Thoughts on Memorial Day

War is real. Today we set aside this day called, "Memorial Day" to pause and remember and HONOR all those who have gone before us, who proudly served our country and paid the highest price.

It was originally called, "Decoration Day", as a way of honoring those brave souls who laid down their lives in service for our country. In 1873, New York became the first state to recognize this as a National holiday. Soon other states followed. Eventually Congress enacted a law, The National Holiday Act of 1971, which placed this holiday on the last Monday in May.

Here is my own hero. I got to pin his new badge on his uniform. We were so young. This was taken in 1995 I believe. I'm so proud of my Marine. God has truly blessed me with a great man to walk out this life with.

(We have six kids now,--giggle and giddy smile here--I can hardly believe it!)

So many of the fallen heroes we honor today were so young. Many left behind wives and small children while still many others never got a chance to get married and have children. Their lives were cut short. So young. What a great sacrifice! Freedom for our country! 

But Freedom isn't FREE.

It comes at a price.

It takes hard work and dedication and sacrifice.

Here are my guys at Parris Island watching recruits learn how to march.

As we raise these sons, who are we putting before them to look to? As mothers of sons, we need to do the hard things, stay dedicated to our families, and sacrifice our time and lives for our families.

Let's not live lives defeated. Let's live in Victory Lane!

There is a man who went before us, a God man. He came to not only show us how to live in relationship with others, he came to set us FREE.

Freedom from all that drags us down, torments our souls, and wages war in our hearts! Freedom from depression, anxiety, wrong teachings, addictions, powerlessness, shame, hurt, FEAR, rejection, sickness, unforgiveness, torment...

You name it, Jesus came to claim it...

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and set our hearts and souls free!

For there is a war raging in every one of us. A war for our hearts and souls. 

War is real.

 The enemy doesn't create, he plagiarizes. He uses all the fancy stuff, maybe some grand, flashing lights. I know you've seen him. He is never far away. Pleasure Island is always ready to entice us to a life of fun, fancy, and fullfillment. Acts so seemingly innocent at first but enticing us away to commit larger offences, all in the face of no recrimination. Pinocchio knew this place. 

Where are we allowing our boys to wander today?

Russell Moore wrote a great article on this very topic. Titled, "Fake Love, Fake War" he gives his thoughts on the book, The Demise of Guys and lays hold of the truths of the war that our enemy is really waging. 

God calls us to do His will. What is His will concerning our sanctification?

 Paul writes to us in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, "It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.[b] The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit."

I urge all you mothers of sons to learn more about these areas that are being put before our sons. Be watchful, be ever on guard. Remember that the enemy is out to destroy all of us. He is not your friend.

Freedom is at hand. We know who wins the battle. Go and live today and remember all those who sacrificed their lives for our country. Remember too HE who sacrificed his own Life and Blood for our souls.

Grab your kids, find a parade. Clap and be thankful for those who march today in memory of the fallen. My son will be among the marching feet. He is a good boy. 

with a long history of family who served our country before him.

Here is his great-grandfather on my husband's side.

Here is his great-grandfather on my father's side.

Here is his great-grandfather on my mother's side.

Here is his grandfather on my husband's side

Here is his grandfather on my side

Here is his father-my husband

We thank them all for their service!

But even he, my son, is at war. I pray a mother's prayer that my son would never have to fight in battle for our country, even knowing he was born into a war that was started in a beautiful Garden. We will be victorious!

Happy Memorial Day! Thank a Veteran today!

Baby Boy is Here! The Birth of Little Warrior, Our 6th Baby

Here we are on delivery day, January 5th, 2012!
Our 6th baby (3rd tubal reversal baby) was born by my 6th c-section weighing in at 5 lbs. 10 oz., 19 inches long. Just a little peanut! Welcome Wyatt James!

I had been having a lot of contractions this pregnancy. My doctor suggested some medication to control the contractions and help my uterus relax a little. She said my uterus was probably "irritated" from having carried so many babies. The medicine definitely slowed the contractions and I tried to stay off my feet. Easier said than done when you're homeschooling three children while chasing a toddler and preschooler!
The last two months of my pregnancy my doctor monitored my uterus closely around my prior incision sites. The uterus appeared to be very thin in places and since I was carrying this baby so LOW it put extra pressure on my scar tissues. There were very real concerns for a uterine rupture. Through lots of prayer and rest along with a medication to slow contractions, I was able to deliver a healthy baby boy on my scheduled c-section date, just 11 days after Christmas!

My birth story wouldn't be complete without mentioning that my doctor was trying to convince me to have yet ANOTHER tubal ligation before delivering! She feared for this baby and for future pregnancies. I verbally consented that after my doctor opened me up and saw a very thin uterus I would consent to the tubal ligation and not have to worry about risking my own health for a future pregnancy. My nurse whom we had gotten to know quite well while we were waiting for my surgery stepped in at the last second and cautioned me to NOT sign anything until my doctor put it into WRITING what we had verbally consented to. My nurse could sense I was unsure about the tubal ligation option and she wanted it in writing. As my doctor came in we discussed the written instructions and I did consent to a tubal ligation if and ONLY IF there appeared to be minimal amount of uterus lining and putting my health and a future pregnancy at risk.
As my doctor began opening me up and before she had even delivered little Wyatt into my arms, she stopped, looked over the curtain, and told me that my insides were beautiful (again, she told me this last time too). She said there appeared to be plenty of uterus with only minimal scarring and whatever was seen on ultrasound was not evident at delivery! (Miracle?) I lay there and settled back into my "happy place" (where I let my mind wander over to the things of God and Heaven and Jesus dying on the cross for my own life as I lay there arms out stretched offering my life for the life of my infant son.) My door of fertility remains open, to whatever God has planned for our family!
"He blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and increased their families like flocks." Psalm 107: 38,41

Here he is getting his first finger prints by his Daddy. My husband finger prints people as part of his job as a police officer and he said that this was his smallest finger print detail yet!

Here are a few of his biggest fans!

Our oldest son holding our youngest son! (He was born breech and started this whole process of being born by c-section!)

Our second oldest son (He was born by emergency c-section after going into distress from a failed version-he was breech too!)

Our third son. (He was born head down, but we opted for a c-section with tubal ligation with his birth).

Our first daughter AFTER our tubal reversal! She is in awe of her new baby brother! (I went to a high risk doctor but noone was willing to let me risk a v-back delivery, so I had c-section number 4!)

Our youngest daughter, second tubal reversal baby, holding Wyatt. She loves him "sooo much"! (also born by c-section)

Here is little Wyatt so happy to be home! He clasped his fingers together and thanked the Lord he could be home with his family! But that was short lived...his bilirubin levels skyrocketed...

And back to the hospital we went! It was very emotional for me after working so hard to come home from the hospital to have to go back in. This time we went to a smaller hospital and one of my friends was working on shift that day. She stayed late to get our room set up and settle us in for the evening. She really put me at ease and took such great care of Wyatt and me!

We are so in love with this new little life!

We all couldn't be happier that Wyatt is finally  here!

Love Lives Here

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        It's Tuesday, and that means "trash day". As I hear the rumblings of the "Trash Man" making his way down our dirt road it reminds me of how Jesus came to take away our trash.

                "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you",
                                              1 Peter 5:7

                  So I throw open the front door and sweep the dirt from my home,

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                        I cast my cares on Jesus. He really does care for me.
              The door wide open, sunshine on my face, this is the day
              that the Lord has made! Let's rejoice!

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                  As I sweep away the dirt, I smell something NASTY!

                  It is my older sons' shoes! Outside they go! Phew!

                   I turn to go back inside now that I have outed the culprit of the nasty stench,
                                  and I notice the smudge marks.

       These are leftover from a day of painting on the front porch with my girls.

                 My daughter's beautiful impromptu art class.

                           This is my world, Welcome!

                                 Enter at your own risk!

             Our floors are a reflection of our lives, marked and scarred...

                Our ceilings are covered in smudges left from boys growing too tall too fast...

                            There is hidden talent everywhere...

                           And marks that never seem to end...

                          But LOVE lives here.

             "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
           that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
                                          John 3:16

                      Be nearer to us this day Jesus, and He said, I AM :)