An Incredible Gift

Have you ever been going through your day....a day like any other day....when an unexpected blessing falls into your lap?

Last Wednesday I received a call from Carey Kinsolving, syndicated columnist and organizer of the Children's International Art Festival. I was one of two finalist for a contest. That's neat....what contest?? I thought. Though I'd been told by the contestant's mom that I'd be receiving this call, she had not filled me in on any of the details. Boy was I in for a HUGE surprise.

A very dear eleven year old friend of mine....whom I've known since her birth and have watched grow into a beautiful and Godly young woman.... wrote an essay about me as her teacher and friend. Her family is in the same homeschool co-op as mine. As I spoke to Carey on the phone, he began to fill in the details of this contest. The winner and her spouse would receive an all-inclusive trip to a Dude Ranch in the panhandle of Idaho. What? Are you serious??? I thought.

They were having difficulty picking the winner and he had a few questions for me. Does a trip like this interest you? Could you leave your 4 boys for a week? Do you like to ride horses? Could you make the trip in August? I answered in the affirmative, and more, for all of his questions. I'm sure I talked his ear off!!!

The next day, as my family traveled to New York for my niece's wedding at West Point, I drifted in and out of sleep in the front seat of our big green Suburban while holding the cell phone in my hand. The phone vibrated. I answered. RILEY'S ESSAY WON!!!! The phone call was a mixture of tears, laughs, exchange of information, and more tears. Cory from the Dude Ranch at Red Horse Mountain was also on the phone and he filled me in on some of the details of the ranch. Wow!! It sounds like a little piece of heaven on earth!!!

What a blessing from God! Thank you, Riley, for this incredible gift!

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For more details about the contests that Riley entered and about the Dude Ranch in the panhandle of Idaho, check out these websites:

www.kidstalkaboutGod.org/riley
http://www.redhorsemountain.com/

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Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:17-18

Half Dead?

I just love the literal mind of younger children. Two days ago, Parker was reading about the Good Samaritan in his Bible reader. When he read that the man was left half dead by the side of the road, he stopped and thought for a moment. He's a day dreamer by nature so I often find myself 'nudging' him back to the present. Just as I was about to 'nudge' him he said this:

What does that mean, Mommy?
What does what mean, Parker?
Half dead?
That's a good question, Parker.
Does it mean he was dead from here [Parker placed his hands on the middle of his torso] down? [He motions to his feet.]

I just shook my head.....again......

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"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he {Jesus} replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all our heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
John 10: 25b-28

Looks Benign....Yay!!!

What a nice pathologist I saw today! She performed the biopsy of the nodule on my thyroid.

She was thorough. She answered all my questions. She explained the procedure in detail. She was as gentle as she could be....though that last sample did hurt. She was even able to make a preliminary assessment that the nodule is not cancerous. She is 95% certain of that. She'll ship off the slides that they made of my cells to be examined more closely and I'll get the final report next week.

Unfortunately, she nicked a blood vessel and left me with a very bruised and swollen neck. She apologized profusely. When I asked if a scarf would cover it up, she said it would, but I should probably use a purple one......

Ice every 2 hours for a few days and eventually the 'strangled' look will go away. Nice. Just in time for Mother's Day.

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Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Proverbs 3:3-4

Parker's Ponderings and a Prayer Request

Recently I had the incredible opportunity to be a team member for a Women's Discipleship Walk through my church. It was a wonderful time watching God work in the lives of so many women, including my own.

Of course, these opportunities are always surrounded with chaos for me. In this case, Sean's return flight home from an out-of-state work trip didn't land until many hours after I was supposed to be at the campground. Thankfully, I had some help from some friends and family and was able to get each boy 'shipped off' for a sleep over at various locations.

One homeschooling friend was brave enough to take Parker. Miriam has three older children between 6th and 9th grade. So for my seven year old Parker, who flourishes in the company of older kids and adults, it was the perfect place for him to be.

Miriam says she could write a book of all the funny-odd-strange sayings that came out of Parker's mouth on his visit to her house. But for now, she's offered this conversation that took place at the Lego table between Parker and her 8th grade son, Sean:

Parker: Sean, do you have a female?
Sean: Uh? A Lego female figure?
Parker: No, you know...a female.
Sean: Aaaa....
Parker: A female that you're going to marry.
Sean: O-o-o-h-h...no I don't have one yet.

Oh, the funny things that kids say. And for the record, we're considering making Parker wear a T-shirt that reads, "My parents take no responsibility for the things that come out of my mouth!"

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A Simple Thank You: I do want to take the opportunity to thank so many who check this site and who continually keep me and my family in prayer. I'm often amazed at the number of people who say that they continue to read this blog, checking in to see what they can pray about for me. Soon, I will try to update more on my current physical, emotional, spiritual state. But for now, I ask for continued prayers for increased strength and stamina, for decreased pain in my right chest wall and right arm, for continued peace when odd symptoms pop up, and for a Christ-like mind and attitude as I walk through this on-going battle to take back my life. I'm having a fine-needle aspiration tomorrow due to a nodule present on the left side of my thyroid. Nodules are common. In fact, I've had this nodule for a couple of years. Many people have them. Over 95-99% of them are benign. But the only way to make sure it's not malignant is to do a biopsy. Given my recent history, the new endocrinologist I'm seeing thinks it's best to be sure. And so I go.......

Great News!!!

Great news!!! My doctor called and said that my tests were good. Yay!!!!

I cried a good cry of relief, called a few of my 'peops', and then took a THREE HOUR NAP!!!

Thank you for all the prayers that were lifted up on my account.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord God Almighty!!!!

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord God Almighty

Not too many words in my mouth today, just a song that keeps repeating itself in my heart. So I'll share it with you. Please sing it with me today, and pray for me. My tests start around 3:00 this afternoon.

Father in heaven, how we love you.
We lift your Name in all the earth.
May your kingdom, be established in our praises,
As your people declare your mighty works.

Blessed be the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is, and is, to come.
Blessed be the Lord God Almighty.
Who reigns forever more.

The Heart of a Child

Yesterday, my third son came to 'big' church, motivated by the fact that the ushers pass out little packets containing coloring pages and crayons to the children. I didn't mind his motive; I was just glad he wanted to be there. I grew up going to 'big' church. It's good for kids to worship with their parents and to hear the message that God has laid on the head pastor's heart.

Half way through worship, Parker noticed that Mimi and Papa were just across the aisle. So when Pastor encouraged everyone to 'shake hands with your neighbor and welcome them into the House of the Lord,' Parker made a bee-line to his grandparents and ended up sitting with them during the service.

Near the end, an offering was taken for the guest worship leader. When the usher came to Parker's row, Parker got up and gave the usher a big hug and then sat down. After services, we asked him why he did that. Here is his reply:

"Well, I didn't have any money to put in the offering and I wanted to give him something."

Doesn't that just melt your heart. The heart of a child.

Imagine if in that moment of giving, the heart of the child had been overlooked or reprimanded........"Sit down, Parker!"

Imagine if in that moment, the usher had not reciprocated.

We can squelch the working of the Holy Spirit in our children's lives without realizing it. I'm so glad that Mimi and Papa let Parker give the usher his hug filled with love, filled with giving, filled with self-sacrifice. It was a precious moment that this mama will never forget.

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As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." Luke 21:1-4

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7