Be Thankful on Paper

Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner...the very smart and talented Rachel from No 17 Cherry Tree Lane is hosting a challenge called Be Thankful On Paper.

I love the concept!

Every Wednesday in the month of November...write (on paper...yes...a good old fashion letter...mailed and everything..with a stamp) a letter to someone to tell them that YOU are thankful for THEM!

It will make you smile...it will make them smile...it is just an all around good challenge!! I encourage you to come and play along!

Rachel has a linky set up on her blog ...so feel free to join in anytime...

This week...the first letter i wanted to write was to my husband.

I didn't mail it...but I drove over to his work and slipped it in his truck so when he went on his lunch break ...he was suprised by it!

In the letter I told him how my life would not be the same if he weren't in it. It would be majorly different. Everything we have we worked together to get..and I am very proud of where we live...everything we have and who we are!

He was suprised by it..and called me to tell me that it was one of the best things I had given him (besides our daughter).
Sometimes it doesn't take hundreds of dollars to give  special gift....
a good old written letter does wonders for one's soul!

Men!!

Why is it when you have a good day..you know the Lord really has blessed you...you see him working in your life...you feel good...got a nap...wore your new shirt today and loved it!!! Everyone complimented your shoes!  :)

that your husband picks TODAY of all days to be a butthead!!???

why?

Why my husband?

Why I met my husband...

The past few Wednesdays at church we have been having prayer meetings...

We go to church...sing...then we take prayer requests....

we turn the lights down...turn some relaxing worship music on...

and find a place to pray

Just you...and God...

talking....listening

I have thoroughly enjoyed these prayer meetings...and I feel like I have gotten alot out of them.

I honestly never thought I would..so I am a little suprised.

To share with you a little of my past...

When I was a little girl...my mom and dad never TOOK me to church...it was MY decision to go. I went to the First Baptist church...

it was the biggest in our little town of 200 people

all my friends went there

they had a summer camp that was awesome

they went on field trips..

and had fun..

but what do you expect when a 10 year old picks out a church..

I wasn't exactly looking for doctrine at that age...

So all my life I have been taught about the Trinity and God not caring what you wear just go to church...how women are to be silent in church......

OK...fast forward a few decades...

When I met my husband..I wasn't going to church..I was to busy being **21** (woohoo!)

So when we decided to get serious...and started the talk about having a family..I told him I want my children to be raised in church...I wasn't and made that decision myself..and I know that God tells you that if you raise a child up in the name of the Lord..when they get older they will not depart from it. And the way this world is...we need Jesus!

The Baptist church where we live now is SO HUGE..that I actually got lost trying to go to the worship center. It is like a college with different buildings...it felt like I was a stranger...I didn't like it.

My husband's family goes to a United Penecostal Church.

What?

Wow!

I didn't know if I could handle that...or turn from my ways and solely accept thiers.

But my first time there...I felt so welcomed...so loved....it was so inviting...

and my first service there I felt the Lord...and realized that it didn't matter what building you were in ...Jesus was everwhere....

So I knew that God knew how confused I was...but I was trying.

and to this day (yes we are back to the present) I am still trying...

There are a few things...that have changed my thinking...

like the Trinity...

I no longer believe in that...

I believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is all one thing.

Like I am me, and Lyla is me, and my soul is me

All Me!

I believe that you need to be baptized "in Jesus name for the remission of your sins"

Acts 2:38 tells you plain as day

............and throughout these prayer meetings.....

I have come to realize that the reason I met my husband is so that I would find that church...because there is no way that i would be living in the town i am...going to that church if I hadn't met him.

And my husband and I will talk all the time about how many places we have been in the past...together...but never noticed each other. So crazy!

So it makes me really feel that I have met the ONE that I am supposed to be with on this journey of life.

Our last prayer meeting on Wednesday ...I was praying and just stopped to listen ....I didn't know what I was listening for...or if I would fall asleep...but I started thinking...and thoughts just kept popping in my mind...

like...

if I was walking down my sidewalk...and someone noticed me...would they know as soon as they seen me..that I believe in God.

as hard as that is to answer ...No

Why?

because if you think about it....

if you see a woman in a skirt...with long hair...no make up....

what do you think?

She is Pentecostal. And we all know...that Penecostals "get with it"

They worship...like no other religion I have seen in my life!

When you see a Pentecostal woman ...you know that she believes in God...and that she is a praying woman....

if you have a need...get her to pray with you...

There have been many people just walk up to my mother in law and ask her where she goes to church because they are looking for somewhere to go...just because of what she wears...

and I know this is going to be hard for me...and I really don't wanna do it....I have had all these feeling before...I wrote not to long ago about this same situation here but I am feeling God tug at me....when I wear jeans and a Tshirt....I look like everyone else in this world....I don't want to be OF THIS WORLD...I want this world to know that I plan on seeing Jesus one day!

I want people to know that I am a Godly person....

And if you know me..you know that by all means I am NOT a dressy person...

at all!

So this is going to be hard..and I am going to have to lean on God....alot!

But I feel like if I stepped out in faith and did what God is asking of me..that he will do amazing things through me!

and that is worth it all!

hmm...

just my thought before i go to bed

Baby Natalie

When I had been dating my high school sweetheart for about five years we made the ultimate teenage mistake and got pregnant. I say "teenage"...i was 18...he was 19..... but we had been together for so long..we had planned on getting married...we lived together....we acted and fought like a married couple..so it wasn't like it was a one night stand....if you can't tell it still kinda irks me that I made the mistake...He was the man i was going to marry...we had it planned...I knew I was spending the rest of my life with him...so I let my guard down...and well...kids...it only takes one time....

but ..anyway....He did what most teenage men do...."It isn't mine!"

We lived together!!! Hello!! We were together 24/7. It wasn't immaculate conception.

 

Then it was , "Well she is just trying to trap me"

 

Ok..if I am trapping you..then I am trapping me too..because I am the one who has grow up and take responsibility for this baby whether you want to or not...not to mention my once beautiful teenage body will never be the same.

 

Now ...being the adult that I am...I understand where he was coming from...it was scary....all of sudden realizing that you are going to be responsible for someone's life...We were in the stage of dreaming about buying land and building our own house with horses and chicken..our own little farm...picket fence and all...at the time...it REALLY sucked for me...I wish he would have been there for me emotionally more...but i understand now...not that it is justifiable...but i get where he was coming from...

 

I didn't have a choice...the baby was inside ME...i couldn't run...or hide....time to tell dad

 

He went with me to tell dad...cause we weren't real sure how dad was going to react...

my dad....being the priceless man that he is...says "Good Job Nik!"

 

ok

thanks dad

 

needless to say my dad was not happy but it was done and he was OK..we started to plan the nursery and had everything on the road to getting ready for the arrival of the little one.

 

We had our kids names already picked out...we picked them out years ago.....Natalie Faye for a girl...and Ethan David for a boy... both the names were family names...Faye is after my middle name...and my grandmother's name on my father's side..... David was his middle name and my dad's name..and his dad's name

 

One night ..I started to cramp. Not bad at first. My dad came home early from work..because he had to go pick up my uncle for some reason...he asked if i would be ok...I said yes...but i wish I said No....

 

I felt so guilty though...already being pregnant and not having a house of our own...not being married yet...i didn't want to cause anymore trouble than i had to

 

By that morning..my cramps were so bad that I had to call my aunt to take me to the hospital to see what was going on....

 

When I got to the hospital...the Dr checked me..and said everything was fine...probably just Braxton Hicks contractions.

 

I went downstairs to leave and my water broke. I was seven months pregnant.

My body would not dialate...I had to have the baby naturally ...I was in labor for what seemed like forever....but however long it was....it was to long..and the baby didn't make it.

I don't remember alot of the details about what happen that day...or a few days after...and some things that happened in my past...i don't remember...

maybe it was all so traumatic to me that my brain just blocked it all out...some one told me that i might have had to much anthestic and it could have messed with my memory...

but one thing that i can still see vividly to this day...seven years later...is her face....her hands....fingers..toes...her hair...her nose and lips...her complexion....she looked like him but had a little bit of me in her.

To this day I don't know why they didn't do an emergency C section ..only God knows...and I am not supposed to question that...I won't lie..because at the time i did...I have always wanted to be a momma...i know i wasn't particularly ready at the moment...but i was getting there...i had grown up and getting ready....I wondered why God would do that me....I had always gone to church...I pray...Why me? Why not some druggy that don't even deserve kids...

But i think that is why i teach preschool now...because i know now how precious children are...how fragile they are...how much God loves them....and what a huge impact adults are to them

For whatever reason...I know that I am in God's hands....and so is Natalie Faye...

I pray for her...and my ex...and all my family that had to go through that with me...and I thank God that somehow all that heartache and pain...led me to Gregg...

and eventhough sometimes we clash....he loves me..and respects that part of my life...and I love him even more for that...

and none the less...meeting Gregg gave me Lyla...and having gone through the pregnancy with Natalie...I wasn't as scared and stressed when i was pregnant with Lyla...and thank God she is happy and healthy and doesn't have one thing wrong with her ..besides her momma's sarcastic attitude

 

So for whatever reason I have one baby in Heaven and one with me here on Earth.....

I think about Natalie everyday...I miss her like crazy...and yes...even seven years later...i still cry..it still hurts..but you learn to control the tears and the pain...and try to find the good ...

I take Lyla with me to visit her and talk to her...I know that Lyla has a special angel in heaven watching her...and that makes me smile..

 

And I thank God that I have a God in heaven that knows all my mistakes, forgives me, lets me start all over again and again........and loves me anyway!

I love you Natalie!

Love, Mom

Vigilant Wife

I just ate my supper...I am stuffed a Thanksgiving turkey...Lyla is playing in her room.....The LAST COMIC Standing is on in the living room with no one watching it..(thank God for DVR)...so I took a little MOMMY time and started some blog reading!

I have come to love this blog world! I get so much motivation..and inspriation...for all sorts of things. From scrapbooking, to crafting...from mommyhood to cupons...and from religion to how to step it up in my religion.

This blog that I have come across tonight has her own little thing going called the Vigilant Wives Club.
It isn't a mandatory thing...but at she is trying to help us women understand that we took a promise in front of God and our famalies that we will love and cherish our husbands...even when we don't want to!
Just to know the fact that sometimes your marriage really takes work..and it isnt' always paradise like I thought it would be...really motivates me!

So she has challenged all us wives to do something nice for our husbands.....and I wanna join.
I can't say that I will post something every day...or every week...but I am putting her on my blog roll so I can keep up with her blog...and I hope that my readers (if I have any) do the same!

I know it sounds crazy...and it took me...(well I will be married for 3 years in September) to realize that the more I encourage my husband..the better he acts..which makes me like him more.
I don't know how that works..but girls...it does...husbands are funny creatures a good friend once told me..and I so believe it!~

Here is THE VIGILANT WIVES CLUB BLOG!!!

Have a great day!!

encourage!

en·cour·age   
–verb (used with object),-aged, -ag·ing.
1.to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence: His coach encouraged him throughout the marathon race to keep on running.
2.to stimulate by assistance, approval, etc.: One of the chief duties of a teacher is to encourage students.
3.to promote, advance, or foster: Poverty often encourages crime.


There is an awesome thing going on over on Cafemom in a group that I joined called Sisters in Spirit where we are taking a commitment to encourage our husbands for 30 days straight!!
They deserve it and need it! I know that here lately I have noticed that when I encourage Gregg or compliment him...it makes him happy...it makes him have a better day...it makes him want to come home and relax and enjoy his time with his family. I'm not going to lie..here lately..it was getting rough between us...I don't know what was going on...well I do..I think Satan had a good hand in it...but with whatever that was happening...when I complimented Gregg or encouraged him...it made things better.

I know that there are times when I am stressed and busy or just plain forget to tell him that I do love him..and that I do appreciate him. When I sit and think about it...he works a full time job...works overtime...takes care of our yard..helps around the house...is a wonderful dad to Lyla...and those are all things that I need to be thankful for that I take for granted and don't show appreciation for! He will do whatever it takes to take care of his family. Even when we are having financial difficulites..he always does what he can to make sure everything is taken care of.

Now I know this isn't going to make our marriage a perfect marriage...no marriage is...and right now we are doing great..but everyone always could use a little encouragment! And I think he deserves it so for the next 30 days...I am laying it on thick!! :)

I really want you to join in and do this with me....I would love to hear everyone's stories and how they are doing that day..and what changes are happening in thier marriage....So leave me a comment...or leave me the link to your blog and I will be happy to read them all!!!

If I figure out how to do that mr linky thing..that would be great!!!

Have a great day!

I need to encourage my husband.

So I have been reading and studying on what a wife's duties are and what I should be doing.

Gregg and I have been having some communication problems...with added stress...calls for a no good situation and here lately we have not been happy.
And I know that all of this is not all Gregg's fault because I have seen with my own eyes that when I am having a bad day and I take it out of him...it breaks him. It breaks his spirit..his confindence..and he ends up having a bad day ..which again..does not = a good marriage.

So from here on out I am making a conscious decision to encourage my husband...to edify him...to lift him up and thank him and appreciate him for being him!!!
I do love him..with all my heart! He is a great man and a wonderful father. He would do anything he could for his family. He takes care of us and provides for us...and even works over time to so that we can plan big family trips! He is what I have dreamed of...and I need to remember that.
Sometimes when day to day stuff occurs and minor details get in the way ...I forget to step back and realize that I am living my dream...I have a great husband and a great daughter...two dogs...our own house...a fenced yard...what more could I want...(well a new car would be nice) but anyway....I have a LOT to be thankful for and I don't want to take any of this for granted...