The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I started my blog post yesterday about Robyn's birthday around 5:00 a.m. and had saved it to go take care of something before I finished it up.  Time got past me and I still hadn't had a chance to go back and post it before I got a phone call.

It's was Robyn.

I could tell by the tone of her voice something was up, so I asked her what was wrong.

"Ummm ... I don't really know how to tell you this."

"Just tell me."

"I'm pregnant."

"OH. MY. GOODNESS."

I didn't know if I should laugh or cry tears of joy.  So I just sat in awe for a moment.

This pregnancy was a complete surprise.  As I was finishing up my blog post yesterday I wanted so badly to shout to everyone that she was expecting miracle number three, but I couldn't just yet.  It is so hard to stay quite when you have news that just makes your heart dance.

She has now made her announcement to everyone and I'm now free to shout ... I would dance if I could.

Not everyone ever gets to experience a miracle, but Robyn is waiting to give birth to miracle number three.  Isn't it just like God to give us far more than we could ever imagine?

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us," ~ Ephesians 3:20

Robyn, guess what verse is going on your next baby quilt ... and I think it's going to be pink!  : )  Love you and I am so, so honored to have had a front row seat to what God has done in your life.  This was certainly a birthday you will never forget!

Being An Example

Tonight we will be giving a bridal shower for my friend Connie's daughter.  We are putting together a book of prayers and encouragement for her.  As I've thinking through exactly what I want to say, it hit me.  I'm old enough to be her mother.  I've really never thought about it before now.  I know it should be obvious, but I often forget just how old I really am.  It's certainly not because my body doesn't feel older than my age.  Maybe I'm just in denial.  I never really think about how much older I am than the younger mom's in my church.  Occasionally it will cross my mind but hardly ever.

I most certainly did last weekend though.  Our WIC Committee (Women In the Church) had a coffee on Saturday morning.  We spent some time talking about how we each can serve our church.  I seriously could not remember how many and what committees I am on.  I knew most of them, but I kept thinking I was forgetting one.  I asked Cheryl to remind me, but somehow we got preoccupied and didn't around to it until she was driving me home later that day.

"You do remember you are on the Titus 2 Committee, right?", she asked.

"No, I forgot."

"Well, do you want to stay on it?"

I admit my heart skipped a beat and with hesitation I said yes.  Not because I've I felt somewhat overwhelmed lately.  It's because it's a big responsibility and one I'm not so sure I'm good at.

Actually, I know I'm not good at it.

It's one thing to be on the Covenant Celebration committee (a.k.a shower committee).  I had given it up for awhile but agreed to do it again.  I love giving parties, even though it does become a challenge at times when you have so many opinions and different ideas.  The Church History committee is pretty simple.  It just requires putting together a book of all the events of our church for the year.

However, Titus 2 seems like a much bigger responsibility.

It's based on Titus 2:3-5.  The older women teaching the younger women.

³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, ⁴ so that they may ^[b]encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. 

I certainly don't think of myself as a good example of this.  I've sat across the table so many times from younger women and had them ask me for advice.  They've sat on my couch and poured out the hearts asking what should they do next.  I try to always point them to Jesus.  I say it with my words, but I so often fail in my walk.  I'm a hypocrite.

And what kind of example is that for my daughters?  I makes me panic and sick to my stomach to think about how I've failed in my walk and how hypocritical I've been.

Shouldn't the committee be made up of women who are better examples than I am?  Women who are better at walking the talk.

Maybe so.

But maybe ... just maybe ... being honest about my own failures will help someone else realize we all mess up, and we have to keep running to Jesus to confess where we messed up and ask Him to show us how to do better.

I think it will help me to be more accountable and put a deeper desire in my heart to seek the Lord.  We all should realize we are being watched from afar.  People are looking at how we behave and how we react.  I watch those around me.  Some more closely than others.  I need to remember someone, especially my daughters, are watching me closely.  Being on a committee that is responsible for coming up with ideas of how we can learn to be better friends,sisters, mothers and wives will make more deligent to fall to my knees and ask Him for His guidance.

I desperately need to being doing that.

I would not have chosen me to be on that committee.  I don't even understand why I agreed to it.  But I do know that the greatest example I can be to anyone is remind them that we all fall short.  They aren't alone.  None of us are the perfect example.  That's why we need Jesus.

Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. ~ Psalm 25:4

Happy Birthday, Roybn!

When I entered the 5th grade I had to change schools.  I was so apprehensive about this school because there were things about it that were different than any other school I had attended.  I really didn't like it.  I dreaded going in the beginning, yet it turned out to be something that would change my life forever.


I met one of the best friends I would ever have.

Robyn and I prefer to say we met in the 5th grade rather than say we were 10 years old.  Somehow we tend to think it makes us sound younger.  She was in a different classroom than me, and I don't even remember how we started talking.  Probably the playground.  I had never met anyone with my name.  For years would argue back and forth over who spelled their name correctly.  She spells hers with a "y" and I spell mine with an "i".  When we would pass notes we always would underline the letter we thought was correct.

The older we got, the closer we became.  We loved having classes together, although our teachers weren't overjoyed to have us.  We always got in trouble for talking and giggling.  It was inevitable we would be separated within a couple of weeks after school started.  Our 9th grade algebra class we stayed in trouble.  Mrs. Reba Medley was our teacher and I can still here her voice telling us to be quite.  I always seemed to be the one who ended up in the hallway for talking though.  Robyn was just better at hiding and I was the loud mouth.

Our most memorable class was our senior year.  Economics with Mr. Eugene Hunter.  Oh my, the memories!  Green polyester pants, "Frank and Earnest" cartoons and overhead projectors.  We still laugh so hard to this day that we cry over the things that happened in that class.  I'm not so sure who was more amused, us or him.

Robyn and I have literally grown up together.  We have lived so much life together.  She's been such a joy to me.  She's loved me when I've been unlovable, been nonjudgmental when I've made terrible mistakes and has been quick to forgive when I've offended her.  She's been longsuffering and sacrificial when I've needed her the most.  The girl drops everything and drives 2 hours to see me when I'm in the hospital, and even when I've been so sick I could only visit no more than half an hour at a time, she still came.


She's one of the most compassionate, loving people I know.  She loves Jesus with all heart.  Even though we may have different theologies, we have the most important thing in common.  Jesus.  We know He died for our sins and paid our ransom, and we have the privilege of spending eternity together with Him.

Life has had a lot of twist and turns, yet through it all we've been side by side. She's been the keeper of my secrets and never broken my trust.  She's trusted me with her the most fragile parts of her heart.


She amazes me.  Her strength.  Her courage.  Her faith and trust she has in our Heavenly Father.

It's seems like we've always done everything together.  We met the love of our lives at the same time.  We were engaged within 8 days of each other, and married in the same month.  But starting our families at the same time wasn't God's plan.  Although she struggled with infertility, she sat on my hospital bed with the birth of each of my girls and held them with such joy.  She would often tell me she knew God was going to bless her with a child even though the doctors said it was impossible.  She never wavered in her faith, but I doubted it would ever happen.  Thirteen years, almost exactly to the day, after Sara was born I sat in her hospital room and cried while I held her miracle.  

This picture almost makes me heart burst with such joy!

Sixteen months later I got to hold her miracle number two.

Today is Robyn's birthday.  It's taken 38 days, but we are finally the same age again. : )

Robyn,

You are my dear friend that I treasure deep in my heart.  You have been such a sweet gift to me from the Lord Jesus.  You've been my encourager, my confident and the one to give me a swift kick in the rear when I've needed one.  I love you more than I can possibly wrap words around.  I can't imagine life without you even if we have to live two hours apart, and I'm so grateful we get to spend eternity together.  You can make me laugh harder than anyone else.  Our road trips are some of the best memories of my life.  Thank you for letting me sing to the top of my lungs even though I can't carry a tune, and for taking turns freaking out with me when we would get lost.  Thank you for making me laugh at something that would otherwise make cry.  For milking my chest tubes that time I had surgery.  For remembering when it's your turn to buy the snack and my turn to buy the drinks as we reach the checkout lane at Target.  For holding my hand and praying with me when I've been scared.  For pointing to my source of Hope when it seemed hopeless.  Thank you for just loving me.

Happy Birthday my precious friend.  I pray this next year is overfilled with blessings for you.  I love you.

p.s.  This is the last year we can honestly say we are 39. : )

I Must Remember He Is Sovereign

I am seriously having to reconsider whether I should be going to bible study today.  I fell this morning.  I'm sore, but I don't think I've hurt anything.  I haven't felt quiet right for the last few days.  I can't really put my finger on it.  I've had this nervous flutter in my chest and I've been extremely tired.  I almost fell asleep several times in church on Sunday and I've had a hard time staying awake for very long this week.  I've been fighting a headache, but I am thankful I've not had a fever.  Every little thing that happens causes me to have to fight against fear.  I wonder if it's the beginning of another attack.  I can quickly work myself up into a panic.  I have to constantly remind myself that God is sovereign and no matter what happens He will give me the grace to get through it.  It's hard though.  It's hard to trust even through in my heart I know what is true.  I always seem to lay it at His feet, but before I walk away I pick it up again.  Or if I do walk away I go back and get it.  Why do I do that?  I am so grateful to be surrounded by people who will remind me what I know is true.  You will point me straight back to the cross when I waiver.  Not only do they point me there, they will walk with me.

I'm going to have to be intentional about reminding myself He is sovereign and that whatever may come, He has a plan.  I just have to trust.

I am praying I'm only overreacting.  I have times when I fall often and times when I become overly tired.  It doesn't always mean another attack is looming.  Most of the time it's just my body crying out for rest.