Afraid of Dying

I have never been afraid of dying but I believe a lot of people are.  I am around many of them on a daily basis at work as an activity director at an old folks home.  In fact, one woman in particular is terrified of dying.  I am not sure why but I’d like to ask her sometime.  I think some people wonder if it hurts to die.  With my work, I have been privileged to sit at the death bed of several of my best buddies as they transition home.   One particular friend was conscious enough before she went on morphine that she was able to describe it to me.  I asked her, “Does it hurt to die?”  She stated, “Yes, but I keep lifting up to the most beautiful sight.  Then I drop back down again because it isn’t time yet.”  She was dying from complications from diabetes.She had open wounds between her toes so I can see how that hurt. I can tell you from experience that drowning is a very peaceful way to go.  I drowned when I was 10 years old.  I remember it vividly still to this day.  I remember being scared at first when I knew I couldn’t hold my breath anymore but once I took that first breath of water it was the most peaceful feeling I can ever remember.  I still think about that often.  I saw bright light and I remember looking around in the water and seeing how beautiful blue it was and feeling such a glorious feeling of weightlessness and peace in my little 10 year old body as I breathed the water in and out of my lungs.  Then as everything was moving toward the light, I remember being thrown up onto the side of the pool and people pushing on me hard and then me coughing up lots and lots of water.  I don’t know how long I was under there but I remember needing a nap when that was over.  The funny thing is that even with that experience, I have never been afraid of water.  Maybe I am not afraid because I know how peaceful and painless it is to drown. 

God knows us so well because He made us and He knows that it is common to fear dying.  So I think it is pretty amazing to look at how God prepares us for natural death from old age.  Where I work, every day I see people in varying degrees of poor health.  I see their decline and ultimate end although they sometimes move on to a higher level of care before that end comes.  I look at how people get diabetes, high blood pressure, heart issues, blood clotting, strokes, inability to take in nourishment, etc.  Most of the people I deal with, by the time they are near death they are ready.  They are tired of hurting.  They are tired of struggling and have little quality of life left.  God is pretty cool like that to prepare us for natural death.  We become ready.  We become tired and want to sleep.  Even in the end, God has our back.

Sometimes it is good to consider our own mortality.  We are on vacation here on this earth.  One day we will all go home, but on every other day, we will enjoy our vacation and spread joy like confetti to all we come in contact with.  Get out there today and sprinkle kindness and love into our world.  Thank you for reading my blog.  Please give me a like and a follow and a share!

Jennifer

Mountain Moving Faith

Did you know that God spoke this world into existence?  Did you know that he used His breath to create the moon and stars?  If He can do those things, and we believe that He did, then why do we pray and not expect God to do what we ask of Him?  

The Bible tells us to ask and it will be given to us. Seek and we will find. Knock and the door will be opened unto us. He tells us that if we have faith of a mustard seed that we can move mountains. He can say to a mountain, “move from here to here” and the mountain will move.  We should take God at His word and accept His promises. But we don’t. We believe, but are filled with unbelief. 

When we pray, we should believe that God can do what we want Him to do. Many times, we pray and then “hope” that He will grant our wishes. If we “hope” then we don’t truly believe. We should never doubt God’s ability to give us what we want. After all, He spoke the world into existence, surely he can grant our piddly request. When we pray, we should wholeheartedly believe that it’s coming. Trust that God will do it. And look for it to happen as we believe He can and will. 

Tweak your thinking. Don’t hope that God will help. KNOW that God will help. EXPECT God to help. Then LOOK FOR The help that God gives us. 

Lord, we believe but forgive our unbelief. 

Check out my Facebook page, Fun Thoughts on Life. Give me a like and a share. Don’t forget to hire me to speak at your next event. I do corporate speaking, small group speaking, large group speaking or series of topics. I can rally your troops and get them motivated to be productive. 

Jennifer

The Secret to Life

Once I started working full time, my blogging time reduced dramatically. I guess instead of blogging, I share my thoughts on life to my little elderly people at the assisted living where I am the activity director. Tonight, I lay awake with a boatload of things floating around in my head so the best thing to do with those things is to write them down. I’m about to reveal to you the secret to life. This was life changing for me. Did you know that we don’t have to have everything figured out?  When situations present themselves to us and we don’t know which way to turn or what to do with the situation, we don’t have to have a plan?  Did you know that?  I didn’t. But when I figured it out years ago, my life changed. Dramatically. 

You see, when we become overwhelmed with life and with children and jobs and family and friends and stuff and holidays problems relationships and cleaning the house and...the list goes on and becomes staggering if you think about all of it all at once and try to figure it all out.  We don’t have to figure it out. All we have to do is the next right thing. Whatever that is. 

Some days the next right thing may be to stop at Sonic and get a half price drink. Some days doing the next right thing may be going to get your teeth cleaned. Some days it could be to simply take a nap. Sometimes the next right thing could be making a phone call to someone who has hurt you. Sometimes the next right thing is a major step and sometimes it is some small thing like giving someone a hug. 

I’ve always been taught not to pick up hitchhikers. I have never picked up a stranger off the street because I was taught not to. Every day when I leave for work there are two guys I see come out of the house just outside my subdivision. They walk to work which happens to be the Mexican restaurant close to my house. Every time I see these guys I wanted to pick them up and take them to work. It’s not that far out of the way. I struggled with this desire for over a year now. The voice inside my head kept telling me no, you don’t pick up strangers.  A few months ago it was 19 degrees outside and I left for work and saw the guys walking down the street. I stopped because it was the next right thing. I couldn’t watch them walk in this weather. So I did the next right thing which was to stop and roll my window down. I spoke to them and realized they didn’t speak English. Best I could, I communicated that I would take them to their work. They got in and smiled so big I can’t even describe it. We tried to talk but I didn’t speak Spanish and they didn’t speak English. But when I dropped them off at their work, their gratitude transcended any language barriers. Kindness know no language and the next right thing is all I had to do. Now I pick them up every day and we enjoy our ride to work together. You see, I didn’t have to replay every terrible scenario that could happen from picking up strangers. All I had to do was the next right thing. And that day, it was stop and roll my window down. Rolling my window down led to one of the highlights of my day every day. 

That is just one of the examples I can give of being blessed by doing the next right thing. Don’t try to figure it all out, just do what’s next. One step. One thing. One decision. One gut feeling. That’s all. With this secret to life, I have gained a sense of peace and joy in my life. I hope this helps you too. 

Just do the next right thing. Whatever that is. It may be turning out the light and going back to sleep. Just the next right thing. Martin Luther King said that Faith is taking the first step without seeing the whole staircase. Jennifer says do the next right thing. Same concept, different perspective. 

Thanks for reading my blog. Give me feedback. I love comments. 

Get out there and make today the best ever. 

Jennifer

A Journey to Authenticity Through Hair

Quite a while ago I was doing a series on being authentic. It is the only way I know to be. I am who I am and you can take me or leave me. I will not put on a show in hopes to be accepted. I will give you the shirt off my back and go above and beyond what you expect of me. Authentic. Take it or leave it I am me. 

Recently, I was going through some old pictures because I was cleaning out drawers and they were there. I was reminded how I have had every hairstyle that was popular at the time. As I looked at each picture, it brought back memories of where I was in my life and in my journey in faith and my hair seemed to signify what was going on at the time. 

This picture was taken the day Phillip and I got engaged. It was so important to impress in this stage of life. You are still trying to form yourself, discover yourself, make people like you, make sure you don't disappoint people. 

This was made right after we got married. Yes this is what I wore to get married in. Yes, we decorated our own car. This truly was an event in my life where I did it different. Much like the way I am now. We eloped. That story is for another blog post. But we got married in shorts and tshirts. I loved that. It was cool and different. Personality evolving and hair is shorter. 

Hair shorter and heavier weight. Searching for that personality to emerge. Still trying to please others and make others happy. Fill myself with food to feel like I did something I wanted to do rather than things others wanted me to do. Made sure I fit the mold of what family and friends expected of me. 

Dyed my hair blonde, and lived more freely, doing what I wanted to do. Blondes have more fun I thought. 

Loving my family and loving life. 

This picture was taken just before I got my hair cut really short. I was working at the bank and I remember talking to the people that I worked with about cuting my hair and they all said, Oh no!  You don't want to do that. Family even said Oh no!  Don't cut your hair. 

But I did cut it. And I have been cutting it like this for years now. In fact, many can't imagine my hair any other way.  When I cut my hair my "Live out Loud" personality was released with each lock that laid on the floor. I shed my hair and inhibitions about what people may think about me.  I will never have another hairdo than what I have now. It fits me. 

I don't blend well with others. I was made by God to stand out. To live out loud, to command attention. Yes, I do have beautiful, naturally curly hair that God gave me. But when I wore that hair longer I felt like I wasn't living the life God wanted me to live. I was living life to please other people. Not because of the hair but because of living within constraints of what other people wanted me to be. Once I cut my hair which was totally what I wanted to do, all that was released and I started to live as an Actor in God's drama. I started living out loud and having a commanding personality. 

I released my authentic self. My ride a roller coaster in the middle of a marathon personality. My "you may not think that's the thing to do but I think it's fun" attitude.   

What is holding you back from being your authentic self?  For me it wasn't hair, although I just realized that my hair was an outward symbol of inward release. To be myself, not what family and friends felt like I should be. But who God wanted me to be. Since then, God is doing amazing things in my life. Mainly because I am available to God 24/7 for whatever He wants to do with my life. Before, I was open to what man wanted to do with my life. That wasn't the way God intended. We should be working for God and not for man.   I am doing just that. What may be hindering you from encountering your authentic self?  

Thanks so much for reading my blog!  Please visit my website at www.funthoughtsonlife.com

Don't forget to hire me to speak at your next event!

Have a wonderful day!

Jennifer

Calls from God, Conversations and Cottage Cheese

Before I get into today's blog post I would like to thank you all for reading!  This post today is my 101 blog post.  It amazes me every day that anyone would want to read my musings.  But you do, and I am grateful.  If I make a difference in just one person then it is worth the effort to put down my thoughts in a blog.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that God speaks directly to me.  There are several reasons why, but the main one is that I feel like God is my screenplay writer and I am just the lead actress in a drama.  His drama production is perfection.  I sit back and act as I feel led. I have spent a lot of years trying to control every little thing in my life and it doesn't work.  So now I just let the Holy Spirit lead me.  That being said, let me get to my new job.  Yes, new job.  No, we are not in financial trouble and Jennifer had to go to work.  No, Jennifer was not looking for a job.  No, Jennifer didn't need a job.  BUT, God needed Jennifer to act.  Which brings me to my phone call from God.


Two weeks ago, I was sitting folding laundry minding my own business when I got a phone call from an unknown number.  Generally, I don't answer unknown numbers but I felt like I should so I did.  It was a phone call from God.  He needed me.  He used the activities director at a local assisted living and memory care facility to bring me where I needed to be right now.  Here is cornbread language:  The activities director at a local old folks home called out of the clear blue sky and said that their bus driver was injured and he needed a CDL driver to help him out.  I immediately said, "Sure, I would love to help!"  Well, since I wasn't looking for a job, I didn't expect to go for an interview, fill out masses of paperwork, etc. but I was apparently official :)  The gentleman who called me asked me when I could come in for an interview and I said, "My children are home for a snow day today."  He said, "You can bring them with you."  I knew then that he really needed my help.  So, I went for the interview, updated my resume, etc.  I ended up going for my drug test, background check, and mounds of paperwork for my new "job".

I didn't see this as a job at all.  I am a stay at home mom.  But God needed me at the facility.  So I went.  I have been working there for 3 days now.  I went to help out the Activities Director by driving the bus.  Instead I am the one who is on the receiving end of this deal.  I feel as full as I ever have in my life.  God has me right where He needs me right now.  I have met many residents, and although I can't remember all of their names, I know them when I see them and they know me.  My job is basically to be their beck and call driver.  They sign up on a list if they have a doctor's appointment, need to go to walmart, the grocery, bank, or anywhere.  I take them, wait for them, and bring them back.  I love it.  I feel like I am making a difference.
Friday, I took a lady to visit her husband who is in another nursing home in Gallatin.  Before I left, I went around and asked if any of the other residents needed to go anywhere in Gallatin.  No takers this time, but one lady did say she needed some cottage cheese.  She gave me the money for the cheese and I was on my way to Gallatin.  The conversation was nice on the way to the nursing home.  We talked about many things including how many children we have.  We also talked about alzheimers disease and how horrible it is.  The lady's husband has it.  God had me right at the correct place and the right time.  Since we have been dealing with alzheimers disease with my mother in law, I knew just what to say and talk about to make her feel better about her husband.  After I picked her up later in the day, we were talking and she said, "Me and you are just good friends.  Isn't this only your second day?"  I said, "Yes."  She said, "Well I love you and we are going to be just fine together."  My life is complete.  Back to the cottage cheese, I brought the resident back the cottage cheese, took it to her in her room, and she was so excited!  I stuck my head in the door and said, "Cottage Cheese delivery!"  She said, "Oh my goodness that was fast!"  Then I got out the cheese from the bag and handed it to her and she said, "HOW did you know that I like Daisy brand cottage cheese?"  I said, "Well, God just laid it on my heart to choose Daisy.  I am glad you like it."  She said, "You have made my day."  My life is complete again.  Conversations and Cottage cheese-Changing lives one curd and one word at a time.

ONE CURD, ONE WORD

I am excited to be doing what God wants me to do right now.  One day, the regular bus driver will be healthy again and I will only be on an as needed basis.  But for now, I will drive regularly and spread joy through Conversations and Cottage Cheese.  Today I leave you with a conversation between me and an elderly gentleman on my first day:

Me:  Hi!  I'm Jennifer, the new bus driver.
Man:  Well I am ____. (Names always left out to protect those who may not want to be blogged about)
Me: Nice to meet you, _____.  I am going to Walmart at 1 today, do you need to go?
Man:  Well, we need to do something about your hair before we go to Walmart.
Me:  Yes!  We do.  What do we need to do with it?
Man:  We need to comb it or maybe a wig would do.
Me:  I think so too!  This morning a beaver attacked me and chewed my hair off!
Man:  That sounds scary!

I was surprised that I made it until noon of my first day before someone said something about my hair.  I was super excited that finally someone said something!  Again, thanks so much for reading my blog!  You can subscribe to it by entering your email address in the box at the right.  If you are on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom and click on View Web Version.  Then you will see the box on the right.  If you subscribe, then you will receive an email each time I update my blog.  Also , don't forget to hire me to speak at your next event!  I can speak on your topic or mine.

Have a great day and don't forget to let me know how God speaks to you!
Jennifer

Closed

I had my first speaking engagement in Buford, Georgia Saturday. It went better than I could have ever hoped for. As a surprise, my oldest daughter got up and introduced me. Most kids would be terrified to speak in front of a group. But not my girl. She accepted the invitation and rocked it. It was the best day of my life. Lives were changed. 

Being parched after speaking, I wanted my Sonic fix so found one in Alpharetta. Pulled in the parking lot to emptiness. 

I wondered why there were no cars in the parking lot when I noticed there were no menus on the poles. REALLY?!  Were they closed down?  Out of business?!

Did folks not eat here, causing them to have to shut down?!  I actually wandered the deserted parking lot for a few minutes aghast at what had happened here. I felt like Clark Griswold when he arrived at Wally World only to find it closed. WHERE was I to get a snack and drink?! (For there is no other place to eat in my book). I was absolutely mortified that my place was closed at this location. I wanted to go door to door questioning people as to why they were not patronizing such a fine establishment. Closed. Closed. CLOSED!!

It stinks when something you need is closed when they should have been open. That Sonic should have been open on Saturday. They should have almost every bay full of cars and people sitting on the patio with the buzz of laughter filling the air as people eat their lunch and socialize. But something closed their doors.

 God's doors are never closed, even when people don't come and partake of His wares. God keeps his doors open 24/7/365. We may not pull in His parking lot when we should but He always keeps His lights on, menus up, and wares ready. He is waiting for us to come. It is comforting to know that when we are thirsty, no matter what state we are in, God's Sonic is always open to satisfy our thirst for righteousness. 

Thank you for reading my blog. If you need a speaker for any event please consider me. Visit my website at www.funthoughtsonlife.com

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Have a wonderful day and visit God's Sonic!

Jennifer

Sporting Sheet Marks

I showed up on a Saturday morning to run with my friends a few weeks ago only to have it pointed out to me that I had sheet marks on my face.  NICE!  The very next day when I was going into church my husband pointed out to me that I had sheet marks all over my arms.  Today while in church, my husband leaned over and said, "You are covered in sheet marks."  I texted my running buddy that I had sheet marks on me again this morning and she said something that sparked the inspiration behind today's blog post.  She said, "I don't get sheet marks because I flip and flop in the bed so much I don't have time to get them."  I began to ponder this statement because I have always woken up with sheet marks from laying still in the bed.  I have always slept like a rock thus I am always covered in sheet marks for hours after awaking each morning.  After my friend's statement my mind began to wander as it does so often.  This is what my mind wandered to:


What kind of sheet marks are you covered in?  What do you "lay in" long enough in one spot to sport the sheet marks from it?  Are you laying in God's word, so that when you go to Walmart people stop you and say, "You have sheet marks of the Lord all over your arms." ?  How about social media?  Do you spend so much time on the computer that you bear the sheet marks of internet?  Do you focus so much on money that you bear the sheet marks of a workaholic?  How about sheet marks from your children?  Do you focus so much on them that you neglect your husband? Good deeds, helping the helpless, being a friend, showing Jesus to someone, donating your time are all good sheet marks to bear.  Pornography, drugs, alcohol overuse, internet, selfishness are all sheet marks we need to remove from our bodies.  What sheet marks are you bearing today?  Good or bad?

My friend's comment has sparked a stream of thought in my head.  Today I sit watching football and thinking about what sheet marks I need to keep and which sheet marks I need to purge from my life.  Let us all lay long enough in the fruits of the spirit-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, that we bear the sheet marks from them every day.

Now THAT is a point to ponder!  I hope you enjoy my blog.  Please subscribe to the right so you won't miss a single update.  If you are on a mobile device, then scroll to the bottom and click on web version. Then you can subscribe in the column at the right.  Have a great day today!

Jennifer

HOW to Take One Day at a Time

Don't you just become disappointed when you get a teaser for a tv show, a movie, or even a Bible class that tells you what you can look forward to next week only to look forward to it, anticipate it, attend or watch it then discover that you really didn't get out of it what you expected to hear or learn?  I was in a Bible class about a year ago that gave just such a teaser.  The teacher said, "Next week, we will be discussing how to live one day at a time.".  I was so excited about knowing how to live like that!  I anticipated it all week.  Finally it was time to go to the Bible class and for the first time in a long time, I actually had some hands on education that helped me understand how to take one day at a time.

The teacher explained it like this:  The past is gone.  As much as we would like to change it, or do it differently, it is gone.  Never to be regained or seen again.  It is over.  Gone.  Done.  We can't change the past.  We can't have a mulligan in life as much as we may like one.

The future is secure.  If we are baptized believers in Christ then our future is secure with Him.  He knows the future and we need not concern ourselves with it because Christ is already there and has all of our future secured just for us.

God gave us this moment-the present.  He knew when He made us that we could not handle knowing everything that was going to happen to us along the way.  He knew that we could only handle what was right in front of us right this very moment.

When you are concerned about things that happened in the past, or anxious about things that may or may not happen in the future, then take a moment and refocus.  Remember that all God expects us to handle is this moment right now.  Our past is just that-in the past.  Gone, done, finished.  Our future is secure and we need not worry about something that is already taken care of.  All we need to concern ourselves with is the present.

Folks, tomorrow never comes.  When "tomorrow" gets here it is the present.  So in all reality there is no tomorrow.  The tomorrow we always talk about is secure.  Let's focus on the present and do with it what can glorify God in the moment.

God is so smart to realize that I can only deal with what is right in front of me.  Imagine that anxiety we would have if we could see into the future or be able to fix or dabble in the past.  We would not be able to keep our heads screwed on straight.  We are made human, and humans can deal with the very small moment called the Now.

THAT is a Point to Ponder.  I hope you all have a wonderful day today!  Revel in the moment for it is all we have.  Subscribe at the right to my blog so you won't miss an update.  Thanks so much for reading.  Please share my blog with your friends!

Jennifer

Be A Gracious Recipient and a Cheerful Giver

If you really didn't want to bring food to me then don't call me and offer because I am going to accept your offer.  On top of that, I am going to accept without expecting to have to repay you for your generosity.  I have learned to be a gracious recipient as well as a cheerful giver.

One of my least favorite comments is "I owe you one."  You don't owe me anything.  If I do something for you it is out of the goodness of my heart, because I had money or time at the time you needed something.  If you can't accept my help without feeling like you owe me something then you have missed the point.  You take the joy away from the giver if you are not a gracious recipient.  Now I did not say you needed to be a score keeping recipient, but a gracious recipient.

The same is true of being a Cheerful Giver.  If you give something expecting that the person will be someday paying you back then you have missed the point.  It takes the joy away from the recipient if you make them feel obligated to "pay you back".

I like the idea of paying it forward better.  I don't have enough time or energy to be keeping a tit for tat scorecard of favors given and received.  I give what I can, when I need to, when I see a need, when I have the time, the money or resources.  I receive when I am in need, I don't say no to an offer if it is something I need.

I would like to use the example of my recent bad week of losing the puppy and my son being hospitalized with extreme mystery illness.  I did not want for anything during that time.  My friends and family called me when passing through town to see if I needed anything.  If I did, I told them.  One friend even brought me toilet paper.  I was actually sitting by my sick son thinking about how we were just about out of toilet paper when I got a text from a very good friend saying she was at the store and what could she get me.  If she didn't want to help me she would not have texted.  I would have stolen joy from her if I did not allow her to help me.  I told her we needed toilet paper.  She brought it to us.  Best.Gift.Ever.  I do not feel like I need to repay her for the toilet paper.  I would be stealing the joy from her if I did.  I am sure it made her incredibly happy to help us with a necessity like that.  I know it would have thrilled me if I could have helped someone like that.  Be a gracious recipient.

Toilet paper.  Simple item, big message.  Help the helpless and if you are helpless, allow others to help you.  People want to help, they just don't always know how.  Tell them how.  And be grateful.  When you are on the giving end, remember toilet paper.  And don't expect the favor to be returned.  It steals the joy from the Charmin.

I hope you enjoy my blog.  Please subscribe in the box to the right and share my link with your friends.  Have a fabulous evening and don't forget the Charmin, and burn the score card

.

Jennifer

Little Things

I never have been one to only look forward to the big vacation.  Oh don't get me wrong, I love to sail away on a Caribbean Cruise, go to Disney World, or lay on the beach for a week.  But I have discovered in my life that it is the little things that are most important.  After all, if we sit around waiting for the trip to Disney then we are going to spend an awful lot of time being miserable and only a few days being at the Happiest Place on Earth.  Pain is inevitable in this old life, but misery is optional.  I choose every day to be happy in the little things.

My happiness has gone up exponentially in the past week because my best friend has her son at a point where he is out of the woods.  So she and I have had some serious fun lately and I feel like life is somewhat back to normal after sitting at the feet of near tragedy for two months.  God is on the throne with her son, and with all of us.  He is going to do great things in God's kingdom and I am so grateful to have a front seat to view the show.  Little things like his being able to talk now when I go over there.  That he can tell me about the plot of the Hobbit.  He has to put his finger over his trach to talk but he is talking.  Little things make me happy.  The fact that he could join us while creek wading made me happy.  He didn't want to because he is not an outdoors kind of guy, but he COULD.  Little things.

When we pause to appreciate the little things in life, our life is filled with more zeal.  More authenticity.  Sometimes we have to remove some of the noise in life to appreciate.  I was blessed while at camp to be visited each and every day at the same time by the same bird who flew out of the same spot in the woods and did the same ritual.  It was a moment each day that brought great joy to me and made me feel like God himself had come to visit me and have lunch with me.

Every day I would drive the specialty counselors up the hill to the lodge at camp for lunch.  One day I was visited by a red bird.  He flew out of the woods, landed on my right side mirror and then landed on my windshield wiper and looked at me through the windshield.  I was fascinated by the visit.  The next day, he did the same thing.  It got to the point that I didn't go into the lodge to eat lunch anymore, I just stayed in the bus so I could visit with my little bird friend.  I was sad on the last day of camp for the summer because I would not see my little bird friend anymore until next summer.  Then I realized that God spoke to Moses through a bush.  If Moses had not paid attention to the bush, then God would not have been able to speak to him.  Little things like bushes and birds give us opportunity to listen and commune with God.  If we are so busy that we don't pay attention to little things like birds and bushes then we will never truly be able to commune with our Lord.  At least not on a raw, personal level.

Something else has been on my mind lately about little things.  My oldest daughter has hearing aids.  If you need update on that situation, please go to my archives at the right and read, "Witnessing a Modern Day Miracle".  She has not been putting her hearing aids in regularly lately and it occurred to me that I may have discovered the answer to that.  I have asked her about the lack of wearing them and most of the time get a defensive answer but not yesterday.  Yesterday I got a very candid answer that confirmed what I had thought was happening.  She has been in the deaf world for 18 years and it is comfortable to her.  When she wears her hearing aids, sounds scare her and the world is very loud to her.  For example she was frightened this 4th of July because she heard fireworks for the first time.  They scared her to death.  The sound of the ice maker scares her.  The sound of the air conditioner cutting on in the house scares her.  These are things she never heard before and now that she can, the hearing world is a scary place to her.  She enjoys the solitude of her deaf world.  She likes to read lips.  She likes to hear also, but it is so loud she likes to retreat to her solitude.  She feels like people are yelling at her even though they are just having a normal conversation.   We all need solitude in our lives.  Time to stop and smell the roses, experience quiet, hear nothing.  Little things.

Let's all stop and appreciate some little things.  Notice the bushes, birds, butterflies and solitude that is available to us each day.  It is then that we truly can commune with God.

Thank you so much for reading my blog!  Subscribe at the right to receive updates when I write a new post.  Have a fabulous day!!

Jennifer

Less is More

I have been slowly transitioning into more of a minimalist lifestyle. I guess this kind of all started with a book I read called Born to Run. It talked about how God designed our bodies to run and how we spend high dollars on equipment to run in when our feet were already designed magnificently for the task. The book told of a reservation of folks near the Grand Canyon and their experiences then spoke of the conclusions gleaned from months spent with these folks for us. I was intrigued but not changed by this book but I kept the info filed away in my head for future use.

A year ago I read a book called Crazy Love. That book kicked me to the core. I was literally upset for a few weeks after finishing it because I didn't know what God wanted me to do with the information. It was extreme. Like sell all your possessions and move to Nigeria and serve extreme. Then adopt all the children who were orphans. I was totally moved by it but couldn't wrap my head around that. I just didn't feel like that was what God wanted me to do. So I filed that info into my head for use at an appropriate time. 

Fast forward to today, I just finished a book called Seven by Jen Hatmaker. I had moved more to a minimalist lifestyle by this point. For example, I refuse to buy new books. I waited a year to get my hands on this book. I stopped by at least once a week at the used book store to see if they had a copy. Finally, a lifelong friend posted she had read the book and let me borrow it. I loved it. It was real, it was raw, it was authentic. 

The idea presented in the book is simple. 7 months, 7 areas of excess = life changing results. Each month she took a part of her life that she felt she was excessive in. Like Media, possessions, clothing, food, etc. For the food month, she only ate 7 foods, clothing month, wore 7 articles of clothing. She did this to free up time, energy and effort for The Holy Spirit to come in and have room to move around. She went back to "normal" living after her experiment but will be forever changed from it. Get the book, read it. Then wait. Wait to see what God wants you to do with that info. Be still and know that He is God. 

It's hard to do but so rewarding. I completely quit watching tv a year ago. I have not missed it one bit. It allows me time to hear myself think, to hear God, to live fully and authentically not clouded with media opinion. My mind is more simple now. I don't forget things as much because I am not in a whirlwind. I hear God all the time. I have given Him room to move around by removing the haze of tv from my life. 

One of the things I learned from Seven is that one of the things I don't like about myself is actually a gift. I am an all in or none at all kind of girl. If I decide to do something I go to the extreme. I am all in. I have spent a lot of time trying to experience balance. Jen Hatmaker says she is the same way. She called herself an "extremist". Then she said something that was straight from God for me. She said she didn't learn lessons easily unless she was hit in the side of the head and all in. That's me. God made me an extremist too. I am embracing my extremist self as Godsent from this day forward. I am learning to balance many things and I am proud of that but I am also embracing extremes. I like how God and I are in a state of constant conversation throughout a day. It's extreme. It's how He made me. Fearfully and wonderfully made. 

Just like Jen Hatmaker, I am waiting to see what God is doing with me and this information. I'm excited, I am watching. I am ready to be more like Jesus and less like Jennifer. 

Thanks for reading my blog. Please subscribe at the right so you will receive updates when I write a new post. Have a fabulous day!!

Jennifer

God: 1 Boy: 0 I Like That Score

I have had more mixed emotions in the past 5 days than I can ever remember having.  In the midst of the wonderful excitement of my oldest daughter's graduation tragedy struck.  We still had a perfect celebration and things went great with that and my next blog post will be about how to create the perfect celebration.  I got a gutwrenching call from one of my friends about some police activity at a home that she wanted me to confirm who lived there.  As I grabbed my stomach and heart from the floor, I jumped in the car to go to the house of my best friend.  She was away on a vacation with her husband and her grown children were at home going to their jobs and going about life.  LOTS of police cars, crime scene unit, and an ambulance pulled away as I drove up.  I ran to the scene as I was dialing my friend praying all the way.  No way all this activity could be good.

Fast forward, I sat on the curb praying all the while the investigators went about their work.  My friend's son was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound.  We all prayed that it was an accident.  As of this moment it does not appear to be accidental but self inflicted.  My mind wanders.  HOW can a person decide this but live to tell about it?  What is God doing here?  My friends son said, "No, I'm done."  God said, "No, you are not done."  It is another modern day miracle I have witnessed.  My cup runneth over with praise for the almighty God and that He is ON HIS THRONE.  Wow, God, I can't wait to see what you are doing in this one.  This is better than any movie a talented producer could dream up!

This young man will be hope for the hopeless, help for the helpless, dreams for the dreamless, faith for the faithless, he will be a witness of God's great love, the power of prayer, and the fact that our plan is not always God's plan and only God's plan is perfect.  This young man is building my faith even though he doesn't even realize it.  It is those who truly can say "I have been there." that can validate and help those who feel like life is not worth living.  God has big plans for this young man.  I am thrilled to have a front row seat to watch God's show.  Praise HIM!

I had the honor of sitting with his sister at the hospital yesterday and she made some comments that won't ever leave me.  She said in paraphrase, "I understand the power of prayer.  Look at this burn on my finger I got last Monday.  It is not any better than it was when I got it and look at my brother.  All these people praying for him and he is making daily strides toward recovery that even baffle the doctors.  I believe in the power of prayer.  It works."  Her faith is increasing.  Maybe in ways it wouldn't have if not tested in this tragic way.

He must have felt alone that day.  And yet, a Facebook site set up to keep folks informed has hundreds of likes already.  A boy that is loved.  People giving hugs and support to the family.  A boy that is loved.  God plucking him out of his own despair.  A boy that is loved.  Parents that rushed home and sit bedside 24/7 praying fervently.  A boy that is loved.  A sister who showed strength that surpassed understanding.  A boy that is loved.

The boy said "I can't".  God said "With me, you can".  He saved the boys life last Wednesday.  All glory to the one and only, all powerful, living God.  Keep your eyes peeled.  This boy is going to do great things in God's Kingdom.

Current Score-  God:1
                          Boy-0
I like that score :)

Free at Last

Today is quite a momentous day for me as a mother.  I am certain that my oldest is quite excited about this day as well, but maybe not in the same way that I am.  Today I am going for the official dismissal from the Special Education program, which she never needed in the first place, for my beautiful daughter.  Two weeks from tomorrow she will graduate from high school.  Does it matter that her dismissal comes just before she graduates?  Does it matter that she was in the program for years and received services and was called names because of it and yet she will receive official dismissal when it really won't matter at this point?  Yes.  Yes it does.  It matters to me and it matters to her.  I made sure this official dismissal took place.  I have some things to say today to whom it may concern.  I could have just let this go and let her graduate and forget about this with a new start in college.  I like new starts, God gives us a new day, a new moment.  I am seizing this moment and clearing my daughter's name and records from the bondage of misdiagnosis and mistreatment.  So yes, it matters.  She will get a new start in college in August but by george she will get a new start today with 6 days of school left for her.

If you need background on what I am talking about today, please go to blog archives and read "Witnessing a Modern Day Miracle".

Every year I have had to go to an IEP meeting.  I loathe IEP meetings because they eternally are talking about "disabilities" and "abnormalities" and those who conduct these meetings seem to forget they are talking about my beautiful daughter that is perfect in my eyes and is smart, and funny, and precious and kind, and compassionate, and most importantly is a child of the King.  I have spent many years wanting to bang my fist on the table and yell, "Did you notice how she was a friend to someone less fortunate?  Did you notice how she is always about something that is good and wholesome and right?  Did you notice how hard she works to get what she does?  Did you forget that I squeezed her out of my bottom and I can show you all kinds of crazy if you don't say something good about my girl?  Is what she can show you on a piece of paper ALL that matters to you?  Have you looked at her heart?"  Each year I warn my best friend that I am about to go to my meeting.  She mobilizes and knows that I am going to call her madder than a wet hen because of how they talk in the meeting.  Well not today.  I have a few things to say.  Heaven help them while I speak my peace.  I will bring up how in second grade they wanted to have her repeat that grade.  I will bring up how in 6th grade they wanted to have her repeat that grade.  I would not let them.  I wouldn't because I was listening to God and what He thought was best and not what the educational system thought was best.  I firmly believe that had I given in to what "they" thought was best for my girl that I would have a different story to tell today.  I believe that she quite possibly could have given up and dropped out of school.  If I had let them repeat her twice then she would be 18 years old and a sophomore.  Did "they" think what that would do to a girl's self esteem?  I couldn't blame her for wanting to give up and I am not a quitter.  Are they really "disabilities" or do we just all have different abilities and the system tries to put us all into a mold when we don't all fit into that mold?  If God wanted us to fit a mold then wouldn't He have made us all exactly alike and look exactly the same?

I will bring up the fact that if I had laid down as a mother and not advocated for my child and not told them what I would allow them to do with her then she would not be graduating this year, would not have received the Hope Scholarship for academic excellence, would not be wearing an honors banner on her graduation gown for exceptional grades in high school, would not have been accepted to college where she will begin attending in the fall, would not have made straight A's for 3 of 4 grading periods?  Because I bucked the system she IS.  She IS graduating, made straight A's on the world's scale, got the Hope Scholarship, will wear an honors banner, and IS going to college.  She never needed special education in the first place, she simply could not hear.  Well now she CAN.

Now by no stretch of the imagination am I suggesting that the educational system stinks, or that this is all the school's fault.  I don't believe that for one moment.  I believe this is not our story, this is God's story and what He writes is perfect.  My daughter would not be the hard working princess she is today if not for the hardships she has endured through the years.  I would not change a thing that has occurred in these past 18 years.  It has made us all what we are today.  We were being molded into who we are today.  What I am saying is be an advocate for your children.  Don't just take what doctor's or educators say about your child.  Take what God says about them.  Do what is best for them.  Go with your gut.  My gut said different than the system all these years and now, just a few short weeks ago we all learned that my gut was right.  And look at the results that have come from it.

We are having a graduation party for my girl in two weeks.  I could certainly be wrong but I feel like my girl graduating is a bigger deal than maybe some other kids. Probably even a bigger deal than my other two kids when they graduate.  There is a huge story behind her graduating, not just a career of lollipops and rainbows.  It is a graduation of perseverance, of not backing down, of not giving up.  Each person invited to the party has had a significant role in getting my girl where she is today.  I wish I had time to tell each person the role they played.  They may not even know the role they played.  Rest assured, if you received an invitation, you played a huge role.  This isn't about graduation gifts.  This is about the greater good of a child.  Of seeing past the outside and seeing straight to the heart. 

Today I am going to that meeting.  I am going to witness them writing dismissal papers from the Special Education program that she did not need in the first place.  She just needed hearing aids.  She needs official dismissal so she can kick the dust of this town off her feet and fly.  Do I wonder what she may have been able to accomplish if she had not been misdiagnosed?  Sometimes, in my darkest hour.  But I push that thinking down and let the cream rise to the top.  This is God's story, not mine.  I am just proud I have it to tell.  It is not a story I would have chosen to have to tell, but it is all mine and I am proud of it because God chose me to be a character in it.  My faith has made me whole.

Thank you so much for reading my blog.  I am so grateful for the opportunities this has brought to me and gives me a medium to share my thoughts.  I hope my story helps just one person.

You are NOT alone.  I felt alone for many years and kept all of this to myself.  Alone is not a good place to be.  May God bless each and every one of you and May God bless those people who are in the meeting today.  I have a word or two to speak ;)

Becoming an Angel

Yesterday was a heartbreaking day.  A young friend of mine was taken all too soon.  Fine one day, gone the next.  Those left behind scramble to find comfort, reason, answers.  The fact is that there may be no answers this side of heaven.  Comfort will be found in the warmth of a touch, the smile of a friend, the words of someone who has experienced this kind of loss.

As memories flood back, I can't remember ever meeting her.  We grew up knowing each other.  She was a few years older than me, so we didn't run in the same crowds in the youth group, but we knew each other.  Our families were in small group Bible study together years ago and that was when we really connected.  We had common ground with trying to raise Christian boys.  We talked about educational struggles with our boys and hard decisions we made along the way concerning our children.  She and I made some of the same decisions about our boys together as we put our heads together thinking about the greater good of our children, not just what was good for the moment.  The last long conversation we had was a few weeks back when we had lunch together for folks who wanted to become World Bible School Teachers.  We were both excited about this opportunity.  We talked about how hard it is to talk to others about Jesus in person and how some people have that gift and some don't.  We both joked that we didn't have that gift, but that we could teach online.  We talked about our boys.  We talked about my oldest graduating.  We just talked...I treasure that talk.

When tragedy strikes, we wonder why?  I look at this situation and cry for her mother, for her husband, for her twin boys, for her step-daughter.  I cry for her friends, for her family, for everyone here on earth who is grieving her loss.  But I don't wonder why.  My faith tells me that God took her for a reason.  He is writing a story here that we can't see the ending yet.  We may not see the ending this side of Heaven.  Why not Her?  She was a perfect candidate for God to take.  She loved Him, she was a baptized believer, she was a faithful wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter  child of the King.  We are all here on earth in the appetizer phase of our lives.  This is not the main course, folks.  Hang on to your fork because the best is yet to come.  My friend is there.  No doubt in my mind.  She is sitting at the table of the main course.  We all want to be.  Take me too, Lord!  Come quickly.

My mind is heavy thinking of why.  Then the why not's invade my brain.  Why not a perfectly healthy woman, young, vibrant, for she is an organ donor.  Her organs can save many lives.  Possibly unbelievers.  They will have more time to come to know Jesus through this life-giving act.  My friend didn't need more time.  She knew Jesus.  Now she has met him.  Others who lay in the hospital sick with terminal disease can find the gift of time today as they receive a new organ from my friend.  A healthy organ.  God is on the throne and His message is being sent to nonbelievers in the form of organs today.  My friend lives on, and she is able to spread the Word to others, something she wanted to do and did so while she was here on earth.

Mourning is for the living.  I mourn today, not for my friend, I am excited for her, sitting at the throne of God and worshiping His Holy name.  I mourn for her family.  I am sad for those of us still on earth who my friend brought a ray of sunshine to their lives.  I am sad for her boys.  May they truly feel how proud their mom was of them.  If ever they forget, I can give them an earful.  I know because my friend and I talked about our boys a lot.  Today is a sad day here on earth.  One of God's greatest has left us to go to her eternal reward.  When we have been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we have no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun.  I am so so sad.  So heartbroken.  So lost.  Lord, Come quickly and get us all, give more time to those who need to know you and let others come to know you through my friend's gift of life.  Amen.

I have lost a friend, and heaven has gained an Angel.  Save me a seat, My Friend, I am coming!  I am going to watch over our boys.  We are raising Christian boys just like we wanted to.  You did good with your twins.  They are awesome!!  I will hug them and tell them how proud you are of them. I will comfort them as best I can.  They are good boys.  The best.  You did great.  Tell Jesus hello for me!

One Day at a Time

I have not blogged in a bit longer than normal because I have had my head buried in Memory Lane.  I have been digging through things for graduation pomp and circumstance for my oldest daughter's high school commencement.  It has been a bit consuming.  At first it is overwhelming because some pictures are physical pictures and are in scrapbooks because that was popular years ago, then some are in boxes, then we went to digital and those pictures are on disks or on the computer.  Oh my goodness it made my head spin.  And how does one condense 18 years into 10 or less pictures when they are all so important and you took tens of thousands because she was your first??  Well, you just do.  But it takes you days to do so, and many tears along the way.  It took me three days to find one particular picture of my daughter's kindergarten graduation cap and gown.  I had the thought that I could make it into a split screen with her high school graduation picture.  That is when the waterworks commenced.  It hit me in the side of the head how fast the time flew.  One of my best friends said today that "The Days are Long but the Years are Short."  So true, so true.

Today I am reminded of one of the best Bible classes I have ever sat in and one of the best Bible teachers I have ever had the privilege to sit at the feet of.  He doesn't speak his own words, he let's God speak through him.  The reason he has this ability is because he is a broken man.  Broken people are real, they are transparent and they let God live in them and speak through them.  He taught a Bible class on how to take one day at a time. He told us exactly how to do that.

There are three parts to life:  past, present and future.  The past is gone.  We can't do anything about what has happened in the past, we can't change it, we can't get it back, we can't redo it.  If we are baptized believers living a faithful life then our future is secure.  The tomorrow that we look forward to NEVER comes.  Think about it.  When "tomorrow" gets here it is "today".  So tomorrow never comes.  So all we have is the here and now.  Right here, right now.  The reason God only gives us this moment is because he knows that if we knew our future, we would be overwhelmed.  If we could do something with our past, we would be overwhelmed.  God made us and he knew that we could only handle right here, right now.  So that is what He gave us to handle.  And yet we try to handle everything else too.  

So when you become overwhelmed think on these things:  The past is gone, we can't do anything about it.  Our future is secure, it is guaranteed.  So all we need to focus on is what is right here right now.  God gave us that much to handle because it is all we could handle.  We are His creation and He knows what we can handle.  We are the ones that take on too much thought and overwhelm ourselves.  God wants us to think about right here, right now.  The past is gone, He has secured our future.

What a wonderful feeling to know that I only have to handle my right here, right now.  Thanks so much for reading my blog!  Please leave comments below or like my page.  Go to link at the right to subscribe to my page so you will receive updates.  Have a great rest of the day!!

God's Timing almost always is not Our Timing

Tonight I went to a wedding.  I have been to many weddings in my life, all of which has been beautiful.  Tonight I went to the most beautiful wedding I have ever been to not because the decorations were the best I had ever seen, or the bride looked the most beautiful, or the groom was the most handsome, or the weather was the most perfect, or the food was the best I had ever eaten.  In fact, I really paid less attention to any of these physical properties than I have at any wedding I have ever been to.  The wedding I went to tonight was a culmination of God's perfect timing.  It was the most beautiful event I have ever been to.  There were no physical bridesmaids, or physical groomsmen.  The witness that stood up with the bride and groom was the one and only God.  

The bride's son sat on the front row along with the parents of both the bride and groom.  There was not a dry eye in the audience.  The groom and bride walked out of the back of the house and ambled hand in hand dripping with joy to the alter of greenery over an archway.  God saw this day long ago and the happily ever after that it began for these two.  God wiped their tears individually for the past years as the wounds were deep and raw from failed marriages and previous spouses who taught them who NOT to marry. 

The bride is one of my best friends.  Not because we spend a lot of time together, that is not always necessary.  We have been to hell and back together in different situations, but we put our backs together through the rain and slept that way so neither one of our heads fell in the mud.  There has been a lot of mud for a lot of years.  When my mud dried and I was able to walk on dry land again, my best friend continued to struggle.  Some days we wondered if her misery would ever end.  If it wasn't flies it was ants. But faithful love is a friend just when hope seems to end, welcome face, sweet embrace, tender touch filled with grace.  Faithful love drowns each fear, reaches down, dries each tear, holds my hand when I can't stand on my own.

One day, a very handsome man who I have known my whole life and whose father was one of my Christian mentors growing up came in to Sunday school and sat next to my best friend.  By the time Sunday school was over, he was practically sitting in her seat with her.  Both happier than I had seen them in years.  My husband and I elbowed each other and snickered to ourselves without saying a word.  I couldn't tell you what that Bible class was about that day because I was watching what God was doing right in the row in front of me.  That prince and princess were married today with God in attendance.

The wedding was perfect, the decorations were perfect, the bride was the most beautiful, the groom most handsome, the food the greatest I ever tasted, because God blessed the broken road that led them straight to paradise.  I was blessed to be able to witness the culmination of years of heartache that gave way to God's perfect plan, God's perfect timing, God's perfect family.  It started to sprinkle rain during the ceremony, then it quit.  It reminded me of how many tears my friend and I have dried for each other over the years.  The rain stopped and so have the tears.  If ever there was a happily ever after, this is it.  Congratulations, my Friend on your happily ever after.  Sometimes we have to kiss some frogs to find our handsome prince.

Witnessing a Modern Day Miracle and Realization of Dreams

I am generally a very funny person but this morning I blog with a cup that runneth over with joy.  Let me start by saying that I have finally been granted permission by my oldest daughter to share her story.  It is a beautiful story that God wrote from the very beginning.  It has many gorgeous details and a lot of heartache.  It is a story of perseverance, the triumph of the human spirit, never backing down, and most importantly following God when the way seems dark and lonely and you can't see a light at the end of the tunnel.  I am beyond delighted to have permission to write her story.  Some of the details will be left out still, simply to protect her.  It is my prayer as I candidly type her story that it will give even just one person hope for another day.

My oldest daughter is about to turn 18 in a few short weeks.  She will be graduating high school this year and attending college in the fall.  When she was born, I had so many hopes and dreams for her like all moms do.  I remember laying on the bed with her when she was a few days old and crying because I wanted her to be able to remain so innocent the rest of her life.  I knew the world was cruel and I just ached for what she would experience and see in this old world one day.  I knew I couldn't save her from everything, but I vowed to that baby that day that I would die trying.  It is a vow I have kept to my beautiful girl.

Fast forward to school days:  Every mom gets excited and sad when their child goes off to Kindergarten, and every mom just knows that their kid is the smartest, the most adorable, etc.  Up until they go to Kindergarten they ARE!  but all of a sudden, they are judged on the world's scale in a school and it isn't always as pretty as we dreamed it to be.  If you have a child that makes straight A's all the time and work is simple for them, I am so incredibly happy for you.  I no longer wish that was my lot in life for motherhood.  I am grateful for every tear that was shed over homework and every mean thing that has been said to my girl because this is God's story and my girl has turned into an incredibly hard worker, self motivated, Christian young lady who will do amazing things in God's kingdom in her life.  I spent many years crying and praying that things be easier for my girl.  Praise God that He said, "No".

Fast Forward-2nd Grade:  Having had a terrible time in school and grades that suffered, we began to believe there was a problem.  We took her to have her eyes tested and her hearing tested. Then ultimately had testing done through the school and pediatrician where the ultimate diagnosis was Attention Deficit Disorder and a learning disablility.  NOT what I dreamed of when my girl was born.  We moved on, and things improved with knowledge of how to deal with our daughter.  A behavioral therapist was involved and also was able to help us tremendously to teach our daughter how to deal with her "lot".

Kids are mean and there have been many hurtful things uttered to our girl about being dumb and stupid and "special ed".  I can't believe that special ed is actually a term children use to refer to another one of God's creatures.  In our home, we celebrate D's if we worked hard to get them.  ABCDF are letters used to judge knowledge on the world's scale, NOT GOD'S SCALE.  God's scale judges how much character a child has, and how loving they are, and whether or not they are kind to one another.  My girl is all of these things.

In 6th grade, there was new legislation that allowed a child to receive special education services for medical reasons such as Attention Deficit Disorder as well as learning disability.  We made a very hard decision to place her in that program so she could receive the best education opportunity she could receive.

In the meantime, I prayed daily for my girl that things be easier for her and many other specifics as they arose.  Also in the meantime, she grew to love the Lord even more, she grew in stature and faith and in favor with God and man.  She learned to work circles around the other "smarter" kids in class, learned to be incredibly organized, and learned to develop tough skin for hurtful words from mean kids and teasing that was not meant to be teasing but was hurtful even from her best friends.

Fast Forward-12th grade:  She was accepted to college by the grace of God based on her grades which was a feat orchestrated entirely by the one and only God.  Her grade point average continued to rise, provisions were taken away gradually as we learned to learn to where ultimately in the 11th and 12th grade, all special education provisions were removed and my girl was allowed to spread her wings and fly.  She recently received her first set of straight A's.  We all cried and celebrated because we knew that she had finally proved on the world's scale just once that she was smart, a quality that we knew she was all along, but now the world had proof.  TAKE THAT world!!

We had to go to the pediatrician to get booster shots for college and upon the checkup protocol, a hearing test which she failed miserably.  We have had hearing tests almost yearly and she never had passed one, even when we took her to Bill Wilkerson Hearing Institute at Vanderbilt when she was 10.  It was always treated with antibiotics and antihistamines to remove fluid, repair burst ear drum, or some other medical anomaly that may have been present in her ears at the time.  Our pediatrician referred her to an audiologist and a doctor of facial and head surgery to be evaluated for hearing.  We attended the appointment where we were told that our daughter had "severe hearing loss".  The doctor continued to talk and I began to cry not because he told me my daughter needed hearing aids, but because he told our entire story in the context of her hearing loss and he had never met us before to know the struggles our child had in school.  All these things were related to hearing loss and not Attention Deficit Disorder OR a learning disability.  The child simply could not hear.  Now, many would be furious, but not me.  No sir!!  We can't look back we can only look forward, and praise God that we found this!  Had God intended us to find out this problem before now, He would have let it be known and her failed hearing tests would not have been dismissed as fluid, ear infection, etc.

Yesterday I witnessed a miracle.  I praise God and thank Him tearfully that I was able to witness His miracle.  We went to the Audiologist who fitted my girl with hearing aids.  They were programmed to her hearing loss via computer and placed in her ears.  Folks, THIS is what you look like when you are able to hear for the very first time in your life.

My girl was literally giddy when she heard for the first time. She got very teary eyed because she was hearing for the very first time in her life. She started laughing and listening.  The audiologist said, "go outside and ask her a question without her being able to see you"  My girl said, "I heard that!"  She rubbed the chair arm that I was sitting in and pulled her hand away like she touched something hot and I asked her what was wrong, and she said, "OMgoodness did you hear that?  The chair arm makes noise when you rub it!"  She proceeded to tap, whistle and laugh a lot.  I looked over at her because she was making so much noise I couldn't hear the audiologist.  She said, "I am just enjoying hearing!"  Our moments since yesterday have involved her self discovery of the world of hearing.  It is something we take for granted every day.  I will not take this for granted another day.  It has been a wonderful time to watch how excited she is about every noise that I never think about but that she has never heard.  She texted me and said she said the pledge today.  She had not heard it before.

I am so grateful that God chose me to be this fabulous girl's mother.  She has taught me more about life that I would ever have learned from anywhere else.  I am also grateful that God chose to write this wonderful story for my girl and for all the heartache that goes with it, for it made her what she is today: perfect!I will leave you with a picture of my girl showing you her miracle pieces that set her free from the bondage of misdiagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder and a learning disability.

Amanda Dugger Photography did my daughter's senior pictures and also designed her graduation announcements.  The quote that was placed on the front of the announcement is from Eleanor Roosevelt.  It reads, 

 The Future Belongs to Those who Believe in the Beauty of their Dreams

I believe...and so does my girl.  We always have, even when times were tough, we always believed.

Visit www.amandaduggerphotography

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff AKA A Mouse in a Car

If God can part the Red Sea to allow Moses and the Egyptians to cross on dry land, then He can SURELY place a mouse in a car.

This week has been a real eye opener to not sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff.  My dad, who is my biggest fan, the man who is my first love, who never acted annoyed by my presence no matter how busy he was when I was growing up, the one who loves me unconditionally and is the embodiment of my "glass half full attitude, has been in the hospital with a life threatening problem.  When a doctor says to you, "Your dad could bleed to death in less than a minute.  He needs life saving surgery.", you sit up and take notice real quick.

Apparently, not majoring in minors is a lesson much needed in the Anglin home because God taught it to us in a most unusual way:

The Setting:  the car

The Problem: A protein bar that had been opened but not visibly eaten

The Story:  A protein bar was stored in the car for lunch one day.  When it was decided to be eaten, it was discovered that the package had been opened and when reached for, crumbs sprinkled all over.  A call was received at the hospital while my dad was in a serious condition to explain the opened and partially eaten bar.  The call was very quickly dispelled, upon frustration with such a minor problem being addressed during a grave situation.  Not happy with no solution to the much important protein bar, more Anglins were called and questioned about the protein bar.  Upon arriving home, the bar was produced and shown to the Anglins and the questioning continued since no perpetrator has been found.  One Anglin picked up the Protein Bar and immediately saw the problem.  There was no way that a human had opened, much less eaten this bar.  The teeth marks were way too tiny and the packaging had been chewed off and some was missing.  (Another case solved by the FBI agent in the home)  It was then stated that the "crumbs that scattered from the package were possibly not crumbs at all.  ;)

The Conversation:
Anglin A-Who ever heard of a mouse in a car? And how could a mouse even get in a car:
Anglin B-If God could part the Red Sea for Moses and the Egyptians to walk across on dry land, then I am certain He could place a mouse in a car to teach us what is important in life.

The Plan:
Set a mouse trap in the car with a piece of protein bar as bait.

The Resolution:

The Lesson:  Don't major in minors.

Folks, lets all take a step back and realize what is important in life:  God, Family and Friends-all people.  Not protein bars, not stuff, just people.  Now that is a point to ponder.

I hope you all have a wonderful day, hug your kids and your family a little tighter and hug God by reading His word and talking to Him through prayer.  My dad is going to be ok.  He is home recovering and will have a second surgery on March 27, my daughter's 18th birthday.  I will be celebrating life in two ways that day:  The birth of my oldest, and the gift of life for my Daddy.  I am ever so grateful for both.