life lately

I can't believe it's already Thursday.  Even though it's not been too terribly busy, the week has gone by really fast.  I have several things to do before the end of this month, and I just realized yesterday that next week is practically the end of the month.  Well, maybe not, but my deadlines hit next Friday for several things I've had on the calendar. 

On Monday I played catch up from the weekend.  That is always what I do on Mondays.  I usually don't like to schedule things on that day, because surely, the laundry has gotten out of control, the house is in disarray, the kitchen needs to be put back together and the pantry organized, and I need a day of not much to do.  I have come to love Mondays, especially after my busy Sundays.  (Sunday is the longest day of the week for me: up early to be at church by 9:15 or sometimes 8:30 if I'm on praise team, home after for a quick lunch and nap if I'm lucky, back at three for choir practices, then Sunday night or community group services at church.) 

The biggest accomplishment of that day was that I cleaned out our refrigerator.  That night, three of the boys and Rachel and I went to CiCi's for dinner with my in-love's.  It had been a couple of weeks since we had seen them, so we enjoyed catching up with them over dinner at a favorite restaurant of ours. 

Oh, and Todd worked that night, which was really random, but whatever.

On Tuesday, Drew had a class at his weekly tutorial, and when he got home, we met Mom for lunch at a yummy and new to me Mexican restaurant.  I could eat Mexican food every day of the week.  It was really good.  After lunch the boys headed back home, and she and I went and ran some errands together.  I've mentioned before how much I love doing mundane things together with the ones I love.  It makes running errands so much better.  I also love catching up, because I hadn't seen Mom in about a week. 

Our last stop that day was at a local nursery.

I LOVE tulips.  There were plenty to gaze at that day. 

That night all the boys (minus Graham, who was in class) went to church to watch some basketball games that were going on.  Todd and I watched The Voice, which is INCREDIBLY painful to watch this year, because all the contestants are picking their own songs and the songs aren't great.

Yesterday, Jonah and Noah and I made a quick Costco run to pick up a few essentials, then came home and put it all away.  I had bible study that afternoon at four, and then church was last night. 

Meanwhile, and having nothing to do with anything I've written about so far, look at my great-nieces.

I could eat them up!  Kinsley is on the left, Kylie on the right.

I can't wait until I can see them again. 

Also, Drew turned in an application for a mission trip this week.  Here's a picture of him and some pretty great Navajo kiddos from last year.

I posted this on social media to ask for prayers as they prepare to go in June, and to say that he is currently fundraising.  He's gotten a couple of calls this week already for some odd jobs, so if that was you who called him, thank you so much for thinking of him! 

I loved these verses from Psalm this week, in my bible reading. 

This was me on Tuesday night, searching for a particular verse in Psalm, and I just sat and poured over several chapters that night while I was looking.  I love this page in my new bible from the front of the book.  My bible is the She Reads Truth bible, and it is the most beautiful one I've ever owned.  I have loved marking it all up since November.

And, finally, this call came yesterday.  It's getting real!  It'll be here before I know it, and I know these last weeks before graduation are going to FLY BY.  That was the case last year. 

I also have to take a few minutes to tell you about Graham.  Since January, he has been taking classes at night to be on the sheriff's department as a volunteer, just like his dad.  Someday this will provide insurance for Graham and his family, which is really a huge benefit.  (This also provides our insurance.)  Anyway, since April, the classes have been every night and every Saturday.  If all goes well, he will graduate from these classes one week from tonight.  I am so proud of him for being so diligent in studying and going.  He's only missed one class, and it was when we were in Nashville for Tracy's surgery, but he has since caught up again.  Today at noon, he will be taking the National Registry test, which will give him his license in Emergency Medical Response if he passes.  I'm confident in his ability to do so, and while he's been in class, he's been either one of the top students, or THE top student. 

This kid has grown up a lot in the year since this picture was taken.  He decided to forego college for now, because he was never certain what he wanted to do.  I applaud his decision, for a few reasons.  College isn't for everyone, being one of them.  Another is that he didn't want to waste time or money, if he didn't have a  particular path he wanted to pursue.  So, since he decided to not be in school, we asked him to work full time.  In July he went to work for my husband, for the family business, which is repairing medical equipment and doing electrical safety checks for certain types of equipment.  Graham has excelled in this, and has not missed many days in the almost one year that he's been working.  I know it hasn't always been easy for him to step into this very adult role in life, but he has done amazingly well at it all, and we could not be more proud.  Their customers ADORE him, and he is very responsible.  He lives at home still, but he comes and goes as he pleases, even though he will still ask me for permission to go somewhere.  (He does NOT have to do that, but I know he does it out of courtesy and respect.)  I haven't seen him much since January, I won't lie, and I cannot count how few times the six of us have sat around the kitchen table.  When he has an off night, he goes out to the country to spend time with his other family, also known as Rachel and her parents. 

Will you help me in praying for him today?  We would greatly appreciate it.  You should see the book that he's had to learn!  It's about four inches thick and he's marked it all up with notes as he's studied since January.  Once he graduates from this class, his life will free up considerably.  He is trained (and will be certified) in everything from how to drive emergency vehicles all the way through how to deliver a baby.  (Eeeks.)  I'll keep you posted on the results of the test as soon as he hears.  I know it'll be a few days, at least.  Thanks, friends! 

And thanks for reading my blog.  Love to all. 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!  I'm linking up with Andrea at Momfessionals, and her friends, for this blog post. 

This has been a really great week.  I've been moderately busy (as in, I had somewhere to be almost everyday), but not so much so that I'm tired from it. 

Monday was the only day I actually stayed home all day.  I caught up on the mountains of laundry that I had neglected all weekend, I vacuumed the floors, I read my bible plan from Sunday and then also from that day, I cleaned a bit, and I can't remember what all else.  I felt like it was a productive day, though, the kind that I most love. 

Also on that day, I started memorizing Romans 12, one of my favorite chapters in the bible.  I love to memorize scripture, and it's been a couple of years and I really feel the need to sharpen my brain again by stretching it.  That just means that this no longer comes easily for me, so I have to work at it.  I made notecards, one per verse, so that I can grab them and go if I am going to somewhere that I might have a wait.  This verse stopped me in my tracks on that day.  It was after a particularly discouraging conversation I'd had about my sister in love that is still in Vanderbilt because of a heart transplant.

I needed to read that so much on that day.  I know that the Lord had me read that.  He is so good to me, and always so kind.  I texted this to someone I thought could also use the encouragement.

I love to do that, by the way, encourage people along the way.  I know that not everyone is made like that, but sometimes I think we should all make the effort more than we do.  It takes less than two minutes to do something like that.  I am all about affirming people, and I try to do this a few times a week.

 I got to attend a music reading this week at a local church.  I love being in choir, and I LOVE music.  Some of my favorite music is put out by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  This is their newest release, and it was awesome getting to hear it and sing it.  I went to this with some friends from choir, and our worship pastor. 

Also, last night, I watched the live stream of the Brooklyn Tabernacle singers debuting this at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee.  It was over an hour, but all my family was gone, and what better way to spend an hour and a half on a Thursday night than worshiping the Lord?  It was so good.

You can listen to some of their songs on YouTube.

Psalm 23 is one of my favorites.

Unfortunately, later this day, I started feeling so sick.  My throat felt like it was on fire, so rather than cook, we had pizza for dinner, and I went to bed early. 

It's official.  All my boys are drivers now.  Noah got his permit on Wednesday!  I'm so proud of him.

Also, on this day, I started a prayer wall under this sign in my kitchen, and these are the family members whose pictures I already had printed.  I'm working on the rest of them. 

This will end up being my favorite spot in the house, I'm sure.

Later that day, Missy and Rachel came over for bible study. 

I also made two lasagnas- one to give away and one for us to enjoy.  They both ate with me that night.

This is one of my very favorite memories!  It was five years ago when we went on a field trip with Big Daddy to Shiloh.  It was so much fun, and we made so many memories. 

This is my favorite neighborhood in all of The Ville.  And it just so happens to be where one of my best friends lives, so at a stop sign on my way to her house yesterday, I took this picture.  It was gorgeous outside, so rather than pray in a room inside, we sat in rocking chairs on her front porch and talked and prayed together. 

My favorite new shoes that kill my feet.  Actually it's just the left one that hurts so bad.  I broke that foot three years ago, and it never healed right, so the strap around my ankle makes it throb by the end of the time that I wear these.  I honestly don't care that they hurt, because LOOK how adorable.  I love them. 

I am so glad it's Friday for a few reasons.  I get to see my dad, and I'm making one of his favorite things to eat- egg and olive salad.  It's Drew's and Noah's favorite as well. 

I am getting my hair cut!  I can't wait.  I'm going to try something a little different that we talked about when I saw my hairstylist friend a couple of weeks ago.  She thought it would work really well for my hair, so I'm excited to see the end result. 

And, finally, I get to see ALL of my family all weekend.  Graham is so busy these days, between work and classes he's been taking at night since January, so I love when I can see him for days in a row. 

Thanks for reading!  Love to all. 

worship songs I have on repeat

I love worship music.  Love, love, love it.  Honestly, I love music in general, and I cannot imagine living in a world where I couldn't have music.  For years and years (at least eighteen), I have had a kitchen radio mounted under the cabinets.  I listen to K Love all the time.  Sometimes I switch over to their sister station, Air One, but if I am in there doing anything, the radio is on.  I do (very occasionally) listen to pop or country, like when I'm in the car and my kids force me, so I do know some of those songs, but I prefer K Love. 

Last year my husband bought me a little bluetooth speaker, so I also now have that in my bathroom.  While I'm upstairs making beds and folding laundry or cleaning or getting dressed I use Spotify to listen.  I have some favorites that are always on repeat.  I thought I'd share them with you today. 

One side note, I love worship music, but I like the songs to be about God.  Either who He is or what He has done, like this first song I'm going to share.

This is Thanks Be To Our God, by Travis Cottrell.



Sometimes this song makes me weep.  Like last night while I was getting ready for bed after my shower.

I was introduced to this song pretty recently on the radio, and immediately, I loved the lyrics.  This is So Will I, by Hillsong.



I love Chris Tomlin's newest album, and this is one of my favorites.  Come Thou Fount.



Same album and artist, but this one's First Love by him and with Kim Walker Smith.



This one takes me back to high school choir.  It's the same album, and artist.  This one's Kyrie Eleison.



One song I love to worship to and cannot help but lift my arms to Jesus is This Is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham.



This last one was one we sang on Resurrection Sunday, and it makes me want to jump.  Glorious Day, by Kristian Stanfill.



I love most any and all worship music.  I'm somewhat picky with the lyrics, though, and I don't like singing about how we can overcome or how we're strong, or how great we are.  I only love the songs that sing about who God is, and what He has done,

I love to worship my Jesus.  I close my eyes and imagine me in heaven at the foot of His throne, worshiping Him and singing it all for Him.  He is the one I sing for and to.  I love Him so much and cannot imagine a life lived without Him.  I hope you enjoy these songs!  They're all so good. 

Happy Tuesday, friends.  Love to all. 

the weekend and a little of this, a little of that

I have such a God story that happened on Friday.  Drew and Jonah left in Drew's truck to go get Chip from the vet (he was neutered that day) and they stopped at our church to meet a friend first.  As Drew was backing out of the parking spot, he heard a loud noise and felt his truck do something weird.  He got out to see what had happened, and the tired looked as if it was disconnecting from the truck.  His steering wheel was straight, but the tire was turned severely to the right.  Todd told me that had that happened while he was driving at a normal speed, he would have probably wrecked.  And if he had wrecked, who knows what would have happened. 

I do not believe in coincidences at all, but I do believe that in every single second of our lives, the Lord is watching over us and protecting us from who knows what.  Psalm 91:11 tells us that He gives His angels orders concerning us.  I love that!  I also believe that we should all be on the lookout for things like this that He does everyday.  It is strengthening to our faith, and when we look for Him and His hand, we can be sure to find it.  If you are in need of some encouragement that the Lord is always close, ask Him to help you see Him as He moves.  And then watch for Him.  I also love to fill my journal with stories such as this one.  It is biblical for us to look back and remember.  All throughout Deuteronomy, we are told that.  I can't even remember how many times it says that in that book.  Remember.  Remember!

Todd worked Friday night, so I invited ourselves out to my mom's house.  We had the most delicious tacos!  And homemade guacamole.  Oh, my soul.  I love guacamole.  When we came home, three of my sons went midnight bowling, and one went to a friend's to spend the night.  Chip and I were alone all night, so I watched something.  I cannot remember what it was for the life of me.

On Saturday, it was so cold!  I had plans to go buy some soap for our bathrooms, but I called it a day and changed back into yoga pants and my coziest sweatshirt.  Also, I was so tired.  Todd and Graham left at six thirty that morning to go work at the sheriff's department, and so I just stayed home and watched Netflix.  All day long.  Also, I was very emotional all day and not fit for company.

I was so glad to be back in church yesterday!  I know I say it repeatedly, but I am so thankful for our church family.  I love the pastors and staff so much, and I can't tell you how many times we were asked about my sister-in-love yesterday.  Todd and I both were in tears last night, as we talked about this and appreciated them for how much they care and that they pray so faithfully for the needs of the people in the church family.

Today the laundry and I have a date.  Also, I really need to do some sprucing up and cleaning in our bedroom and bathroom.  I'll be doing that and some other little house things throughout the day, and then tonight we have a women's event at church, my favorite kind, called Girlfriend's Cafe.  We have dessert and coffee and are always uplifted by whoever is speaking that night.  I'm excited to hear my friend speak tonight, and this is reminding me that I need to get off of here and go pray for her, because she didn't feel the greatest yesterday, and I promised her I would pray for her off and on all day. 

I'm including a link to one of the best articles I've ever read on friendship.  I came across this last week and was immediately so thankful for the godly women I have in my life.  I'm so fortunate to have a handful who point me to Jesus.  I thank God for them.  Click HERE if you want to read it. 

Happy Monday, friends.  Love to all. 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, my friends.  I feel like there were a lot of different readers this week, according to blog statistics that I see, so welcome back, if you're new and reading again.  I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals for this blog post. 

It's been a week.  To read more about all that has commenced since the weekend, click here, where I wrote a giant post about all that has gone on.  We were gone from Saturday night until Tuesday afternoon, very unexpectedly, and on Wednesday afternoon, I felt as if I hit a brick wall.  I guess I experienced a "let down" from all the emotional distress that the weekend brought.  I was strong while we waited, and even on Monday, when I wasn't being strong, I still held myself together pretty well, but on Wednesday, it all came out.  I cried a lot.  I prayed a lot.  I read the bible and did my bible study homework, and then I prayed some more.  I talked to my mom-in-love several times (more than usual) to get caught up, and tried to keep up with things while being back at home.  It was a really weird day, but yesterday was so much better. 

I am thankful that it's the weekend, almost, and that I can get totally recharged before Sunday.  I can't wait to go to church and be with my church family.  My pastor is starting a new sermon series called Fighting For Family.  Or something like that.  My pastor is my favorite preacher, y'all, and I so appreciate that man of God.  We have talked to him several times this week, and never have I been so thankful to be where we are, at Collierville First Baptist Church.

I'll get on to the post of my favorites from the week. 

We took this picture Saturday at Daddy's house.  Left to right are me, Daddy, Trish, and Paul.  My brother looks so good!  I haven't seen him in a few years, about three or four, and it is always great to see him, talk to him, hug him so big, and hear him tell stories.  He has the gift of story telling, just like Daddy.  I think this is a really great picture of them all!  (Truth be told, I look at myself, and all I see is HAIR.  It's really big right now.)

That time with them all was definitely a favorite moment from the week, and one that I needed before all that would be to come in the following days.

Also, we were celebrating my dad's 87th birthday. 

I've had to use our church's livestream so many times lately, that it has become a favorite part of our new church website for me.  I'm so glad we have that option for when we have to miss going.  I HATE missing church!  Funny fact: this is the fourth Resurrection Sunday I've not participated in.  Turns out that this our sick time of year, so I've been sick the last three, and then this year we were in Nashville.  Isn't that kinda funny that I've missed that many?  That is my favorite Sunday of the entire year.

While waiting in the hospital for Tracy to be out of surgery wasn't a favorite from the week, being with family and her friends was.  She has some pretty amazing friends, and one of them (Natasha) took this picture.  I texted it to myself from her phone on Sunday while we were waiting, so I could share and so that people would have a face with the name I was asking them to pray for.  (Also, please keep praying for her!  She is doing so well, but she has a long, long road to recovery before her.  And pray for Tim, her hubby, and their boys.  This is birthday season for all of them.)

Her shirt is so appropriate.  Strong and fierce. 

A huge bright spot on Monday was eating dinner at one of my favorite places to eat.  Honestly, I love the atmosphere probably more than the food, but Drew was in heaven.  We had a big family style birthday dinner for him, because the next day, he turned eighteen!

The picture of him on the right is my favorite picture of him from all time.  I can't believe that cute little guy on the left is now eighteen years old.  Moms of littles--I know you hear this all the time, but once they're finished with elementary school, it feels like you blink and they're graduating from high school. 

Also thanks to my sister Debi, it hit me yesterday that in three weeks, Drew will be finished with his senior year.  I have to turn grades in for him at the end of this month, and that did not dawn on me until I was talking to Debi on the phone yesterday.

When we got home on Tuesday, my mom and stepdad had brought over a full dinner for us and a birthday cake for Drew for us to enjoy that night.  That was my favorite part of the day.  The food was amazing, and I might have cried over their thoughtfulness.

I'm doing the armor of God bible study by Priscilla Shirer, and this little sticky note is posted on my bathroom mirror to remind me to pray on the armor every single day.  I don't always remember, if I'm honest, but I need to pray that on more than I need makeup.  This study is my favorite bible study of all.  I've done a TON of them, and I can honestly say that about this one.  It's my second time through.

Insert the emoji that shows me being sick.  This one drove us to church on Wednesday for him to be dropped off.  Noah is going next week to get his. 

Teaching teenagers to drive is NOT my favorite, nor is it for the faint of heart.

Oh, friends.  These angels are my great-nieces.  They're twins, and they're fifteen months old this month, and their mommy posted the most adorable video I have ever seen of them yesterday.  They were in the bathtub, and Kylie (on the left) kept sticking her finger in Kinsley's mouth.  The second time she did it, Kins bit her finger.  (I'm laughing.)  At the end of the video, this is them kissing and making up. 

I've watched it a shameful amount of times.

This picture is my new favorite of them.

Last but not least, I used to get my nails done every two weeks.  I miss going, but my nails were being destroyed by that gel polish and how it had to be scraped off.  My nails became thin and flimsy, so I quit going (I love where I went, though, so I told them all this so they wouldn't think I stopped on bad terms) and have gone back to doing my own.  In doing that, I've realized that a lot of my polishes need to be tossed because they're old and gunky and no longer able to be thinned out.

So yesterday I went to Walmart on the hunt for more.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a new (to me) brand that is VERY inexpensive. 

The brand is Salon Perfect, and it cost about $3.  I LOVE the colors.  That one on the left is what I tried first, and is my new favorite color.  It's a dark periwinkle blue.

It goes on weird the first coat, but it all evens out by the second coat. 

I always get asked how I do my own so well, but this next picture is the answer to that.

Seche Vite is the best quick drying topcoat I've ever used.  I buy mine on Amazon for about $7.  That bought me two bottles and because it gets thick pretty fast, I shared a bottle with one of my best friends who also loves to paint her nails.  That's my only complaint about this polish: once it gets thick and gunky, you have to toss it.  It gets that way when you're down to the last third of the bottle.

I also got this cute color by Sally Hansen.  I was wanting some fun and bright colors for spring and summer, and I'm pleased with what I got. 

I like to keep my nails polished because I live in a house of boys and because it keeps my nails strong.  When they're not polished, they break easily and seem thin. 

So there you have it. 

Thanks for reading!  I hope your weekend is great.  Love to all! 

when my sister-in-love got a new heart

Most of you know by now, of my sister-in-love, Tracy.  She is 42, almost 43, actually, and since she was about 20 or 21, she has had a rare disease called Takayasu's arteritis.  To read more about that disease, just consult Google, and they can give you a plethora of information about it.  A couple of weeks ago, Tracy was admitted to Vanderbilt hospital in Nashville, because of extreme chest pains.  She was taking a LOT of nitroglycerin without seeing much relief.  Her cardiologist told her that she was not to leave the hospital until she had a new heart.

We knew the day was coming that her heart would just give out, but it was still so shocking to everyone to hear that actually confirmed by her doctors, especially because she is so young.  We also knew that once she was approved and actually put onto the waiting list for a heart transplant, that it could happen at any time.  Her doctor felt like it would happen within about a week, and on Saturday night, before Resurrection Sunday, she got the call, which was right within that one week that her doctor had mentioned.

But let me back up.

A couple of weeks ago in choir practice, I wanted to tell my worship leader that come Resurrection Sunday morning, I may or may not be there.  I realized that may sound irrational, so I didn't say anything, plus he was talking to someone else while I was trying to decide.  Fast forward to Friday night, when I felt compelled to send Tracy an image of a bible verse out of Psalm 91.  I posted it on her Facebook page, and she told me that I was about the third or fourth person that had given her that same exact verse.  It's like the Lord Himself was assuring her that He heard our prayers for her, He knew what she was facing, and He was in control of the situation.

On Saturday, I felt so sick all day.  I think it was the Panda Express that just didn't sit well with me the night before, but for whatever reason, I did nothing all day, except lay on the couch and pray on and off.  I get bored, I pray.  I'm alone, I pray.  I'm in the car, I pray.  It's this habit I've gotten into, and on and off all day, I just kept talking to the Lord about anything and everything.  Just that morning, Tracy had posted on Facebook that Saturday between Good Friday and Jesus' resurrection was one that was hope-filled.  She wrote this: "Today is filled with hope, and we all know that Sunday is coming!"

I have chills!

I'm not saying that I knew what was coming.  But I do know that when I learned of all this, I was in no way surprised that it was happening on that glorious, miracle-filled day.  What an amazing day to receive a new heart!  (Also, please remember the donor family in your prayers.  I cannot imagine their grief, but I thank God for the gift of life they gave to my sister-in-love.)

That night we were going to my dad's house to celebrate his birthday, and my brother Paul was in town from Orlando.  I heard Todd on the phone right before we were leaving, and when I asked him who he was talking to, I was kinda disappointed when he said it was someone other than his mom, dad, or Tim.  I even told him that he had gotten me all excited about the fact that I thought something was going on with Tracy.

We were in the car driving to Dad's, and I was driving which was another little God thing so that Todd could be on the phone nonstop the whole way, when he was talking to his dad about something.  In the middle of that conversation, his dad told him to hold on, that Tim was calling, and with bated breath, we waited.  It didn't seem like it was anything, though, and they kept talking.  All of a sudden, though, everything changed and we found out that Tracy had gotten a donor heart.  We still went to Dad's, but the whole time, we were only half there.  Todd was on his phone the entire time trying to find a hotel, because his mom and dad were on the road already.  (They already had their bags waiting, in case this happened.)  We left pretty fast after dinner, and right before we left, Sandy (my step-mom) prayed for us.  We rushed home, fed the dogs, packed, let the dogs back out, put Chip in his kennel again, and within thirty minutes, were on the road.  Thank the Lord for my son's girlfriend and sister, Rachel and Leah.  They were working that night, but as soon as they were off, they went home and packed, and stayed here until we got back home.  We always need someone to take care of our dogs for us, and it was a relief knowing they were here.  I had nothing to worry about.

We got to our hotel in downtown Nashville near Vanderbilt at eleven thirty.  I showered and we all went to bed.  We were up at five thirty the next morning because breakfast started at 6:30 and her surgery was scheduled for seven.  We ate and took the hotel's shuttle to the hospital.  That was a huge blessing because the garage our car was in was a pain in the neck, it was tiny and hard to get into and out of.  We stayed at the hospital all day long.  Her surgery took most of the day.  With us waiting on her was her husband and oldest son, her parents, Tim's parents, her sister and brother-in-law, her brother and sister-in-law, the six of us, and her two best friends and their husbands.

As I sat there waiting all day, I was in awe of all the family and friends that were there.  What a gift to have such an amazing support system in place for their family.  God moved Ann and Max (her parents) and her sister Kim and brother-in-law Mike to Nashville near them a few months before all of her problems started.  I say God moved them there, because only He has perfect timing like that.  Her sister and brother-in-law had been gone for TWELVE years.  They kept trying to return to Nashville and couldn't, but God made it happen.  Her mom and dad, too...they had tried moving there several years before, but they were still too tied up here in Memphis.  Again, but God did made it happen, in His own perfect timing.  He was literally gathering them to rally around her, because only He could have known what was going to happen.  And her friends.  Goodness gracious, only God could give someone friends like the ones she has.  These friends are feeding them, taking care of their kids and carting them around to where they need to be, they are supporting Tim as he sits at the hospital day in, day out, they bring snacks to the waiting room while he waits with family and friends, and they are the ones who decorated her room to make it more homey for her long term stay at Vanderbilt.  They are praying and their friends are praying.  I heard story after story while we were waiting, of how her life and her testimony has affected the lives of so many.  People who are not believers, are becoming believers and followers of Jesus!  People that haven't uttered a prayer in decades, are now praying down the gates of heaven, on her behalf.

Her own doctor is now quite possibly a believer because of what he saw God do in her life.  I promise you, friends, I am not making any of this up.  Only God knows who all her life and testimony has touched, but she is touching thousands.  Her book is falling into the right hands (you should buy Unstoppable God on Amazon) and the Lord is literally paving the way for her to have life.  Only He could do something like that.  And we don't know what the outcome will be, but we are very hopeful.  We know that no matter the circumstance, He is good, He is sovereign, and we can trust in His perfect plan.  After the first surgery, that night in the middle of the night, she had to go back into surgery because they thought she had developed a blood clot.  It wasn't a blood clot, it turns out, it's that the heart was swollen.  She had a lot of fluid build-up, and because of her small size, the blood wasn't flowing properly.  They took her into surgery a third time around nine or so Monday morning, and after that time, they left her open so they wouldn't have to keep opening up the incision.  We left and came home yesterday, because we knew that it looked good for things to be boring the next few days.  The plan was to close her up by Thursday or the weekend, but today, they were able to do that.  She is now back in the ICU, resting peacefully, prayerfully, and tomorrow they are hoping to get the breathing tube out.  When she awakens more, they'll do some neurological testing, but according to the motor skills tests they've been doing, things look really good for her.

I'm in awe of a mighty God, my friends.  As of Monday morning, things were looking pretty bleak.  I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but realistically, things just did not seem good for her.  But God turned things around.  I believe that with all of my heart.  Like I said before, even if things had turned out very differently, I know that God is always, always good.  Tracy knows that, and her faith was steadfast.  She had the peace that only comes from Jesus, my friends.  I know that Tracy knows what a gift her family and friends are...for years, her friends were the only family she had nearby her.  They've been gone from Memphis for about as long as she's been sick.  I now believe, looking back, that God originally moved them to the Nashville area so that she would be near her doctor and the incredible Vanderbilt hospital.  I'm smiling as I write that...of COURSE He moved them there.  He even moved them into their neighborhood they currently live in.  Her neighbor and close friend is also her nurse in the CVICU.  He is so amazing, that sometimes it just blows my mind.  Looking back is good for my soul.  It makes me reflective of why things happen in our lives the way they do, but it just reaffirms what I already knew: God is in control.

I wanted to share this story, because I know a lot of people didn't know the full version of it, or close to the full version.  I also shared this because I believe someone needs to be reminded of God's trustworthiness today.  They need to be reminded that He sees them, He hears the cries of their hearts, and He has not forgotten them.  We don't know what His will is, but we sure can trust in it.  He is sovereign, which just means we can trust Him even when we don't understand.  Whatever that thing is you've been praying for in your life, I pray that Tracy's story is uplifting to your heart.  I pray you take these words as reassurance that God has not forgotten about you.  It may not be His timing yet, though.  But don't give up.  Don't ever give up.  Do you want to know more about Jesus?  I feel like I say this part all the time.  I implore you, though, examine your heart, ask Him to examine it for you.  If you want to know about Him, reach out.  It's never too late, and we're never promised another day.  Don't wait.

Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me and prayed for Tracy and our family.  We have felt every single one of them.  She is not out of the woods yet, so please keep them up for us.

Love to all.

what running into someone in the grocery store taught me

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about ministry, and how that word intimidates me.  I wrote about how I never had thought that I had a "ministry" that God had given me, but then He started showing me all the little opportunities He presents to me throughout the course of a week.  To read the entire post, you can click here. 

Well, would you believe the Lord has given me even more opportunities to share His love?  It should not surprise me, honestly, but it still just makes my breath catch sometimes, how I will be discouraged about something, pray, and then He will answer it so fast to encourage me again.  (He doesn't always answer fast, though, but lately in my life, He has been.)

About a week ago, I was in our local grocery store, meandering up and down the aisles at a brisk pace, when I ran into a lady from our church.  I will not share her name, to respect the privacy of their family situation, and I won't share about what she told me, because that's not the point, and that privacy thing again.  Anyway, I was on the coffee aisle when I ran into this sweet lady.  I love her so much and know her family extremely well, so I was very comfortable greeting her by "Mrs.___" and her first name and giving her a hug.  I asked her how she had been, and this is what she said.  "Oh, sweetie.  I'm not going to tell a lie.  I have been better." 

She told me everything she had been going through with her family, and she even broke down on me a few times and started crying, because in a way that I cannot even imagine, I knew that her heart was literally aching over all the turmoil that one of her children were going through.  I just listened as she talked, and a few times I held her hand and I hugged her two more times, with a promise to pray for all of them, and her child, and to continue to do so.  I also told her that I could relate a little to what she was going through, because I'd seen a few people I'm close to suffer from the same thing. 

And then when I got to my car, I broke down as I started praying for all of them, and prayed down heaven on behalf of this precious lady and her family.

Most times when I pray, I cannot help the tears that fall. 

I was telling my husband about all this when he got home, and in the middle of the story, I was struck with admiration for this woman of God.  How many times do we have someone ask us how we are, and even if we are literally falling apart, do we answer back to them, "I'm fine, how are you?"  I know I have.  I do that all the time, because I think, oh, they don't really want to know my mess.  And sometimes that is right.  Not everyone does want to know.  But the ones who do, that I can tell apart from the other ones?  Why wouldn't I tell them everything?

I think we respond that way because we want everyone to think that we have all our junk together.  (Like I said before, I am preaching to myself here.)  It's like we think that as believers, we think we shouldn't be falling apart and dealing with the mess that sometimes occurs within families, like this sweet lady had told me about in her family.  I think that sometimes we think we will just be able to pull ourselves together and shake the feelings of despair.  But, NONE OF THAT IS TRUE, my friends.  Not a bit of it.  Jesus never promised we would have an easy "go" of it, once we became believers and followers of Him.  In fact, He said the opposite in the book of John. 

"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace.  You will have suffering in this world.  Be courageous!  I have conquered the world."  John 16:33.

We will have trouble, some translations of that verse says.  There will be turmoil, strife, suffering, sickness, death, mental illness, and many more things.  But in Jesus, we have peace, for those of us who are believers and followers of Him.  Also, about my sweet friend that day in the grocery store, she had no shame whatsoever in admitting to me all she was going through in her family life. 

My response prodded her to share more, I'm sure.  I genuinely cared about what she was saying, I asked her questions, I listened to what she was saying, I held her hand, I did NOT make her feel ashamed, I shared with her an experience of those I knew that had gone through something similar like I said before, and then I hugged her and promised to pray, and THEN I PRAYED.  I am still praying for them!  I don't tell you these things to make myself look good, because for the millionth time I will tell you that there is NOTHING good in me except Jesus.  But friends.  The Lord Himself gave me that divine appointment in the Kroger that day by putting me on her aisle, and He knew that I would be a listening ear and a shoulder for her to cry on.  He knew that I would pray for her and would continue to long after I saw her.  He knew that I was genuine in my reactions and that I would not heap any shame upon her. 

I tell you all these things for a few reasons, the first being that I want to just boast upon the Lord.  Look at what He did in this situation, by making us run into each other.  Look at how He encouraged me through this sweet lady.  She seriously inspired me to be more forth coming with situations in my life that I deal with.  I still haven't stopped thinking about her. 

The second reason is that I want to encourage you in your response when you run into people like this.  We have to be super careful how we react to situations when people tell us things.  If I had spoken too much that day, she would have clammed up.  Sometimes we just need to be quiet and listen to what other people are telling us.  Also, we need to be mindful of the way our face looks.  This may sound silly, but I always try to look approachable, and I pray that the Lord makes me look that way.  He has answered this prayer, because you would not BELIEVE how many people tell me things about their lives.  If I walk around in a huge hurry all the time, or with a scowl on my face, nobody will ever tell me anything.  And friends, we are here to bear each other's burdens.

The third and last reason I share is that sometimes, we just need to own up to the junk that is sometimes in our lives, and share it with people.  I've been given a hard time about how much I share sometimes, but why would I not share?  I have major things that go on in my life, and when I share things, it is because either someone has asked me to or because I need people to pray for me.  There are some days that I am an emotional wreck, my friends, and I depend upon the prayers of my friends to help me get me out of that.  I take this verse VERY seriously, and I have been on the receiving end of it many times.

This verse reminds me time and again to share with others when I am going through the valleys.  It's why I've shared so much on Facebook recently about Tracy, my sister in love who just had a heart transplant.  (Tomorrow I'm dedicating my blog post to her, but I just need some more time to process all that I witnessed while were at Vanderbilt in Nashville during her surgery and the two days after that.)  It's why I tell you often what I hot mess I am.  On my best days I don't fall apart on someone at Kroger.  But even if I do, I pray that the Lord would place someone in my path that would just hug me, listen to me, and then pray for me.  I try to just treat others in a way that I would want to be treated, y'all.  It's not rocket science, and it's nothing that is just for me.  I think we should all do that to one another.  I'm not perfect, and I'll mess that up a million times before I get it right just one time, but that one time I know the Lord will use that in my life to "shake me out of it" and to remind me of these words He placed upon my heart.

I pray these words encourage you today.

Thanks for reading, friends.  Love to all.