Let Your Fingers and Life Do the Talking

I believe, 100%, that God orchestrates my day. How I respond to it is my choice! Sometimes I choose correctly but more often then not-I learn from my mistakes.

Being a stay at home, I feel like my contact with non believers are limited. I know God called me to be home with the children so I have to trust Him not just for that part, but all of it.

A month or so ago I went to the video store all by myself. Two things odd about this:

1. I don't care for TV so the video store is not my kinda place to spend money.

2. I went by myself-no little people!

While at the video store I waited in a line typical of a weekend in the winter months-LONG!

I noticed the man in front of me writing, pointing and occasionally making a grunting noise. I realized he was deaf. Here is the kicker! I actually have a degree in education for deaf and hard of hearing so I should sign and sign well BUT I earned that degree over 10 years ago and never used the deaf and hard of hearing part of it. So I am a bit rusty-okay like take me to the recycling center rusty! I knew I was supposed to use what I did learn those 5 years and thousands of dollars later and use it.

So I pulled off my mittens- stuck my purse in my pocket and sat my video on the counter. I knew the edict and put myself all up in his business. It wasn't pretty, but I helped the guy get his appropriately rated video and talked a tiny bit- not too much because of the line behind us and my retention skills were equivalent to those of a 2 year old!

As I left that night with a smile on my face, I wondered if I would ever see that man again and what place our conversation about where I was from (apparently I even sign with a dialect!) had in the Kingdom.

Tonight, I took Billy and Dolly to return the videos My Dear had gotten them in the FREE kids section and let them choose another FREE movie.

As we were checking out, the clerk said, " I see a lot of people in here but I recognize you. You sign, don't you?" We then talked about that evening a bit. I thought God was working on the deaf man but He was doing something else.

When I look back on the night, that I was in the store and that my hands were not holding on to a little person....I see HIS hand. I march forward into the mission field He has called me....it is wherever I am and I HAVE to be ready! Think I will start frequenting the free section at the video store!

Deaf Culture Lesson: Deafness is a culture not a disability so you identify a person who is deaf with deaf followed by man, woman, person... like I did above. Disabilities are exactly the opposite-the man with mental retardations or the child who is blind-you put the person first then the disability.

BIG Hearts-little People

One night, I asked our little "Dolly" to get ready for bed. As she did, I began picking up toys off of the floor. She stopped me and asked me not to disturb this wagon parked beside the dollhouse. Yes, the dollhouse with a horse in it and no, she did not use the word disturb. She told me that the children were going to deliver groceries and flowers to people who have cancer. Why didn't I think to do that with my children and their wagon?



My Dear will be thrilled to see this picture but I could not resist the story. "Dolly" woke up not feeling well a week ago. "Billy" wanted cinnamon rolls and can pretty much make them himself. He decided to serve "Dolly" breakfast in bed-mom and daddy's bed.


They are just kids, but I love how God is molding their hearts and think I might take some lessons from the sweet darlins'!

Is this the lab?

I recall having to sign up for lecture and then the lab in college. You learn it in lecture and do it in lab. The labs were usually hours long and put an interesting (meaning not cool!) curve in your day.

Yesterday, we had a sick one. Our kids are typically healthy but I am beginning to think it is through their illnesses that I learn. I better get it this time 'cause it is just not fair to the children that they are sick due to their hard headed momma!

Sick children are needy and Man Cub was no different. I entertained Lydia with reading, playing a game and having school since she did not have Clay to keep her busy. Blake napped as normal and continues to experiment with the potty....still!

This morning, I walked into the living room, one asleep on the couch and another asleep on the love seat neither of them interested in eating and especially not school. Now, 2 kids needing mama and another still experimenting!

Meanwhile, my heart is heavy to do something...So many lives lost in Haiti and so many more children orphaned. Our focus is on that country, as it should be, but I can't help but think of the lost souls in our own country and the orphans here. The need is great and it is ALL around us!

My status on Facebook says, " I want to get in a plane, fly to Haiti, tell them to give me some kids who need parents, come home and live happily ever after." It has stirred quite a train of post. We all want to do something!

I want to do something but I am weary in serving the family I have. I entertain sin by allowing myself to consider how I give and no one has any idea...which, is totally a lie because you know-mom of a newborn, of multiple children, single parent, teacher of a needy classroom, child of a parent with dementia...you know!

It is so timely that God would have me pick up the book I have yet to finish and read about true Servanthood. Rick Warren reminded me that ,"Servants think more about others than about themselves." He later says,"it is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less." Timely, isn't it! I am in the midst of service. I want to do something for Him, something BIG, but I have to do the small first (even if it does deal with bodily fluids and picking up dirty tissues.)

Luke 16:10 "whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much..."

So now, as I serve Him doing something little, I will feel His hands on me as He molds me for something BIG... because this is the lab I signed up for and it is all too temporary.

Hide It In My Heart

I am working on scripture memory. I know it is not a lot, but it is a goal I can achieve. I am working on one new scripture a month and one old scripture. What? I should know the old one? You are right, but many times I quote and do not know where it is found. Like in the last post-I knew that scripture was in Psalms but I had to hunt for it to share with ya'll. It is like saying, "Somewhere in the Bible it says...." I am just not down with that.

You should also know, that I am not a numbers person. When we moved to our current home, it took me a long time to learn our phone number. I had to start with a new area code! I think our son and I learned it at the same time!! I never called it so I had to look it up in my wallet to complete forms-sad. I did know My Dear's cell number though! *Brownie Points!*

My new verse is Psalms 28:7-now I am going to have to check the reference just be sure-yeah, I was right!!

The Lord is my strength and my shield: my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.

The old verse is the verse from the last post....gonna' learn the reference this time cause God has given me plenty of opportunities for saying this one!

Thank You God Celebration

This fall, I shared with you about my precious friend learning she had breast cancer. New Year's Eve, "Mami" as our girls call her, completed her last radiation! What perfect timing to refocus with thoughts of a new year. All along her journey, she has pointed others to her strength-God.

Her journey has not only grown her but those around her including myself. She shared on a Facebook status asking others to join her by shouting out Thank You God at a specific time on the day she would be finished with her last radiation treatment.

So we did just that, much to her surprise, our shouts came from the parking lot of the cancer center as soon as we saw her face! What an honor to celebrate with her and so many that have prayed, cried, and called out to God through our tears. What a celebration! I think we all needed it.

Since God is in the business of details, Mami's doctor was leaving work when he saw us. He grew up in our church and now brings his family. It was so fitting that he was there to shout Thanks to God too!

Mami has shared this experience with us. She has allowed us to pray, to sit in the waiting room, provide meals, and even little hugs from "the cheerleaders" as I called our girls. How beautiful is the body of Christ!

After the celebration I recited this passage to myself with a big ole' grin on my face, "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3 THANK YOU GOD!

Christmas Cards and "More Dezus"

I am less then eager to take the nativities and Christmas tree down this year. I love hearing 2 year old Blake yell, "there Dezus(Jesus)" or "more Dezus" when she sees a nativity. When praying at night she will pray for "More Dezus" as if that is His name, but what a great prayer....praying for more Jesus and less us, in our lives.

My friend read in Home Life magazine last year a cool idea she suggested I share with you. Instead of throwing Christmas cards away or taking them to the recycling center, put the cards in a basket and pull a card out each week to pray for that sender(s.) What a great idea!!

If you sent us a card or put a card on a gift.....we will be praying for you this year! If we don't have enough cards to get through the year, we will repeat so you might get 2 weeks of prayer out of us!

Hey, if you are glad Michele shared this idea-post a shout out to her!

When we draw out a card, we will be praying that the sender knows Jesus as their Lord and Savior and that they grow in Christ cause we all need "more Dezus" in our lives.

A Heart Full

This is my 2nd attempt to record all the things I want my heart to remember about today. I am reminded there is no textbook or degree that can prepare you for parenting.
I am constantly amazed at how I am stretched.

By noon, I had cleaned up 2 potty misses and removed a pair of toddler pants now marked by lipstick. I attempted to explain potty misses as gross which apparently is a fun word to repeat but obviously carries no meaning for the tiny speaker. On a good note, a crinkled nose on a red head saying gross will lower your blood pressure.

After lunch, a dinner glass was knocked off the table and broken. An apology came quickly. The glass was empty and I told the little darling, I did not like that glass anyway. One less glass to wash today!

I commended Middle button for always being remorseful and mentioned that when big brother was little, he would clam up after an accident and refuse to apologize, probably out of fear. Clay hearing the comment responded, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for all of those times I did not say I was sorry." How precious is that!? He then said it was good for 100 times. I told him I probably owed him 1,000.

Today, Lydia was reading and came to the word SIN. She sounded it out and then said, it is such a little word as she starred at it. Such a little word with such HUGE ramifications.

Miss Lydia is sick. She can not hold anything down. I don't know that I have ever felt so helpless sitting by a sick child. I am so thankful I only have experienced this for a virus unlike so many other loving caregivers.

Lydia does not want her little sister to get sick and tries to keep her away from her. I think B. may understand some. Lydia fell asleep on the couch and B. referred to her as a baby. She did look like a little cherub.

B. was whining for "paci." The signal for bedtime. I handed her the pacifier and she said, "Mmmm," as if it were the best thing she had in her mouth all day. Poor thing, the paci will be going at the beginning of the year.

A serviceman came to our house today. He has been here before. Our house is decorated in nativities and he has heard the kids and I schooling. Today, he heard Lydia singing, "Away in a Manger," prior to her getting sick. God reminded me that sometimes, he will send the people directly to me-right in my living room.

Glad My Dear was home tonight. He made tea and as always, he served it to me in my favorite Bybee Pottery mug. Not to mention gave one little person a bath and cared for another in shifts with me. He is my helpmate, especially at this wonderful stage in our lives.

Praying today over, 3 men who have/are losing their jobs. Their families represent 12 children. A family who has been asked to add 6 month old twins to their busy family, 2 little girls who were returned to their mother after a drug test was thrown out of a court case, families facing or dealing with death, breast cancer warriors, and old friends on Facebook who need Jesus and the words from the Holy Spirit to communicate to them.