As I came up with this title I am quickly escaping in the corners of my mind. I am sipping a great glass of Merlot, sitting in front of a fire and listening to James Taylor. Aaaaahhh, now that's relaxing to me! Yet, in reality, I am hearing my Faithful boys argue about who gets to fall down next and who gets to do the pushing...not even joking about that, they are seriously doing this. Oivay!
Everyone has stress. Everyone has trials and obstacles. You either tread the proverbial water or you sink. I'm a floater not a sinker, and I want you to stay afloat as well. Yes - I am talking to YOU!!
First, let me start with why I want to help. I am always allowing myself to be guided by the Holy Spirit. And my awesome Heavenly Father tells me to help by my words, and my works. 'What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill', and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.' (James 2:14-17...but please pick up a Bible and read the rest of that chapter 2!!!)
I have said before I have been blessed to feel God's unconditional love. I yearn for more!!! I want you all to feel that same feeling. I was watching a documentary the other night about natural beauty of the world and someone said that when God created the world, he forgot to give us the ability to describe some of the wonders with words...this is how I feel about being filled with the Holy Spirit - it is indescribable and awesome and fearless and love.
When we go through difficult times, we look to our family or perhaps our friends for support, which is great! We should live in a community of people we trust! Sometimes God works through those trusted people to help someone through difficult times. I feel I'm being driven to do just this right now. I hope the person this is intended for knows how much I love them and pray they can let go and allow God to fill them with the Holy Spirit.
One of my favorite pieces of scripture is this: 'No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.' (1 Corinthians 10:13) Oh how I love this quote! I take this as, God will test us to our limits of what we can handle, and when we allow Him control He will give us that relaxed feeling!! It's hard to offer your stress and worries to someone else. But when we really truly tell God, "I offer this up to You because I need it gone from my body." He will take it. God does not want to see us suffer. His only Son suffered and died for ALL of us (even those who choose not to believe it)...He doesn't want anymore suffering. But He also gave us choice and free will. It depends on us how we choose to use it. Offer your stress up. Say prayers, have a conversation with God, yell at Him if you need to! He will and does take it! He is our loving Father, He wants to see us happy and succeeding in life! And to be successful does not always have to be about money (just want to throw that in here).
Pray that you have the strength to overcome even the most difficult times. Leave it to God to lead you in the right direction even if it seems like it may be taking you upstream and against the current. Trust in Him that He will never let you falter if you keep your faith in Christ. Never feel abandoned because you are never alone.
"Make me know Your ways O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth, and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation, for You I wait all day long." (Psalms 25:4-5)
Make your day a faithful one and take some time to relax. Xoxo.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Take a Breath....Say a Prayer
We are going to start this new year, and this first post of the new year, off with a meditation.....
Breathe in.......breathe out.....breathe in........and out. Good! If you need to take a few more deep breaths, please do. When you fill your body with deep breath, all the bad stuff exits, and good comes in! Your blood pressure will lower, your digestive system will even relax!
And now that we are all a little more relaxed after those awesome breaths, let us begin with this:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for another year of life! We thank you for the blessings You bestow on us. We also thank You for the hardships we faced in the past year(s), because this is what creates a stronger bond with You. With this new year, dear Lord, we ask that You bless us with a stronger faith. We ask that You help us to fill others with the Holy Spirit. We ask that You guide each of us to what we are meant to do on this earth. As You sent Your only Son to die for our sins, a selfless act that no human man could ever endure willingly, we ask that You take our earthly fear away. Help us to see all human beings through Your eyes, so that we may love as you love us. So that we can have unconditional love for all. Through Christ we can conquer all that is Holy. Please help us to see what is right and just and to dismiss all that is not. In Christ Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
I have been very lackadaisical with my faith as of late. I know I should be reading my scripture daily, and I have not been. I know I should be learning as well as teaching my Faithful Boys about each feast day and the saints, and I have not been. I am admitting I got caught up in earthly issues. The hustle and bustle of the season gets to a lot of us...and I was definitely caught up with too many earthly problems. But I am here, now, asking for forgiveness. I need to get back to Confession!!!!
I was on my way to Mama Faithful and Dadio's this morning and was just so consumed with frustration. I was ready to go, my boys took forever and a day to finish breakfast, get dressed, and then almost out the door, they had to go to the bathroom. I should not have been stressed about this, but I was. So, I prayed a rosary on the way to my parents' house. It's been a few weeks since I've done it. I meant every word of each prayer. In fact, the more I said, the more I meant. With each prayer, more stress melted away. With each prayer, I was climbing higher to Christ. By the time I got to their house, I was back!!! I felt like me again...I felt like Faithful Mama again!!!
There are times when we get caught in the monotony of the everyday. Same stuff, different day. There are also times when we get caught up in this earth. Worried about people; stressed about money; caught up in drama of some sort. What we all need to do is take a step back from ourselves and just do nothing but pray.
Grab your Bible......got it? Ok, follow these instructions...........
Hold it in your hands and close your eyes.
Say (out loud or in your mind) "God, please guide my fingers to what I need to read."
Then finger through (eyes still closed!!) and open to the page you are meant to see.
Read and thank our Heavenly Father!!
It truly is amazing what we are capable of when God is in control. Xoxo.
Breathe in.......breathe out.....breathe in........and out. Good! If you need to take a few more deep breaths, please do. When you fill your body with deep breath, all the bad stuff exits, and good comes in! Your blood pressure will lower, your digestive system will even relax!
And now that we are all a little more relaxed after those awesome breaths, let us begin with this:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for another year of life! We thank you for the blessings You bestow on us. We also thank You for the hardships we faced in the past year(s), because this is what creates a stronger bond with You. With this new year, dear Lord, we ask that You bless us with a stronger faith. We ask that You help us to fill others with the Holy Spirit. We ask that You guide each of us to what we are meant to do on this earth. As You sent Your only Son to die for our sins, a selfless act that no human man could ever endure willingly, we ask that You take our earthly fear away. Help us to see all human beings through Your eyes, so that we may love as you love us. So that we can have unconditional love for all. Through Christ we can conquer all that is Holy. Please help us to see what is right and just and to dismiss all that is not. In Christ Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
I have been very lackadaisical with my faith as of late. I know I should be reading my scripture daily, and I have not been. I know I should be learning as well as teaching my Faithful Boys about each feast day and the saints, and I have not been. I am admitting I got caught up in earthly issues. The hustle and bustle of the season gets to a lot of us...and I was definitely caught up with too many earthly problems. But I am here, now, asking for forgiveness. I need to get back to Confession!!!!
I was on my way to Mama Faithful and Dadio's this morning and was just so consumed with frustration. I was ready to go, my boys took forever and a day to finish breakfast, get dressed, and then almost out the door, they had to go to the bathroom. I should not have been stressed about this, but I was. So, I prayed a rosary on the way to my parents' house. It's been a few weeks since I've done it. I meant every word of each prayer. In fact, the more I said, the more I meant. With each prayer, more stress melted away. With each prayer, I was climbing higher to Christ. By the time I got to their house, I was back!!! I felt like me again...I felt like Faithful Mama again!!!
There are times when we get caught in the monotony of the everyday. Same stuff, different day. There are also times when we get caught up in this earth. Worried about people; stressed about money; caught up in drama of some sort. What we all need to do is take a step back from ourselves and just do nothing but pray.
Grab your Bible......got it? Ok, follow these instructions...........
Hold it in your hands and close your eyes.
Say (out loud or in your mind) "God, please guide my fingers to what I need to read."
Then finger through (eyes still closed!!) and open to the page you are meant to see.
Read and thank our Heavenly Father!!
It truly is amazing what we are capable of when God is in control. Xoxo.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Stand Up On Top of Your Struggles: My 2011 Journey
As 2011 comes to a close, it's a time for reflection. It's always a time for prayer and finding a more deeper intimacy with Christ; but with a new year comes even more a time to find God, isn't it so?
This year, I won't paint a pretty picture of happy-go-lucky Faithful Mama. This year was the most difficult so far for me. I think this is why I decided to start back up with writing. I needed an outlet; and swimming laps twice a week was not enough. I know I have a good life. I know things could be much worse. This is just a reflection of the hardships I overcame since December 2010. I write not only to you, so that you may, in turn, reflect on your past year, but also for myself. I need to do this for me. It may sound selfish, but sometimes we need to find something that helps us overcome obstacles. Finding your faith is the best way for that by far. For me, writing is the second best.
It all started on December 16, 2010. I was 10 weeks pregnant with Faithful Baby 3. It was 7:30am and we were on our way to drop the boys off at their Grandma's house so that we could get to the hospital for Mr. Faithful's first of five endoscopies to check for cancer and to stretch his esophagus. *He has a condition called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). If left untreated, it can lead to Barrett's Syndrome and esophageal cancer. We turned out of our subdivision and not two minutes down the street we were t-boned by a car that never saw us. His car pushed our van across on coming traffic and into a store parking lot. He hit us going (we think) at about 35-40 mph. We were doing 35 mph and had the right of way. He must not have looked on our side and just never saw us. It was horrific. As soon as it happened our engine shut off, both front air bags deployed. It smelled of smoke (now in retrospect it was the air bags that smell of sulfur). Our oldest Faithful Boy was screaming and crying. Our middle Faithful Boy didn't make a sound *scariest thing ever to go through that and not hear your baby cry*. It was my door the car hit. The car came within an inch of my legs. I struggled to open my door, but at that point I had super human strength so that I could get to my Faithful Babies. I got my door open, grabbed Faithful Boy 1 and we ran as far as we could as Mr. Faithful grabbed Faithful Boy 2. I called 9-1-1 and they showed within a few minutes. A Good Samaritan stopped and offered for my sons and me to stay in his truck to keep warm as Mr. Faithful checked on the other driver. Thank God for that man in the white truck. It was a cold winter morning and my kids (and myself) were traumatized. We were all taken to the hospital via the ambulance and were diagnosed with moderate whiplash. Thanks be to God no one was hurt worse! However, I was so scared I might lose my Faithful Baby 3 with a miscarriage, or that the baby would have problems after birth. Thank our Heavenly Father he was just fine and is now a healthy six month old baby boy!!
Shortly after that accident, Mr. Faithful went through many endoscopies. This is where they take a scope down your throat and look with a tiny video camera to see if there are abnormalities in your esophagus and stomach. He has a very weak esophagus and has had very bad acid reflux his whole life. Over the years the acid has made his esophagus wear down, which can lead to cancer. In February, we had the longest two week waiting period to discover he was cancer free. It was the longest two weeks of my life to find out if my husband had it or not. It made me appreciate him more, and helped me with my faith as well. I realized that I must leave all things in God's hands and offer my worries to Him. He knows what is best for everyone. If Mr. Faithful had cancer, we would be able to find peace through Jesus Christ. We were united once again in a way I cannot describe to people of no faith. We were very relieved to find out he was cancer free, but he is not in the clear. His GERD is a lifelong disease, and we try to manage it through diet. He will never be in the clear and will always have to be aware of his health.
With the accident and Mr. Faithful's health, he became depressed. He had a very hard time (and still does) offering his stress to our Lord. With his depression came a lack of desire for anything, including being the man he usually is for his wife and children. It was a very hard time as I was pregnant and I've been a stay at home mom since my first was born. He is our sole income, and come April, his stress wreaked havoc on his body...mainly his digestive tract. He was hospitalized twice. He had extra endoscopies and a colonoscopy to see if he had Crohn's Disease, Celiac Disease or again to check for cancer. He was off of work for two weeks during this month due to his digestive system basically making us think it was shutting down. He couldn't eat, could barely drink without having a terrible reaction. It was any food, even the most healthy we could think of.
Thank God for the Elizabeth Ministry! My fellow ministers provided us with food and fellowship during this extremely difficult time. We had no money for food. Our church family as well as my parents helped immensely! I realized at this time, I had to be the stronghold for my family. I am grateful for the hardships God provides us with; through hard times we gain wisdom, love and humility.
After his recovery, Mr. Faithful at this point finally admitted it being severe depression he was suffering from. He decided to heal himself spiritually first. So he began to attend private RCIA to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. He never went through this sacrament as a child and felt he needed to make his Catholic faith concrete. I was so proud of him! He still has yet to receive the sacrament, but he is making strides in completing the class! It's been a long hard road for him to be the sole provider for a family of five. As his wife, I understand how difficult it is...working 12 sometimes more hours a day, 7 days a week with no time off, to come home an hour before the kids go to bed. He misses us. We miss him. But we are grateful he has a job in this economy. We are grateful I can stay home to be the mother I am for our children. To be able to be their primary teacher instead of leaving that work to a babysitter. We are grateful. Only through the grace of God do we get by; and God provides who and what we need at the exact moment in time we need it.
Another hardship I had was the birth of my third Faithful Baby Boy. I was healthy. I swam laps clear up until about 38 weeks (until I started getting contractions lol!). I went into labor at my nephew's baptism! I did not trust my own body and listened to Mr. Faithful and we went to the hospital way too early. That was one big mistake. I feel like I was raped during this childbirth. The nurse I had was terrible. She was rude, mean and made me uncomfortable to the point where I think she wanted me to be in pain. I wrote a letter to the hospital about my terrible experience. I am not going to go into details here. I don't want to scare anyone. But what I will say is this...I am going to become a doula and lactation specialist so that I can help other laboring women to avoid this in hospitals. No woman should ever have to endure what I did with the birth of my baby. Despite how hard my labor and delivery was, I went through my third natural childbirth and had a very healthy and happy 8 pound 5 ounce baby boy. He was my saving grace during a very hard year. I love him to pieces and am so blessed to have three healthy and happy children!
The week we were home after Faithful Boy 3 entered our lives, Mr. Faithful *again, not going to lie* was a beast. Mr. Faithful, I love you, but it's true. He was mean, he was callous to my needs as I healed from a traumatic childbirth, he was short tempered and selfish. This was totally opposite from the man I married! What happened was a mystery to me. Instead of doing the cooking, cleaning and taking care of the other children like he did when our middle child was born, he became his doppelganger! I was so happy to have my newborn. And I was also happy that I hadn't experienced the "Baby Blues" like I did after Faithful Boy 2 was born. But Mr. Faithful made it so difficult to be truly happy and celebrate the life we created. It was a bittersweet week for me. I will never be able to get that week back and will always try to remember the happiness I had in my heart despite the hardship.
While Mr. Faithful's attitude changed, so did our older Faithful Boys. Kids sense stress. They are very much tuned into their parents' feelings...no matter how hard you try to hide your feelings from them. Our boys are very well behaved for the most part. With Mr. Faithful's attitude, quick temper and always telling them 'No' it made them act out negatively. When I am home with the kids they are great! We have fun; they are polite; they respect each other and me. As soon as their Dad gets home, total opposite. Mean to each other; screaming for attention; disrespectful to their parents. He soon realized what was happening and he told me he had an inkling that he needed to have a blood test. He scheduled himself to see our family doctor...
He had his hormone levels checked and Mr. Faithful was right. He suffers from low testosterone levels. Some of the symptoms over the past year made it clear this was what he was suffering from this whole year. Lack of drive for anything (sexual and non-sexual activities), hair loss, muscle mass decrease, mood swings, fatigue & insomnia, even sleep apnea. In retrospect, I noticed something was wrong when two people he knew died within a few weeks of each other. Both of them he hadn't spoken to in almost two decades. I found it odd that he was so upset about their deaths. At this point it made sense why he was so affected by them...his hormone levels were going crazy!! He is now on medicine to get the levels back to where they should be. Boy I tell you, with this man it's always some medical issue!! But I love him dearly and am glad he is willing to do whatever it takes to get back on track. He is my rock...and even though this year he wasn't a very sturdy one, he's my rock. I know he'll be back sometime soon, and he's worth waiting for.
Nothing like ending my year with another hardship right?! Tomorrow is my birthday (yay for 31 years young!!!). I get to spend it talking to my doctor about possibly having a condition of my own. I noticed I have lost hair on both sides of my head near the temples. My Mama Faithful and I did some research and this could possibly be Hypothyroidism, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. And we also thought that since Mr. Faithful is putting a testosterone gel on, that I could be getting the male hormone into my body and have an overabundance. Oh my goodness this worries me!! I'm a breastfeeding Mom as well...what does any of this mean for Faithful Boy 3??? Please pray for my visit tomorrow that it's just stress...I can handle that lol!
Another year, a new age, a new me. A new intimacy with Christ. A new year for intimacy with my husband. A new outlook on life. Be blessed Faithful ones, reflect on your own 2011. Was it all you hoped for? Could it have been better? We all go through trials and have crosses to bear. God never gives us more than we can handle, and He always will provide a way out from under the stress.
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." ~1 Corinthians 10:13~
Have a very safe, happy and blessed new year. Make 2012 God's year to reign no matter what your struggles are.
This year, I won't paint a pretty picture of happy-go-lucky Faithful Mama. This year was the most difficult so far for me. I think this is why I decided to start back up with writing. I needed an outlet; and swimming laps twice a week was not enough. I know I have a good life. I know things could be much worse. This is just a reflection of the hardships I overcame since December 2010. I write not only to you, so that you may, in turn, reflect on your past year, but also for myself. I need to do this for me. It may sound selfish, but sometimes we need to find something that helps us overcome obstacles. Finding your faith is the best way for that by far. For me, writing is the second best.
It all started on December 16, 2010. I was 10 weeks pregnant with Faithful Baby 3. It was 7:30am and we were on our way to drop the boys off at their Grandma's house so that we could get to the hospital for Mr. Faithful's first of five endoscopies to check for cancer and to stretch his esophagus. *He has a condition called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). If left untreated, it can lead to Barrett's Syndrome and esophageal cancer. We turned out of our subdivision and not two minutes down the street we were t-boned by a car that never saw us. His car pushed our van across on coming traffic and into a store parking lot. He hit us going (we think) at about 35-40 mph. We were doing 35 mph and had the right of way. He must not have looked on our side and just never saw us. It was horrific. As soon as it happened our engine shut off, both front air bags deployed. It smelled of smoke (now in retrospect it was the air bags that smell of sulfur). Our oldest Faithful Boy was screaming and crying. Our middle Faithful Boy didn't make a sound *scariest thing ever to go through that and not hear your baby cry*. It was my door the car hit. The car came within an inch of my legs. I struggled to open my door, but at that point I had super human strength so that I could get to my Faithful Babies. I got my door open, grabbed Faithful Boy 1 and we ran as far as we could as Mr. Faithful grabbed Faithful Boy 2. I called 9-1-1 and they showed within a few minutes. A Good Samaritan stopped and offered for my sons and me to stay in his truck to keep warm as Mr. Faithful checked on the other driver. Thank God for that man in the white truck. It was a cold winter morning and my kids (and myself) were traumatized. We were all taken to the hospital via the ambulance and were diagnosed with moderate whiplash. Thanks be to God no one was hurt worse! However, I was so scared I might lose my Faithful Baby 3 with a miscarriage, or that the baby would have problems after birth. Thank our Heavenly Father he was just fine and is now a healthy six month old baby boy!!
Shortly after that accident, Mr. Faithful went through many endoscopies. This is where they take a scope down your throat and look with a tiny video camera to see if there are abnormalities in your esophagus and stomach. He has a very weak esophagus and has had very bad acid reflux his whole life. Over the years the acid has made his esophagus wear down, which can lead to cancer. In February, we had the longest two week waiting period to discover he was cancer free. It was the longest two weeks of my life to find out if my husband had it or not. It made me appreciate him more, and helped me with my faith as well. I realized that I must leave all things in God's hands and offer my worries to Him. He knows what is best for everyone. If Mr. Faithful had cancer, we would be able to find peace through Jesus Christ. We were united once again in a way I cannot describe to people of no faith. We were very relieved to find out he was cancer free, but he is not in the clear. His GERD is a lifelong disease, and we try to manage it through diet. He will never be in the clear and will always have to be aware of his health.
With the accident and Mr. Faithful's health, he became depressed. He had a very hard time (and still does) offering his stress to our Lord. With his depression came a lack of desire for anything, including being the man he usually is for his wife and children. It was a very hard time as I was pregnant and I've been a stay at home mom since my first was born. He is our sole income, and come April, his stress wreaked havoc on his body...mainly his digestive tract. He was hospitalized twice. He had extra endoscopies and a colonoscopy to see if he had Crohn's Disease, Celiac Disease or again to check for cancer. He was off of work for two weeks during this month due to his digestive system basically making us think it was shutting down. He couldn't eat, could barely drink without having a terrible reaction. It was any food, even the most healthy we could think of.
Thank God for the Elizabeth Ministry! My fellow ministers provided us with food and fellowship during this extremely difficult time. We had no money for food. Our church family as well as my parents helped immensely! I realized at this time, I had to be the stronghold for my family. I am grateful for the hardships God provides us with; through hard times we gain wisdom, love and humility.
After his recovery, Mr. Faithful at this point finally admitted it being severe depression he was suffering from. He decided to heal himself spiritually first. So he began to attend private RCIA to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. He never went through this sacrament as a child and felt he needed to make his Catholic faith concrete. I was so proud of him! He still has yet to receive the sacrament, but he is making strides in completing the class! It's been a long hard road for him to be the sole provider for a family of five. As his wife, I understand how difficult it is...working 12 sometimes more hours a day, 7 days a week with no time off, to come home an hour before the kids go to bed. He misses us. We miss him. But we are grateful he has a job in this economy. We are grateful I can stay home to be the mother I am for our children. To be able to be their primary teacher instead of leaving that work to a babysitter. We are grateful. Only through the grace of God do we get by; and God provides who and what we need at the exact moment in time we need it.
Another hardship I had was the birth of my third Faithful Baby Boy. I was healthy. I swam laps clear up until about 38 weeks (until I started getting contractions lol!). I went into labor at my nephew's baptism! I did not trust my own body and listened to Mr. Faithful and we went to the hospital way too early. That was one big mistake. I feel like I was raped during this childbirth. The nurse I had was terrible. She was rude, mean and made me uncomfortable to the point where I think she wanted me to be in pain. I wrote a letter to the hospital about my terrible experience. I am not going to go into details here. I don't want to scare anyone. But what I will say is this...I am going to become a doula and lactation specialist so that I can help other laboring women to avoid this in hospitals. No woman should ever have to endure what I did with the birth of my baby. Despite how hard my labor and delivery was, I went through my third natural childbirth and had a very healthy and happy 8 pound 5 ounce baby boy. He was my saving grace during a very hard year. I love him to pieces and am so blessed to have three healthy and happy children!
The week we were home after Faithful Boy 3 entered our lives, Mr. Faithful *again, not going to lie* was a beast. Mr. Faithful, I love you, but it's true. He was mean, he was callous to my needs as I healed from a traumatic childbirth, he was short tempered and selfish. This was totally opposite from the man I married! What happened was a mystery to me. Instead of doing the cooking, cleaning and taking care of the other children like he did when our middle child was born, he became his doppelganger! I was so happy to have my newborn. And I was also happy that I hadn't experienced the "Baby Blues" like I did after Faithful Boy 2 was born. But Mr. Faithful made it so difficult to be truly happy and celebrate the life we created. It was a bittersweet week for me. I will never be able to get that week back and will always try to remember the happiness I had in my heart despite the hardship.
While Mr. Faithful's attitude changed, so did our older Faithful Boys. Kids sense stress. They are very much tuned into their parents' feelings...no matter how hard you try to hide your feelings from them. Our boys are very well behaved for the most part. With Mr. Faithful's attitude, quick temper and always telling them 'No' it made them act out negatively. When I am home with the kids they are great! We have fun; they are polite; they respect each other and me. As soon as their Dad gets home, total opposite. Mean to each other; screaming for attention; disrespectful to their parents. He soon realized what was happening and he told me he had an inkling that he needed to have a blood test. He scheduled himself to see our family doctor...
He had his hormone levels checked and Mr. Faithful was right. He suffers from low testosterone levels. Some of the symptoms over the past year made it clear this was what he was suffering from this whole year. Lack of drive for anything (sexual and non-sexual activities), hair loss, muscle mass decrease, mood swings, fatigue & insomnia, even sleep apnea. In retrospect, I noticed something was wrong when two people he knew died within a few weeks of each other. Both of them he hadn't spoken to in almost two decades. I found it odd that he was so upset about their deaths. At this point it made sense why he was so affected by them...his hormone levels were going crazy!! He is now on medicine to get the levels back to where they should be. Boy I tell you, with this man it's always some medical issue!! But I love him dearly and am glad he is willing to do whatever it takes to get back on track. He is my rock...and even though this year he wasn't a very sturdy one, he's my rock. I know he'll be back sometime soon, and he's worth waiting for.
Nothing like ending my year with another hardship right?! Tomorrow is my birthday (yay for 31 years young!!!). I get to spend it talking to my doctor about possibly having a condition of my own. I noticed I have lost hair on both sides of my head near the temples. My Mama Faithful and I did some research and this could possibly be Hypothyroidism, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. And we also thought that since Mr. Faithful is putting a testosterone gel on, that I could be getting the male hormone into my body and have an overabundance. Oh my goodness this worries me!! I'm a breastfeeding Mom as well...what does any of this mean for Faithful Boy 3??? Please pray for my visit tomorrow that it's just stress...I can handle that lol!
Another year, a new age, a new me. A new intimacy with Christ. A new year for intimacy with my husband. A new outlook on life. Be blessed Faithful ones, reflect on your own 2011. Was it all you hoped for? Could it have been better? We all go through trials and have crosses to bear. God never gives us more than we can handle, and He always will provide a way out from under the stress.
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." ~1 Corinthians 10:13~
Have a very safe, happy and blessed new year. Make 2012 God's year to reign no matter what your struggles are.
Friday, December 23, 2011
My Favorite Sister
I have one sister. She is my favorite sister! I am so blessed to have her in my life! The other day, she got free tickets to the local zoo, so she took the Faithful Boys and me and we had a blast! It was all decorated for Christmas, the animals were still out, and as we walked we were serenaded with Christmas music! It was a great time and it gave Faithful Sister and me time to just talk and be with each other. We needed that!
I am very grateful that my family is open with communication. My sister and I are pretty different in areas of our lives. Even still, I feel that she is one of my best friends. What a blessing to have a sister who is a best friend! We love each other, we respect each other, and we have the benefit of being family! No greater friendship than that of sisterhood.
My parents raised us to be respectful, have sympathy and empathy, and to walk in the way of God. I think they did a pretty good job, considering my brother and I are 19 months apart, and I was not even 3 when my sister was born! Great job Faithful Parents!! :)
I found this poem that I wrote a while ago...and not even sure if Faithful Sister has ever read it, but I share with you all now.
Do you have siblings? Do you keep in close contact with them? Look past your differences and see your family, find love, shelter and God. I am blessed to be able to call her and if I have a problem I can talk to her about it, and I know she won't judge me. She is an awesome woman, and she is my sister! Xoxo
I am very grateful that my family is open with communication. My sister and I are pretty different in areas of our lives. Even still, I feel that she is one of my best friends. What a blessing to have a sister who is a best friend! We love each other, we respect each other, and we have the benefit of being family! No greater friendship than that of sisterhood.
My parents raised us to be respectful, have sympathy and empathy, and to walk in the way of God. I think they did a pretty good job, considering my brother and I are 19 months apart, and I was not even 3 when my sister was born! Great job Faithful Parents!! :)
I found this poem that I wrote a while ago...and not even sure if Faithful Sister has ever read it, but I share with you all now.
My sister's my hero
She is so, you see,
For she is the person
I strive so to be!
Empathy, understanding,
And her caring way;
I wish I could walk
In her shoes for a day!
-04-02-10-
Do you have siblings? Do you keep in close contact with them? Look past your differences and see your family, find love, shelter and God. I am blessed to be able to call her and if I have a problem I can talk to her about it, and I know she won't judge me. She is an awesome woman, and she is my sister! Xoxo
Thursday, December 15, 2011
The Act of Apology and Art of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a hard thing to really, and I mean really, accomplish. It takes time, effort, reflection, and most importantly, prayer.
But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.
Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High;
for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as
your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged;
do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you
will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure,
pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into
your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.
(Luke 6:35-38)
With forgiveness, we must look within ourselves even if we are working at forgiving someone for doing something to us. We are all born with sin. We are human; and not one of us is an exception aside from our Holy Mother and Jesus himself. As I get older, I know there are things that I have done in my past that were hurtful, mean, and sinful. I realize that I am sometimes ashamed of my past behavior. I always pointed my finger outward and placed blame on others. As I age, I gain wisdom, as do you. With wisdom comes internal acceptance. Accepting our own behavior as well as others. Wisdom takes part in becoming humble and gaining humility through Jesus Christ (Zep 2:3). If we can forgive ourselves for things we have done, we can move on to forgive others for what they have done to us. One way to do this is through the act of Confession.
Now, I'm no martyr. I have not been to confess my sins to our pastor in many (and I mean many) years. I planned to go last weekend but being a mom of three young ones does make it hard to get places on time...I know, I know, no excuses! I do plan, and will, to go to Confession this weekend! To be forgiven of things that weigh my heart down will feel so wonderful! For those who are not Catholic, or any other form of Christianity that does not practice this sacrament, we confess our sins to a priest, and the priest has the ability to absolve these sins. It tells us this is made so by God himself to His Apostles, who were the first priests...
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human
point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human
point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if
anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has
passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from
God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us
the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was
reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses
against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.
So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his
appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
(2 Cor 5:16-20)
It's a great feeling when another person says, "I forgive you." How much more awesome is it that God says it through a human being?! I tell my kids all the time that Jesus is in all of us, which is true! What a miracle, right?! So not only to forgive someone fully, but to really truly be sorry for something we've done is so important in this life. To acknowledge and repent our sins is a must. To fully forgive someone for even the most grave sins against us is also necessary.
I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault. In my thoughts and in my
words, in what I have done and what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord, our God. Amen.
Is there anyone you have hurt in the past, even accidentally? Think about truly apologizing to them and seeking Christ for ultimate forgiveness as well. Xoxo.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
All the Social Weirdos Put Your Hands Up!
Homeschooling. Un-Schooling. Curriculum. No curriculum. Co-Op.
"But what about socialization?",
"Aren't you afraid your kids will be social weirdos??",
"I could never homeschool my children. It's just not for me."
I hear those questions now, even though just last year I was probably saying it to someone who started to homeschool! This post is all about informing others, based on the decision Mr. Faithful and I made to start homeschooling our boys next year.
As I said in previous posts, I am an Elizabeth Minister. This was another case in following the Holy Spirit. It took me two years to follow the ministry calling. I was attending mass at a new church by our house and questioned if I should start the ministry myself there. I was also, on some weeks, attending mass at the church I had belonged to for almost 30 years, but now it's 20 minutes from my home. I discovered the Elizabeth Ministry was up and coming at the latter church, which I was both relieved and happy as this church feels like home to me.
The leader of the ministry, let's call her Faithful Minister, homeschools some of her five children. I kept asking her questions (at that point I was still in denial that God would ever want ME to be a teacher for my kids). She decided to hold a meeting to inform me as well as another woman who was curious. All the while, Mr. Faithful kept hearing homeschool stories and was being driven by the Holy Spirit to go in this direction also. When I told him I was curious and wanted to attend the meeting, which I thought he'd tell me I was crazy, he said he wanted to go too! We hadn't yet discussed our resisted interest (I say resisted because we were both so adamant on not ever homeschooling!).
We met another homeschool family that night. We learned so much just by talking to these wonderful people! They are just as normal as us, their kids are well behaved AND social?!?! I think we were already set on homeschooling by the time that meeting happened, but one comment made us realize we had to at least try it for a year...
"You hear of public school (or any school outside the home) being the best way to get your kids to socialize. But think about it, there are 30 or so kids all of the same age, all going through whatever stage at that age, locked in one room for 6-8 hours a day, with little fresh air, being told to listen and pay attention for long stretches. They must look and listen to one teacher. When they turn to talk to a peer, that one teacher usually says something like, 'Stop talking, we are NOT here to socialize!"
I laughed when I heard this, because it's so true! Also, if in public school, our children would be taught things we may not agree with. The Big Bang Theory for one. We will teach our children this, but with a Catholic approach. We want to teach them with a Godly view. And in this society, God has been taken out of schools. We feel it's so important to teach them all areas and views, but not in the politically correct and Godless views our government has imposed in the United States. Some may disagree with this, and that is ok with me. This is my opinion only and I am entitled as are you!
Another reason we are going to try homeschool is because of the grading curve. The grading scale is lowered if most children score low on tests (no child left behind). Even in "challenged" classes, they are no longer challenged due to this grading curve. This is not fair to the children who apply themselves and do well. We do not want our children to ever be held back to do their best ability because of someone else.
Violence. I have a friend who said her 4th grader (that's what, 10 years old??) ended up in a fist fight. I find this unnerving. At 10 years old they should be playing together, happy, never thinking of physical violence to the point where they actually do it. It's one thing to have a 5 year old hit. Reprimand them, have them apologize and they are moving on. A 10 year old is bigger and I'd think at that point uncontrollable. At 10 years old they fully understand what they are doing when they hit. This is unacceptable to me and I would never want my child to witness (or be a part of) physical violence at school. Nowadays you hear of kids coming in with guns and knives and really hurting (or killing) their peers in elementary school even. Again, a Godless society has a part to play in that.
Socialization. I used to think that homeschool children aren't socialized. Now I know that is just an ignorant point of view. I am no longer ignorant to the fact that homeschooled children are some of the most socialized people, if schooled properly. There are some parents that homeschool to shelter their children...those people are not socialized correctly. If you join a co-op group (A collective group of homeschoolers working together for a common purpose. All members of the co-op must contribute in some way toward the end goal; usually this contribution is in the form of effort, not money.) Each family has different ages and stages. In the same sense as the old "little red schoolhouse", the older kids are tutors and mentors for the younger kids. The younger kids look up to the older ones as they set the example of how to act when they are older. Instead of being locked in a room with 30 seven year olds, there may be a co-op group that has a 3 year old, a 9 year old, two 10 year olds, and two 15 year olds. I hope I am explaining this well. Remember, I'm learning as I go too.
We can monitor how they learn. All people learn differently. Hands on. Reading. Being told. There are all walks of life. Schools outside the home have one straight line. If you stray from that line, they tell parents the child is hyperactive and needs to be on medicine so they act like the other little lambs (Stepford Wives anybody?!). Maybe that child is bored? Maybe with that learning curve I mentioned earlier, that child is not being challenged? But if they seem like they can't pay attention, most times that is not thought of. Most times ADD or ADHD is mentioned, and another innocent child is forced to swallow a poisonous pill that makes them someone they are not.
With homeschool, we can have class ANYWHERE!! I can walk them to the park and have class while we're swinging. We can have a picnic lunch and learn arithmetic. We can start at 8am on a Monday and Tuesday start at 1pm. We can take a break if Faithful Boy 1 gets frustrated because he doesn't understand, and come back to it after he's calmed down. With school outside the home this is not possible.
Being their parents, we are their primary teachers. Anyone with toddlers are actually homeschooling their children. If you read to your child, teach them about what they ask (Mommy why is the sky blue?), sing the ABC's, help them to read the letters of the alphabet, this is homeschooling your child believe it or not! Right now, we are "un-schooling" our boys. I ask them what they want to learn about and we go from there. I also teach as we clean (How many towels are there in this laundry basket? Can you find the matching sock? What color is this plate?).
Why not try to learn with them and formally homeschool? Faithful Boy 1 will be 5 in March, so we decided to try out kindergarten with him. I am SCARED TO DEATH I will mess up!!! But, I've learned that kindergarten is not required in formal schooling, so what could it hurt trying, right?! We plan to take it one year at a time. We are not planning even 1st grade. If we all enjoy kindergarten and we can handle it, we'll order 1st grade curriculum when the time comes. If it doesn't work out, we'll try something else. Only God knows where we should be in the future.
I leave you with this Bible passage from Deuteronomy 6:6-9...
"But what about socialization?",
"Aren't you afraid your kids will be social weirdos??",
"I could never homeschool my children. It's just not for me."
I hear those questions now, even though just last year I was probably saying it to someone who started to homeschool! This post is all about informing others, based on the decision Mr. Faithful and I made to start homeschooling our boys next year.
As I said in previous posts, I am an Elizabeth Minister. This was another case in following the Holy Spirit. It took me two years to follow the ministry calling. I was attending mass at a new church by our house and questioned if I should start the ministry myself there. I was also, on some weeks, attending mass at the church I had belonged to for almost 30 years, but now it's 20 minutes from my home. I discovered the Elizabeth Ministry was up and coming at the latter church, which I was both relieved and happy as this church feels like home to me.
The leader of the ministry, let's call her Faithful Minister, homeschools some of her five children. I kept asking her questions (at that point I was still in denial that God would ever want ME to be a teacher for my kids). She decided to hold a meeting to inform me as well as another woman who was curious. All the while, Mr. Faithful kept hearing homeschool stories and was being driven by the Holy Spirit to go in this direction also. When I told him I was curious and wanted to attend the meeting, which I thought he'd tell me I was crazy, he said he wanted to go too! We hadn't yet discussed our resisted interest (I say resisted because we were both so adamant on not ever homeschooling!).
We met another homeschool family that night. We learned so much just by talking to these wonderful people! They are just as normal as us, their kids are well behaved AND social?!?! I think we were already set on homeschooling by the time that meeting happened, but one comment made us realize we had to at least try it for a year...
"You hear of public school (or any school outside the home) being the best way to get your kids to socialize. But think about it, there are 30 or so kids all of the same age, all going through whatever stage at that age, locked in one room for 6-8 hours a day, with little fresh air, being told to listen and pay attention for long stretches. They must look and listen to one teacher. When they turn to talk to a peer, that one teacher usually says something like, 'Stop talking, we are NOT here to socialize!"
I laughed when I heard this, because it's so true! Also, if in public school, our children would be taught things we may not agree with. The Big Bang Theory for one. We will teach our children this, but with a Catholic approach. We want to teach them with a Godly view. And in this society, God has been taken out of schools. We feel it's so important to teach them all areas and views, but not in the politically correct and Godless views our government has imposed in the United States. Some may disagree with this, and that is ok with me. This is my opinion only and I am entitled as are you!
Another reason we are going to try homeschool is because of the grading curve. The grading scale is lowered if most children score low on tests (no child left behind). Even in "challenged" classes, they are no longer challenged due to this grading curve. This is not fair to the children who apply themselves and do well. We do not want our children to ever be held back to do their best ability because of someone else.
Violence. I have a friend who said her 4th grader (that's what, 10 years old??) ended up in a fist fight. I find this unnerving. At 10 years old they should be playing together, happy, never thinking of physical violence to the point where they actually do it. It's one thing to have a 5 year old hit. Reprimand them, have them apologize and they are moving on. A 10 year old is bigger and I'd think at that point uncontrollable. At 10 years old they fully understand what they are doing when they hit. This is unacceptable to me and I would never want my child to witness (or be a part of) physical violence at school. Nowadays you hear of kids coming in with guns and knives and really hurting (or killing) their peers in elementary school even. Again, a Godless society has a part to play in that.
Socialization. I used to think that homeschool children aren't socialized. Now I know that is just an ignorant point of view. I am no longer ignorant to the fact that homeschooled children are some of the most socialized people, if schooled properly. There are some parents that homeschool to shelter their children...those people are not socialized correctly. If you join a co-op group (A collective group of homeschoolers working together for a common purpose. All members of the co-op must contribute in some way toward the end goal; usually this contribution is in the form of effort, not money.) Each family has different ages and stages. In the same sense as the old "little red schoolhouse", the older kids are tutors and mentors for the younger kids. The younger kids look up to the older ones as they set the example of how to act when they are older. Instead of being locked in a room with 30 seven year olds, there may be a co-op group that has a 3 year old, a 9 year old, two 10 year olds, and two 15 year olds. I hope I am explaining this well. Remember, I'm learning as I go too.
We can monitor how they learn. All people learn differently. Hands on. Reading. Being told. There are all walks of life. Schools outside the home have one straight line. If you stray from that line, they tell parents the child is hyperactive and needs to be on medicine so they act like the other little lambs (Stepford Wives anybody?!). Maybe that child is bored? Maybe with that learning curve I mentioned earlier, that child is not being challenged? But if they seem like they can't pay attention, most times that is not thought of. Most times ADD or ADHD is mentioned, and another innocent child is forced to swallow a poisonous pill that makes them someone they are not.
With homeschool, we can have class ANYWHERE!! I can walk them to the park and have class while we're swinging. We can have a picnic lunch and learn arithmetic. We can start at 8am on a Monday and Tuesday start at 1pm. We can take a break if Faithful Boy 1 gets frustrated because he doesn't understand, and come back to it after he's calmed down. With school outside the home this is not possible.
Being their parents, we are their primary teachers. Anyone with toddlers are actually homeschooling their children. If you read to your child, teach them about what they ask (Mommy why is the sky blue?), sing the ABC's, help them to read the letters of the alphabet, this is homeschooling your child believe it or not! Right now, we are "un-schooling" our boys. I ask them what they want to learn about and we go from there. I also teach as we clean (How many towels are there in this laundry basket? Can you find the matching sock? What color is this plate?).
Why not try to learn with them and formally homeschool? Faithful Boy 1 will be 5 in March, so we decided to try out kindergarten with him. I am SCARED TO DEATH I will mess up!!! But, I've learned that kindergarten is not required in formal schooling, so what could it hurt trying, right?! We plan to take it one year at a time. We are not planning even 1st grade. If we all enjoy kindergarten and we can handle it, we'll order 1st grade curriculum when the time comes. If it doesn't work out, we'll try something else. Only God knows where we should be in the future.
I leave you with this Bible passage from Deuteronomy 6:6-9...
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home
and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and
when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands
and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door
frames of your houses and on your gates.
Homeschool is not about sheltering. Homeschool is not about purposely being different. Homeschool is not about being a supermom or dad. It's about giving your child the very best. To us, it's what our children deserve from us to become well rounded adults. I pray strongly we are making the right decision, but feel it is right. After all, we were led here by God Himself. Xoxo.
Friday, December 9, 2011
There are Signs Everywhere...Are Your Eyes Open?
So, I may start to sound crazy with this one. I am not. Well, maybe I am a little crazy lol! As a Mommy of three toddlers, I have to be a little crazy ha ha! Anyway, back to the signs. There really are signs everywhere. In the least expected places. A stranger, while driving, reading, watching tv, the sky...you get my point. If we are willing to see and hear, we can understand what we are meant to do as individuals more clearly. Here's a perfect example of my own willingness to listen...
It was summertime of 2010. Our Second Faithful Boy was just diagnosed with allergies to cats. We were saddened to learn we had to find a new home for my first baby, Ashley, a gray and beige house cat who was with me through some of my darkest times before meeting Mr. Faithful. She was 11 years old and only knew me as her Mommy. I knew we had to find someone willing to help her get adjusted to a new home. We knew she needed to be in a house free of small children, preferably an elderly single woman. She came to me from an abusive home at six months old. But that first six months made her the most skiddish cat you'd ever meet. I made sure to be so selective in whom we'd choose to adopt her. I was getting things together to donate to a women's shelter for later on that week. I was preoccupied in my mind and searching for a certain book when all of a sudden I heard a voice clear as day in my head. It said, "Call Cary and ask her about taking Ashley." I know I heard something extraordinary. I know it was either an angel sent by God, or God himself! It was so evident, I stopped dead in my tracks and called her. Cary was the woman I was having to come pick up my donations. When I called, I asked her first if any of the women in the shelter would adopt...seeing as they are in a rough place, have most likely been abused and would need companionship. Cary proceeded to let me know she would be interested in adopting. She was in school to become a veterinarian and also was a foster house for animals! Wow, I was so happy I listened!! She came and as I held Ashley, who was scared to death at first, we chatted about our pasts. She had a similar story to mine. We seemed like we were the same in different universes! It was my "Bizarro World Self" ha ha! I finally handed Ashley to Cary. As she took her, Ashley cuddled into her arms the same as she did mine...and she would have never done that to anyone but me. I knew at that point Cary was the right one to take Ashley from us. It was a very sad time. I cried, My Faithful Boys were sad also. We kept in touch to make sure Ashley did ok. She was a rock star. Time went on and months later I learned that Ashley was given to Cary's Grandmother...a single elderly woman! How amazing that everything turned out wonderfully for my cat because I listened to that voice!!
Now, sometimes the signs are not that loud. I was fortunate to have heard an actual voice that time! My husband was driven by signs that led us to the home we live in now. We are both open to hear and see. Sometimes it's more difficult. Like homeschool. Yikes, I'm still nervous for this one! If you'd have asked me last year, I'd have said never in a million years would I homeschool!! Now, we've followed what we feel is the Holy Spirit guiding us in that direction. Sometimes when we follow where the Holy Spirit takes us, to others we look or sound crazy. But we weren't meant for this world, right?!
I have been feeling like I'm seeing another sign. When I look at the Illinois sky, I am not sure what just yet, but I am feeling called again. I've repeated this to Mr. Faithful and now I say it to you, the sky looks fake somehow to me. It looks as if we are living under a painted sky. And not in the poetic sense, but a real, freshly painted sky! It always looks beautiful to me, but always looks fake. I don't know how else to explain this! But, it does say in the Bible,
It was summertime of 2010. Our Second Faithful Boy was just diagnosed with allergies to cats. We were saddened to learn we had to find a new home for my first baby, Ashley, a gray and beige house cat who was with me through some of my darkest times before meeting Mr. Faithful. She was 11 years old and only knew me as her Mommy. I knew we had to find someone willing to help her get adjusted to a new home. We knew she needed to be in a house free of small children, preferably an elderly single woman. She came to me from an abusive home at six months old. But that first six months made her the most skiddish cat you'd ever meet. I made sure to be so selective in whom we'd choose to adopt her. I was getting things together to donate to a women's shelter for later on that week. I was preoccupied in my mind and searching for a certain book when all of a sudden I heard a voice clear as day in my head. It said, "Call Cary and ask her about taking Ashley." I know I heard something extraordinary. I know it was either an angel sent by God, or God himself! It was so evident, I stopped dead in my tracks and called her. Cary was the woman I was having to come pick up my donations. When I called, I asked her first if any of the women in the shelter would adopt...seeing as they are in a rough place, have most likely been abused and would need companionship. Cary proceeded to let me know she would be interested in adopting. She was in school to become a veterinarian and also was a foster house for animals! Wow, I was so happy I listened!! She came and as I held Ashley, who was scared to death at first, we chatted about our pasts. She had a similar story to mine. We seemed like we were the same in different universes! It was my "Bizarro World Self" ha ha! I finally handed Ashley to Cary. As she took her, Ashley cuddled into her arms the same as she did mine...and she would have never done that to anyone but me. I knew at that point Cary was the right one to take Ashley from us. It was a very sad time. I cried, My Faithful Boys were sad also. We kept in touch to make sure Ashley did ok. She was a rock star. Time went on and months later I learned that Ashley was given to Cary's Grandmother...a single elderly woman! How amazing that everything turned out wonderfully for my cat because I listened to that voice!!
Now, sometimes the signs are not that loud. I was fortunate to have heard an actual voice that time! My husband was driven by signs that led us to the home we live in now. We are both open to hear and see. Sometimes it's more difficult. Like homeschool. Yikes, I'm still nervous for this one! If you'd have asked me last year, I'd have said never in a million years would I homeschool!! Now, we've followed what we feel is the Holy Spirit guiding us in that direction. Sometimes when we follow where the Holy Spirit takes us, to others we look or sound crazy. But we weren't meant for this world, right?!
I have been feeling like I'm seeing another sign. When I look at the Illinois sky, I am not sure what just yet, but I am feeling called again. I've repeated this to Mr. Faithful and now I say it to you, the sky looks fake somehow to me. It looks as if we are living under a painted sky. And not in the poetic sense, but a real, freshly painted sky! It always looks beautiful to me, but always looks fake. I don't know how else to explain this! But, it does say in the Bible,
| ||||||||
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)