Sweet unexpected blessing...

I had something like that happen to me the other day. I was at the Dollar tree looking at Christmas ornaments and this little old man came up and asked if I was Norwegian. I said, yes I am. He then proceeded to sing me a Norwegian song set to the tune of O Christmas tree. It had 5 verses! He sang it loud and clear so everyone could hear! I had a hard time not crying, as my dad was very proud of his Norwegian heritage and would have loved to learn the song and chat with the man. I wish my kids had been with me that day, but it was sweet none-the-less.

Our Christmas Cards this year...

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Wanna see something cool?

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We were working with a group for an art project for Seattle Children's hospital. they are going to auction it off. http://youtu.be/1J5Hktupd8Y?hd=1. It was a lot of fun. I thought the video was really cool. You get to see my whole crew too.

What my mother did and does for me that I still do for others...

My mother is a prayer warrior.  No matter where I was as a child, or young adult, I could count on her prayers.  I remember being on a youth group trip to the ocean and nearly drowning. After being in the rip tide for 30 minutes I had no strength left.  I opened my mouth to take a breath of water and join my beloved Jesus, but God had other plans. God performed a major miracle and transported me 500 yards in an instant to our youth group leader who carried me out of the ocean.  It was exactly at that time that my mother knew something was wrong, and was praying for me.  When I got home after the weekend she asked me, what happened at 2:43 p.m. on Saturday?  God knew I needed my mother's prayers.
    When I was at Bible college, I know it was my mother's prayers that helped me get through exams and illness.  When I was a missionary in Israel, my mother set a time to pray for me everyday.  Even today through my children's illnesses and hospitalizations, I know my mom's prayers are with me.  It is a comforting thought to think back over the years and see what God has brought me through.
    I am endeavoring to be a prayer warrior like my mom.  When people share their troubles with me, I might not have all the answers, but I can pray!   I am trying to teach my children to pray for others as well.  God wants us to be in daily communication with Him.  This is not just for dramatic, life threatening things, but the simple everyday things as well.  Finances, Health, Relationships, God is concerned with every aspect of our lives.  Prayer really does change things.

Home again....

We're home again.  We got to spend Easter with our church family.  It was so good to be back.  We were going to spend the day with my parents.  However, that is dependent upon the weather.  Yesterday it was sunny and 70 degrees.  We figured we could be outside at my parents place.  Unfortunately, the weather is rainy today,  so we're not able to go.  We'll have an empty Easter egg hunt here at home.  It's different, but good. 

Happy Easter!

Battle of the Sweet tooth

Ok, I'll admit it.  I have a terrible sweet tooth.  I think I could eat candy or sweets practically at any time of the day.  Today, they called over the loud speaker that the coffee cart was available for the next ten minutes.  They give free coffee to the parents every so often.  Today I went down, and they had two big boxes of fancy donuts, chocolate covered marshmellows, and robin eggs!  Oh my.  I wanted a little of each!  Then, I remembered that back at the room were two kids that have been newly dignosed with diabetes.  It would be so mean of me to bring in all the treats.  Normally, I would bring a little treat back for the kids to eat too.  However, if I do that now, that means they get another poke and shot.  Treats just aren't worth extra pokes anymore.  So I skipped all the sweets, got a cup of coffee and two hotwheels.  I came back to the room with a clear conscience and happy kids.  This adjustment is so hard for the kids, and just a little bit hard for me.  I wonder how long it takes to get rid of a sweet tooth?

I was looking at a friend's blog post and saw her signature after each post.  I thought it looked pretty cool, so I thought I would make one for my blog too.  Here it is:

What do you think?  :-)

Sunny Outlook...

We just got a surprise package here at the hospital! A secret somebody got us an adorable little owl. It's solar powered and shakes it's head back and forth. It is a reminder to us that, No, we shouldn't worry about tomorrow, but have a "sunny outlook" (the name of the owl) and let God take care of it all. :-)

Now every time I start to get overwhelmed, I look at the little owl who is constantly telling me "No!".  I have to smile and give it back to God.  

I don't have a camera here at the hospital, but I'll try to post a picture later.

 

Intentional Joy

This year has not proven to be the best year.  We started the year in the hospital with Josiah and Christalin's Cystic Fibrosis acting up.  While we were in the hospital, I got notice that my dad's cancer was back.  In February, our whole family got the flu.  We were sick for the whole month.  March was a  laid back month, as we were still trying to recover.  Then in April, we went in for a fasting glucose test.  Unfortunately, both Christalin and Josiah tested postive for diabetes.  In my eyes, this was one of the worst things that could happen.  Both Josiah and Christalin have always had major needle anxiety.  They do not deal with them very well.  We have had the Child Life Specialists help them through many a blood draw and dressing change.  Our hospital room has always been a safe place.  Now it is not.

Now they have to get poked on their fingers at least five times a day.  They have to get insulin shots at least four times a day.  I have to administer them all.  The moans from my son, and the fear in my daughter's eyes as I come near them, is enough to break your heart.  I don't understand why they had to have diabetes.  It seems overwhelming.  It turns out that Christalin has Cystic Fibrosis related diabetes, whereas Josiah has Diabetes Type 1.  With Josiah having Type 1, it means it is an auto-immune disorder, which can lead to other auto-immune diseases such as thyroid problems and Celiac disease.  Fortunately, the thyroid tests have come back negative.  Unfortunately, the Celiac tests were not sent to the lab, due to an oversight.  They just turned them in yesterday.  It will take two weeks for the results to come back.  I am still praying that they come back negative.  Honestly, Josiah has enough on his plate right now.

Hopefully we will all be able to go home tomorrow.  They have approved Christalin, but have not approved Josiah.  I told them that they need to go home together, as I don't have anyone at home to take care of Christalin's diabetes management while Mike is at work.  We'll see what happens.

My word for the year is "Intentional Joy".  I wish I hadn't picked that word.  I am having a hard time finding joy in these circumstances.  There is never going to be an end of the pokes and shots.  This is their life.  Both of my children want to be missionaries.  This will make it all the more harder for them.  I know God is in control, but it is so hard right now.

Help for the Heaviness

My heart has been so heavy lately  The state of our country, physical ailments of love ones and friends broken marriages.... the list goes on and on.  How do I lift my head above the torrential heaviness?  I drive down the freeway and look at all the lonely people.  Every one of them in a hurry to get somewhere, but only a few with a real destination.  Most people just look at the here and now and forget about eternity.  They seem so blind.  I want to shout out, "Wake up!"  Instead, I use my frequent trips to Seattle for prayer drives.  I pray for all the lonely people looking for something to fill the void.  I pray that their eyes would be opened to the only One who will fill the void.  My heart is still heavy, but God is still in control.  When I lift my eyes to the Lord and lose myself in praise of Him, everything else fades away.  Why am I surprised when the heaviness is lifted?  Darkness and light cannot be together.  Yes, our old world is in  mess.  However, God is still God.  He is in control.  I need to rest in that.

A great pizza story!

Steve Lambert, publisher of the Five in a Row curriculum shared this story on the boards. It blessed me so I really wanted to share it with you all. Enjoy!
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A woman got up in church about 30 years ago at a midweek service and wanted to give a testimony. Now this woman was NOT emotionally stable for any variety of reasons and I half cringed when she stood up.

Sure enough, she told how last Friday night she and a girl friend had been so broke. They were just sitting in the parking lot of their apartment complex in her car talking and praying. It was past midnight on a hot summer night. Their windows were rolled down and as they prayed they began to pray for a pizza. They asked God to just send them a pizza; like manna from heaven. They poured out their hearts earnestly and how they had absolutely NO money but really wanted a pizza. Suddenly a large, warm, fresh pepperoni pizza in a box came floating in the driver's side window and slid to a stop on the dash.



Oh groan. Come ON!! Just how GULLIBLE do you think we are? A few people applauded nervously. Most just stared at the floor- me included. SO embarrassing!!

About 2 or 3 years later I was talking with a friend. We were comparing notes about ministry, jobs, tentmaking, etc. He mentioned that he had even worked as a pizza delivery driver for a few months several years earlier.

I commented that it must have been a weird job.

He agreed, saying, "I was robbed, beaten, not tipped, etc. I barely covered the cost of gas on some nights. And we got pranked from time to time too. Like one Friday night about 11:30 a guy called in an order for 12 large pizzas to go. He never showed up even though I had to wait till past closing time for him. The boss gave up and finally let us go about 12:15. He gave each of us several pizzas from the bogus order to take home."

He continued... "It was kind of fun though. Do you remember "so-and-so" (insert the woman's name who had given the 'pizza testimony' several years earlier.) At the time she lived in the same apartment complex as I did. I got home about 12:30 and I saw she and a friend sitting in their car talking with the windows rolled down. I thought it would be fun to prank them- and bless them at the same time, so I crept up between the parked cars and then kind of SAILED a large pepperoni in her window like a Frisbie. It went right under her nose and slid to a stop on her dash! So that was kind of fun!"



I responded, "Um.... did she ever see you or know you were there?"

"Nope. I crept up and she was so excited about the pizza she never even bothered to look around and see where it came from and I got away scott free. It was a hoot!!"



Moral: I REPENT GOD! Forgive my UNBELIEF!! I am a cynic and a doubter. Please, please forgive me!!

I've NEVER forgotten that story. Even the most IMPOSSIBLE testimonies are possible with God!!

Sigh,

Steve __________________
Publisher
Five in a Row

Living in a Fishbowl....

So, I'm still here at Children's with Josiah. It is day16. Christalin went home a couple of days ago.

I had been trying to call my mom for a couple of weeks and haven't gotten an answer. Well, I finally got a hold of my dad. The news is not good. His cancer is back. They can't operate. They are giving him three months.

How can I deal with this information? I'm trying to be so strong for my kids. Nurses and doctors are coming in all day long, so I can't cry. It is a fishbowl here. I went to the chapel to cry and pray. I was alone and it felt good to have time to pray and cry. All too soon, someone put their hand on my shoulder. They were starting a meeting. I just want to be alone, so I left. I'm feeling like a freak trying not to cry. Where can I be alone? I went up to the 5th floor and down a seldom used hallway. I stood facing the corner and cried. People still came through the hallway so it wasn't private either. My heart hurts. Because of my kids MRSA I wont be able to hug my dad, or even touch him. Now I wont ever be able to again. How sad is that? He is in so much pain. I don't want him to suffer. But I want my daddy. I don't want to say goodbye already.

Well, here comes another therapist. Time to put my happy mask on and choke back the tears. That's what mama's do best right?

Quotes to Ponder...

I haven't kept up with my quotes to ponder for a while. This post will be a bit different from ones in the past. I'm sitting up at Children's Hospital with a bit of a heavy heart.

I just talked to my dad. He has been having pains in his stomach. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. They did test after test and everything came back negative. Until today. The cancer is back. He already started chemotherapy, which means we will not be able to see him or my mom for at least another six months due to my kid's MRSA.

The good news is that Christalin gets to go home from the hospital today. She has been here for two weeks. The bad news is Josiah has to stay. He hasn't responded as quickly to the treatments. I don't know what to do. Please pray for logistics.

I feel like crying, but I'm kind of in a goldfish bowl here, with nurses, and doctors coming and going all the time. Please pray for my heavy heart. Thank you for your prayers!

__________________

I was facebooking and a couple of quotes stood out to me. I hope they help you too.

“If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you're going to be cockeyed today.”

~ Author Unknown ~

WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES; it takes away today's PEACE.

When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head.” - Spurgeon

Bucket List update

A few years ago I found this bucket list. I was looking at it again and realized I could check a few more off the list! Only 38 more to go! A lot of the ones left are traveling ones, so who knows if I'll ever get them done. Remember, this was not a list I made up. I found it on a friend's blog. There are a few I'm not interested in ever doing! (like 11, 26,& 27!)
1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped (No Way!!!!)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee