A Spring-Bling GIVEAWAY you don't want to miss!

Last month my friend Michelle invited me to go to a jewelry party with her. I usually don't do stuff like that, but when I heard the story behind this unique, beautiful hand-made jewelry and the intentions of the party, I just had to go.

So Alivia went along with us and we had so much fun. I bought these cute earrings

and Alivia picked out these adorable turquoise danglies. My camera on my phone really does not show how cute these are, but trust me, they are super cute.

The party was in a home about 30 minutes from Lincoln and after making our selections we headed back to our home during the 5 o'clock rush hour. We got off the exit ramp and were the first ones in line waiting at the light to turn onto a very busy street. Just so happened Michelle's transmission went out. She called the tow truck and her hubby Mike and we waited. And while we waited Alivia and I admired our new jewelry. Alivia even modeled hers for me. Did you know that only mean people drive at five and take it personal that your vehicle broke down in front of them? And they are extra mean if they don't notice your hazard lights flashing.But even the mean scowls adults gave us and a teenage girl on the verge of flipping us off could not steal our jewelry joy.




Well, a last week I tricked Aaron into going with me to another one of their open house parties. He reluctantly went inside with me after I fessed up and told him that jewelry heaven was just beyond the front doors of this home. Luckily he left his teenage attitude in the car and even helped me pick out some jewelry to send to some girlfriends.




As I was checking out, I grabbed a pair of really cute cross earrings for Alivia hoping it would soften the blow when she realized Aaron accompanied me to a jewelry party instead of her. That's when Nancy, the head of the jewelry business, gave me a really cute purse!
And then that's when I received the ultimate compliment.
The ladies helping Nancy pack up all the jewelry thought Aaron was "my friend".
Did you read that correctly?? Not my 15 year old son, but my friend.
I'm pretty sure Aaron threw up inside his mouth, but I was beaming that I look youthful enough to have a teenage boyfriend. A cougar, I believe is what the world labels older women who have young eye candy, but call me what you want, I look like I'm at least in my twenties!

With compliments engraved forever in my youthful heart, I should've been thumbing through the yellow pages in search of a good therapist for Aaron, but instead I was checking my e-mail.
That's when I read this from Nancy...
Lelia~Your not going to believe this but I was just thinking about you. I got home and in my jewelry room I am going to be cleaning out things that have been here for a few months, I thought I could send them to you for your friends if you want them. I just need your address (I don't care if you keep any of it!) We are just getting ready to move and would like a good home for the stuff I have had around for a bit! Good night and thanks so much for coming and your son is a keeper for sure!
NANCY



And then yesterday I received a box full of blessings from her. Minus the toaster and bread....


Here's a closer look...
So what's a girl to do, but share these blessings, right? So, I asked my assistant, a.k.a., Amiyah, our 2 year old granddaughter for some help modeling the jewelry I am giving away today on behalf of sweet Nancy.

Okay, so when I asked her to show me the necklace, this is what I got.

So if you win this necklace, this is what the people sitting

behind you in church will see.

If you wear your hair up.

After a few minutes of explaining to her what I expected when I hired her,

I begged her again to show me the necklace.

Then I became like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire and instead of screaming

"Show me the Money!" I was yelling at my toddler granddaughter/model

"Show me the NECKLACE!!!"

And finally Little Girl came through...

And after many blurry pictures and telling her if she swayed again she would get no lunch, I snapped this close up...

But I'm not only giving away one piece, I'm giving away another one.

The model above wouldn't let me remove the necklace up for grabs, so if you win, you will have to come to Lincoln and get it off her yourself.

Good. Luck.

Seriously.

After the struggle of the first photo session, I fired the model.

To showcase the next set, I thought briefly about going and pulling Alivia out of school, but knew Gene wouldn't approve, so I placed the set on top of my computer and snapped away...

That's when the unemployed model noticed I was taking pictures of objects on my laptop and ran and plopped these next to the necklace.

Unfortunately, the shoes are not part of the giveaway,

SHE IS

but the cute two-toned pink shoes with a flower and bling are not.

So, here is what you need to do in order to have your name in the drawing.

There will be 2 winners.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE A BLOG TO ENTER.

First, you have to go read the cool story behind the jewelry.

The jewelry that makes you oblivious to Nine to Fivers cussing you out while sitting in rush hour traffic in a broken down PT Cruiser.

Then come back here and leave a comment AFTER you read the story behind the jewelry called

I promise, you'll be blessed by Nancy & Patti's story;

both women who definitely know how to say

"yes to God".

When you get back, leave a comment telling me your thoughts and also,

which piece of jewelry you would want a chance at winning:

the flower or the red.

But keep in mind, the high maintenance Little Girl comes along with the flower necklace.

They're a set.

The red comes with earrings, the flower comes with Amiyah.

Did I mention that all giveaways on this blog have a strict No Return policy?

As of 5/13/10, they do.

The winners will be announced Monday morning, May 17th!

Spread the word to all your girlfriends...if not about the giveaway, at least the story.

Also, check out the recent post on the ana patricia blog as they are part of the

Ultimate Blog Party.

Yet another chance to win a beautiful, handmade necklace.

And if you don't like jewelry, try winning it as a gift for someone who does.

CLICK HERE FIRST TO READ THE STORY BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL

ANA PATRICIA JEWELRY.

Oh, and did I tell you have 4 chances to win????

Here's how...

1.) Leave a comment here after reading their short story.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOG~Leave your comment by clicking on the "Anonymous" button.

2.) If you have a blog, sign up as a follower for Nancy's blog

3.) If you are on Facebook, then follow ana patricia jewelry on FB,which you can find on Nancy's blog.

4.) Put a link to this post on your Facebook inviting others to join the giveaway which of course, leads them to the ana patricia blog.

Just let me know in your comment here all you did above and that is how many times your name will go in the drawing.

Blessings,

WHY? Just wondering Lord, that's all.

The other day I was just thinking through stuff and found myself pretty frustrated.

I asked God a lot of "whys".

In the sermon today, pastor Bruce talked about storms based on Matthew 8:23-27.

He reminded us that in this walk with Jesus, storms are going to come.

He made two points:

*Storms are a natural part of our journey.

*Storms can cause panic.

We see that in this passage in Matthew with the disciples starting with verse 24.

Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.

But Jesus was sleeping.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"

Can you even imagine what it was like in that boat?

Yes, we can.

~Last May when Candice lost her young daughter Charity to cancer, she was in that boat.

~Last December when Mel lost her twelve year old son Andrew to brain cancer she was in that boat.

~Or recently as my friend E'Lise shed tears over her little sister as she watches her fight another battle against her body with cancer.

~Or when my sister in law Gwen who after her husband Sam had a stroke that left him disabled, was forced to put her husband in a nursing home, long before they are even retirement age so she could still work.

~Or Lisa, wife and mom just starting radiation to fight her cancer. (Her picture is on my sidebar)

~Or my friend Alethea, single mom and sole supporter of her 2 boys who lost her secure job.

There are women all over the place enduring some furious storms.

I loved how Pastor Bruce said it today..."Um, excuse me, I did not sign up for this. I signed up for two things...sins are forgiven and heaven is my home".

We do not want our boats to rock.

We want to listen to our Christian music channels and go to church each weekend and shout out a few Amen's during the sermon, but do not rock the boat.

But the truth is, the boat is going to rock.

We are going to find ourselves in a storm.

Storms that are furious with waves crashing over us like the disciples experienced.

There will be storms.

So going back up to the verse above, did you notice the middle part...

But Jesus was sleeping.

I love how the Message Bible puts it:

Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him.

The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm.

Waves were crashing into the boat—

and he was sound asleep!

They roused him, pleading, "Master, save us! We're going down!"

Do you ever feel like that?

You're freaking out, JESUS! SAVE ME...I'M GOING DOWN!

Or pleading on behalf of your loved one dying...JESUS!!!! PLEASE!!

And nothing. No response at all.

Could He possibly be sleeping right through the storm of your life?

What the heck??

Ever ask "why" like I did last week?

Our storms are going to come.

How will we respond when we think Jesus has forgotten all about us?

When we think the Captain of our boat is asleep?

In the sermon the pastor also reminded us that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us.

Never.

Last week on my way home from my day job, God gave me the answer to my "why" questions.

While driving down South Street, I looked up to see this billboard for dairy products...

TRUST IN THE NAME

Today, in the storm our family is in...I will trust in the Name of Jesus.

Whatever storm you are facing, whether it's one that can tear your boat to shreds or a small one, you choose to just

Trust In The Name.

Trust, even when it feels like Jesus is sleeping, because just like He did with the disciples,

He will bring calm.

I love this song, but if you can't listen to it, just mute it and read the lyrics that are typed out.

My favorite line is:

He has a reason for each trial

that we pass through in life

And though we're shaken

we cannot be pulled apart from Christ.

TRUST IN THE NAME

The powerful Name of Jesus.

Another incredible song about praising God in the storms is by Casting Crowns...

Praise You in This Storm.

Locked Out

Do you ever feel like you are just walking through this life on auto-pilot?
Like life has just gotten the best of you and you are so ready for the rapture to happen?


Sometimes I just go through the motions and on the outside look like the total Christian package, but on the inside Satan is sitting on the throne of my heart.
No, I have not converted to devil worship, but sometimes I just feel like I am so far from God that I am the poster child for Prodigals.


I am great at asking for people to pray for me...stand in my gap, intercede on my behalf, but sometimes I rely on the prayers of others instead of approaching the throne of grace and cry out to God myself.
I can send you some scripture reference to fit whatever need you have or give you hope for the crisis your heart may feel, but sometimes in my most desperate times my Bible never gets opened.




This morning my sister was at my parents home and was leaving to go to her house.
My parents provide foster care and have five kids under the age of 11 so she's been watching their kids and transporting the three oldest ones back and forth to school everyday.
On their front door they have a lock box with a code that holds a key to their house.
This morning, after taking the kids to school, she walked outside followed by the two toddlers.
She punched in the code to the lock box, removed the key, locked the front door, put the key back in the box and punched in the code again to lock it.
She then shut the screen door and as the three of them were walking to my Mom's SUV, she realized the keys to the truck were on the kitchen counter.
So she pulled out her cell phone and called our Dad and explained her situation to him asking him to come use his key to let her in the house.
He gently reminded her of the lock box.
The lock box she knows the code to that holds the key to let herself back in the house.



Michelle was just going through the motions, not thinking about stuff, just doing it.
She realized without the truck keys, she wasn't able to continue on her journey.
But instead of going to the lock box and obtaining the very thing that would get her moving, she called on someone else.

Oh, don't we do that with our Savior?

My neighbors niece Tiffany once said, "We need to run to the throne instead of the phone".
Or e-mail or text or arrange an emergency Starbucks girlfriend time.
So that means we just go to Jesus and not ever ask anyone to pray for us?
Nope, not what I meant at all.
We need to go to JESUS first then reach out and ask for prayer.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,

that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

We need to run to Him with all our needs, big and small, with our confidence put in Him and what He is capable of doing in our lives, for He is the only One that holds the key to our hearts.
He is the One that has the answer for our unanswered questions.
He is the One that we need to turn to in hope of rescuing us.
And He is the One that will take us by the hand on the journey of a lifetime when we feel like we can't go on.


Oh Lord, I promise one day I'll get this!
Just keep baring with me for I love You so much!

What's Oozing From Your Heart Today?

Last night I picked up Alivia our 8 year old from gymnastics class and when she got in the car I asked her how the class had went.
Putting her head back and having a look of complete exhaustion on her beautiful face she said,

"Oh Mom, they worked us like cows."

Huh?



"Ummm...Liv, cows?"


Slapping her forehead and giggling she said,
"OH!
I meant horses!"


Just never a dull moment with Miss Alivia in our lives!
*****






So the oil spill is all over the news. So very sad.
Here is part of a timeline of the spill listed in an Internet article I read this morning:

April 27 -The Coast Guard said the leaking crude may be set ablaze to slow the spread of oil in the Gulf.

April 28 - The Coast Guard says the flow of oil is 5,000 bpd, five times greater than first estimated. Controlled burns begin on giant oil slick, but shifting winds are expected to push crude ashore.

May 1 - The Coast Guard says the leak will affect the Gulf shore.

May 4 - U.S. Coast Guard officials say the magnitude of the oil spill is astronomical; to give you an idea, 210,000 gallons of oil is oozing into the Gulf of Mexico a day, that's 5,000 barrels of oil per day.

*******************

If I gave you a timeline of things that have been going on in our lives, one would think I would have some callouses on my knees from continuous prayer over my 2 oldest children. Without trying to sound like I'm trying to invite you to a pity-party, I just have to say this one thing: our enemy is VERY real.

He is not out to just make our sweet little Christian life uncomfortable.

NO! Satan is out to kill, steal and destroy.

He wants to work your faith like a horse, or in Liv's case, a cow.

In talking with my girlfriend Charlene last night we agreed that sin is just like the Gulf Coast oil spill. How the choices we make are like a continuous leak that affect so many people.

See, that oil spill isn't just a little mess in the ocean.

That oil spill is not only affecting the water it took over, but many other things and people too.

From bank accounts to birds to beaches, the aftermath of this oil spill is massive. It not only touches the company responsible, it takes it's toll on many other lives as well. Finances, fishing and fun on the beach have changed because of this spill. Wide spread disaster all coming from one source.

Are the choices you make today godly ones that give honor and glory to Jesus?

Or are the daily choices you make much like the oil spill on the Gulf Coast and covering not only you, but those in your life with your junk?

The cross was covered with our precious Savior's blood, not black slimy oil and the difference is, when covered with the blood of Jesus, our sins become white as snow.

When covered with our junk, we look much like this poor bird. Unfortunately, I think alot of times I look like the bird and the ridiculous part is that it's because of my choices.

Today, let's choose Jesus and see what the effects of having Him at the center of our lives is like; for the Living Water is the kind of continuous leak we want and need oozing from our hearts.

May we allow Jesus Christ to be so astronomical in our lives that people who don't know

Him want Him.

Please take a minute to read my friend Yolanda's blog post called "I will return after getting the manual" and see what God showed her through a broken dishwasher.

I never want to assume that you have Jesus Christ in your life as your Savior.
If you don't, click HERE to learn more about the most Amazing Gift.
He is a choice you won't ever regret.

Rosewood, Cocoa Butter and Jesus

Our 8 year old daughter, Alivia E'Lise has some very thick and curly hair. Sometimes I have to assist her with the shampoo and conditioning of it and a few days ago she asked for my help. Finally, we got all the conditioner out of it and I told her, "Okay, honey, hurry up and wash your body with soap, rinse off and then get out".

Gene has made himself the water monitor of our home and starts yelling "Turn off the water" in his loud authoritative voice if he thinks we are taking too long. Believing him when he says he will shut off the water himself we are quick to wrap our water time up at the sound of his voice. So to avoid that, I encouraged her to hurry. That is when she said this, "Oh I never use soap, so I'm done".

Huh?

Thinking I misunderstood her, I asked, "What???"

"I never use soap, I just go like this" and she demonstrated twirling underneath the running water.

"Ummm, you don't ever use soap Liv? That's disgusting."

She started giggling, "Nope, just water".

Oh. My. Goodness!!!!

What the heck?

When I released her to begin taking baths and showers by herself going off of her claim of being a "Big Girl", how did she miss the whole purpose of taking a shower?

I took a deep breath and had to go back to Shower 101 and re-teach the child how important it is to use body wash to cleanse so the body doesn't smell.

"No B.O." has become our new motto.

The picture above is from Easter of Alivia in her smellier days.

I should have noticed that our soap was lasting so long as the girls have a separate shower than the boys do so we're the only ones using it. Or I was the only one using it. Now that I'm aware though, this little girl better be smelling like a mixture of Rosewood and Cocoa Butter a mile away! I don't even know what Rosewood is, but by golly she better reek of it!

Don't we do that with God sometimes though?

We want change in our lives, but we just "rinse" off and by just rinsing off with the minimal to make ourselves feel better, we still stink of our sin.

We have to allow Christ to take our sin and cleanse us as white as snow.

We have to be in His Word daily and allow Him to live through us so that the scent we are left with is the sweet aroma of Christ Himself.

2 Corinthians 2:15 (NIV)

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

I'm doing this 40 day devotional right now, "A Call to Die" by David Nasser and this is what I read this morning...

"When our sins are exposed in the light of God's presence, we feel ruined; but when we experience forgiveness in the depth of our souls, we become fresh, clean and new."

I don't know about you, but I want to smell just like Jesus.

And Rosewood and Cocoa Butter.

Those of you who expressed your sorrow over little Logan in my last post, we now know what took his life so suddenly. Unaware to his Mom, he accidentally took too much of the medicine he was prescribed. He must have thought if he took more, he'd do better.

Bless his little heart.

Thank you for your prayers for his family left behind.

Please Lord...not MY child.

Last Thursday I hung up the phone with Gene to answer the other line. The caller I.D. let me know it was our 8 year old daughter Alivia calling. Since school had been out for 10 minutes, I knew she would ask me where her Daddy was so I answered the phone with an enthusiastic "Hi Liv! Daddy just pulled up to your school".

She quietly said okay, but then said, "Mom, guess what?

A boy in 4th grade, Logan...his mom went to wake him up this morning for school and he died."

Gene said it was so sad as they were walking to his truck she started telling him what her principal had shared with them and she just started to cry really hard. She wasn't friends with Logan, but did know who he was in this small school. Her sweet self was just so sad for him and his Mom and Dad.

And she couldn't grasp how he just didn't wake up.

He was fine on Wednesday and dead on Thursday with no explanation.

Just gone.

Later that night she said, "Mom, just think about that...dying so young. It's just so sad."

So we talked about how if she were to die where she would go and she smiled at the thought of being with Jesus. I smiled too, but inside I was ready to burst into tears at the mere thought of losing her.

That night Alivia was in no rush to go to sleep.

And the fact that she was up an hour after her bedtime remained unspoken by both her Dad and I. Along with many of her schoolmates, the fear of going to sleep and not waking up in the morning was running through Alivia's mind.

Logan had so much life to live. He had talked about how excited he was about the carnival the school's PTO was having Friday night.

He had plans and death was not one of them.

We've had kids in this school for over 10 years now and so I called my friend Tammy after Alivia went to bed. Alyssa and Aaron both had Tammy as their 4th grade teacher and she has told us that she'll make sure she gets Alivia next year. But this year, Logan was blessed to have her as his teacher.

She told me as Logan was walking out of her classroom Wednesday afternoon, he turned around and said, "Ms. Schaefer, can I have a hug?"

Her response was "Of course you can Logan" and with her arms opened wide to receive him they hugged each other tight.

For the last time.

Tammy would've never let go if she had any idea of what was coming.

But that's just it...we have no idea what tomorrow holds.

In the book of James chapter 4 verse 14, James bluntly asks us a question:

What is your life?

But before we can think of some intelligent meaningful definition to describe our life, he bluntly answers the question for us:

You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Oh. Okay, I wouldn't have chosen those words to describe my life, but okay.

Before that though, James makes a simple statement before asking and answering his own question above:

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.

Okay, so to break it down, we are pretty much clueless about 24 hours from now and our life is here for awhile then just vanishes. Just a mist.

I think of when I iron something and I press that steam button and a burst of mist comes out and then just like that it is gone.

That's how James described our lives. And since all Scripture is God-breathed, that means the Almighty Editor approved James' description that is sure to knock anyone off their pedestal of importance.

So what are we supposed to do with that information?

I can see why people choose to live under the motto of, "you only live once".

I mean, really, what's the point?

Especially if that mist only is here to see 9 years.

99 is much easier to accept than 9 short lived years.

Here today, gone tomorrow.

When I think of the loss of Logan in the 4th grade, how am I supposed to tuck my Alivia into bed each night and trust I'll see her alive in the morning?

How do I sleep at night believing that tonight she'll be doing cartwheels at gymnastics instead of lying lifeless in a morgue?

The truth of it is, I don't know anything. I can plan all I want to. I can stay up all night and make sure she doesn't stop breathing, but the bottom line is, there is only One who knows how many days this child has on earth. And He, not me is in control.

But if I'm real honest here, knowing that God is fully aware of the date and time of when Alivia will push out her last breath doesn't make this God loving Momma sleep any better.

See, I want some kind of assurance here Jesus.

I want to know that I will never have to bury any of my children because in case You didn't know...parents DO NOT bury their children. It is not natural and it is not fair.

This classified information You're keeping to Yourself of when a child's life won't be lengthy...not cool.

A single mom isn't supposed to tickle her 9 year old son in an attempt to wake him only to find him unresponsive... forever.

A mother and blogger named Sumi isn't supposed to be thousands of miles away on vacation from her husband in her home country only to pull her precious 3 year old princess Jenna's lifeless body out of a pool.

A fellow blogger named Mel, who used to share her fashion expertise with us isn't supposed to find out her 12 year old boy Andrew has brain cancer and 3 months later be forced to plan his celebration of life.

NOT supposed to happen this way Lord.

And yet.

It does.

All the time. Everyday.

And after hearing of such tragedies, those of us with our kids still alive, cry for the Mom left without her child to hug or kiss. Our hearts sincerely ache for her.

Then we hug our kids tighter and kiss them more than usual for a few days and we selfishly and quietly plead with God to never let her heartache become ours.

We watch her at the funeral and wonder...how is she even coping, eating, surviving this loss and we mourn for her mother to mother.

But we do not want to know her pain firsthand.

I have never met little Logan's mom before so I have no idea of what she knows of Jesus.

But the other two women, I've read their hearts on their blogs and realize that they cope because of Jesus. They have hope as they focus on Jesus.

Sumi misses her Jenna

And Mel her Andrew,

but as much as both Moms want their children with them, they both know that their children are now with Jesus.

Does it make life easier for them...both would probably tell you no, but as hard as life without their children is each day, it is Him Who they keep leaning and crying out to and praising.

In March, Sumi wrote these words: I surrendered Jenna to him again. I told him it’s OK. I am OK with her being with him. My heart is still broken, but at moments like these, all I know is the most indescribable peace. It truly defies words.

And Mel wrote this just yesterday: I am finding grief to be an unpredictable emotion. I smile, laugh, cry and experience disbelief all in a matter of minutes. Sometimes I simply cannot believe that Andrew had brain cancer and died. A year ago this time, he was skateboarding, doing his artwork, and rushing through his math assignments. Knowing we will all be together in Eternity pulls me through many rough and rocky moments. Because, truly, this life is only a breath.

Last night I crawled in bed with Alivia and just held on to her.

When I was holding her and kissing her cheeks I wanted it to last forever and yet I know that the only thing that can stand up to Forever is Jesus Christ Himself. And without Him, tragedy or not, this life is impossible.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that of course, I don't ever want to experience life without any of my kids or grand kids, but I know if I was forced onto that path...I will make it.

Only because I serve a God that is worth anything.

As I type that last sentence above I type it with much confidence as I have the background noise of my daughter's exhaling and inhaling escaping from her bedroom.

But what if it was complete silence pressing in on me and her bedroom was suddenly empty like Jenna's, Andrew's and now Logan's? What if her final day on earth was too soon? What if every mother's nightmare became my reality?

Would I still be able to tell you that I serve a God worth anything?

I only hope that if God were to allow my world to not just shake, but to tremble, that HE is Who I would still choose to worship, even through the deepest pit of pain....

just like Sumi and Mel are doing.

Two beautiful women...two beautiful children...One worthy God.

We love You, sweet Jesus and we know you love us.

Yes, Jesus loves me...the Bible tells me so.

Click here to visit Sumi's blog and hear her sweet 3 year old Jenna singing

"Jesus Loves Me" and listen at the end to what she says to her Mom...beyond precious.

And please click here to visit Mel's blog and read

"Andrew's Message"

that he really wants you to get.

So special.

Be blessed by both of these beautiful children of God.

And also by their hurting, yet God loving Moms.

Two women who take being faithful to God to a whole new level.

Thank you Jesus for

MISS AMIYAH PUMPKIN PIE...

Two years ago today you came into my life and completely took over every vessel of my heart.
I love everything about you Little Girl. From your tiny ears that don't listen to Grandma when I tell you to not take all of my books off of my bookshelf.
To the little toes you let me paint hot pink. Not once, but a few times because you smear the wet paint all over your foot and then say "uh-oh" with such innocence that I believe it was an accident and re-do them.


I love the sound of your voice when you say "I lu you" and how your little hands get into everything.
I love to watch you dance and play with your little sister Juliana; even though we have to protect her from your sweet, yet very aggressive love that she craves.





I love how you can make your bad attitude filled teen uncle Aaron beg you for kisses when you call him "Ewin".
I love how close you are to your Aunt Alivia and how you search the house for her after she leaves for school calling out "Awivia". Over and over again.
And how you melt your way right into your Papa's heart.
And how when your Mommy walks into the room your face lights up only for her.


Or how just now you decided your sleepy and as I'm trying to type this you fell asleep on me.




I loved watching you last week when you put on 2 different high heels of mine and walked outside with your hands on your hips. You had only been awake for awhile and your hair was crazy. You had on one of your aunt Alivia's t-shirts that you wore to bed, but you looked full of confidence and beauty.
You are such a gift from God, Amiyah Elizabeth.
I love watching you fold your hands and pray to Jesus everyday.
I love how you try to use praying without ceasing to get out of going to sleep at night.
I love your prayers even though the only words I can understand are "Jesus and Amen" and yet I'm sure when your prayers of passionate gibberish falls upon your Creator's ears they fill His heart to overflowing.

You are such a gift from the Lord, Little One.

As I look at you, there is a fierceness inside me that wants to protect you from ever experiencing anything Satan has planned for you, but I know I must trust God with your life.
I want to be someone that teaches you about Jesus because of how I live life in front of you.


I'm already celebrating the day you ask Jesus to be your Savior.
The day you want Him to be yours and you His. I hope I see it firsthand.
I pray you grow close to Him and desire Him above anyone or anything else in your life.


Oh my Precious Princess, you have no idea what is coming your way, for God has such big plans for you.

I LOVE YOU Little Blessing...HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY!!

Love,

MiMaw

Message from Amiyah to our Bloggy Friends...

Jennifer...A Life That Gave Eternity a Reality

In 1989 I was 9 months pregnant with my firstborn, Alyssa. On December 17th I was sitting in the back of the Sunday school class when a young lady stood up in front of everyone crying. She told of a young couple who had been in a car crash Saturday night. The girl asked us to pray for the families of the victims. The young woman had been killed and her boyfriend was in a coma.

So, collectively as a class we prayed for the teenagers and their families. After class, my friend Beth came and hugged me and with tears in her eyes asked me, "You were close friends with Jennifer weren't you?"

"Jennifer who?" I asked her.

"Workman. She was the girl we just prayed for that was killed last night".

I had missed hearing the name of the couple we had prayed for and so I had no idea I was praying for my BFF from junior high and her parents, Bob and Carol.

I remember feeling instantly sick and breaking out in tears as Beth held me.

At that time cell phones were scarce, so I found a land line and called home.

I could barely tell my Mom, but when I finally could, she cried along with me.

On the morning of Saturday, December 16th Jennifer had driven to her childhood home. Her parents have the neatest house and I have many memories stored in my heart from spending nights with Jen.

It was her Mom's 40th birthday that day and Jennifer went to her parents' home. She had told her Mom that she needed to bake goodies for her boyfriend Dana's office Christmas party. Little did Carol know the treats they would make together were actually for her own birthday party. Jennifer had organized a surprise party to take place that evening.

As planned, her Dad took her Mom out for dinner while their house filled up with people Jen knew loved her Mom. A night of laughter, food and great fellowship surrounded the Workman family as they celebrated.

Around 9:45 Jennifer and her boyfriend Dana decided it was time to head back to town to study for the finals they would be taking in college the following week. Jen said her goodbyes to her family and the friends still there and she walked out of her home for what would be the last time.

Less than 2 miles from where Jennifer grew up she would die when her car was hit by a drunk driver.

Instantly Jennifer's life on earth would end.

At just 18 years old.

A week before Christmas.

On her Mom's birthday.

So young.

So beautiful.

So gone.
Such a senseless death caused by a man thinking he needed a few more drinks. When the bartender wouldn't serve him because he had left his license at home, he left his friends at the bar to drive home and get it. Already drunk and behind the wheel of a truck. Mark as we would learn is his name, never made it back to the bar and Jennifer didn't make it home to study with Dana. With just a scratch on his head, he eventually went to trial and served less than a year for ending my friends' precious life. A life worth so much that no amount of time behind bars could equal her value. After 2 weeks in a coma, her boyfriend Dana eventually recovered.

This past December marked 20 years since Jennifer's life ended and April 6th she would have turned 39.

Over the last twenty years I have kept in contact with her parents, wanting them to know I think of her often and will never forget her. She was not only beautiful, but she was funny, caring and so loving. And she loves Jesus.

I have sat many times across a table from Carol while we shared stories, tears and memories of her girl. We have wondered out loud what Jennifer would've been when she grew up, how many grandchildren she would have given them and who she would have married. And we have talked about how Carol has coped through the years of missing her daughter and the only way she has been able to survive this all is because of...

JESUS

Bob and Carol never took their eyes off of Jesus.

When they had to pick out a coffin for her...Jesus.

The first time they stared down at her lifeless body...Jesus.

When they opened the Christmas presents from her a week later...Jesus.

When they picked out her headstone...Jesus.

When they realized it's been 20 years without hearing her laugh...

JESUS

Although their faith was shaken to the core, it never wavered.

They know the Way, the Truth and Who is the Life and they know Jennifer is with Jesus today.

Jennifer is a loss that cut into the hearts of many, but knowing she is with our Savior is what gave us hope. Hope to see her again. Hope on those days Carol's reality was so dark.

He is the One she called out to, cried to and clung to.

God is who her Dad Bob called upon in the middle of the night, father to Father.

He is Who saw and sees them through their days.

That cold December night the driver of the truck caused a crash that took the life of a young lady who had much promise, but his selfish choice didn't take the Promise out of the girl.

When Jesus tells us that He will never leave us, He meant it.

Jennifer died having accepted Jesus in her life as a young girl and because of that choice, she slipped right into the arms of her awaiting Savior.

I have no idea where you are with Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you've had Him in your life since you were a young girl, but you feel distant from Him or maybe you don't know a thing about Him.

If you fit into one of those categories, then read on.

I believe if I could have Jennifer be a guest blogger that this is what she would say:

Jesus Christ is the best choice I ever made.

There is nobody like Him.

There is nothing on earth that could give you the satisfaction that only He can.

The thing with Jesus is that He really loves me and you.

Just look at the way He died.

The cross is so much more than a pendant hanging on a chain around your neck; it's His gift to us.

He gave His life so that we could live.

My life on earth was great, but it does not compare with eternal life with my King.

I love praising Him. I wish you could see His reaction when you pray and when you take the time to praise Him. It's so amazing.

The days you think you are worthless, you should open your Bible to Psalm 45:11...the king is enthralled by your beauty...He adores you enough to have endured the cross.

For 20 years I've had access to being able to fall at His feet.
You have the same access. Fall before Him and just worship Him.

Surrender your life to Him because believe me you do not go unnoticed by Him.

In Jeremiah 29 verse 13 He tells us that you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart and in verse 14 He starts the verse with I will be found by you.

Find Him my friend, for He is the only thing worth seeking.

Trust me in this, I know.

I love what was written in the 84th psalm...

Better is one day in your courts then a thousand elsewhere.

Twenty years ago when I left my parents home, I had no idea I'd meet my Savior just 2 miles down a gravel road.

I hope if your life ends today you have chosen Jesus.

Bottom line is that you will spend your eternity somewhere.

And I can testify that one day with my Savior is better than a thousand somewhere else...even earth.

I am with Jesus...are you?

Love,

Jen

I'm glad Jen knows Jesus.

I'm glad Bob and Carol know Jesus.

Twenty years ago they were put on a path of the unknown.

Every parents' worst nightmare came true for them.

And I must say having watched them walk this path for the last 20 years I have seen much leaning on Jesus.

Their marriage stayed in tact while statistics show when faced with the death of a child, most marriages crumble.

Their love for Jesus grew while some turn their backs on Him out of anger.

During the hardest time of their lives they kept their eyes on Jesus.

And this childhood friend of their daughter noticed every time He was chosen by them.

Missing Jennifer Lee Workman is an understatement, but the knowledge that she chose Jesus while alive on earth makes her death different.

More Surgery

This morning I bent down to pick up this piece of paper lying on the floor in front of the refrigerator. I wondered how it ended up there as it used to be attached to a paper Gene received from his surgeon's office back in October.

This is what it reads:

Please find enclosed a disclosure letter regarding the instrumentation your surgeon may select to use in your back. Please sign the letter and return it in the enclosed envelope. If you have any questions regarding the letter, you may present these to your surgeon at the time of your pre-surgical conference or call the office and request to speak with your surgeon.

So as I was getting ready to have some eggs and bacon, my mind started thinking about this little piece of paper I was about to throw in the garbage and so I re-read it instead of tossing it.

When God makes changes with us in our lives sometimes we don't like the way He goes about doing it. Who He uses or what He uses may not be the way WE would have done things.

But with God, He doesn't do things the way the Nebraska Spine surgeons do.

He doesn't ask our permission to do what He thinks is best in our lives.

He already knows what He wants to do with us and who or what He wants to use to get our attention.

Our pre-conferences with Him is when we choose to kneel down before Him and pray. A time of reaching out in confidence to Him. A time of talking, being quiet and shutting our mouths so we can hear Him.

But if we received a letter from the Almighty One I wonder if it would say something like this....

Please find enclosed a letter, or better known as the Bible, regarding the instrumentation that I, your Surgeon may select to use in your life.

If you have any questions regarding My letter, you may present these to Me at the time of your pre-surgical conference when you humble yourself and call upon My Name.

Request to speak to your Surgeon, child.

For when you seek me with all your heart, I WILL be found.

We need to trust God and what He wants to do in our lives. He knows us better than anyone on this earth will ever be able to and He knows the perfect instruments He needs to use in order for us to experience some real change. Let's believe in Him and allow our Holy Surgeon to open us up and perform some heart surgery on us, shall we? I bet the recovery room post op will be an amazing time of praise and worship!

Have a blessed weekend!

Whole new level of Bed Hog

I took this last night when I checked on the girls.
I have no other words except to nominate Alivia for "The Best Aunt Ever" award.

Let's Encourage One Another, Shall We?

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,

just as in fact you are doing.

Last week I was in the kitchen cooking with Alivia,

my used-to-be-favorite-8-year-old-in the world.

The TV in the living room was on and there was a commercial from some weight loss place with a woman giving her testimony of how she has changed her life. With much enthusiasm as she dropped her big pants she used to wear to reveal her new small body she said, "I lost a hundred pounds!".

With those dark beautiful eyes in her head, Alivia looked at me and said,

"Mom, you can do that too."

OKAY.

Little.

Girl.

Yes, your Momma needs to lose weight, but not 100 pounds!!!

Ewww, if I dropped a hundred Gene would be married to the Lea Jane...the girl I was in high school.

And people would think I was his daughter because I'd buy all my clothes from the junior section.

And then I would be judged for trying to be a teenager by all the grown up acting Mom's at Alivia's school.

So.

To save myself from any ribs showing and causing other Mom's to stumble from being jealous, I refuse to drop 3 digits.

Double digits, definitely, but trying to fit into my acid washed jeans from '88...neva.

Bless her confused little heart. Took me back to when I read her journal entry titled "My Mom" where she so lovingly described me in two words: white and thick.

Oh my.

Anyway, if she hadn't been so sweet and sincere, I would've crossed her name off all my gift lists for 2010 because of her twisted encouragement. Instead, I'm going to be more holy and mature than that and she is not coming out of her room until she has the verse above out of Thessalonians memorized.

Okay...I need your help, but only if God prompts you to do so.

Awhile back, I received this email:

Hello, My name is Nancy. I live in NC and just recently retired at the age of 62. I have arthritis in my hands and had to retire early. I have been peeking at your blog for some time now and you really inspire me. I was wondering if you had any Bible studies or books you would like to get rid of. I am starting a "closer walk with Thee" and I need all the help I can get. Please let me hear from you.

Nancy in NC

I have been in contact with Nancy and I have some books set aside to send her, but I wanted to include you in on this. If you feel led to send Nancy some books, a book, a devotional, whatever God puts on your heart if anything, can you please email me at chealey5@yahoo.com

I know how it is to want more of God, but unsure of what to read or do. So, I want to help this Sister of Christ of ours out. If you are unable to send anything, please keep Nancy in North Carolina in your prayers OR leave her a word of encouragement in the comments below and I'll forward them to her.

You all are such wonderful women of the Lord and I thank God we have crossed paths in such an usual way, via blogging.

Have a blessed Monday!