that Lori’s family, who had planned a family reunion a year ago on this weekend, were all together in Indiana and could support each other when they got the news. Thankful for our children who had to pull together and mature literally overnight as their mom and dad had to leave town. Thankful that we were led to the Cancer Treatment Center with its excellent staff and these Care Pages so not only Lori and I, but all her family and friends, could be blessed by reading the scriptures, comments and prayers that were posted. Thankful for all the meals that had been prepared and delivered to our home during those early days of the diagnosis when our family was in a state of shock.
Saturday evening around 6:00 P.M, I packed a rented vehicle with all our belongings we had brought to the center and then Lori and I headed off to her family reunion in Kokomo. About 8 hours into the trip, we decided to listen to a praise and worship CD that a staff worker had given us before we departed. The words of the songs were perfect and were just what we needed to hear. It was now about 2:30 a.m. I noticed that Lori’s hand had become cool, and I pulled over on the side of the highway. She wasn’t breathing, and I felt no pulse. I called 911, and did CPR until the ambulance arrived. They were unable to restore her breathing or a pulse. In the meantime, my sister in-law Sheri, who is a chief nurse executive(who I had been in contact with over my cell phone)drove down with my two brother-in-laws Mike and Robert over 200 miles in the early morning hours to southern Illinois to be with me. The last minutes of Lori’s life were peaceful as she fell asleep in the Lord's hands, serenaded by praise music. We started off heading for one type of family reunion, but God chose to bring Lori home to his family reunion. Blessings to all.


This evening is the funeral and we are expecting quite a crowd. Lori served here in different ministries for a long time, JJ has worked here over 20 years, they have 5 children...

I've struggled this week. I've been much closer to other people in my life dying...but for some reason this one is hitting me hard. I'm sure it's partly that she was a great mom, she and her children served in Chldren's Ministry, JJ and Marlon are friends...but it's also hard to make sense of God's ways. Like as a Christian woman I know this. Yes. His ways are not our ways. It's not ours to know. He is soveriegn. I trust in that and it is what keeps me from being angry at Lori's death. But...to have a family so rooted in Him, such servants, so devoted to each other have to experience this anguish and loss....

It's just a hard week.

What do you think?

At what age do you stop waiting up for your child to come home? Is almost 17 too old? What if you know she is at the midnight showing of Dark Knight with her aunt...lol. I just can't bring myself to lock the door and go upstairs... I settled down hours ago to go to bed and yet here I sit, scanning the stations, checking out the web, twiddling my thumbs waiting to make sure she gets in ok.

At what age again? lol

Oh the boys...

There is something so precious about a Grandpa and his grandsons. Caught these great pics last time we all hung out at the pool together.

My daddy taking a break from playing with the boys...lol. I forget he's 59 sometimes!! He's like the energizer bunny....he's keeps going and going and going and going and going....

One special acrobatic feat each time we swim is the tube jump. The boys take turns jumping into the tube and great screams of joy emerge when they nail it!

Tyree (still clinging to that green tube you see...but getting brave and jumpin in!), my dad, Isaiah and Israel jump in together to see how much water they can send out the sides of the pool!!

Isaiah

Izzy nails his somersault!

I so love watching the boys with my dad. I know because he had two girls...sometimes their shenanigans are a little much for him. I think he can handle the smart mouth girls better than the wild, rambunctious boys sometimes...lol...but there's nothing like seeing him beam over his grandsons!!

Nia and I

This week my niece Nia is staying with us. She is helping out at camp in the morning and then doing some odd and end jobs for me in the afternoon at work. It's fun to have her around now because when the kids were younger...I wasn't able to give her a lot of attention. With the boys back to back to back (born 96, 97, 98) I was a little busy those preschool years...lol. Even with Jordyn being 5 years older...it was never very easy to have her stay overnight or hang out because my hands were so full with our little ones. Now she's this full fledged pre-teen who will be 11 later this month! My how time flies!!

I look in their eyes...
Each one so different
My four special gifts
On loan from my Lord

Jordyn--so silly, yet brilliant
Laid back, relaxed
Yet vibrant and loud

Isaiah--so stoic, yet fun-loving
Kind, Conscientious
Full of dignity and grace

Elijah--so madcap, yet loving
Humorous, headstrong
Yet affectionate and tender

Israel--the pleaser, yet free
Driven, rule follower
A true servant heart...

The blessing these four
are in my life
Gets lost often times in
the busyness of life

But as I recognize each moment
as an irreplacable gift
It helps remind me to pause
and savor each day

I only desire to serve them well
train them and guide them
to face life head on

Praying each moment
for each of their lives
that they seek out His will
and try to stay in the light

Yes each of their faces...
So sweet and lovely
Bring a smile to my face
As I think of them now.

I pray I get it right
As best as I can
And they know that I love them
More than they can understand....

Oh yes...one more!

Now you know how excited I was to find out that even my new Proverbs 31 ladies love a good meme now and then!! Maybe I'm not so corny after all...lol.

Here's a fun one my friend Dana had posted today, which she got from Micca Campbell. Take a minute to check out theirs as well!!

Me From A to Z

A is for Age 37 (same as you Ms. Dana!)

B is for Burger of choice I really am not partial to burgers...so I don't have a favorite.

C is for Kind of car you drive Chevy Malibu, Kia Rio and a Dodge conversion van (when we finally get it repaired of course...lol)

D is for dog's name We had to get rid of our doggy, but her name was Chloe

E is for Essential everyday item you can't live without Hm. I'll answer both spiritual and material. Spiritual-I must daily have worship music or I think I would die. Material-I must have a coffee!!!

F is for Favorite TV show at the moment Oh, I LOVE reality TV, so what's on right now is So You Think You Can Dance. With my dance background that is definately a do not miss. Dana--how funny, my hubby and one of my son's always watch Verminators too!

G is for Your Favorite Game Hm. I like Apples to Apples

H is for your hometown Oconomowoc

I is for Instrument you play I did play the violin. Don't know if I'd still know any or not. I also play my voice...lol

J is for your favorite Juice mmmmmmmmm.......juice. All.

K is for who you'd like to Kiss Marlon is the obvious answer. But I'd also like to kiss my son Isaiah without it seeming like torture :) (he's 12)

L is for last restaurant you ate Jose' Blue Sombrero. If you are ever in Brookfield, you really gotta get there. YUM!

M is for your favorite Muppet Oh--it's hard to pick just one. I like Beaker. And Fozzy. And Miss Piggy.

N is for the Number of piercings you have Just one in each ear.

O is for Overnight hospital stays Hm. Well, July 91 for kidney infection, Aug. 91 for delivery, May 96 for delivery, June 97 for kidney infection, July 97 for delivery, Oct 98 for delivery, Aug 05 for hysterectomy. True confessions here. I LOVE the ice at the hospital.

P is for People you were with today Marlon, the boys, Jordyn, my mom, random strangers at Wal-Mart

Q is for what you do with your Quiet time Well, it's few and far between but I do a variety of things. I read, nap, watch what I want to on the TV, pray, clean, go for a walk, blog

R is for your biggest regret I don't allow myself to have regrets

S is for Status Married :)

T is for the Time you awoke today 8:00am

U is for what you consider unique The fact that God made 26 different butterflies that have the letters of the alphabet etched in their wings. If you've never heard of this before, check it out HERE. He's so darn creative sometimes, it wigs me out!!

V is for your favorite Vegetable Oh corn, definately. But since I'm changing my lifestyle and not eating it so much since it's not very healthy for you----then broccoli

W is for your Worst habit worrying

X is for number of X-rays oh Lord, wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too many to ever count!

Y is for Yummy food you ate today Hmmmmm...the yummiest food I had today was some chorizo and eggs for breakfast

Z is for Zodiac Sign Gemini. While I dont follow horoscopes at all or believe in them....I am really like a lot of what they say a Gemini is.

Okay ladies, consider yourself tagged....and any men that might come across this blog....now get to posting and don't forget to include your link in my comments so we can check out your answers!!

Oh yes....my memes!!!!

Why people it's been at least an eon or two since I did meme!!! Ok. Maybe more like a month or two...lol. But you know that my corny self loves these things, so when I saw this one, I just had to do it. They are after all, the funnest way ever to find out strange things about new and old friends :)

1. Where were you when the ball dropped for 2007?
I actually believe I may have started to doze on the couch with Marlon...lol. We-are party animals!

2. Where will you be when the ball drops for 2008?
Um. Probably in the same spot...lol!

3. What are you listening to right now? The Color Purple in the other room.

4. Has the death of a celebrity ever made you cry? Naw

5. What color underwear are you wearing? I'm ready for bed so I plead the 5th!

6. Do you live in a zoo?
Somedays.

7. What did you do this morning? Some laundry, made breakfast for everyone and finally finished my 5 lessons for this coming week at Camp Zoom. I am doing worship and the large group teaching for the camp.

8. What does your mom do for a living?
She is an Assistant Branch Manager for a credit union

9. Where do you work?
At Elmbrook in Children's Ministry

10. What are your favorite smells? Oh--I love smells. Really good hair product, coffee, doublemint gum because it reminds me of my Grandma Nickel

11. What are the last two digits of your phone number?
why? what can you do with two numbers?

12. What was the last concert you attended?
Oh my goodness---hm. Fred Hammond at Summerfest a couple of summers ago with Jackie and Justin

13. Who was with you? oh. already told. I'm an overachiever...lol

14. What was the last movie you watched?
The Color Purple because it's still on now...lol. In the theaters? First Sunday

15. What do you dislike at the moment?
mosquitoes. I know all creatures have a purpose....but c'mon!

16. What do you crave right now?
A relaxing, luxurious body massage

17. Did you dream last night?
yep. It was a totally weird one.

18. What was the last TV show you watched?
I watched Law and Order earlier today

19. What is your favorite piece of jewelry?
I only have fun, costume jewelry...none of it is really "favorite"

20. Who is your best friend?
Hm. I have some really, really great friends. Not sure I can pick one as a best friend.

21. Who is your best friend of the opposite sex? Mr. Marlon

22. Who last IM’d you? Don't IM

23. Are you on any medication? nope

24. What side of the bed do you sleep on? left

25. What color shirt are you wearing? blue

26. What color is your razor? blue and white

27. What is your favorite frozen treat?
Oh--Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey. Did you know they made heaven in the form of ice, milk and sugar?

28. How many tattoos/piercings do you have? only my ears, Marlon doesn't want me to get my nose and I'm afraid to get a tattoo.

29. What are your favorite stores? Wal-Mart, Lane Bryant (but hopefully not for long)

30. Are you thirsty right now? naw...just finished a water bottle

31. Can you imagine yourself ever getting married? why yes. it's so far-fetched, but I can see it...lol

32. Who’s someone you haven’t seen in awhile and miss?
Jackie. Our paths only cross so briefly at church...we haven't had time to sit and talk and hang out in months.

33. What did you do last night?
Went for a walk with my mom and did some laundry

34. Do you care what people think about you?
To an extent, but not in an unhealthy way like I used to. I certainly don't want anyone to hate me...but I know that I am not everyone's flava...

35. Have you ever done something to instigate trouble? um. yes I have.

36. Do you like your nose? sure.

37. What color is your room? off white

38. When was the last time you worked out?
Today in the pool and then my mom, Jordyn and I walked twice around the river tonight

39. Do you like pedicures? I love the leg massage and foot massage part, but I really don't like the fixin the nails part

40. Where do you live? in my house

41. Are you an aggressive driver?
not usually

42. Who is your cell phone carrier? AT & T

43. Do you like the person who posted this last? sure

44. What do you want for your birthday? a night away with Marlon

45. What is the thing you’d most want to change about yourself?
I always pray for patience

46. What color is your car? white

47. What do you smell like right now? honestly? sweat from my walk earlier...lol

48. What is your favorite color? I love colors...orange, pink, bright blue, black

49. Do you like mustard? ew. negative.

50. What do you tell yourself when times get hard?
Psalm 23

51. Would you ever sky dive? maybe

52. What do you sleep on? my comfy bed

53. Have you ever bid for something on eBay? no

54. What do you think of Angelina Jolie being pregnant? I don't!

55. Do you enjoy giving hugs? I love hugs. I am all about invading personal space!!

56. Would you consider yourself to be fashionable?
I love fashion and being stylish. Not sure how fashionable I am.

57. Do you own a digital camera? yep

58. What celebrities have you been compared to? When I was younger and a lil thinner people used to say I looked a little like Allie Sheedy

59. What does your 19th test message say? don't have 19 of them right now

60. How ’bout your 30th? um. if I don't have 19...I don't have 30...lol

61. Who did you hang out with last night? my mom and then after 10 when Marlon and the boys got back-them.

62. What are you doing this Saturday? Well, since Saturday is done, I'll say what I'm doing this Sunday---church, baby shower, swimming (I hope) and getting ready for camp on Monday

Alright all. Have a good night and hasta manana!!

Mindy <><

Will We Ever Get it Right?

Thank you all for your prayers yesterday. Court went as expected. In Wisconsin there is now 6 months before it is final. I do believe that there is something happening...moving within her as she cried the entire time and would not really look at Rafe. Afterwards he tried to speak to her and she really wouldn't even talk to him. We can't control or force someone's else's thoughts, feelings, actions, heart...I've let him know that he can only focus on and take responsibility for himself and how he responds to this. I'll just keep praying...

It did get me thinking though....about marriage....the work it is....how everything in our society works against it succeeding. We see around us and are taught that we should expect only the best in life. We see around us and are taught that there is always something better out there to strive for. We see around us and are taught that we deserve a happy ending. This is not the truth. This destroys the very foundation of marriage. We can't buy into those myths.

Myths

#1 We should only expect the best in life.

God's word says different. God's word is living and breathing and true. You can believe in that just as sure as you can believe you will see your reflection in a mirror.

Romans 5:3 "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverence, and perseverance, character; and character, hope."

James 1:2 "My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."

We will experience trials...rough times in life. We will endure hardship and pain. We will suffer. Why should we not? Didn't Christ himself suffer the most extreme hardship and pain of all? To mercifully give up His life to save the world...for sins He was not even capable of committing? And yet we, in our arrogance, dare to think that we should only experience happiness, success, fulfillment. This erodes marriage. When times are hard, when things are rough and we aren't "happy"...we use this as a reason to walk away. We use this as a reason to turn our spouse in for a better model. We will be hurt by our spouse. They will fail us. They will make mistakes. They will sin. And aside of abuse that compromises safety or a hardened heart that will not turn from evil...my personal belief now is that there is no other justifiable reason to divorce.


#2 There is always something better out there to strive for.

Oh this one is rich. It's the American dream. The pie in the sky mentality that we should always be searching for the ultimate "whatever". Car, home, job, looks, and yes mate. There is no freedom in that and you never allow yourself to experience the peace and joy of the Lord if you are always searching. My life verse is this:

Philippians 4:11,12 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in every and any situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

Be content. Enjoy what you have. Look to your surroundings and rejoice in them. There is no freedom in "keeping up with the Jones's". This "reach for the stars" mentality is not fully a bad thing. Don't get me wrong here. I am not saying that we should never set goals and try to achieve them. What I am saying is that this becomes a mantra and ideology that gives us permission to end a marriage. Gained some weight? Have an irritating habit? Lost your job? Had an accident that leaves you disfigured? Not aging well? Better beware because in our society these are all things that have become justifiable reasons to leave someone. No. In any and all situations. Not only the ones your friends approve of. Not only the ones you think are acceptable. Any and all.

#3 We deserve a happy ending.

Well, first the problem with this is that we've lost sight of what a happy ending is. Eternity with our God in Heaven is the only happy ending that we need to be concerned with. Do we deserve that? No. But thank God that He gave us a way to have it anyway, through His son, Jesus Christ.

A spouse can't give us that. A spouse can't give us a happy ending. And so when we try to give our spouse that power...when we rely on them to make us happy...when we expect them to fill our hearts...we will be disappointed. There is only one way to a happy ending and there is only one ending that matters.

John 14:6 "Jesus said to Him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father exept through Me."

John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Only through Christ. Only by belief that He is the Son of God. That is our happy ending. A happy ending is not a white picket fence, 2.5 outstanding children, fancy cars, expensive vacations, a dashing Prince Charming (or Cinderella) on our arm and romantic, candlelit dinners by the fireplace. Our happy ending comes only at a price that we could never pay.

Just some thoughts to think.

Mindy <><

Prayer Request....

Tonight I am asking all of my friends, family, bloggin buddies and anyone else who happens upon my blog to pray for my cousin Rafe. What I am going to share, he is very open with sharing so I know I can ask for this.

Last fall Rafe admitted himself to treatment for his alcohol addiction. He knew it had gotten out of hand and he knew he had to change for his wife (of only one year). Upon returning home from his treatment program--his wife decided to leave him. He has spent the last nine months trying to figure out how to get her back, working on getting well, finding a relationship with Christ, trying to understand why she won't give him another chance... She eventually filed for divorce and tomorrow is the final court date.

I try not to pass judgement on her. While I know that everyone deserves forgiveness, she is refusing to forgive him--barely speaking to him in the last 9 months. He offered counseling, slowly reconnecting, any terms she was comfortable with to no avail. I don't know what she is going through---what she is dealing with---what hurt she is carrying. I am sure she is confused and angry and in pain.

Please pray for God's will to be carried out tomorrow. I know that He grieves when marriages end...but I also know that He always sees the big picture. Please pray that Rafe keeps close the knowledge that he has come a long way---that he is continuing his path to complete health and that whether or not she wants him back he can hold his head high that he has done everything in his power to save his marriage. Help him to be strong tomorrow no matter what the outcome. Pray also for her...that God might soften her heart and she might give her marriage a second chance before just ending it and walking away.

If you'd like, please leave any encouragement, prayers, or comments and I will make sure to forward them on to Rafe.

Nite!

Prayer

If you've been reading my blog lately you know that God is doing a great work in me. Almost every aspect of my life is being realigned and reevaluated. One thing that I have begun again is my prayer book.

About 3 years ago, at a ministry wives conference, I purchased this great book. It's a binder to help you organize your prayer life. Now this is not to take the place of the many prayers that are said throughout the day, as different situations come to mind and you need to pray about them, as you face decisions and need an answer...this is to help organize your daily prayer time. (by the way---if you don't already have this rich, essential time set aside each day I encourage you to do so) Each day of the month has a page to put pictures, business cards, momentos to help you envision what you are praying about, an area to list what/who you are praying for, scripture to meditate on as you begin your prayer time and an area to list any specific requests and answers to those prayers. I had used it very regularly and in the last 5 or 6 months have really slacked on incorporating it into my daily time with God.

This month I have begun using it again. I am reminded of how special prayer is. How it not only brings us closer to God, but warms our heart toward whoever we are praying for. My hope for each of you is that you might find a way to incorporate this organized kind of prayer into your day. One thing that is most satisfying is that when someone asks me to pray for them, I immediately add them to my book. It's a great reminder to ensure that I am truly praying for someone who I told I would. It also helps me follow up with that person and see how things are going and what God is doing in their life now.

Blessings on your night my friends!!

The 4th....Sun...Swimming...Satisfying

While I am most certainly a SON worshipper...I must admit that I am a little bit of a "sun" worshipper as well!! I love the sweet feeling of the sun on my face, the bright glow outside that makes me squint and the glorious refreshment of my parent's pool. We had such a beautiful week weather wise---that who even cares that it's supposed to rain tomorrow?? Here's just a few pictures of the past few days...

My cousin's daughter Mackenzie and my niece, Keyona enjoy the new boat. These little ladies swam like fish all afternoon!

Isaiah (yes, he is actually becoming a lil buff!!!), Elijah (my sweet boy full of love) and my slim jim brother-in-law Rod. Yes, this he gave us a run for our money in our Biggest Loser challenge.

Hanging out around the hot tub.

I am blessed. This weekend I looked around at my friends and family and thanked God for the wonderful relationships that we have. I'm thankful beyond belief to have close, loving ties with people who love me for me. Not what I can do for them, not how I help them, not what I teach them....just because I am me. I pray that I never take that for granted!!

Being obedient...

Being obedient just feels good.

As I am having the conversations I need to...to pull out of some of the many different things I am involved in....making time each day to spend with God, and loving my husband and kids---I am feeling very peaceful and focused. It's funny how even though the past few days have been very full with activities, sports, housework...I have not felt overwhelmed or frazzled once. This should not be a surprise. I know it is the wonderful gift my sweet Jesus will give me when I put Him first and allow my attitude and outlook to be sprinkled with His spirit instead of my own.

Leaving Teen MOPS is probably going to be the most difficult thing I am putting down. I know that there are struggles in all ministries, but in the last year or so, there has been crazy warfare on this ministry. While I connect well with the girls and most of the leaders, I know that I do not serve there to serve God. I serve there for my own selfish ambition. I know that it is a time filler because I want to get out of the chaos of my house. I like feeling needed. Those are not bad reasons to be involved. However, for me, on this path God is taking me, as I discover the way to my calling...I know I need to let it go. I am away from Marlon and my kids enough with my job in Children's Ministry...I believe it is selfish and self-serving of me to find other things to occupy my time.

It's a vicious cycle. I want to find things to get me out of the house and the craziness, but yet the more I am gone and filling my time with "ministry" the further away from God I am and from being a Proverbs 31 woman. My hubby doesn't do a lot of praising me at the gate when I am calling him names under my breath and slamming cupboards. My kids don't call me blessed very often when I am screaming at them for forgetting to take the garbage out. I have to do my work with God first. Anything that I am doing to pull my focus from Him so that I am caught up in this world...is sinful. Anything I am doing to keep myself busy and away from His call so that I can barely hear His voice...is sinful. Anything I am doing for purely selfish reasons, letting pride in my performance being a reason to keep me there...is sinful.

He is all that I need. He will sustain in a way that I can't even imagine. He loves me and delights in me. I want nothing more or less than to serve Him fully, feel His love and answer His call on my life well.

Oh yes!!

We did it!

Jordyn and I won the weight loss challenge!! It was really down to the wire. This past weekend was the last weigh in. I lost a total of 41 lbs and Jordyn lost 28. My brother in law and friend almost pulled it off. She lost 1.5 lbs the last week and he lost 7.5!! He really gave it all he had...even working out twice a day for a week! He also had a free 1 pound pass from the challenge we had in May that he won. The morning I weighed in I did a last chance work out, complete with swimming a few laps in the pool...lol. We weren't giving up without a fight. Now we plan to keep up with so many of the changes we've made in our eating, with exercise....

So what has the last 12 weeks taught me? That I am not contolled by food anymore. That I will not fall back into my eating disorder by limiting myself, or pushing myself to exercise more. Honestly, after so many years of struggling with bulimia...that's always been a fear in the back of my mind. I am free from that. Will I continue to struggle with my weight? Perhaps. Like any addiction, I don't think you wake up one day "cured". But I know I can continue with this path without any problems. The walking has really been great for me because I do some of my best thinking and praying on those walks. In fact, as hot as it's going to be today...I think I'm going to go get my walk in right now!

Blessings...

Mindy <><