answered prayers...

Have you ever really thought about what you have prayed for and then thought about it a few months or years later? When I think about this, I am amazed. Is prayer easy...no. Did I get everything I prayed for....no. Did God always answer right away....definitely not. Actually, many times I have felt like my prayers weren't heard at all. I was so wrong...I am not a pro at any of this and this posting is just skimming the surface of the power of prayer, but this was on my heart. I am just writing from my experiences and I hope some of you can relate. 

I really started to grow in my faith in high school. I guess this was the time that I had to start making important choices. This started with deciding what college to go to....then it was deciding what I would do with my life. This seemed to be the most difficult thing for me to determine. My main goal was to do what God wanted, but for a long time, it wasn't made clear to me. FYI: I really believe I have a heart to please the Lord partly because of my mother's (and father's) prayers for me. (thank you, mama) She always says that she started praying for me during her pregnancy.....that I would be musical and not have skinny legs like her:) After much consideration, I started college at UGA and this was a difficult time. I quickly realized how special my parents were and how I took them for granted! I was very homesick, but after a little while, I met new friends and college became something I enjoyed. I realized more than ever that God opens and closes doors in our life to help us grow in Him.....Anyway, after two years in Athens, I then moved to Augusta for nursing school. During my latter years of college, I began to think about falling in love and getting married....bla, bla, bla, right? After many unsuccessful dates and relationships, I was discouraged. I was always afraid that I would never get married and grow to be an old maid!:) After a little while, I realized that I needed to live my life not worrying about every detail and pray for God to take care of my concerns. I have always had a habit of writing down my prayers. Notice this one is from 2003 about letting God take control.

 

 I still have the one I wrote about my future husband. Most importantly, I prayed that he would love the Lord. I prayed that he would love me unconditionally. I also prayed that he would be musical and love kids. I remember writing to ask God to prepare his heart and to send him to me when the time was right. (I always told Timmy that I prayed for him even before I knew him. He never knew exactly what I was talking about, until he found the prayer while cleaning up one day (yes, he helps me clean!). After he found it, he came to me and said, "thank you....I understand now." Then you all know what came next, I met Timmy, we fell in love, and got married (only with a lot of loss in the midst of all that.....more about that time in my life later). We knew we wanted to start a family, but not for a few years....and at one point in my life, I didn't know if this would ever happen! All I wanted was to be a mother and it wasn't as easy for me as it seemed for so many others. Because I am talking about prayer here, I will fast forward to this part of the story. Timmy and I began to pray.....every day for just about a year.....Below is the prayer (from the book, Prayers that Avail Much by Germaine Copeland...great book).

When Desiring To Have a Baby:
Our Father, my spouse and I bow our knees unto You. Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named, we pray that You would grant to us according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with might by Your Spirit in the inner man. Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, that we — being rooted and grounded in love — may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God. 
Hallelujah, we praise You, O Lord, for You give children to the childless wife, so that she becomes a happy mother. And we thank You that You are the One Who is building our family. As Your children and inheritors through Jesus Christ, we receive Your gift — the fruit of the womb, Your child as our reward. 
We praise You, our Father, in Jesus’ name, for we know that whatsoever we ask, we receive of You, because we keep Your commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in Your sight. 
Thank You, Father, that we are a fruitful vine within our house; our children will be like olive shoots around our table. Thus shall we be blessed because we fear the Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.


God answered our prayer(even though at times I doubted Him). After a few years, look where we are now! We definitely have many olive shoots around our table....along with blocks, baby dolls, smashed green beans, and as I have mentioned before, velveeta! :) It may seem like your prayers aren't heard, but every last word is heard by our loving God. Several of the prayers in my life didn't go the way I had hoped.....I prayed for my Aunt Faye's healing from cancer.....I prayed God would free my father from depression....I prayed He wouldn't take my nana from us so soon....God heard each of these prayers, but He had a different plan. When you feel discouraged as if your prayers aren't helping, remember the following from God's word....Pray in faith, pray in encouragement, and pray KNOWING God hears you and that in HIS TIME and HIS PERFECT WILL, He will answer. I would also encourage you to write down your prayers in a journal and look back at them from time to time. God is always faithful.

• Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him." (Ps 37:7 NIV)
• If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matt 17:20 NIV)
• Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. (Ps 27:14 NIV)
• "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24
• "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 
• And a really encouraging one......."Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22

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Opposites really do attract...

Opposites really do attract. I should know this....Timmy and I are completely different! There has never been two people more opposite, yet so compatible. He is very talkative and I am so much more reserved. He is a risk taker, and I am more conservative. He is a carefree, laid back guy, while I am an worrier who thinks out EVERY situation. He is very spontaneous, and I am a perfectionist who never sits down and plans out everything! For example, here is Timmy being totally ridiculous, thinking he is in the taliban, while I'm trying to take a serious picture :)

Anyway, I can't count the times he has asked me to sit down and quit working around the house to just relax with him on the couch. Problem is, when I sit down, i fall asleep. Never fails. Despite our differences, we love being married and seem to be well suited for one another :)(We are alike in many ways too!) For those of you who know us well, we have a lot of fun together, yet also drive each other crazy! God has a sense of humor when it comes to match-making! Some other examples of opposites that came to mind were.....chocolate and vanilla ice cream. People like to eat them individually, but they are even better mixed together. Another would be black and white....I love wearing black and white together. And don't forget socks....they never seem to end up with their match after being washed and dried. Instead, we are always left with two opposites. One of them always seems to head elsewhere :)

This got me thinking today....I began to realize how closed-minded I am usually about this and in situations I am uncomfortable in. I have never been as social as Timmy (who is???), but I like to go and do. I am just shy and timid and it takes me a little while to really feel comfortable with new people or in a large crowd.....even though I don't always show it. Because of this trait, I tend to surround myself with the same type of people and "keep it safe," when I really should be reaching out to others that are completely opposite from me. It's really funny how God speaks to me and gets my attention. I fail so much in this category......Each day, I need to try to reach out to others with one primary goal in mind....to lead others to Christ, even if it is me stepping out of my comfort zone. Just thinking about this makes me nervous....I believe this is one reason God has led me to start this blog. It is easier to type than to talk! :)Can i get a amen? Now, this led my thoughts into a new direction and brought another passage to mind. Matthew 18:20 states, "for where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them." This is amazing and so awesome. Do you allow God to be a part of your relationships, whether it be with a spouse, parent, or lifelong friend? Do you share your faith with more people than you meet than not, or do you have relationships that you feel uncomfortable discussing your faith with? I am so guilty of this. A few weeks ago, while riding home from somewhere with Timmy, I said to him, "I'm scared." Timmy was not surprised to hear me say this because he has heard it so much. He calmly said, "what are you afraid of?" Usually I say something about an event coming up, or that I am nervous about him going off somewhere, or simply that I am worried about the future, but this time was different. I told him I was scared of the end of time. The whole concept of forever and ever and ever and ever sort of freaks me out. In this life, we are born....we grow up....and eventually die. There is an end to it, but eternity is....well, eternal, never-ending, forever! That is scary when you deeply think about and analyze it (which I do about everything), but praise God I will spend it with Jesus. Timmy, instead of comforting me or telling me that everything would be ok like he usually does, said, "Just think about eternity for those who don't know Christ......" 
Have you ever really thought about that to such extent? Do you think about how these people will spend forever and ever and ever burning in hell? It makes you want to go and shout from the rooftops about your faith, doesn't it? On the other hand, do you know Christ? If not, I pray that God has spoken to you through this posting. Either way, thinking about this does bring things into perspective for both.....Reach out to those "opposite" from you. Pray that God will give you opportunities to do this! Remember, opposites really do attract. God brings you together, but it is OUR choice what we do with the chances that He gives us.......Father, please, in some way, remind me of this daily over and over again. Help me to put my fear and selfishness to the side......for You and for others to know You. 

It is what it is...

I didn't think I was going to have time to post today. The kids are sick and mommy is exhausted. I didn't want to be slack on the second day, so here goes nothing:)God has laid things on my heart all day. Life with twins is very unpredictable. We have had several "incidents" during the last few weeks that would be very entertaining to share:) I guess it is the terrible twos....whatever the case, I enjoy these two girls so much and I have learned to say....it is what it is! I can only imagine how Pate will contribute to their little tricks:) They definitely keep me busy----I can't turn my back for one second. This is why.....


When Pate was two months old, I took him to get his first series of shots. My step-dad rode with me to help with the girls. He is the best....Anyway, he is pretty patient with them. Sometimes he gets a little flustered, but he is over it in a few minutes. When I took Pate into the doctors office, he chose to stay in the car with the girls. They love to play in the car when they aren't in their seats. Kerry was sitting in the front and the girls were playing in the back. He then realized that they were being really quiet, which usually means they are very intrigued and doing something that they shouldn't. They had found my make-up bag and their face was covered with eye liner, eye shadow, and lip stick. Kerry freaked out, grabbed the wipes, and cleaned them up really quick before I returned to the car. He thought, all is good.....however, when he looked down at the wipes, he realized he had picked up the Armor All wipes instead of the baby wipes! You can only imagine what they smelled like for the rest of the day :)


Another time, we had a photo shoot planned for Pate's four month pictures. I thought to myself, "this will be a good time to get a family picture for our Christmas card." Yeah right....The girls would not cooperate at all. This is probably because Timmy chose to wipe their noses right before the picture. You know how kids HATE having their noses wiped. Needless to say, we did not get a family picture so we decided to move on to Pate and let the girls play in the car. As I stated in the previous story, the girls love this. Looks like I would have learned my lesson....bad idea. When I went to grab Pate's second outfit, I realized the car was LOCKED! Then the girls just look at me and say, "hey!" It was hilarious and frustrating all at the same time! They once again found my make-up in my purse. They also shared their art on the leather seats with a pen. We couldn't do anything and we just had to watch them empty the center console and scatter pop-tarts everywhere! They were having a blast. We couldn't get them to press the right button so Timmy had to go back home (very frustrated I might add), in the photographer's car, to get a key. We were exhausted by the end of the shoot.....still with no family photo:)


Anyway, what I am getting to is this. A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22. Isn't it fun to laugh and be happy, yet sometimes we have a hard time doing it. Yes, if you look hard enough, you will find something to complain about or something you want to change in your life, but why not choose to do otherwise? One of my favorite passages that comes to mind when thinking of this is Habakkuk 3:17-19. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength.... This passage can be interpreted in many ways and for that, I love it. I interpret it as, "though nothing is working out, rejoice in the Lord, He is my strength!" I am broken when I read it because it is so true. Whatever is going on in my life, is God alone sufficient? Am I always thankful? Do I overwhelmingly and exuberantly praise God? I am so unworthy of Him because I continually fall short....we all do. So next time you find yourself complaining or unhappy with certain circumstances (definitely talking to myself here), think of two things......this passage and this quote, "it is what it is." If you are a child of God, He has a hand in every little bit of your life. How comforting is that? Now, I know this isn't always something you can completely do because you have to take care of the little details of life, but you CAN lay your heavy burdens down at the feet of Jesus and smile knowing that He is in control.  


I will leave you with a few photos of the girls and their mischievous side:) 

First post....

Well, I have finally figured out how to create a blog....still unsteady on a few things. I am still trying to make it look more "shabby chic," but I am having trouble changing the profile font. Any suggestions???  


Anyway.....today has been a challenge. All three of my children are sick; therefore, mommy is tired. However, I am so thankful that I have children to take care of and that I am able to be here for them. I remember being sick as a little girl. All I wanted was my mom or my nana. They were so comforting and no one could make me feel better like they could. When I look at my kids, the amount of love I have for them is indescribable. As I am writing, this makes me think about the love our Heavenly Father has for us. In life, we often get sick....and I am not referring to the typical sicknesses we usually get. I am referring to doubt, fear, worry, depression, weakness, jealousy, conceit, being unsatisfied.....the list goes on and on. Just as I desire to help my children feel better, our God longs to help His children. When you are "sick," do you call on Him? Or, do you look for help in other things....Or, is this the ONLY time you call on Him? Definitely things to ponder.....Either way, God longs for us to lean on Him and find our strength in Him....Many times I find myself heading in the wrong direction, but there is no way I could make it through this life without the faith I have in God. I struggle with so many things that are not of the Lord and this is wrong. I constantly battle with this and many times throughout the day, I have to basically stop what I am doing and just state the name of Jesus. Mostly, I struggle with insecurities, fear, worry, and anxiousness about the uncertainties of life and of the future, but I am comforted by reading this verse....For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7. I have to remind myself to not be afraid....instead to be strong, for the Lord your God is on your side (Joshua 1:9). This is not an easy task in the world we live in today. We are constantly told that we are not good enough....that we need more money.....that we need bigger and better.......that the grass is greener on the other side. This is false and the opposite of what God extends to us. He gives to us what the things of this world cannot. He is a God of never-ending love, patience, and truth......basically everything that this world isn't! John 14:27 states, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Wow! What an encouragement.


This is my first posting and it is doing an amazing thing in my heart. It feels good to write the things on my mind for others to read and hopefully get a little bit out of....I have a lot of things to share, including funny stories and mishaps. My life is filled with those (my children AND HUSBAND keep me entertained)! For those of you who know Timmy, you understand. Most of all, I am doing this for myself and I plan on sticking with it in my spare time, yeah right! :) Just after the few minutes it took me to write the above paragraph, I am already more encouraged than I was a few minutes ago:) Hopefully you are too!