Risen

I am thankful that even though the beginning of this week started off ROUGH, it got better and ended GLORIOUS!

Sawyer woke up Monday morning feeling bad. Really bad. His first words were, “Mama…my lungs hurt when I ‘breave.’” Well I surely didn’t like the sound of that! I laid hands on him and prayed over him right away, observed that he didn’t have fever, and encouraged him to eat some breakfast and drink some milk. I knew he had coughed a lot over the night, and hoped he would feel better with some warm oatmeal in his throat. But after just one bite, he laid his little curls down on the counter and said quietly, “Mama, I don’t sink I should go to school.” That is completely out of character for Sawyer. He absolutely LOVES school, and never wants to stay home. So I tucked him back in bed. He immediately fell fast asleep, and I immediately called for a pediatrician appointment, fearing a recurrence of pneumonia. At his appointment, all appeared normal. Still no fever, no breath sounds indicating pneumonia… but with every breath, Sawyer clutched his chest. Even when Dr. Everett would distract him and get him giggling, he would double over and grab his chest, right over his heart. This was enough concern to the doctor that he felt a chest X-ray was warranted to rule out pneumonia or pneumothorax (collapsed lung). So from the pediatrician to the imaging facility we went. That in itself was stressful enough, not to mention dragging a cranky five-year-old and an even crankier two-year-old from one waiting room to another, with no pre-prepared keep-busy activities or snacks….we were all stretched PRETTY THIN after 2 1/2 hours. But the receptionist was very kind and brought out clipboards with paper and pens, and that got my grumpy loves over the hump until Sawyer got called back. The X-ray itself was quick and easy, Sawyer had no anxiety at all, and it was a far more peaceful experience than his last X-ray years ago (having to be strapped down as a toddler). Then came the agonizing WAIT for results. BUT GOD. We finally got a call after 5pm that the X-ray was clear (HALLELUJAH!) of pneumonia and pneumothorax, but that there was some irritation on the lung lining (pleurisy) in the area corresponding to his pain. Long, stressful day, but so very thankful for excellent care and good news. (And Sawyer is now feeling great! Thank You Jesus for protection and speedy healing!)

~ for a fun but far-too-short visit from “Cousin” Jen (dear friend who has crossed the threshold and become family). She came all the way from Dallas to watch Cooper and Carson Grace’s games this week! So fun cramming in a visit and catching one another up on life.

~ for an emotionally charged morning celebrating the GCS Senior class. The Seniors walked the halls of the elementary school in their caps and gowns, with the young students lined up giving them all high-fives. I can imagine how big and grown up the Seniors looked to the little kids, but to all the parents looking on, those were our babies. Only yesterday, Carson Grace was in her kindergarten class, with a little custom stool under her tiny feet because she couldn’t reach the floor. Now she is graduating in a few short weeks.

~ for Gavin’s character quality award, Enthusiasm. Such a fitting award, as G-Man is exactly that: bright, creative and overflowing with enthusiasm. He is always questioning, always creating, always learning. The Lord has an incredible future for this boy.

~ that I intercepted the less-than-flattering time-lapse video that my darling Tatum K filmed of me in the dressing room at Old Navy before she texted it to someone!!!!!

~ for a hopping week for Giddyup & Whoa! Finished 2 custom orders and 7 more pieces for the Gresham Barn Sale! Vintage & Co. even featured us on their page! Busy sign week means not much progress on the beams…but I know they’re waiting for me, a project literally hanging over my head….

~ for a fun and tasty lunch with a friend. So grateful for sisters to lean on and to do life with.

~ that every bad day comes to an end. Some days just stink. Not life-or-death cancer days…just run of the mill, cranky, overtired kids + cranky, overwhelmed mama + a to-do list a mile long = YUCK. You know when you park the car and each of the children exit the vehicle with an, “I’m sorry Mama,” that it’s been a rough day. But thank You Lord for new mercies every morning!

~ for a fun-packed Easter weekend: school holiday, sleepovers, ice-cold swimming, a much-needed date night, yard work, egg hunts, Easter baskets, Resurrection rolls for breakfast, powerful worship service and message, lunch with all the cousins, cake! and pie! and WAAAAY too much candy! I am thankful for every single time I get to be with all our children together…even if it wasn’t until the very end of the day (Colton had to work). I don’t take it for granted any more.

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~ most of all, I’m so thankful for the miracle of Easter. That Jesus, pure and sinless, willingly chose the Cross for my sin and for yours. Friday and Saturday we grieve for all He endured. But Sunday. Sunday! Sunday morning is what it’s all about! The stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and JESUS IS ALIVE! Death couldn’t hold our Savior, and thanks to Him, it can’t hold me! No matter what we endure on this earth, if we chose Jesus, we are promised to live in eternity with Him! There is no day more worthy of celebrating, flipping over backwards with all-surpassing JOY than today! HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!!

Please hold dear Georgia and the Crim family in your prayers. She had her first brain surgery a few weeks ago, and she will begin her first round of chemotherapy this Tuesday.

Thank You Jesus for New Life. Thank You that the Light will ALWAYS overcome the darkness.

And thank you all for giving thanks with me.

“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.” Luke 24:5-8

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” Matthew 28:18-20

Peace

I am thankful:

~ for every shade of electric green after the rain. The spring landscape is so vibrant.

~ for my sweet and spicy Tatum K turning 2! Even though she didn’t really understand, Tatum knew there was something special going on. Over and over she cheerily chirped, “Tay Tay Happy day! Happy day!“ Of course we celebrated with CAKE AND PIE (homemade chocolate meringue pie and a white chocolate raspberry from Nothing Bundt Cakes). Even chicken pot PIE for dinner. She was captivated by being the center of attention…delighted by the singing of Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles, requesting it to be repeated several times. I don’t think she ever would have stopped! She opened her gifts and her favorite things to carry around for the rest of the evening were two birthday cards, one with monkeys and the other with a dog. Oh, for the simplicity of those carefree days.

~ for the things I hear around my table. While eating chicken pot pie, I ask, “Which of these vegetables is your favorite?” Child#1 instantly replies, “the chicken!” Child#2 replies condescendingly with much distain at their foolish sibling’s lack of culinary knowledge, “Chicken is NOT a vegetable. It’s a REPTILE!”

~ for an unexpected treat: Colton invited Josh and I to lunch. Like, for no reason. Just…to eat lunch. Just because. I’m so thankful for growth in our relationship, and to be at the point where he would actually desire to spend time with his parents when he doesn’t HAVE to. It’s good for this mama‘s heart.

~ for my kids’ creativity. They are all constantly drawing, building, inventing.

~ for great news: a precious cancer mama called me one day this week. We haven’t spoken in a long time, and it is very unusual for her to call me, so I was immediately concerned. She was really struggling and in need of prayer. Her son has been sick repeatedly and dealing with chronic unexplained fevers, and both she and the doctors were concerned of the possibility of relapsed leukemia. That day, her son had a lung biopsy and bone marrow biopsy. We prayed together on the phone. Friday afternoon I missed a call from her. I had a busy day so I didn’t call her back immediately. Then she called me two more times… When I finally answered, the joy in her voice was undeniable, “He is cancer free!” she cried, “The doctor say he doesn’t have it! Thank you for praying!” We rejoiced together. GLORY TO GOD!!!

~ for fresh tulips and lilies on my table.

~ for blankets kept in the back of my car, and for sweatshirts scrounged out of the lost-and-found when the weather unexpectedly dropped 15 degrees at Carson Grace’s softball game! It wasn’t actually that cold, but we had come dressed for a hot afternoon! That was a rough one. We all froze to death, and Sawyer took a really bad fall off a retaining wall. We were a motley looking bunch of shivery, bloody kids and a shaggy mop dog. But Carson Grace and her team played a great game and came out victorious, so I’m really thankful we got to be there!

~ for the children having a wonderful day at school for grandparents/special friends day. Even though many of our dear grandparents live far away, we are so blessed that God has also provided our kids devoted local grandparents. The elementary children are so proud of their school, and they reveled in showing off their artwork and their classrooms and sharing songs and scripture recitations. I am so grateful they are so loved.

~ for iron that sharpens iron. So thankful for brothers and sisters who stretch us and encourage us to stretch.

~ for a super productive Giddyup and Whoa week. I got 2 custom orders done, 3 pieces made and delivered for the Vintage and Co barn sale, and 9 more underway. I guess spring is sign season!

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~ for conquering my Everest this week. I was halfway done with that wretched 3rd beam last week, and it took everything I had to get the other half done. It was brutal, and I look like I lost a game of bloody knuckles, (I guess I kind of did, actually) but I was victorious in the end! 6 more to go! (And Tatum K is thankful for her headphones when Mama is being LOUD.)

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~ speaking of victories, I’m so proud of Carson Grace and her GCS classmates for the capture of their 8th consecutive title of Texas State Championship Choir this weekend! What an accomplishment! So very proud!

~ for a wonderful evening of fellowship at our Gold Network CONNECT support group. I so look forward to this quarterly get-together. We call it a “support group” because it’s intended to be a safe place for cancer parents to support one another, but that label is so incomplete. We share a meal together (this time it was a delicious Italian spread from Oliveto). We meet new friends. We talk about our families. We talk about our cancer kids. Some are on treatment, some off, some doing well, some are struggling, some have gone to be with Jesus. We pray for one another. And we exchange phone numbers so we can keep in touch. It’s so much more than a support group. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to gather these uniquely special families together, for a safe place to let it all hang out with others who understand, with the hope that it takes a little weight off each one of us if we all come alongside one another under the burdens, shoulder to shoulder. And then it was fun to let each couple choose from an assortment of date night gift cards. Really special evening.

I’ve been thinking a lot about peacemaking lately. My kids are constantly at war. Over little stuff. Who gets to pick the show. Who’s fault it is. Who has 6 grapes and who has 7. MY KIDS ARGUE OVER WHO GETS TO PRAY!!!! It’s not hard to get sucked into the egregious role of referee, constantly blowing the whistle and calling penalties and time outs. But I know they have to learn. Because they are always going to face circumstances in their lives where they have to choose: war or peace? And the “stuff,” like the kids, is not going to stay small. So I try to model peacemaking. A softer tone. Mercy over the battle axe. I fail a lot, because I tend to lean on the harsher side of “high structure parenting” vs. the softer, “high nurture parenting” style. I’m still learning, just like they are. God’s still refining me, and I see it more and more clearly that He is using my children to do His refining work in my life and on my heart. It forces me to see how impatient I am when I try to teach my kids to be patient. I hear the tone of my voice, and I’m reminded of how many times I ask them to moderate their tone. Do I really practice what I preach? Do I look and sound anything like the Jesus I tell them about? Oh Father, make me a peacemaker when war looks inevitable. Or just looks easier. And help me raise up a Tribe of peacemakers who will stand up for You, and lay their lives down to love their brother.

Please keep praying for our friend Jase. He has been in and out of Tyler and Dallas ERs with fever and GI issues more than half a dozen times in the past 2 weeks. His family is so weary. They need a healing touch from the Savior.

Thanks for giving thanks with me.

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV

“Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:2-4 NIV

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 NIV

April Tuesday

I am thankful:

~for the most fun “April Tuesday” ever! Sawyer has talked about his plans for “jokes” for weeks now. And on last Sunday, on March 31, he was so excited he couldn’t even sleep. He kept getting out of bed telling me another funny idea he had. I got so tickled. So even though we’ve never done anything for April Fools’ Day before, I knew I had to step up my game. I did a little prep work that night…actually staying up until 1 in the morning, hiding a pickle slice in each of their pb&j sandwiches. The kids were greeted at breakfast with their bowls of cereal…only to dig in and discovered that it was FROZEN in the milk. Their puzzled faces were priceless! Sawyer’s dream came true of delivering a special “cake” for his teacher, and had him giggling all the way to school. I do fear that his class did not appreciate the humor. They were pretty stoked about eating cake, and mighty disappointed to find out it was actually a frosted cardboard cereal box. Thankfully, Mrs. Youngblood saved the day by allowing them to drag their fingers through the icing, so Sawyer didn’t lose all his friends that day.

~ for a great baseball/softball/track week. Enjoyed the sunshine with Bear and the kids, eating popcorn, making daisy chains, and cheering on the Cougars.

~for lunch with a friend. There is something so special about sitting down and breaking bread together. Even when sometimes the conversation is heavy, or the topic isn’t fun, the sharing of hearts side by side is priceless. What a blessing to have brothers and sisters in Christ to love us through all seasons, and to pray for one another as we seek God’s best for our families.

~ for teachers who really love my kids. And are willing to come along side so that they can reach their potential.

~for the bright, cheerful azaleas displaying their finery across our city.

~ for a call I have been waiting for almost as long as I can remember. A call to tell me that my sweet friends are going to have a baby! Born not of her tummy, but born in her heart, this precious couple has been chosen by a birth mom to be the parents of a baby boy due in June. They traveled many hours to meet birth mom this weekend, and they are asking for prayers for God’s grace over every step of this journey: for a healthy remainder of the pregnancy, and most of all prayer for this birth mom who is giving the most unselfish gift of love to this baby. Father God has seen my friends, has seen this birth mom, and has collected every silent tear they have cried in the dark. And His timing is always right on time. Oh the joy that can’t be contained!!!! GLORY TO THE LORD!

~for the blessing of attending chapel, the very last time Carson Grace will lead worship with her peers in high school. All these “lasts“ are so bittersweet. I’m so proud of her, and so excited for all that lies ahead, but it’s so hard to let go. Later in the week, she had the amazing honor of presenting the National Anthem at the 28th Annual Tyler Firefighters Awards Banquet. It was a wonderful program, with moments of storytelling and laughter between comrades while handing out awards and door prizes, and weighted somber moments of as we were reminded of the life and death experiences they face almost every day. So thankful for the dedication and bravery of these true American heroes.

~ for new friendships. This week Josh and I got to visit with Phil and Kathy Jimerson, fellow Carthagites, and former classmates of Susan K. Kathy has recently published a book, a personal memoir written by an encourager and storyteller over the last 2 decades of her life. And she gifted us a copy! Over coffee we chatted about cancer and writing, about remodeling and about Jesus. Our kindred hearts quickly knit. You can find Kathy’s book here. I’m so excited to read it!

~ for Cooper having an awesome weekend on the Grace Student Miniseries Overdrive Retreat.

~ for a cool photo shoot with Carson Grace at our local vintage record store.

40 years ago on this day, God made a man for me. He put a loving, fighting heart into this young man and wrote a love story on his heart. God made this man for a purpose… He made him for me. He made him for a tribe of young warriors who would watch and learn from him. He made him for countless individuals who would be strengthened and encouraged by a relationship and friendship with him. He put in him a work ethic second to none. He made him a true man’s man, but gave him a heart tender enough not to hide his tears. I love this man with all the fierceness my heart can hold. I love Josh’s birthday because it was the day he was made for me. We had a great day celebrating, starting with 40 Martha White blueberry muffins for breakfast, 40 Home Depot gift cards, then dinner with the family: delicious grilled burgers and 40 cupcakes with candles of course! It was special to have all our kids together, and they all shared “40 Things We Love About Dad.” Love that man of mine.

Such a busy week for us, tons of Giddyup & Whoa signs in the works, delivered a couple of pieces, a few more custom orders going out this week, and an exciting new opportunity: I’ve been invited to participate at the Vintage & Co Semi-Annual Gresham Barn Sale! Anyone in East Texas knows that the Gresham Barn Sale is one of the very best antique and vintage markets in our area. I’m so honored to be a part, and hoping that it is a great partnership for both businesses! Excited to get lots of painting done this week. Check out Vintage & Co. on Instagram and Facebook. Spring sale is coming up April 24-27.

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Busy sign week meant not a lot of progress on the beams….still not giving up. Slow progress is still progress.

This week was an emotionally wrung-out week. Just a lot going on, both out in public with the kids and then wrestling through the personal stuff that’s held in our hearts. Trusting God is a full-time job. We have to actively trust: daily re-aligning our hearts to seek after His. It’s so easy to get in my head and overthink and just give myself over to the anxiety that is always waiting for me. Thank You Lord for Your steadfast love. Even when I am freaking out, You wait for me…Your Word is truly a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path, and I know I’m never alone. And I know Your Plan is good. A lot better than mine.

Big prayers needed for Baby Lucas. He is scheduled for a sedated MRI tomorrow, and another chemo infusion. We are praying for shrinkage/no new disease. Please Jesus, heal this baby boy! And please pray comfort and peace over his family as well. And our dear friend, Jase, now 5 years old and in his 2nd year of treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, has been plagued with unexplained fevers and GI complaints for weeks, bouncing in and out of local and Dallas ERs….will you join us in healing prayers for the Curtis family?

Whatever you are facing this week friends, don’t lose heart. Be brave. Step up. Step out. The sidelines will always be full of onlookers…maybe today it’s your turn to lead.

Thank you for giving thanks with me.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:3-4 NIV

Beams

I am thankful:

~ for an exceptionally well-done chapel performance from Kora and her 3rd grade class, American History Hall of Fame. Each student dressed up as a historical figure and recited a brief speech about their accomplishments, researched by reading their biography. It never ceases to amaze me what talent lies inside our young children – GCS sets a high bar, and the kids invariably RISE TO THE OCCASION! What a great foundation for their future, not only to learn about the men and women who have made this country great, but to be able to stand in front of several hundred people and speak clearly a speech they have written themselves (perhaps with a little help)! AMAZING! Our Kora Jean was Katharine Graham. When she came home with this selection, I’ll admit, I’d never heard of this woman in my life. But thankfully, Kora researched about her, and taught me that in the 60s and 70s Katharine Graham was one of the first female publishers of a major newspaper, the Washington Post. She did such a great job!

~ for tiny cowboy boots. Seriously, is there ANYTHING cuter than tiny cowboy boots? (Tatum calls them her “cow boots,” and demands them “on!” almost every day.

~ for 2 softball and 1 baseball game in the books. The kids and I have had so much fun loading up with our chairs and our dinner and the dog for a good evening of ballgames.

~ for how sensitive children are to the Spirit. It blesses me so much to hear them behind me in the car singing sweetly, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand…” And then one day this week, I was praying aloud as I was driving, and Tatum piped up, in her trademark. abrupt. sentence. structure, “Mama. Talk. God?”

~ for a fun photo shoot with Carson Grace for a few senior pics.

~ for the next fun step of preparation for next month’s Children’s Cancer Fund Gala: choosing an outfit! Dillard’s is the official wardrobe sponsor of the event, and so there was a mass try-on event in Dallas this weekend. But the wonderful and kind CCF folks wanted to save us a trip, so they arranged for a private try-on session for Sawyer right here at the Dillard’s in Tyler! We had an appointment, 2 personal consultants, and the freedom to choose whatever Sawyer wanted! It was so fun. Now, Mama had to give a little constructive guidance/editing…all my boys have been very drawn to ACCESSORIES, and Sawyer is no different. He picked out a super preppy outfit, some SLAMMIN’ high top sneakers, a fedora, bow tie, AND “SPLENDERS!” It took some convincing to get him to let some accessories go, but we finally worked it out. So looking forward to the Gala and Fashion Show!

~that Gavin didn’t cut his finger OFF when he slammed it in our front door.

~ for the wonderful news that little Georgia got to go home from the hospital this week! There’s still a long road ahead, but today we REJOICE!

~ for a much-needed dinner date with my Love. Life is busy and everything needs our attention…and we come last. It’s just the way it is. But even though we know we are in this season of putting everything else ahead of us…we know our marriage still has to be a priority. We have to make a way. Steal a moment. Hold hands in the car. Sit down for afternoon coffee. So we slipped away for a quick, DELICIOUS meal at a new place for us – The Shell Shack. The seafood was as fresh as if I was sitting at a table on the Coast. Soooooo good! But I don’t care if it’s decadent seafood or a gas station burger, if I’m with my Baby, I’m exactly where I want to be.

So I’m working on this project. This crazy, why-would-you-ever project. We have these awesome rugged exposed beams in our great room. They were one of our favorite features that drew us to this house. But as we’ve settled in and made this home, I kept looking at these beams. They are coated in a heavy brown paint, and I just wondered what they would look like stripped down. So one day, I scraped off one tiny corner. Oh man, the wood was so beautiful! And I knew that lightening the dark beams would transform our entire house. But there’s just no easy way to go about stripping these beams. But I decided to go for it. So I tried natural stripper, chemical stripper, bleach, and broke an orbital sander…finally landing on an electric planer for the (very few) flat surfaces and a 2” blade for hand-scraping the rest. It is messy. And sloooow. (I’ve worked all week and gotten 2 done. I have 7 more to go.)

And it’s so, so hard, absolutely back-breaking. And Tatum K doesn’t like it. (“No. Mama. Loud.”) But the result is absolutely beautiful and exactly what I wanted. And there’s no turning back now. (I mean I guess I could repaint the brown.) It’s a labor of love. Everyone thinks I’m crazy. No one else would touch this project. BUT I HONESTLY DON’T CARE! I’m not giving up! I don’t care how long it takes. I see untapped beauty that’s worth the effort. Jesus saw that in me. He didn’t give up.

~ Never ever give up. The hard is worth it. Your marriage? Don’t give up. Wrestling with addiction? With anger? Don’t give up. Are you the parent of a prodigal? Don’t give up. The work is worth it. God is always working. He works in front of us, He uses us, He shows us His glory. But He also works in secret. He never sleeps or takes a break. He doesn’t tire or grow weary like we do. Under all the layers of dark, there’s BEAUTY. And that’s what He’s after. Yes, we need to cease STRIVING. We need to stop trying to FORCE things to happen in our own strength. But there’s a difference. Cease striving but KEEP BELIEVING.

Just you wait and see these beautiful beams when I’m done with them.

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

Spring Break

I am thankful:

~for a wonderful Spring Break week. We had the best time with our favorite tradition: one-on-one breakfast dates with mom. I love getting the individual time with each of the kids, listening to their hearts and getting the 411. Sawyer still wants to be a police officer, but when I asked him where he wanted to live when he grows up, he promptly replied, “Mama! God is going to handle all of that!“ Cooper impressed me by sharing some of the things he has been praying about. Gavin wants to learn how to be a farmer from my Dad. Samantha wants to be a mom and an animal nurse, when I asked her who she looks up to, she said, “Cooper. Because he’s my brother and I love him.” Carson Grace chatted with me about her simultaneous excitement and nervousness about heading off to college. Kora aspires to be a bow designer, a nurse, and a foster mom, “to give a home to kids who don’t have a family, and teach them about Jesus, like you did for me.” Zoe wants to be a princess and live in a castle, of course. I even got a wonderful lunch with Colton, who actually turned the tables and treated me at the restaurant where he works, and I enjoyed just spending time with him and hearing his heart. This week was feasting on donuts and bike rides and waffles and dog walks and sausage biscuits. We tried out almost every breakfast place in town. And I hope each of my loves came away feeling loved and special.

~Tatum K did not get a breakfast date, but I did bake her a pie in honor of Thursday, which was Pi Day.

~ for a fun couple mornings early in the week at Spring Break Bible Club, hosted at a local park by the TCF Children’s Ministry. Littles attended and Cooper was a youth leader (who knew he was such a gifted puppeteer!?) So thankful for all the work that went into planning, and for the neighborhood families that were blessed.

~ for healing for Sawyer. His ears and cough are nearly cleared up. Just in time for Kora’s ear infection! But thankfully her meds already have her feeling so much better.

~ for a lovely day with Aunt Dinah, who made the trip over from Longview to hang out with the kids and go out for pizza (Rounders of course!) We had the best time laughing and playing with Bear and enjoying the sunshine. A special visit and such a fun day.

~ thankful for some great progress on a couple of home-improvement projects this week. Our front porch steps have been super slippery, clad in slick interior ceramic tile. Josh got that all ripped off and replaced it with beautiful rustic slate. We finished the grouting process today and are freshly reminded that grouting is NOT our favorite project. I took on the task of freshening our living/great room area with a bright, crisp coat of white. I love white paint so much, always have, so I’m thrilled with the crisp, clean results. I love to paint walls almost as much as I love to paint signs!

~ for a great lunch fellowship/meeting with our deacons and elders at church. I love this Body so much. They are our family and our home, and I always treasure getting the chance to spend some time with them.

~for a fun St. Patrick’s Day morning with green milk and green mustaches! Thank you Grandmommy, for the treats!

~ for an epically beautiful song. Currently my favorite. I’m sharing the link to the YouTube video. What makes the song infinitely more special, is that it is an original song written and performed by Carson Grace. Enjoy and be blessed.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=whx1Ag7e1p8

I’m just so grateful. For these days of laundry piles and runny noses and hearing “Mama” 2,799,437 times before breakfast. I’m thankful for cereal night every Monday and for 18 hours a week in the car and that I’m so exhausted by 8pm that I can’t uncross my eyes. Lord, please don’t let me get lost. Help me to love these babies, and love on these babies while I have the chance. Help me to choose them before me. Help me to choose You before me. At the end of the day, let each one of us fall into bed knowing that we are loved, and that Jesus is always the answer.

March 19 is Sophie Skiles’ birthday. We wish she was turning 4 here on earth. Instead, she’s right where she wants to be, celebrating her birthday with her Jesus. Her family has set aside the day, the whole week really, to lift others up and share the love of Christ with anyone they come across, and they have invited us to do the same in Sophie’s memory. Will you join us? Random acts of kindness. Donate blood. Pay for someone’s coffee. Call and encourage a friend. Let a stranger go ahead of you in line. Last year our family baked treats for a local fire station, and told them about Sophie the Brave. The world is a big place and it’s easy to feel like nothing we do matters. But it matters. It all matters. Because Jesus sees each one of our hearts, and He wants to draw us nearer, deeper.

Don’t wait.

Thanks for giving thanks with me.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Don’t Stop Praying

I am thankful…

~ for Bear. He’s such a great dog. He’s been a relatively easy puppy, very smart and learning quickly. My favorite is how he and Tatum K love each other. They greet each other each morning with enthusiastic kisses, and just roll all over the floor together. I’m blown away that Bear clearly recognizes and respects the difference between Tatum and the other children…he is so much more gentle and tender with her, and puts up with her squeezing him and over-loving him. I can tell they are going to be best friends. Love to have him riding along in the bus to and from school. He MAY be just the SLIGHTEST bit spoiled.

~ for my latest favorite salad recipe: crunchy chickpeas, juicy tomatoes, and creamy avocados tossed with green onions, cilantro, lime, and olive oil! It is so tasty!

~ for a fun, albeit chilly first baseball game of the season for Cooper. He had a great game, and was stealing bases left and right! Great start to the season!

~ for a great tournament for Carson Grace’s softball team. They traveled to Frisco and won 2 out of 3 games. We couldn’t make it to watch, but I was super thankful for the ability to follow the game live via an app on my phone!

~ for my awesome rockstar husband, who was a pacer with Uncle Caleb for the Fresh 15K yesterday morning. The kids and I loaded up the bus to cheer for him, and after an hour of driving in circles and backtracking around the blocked off streets along the race route, we FINALLY found a place to park and walked A MILE IN THE RAIN, arriving at the Finish Line: 5 minutes before they crossed!!!!! So proud of Josh, who nailed his goal pace, and persevered through the challenging course despite back and knee injuries.

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~ for another rockstar: our friend Mason who kicked leukemia’s butt and took his very last dose of chemo last week. Mason is a brave boy who overcame trial after trial and side effect after side effect. And his family never lost heart or let go of their faith. Such a joy to celebrate these milestones.

~ for Sawyer’s tender heart during worship. Today at church, unprompted, he began to raise his hands. He sang along, and swayed back and forth with his hands in the air. Then, he abruptly got down on his knees in the aisle of the church, bowing his face to the floor of until worship was over. It was priceless. Maybe he was pretending, or copying what he sees others do. Who knows. It doesn’t matter. I know the Lord sees his innocent little heart inclined to Him and is pleased. I asked Sawyer afterward, and he said simply, “I wanted to make God happy.”

~ I WAS super excited to share a project that I have been painstakingly working on all week, stripping a unique old end table we’ve had for years. It had an outdated dark stain that I stripped, planed, sanded, and then bleached to get to a far lighter, almost driftwood look. Turned out great. Unfortunately, I guess all the motion and commotion didn’t agree with it, because the day after I moved the completed table into the house and got it all staged cute, all of a sudden, the beautiful glass base of the table shattered! SO SAD! But times like these make me extra thankful for my junker’s heart, because we always have random table bases tucked away somewhere, and Josh got it all fixed up. I sure was bummed about that awesome glass base though.

~ and I’m so excited for Carson Grace on her latest adventure. She is currently in Washington DC with her senior class for the week. I dropped her at the school at 2am, they flew out of Dallas at 7, and hit the ground running in DC taking in the sites. Praying for the students to have a safe and phenomenal trip, one of the last events they’ll go through together before graduation. Man, I miss that girl.

My heart has been heavy this week. So many people I love are hurting, weighted down by some tremendous burdens. And I can’t do one thing. There’s no answer, no fix, no remedy. I mean, of course, Jesus is the remedy. If we know Him, we know that. But when the people we love hurt, we hurt. There’s just no way to take that away. But we can do the only thing we can do…we pray. We reach out. We remember. And don’t stop praying, and reaching out, and remembering. We don’t have to have perfect poetic words of encouragement that no one has ever said before. Or come up with THE ONE SCRIPTURE that is going to enlighten the situation and give a fresh perspective and change everything. That’s God’s department. He’s the One in the miracle department. Keep praying for your friends, friends. He listens. Prayer changes things, and it changes us. Don’t lose heart. I know you have been praying for Baby Lucas – don’t stop! My pastor friend received his heavenly healing…he is with Jesus now, right where he wanted to be. But please keep praying for his family and his church. And please add another this week. Brian is my friend’s husband, and his family is eagerly waiting for him to wake up from emergency heart surgery several weeks ago. You can keep up with the updates here www.caringbridge.org/visit/brianwilhoite

Keep praying and looking for the blessings around you, and let’s lift one another day by day a step closer to the Throne. Maybe I’ll be strong for you today, and then you’ll be strong for me tomorrow. And God is always working, even when we cannot see. And be kinder than you think you have to be. You never know what someone is walking through. Thanks for giving thanks with me.

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Welcome to Sunday Gratitude

Sunday Gratitude – January 13, 2019

(Lessons learned on my knees – while tiling my kitchen that is)

Many of you have been following along on our Instagram stories, watching our tile project in our kitchen. And what a project it has been! We have quite literally spent the week on our knees. But what a great place to be! I find the Lord speaks to me through the projects that I am working on. He always has. This latest project was full of fresh lessons for me. The big one that stuck out this time had to do with how we look at things. If you take a look at our newly completed floor…(not trying to sound prideful…) we have gotten a lot of compliments. And we are very thankful, it really is a beautiful floor. “I don’t know how you did that.” “I could never do that.” “Y’all are amazing. It’s perfect!” From the outside looking in, or on social media, it’s easy to judge someone else’s total package…someone else’s highlight reel, and form an unrealistic view of perfection. I do it all the time. I look at people who I think have it all together. People that aren’t wrinkled. People that aren’t late. People whose kids’ hair are perfectly brushed. Like EVERY DAY. And I think, “I bet SHE doesn’t have an old banana in her purse.” It’s so dangerous and misleading to judge from the outside appearance, and then measure our own blooper reel against someone else’s highlights. Nobody’s perfect. We know that, but don’t we think it anyway? Boy, if a professional tile setter took a look at our kitchen, he would find flaw after flaw. Wrong angles, inconsistent grout lines, tiles that aren’t level. It is FAR from perfect. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT TO BE BEAUTIFUL. And neither do we. I really hope my kids remember what they saw this week… A daunting project, but a mom and dad who worked side-by-side to get it done. They saw some giddyup. And they saw some whoa. They saw us loving each other, laughing together, and some good-natured bickering. They saw us get tired and worn out and ready to be done, long before the job was complete. And all week they listened to some really great old rock and roll! (And in the interest of full disclosure, I’m also thankful they survived 10 days of moderate child neglect. NOT our finest week of parenting.)

~thankful for the refreshing feeling that comes after putting away all the Christmas decorations! Everything got a good deep clean, and it feels fresh and crisp for the new year ahead.

~thankful for the wonderful opportunity to see Carson Grace lead worship with the GCS High School Praise Band at Elementary Chapel. I can’t believe how grown up she is. It is so surreal to see her operating in her gifting. And even more special, all three of our little girls received Character Quality Awards at Chapel. Special morning for all our girls.

~ thankful that Kora got a 100 on her AR test. I love to see those brown eyes sparkle when she does well.

~for such a unique and fun opportunity for Sawyer. You may remember he was asked to be a part of a charity fundraiser, a fashion show model for Children’s Cancer Fund in April. Wednesday was the event photo shoot. So Josh and I travelled to Dallas for him to meet the other event participants and the event chairs: Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. Each child was allowed to bring an item to be autographed, and Josh brought a Troy Aikman football card from his childhood collection. On the way home, Josh told Sawyer, “Hey bud, thanks for getting my card signed today!” To which Sawyer replied without missing a beat, “don’t you mean MY card?!“. We all got a good laugh. In truth, Sawyer’s favorite parts of the day were crafting some bug refrigerator magnets and getting Whataburger. Don’t tell Aikman.

~ for a stellar performance from all our Littles as they put on an original play for Mom and Dad. They are a hoot.

~ thankful for my sweet Dad, who turned 70 this week! I miss him, but thankful for technology so we can keep in touch, even across the country.

~for Samantha’s first lesson on her new sewing machine.

We have gotten mixed feedback about moving Sunday Gratitude to Facebook, so we are adding another avenue to follow along, we created a blog website for those who don’t use social media. I’m HOPING it is just as easy (maybe even EASIER) as signing up to receive Caringbridge. You should be able to just enter your email to subscribe. Please let me know if you have any trouble! We are so excited to see what God does with Sunday Gratitude, and excited to take you all along on the journey! https://sundaygratitude.blog

It’s Clinic Week. Sawyer will have his bloodwork done and a checkup and exam from the Oncology Team at Children’s in Dallas. He’s been under the weather since Wednesday, so I’m eager to have him seen, especially since his pneumonia last month. Tensions always build as the appointment approaches, and my chest tightens even now as I type. We never take for granted that his test results will be clear. The reality of cancer always lingers in the background. And as we approach TWO YEARS OFF TREATMENT, (HOW CAN THAT BE!!???!!!???) I know Dr. Winick is going to space out his follow up appointments. And I know that’s reasonable. But man, it’s hard. BUT GOD. I know His grace is sufficient. He will meet me in my brokenness and my fears, and love me through the anxiety. And we will praise Him that Sawyer is here, and thriving, living a life filled with love and joy and laughter – a happy, normal little boy. Glory to the Lord! ((deep breaths for Mama.))

Thank you for giving thanks with me! Let’s love one another well this week, perfectly imperfect as we all are.

“for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”” 1 Samuel 16:7b NASB