Marines and Teens

My son has been at Marine Corps boot camp for seven weeks...and I miss him so much.  I realize it is because of the memories of the great times we have had as a family.  Even though he is absent, we are still making memories...and that is what is hard.  To continue to make family memories when a part of your family is missing.  Saturday we went to the International Street Fair and ate until we exploded.  Saturday it was Harbor House late night for shakes.  It was hard to see the empty chair and know this is one of my son's favorite places.  Sunday was Balboa Island, Newport Pier and Ruby's on the pier for lunch.  As we share memorable moments as a family I realize that we move on, change, grow up and adjust.  My son is an adult now and basically, on his own...But this mom didn't realize how hard it would be to let go...

Now I watch my husband wrestle with our daughter and laugh and play.  She is starting high school this week and is very excited.  I can tell my husband misses our son because he is spoiling our daughter.  (I think to make up for her being the only one right now).  But she is grateful.  He surprised her with something she wanted on Sunday and she cried because she knows it was given out of love.  

Today I sit in contentment, gratitude and joy.  As I prayed to God this morning, I thanked Him for the amazing marriage me and Ed have and the love that is still on fire after 23 years.  I thanked Him for my son -  honorable, courageous and committed.  The son that desires to be disciplined and a leader and defender of our freedom.  I thanked Him for my daughter - merciful, kind and loyal.  The daughter that has a heart for service and would give all she had to someone who needed it more.  

Can I stop time today and always see the blessings in my life and never see the struggles?  I want to sit in contentment and gratitude and joy every day. This, my family, is what matters and what lasts.

What causes you to be content, grateful and joyous?

It's Been Awhile...

It has been quite a few months since my last post and here is a synopsis of what has happened...
I had surgery (not so amazing but I am doing great now)

Son went to prom (No he didn't take his dad!)

 Daughter graduated from junior high

Son graduated from high school

Family road trip vacation to Mt. Rushmore (Amazing by the way)

Son left for Marine Corps Boot Camp July 23rd.  He has been gone two weeks and this momma misses her boy!!  But got a letter from him Friday!

 Me and Ed celebrated with one of his co-workers for her birthday.

 Haley went to Knott's to perform at the NRG Western Regionals Dance Competition...

 And won first place for large intermediate dance....

and Character dance...
Way to go Bell Intermediate Dance Team!!

So far this year I have celebrated my niece, Skylar's birthday (as seen here)....

Taylor had another concert at The House Of Blues Anaheim....

So as you can see, 2012 is not starting out as a good year for me blogging.  I have been so busy with my kids, husband, work and other family that I have just been too busy.  So get ready for a blog explosion until I get caught up!

Happy New Year!!!  Four months late but, hey, better late than never, right??

It has been quite a while since I have posted...a lot has happened.  I will try to break it down into a few different posts based on events so bear with me.

On November 21, 2011, my sister's husband, John Robert Payne, went to be with the Lord after a two year battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  I helped my sister with the memorial and in the process of the planning and the outpouring of friends, family and co-workers I am in awe of what an amazing man John was.  He was so good to my sister and their twin boys.  He was a man of integrity that went out of his way to take others under his wing.  He will be dearly missed. But as the Bible says, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord."  And so in His passing, I am jealous that he gets to dance with Jesus!

Marines, Marines, Marines

We are now in the process of enlisting my son in the U.S. Marine Corps.  He cut his hair, took out his earrings and shaved his chin beard.  Can you believe it?!?!

In the midst of all this me and Taylor served with the Patriot's Ministry at a memorial for the 1/5 Marines at Camp Pendleton.  Seventeen fallen Marines who died in Afghanistan from April to September were honored.

We served lunch at a reception for about 600 Marines and the families of the fallen.  It was a great experience to serve, and better yet to serve side by side with my son.

U.S. Marine Corps

So many things have happened in the past couple of weeks and I wish I was better about blogging more frequently....so there might be several posts in a row to update all on what is happening at my house.

On Wednesday, October 26 I was making dinner when my son told me that he had finally figured out what he wanted to do for college. (He is a high school senior and has been seemingly dragging his feet...at the expense of my frustration).  My eyes lit up as I asked him what he had decided on.  He proceeded to hand me a U.S. Marine Corps Brochure.  My first response?  I started to cry...not because I don't support him but for a mom, when you hear your son say that, your instant thought is "He is going to go to war and die".  After my initial shock and after telling dad.  We had some good family talks over the next few days.  He has been thinking about this for over a year...I am so proud of my son and his desire to serve this country.  Freedom is not free and I understand that even more now that my son is willing to give it all for us.

Taylor's Food Adventures

Taylor wanted to see what it was like to eat a raw egg.  The lead up was way worse than the actual egg... with mom laughing the whole time!

Basketball...being played somewhere

So I finally got to see my nephews, Connor (#16) and Cooper (#14), play basketball.  They are nine year old twins.  It was so much fun to watch them play.  They play in a Christian league so the game was in the auditorium of a Baptist church.  It was a nice time for mine and my sister's family to connect. I had neglected to be as connected to my sister and her family recently....I felt guilty for my neglect of my relationship with my sister, especially since she has been going through some extremely difficult times lately.  This simple gesture meant more to her than I imagined.  Since then we have gone to breakfast together...pumpkin pancakes!! and talked several times.  I had not realized how much I missed my sister...and we live maybe 10 miles apart...

May I never forget the people in my life again.  I pray that I will always hold them close and cherish them.  I pray that you cherish your family and friends and tell them often how much they mean to you.  Better yet, show them!

I'm blogging like a mad woman lately...
     So I am sitting here, working on my study called "He Speaks To Me" by Priscilla Shirer on my lunch.  I see people outside and grumble that I am going to get interrupted...AGAIN.  I tell the Lord all I want is some uninterrupted time to spend with Him.  I am totally aggravated by the interruptions.  The person never knocks so the interruption never really happens. Back to my study...
     I have now reached the part in my study titled "Your Interruption: God's Intervention".  Can you see where this one's going?  The chapter says, "I find distractions particularly irritating when I am focused on getting an item crossed off my to-do list. More and more the Lord is showing me what I consider interruptions are often divine distractions designed to reveal His plans for me."   So the question is for me today, "Am I missing God's intervention as He seeks to divert us to His will?"  I am humbled, but in a good way.  I feel close to God knowing that He loves me enough to work on these little human moments I have as He molds me to be more like Christ.  How do you deal with Divine Distractions to your day?

On October 7, 1989 I married the man of my dreams....and he still is.  We just celebrated 22 years of marriage.  I can't believe it has been that long.  Ed was and is truly a gift from God.  He is a man of integrity who loves the Lord, loves me and loves our kids...in that order.  He works hard to provide for us and even does laundry!! Most of all he makes me laugh and to quote Elizabeth Bennett, "I dearly love to laugh".  Thank You Edward for 22 years of laughter.  Life is easier with you by my side.  And it doesn't hurt that your still hot after 22 years!

Happy Birthday Haley

Sting Rays...they hurt

Ed getting ready to squirt the girls with a little rubber seahorse.

I am so behind in posting pics from family times lately.  So here are pictures from my daughter's 13th birthday beach party.  It didn't turn out quite like we planned, including the fact that she got stung by a sting ray and had to spend an hour in the lifeguard first aid station.  But she is officially a teenager and I can't tell you how much she is a blessing to me.  I love my daughter and thank God every day for her and her brother.

Manifest

    God's Manifest Presence...a study I am currently in talks about God's manifest presence.  What is that? Being the curious one I am I looked manifest up in the dictionary.  There are three definitions. 1. Readily perceived by the senses and especially by the sight. 2. Easily understood or recognized by the mind.  These definitions come from a Latin word meaning flagrant.  I really like that...how much more obvious could God be if His presence is FLAGRANT in our lives?!  Synonyms are: apparent, clear cut, CRYSTAL CLEAR, distinct, evident, lucid, and LUMINOUS.  Emphasis is on the ones that really stood out to me and made me understand the presence God should have in my life.  3. To make evident or certain by showing or displaying.  Synonyms are: declare, demonstrate, display and reveal.
     God wants me to physically know that He is there in my mind and heart.  His presence is flagrant.  He wants me to know with crystal clear understanding the He is present in my life in a very real way.  He makes my life luminous because of His presence.  He reveals and displays His presence in my life.  So when I don't "feel" God in my life or I don't think He is present it's because I am not looking for Him...not spending time hungering for Him...     but He just waits for me, patiently, mercifully, graciously, for me to turn aside and seek Him.  That is a humbling thought for me and I am striving to seek Him at all times.
     This may sound silly, but when I am in my car on the way to work I turn off the radio and talk to God.  I pretend that Jesus is my car pool buddy and we talk about my plans for the day, my struggles and my hopes and dreams for the future.  It is comforting to know that I am not alone on my way to work and helps me to pray without ceasing throughout the day.  So I challenge you today to turn off the noise, be still and talk to your car pool buddy...He is ALWAYS there.

Fall Expectations

Kids are in school...weather is cooler...soup's on the menu...and I am preparing to listen.
I started a new Bible study this week called "He Speaks to Me: Preparing to Hear From God" by Priscilla Shirer.  I so want to be more in tune with God in my life...for the benefit of not only me but for those around me.  As most people around me know...I talk...a lot.  In my opinion too much and I am sure there are others who agree.  This past week a co-worker posted on facebook the following comment: "Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut".  It was a quote by me.  But when I saw it on facebook it stung...a lot.  It's not the fault of the person who posted it because I said it.  (And by the way, he's a great guy!)  That was just in case he reads this...But it makes me realize how often I open my mouth instead of listening to others around me, including God.  So my adventure this fall is to listen to God speak to me...to prepare myself to hear.

In the first week Priscilla is talking about Samuel. 1 Samuel 3:1 "Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli.  And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent." 1 Samuel 3:7 "Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor had the word of the LORD yet been revealed to him."

A couple of things I learned this week:
1. Children are more willing and receptive to accept the unconventional. (God had not talked to people in a long time because the adults were rebelling against Him).  I (as and adult) know too much for my own good.
2. Babies are totally dependent on their parents, they completely trust their parents to help them and they expect us to be there for them. The older we get, the less we expect God to come through for us.

So this fall I am going to talk less and listen more.  I am going to listen for God speaking to me and I am going to expect that God will come through for me.

What are you expecting this fall?

Astonished Wonder

There is a point in true worship where the mind may cease to understand and goes over to a kind of delightful astonishment - to "transcendent wonder," a degree of wonder without limit and beyond expression.  It is always true that an encounter with God brings wonderment and awe.

- A.W. Tozer

To be speechless before my Lord...to bow before Him with all that I am, mind, body and spirit.  To physically and spiritually lay at His feet in awe and wonder...that is my prayer.

I can't begin to understand all that He has done.  But what I do know is that He has blessed me with a husband who I am truly one with, children who bring me blessings daily, and life eternal.  How could I not worship and praise Him not only for my blessings but because HE IS GOD!

Fashion and Friends

Me & Amy

Follow The Red Hat...

Charlene, Kathy and Jennie stocking up on their bling!!

Me and my office mates all went to the fashion district in LA to do some jewelry shopping.  My officemate, Amy is moving to Georgia next week and she gets all of her cute jewelry here so she showed us the best places to get some great bling!  We had so much fun shopping and comparing items.  Amy wore a big, red hat and led the way.  It was sooo crowded but all we had to do was follow the big red hat and we wouldn't get lost.  We ended the day with lunch at Phillipe's...wonderful beef dip sandwiches.  I am so blessed to work with all these women.  I have never had a job where I love my boss and my co-workers this much.  I can't wait for our next fun day out!  Thank You Amy!! You will be missed so much but I know you are embarking on a "Grand Adventure".  Thanks Girls!!!

Mission In Brisbane (M.I.B.) 2011

I am back from the land down under!  It has taken me a week and a half to process everything and be able to post about my trip.  It was definitely a whirlwind.  Pastor Mike fills two weeks of time with a month worth of activities.  I wanted to share a couple of highlights of my trip, both on a personal growth level and an a fun level.  First,  this time it seemed to be easier to focus on the people and God's reason for me going rather than more of the experience of being in a different country.
     I loved that I got to reconnect with the people I met before and renew these relationships.  Two big opportunities God gave me were in speaking to a couple of the teen/young adult girls. One girl approached me alone and asked about God answering prayer.  I was able to really talk to her about her prayers and relationship with God.  But then she dropped the bomb and asked me if I had ever sinned.  I allowed myself to be vulnerable with this young girl and be honest with her.  She then asked me if I was afraid that I wouldn't go to heaven because of my sin and again we were able to really talk about having a relationship with God and what that means when we make mistakes.
     Another opportunity came when a young adult girl told me that she really desired to be a youth ministry but feels inadequate.  I was able to really encourage her and tell her how much potential she has.  She told me that it meant a lot to her that I believed in her.  This blew me away and humbled me.  Who was I that she would give me that much credit.  I spent two weeks with her three years ago and two weeks this year.  Pastor Mike always tells us how important relationships are to the people and it really hit home with this young girl.
     I believe that God gave me divine opportunities with people this time and I am glad that I realized them and used these opportunities to share His love.  I even shared the gospel with a man named Kevin at the Community BBQ we had.  He was really nice but quite an interesting character.
     I had such a great time in Australia!  I got to go to Stradbroke Island and swim in Brown Lake. It was only about 65 degrees outside and 50 degrees in the water but I did it.  We got to go to Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man.  The coconut hot chocolate was amazing and so was the fondue.  We went to The Pancake Manor, yummy!  We did shopping and spent the day at NAIDOC and there are too many other things to mention.
     One last thing,  I really need to thank everyone who supported me financially and in prayer.  Without all of you I would not be able to go and the trip would not have been as amazing!  Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Me with Bonnie and Ayeesha

Me with one of the international students from Korea, Amy.

Brown Lake...looks like iced tea

My Croc friend at Alma Park Zoo

Community BBQ and Kevin!

Aboriginal Dancer at NAIDOC

Coconut Hot Chocolate at Max Brenners

The girls working hard

Fantastic View of the city from a hilltop at night.

Me and one of the kids in Eidsvold

Leading craft time for the children in Eidsvold.

Hollywood Hike

So against everyone's warnings, Ed, Haley and I went on a hike to the Hollywood sign.  Don't freak out, there  was no hiking off-track.  It was a paved service road the whole way up.  It was so much fun!  I have done this hike before with some friends but Ed and Haley had never gone.  In the pics, you can see the sign behind us...you actually hike up to behind the sign and that is the closest you can get.  It is a beautiful hike through the hills and really a pretty easy one.

So, I will not be posting for a couple of weeks because I leave on Sunday for a short term mission trip to Brisbane, Australia!  I am very excited but still have so much left to do, including packing...  So wish me luck...say lots of prayers for me and the team going.  Pray that God will provide divine opportunities and open our eyes to them.  Pray that we will be effective in the work we are doing there.  Pray especially for the relationships we make and the people we meet.  They are some of the most amazing people you will ever meet.

See you when I am back from down under!  G'day mate!