The Journey of a Superhero Mom

The Spirit of Love

2012-01-25T07:52:00.000-05:00

Look at that love between brothers...on their way to Fort Matanzas .

"You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love." -- Henry Drummond

Our lives have been so unusual these past few years that I find myself being ever so purposeful in my actions at home. Where once upon a time I would say yes, to just about anything to escape my four walls, I find myself, saying no so I can be here, with the ones I love the most.

It's the little things. Like making special breakfasts, or cookies every week.

The day I made all different flavored pancakes.

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Cups!

Breakfast Cookies...for when we're on the GO!

Coconut Macaroons...made with love!

Baked Smores...a huge hit!

Writing love notes in the middle of their things to do...

Taking tons of time to help them learn, they way they learn...not they way I learn.

With Mrs. Barbara - at our new Science Co-op on Fridays!

Playing checkers in Fort Matanzas

Making sure his uniform is washed, dried and not wrinkled. Waking up even earlier to have coffee with Mr. Incredible before he leaves for the hospital.

Mr. Incredible

Playing dodge ball with the cutest superheros on the planet...or if not dodge ball...certainly nerf gun wars or my personal favorite...the damsel in distress...so my superheros can come rescue me.

Reading one extra chapter, knowing that partly its because they love the story, but partly they do not want to do handwriting practice.

Waking them up in the morning with soft kisses and sweet whispers.

This is how we do everyday things...with the Spirit of Love!

Metamorphosis

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

A child's description of change!

If we look at where we were and where we are today...can we see change? Is it for the better or for the worse? I love reflecting. I've learned a lot in times of reflection. I can totally see where I have changed...some for the better and some not so much. When we don't change...we must be stagnant. I want to be moving forward..changing..growing..learning. I think that is what gratitude does for me. Keeps me moving forward..keeps me hopeful.

So I continue penning the words of my grateful heart...my list of 1000 Gifts...

Father, I thank you for...

260. Friends. Of all walks of life, all ages, all different personalities...keeps my life so colorful!

261. Laughter. Joy that floods my heart and home.

262. Perspective. I am not where I want to be, but I'm not where I was...thank you for times of growth.

263. Fire. The Holy Spirit who burns in me, keeps me ablaze to shine the love of Jesus to everyone I come in contact with.

264. Purpose. In You I live, and move and have my being. In You I have purpose.

265. Feelings. Though fickle and unreliable, they make me move, they stir something in me...to change, to recreate, to reach out.

266. Love. The unconditional love from You, my husband, my children and the love you have lavished so freely upon a fallen world.

267. Rest. I am neglectful at times to get my proper dose...so those are the times You are faithful to remind me....of my need for rest..for my body, my soul, my mind.

268. Change. Your River flows and brings refreshing...it is a mighty river...when I start my days with you I am aware of the current and how desperate I am for You to keep me moving, changing, growing...no moss growing here. I'm jumping in!

269. Worship. Our true and intimate friendship..the one that we share..together..Oh how I'm thankful for our relationship...I love you too Lord.

Amen!

Pinch Me...I'm Middle Aged

2012-01-21T07:36:00.000-05:00

I'm comfortable in my own skin!

To some degree, I've always been "old." Even when I was young, I was old (at heart). Partly because of my childhood, growing up very quickly because of the turmoil in my formative years, and partly because I've always had a slant for the "mature."

Then I had children. I never wanted to be an "old" Mom. It took me 10 years to get pregnant and hold a pregnancy, so I was 32 when I had my twins. Recently it hit me....I'm middle aged. Wow! When I turned 40 (3 years ago) - sad but I just had to write down...2012 - 1969 to make sure I was going to be 43 - I had a very difficult time, you can read about it here. My friends, who were in their 40s always said how liberating it was, I didn't get it. The truth is up until a few days ago, I still didn't get it. I didn't want to admit that, so I got really good at believing I got it, but I don't think I really did. I would say that your 40s were fine...but liberating, freeing...I wasn't feeling it.

Here is my theory and my most recent lesson on being middle aged. (The following paragraphs are penned with the help of my 40 year old brain..my opinions..my theories..my ramblings... Don't hold too much weight...obviously these are generalities...we are all very very unique!) When you are 11-12 years old, you are somewhat of a misfit. You are not really a "child" anymore, but you're not quite a teenager either...where do I fit? Then you are in your twenties...still very young...still hanging on to a number of those things that you did when you were in your late teens (18-19)..20s no big deal. In your twenties too, I think you could still get away with having all your "drama"...still kind of fall into that trap of "it's all about me" stage. For some their graduating college, others who have chosen different paths have chosen their life direction by their late twenties (have children, got a job...).

Then come the thirties. I think this might be a kind of a misfit age too. Not in my young twenties (extended late teenage), not quite in my forties (oh goodness NO!), kind of a strange level place. Probably a very necessary place to find our footing and our place to handle our next phase.

You see I totally skipped my twenties. So when I had toddlers, I had to find others who had toddlers too. Most of them came in their 20s. I'm so glad for those young people in my life that helped make my 30s..purposeful...helped me stay..."young". So no wonder when 40 came, it felt scary.

I'm here to tell you, 40 really is fabulous. And I'm not at all exaggerating. I woke up one morning last week and realized...I love being old. There is a comfort in this age...it fits me! I'm not into petty drama, I don't want to be consumed with being overly critical..(that starts building in the late teen years..because of course you know everything when your 16...) Just kidding!...kind of. When you reach 40...you know you've hardly ever been right, you've made tons of mistakes, your body is not yours anymore and as my friend once put it.."it's work to stay dignified on a high fiber diet." Well, lots of grace abounds as we get older!

Being in your 40s of course you are looking at your 50s. I know for me, I'm digging in my heels and enjoying this place of freedom. Freedom to be mature (or act goofy), have gray hair and maybe not hide it (I'm not there yet), freedom to not feel like your too young to have wisdom and letting go of trying to fit in places I don't really belong....after all, I'm not 20 anymore.

I know I'm not the only one who grapples with my age now and again. Here is the bottom line, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I don't know everything, but I do know some things. Life has taught me lots of things of which I chose to learn lessons - (you know sometimes we chose not to learn and have to repeat lessons over and over again). I'm a Jesus lover, a wife of 21 years and a Mom of 10.5, I have lots of lessons to continue to learn. I love people, people of all ages & I'm thrilled to still have young people in my life - hip young people who still want to do "coffee"...it makes me smile! I still feel like I could fit anywhere, but realize where my main source of encouragement will come from. I do have peers..and in your 40s...that is just as important as it was in your 20s.

Pinch me...I'm totally thrilled to be middle aged...I really really am! I feel like I've just gotten my passport and I'm headed for a great new adventure. I know I'm weird! That is OK, because I'm in my 40s and it really is liberating! :)

Prayer, Petition, Present

2012-01-18T05:30:00.000-05:00

My special prayer warrior.

There we were, sitting on my boy's bed, all 5 of us. He was in agony because of these strange welts all over his body that were terribly itchy. My heart was breaking for him. We had done all that we could, a cool shower, topical anti-itch, and Benadryl. As we sat on his bed, my son Kyle begins to pray something like this...

"Lord, please help Brendan not itch anymore, make all of his bumps go away, and please make his tears go away too. Tell him you love him and will make him feel all better so he can sleep. Since you are doing all of that please give him good dreams too. Thank you Lord for how much you love us, in Jesus name, Amen."

Later that night I went into his room and sat by his bed again. He was still awake (he is usually the one that is still awake) and he says, "Mom, if the Lord knows already what I need, why do we pray for things that seem so obvious?

I find it so interesting that children are quick to respond to their environment. Babies immediately cry when they are hungry. Toddlers are very open and carefree to communicate what they do and do not want. However, as we grow older, we are somehow taught to use discernment in making our desires known.

As I responded to my boy I told him that the Lord tells us we are wise to always come to Him as little children - telling Him precisely what we need and want. Remember in Mark chapter 10 the story of the blind man that Jesus heals....Jesus was looking straight at the man, He knew he was blind, but yet He asked him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" He basically asked him to make a request. Yes, God does know what we need "before we ask Him" yet He says in Philippians 4:6 "...in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God."

I think sometimes when we pray and state precisely what we want, our needs and desires become obvious to us. If we stop and listen to our own "petitions" we come face to face with our priorities, our hurts, and our excesses. We can see ourselves more clearly thus at times giving us an opportunity to repent, make things right, or take action. Just being able to hear ourselves sometimes sheds light on our situation.

The good news is, He always responds to us!! Amen?!

I pray that my children's prayer life becomes a dialogue with their Heavenly Father...back and forth...speaking and listening. It takes time to listen...that will be another lesson for another time...for now...make it a habit...pray without ceasing.

Oh How He Loves You & Me

2012-01-16T20:31:00.000-05:00

A Father's Love

...Oh how He loves you and me.

He gave His Life what more could He give?

Oh how He loves you,

Oh how He loves me,

Oh how He loves you and me.

Jesus to Calvary did go,

His love for mankind to show,

What He did there, brought hope from despair.

Oh How He loves you and me.

As a child I learned that song and every once in awhile (on a morning like today) I wake up singing that very song.

Cultivating a heart of gratitude, I continue my 1000 Gifts...

Father, thank you for...

250. A husband who models Jesus to me and my boys.

251. For giving us confidence even when we are unable to see the path before us!

252. For moments when we are humbled by your grace.

253. For being my everything, and allowing me to be just me.

254. For our special times, when I crawl into your lap early in the morning, and you just shower me..Oh how you love me.

255. For a heart of compassion..that only comes from Christ.

256. For one more free haircut.

257. For time spent away with my men, building love, life, memories and cultivating the fruit of the Spirit.

258. For being so trustworthy that fear has no room in me right now. You are my supply.

259. For our daily portion. Sometimes it is just that...what you've provided for us to get through the day.

Father, I sing back to you...Oh how I love you too!

I Don't Care About That Red Squiggly Line!

2012-01-13T21:16:00.000-05:00

Image: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Journaling. If you were to look up that word in Mirriam-Webster's dictionary, she/it would tell you that it does not exist. No such word! Irritatingly, when I type the word it gets that red squiggly line underneath that screams.."PLEASE SPELL CHECK," yet it is a verb that has been a vital part of my life for so many years. It is, among other things, therapeutic as well as an ongoing source of encouragement (if not at least entertaining). I have tons of journals that look much like the one above. I love to look back and read what (and when) I was writing years ago. My journals are precious to me and hopefully someday to my children as well. My boys love the journal I wrote to them in my "Journey To Become Your Mom" journal and I enjoy reading the mountaintop and valley experiences over and over again...it puts things in perspective and reminds me of where I've been and some of the lessons I've learned.

My journaling looks a little more like this picture below nowadays. Iinterestingly enough (and quite off topic) "nowadays" is a word and journaling is not...go figure!

Image: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Recently I began to look back of some of my journals, both penned and keyed and it has brought me so much joy, so much depth and understanding, so much gratitude.

I remember Miracles on My Street happening like it was yesterday..the joy I had in writing it, came flooding back to me as I reread that story. Keeping my head on straight and my eyes are heart focused on things above is what I was reminded when I reread Focus on The Negative..Why. My Strength and My Song and The Value of Things Eternal I obviously needed to read..this week. What a great time I've had reading and rereading!

Then someone on Facebook was struggling with something that tends to be a recurring issue of my own, and I chuckled because I remembered writing about it once in 2008 when I wrote My Heart-And Those Crystal Balls but then I wrote about Those Balls Again in 2010 and that totally made me laugh out loud!

So as I was reading I thought, this is the best way to go to sleep....reading entries like...How Wide, How Long or I'm Lost Without You.

It was fun taking a little trip down memory lane, but even more than that, it was encouraging to my soul to look back on my life and see all that the Lord has done. Journaling, I don't care about that red squiggly line, I'm so thankful for the art!!

My Life Theme

2012-01-10T21:27:00.002-05:00

"Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my HOPE is in you all day long." Ps. 25:5

Every year I love to read through the Bible chronologically, and January always begins with Genesis and then short jaunt over to Job. I love Job. God loves Job. He's real, authentic, and confused at why all of this tragedy has occurred in his life, yet he remains steadfast in his faith! He has a Hope!

I am confident in my Hope..the person of Jesus Christ. I believe Him, His Word (Romans 15:3-5 "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have...HOPE") and His faithfulness. When we've had nothing He has provided. When there was no way, He made a way. We are indeed at this place again...where my faith must be strong. I have Hope! People at times wonder how it is we have such hope as they peek into our little world...

1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give thereason for the HOPE that you have. But do this withgentleness and respect,”

It is He who we have Hope in. I am not sure how we are going to make it for the remainder of this semester as my husband finishes school. I will do what I can, I have a small job and will be teaching guitar...Yet we will praise Him!

Psalm 71:14 “As for me, I will always have HOPE I will praise you more and more.”

Isaiah 40:31 “but thosewho hope in theLORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they willrun and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have foryou,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans togive you a HOPE and a future."

Since God provided the way and means for my husband to complete his degree, so many strange things have happened. Regarding my family in particular. My son, praise God is doing so much better, however there were unexpected expenses that went along with his healing. I must include myself...in the past 3 months medical bills have mounted like crazy...one odd thing after another until finally our home had an obstacle of its own. All the while we have trusted in the Lord to make a way and He is faithful! Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the Hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful."

Romans 8:24 “For in this hope wewere saved. But hope that is seen is no hope atall. Who hopes for what theyalready have?”Romans12:11-13 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,faithful in prayer.”

I lay it all down, every day, I remind Him of His Word...I think He smiles when I do that! I'm so in love with Him. I am grateful for His blessings that come in so many ways, including opportunities to give and bless others! We can never out give God!! I can honestly say, that there is no room for fear. I have something to look forward to, the Almighty God of the universe loves us, loves you. "We wait in HOPE for the Lord: He is our help and our shield." Psalm 33:20

Psalm 39:7 "But now, Lord, what do I look for? My HOPE is in You!"

No surprise that my theme this year for Bagels & Blessings would be...HOPE! It is my Life, He is my Life! I know I'm not alone, there are those who suffer financially, physically, emotionally, mentally....those of you who need Hope.
Psalm 33:22 "May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our HOPE in you."

For you and for me...I pray Ephesians 1:18 "..that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,"

The Creation of a Vacation

2012-01-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

The day, the hour, the minute...finally arrived. January 2, 2012 - VACATION! If you follow my life at all, you will know that it has been a very long time since our last vacation. Even our last vacation (3 days in Miami) was wonderful, but it took me 2 days to stop crying and then I only had one day of pure enjoyment. I don't know how else to explain the emotional, physical and mental exhaustion that comes from caring full time for an advanced Alzheimer's loved one can be (but that is what caused my 2 days of crying on our last vacation). We absolutely are grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to care for Pop for all of those years. It was an honor and our way of honoring our elders. We would do it again without question. However, even the facility director of the home where Pop and happily resides and Pop's physician told my husband and I that we went way above and beyond what anyone would ever expect. We didn't know...we wouldn't have even considered putting him in a home if God didn't orchestrate every detail leading up to that decision. My family unit is blessed to be able to know that we loved and cared for Pop for so long and we continue to love and care for him, he just doesn't live with us anymore.

With all of that said, the thought of going on vacation seemed like a distant reality. With Mike in school and our finances extremely tight, we really couldn't justify going on any vacation...our day would come...when Mike got a job.

Well, as the Lord would have it, we were blessed by another family who were unable to use their entire stay at their condo this particular week and they offered for us to stay in Kissimmee, Florida. I remember the day I was approached about this, I felt like Jimmy Stewart from "It's A Wonderful Life." We happily agreed.

The week or two leading up to this particular day found my dog very sick and in need of x-rays and medication and 2 vet visits, my need of 3 medical exams, (a brain scan, mammogram & an ultrasound...all without health insurance), and finally the day before we left found out that we were never sent our homeowner's insurance bill and our policy lapsed and we now owed more money and a new policy had to be drafted. Whew there blew our budget, like in no time at all. I really didn't think we could do anything that resembled a vacation. I cried a river at how rapidly our funds were disappearing, but after my quiet time three days before we left, I had a new vision about our stay in Kissimmee. My goal was not to spend more than $50 a day on anything. We did it and I am amazed by God's favor once again!

So off we go! I was going to name this blog "Having a Blast on a Budget", but opted for the Creation.

In the beginning, God created an opportunity for us to get away...

Day 1 - found us drooling over the condo and feeling like giddy little children!

My children could hardly wait to unpack their little bags and make their rooms "their rooms."

Just being surrounded by "new to us" is always refreshing!

This little spot is where I wanted to do my morning devotions. However, it was way too cold, so I opened the blinds in the morning and stayed nice and warm in my blanket. Oh and I will save what the Lord taught me on this vacation for another blog...stay tuned. Powerful quiet time!

So on our first night, we knew we had to go grocery shopping, but we've never been to the Mall at Millenia and wanted to see what was so special. Well, it was indeed special...a very pricey mall, but so festive and beautiful.

We walked around, took lots of fun photos, dreamed big dreams, and my children rode the escalator several times. (Throw us into a closet and we could have fun..I kid you not!)

Took pictures of fun items. Some were not bad prices (not on my budget right now)...like those Star Wars cookie cutters from William Sonoma..aren't they cool?

Some were way way to pricey..but beautiful, like this table from Pottery Barn. Put your coffee down...$2,800, or something close to that!

No we did not stop at one of the 2 Starbucks at the mall. My gift cards are all gone and well, I just wanted to be careful. So the night ends in smiles because we went to Publix and bought ice cream for my boys and a whole bag of Starbucks Coffee (which I'm still drinking as of this morning).

And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day. - Under budget...success!

Day 2 - I can go a little crazy when I give myself my challenge - but we still had one of the best days ever..and spent NO money at all!

Kyle was the first one awake...he loves to find me doing my devotions..we started the day together, he sipping hot cocoa, me drinking coffee, both of us talking to Jesus.

Once everyone was awake we made homemade waffles for breakfast! YUM! Then it was time to get some energy out. We drove around looking for a park, couldn't find a public park so we took over the condo tennis courts and played for 2 hours.

Well, they played for two hours, I'm a lover not a fighter, so I gave up and went inside to do this....

and then I started getting dinner ready. When the boys came back they took showers and waited for me to finish dinner...all the while doing this...and it was peaceful, and we were happy and the house smelled of homemade pizza!

After dinner we settled in for some puzzle making and movie night! We had the absolute peaceful, free, fun day EVER!!

And there was evening, and there was morning, -- the second day.

Day 3 - After someone spotted my pictures that I posted on Facebook, via my phone..(did I mention that we didn't have wifi...another serious blessing actually) one of my friends mentioned that my vacation looked a lot like my normal life, minus the chores. I reflected on her words and thought...wow, she is right. Any given day you can find my household watching movies, engaged in nerf gun wars, or reading good books...so I've come to the conclusion that vacation is a state of mind. Day 3 found us doing things that we would do if we were home.

We hung out and finished that puzzle..we were all addicted! Then we went to one of our favorite places...Downtown Disney. It's free by the way..and although we would so much rather have been in Disney...Downtown Disney is far more relaxing and still gives the feel of the magic of Disney.

My children can't help but have a good time. When you see these two locking arms, you know its a good time!

Any and all photo opportunities...we are all about that!

I'm not sure what it is about us and trying on cool hats. It's just fun! Looking into the General Store at Fort Wilderness Lodge. You know you can go and visit any lodge or resort from Downtown Disney..yes you can!

We stuck around for Chip & Dale's Sing-A-Long and roasted marshmallows too. We brought our own marshmallows but did purchase the sticks...35 cents per stick. We also brought those sticks home with us..to use with our own fire pit!

They also offer a movie under the stars...we opted out and went back to the condo and watched "The Fantastic Four".

When we got back over to Downtown Disney, we caught a concert, and an opportunity to line dance with 75 other people. So much fun! Great night had by all - and way under budget.

And there was evening, and there was morning, -- the third day.

Day 4 - When we woke up there was this feeling of...this is our last "day" here. Kyle was the first to utter it in actual words, but we were all thinking about it. I tried to break the mood, by focusing on the fact that our day out wasn't going to be long and we still had one more movie night here in the condo.

So off we go...

Now Gatorland didn't break the budget. Nope..normally it would have, but this particular week tickets for Florida residents were $9.99 per person...that works for us! (Also, seeing as how we hardly touched our budget for the first 3 days, this was going to be our most expensive day out. Not bad!)

There were so many alligators and I happen to love them all! Really, they are so beautiful and I would love to be able to get real close...this one was right under my feet. There were shows throughout the day and they were hilarious. Such a fun time.

Shane however, spent $8.00 of his Christmas money so he could actually get up close and personal with a gator...he got to wrestle a live gator! That was COOL!!

Worth every single dollar if you ask him. I was a tad jealous, so happy for him! Next time I'm totally doing it!

There were all sorts of snakes and birds...this really is our kind of fun!

And of course hysterical photo opportunities...come on, we're the Engels, my kids are conditioned like Pavlov's dogs to smile and pose for the camera.

Ok..us too..I just don't post a whole lot of me. lol!

And there was evening, and there was morning, -- the fourth day.

Day 5 - The final day = Legoland

It was bittersweet. We knew we would be going to see friends, but leaving...was a tad more difficult for some of us. Particularly Shane, Kyle and myself. Maybe it was the bonding time, the sleeping arrangements, the lack of a cat, dog, 3 toads and fish to take care of, I'm not sure...but I sure am going to miss our little get-a-way! Off we were by 7:30am

Legoland, didn't bust the budget either. I organized a field trip and invited a bunch of homeschoolers and if we had a minimum of 15 children on this organized trip, we could get tickets for $5 per person. So for $25 my entire family got to experience a super fun filled theme park. All of it for less than the price of one ticket normally. We had an incredible time and even more special because we could share it with our friends, but I have to say, I would never pay $75 to come here...Disney, yes (even though that is hard to swallow too). However, my children would say YES..it was worth every cent! I agree it was awesome and I'm thankful we each paid $5.

Here are just a few of the pictures...trust me..some of those Lego creations were breathtaking! I won't show all of my pictures, don't worry!

The weather couldn't have been more perfect!!

If you start asking yourself, "Is that made of legos?" Just answer yourself..."yes."

My pictures don't really do justice to the enormity of this place!

We went of every single ride I think...some fast, some slow..all fun! I had the most fun walking with good friends, seeing our homeschool buddies in line at rides and sitting at lunch. I just love our community of homeschoolers. So blessed to have such great people in my life!

This one made us laugh. This is Las Vegas...but our children see it and scream..."Look Africa!"

We had our friend Seth join us & it made an even number..nice for riding rides!

Look, Brendan got to sit under the nose of one of his heroes!

The boys even got their "driver's license"!

You can see the shadows of all of us parents who were cracking up at the thought of these crazy kids ever getting their license. They were running stop lights and switching lanes, but by the end, they all got the hang of it!

The park closes at 5:00pm..which was exactly when we left. We had such a good time. We went a little over our daily budget because we had to buy lunch...too much thought going into making lunches and packing up my car. I wasn't prepared with the proper equipment to pack lunches on this day..so we bought lunch...the good thing was..it was a big enough lunch to cover two meals..so we went straight home after this.

We talked about how much we missed our pets and what a wonderful vacation we had. So thankful that the Lord provided a way for us to get a way, and provided people to take care of our pets! I almost cried when I picked up Dodger...I was worried he wouldn't remember me...no worries...his tail is still going!

And there was evening, and there was morning, -- the fifth day.

I look over all of these pictures and all of our memories and I can see that it was all very good! And there was evening and there was morning --

Florida's Little Mountain

2011-12-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

For our 21st wedding anniversary, my precious friend took my children overnight (the first time we've ever been alone in our home..just the two of us). I volunteered to watch other people's children that night (I know what you're thinking..but it is the only way I can raise money for all 3 of my children to go to church camp...its gonna cost around $900 to send all three), so we decided to take advantage of the next day and have a day trip. I love Mt. Dora. I've been there with girlfriends, and it has been lovely, but really, I always have the best time with my best friend in the world...Mr. Incredible!

Ironically enough, Mike and I use to vacation in Vermont every year before we had children. We love the mountains. At an elevation of 184 feet above sea level, Mount Dora is Florida’s equivalent of a mountain top town. Isn't that just cute! We'll take what we can!

It is really one of the most relaxing day trips ever! Just walking around taking in all of God's beauty.

Looking in quaint little antique shops. Eating at our favorite restaurants. Taking time to sit on the grass and enjoy each other's company. We talked about our past 21 years together, what we've done right and how we can improve...not only our marriage, but our walk with the Lord. We encourage each other in the faith.

Taking time to really enjoy this man I married so long ago. I'm so grateful for our day away.

We totally would have taken a plane ride if we had money to spare...$50! lol! We've been in a helicopter before, over the Adirondacks, so we could pass.

I did manage to get a little gift for Shane for his stocking and I bought a cute little hat!

In the end we had one of the most special day's of the year. After not being able to do this at all for the past few years, we try to soak in every second of time spent together, away from home.

My Love Language

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

From my youngest superhero...who speaks my love language!

Goodwill Towards Men

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Early this December I was riding down my street and noticed a new bench by the bus stop sign. (The little yellow note says, please leave this bench alone..it is for the comfort of those who ride the bus! It touched my heart to see that there are some wonderful people who are still showing that they care..that it is not all about what you are going to get or not get, but it is about what can I give.

It is important for me to instill this in my children's hearts. We have been so blessed by the Lord when it comes to provision. I'm not sure why..other than He says it in his word. Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." or 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us you generosity will result in thanksgiving to God!"

His Word is truth! For years I sat in my prayer spot and read these scriptures along with others back to the Lord. (Malachi 3:10-12, Habakkuk 3:17-19...)We have never ever gone without...because He says He takes care of His children. Anyway, back to the picture. Whenever there is an opportunity to give when we can..we will...and sometimes even when we can't we still will.

We don't have much, but the Lord has provided a way for me to stay home and homeschool my children, my husband to go to nursing school full time and we have food on our tables, a roof over our heads and we are even going on vacation next week. He is so good to us and we are so grateful for the blessings He has bestowed. I will be starting a small job when we return from our vacation as well as teaching beginner guitar lessons. So excited for the opportunities that the Lord has placed before me. In the meantime, we practice hospitality and generosity in any way we can.

My little boy with a big heart..made candy canes with little messages he printed out from the computer. He handed those out to all of the homeless people that we serve once a month. His idea completely!

We made snowman soup and delivered these to special neighbors and family.

Of course, we delivered lots of cookies...apparently next year my boy with the big heart says.."Mom, if we deliver cookies to all the people you love and care about we would be like Santa..can we do that next year!?"...I'm thinking I need to get started pretty soon in my planning.

These are our precious neighbors Mr. Paul and Mrs. Helen. We love them so much! We made them a tray of cookies along with some snowman soup for each of them..left them smiling big!

Some people stopped by for cookies..which I love!

But, the best part was delivering. We were able to sing Christmas carols instead of knocking on doors...delivered cookies with a smile and every single person was touched.

We even received a gift...and we were serenaded too.

You know it isn't always about the gifts we give, most of the time, it is the love and hugs that are most meaningful. The genuine love of a child is one of our best examples of how to love another!

This is one of my favorite pictures. Kyle with our dear friends from Michigan...we call him Grandpa Jack. He and Grandma Carla are just so special to us. My boys absolutely love them from their core!

One of my all time favorite authors, Randy Alcorn says in his book The Treasure Principle.."Gaze upon Christ long enough, and you’ll become more of a giver. Give long enough, and you’ll become more like Christ." Oh how I love that quote!

You see, with Jesus living in us...we have Peace on Earth....and if we can remember to have a generous spirit and goodwill toward men..we will be more like Him!

Christmas Heritage Part II

2011-12-28T09:15:00.003-05:00

I have to say, I learned a very valuable lesson this year, and I'm so thankful. Perhaps it is because I didn't grow up with a whole lot of tradition, we had some as I got older and enjoyed a stable home life, but my early childhood missed tradition. So, I try to make up for that every year with my children. This year I feel like I was packing in every last minute with things we've always done, which doesn't leave room for new things. Plus, I had to realize, as much as I don't like to admit it, my children are getting older, they may not always enjoy making paper chains filled with candy to rip off one each day of the advent.

So here is what we did, that we would try to normally do...to keep up with tradition.

We always try to watch our favorite Christmas movies.

Of course, hot chocolate is a must..even if it is 80 degrees outside.

A trip to Downtown Disney always gets us in the mood for Christmas & its free!

For the past few years, we've sung carols around a fire..this time we actually had dinner over the pit! So much fun!

Ahh..a trip to Celebration! We did this a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. Said we've always wanted to go back. However, because Pop was advancing in his dementia we really couldn't go anywhere last year. This year we could go..so we did!

It snows in Celebration. (well kind of). It is beautiful and we love the nostalgic feeling, walking around, hearing carolers and seeing the horse drawn carriages. Such a pretty place to visit!

Love how the lights reflect on the water and of course..

We do a lot of window shopping!

We did get out more this year. We delivered cookies to lots of people (next blog post about that), we went to a homeschool Christmas party and we just enjoyed the outdoors together.

However, I found Christmas Eve quickly approaching. We didn't finish our Adornments, and we made plans to go to a friends house on Christmas Eve. This kind of rocked my little traditional world. Every (and I mean every) Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember, I've made homemade sweet bread, we've gone to church for our candlelight service, we've had my mother-in-law over for a nice dinner, we celebrated Jesus' birthday with cupcakes, did What God Wants For Christmas, watched the 1952 version of Scrooge and read The Night Before Christmas. Whew!

I was stressing out about not getting all of that in on one day...trying to figure how can I still do all of this and go to our friends house too. Standing in the middle of my living room my husband faces me and places his hands upon my shoulders...and says something that was so simple, but changed my whole attitude towards tradition...he simply said...

"Lisa, Jesus was born in a manger, it was a simple birth. Christmas can just be simple." That was really all I needed to be reminded of....the simplicity behind my Savior's birth. Okay, I enjoy Christmas in my children's eyes, but they know that Santa is not really delivering toys, they know that the reason we celebrate at all is because He came to give us life! I could actually breathe from that moment on. Here is how we changed/added to our traditions this year.

We went to church, then went to our friends' house! Which I hope becomes a new tradition...we love them so much and it was wonderful to spend the evening with all of them! We laughed and enjoyed all of our time together.

They decided to watch the 1952 Scrooge movie with us...that was ultra special! I never did read Twas the Night Before Christmas, we didn't do What God Wants for Christmas (well, we talked about it and Shane did open the box and put it together), we didn't sing Happy Birthday to Jesus Christmas Eve, I never made sweet bread, but allowed Grands Cinnamon Rolls to make my house smell yummy. We went to church on Christmas morning (very special to be in His house that morning). However, I did keep this one...

Every year we give our children 3 gifts for Christmas. We usually try to get at least one or two of the things they ask for, and then we surprised them for one..usually the one we don't wrap. (last year it was a puppy) We have them close their eyes and then the big reveal. They loved their Star Wars posters. The best $5 gift EVER! (well then add $10 for the frame).

Ok, I still made cupcakes for Jesus' birthday, but we celebrated on Christmas day instead. We didn't end up having a fancy dinner at all..in fact while many people were enjoying their standing rib roast, Mike smoked some ribs in the smoker and we had barbecue ribs, beans and salad! So messy and fun and not traditional at all! Really, what I need to keep alive in my children's hearts is one thing...

Jesus...He came so we might find our heritage in Him.

Christmas Heritage Part I

2011-12-23T08:29:00.002-05:00

Starting the day after Thanksgiving we begin our series of traditions for Christmas or the Advent. I'm not sure why this part is so important to me, perhaps it is because I lost my parents at a young age and it was challenging to hold onto traditions. Nonetheless, they are important, whether they are passed down from generation to generation or not, these are the memories I know my children will hold dear.

It starts with the trimming of the tree. Since Mike and I were married in December, for my bridal shower my friends and family showered me with a wishing well full of ornaments..special ornaments, and every year on our anniversary, we would purchase one as a memory. Our first tree was beautiful, it included all those ornaments, plus all the ones Mike had received every Christmas since the time he was born. His Mom made, or purchased an ornament every year for him...so he had a box of 25 ornaments plus some special family heirlooms to hang on our first tree.

The point is, every ornament has a story and every year those stories are told. For example, I have always loved music...so my mother-in-law hand made our wedding favors (like the one above) and included instruments. I loved being able to give an ornament as a wedding favor...every year I have a friend tell me she has hung her ornament on her tree and she prays for us each time...that was 21 years of hanging that one ornament and praying for my marriage. Pretty amazing.

Then throughout the years we've received some pretty special ornaments from friends and family, I can still tell you (even when they are not labeled with names) who gave each ornament to each person.

Some were from my students from when I was a teacher, so many of them now are ones that my children have made and it is so much fun remembering the stories behind each one.

Some brought tears to our eyes this year because of loved ones that have gone and won't be here to celebrate this year. But in the end, it is precious to recall the special people and moments in our lives..much like laying down of stones to remember our past and what God has done. Every year a different child get to place the angel on the top...this year as you can see from the first picture..it was Shane...they consider it such an honor. :)

Ahhh, the finished product. My favorite part is when we all come in from looking outside our window and we sit down in the peaceful room and there is always a hush of awe...I love that part. If I could capture that in a little time capsule I would. Quietly listening to the VonTrapp Family singers or Bing Crosby as we stare at the tree...it is beautiful.

The other traditions that we have are just as fun...we try to read a Christmas book every day,

Do a fun little Christmas devotion, and yes, there is the musical advent calendar. I think this might be on its last legs. A precious family gave this to us when it was the twins first Christmas. We have used it ever since...it kind of drives my husband bonkers because the sound quality is really shot, but we love it!

We hang the adorenaments...love this too. I wonder if my children will ever get too old for this stuff...I just wonder.

Finally, this is another tradition...baking cookies. This year I only made 2 cookies that I "traditionally" make...the rest were new recipes and I even created my own for one of the cookies. We delivered 8 trays of cookies and sang carols at every door. Next year...Shane really wants to deliver more..not sure how I'm going to accomplish that. We are all out of cookies...its a good thing we have a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas Eve...we make cupcakes for that.

There are more traditions that we try to hold onto, watching Christmas movies, having Starbucks and looking at Christmas lights and of course more to follow on Christmas Eve..which is why I had to bang out this blog before Christmas Eve...that is a whole blog of its own.

I Still Do

2011-12-15T07:19:00.001-05:00

December 15, 1990 was the day we took our vows. However, the day I saw you standing on the stage, leading worship and teaching at the little church by campus, I remember saying...I want to marry someone just like Mike Engel.

The day we walked around Indianapolis and it was snowing, and you sat on the curb and cried while you shared your love for Jesus with me...that is the day I fell in love with you. I went home from that retreat and told my Dad, I think I might really be in love. I fell in love with your heart. Your heart for Christ, your heart for the lost and your heart and love for your family. How could there possibly be a man like this on earth? And how could I be the one he has eyes for?

Pinch me! I still feel that way.

You have always put me in a place of honor and have always loved me unconditionally. We have endured so much. Though we only dated (including our engagement) for 10 months you have walked beside me and at time have carried me through some extreme times. We walked through the death of my father and the death of our dreams for 10 years of infertility and 14 babies lost. We've walked through several diagnosis, for me, you, our parents and our son. We journeyed (and still are) through raising a special needs child. We've walked through caring for an Alzheimer's grand father and the death of your Mom.We've survived slander and lies. We've had to endure the pain of watching our son suffer. We've walked through times of great need and loss. Through it all...we've held on tight, we've never wavered. We've cherished the gifts God gave us in each other and we've never lost sight of Him.

We've maintained a heart of Hope! We've kept smiles on our face because of the joy set in our hearts the day we committed our lives to Christ and then again at the altar when we vowed to encourage one another in Christ! We've seen miracles of healing, love and mended relationships. We've witnessed the Mighty hand of God protect us and lift us up. We've have been a part of modern day miracles, lived on 5 loaves and 2 fish, seen the bounty of the Lord! We have together watched the almighty God of the universe put food on our table, open doors that seemed to be bolted shut, and demolish giants that could have done serious damage! And that has only been the past 21 years!

I look forward to growing older with you and spending eternity with you. Heaven is in our hearts! Make no mistake, we will continue to endure and experience so much more than what is written above, but that only makes me smile. I couldn't think of enduring or joyfully experiencing any of that without you by my side! Thank you my love! 21 years ago I said those words..."I Do!"...well, I still do! I look forward with joy in my heart to walking through the next leg of our journey together...hand in hand!

Thanksgiving Proclamation

2011-11-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of our very tradition filled season. Family traditions are so important to me. I think partly because I didn't have very many in my family growing up. So perhaps I overdue it in the traditions..but it works for us. I dream that one day my children will do these things with their children and thus the legacy continues.

We always take time to write the things we are grateful for. In years pass we've covered a door with large paper and gave crayons to write and draw pictures throughout the few days before Thanksgiving, we've made Thanksgiving wreaths and boxes and even trees with leaves that we've written things on. This year we've made a Thanksgiving Proclamation. Here is how we did it..it was loads of fun.

First we crumpled up so paper - to give it the "old" look. The more wrinkles the better!

The question did come up if I wrote on paper like this when I was young in the olden days. (Sigh, Smile)

Then we soaked it in tea.

After soaking for a while, we placed them on cookie sheets to dry.

If we weren't patient enough to let them air dry...well, there are other ways of speeding up this process...

and it is equally as fun!

I did mine first to demonstrate how this process is done. Then Brendan wanted to try it by himself.

He actually did a great joy. Made it look so easy..that Kyle (because he is 10 years old) wanted to try it too. That didnt' go so well. His beautiful paper went up in flames. After the trauma..he said, "Well, I learned a lesson, paper burns very quickly under fire!" Yes it does!

Just to be sure there was a difference...we compared and contrasted. Then we got down to the business of writing!

What a fun way of documenting all the things we are thankful for this year. Remembering of course that ...

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Time Spent...

2011-11-21T12:44:00.000-05:00

...with the ones you love is never wasted. This is my precious 8 year old Shane. I love him with all of my heart! Saturday we had a special date..just he and I..a date to reconnect and share in some special Mommy & son time. Shane is the third child and the only one that is not a twin. He is totally trying to figure out what he can get away with as an 8 year old lumped in a world of 10 year olds. Additionally, because we homeschool, he often sees me as his teacher. So we needed to reconnect on a whole different level and we sure did!

I did not tell him that I got him a card, but when I got home to pick him up for our date, he had made one for me too. He was so excited about our special time together..he couldn't wait for me to pick him up! As the first picture shows, we went to his favorite restaurant for lunch...Cracker Barrel! We looked around the shop afterwards and I bought him an orange cream soda & some chocolate. YUM!

I'm not a big soda person, but he did share some of his chocolate...Skybar. Then we hit the book store and Target..just to browse and maybe shop for his brothers presents.

Oh and he really wanted to make a picture list of what he wants for Christmas too. We give the boys 3 gifts for Christmas..this is at the top of his list. Then since Target has our favorite coffee shop...we had to get a drink (no matter how full we were).

One tall Caramel Frap and one skinny Gingerbread Latte please...

We laughed, played in the store, tried on hats and mittens, share coffee, chocolate and a little bit of our hearts too. We talked about the challenges he is having with school. I made sure I poured encouragement into his soul. I love this "gracious gift from God", he is special in so many ways. He is testing the waters every day, but love conquers much!

To add to my 1000 gifts today, thank you Lord for...

240. Time spent with my youngest arrow.

241. A husband who understands the priority of spending time with his family.

242. Heart to heart conversations.

243. Happy tears.

244. Handwritten notes of joy.

245. Lessons learned by deep love.

246. Faith built by words of encouragement.

247. Gift cards to favorite coffee shops.

248. Endless kisses and hugs.

249. Memories that will last for eternity.

Arrows In My Hand

2011-11-18T06:55:00.001-05:00

"Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court." - Psalm 127:4-5

Married at the young age of 21, the thought of having children didn't even enter my heart or head until a few years after being married. However, the Lord had a plan for me. In those early married years, when my focus was on finishing school and starting a career, and getting to know this man I married after only dating for 9 months, the Lord made sure I knew that He had plans even though I had no idea how they would ever unfold.

I'll never forget a woman in my church coming up to me on a Sunday morning, I was maybe 22 years old, not even thinking of starting a family. She, almost shy, told me that the Lord had been prompting her to do something that she has been avoiding. She said that she was feeling convicted and needed to be obedient, "Can I pray for you?" I remember looking at her and thinking, of course you can pray for me, why on earth would you even be nervous about that? I'm a young woman, newly married and could use prayer...always! Then she did it. I was taken aback. She reached her hand and laid it on my womb and began to pray. I thought, "Okay? This is...interesting." She prayed, I gave her an appreciative hug and we went on our way into the next few years not giving that another thought.

Then, the desire was birthed in my husband and I...children would be wonderful..let's just see what God will do. Thus began my journey to become a Mom. Not having any clue that I would be infertile at this point, we went the first year...just "seeing what God would do." The following year we asked my OB the famous..."What's up Doc?"

The next 10 years would bring us to our knees, praying over decisions, adoption, fertility, living without children. These same years would bring numerous words of prophecy over my life, specifically over my fertility. Prophetic words can seem odd if you are not used to hearing, discerning and seeing God move that way. When I say I was prophesied over at least 6 times from people whom have never met me, let alone new about my issues with fertility, I am not exaggerating in the least. Each one is as amazing as the next, however, one in particular is what this blog is about.

Because we didn't have a family, Mike and I would often be the couple that would volunteer to do the airport run for the missionaries, worship leaders and guest speakers that would come to our church. We absolutely loved this little bit of intimate time to get to know some of these amazing people. One person in particular probably has no idea how much he had spoken into my life....Kent Henry. For over thirty-five years, Kent Henry’s ministry has been totally devoted to worship leading and training. He has led worship on six of Integrity Music’s Hosanna! recordings, including: My Refuge, The Secret Place, and So Close to You. He has also produced 22 of his own worship recordings, including: Captivated, Bulletproof, Jeremiah 29:11, Children Worship!, The Psalm Series and Dance in the Glory. - you can see his full bio if you click on his name.

Way back 17 years ago, I sat in the back of the car after an amazing worship seminar bringing this man (who, by the way, could have totally been plucked from the Woodstock generation of the 70s) back to the airport. He asked about us having children. We just said no, sparing him from the details of the beginning journey of infertility. He looked behind, in my direction and laughed. I remember thinking...this guy is...interesting in an odd kind of way. Then with such a pleasant smile behind his laugh he patted Mike on the shoulder and looked at me in the back seat and said these words..."No worries sister...there will be babies in the house man! God's got a quiver just for you...He wants you to know that..no matter what happens in the next couple years...you ARE gonna have babies in the house!" and he a laughs again. How did he know I was even the slightest bit worried..and what is he talking about "babies"..you can only have one at a time...and when this happens for me...I'm gonna space them out so I can handle it!

Ten years later, I had twins...babies in the house. Exactly two years and two days later I had 3 "babies in the house".

Well Lord, now that we have our quiver full of the arrows you have planned for us, please help us to see clearly the target you have set out for each one. I sit here today, after my time in prayer this morning, asking the Lord for direction. My arrows are 10 and 8 now...boys..all boys...and they are right around the corner from puberty and growing into men. I do not want to miss the mark. After all of the prophetic words I have had spoken over me (some other blog perhaps) I know (even when I wonder) that these specific arrows were designed with Mike and I in mind...they are His, but given to us to raise. Oh Father, thank you for the arrows in our hands, help us now to see the target, to aim and to shoot straight.

Bringing Gifts Joy & Hope

2011-11-14T06:56:00.001-05:00

This is a special weekend, it was the weekend we focus not focusing on ourselves. In a society that is "me" driven it is even more important that we intentionally and daily help our children learn (and remind ourselves) that it is not all about us. It was Veteran's Day on Friday so all week we thought about how we were going to bless our favorite Veteran. Then on Saturday we were going to focus on one of our favorite ways to start the Thanksgiving/Christmas season - gathering gifts to give to Samaritan's Purse for Operation Christmas Child. We participate every year as a church and we do so as a family. If you are unfamiliar with Samaritan's Purse and all that they do, please I encourage you to stop by their website.

I love the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Before we went shopping this Saturday we read the story to be reminded of our small part in helping those in need. For over 40 years Samaritan's Purse has been providing aid to the world's poor, sick, and suffering...all in the name of Jesus Christ. Operation Christmas child helps our children remember the joy in giving.

So Saturday was the day. Each boy had a shoe box and off we went - they were to gather enough gifts to bless a boy their age.."so shop for something you would enjoy", plus Mom and Dad would gather some items of necessity as well.

They totally enjoyed packing their boxes and cutting out a picture of themselves and writing letters to the recipient of their box. I love to see my superheroes so full of joy with just the thought of making another young boy thrilled to receive a box of love from them. After we finished writing letters and stuffing boxes, the most important part of the boxes is not what goes inside, but the prayers prayed for each one.

Mr. Incredible lead us all in prayer over the boxes. We prayed individually for the boys that would touch these boxes, we thanked the Lord for Samaritan's Purse and all that they do and we even prayed for the people who would be delivering these boxes with the message of Jesus Christ attached to each one. Oh what joy! What a way to start the Christmas season, by NOT thinking about ourselves, but others and being grateful for the opportunity to share Jesus in yet another tangible way. This brings me to my continued list of 1000 Gifts, focusing on what I'm grateful for....

Thank you Father for...

230. The opportunity and the means to provide gifts of love for Operation Christmas Child.

231. Yet another chance for the lesson of Luke 10 to be ingrained in the hearts of my children.

232. The men and women who presently serve or who have served our country to fight for freedom.

233. Trusting me enough with the charge of three precious boys. May I honor you as I raise them.

234. Directing us 8 years ago to a church that loves you and is so generous in their giving.

235. Giving us a Pastor with a passion for the lost and practically loving on those in need (presently in Mali loving on our missionaries).

236. Family, both by blood and the blood of Jesus.

237. Our special friend, that we see outside weekly and make sure we talk with her and love on her. Oh how we love to see the smile on her face when my sweet Shane shouts her name with excitement and love.

238. Our health, especially during a week of fighting colds and having tests run.

239. Your Word that brings me joy and hope every single day.

The Cookie Chronicles 5th Ed.

2011-11-13T15:29:00.000-05:00

Cookie #10
November 11, 2011
Coffee Spice Cookie
Dave Dinardi

Mr. Dave requested this cookie a few weeks ago. It has taken me this long because I've been fighting a flu or a bad cold or something. It has just drained me. I'm finally feeling better and I knew that we would be seeing Mr. Dave and I wanted to make sure we could deliver the cookies. Here is the thing about our Mr. Dave. He is a great husband to his wife (and my sweet friend) Amy, a fun dad to his 3 children, coaches their sports, was President of the PTA, was my children's favorite Sunday School teacher and he is a dedicated detective for the Daytona Police Department. So, it shouldn't surprise you that he would choose a cookie with coffee as one of its ingredients. Admit it, when you think of law enforcement, you can't help but think about the donuts and coffee consumption that takes place. Now I think that some of that is just Hollywood's perception, but I know this law enforcement friend of ours loves his desserts! Sadly we have been unable to convert Mr. Dave to becoming a Starbucks lover, but we'll never give up. So here we are happy to oblige him with our Coffee Spice Cookies.

I wanted to remind you that you can find this cookie recipe on my kitchen blog Krypton's Kitchen. Please go check it out. I give step by step instructions (with photos) including some of my special twists on how they are prepared. I think you will enjoy just stopping by the kitchen.

So since Pop has moved to his new home, there is no reason to have instant coffee in the house. The last time I made these cookies I had a decaf container of instant coffee because Pop couldn't drink regular. So I had to buy some. Just look at those cute little packets of instant coffee..perfect for recipes that only call for a teaspoon. Disclaimer: I have actually had instant coffee in my home...but it is in a whole different league. I chose not to use it in these cookies because it would require me to dispose of what is leftover from the packet and I couldn't do that. So much easier to buy the cheaper brand and use it for baking and reserve the best for coffee on the go or iced coffee. I was going to share this in my other blog but I think it will fit better here. You want to know what kind of instant coffee is the best...sit back and watch this 9 second clip of pure joy...

So much goes on in my home on a daily basis. As you know I homeschool my children, so when it is baking time, I love that they are with me and can participate in whatever way they want to. However, before they can help with the fun...reading must always be done! So here is Shane..reading his reader while I'm getting my mise en place ready. (Check out the other blog)

In between history, math, reading, and writing oh and remembering our Veterans..baking did get done.
This is one case where I have to say, the batter does taste yummy. Low on sugar, this cookie will totally appeal to coffee lovers, because it doesn't interfere with the sweetening of your coffee. Sometimes, sweet cookies throw off the balance of taste when you are drinking coffee with your cookies. I know some of you understand what I'm talking about..then there are others that are thinking I'm just insane!

This is my Official Taste Tester..Shane..making sure the dough is perfect. I will talk about the dough and give some personal hints about how to make this recipe work in my other blog. You will have to give yourself some time for this cookie, the dough must be refrigerated for a few hours before you can slice them. The final product made the house smell so good.

Here they are above. To taste it alone, my children (except Shane) would prefer a sweeter cookie, but I kid you not, take one bite of this with a cup of coffee..and you will feel like you've left earth and gone to heaven. It is the perfect coffee cookie!

I wanted to throw this little picture in of my adorable little potholders that my precious adopted grandma Carla Sellers made for my 40 birthday a few years ago. You can tell she made them with my superheroes in mind...two identical ones to represent my twins and a one slightly different to represent my Shane. Aren't they sweet? You know, homemade thoughtful gifts are priceless and sweet - we have a dish of Coffee Spice Cookies nicely wrapped for Mr. Dave (we were hoping to surprise him at the station on Friday..but he was called away), I'm sure he'll sit with his plate and a cup of coffee. Hope we got your interest peaked and you will stop by Krypton's Kitchen for more information plus the recipe. Wonder what will fill my cookie jar this coming week? These never made it to the cookie jar...gave them all away this time. Stay tuned for the next edition of the Cookie Chronicles...until then..stay sweet..after all, we all need a little sweet now and then.

The Eleventh Hour...

2011-11-11T17:13:00.001-05:00

...of the eleventh month on the eleventh day...fighting officially ceased in World War I. How did you honor our veterans today. We have a very special veteran that we love dearly...and we couldn't wait to see him today. (There are many in our family, but this one is extra special to us) We zoomed through our homeschooling and baked some cookies (Pop loves cookies). I just love that picture above...Pop is so happy at Clare Bridge..and we love to visit with him. He gets a kick out of seeing Mike in his scrubs. We celebrated Veteran's Day with all the people at the home today.

All the boys made special cards. Pop took great pride in serving our country. My children have had the honor of living life with Pop for the past 8 years. Although these past few years (prior to August when he went to Clare Bridge) have been incredibly difficult because of Pop's Dementia/Alzheimers, one of the many benefits to living with a man who repeats things all the time is really learning what he repeats...and boy did he really love to talk about the army and his job as a radio operator in Okinawa.

What is with all the candy right? Well, there are 11 candy corns, 11 m&ms and 11 wheat chex..you know because it is 11-11-11 today. We actually held off until 11:00.

Yes..do you see it now. I know we are crazy. We gave each other 11 hugs, we jumped up and down 11 times (that picture was really blurry)..we totally just enjoyed our day today. Then we went to visit Pop. We met our favorite nurse there..since the hospital he is learning from is right by Pop.

The boys presented their cards and the cookies...and we asked Pop all kinds of questions about the war days.

Finally we ended our stay, singing patriotic karaoke...Pop is already famous for his singing. We knew that wouldn't take long. He use to sing in the boys choir at his church when he was young..has quite the voice...so precious.

It was a big celebration presented by Hospice. They read poems, played music, saluted the flags and then...

Presented each veteran with a certificate of appreciation for their service for our freedom. We enjoyed cake and ice cream (well they enjoyed cake and ice cream...I enjoyed a latte at Starbucks afterwards). All in all I think it was one of the most special Veteran's Days ever...ironically even more so now that Pop is living away from us. Bittersweet when we left...I always shed a tear. I thank the Lord for blessing us with Pop...we love him so much!

Arise With Wisdom

2011-11-09T06:12:00.000-05:00

It is peaceful as I watch the deer take a leisurely lap of water at the fresh brook.

He is startled. He runs away. I look around and I am awoken.

I feel His warmth around my eyes as He brushes my hair away.

"Arise, my precious."

Through my eyelashes I see Him and my heart is overwhelmed.

I look towards the sun but it is not there.

Because He knows my thoughts, He comforts me...

"It is not time for that yet, you first my child, arise and meet me at our special place."

I walk to our place, first, without coffee, without even my journal, just me and the Word.

He is the Word.

Even before the sun has risen, there is light at our special place - the Light of all mankind.

I sit. Bringing my knees to my chin. There is no need to wait, for He is.

He takes my legs and places each foot on a stool.

It is not a stool, it is a Rock.

He presses on each foot as He gently reminds me.

"There will be distractions today. People will seemingly need you all day long. Your children will need you, your husband too. Take care of them. I have placed them in your care.

Be Me to them today."

Taking care to firmly press each foot into the Rock, He looks deeply into my eyes and reaches my soul.

He continues. "The phone will ring. You will be asked to minister in all kinds of ways. I know how you love to serve me, but you are not to be distracted.

Wisdom will accompany you

throughout your day. I have called so many. There are others that can go. You have gone before, so many times , you've been so obedient.

Now it is time. Stand."

As I stand, my feet firmly planted upon the Rock I am stable.

"Walk with me."

As I begin to walk the rock continues beneath my feet with each step.

"It is imperative that you see that you are firmly planted in me. Stay focused my child. Even good opportunities may long to distract you from what I've called you to for this moment."

I look at His warm expression as He smiles at me. He leans into me and whispers in my ear.

"I'll will be speaking to you this way, stay grounded here so you will hear."

My heart is enlarged. Mysteries have been revealed. The sun is rising.

Wisdom and I begin our day.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." James 1:5-8

The Dailiness of Life

2011-11-07T06:30:00.000-05:00

Simplicity. I'm beginning to think we take it for granted. There was a time when I thought that everyday we do the same thing - is this what life is really supposed to be like? We really don't (do the very same thing day in and day out), it just feels like that sometimes. I'm sure everyone can relate to: wake up, go to work, come home, make dinner, go to bed and then..do the same thing over again tomorrow. The dailiness of life. I've come to really appreciate those days. There is a simplicity in the routine that brings joy and comfort. Here is a peek into our daily lives.

This is what goes on every single day. If you were to peek into our home on any given day, you would find Mr. Incredible with all of his books and the laptop. He preparing for his future and ours. I'm thankful for this opportunity for him as well as all of his hard work and sacrifices...his perseverance..because we know that..."suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-4.

Over in the play room are my superheroes. Free play...there is something so wonderful, freeing and therapeutic about free play time. Time when you have to get on the carpet and pretend, time to be creative and learn about relationships, friendships and love. Here they are playing with their Dad's 40 year old cars and trucks. Traditions and heirlooms being passed down from generation to generation.

Then there is me.

I think that I've probably struggled the most. I know that I've been called to be a missionary to my children. This is the highest calling of my life. I know, beyond a shadow of doubt that I am supposed to be homeschooling. There was a day, days probably if I'm being honest, that I felt like I ~~could~~ should be doing more. After all, I have two degrees, I've taught high school, I've worked in the corporate world, I've spoken in front of hundreds of people, God must have something in store for me...that is more than this. (Sad but true confession).

What is more important than this? That leads me to my 1000 Gifts...how thankful I am for the

220. Dailiness and the simplicities of my life (not to say that my life is simple - it is far far from simple, but I will look for making it more so)...so thankful to the Lord for...

221. Treasured moments with my superheros, making memories that endure for all eternity!

222. Opportunities to teach them the very best, individually fashioned the very best way for each of them to learn.

223. Being able to capture the moment they learn to love to learn.

224. The freedom of inviting serious creativity to our learning experiences..not to mention laughter and joy!
225. God's amazing provision and the sacrifices made, that afford me to homeschool..against all odds.

226. The simple moments together, like playing with trucks on the carpet or blowing bubbles outside.
227. A husband, a true advocate of homeschooling, that encourages me in my true calling..if there is ever any doubt..the highest call of my life...being a Mom. My work for the Lord always begins right here.
228. The Word that continually reminds me of all that I'm to be grateful for. (I can be thankful for His Word every week...after all, it is what sustains me every day!)
229. The excitement I experience when I go to sleep at night and know that tomorrow will indeed hold some of the very same things that today held...the dailiness of life.

Our Trip Back In Time

2011-11-06T12:44:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we asked ourselves as a family if we could step into a time machine, when would we travel to? Surprisingly, it wasn't back to prehistoric ages, or even middle ages with the knights and castles...it was early America...late 1700s to 1800s. The above picture shows two books found in this years curriculum. We finished The Diary of an Early American Boy awhile ago, and just this Friday we finished the Bell book. So we decided to take a step back in time. (and we brought a precious little friend with us too). Join us as I walk you through this picture journal of our time travel.

Every year the Pioneer Art Settlement has a Country Jamboree. There are live reenactments, live music from over 150 musicians, animals, Florida Cracker food, and tons of demonstrations of Early American Living. We had the absolute best time!!

We even brought Shane's best friend Luca with us! That made it super special for all of us too. These two have been best buddies since they were in preschool together. We love this boy!

One of the first stops was watching this man whittle. After Kyle read a Daniel's Duck a book about a boy who whittled a wooden duck, he has been wanting to learn!

The crazy bird houses made out of gourds and of course all kinds of homemade brooms. I could have had one made with different colors.

But who wants a broom, when you can have a nice toasty warm wool hat. That was my souvenir and I actually needed it..I was quite chilly!

Kyle got to explore a little bit of what a surveyor would work with. Oh and then there was this...

Sugar cane. That was an experience. In fact if you look carefully at all of the pictures, you will probably see Kyle who was very very bent on whittling that sugar cane down with his teeth. He gnawed on his almost the entire day. There was a huge vat of sugar can syrup/juice being boiled all day long. The smell was amazing.

We were quite impressed with the size of the veggies..

Animals were everywhere looking for a friend to pet them...look carefully, Kyle still has his sugar cane.

Love the log cabin. Seeing how the early Americans slept and lived. So beautiful in their simplicity. Actually Michael explained to the children that his first home in NJ was a log cabin in West Milford. True story.

We could dream about what it would have been like for us. Hardships, lots of very hard work, and other kinds of trials...but ahhh...just our little family..trying to make it in this new land.

I could totally see Shane splitting wood in the back yard while I do the laundry.

Here we are at the cow pit. Yes. We sat around and watched this man crack his whip and explain how the early settlers laid claim to the wild cattle. (Shane was thinking..this is why we love Chick-Fil-A..eat more chicken.) No. This was one of our favorite spots of the day. He explained a few theories on where Florida Cracker got its name...one being the sound of the crack from the whip..(and boy it is very very loud!)

We got lessons in branding..we all branded wood with our initials. Then there was the marking of the pigs. So interesting...that is in fact (as Mr. Incredible shared with the group) where we got the term earmarking from. Such a smart husband I have.

Yes, here we are in front of one form of shelter...oh and there is Kyle--look how he peeled through that sugar cane. Fascinating.

I just love these boys...here with the covered wagon..but the best was yet to come...

This was unbelievable. Candy Corn. No I'm serious..this corn was so incredibly sweet..it tasted like candy. The line was crazy long to get your ear, but totally worth the wait! As you can see...

Kyle laid down his prized sugar cane...for some sweet corn.

Luca made corn eating seem like a cross between a sport and an art. Impressive!

Brendan loved the firehouse. It has been interesting to see how this system has changed over the past 100 years.

This was probably one of my favorites. We literally just read that book on Bell and communication the day before. Still fresh in their minds and here was this man, with a Morse Telegraph machine right here. Clicking out every one's name in dots and dashes. So fun to hear and watch. He made this whole concept come alive. I love the living classroom!

Our Pop was a radio operator in the army and knew a lot about the dots and dashes too.

Pop was also a wealth of information when it came to...

The US Postal Service. This was a blast as well. Just look at Shane's smile!

No DS games, or the Wii, or Saturday morning cartoons...nope..just homemade fun and games like this.

Now this seemed like something I could use in my home. For when my superheroes get a little out of hand. Sadly not for sale.

Ok..I said that the telegraph was my favorite part of the day, well, not really. This was...lots of very cute moments watching little boys build their friendship.

Is there ever an Engel outing that doesn't include ice cream? I don't think so. We waited until after lunch for this because..well because I'm a Mom and that is just the way I do things. I did not get any, but the boys all had pumpkin ice cream..and watched as it was made. They did share a taste..and it was amazing.

Lots and lots of music..and some very unique instruments. Here we were sitting a spell and listening to one of the many bands.

Here we are making our own music. Souvenirs - why must they be so loud? As we continued to walk around into the late afternoon, the boys would follow behind us and blow their little flutes...reminded me of the opposite of the Pied Piper...just give yourself a moment to think about that.

Ahh..hanging the laundry out to dry. If we didn't have so many trees and birds..I might consider more of that. But we had fun just being silly!

From the moment we walked into the settlement, Shane had his eye on this necklace. All the boys were allowed to get a souvenir (under $2). We know Kyle and Brendan chose flutes, Luca chose rock candy, and Shane really wanted this. It is a simple Timucuan Indian turtle symbol made of clay. (Found out today how easily this could be broken). He loved it and wore it out of the settlement with great pride. We ended our amazing day with a some barbecue.

Now back to reality, but with a little better perspective on making our lives a little more simple. There is something very comforting about simplicity..but that will be tomorrow's blog.

The Reason Behind the Cookie Delay

2011-11-04T16:59:00.001-04:00

It is Friday and I don't have an update to the Cookie Chronicles. That is because I think I have the flu or at least a bad cold. I've been pumping the vitamin C directly into my veins...(well, not directly), so I'm hoping to be well enough to do our big family fun day tomorrow. We are so looking forward to it. (I'm not giving too much information here...that will be tomorrow night's blog!)

I have received Facebook messages, wall posts, and comments here asking for the recipes of the cookies in the Cookie Chronicles. I have figured a way to share them. You can now stop by Krypton's Kitchen and take a look at the new location for all my favorite recipes. I will be working on linking all of the cookies to this site (as well as any yummy recipes that I try). It is going to take a little time, but it is up and running and I've posted a "welcome blog post". So go, check it out.

Oh and by the way if you are struggling with a cold this season...I swear by this:

I take 3-4,000 mg. a day...right when the symptoms start. I felt like a truck ran over me yesterday, and today, I'm feeling a bit better.

Oh and at night I do use:
After all...taking care of 3 superheros and Mr. Incredible...I don't have any time to be sick. So...go..check out the new blog!

Proud To Be An American

2011-11-03T18:09:00.000-04:00

We had the best time today. I'm proud to be an American for several reasons...but after visiting the USS Ponce today at Port Canaveral in FL, I am particularly proud of all of our young people who are presently serving. I've always been proud of our Veterans. My Dad was a Vet, and of course our Pop is a Vet too, but young people today get a bad rap too often.

The people that we met today were kind, curteous, and just plain wonderful to talk to and be with.

We had the opportunity to get on board the 563 foot USS Ponce today, it is only docked for 3 days and since we homeschool, it made it even better (no crowds). We didn't have to wait at all. (Extra special to be able to call my sweet friend Aleatha at the last minute and have her join us! - We homeschool real well together..she has two boys and knows what it is like to do life with boys,,its real comfortable to have someone in your life like that!)

USS PONCE is designated an LPD (Landing Platform Dock), Amphibious Transport Dock. It is the United States Navy’s custom for LPDs to be named after cities that take their names from explorers and developers of their countries. USS PONCE is the first United States Ship to be named after the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, which in turn is named in honor of the Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon. Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the State of Florida and served as the first Governor of Puerto Rico. So you know we counted this trip as a history lesson!

Here are my boys with this ships mascot if you will or really it's the USS PONCE’s insignia, and it is comprised of four major elements: a rampant lion signifying the high spiritedness of the Navy-Marine Corps team that serves on her and is the coat of arms of Juan Ponce de Leon which is a continuing reminder of our bond with the people of the namesake city; a trident, emblematic of U.S. Naval power and supremacy; an anchor chain, linking the ship’s name and its designator symbols; and the “commission pennant”, which is distinctive of a ship in active service and serves as the commanding officer’s personal pennant – representative from the days of knighthood and chivalry. (We're studying that right now!)

There were guns....everywhere!

Check out that bullet that Shane is holding. That bullet from that gun can shoot a target 4.5 miles away. I'm thinking that could do some serious damage.

PONCE by the way is pronounced “PON-SAY” and it is an Amphibious Transport Dock. USS PONCE (LPD 15) is assigned to Commander, AMPHIBIOUS GROUP TWO as a unit of the Naval Surface Forces, United States Atlantic Fleet and is the 12th and last vessel of the AUSTIN class.

Her mission is to embark, transport, land and support United States Marine Corps and Navy elements by sea and air, and to conduct amphibious landings or raids to secure beach heads for further prosecution of operations ashore.

Brendan and Kyle headed for the bridge!

More guns!

Shane had particular interest in the guns...he and this soldier talked for awhile..I heard Shane say, he would like to join the Navy someday. After a day like today...so would I!

Did I mention how wonderful it is to homeschool with great friends. So thankful for my precious friend Aleatha! Great homeschool Mom...we think a lot alike.

Here we are sending our best wishes and prayers to the men and women who serve on this ship. What a great way to end our tour...which by the way was FREE. So despite my fighting what is appearing to be the flu or a bad cold...we had an amazing day!

I love this flag picture...see..makes me proud to be an American and proud of our service men and women.

I borrowed these next two pictures from...

Navy Site if you want to check it out. My little phone camera just couldn't fit the enormity of this boat or this experience!

Thank you to the crew of the USS Ponce..for your service and your hospitality!

Knit To The Heart of God

2011-11-02T06:30:00.000-04:00

"When you pray..pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." Matthew 6:6

I've tried to remember when I learned to pray. I don't think I was every taught to pray, in fact, I was the first one saved in my family and at that time I was only 7 years old. I remember being told that I was to simply talk to Jesus. That is how I started and that is still how I pray today.

Being married to Mr. Incredible only enhanced my prayer life. We encouraged one another to pray, we prayed together, we prayed together for others and we respected our time to pray alone as well. When we had children, it was no huge leap to model this to them, it just happened naturally. Children do, most often, what their parents do.

You won't hear my children recite the memorized prayers at meal times or bed time..(that is precious and there is nothing wrong with that)..but I never learned those prayers so teaching them to my children was never a priority. Talking to Jesus...now that was/is a priority.

I'll never forget when I was pregnant with Shane...my twins were not yet two years old...I had just gotten out of the hospital after some complications with my pregnancy. My doctor didn't give much hope for Shane's birth, we were to prepare for the worst. I remember sitting at the kitchen table so tired and I started to cry. My husband, released his grip from my hands and left the room for a moment. He came back holding two little hands - Kyle & Brendan's..he walked them up to my belly and laid their hands on my womb. He told them we were going to pray for baby Shane that the Lord would heal his body and that he would live. My babies, closed their eyes and laid hands on Baby Shane and prayed with their Daddy. That was the beginning of their faith journey.

Today you can ask my children to pray for you and they will not hesitate. Just today we surrounded Brendan and prayed for some pretty bad bruises on his legs, and later in the afternoon, we walked around a church fellowship hall and prayed over every seat, and over their new youth minister. We're growing men of prayer!

If you were to peek into the window of my family during a time of prayer, you would find that each member says a heartfelt prayer that is spontaneous and unrehearsed. This creates an environment where their hearts can be knit to the very heart of God, not to mention to each other. This invites them to share their heart with the Lord. Having each family member pray allows our children to catch a glimpse of their souls and learn from their example how to relate to God, give praise, and make their request known to a loving heavenly Father.

Earlier this summer my children had to say goodbye to their grandmother who was dying of cancer. How do two 10 year olds and and 8 year old do that? How do grownups do that? We didn't say they were saying their goodbyes, we just told them they were going to tell their Meme how much they love her. We talked about what it would be like to see her at hospice, but nothing could prepare them really. Brendan brought his Bible with Him (the Word brings him comfort)..he really wanted his Meme to accept Jesus. He was prepared to lead her to Christ. This is what happened when we got there. Brendan walked in and was frozen. He could hardly say anything at all. Like a deer in headlights..just stared at her bed..eyes welling up with tears. Shane walked right over to her and held her arm and asked..."Meme, are you really dying?" And finally, Kyle...he could barely drag his little legs into the room. When he got in, he looked at her from the foot of the bed and cried out..with his hands folded and resting on his chin..."Meme..I just have to know..do you know Jesus?"

Confused by her answer Kyle looked at me with questioning eyes and without any words exchanged between us, he said.."Meme, can I pray for you?" He proceeded to cry out to Jesus. "Please Jesus, heal my Meme. Make her feel better. Rock her in Your arms, let her know how much you love her...." Tears streaming down his face, crying out to Jesus..the words from this child blew me away. When he said amen, it seemed Brendan found his strength, and asked if he could pray too. Oh the petitions falling on the ears and heart of God. I weep as I am typing..."Lord, send your Holy Spirit to my Meme..don't let her die without knowing you Jesus." I was humbled and in awe at the hearts of these precious boys. Then Shane...finally asked if he could pray as well. Sweet and precious heart poured out to his Jesus...some duplication of his brothers, but that is how we learn.

What moved this mother's heart was the fact that my boys did not know what to say to their Meme that would die 4 days later...but they knew and felt comfortable talking to Jesus. Why?...because that is just what we do around here. When we are thankful, joyful, sad, scared, or sick....we go to Jesus. They know they can always cry out to Jesus because their hearts are knit to His.

Au revoir October - Bonjour November

2011-11-01T07:03:00.000-04:00

Au revoir October...I think I'll end every month with a photo journal of recaps of the month. I'm noticing that I downloaded over 30 pictures - it was a busy month. I will still be writing about some of these moments in the days to come, but for now..this was October 2011...

I got to go on a date with my man...we cruised to Starbucks and walked around World Market..it was fun!

My boys (Kyle & Shane) got new Bibles!

I went to the hospital..always fun! They couldn't find my veins..I have them, the just couldn't find them. No biggie...just strange heartbeats and very bad anemia....but at least I didn't miss this highlight..

Brendan's Baptism!

We did school...finished up the Vikings and have now entered the Middle Ages...Brendan is presently studying the Civil War.

Oh..we watched a dear friend celebrate being clean for 1 year!! What a joy!

We baked.....A LOT!

Had some serious fun at the Sanford Zoo....

Surprisingly stayed away from having nightmares...

Met up with our favorite nurse at Downtown Disney...

Hung out with friends in our backyard...

And built some forts too...

Watched some beautiful sunsets...

Blew bubbles instead of tempers...

Made special surprise snacks...

Brendan rode to the store for his Mama...

We watched the Orionid Meteor Shower at 4:00am at the beach..

And watched the sun rise up over the ocean...

Received a wild flower from a wild friend...

Dodger turned a year old...Happy Birthday Dodger!...

We made delicious caramel apples..

Got to put Plan C into action (you know when Plan A & B fall through)...and had tons of fun... (our friend Will skipped school joined us for this fun day)

Went to Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens...

Then enjoyed the river...

Had fun just being kids...yes me too...

Went for family hike to Spruce Creek Park...

The boys designed & carved their own pumpkins...

Oh and I've spent quite a bit of time here....
and finally, yesterday on the last day of October...

We spent time with friends..laughing..

...being goofy...and of course...

eating candy.

Bonjour November!

We Are Acts 29

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

The book of Acts, all 28 chapters, penned by Luke and breathed by God to recount the triumphant spread of the Gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit. I will at times here people mention the book of Acts and refer to it as the book that talks about the Acts of the Apostles. While that is somewhat true, we mustn't forget that we too are "Apostles" in the general sense of the word...one who has received a mission from God (there are many many missions...Acts 1:8 says "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.") We are in fact, ambassadors for Christ.

So why Acts 29? It is the continuation of the book of Acts...we, His people, are chapter 29. So, one of the best sermons preached by one of my favorite pastors and friend was yesterday morning. He explained Acts 29 and instead of preaching a sermon we were going to be the sermon. He worked it out with our local food store and they were ready for Edgewater Alliance Church (all 400 plus people) to shop for our local food pantries and pregnancy center. It was an incredible site!

We packed the place out! I would say 80% of the shoppers were from EAC. I got a little choked up watching everyone enjoy their shopping spree. Outside was a huge truck prepared to go and make the deliveries and our church staff was standing outside collecting turkey vouchers to help with Thanksgiving Dinner. This spoke volumes to our boys, whom have seen the Mighty Hand of God move in our home and lives on a regular basis...it does your heart good when you are doing the work of the Lord.

Picture credit Kinsey Whittet - I was whisked away before I could get this shot!

So thankful for the bountiful blessings that come from loving and serving my Lord and loving and serving my community. On this day, I had another extra special honor. Right in the parking lot of this store was a woman who needed a different kind of love. She needed the love of a mother, a sister, a woman. Something so horrific had happened in her world, she came to our church looking for someone to minister to her. One of my pastors introduced us and off I went. Left my husband and sons at the store and she and boyfriend drove me away so that I could talk with her in private. We were strangers, yet I held her in my arms, prayed for her and loved on her...one Mom to another. When she left she was uplifted by the love of Jesus and the hope we find in Him alone. When I got home, my phone rang and it was an older woman who is a member of another church in our town, yet comes to Bagels & Blessings regularly. She and I talk and pray frequently. She called to tell me her 91 year old mother died suddenly on Friday. She cried on the phone as I approached the Throne again. We ended our conversation with worship and thanksgiving, so thankful to be doing this journey of life together.

As I reflect on a pretty perfect Sunday and a beautiful palpable sermon...I continue with my 1000 Gifts..my list of gratitude.

Thank you, my precious Lord and Heavenly Father for..

210. The blessing of giving.

211. Opportunities to love one another in different ways.

212. An amazing church family and gifted Pastor who hears from the heart of God.

213. Beautiful weather for wonderful walks with my super family!

214. The gift of time...learning to treasure it every day.

215. Your incredible provision.

216. Binding up the brokenhearted.

217. Healing wounds too deep to even imagine.

218. Friendships that span generations.

219. Tears that are caught by you...because only you know what to do with them. ♥

The Cookie Chronicles 4th Ed.

2011-10-30T16:30:00.000-04:00

Cookie #10
October 28, 2011
Candy Corn Cookie Bark
Lisa's Choice

Found this recipe on The Girl Who Ate Everything's Blog. There are so many wonderful blogs that I love to read. She actually credits another website, so if you are interested feel free to follow the link (she a professional so her photography is beautiful). So the story behind the cookie (there is always a story right?!) is that my son Brendan couldn't choose a cookie because he was "sweeted out" - all because we made these this week too...

Remember, the caramel apples? Well, he really couldn't commit to a cookie and I couldn't let a week go by without inscribing the next edition of The Cookie Chronicles, so I decided to make a different kind of cookie for a harvest party that we will be attending on Monday night.

Take a closer look at these ingredients. This is something that I never ever do....substitute. If a recipe calls for butter, I use butter, if it calls for exact measurements, I use exact measurements. Remember, I'm not a cook, I just love to bake. I could not find almond bark/white chocolate candy melts anywhere local. I mean I'm talking, WalMart, Winn-Dixie, Publix, Target, K-Mart...I had to use what was in my closet..so I had to combine white chocolate baking squares, white chocolate chips, and some white bark. This killed me. My husband laughed at me, my best friend laughed at me, but it really troubled me that I didn't have the exact ingredients. I did however weight the white sweetness on the scale and that was indeed exact. (Also called for the orange colored filling in the oreos..something else I was unable to find.)

The 2nd issue I had with this "cookie" was that it didn't require any baking...I think I'm only good with baking cookies...this was not my thing. My children loved crushing up all the ingredients and even my husband got involved by melting the chocolate, while I consulted the website to follow the "exact" instructions. It was a messy ordeal, but fun and extremely sweet.

Here is the final result. I allowed the children to sample a few pieces of bark and they absolutely loved it - me..not so much. Way too sweet for my liking. I have a feeling it will be a hit among the young people at Monday's party. The final issue with this particular cookie is that it isn't going into my cookie jar. So the jar is empty. Sad isn't it? Feels strange to have this beautiful jar sitting empty. Next week it will be filled again...until then we will talk, ponder and dream about the next pleasurable delight that will fill my glass cookie jar, because after all, we all need a little sweet now and then.

Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

2011-10-27T06:30:00.000-04:00

It seems just yesterday they were drooling on their shirts and riding in any basket I had available.

Then before I could say..."Faster than a speeding bullet"...

They're going bike riding on their own...and lovingly picking up important items for Mom and Dad...

What is going on here? How do they grow up so fast. Today was a classic moment that I knew I had to journal. My 10 year old has been riding his bike alone for about month now. I know, that is so "big girl" of me. He rides all over our neighborhood..he goes about 10 miles a day...it has become his sport of choice. Good for him. Today 10/26/11, he took his little brother on a superhero adventure..and did they ever get an adventure..one they will not soon forget!

He takes younger 8 year old brother (a padawan or "Jedi apprentice") for a bike ride, together, (without me) all the way to Duncan Donuts. Younger brother buys big brother a bottle of water from Duncan Donuts and big brother calls to check in with Mom. (Very Important) This is how the conversation went on the phone..."Hi Mom, Shane did so well, you would be so proud of him, he was really obedient...hold on Mom...Shane, do you have your wallet?, ok good go wash your hands now...Anyway, Mom, he did great we're going to check out this bookstore and maybe go to Chick-Fil-A...I'll call before we head home." He is such a mini me! Looking out for his kid brother..I am really proud..but wait the story continues...

At the bookstore, young son purchases a book (he has millions of books at home, but I understand the book addiction thing). The woman at the bookstore sadly tells the boys that she does not have a bag to put their purchase in. They get outside only for Shane to realize, how do I hold on to my handle bars and carry a water and a book? (Brendan is an old pro and always wears big pockets to put his water in)...Being the older brother Brendan suggests they go to Winn-Dixie to get a bag. (Remember they have their water bottles and young son has a book as well). They stroll into the store and nonchalantly go to take a bag off of the self check out lane and begin to walk to the doors. "HOLD IT!" shouts the clerk. "What do you boys think you are doing? Did you pay for that water?" Brendan's face (I'm picturing) turns pale and he speaks up, "We bought this at Duncan Donuts." "Oh you did? Well, lets see that receipt!" Brendan turns to his little brother and says.."Shane do you have a receipt?" "Ummm..no..she didn't give me one" Shane speaks softly. Brendan speaks up on his brother's behalf, "He didn't get a receipt, he didn't know. We were just trying to get a bag because he bought a book and can't hold the water and the book and his handle bars on his bike...I promise..that is the truth." The woman let them go. When they got outside, Brendan placed his brother's things in the bag and made sure he was ok. (Very proud Mommy moment here!)

He brings his young brother to Chick-Fil-A where they go up to the counter to ask for Mr. Smith..a friendly face (owner of this Chick-Fil-A) and a friend...Shane shares what happened and is comforted by Mr. Smiths smile and some french fries of course! I love that my boys found a little oasis on their journey through this rough world - so very glad we have such wonderful friends all over this neighborhood. The boys ride home, bag on the handlebars and a little more grown up than when they left.

So they may be growing faster than a speeding bullet, and at times they may feel more powerful than a locomotive and think they are now able to leap tall obstacles in a single bound....but when the rubber "tires" hit the road, I as a superhero Mom must be sure my superheros have the ability to LOOK UP...and recognize it is not a plane, not a bird, but a God that is firmly rooted in their hearts and minds that they can lean upon when life brings it scary and challenging moments. As for me, I thought I handled all of that just fine..until 10 minutes after being home my boy comes running over to me yelling with great excitement and pride..."Mom, come look!! (he proceeds to raise his hand in the air and points to his armpit)...do you see it? I have a hair under my arm!" Yup, I'm just undone!

Sometimes I Just Sing

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

I once read a true story about an English steamer that wrecked on a rocky coast. I don't remember where exactly. Twelve women survivors set out into the dark stormy waters in a lifeboat and the sea carried them away from the wreckage. They didn't have any oars, they were basically at the mercy of the wind and the waves. They must have been terrified...they spent the entire night being tossed by the raging sea! They most likely would have lost all hope if not for one woman who was known for her faith and her voice. She calmly prayed aloud for protection, then encouraged the others to put their trust in the Lord and to sings hymns of comfort. Throughout the midnight hours her voice rang out across the raging water. Early the next morning a search team did come out looking for survivors. The man who was steering the rescue boat would likely have missed the women in all the fog if he had not heard a woman singing. Steering in the direction of her voice, he spotted the lifeboat and these women were rescued.

It reminds me of how I handle some of my storms. I'm big on prayer! Pray first - silently or out loud! I also sing! This photo is one is from Michelle Meiklejohn (giving credit where credit is due)..my guitar looks similar, except at this point...I need to string it! I love to sing in the privacy of my own room, to my audience of One. I majored in music and theater when I was in college and so instruments came easy. Guitar is by far my worship instrument of choice. There have been many many times I would escape to my room, especially in the midst of a storm, and sing praises. I would sing softly at times, but then other times I would sing like my life depended on it!

I find great comfort in worshiping! I don't always need my guitar. It has been without strings for months, so I use the instrument God gave to me (he gave one to you too), my voice. I will often find myself singing old hymns of faith. I get totally lost with Him, my true Rescuer! So how do I practice faith in the midst of fear, storms, adversity?..."There is a Fountain", "His Eye is On The Sparrow", "It Is Well With My Soul", "Blessed Assurance". Try it! As you practice turning your thoughts to your True Rescuer, you may just find yourself resting and relaxing right in His arms. What better place to be when the storm is overwhelming or the sea of responsibilities are overtaking you! Just sing!

I'm Not An Unfit Mother!

2011-10-25T15:04:00.001-04:00

Did that title get ya? Well, what I mean is, if I ate everything I baked or made..well, I might be unfit. So, in case you follow my weight loss journey, please fear not..I may take a tiny bite, but I'm not gonna blow it! I'm still losing weight..have 30 pounds to go. Once I'm through with fighting this anemia I will have my energy back and we'll be back to running 4 miles a day. So, doing the cookie baking and the candy creations...well, that is more for memory making with my superheros than anything else..oh and blessing others (practicing hospitality). So here is what we did today.

We always do caramel apples, every fall. This was my test bunch..I've never allow for such creativity before! Boy did my superheros love it! Not sure today was the best day, we went to the dentist today...Shane had a cavity filled and Brendan had two extractions and Kyle..he had a cleaning and absolutely no cavities! Should we really be making these today? Who know..it felt right when we sorted through all the sugar!

Not exactly sure why I only got Kyle in on the pictures. He was just a ham today!

It took some time to separate all of those lovely colors -- Teamwork! Reeces Pieces, mini M&Ms, candy corn sprinkles...

So here they are. Really this was experimental. Some tips I learned (from trial and error)...you must scrub those apples, especially if they are store bought and not fresh picked..must get that wax off. Then I probably should have let them set for just a tiny bit longer..that is why there is some slippage on the Reeces Pieces Caramel Apple. Kyle made a Boba Fett Apple there with the green and brown (I don't see it, but Kyle does..that is all that matters). Then below is my personal favorite.

Doesn't that look decadent. Caramel apple..I cooled that off in the refrigerator, then melted some white chocolate chips (had those left over in my cupboard from the cherry vanilla chip cookies). Spread the white chocolate over the caramel and sprinkled it with cinnamon sugar (also left over from making snikerdoodles). I think it is called Caramel Apple Pie Apple or something like that..it is all over the Internet this fall!

Well, my children loved doing this "art" project. That is what we're calling it! Homeschoolers have the ability to stretch outside the box for subject matter. Our favorite art teacher returns to us from Michigan in just another week! Thanks for peeking into my art class today.

Galactic Promises of Hope

2011-10-24T06:30:00.000-04:00

"Then He brought Abraham outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.'" - Genesis 15:5

On Saturday, October 22nd at about 5:00am my children and I sat on the beach at witnessed a beautiful display of "cosmic litter" as the earth passed through a trail of dust left by Halley's Comet. It is called the Orionids Meteor Shower. This particular meteor shower is dubbed Orionids because it appears to emanate from the constellation Orion.

As we stood there and looked at all the stars on this amazingly clear yet dark sky, it made me think of when the Lord had Abraham look out at the stars. I remember a time when Abraham's promise of hope was my hope as well. Trying to get pregnant for so long and believing God had children in my future regardless of the number of failed pregnancies I endured...it was all I could do to hold onto the promises God had given me.

My son Brendan has a knack for seeing those constellations. For me it is so difficult. I need someone to "connect the dots" in order to see it. In a way, when we are staring at the sky..all of those dots remind us of a picture of Hope. When God showed Abraham the stars and asked him to count them, He was giving him hope that the promise He had made to him, that he would have a son, was coming.

Whenever the sky is clear at night, I encourage you to do some stargazing! To me, the stars are a picture of God's hope--for me, for my family, for the world! Looking at the sky and then seeing the sun rise up over the beautiful ocean, is one of the best ways to get our earthly life back into perspective and realize in God's infinite universe, He has a specific plan for us, just as He did for Abraham...oh, and it is a good plan!

Upon reflecting on the promises of God, I humbly continue with my gratitude list or my 1000 gifts:

Thank you Lord for...

200. Your enormity - God of the universe - yet you still love me and care about me!

201. Time for special memories made with my arrows.

202. Promises fulfilled and unfulfilled which keeps exercising my faith.

203. The vast beauty all around that keeps my heart warm and grateful.

204. Your consistency...you were back in Abraham's time the same as you ARE now!

205. Redemption!

206. Direction....a path that is hidden in You...the only path I would choose.

207. My daily Bread...sustaining me...uplifting me...teaching me!

208. Being my solid Rock..the only one to bring stability and security to my often times crazy life!

209. A husband whose hand I can hold as we journey through our "dash" as a couple.

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 ESV

The Cookie Chronicles 3rd Ed.

2011-10-21T06:57:00.000-04:00

Cookie #9
October 20, 2011
Chocolaty Drop Cookies
Shane's Choice

I am realizing that chocolate cookies do not photograph well with a smartphone. Someday perhaps I'll invest in a real camera. Anyway, its not about the photography, its about the memories. These cookies are Shane's pick. He actually chose these cookies last time, but I couldn't find mini M&Ms...they sell them at Walmart, just not the food stores. So these cookies were highly anticipated by my cute little rock star of a superhero.

What fun we had planning this day. Our friend Mrs. Michelle came to help me spruce up my blog, you will notice a difference eventually, she is secretly working her magic behind the scenes right now. We cannot have Mrs. Michelle over and not have a party. It is kind of a tradition with my boys. The last time she came, we sat in their mess of a bedroom and had a fantastic party with music, games and a granola bar cake. Good memories. She is a very special lady, and we just love her. You can catch her blog right here.

To make it even more special, it really was her birthday just the day before. So we treated her to flowers and a balloon and Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins, as well as peanut butter and honey sandwiches. I know we really go all out! :) While the boys were pining for her attention I was able to finish the cookies. These may look like really yummy kid friendly cookies, but I must be honest, only one of my children (Shane) really loved them. They are not sickeningly sweet, I think it has more of a dark cocoa flavor..goes very good with coffee. Mr. Incredible loved them, but my twins had no problem saying they were NOT bad cookies, but...not their favorite. The picture below makes me laugh because I totally have another picture of Michelle doing that very thing. It's a sign of love for the cookie...I promise!

Not sure who will be trying these cookies yet, but I want to update and let you know that last week (after publishing the 2nd Edition), we were able to deliver a butterfly net to another friend as well as a sampling of the Cherry Vanilla Drop Cookies....

..they were a hit! We are thrilled to share the love! That is what it is all about, the memories around the cookies! We have realized that there is always a reason to celebrate. Maybe its not your birthday or a holiday, but it is a new day and it is a day that the Lord has made, so we rejoice in Him and that is reason enough to celebrate. So how are you going to celebrate your day today? Let me know, and in the meantime stay tuned to the next edition of The Cookie Chronicles and remember to celebrate something today...because we all need a little sweet now and then.

Honor

2011-10-20T06:40:00.004-04:00

Honor, a showing of respect. My husband and I moved to Florida for two reasons. One, his Mom was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer and we thought she might enjoy getting to know her grandsons, and two, his Pop was living alone and could use someone to live with him. As time went on, it became a blessing for both Mike and Pop. We are grateful for our time with him. My boys had the rare opportunity to spend 8 years with their Great Grandfather. They had an opportunity to learn respect for the elderly. Then, in his final years with us, we all had an opportunity to understand like, no one else, what it is like to live with someone we love who suffers with Dementia/Alzheimer's . Taking care of Pop was my husband's way of honoring his grand father and his mother and teaching his boys to do the same. (You wonder why I call him Mr. Incredible?)

Back on August 5th, we helped Pop move into his new home, a Brookdale Community specifically for people with his condition...Clare Bridge Assisted Living. It is an amazing facility! My husband did his research and it really paid off!

The day we dropped him off was not easy. There were some serious tears. We lived with the latter stages of this disorder for at least 3 years. Some of the symptoms that we all endured were: (aside from always having to be with him, and in the last year, he really needed qualified people to watch him for more than a couple of hours, so we never ever went out as a family for more than that.) being woken up 2-3 times a night every night, restlessness during the day, assisting in eating, toileting and bathing, having to be extremely heightened to germs, (keeping all of our food hidden do to that very reason), waking up the children, wandering out of the house...the list could go on. We do it because we love him...so saying goodbye to him that day, was really hard. How can anyone love him like we do?

It took its toll on my children for sure. Especially this boy right here. My sweet Brendan. He has suffered a great deal. For well over a year the boy could not sleep a whole night through. He would wait so he could hear Pop calling for Mike in case Mike couldn't hear him. On rare occasions, Mike and I would leave the boys and Pop with someone for a couple of hours..just for some alone time, however, Brendan would be the one to talk Pop into sitting down and not wandering outside. Brendan would hear the conversations Mike would have with Pop about not doing certain things because he might burn down the house. Brendan has had to see Pop in situations that no child really ever should see. So, it took its toll on him pretty hard. Brendan began to show signs of depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsiveness.

It really was the right timing. No matter what it was that forced our hand..the timing was God's all along. My husband received a scholarship to go to nursing school so if Pop were not in a home I would have had to care for him myself. I know that God has given me Grace for the moment before and he would have given me grace to get through if that was His will, but with all of my heart, I know that it was not His will. We could endure no more.

This is Pop about a month after moving him in to his new home. That place is amazing! He is so happy, well taken care of and gets to wander to his hearts content. Oh the love runs deep! Our time spent with him is a joy! We are thankful for our relationship. Brendan is healing, slowly but surely, and we as a family are healing as well. We continue to honor Pop and respect his 93 years of life on earth. My boys have a treasure in the memories made with Pop and we have all learned a valuable lesson in Honor.

Sharing Faith = Tangible Love

2011-10-19T06:00:00.003-04:00

Before we had children we had very strong beliefs on how we would raise them. They were not always popular with some family members or friends, but we had a very long time to think about raising children. While much of what we planned on doing seemed intentional, really it was just the way we lived our own lives as husband and wife. There are more things our children learn by observation than by instruction.

I remember a time in my pregnancy with Shane that the doctors thought he was not going to make it. He had sent me home with very little hope. My husband sat with me in the kitchen and while we both cried out to Jesus he brought his 16 month old twins into the kitchen and laid their little hands on my womb next to his and we, as a family prayed for baby Shane. This was the beginning of practicing our faith in our children. Mr. Incredible and I are very aware of the hand of God in our lives and we are indeed sure that our superheros are as well.

So practically speaking, we have seen God in such tangible ways that you will hear my children say things like..."Remember the time Jesus brought us food and left us bags of groceries on our front door?" ...."Hey Mom...Jesus cleaned Pop's bathroom!" or most recently..."It is like Jesus just mowed our lawn." My children know that every good and precious gift comes from the Father...and we see Jesus in skin all the time. So we purpose to be that as well.
Training begins right here at the home. It is part of my job as a Superhero Mom to train these boys to be Godly men/husbands/citizens. To love and respect one another is one of the most important lessons to learn. They are brothers, we are a family, respect and honor begins right here! These are not just chores to earn money, but to be a blessing to this unit we call family. Faith in action!

Shane & Kyle (do you see his name tag...it says.."Super Kyle") volunteer once a month at a local church to help feed the homeless and hungry. It started with the Shane's passion for the homeless. The boy's heart is huge! You can read this story HERE. My superheros have never feared sharing the love of Jesus. When Brendan was 4 he knelt down at his preschool (not a Christian school) and prayed for his teacher's sore foot. Shane and Kyle would ask any store clerk or anyone if they knew Jesus. One time in particular, Shane asked and the man holding the door outside of 7-11 said "No." I'll never forget my sweet superhero with tears in his eyes..."Mom, how will he know?" - We went right to prayer as the man drove off in his car!

At this church where we participate in helping to feed the hungry in our community, Kyle, Shane and I are runners. We are there to help people carry their plates of food and get their drinks and just love on them as they sit and get a nice hot meal.

These two boys have ministered so much love! The guests that come in for a meal are often heard talking about those boys who treat them like royalty. It is true. Towards the end Shane and Kyle will get to have a bite to eat and they will find a place amongst the people to sit and talk. It is so precious to watch and each month their hearts get bigger and bigger! It is such an honor to serve alongside my superheros every month.

Then there is my best friend in the world...Lorrie! She was going through a difficult time for a season. Her way of working through that is to keep herself busy. She came over to the house every day, painted, did repairs and had dinner with us every night for about a week. She is another person in my life who just shares her faith by tangibly loving others. We love to tangibly love each other!

How will they know unless we tell them? How will they know unless we show them? How will they know unless we love them?....just like Jesus!

Harvesting Happiness

2011-10-18T06:49:00.008-04:00

When you cannot leave your house together as family for more than 3 hours at a time, you forget what it is like to be spontaneous. Caring for our Pop required many sacrifices, one being that we were unable to leave him for more than a few hours a week, and if we left him, we had to arrange care for him. So much work for a few hours of alone time. There is a blog forthcoming regarding our decision to place Pop in a facility that is able to care for him better than we could, but for now, it has been difficult to write. It is coming however.

So I find myself trying to literally harvest some of these happy times because my superheros are so much in need of some quality family time (and so are their parents). The challenge of course is doing this all on a very restricted budget, but as you can see we manage just fine!

Last Friday, we took a field trip to a zoo (also a blog upcoming this week). It was in lieu of science class so we considered it a field trip. After our fantastic day together, we decided to spend the rest of the daylight over in Downtown Disney. Since we had the ability to do this (nothing keeping us from staring at our watches and a backpack full of sandwiches...we just spur-of-the-moment decided to go)! The best part was that we called Mr. Incredible to join us...and that was just the icing on the cake! Oh how we all love just being together outside of our home!! Mike joined us (he too is just getting use to this spontaneous mindset) after he finished his clinicals, and when we spotted him in the parking lot, it was as if we hadn't seen each other in years (even though we had just seen him 9 hours earlier). So cute, it almost made me get choked up, all the boys and myself just ran up to him and embraced him.

Yes, still in his scrubs, but that is a constant reminder of the amazing story of how God blessed our family by providing a way for him to go to school this year! (another blog...I have some serious catching up to do!)

Here we are with one of the living statues! So fun!

This picture makes me happy. My son Brendan has had the most difficult time this year. Because of his caregiver personality and his sensitive heart, he took on so much during the past few years of caring for Pop. We had no idea just how much his little heart was carrying. Being so close to Pop's room, Brendan could not sleep well at all, always awake and waiting for Pop to get up and call for Mike (Pop would get up all hours of the night and come wake us up on a regular basis--he even woke up the boys on occasion). Brendan was fearful that Pop would burn the house down, or have to call for Mike and Mike not hear him, so his sleep was fretful. Then right before we chose to place Pop in a home, my husband's Mom passed away from a 9 year battle with cancer and we had to say our "goodbyes"--so much for a little boy to handle. Needless to say, he has developed some coping mechanisms that have debilitated him in his everyday life. As of a few weeks ago, Brendan was diagnosed with Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He has struggled so much..just crying about his fears and anxieties..wanting this to be over.

So this is why this picture makes me happy. Throughout the evening at Downtown Disney, Brendan couldn't help but tell me, "Mom, I think I'm doing so much better! Mom, I think that God is really healing me! I'm so happy Mom!!!" He had so much fun. Three months ago we came to Downtown Disney and he had such a hard time being there! So here we are harvesting happiness.

Shane has struggled with everything that has gone on too, but he exhibits in different ways. Not so much debilitating like Brendan but you could tell once we placed Pop in a home everyone seemed to be shell shocked, as if we were living with post traumatic stress or something. Shane springs back quickly and here he is being the entertainer that he thrives on being. You know, he wants to be a missionary that sings!

Speaking of singing--our friend Dominic Gaudious he plays at Downtown Disney five days a week and since we frequent so often he actually remembered us. My boys love his music. No singing, just instrumental, but so much fun...the bamboo didgeridoo is loads of fun! We had a blast just dancing to the music, laughing and walking around all night long.

Then there is Kyle (very red lips from his Italian Ice), I think somewhat protected by his specialness, he too has struggled, but we can always see the hand of God in this boy. Don't they just make you smile? My superheros...overcomers in every way! Throughout all that we've been through the Lord was faithful to give us joy in the midst of our circumstances. Now that our circumstances have changed, we are having a wonderful time harvesting happy moments to cherish and meaningful memories! More to come!

Beauty All Around

2011-10-17T14:42:00.002-04:00

The photo credit goes to my 10 year old son Brendan, who is totally enraptured by the weather and the sky. He really wants to find a storm system and be the first to catch a hurricane..even before the weather experts. It is so wonderful when we finally find our passion. When we are passionate about something, we are motivated, energized and hopeful!

Brendan took this picture outside on our front lawn on the evening of Saturday, October 15th. He came rushing into the house with my camera so excited to show that he captured the Lord's gift to him on film. A few minutes later the scene totally changed...so capturing the beauty of the moment felt...rare. I believe it was Confucius who once said, "Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." So it can indeed feel rare. Last week I purposed myself to spend the day trying to find beauty in everything. I will tell you this, it is much like practicing gratitude, it totally changes your perspective on everything. Life just felt lighter, smelled better and sounded sweeter.

Thus my lead in to continue to write out my 1000 Gifts.

Thank you Father for...

190. The beauty of both the sunrise and sunset.

191. A family full of people finding their passions.

192. Hope when my physical body is failing me.

193. Big bearlike hugs from my man.

194. Your Word that is like a balm to my soul.

195. Friendships that brings immense joy.

196. Freedom that rings in my home after many years of not resounding at all.

197. Our pets that brings us a unique kind of joy.

198. The coolness of the change in season, albeit slowly here in Florida.

199. The quiet sounds of early morning when I spend my time with You!

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 ESV

The Cookie Chronicles 2nd Ed.

2011-10-14T06:45:00.007-04:00

Cookie #8
October 14, 2011
Cherry Vanilla Chip Cookies
Kyle's Choice

I really enjoyed making these. I was surprised that Kyle wanted something with fruit in it. He is typically a very "plain" kind of boy. They looked appealing to him. When asked why he chose them, he just said that they look "happy." On this day I purposed to look at everything and choose to see beauty. It is amazing how things change when you make some serious choices. What a "happy" this day was.

I'm not sure why, perhaps it was a highlight of a dim childhood, cherries make me smile. I think my Aunt Dottie use to make me Shirley Temples when I was little. She and my cousin would treat this little pauper child like royalty when they would visit me.
Ah...my mise en place! Enticing ingredients right?

So often when I'm baking I have an audience. I watch the Dinardi children (well two of them) after school. It is good to have a panel of judges...keeps you humble. :)

Everyone gave the warm Cherry Vanilla Chip Cookies 5 Smiles!! Of course we made our deliveries around to our neighbors. Sent Shane to do that and he came back with candy. How does he do that? He was just supposed to deliver with a smile....I'm thinking that like any superhero, those eyelashes and dimples just ooze cuteness and they melt people right were they are, not to mention that precious little heart that wants to "love" on everyone! Oh..that is another reason why we are making cookies - to bless our neighbors and be sure we leave an impression of Jesus on them.

Well, finished product. Cherry Vanilla Chip Cookies! It was a sweet day...we even ended it with pancakes and sausage for dinner. Stay tuned to the next edition of The Cookie Chronicles and in the meantime think about how you can add a little sugar to your day...because we all need a little sweet now and then.

Wherever You Send Us...We Will Go!

2011-10-12T05:30:00.003-04:00

"And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:15

Wondering what the Lord has in store for this family. I look at this picture and want to cry...from joy. This was the first night we went out as a family in one car, alone, just the 5 of us with our 10 feet...in 2 years. Taking care of Pop was what we were supposed to do...he is our family..we love him. We have felt total confirmation from every angle that placing him in such a wonderful loving facility was the right choice at the right time. We were called to do that...for a season...a long season. Now we are being called for something else.

I'm not sure what yet. I know that there has been a priority shift. We have 3 boys who love the Lord and deeply love to serve people. I have a husband who has such compassion for his patients & such passion for what he is studying. Then there is me -- I have a deep love of God's Word, the Gospel, and a love for his children! I feel like I've been given a story...and a need to share it.

When I met Mr. Incredible in college, we were both a part of a ministry. We served with Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship for all the years we were in college together. We did one-on-one evangelism, we did sidewalk preaching, we held prayer meetings and prayer walks. We served side by side and knew that was what we were called to do...for a season.

Then we started to serve in our church...together as a married couple. Mr. Incredible did everything, led worship, preached on Wednesdays, sometimes on Sundays. I taught Sunday School, led Bible Studies and Women's Ministry, spoke at different churches...for a season.

We had children. My mission field became very clear...they were my mission field...they are my mission field. I train them to hide the Word in their hearts. I teach them about the Lord, I demonstrate love. I am responsible for their understanding of right and wrong. I'm to nurture their loving hearts. We model marriage for them. We introduced them all to Jesus and we help nurture their love and trust in Him. They move toward independence in that they want to lay crowns at the Father's feet someday. We nurture their love for others and their desire to serve...this I'm called to for eternity.

Where will you have these feet go Lord? Wherever you send us...we will go!

The Cookie Chronicles - 1st Ed.

2011-10-11T05:30:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time, someone gave me a cookie jar that just called out to be displayed. Once my eyes beheld its unique beauty, I new it had to be filled. I was notorious for baking cookies when I was a teacher up north. I would spend 20 hours the Saturday before Christmas break and bake well over 1,500 cookies. In the beginning, I did not have the beautiful Kitchen-Aid....I had a wooden spoon, a bowl and lots of ingredients.

Times have changed. Several years ago, Mr. Incredible purchased a Kitchen-Aid and life became more simple. I continued the tradition of baking every Christmas..tons and tons of cookies. Cookies to share, cookies to eat and cookies to give as gifts. I baked cookies only during Christmas...it was...my thing!

Now that our lives have changed so dramatically here at our home, and since someone gave me a cookie jar that screams..."Fill me up!", the kids and I have decided that we would attempt to make a different cookie every week. I don't know if we will actually accomplish it, but we will certainly have fun trying! So thus begins the Cookie Chronicles. (Silly right?...I just miss writing).

Every cookie was sampled by several people, consistently, and not to be mentioned hereafter, those would be my family and Mr. Dave Dinardi. He appreciates a good cookie..so we make sure he gets at least one from each batch. :)

Cookie #1
August 12, 2011
Oatmeal Scotchies

I had just received the cookie jar as a gift from my best friend and these were the ingredients that I had in the house. Of course Lorrie Blandy sampled many of these. She was with us a lot this particular week. Blessing us by painting the boys rooms and building shelves. Good memories.

Cookie #2
August 18, 2011
Triple Chocolate Chocolate Chip
Kyle's Choice

What can I say, the boy loves chocolate. (Dodger did steal one and then we had to have the talk about how chocolate could be deadly to dogs....we can only hope Dodger was listening..he seemed to be too busy drooling to listen.) We made goodie bags for Lorrie Blandy and our special sister, Ms. Charlotte Sweet (she was in the midst of a challenging group project).

Cookie #3
August 30, 2011
Chocolate Mint Cookies
Shane's Choice
These were by far the #1 favorites...delicious Andes Mints gave this cookie a smooth cool mint flavor, surrounded by decadent chocolate both white and dark! YUM! After the last picture and my husband's comment about how the cookies looked like droppings...I decided against an actual finished product picture here! But did manage to get a unique shot with that very cute little boy in the picture! Our neighbors got to try these. We are good to our neighbors. I was supposed to bring some of these to my Life Transformation Group but I left the baggie on my counter when I left to meet them. They were very disappointed. Ms. Katie did call later in the week to see if there were any left, sadly for her, these were highly loved cookies that just didn't last very long!

Cookie #4
September 7, 2011
Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip
Brendan's Choice
His words exactly...."Why mess with the best Mom!" Both he and Mr. Incredible love these traditional favorites. I'm not sure if it is because of how delicious it is or because it just seems to make tons of them!
Cookie #5
September 25, 2011
Snickerdoodles
Kyle's Choice
Typically a favorite for Christmas, but Kyle loves their crunchy, yet seemingly soft bite and of course that delicate cinnamon sugar combination....Mr. Incredible loves how wonderfully this particular cookies goes with coffee or tea! Did you happen to notice there is a gap in the dates? That would be because the very next day after making Cookie #4 Chocolate Chips, I experienced the worst cluster headache attack that I've ever had. What an ordeal. I was in serious, almost suicidal, pain for almost 2 weeks straight. Even had an adverse reaction to one of the many drugs given to me. I was in no shape to get out of bed, let alone make cookies. UGH! Memories! So I missed two weeks, but that isn't the point. The cookie chronicles reminds me what happened in the gap. Fun huh? Oh and before I forget, Ms. Aleatha and her boys were here when I made these, then after she left Ms. Allison showed up and snagged some for her family too! This makes me smile...remembering my friends stopping by and sharing cookies with them.
Cookie #6
October 1, 2011
Mocha Orange Crinkles
Shane's Choice
What a fun cookie! The delicious combination of orange/chocolate and coffee...you savored each bite and they were beautiful. The dough was made on a Friday and had to be refrigerated overnight. The next day would be Saturday and Brendan's Baptism was the following day. We gave some of these to our new neighbor Ty and our dear friends Mr. & Mrs. Broadway (Mr. Paul & Mrs. Hazel) Mr. Dave Dinardi almost missed out on these, but when there were only 4 left, he picked up his children at my house and was able to snag one before they were gone!
This picture reveals why I love doing cookies every week...it lets me have fun in the kitchen with my superheros. Look at my Shane all disheveled and cute. We are not just making cookies you know...we're making memories!

Cookie #7
October 7, 2011 (My Dad's Birthday-love and miss my Dad-he would have loved these cookies!)
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Brendan's Choice
Just look at those ingredients...how could anyone not want this cookie. The fun part for my superheros is helping to unwrap the chocolate and not get to eat any. There are 36 cookies and 36 candies in a bag. Mom only buys one bag...so there is no eating the peanut butter cups. I however did acquire another bag of Reeces Peanut Butter Cups, because as I was rolling the balls I thought I wouldn't have enough candy. So I made an S.O.S. call to Mr. Incredible and he saved the day by stopping and buying more. When I finished making the balls there were exactly 36. (Didn't need the extra candy afterall)...now those extra candies sit in my Lydia bowl and tempt all the children that walk by my entertainment center. The problem with this recipe is that it only makes 36 cookies and you must roll the balls correctly for these to actually work.
Hence the reason for the ruler. I am very particular when baking. I never ever just use a measuring cup..measure cups are always used with knives to level off every single time. Got a lot of comments to this cookie post on Facebook. But it makes me smile nonetheless! My Life Group got to try these. Too bad we had some people absent. They missed great fellowship, and delicious cookies.
I wonder what is next. I'm excited (and I'm probably the only one). So, good for you if you made it all the way through. The next edition of the Cookie Chronicles will only be featuring one cookie. If you need the recipe, just comment and let me know. I'll get it to you. Noticed the I intentionally used the word "need", because we all need a little sweet now and then.

Graditude & Hope

2011-10-10T05:30:00.001-04:00

I mentioned on Saturday, at Bagels & Blessings that one of the ways to have hope in the midst of hopeless times is to do what it says in Psalms 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Give thanks for good days present and past - both ordinary good days and the special, breathtaking, moment-of-truth good days. I believe it was Thomas Kinkade ( could totally be wrong on that) who once wrote: "Good days are like shining lampposts dotted along our paths to help us see the way to God."

Either way I know when I'm focusing on what I'm grateful for it is like a medication prescribed just for me, to keep me my heart hopeful, joyful, and at peace!

To remind my friends where this all began you can my last list by clicking here on 1000 Gifts. However, to remind you what this is all about it's a list of 1000 things that we are grateful for - things that we may even take for granted. It was started by Ann Voskamp and she put forth the challenge for us to take a look at what the Lord has so graciously lavished upon us. Perhaps if we took on this challenge of thinking about what we are grateful for and naming them one by one, we would have less time to complain and less time to fear. The Bible says "Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above" so I have started intentionally pondering the gifts that God has already given me in my 42+ years. Care to join me?

Thank you Lord for:

180. Who you are...my hope..my everything.

181. Providing for our every need.

182. Allowing my children to see you in practical ways..(like Jesus in skin mowing my lawn)

184. Giving me fellow climbers who journey this mountain of life with me.

185. Preserving your story, my testimony despite lies and slander that once hit me so hard.

186. Telling me to move out of the way so you can have Your way.

187. Giving me eyes to see and ears to hear!

188. Your faithfulness in the ministry you've called me to..thank you Holy Spirit for showing up every single time!

189. The very personal, rich relationship that we share...I love you too!

I Really Need To Spend More Time Here

2011-10-08T17:10:00.005-04:00

Hi, my name is Lisa a.k.a. Superhero Mom (remember that is a Mom of Superheros, I myself am not super Mom). I've been absent and I wanted to reintroduce myself!

Writing is a strange thing. I just have to get into the habit of coming here and not other sources of media (or maybe in addition to other sources of media) to journal what has been going on in my life.

So much has happened since July! God has moved in mighty ways! I have eyes that are starting to smile and a love that is being rekindled. There is freedom where I felt shackled and heart that is beginning to soar! I have a renewed hope and a refreshed spirit! Are there challenges and trials?...well of course. This is a fallen world after all. It is a good thing too, because if everything were rekindled, renewed and refreshed all the time, we wouldn't need to constantly rely on the One who gives us strength, courage and endurance.

So, preparing for Bagels & Blessings is amazingly rewarding, but time consuming as well, hence the lack of time to come and write. Homeschooling brings on the same challenges, not to mention that I'm required to read at least 30 chapters a week for my Life Transformation Group and I have children who are older now and like to utilize their computer time. But alas, this is what brings me the greatest joy...writing...journalling..recording my memories and thoughts. So, I crave this special time.

Interestingly enough, I have found that with my new life circumstances I have a greater desire to spend more time in my living room...with my men. I'm trusting the Lord to work all of this out. So, I want to share, I want to write and post pictures of what is going on in my life again...just because I love it! So...

...if I'm not here writing...I'm not gone forever...I'm just...

Homeschooling 3 boys..a 5th grader (and no I don't feel smarter than a 5th grader), a 4th grader and a 3rd grader..in a one room school house. ♥

or I'm...

Spending time with my superheros...just having FUN making memories and learning LIFE!

or I could be...

Making memories with Mr. Incredible...enriching the love that God has given me in a best friend and husband!

or I might just be doing this....

..because it is my goal to do this once a week...children's choice..each kid gets to pick a different cookie every week.

or (you might want to sit down for this one)...I just might be doing this...

Because I'm trying to bless my husband while he does this...

Just kidding..I mean this...

Mike is studying to be a nurse! So there are times when I'm in charge of the kitchen. (At this time you can pick up your jaws off the floor..I know it is a shock.)

So you get the idea. There are numerous pictures I could post..pictures spending time with friends, reading, studying...partaking in life..now just to fit this back into the scheme of things. I'm gonna work on it! Stay tuned!

Focus

2011-07-25T07:54:00.004-04:00

I have been studying Hebrews, partly because I will be teaching on Hope this coming year. I love how the Lord is faithful to allow me to learn first hand what it is He would have me to teach. Last year it was lies of the enemy and the Truth that sets us free, this year it is Hope. I have been unable to write about my present circumstances up to this point, and need to continue to keep some things confidential, however, I am free to share bits and pieces of what I'm learning.

If you know me at all I am not a ballerina or even remotely like a ballerina, well at least not in body and strength. However, in studying Hebrews I began to think a little about ballerinas. They require (among many things) intense focus. In that way I can say that, even I, am ballerina-like. I have been required to have intense focus lately.

Making Christ my focal point as I wade through my day of serious circumstances. Just like a spinning ballerina must keep returning her eyes to a given point, to keep her balance, I too must keep returning my focus on Christ, lest I fall and fall hard.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

The truth is our circumstances are always in flux, and the world seems to be whirling around sometimes. The only way to keep our balance is to fix our eyes on Him, the One who never changes..(also found in Hebrews by the way).

I heard it once put this way: "Are you gazing at your circumstances and glancing at God or are you gazing at God and glancing at your circumstances?" Let's face it...we have a great deal of hardships and battles going on all around us. My son Brendan is struggling so much right now with high anxiety and stress. He is only 10, yet the effects of his surroundings (having to live with an aging Alzheimer's great grandfather and the death of his grandmother) I continue to saturate him with verses like these. We have circumstances, to think we could totally ignore them would be unrealistic. They are in our face.

However, I know, now from experience, there is a remedy! If we gaze too long at our circumstances we will indeed become dizzy and confused. If we "fix our eyes" on Him, continually refreshing ourselves in His Presence, He will set our path straight and we will not fall or lose balance. I have been saturating myself in His Word, spending time in my prayer chair and communing with Him daily. It has enable me to GAZE at Him and only Glance at my circumstances. I want to encourage you to make Him your focal point today...and see what a difference it makes. Let me know what God is doing in your life!

My Little Man With A Big Heart

2011-07-19T22:49:00.007-04:00

This is my 8 year old son Shane. He has had numerous opportunities in his young life to see the mighty hand of God move in our midst. He has been a first hand witness to Jesus in skin present at our doorstep, on the phone or making a meal. So why does it surprise me when he has such a heart for the same.

Coming home from Walmart the other day he sat quietly in the passenger seat of my Toyota. Air conditioning running, cold bottle of water sitting in the cup holder and he looks so forlorn. I inquire..."Shane, what is going on in that head of yours?" His reply that warmed my heart, "Mom, she sits there every day, she looks so sad, can we make her a meal?" Talking about the homeless woman that lives outside behind Publix. He is right. She is always out there, looking kind of sad. "Well, Shane, what would you like us to make her?" "Macaroni and cheese?" he says! "Well, I'm not sure what she would do with that, but how about some homemade oatmeal raisin cookies?" So, he decides some homemade sweets made with lots of love will do the trick!

We prayed over these cookies! We prayed for her! We asked that this would be a moment in time that this woman would not forget the love of Jesus. Then we delivered our cookies behind Publix.

Meet our new friend!

(Picture has been deleted out of respect. I didn't realize I could potentially offend anyone.)

A little put off at first, but it didn't take long to see the warmth in her beautiful face. I had done a little asking around first, so I knew her name. "Hi, my name is Lisa and this is my son Shane. He sees you here often and he really wanted to bless you today." Shane hands Colorado a bag and says "My Mom and I made these just for you, we made them with love and they are still warm." She smiled so sweetly at Shane. He noticed her defenses go down. "We just wanted you to know that Jesus loves you and so do we." I seriously got all choked up. Here is my small boy with such a big heart. His first missions trip, right in our own back yard.

I told her that the Jesus loves her and we just wanted her to know that we have been praying for her and that it is quite likely that we will not ever be able to bake cookies again without sharing some.

We exchanged words for a few more moments and then we bid our farewells. She smiled so tenderly at Shane. We got into our car and Shane rolled down the window, and yelled "Bye!!"...she yelled back..."Shane, my note, thank you so much for my sweet note!" then she placed her hands around her face.

When we left the store a half hour later, 2 men had joined her near her spot. Shane looked and said..."OH no Mommy, there are more. We have to feed them too! Look...the sign says PLEASE HELP! Mommy, we have to help!! -- do you think she shared her cookies?"

When I look at him, he seems so small sometimes. He is my baby after all! Lord, continue to foster a desire in the heart of my boy, to reach the lost in tangible ways. We will be inquiring as to what Shane and I can do to feed the homeless.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in..." Matthew 25:35

Problems Welcome

2011-04-30T13:38:00.007-04:00

Welcome, welcome...problems, storms, trials! Welcome! Come right in! I'm crazy right?! No! I've just seen enough of those things to know that they are not always as bad as they appear. The truth is, the Bible tells us we will have troubles...so we might as well figure out how we're gonna deal! If we choose to, I know we can welcome problems and storms as perspective lifters. We are human, after all, and I know that when we encounter problems with no immediate solution, our response to that situation can take us either up or down. For example, we can lash out at the difficulty, resent it or feel sorry for ourselves. Ever do that? If so you know which direction that brings you...down! Straight down into a pit of self-pity. I've been there before! Don't like it so much!

Alternatively, the problem, storm or trial could be viewed as a ladder...
...enabling us to climb up and see our lives from the Lord's perspective. Viewed from above, the obstacle that frustrated us is only a light and momentary trouble. Once our perspective has been heightened, you can look away from the problem, storm or trial altogether. I choose to turn toward my Father in Heaven, and see the Light of His Presence shining upon us! Which do you choose?

Psalm 89:15 " Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, LORD."

The Tomb Is Empty!

2011-04-24T13:44:00.007-04:00

We had a wonderful service this morning at Edgewater Alliance Church! Our pastor is a wonderfully passionate man when it comes to the Word of God! He spoke about the importance of understanding Friday (Death) to fully appreciate Sunday (Life). It was awesome! My children, husband, Pop and I worshipped together at the early service today. Our plans were to come home...find our Resurrection Eggs, share a meal and head for the beach. We have yet to get to the beach but that will happen in a few hours!

The Lord really blessed us today. We came home and a woman came by the house and presented us with a beautiful cake. I could sense that she needed prayer today. We reached Heaven on my front lawn and I could tell the Holy Spirit was at work lifting her burdens. Nothing better than to come boldly before a Living God who is faithful to His Word!

So it is tradition for as long as I've had children to use our Resurrection eggs to review the story of Easter. My children all still get excited about the part they play in telling the story. I'm getting really good at making the hiding spots very challenging too!

Here are my precious arrows! Love these boys!

If you have children or grand children..really these are a wonderful way to tell the Easter Story.

After they locate all the eggs (each boy gets 4 eggs), we sit down and open the eggs in order to tell the story.

Shane started by telling about when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, just before His death and resurrection. Kyle's egg had silver coins in it to represent Judas's decision to accept 30 silver coins for betraying Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders. Then there was the passover cup found in another egg. Praying hands in another...reminding us that Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with His disciples.
Brendan found a leather whip in his egg. After Jesus' trial by Pilate, the Roman soldiers used leather ropes with rocks and metal woven in to whip Jesus leaving 39 deep gases in His skin. Kyle had the crown of thorns in his egg.
Brendan shared that the nails in the cross found his in egg represented the 3 large nails that were driven into Jesus's hands and feet to nail Him to the cross. The next egg was the one with dice for gambling in it. The Roman soldiers used dice to gamble for Jesus's robe. The soldier's spear that was used to pierce Jesus' side when He was on the cross. Then Kyle had the one with linen wrapping in it..which he told us was what Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus in after He died on the cross.
The one above is the Stone at the Tomb...the huge stone that had covered the tomb was found rolled away! Words about the stone being miraculously rolled away and about Jesus's resurrection from the dead are the most encouraging and hope-giving words a Christian could ever have!
Finally egg #12 - it was empty - representing of course, the empty tomb, empty because He rose from the dead and is alive! Just like the tomb, our hearts are empty and lifeless without Jesus. But as we repent, believe, and trust in Jesus's death and resurrection, He fills our hearts with life and the Holy Spirit! Amen!!

Now that is a story worth repeating every single April!! Hope your Resurrection Day was Blessed!

Sacrifice: He Took Our Place

2011-04-22T21:29:00.006-04:00

On this night, Good Friday, it is tradition for my family to read the story of when Jesus was crucified. Tonight was no different. We did have a family game night, but then as the boys brushed their teeth and got ready for bed, we all met out in the living room, so Brendan, one of my 9 year olds, could read the portion of scripture for the family. I love how even my youngest is respectful and listens intently. On Sunday morning we will read the rest of the story.

The most humbling part of the night is after we finish reading, we all pray. I had to quickly get to the computer this year to write down the prayers of my boys...just so I would never forget.

Kyle: "Jesus, I love you so much! I don't know what I would do without you! I hated it when they laughed at you and made fun of you, it makes my heart hurt too. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Sometimes I sin and I know it must make you so sad, I'm sorry Jesus, I really love you."

Brendan: "Dear Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. You went ahead and did all of that just so I can go to Heaven. I'm glad I love you Jesus, but when we read what happened to you, it makes me sad. You died for me and sometimes I still sin. I am sorry Jesus, I know you know I love you and I know that even when I sin sometimes, you always forgive me. Help me not to sin, help me to obey my parents, help me to do everything that makes you happy and not sad."

Shane: "I love you Jesus! Thank you God for Jesus dying on the cross for my sin. I don't like to hear all those things in the Bible because it makes me want to cry. You love us so much! Thank you Jesus. I love you too!"

Mike: "Father God, thank you for sending your Son to take our place on the cross and dying for our sin. Because of Jesus, and the blood that he shed on that day so long ago, we can enjoy fellowship with you God...a holy God! Thank you Lord for loving the world that much, to send your one and only Son to give us eternal life! I love you Lord!"

Me: "Heavenly Father, I thank you for the sacrifice you have made to make a way for us! We deserve the cross, you did not, yet you sent Jesus, to take our place and pay the price. Oh Lord, that level of love is almost too magnificent to understand! Praise you Lord! Thank you for loving me that much and your continued love for me as I journey through this fallen world. Help us all, Lord, to be mindful of what is pleasing to you. Help us to do as unto you Lord in everything we do and say, may we be honoring to you! Thank you Lord, I love you so much...and I know I do because you first loved me." --in Jesus Name, Amen!

I did the best I could at remembering them verbatim.

What a beautiful way to end our Good Friday. Ironically enough, one of my boys asks today..why do they call it "Good" Friday? There are many responses we could have given our boy tonight, but the one we gave was right out of what Brendan read. What happened that night, right after Jesus took his last breath? The veil of the temple was torn...ripped from top to bottom! That symbolized the veil between a Holy God and man - the separation and distance due to our sin -- and it was DESTROYED! Destroyed completely and forever...what Satan meant for evil, God intended for GOOD -so perhaps that is one explanation of the reason we call it Good Friday.

Is The Door Open or Closed?

2011-03-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name." Psalm 100:4

I love how the Lord has really gone to great measures to preserve our freedom of choice. Like no other God...I wonder how people can doubt in the Living God! He has in essence placed a door between us and He, but he has empowered us to open or close that door. There are many ways to open it, but apparently a grateful attitude is one of the most effective! So I'm thinking that a negative, complaining spirit, just might be the thing that closes the door to His Presence. Powerful/scary thought right? I never want shut Him out!

As with everything else in my life, I am learning that thankfulness is built on trust. When we are having difficulty in finding something to be thankful about, we really should check our foundation of trust. Simply, if we are trusting in the Lord, we must know He is going to come through with His very best. When thankfulness flows freely from our hearts and lips, I believe it draws us closer into His presence - I have in fact experienced this on many occasions. The secret in the art of giving thanks in all circumstances is to see how many times we can thank Him daily. Really, it awakens us to a multitude of blessings! Plus, there is the added bonus, which is ever present in my life, of the fact that when we open the door and "Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Making ourselves at home, talking praise. Thanking Him. Worshipping Him" (The Message), it cushions the impact of trials when they come up against us - and you know they do...all the time!

So, here I am opening the door to His Presence. Continuing on in the 1000 gifts list, and saying Thank You Lord for:

169. Your ever present Holy Spirit, continually pointing me to You!
170. Trials. They make us stronger.
171. Grace. Exactly when we need it and just enough of it too!
172. Time to learn to be disciplined...time with Him!
173. The smell of fresh cut grass - reminds me of life!
174. Rest.
175. Your hand of provision....never too short.
176. A strong foundation of trust.
177. Joy. In the midst of sorrow...a paradox only the Living God can produce!
178. Kyle. A boy who reminds me how Big God is!
179. A husband found on his knees in prayer.

Good For My Heart....

2011-03-16T06:00:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday!...Both of them! ♥

Felt My Eyes Start To Smile

2011-03-14T17:18:00.006-04:00

It is no big surprise that I've been tired lately. For a little over a year now. It started back in April of 2009...I'm not going to go into the details, but trust me when I tell you that the Enemy of my soul has sought to eat me alive several times since then. There have been moments when I could smell his breath...and wanted to vomit (not literally, I'm being poetic here...but you get the idea!) However, I know, and have been confirmed by Godly people in my life that when you serve God, love people, try hard to follow His Word, and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to others...well, as my pastor just put it very plainly to me a few weeks ago..."Lisa, you have a bright big red target painted right on your head and heart!"

Needless to say, I noticed at the end of 2010 that in every picture of myself for that entire year...my eyes looked weary. Along with all that "spiritual warfare" going on, I also have the Pop factor in my life...which leaves me physically exhausted and sleep deprived, not to mention homeschooling 3 different levels of children and being a Mom and wife. Ok...I better move on before I need some coffee. So, I prayed that 2011 you would start to see a change in my eyes.

I really believe that time away with my family is vitally important. I get about 31 phone calls a week regarding just church or ministry. (I know this because my husband kept track one week) ;P I would say that I meet one on one with people about 10 times a week...some consistently, others randomly. So you see, I need to learn how to balance all of this. Time away from my home is important. Time away with my family is extra special...their love rejuvenates me I think. (I kow I need some time with just my man too...that will happen one of these days)

So that is why we are trying to make a priority of "Making Moments for Memories." Here is what we did last week. (Our time is very limited as Pop is only in respite for a few hours 2 times a week.)

Here is my husband at our destination....Riverbreeze Park in Oak Hill, FL. This man is one of my biggest heroes of all time! He is an absolutely amazing man and I am eternally grateful for the gift he is to me and my boys. What an example!

We started our morning off at Bob Evans for breakfast! It was a blast...and it was under $20 (fit right into our budget!) My boys were so polite and well behaved and just precious...they really blessed the waitress. She said she had been doing this job for almost 30 years and have never met more well behaved boys in all of her waiting tables. She couldn't say enough. I was so glad because we don't get to go out to eat..(hardly ever)..very often at all. So you just never know!

However, they were as precious as ever...we just laughed and shared a simple breakfast together!
Here is Kyle spinning at the playground at Riverbreeze. I wonder how long that will last? Boys playing on the playground equipment. I cherish those moments.

Of course we brought Dodger..because we want to include him as much as we can on our family days. He is so used to us being around....and we..just love him! Every time we go on a hike/walk we find interesting stuff to talk about. Nature is one of my husband's loves...so it has rubbed off on all of us.

But, then we got a huge surprise...our adopted Grandma from Michigan Carla Sellars rode her bike over and played with the boys for a little...then we ended up at her home for a quick ride on her golf cart around her development. The boys absolutely adore her...and she them..as you can tell.

You see, I think my eyes are starting to smile in this picture. A little bit. They still look somewhat tired, but it is an improvement. It helps to be around those you love and those who love you back. Totally grateful for friends like family, and the 4 most precious men in my life!

So that is it...until our next adventure...I wonder what we'll do the next time we catch a moment for making memories?

The Apple of His Eye...Part III

2011-03-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

With memories flooding my heart and mind and tears in our eyes I held his hands and look right into his eyes. It what we girls do isn't...we look right into people's eyes.

I asked about the letter. What did he think? Did he already pray the prayer? Did he want me to pray with him?

"I want you to be here when I pray!" --that is what he said! Probably the most precious words I could ever hear. Whether it is from my Dad, my children or a friend at the altar. Praying along side a person as they pray a prayer for salvation, assurance of Heaven, is just the about the greatest honor of all! The Bible says in Luke 15:7 "In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!" I can tell you from first hand experience there is nothing quite like it!

I asked my Dad the questions. Did he understand? He wanted to pray, but was so shy. I prayed for him first, thanking God for bringing him to this place, asking the Lord to give him courage to take the next step. I remember being so empowered by the Holy Spirit as I prayed for my Dad. Then I held his hands tight and told him it was his turn. OH how we wept..right there on the hospital bed. We were a snotty mess, the two of us! All this time, alone, not one interruption. That was a divine appointment for sure! His prayer...I wish I could have bottled it up to save. I remember it being so simple, he mentioned Billy Graham in his prayer and told the Lord that he believed that He loved him just as he was. He invited the Lord to take residence in his life, asked him to forgive him of his sin, and thanked him for saving his life and thanked him for his daughter! I just embraced my Daddy and sobbed all over his hospital gown. We cried and we laughed.

Then it happened. Someone else came into the room. First a nurse. She asked if everything was alright? What was wrong? My Dad said, "This is my daughter, I have Jesus in my heart now!" He proceeded to tell every person that came into the room, that he now had Jesus!! (Confessed with his mouth!)

A few weeks later Dad was in a hospital in Philadelphia. It was there that the Doctor asked Pat (my step-mother) and I to talk with us privately. My Mike stayed behind to be with Dad. The doctor proceeded to tell us to get our things in order, Dad only really had 6 months to live. He can have some radiation, but chemo would not be helpful at this stage in his esophageal cancer. It would be a difficult ride! Pat decided it best not to tell Dad how long he was given to live. Wise choice knowing my Dad. However he knew he didn't have much time. While we were with the Doctor, my Dad sat my husband down and asked him to tell him about what Heaven was like! Mike sat with my Dad, bringing him the comfort of God's Word and prayer to take away any fear.
My Dad lived 9 months. Right when it started to get really really bad....the Lord mercifully took him home. March 12, 1996...my Dad got a new name in Heaven, a new body, got to meet Jesus face to face, and hopefully saw my mother! Knowing my Dad...he danced on streets of gold too...his special dance that only I got to see! (twinkle toes) :) What an amazing gift for this daughter! Blessed assurance that one day....I will be with him! OH how I miss him. I wonder what he would have thought about my boys? When I snuggle with my kids, I always think of my Dad - Shane would have loved snuggle buggling with him! Brendan...sometimes has a smell that reminds me of Norman! Kyle, well, he would love my Dad with his whole heart...like he does so well!

Dear Daddy, I know you can't read this. But, as I sit here with tears flowing down my face I want you to know that I'm so thankful I had a Daddy who loved me unconditionally. Because of you, I could totally accept the Lord as my Father! So many have a poor God image because of their past experiences. Not me, Daddy!

So many years have passed. When I visited your gravesite, I would talk with you. I know it sounds silly, but it made me feel good. Mike has been so good to me Dad! You would have been proud! I was able to teach 9 years in a High School in NJ. I gave birth to three amazing boys Dad! I think you would have loved them! They would totally have worn you out. But you know what, they just saw you on video a few months ago and they talk about you now! Brendan's head has the Norman Sine smell! lol! I lost 14 babies trying to get pregnant, I wonder if you know them? I know this sounds crazy, but when I lost my first child, I remember seeing (probably in a dream) him with you...smiling!

Honestly Dad, these past few years have been very difficult for me. I sometimes miss being someone's daughter, someone's little girl. But I have to say, God has totally and completely filled your void Dad...and He really is the perfect fit! As I'm sure you know! The Lord has also been with me during these most difficult years/months/days. He has done amazing, miraculous things for Mike and I...He really is taking such good care of us! I love you Daddy! I miss you like crazy...for some reason...a lot this year! I'm not sad, no worries! Yes, I'm crying like a baby, but you know...as my kids would put it..they're combo tears: tears of joy, sadness and just because I'm a woman! lol! I look forward to sitting at the marriage feast of the Lamb with you Dad....until then...I love you always...and forever in my heart! ♥

I think all the tears that have flowed while I wrote down these memories...have really be theraputic! If you've followed along, thank you for allowing me a place to be so private (so publicly). I hope you, in some way, if you've endured these past few posts, were blessed!

The Apple of His Eye..Part II

2011-03-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

I handed him the letter and walked downstairs. I remember the feeling in my stomach as I sat among the people in the cafeteria. There was no way I could eat or drink anything. I sat and I prayed. I prayed that my Dad would finally make a decision for Christ. I prayed that the Lord would heal him of whatever was making him so ill. I prayed that the Lord would give me many more years with my Dad. I prayed God's ultimate will to be done...because I knew...that no matter what, God had what was best in store for my Dad.

Twenty minutes seemed like eternity to me...meanwhile upstairs...eternity was beginning to be set in motion for my Dad. Here is the letter that I wrote to him 15 years ago:

June 1, 1995

Dear Daddy,

Do you know how much I love you? I love you so much that when we begin to talk about it we both begin to cry--it never fails. I don’t honestly think anyone can love you like I do!! I want you to know that I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is in control. You realize, I hope, that it was God and God alone that saved you back in November, and once again I am trusting in God to save you again. I trust the Lord Jesus, Daddy, He has brought us through so much. Do you ever wonder how I turned out the way I did? You know, you and Pat were placed in my life by God to save me from a life of pain and suffering. Many people hear my life story and are amazed that I turned out the way I did. But I always tell people that when I was in 2nd grade, I was staying with my Dad and Pat and they sent me to Bible Camp (Camp Shadyrest) in the summer. I learned at camp that Jesus Christ died for my sins, and that all I had to do was to ask Jesus to come into my heart and forgive me of my sins and He would do just that. I learned that that was the only way I would get to heaven. So, I did Dad. I ask Jesus into my heart and He forgave me of my sins, and now I know I will spend eternal life with Jesus in heaven. If it wasn’t for you and Pat, I would not have done that then.

Daddy, that is the best feeling ya know! Knowing how much Jesus loves me and that someday I am going to go to heaven. Dad, I love you so much, I want you to have that same assurance. I know there is only one way to heaven - and that is just by asking Jesus to come into your life and to forgive you of your sins. Dad, I know you, you are a wonderful person. You’ve never done anything that you probably see as sin. But the fact is that we are all born in sin. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 “all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” That means that I was a sinner, even when I was 7 years old. That is why Jesus died. In John 3:16 the bible says “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.” That is why God sent Jesus to this earth, so that He could die for us and for our sin and we would have a chance to go to heaven. One more verse -- Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death; but the GIFT of God is Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” All you have to do is ASK, it is a free gift from God. He wants us to go to heaven, but He is so fair that he leaves us with the choice. I know you want someday to go to heaven Dad, and I am going to show you just how easy it is to do just that. It is not hard Dad, all it takes is asking. Jesus will help you live a life that is pleasing to Him. He already loves you so much Daddy! I’m sure you can see that. He saved your life, and now, as I am praying for you, I know He wants to save your life forever!!

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
2. Do I believe that Jesus Christ was sent by God to die for our sins, and that He in fact died on the cross and shed His blood for me?
3. Do I believe that I am a sinner?

If you can honestly say yes to those three questions than you can be saved Dad! You can be saved!! Just pray a simple prayer: it can go something like this:

Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner and I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I also believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for me and my sin, just so that I can have eternal life. I want eternal life. Jesus, please come into my heart today just as I am, and take away all of my sin. I love you Jesus, and I thank you for saving my life!

It is that easy dad!

If you say this prayer or one similar and you really mean it, God will do what
He promises and give you Eternal Life in Heaven.

Dad, I wrote this to you, because I love you more than words could ever express, and I want to know that we will always, and I mean always be together eternally!

If after you read this letter, and you want to say that prayer let me know. I don’t need to be there to pray with you, but I would love to if you want. I would be more
than happy to see my daddy accept Jesus as his savior!!

Love always,

Me ♥
You know that song that you love so much, the one you hear when Billy Graham is on TV. That is just what I have been trying to say in this letter.

"Just as I am without one plea, but by thy blood was shed for me!"

When I returned to my Dad's room exactly 20 minutes later...I found my Daddy, the man who fought for me, who always made me feel like I was the most beautiful, most intelligent, most delighted in child in the universe...the man that loved me so much and never had a problem showing it...there he was sitting up in his bed with the letter in his hands and tears all over his face. Soaked with tears...he saw me...waved his hand at me to sit by him. I remember taking a tissue to his face to wipe away his tears and a memory had flooded me. (The memory of when I was 4 or 5 years old...as my Dad left my Mom, I did the exact same thing for her..took a tissue and wiped her tears. ) My parents were goodwilled people, but they were broken. It was an honor to be there for both of them, even though I'm sure, at the time, I had no idea what an honor it really was! Filled with emotion myself, neither one of us could talk for a moment. Then I asked about the letter.

Come back tomorrow for the conclusion.

The Apple of His Eye!

2011-03-02T19:33:00.005-05:00

Would you like to take a walk down memory lane with me? I'm being very vulnerable here. In the next few days, I will post a blog related to a very bittersweet memory. If no one reads this, I understand, really, I'm writing it for two reasons: 1. So I can get it out of my mind when I sleep, and 2. So the memory can be preserved.

I wish I knew of a way to take VHS-C and put it on DVD so I can have what very little of my Dad's voice recorded in a safer place. For the first time in 15 years, I watched a video of my Dad. I remember the day I bought that camera, I bought it with the sole purpose of taping my Dad, so I could someday show my children who their Grandpa was - I got one 3 minute section of footage and that was all! But in it he tells me how much he loves me..those 3 minutes are locked in my heart forever. Next week it will be 15 years since my Dad's passing. My mother died when I was about 10 years old after my Father and his wife adopted me. My life story is complicated to say the least, but it is one where the Lord rescues a little girl, and well, it isn't finished yet. You can read my testimony in a poem I wrote here. This isn't about me, it is about my Dad. I think I'm gonna have to write a few blogs, I'm missing him more this year than I have in the past.

I was his only child, and the apple of his eye. He was a shy man and a brave man at the same time. He was a little stubborn too! I witnessed to that man my whole childhood and teenage life. His response to me was always..."I went up for salvation every week at the Salvation Army when I was little -- I don't need salvation anymore." It isn't about our timing is it? My Dad got very sick back in the early 90s, had a massive heart attack, got a pacemaker, and then he fought a battle with esophageal cancer in 1995-1996.

I'm pretty sure it is all about the Holy Spirit's timing...not about mine. So, I'm about to publish something that I've had tucked away on my computer since 1995 - mind you I was 27 when I wrote this...I haven't changed a thing...it is how it was the day I wrote it. I'll never forget that day, as long as I live.

Have you ever tried to read something, but your mind was distracted, so you have to read and read and read the same sentence over and over again? That was happening to me on June 1, 1995. I was having some quiet time and couldn't concentrate. So I sat at my computer and typed a letter. When I finished the letter I remember feeling a sense of relief, but urgency as well. So I got into my car that following Saturday morning, drove 2 hours south on the Parkway and Turnpike to the hospital where they were doing tests on my Dad. At this point in time, we did not know about the cancer, we knew he was sick and they were doing tests. I got to his room and he was so pleasantly surprised to see me. His face is etched in my heart and mind. I remember going into the room, Pat, his wife was not there..actually no one was there. I had some time to myself, to talk with him.

Instead of talking, I sat on his bed and put my head in his lap. Twenty seven years with my head resting on my Daddy...just for a few minutes. Even as I type right now..I'm having to remove my glasses because of the tears. I kind of miss being Daddy's little girl right now. Sometimes, during my quiet time, I imagine myself resting my head on Jesus' lap. Maybe that is because of this moment in my history.

After a few minutes of telling him about my students (I was a high school teacher at the time) and my plans to visit with him during the summer, I reached into my purse and pulled out this letter. I remember placing it into his weak hands. I handed him his glasses and gave him a kiss on the cheek, told him I was going down to the cafeteria for 20 minutes and we'll talk about the letter when I get back.

Stop back tomorrow as I publish the letter that I gave my Daddy to read.

A Paradigm Shift

2011-03-01T08:34:00.005-05:00

"Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:10

Last night was an important night for two brothers. Kyle & Brendan go to "Grapple", it is a church ministry for pre-teens where they "grapple" with questions concerning, themselves, God, the Bible. My boys love it! Apparently last night was on kindness. So I get into the car to bring them home and Brendan says this: "Tonight there were some new boys that were making fun of Kyle and telling him to shut up. So during big group time I went up to them and told them to go easy on Kyle, he's my brother and he has special needs." Kyle looked over at me in the car and said this: "Brendan was really being kind Mom. I'm thankful for him and he helped me, those kids were kind to me after that. I'm glad Brendan and I are brothers."

It is not always easy having a special needs child in your life. Most of the time, it is impossible for anyone to see Kyle's issues. However, when you are with him all the time, you can totally see differences. Brendan is a quiet, shy kid, kind of smart, and a rule follower. He doesn't like to make waves. This was a big step for him. I could not be more proud of both my boys. Kyle is understanding that sometimes being "funny" doesn't always make friends, just be Kyle is what we always tell him.

So this morning during devotions I took some time to allow us all to relfect on things we are thankful for. You see I am convinced that when we practice trusting and thanking the Lord throughout the day, He has an open channel through which His Peace can flow into us. Not to mention that thankfulness totally lifts us up above our circumstances, and my boys are living a very unusal circumstance with a grandfather that has Alzheimer's.

So I know that the Lord can do great things through people with grateful, trusting hearts and I want to foster that in my family. Where is the paradigm shift that is going to revolutionize our lives? It is in this simple remedy: Instead of planning and evaluation, practice trusting and thanking Him continually! Let's give it a try!

What are you thankful for this morning? Allow me the indulgence of recording what was spoken through hearts of all sizes in my living room this morning:

I'm thankful for...

Brendan: My family, my Bible, the rain - God's way of helping the fire, my pets, homeschooling, my friends, a great church.

Kyle: My brothers, my Mom & Dad, Pop is still here, all our friends, Jesus is my friend too, my life.

Shane: My family, homeschooling, snuggle buggles in the night and morning, my Mom & Dad, Dodger, rainbows, Jesus loves me, all the surprise blessings all the time.

Me: My precious gifts..moments like these with the my little arrows!

My Strength & My Song

2011-02-25T14:14:00.003-05:00

The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. - Exodus 15:2

Shane saw the sky yesterday and called me over to take a picture. "Mom, come take a picture, it looks like Heaven!" That is the picture we took over in Oak Hill just yesterday.

I'm learning something in my quiet time lately. My spiritual "education" for lack of a better word, is never far from trust. Lately, besides feeling a little sleep deprived, and totally inadequate when it comes to Mike's grandfather's care, I guess you can say that on Fridays (especially Fridays because I'm on my own with Pop's care and homeschooling) I wake up feeling a little wobbly. So I go to my chair that I meet Jesus in every morning and give it all to Him. I just tell him how I feel and I praise Him for his faithfulness. Gratitude is so important to our spiritual, physical and emotional well being.

As I sat there this morning, I felt like He was reminding me of that scripture above, from Exodus. Actually, that was ringing in my heart, but I wasn't sure where it was in the Bible, so I got my Bible out and starting looking for it. I love when this happens because then I get to read so much scripture, you never know what greatness is going to come from a time like that. I started in Psalms..because it just sounds like Psalm..it wasn't there but while I was hanging out in chapter 118 and stumbled across v. 14 and it cross referenced Exodus 15:2. Ahh...

Anyway, I realized that when I look at difficult times looming ahead, measuring them against my own strength, I always feel inadequate and overwhelmed. However, when I allow the Lord His will in my life, when I simply surrender those thing to Him, I begin to see how he empowers me to handle each task as it comes..because He is my strength. Likewise, because He is my song, He gives me joy as I work alongside of Him.

His Word is true! Every single time...He comes through. I'm still tired, I have very little energy to tackle the yard work that must be done or the house work for that matter. Funny, that I'm sitting here typing, but in my peripheral vision I totally see dust. However, this is therapeutic in another way. So the picture I chose above reminds me that my hope of heaven should fill my thoughts and the Light of His Presence will envelop me. I pray the same for those who read this!

A Refreshing Moment For Sure

2011-02-23T06:45:00.001-05:00

Treats? Did you bring treats?

"There are moments when our hearts nearly burst within us for the sheer joy of being alive. The first sight of our newborn babies, the warmth of love in another's eyes, the fresh scent of rain on a hot summer's eve--moments like these renew in us a heartfelt appreciation for life." -Gwen Weising

We haven't had a family moment since December. For those that are new to my blog, my husband is the full time caregiver for his 93 year old grandfather (who suffers from advance stage Alzheimer's/Dementia. Since we all live together, and he is unable to left alone for even a moment, we don't get much time away from our home as a family. So, the only time we get is when Pop goes to respite care two days of the week - from 9am - 2:30pm. One of those days I must school my children, the other day is like our Saturday - and we have entitled those precious and rare moments...Moments For Memories.

We took Dodger and made our way to Spruce Creek Park. We really only had 1.5 hours..so we quickly took to the back trails and we tried to get lost in the moment!

As I watched my family walk out in front of me, I got a little choked up. I really really need these little escapes (actually, I can go for longer time, really my heart cries for a little camping trip or a trip back here...but who knows when we can get someone to watch Pop for a night.) Gone are date nights (and since I homeschool, date days..well that is a little challenging) lol! So I love these precious little moments.

Kyle likes to take it all in too! He is my straggler..that is the reason I lag behind the rest of the family. However, he is back there thinking.."Mom, wouldn't it be great if a tornado came through here right now and all we had was each other?"...Well, that might be a little scary, but I know the feeling..what would it be like to just be able to do something spontaneous..together as a family? I think we all crave it.

So we make sure we relax and laugh as much as we can! It was a totally wonderful day/few moments together!

The truth is, I love hanging with my men! All of them, even Dodger!

I'm thankful for the gift my family is to me (corny as it sounds, we often refer to each other as gifts). We don't really need big vacations (although I'm not saying it wouldn't be wonderful..so we dream)...we really just love being together, away from the house, just the five of us sometimes.

Mike had to pick up Pop so we of course took separate cars...the boys and I stopped at our favorite ice cream place to have a sweet refreshing ending to our Sweet Refreshing Memory Making Moment together!

To all of my friends up north...these are the only kinds of Blizzards we see since we moved to Florida!

Lessons From a Dog

2011-02-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

After reading 6 books on how to raise the perfect puppy, I realize I'm probably as lost as I was when I first started reading. The one thing I think we have accomplished is we have made some pretty amazing memories because of what having a puppy has forced us to do!

One thing is watching my boys, love on this dog and on each other. This picture below is so special to me. When we were coming home this particular day, Brendan said to me, "Mom, I love Shane and we have fun with him, but, this was so nice just to be us...me and Kyle...two brothers...twins, together, it was nice!" It was true, as I sat with my very disturbed dog who didn't really like running straight into the cold ocean, I observed some serious bonding going on - and I loved it!

Another reason we love Dodger, is because this puppy has been very therapeutic for my husband! Mike wasn't able to come to the beach with us because we rarely get to go out as a family unless we take Pop along. This would have been way too much for Pop, so Mike has to miss a lot of outings with us. However, my husband loves this dog! How could you not...just look at that face!

Kyle & Brendan....with Dodger!

Brothers...bonding!

This puppy ready to go home...seriously, I am pretty sure he was thinking...why on earth did you take me here?

He slept so good for the rest of the night! It totally tuckered him out! I think washing him down with the hose was more traumatizing than taking a dip in the freezing water! lol!

The ride home was delightful for Dodger I'm sure! He is such a good puppy! We love him, a great addition to the Engel Family and we look forward to more memories!