Thank you so much for your sweet comments! Many of you have been married for just a few short years...don't worry, we are just getting started, too...and it was just so heartwarming to know what I already knew - we do not walk this road alone!
My congratulations to GrandmaKathleen and Karabeth...they have survived more than 30 yrs with their respective spouses - now that is commitment!!!
I love what Mrs. Mazza said, "...God has the power to use ANYTHING, to get his point across...a burning bush, a talking donkey, or a marriage cross-stich." This was a totally new perspective for me and I love it!!! Yes, He certainly got my attention that there was nothing I could do to salvage our marriage. Only He could do that!
I'm going to wrap it up now...hubs keeps calling while he is driving home from a clients and I can't think, type and talk all at the same time! And since I obviously love him more than y'all....well, gotta run!!! He is planning to take us out to look at stars tonight...how romantic can you get on a Saturday night!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....
God's girl, Pamela
January 31, 2009
January 28, 2009
A Broken Memory
I first wrote this blog a little more than three years ago as part of a memory meme. I don't know why, but last night I just really began to feel impressed to post it again today. My Dear and I have now celebrated our 23rd anniversary, we have a child in college and our baby is wrapping up her senior year of high school. The truths learned through this time in our lives, '94 & '95, continue to shape and mold our marriage and I fully believe that is what God desires! A quick glance back to remember where He brought us from but always looking forward to the path He lays out each day!
I pray you are blessed today and can see that ONLY GOD can resurrect a VERY dead marriage!
After 20 yrs of marriage, I have learned that most every marriage hits a brick wall within the first 10-15 yrs that humanly speaking, seems impossible to overcome. These times usually come when you have small children...and that adds a stress of its own! But, what I have seen is that God usually allows these times to grow us up into Him and into who He is calling us to be. Some of you know, though, it is really hard to walk through those times!!!
I KNOW WE ARE NOT ALONE!!! If you are walking through a hard time in your marriage right now, please know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! Not only is God right there, holding you every step of the way, but a lot of marriages around you have walked through something so similar. If you need help, please search out someone that you can talk to and lean on in order to possibly save your marriage and your sanity!
I'm not saying that every marriage is salvageable...that is simply not true. However, God's grace is there just for you to hang onto, no matter what happens in your marriage and your life! Knowing just what we have walked through, I have a soft spot in my heart for marriages and I would love to see them all continue...but I know that is not always possible. No matter what is going on in your life, you are in good hands as long as you are in God's hands!
Okay, now for my memory:
In the mid-90's, God began to reveal heart issues between dear hubs and I that we could either ignore and kill each other, or deal with and continue to love one another...and did it ever get rough to actually live in the same house!!!
Christmas 1994 - the girls were 4 and 1 and life seemed simple, not easy but simple. I knew what our days looked like and I loved being a Mom of young children. However, like I said earlier, God was beginning to reveal deep heart issues...and it hurt.
By late '94, I had realized that my dear hubs was running from the hand of God! I was also beginning to realize that my marriage could not survive without leaning on God and His word! One Sunday morning in January '95, I was getting me and the girls ready for church and hubs was sleeping soundly in our bed....and I do mean soundly! It bugged me that we were struggling to make it through the days together and yet he chose to sleep on Sunday morn...and that is where I found hope - in the community of church and digging corporately into God's word.
We lived in post housing at the time, a 1940's duplex that had a long hallway from which you could look from one end of the house to the other. Standing at my bedroom door, I could look down the hall and see all the way to the outside wall of the dining room with no obstructions. On the outside of the dining room wall was a small storage room connected to a carport. I know this is a boring description but if you can follow this, you will understand just how big God was on this particular day!
On this particular Sunday in January 1995, I was walking from my bedroom to the girls to begin getting them ready for church...only a few steps away....but before I could even get to their door, I watched as our wedding cross-stitch, made by my Mom, literally jumped off of the outside dining room wall! I heard the crash before I could move my feet down the length of the house - a very loud crash for a simple 8x10 photo frame! There was a picture right next to this frame that DID NOT MOVE at all! To this day, it is still a mystery to me how this particular decoration simply fell off the wall! We were all on the opposite side of the house and no one, not even the dog, was in the dining area.
When I made it to the mess on the floor, I realized that the glass had shattered into little tiny pieces....lots of them! I simply sat down and cried!!! The cross-stitch itself was fine, only the frame was broken...but it was not just broken, it was shattered. I thought, "This is what has happened to my marriage. Our marriage isn't just broken, it is shattered." The reality of that broke my heart into those same little pieces! As I sat there in my tears and sorrow, I felt God say, "Yes, this is what your marriage looks like and there is no way that you can just glue the pieces back together. But I can!!!"
Then God gave me a verse. It had been used in our wedding, along with many others, but now that we had been married for 6 yrs, it started to make sense in living daily life...not just a flowery verse at a wedding.
Matthew 19:6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.
As I went through that week, I found myself meditating on my verse. As a young bride, I had heard that verse warning others to not try to tear apart our marriage. That week, I began to see the verse in a different light...let man not separate. This didn't just mean others, it also applied to the two of us!!! I began to realize that if anyone could tear apart our marriage, it was us!!! Our selfishness, our past wounds, our stubborn pride! Those were the things we needed to guard against...things of ourselves!!!
Present day - we just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary on Dec 27!!! I love this man more now than I ever could have imagined on our wedding day! It is truly a privilege to be his wife!
The road to this point was NEVER easy!!! We have both had to learn to give up those icky parts of our hearts and let God bring in the new attitudes that He had for us. Hubs now attends church with us and while it is not always perfect, he tries very hard to be the spiritual leader of our home. I could take the easy road and tell you what HIS problem was that almost destroyed our marriage but that would not be fair....he was not alone in that! I had some really deep wounds myself. Some places in my heart that God had to expose and heal and boy, did that hurt some days!
WE ARE NOT PERFECT!!!! We still have days that we struggle with those old hurts and attitudes! We still argue...sometimes selfishly! Please hear me, the only way that we could have made it here is with the hand of God guiding our steps! With God holding our hearts and our hands, we can give each other the grace needed to make it through those rough days!
The cross-stitch??? Well, I never did put it back together! It resides in one of those boxes in the garage. I know it is there!
Would I trade those struggles??? NO WAY!!! It is during these struggles that I have learned to lean even more on the arms of our Lord! It is because of my imperfect humanity that I see so deeply my need for our Savior!
I pray that you have been blessed today. I know this was not an easy read...it was really hard to write! However, I pray that you will be encouraged to hold onto your faith and hope in our precious Lord...He is always right by your side, no matter what you are walking through!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....like my marriage and my dear hubs!
God's girl, Pamela
I pray you are blessed today and can see that ONLY GOD can resurrect a VERY dead marriage!
After 20 yrs of marriage, I have learned that most every marriage hits a brick wall within the first 10-15 yrs that humanly speaking, seems impossible to overcome. These times usually come when you have small children...and that adds a stress of its own! But, what I have seen is that God usually allows these times to grow us up into Him and into who He is calling us to be. Some of you know, though, it is really hard to walk through those times!!!
I KNOW WE ARE NOT ALONE!!! If you are walking through a hard time in your marriage right now, please know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! Not only is God right there, holding you every step of the way, but a lot of marriages around you have walked through something so similar. If you need help, please search out someone that you can talk to and lean on in order to possibly save your marriage and your sanity!
I'm not saying that every marriage is salvageable...that is simply not true. However, God's grace is there just for you to hang onto, no matter what happens in your marriage and your life! Knowing just what we have walked through, I have a soft spot in my heart for marriages and I would love to see them all continue...but I know that is not always possible. No matter what is going on in your life, you are in good hands as long as you are in God's hands!
Okay, now for my memory:
In the mid-90's, God began to reveal heart issues between dear hubs and I that we could either ignore and kill each other, or deal with and continue to love one another...and did it ever get rough to actually live in the same house!!!
Christmas 1994 - the girls were 4 and 1 and life seemed simple, not easy but simple. I knew what our days looked like and I loved being a Mom of young children. However, like I said earlier, God was beginning to reveal deep heart issues...and it hurt.
By late '94, I had realized that my dear hubs was running from the hand of God! I was also beginning to realize that my marriage could not survive without leaning on God and His word! One Sunday morning in January '95, I was getting me and the girls ready for church and hubs was sleeping soundly in our bed....and I do mean soundly! It bugged me that we were struggling to make it through the days together and yet he chose to sleep on Sunday morn...and that is where I found hope - in the community of church and digging corporately into God's word.
We lived in post housing at the time, a 1940's duplex that had a long hallway from which you could look from one end of the house to the other. Standing at my bedroom door, I could look down the hall and see all the way to the outside wall of the dining room with no obstructions. On the outside of the dining room wall was a small storage room connected to a carport. I know this is a boring description but if you can follow this, you will understand just how big God was on this particular day!
On this particular Sunday in January 1995, I was walking from my bedroom to the girls to begin getting them ready for church...only a few steps away....but before I could even get to their door, I watched as our wedding cross-stitch, made by my Mom, literally jumped off of the outside dining room wall! I heard the crash before I could move my feet down the length of the house - a very loud crash for a simple 8x10 photo frame! There was a picture right next to this frame that DID NOT MOVE at all! To this day, it is still a mystery to me how this particular decoration simply fell off the wall! We were all on the opposite side of the house and no one, not even the dog, was in the dining area.
When I made it to the mess on the floor, I realized that the glass had shattered into little tiny pieces....lots of them! I simply sat down and cried!!! The cross-stitch itself was fine, only the frame was broken...but it was not just broken, it was shattered. I thought, "This is what has happened to my marriage. Our marriage isn't just broken, it is shattered." The reality of that broke my heart into those same little pieces! As I sat there in my tears and sorrow, I felt God say, "Yes, this is what your marriage looks like and there is no way that you can just glue the pieces back together. But I can!!!"
Then God gave me a verse. It had been used in our wedding, along with many others, but now that we had been married for 6 yrs, it started to make sense in living daily life...not just a flowery verse at a wedding.
Matthew 19:6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.
As I went through that week, I found myself meditating on my verse. As a young bride, I had heard that verse warning others to not try to tear apart our marriage. That week, I began to see the verse in a different light...let man not separate. This didn't just mean others, it also applied to the two of us!!! I began to realize that if anyone could tear apart our marriage, it was us!!! Our selfishness, our past wounds, our stubborn pride! Those were the things we needed to guard against...things of ourselves!!!
Present day - we just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary on Dec 27!!! I love this man more now than I ever could have imagined on our wedding day! It is truly a privilege to be his wife!
The road to this point was NEVER easy!!! We have both had to learn to give up those icky parts of our hearts and let God bring in the new attitudes that He had for us. Hubs now attends church with us and while it is not always perfect, he tries very hard to be the spiritual leader of our home. I could take the easy road and tell you what HIS problem was that almost destroyed our marriage but that would not be fair....he was not alone in that! I had some really deep wounds myself. Some places in my heart that God had to expose and heal and boy, did that hurt some days!
WE ARE NOT PERFECT!!!! We still have days that we struggle with those old hurts and attitudes! We still argue...sometimes selfishly! Please hear me, the only way that we could have made it here is with the hand of God guiding our steps! With God holding our hearts and our hands, we can give each other the grace needed to make it through those rough days!
The cross-stitch??? Well, I never did put it back together! It resides in one of those boxes in the garage. I know it is there!
Would I trade those struggles??? NO WAY!!! It is during these struggles that I have learned to lean even more on the arms of our Lord! It is because of my imperfect humanity that I see so deeply my need for our Savior!
I pray that you have been blessed today. I know this was not an easy read...it was really hard to write! However, I pray that you will be encouraged to hold onto your faith and hope in our precious Lord...He is always right by your side, no matter what you are walking through!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....like my marriage and my dear hubs!
God's girl, Pamela
January 27, 2009
25 Random Things
I have been tagged on Facebook so thought I would just go ahead and put this up here as well....kill those two birds with one stone, you may say!
1.I am still learning to lean on the arms of Jesus. Pretty sure this will be a lifelong process!
2.I count it a privilege to be my dear hubs wife.
3. I have loved every bit of being a Mom!
4.I love chocolate...I'm a true chocoholic!
5.I used to like picante sauce on everything...until I had baby #2, now I'm all about the sweet!!!
6.In my lifetime, I have lived in over 30 houses. I lived mostly in the country until I got married! Now, I drive through the "country" to breathe!!!
7.I had my first baby in a German hospital. I did love my midwife there, though!
8.I had my second baby in a military training hospital....vast difference between the two!
9.I delivered both sans epidural....not by choice!!!
10.I look more like my Mom's side of the family.
11.I married a true Texan...born here, raised here.
12.I love mountains...especially the Smokies!
13.I am a bit of an extrovert....depends on the situation!
14.I love to read.
15.I love to watch pro football!!! Go Cards!!!
16.I 'love' too many things!!!
17.I make greeting cards...I like to encourage people in their daily walk!
18.I have a friend that used to work for a high-end coffee place and she would give me a pound of coffee every so often, so now I am pretty much a coffee snob!
19.I love working with babies and early childhood education.
20.I am a messy!!!
21.I got married when I was 20 and have been married for 20 yrs!
22.I love my house! It is perfect for my family!
23.I am a romantic! Hopelessly!
24.I have to eat breakfast...otherwise, well you don't want to know.
25.I am a middle child and I'm from Tennessee...that should explain it all!!!
Y'all have fun! Stay warm and careful on the slick roads.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....
God's girl, Pamela
1.I am still learning to lean on the arms of Jesus. Pretty sure this will be a lifelong process!
2.I count it a privilege to be my dear hubs wife.
3. I have loved every bit of being a Mom!
4.I love chocolate...I'm a true chocoholic!
5.I used to like picante sauce on everything...until I had baby #2, now I'm all about the sweet!!!
6.In my lifetime, I have lived in over 30 houses. I lived mostly in the country until I got married! Now, I drive through the "country" to breathe!!!
7.I had my first baby in a German hospital. I did love my midwife there, though!
8.I had my second baby in a military training hospital....vast difference between the two!
9.I delivered both sans epidural....not by choice!!!
10.I look more like my Mom's side of the family.
11.I married a true Texan...born here, raised here.
12.I love mountains...especially the Smokies!
13.I am a bit of an extrovert....depends on the situation!
14.I love to read.
15.I love to watch pro football!!! Go Cards!!!
16.I 'love' too many things!!!
17.I make greeting cards...I like to encourage people in their daily walk!
18.I have a friend that used to work for a high-end coffee place and she would give me a pound of coffee every so often, so now I am pretty much a coffee snob!
19.I love working with babies and early childhood education.
20.I am a messy!!!
21.I got married when I was 20 and have been married for 20 yrs!
22.I love my house! It is perfect for my family!
23.I am a romantic! Hopelessly!
24.I have to eat breakfast...otherwise, well you don't want to know.
25.I am a middle child and I'm from Tennessee...that should explain it all!!!
Y'all have fun! Stay warm and careful on the slick roads.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....
God's girl, Pamela
January 23, 2009
When life hands you lemons, what do you do???
I know I said I would post this yesterday, but I ended up having Little Miss PD for 3 hrs longer than originally thought and after that...I just could not think anymore! So, sorry!!! But here it is!
I am just getting to 'know' Karabeth, a pastor's wife, from being part of the Wednesday meme sponsored by Lynnette and was VERY surprised to learn that she had given me an award for a blog post that showed great attitude/gratitude. This is so ironic to me because I can remember a day not too long ago that I would have been last on a list for great attitude/gratitude! Okay, so it has been 10 yrs or more but still, that hasn't been all that long.
Isn't it amazing, though, when God gets hold of our heart, not just a pastor preaching and convicting our mind or our parents yelling at us or a policeman giving us a ticket or getting demerits in school...well, y'all know what I mean! When the Holy Spirit zones in on a particular piece of my 'personality' and asks me to change...how can I say no??? (okay, so saying no might seem easier sometimes!)
That is what He did with my attitude...the stinky one! Now, as I am typing, I am concerned that I might just get a big head for confessing that I AM OVER THIS ISSUE so let me just say right now....I AM A SINNER SAVED BY GRACE and I still got a long way to go to look like Jesus!!! I still have my days where it is easier to complain, easier to yell, easier to just be icky...and those that know me, I am sorry for those days - please forgive me?
Anyway, thank you very much to Karabeth for making my day a little brighter and visiting my blog.
There are rules for posting this award and they are easy to follow, but follow you must! (see, I can still be bossy!)
1.Put the logo on your blog or post.
2.Nominate at least 10 who show great Attitude and/or Gratitude.
3.Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4.Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5.Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received this award.
Now that that is out of the way and you know a little more about me.... My nominees for the Lemonade Stand are: (in no particular order, of course!)
Marianne Johnson. An awesome woman of God with 3 very special children!
Micah Johnson. Marianne's oldest and a young mighty man of God!
Amy Haas. A friend of Marianne's that lost her youngest daughter last summer.
CaseyMay. A young lady that just blesses me to pieces with her love for our Lord!!!
Charity Lehmann. A lady that knows trials but knows Who holds her hand.
Larissa. One of my first blog friends. She is a Marine wife.
YAMS. Not sure how to give them this award, but they do deserve it. Melanie had a very rough Autumn but is on her way to full recovery!
Abigail Kraft. I'm just getting to know this young lady as well but her spirit through loss shows just how much she has learned to lean on Jesus.
Spring Fricks. This writer has done nothing but bless our family since we met in Dec. via blogworld!
Carolina McCurdy. What can I say? She is the most amazing woman of faith that I know. I can only wish I knew the Lord at 18 the way that she does. I could go on and on but drop by her posts and you will see what I mean! (yes, this is my daughter - my DD1)
I hope y'all can and will take the time to read through some of these blogs. God shines through in the lives of these ladies and I am blessed to be a part of their world...even if it is via computer!
Thank you for your patience, once again. Hope your weekend is blessed. If you get a chance, please pray for our church youth groups FOCUS weekend - that young people would be blessed and grow deeper in their walk with God.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....like blog friends, new and 'old'!
God's girl, Pamela
I am just getting to 'know' Karabeth, a pastor's wife, from being part of the Wednesday meme sponsored by Lynnette and was VERY surprised to learn that she had given me an award for a blog post that showed great attitude/gratitude. This is so ironic to me because I can remember a day not too long ago that I would have been last on a list for great attitude/gratitude! Okay, so it has been 10 yrs or more but still, that hasn't been all that long.
Isn't it amazing, though, when God gets hold of our heart, not just a pastor preaching and convicting our mind or our parents yelling at us or a policeman giving us a ticket or getting demerits in school...well, y'all know what I mean! When the Holy Spirit zones in on a particular piece of my 'personality' and asks me to change...how can I say no??? (okay, so saying no might seem easier sometimes!)
That is what He did with my attitude...the stinky one! Now, as I am typing, I am concerned that I might just get a big head for confessing that I AM OVER THIS ISSUE so let me just say right now....I AM A SINNER SAVED BY GRACE and I still got a long way to go to look like Jesus!!! I still have my days where it is easier to complain, easier to yell, easier to just be icky...and those that know me, I am sorry for those days - please forgive me?
Anyway, thank you very much to Karabeth for making my day a little brighter and visiting my blog.
There are rules for posting this award and they are easy to follow, but follow you must! (see, I can still be bossy!)
1.Put the logo on your blog or post.
2.Nominate at least 10 who show great Attitude and/or Gratitude.
3.Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4.Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5.Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received this award.
Now that that is out of the way and you know a little more about me.... My nominees for the Lemonade Stand are: (in no particular order, of course!)
Marianne Johnson. An awesome woman of God with 3 very special children!
Micah Johnson. Marianne's oldest and a young mighty man of God!
Amy Haas. A friend of Marianne's that lost her youngest daughter last summer.
CaseyMay. A young lady that just blesses me to pieces with her love for our Lord!!!
Charity Lehmann. A lady that knows trials but knows Who holds her hand.
Larissa. One of my first blog friends. She is a Marine wife.
YAMS. Not sure how to give them this award, but they do deserve it. Melanie had a very rough Autumn but is on her way to full recovery!
Abigail Kraft. I'm just getting to know this young lady as well but her spirit through loss shows just how much she has learned to lean on Jesus.
Spring Fricks. This writer has done nothing but bless our family since we met in Dec. via blogworld!
Carolina McCurdy. What can I say? She is the most amazing woman of faith that I know. I can only wish I knew the Lord at 18 the way that she does. I could go on and on but drop by her posts and you will see what I mean! (yes, this is my daughter - my DD1)
I hope y'all can and will take the time to read through some of these blogs. God shines through in the lives of these ladies and I am blessed to be a part of their world...even if it is via computer!
Thank you for your patience, once again. Hope your weekend is blessed. If you get a chance, please pray for our church youth groups FOCUS weekend - that young people would be blessed and grow deeper in their walk with God.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....like blog friends, new and 'old'!
God's girl, Pamela
January 21, 2009
Come on, take a walk with me...
Before I begin, I want to say "Thank You" to Karabeth for giving me a blog award...this is my first and very unexpected!
I will list my nominees tomorrow. That way, I can come up with a full ten!
Our walk today begins almost 11 yrs ago just as Spring was coming to town. My Bunny was 4 yrs old and DD1 was in the neighborhood elementary school and Bunny and I walked to pick her up in the afternoons. This is when we took most of our 'nature hikes' together, just Bunny and me!
Our neighborhood is NOT level....our sidewalk is NOT level, neither are many of the other streets and sidewalks. There are not only places where the sidewalk slants, there are also cracks and places that have fully separated so that there is at least 2-3 inch difference from one slab to the other. Fun for teenage bicyclist, not for hurried Moms!!! And on this particular day, we were running late to pick DD1 up from school.
As we headed down our sidewalk, Bunny was not in a hurry at all! No matter what I said, or pleaded or even bribed, she would not go any faster. Somehow, I finally said the magic words and she began to move a bit faster. We walked about halfway down the street, me holding her little hand, when all of a sudden, her hand jerked out of mine! I turn around to see my precious little girl on her knees on the sidewalk! A broken portion of the sidewalk!!!
So, I pick her up and I begin dusting off the knees....she had scraped just far enough that some blood was showing through that last layer of skin. I was trying so hard to be gentle...but I was still in a hurry and she could tell it. I started to say "I'm sorry" as I put her down to continue walking to the school - she was too big to be carried - and she responds so sweetly, "It's okay, I forgive myself."
God stopped me in my tracks right there! "I forgive myself" I could so believe that God would forgive me of my sins and not hold them against me but I could not forgive myself! I realized this was exactly what I needed to do...forgive me!
Now, this child's name has a couple of different meanings...they say the way that we spelled it is a derivative of Leah which means weak eyes. I don't like that meaning and I was not naming her Leah so I looked up the two distinct portions of her name and I LOVE the meaning of them put together.....Meadow of Grace! And that so fits her!!! She is now 15 and is very forgiving and full of grace...when she wants to be! I have learned so much from being her Mom! I have learned how to slow down and forgive myself and be more willing to forgive others. I have learned that having extra energy means sometimes as a Mom I have to channel that energy...even when she really doesn't want me to! I have learned to let go of a lot of the Mommy guilt...because she is her own, independent spirit!
Because of my Bunny, I have learned to love a bit deeper!!!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....like my precious Bunny!
God's girl, Pamela
January 20, 2009
She wants to leave the country!!!
As I mentioned in an update below, my DD1 is finishing her senior year of high school and seeking God's direction for what to do next...starting with her summer. Our new church is planning a youth mission trip to Colombia this summer and she is praying to see if that is something God would have her do. She so desires to serve others and see their faces light up with the love of God!
So, she has started a group on Facebook, I'm going to Colombia to see just what happens in the coming months. If you have a Facebook, would you please check it out and considering joining us in prayer and any other way that God lays on your heart?
My Mother's heart is torn. I do so desire for her to follow God's will and her heart but she's never been this far away from home. Of course, I am reminded that my Mom went through even more of a transition when I left home to meet my new husband in West Germany. I left the states a newlywed and returned 19 mo later as a Mom myself, not having seen my Mom during those months! At least my DD1 is only planning on leaving for one week!!!
Would you please consider joining us in this endeavor.
And my Bunny, she is growing so close to God during this time in her life. Many of you will remember during the last few months, she has questioned and pushed every way that she could....could that possibly have anything to do with her being 15??? It is really neat to see her once again leaning on the arms of our precious Savior! My Wednesday walk tomorrow will be about a special memory with little Miss Bunny when she was 4. I hope you will join me. Thank y'all to the many of you that have partnered with us in prayer for her.
Thank you for your time and your care for my family. I love my blog family!!!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....
God's girl, Pamela
So, she has started a group on Facebook, I'm going to Colombia to see just what happens in the coming months. If you have a Facebook, would you please check it out and considering joining us in prayer and any other way that God lays on your heart?
My Mother's heart is torn. I do so desire for her to follow God's will and her heart but she's never been this far away from home. Of course, I am reminded that my Mom went through even more of a transition when I left home to meet my new husband in West Germany. I left the states a newlywed and returned 19 mo later as a Mom myself, not having seen my Mom during those months! At least my DD1 is only planning on leaving for one week!!!
Would you please consider joining us in this endeavor.
And my Bunny, she is growing so close to God during this time in her life. Many of you will remember during the last few months, she has questioned and pushed every way that she could....could that possibly have anything to do with her being 15??? It is really neat to see her once again leaning on the arms of our precious Savior! My Wednesday walk tomorrow will be about a special memory with little Miss Bunny when she was 4. I hope you will join me. Thank y'all to the many of you that have partnered with us in prayer for her.
Thank you for your time and your care for my family. I love my blog family!!!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....
God's girl, Pamela
January 17, 2009
Nell
I know the movie came out 14 yrs ago, but at the time I had two small children and was fighting so hard for my marriage so it went unseen....until yesterday. There are lots of movies that fall into that category and I am trying to 'catch up' on the ones I really wanted to see, so I watched Nell yesterday. And cried!
I'm not a huge fan of Jody Foster, in other words, I enjoy some of her works but am not blown away by her work or her character. However, in this movie, she did an awesome job of acting! I do like Liam Neeson, though, and his performance would have been worth the price of admission!
Some of y'all that are regulars on here know that God has taught me so much about His love in the past few months and this movie was just a continuation. Neeson's character, Jerry, learns by observation to love Nell, played by Jody Foster, in a way that he has never known love. His motivation becomes a driving need to protect Nell from the 'evil' of a hospital or asylum and from the eyes of the press.
If you have never seen the movie, or don't exactly remember it, I suggest you find a way to watch it again. I know there are websites that have free downloads of many movies...my kids know which ones they are - not me! It is a drama and only needs a kleenex or two but is definitely worth the watch!
On a different note, thank you so much for reaching out to Micah and his 100 day project. He even has a Facebook page now, Send One Dollar event! Can you imagine how the man in the van will be blessed...and it will continue because there appears to already be more than $100!!! Isn't that awesome??? Isn't God awesome!!!!
Okay, Miss PD is asleep, DD1 will be home in about an hour and dear hubs and Bunny have gone out for a date so that means that I am pretty much alone!!! Of course, this also means that I could actually get something done around the house and I think I better get off here and be the SAHM I say I am!!!!
Love y'all and am praying for you!!!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....
God's girl, Pamela
I'm not a huge fan of Jody Foster, in other words, I enjoy some of her works but am not blown away by her work or her character. However, in this movie, she did an awesome job of acting! I do like Liam Neeson, though, and his performance would have been worth the price of admission!
Some of y'all that are regulars on here know that God has taught me so much about His love in the past few months and this movie was just a continuation. Neeson's character, Jerry, learns by observation to love Nell, played by Jody Foster, in a way that he has never known love. His motivation becomes a driving need to protect Nell from the 'evil' of a hospital or asylum and from the eyes of the press.
If you have never seen the movie, or don't exactly remember it, I suggest you find a way to watch it again. I know there are websites that have free downloads of many movies...my kids know which ones they are - not me! It is a drama and only needs a kleenex or two but is definitely worth the watch!
On a different note, thank you so much for reaching out to Micah and his 100 day project. He even has a Facebook page now, Send One Dollar event! Can you imagine how the man in the van will be blessed...and it will continue because there appears to already be more than $100!!! Isn't that awesome??? Isn't God awesome!!!!
Okay, Miss PD is asleep, DD1 will be home in about an hour and dear hubs and Bunny have gone out for a date so that means that I am pretty much alone!!! Of course, this also means that I could actually get something done around the house and I think I better get off here and be the SAHM I say I am!!!!
Love y'all and am praying for you!!!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....
God's girl, Pamela
January 14, 2009
Have a moment to walk with me???
Update: Reading through some of your comments has made me giggle. I did not give a time line for this memory...I'm sorry! DD1, the daughter in this post, has just started her last semester of high school!!! That makes this walk a bit more special for me...time has flown by!
Thank you for your sweet comments, I always say she is God's child 'cause I could not do such a good job!!! (that goes for both of them, BTW!)
Let me first apologize for not getting this out sooner...my computer has not been much of a friend today!!! Either my internet has not been connected or our filtering service has been having issues or both, depending on what time I tried to sit down and post!!!
But, I am on now and ready to share a memory and let you choose if you would like to help a very special 7 yr old make a memory of his own!
DD1 has always had a very generous spirit...ALWAYS!!! I clearly remember one Sunday after her birthday, her babysitter handed her a one dollar bill and told her to buy something special. Notice, it was Sunday and it was right before church started. My precious DD1 had just turned 4! We headed into the sanctuary and she is holding tightly to the dollar bill. I offer to put it away but she will not hear of it!!! She holds it close during all of worship...never putting it down!
When the ushers began to walk to the front, I realized that she is getting excited and it dawns on me what she has planned. Of course, being the perfect Mom I am, I don't say anything....YAH, RIGHT!!! The conversation went something like this:
"Honey, do you really want to put in your whole birthday present?"
"Yes"
"Sweetheart, are you sure? If you do that, you won't be able to buy something special like Miss Kari told you to."
"I know, Mommy."
Of course, it did not take me long to realize that I would not change her mind. She put her new dollar bill into the offering plate as it passed by! Then she looked at me with an absolutely huge grin!!! I know I was wrong in trying to change her mind, but that made it even sweeter when I felt God say to me that He was so proud of her!!!
When we made the move to Dallas, hubs work was in an area close to the smaller airport and home to several panhandlers. Anytime that the child had any money at all on her person and we were headed to Daddy's work, she would take it just in case we saw a homeless person. Many times, she would roll down her passenger side window and give away the last of her money! She would always flash the person a huge smile that I know made their day....it sure made mine!
She has taught me so much about giving up my life as I walk this human road. She totally gives away whatever she has...and sometimes that is just her! Her generous spirit is always looking for someone to bless...even in a small way. This afternoon, she wrapped up a very pretty package and inside was a Hershey Cookies and Cream bar for her new friend at our new church! She purchased the candy bar with her Christmas Wal-Mart gift card!
Today, I learned of another special child that is wanting to bless someone in his life. His name is Micah and he is the oldest son of DD1's 5th grade Science and History teacher. Click over to his Mom's blog to find out just how you can help Micah be a blessing - and create his very own special memory.
Thank you for being patient today and for taking the time to read about my family. I pray that you will be blessed and be a blessing to someone around you!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.....
God's girl, Pamela
Thank you for your sweet comments, I always say she is God's child 'cause I could not do such a good job!!! (that goes for both of them, BTW!)
Let me first apologize for not getting this out sooner...my computer has not been much of a friend today!!! Either my internet has not been connected or our filtering service has been having issues or both, depending on what time I tried to sit down and post!!!
But, I am on now and ready to share a memory and let you choose if you would like to help a very special 7 yr old make a memory of his own!
DD1 has always had a very generous spirit...ALWAYS!!! I clearly remember one Sunday after her birthday, her babysitter handed her a one dollar bill and told her to buy something special. Notice, it was Sunday and it was right before church started. My precious DD1 had just turned 4! We headed into the sanctuary and she is holding tightly to the dollar bill. I offer to put it away but she will not hear of it!!! She holds it close during all of worship...never putting it down!
When the ushers began to walk to the front, I realized that she is getting excited and it dawns on me what she has planned. Of course, being the perfect Mom I am, I don't say anything....YAH, RIGHT!!! The conversation went something like this:
"Honey, do you really want to put in your whole birthday present?"
"Yes"
"Sweetheart, are you sure? If you do that, you won't be able to buy something special like Miss Kari told you to."
"I know, Mommy."
Of course, it did not take me long to realize that I would not change her mind. She put her new dollar bill into the offering plate as it passed by! Then she looked at me with an absolutely huge grin!!! I know I was wrong in trying to change her mind, but that made it even sweeter when I felt God say to me that He was so proud of her!!!
When we made the move to Dallas, hubs work was in an area close to the smaller airport and home to several panhandlers. Anytime that the child had any money at all on her person and we were headed to Daddy's work, she would take it just in case we saw a homeless person. Many times, she would roll down her passenger side window and give away the last of her money! She would always flash the person a huge smile that I know made their day....it sure made mine!
She has taught me so much about giving up my life as I walk this human road. She totally gives away whatever she has...and sometimes that is just her! Her generous spirit is always looking for someone to bless...even in a small way. This afternoon, she wrapped up a very pretty package and inside was a Hershey Cookies and Cream bar for her new friend at our new church! She purchased the candy bar with her Christmas Wal-Mart gift card!
Today, I learned of another special child that is wanting to bless someone in his life. His name is Micah and he is the oldest son of DD1's 5th grade Science and History teacher. Click over to his Mom's blog to find out just how you can help Micah be a blessing - and create his very own special memory.
Thank you for being patient today and for taking the time to read about my family. I pray that you will be blessed and be a blessing to someone around you!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.....
God's girl, Pamela
January 10, 2009
I don't have much time to write/type today...Little Miss PD is in the house!!!
I did have a chance to drop by Bring the Rain though. If you can set aside 15 minutes of your day to see the video she put together to honor God and Audrey's short life, please do so and pop over to her blog. Angie is a woman of strength and I know God is using this 'tragedy' to witness to so many people in ways many of us could never even imagine.
I pray your weekend is blessed by the hand of our Lord!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....
God's girl, Pamela
I did have a chance to drop by Bring the Rain though. If you can set aside 15 minutes of your day to see the video she put together to honor God and Audrey's short life, please do so and pop over to her blog. Angie is a woman of strength and I know God is using this 'tragedy' to witness to so many people in ways many of us could never even imagine.
I pray your weekend is blessed by the hand of our Lord!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow....
God's girl, Pamela
January 7, 2009
My Basket of Pine Cones & Memories
Take a walk with me down memory lane....it starts with a 20 yr old about to get married -
It wasn't unusual to receive a gift through the mail, several of our friends (my parents and mine) lived out of town. What was unusual was to receive a gift from a courier...especially when we lived so far out in the country! I didn't think couriers even knew our place existed!!! So, on a very cold day, I answered the knock at the door and stood staring at the poor man for just a moment too long. He asked if it was my name on the delivery tag....yeah, that was me. He went to his truck and retrieved this HUGE package and as he got closer to the porch, I noticed the package is a basket. A huge white basket. And it was full of stuff!!! Kitchen stuff! What bride would not be excited to see all kinds of kitchen stuff in a package with her name on it???
I quickly signed the paper...yes, it was still paper back then, no e-signatures - we didn't even know what those were - and ran inside to see who it could be from. It was from a friend of mine in NC that had been married just since the previous February. I felt so special to receive such a gift...it was personal and thought out. I'm sure still being a new bride herself it made it easier to put something together but I also knew her crazy schedule and it took some time to put this gift together!
So, I didn't even open up to make sure all the contents were there...it had an inventory list on the envelope. At that point, we knew we were going to West Germany before setting up a house so I saw no need to undo a perfectly wrapped package! Plus, it looked beautiful to my eyes just sitting on my bedroom floor! That was in December.
Those months from December to May were so difficult...we were married, yet still lived apart. He was still in training so had to live on post and I saw no need to leave my family any earlier because it really isn't that far from Dallas to Lawton.
So, in May, I packed up and left my family. The basket and all my other possessions that didn't fit in the two large suitcases, hanging bag and carry on bag that I took with me, would be picked up and moved for me courtesy of the US Army! When my travel orders came, I had one month to pack up and get ready to go meet my hubs overseas. However, that was too fast for the movers, they came the day after I left. Selfish me, I never considered how my Mom felt about that....your daughter moves out one day and the very next, her whole life has been erased from the house. I chose to stay at home after high school to save money, so I had not been away from home, until then!
While it only took me 16 hrs to make the trip overseas, it took our household goods 7 weeks!!! There were many wedding gifts that hubs had never even seen because he lived in OK and the basket was one of those. Being a man, he could not understand my shrieks when I opened the box and realized the ONLY thing in it was my basket of kitchen goodies!!! I finally got to open my kitchen basket over July 4 weekend, 1989! A full 6 mo after signing for it.
So, now that you know how important that basket is to me, would it surprise you that it sits to this day in my entryway? But, you may be asking, what does that have to do with pine cones???
Well, I once had little girls! My little girls are not unlike other children that when as toddlers we went for a walk, they wanted to take everything they had picked up in the house with them! And boy, could they pick stuff up!!!
We moved back to the states in Jan '91 and since hubs had to retrain, we had our household goods stored until we moved into our next permanent duty station - Ft. Bragg, NC. The basket sat empty in our new place until Autumn of '91 when DD1 discovered pine cones falling from the trees that surrounded our apartment!!! These were not little pine cones...they were MASSIVE!!! For several days, she was okay with carrying them up to our porch and leaving them there...until she realized they were no longer on the porch the next day!!! So, I knew I had to find a place to put her pine cones...and the basket was my only option! It was big enough to hold several and with a pretty bow, would look lovely in the doorway...pine cones and all.
The basket held about 10 of those pine cones...although that meant one or two would always fall out when you passed by it! Money was horribly tight that Christmas, so I used the pine cones to make Christmas trees for our family...by purchasing small trinkets and floral stems at the dime store. Even after that, we still had pine cones in the basket...and in the yard!!! Yes, I let DD1 bring in even more pine cones!
In the next couple of months, we moved from that apartment to a town home on post...not surrounded by pine cones! However, I still loved the look of my basket with the bow....cheap decorating by design!!! The basket and the pine cones stayed with us.
By the next Christmas, we were stationed at Ft. Bliss, TX....the least blissful place in America! It's in the desert, y'all!!! Sand, rock, tumbleweed and cactus!!! But my pine cones reminded me of prettier places! And still look good in their basket!!!
Our lives changed drastically over the next 18 mo....we had added another girl to the household, and moved again into on-post housing. And wouldn't ya know it, right behind our fence line was a pine tree!!! Seriously, standing against the desert wind was a pine tree!!! Not as expansive as the ones in NC, but a pine tree none the less!
That meant that once again, we were bringing things home that had been picked up on our walk...including pine cones. Smaller pine cones but still pine cones! I thought then how special that I have a similar memory from both of my girls as toddlers. It was a God thing...I'm sure!
I remember these little bitty people picking up a pine cone and dropping it right away because it hurt! Oh, but curiosity finally won out and they would pick it up again and slowly examine all the parts and pieces! The ones DD1 had collected were nearly as big as she was! Bunny's were more along her size and sometimes easier to handle because they had not opened all the way. Then, as the basket began to overflow, they would sit for quiet moments and DD1 would tell Bunny the story behind many of them....what we had done on that particular walk, where we had gone. I never worried about whether it was right or not, it was nice for me to see them sit quietly and tell a story between themselves. Oh, precious memories!!!
We moved back to Dallas when Bunny was 2 1/2 so we still took nature walks...and wouldn't ya know it, we almost always passed a pine tree. The last pine cone I remember being collected was in the neighborhood where we now live. Bunny was about four and DD1 was in school. Bunny and I were walking past this really tall pine tree and there was one little scrawny pine cone lying beneath it...and she just had to have it! All I saw was a scrawny little thing, she saw beauty! She won, we brought it home and added it to our collection. It still sits on top of the others!
Unfortunately, some of the pine cones are submitting to age and beginning to break down into a form of mulch...but I will always have my memories!!! And, I will always have my basket! We've picked up pine cones several times as the dog would try to chew on them, or the baby I was watching at any particular time! They have lived in seven homes with us now. The oldest and largest was picked up 17 yrs ago, the newest, just eleven. The memories, though, will last forever!
I'm sorry this is so long! I really did not start out to write a book!!!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.....like baskets and pine cones and precious daughters!
God's girl, Pamela
January 5, 2009
Good Monday Morning....
I hope your new year is starting off well! Did you make a resolution and are still there? Then congratulations....you've done better than me, you at least made a resolution!!!
Well, it is official - we are changing churches. We said our goodbyes yesterday at the church we have attended for 12 yrs. This is where we were married and our girls were dedicated and I thought for that reason, it would be hard to say goodbye. However, I cannot put a finger on the emotion I felt. It wasn't sadness, it wasn't happiness...I was a bit agitated. I know that I really like the 'new' church and I wanted to attend there yesterday morn, but knew that we really should give the girls some closure...I mean, they have grown up in this church. DD1 was just turning 6 when we moved back to Dallas and Bunny was only 2 1/2. This is the only church Bunny has ever known being a part of.
When we got home and I began getting dinner ready, the tears began to flow. Mainly because I just don't understand so many things surrounding this part of our lives. It is not a lack of peace, I have that, it is simply agitation...does that make any sense???
Please pray that God would shine His light on any hidden areas of my heart in dealing with this life change. I so desire to follow His way and not my own.
Okay, enough 'down' time...this is a good Monday morning! It is cold and rainy outside...could even have some wintry mix later on in the morn. It was 80 degrees on Saturday!!! Texas weather will make you think you are losing your mind!!!
Have you noticed a new sidebar on here? Well, Lynnette has invited me to join her on a memory walk....Wednesday's Walk down memory lane. I hope you can find time to pop over on Wednesday and share some memories with other bloggers. I already know what memory I am going to blog about....figured it out last night while talking on the phone with my Daddy.
I will tell you this: it involves pine cones!!! Wow, how intriguing, huh???
It is time to wrap up for this good Monday morning.....
Happy 47th Anniversary to my parents!!! Their example of sticking together has made it easier for me to stick it out in my marriage. I so appreciate that God gave them to me to learn life lessons from! I pray that the year ahead will hold blessings beyond belief for them and my little brother!
I pray that y'alls day is blessed!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow...like Monday morning!!!
God's girl, Pamela
Well, it is official - we are changing churches. We said our goodbyes yesterday at the church we have attended for 12 yrs. This is where we were married and our girls were dedicated and I thought for that reason, it would be hard to say goodbye. However, I cannot put a finger on the emotion I felt. It wasn't sadness, it wasn't happiness...I was a bit agitated. I know that I really like the 'new' church and I wanted to attend there yesterday morn, but knew that we really should give the girls some closure...I mean, they have grown up in this church. DD1 was just turning 6 when we moved back to Dallas and Bunny was only 2 1/2. This is the only church Bunny has ever known being a part of.
When we got home and I began getting dinner ready, the tears began to flow. Mainly because I just don't understand so many things surrounding this part of our lives. It is not a lack of peace, I have that, it is simply agitation...does that make any sense???
Please pray that God would shine His light on any hidden areas of my heart in dealing with this life change. I so desire to follow His way and not my own.
Okay, enough 'down' time...this is a good Monday morning! It is cold and rainy outside...could even have some wintry mix later on in the morn. It was 80 degrees on Saturday!!! Texas weather will make you think you are losing your mind!!!
Have you noticed a new sidebar on here? Well, Lynnette has invited me to join her on a memory walk....Wednesday's Walk down memory lane. I hope you can find time to pop over on Wednesday and share some memories with other bloggers. I already know what memory I am going to blog about....figured it out last night while talking on the phone with my Daddy.
I will tell you this: it involves pine cones!!! Wow, how intriguing, huh???
It is time to wrap up for this good Monday morning.....
Happy 47th Anniversary to my parents!!! Their example of sticking together has made it easier for me to stick it out in my marriage. I so appreciate that God gave them to me to learn life lessons from! I pray that the year ahead will hold blessings beyond belief for them and my little brother!
I pray that y'alls day is blessed!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow...like Monday morning!!!
God's girl, Pamela
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