imagination and hope

One of the most poisonous of all Satan's whispers is simply, "Things will never change." That lie kills expectation, trapping our heart forever in the present. To keep desire alive and flourishing, we must renew our vision for what lies ahead. Things will not always be like this. Jesus has promised to ..."make all things new." We will need imagination, we will need hope. (The Sacred Romance)

a friend of mine had this quote on her Facebook Status Update today.

I needed it.

thought maybe you do too...

Easter thoughts

for some reason the reality of His resurrection really struck me deeper this year. have i've pondered it more? at a greater level? i'm not really sure why it has meant so much more to me this week than i remember in the past. trying to put my finger on that.

but i'm thankful. thankful He is Alive! thankful to know Him and want so badly to know Him much, much more.

maybe it's because there is some "bad" news stuff going on around me, in the lives of people I love.

i've allowed myself to imagine how devastated the disciples and the people who loved Jesus and knew him personally must have felt when he died. their world had come crashing down. we know the rest of the story so i guess i've missed going there in the past and really considering how they must have felt. their world...well, it felt over. maybe even felt like life wasn't worth living anymore.
and then when they saw and realized He was ALIVE?!?! imagine!!! everything changed. it wasn't over. their relief and excitement...i mean, can we really even grasp that? i guess when we have near misses with a tragedy in our life we get a glimpse of that relief. knowing what could have been and being thankful that it didn't happen. but i really can't get the intense LOW they had in seeing Him die like that and then suffering through that news for the days after followed by the intense HIGH knowing He was ALIVE and realizing He was more amazing and magnificent than they ever understood before. He had restored HOPE to them, from what seemed hopeless! don't you imagine they woke up the next day after seeing him and wondering if it was all a dream? excited to know it wasn't and that He really was alive with them again?

i think knowing the depths of hurt for people that i know right now has made me ponder these things. it's bad. life feels over for them. like you can't go on kind of over. not sure what to do. not sure where He is leading. feeling like every thing is crashing down. knowing you won't make it on your own without Him but even doubting you can do it with Him. a constant renewing of your mind to believe Him and trust Him in the midst of the chaos and fear. choosing to shut out the fear. wanting to trust Him and figuring out how that works in your everyday life, day by day and hour by hour.

and so this Easter I can't stop thinking about the importance of His resurrection. how because of His triumph over death and sin we have HOPE. and we can have it in hopeless situations. that His resurrection power is living in ME and in YOU if you believe in Him and know Him as your Savior. i still can't wrap my mind around that. every time i hear it, i'm amazed.

i tell you, i long for Heaven more and more. there were times in my life when i had this little check list of things i wanted to accomplish or experience (marriage, children, etc...) before i wanted to even think of Heaven; but, as this world is weighing down on me and the people i love - - i long for it more and more. He is changing me continually and i'm thankful. i want to long for Him more.

i know He is Alive and is working in my life and their lives and although things look bad and are tough, He will be glorified. we will see Him. He will restore. He IS hope in hopeless situations and He can make beautiful things out of lives that seem crushed and beaten down. He is not just powerful, HE is power. He is real and i trust Him.

i guess i did put my finger on it...why Easter means so much more to me this year.

family

my sister Grace, her husband Tom, and her girls Baylee & Savannah are all coming to visit for the weekend! we can't wait to see them!

it's always such a blessing when family can come and visit. boys are excited to have their cousins on the way and i'm sure Addison will be THRILLED to get some more girls in the house! :)

can't wait to love on my nieces and relax with my sis and brother in-law.

hope y'all have fun weekend plans!

busy days ahead...

BUT, they are all for an incredible little, i mean getting WAY BIG boy i know and love...

who???

Harrison!!!

he is turning 8 on Saturday. can hardly believe it. seems too old. every year seems like he's getting too old. i mean, 8! really? it hardly feels like it's been that long since this little boy changed our whole world for the better!

we have our last co-op meeting tomorrow morning, then we will go pick up Mimi and Papa from the airport, then we will hurry home so i can bake the cake. after a quick dinner, which i have no idea what it will be...probably KFC or something like that...we will head BACK to co-op for our Finale where all the families will come and see displays of what the kids have been working on all semester. the class i co-teach will be singing/performing two little songs. then we will stuff our faces with lots of junk food and sweets and head back home so i can decorate the cake. whew!

Saturday Jackson has a t-ball practice at 10am while Harrison has a basketball game at 10:30. we'll have to split. i'll go with Jackson and Anthony, Mimi & Papa will go see Harrison's game. we will rush home to get all the last minute details in order and then have Harrison's party at 2:30pm.

this year he wanted an ALL boy party (except for his sister of course). :) so, we are taking some little boys that we know and love to Adventure Landing!!! WOO HOO!!! they will all get to ride the go-carts, play a game of mini golf, use up all their tokens on fun games, and eat pizza AND cake!!! should be lots of fun! we've never done an out of the house party before (well, i guess we did the skating rink while in VA but that hardly counts when your parents own the rink and let you in for a REALLY good deal.) :) so, this won't happen often for any of our kids but we thought this was the perfect year to do something special for our BIG boy!!!!

Sunday, i sing on the worship team which i realized last night. oops. guess i should write a few more things down. so it will be a full day too! we have birthday dinner celebration planned. Mimi has asked Harrison for his favorite dinner and plans to make him a cookie cake.

i'm sure there will be no less than 500 pictures of this weekend. we most definitely won't forget one single thing. Mimi is such a good record keeper. :)

hope y'all have fun weekends planned too!

i miss blogging

you know you feel when your laundry gets WAY out of control and you hardly want to begin because you know it's such a big job and it's going to take FOREVER???

that's how i'm feeling about my blog. i have all these dreams of making blog books (which i need to at least attempt to start). i am not into scrapbooking. i love how it looks and even tried it a few times. spent lots of money on "stuff" too. yep, got behind on that. come to think of it, i'm behind on a lot of things i started once.

i'm sensing a theme. hmmmm......

anyway, this is how i've been journaling our fun and not so fun stuff in our family for a while now and when i don't do it i get so upset at myself. there will come a day when i will CHERISH these little posts and be SO glad i kept track of at least a few things. some is better than none, right? :) come on...i need some encouragement!

well, i guess i'll just start from here. maybe i can squeeze those posts in that i haven't finished from Christmas and New Years eventually. i really shouldn't make any promises.

starting...once again.

a letter to a dear long lost friend

Dear Afternoon Nap,

Oh how I've missed you! It seems like not too long ago you used to come visit every day and now I rarely see you! Sometimes I long for you. Sometimes I wake up thinking about you and wishing I could see you already. You are such a dear friend to me! It's amazing how you make me feel!

Thanks for stopping in today. I loved our hour and a half together. It was just what I needed!

Don't stay away too long...

love,
Beth

house guests

Vonda & her girls, Ella Rose & Carolina Grace, are coming to visit for TWO WEEKS!!! We are SO excited. Ian is away for training with the USAF so it seemed like the perfect opportunity for an extended visit!

We are thrilled that they would drive all the way from FL and we hope to make many fun memories while they are here!

They should be here any time now... yippee!

catching up...

posted 8 new posts! now it's my turn to overwhelm YOU!

Hawaii and pictures from the kids time with Mimi & Papa will be next.

so glad to be catching up...want to have time to put up the fun daily adventures going on around here.

here's an example...

like, coming home from a week in paradise only to be woken up at 12:45am by a child with a stomach virus who vomited all over our bathroom floor trying to make it to the potty (thankfully NOT in his bed) and then continued to every hour the entire night until 2pm the next day. and go to take the dog out of her crate only to find it filled with pee. and jet lag and readjustment to 6 hour time change. exhaustion comes to mind.

talk about coming back to the REAL WORLD!!! we left paradise back in Hawaii! :)

Harrison is feeling better today so I'm very thankful! a lot of prayer was lifted up yesterday for my attitude and i know that my God sustained me! so very thankful i don't have to tackle these HARD days on my own!!!

today is SO MUCH BETTER! yay!!!

so behind

i'm so behind. it feels like in EVERY area. noticeably the blog. i LOVE blogging. it annoy's me that i'm so far behind but it probably doesn't help that i have over 2000 pictures that were taken on our Hilton Head vacation to sift through. i know. ridiculous. :)

i hate to post out of order but i may have to and fix it later. it's been a busy few weeks around here and i have so much to update on beyond the vacation.

things like a new found love of couponing, having a new patio installed, Anthony's 1/2 marathon, first time out on my sister's boat, my decision to train for and run the OBX 1/2 marathon in November, Jackson's first soccer game today, and just regular fun stuff. i have GOT to get a handle on it! y'all practically know NOTHING about me anymore. can you see i have a flair for the dramatic???

i did get bored again and changed my background. :) i was too overwhelmed to deal with the 2000 pictures so i only got one measly post up. been up since 5 this morning so i think i'll call it a night and hope i'll find some time to do more tomorrow.

hope you're having a great weekend!

he's almost home!!!!

Anthony has been in San Diego, CA this week on a business trip.

he left Sunday morning at 4:30am while i was still struggling with my stomach bug. Needless to say, Sunday was a rough day. tough to be sick with 3 kids to take care of AND then it's really easy to get even more bummed when you know your whole worship team and church family is worshiping together in a "rare only happens twice a year risers event" and you keep seeing Facebook updates about how incredible the service is and how awesome the sermon is and there you sit...at home...sick...alone (well not really alone...3 kids who still need to be taken care of and don't really know how to appreciate the fact that their mother is VERY less than 100%).

OK. that's depressing. are you feeling sorry for me yet??? OK. let's stop talking about it! :)

the good news is that we have officially SURVIVED!!! survived our time without him and anticipating some time with him this morning before he has to go back to work after lunch. poor guy is SO exhausted. and we even survived starting a week of home school...an incredible change to our family's routine without having daddy here at night to let mommy take a nice bubble bath and soak my cares away.

seriously though. the homeschooling has actually kept the week fun and not been overwhelming as of yet. it's kept my mind busy and left me less time to wallow in my self pity of not having my man around!

the good news...the even better news...is that Anthony was supposed to leave AGAIN on Friday for Alabama...after we only had him for one day...but that trip has been CANCELED!!!! WOO HOO!!!!

he is almost home for good. he'll be landing in about 15 minutes! we can't wait.... can any one else testify that having daddy around...your man at home...is a GOOD THING!!!

refreshed

thank you for all your sweet comments and prayers that are being lifted up! to be honest, nothing has been resolved for any of the people we are praying for but i KNOW God is working.

had a few days away. this past weekend our family spent some precious time with dear friends, the Schrodt's. i NEEDED to see her. it did my heart good. then spent 5 days at Brosnan Forest in SC with my sister Grace and her family. had a BLAST. kids didn't want to come home. this seems to be the theme for Harrison's life these days...he wants to live at all the fun places we visit forever. :) i always hate coming home from vacation too. :)

log cabin, biking, golf cart riding, fishing, swimming, relaxing, sleeping, sitting on the porch in the rocking chair, cooking, talking, playing scrabble at night, dinner in Charleston, quality time with people i love, getting to know new friends...PERFECT.

i DO feel refreshed! the Lord is encouraging me in many ways. i'm thankful! still praying...

where i'm at right now

i've been trying to figure out WHY i'm SO exhausted lately. seriously. SO exhausted. i have been wondering if it's the pool. :) haven't been in the mood to blog much. i've been avoiding it. you who are closest to me know my heart is VERY heavy right now. i have many loved ones around me who are hurting...family, friends, you name it...it seems like they are hurting.

THIS is why i'm so exhausted. it MUST be. it's exhausting to know people around you that you love so much are experiencing very difficult times in their life. my heart is very heavy and while i'm trying not to look like it wherever i go, it doesn't change how i feel inside.

i can't share why. i can only ask you to PRAY along with me. i have been wondering WHY? it's like you can't help yourself. i know the Lord is drawing each of these loved ones to Him. for various reasons. i know He has a plan and can use it all for His glory. i'm praying He gets the glory for what He is going to do in the lives of all of them! i hate they are hurting. i'm hurting along with them. i'm hoping and praying they will seek HIM and not this world or their own desires. i can't do that for them. i can't pretend i know what i would do if i were them or dealing with the BIG stuff they are.

i can only hope there would people around me praying. praying that i would seek HIM first. praying that i would trust HIM even when it seemed impossible and felt like my world was crashing in on me. i know they feel that way. each of them in their own way. so i'm praying. a ton. i know the Lord is using this time to draw me nearer to Him too.

i'm terribly distracted. i'm trying to be a good mother in the midst of all the stresses and worries. all of it makes me long for Heaven more. if you want to pray along with me, we would ALL appreciate it. the Lord knows who you will be praying for even if you don't know the names. :) pray that i will be faithful to share God's love and truth. even hard truth if i need to. pray that the Lord will use me during this time for these sweet people i love SO VERY MUCH.

i read this today on one of my friends status updates on FB and needed it. gonna need it a ton in the next few weeks and months. gonna need to remember it my whole life. there is a reason God commands us NOT to do certain things. it's not to harm us or frustrate us, it's for our protection. He is protecting me when he tells me i am not to worry. i need to trust Him. just like that. believe Him and TRUST HIM.

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it only empties today of its strength.

nowhere to be...ahhhh

i know a lot of you sweet friends of mine LOVE to go, go, go, and do, do, do. you keep your schedules very busy and structured. i have dreams of being more like you and have come a long way in that area. i try to enjoy those times where we are busy and have "plans", but i LOVE nothing more than to have NOWHERE to be, and do just that....go NOWHERE!

i guess i'm a homebody of sorts. i do like to go on vacation, don't get me wrong. well, you know that about me. :) but if vacation is not involved, i get extremely overwhelmed when i don't have enough days at home. it makes me feel like my life is spinning out of control! it gives me great stress to be too busy!

i LOVE to wake up in the morning and know that we don't have to go anywhere unless we want to and i can catch up on lots of things that i have neglected while we were going and doing the past couple of days. my sweet husband knows this about me. this morning, he got up and let me sleep in a few extra minutes. when he came in to wake me up he said, "are you excited that you don't have to go anywhere today!" it made me smile! :)

as my kids are getting older, we are having to be out and about much more often. i know it will only get worse. i will enjoy the things we do and i know i will constantly evaluate if we are doing too much. we will never be involved in every activity, sport, or be at every fun thing going on in town. we just can't. i'll go insane! :) but we'll have fun, don't worry about us!

we are getting ready to head to the pool but that is not really GOING anywhere. it's in our neighborhood and we can walk. although, we will drive today because it is SO hot and i'm not in the mood to get wet (drenched in sweat) before the pool. no, i'd rather get wet by getting IN the pool.

anyway...loving today. loving that i have NOWHERE to be. :)

sniff, sniff....

i'm worried my house might smell like "DOG".

it may be my imagination. it may not be. who will tell me the truth?

what can i do to make sure it doesn't! you know how some people's houses SMELL of dog and others don't?

i want to be one of the ones that does NOT smell like DOG!

any tips?

Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
(The Message)

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Lord, please help me to be self-controlled today! please help me to keep from 'flying off the handle' at my family today! Help me to show them LOVE! YOUR LOVE! not some distorted version of my own love for them. help me to LOVE today. everyday. but, especially...TODAY. i must start with TODAY!

sometimes it's good to wait

i got a new swim suit today! WOO HOO!!! have needed one since i lost the weight.

Land's End. GREAT quality. and good price.

went over to Sears this afternoon and they were having a sale and i was able to get TWO!!! totally wasn't expecting that! they were 40% off!!! i couldn't pass it up!

thought about buying it full price a couple of months ago but forced myself to wait.

tried to order one online a couple of weeks ago but it was on back order until the middle of June.

HELLO! i couldn't wait that long! :)

went this afternoon and got TWO!!! WOO HOO!!! i'm so excited!

love the colors, love the new sizes, LOVED the price!

sometimes if you wait for something like a swimsuit they don't have your size by the time the sale comes along. only size 2 or size big. this time it worked out! they had my size AND at the good price!

looking forward to many days at the pool this summer and probably many years in these suits! :)

good day

today has started off splendidly!

Jackson has played outside all morning with his friend Aidan and there have been hardly any "issues". :)

i have worked, worked, worked on laundry, straightening up, laundry, picking up, laundry...you get the picture.

i'm now showered and ready to spend some time with a friend i'll be teaching SSA. we've got to get our ducks in a row.

then a dear friend is coming over for dinner...well she is BRINGING dinner and her precious children!

oh and Anthony is getting the oil changed today so i don't have to do it!

GREAT DAY!!! and i fully expect it to stay this way! thank you Lord for the gorgeous weather and this very perfect day! :)

one good reason to clean out the pantry...

you might find a bag of rotten onions that you had no idea was there, laying amongst the empty plastic bags you've been stuffing under the bottom shelf for who knows how long.

good thing i got the random urge to clean out the pantry AND decided to act upon it.

want free KFC chicken???

go here...

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090430-tows-kfc-coupon-download

you won't be able to print it after tomorrow and it's a PDF so you can print as many as you like! :)

catching up

gonna be catching up on posts that i've neglected to get to.

will try to post some past mixed in with some current stuff as i fill you in on what's been going on around here...