This morning Aunt Joy’s fight with cancer was over. She stopped breathing here on earth and breathed her next breath in the presence of Jesus. I can only imagine what that moment was like…meeting Jesus face-to-face. She will be missed by so many people here. We will remember the good times before she was sick, and also the good times when cancer fell upon her earthly body. I am grateful to God for giving us those beautiful memories.
My dad went down to visit her over the weekend, and returned to Knoxville early this morning. My dad has always been such a great comforter to people, so I know his visit to see his sister and mother was all part of God’s plan. I am reminded of verse John 14:15-17Our hope is that the Holy Spirit who dwells within us will bring comfort during trouble times.
A song I’ve heard many times before has become a song of devotion for me over the last week. God is, indeed, faithful forever. He is the true Healer. Praise be to Jesus!
I Lift My Hands lyrics Songwriters: Christopher Tomlin;Matt Maher;Louie Giglio
Be still, there is a healer
His love is deeper than the sea
His mercy, it is unfailing
His arms are fortress for the weak
Let faith arise
Let faith arise
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
Be still, there is a river
That flows from Calvary's tree
A fountain for the thirsty
Pure grace that washes over me
Let faith arise
Let faith arise
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
(From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/chris-tomlin-lyrics/i-lift-my-hands-lyrics.html)
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes
Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
And I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God
You are faithful, God, forever
Makayla and Jackson are growing so fast. Now that Jackson is up and crawling, the two of them are interacting a lot more. I just love it!! Here are some of my favorite recent pics of our sweet little ones!
Well this last week has had many ups and downs. My Aunt Joy was diagnosed with breast cancer about 5 years ago. Recently she learned it was back and spread to her liver, lungs, and chest. She has been through her share of pain over the years and it has been difficult witnessing that struggle. This week she was transported to the hospital by ambulance where she still is today. I pray for God to give her strength, comfort, and peace. God is our steadfast comforter. Our hope is that the Holy Spirit who dwells within us will bring comfort during trouble times. (John 14:15-17)
My Dad fell at work a few weeks ago and injured his knee. He is feeling a lot of pain, and trying to fully recover. He is also hurting for his sister (Aunt Joy) and wants so badly for her to get better. I pray that he will feel the words God has laid before us: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
My older sister Summer and her husband Joe had hoped to start a family soon. They recently learned that having children of their own may not be in God’s plan. However they remain hopeful for the One who performs everyday miracles will perform a miracle for them. Summer told me that she is reminded of Elizabeth in the Bible; God blessed Elizabeth with a child and we are reminded how nothing is impossible for God. I pray for their continued sense of peace in their hearts, and that they would find God’s grace in the everyday lives.
My sister April and her fiancé Scott are expecting a baby girl in January. We are all very excited to meet this precious angel sent from above. This week they learned that the baby has a medical condition which requires surgery right after birth, and a 4-6 week stay in the hospital. Naturally, my sister is scared, stressed out, and uncertain about the future. I pray that April and Scott will seek God in their times of emotional struggle. I pray they will find comfort in each other and feel God’s agape love through this journey. I pray for their little girl’s health as well. I know God’s love for His children is much more than our minds can comprehend, and He will take care of her. I know that God has a plan for this baby girl, a plan far greater than any of ours. Sometimes it’s hard to see the Big Picture when our world is so small. Scott and April haven’t decided on a name yet, but for now April is calling her Hope.
I typically don’t publish these types of entries about my family on the internet, but it’s been on my heart to publish this blog entry regarding these specific things. I don’t want to sound like only sad things are going on because trust me there are also many wonderful things happening right now. But hurting people need prayers and my hope is that anyone reading this will lift up my family members in prayer. Also, pray for my mom as she feels the weight of all these issues right now. Please join me in prayer for each person written about; that they will feel God’s grace, goodness, mercy, joy, comfort, peace, and love. For there doesn’t have to be suffering for there to be grace…but where there is suffering, grace overflows.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
There is always hope with God. :-)
God Bless, Shawna
p.s. I want to thanks several of my co-workers who have known what’s been going on over the last week. Every person has something going on in their life, and it’s important that we lift each other up. It was so special to me when several women greeted me at my classroom door with hugs, words of encouragement, and just to say they are praying for my family. Wow! I am blessed to work with them.
We have been a little too busy lately, but that’s very typical every year when August hits. August is “Mommy Goes Back to Work Month”…haha! No really it’s like every routine I’ve worked on and mastered during the summer gets thrown under the bus. Man it really sucks and I will never get use to that. Tim and I have been in prayer over a lot of important decisions lately. While I might not mention them on my blog, I will ask for friends and family to pray for us as we seek to follow God’s direction, and to see the path God has laid before us. We whole-heartedly want to do what is right for our family, and especially our children. Children are like sponges; they soak in everything they are taught. My opinion is that these early years shape and mold them into who they become as tiny individuals. We recently started going to a class at church on Wednesday nights; Intentional Christian Parenting. It is exciting to dig into scripture and specifically search for answers on parenting. Being a mom is hard work…really hard work. It is also the biggest blessing I have so graciously received.
Tim has been working hard and has finally recovered from a shoulder injury he got a few months ago. I think it’s time for him to start mowing the grass again. Yay! Tim is in his 4th semester at Western Governors University, and is working hard for his degree. He is so smart and I admire him for his hard work and dedication to our family.
Makayla and Jackson are getting so big, so fast. Makayla is already wearing a toddler size 7 in shoes. We joke that she has her daddy’s feet, but that’s okay. She is at the stage of learning ways to express her emotion so it has been a learning experience for all of us. What I can say is that our daughter has excellent manners and listens to us most of the time. In fact, I think some older kids I know could learn a few tips from her. She is a beautiful child who more importantly has a beautiful heart. Jackson has mastered crawling and pulling up. It’s only a matter of time before he ventures out, with one foot in front of the other. He will be 8 months old in a few days, which means he is only 4 months away from his 1st birthday! Time is flying by and I’m so glad we are treasuring these precious moments. The kids go stay with their Nana during the day while Tim and I are working. They are learning so much over there while getting lots of love from their Nana. We are so thankful that they are able to stay there.
Well, I have a lot of other updates to write about as well. But I’m going put those in another blog entry; this one is already long enough. So to all my friends and family that have been wondering what we’ve been up to, there you have it in 519 words.
This morning I became curious to learn about schools around the world. Now, being a teacher, I am not oblivious to the different types of schooling around the world. But I just wanted to remind myself in case I find myself complaining about my classroom this year. We are so blessed in this country! For many of us to sit and complain about or constantly make negative comments about different aspects of our kids school is seemingly absurd! It's also disrespectful to the educators who have put in 60 plus hours at school this past week to prepare for their students. Americans need to stop being so self-centered and take a look around!
Tim and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary this past Thursday! I remember our wedding day like it was yesterday. During our wedding reception, my dad dedicated a song to me (well actually to Tim too cause my dad is like Tim’s other dad). It ended up being a song Tim and I play often to reminisce about our wedding day. I thought I would share it....My Wish by Rascal Flatts
We were unable to find a babysitter for dinner out….so we took things into our own hands. After the kids went to bed Tim went out and picked up Japanese food. Yes, we ended up eating dinner at 10 pm but it was a wonderful time of conversation and reflection about the last five years. The food was absolutely delicious, and the entire quiet night at home seemed absolutely perfect. If you don’t already know, I have an awesome husband who loves Jesus, his family, his friends, and maybe a good football game or two. ;-) Really I couldn’t have dreamt of any better man. God is so good!
I cannot believe this summer break is coming to an end. Makayla and Jackson have grown tremendously over the summer and I'm just so thankful I've been home to witness it all. I am sad to leave them next week when I go back to work. The good news is that Jackson is finally taking a bottle so that is one thing I do not have to stress about.
The first few weeks of summer involved getting routines down; it wasn’t always easy, but now things go pretty smoothly. Makayla turned 2 years old at the end of June and has become Mrs. Independent. This is not always a good thing as we are working on following directions, obeying mommy and daddy, and sharing. I’ve always heard of the ‘terrible twos’ but never really believed it. I always thought “those parents are doing something wrong. MY child will never act that way.” Well, little did I know what was in store for me. I’ve prayed to God for patience and he has given me circumstances to learn patience. I’ve prayed to God for strength and he has restored me by helping me see little accomplishments throughout the day. God is so good. I totally understand why society has nicknamed this stage the ‘terrible twos’ but honestly there are much more wonderful times than difficult ones; I would rename it the ‘Terrific Twos’. Makayla is learning so much every single day. She is talking in complete sentences, and already learned a few sight words. She is super sweet to her baby brother and loves reading him books and singing to him. She has such a fantastic personality; with smiles, hugs, and words to melt anybody’s heart. Makayla is growing into a little girl now, but she will always be my angel baby.
Jackson is almost 7 months old, and I find myself often wondering where the time has gone. Seriously, these are the days I will cherish for a lifetime. Jackson found his voice and is constantly chattering up a storm. I still think he is teething, but hey I’ve thought that for 3 months now and have yet to see a tooth pop through…haha. He has been sitting up on his own for about a month and half now. He is a strong little fella who really wants to start crawling. For now, he reaches for toys or rolls around the floor. Some of my favorite times are when I watch Jackson and Makayla make each other laugh. I don’t always know what they’re laughing about, but they know…and I guess that’s all that matters.
So as we wrap up our summer break, I am reflecting about how truly precious time is. Time goes by so fast and we can’t ever get it back. It’s so important to cherish each moment and not let the little miracles of each day pass us by. Keep God on the forefront, always seeking Him first. Keep family a priority, and always remember they are the ones who love you most. Work hard, but work at the things that matter most. Take time to tell the ones you love how much they mean to you. Always make time for your friends because they are like your extended family. And imagine each day 'wrapped up' with a big bow on top…because each day is truly a gift.
(redo...actually a re-thought)
So as we wrap up our summer break, I am reflecting about how truly precious time is. Time goes by so fast and we can’t ever get it back. It’s so important to cherish each moment and not let the little miracles of each day pass me by. I am keeping God as the steady center of my life, knowing He is an ever-present presence in my daily journey. I’m keeping family a priority, and reminding myself that they are the ones who love me most. I will work hard, but work at the things that matter most. I will take time to tell the ones I love how much they mean to me. Be more easily forgiving to others..because lets face it, we 'humans' are messy. And I will try my best to make time for friends because they are my extended family. As I type, I’m imagining each day wrapped up with a big bow on top…because each day is truly a gift.
Here are some digital scrapbook pages of the family I put together. I enjoy digital scrapbooking so it’s nice when I get a chance to do it. Enjoy & God bless.
I was recently reminded to count my blessings daily…did you hear that daily and many times a day at that.
There is just so much going on in this world which we often don’t even know about or don’t care to know about. That is a sad realization for so many children around the world who are without a family or have severe medical conditions unseen. Yesterday I took Makayla to see Dr. Miller, a neurologist here in town. We think she may be suffering from petit mal seizures, which are uncommon in children under four. Makayla's pediatrician, Dr. Blackmon referred us to Dr.Miller just as a precautionary measure. I will write an update after her scheduled EEG (in September). We are praying that she is not having seizures, but if she does indeed suffer from those types of seizures they are considered mild and not dangerous like other types. While at the appointment we began talking about a mission trip Dr. Miller and Dr. Greg went on together.
Well, fast forward a few hours and we were at the kids’ pediatrician, Dr. Blackmon. Both kids had their well-child checkups which is another post in itself. I mentioned to Dr. Greg (that’s what everyone calls him) that we had met Dr. Miller and heard they had recently returned from a mission trip to Haiti. I wanted to know a little more of what they did over there so he so kindly took time to tell me. He told me that while on a previous mission trip he met a little boy that was completely immobile and didn’t speak at all. He thought the boy was having seizures and asked Dr. Miller to return on another trip. He said the little boy has several sisters, but the sisters have no idea they have a brother. Really?! Dr. Greg said, ‘Over there, the least of these get the least”. Think about that for a moment. The little boy was kept in a back room of their house (or what they call a house) and was not taken care of well. The healthy family members are the ones who come first. Why? Because that is how some survive, while others die. Why? Because some WILL die.
This is a reminder to me, and hopefully others, to pray for those people who are unseen. Help people who think they don’t matter to anyone. Assist people who are alone or lonely. Take care of the children. After all, all people are part of God’s creation. All people want be loved and seen…even the least of these.
“…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40
Dr. Greg plans on returning to Haiti with medical supplies and/or medication to help that little boy get better. May God bless them on their mission.
