But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
If you’re looking for the pics, they will be up tomorrow. Today has been a day of waiting for healing and restoration of my eyes. Yesterday, I ended up in the emergency room because my eyes were throbbing and my vision became almost non-existent for a while. Thankfully, out of all the things it could have been, it’s just a virus that will run it’s course and will return to normal, Lord willing.
So today, I’ve rested and taken pain meds for the pain in my eyes. Tomorrow, brand new mercy. I’ll need it!
Above all else today…blessing the name of the Lord!
Just got off the phone with Mary and they are leaving for the airport to start their long journey home! SO EXCITED!!! I wasn’t meant to live by myself… and to put a finer point on it, I wasn’t meant to live without Mary Malone! So she gets home tomorrow evening…hoping they will be ON TIME. They are going through Chicago so you just never know!
Eliana loving on her baby and buzz lightyear…
I LOVE seeing him smile…
This smart little guy picked this up…inspected it…tasted it…and then tried very hard to put it on the lens. At some point I guess he had seen me do that!
Doing after-dinner chores… And let me tell you, cleaning up after the littles is a CHORE!
Micah in the car after dinner…bloody nose and all. And yes, I know his face is messy, they were playing outside after dinner until bath time.
Kicked back in the club house with his stick. Love this guy!
Micah was at the back of the yard “cooking.”
Are YOU this limber?
Ethan has the most hauntingly beautiful eyes. He’s doing VERY well. He’s smiling and kissing and hugging and loving being part of a family.
Update on Ethan’s health… Ethan continues to gain weight SLOWLY. He’s been on the gluten free diet for a couple of weeks and that seems to have really regulated his potty habits somewhat and he doesn’t spit up much anymore. His blood work finished coming in this afternoon. High thyroid, high markers for celiac disease, and normal everything else (including the food allergy screening). So they have scheduled him a scope (under anesthetic – have you ever tried to stick a tube down a cat’s throat? it would be similar to that without anesthetic). He’ll have that on May 16. It’s a short procedure, but total time at the hospital will be about 5 hours. FUN FUN FUN!!! We are glad they are getting it done though. That will give us a definite yes or no on the celiac. Then we will know whether we have to continue the gluten-free diet for the rest of his life OR if we can put him back on a normal diet like the other people in the house.
We continue to seek to follow hard after God and go where He leads.
Sweet little Matthew has it. Thankfully, he is the only one. Though it means he can’t go to school until it’s cleared up. Probably all week. He was diagnosed Monday. Thankfully Blake, being homeschooled, is able to care for him during the day. Otherwise, I don’t know what I’d do.
Mary is due to come home on Thursday evening. It seems like she’s been gone for months instead of just 2 weeks. It’s been a long 2 weeks. I will be so glad when she’s home. I’m a bit nervous for her to be out of the country this week with the unrest that the killing of bin Laden has certainly caused and will cause. Perhaps you will pray with me for her safety! It’s in God’s control of course.
Tonight, the kids have their final band concert of the year. They are always very good and it will be great to hear how all their hard work has paid off this year! The rest of the week will be uneventful I pray. :-)
Thankfully, I don’t have activities at church Wednesday night so maybe I can catch a few breaths and do some things around the house…
Just as I was getting ready to go to sleep last night I got the “breaking news” text that said Osama Bin Laden was dead.
So I went to sleep with that on my mind. I woke up this morning with such mixed feelings. I turned on G**d Morning America at 7 when it started and of course Diane Sawyer was hosting with the normal people. You could hear the excitement in her voice. You could sense the “finally there is justice” spirit in her reporting and conversation. They showed New Yorkers on the street and at ground zero and while they weren’t celebrating with clapping or cheering, there was an air of jubilation and almost a grand sigh of relief. They spoke of a ticker tape “parade” atmosphere on Times Square though I didn’t see pics of that.
As they described the precision work of the navy seals, I felt a sense of pride in our military and our country that is reserved for such moments. I listened as they spoke of the step by step plans and execution of those plans and how they came face to face with Bin Laden and their instant recognition of him (meaning he didn’t even bother to try to disguise himself…such arrogance). And then upon his refusal of surrender, the shots to the head and near instant death. They even showed the blood soaked carpets.
Mixed feelings… In the back of my mind, anytime I hear about Bin Laden or think about 9/11, I secretly wish he would get his due. Secretly wish that he could and would suffer as so many thousands have suffered at his hands. Those are the fleshly feelings of revenge and the justice of men. On the other side, I prayed that his heart would be turned to Jesus. That he would realize his need of a Savior, just like I did. I never wished that he would escape punishment or consequence, but I did pray that he would find salvation and that God would somehow change his heart. I suspect that never happened.
So when I see the reports that he’s dead…I’m glad. I’m also grieved that he never knew the love of my Savior. No doubt, if there are “degrees” in hell, he’s in the hottest and most excruciatingly painful and deepest crevice. I wish I could say that I’m sorry about that…but my flesh says I’m not…even though my spirit aches with dread for him, regardless of what he has done. It’s too bad he couldn’t experience the love of my Heavenly Father.
May God change the hearts of men and may He expose the lies of sat*n that deceive the hearts and minds of isl*mists around the world.
John 14:6 says, “I [Jesus] am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.” He’s the only way. There is no other.
Yeah…I know you may have arguments with my feelings about all this and that you might differ in my thoughts. But they’re my thoughts so there it is… As to arguments that Jesus is the only way to God and Heaven…it doesn’t matter what you think or what I think. The Bible expresses in no uncertain terms the Way…so there’s no arguments whether you or I believe it or not.
Blessing the Name of My Great God Today. He is Worthy. And so thankful today for Forgiveness and Compassion of my Father.
It’s often assumed that God only calls “ministers” and “pastors.” But God calls EACH OF US to something (or somethings). He calls plumbers, artists, teachers, daddies and mommies, janitors, landscapers, and yes even pastors. He calls YOU and He calls ME to serve Him wholeheartedly and fully devoted to Him wherever we are and whatever we’re doing.
He calls us to be a living witness for His grace, love and forgiveness. He calls us to be His hands reaching out in compassion to the lonely, the oppressed, the orphan, the widow.
What has God called YOU to do? Are you obeying or looking for excuses why you just can’t follow His call right now? What has He asked me to do that I’m not doing or dragging my feet instead of obeying??
Everyone was up at 7:30 and I decided it would be fun to take the kids to McDonald’s for breakfast. It was a splurge to say the least, and quite a feet to do by myself (with the help of the older kids, of course). The littles were ecstatic when we pulled up. Micah and Matthew were beside themselves — they love to go OUT to eat.
The teenager at the counter was a bit shocked that I ordered 8 orders of hotcakes and sausage, but got over it I guess.
Ethan had hockey puck eggs and a banana. Thankfully they weren’t too busy. Needless to say, we are quite a sight when we go out. Micah went up into the playplace and if you know him, you know that he is just loud. So he started with his noises and two little girls promptly came down to tel their mom that “that little boy is scary.” Hmm…I’ve thought a lot of things about Micah, but never that he’s scary. Thankfully, I heard the mom tell them to “stop being silly…he’s not scary at all.” She didn’t make a big deal out of it. The girls, though did not go back up and play. Instead they came to the toddler area and stood to the side of the 4 other littles and stared at them. I considered introducing them to the littles and tell them about them, but didn’t know how the mom would feel about that…so we just played and smiled. :-)
Our kids are such a blessing…
The littles room is cleaned and 2 new “odor killers” have been installed. That makes four in their room. Yes…the odor gets that bad! Ha ha. Ethan requires two all by himself. I’ve considered how I can attach one to him! He’s sweet…but SMELLY! He has a constant smearing of poop all over his torso at all times it seems. That colostomy is kind of a nuisance…since it makes him poop almost constantly all day. And he doesn’t like the diaper to cover it so he pushes it down so the poop pretty much goes into his clothes and then he smears that around. I’m sure it’s rather itchy. But enough about that!
There are days when you long for Heaven. Yeah, I know…whenever He comes back it’s going to be awesome and I’ll be so excited. But there are days when you just long to be home. Not because of anything in particular, except that you’re ready to see Him…and be like Him…and worship Him. Not to escape something, if that’s what you’re thinking since I’m home alone with 9 kids. :-)
This is one of my new favorite songs…
Mary Update… Unfortunately the 1 week trip to Ukraine has now turned into a 2 week trip to Ukraine… but alas… she’ll be home at the end of next week, we hope.
Things are going fine in Ukraine, but unfortunately, the US Emb*ssy is closed today, Monday AND Tuesday. SO they can’t get the visa until Wednesday and they hope to get tickets on Thursday which will put them home LATE Thursday night.
You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand
You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand
So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You
So I’ll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand
So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You
So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
So I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours
It’s so hard for me to not know the bigger plan. It’s hard for me not to know the part of the plan that in my mind is the linch pin that makes the whole plan possible…especially when it would the biggest decision-making factor when you try to logically make a decision based on common sense. The thing is, sometimes God has a plan that He asks you to join and He not only doesn’t give you the details, but just asks for your yes. That’s hard. Today, I’m praying that God would give me great faith and great clarity and a super-sensitivity to HIS voice and that ANY OTHER voice would be quieted or at least drowned out by His.
