our boy is sweet

I just have a couple of cute Jonah stories today. 

Last night at the dinner table we had the following conversation:

Jonathan: "a tourist family came in the store today. they said they had been here earlier in the year and wanted to come back to get ice cream again because of the tricks we did last time."

Me: "aw"

Jonah (before another word could be said): "aw, that was sweet!"

Then, close to bedtime he found a New Testament Bible he's not seen before. It was in a drawer in his room. He brought it to us asking us to read the new Bible. I don"t know how he knew what kind of book it was.

Actually, at first he started reading about the Lorax...we had to tell him that the Lorax is not in the Bible. Next he started reading to us about Jesus. Then, I captured a photo of Jonathan and him reading from it right before bed. 

i know this may be quite boring to the rest of the world. but it is something good i want to focus on for now and remember someday down the road. this has been a particularly rough week for me. i am thankful that i have these sweet little snippets to reflect upon. 

Elizabeth Anne has Arrived!

 On Tuesday morning, we loaded up and left the house as a family of 3. Jonathan and I made a quick stop to drop Jonah off to spend the day with some of our favorite people. Then we headed on to the hospital! 

 They asked us to be there 2.5 hrs before the scheduled c-section time. I couldn't imagine that it would really take that long to get checked in. There really wasn't a lot of "down time" though. We were busy filling out forms and answering questions right up until our scheduled time. THEN the waiting began. The surgical team was running behind. We were delayed almost an hour. 

 They got started at 12:49pm. 

She was out by 1:17pm. 

That crying (and let me tell you, it was some darn good crying) was the sweetest sound a mama could ever hear! The Dr.'s first comment was her good coloring. The nurses told us later she was one of the most beautiful babies they have seen. They see a lot of babies, so I'm not just biased when I say she is BEAUTIFUL! 

While the Dr. was stitching my belly, Jonathan accompanied the nurses who cleaned and checked the baby. We were very anxious to hear her weight, and then SHOCKED to learn she was 

8lbs. 9oz. 

Did I mention that she came a week before the actual due date?! That is nearly two pounds heavier than Jonah who came out full term! 

 As soon as I was put back together they let me recover in a delivery room...WITH my baby. This was different from my first c-section. When I had Jonah the labor and delivery was too crowded...I had to recover on the surgical floor away from my baby. THAT was torture. 

We feel so very blessed. My heart overflows with thankfulness. Jonah came home from Grandma and Grandpa's house last night. We have spent the day as a family of 4 and I LOVE it. I love our children so dearly. I am so thankful that God gave us such wonderful treasures. I pray I can parent them in a way that gives HIM praise! 

Dear Jesus,

Jonah has been more and more vocal with prayer time lately. He has been asking to pray from time to time, and will repeat a prayer we prompt for him. Tonight Jonah prayed his bedtime prayer all by himself. It was one of the sweetest moments ever!!

He said: "Dear Jesus, thank you for a day, thank you for Ewizabeth, thank you softball game. A-Men!"

David and Goliath

Jonah has a favorite Bible story. We usually read one at bedtime and he usually asks for David and Goliath. Here lately he has been telling the story to us, so I recorded it! 

New Year's Medical Extravaganza!

Well, this year we celebrated New Year's Eve (day) much differently than anticipated. And I hope to never do it again. 

We usually spend the holiday near Kansas City, MO with Jonathan's family. The night before we planned to leave Jonah started showing symptoms of illness. (well, just a 101.7 temp). He seemed miserable. We decided to travel anyway. We figured we'd treat the temp and see what happened. 

Oh, he also stopped eating, which is very unusual for our boy. 

We made it to the Atkins house by early afternoon. Jonah was doing pretty good...pumped full of alternating doses of Tylenol and Motrin. Then, we let the meds fade out through the night. BIG MISTAKE. We decided at 4 am that we would be seeking out an Urgent Care as soon as possible. The no-eating made me wonder if he might have strep.

*time lapse for attempted sleep and then some breakfast*

Because of where my in-laws live, we had to travel 45 minutes to the nearest clinic. On the way there, I looked back to check on the sweet boy. I was curious to see if he was still awake. He was. And the lower half of his face was covered in blood. I told Jonathan to pull over now!

We battled a very major nose bleed, called his sister (a nurse) who waylaid our fears by saying the dry air mixed with the Motrin was the likely culprit of a nose bleed. 

We continued on to Urgent Care, waited on a very nice leather couch, and then were called back. Amid all of the chaos and unfamiliar medical people Jonah freaked out, started crying, and bleeding again. I tell you, this was no minor nose bleed. The word spurting is all I can think of to describe it to you. Apparently spurting noses do not please the medical community. Neither do low oxygen readings on the pulse-measuring-finger-clamp device. The nurse said we needed to go to the ER. And not just the one across the street. They told us we should go to Children's Mercy in the city...because the oxygen reading was SO dangerously low.  

So, we sojourned on. 15 minutes later we were all checked in at CMH. They were very prompt to get us in. They had to take his temp....in his rectum. Poor kid. It doesn't take any time to figure out that stickers are a very poor exchange for having a device shoved in certain crevices!   Suffice to say, the nose bleeding started up all over again. I can't tell you how many gauze pads we went through. OH, and they re-checked his pulse/oxygen and it was FINE.

THEN, we got to see the Dr. *cue angels singing.* She was the perfect blend of professional/caring. I immediately liked her manner.  She assured us that a nose can bleed a LOT from being dry. She gave us some creme to put in his nostril and it hasn't bled at bit since then. She said the Urgent Care must've used a less-than-accurate device for reading oxygen. Whew! 

So, the question still remained...WHAT was wrong?? 

She checked his ears, they were very clear.  They swabbed his throat. Nothing unusual. 

We ended our visit with a chest x-ray. They saw one spot that could be pneumonia. So, the Dr. prescribed amoxicillin. 

Whatever was wrong is definitely better. We may go ahead and schedule a follow up with our family Dr., but PRAISE THE LORD our boy is better. It took a couple of days, but he is eating again and playing and making messes and making us laugh like normal!  

James Andrew Atkins

As I mentioned the other day, Jonathan and I went to visit Daniel and Riss. 

We had a really fun visit with them. We just hung out, went for a walk, and ate some really good food. Typical for one of our gatherings. Oh, wait, that walk...I should say more about that walk. You see, Riss was a couple of days overdue with that sweet baby. I'd teased her about packing a bag and walking to the hospital, so that by the time she got there she'd be in labor! Well, we went for a walk around a nearby lake instead. Jonathan kept wanting to go further, but there was seemingly no end in sight. So, we talked him into turning around...and since no water had broken...I guess Jonathan thought there should be some sort of awkward water situation, so he stepped into a huge mud puddle that covered his foot up to the ankle. 

We went on about our visit-as-usual. 

Jonathan and I were planning to return home first thing (if 9am can be called first thing) Sunday morning. Then we got the phone call. It was Daniel. She was in labor...and had been at the hospital since 1am. (he also alerted me to a text message he'd sent much earlier which read: 'the water broke we are going to the hospital riss says to say thanks')

I have never before been in the waiting room of the hospital when a new baby has been born. There was a lot of anticipation. You see, my sister-in-law decided to go the old-fashioned route and NOT find out the gender of the baby she carried. I have known a handful of people who have made that choice and it is always SUCH fun when the baby is born to finally find out! (makes the pre-planning a bear, but totally worth it in the end) So, there we sat in the waiting room, going back and forth with reasons we could believe it was a boy, or a girl.  Each time the big door opened we were all on alert to see if it was Daniel. When he did come through the door...declaring that Baby James was here...it was THE SWEETEST thing! 

I loved being there for that moment.

Auntie Amy and Uncle Jonathan 

This is right after he told us the news...that is my i'm-so-excited-i-can-hardly-stand-it face. 

And here is baby James. 

James Andrew

8lbs. 5 oz. 23 inches

 Sunday, November 13, 2011

10:45am

Did you see that length? I don't know that I've ever heard of a baby being that long...at least not one that came out of a mama who is barely over 5 ft. tall!! His legs are nearly as long as his mama's already!

He had quite the time getting out into the world. The Dr. used the phrase "tight fit" and there was a vacuum involved. The tight fit is believed to have caused him to have what was discovered to be an acute phemothorax (air between the lungs and rib cage). He came out gasping a bit. Shortly after birth he was transferred to another hospital with a NICU. They took care of the problem easily, but he has to stay there through the duration of antibiotics. 

This is very hard on his mom (and dad, i'm sure). 

They are totally in love with the new guy! I am so happy for them and for our family.

Five for Friday: Bible Verses

Well, I've been mulling over what to post today. I'm still not quite ready to post the birthday party pictures. For some reason that feels overwhelming. I don't know why.  It is Friday, so I'll do my usual post of Five things. I can't really think of anything to share other than my five favorite Bible verses. Or five of my favorites...five that stand out to me today. 

In no particular order:

Phillipians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.


Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.


Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp for my feet, 
   a light on my path. 


Philippians 3:14


I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.


John 3:16-17


For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

How about you? Do you have a favorite verse or passage that you turn to regularly?

Happy Weekend. I will be celebrating another couple of birthdays Sat. Perhaps I'll do a big birthday post for next week. 

Weekend Update: Crowd Pleaser!

What do these things have in common?

We see avacado, chips, a very cute boy, some citrus juice, and an onion.

Put it all together and you have....

The cutest guacamole EVER!!

It was really really good. We (the three of us) ate it in one sitting.

Then, I went to the store for more avocados.

No, we are not piggies. We had a small gathering to attend that night. The hosts were preparing burgers. The avocado mixture was the perfect complement to the meal. (always a good crowd pleaser). And Jonah had a big grin on his face all night (also a crowd pleaser). 

The only non-pleasing event that night was saying goodbye. You see, Jonathan is not returning to his position with K-Life after this school year. We gathered with the K-Life board and staff Saturday night for a little farewell dinner. It was sweet. We will miss those folks.

And if we come to your mind this week you can say a little prayer for our job search. We know God will take care of us. But, we really want to make sure our choices line up with His plan for us. (determining that plan is the tricky part)

In the mean time, we will probably eat more guacamole! Yum Yum.

Easter Sunday

yep, those owls are smocked on there!

he's waving...love it!

Jonah had a cute little outfit made by Grammy Pammy!

When I was young she made me a new dress each year for Easter...she's very talented with a sewing machine. She loves to create cute things. Sadly, Jonah is quickly outgrowing handmade "cuteness". I'd better have a baby girl someday!

Our Easter Sunday was a bit unconventional. We physically went to church, but not as a family or to the actual church service. Our church likes to have the Easter service in a local theater (to integrate a large crowd into one worship service). With that comes added responsibility. So, Jonathan and I helped out. He was helping with hospitality...they served doughnuts and coffee to everyone! (early that morning he picked up 100 dozen krispy kreme...yes, you read that right, and no, I'm not exaggerating)

I helped in the nursery. I (and several others) loved on some babies while their parents enjoyed the church service. It was fun. Jonah got to be with me! 

After church, we jumped in the car and drove down to be with my family. 

(i forgot the camera, it was raining, and my dad had to work, so NO family picture this year)

Our usual family tradition is to fly kites after lunch on Easter. I LOVE that tradition, so I was pretty bummed that it rained so much. 

If you haven't already seen it, watch this video. It is a fun, non-traditional way to celebrate what Easter is all about:

Say a Little Prayer

 

These are 3 of my most favorite people on earth! 

I love them dearly...I've known their family for nearly 8 years. They are very sad today. Please join me in saying a little prayer. Their grandpa passed away yesterday. Not only are these sweet children saying goodbye, but their dear mother is grieving the loss of her dad. I cannot fathom the sadness that brings.

I encourage you to say a little prayer, either for this grieving family, or of your thankfulness for those who are dear to you...or BOTH!

Lesson Learned

Yesterday I had a momentary (ok, honestly, it was more than just a "moment") freak-out. My freak-out was momentary temporary and rather unnecessary.

You see, Jonah got some really cute shoes for Christmas. They were a gift from...you guessed it...his Auntie Em!! I wanted to put them on him, but I COULD ONLY FIND ONE. Oh dear. I searched everywhere. And, with a sinking pit in my stomach I remembered cleaning out Jonah's room the day before. I'd filled an empty diaper box with trash and it had gone to the curb (& been picked up) that very morning. 

See the lonely, mate-less shoe:

I was  certain that Jonah had slipped the other shoe into that "trash" box when I wasn't looking. I was sick over the loss of that shoe. And I was reminded of this verse... "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break and steal." Matthew 6:21 So, I guess my lesson learned is to not get so worked up over "things." I'd like to say this is when I stopped to pray and ask for help in finding the shoe. However, I don't think I did. 

Later in the day, something occurred to me.  I'd found some socks in the tub when I'd last gone to run bath water. So, I checked the tub.

toys, but no shoe. OH wait, what's that?

do you see it? it took me more than one glance, but I FOUND THE SHOE! Praise the LORD...and I did.  So, my second lesson for the day was leave the bathroom door shut!

The Year in Review

Well, this is a little late in coming. I just thougth everyone might enjoy a collage of Jonah's first year of life. I took a picture every Friday (well, almost every Friday). I have them labeled by week. I couldn't figure out how to center each little "thumbnail" in the collage, so some of them are kind of funky. We sure do love this boy and the time we spend with him!! He is a good little picture-taker!!! (remember, you can click on the photo to see it larger...just click the "back" button on your browser to return to the blog).

Just Ask

I'm feeling a little thoughtful & reflective today. I'm taking the time to think of the things the Lord has done lately. I don't always do that. Most often I hustle and bustle to the next thing or think ahead to plan what I need to get done. Today I was pondering in my heart while driving. God is so good.

Jonathan and I were recently met with a challenge. Something out of our control had been decided and it made a big impact on us directly. It was a negative thing and we felt a little betrayed/hurt. After going through a few emotions, we collected ourselves and DID something. We wrote a letter. The trouble with letters is that you don't get the exact feeling/intonation behind the words. We had to trust that the words would be received in the right way. It was scary, but we left it in the hands of God. You know what? HE took care of the issue. We have yet to know if our problem will be fully resolved, but we feel like the letter made it's desired impact. Thank you, Lord!

Someone else, very close to me, shared a story just yesterday. She was working, and on her way to an meeting that was less-than-thrilling. She was talking it out with the Lord, asking Him to show her she was in the right place, making the right decisions for the future. WELL, let me tell you, He did just that! Someone who observed her work that day said he would like to offer her a job...make it worth her while...AND that they have tuition reimbursement (for that masters degree she is enrolled for already). Even if it doesn't pan out, if she doesn't change jobs, she feels valued and reaffirmed!

Matthew 7: 7-8. 

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened.

New Adventure

Don't you just love this print by Mary Engelbreit? True friendship is a rare gift, wouldn't you agree? When you find those "forever friends" in life, you hang on tight, no matter what. Sometimes "no matter what" is silly, sometimes it is sad, sometimes really really happy. Sometimes it means your forever friend is moving away. (can I just be 12 years old for a moment?)

Today's post is in celebration of a new adventure for our friends. This makes a new adventure for our family/me as well. Jeremy and Susan Hetzel are some of the dearest and sweetest friends any body could ask for. They are very special to our family. Today they are moving to Colorado Springs, CO. That's more than 12 hours (792.73 miles according to mapquest) away from here. From me. (12 year-old me stomping my foot here)

This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of us. It was taken in college. We'd just made an angel food cake from scratch in baking class!

The day Susan married I cried. A lot. (just look at her wedding pics...it was embarrassing) Not the run-of-the-mill "happy for you" tears, no they were much more than that! I couldn't help it. Something inside me told me it was the end of our friendship as I knew it (which, it was, but not in a tragic sort of way). I thought she wouldn't need me anymore, since she had Jeremy. That was SO not true, but it felt true at the time. We adjusted to that change over time. And having lived through that, this change seems a little less tragic. I'm not sobbing uncontrollably (at least not right now...the 12 year old inside might take over at any moment!). I am sad. I am sad that I won't be close by when her baby is born in January. I am sad her children might forget me. I am sad that they won't be able to come over at a moment's (or at least day's) notice. But more than that I am happy!!!!

I am happy for this new adventure in the life of their family. I am excited that they are moving where God wants them to be with the confidence that He will use them in this new phase of ministry. Jeremy will be serving as a youth minister in a church out there. Jeremy has lived out there before and has many good friends. I am excited for them to have a place that feels like home!

So, here's to friendship and new adventures! We love you guys....and you'd better follow this blog or get Skype or something!

Birthday Week: The Birth Story

Every child loves to hear the story of their birth over and over until they know it by heart! I remember asking my mom to tell me about the day I was born every year on my birthday. I can't wait to share Jonah's story with him someday. Every birth, wanted or not, is a miracle of miracles. I get tingles every time I think how amazingly God designed us! I feel like the story of Jonah's birth is extra special...not only because it's MY baby, but because it could have been much different.

My due date had come and gone without much fanfare. No contractions, not even the fake kind. My next Dr.'s appointment, two days later, was equally uneventful. So, my Dr. suggested we go over to the delivery center in the hospital. He was recommending we have labor stimulated. He said we could wait it out another few days, but might still be in the same spot only with more urgency. If we went that day, there would definitely be less stress on the baby. So, off we went. Jonathan and I went home, packed a bag, and drove up to the hospital. They were full. They said we should come back the next evening. So, Thursday evening we headed up there again, prepared to spend the night in a delivery room. They were more full. No beds. So, we went home again with a definite reservation for the next morning! Friday rolled around. We called ahead, they had our room ready. I remember watching Regis & Kelly's Halloween show while we got settled into the delivery room. I also remember praying the prayer that never fails, which is simply, "Thy will be done." I prayed that prayer almost constantly, mostly to keep my mind off of the impending labor! The nurse came in to examine me and see what was what. I was only dilated a little bit, like maybe a 3. She proceeded to check the position of the baby only to discover something was not quite right. He was face up. She paged our Dr. and asked another nurse for a 2nd opinion. I'll spare you the details, but if you've had a baby, you know I was UNCOMFORTABLE. Our Dr. ordered a sonogram to check things out. Sure enough, that little guy was not only face up, but not engaged in the birth canal. AND the sonogram revealed the cord around his neck. So, we were faced with the option to wait it out and see if he'd reposition...OR have a c-section. I felt myself getting anxious about a C-section. That was the last thing I'd wanted. But, suddenly I felt very calm and knew it would be the best option. (still praying the prayer that never fails)

The Dr. came in and said he'd checked on the O.R. They were booked up that afternoon, but had an opening right away. They wheeled me in to get me ready and Jonathan started calling family. After what felt like 45 minutes (but now in retrospect seems like 5 minutes) Jonathan came in all "scrubbed in." He stayed by my side and held my hand while they did the surgery. When they got into the uterus and delivered Jonah the Dr. commented that the cord was indeed around his neck...twice! I will never forget how sweet Jonah's first little cry was. It wasn't even a cry...it was just the sweetest sound I'd ever heard. Jonathan held him and brought him to me. Then I watched as they cleaned, weighed, and measured Jonah while Dr. Zeller put me back together. Then, I was off to recovery. Because of the spinal block I had to go downstairs to recovery while Jonathan stayed with Jonah in the nursery. This was agony. I wanted to hold him and talk to him. All I had to do was wiggle my toes. I now know what it feels like to tell my brain one thing, but not have my body respond. Toes are a long way from the brain. They WOULD NOT cooperate. So, while I was recovering I was thanking the Lord for revealing Jonah's position. I was so so so glad I'd never gone into labor. WHAT IF I had tried to push with the cord around his neck like that?!? Thank you, Jesus for protecting my sweet sweet baby!

DISCLAIMER: this is NOT a video, do not try to "play," or it will take away the image.

 

We gave the nurse our camera so she could take pictures, not knowing the camera was set on "video." So, we have several sweet little snippets of our first meeting Jonah! This is one of them. It's taken from behind my head. Because it's such a short snippet, it will not play as a video.

The verse we chose for Jonah was Jeremiah 29:11, which says: "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you."

During the c-section, when the scalpel went through the uterus, Jonah's face was right there and he got a little cut on his temple. I know the Lord protected him from harm. It could have been his eye. That scar is still visible....very faintly visible today! I kind of like the reminder of God's protection...plans to prosper, not to harm!

finally got to hold my baby!

I'm pretty sure these last two pictures were taken then next day. But, then, I'm not 100% certain of that!

And then I was exhausted!

Meet Taylor

This has been on my mind quite a bit lately, so we're going to navigate away from Jonah today and meet my friend Taylor Poor. Taylor is an amazing young lady who fights an uphill battle...daily. She has a constant reminder to turn to Jesus! You see, Taylor has a condition called RSD, and is constantly in terrible pain. The thing that amazes me about Taylor is her incredible heart! She sings her heart out in worship and plays her tail off on the softball field. She gives her all to the things she does and I really admire her tough-yet-sweet spirit!

I have copied her story from another blog.  In March of 2007, Taylor began feeling pain in her leg while she was running track. She spent weeks going through test after test, finding no answer to the pain in her leg. As time went on, her pain moved around and was now in both legs. Finally, she was diagnosed with a Popliteal Artery Entrapment in both legs which is very rare in general, but more common in athletes. Taylor was scheduled to have surgery on April 19th, and when she went in for surgery, her doctor performed surgery on the wrong leg. She HAD to have the other one done, so he did it back to back with the first. The doubled surgery and trauma that both legs faced caused a disease called RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.) A chronic nerve condition that has placed her in 24/7 excruciating pain.
Taylor and her family have tried everything in the US to find some way to give her relief; everything from nerve blocks and morphine shots, to major surgery, but all things have ceased to work. It's a matter of God's divine healing now. Her constant pain doesn't stop her from living a vibrant life for her Creator, but there are times that the pain consumes her life.

Taylor pictured with Jimmy & Dawn at a recent fundraiser they had for her at Coldstone!

And now, a word from Taylor. This is taken from the Facebook page some friends have designated to her awareness:

Three years ago today, I woke up from a surgery that I had been told would fix everything. I had been told that I would never have to deal with this pain again, and that life would soon again be normal. However, I was told wrong. Little did I know, that April 19, 2007 was a day that would change my life forever, because this was the day that I began life with an extreme case of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.

It took a long time after my diagnosis in July of 2007 to come to terms with the word "chronic." I was still waiting for the perfect doctor with the magic cure to come along and make it all stop. It took quite some time before it sunk in that I may be dealing with this awful pain for the rest of my life.

I kept going back to Psalm 118:24, which says: "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." I have used this so many times before, however, I realized last night that this is to apply to every day of our lives. It doesn't say, "This is the day that the Lord has made, but something hard happened a few years ago that is a huge part of my life today, so I don't have to be positive." No, not at all! It says, "Let us REJOICE and BE GLAD in it." This is the pure joy that is uncircumstancial that I believe we are supposed to have in our lives every day that can only come from God.

Not only did I realize that I needed to face today with a positive attitude and rejoice in what God has given me, but I realized how much RSD has done for me that is POSITIVE. I was talking to a friend earlier about how much RSD has really played such a huge role in the person I am today. The past three years of my life have really been defining years that have molded me into the person that I am. I have realized that this life is not about me and my thoughts, but about what God has planned, and that I cannot survive this life without Him. I always thought that I had all of the answers, but in reality, I have no clue. He has His perfect plan for my life, and all I am supposed to do is walk humbly with Him and live in His will. 

Taylor is currently preparing for another procedure that is scheduled for December. She will travel to Florida where she will receive a drug called Ketamine for 3 days, which is designed to reset her central nervous system. This is serious stuff, people! We would love any support you can offer. (her family is selling some really cool t-shirts...contact me if you want one!!) Prayers are the most important influence. Just managing the constant pain is a major thing for Taylor! She is in high school...which if you ask me, is hard enough on its own! We'd love more followers on her Facebook page; Praying for Taylor. You can also check her out at http://prayingfortaylor.blogspot.com/! Thank you for reading!

Good Question!

Earlier this week a sweet little girl asked me a cute little question. She very innocently and casually asked me what I wanted Jonah to be when he grows up. My quick answer was "Whatever he wants to be." Well, that didn't satisfy her one bit. She then asked, "But, what do you think he will be?". I couldn't tell her that I don't know him well enough yet, to know what his interest might be. I'm his mother, I should know my child. Her sweet little brain wouldn't be able to understand why I haven't figured him out in 10 months time! So, I thought about it. What do I want Jonah to be?? I have an answer. A very confident answer, in fact! Here it is: I want Jonah to grow up to love Jesus and be respectful to others. I could expand that to say "respectful to himself and others". That pretty much covers everything. So, this same sweet girl, in the exact nature of girls under the age of 10, considered my answer and proceeded to ask another question! "But, what if he smokes cigarettes?" My answer? "Well, if he respects himself and others, he won't." Did I mention we were in the car for this conversation? Well, after the cigarette question, we reached our destination and the conversation ended! Have I mentioned lately that I love my job?

Before I go, I have to talk about that ever-so-sweet picture above. Isn't it just precious? Well, I must confess, I "stole" it. I took a picture of a picture. And I'm only kind of sorry.That's all.

My Story

Well, folks, this is another serious post today. I would like to share my story with you...cause it's definitely worth sharing! We recently had a conference at our church called "Every Believer a Witness." The speaker said he could teach us to share our faith in a simple way, without memorizing anything or offending anyone. I couldn't imagine what he would have to share with me! Well, it is simple...I'm not trying to "convert" people by sharing my faith with them...I am simple telling MY story of what Christ means to me....what He's done for ME! So, today, I am here to share my story with YOU! Maybe you've have a similar story, maybe you can relate to only parts of my story, but my guess is we've all been in the same boat at one point or another!

The beginning:

Well every story has a beginning...mine begins in Rogers, AR. (well, near there, at least!). I grew up in NW Arkansas in a sweet little house my parents built. I had a very happy childhood with Mom, Dad, and my sister, Emily. When Emily and I were young, Mom stayed home with us. Then, when we were both in school all day, she worked part-time. In her other time, she volunteered at our school and picked us up each afternoon. I have wonderful memories of my childhood. We had a happy home with a cute little dog! We attended church together as a family, going every time the doors were opened, it seemed! If there was something going on, we were there! Emily and I were in the AWANA program which was a fun way to learn more about the Bible. Most of our friends were also at church, so it was (and continues to be) a positive thing in my life.

The middle:

This is where the story gets good! When I was seven our church invited a guest speaker for the week. His name was Angel Martinez and he was known for his colorful suits! Ok, ok, maybe he was known for teaching about Jesus, but he was also memorable for the bright sport coats he wore! Now, I'd grown up in church and known about Jesus and heard about becoming a Christian my whole life. But there was something about Mr. Martinez's teaching that really made me listen up! I knew I wanted in on this "going to heaven" thing. I wanted Jesus in my heart. I was a shy kid, so I never told anybody about this (bet my mom is kinda surprised right now!!) I thought I had to figure it out and do it all myself, cause it was a "personal" decision. Well, I kept it personal all right. I remember laying in bed and praying every night for a week. I'd ask forgiveness of my sins and ask Jesus to live in my heart. Finally, I realized it was silly to repeat the same plea. Either God heard me, or he did not. Either I really believed, or I didn't. I'd love to tell you I had a huge conversion "ah-ha" moment, but I do not recall that kind of experience. I can tell you that my faith is real! The peace I feel in my heart is real!

When I was twelve I felt a little tug in my heart. I knew it was time to own up to this "God" I'd begged and pleaded to lead my life. So, I made a public commitment by walking that aisle and asking the pastor to baptize me. Everyone celebrated and I knew I'd done something huge. I am glad I can remember that step of faith. I was shy, remember, so it was hard for me to stand up in front of the entire church, but then, they were so happy and it was such a time of celebration! The same is true for this blog post! I guess I'm still a little shy, but I'm going to put myself out there and hope for a celebration at the end!

The continuing story:

Well, it doesn't end with being baptized. I've learned to deepen this relationship with Jesus daily. He has become my best friend! I learned to trust him more closely in my Jr. High years. I really struggled with friendships. I made friends easily enough, but didn't have that one true friend who stuck by my side. Junior high girls aren't nice, but Jesus is trustworthy! My parents did their best to encourage me, and I did have friends, but I really learned to lean on Christ as my dearest friend. That became even more meaningful to me when I moved away to begin college. I was away from my safety net and out of my comfort zone! I was thankful to have Jesus by my side and glad I'd learned to trust his friendship first!

I still have struggles with friendship from time to time. And struggles of all sorts all the time. I'm so glad to have family and friends who are like family in my life. I am glad for my fellow church members who feel a little like extended family! Not to mention God's unfailing Grace and the promise of Heaven!

Jonathan and I pray that our children will have a happy home and learn to trust Jesus too! It is a big scary world out there and I can't imagine facing it alone!

Celebrating Life

Well, this is going to be a more serious post today. I could not sleep this morning for thinking and praying about it. Today we will be going to a funeral for an 8 year old little boy. Skyler Sanders battled a malignant inoperable brain tumor for 2 years. This week, he "earned his wings," as his dad put it. I just can't help but think "what if it were my baby." I've spent many late night feedings praying for the Sanders family...believing in a miracle for them. Well, they (and I) believe this was God's healing miracle...Skyler is not battling anymore. God is Sovereign. This was his answer to all our prayers. So many people saw his struggle, prayed with him, and will celebrate his life with us later today. One thing that stands out to me is the fact that Skyler never once complained...he kept his head held high and fought that tumor with all he had! He touched a lot of people in just a few years. His parents are wonderful people facing an ache I don't dare imagine. This was written by his dad, Ryan just a couple of weeks ago:

"Thank you for your continued prayers and words of encouragement. This has been a challenging week. We will continue to pray and believe for this miracle. This is the most difficult thing that any of us have had to deal with. It makes you realize that there are a lot of things in life that seem like big deals that are not. I have learned to get over the petty things and get on with living life. Life is to short. That's what I would would tell you today. Take advantage of each and every day as life can change in an instant. Make sure you are on the right path and if you're not, get there. There is no way that we could get through this without the support that we receive from our family, friends and even strangers. But, most importantly we have the Lord on our side and the power of prayer is an amazing thing."

And this was the update earlier this week:
Skyler Ryan Sanders - March 11, 2002 - July 12, 2010 Skyler won his battle and earned his wings today. After a 2 year battle with a DIPG, Skyler went to be with Jesus at 1:30 this afternoon. He was very much at peace as he took his last breath. He held on for so long for us. Skyler was always more concerned with others. He was an amazing little boy that touched many lives in his short 8 years. At this time, I'm not real sure what to say. We will probably update more as the days go on. Today has been the most difficult day we have ever had. In the days to come we will be planning the arrangements and will let everybody know the details. We should know more tomorrow. We also have several family members at our house so we are requesting some privacy as we put together all the details for the days to come. They will be long and challenging. Thank you for the prayers and words of encouragement. As I read all the updates on this site and on facebook, we can't help but to feel the love from so many people. We love you Skyler! "You, Me, Together Forever!"

I am so thankful for every day and every moment I've got with my family. Life is precious and very much worth celebrating!