Happy Bestie Day

Hello Friends,

Well I am sure that all of us are aware of what tomorrow is. It is Mother's Day. You may question why I have titled my post the way I did...I will explain here.

First I want to say that I am not opposed to Mother's Day. You are 100% entitled to celebrate your Mother, you Grandmother, your Step Mom or celebrate because you are a Mother. I have no problems with that at all. Good Mothers deserve to be honored. In fact I too will be celebrating and I too will be celebrated because I have and am a Mother. Yet this day also brings some sadness to my heart as I think about my bestie. I love her with so much of myself that I hurt with and for her because her dream is to be a Mom and she has yet to celebrate a Mother's Day as a Mother. She has dreamed of being pregnant and of being a Mom for so many years. It just has not happened for her yet. My heart hurts for her with each passing year and even though I will celebrate tomorrow I will also be praying for her. Her and her husband (my other bestie) want a child so badly and they would be amazing parents. About 1/2 a year ago they had a little boy that they were allowed to call their own through adoption. Then suddenly the adoption was put to a stop. We cried together. When she got her period after thinking she could be pregnant, I cried for her. Her and her hubby suffer with millions of others with infertility. I question often like I am sure some of you do, why 15 year olds can get pregnant so easily and not want the child but my bestie who would be the best Mommy cannot get pregnant naturally. Some would say it is God's timing or that they need to learn something and my favorite as to why they have no children yet: God can use this in their ministry. That part is true I am sure but the truth is it doesn't make it any easier. The fact remains that this is another Mother's Day where once again her arms are empty and I can't help but think of her. So where I will be celebrating my own Mom and I will be celebrated as a Mom I am ever mindful of those who ache on Mother's Day for various reasons: infertility, a poor relationship with their own Mother, death of a Mother...the list can go on. I will be praying. I am also aware of how much I love my bestie and I will be celebrating her through prayer tomorrow. After all, she is a strong woman of God who I believe deserves to be celebrated!! So as you celebrate tomorrow, would you please celebrate my bestie and pray for her?

You my dear Bestie are an example of love. I appreciate you and feel honored that God has put you in my life. We will continue this journey together, the sorrows and the joys. Tomorrow, I will be celebrating you!!! Happy Bestie Day!

Tons to Celebrate

SO this last while has been so busy that I feel I have neglected you my faithful readers. Easter was fantastic. How was yours?

We had some special guests with us during Easter. We had cadets (college students who are training to become pastors within The Salvation Army) While with us they were able to help us out in different ways. They also were able to observe our annual church review which went well I think. They did some visitation, a TV interview, the church review, colored eggs with my daughter and we had an Easter egg hunt! They also preached, lead Sunday school and helped us with our first ever outreach Easter breakfast. It was wonderful. We had over 60 people come out to the breakfast and 51 of them stayed for the church service. To me that is a success because that is 51 more people who were able to hear the message of God!! Our breakfast was yummy. My church family pitched in and the breakfast consisted of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausages, hash browns, homemade muffins and fruit. Of course there was coffee and orange juice. It was a good time.

We had a good time with the cadets and this Friday is a big day for those of us in The Salvation Army...That is the day that moves come out. So for three of these cadets they will be receiving their first appointments and one will get their summer appointment. By the way, training is 22 (intense) months. So I am excited to hear where my friends will be going.

Now, a cute "funny" from my kiddo...Today while driving in the car I asked her if she likes living in the city we are in and she says "Yes." "But Mommy, is (name of city) a city?" I told her that yes, it is but a very small city. Anyhow, we were on the topic of moving someday and she said "I would like to move one day to a different place...(a bit of a pause)...I think we will move to Africa one day." I really didn't know what to say...Does my four and a half yr old know something I don't? Hmmmmm. I asked her why she thought Africa and she didn't really know. It wasn't because she wants to go there, she said she just thought of it. So if one day we are in Africa, we will know that my kiddo called that one! :)

Well, that is all I have for you now....I would love to hear how your Easter was.

Back to Life as I Know It

Hello...
So I do have some catching up to do when it comes to letting you know what I have been up too. On March 18th my hubby and I had to leave our sweet 4 1/2 yr old behind and fly two provinces away for a mandatory conference/course that kept us away for two weeks. Was it hard leaving our girl behind? You may ask...For me ABSOLUTELY!!! For her...Ummmmm Not so much! I managed to get her on the phone only once while I was away. I heard her in the background chatting and playing but once asked if she wanted to talk to me I would hear her reply, "Nope, that's ok, I'm busy." and off she would skip to play again. I guess I was glad she was content but it would have been nice to hear from her more. You may be wondering who we left her with for so long. Well, all I can tell you is that they were the PERFECT people. She is our little ones daycare director (so our girl was in her same routine of going to daycare everyday) and her husband is a city police officer. The couple also has a teenage boy who I trust. So that part made it really easy for me to go. When I got home, the lady I left her with told me that she has never in her life met such a secure child. I felt proud but I know it is only by the grace of God that our girl is the way she is.

The first week away was enriching! We were able to fellowship with our friends and peers who we went to school with. It was wonderful. The weekend we had a break so we traveled to some college mates hometown and had a wonderful weekend there! The second week we did an intensive course on the book of Genesis. Again this was so great! Have you ever really read the book of Genesis? What I will say about it is this...If it was a movie it certainly would NOT be G rated!! Not even PG! There is so much sex and violence in the first book of the Bible that if they were made into movies, I may not watch them! Shocking material. The point I learned the most out of this course is the fact that people are people are people...Meaning, people are the same today as they were in Bible days. We need a Savior just as much today as they did in Genesis. Here is a challenge for you...If you are looking for scandals, deceit, sex, violence etc...(I don't know why you would be but if you watch it on TV already...)put away the trashy romance novels or quit watching TV and read the Bible! Genesis to be exact. Might I suggest chapter 38? Read it and go see what I mean. By today's standards, that chapter would make a good movie. Or chapter 34 which entails some sexual violence and the revenge of it. Or chapter 27 which features family betrayal when the younger brother deceives his father by tricking him into giving him a blessing that in those days, belonged to the firstborn. OHHHH the drama! Yet the message is all the same. I believe that sin is born out of selfishness. All people need redemption. Genesis although filled with horrible scenarios of selfishness tells us that we need saving. We need redemption and a Savior. Do you know Jesus? He is THE Savior. If you want to know more about Him, just let me know...I will tell you.

The Bible can make a person question many different things. A big question I get is "How can you believe in God, when so many bad things happen?" or "How can someone have faith when God let's them down?" Take for instance a person who has lost a spouse or a child. They may question why it happened, which is normal. My answer would be to use the example of an earthly parent who walks hand in hand with their child. Just because the parent walks with them, doesn't mean they won't fall down and scrape their knee. It does mean that the parent is there to pick the child up, hug them, help the hurt if they can and unconditionally love them. Did the parent want the child to fall? Absolutely not. Does God want bad things to happen to us? Absolutely not. God does promise to be with us and love us unconditionally no matter what our circumstances are. He does not cause bad circumstances but He does walk with us through them if we let Him. Well, I do have so much more to tell you but I fear this has gone on long enough and you may be bored of reading...I will write more at another time. Remember, if you want to know more about God, just ask.

Please forgive the errors of spelling and grammar. God Bless and keep you all in His hand.

Back In Action

Hello...
I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I have just been MIA for the last couple of weeks as I was a couple of provinces away. So just hang tight because I lots to tell you but I also have a few really busy weeks coming up. After some of the busy work is done I will report in. I am still here tho! :) Take care my friends.

Growing Pains

Just the other day I did something that was painful. Not the kind of pain where you stub your toe or bang your head...None the less, it was painful. Just the other day, I registered my baby for kindergarten!! My life is changing...Never mind HER life.

My kid is growing up yet I am the one with the growing pains.

I have experienced growing pains. Here is how:
First, the moment I took that test that told me I was pregnant, I became a mother. I was no longer just a wife, at that moment I was responsible for another life. Let the growing pains begin.
Second, as my belly expanded as God knit my daughter together in my womb, I experienced the pains and joys of pregnancy and giving birth. Growing pains.
Through all the wonderful events such as breastfeeding, potty training, sickness, dance recitals, swimming lessons and many others...I have experienced growing pains. As I watched my baby grow into a wonderful little girl I experienced growing pains. It is hard for me to watch my only child grow up. I have changed to meet her needs. I became a mother. A Mom who hugs her, teaches her to read, wipes her nose and wipes her tears. It seems as if I can physically see her growing...I mean I know I can't really, but it seems as if I can and as she is growing...I feel the pains.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I registered my daughter for kindergarten the other day. Now, I could have called and registered her that way but nope, not me. I had to go down to the school and see it, ask all the right questions and meet her new teacher. Turns out that I know her teacher. That is a relief. It makes the pain of letting her go to school a little easier. So as we cross this new bridge, I feel the growing pains. I am now entering a new phase in my daughters life. It is not just a new phase in her life, it is a new one for us as parents. The phase of school days. **Sigh** I know it is only kindergarten but once she starts that, there is no going back. Next thing I know, she will be coming home with huge papers to write, clubs to be involved with, hard decisions to make such as to drink or not to drink, dating, sex, drugs, parties, sleepovers, driving....AHHHHHH!!! There is no stopping this! IIIII have growing pains. As she grows I have to as well. I need to have the knowledge and wisdom to answer some potentially difficult questions.

The only peace I have, is in knowing that we are raising a girl who loves God. We are trying our best to train up our child in the way she should go...just as the Bible tells us too. Our prayer is that she will not part from these ways.

So, my little girl is growing up and I have the growing pains. I am thankful for each stage of her life because it means that I grow as well. I pray that God keeps us all close to Him and close to each other as we take this next journey.