Life

Each step of life is a journey that you choose to walk.

Each moment of life is another line, sentence, paragraph and chapter of the book called your life.

Enjoy all that life has to offer, good friends, good food, good coffee and as always wisdom and a good laugh.

~Jen





22 June 2012

The Road Ahead...



is paved with uncertainty. I have to be very honest here because I know that somewhere along this journey it is going to help someone else. I am going to tell you that it has not been an easy week, and I really don't know what is going to happen next. My thoughts are not clear, and my mind feels like a scrambled egg, but I am going to update on the septic situation. Oh and did I tell you that my youngest now has a staph infection? Yeah that all happened on Tuesday.

Tuesday: We left the house and stayed at a hotel. I am so thankful for the fast response of my insurance company. I am also thankful for the fast response of ServePro. I had to call and postpone Lil'Man's appointment.

My thought on Tuesday: How on earth are we going to pay for all this mess???

Wednesday: ServePro came out and began removing all the carpet. Damage to the house so far has been all the bedrooms, the living room and the pantry in the kitchen. Our insurance company worked diligently to find us a place to stay until Monday, but did say that we will not be able to move in until we fix the problem. They want us to stay in a suite that has a kitchen. I found 2. One is not available until next Wednesday, so the other we made a reservation for.

When we got there...yeah...no. It was not a safe place to stay. I'm not going to say much more, but when Mike came to where we were, he said no way. I called the company that was helping us find a room and by the time I was talking with the rep, I was in tears. I was so tired, so mentally exhausted and really hungry (yeah...I hadn't eaten) I was just overwhelmed with the situation. They worked on reversing the charges, and we went to grab a sub.

I called a couple of friends...and we were offered a place to stay with a friend so we took them up on their offer. Oh, thank you for friends. By the time we were settled it was about 10pm. It was a long day, but it was a safer nights sleep.

My thought on Wednesday: Lord, please let this be in the realm of us being able to afford the repairs on the septic. We are completely and totally dependent on you because I can't do this.

Thursday: Environmental Services came to the house and flagged the yard. Mike says that is where we are going to have to expand the drain field to. It's more than half my yard?! Oh boy. We now have a permanent, temporary place to stay. Now I feel a little more normal. We got settled into the rooms early afternoon but we still had to go out to eat and pick up a few more items from the house. Mike picked up a floor sample. I like it, looks like Pergo for the house...here's hoping. I know this. I'm not wanting carpet again. I saw all the DIRT that was on the ground when they pulled up the carpet and the padding! Yeah...NO.

My thought on Thursday: Oh Man, today I'm suppose to go to Best Body Boot Camps grand opening! Well...that's not happening. I hope Nicole has a great turnout. Man, I feel so bad. I have to take care of my family first though. Praying for God to give me clarity and peace.

Friday: Well it's early on Friday and I only have a skeleton of a plan. I have to fax over our expenses this morning, then get back to the rooms to get the kids and then go to the house to let our poor dogs out. Clean the dishes that have been sitting in sink water for the past 3 days outside with the house and take Bart (my co-worker) down to the airport. Everything else...I have no idea. We'll see. I'm just praying that I can hold it all together without falling apart.


If you can help us out in any way, let me know. I would greatly appreciate any and all help. We cannot borrow money, we have no credit cards, and we have very little savings (as in none). We would like to repair our septic so it never backs into our house again (Did I tell you that this is the second time in four years?), and have a yard that is once again safe for my children to play in.



~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

19 June 2012

Practicing what I...



confess and speak. Yes indeed. 5 days ago I wrote about being thankful for what could be deemed a "defining moment" out of a bad experience. On Father's Day my husband came home to our water (septic) lines backing up into the house (again!!)



Now of course our first reaction was to throw down some towels and call the plumber. We did that and the answer was what we suspected...the septic tank is full (again). Now mind you I just had it pumped out 3 months ago. With all the rain that we have had (like 9 inches in 11 days) our yard is not absorbing the water fast enough. So now we have a "situation".



Of course it would be easy to look at the negative, like no extra cash for the fix, or we do not have full use of our home, but I am choosing to look at this as more of an adventure that God is wanting to take me and my family on. I know that He will provide for our need. I am just waiting now to hear what that need is. Yesterday I called the county for the permit, and now I'm waiting for the inspector to come out to do a perk test, then I can call the septic people for bids.

Can I tell you that yes I'm scared? I don't know where the money is going to come from. Can I tell you that I'm frustrated? In my mind (and my own little world) I thought this would be the month that we could put some money into savings to start saving up for these types of fixes. Can I tell you that I'm worried? We are in no position to borrow money, and to be honest with you I don't want to borrow money. We are a "pay as you go" kind of family. No credit card debt and no loans out (besides the mortgage).



Despite my "Job" like feelings, I am trusting in God. Despite the feeling of fear, I am believing in the goodness that is going to come out of faith. I am reminded that I have been through worse and have not just survived but thrived, and that all glory goes to God so that others may see Him through my life.

So there it is...I'm having to practice what I speak.

~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

14 June 2012

Thankful Thursday



 I just wanted to reflect on all that is good in life. It is so easy to get caught up in what is going wrong, what we don't have, or all the injustice that happens to us.

Why do we find it so easy to dwell on the negative, the hurt, the pain? I ask myself that question more times than I care to admit. When I was getting ready this morning, I kept thinking of "defining moments" in life. I began to wonder why it is that we tend to draw on a bad experience to make a defining moment. Why can't a good experience become a defining moment?



 I realized that it's a lot like looking at film. For those of you that remember photography, when you take a picture the "negative" is what is first developed, but in order to see the beauty that you were trying to capture, you had to fully develop the film until the positive photo appeared on the photo paper.


I honestly believe that it is a choice. So today I am thanking God for the defining moments in my life that I once viewed as a bad memory (the negative), but I now see them as good (the developed picture)...

- I am thankful that I lived in many places growing up and met so many people along the way. (I'm a very social person and fit into most social situations)

-I am thankful for the trip to Walt Disney World with my family when I was a teenager. It was the last time I spent time with my Aunt Cindy. (I miss her, and I realize that time is precious)

-I am thankful for my loving friends that pulled me out of the darkness that surrounded me for so long and never giving up on me. (I could have let the depression swallow me and could have given up, because I felt that life would never get better.)

-I am thankful for having God fearing mother who never gave up on her husband or her children. (I remember when my Mom told me that she prays for me everyday. It meant more to me than she will ever realize)

-I am thankful for a husband who loves me for me. (Our courtship was brief, and I was "In Love", but I didn't think I deserve that kind of love. He truly loves me "warts & all")

-I am thankful for 3 beautiful children that are loving, caring, and giving. (After losing 2 children, I am amazed of God's grace. I could have let the lose overshadow the blessings of who I have in my life now)



So, what are you thankful for today? Can you go back into your memories and pinpoint those "defining moments" and find the good in them? Let go of the pain and Live in the knowledge that what happened to you is not who you are.



~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

13 June 2012

Wonder in the Storm

It seems that every time I turn around there is something else going on. I wonder how it is that life can get so complicated so fast, and then I realized....it's because I'm letting the situation at hand take over the moment instead of allowing it to flow into what God has already planned.

 Jeremiah 29:11-13, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."


As a mom, I have make sure that my children are where they are suppose to be, when they are suppose to be there. I do my best to plan the meals, and clean up after the kids clean up, but every now and again I'm stopped dead in my tracks because of illness or an unexpected storm arises. I have come to realize that when I'm blindsided I have a choice to make (and quick), do I get upset and panic or do I bend and flow with the moment and see God?

Isaiah 41:10: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

This past week, my dear friend has been in the hospital with her baby. Her whole life has been put on a detour road, and as I'm watching her Facebook messages and her texts I see a woman strong in faith. I know she is scared and her heart is filled with uncertainty, but her words are praises and glory to God!

Job 4:5-7, "But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed. Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?"


I have gone through my own storm this week. Both of my boys have gone to camp. This is the first time that my youngest has gone so far from me. I have to admit...it's not as easy as I thought it would be. I know that he is doing fine (because I have not received a phone call), but I am anticipating Thursday evening when they are home.

 John 14:16-17 ,"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

While the boys have been gone, my daughter is battling a staph infection. It began one week ago today. Praise God we caught it early! She has had to overcome her fear of needles and repeat doctor appointments. Throughout it all, she and I keep sharing the blessings (the positive) of it all; the wound healed up on itself and did not leak at all on Thursday or Friday during dance recital, the dance itself made the infection come to a head so we were able to remove most of the infection on Saturday. With all of the bad, it was nice to find the good.

Deuteronomy 31:6, Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”


Now, not only have we been going through these spiritual storms, we have also been going through some very severe weather storms too. Every day since May 30th we have had rain. Praise God, we are no longer in a drought. We have had limbs down, fences busted and trash blown all around, but we have all been safe. The storms have also been beautiful. I love them. To hear the rain come down and to see the lightening show, to hear the roar of the thunder...to me this is a beautiful sound. I am once again reminded that God has complete control and even though I don't understand it, I enjoy it.

 Psalm 107:25, "For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea."

My last thought for today comes from a sermon I heard on Sunday. Pastor Carl shared this, "Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you respond". I love this reminder of it's not what happens but how you respond. Let's respond with Praise and Thanks.

Psalm 100:4, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!"




~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

12 June 2012

Father's Day message from...



Francesca Battistelli. I really like Franny. My daughter absolutely loves her and keeps up with Francesca on a regular basis. My daughter will be able to meet Francesca this upcoming October, and she is so super excited (and I'm excited for her). My daughter has met many artist and bands over the past so many years, but this...to meet Francesca...is a dream come true for her.

So this morning as I was looking around for some good news to share, I came across this great blog from Franny B. I hope you enjoy it, and let it remind you of the blessings you have from your Father in Heaven as well as your earthly father.

 http://www.francescamusic.com/content/happy-fathers-day

~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

06 June 2012

The Hurt & The Healer



The seventh studio album from multi-platinum and award-winning band MercyMe, The Hurt & The Healer, has hit the Billboard 200 top albums chart in a big way, landing at No. 7 & No. 1 on the Christian SoundScan chart. During its debut week, the album reached No. 10 on iTunes’®. MercyMe is currently dominating radio with the album’s title-track lead single is sitting high at No. 1 this week on two charts: Billboard Christian AC Indicator and Soft AC/Inspo, and rose to No. 2 at AC Monitored. “The Hurt & The Healer” also continues to climb quickly upward at CHR, spending this week at No. 11.

~Peace & Blessings~
Jen