Please pray

Bryan's brother Roger and his wife Angela are in the process of losing another baby. This one had been unexpected, yet still eagerly hoped for. My heart aches for them and I wish there was something I could do to ease their pain and fulfill their dream. Please pray for God's comfort and peace for them and their family in Tennessee.

Y'all remember Thanksgiving?

In 1846, Sarah Josepha Hale, began writing letters to presidents and publishing essays to establish a national day of thanksgiving. Ms. Hale was the nation's first female magazine editor and the author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb"...an innovator if you ask me.

Finally, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday on the last Thursday of November.

However, if you go out and about anywhere, especially in retail stores, you'd think Thanksgiving didn't exist. Everywhere I go, Christmas music is playing loudly, Christmas trees are all aglow, Christmas decorations, clothes, and sales are everywhere!! And it all started even before Halloween was over.

I think it's a travesty that Ms. Hale's dedication and hard work in establishing a national day of thanks is becoming more overlooked each year. Where is Thanksgiving?

I for one, refuse to listen to Christmas music or put up any decorations until Thanksgiving is over....well over....like well into December over. I'm tired of all the commercialism that Christmas brings around every year--so much so that it's wiping out Thanksgiving. What's next? A Christmasy 4th of July?

Is anyone else miffed by this? If so, join with me and the late Sarah Hale and let's bring back Thanksgiving!

Is it a choice?

Here's another discussion topic for you:

We've heard a lot about the issue of *gay marriage` in this election year (I'll use asterisks to help keep the spammers away). First of all, is *homosexuality` a choice? I know that who you ultimately decide to have a relationship with is a choice, but is the feeling a choice?

I've had a few *gay` coworkers and friends over the years. Some I would say have been
"obvious" and some have not. Could it be that some people are born with a tendency to gravitate toward the same gender?

Also, I've seen some documentaries about people who claim to be "trans-gendered", that is born physically one gender, yet mentally are a different gender. What is your take on this?

I can't imagine how it must feel to either be attracted to the same gender or feel like a different gender altogether. It can't be easy.

I wonder too...should *gay` couples have any couples' rights together, like common-law marriage, etc? Let the thoughts roll in!

"The sky is falling!"

I'm not a politcal girl. I don't debate on politics...or religion for that matter. Always ends up in vicious cycles of finger-pointing and judging.

However, the e-mails are still coming now about how Obama is the Anti-Christ (or insert other scary term here). I'm hearing apocolyptic whisperings passing between people as I'm out and about. Haven't watched "The 700 Club" yet, but I'm sure there's some doom and gloom going on there too.

I shall not debate the politics, but will someone please enlighten me as to why electing Barack Obama as president is signaling the end of the world? I have a feeling the same fears have arisen as other world leaders have come into power (remember Hitler?).

Like him or not, I feel like we should be in prayer and support of our new president and administration. It is our duty to pray for their wisdom and leadership. Enough with the "sky is falling" warnings.

Feel free to post your thoughts. This is another of my posts about controversial topics. Any and all thoughts are welcomed, but will be screened of course :) Post away.

Ghosts and aliens?

I just had a hair-brained idea to come out of blog hiatus briefly and do some quick posts on controversial subjects that I think about from time to time. No real rambling on my part, as I'll see if I can fish in some comments from all of you to see your thoughts on the subjects.

As it's Halloween, what are your thoughts on the existence (or lack of) ghosts and aliens, and why not throw in lesser talked about guys like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster too?

Briefly, my thoughts: Really not sure about the whole ghost thing. I do believe people experience paranormal stuff, but not sure about the source. Is it psychic energy, hallucinations, demons, angels, over-active imaginations or is Uncle Bob really sticking around for whatever reason?

As for aliens, I am open to the idea that more life could be out there in the universe. It's a big universe, and God has every right to put life anywhere He wants.

As for Bigfoot and other mythical beasts, people are going to have to show me real proof of actual bodies or DNA or something before I buy that.

Now, your thoughts?

In a funk

I've been in a funk for a while. That's the only way I know to name it. I'm feeling halfway depressed, very low on energy and motivation, and just overwhelmed by life's daily tasks.

I'm wondering if part of it is my cycles trying to come back since I stopped birth control after Bryan's "procedure" back in July. Could also be lack of sleep since Zach is still waking up at night--so far, he's been the worst sleeper of the three. Mostly, it's probably the demands of mothering three small ones that still need so much attention from me.

Some days, I just want to pull the covers up and not come out. Somebody's needing something all the time. It seems hardly a minute goes by that I'm not doing something for one of my little people:)

Then I know how quickly they're growing up and I feel bad for feeling bad--don't ya love mother's guilt?

Anywho, I'm going to take a hiatus from blogging and try to focus more attention on the necessary. I'll peep in on you fellow bloggers here and there. Hope you don't miss me too much! ;)

Happy and sad

Today, I took the girls to the dentist for their checkup. No cavities! Yay! We got some drinks at Sonic and went back home.

Zachary is 7 months old as of yesterday and is working on his 6th tooth. He is crawling all over, so now I've gotten out the playpen as a temporary fixture in the living room, since he can get away pretty quickly now.

And today....my mom passed away 5 years ago from lung cancer. It's hard to believe it's been that long already. I miss her still so much, that sometimes I think about calling her and remember she's not there.

If you smoke, there are a lot of resources out there to help you quit. Do yourselves and your loved ones a favor and stay around a few more years.

Wednesday Wierdness

I've traded in two kids for two more :) While my girls are visiting my in-laws for fall break, I'm watching our friends' kids for them. Zach's here in his playpen having a blast watching them play while he chews on his toys.

For your entertainment pleasure while I have my hands full today, watch this and elect a new president!


New Presidential Candidate

The Top 10

Last night, we were invited to visit Yellow Creek Baptist Church in Owensboro. The worship choir presented their "Top 10" songs of the year, based on the votes of the choir's favorites. All I can say is, "Wow!" What a great time of worship!

We had just came in from a really nice weekend visit with Bryan's family and barely made it on time, and I had a really bad sinus thing going on, but I'm so glad we went. It was like refreshment for my soul!

My own favorite of the night was voted number 6, I believe, so I thought I'd share it with you here. Enjoy!

Misty's financial bailout plan

1. Take all the properties, cars, stocks, timeshares, golf club memberships, etc from all the Wall Street executives who have made millions upon millions while letting their companies fail.
2. Liquidate all the assets and put them back into the companies to revive them.
3. Leave them with one modest house, two modest cars, and a modest retirement savings.
4. How hard is that?
5. Just sayin....

Why I keep going every day

I cherish their innocence, their unconditional love, their wonder and excitement they show each day. They don't hold grudges or resentment. Their laughs are pure joy--every emotion they show is pure and true. They have more faith than I do most of the time.

When Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3), He couldn't have been more right.

They believe and trust undoubtingly. I wish they could never see my own doubt, anger, and disbelief. I wish I could shield them from all the ugliness of this world, but I must send them out in it. I pray that we can guide them toward Jesus, then know that He is guiding them through their lives, each step of the way.

Things I will teach my kids, but wish I didn't have to

1. Life is not fair and never will be.
2. Sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers the way we want Him to.
3. The people you love the most will hurt you the most.
4. You can never please everyone, no matter how hard you try.
5. Sometimes you must choose to forgive, even when no one has apologized.
6. People you love will die unexpectedly, before their "time", and you must move on.
7. When you make a mistake, don't let it eat you up inside. Brush yourself off, make amends if you can, learn from it, and move on.
8. Time flies by even faster as you get older, even though it seems to drag on when you're a kid.
9. Hug more, love more, give more...you never know how long you've got to show people you love them.
10. The greatest gift you can ever receive is the salvation of Jesus Christ offered to you by grace alone from God. If you choose to receive this gift, use it wisely by doing your best to live it out every day in all you do. (Wait...now this one I want them to learn!)

Some verses that came to mind

Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah

Romans 8
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Mark 12
30 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Just to let it be known....

I moderate all comments made on this blog. If you make comments that are rude, inappropriate, or just plain mean, I will reject it and no one else will view your ramblings.

If you have an issue with me, my family, or this blog, please post a mature, intelligent-sounding comment or send me an e-mail.

That is all.

Five Ways Blogging has Changed My Life

Maggie has tagged me with this little thinker of an activity. I'm not sure I can come up with 5 things, but I'll give it a shot.

1. Blogging is like therapy to me in some ways. It allows me to put down thoughts and ideas in a concrete format. I tend to have a hundred things going on in my head at once and blogging out some of it takes off some stress.
2. Blogging has allowed me to meet people in other parts of the country that I never would have met otherwise. I feel honored to be able to interact with my "blog friends", as I call them.
3. I learn a lot from my "blog friends", and I often am inspired, humored, humbled, or made wiser from their posts. Very often I take away just what I needed that day from a post, whether it be a laugh, a quote, or whatever.
4. Blogging keeps me in touch with friends and family that live far away. We have no family nearby, so it's a great way to share pictures of our kiddos and relate stories of our family events.
5. Hmm, well, I guess it helps me remember special times in our lives, like when we had our ultrasound of Zachary. I printed that blog page out to put in his baby book. I love making headers with updated pics of our kids so I can see them changing over time as I blog. Like "Maggie" said, it's a way to celebrate and remember, for me and all who visit my blog.

*Edit--I was supposed to tag people for this. Ok, let's see if Joni and Jules can jump in. I think "Maggie" tagged all the rest already. If not, consider yourself tagged if you're a blogger!

Fall....change is in the air

Today was the first official day of fall. Change of seasons is coming, both in climate and in life. To simplify, I'll make a short list.

1. Bryan has lost 20 pounds already since the surgery on Sept. 8. He'll be a new man in a few months. Not sure how we'll both deal with that...might feel wierd for a while.
2. Zachary is 6 months old and has 2 teeth already, 2 more coming in, is sitting up by himself, crawling, and really playing with his toys. My little newborn is already grown into a big baby.
3. I'm back into my skinny jeans. Yay! I've still got a few pounds to lose and much more firming up to do before I'll be satisfied. I am happy, however, to have accomplished that goal. I attribute it to more simple meals of less refined foods--more whole grains, fruits, veggies, etc and less intake of sweets and most of all...nursing!
4. Our local MOPS group is underway. We have a way to go before we all feel comfortable and into the swing of things, but it's exciting to anticipate the journey ahead.
5. Bryan's brother and sis-in-law are expecting again, rather unexpectedly. They've already suffered through some terrible losses, so we are praying that God will protect this little life.

That's about all my brain can come up with right now. I'm sure there is something else, but it'll have to wait until I have better thinking capacity.

Bryan's first post-op checkup

It's been a long day. We had to be in Nashville at 9:30, and that meant me up at 5 am to get kids ready and off to where they needed to be.

Bryan is doing great according to the doctor. The pains he's been having in his side are normal pulling of the muscles that were cut during the surgery. He's lost 14 pounds already from the surgery, though he's more than ready to stop the liquid diet and start real food again. It'll be blended/soft food for the next week or so, then on to small portions of healthy food, primarily protein.

On our way back, we made a detour to visit the Whole Foods Market in Nashville. If you've never been to one of those stores, make it a point to visit one. They're in bigger cities like Louisville and Nashville, so while you're there, find one. You'll be amazed by the huge variety of veggies, fruits, meat, seafood, cheese, and all sorts of things I've never seen before or had heard of but can't find in a regular store. I don't think the average American could ever make it their primary grocery store, since most of the items are specialty things, therefore pricey. However, the selections they shared with regular grocery stores were comparable or even cheaper. I was able to come out with some nice finds.

I bought some new grains to try: quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), millet, and lentils (which I think are actually a bean).

I also found a container of shelled, unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds, which are supposed to be high in zinc and good for libido :)

Per Rachael Ray's advice, I bought a tube of tomato paste, which is great for recipes using only a tbsp or so--you squeeze out a little and keep the rest in the fridge until you need it.

And just to make mama happy, a bottle of water and a bar of organic dark chocolate to snack on every now and then. I also got the girls a little bag of apple chips that they devoured as soon as I got them home.

I really enjoyed all the samples they had out too...cheese, salmon salad, pita chips, snap pea chips, and apples. You could eat your lunch in there. I thought Bryan was going to drool over all the varieties of cheese. He bought a package of low-fat cheese to try in a few days. I really wish I'd have had my camera to take pics of all the colorful spreads of foods.

It's funny...I never thought me in a health foods store would be like a kid in a candy store :)

Word for the week

Persevere-
1.to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

2.to persist in speech, interrogation, argument, etc.; insist.

3.to bolster, sustain, or uphold: (example)--unflagging faith that had persevered him.

In church this morning, Bro. Ray talked about how we should persevere as Christians to grow into maturity in our faith, from simple believers to mature apostles, capable of training others in ministry. I had already had this word in my mind this week and planned to blog on it's meaning.

This week, I've struggled to persevere in my personal life. I love my family and love (and live) to serve them. However, I don't always do so with grace and patience. Sometimes it wears pretty thin. Yet, I have felt God pushing me to persevere, to keep going, despite the fatigue and pressure. To let go of the nagging thoughts of negativity, guilt, and selfishness when I do lose my grace, and just "keep on keeping on", as Bro. Ray put it. :)

I hope to also continue to grow in my Christian walk, setting a good example for my children to follow, then beginning to branch out to serve, then train others in their walk. I'm not there yet, but with Christ's strength, I'm persevering!

Thursday and all's well

Except I'm sleepy. But other than that, Bryan's doing well. The pain meds are helping a lot. He's been doing well with his liquids and protein supplements. The gas from surgery is coming out and that's been interesting.

I went with Zoe to her grandparents' tea party at preschool today. Since she had no grandparents nearby, I filled in. We had to wear silly hats, though Zoe's was an old Easter hat, so more pretty than silly. I wore my old floppy garden/beach hat, while Zachary donned a "Here Comes Trouble" cap.

I wasn't quite with the program, though. We arrived a little late, and I grabbed a plate of cookies and some punch as we came in. Zoe and I were eating away, when I realized no one else had gotten any yet. Then, the preschool kids came marching in, and I realized I was supposed to drop Zoe off in her classroom, so they could all come in together. Oh well. At least they all sang together on the little stage in the fellowship hall. Forgot my camera though. :(

Today, catching up on some laundry. Will probably do some cleaning. Want to take a nap. We'll see what actually happens.

Home at last

I picked up Bryan from Nashville today. We got home around 3 pm. Poor guy was in a lot of pain because the nurse didn't get around to giving him his last dose of pain meds before he left, and he didn't realize how much he'd be hurting by the time we got home. Around Hopkinsville, he really started hurting worse, and by the time we got home, it was really bad. I rushed off to Rite Aid to get his prescription, and luckily it's taking the edge off now.

Other than that, he seems to be doing well. He may recline in the couch recliner tonight instead of the bed, so I may sleep in here with him. I'm exhausted. I think I could sleep about anywhere at this point.

I'll have to drive him down there again next Thurs for his follow-up, but after that, I'm done with him :) Well, driving him to and from Nashville, at least. Hopefully, he'll continue to make good progress in the coming weeks. Thanks for all the prayers!