The Phoenix has Landed...

Well...13 states and 3000 miles later, I am home, but without Dani. We came home via Gulf Shores and she is spending a couple of days fishing and sunning with her Grandparents. It was a wonderful trip. We saw SO many people. Danielle and I both agreed that as great as it was to see everyone and be back in KC, we were ready to go "home" to Georgia! That was a nice realization.

Cornhusker Country...

Well, today we were in "God's" country. That would be Nebraska! My Dad was born and raised there and the majority of my family on that side are still there. We went to my Aunt and Uncle's in Minden, Nebraska. They called other Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Spouses, Children and other various individuals to join us there for a little get together and supper tonight. To my horror and surprise...they all thought my Dad ("Uncle Bill" - my Dad's name is Don...but that is another story) was along with us, so that was awkward. My Dad is the "life of the party". A very lovable and boisterous person that everyone has fun with and every kid loves, so I there were several very disappointed people there. But we still managed to have a great time.

Three years ago, my Aunt and Uncle (who are corn/cattle farmers) lost their 2 sons, both under 50, within about a year of each other. The pain is still thick on their faces. It was such a tragedy, especially to a farming family where my Uncle Richard worked the farm with his sons. One of those sons would have become a Grandpa himself and I got to get reacquainted with his children, their new spouses and new babies. Now my cousin's sons are working the land. Life goes on...another whole new generation of Malcom's. Brad and Cliff's death had a great impact on my family. There are few family things that don't have great turnouts now. I only wish my Dad could have been there.

I love farming and everything associated with it. Believe it or not...I would have LOVED to have been a farmer's wife. One thing you may not know about me and would probably find hard to believe is that I can drive a Tractor, a Combine AND a Grain Truck!!!

Memories....

I had forgotten just how beautiful Kansas can be in the late Spring/Early Summer. Everything is so green. There are massive pasture lands and wheat fields...the most beautiful color of green, rippling like waves in water as the wind blows across them. The sky was so blue today, it took my breath away. The cows are all calving and you can see them scattered through the tall grass peaking up, looking for their mothers. The cattle, especially the red ones (can't remember what they're called) are scattered across the hill sides...sigh. The weather here was beautiful today. Sunny, but with a wonderful cool breeze blowing. We visited a home that has a tour of their Irises. The flowers are fantastic. There were hundreds of them in every color/shape/size. The peonies are in full bloom as well. I can't remember the last time I came "home" at this time of year. I am loving it.

My sister and I spent the afternoon driving around town to all our old "haunts", taking pictures of anything we had a special memory associated with...The Buffalo Roam...The Sweden Creme...Bob's Inn...the pool...the high school...the air port. I will be delighting (or perhaps boring) some of you with these tales and the associated pictures soon. We had so much fun...a lot of laughs. But one place she would not go by is our old house. None of us have passed it yet. I was willing, but Mom and Angie still say...NO. I am not sentimental towards things and buildings the way they are. Don't get me wrong...I have things that hold sentimental value...but they are expendable. To me...the memories, the people themselves...that is where the true value lies. A house is just a building. The people that fill it make it a home, and wherever those people are...is home.

We are heading to Nebraska tomorrow to see some Aunts/Uncles/Cousins. By the time Danielle and I get home, we will have passed through 13 States!

On the way down...
1. Georgia
2. Tennessee
3. Kentucky
4. Illinois
5. Missouri
6. Kansas
7. Nebraska

On the way home..
8. Oklahoma
9. Texas
10. Louisiana
11. Missippi
12. Florida
13. Alabama

Yee haw...I LOVE road trips. Keep praying for Danielle....

Bittersweet Day........

Kyle's graduation is over and it was bittersweet...but still a blessing. I felt very welcomed by by ex-husband and his wife. My family from Kansas were all there. I kept the thankful attitude that the Lord had spoken to me throughout the day, and it went better than I ever would have expected. Pray for Dani as she stays for a couple of days with her Dad. Keep praying for Kyle, that he would allow God to work in his heart. Here are a few pictures...

Kyle, Danielle, Jordyn & Erin (their sisters)...


Kyle and Dani.....


Kyle, Dani and Dad

We're Off to See the Wizard....

In the morning (supposedly 5 AM, but it is looking doubtful) we will be following the yellow brick road back to Kansas. Kyle's High School Graduation is Sunday. In some respects I am glad to be going back. Kansas will be beautiful this time of year. I am looking forward to the wide open spaces, the wheat fields and NOT driving through a tunnel of trees.

As I watched the graduation ceremonies tonight at Grace Christian School, I couldn't help but think of Kyle and how different the ceremony will be at his public school on Sunday. It is a small town, so there will potentially be a mention of God but it pales in comparison to what I saw tonight. I just couldn't stop thinking of how the speaker admonished the kids to not put their Bibles away when they say good-bye to Grace. Kyle has put his Bible down. And it hurts more than I can explain.

As I packed tonight, I kept thinking about what I was going to write in Kyle's card. I kept prayerfully thinking to myself, I just don't know what to write. I just don't know how I should feel about all of this. "Proud" is just not an emotion that I am coming up with right now. And then the Lord spoke to me...and a word popped into my head....THANKFUL.

I can be thankful...
Thankful that Kyle achieved this milestone in his life;
Thankful that Kyle is planning on going to college;
Thankful that he is still healthy;
Thankful that he is gifted intellectually and musically;

But most of all...
Thankful that God is still in control;
Thankful that nothing happens that God doesn't allow;
Thankful that God is merciful and longsuffering;
Thankful that God changes hearts and performs miracles in people's life;
Thankful that I can petition to the creator of the Universe to heal my son....

So much to be thankful for. When I am writing Kyle's letter, I can honestly tell him I love him....and I am THANKFUL.

O Give Thanks Unto the Lord for HE IS GOOD...HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER!

Pray for us while we are gone.

Bull Frogs and Garters...

Dani's post about "singin' and dancin' in the rain" brought to mind another funny memory. When Dani was little she LOVED to take walks in the rain. She would put on her little rubber Barney raincoat and rubber Barney boots and grab her little rubber Barney umbrella (wasn't 7th grade fun....jk).

One time on our walk after a very hard rainstorm (we were puddle jumping), she and I found an injured Bullfrog. It had a broken leg. We rescued it and put it in a fish aquarium which I put on the front porch on top of a picnic table. We called the local animal rescue shelter which said we could bring the frog in and they would rehabilitate him.

Anyway, the next morning we are getting ready for school and I can smell smoke. I am going all through the house and can't discover the source. I can't tell if it's the furnace or the water heater, so I decide I had better call the fire department. I was gathering up a few personal items and herding the kids out of the house when I noticed that a wedding garter, that my son had "caught" at my sister's wedding, which he had wrapped around the top of a lamp shade, had slipped off, fallen onto the light bulb and the melting elastic was causing the burning smell.

Well, I immediately called back the dispatcher but they said sorry, once the fire department was on their way, they had to come to the house. The firemen arrived and I was very embarrassed and apologetic. I showed them the garter and the lamp and they seemed satisfied. They left the house and we were all standing on the front porch. They were taking the opportunity to give the kids a public service announcement about fire safety when I noticed, directly behind the firemen, the bullfrog balancing precariously on the edge of the aquarium. From the top of the aquarium on the table to the floor below was about 4 feet. "Oh, great!", I thought. That frogs gonna commit suicide right in front of Danielle and FREAK HER OUT (Kyle would have probably thought it was cool..by the way, Dani was probably about 8 at the time, Kyle 11).

The firemen were turning to leave and I said, as long as you're here, would you mind putting that frog back in the aquarium (I was certainly not going to touch it...just getting it into the aquarium had been quite the obstacle). Well, they turned around and you should have seen them jump...I bet they went 2 feet in the air (please note that this was a HUGE bull frog...probably at least 5 - 6 inches across).

I wish you could have seen these brave fireman arguing on my front porch over which should push it in. "You do it!". "No, way, man...I ain't touchin' it!" The older fire fighter even pulled rank on the younger one. I think they finally found a stick or a broom handle or something and pushed him back in with that. What a display of bravery!

Another silly, but fun memory..........

Peace that Passeth Understanding...

I wanted to share a tremendous blessing I have experienced this week. I had asked some to pray as I was bored at work lately. Well, they all did a very good job because it then became a "be careful what you pray for, God may give it to you" situation. A couple of weeks ago, my supervisor quit. I have been assigned some of her responsibilities and the "buffer" between myself and the director of our department is now gone. Needless to say, the demands have been great. On top of that situation, I had some responsibilities for a banquent at our school (and not to mention that fact that I am still somewhat unnerved about Kyle's graduation). Last week I was FREAKED OUT! And Sunday, it was melt down time....I HATE IT when that happens.

I had asked my Sunday School class to pray for me and Wednesday...it hit me. My surroundings and the pressures had not changed...but my spirit and attitude had changed 180 degrees. Brandon, who is also working with me on the project, commented that he noticed a difference. It just hit me that God was giving me great grace on behalf of all those who were interceding for me. What a blessing!

I have also been meditating on the following scripture:

1 Peter 2
18Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
19For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

Authority...you never escape it. But if you can take the instruction that your authority gives, whether it is given in a kind and considerate manner, or in a brash, outspoken, froward manner, if you take it patiently....God will bless you.

(And yes, Dani, that applies to you....even if the brash, outspoken authority in your life is sometimes your mother! And yes, it applies to all of Dani's friends as well).

Thank you for your prayers....



1 Chronicles 16:8
"Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people."

May Day...

Two posts in one day...yeesh, I probably need to get a life! But as I was sitting here in the wee hours of the morning, listening to the radio, it just occurred to me that it is May Day.

This day brings back some of my favorite childhood memories. I grew up in a very small town in N. Central Kansas, and on May Day, we would make little "baskets", usually dixie cups with a pipe cleaner handle or empty green strawberry pints. We would put candy, maybe a little note and a flower in the baskets and then travel to each of our friends houses, run up to the front door, set the basket down, ring the door bell and RUN. Supposedly, if it was a boy leaving a girl a basket or vice versa and you caught them leaving the basket and were able to run them down they would kiss you, or you would kiss them....frankly, I don't remember anyone catching me...although we were all out delivering our baskets at around the same time so no one was probably home when we delivered them.

Oh, well...funny little memory! But a good one!

A Tribute to Kyle...

I remember so vividly, the day Kyle was born. I was not one of those women who wanted to know the sex of my child before they were born. To me, part of the fun was the surprise of it. After 36 hours of labor (with no drugs...I was marrid to a Chiropractor), I heard the words I had been waiting to hear..."It's a boy!" What a thrill to my heart! I had wanted a son, especially as the eldest. I think because I had always wanted an older brother. I can remember taking him into my arms for the first time and staring into each others eyes! It was love at first sight...and we have been best buds ever since!

Kyle was an easy child. Very tender hearted and eager to please. He was very thoughtful and intellectual. Very curious. I remember playing "What's dat?" with him for HOURS. As we drove down the road or walked through a store or a park, he would ask me that question, repeatedly, and I would answer. He had a funny little habit of holding people's ears. "Hold you ear, Mommy," he would say. He liked to go to sleep that way.

From a very early age, it was apparent that he was going to be able to sing and sing well. He sang "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" in a talent contest at the age of 4, and cried when he came in second. We were a singing family, especially as we spent a lot of time in the vehicle travelling. We had all the Patch the Pirate tapes memorized!

Kyle is a perfectionist. In everything he does, it is kind of all or nothing. If it is not something he can do perfectly, he doesn't tend to do it at all. He was musical and played the piano and trumpet, but practice wasn't something he was fond of and those fell to the way side! He says he will never be one of these people who says they wish they would have practiced the piano when their Mom tried to make them! I think maybe he will, but he probably won't admit it to me!

He also had a flair for the dramatic. He did well in humorous interpretation and speech and had roles in several school plays. I'll never forget a choric speech he did in the 9th grade where he had the main speaking part in "A Man Without a Country".

Sports have always been really important to Kyle. He has always been involved in some sort of team, with Soccer, Football and Basketball being his favorites. He has a lot of natural ability, very agile and light on his feet. I can remember him doing all his required piano practice one year in order to earn his "trophy" at the end of the year. That was his ticket to play little-league football. He did that for 4 years, through the 8th grade, and we really enjoyed it.

He is also an intellectual. He was one of those students who could practically get straight A's, seldomly bringing home any books (of course he hated homework so much, he was motivated to get it done before he came home). We used to have long talks about current events, things he learned in History or the Old Testament. If Kyle hears it or reads it, he remembers it. He can read large books in a matter of hours and has read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy dozens of times, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Left Behind Series and just about anything else he can get his hands on. If Kyle got in trouble at school....it was for reading in class.

Kyle has a good sense of humor and a mischevious side! He was always very well behaved, but tended to hang out with the honeriest kids in his class! I always figured he was living vicariously through them!

The thing I love the most about Kyle is his tender heart. He wants so much to please everyone. I wish that were an easy thing to do! The one thing that he has to come to a realization about is that if he is pleasing God, he will be pleasing everyone! God has gifted Kyle in so many ways...and yet, Kyle doubts his abilities. I think it is the perfectionist in him. I pray he can set that aside and become the man God created him to be.

I thank God for bringing me my "little guy" almost 19 years ago! How the time has flown. He's God's man and He is not through with him yet. I have missed him more than I can say over the last 2 years. I wasn't ready to quit "mothering" him, yet. Now my ministry to him is one of prayer, but I can't think of a better or more powerful one.




1 Samuel 1:27
27For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

Beautiful Music...

For those of you who like guitar, let me introduce you to the following. Dani and I stopped in the Fountain Cafe (coffee shop downtown) Saturday night, and he was playing. It was not only beautiful but it was so fascinating to watch. This is all played on the neck of the guitar. He does Thursday night "open mike" at the coffee shop. I am definitely going to try to hear him again...he has a CD coming out in June/July.

http://www.myspace.com/davidvan

Old Home Week....

Greetings from BJU! WHAT a beautiful place. I am here for the AACS (American Association of Christian Schools) national fine arts competition that Danielle is competing in. This is my first visit here, and I love it! It just has a really great atmosphere and the young people are all so kind and friendly. The music has been breathtaking and the chapel services inspiring.

The best part about it has been running into so many old and dear friends from Tri-City in Missouri, but also those who left Tri-City and are now at various and sundry parts of the country (Indiana, N. Carolina, S. Carolina). It has been so great getting caught up, of course, discussing how grown all of our children are (this sounds very boring to some of my readers, I know...but wait, your day will come).

Danielle sang beautifully. She was very relaxed (Yay...rag doll) and Shayna played beautifully. The vocalist gets a lot of credit, but it could never be done without the support of the accompanist!

Of course, my thoughts have been on Kyle a great deal. Of course, everyone is asking after him and as I watch his classmates perform and listen to what they are singing, I know he should have been a part of this too....ah well. God isn't through with him yet.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. -- Psalm 127:3

BOTH of them are....

Pictoral Evidence..

Here are a few pictures my cousin just sent of our trip to Florida..

This is my Mom (on left), her sister Gay and their bro Philip.




Here they are with their kids (my sister and I hiding in the back).





Here they are with their grandkids.





My sister's and my families...



Good times...good memories.

Great Start....Lousy Finish...aka Family Reunion Flu

Well, we are back from FL after a wonderful visit with long-lost family members. There is nothing like re-kindling the bonds of family and realizing how close they are even though you rarely see each other. I am looking forward to keeping these relationships closer and that much more determined to get Dani and myself over to the UK.

It was great seeing Kyle and having the opportunity to discuss his goals/plans for the future. I am praying that part of that will include him coming to stay with us this summer.

After a wonderful couple of days, we finished off the trip with "family reunion flu". We think my nephew Sean was the carrier. I guess his getting sick after a fun-filled day at Disney World wasn't exhaustion/dehydration after all. Kyle and Dani came down with it that last day. I managed to get home before it hit me and now at least 1/2 of the group (24 in all) have come down with it, including my family from the UK who are still in Florida. If there is any positive side, it seems to be a 24-hour thing...hopefully they will be satisfactorily over it before the remaining 10 days they have on holiday is over.

It was wonderful to be out of town for a couple of days...but wonderful to be home. I'm sorry to have to miss church tonight as I am looking forward to getting back to my church family.

See you all in a couple of days.

Sun 'n Fun

We're having a wonderful time with our family in Orlando! We made it down safely (the van did AWESOME). Spent today just sitting around the pool and visiting...catching up with family we haven't spoken to in years and meeting new family. There are 24 of us in the group. We are staying in a beautiful house (5 bedroom house with pool/whirl pool). It has a game room with Ping-Pong, Foosball, etc. We just sat around the pool today...had a barbeque. My cousin and I bought $300 worth of groceries at Walmart today...and we went through the majority of it today! It's been great seeing Kyle. We're off to play some putt-putt if we can beat the thunderstorm that is rolling in - some beautiful lightening. I think we are off to SeaWorld tomorrow...we'll be back late Tuesday! Miss you...pray for us!

Psalm 23 - For Work

A good friend of mine at work gave this to me....

The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.
He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and
complaining.

He reminds me that he is my source and not my job.
He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might
honor him in all that I do.

Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system crashes,
unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating
supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I
still will not stop---for He is with me!
His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.

He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.
His Faithfulness and love is better than any bonus check.

His retirement plan beats every 401k there is!
When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot
longer and for that, I BLESS HIS NAME!!!!!!

AMEN!

Shoes

Have you ever seen a shoe on the side of the road? Yesterday I saw 2 pairs of shoes with the shoe laces tied flung over an electric wire 20 feet in the air, but these are not the shoes that cause me concern. I'm talking about the random shoe you see along side the road. Sometimes they are very nice shoes. Sometimes they are ratty shoes. Big shoes, little shoes, boy shoes, girl shoes. Whenever I see these shoes I wonder how/why they happened to get there......hmmmm...

Did a couple get into a fight while driving down the road, one of them flinging a shoe at the other only to have it fly through (or break through) the car window?
Was someone late for work, hopping on one foot as they run to the car, trying to put their shoes on, setting the not-yet-donned shoe on top of the car and then driving off and forgetting it was there (I have done this with beverages several times)?
Did an amputee buy a new pair of shoes and only needed one, tossing the superfluous shoe out the window?
Has a crime been committed? Did the victims shoe fall off as their unconscious body was dragged into the trunk of the perpitrators vehicle?
Is it a High School prank and some poor kids gonna be in big trouble when he gets home (nothing flares the wrath of a mother like missing articles of clothing)?

Hmmm...these are the thoughts that keep me up at night...or at least while I am driving and it is a very good thing because I have found that I am a much more effective driver when I am awake. Go figure.

Abundant Blessings...

This has been a great week....

First, new wheels...YAY! As you may recall, about a month ago I started having some car troubles. Well the prognosis was about $3000 to fix a $1500 van, so it wasn't happening. I decided I would just drive the van until it died...and that happened about a week 1/2 ago. After driving a couple of vehicles with +80K miles that were in my price range or lower mileage vehicles way out of my price range, I was really feeling the stress. God and I had several long discussions about it and I reminded him of my faith promise and how I could not out-give him...then, God came through (as though he wouldn't). My sister overheard a friend talking about trading his van and, well, to make a long story even longer, I was able to purchase the van from him at the dealerships trade-in value. It only has 50,000 miles on it and I got an excellent, excellent deal...thank you, God.

Next, the ministry team from Faith Christian school in Lafayette, IN was here ministering in song. A few of the girls came and stayed with us. I love having company and the girls were such a joy to have. Danielle bonded with them very quickly and they had a fun chatty evening. I don't think they got as much sleep as they should have, but I think they had a great time of fellowship!

Finally, Danielle had an awesome trip to Atlanta on a Harvester's retreat where the kids were again challenged to think about whether the Lord would have them serve as missionaries. I could tell that Danielle was challenged and came home with a sensitive heart and a renewed fervor for the Lord. That was evident again in how she responded to her SS and preaching today. God is very, very good.

We are off at the end of the week to a family reunion in Orlando. I can't wait to be together with my cousins (whom I haven't seen since I was a Senior in High School) and their spouses and children (whom I have never met). It will be a short, but I pray, wonderful trip. I am looking forward to getting out of town for a couple of days.

Psalm 92:1-2
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And your faithfulness every night.

Long Line of Over-reactors..........

One of my favorite movies is Father of the Bride. In that movie, Steve Martin is explaining to his soon-to-be son-in-law that his daughter comes from a long line of over-reactors. She has just freaked out for no good reason. I love that line...a long line of over-reactors. That is definitely part of my heritage! A good friend (possibly unknowingly) reminded me tonight that there is no need to over-react to situations we find ourselves in. While on a day-to-day basis, I am not a pessimist, if I suspect that something "bad" has happened, I tend to assume the worst. I tend to use words like "always", "never"...."end of civilization as we know it"...no, not the last one, but the others definitely. D calls me on it when I do.

First, I need to be patient. Romans 12:10-12 says, "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer..." We always have reason to hope with our Lord in control, and although I wouldn't consider this specific situation a "tribulation", I need to be more patient as things come my way. Take a few minutes to evaluate the situation, wait until I know all the facts....and then look on what has transpired as an opportunity...a chance to learn...a chance to grow. It is a matter of trust, isn't it? Knowing that nothing transpires that God is not fully aware of or has allowed in my life.

Lord, help me let go of the reigns of my life and turn them over to you.

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. SELAH." Psalm 68:19

I'm Still Amazed!

I am so full after church this morning. We had the most wonderful Sunday School class, the music was very moving this morning, the preaching excellent and I am just looking forward to our Sword Conference over the next couple of days. Danielle and I have implemented our "no TV" rule for the week. We have always made it a family practice during the week of any special preaching at church, we keep the tube off and try to keep those kind of distractions to a minimum. Not trying to sound self-righteous by telling you that...but I challenge you to give it a try. It is amazing how much you DON'T even miss it. Danielle and I spend more time talking about the messages and how God has spoken to us.

In Sunday School, Mrs. Shelton Smith (I think her name is Betty) was our guest speaker and she challenged us with the 7 greatest pitfalls of Christianity. They are:
1. Authority - Hebrews 13:17 (someone is in charge and it's not me!)
2. Truth - Ephesians 4:25
3. Pride - Prov 16:18, 29:23, 13:10, Psalm 138:6 (insecurity and being easily offended are on this list!)
4. Lust - 1 John 2:16 (unbridled appetite)
5. Peers - Prov 13:20 (even adults have to watch this one)
6. Culture (tempting to give in)
7. Faithfulness - 1 Corinthians 15:58, James 5:11

How do we overcome these?
Bible
Prayer
Giving
Strong Preaching
practicing self-discipline (OUCH!)
Good friends
Mentors
Accountability (to someone)
Steadfastness
Compassion/Kindness
Good Music/Books

As Christians, we never truly arrive. It is a life-long battle with our "striped nature" (Romans 7:15,22-25). We all have struggles. We are all awaiting the redemption from the flesh (Romans 8:18-25). Until we are freed from this body of sin...we must all continue to fight against the things listed above. Praise God he is long suffering and full of mercy towards His children...amongst which I am so blessed to count myself.

I'm amazed to know, how far God would go...to set a lost soul free! I'm amazed at the thought that he paid the cost...for a poor sinner like me. Oh, yes...I'm still AMAZED!

Parenting is Scary....

Being a parent is scary business. I am now going to indulge myself in an old cliche..."I wish kids came with an instruction book"...(I just remembered, they did, it's called the Bible). You're given this precious gift from the Lord. You're made the steward of a life that actually belongs to Him. And, if you're like me, you spend a lot of time trying to stay out of God's way so that you don't mess it up! I have spent so many years being Kyle and Dani's Mom, it has become the major identifier in my life. If I wasn't that, I don't know what I would be (well, I would still be a child of God).

I remember the good old days when my primary concern was whether they remembered to brush their teeth before they left the house, whether they put their bike back in the shed, whether they took their shoes off before tracking through the house, whether they were eating enough green beans. Someone wrote a book, it may have been Dobson, that was called "Parenting Isn't for Cowards". That is so true. I can't fathom this journey without the Lord and I am so grateful to have Him with me.

I wish I could take all my knowledge and experience and funnel it into my daughter's brain so that when I'm trying to give her my perspective on her life, she could trust that, to some degree, I know what I am talking about. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that I have a teenage daughter that is willing to listen; albeit, at times, reluctantly. But I can tell by her facial expressions that, sometimes, she thinks I'm plain nuts (and that isn't far from the truth). But (here comes another cliche) "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". And how about "she is her mother's daughter". I see so much of myself in her. I wish I could teach her all the lessons I learned so that she wouldn't have to experience the bad stuff herself...but, alas, some lessons have to learned or is it learnt 1st hand! It's my mother's curse...I remember it well..."some day I hope you have a daughter and I hope she acts just like you!" Well...I did...and she does...and I thank God for every minute of it!

And for my final cliche..."That which does not kill us makes us stronger".

I AM THE LORD! THE GOD OF ALL FLESH! IS THERE ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR ME? (From Jeremiah) Survey says....NO, nothing is too hard for God. Not even raising teenagers. Glad she belongs to HIM.