I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. I was so busy I didn’t have time to BLOG! HA! The weekend was great, a little hot, but ya know, it’s practically summer! I mean, Memorial Day is the un-official beginning of summer…
Jeremy and I did lots of reminiscing this weekend…I am sure we hadn’t planned on it, but it was still absolutely fun! Friday night was low key as we got some stuff done around the house, but once Saturday hit, it was off we go…
I have been trying to use up a gift card since Christmas and finally decided it was time. I also had a $10 card from Target, so those combined meant I was coming home with something pretty decent, as long as I found it at Target. David and I dropped Jeremy off at the golf superstore and David and I headed to Target. He graciously let me try on clothes, kindly eating his pretzels and telling me how “cutie” I was…we have created a monster by telling him how “cutie” he looks. But, now he tells me and Jeremy that, so it’s absolutely funny! Anyway, I found a pair of dressy capri’s and I got David a Braves outfit. We also had to buy a wedding present, which leads me into Saturday night…
We got a babysitter and attended the wedding celebration for Jason and Amy. It was a beautiful ceremony and the celebration afterwards was incredible. The food was so yummy and we had great company at our table. We danced…and all the ministers had to dance to the YMCA…that was a sight and even the deacons were gettin’ their groove on. It was awesome and Jeremy and I reminisced greatly about our own wedding and marriage. I really would get married all over again, with the same dress, same set-up (maybe in the chapel…), either way, there isn’t much I would change; unless of course, someone gave me like millions of dollars, then I might change a few things! HA!
Sunday we had church AM in which the choir sang a beautiful song and then Sunday PM we spent at our second of six prayer meetings on the unity and vision for our church. Good stuff and lots to think and pray about over the next few weeks.
Monday involved us sleeping in!!!! WOO HOO! David slept till 8AM! It’s a good thing, since we headed to the Braves game at 1:00! That boy managed to stay awake for 12 hours with no nap…I am not sure if that’s impressive or dangerous. Those last few hours he ran on adrenaline, for serious (That was for you Eric!). We had a great time at the game…David ran on SkyField and loved it and although it was hot, we managed to keep somewhat cool.
So, it’s Tuesday. Back to work today… David and I took a field trip to the Public Utilities for our county since I had some paperwork to drop off there for work, so we both got to sleep in a little and then have some time together before I dropped him at school.
OH MY GOODNESS! I completely forgot the greatest part about the weekend. If you are still reading (my big fans), I got my haircut on Friday night. For those who have not walked this road with me, it’s been 7 months since I last had my haircut. I went through losing most of it right after surgery (gallbladder) and it’s been slow growing back. Friday night I was finally tired of it. So, I called and got an appointment with a girl who has NEVER cut my hair and I took a chance on her. She did great and brought my naturally curly hair back to LIFE! YEAH! I have so missed my curls. I was so very fond of them for so long and then they were gone, but now their back, and that was another thing we reminisced about this weekend. Also, we used to take Memorial Day Retreats to Sandestin and we were thinking about all the singles that were there enjoying themselves, and how we miss going there. Maybe Jeremy will take me there for my birthday next year…the small, yet BIG one.
I hope you had a great weekend and thought about the people who lost their lives fighting for our freedom. Sunday morning was the most beautiful and moving song with vived pictures of our military serving and defending our nation.
God Bless-

Karen

The song “I see Love” by Third Day, Steven Curtis Chapman and Mercy Me , from the Passion of the Christ CD is…well…in a word, Incredible.
The Lord taught me long ago about viewing the cross as His incredible Love and Sacrifice for me, but nothing could put into words what I felt until I heard that song. Making the cross the center of what I believe is absolutely a necessity when viewing Christ. If I can stand in the middle of a storm and view the cross, the my heart is centered and focused in His will. When I can’t see the cross, then I know my own strength is leading me and I need to get right with the Lord. It is impossible for me to view the cross and still view myself.
I don’t think life was always like that…in fact, I know it wasn’t. What changed? Or I guess the better question would be, who changed? I DID! God never changes (Hebrews 13:8), so I had to change! If I want to be more like Christ, doesn’t that automatically call me to change? Unless of course, your near perfection, and I don’t think you are, so yes, it should cause you to change and you should want to change. And why do I want to be more like Christ? Because the Bible tells me so? (yes, it does tell you so, but that’s not my main reason); Because my pastor tells me I should? (Another great reason, but not my motivation); Because of my Love for Jesus Christ?…YES! And even more…His Great Love for ME! ME!? A sinner, condemned, unlcean, unrighteous, unholy, selfish…I could go on forever, but I think you get the point…ME! Karen! God’s precious child! Now that is Love. It all goes back to His Love.
Enjoy the words to the song, and worship Him!
In Christ-
Karen

Tags: Christian, Church, Faith

Yesterday we had David’s second eye procedure and he came through it with flying colors. We had an 11:15 start time, and do you know that he didn’t once ask for a fruit bar (his traditional breakfast)! Jeremy and I were amazed. He slept in, woke up in time to have a drink before the cut off time, and then was a dream baby before his procedure.
They gave him the anesthesia and an IV with pain medicine, since this procedure is a little more painful, although not bad. He had some minor bleeding from his nose and eye, and some from where the IV was, but all in all, it was good. He did wonderfully! He ate a great lunch, napped good and then slept all night.
If you know, we have recently had issues with him sleeping all night, so for Jeremy and I it was a peaceful one and we were so grateful.
He woke up chipper and ready to head off to school to see his friends…I know he missed them!
We rewarded his exceptional behavior with a milkshake from Sonic…his new favorite thing!

For those who were praying with us, thank you so much!
His eye already looks so much clearer and we are praying that continues.

Tags: Parenting, Mommy, Family

I am blessed to have been interviewed by Kimberly Chastain of Christian Working Mom for the May newsletter. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be interviewed by her and if you would like to read the article you can click HERE.
When the Lord lead me back to work in January, I had no idea the doors he would open to meet and chat with other Christian working moms. I could count on one hand how many of my girlfriends that worked full time and raised their children. Most all of my friends either stay at home or work part-time…so this was a new place that God was leading me into. I was scared and nervous that I would lose so many friends, not because I had chosen to return to work (or that God had chosen me to return to work) but that because of the lack of time to get together, it would push us further and further apart. I can say it has not been easy, but my friends have been tremendous in going out of their way to make time with me…I love them so much!
To God be the Glory!

In Christ-
Karen

Tags:Christian, Marriage, Working Mom, Faith, Family

Thank goodness for a new week! Last week was busy. Horribly busy at work…just non-stop phone ringing, non-stop people having issues and lots of griping. I was discussing with a co-worker this morning about how we had enough Mondays last week to last us a whole month, so today has got to be better than last week. So far so good, but ya know, people in the next time zone are arriving at work…so, who can really tell. I am glad to have the last week behind us and always grateful for the learning experience.
So, the weekend was great! David enjoyed a friend’s Wiggles party and the two of us enjoyed looking at big boy beds together (nope, still haven’t bought one…) and we also enjoyed playing in the park in Duluth Saturday afternoon. Jeremy took it easy since he wasn’t feeling all that great and then was preparing to preach on Sunday at our friend’s church in North Georgia. Grandma came on Sunday to take David and I to church and spend time with us…we had lots of fun, and Daddy went preaching. He said it was great and enjoyed it. (I knew he would….)
After church on Sunday I took dinner to friends of ours who recently had a baby…more new-ness… It’s so awesome to see new mommies and daddies with their little blessing and nice to chat about all things little one. I was reminded of those first days and weeks with David as I was talking with them. They say you forget the bad stuff…yeah, you do, and you most definately treasure the great stuff.
Last night I joined in the first of six prayer meetings that we will have on Sunday nights. This is a “new” time in our church, and we need to gather together to pray for salvation, confession, and the life of our church. I went without Jeremy being there, so that was a huge step for me. It was an incredible time. The life, dynamics and structure of our church have been changing over the last few years and if we are going to be a church that is meeting the needs of the community, we need to be praying and asking God to open those doors and to show us His Will…His Ways…His Purposes, and adopt them in our lives. This is EXCITING!!!!!!! It’s an exciting time in the life of this church. As we worshipped yesterday and the pastor gave his message, it was different. The music, the song, the words…they were moving. Moving people to worship the Lord. Moving them to an uncomfortable state. Moving them to prayerfully make decisions and choices that are beyond themselves.
Father, I pray that as we look to hear Your heart and Your desires, that You would grant the staff wisdom. Wisdom beyond themselves and take away all the hindrances the sit in front of them. Wipe the slate with Your merciful hand and call out those who need to find their first Love again; that is You, oh Jesus.
Give us passion for Your name…and Yours only.
In His Hands…
Karen

“A man’s steps are established by the LORD, and He takes pleasure in his way.”
My devotional this morning from the Journey by Lifway was about infertility and adoption. I must confess that my knowledge of these two things is by no means Grade A, top notch…in fact, it’s more on the lines of less than beginner status. Three years ago when Jeremy and I prayed and asked the Lord about His timing on us having children, we had no idea of when the Lord would bless us with a child or even that He would ever…He hadn’t made that promise to us and He hadn’t not made that promise to us. But we trusted His plan. His purpose. His desire for us. And we “adopted” those desires, purposes, and plans to our lives. Just because we did that does not mean that we would automatically be granted a baby, although some people think that and others resent it.
Since we got pregnant with David in July ’03, I have had the privelege of walking the road alongside many of my friends who have battled infertility and adoption. I call it a privelege because to call it anything else would be denying who God says He is and His calling on my life. See, during my pregnancy God called my husband and I to pray. Pray hard. Pray often. Pray steadily for a group of people. The four couples God laid on our hearts were battling the road of desiring a child, desiring God’s best and those weren’t lining up…or at least, it seemed that way at the time. Throughout that year, God rewarded our obedience to pray by blessing those families with pregnancy and throughout an 18 month span following our call to pray, God delivered a set of twin girls, a little girl, a little boy, and another little girl to each of those couples. I was amazed and astonished and even more than that, grateful. I was grateful that God gave them all their desires in His timing. I was grateful even more that I got to play a small role in it…not prideful, but grateful. I don’t know what I would have missed had He not burdened my heart for them. I learned an even greater lesson too…while God is working through my life, He is also working in others. While my friends were walking that road and learning to trust in His great timing and not their own, I was learning to pray more. I was learning to hear God’s heart. I was learning to turn over my friends to Jesus, and He will supply all their needs. (Needs….) Oh Lord, it’s sooooo NOT about US, but ALL ABOUT YOU!

When we moved last August, I had no idea what kind of new door God would open up. The adoption door was it…I had only known one couple to adopt a baby EVER. In the first months of being in our new church, I met two incredible women that I am so excited to call my friends. A & G are truly incredible God-fearing women. One of them has two children, one natural, one adopted. She jokes that the adopted one looks more like her than her natural child, who favors her father. The other one looks so much like the parents, I never would have known she wasn’t theirs naturally. Their stories are unique and breathtaking. G’s story brought me to tears the night she shared just a part of it with me. God is truly amazing.
I recently have been able to watch three couples adopt babies, one from overseas, two locally in the states, and I tell you, I don’t ever get tired of watching God do great things in the lives of His people.
My devotional story wrapped up by saying how the writer’s adoptive parents taught her as she got older that “God had decided long before I was born who would give birth to me and who would raise me. So I learned at an early age that my adoption was part of God’s plan for me.”
Wow…perspective. That is some amazing perspective.
For those with the battles of these roads, my prayers are raised to the Father for you. My words cry out for you. My tears are in a bottle with your name on them.
I love you!

Tags: Devotionals, Christian, Church

David is scheduled for the second probing of his eye next week. Although we are sad we have to do it again, it was always in the back of our minds given how old he was the first time and being out of the window of the success rate. We do see some improvement in the eye, but we all (doctor and us) feel that there is still some blockage. We pray this will be remedied next week. Pray for my little man as he did so well the first time…we would like the same response from the surgery again. Pray also that we get a good surgery time.
More to come…

Mommy’s weekend rocked! This was my third Mommy’s Day, since David was 12 days old the first year. (I was the mom with the youngest baby!) And yes, you better believe I dressed him all up and brought him to church. I was still n the recovering phase from that C-section, but who cares…he was just too cute not to want to show off on my day. This mommy’s day was cool…David was kind of all about me this weekend, and he is normally all about daddy, so I was trying to enjoy the fact that he wanted me to do everything for him. We had our second sleepover as a big huge crack of thunder and lightning scared him enough not to go back to sleep Saturday night. He ended up in the bed with us and I managed to sneak out to the couch. It’s really not as bad as it sounds…it was all good. Although, I am wondering how in the world we will ever get him back to sleep when he has his big boy bed. I am prolonging that for as long as I can.
We spent time with my mom (aka Grandma!) on Saturday and had a nice lunch together. On Sunday, David and Jeremy came to give me my present-a gift certificate to the Spa! Oh yeah! I need a massage desperatly. My boys are awesome! We had a nice lunch Sunday and managed to get in a restaurant on Sunday night. It was enjoyable and it ranks high on the best weekends list for me! I hope that every mom out there enjoyed her Mommy’s Day!
It’s back to work today and I must admit, although my head is stuffed up, I am quite pleasant today. I have a ton of work to get done, but nothing I can’t handle and knock out in a few days…at least, I think. I have been at this job for 5 months now and just when I think “I can handle this”, they throw me for a loop. I love the people I work with though, they are wonderful believers in the Lord, so it’s awesome to be surrounded by that while doing my job.
Only a few more weeks till school is out in the area, and I will be loving that because traffic will die down. YIPPIE! It will take us less time to get to school and work and I will be using that time for the better…spending it with my boys.
I signed David up for swim lessons! I am so excited! It’s a Parent Assisted class for two weeks and he is going to love it. I have already taken him once to the pool this year and he wants to sit on the side and jump off…it’s hilarious. He could do it for hours.
Well, it’s time to start the day. I pray you have started it with Jesus.
Much love.