Bring the Rain

We are praising the Lord tonight for the protection that He provided for little PeyPey's body. If you didn't get our e-mail updates, allow me to fill you in.

We were able to see Peyton's regular pediatrician today. Although the misdiagnosis of a mass on her lymph node & subsequent CT scan caused unnecessary panic, the test showed that Peyton has a very serious infection in her sinuses, ears, & throat. She has been put on a strong antibiotic for the next 12 days. Her doctor wants to see her again in 3 weeks. If the infection does not clear up, we will have to move on to antibiotic shots & be referred to a pediatric ear, nose, & throat specialist. We are monitoring 2 things that could be affected by an infection this severe: her lungs & her hearing development. The doctor examined Peyton's swelling & is 99.9% sure that it is swollen glands due to the infection & we should see the swelling go down as she gets better. Although the infection is nothing to take lightly, it is much better & far more manageable than the worst that we were imagining!

We are so grateful for all of your prayers. We know there are so many of you who love our family & Peyton & were storming the gates of Heaven on our behalf.

Someone approached my dad this week & commented on how terrible it was that this trial was happening to our family. My dad didn't see it that way. He said that it's to be expected. Jason & I are answering a call to full-time ministry & we are being refined . . . funny, that's what we thought, too.

Jason discovered a new song by MercyMe this week as we were in the midst of all this uncertainty. When he shared it with me, I knew I had to share it with all of you:

"Bring the Rain"

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through.
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You?
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on You, oh Lord,
My only shelter from the storm
But instead, I draw closer through these times
So I pray . . .

Bring me joy, bring me peace,
Bring the chance to be free,
Bring me anything that brings You glory.
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain,
But if that's what it takes to praise You . . .
Jesus, bring the rain.

I am Yours regardless of
The clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain.
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny.
So tell me, what's a little rain?
So I pray . . .

Bring me joy, bring me peace,
Bring the chance to be free,
Bring me anything that brings You glory.
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain,
But if that's what it takes to praise You . . .
Jesus, bring the rain.

Sifted Wheat

I have fallen in love with a verse. And I am claiming it as my own today & perhaps for many more days.

"Simon, Simon,

Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.

But I have prayed for you,

Simon,

that your faith may not fail."

I must confess, I am feeling a bit like sifted wheat lately. You know the old expression, "When it rains, it pours." Well, it's flooding here. If you've read the earlier post, you know that Peyton is having some medical problems. We are scheduled to have a CT scan done tomorrow morning. We are also in the middle of home repairs that need to be done so that we can put our house on the market within the next week or so. Well, here are just a few (there are so many more) curveballs that have been thrown our way.

Saturday was set aside for laying carpet & putting furniture into storage. We had purchased a 12 x 18 piece of carpeting. When Jason unrolled it on Saturday morning, the carpet only measured 12 x 15 . . . not enough to cover the room. We had to return the carpet to Ollie's (where all sales are not so final), pick out a new carpet at the Ollie's in Pottstown, pick that one up, & take it home to install it.

Yesterday was a difficult, yet encouraging day. Lots of friends prayed over Peyton & hugged & cried with us. When I came home from grocery shopping in the evening, I soon realized that the box of diapers that I bought for Peyton were still under my shopping cart back at the store. And once I stepped in the house, I saw that the dog had peed on the brand new carpet!!!!!!

Jason & I have been assured that this is normal. Our pastor looks back with a smirk on the months before he entered seminary as some of the hardest, yet more rewarding months he can remember. He brought this verse to our congregation's attention on Maundy Thursday. What most captivated me was the power in the 3rd, 4th, & 5th word of this verse: Satan has asked. I can rest assured that Satan can do nothing that the Lord does not allow.

I have re~discovered something else amazing about the battle between God & Satan ~~ Satan is always trying to have the last word & God never lets him. Even with the snags that we've been hitting, God just keeps smiling at us! For example, Ollie's is going out of business & all sales are final, but when Jason explained the situation, they were willing to give us our money back. Not only that, but when I went to get the 2nd carpet, they gave me 10% off because of our trouble. And when I called the manager at Walmart about the diapers I had left on my cart, he told me to bring in the receipt & they would give me a new box!!!

And here's the kicker to all of this ~ as I was sitting here typing up this post, Jason called. He had just gotten off the phone with the Dean of Admissions at Evangelical School of Theology. HE'S IN!!!!!! With no extra restrictions or requirements!!!!!! And they have a townhouse for us!!!!!!!!!

Satan has asked . . . . BUT I HAVE PRAYED FOR YOU!!!!!!!

Sweet PeyPey ~ Prayers Please

Please pray for Peyton. Earlier this week I had noticed some swelling at the base of her skull. I chalked it up to teething & didn't think much more about it. Late this morning, as we were playing in the playroom, she came crawling up to me. When I rubbed her head with my hand, my attention was immediately drawn to a lump the size of a quarter. I took her to the doctor this afternoon & he found what he believes to be a mass on her lymphnode. We need to have a CT scan done within the week, as well as some bloodwork.

Please keep PeyPey in your prayers, as well as the rest of our family. We'll keep you posted. Thanks.

Easter Pics

Caleigh enjoys some of her Easter candy (she has a sweet tooth . . . just like her Mommy)

Whatcha lookin' at??

Daddy & PeyPey lookin' snazzy!

Yes, this is really the best picture I got of Caleigh in her Easter dress.

Caleigh enjoying the egg hunt

Caleigh enjoying the benefits of the egg hunt :)


PeyPey's Easter basket loot

Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!!!

I do realize that this blog is being posted 2 days after the fact, but I still hope you all had a wonderful Easter! I know our family certainly did.

The festivities began on Thursday evening with our Maundy Thursday worship service. We had an amazing service of remembering Jesus' last night with His disciples where He commanded them to love one another & to wash one another's feet. We then shared a special time of communion & washing each other's feet.

On Good Friday, Jason & I decided to babysit some of our favorite kiddos so that mom & dad could go & enjoy the Good Friday service together . . . in peace. Once everything died down for the evening, we settled in & watched "The Passion." Rough stuff ~~ this was my 5th time seeing it & it doesn't get any easier.

Saturday was a busy day (I'll fill in those details in a moment ~~ let's just say it involved paint brushes & carpeting).

Sunday morning was an awesome celebration at our church! This is our 2nd Easter at our church & I just love it!! It truly is the happiest morning of the year! The worship was so hyped up!!!!! The girls looked gorgeous in their Easter duds (courtesy of Nana). After church we headed over to MomMom & PopPop's for lunch, Easter egg hunts, & games. Good times!!!!

As for your weekly Evangelical update ~~ no new news yet. I think Jason's going to call tomorrow to make sure the committee isn't waiting on any missing piece of information.

However, the realtor was here on Wednesday. Things went very well, but we do have a few minor home repairs to do & he would like us to have them done in the next 2 weeks. Yes, I said 2 weeks!!!!!!! We need to repaint the bathroom & put up all new curtains, repaint the livingroom-diningroom-hallway area, repaint the kitchen, get rid of some furniture, & carpet the diningroom . . . in 2 WEEKS!!!! It is quite the undertaking, especially with Jason working full 8-hour days & me having children underfoot all day! So we've divided up all the work & have come up with a semi-manageable game plan. Saturday was devoted to the bathroom & I am happy to report that it is DONE!!!!!!! We were even able to purchase some carpeting at Ollies (ours is going out of business, so we got it for a steal!). We've been right on schedule with the renovations so far, so pray that that continues! Tonight we are edging the livingroom-diningroom-hallway, (as soon as the hubby gets home with the carpeting we bought at Ollies . . . good stuff cheap!!!!) so I'm off to put on my painting clothes!!!!!

Heartfelt Thanks!

I would like to send out a public thank you to Mimi (my sister, Alicia) for the huge bins of clothes she gave us for Caleigh on Saturday. She doesn't know it, but she was a gigantic answer to prayer this weekend.

I've noticed lately that the girls have been outgrowing their clothes ~~ particularly Caleigh. On the first nice day of this spring season, I immediately got Caleigh ready to go outside to play. When I put her sweatshirt on, the sleeves were up to her elbows & most of her shirt was sticking out the bottom!! The next day, I grabbed a short~sleeved shirt for her to wear & it was more like a belly shirt!!!! So on Friday night, I headed up to the attic to get out the bins of the next size of clothing for each girl. Pey~Pey's were easy to find & there was tons of stuff for her. But I couldn't find anything for Caleigh. Now, I could have sworn that I had picked up all the 2T & 3T clothing from my sister already, but I couldn't find anything for spring or summer. Nothing!!!

I headed downstairs & told Jason what I had discovered. We have committed to not charging anything to the credit card, so we gathered our cash together (including the birthday money his parents had given him). Trust me, it didn't amount to much. But I was planning on heading over to Goodwill to see how far it would get me. Something (God) compelled me to call my sister. I said, "I hate to assume, but did I pick up all the clothes you had for Caleigh or did you have more for us that Lauryn has outgrown?" To which she said, "Yeah, I have 2 bins full of stuff for you!" Praise the Lord!!!!!!

I picked the bins up on Saturday morning & was blown away by what I found . . . dresses, sweatshirts, lightweight jackets, pants, jeans, long & short~sleeved shirts, shorts, long & short~sleeved jammies, bathing suits, shoes . . . everything & anything we needed!! And some things still had tags!!!! It felt like Christmas!!

So, Mimi, thank you so much for everything. You will never know how much it was appreciated . . . and enjoy the picture of Caleigh in one of her "new" outfits!!

Evangelical Update

Just want to keep everyone in the loop concerning Jason's schooling in the fall. Pastor Tim spoke to the Dean of Admissions. Basically, we have spent the past week putting together a "portfolio" of sorts. This included 2 pictures ~ one of Jason & one of our whole family, a completed application, 2 500-word essays, 3 reference letters, a completed housing application, the notes for the Sunday school curriculum that Jason is developing, & a 13-page book review of Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias!! Trust me, it was just as exhausting as it sounds! :)

The portfolio was turned in today & now it is in the hands of the Lord (not that it wasn't all along). A committee will review the material & decide what, if any, additional schooling Jason will be required to do before enrolling in the seminary for the fall (like taking an English course or 2 at RACC or a summer course at the seminary). Please pray that God will make His will clear to us ~ that He will SLAM the door shut if this is not where He wants us.

We are thrilled at the prospect of going to Evangelical. On Sunday, Jason & I & the girls took a little detour through Myerstown on the way home from Hershey. It was love at first sight! We were able to drive around the campus & got a good look at the townhouses (which I received a brochure on last night & I'm thrilled . . . washer, dryer, storage, patio, backyard :) ). To quote Jason, "This feels like home."

Please don't misunderstand ~ if God wants us at PBU, we're there!! We have not stopped pursuing that avenue. Jason is still enrolled for the fall (we have until May 1st to back out). But I have used the analogy before (perhaps in an earlier blog, so forgive me if I am repeating myself) ~ we are wondering if perhaps PBU was our "Isaac on the altar" & now that we showed our willingness to give it all up to live in a tiny apartment for 4+ years, God is providing us with our "ram in the bushes."

Please continue to pray with us & for us. We are so willing to go wherever God wants us. Pray that He will make His way plain.

It's Here!!!!

Okay, okay . . . the masses have requested & I have finally answered!!!! Morgan Marie Designs has a website!! There are only a few items listed (as I'm trying to save some of my pieces from my big spring show in April), but I will add more pieces frequently.

The address is . . . . . drumroll, please . . . . . . . .

www.morganmariedesigns.etsy.com

Happy Shopping!!!!!

Little Blessings

Have I mentioned lately how much I love staying home with my girls!?!

We were just hanging out in the playroom yesterday & decided that it was definitely a Kodak moment!!!

BTW ~ notice the new 'do!!!

News, news, news . . . .

A huge thank you for those who knew & prayed for my family this weekend as we traveled up to Maine for my grandmother's funeral. We all made it home safe & sound. And although we wish we had all gathered for a more joyous occasion, it was good to see our family.

For those who are keeping in step with "The Great Adventure," you probably noticed that I alluded to a new schooling possibility that was looming on the horizon. I was hesitant to say anything about it out loud because it was such an extreme long-shot. But our God seems to thrive on the impossible odds . . .

We have often expressed to our pastor that we would love to be able to stay in the area & remain at our church. We have grown to the love the church body & enjoy the ministries that we have been able to be a part of. {Obviously, we cannot commute to our church from PBU.} He would like for us to stay as well, so he started kicking around some ideas with us. He attended & is currently teaching at Evangelical School of Theology in Myerstown, which is not too far from us. Jason had been looking into the school as a place where he could possibly do his seminary work. The seminary has a program where they will accept life experience in lieu of a bachelor's degree. And this program is only 2+ years, as opposed to PBU's 4 year program. However, you must be 32 to qualify for the program (called the Certificate in Ministry). Forsooth, Jason turned 28 yesterday (Happy Birthday, Babe!).

This past Tuesday, Pastor Tim went to speak to the Academic Dean about Jason. His answer to enrolling Jason in the CiM program was a prompt, "Yes!" UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!! Not only that, but if he does well in the program, he can then go on for his Masters of Divinity & with the CiM, he will already be 2/3 of the way there!! When all is said & done, Jason will have in 3+ years, what would have originally taken 7+ years. Our pastor e-mailed the dean an official letter & the dean forwarded it to the head of admissions. Then the dean e-mailed our pastor a comment that our pastor graciously forwarded on to us . . .

"Sign him up and don't let him head toward

Philadelphia. You may want to consider taking the air out of his tires."

What a shock!! All the details are not ironed out yet, but here are some things that we are very pleased about: 1) Instead of apartments, the seminary's married student housing are townhouses (complete with attics, sheds, patios, etc.), 2) the rent is less than half the cost of an apartment at PBU, 3) the townhouses are located right there on the campus as opposed to 1 1/4 mile away, 4) the area around the school is quite a bit safer than the Langhorne area, 5) we would be able to continue attending our home church.

What next?? How can you pray?? On Tuesday, Pastor Tim will be going to see the man in admissions. Although the Academic Dean can say that Jason is in, it is the admissions department that has a legal obligation. They will discuss when Jason can start & the possibility that Jason may have to do some extra work to show that he is capable of working at the graduate level.

We are ready, willing, & able to go wherever God is calling us. Please pray that God will make His way plain to us . . . be it Evangelical or PBU.

Prayer Warriors, Arise!!

I just heard from the woman in charge of housing at PBU. Here's the deal: she expects to have 9 apartments available & we are . . . drumroll, please . . . ninth on the list. She is still waiting for official termination of leases & to hear from prospective tenants #1-8 to make sure they are still interested.

However, another possible schooling option has come up. We don't want to say too much because it is a very uncertain possibility.

Please continue to pray with us that the Lord's will is done & that we will know it when we see it.

Our Trooper

First & foremost ~ a HUGE, heartfelt 'thank you' to all who prayed fervently for Caleigh (& Mommy & Daddy) this morning during Caleigh's surgery. Everything went extremely well.

For those of you who are out of the loop . . . Caleigh had surgery to have tubes put in her ears this morning. After 10 ear infections in 2 years ~ the last one resulting in loss of hearing ~ we felt that it was finally time to bite the bullet. We had a consult with an ENT specialist 2 weeks ago & he assured us that we were doing the right thing.

Don't ask me what happened . . . I left the office with the distinct impression that we would be with Caleigh when she was put under & would also be there when she woke up. Not so. When the office called yesterday to get some information on Caleigh, I thought it best to double-check a few things. When I asked about being there with her, the nurse informed me, "No, you won't be there when she's put under & you won't be in the recovery room either." *Panic!* My verbal response was, "She's two. Do you have a lot of two year olds who go to the operating room willingly?" She very nonchalantly replied, "No. They usually scream & cry. It'll be harder for Mom than it will be for her. She'll wake up crying for you too." *Gulp, PANIC!* So much for her bedside manner!

Things weren't looking too much brighter this morning. As we sat in Caleigh's hospital room, where she was being prepped for her surgery, we saw the little girl before her being wheeled down the hall . . . . screaming, crying, & trying to crawl off the bed!! *Gulp, PANIC!!!!!*

After being given a sedative, it was soon time for Caleigh to go. Mommy very bravely told her to lie back & hold on to Buddy (her elephant). Her lip quivered for a moment & that was it! Not a tear, not a sob, nothing! She was so brave & we were so proud! Watching her being wheeled down the hall was possibly the hardest thing I've ever done. Needless to say, I fell apart after she was gone.

I wish I could say things went just as well after the surgery. I know she will never remember what transpired today, but I will & it was rough. I could hear her crying for me in the recovery room loooooong before they came for me. When I was finally able to go back & see her, there was blood on her pillow & she was practically inconsolable (which I do realize was mostly from the anethesia). But I put on my Mommy Game Face & crawled into bed with her. We cuddled while I sang, stuck stickers on Buddy, & blew bubblegum bubbles.

So now we're home. She's in a bit of pain & is tired & cranky. But other than that, she's great!!!!!

Thank you for all the prayers, phonecalls, & concern. God is good!!

My Oscar Soapbox

No, I did not watch the Academy Awards last night. No particular reason why. I mean, it would have been hours of my life wasted, when all I really care about is who won & what did they wear? I can do without hours on end of acceptance speeches.

But allow me to rant for a moment about Hollywood. Yes, I realize that I feed into the ridiculousness by signing up for Netflix & attending the movie theater. And I do think that Penelope Cruz looked stunning. But the amount of money that these people make to simply entertain us . . . ABSURD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It really tells you where America's priorities are when our doctors, firefighters, policemen, etc. (you know, the people who actually save lives) don't make even a fraction of what the Hollywood elite do! Craziness!!

One other thing utterly amazed me. And, frankly, I was impressed by my response to it. This morning, my husband caught some of the Oscar highlights on the news this morning. He informed me that someone (typical man . . . . no name) was wearing shoes that were worth $500,000 a piece!!!!! Only to be outdone by someone (again, no name) was wearing a diamond pendant that was so expensive that it couldn't even be given a dollar value!! Now the old me would have responded like so ~

"Lucky girl!
I wish I had that kind of money!
Imagine having designers, jewelers, & stylists at your beck & call!"

A newer version of me would have said ~

"Think of all the good that could be done in the world for $1,000,000!
Instead, the world has a pretty pair of shoes!"

But as of this morning I thought ~

"You know what?
My God, my Abba Father, my Dad made those diamonds.
He owns those diamonds.
He's just letting them use them for a while."

For Those Who Know Them . . .

This post is for all of you who know my children & can properly appreciate their antics.

I know that every parent thinks their own children are so cute & so funny (& that is as it should be). But mine are really hysterical.

Here are a few of the funny things they've been doing & saying lately:

~ Yesterday I asked Caleigh to hop into bed while I fed Peyton & put her to bed. From where I was sitting, I had a clear view of the large open space in Caleigh's room right next to her bed. As I was sitting there, something caused me to look up (call it Mother's Intuition), just in time to see Caleigh flip off of her bed & land on her back on floor. Thank goodness she wasn't hurt ~ just a bit stunned ~ she looked up at me as though confused by what had just transpired & said, "Mommy, I fell off the bed!"

~ During the aforementioned naptime, Caleigh was singing a bit too loudly. After waking her sister for the second time, I went upstairs to tell her to be quiet. What did I find when I got up there?? Caleigh . . . naked. I got her dressed & giggled my way back down the stairs. This morning when I went to get her out of bed, what did I find? Caleigh . . . naked . . . again! I hope this is no indication of her teenage years! ;)

~ The other day Daddy was watching the girls in the playroom ~ Daddy & Caleigh were working on a puzzle & Pey~Pey was in her walker. Caleigh was also snacking on some yogurt. For some reason, Daddy & Caleigh left the room (probably b/c Caleigh had to go potty . . . she's such a big girl), but they had left Pey~Pey & the yogurt behind. By the time they got back into the room, Pey~Pey had already seized the opportunity & the yogurt!!!! Hence the pictures.

~ For Christmas, Mimi bought Pey~Pey a cute, little beanbag tiger. There is a story behind it . . . Caleigh & Lauryn have both fallen in love with a beanbag elephant . . . Lauryn's is "Winkie" & Caleigh's is "Buddy." Peyton couldn't be left out of the loop, so Mimi bought Peyton "Lovey." It didn't take any coercion at all for Peyton to fall in love as well!! As soon as she sees Lovey, she nuzzles her face into him with gusto!!! Describing it just doesn't do it justice.

I'm sure there are many more things that are slipping my mind right now. Everyday they come up with some new way to infuriate & amuse me!!!

My Cutie Pie!!

Who can resist those eyes!?!

Date Night

So, last night was date night ~ a sort of belated Valentine's Day celebration. Now why is it that when I actually have the opportunity to go to the movies sans children, there are no good movies playing (yes, I know, "Breach" opened last night, but it wasn't playing at the theater near us)???

We dropped the girls off at MomMom & PopPop's & headed to the mall. And although we were childless, we couldn't help but stop into KayBee Toys ~ they were having a GREAT sale!!!!!

Then it was off to Bath & Body Works (one of my favorite stores)!!! It seems that in the busyness of having kids, Jason & I are often not able to celebrate certain holidays on their exact calendar date ~ but I think we've stumbled onto something . . . everything for Valentine's Day was 50% off!!!! I got 2 cream body washes (Warm Vanilla Sugar & Black Raspberry Vanilla), Jasmine & Vanilla massage oil, Wild Honeysuckle body lotion, & my personal favorite ~ White Cherry Blossom body butter!!!!! We only spend just over $20!! We did so well, I think we're going to celebrate all holidays after the fact!

Then we headed over to Ross to do some clothes shopping. I am currently sporting a new long-sleeved, red t-shirt with a funky owl design on it . . . for the low, low price of $5.29!!

We went to TGIFriday's for dinner . . . which I love, but WAAAAAAY too much food! So I guess I'm having Bruschetta Chicken Parm & Crispy Green Bean Fries for lunch with some Oreo Chocolate Cake for dessert!!! I can hear the pound being added as I type!

Of course, no night out would be completely without coffee. So we found a little place in the mall & indulged in a grande Mocha Hazelnut Latte . . . yuuuuum!!!

But, forsooth, there is no such thing as a night JUST to ourselves, so we ended our evening with a trip to Walmart . . . the dog needed food!

C'est la vie!


{By the way, my prayer warriors, Caleigh's ear surgery is scheduled for March 1st, early in the morning.}

Ice, Snow, Teddybears, & Unexpected Blessings

Valentine's Day greeted us ~ as it did many of you ~ with ice & snow . . . lots & lots of ice & snow. Unexpected Blessing #1 was that the roads were far too treacherous for Jason to venture out, so he got to stay home with his girls all day . . . which quickly led to Unexpected Blessing #2: I got to sleep in until 9 am (this is major, considering that Jason teases me about having a love affair with our bed ~ I LOVE our bed ~ & I usually have to be up by 6 am)!!!!

The girls got stuffed animals for Valentine's Day. Yes, Caleigh's was a black & white teddybear . . . exactly what she asked for. For those of you who have been wondering, Jason's Valentines got him a Bible ~ a black, French Moroccan leather-bound, thin-line, NIV Bible with cross referencing. So, 4-6 years from now, when you see Jason preaching from the pulpit with black Bible in hand, you'll know where it came from. I was given a beautiful card filled with coupons ~ good for back rubs, housecleanings, & my favorite ~ "No Mami Aqui" nights!!!!!

After putting Pey-Pey down for her morning nap, Jason & I headed out to try to locate our cars. We quickly found out that although Caleigh loves snow, she does not love ice. So while we were shoveling & scraping, she was sitting in the van, cozy warm, watching Dora the Explorer on the DVD player.

Not long after our cars were uncovered, our neighbors were warned that if they didn't move their cars within the hour, they would be towed. So my Good Samaritan hubby headed out to shovel & scrape & push 2 more cars out of the snow. What a nice guy!!!

Unexpected Blessing #3 came when Jason sat down in the afternoon to do our taxes. Most of you know that doing our taxes is the 1st of the next set of steps for the Great Adventure. Step 1: Do taxes. Step 2: File FAFSA. Step 3: Put house up for sale. It turns out that our refund check is going to be TWICE as much as we were expecting!!!!!! We were so excited!!! Our realtor is going to walk through our house & give us a list of small home-improvements that we can do ourselves to increase the value of our house & that money will be a great help!!!

Post-Valentine's Day, the snow & ice are still here. I had to help Jason get his car unstuck so he could risk his neck driving to Harrisburg. Yeah, he didn't know 78 was going to be closed for 50 miles when he left.

Hope you all had a wonderful, love-filled day!!!

My Funny Valentine!

We just LOVE Valentine's Day. For all of you out there who are single, I get it. It's a stupid holiday ~ just another day for Hallmark & Kay Jewelers to capitalize on. But when you are married to your best friend & have 2 beautiful children who are the loves of your life . . . it's a GREAT holiday. In our house, we observe the traditional rules of gender; therefore, the 3 of us girls share Daddy as our Valentine & Daddy shops for his 3 special Valentines.

Last night, as I was tucking Caleigh into bed, I told her that today was going to be a very busy day -- we were going shopping for Daddy's Valentine's Day gift. Being a typical 2-year-old (aka "It's All About Me"), she wanted to know where her gift was. I informed her that she was Daddy's Valentine, so if she wanted something special, she had to tell Daddy.

So . . . on this fine, brisk February morning, the girls & I ventured out in search of Daddy's Valentine's Day gift. We had great success; & truly, I wish I could tell you what we got for Jason, but he is a regular reader of this blog & I would hate to give away the surprise.

While we were in this particular store, Caleigh was so enthralled with all the things to look at (that, of course, was after we visited the potty ~ really, what is the fascination with public potties??). I wrote this off as a unexpected blessing, for it allowed me some time to carefully choose a gift. Little did I know, she was carefully filing away information in that "steel trap" of hers.

When we got home, she insisted that she needed to call Daddy & refused to tell me why. I happen to think it's adorable that she likes to talk to her Daddy throughout the day (usually to tell him that she had to sit on the naughty step, her panties are still dry, Pey-Pey's crying, or other some such toddler news), so I indulged her & just whispered a prayer that she was not going to give away Daddy's Valentine's Day surprise. After Daddy got on the phone & she was sure that she had his undivided attention, Caleigh said, "Daddy? I want a teddybear for Valentine's Day. A black & white teddybear."

While I had been consumed with picking the perfect gift for our Valentine, Caleigh had been perusing the store & carefully choosing exactly what she wanted so she could tell her Daddy the right thing.

Does life get better than this????

Reality Check

It's official . . . I am a spiritual wimp! "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Well, my iron was sharpened by my husband last night. It's a long, involved story, but well worth the lesson, so read on . . .

Jason's job involves a lot of traveling in the company car. Yesterday, he stopped by Jiffy Lube to have his oil changed. Now, most waiting rooms I've been in have their TV set to CNN (or some other continuous news program), but this particular one was set to the History Channel. And the program of choice for Jason's viewing pleasure was all about torture . . . & as we all know, torture was & still is (in some countries) a favorite way for many rulers to try to silence the message of Christianity. So, last night, on the way home from church, he educated me about the different forms of torture. He told me about the Iron Maiden ~ a person-shaped casket, made of iron, & lined with spikes. But what was so notable (& horrible) about the Iron Maiden was that all of the spikes were strategically placed so as to inflict the most pain without actually killing the person trapped inside (such as spikes through the eyeballs, etc.). Then I learned about the bronze bull that a person would be placed in & as the bull was heated by a fire underneath, the person inside would be cooked alive. There would be an opening in the mouth of the bull because the screams coming from inside would give the illusion that the bull was bellowing. Jason also informed me that during the Spanish Inquisition, it was very popular for religious "criminals" to have to watch someone else being tortured, knowing that they themselves would be next. And this is how the rest of our conversation went:

Me ~ No, what would be worse would be one of us having to watch the other be tortured.

Jason ~ No, what would be worse would be like those Christians in the old days . . . if the parent didn't recant, their child would be tortured.


And then my heart just fell into the pit of my stomach. Here I am, whining & complaining that I'm giving up my house . . . all for the cause of Christ. Gee, how noble of me. I'm giving up my house . . . not because my family is being run out of town for claiming the name of Christ, but because He has something else, something better, in mind for us. I'm giving up 4 walls, 1 roof, warm nights, & fond memories for 4 different walls, 1 different roof, the same warm nights, & more fond memories. My children are loved & safe, & will continue to eat healthy, play hard, & be tucked in between their flannel sheets with the snowmen on them at the end of a long, fabulously fun day . . . with no thought about pain, torture, or death.

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight."

The Waters & The Flames

It was a tough phone call. And although the conversation was filled with well wishes, future plans, & courteous laughter, it was still a tough phone call. I spoke with our realtor yesterday. He very wisely advised me that he thinks it's too early to put our house on the market ~ if it were for sale now, someone would snatch it up & want to close on it in April or May . . . Good News!!!! But still a tough phone call . . . allow me to explain. Even though I was thrilled that this seasoned professional thinks that selling our home will be a snap, it pushed me one step closer to the reality of selling our home.

On a cold day (like yesterday) when our widows are leaking arctic air like a sieve & I have to write out the astronomical check for the oil company, I think to myself, "Praise the Lord, this is our last winter in this drafty old house." But then at night, I tuck my girls into their beds in bedrooms tailor-made for them & I hate to imagine anyone painting over Caleigh's flower garden or Peyton's polka dots.

Our pastor often uses the term "spiritual schizophrenia" ~ knowing what you should do & not doing it or knowing what you shouldn't do & doing it anyway. And sometimes that's how I feel ~ I remember when we started house-hunting, Jason & I dreamed of a house with a fireplace & a bay window. And, lo & behold, when we walked into this house for the very first time, there was a fireplace & a bay window! But then I remind myself that the 4 walls that hold my family are not as important as the family being held.

Today's devotional passage:

Fear not, for I have redeemed
you;
I have summoned you by name;
you are Mine.
When you pass through the
waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the
rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you
ablaze.
For I am the LORD, our God,
the Holy One of Israel, your
Savior.

Since you are precious and
honored in My sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your
life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with
you.