"...And He Shall Direct thy Path"

Not long ago, during another medical crisis, when I felt that I was at the end of my rope and had no idea where to go, I ran to the Savior and asked Him for direction. These are the verses He gave me...

Proverbs 3:5-6 "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

So, I have been asking Him, a lot, to direct me. I've asked Him to put me in places that I need to be, where I can be used to minister, where I can grow and protect and help my family. As a daughter, mom and wife, I make so many bad decisions, so I need my all-seeing, all-knowing God to direct me.  

I'm also constantly reminding myself to commit myself to and to trust God. Psalm 37:5 "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass."

I know if I put my life, my decisions, my all, in His hands, He will work it out for His good. YES, I said HIS good... but ultimately, that also means my good. It might not always be fun and easy but I will grow and make a difference in His kingdom, if I am just willing. 

He loves me. He's my heavenly Father and I am His baby girl. I know He will do what He feels is best for me.

Sometimes, He works things out in a weird way. 

Just saying :-)

Well at least not the way, I would work it out. Of course that is not saying much. I'm a bit of a mess. :-)

Last Thursday night, our sweet boy was put to bed, and not long after, he started screaming and crying. He would stop for a few minutes, cuddle up to us and attempt to fall asleep but then would start screaming again. I knew he wasn't feeling well, but I thought this was just a growing pain. 

I put some arnica on his legs and a heating pad. Nothing I did helped. This happened for a few hours before I just was at my wits' end. So, in the middle of the night, I called my pediatrician who answered the phone and told me that it was probably an ear infection. She told us that if we had some liquid ibuprofen to give that to him. We didn't, as our son has never had to take any pain meds before. We thought he was getting better, we tried a few more things and finally, by 3:30 am, my husband went out to get the medicine.  He returned, gave it to "A" and it knocked him out. 

We were advised to come see the doctor in the morning and so we did. While we were in the office, we asked her to check "T" as well because she had still not fully recovered from the pneumonia that she had 2 weeks prior. She wasn't bad but had started to have a heavier wheeze. 

Ms. Margaret was a bit concerned and so she tested her for RSV. It came back positive. She gave us some different medicines to try to treat her at home. We felt like we could fight it, but we were told to watch her. That night, she was extremely agitated and wheezing very badly. I called Ms. Margaret real early and she gave me some advice as well as telling me to count her breaths. By the time, I counted them, I realized that she was breathing way to fast. We were advised to take her to a Nemours facility as they are specifically a pediatric hospital and have a pediatric ER and Urgent Care Center. Hubby felt led to go to the hospital so that if she was bad enough, we would be right there and wouldn't have to be transferred to the hospital.

Once we arrived at the hospital, they gave her attention within 15 minutes and, very soon ,after that we realized that this was more serious then we thought. My heart broke and tears gushed when I realized that she would be admitted.  Then when we found out she was going to be put in ICU, it just cemented how bad she was. 

Now days later, while she is fighting, though, I look back and see how much God really guided and led us.

Psalms 30:5b says"Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning" Even though we are still in the fight, I see lots of joy (or peace) that has come from this all.

I believe God allowed that ear infection which led to us being at the doctor and getting her tested again. Then the next day, He led us through our doctor, a dear nurse friend, and advice from my grandma and mom to take her to the hospital. Then He led my husband to go to the hospital instead of just urgent care which led us to an amazingly attentive ER doctor, which then in return led us to the care she needs to fight this virus. 

Yes, we have had weeping, we have had sleepless nights but it has led to "T" being protected, and eventually I believe her healing.

I can't thank my Guide, my God and our Protector enough for leading us and directing us. -Rejoicing in the Present

Trash-to-Treasure Chairs

I was driving home and found these chairs thrown by a dumpster. They were a bit beaten up and abused but, after a few loving sprays of paint, they turned into my new front-yard chairs. I never have a place to sit while "A" is playing so these are going to be a great asset! I'm still looking for red outdoor chair cushions for them. Hopefully I can find them soon!

All I did was fix a few small areas that needed to be put back into place and then gave these chairs a few coats of CHEAP .99 black spray paint. ...and VOILA. I love them! - Rejoicing in the Present

11-17 - Update on Sweet T

I am so excited to announce that "T" and I are sitting in a new room on the regular floor. :-)

In every story, there is rising action, a climax, falling action and finally a resolution. I am so excited to tell you that we believe that "T" is now in the part of the story of falling action. In others words, we believe it's all downhill from here. 

Part of the reason why "T" was in PICU was because, even though she was being supported on different machines, she was still grasping for breath. Her chest was real tight and she was still fighting to catch her breath.


Finally, one for her respiratory technicians decided to raise the air flow to 12 (Usually 8 is the highest that they give) and then keep the oxygen content the same. This has made the hugest difference.


Finally late last night and early this morning, her chest started relaxing and this morning she has been smiling. At that point, they felt like she was able to graduate from the PICU and head to regular care.

Before they transferred her, they decided to lower her airflow to 10 and she did not like that at all. She started to retract again, so they have raised it back again and she is doing great. 

Because of her progress, we feel like we will be going home a lot sooner than we were first told. However, we still have a journey and it could be till the end of the week before we get home. 

Please keep on praying for her. She is doing so much better then we had expected. Thank you so much for the sweet concerns and ALL the prayer. It is making a world of difference. - Rejoicing in the Present!

Marriage and ME

"It's ME, It's ME, It's ME O, Lord!" 

We sing this song as a child, but how soon we forget to look at ourselves and our own responsibility or culpability when problems occur. This becomes glaringly obvious especially in marriage. Becky ran home to her momma with her luggage and baby. She was SO DONE with her husband. This is the advice her mom gave to her. 

But before you leave Bill," she said, "I have one task for you to complete."

Mom put down my sleeping son, took a sheet of paper and pen, and drew a vertical line down the middle of the page. She told me to list in the left column all the things Bill did that made him impossible to live with. As I looked at the dividing line, I thought she'd then tell me to list all his good qualities on the right hand side. I was determined to have a longer list of bad qualities on the left. This is going to be easy, I thought. My pen started immediately to scribble down the left column.

Bill never picked his clothes off the floor. He never told me when he was going outside. He slept in church. He had embarrassing, nasty habits such as blowing his nose or belching at the dinner table. He never bought me nice presents. He refused to match his clothes. He was tight with money. He wouldn't help with the housework. He didn't talk with me.

The list went on and on until I'd filled the page. I certainly had more than enough evidence to prove that no woman would be able to live with this man.

Smugly I said, "Now I guess you're going to ask me to list all Bill's good qualities on the right side."

"No," she said. "I already know Bill's good qualities. Instead, for each item on the left side, I want you to write how you respond. What do you do?"

This was even tougher than listing his good qualities. I'd been thinking about Bill's few, good qualities I could list. I hadn't considered thinking about myself. I knew Mom wasn't going to let me get by without completing her assignment. So I had to start writing.

I'd pout, cry, and get angry. I'd be embarrassed to be with him. I'd act like a "martyr." I'd wish I'd married someone else. I'd give him the silent treatment. I'd feel I was too good for him. The list seemed endless.

When I reached the bottom of the page, Mom picked up the paper and went to the drawer. She took scissors and cut the paper down the vertical line. Taking the left column, she wadded it in her hand and tossed it into the trash. Then she handed me the right column.

"Becky," she said, "take this list back to your house. Spend today reflecting on these things in your life. Pray about them. I'll keep the baby until this afternoon. If you sincerely do what I ask and still want to leave Bill, Dad and I will do all we can to assist you."

Facing facts

Leaving my luggage and son, I drove back to my house. When I sat on my couch with the piece of paper, I couldn't believe what I was facing. Without the balancing catalogue of Bill's annoying habits, the list looked horrifying.

I saw a record of petty behaviors, shameful practices, and destructive responses. I spent the next several hours asking God for forgiveness. I requested strength, guidance, and wisdom in the changes I needed to make. As I continued to pray, I realized how ridiculously I'd behaved. I could barely remember the transgressions I'd written for Bill. How absurd could I be? There was nothing immoral or horrible on that list. I'd honestly been blessed with a good man—not a perfect one, but a good one.

I thought back five years. I'd made a vow to Bill. I would love and honor him in sickness and health. I'd be with him for better or for worse. I said those words in the presence of God, my family, and friends. Yet only this morning, I'd been ready to leave him for trivial annoyances.

I jumped back in the car and drove to my parents' house. I marveled at how different I felt from when I'd first made the trip to see Mom. I now felt peace, relief, and gratitude.

When I picked up my son, I was dismayed by how willing I'd been to make such a drastic change in his life. My pettiness almost cost him the opportunity to be exposed daily to a wonderful father. Quickly, I thanked my mother and flew out the door to return home. By the time Bill returned from work, I was unpacked and waiting.

To get the rest of the story, go to todayschristianwoman.com. You will not want to miss the ending.

So what about you. How are you dealing with those things that you can't stand about your husband? How are you responding? Write a list and pray over it. Fix YOU first, let God take care of him. :-) - Rejoicing in the Present

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is difficult. PERIOD! 

When somebody hurts or offends me, the last thing I want to do is let them off the hook. It especially is frustrating when they seemingly "get away with it," with no consequences or pain. It hurts! Sometimes it leaves scars, large scars. 

Over the years, I've heard some pretty painful stories. It's hard for me to look at a  young girl who has been abused, molested and left out in the cold and say you need to forgive. 

It's rough. We don't want to let it go; we want the other person to hurt as badly as we hurt. 

That is probably why I really like this Bible story so much. It's such a GREAT reminder of God's love and forgiveness and why we should love and forgive. In Matthew 18:21-35, Peter goes to Jesus and asks him "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." 

Then Jesus goes on and explains through a story. 

"Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 

But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 

So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

So we see God, Who looked down on us and saw that were in debt, a debt that we could NEVER pay back. If we worked our entire life we would never pay it back. Yet, He loved us so much that He didn't just wipe our debt clean, He used His own blood and His own pain and His own hurt to pay for it. Even though we were the ones who turned our back on Him. 

So now, what that person has done to you...

It's WRONG!

It's HURTS!

It should NEVER have happened!

...but you CAN forgive. Not, because that person was sorry or asked your forgiveness. No, you can forgive them, by keeping your eyes on the cross and remembering all the sin that was wiped clean. Jesus died BEFORE you even asked Him. You can forgive before are are asked. Pray to God and ask Him to help you to forgive and move on. 

It's not fair, but grace is not fair. If we received all we deserved, we would not get the opportunity to go to Heaven. Praise Jesus for forgiveness. You CAN DO IT, because of HIM.  - Rejoicing in the Present

Antique Desk Re-Vamp

If you have followed me on this blog, you KNOW that I LOVE to craft, paint, re-model and give different pieces a new look. So, you can ONLY imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this beauty. My in-laws decided to get rid of it and thus I decided to make it my new project. It had some wear and tear but that gave it more of an antique look.

So what did I use?

1. Dark Turquoise Rustoleum 2x Cover Spray Paint
2. White Paint
3. White Spray-paint 

What did I do?

1. I wiped everything down.
2. Took out the drawers.
3. Took off the hardware.
4. Then I give the table a coat of turquoise spray paint.
5. Next I painted the drawers white and spray-painted the hardware turquoise.
6. I gave the desk and drawers a couple of coats over the next couple days until I felt like it was finished.

At one point I sanded different points down to give it more of an antique look but I changed my mind and spray painted it again. 

Below is a picture of the final project. I am selling this piece since I don't have room for it in my house, BUT it is probably my favorite of the pieces I've done!

It would be ADORABLE as a changing table or a desk (hahahaha) or even an entry way table. - Rejoicing in the Present

This Little Piggie Got A Paint Job

I got these adorable little piggies from my Secret Sister at church. One was painted blue and the other was painted pink. She wrote the names of them on the side with ink. Well that gave me an idea. I LOVE white spray paint of course so I decided to make them white with blue or pink lettering. 

What did I use?

1. Primer Spray Paint
2. .99 Walmart White Spray Paint
3. Scrapbook Stickers - Letters

What did I do

1. I spelled out their names on the side of the piggies
2. Then I sprayed a base coat of Primer Spray Paint
3. After letting it dry, I sprayed a couple different coats of my cheap white spray paint
4. I let them dry in between sprays.
5. Once they were dry and one I got the desired look I took off the stickers so that the color would come through.

They came out so cute! - Rejoicing in the Present

Journey Reflection

Recently, I was sitting and chatting with a dear woman when she commented that I must have been devastated when I found out that my child has extra fingers and toes. I was a little shocked by the comment but I quickly responded that "No, I wasn't." and explained to her that God had given her to us like that.

You see when I found out that "T" was born with an unusual condition, I only thought about her. I knew that she would have some trials to go through.   I also knew that it could be hard emotionally as it was something different then most people have.

I, however, was never upset or sad by the fact that she was different. My little gift from God is such a blessing. She is so smiley and happy.  She is plump and BEAUTIFUL. In fact, most of the time, I forget that she has "extras". I  usually notice it only when I'm trying to put shoes on her (which is very difficult considering how wide her feet are) or when dressing her and her little finger gets caught in her sleeve.

This is a trial that she has to go through but it is not a trial for me. It's a blessing to see how she takes life so joyfully. We are blessed, so blessed! She is better then what I ever imagined and I thank God that He made her exactly like He did.

I know this dear lady didn't mean it in a bad way. I'm sure others have thought the same thing, so on our end I just want to make it very clear that we are grateful. The Lord has shown himself in so many ways through this journey. I would NOT change it as it's only brought us all closer together and more aware of His care. - Rejoicing in the Present

Daddy's House

My son LOVES his daddy. His daddy is his favorite and 2nd place isn't even close . When "A" spots his daddy walk into the room, you can almost hear the music start and see him running to his daddy in slow motion. It is the most precious sight. 

Recently, "A" realized that his daddy is at church A LOT and even more recently he realized that his daddy works at the church. So "A" gets SUPER excited when I tell him that we are going to the church. 

On the way to the church, we pass our senior pastor's house.  Pastor has a little girl who dotes on Avery and every time we pass their house, he says "C----'s" house. Then about 10 seconds later, we get to the church. 

So, out of the blue, "A" started calling church, "Daddy's House."  He will ask me if we were getting close, if we were going to daddy's house and will get so excited and happy, because he knows he is going to see his daddy.

What a lesson "A" has taught me. He is ecstatic to go to church. He knows that when he got there, he is going to meet his daddy and run into his protective arms. The love and fun that those two share can not be beat. 

So I ask you... 

Do you know that your Heavenly Daddy is going to be there to greet you? 

Are you excited about going to church because you know you are going to "see" Him?

Do you go running into church with a smile on your face, calling out for Him?

Are you ecstatic over your next meeting?

I pray that my son will know his Heavenly Daddy soon and He will go flying into God's arms and never let go. 

God loves "A" and He loves you. His arms are open wide, reaching out to you. Run boldly to him. He's waiting! - Rejoicing in the Present

Shine Online

I have blogged about sharing the gospel and your testimony online. Here is another GOOD article by Erin from Lies Young Woman Believe. There are some great points here and definitely read-worthy. - Rejoicing in the Present

Here’s a newsflash . . . it is possible to honor God and others online. In fact, here are ten specific ways you can shine online.

10. Post pics of creation.

Have you seen a beautiful sunset lately? Spotted a pretty bird or a beautiful butterfly? Rather than filling your feed with selfies, why not point others toward the Creator through Twitter and Instagram.

Here’s a verse you can use to accompany your pics.

“All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” John 1:3.

9. Post a verse a day

Social media provides an awesome opportunity to share Scripture with a wide audience. Post verses that you read in your own quiet time each day or simply choose a verse that matters to you and post it.

If you need some help, try using sites like VerseOfTheDay.com and BibleStudyTools.com.

8. Don’t talk in code.

“I wish some people would stop acting like they’re better than me.”
“Spent all day dreaming about him.”
“She is getting on my nerves.”

Talking in code about people doesn’t mean you’re not talking about people. Did you know that the Bible specifically tells us that when we have a problem with a person, we are to approach them one on one? It’s true!

Matthew 18:15 says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

If someone has hurt you, talk to them about it face to face, not in cryptic messages online.

Still think those vague messages are a good idea? Check out Matthew 5:37.

“Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No;’ anything more than this comes from evil.”

In other words, say what you mean and mean what you say. Ditch the passive-aggressive stuff.

7. Honor the ‘rents.

God asks you to honor your parents as part of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:12). Make a commitment never to bash your parents online, but don’t stop there! Give your parents access to your social media, and then make it a point to publicly share your love and respect. Here are a few tweets you can fill in the blanks with.

I have the best parents ever! (Include a cute pic of the fam.)
I love my mom because . . .
Thanks, Dad, for . . .
I love it when my parents . . .

6. Only build up.

Ephesians 4:29 gives us this rule: if it doesn’t build others up, don’t say it. Make it a point to be an encourager online. Is there a Christian band you love? Tell them about it on Twitter. Are you reading a great book? Share why you love it! Did your friend do something awesome? Congratulate her on her Facebook wall. Actively look for opportunities to build up and encourage others online.

5. Zero grumbling.

Philippians 2:14 says to do all things without grumbling or complaining. Don’t use your social media as a place to vent.

4. Brag on your church.

Social media is a great place to showcase your excitement about your church. Post pics of your latest youth trip or invite others to an upcoming event. Make it a point to give an impression of your church that makes others want to come. (By the way, I found some pretty awesome tweets that used the hashtag #ilovemychurch)

3. Be a trendsetter.

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).

You can set the example for others in the way that you talk online. Instead of lowering the bar by saying things online that you would never say in person, why not raise the bar? Be a trendsetter by creating a higher standard in what you say and post online.

2. Model modest fashion.

We’ve all seen plenty of selfies of girls in skimpy tank tops with pouty lips, but you know what I haven’t seen much of? Girls rocking cute, modest clothes!

Forget the sexy selfies. Show off your cute, modest outfits and naturally beautiful smile.

1. Be you!

You don’t have to create a persona online designed to impress others. Don’t make compromises online that you would never make in person. You can be confident to just be yourself online (and in person) because you are already loved and accepted by Jesus, and He wants to use your life to show others about Him.

He said so in Matthew 5:14–17.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

How can you use social media to be a light for Jesus in our dark world?