Priorities

When your life is incredibly crazy…all it takes is a 4 year old’s wisdom to get your priorities straight again.  Let me tell you a little story…

Busy doesn’t even begin to describe our household lately-especially Erick-he has so much on his plate I can’t fathom how he functions.  Minus the job and the Master’s degree and some church obligations (which are actually wonderful) our Saturdays and Sundays are filled either with roofing the house we are in or working at the house in Dexter so we can get it on the market.  E and I both worked in Dexter last Saturday but didn’t get as much accomplished as we had hoped, so in a completely overwhelmed state of mind, E decided that he would have to forgo church on Sunday morning and put in a full day in Dexter.  Exhausting thought, but we desperately need to finish the house…

Sunday morning, Ryan hops on the bed (before he even knows that Daddy will be away all day) and he announces “Saturdays and Sundays are for Daddies to stay home and play with their kids!!”

You have to understand that Ryan rarely comes out and says “this is what I need”.  He is every inch a “hinter”.  He usually dances around the subject instead of full on telling us what he needs (one example…”I need some cooked pieces of bread with cheese in the middle”…aka cheese sandwhich, lol).   So to come out and practically say “I need my DAD!” really was something.  So of course we change plans, and all get ready for church, wherein we hear an AMAZING sermon that spoke to us so thoroughly and completely about prayer, but it doesn’t stop there…our pastor acutally reads verses from Harry Chapin’s Cats in the Cradle, which is even more of an affirmation.  Wow.

Sooooo, after church, Daddy played with the boys and we went on a family trip to Portland.  It was awesome.  We had so much fun.   And please understand-Erick is such a fantastic and involved dad-everyone who knows him knows that.  It’s just that free time has been very limited lately.  However, after Sunday, we have decided that a change of priorities is in order.  We would actually covet your prayers, and even your suggestions!  With the weekends being the only free time to finish renovation in one place and roofing in another, but with that also being the only time currently that can really be dedicated to family time, we need to reorganize somehow, putting family at the top of that particular list.

Anyway, here are some pictures from that day-a day that will always stand out in our minds, and I bet in the boys, too.  God is Good!

Isn't this a classic?

the camera unfortunately didn't give momma immunity from the jack attack

rugosa rose hips

the waves were crashing, but the weather was gorgeous!

Portland Head Light

One Fantastic Daddy

Calling all Friends!

Prayer Time!

This little baby…

was born a lot early! His name is Cash, and his Momma and Daddy are Melissa and Shawn.

aren't they the cutest? next to their baby?

Melissa and I were good friends in Junior High, way back when. Facebook brought us together again (yay!) and I’ve been following her beautiful pregnancy photos…until one day there was a “born baby” update…right out of the blue! Here’s where it gets crazy-Melissa was diagnosed with the very same thing I was when I had Ryan…Hellp Syndrome. Crazy, because it’s so rare. So I have a special interest in this family, because I can absolutely understand what they are going through. And what got me through was the fact that we literally had people praying for us across the entire nation. Word spreads fast, which means prayer spreads fast, which is an Excellent Thing! So if y’all could pray for Shawn and Melissa and Cash, I would appreciate it, and I know they would too. Pray that little Cash would gain weight quickly and his organs would function properly, and that Melissa and Shawn would have peace throughout this ordeal. They live about an hour from the hospital-that’s quite a haul. Here’s hoping for a baby home in time for the best Thanksgiving Meal ever!

Thanks, so very much!

Reason #342 we love living here

Moving back “home” has been full of advantages.  My list is 2 miles long, but one reason is that we are closer to church.  So close, in fact, we are literally a walk across the street from the front doors (and yet why are we still rushing across the street in a mad dash every Sunday morning?)

Anyway, a few weeks ago, my parents asked one of the members at church if he could recommend a good roofer, because our shingles were in desperate need to be replaced.  Without hesitation he said “Well, the guys at church can do it!”  And they DID!  They came out in droves on Saturday and helped to replace the portion of our house that was in danger of turning to mush this winter.

Doesn't that sky look ominous? The rain stayed away, though!

a tiny fraction of the roofing troops!

Not only did we have about 20 different volunteers, some really amazing wives turned up with food.  Mom had cooked up some hearty beef stew and cornbread, only to be on pins and needles that we wouldn’t have enough to go around.  And out of the blue, some angels show up  with a crockpot full of corn chowder!  And biscuits!  And then others came with brownies, and cookies…

What an amazing thing a church family is.  So thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who was involved on Saturday-even those who prayed for safety, because it obviously worked!  Other than some sore muscles, I do believe everyone came through unscathed!

Y’all are incredible.

Mini-Date on a Sunday Afternoon

Too often lately, this little family has been workingworkingworking (two houses is no small matter…two houses which need work, that is!) That includes Sunday afternoons…a day in which we so desperately wish to “rest”, so today we decided to do just that.

While Daddy took Jack, Momma took Ryan on a mini-date. Ry is my Mr. Independent, and Jack is Mr. Momma’s Boy, so my dear oldest doesn’t often get the attention he really, truly needs. Therefore, today it was the two of us and the park.

Leaf peeping, rock throwing, seagull chasing, picture taking. Perfect afternoon. And this verse kept running through my head…

“You will go out in joy, and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands”. (Isaiah 55:12)

Tell me now, does it not look like this nature is bursting forth into song? And aren’t the trees clapping their hands?

pretty ladies, all in a row...

happy kid by the river

big splash!

(oops)

Sorry, I couldn’t stop!

An hour with my son at the park, reveling in the fantastic display that God created for our enjoyment…equals “rest” to me. Having fun with my family this evening, enjoying each other’s company instead of painting/sanding/floor laying…even better!

A Good Day

You know what verse was running through my mind today? Luke 2:14…

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men!”

Oh, ya’ll it was an almost achingly perfect day.  Beautiful, Gorgeous, are you KIDDING me, God?  Is this for real?

I just wanted to run up to people and give them hugs!  Seriously!  Say, “Do you realize what a gift this is?”  You feel such wonderful weather, and see such beauty, and ponder the fact that God intended perfection, and peace, and that one day what we see here will be what we will eventually experience, but a thousand times better.  Man.

Mom and I did our Route 1 day trip…Belfast, Camden, Rockland.  It was just…very good.  I’ve about run out of descriptions!

Camden Bay

I didn’t snap too many pictures.  But I couldn’t help but get the next shot.  It’s in honor of my southern friends. 

Grits! Doesn't that beat all?

Well, it’s high time I crawl into bed.  Just wanted to document this day before I hit the hay.  And just gotta say it again…

Glory to GOD!

Fascinating!

Ok, if you have read for any length of time ya’ll know that I’m pretty pro-alternative medicine.  If I can fix it naturally, without drugs, I’m going to do it (I completely understand that this isn’t always an option!!)  I absolutely, without a doubt believe that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by an extraordinary God, and I believe that He knit us together in such a way that we can be “fixed” without going through painful side effects of common drugs.  Whether through chiropractic care, or homeopathy, or diet, or vitamins, I believe that He supplied what we need in order to live healthy lives without the interference of 10 prescription drugs (refer to my first I completely understand statement!)

Anyway, although I have had extraordinary success with chiropractic care and acupuncture and supplements, my mom and I recently discovered reflexology.  She found a book, written in 1938, by the pioneer of reflexology (who, by the way, mentions scripture and biblical principles all throughout her writings).  Anyway, there is a reflexologist in Newport who charges $25 dollars for an hour-long appointment.  This is amazing, ya’ll.  It’s the least expensive form of therapy I’ve come across.  I just got back from my first appointment, and just like the book mentioned, I didn’t even have to tell her what my areas of concern were.  She could tell by feeling my feet.  It was akin to having a fabulous hour long foot massage, and when she came across an area of concern, you could feel a little discomfort.  My mom just had her 3rd appointment and has dramatically improved her areas of aggravation.

Anyway, one of the fun things for me, when I find someone who is into natural healthcare, is sharing stories.   I have shared mine before, about being sick for 2 decades, on daily harmful meds, which I’m positive led to my HELLP Syndrome with Ryan.  I’ve been pharmaceutical-medicine free for 7 years now and healthier than ever.  But ya’ll, she had stories upon stories of people becoming cancer-free without having to go through chemo and radiation.  And I have done such an incredible amount of research…so many problems can be solved without putting toxins into our system!  Our bodies are AMAZING!  Treat them right, and so very, very often the problems will work themselves out.

Well, I’m on a “high” right now because of my appointment, and just wanted to share.  Sorry If I come across a little obsessed.   But if you ever have questions about anything, let me know!  If I don’t know, I usually have people that do!

Giving, and a George Update

I thoroughly enjoy this blog; Mr. Dalhstrom is pretty incredible. I recently read the entry for Monday, July 6th (can’t link to it specifically, but it is a read well worth it…as all of his posts are).  Completely jived with what our pastor mentioned last Sunday; found in the sermon on the Mount.  Matthew 6:2 tells us that “when you give to the needy”…as in when, not if.  

I also watched a short video awhile ago on how Christians should react to the recession…and it mentioned to give, and give more.  Interesting concept, isn’t it?  When everyone is trying to pinch pennies these days?  And not that we should give expecting something in return, but the blessings we incur when we give of what we *think* is our security!

And although this is a little off topic, it is a George and Ms. M update: when I mentioned to our neighbor that George called, she immediately knew who he was.  They were classmates, and he was an orphan who her parents practically treated as their own.  They grew up close as brother and sister.  That’s unfortunately all of the information I could glean before the blasted dementia seemed to make her a little hazy and our conversation came to an end.  BUT there again is an example of selfless giving.  There are so many ways to get involved, are there not?

I love this song.

I love it, I love it, I love it.

Did I mention I love it? Well, I do.

Off The Shoulders

Ahhh, sweet release.  The burden is gone.  Done.  Kaput.

I love how God teaches us things.  Sometimes quietly, with a whisper.  Sometimes not so subtly.  Lately He has been teaching me new truths by practically whammin’ me upside the head from multiple directions.  Sound painful?  It’s not.  It’s fantastic, because you know without a doubt that what you are learning is spot-on!

For, oh, about 10 years (as long as I’ve been engaged-almost as long as I’ve been married) I’ve had that “nesting” instinct.  I’ve wanted to decorate-to have that cushy, lovely place to come home to.  Hard to do that in an apartment that you know will be temporary…so my “goal” has been homeownership (who am I kidding…homeloanership is more like it  for quite a few years!)  You can make it your own, do what you want to do-you know the drill.  When Erick and I signed the papers on our nest last year, I couldn’t wait to get a jump on it. We even carted home bathroom tile and a sink right after we gave the bank our John Hancock.

If you have followed me long enough-you’ve read my distress.  I’ve gone through a love-hate relationship with this house.  In a week or two we will have owned the place for a year, and not one detail is complete.  Not one room is “picture-worthy”.   It bothered me to no end, but I slowly became used to it.  One thing I did NOT want, though, was to start having company over (minus VERY close friends who we hoped would care less what state our abode was in).  One of my dreams for this house was to open it up to company and have it be a place where people could gather, but I was too embarrassed!  After putting off a friend for a few months, I finally agreed to host a Pampered Chef show (coming up shortly) and I figured that would give us the oomph we needed to wrap up a few things.  So we worked like mad during Erick’s vacation, getting quite a bit done, but shaking our heads when there was still no visible, apparent progress besides a few uprooted bushes and now a completely shabby facade because I scraped our shingles like the dickens in preparation for exterior paint (thus making it a terrific eyesore).

Then, last weekend came, and I don’t know how it happened, but I truly realized that if I desperately wanted our house finished, it would have been.  I would of stayed up late nights, I would have missed sleep, I would have driven myself in circles wrapping up the details.  Therefore, it obviously wasn’t that important to me.  It was a big, fat thing called Pride that was diggin’ in to my ego.  I wanted OTHER people to be impressed. And you know what?  I don’t care anymore!  We have fantastic friends who would have come over for dinner and not care that our ceiling isn’t painted and we only have folding chairs to sit in.  We’ve missed out on a year of developing relationships because of “image”.  Ugh.  Yucko!

I am done stressing.  We’ll have a houseful next week that might look at our house and think “they’ve truly done work to this place?”  Actually, scratch that.  I know our friends.  They won’t think that at all.

I came to this conclusion, and felt so good about it…then the next day I read this blog post.  Complete confirmation.  I have no problem with making houses beautiful, but ya’ll, we gotta be grateful for what we have.  What if I never completed my home transformation?  Would it truly matter?  I’m thinking not…

I’ll keep chippin’ away at the place.  But priorities…wow.  Priorities.

(The above link to that post is great…and read more on the trip if you can.)

He is Risen Indeed!

We had an indoor Easter Egg hunt today after church; it was a bit too blustery outside.

(Jack obviously thought, at first, that you were supposed to eat the egg; he didn’t realize there was loot inside!)

While the hunt is fun, we make sure they know the true meaning of the holiday…where would we be without Easter?  Lost!  Because Jesus died, then rose again, we have the biggest reason to celebrate in the world.  Thank you Jesus!

One other reason to celebrate-mom is on the mend!  Thank you for your prayers; she hasn’t had a “crash” in 3 days.  Still pretty tired, but oh, so much better.  

He is Risen, Indeed!