Daniels Davids Esthers and Peters

This isn’t original with me but well worth the read. I don’t want to forget it so I wrote it in my journal tonight and writing it here for safe keeping and easy access. 

Blessings to you my friends, family and fellow blog readers. 

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“Don't feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be. God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they're in. Their life wasn't a coincidence or an accident. Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God. Train them up in the authority of His Word. Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control. Empower them to know they can change the world. Don't teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it. Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God's sovereign plan. He knew Daniel could handle the lions den. He knew David could handle Goliath. He knew Esther could handle Haman. He knew Peter could handle persecution. He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life. He created them specifically for it! Don't be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose you to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime. Rise up to the challenge. Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers and Peters! God isn't scratching His head wondering what He's going to do with this mess of a world. He has an army He's raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth. Don't let your fear steal the greatness God placed on them. I know it's hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this.”

-Alex Cravens, refers to himself as “just a dad”

Rona 2020

I know people are calling it Covid-19 but I'm working on not being a follower!

It's challenging to put into words what this world-wide pandemic means to me or has done to me or has done to us. I have mixed feelings about who is speaking truth. Furthermore, those who are in charge or making suggestions do they even know the full truth. 

Let go back two months. On the morning of Thursday, March 12th we were packed and ready to head south to Oklahoma and then on to Arkansas to watch Reagan play in her first D1 collegiate soccer game. A couple days earlier she had text me looking for encouragement, she was FULL of nerves. Her first time EVER taking the field in a Husker jersey and she would be facing the SEC 2019 champions. Nebraska was full of injuries and Reagan thought she would be playing the full 90 minutes. What a huge undertaking for our little freshman. While the excitement of Reagan's dreams coming true was on our minds, the Corona virus had penetrated US boundaries. What was once something infecting thousands in China had become a threat to the entire world. 

The TIMELINE...

Thursday 3/12 Morning: could we take Olivia's friend with us or would they let only family attend college games

Thursday: Our local school district cancelled school Friday and the following 2 weeks and then all classes would move to eLearning

Thursday Noon: SEC cancelled the game 

Thursday Afternoon: NCAA cancelled all college sports through the rest of the school year

From there on things would change daily or hourly. Stores closing. Social Distancing. Stay home mandates. It became the norm to have things taken away without discussion, it just happened. But when I look back to that Thursday morning, I can't believe the incredible amount of change in just 8 hours.

All 3 of my children are (we’re) doing on-line schooling. Chris is (was) teaching online. Nobody really likes it and I doubt that there is a lot of learning happening. This isn't a cliche, I am praying for school (the kind they physically attend) to start up on time in August.

What am I doing? Oddly enough I started out this time of quarantine/stay-at-home, leaving the house everyday to work in the office. My co-worker was quarantined due to a sick child so I became a 45 hour per week employee. Let me say "thank you Lord for a job" when so many are now on unemployment but those hours kicked my butt! 

I am not scared of the Rona but I do fear what the cure is doing to our country. Ten million plus people went on unemployment in the matter of one week, I have no idea what those numbers are now. Calls to the suicide hotline are 600 percent above normal. People are missing important events. Surgeries are shut down. My friend's mom is suddenly dying in the hospital and they are unable to go say good-bye. The stock market has plummeted. Neighbors are calling in to report gatherings of people, even children in a park. We need to get the world open again. Nebraska shut down early and doesn't have the enormous population of New York or California so we don't have the same problems they have.

Oh come Jesus, bring a revolution to this hurting world. I pray for families to reunite, the more simplistic life to be sought and lives to be redeemed in Christ Jesus. 

Here are a few pictures from the last coupe of months.

Moving Reagan home but
thinking it was temporary

Quick trip to see Emma

Churches Closed
Online church

This is how we hang out
with friends . . . ZOOM

Lots of Family Time

What families do now...

eat together

play games

take walks

watch movies

***maybe God is rebuilding the family***

Keeping our immune systems strong

Almost seems like TRUTH

Reagan's Husker meetings

Omaha gets 8" of snow on April 16th...that's weird!

This is what eLearning looks like

Easter with Nana & Papa

Flowers from a friend after oral surgery

Planting all my outdoor pots

Mother's Day was complete, all 3 girls were home.

Nebraska is slowly opening back up. I finally got a hair cut and we have gone out to a restaurant a couple times. Lots and lots of people wear masks, for the most part, I don’t. I’m concerned about the mental health of so many, including myself. This is hard but God is good. My bible verse today was Matthew 6:25. The first line says, “Therefore do not worry about your life...” Yes, this message is one I need daily.

I am sorry for anyone who has had a run in with the rona.  I hear it’s really bad for a few people. I am certain Reagan had it in December right before going to college. She was awfully ill but recovered like a champ. I’m praying for healing of body, spirit and mind. Lord, may we look to you and trust in your ways.

Be well & Be a blessing!

God Protects

Oh how I love this precious girl! I don't know if it's straight up protect or a sign that we need to slow down a bit but a couple weeks ago we had a scare that could have been a real nightmare! Saturday evening on the way home from work, Em found herself in the middle of an intersection with a smashed up car, pounding head and filled with anxiety. Oh that feeling of a car accident is terrible!
.
Been there!
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Done that!
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We are now almost a month out. Kevin (the car) has probably been torn apart and sold for parts while Emma is recovering from a concussion and whiplash. Praying for this girl to heal quickly and learn a whole host of life lessons in the meantime.

Today I write this as I remember my friend, Loni. September 5th was the 4 year anniversary of the tragic death of her precious 15 year old son in a relatively minor car accident. Why? Why would Nick die? Praise Jesus that Emma is ok but why? Why did this accident happen and why was her life spared? I won't ever know these answers but I trust our Lord God to be sovereign and just. It's like a kindergartner asking a neuro surgeon to explain the functions of the brain and nervous system. The doc might spell it our but the child will never comprehend the words. That is me asking God to lay out the plan of who lives and who dies. I can't see what he sees, I don't know what he knows and never will. Praise be the one who created us, loved us first and will be there with us until the end.

What happened to November??

H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y   C H R I S

Early this month my all time favorite husband celebrated another year of life. Other than his gray hair, this guy looks so much younger than me. Well, he IS younger but only by a year. So unfair!

This guy is one heck of a hard worker and great provider, even on his special day he worked until 8pm. We still managed to dine together at Hiro 88 with sushi later in the week. 

Dinner at home and homemade chocolate cake with homemade chocolate frosting. This picture is a perfect representation of our family. Oh there can be tough times but we like to laugh!

Happy 43rd year of life to the love of my life! You are a great man, love you!

Fall in Nebraska is synonymous with HUSKER FOOTBALL GAMES. We have been so blessed to have 2 seats to share with Chris' parents. This year Chris, Emma and Reagan all had at least one chance to attend a Husker football game. Look at the smile on Emma's face! It warms my heart to see her enjoying time with her papa.    G O   B I G   R E D ! ! ! 

Love this Lady!

Tami and I met over ten years ago on the soccer sidelines of Grand Island. As one of my go-to girls, we occasionally create the opportunity to meet up in small town Seward, NE for lunch. Seeing her really fills my cup, I wish we could do it more often. Tami works full time. Her husband works more than full time. They have 3 very active children, go to church, workout and still make an effort to be a friend. WARNING: stepping up on my soapbox... I am so worn out by people using the "I'm too busy!" excuse.  That's hogwash! (a term from my childhood) We make time for what is important to us. Don't get me wrong, I do the same thing. Today I was too busy to wash the dishes or do the laundry but I did do some cooking, some shopping and even checked facebook two times. So I was busy but I picked what was important at that moment. When a friend never has time to call, text or stop by, it's a choice. When it goes on for years, it's a statement. Whew! Where did all that come from? Apparently I really needed to get that out. Now stepping off the soapbox. 

Hanging with her uncles at the KC college showcase

Yesterday this sweetheart came home from school with the coveted "Roadrunner with Character" yard sign. I'm so proud of Liv. I hope and pray my girls will all grow up to be little ladies of good character. Being an excellent student, athlete or musician is wonderful but means little to me without Jesus taking up residency in your heart. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. I believe when you do that, He changes you.

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. The Lord has blessed me with great family, friends and circumstances that allow me to grow and flourish. It can be easy to fall into the pit of "poor me". Today I chose to remember what I have to be thankful for.


H  A  P  P  Y    T  H  A  N  K  S  G  I  V  I  N  G

Student Takeover 2016

I love to serve.

I love to serve.

I love to serve.

Everyone is different and have been given different gifts but I feel closer to God when I am serving Him by serving others. I am so proud of how our youth ministry at Christ Community Church is focusing on helping kids connect to God through service. This can look different for everyone but certainly our children need to understand that this life is not only about them.

Reagan is completely out of her comfort zone in this picture, shaking hands with a man she doesn't know is frightening for her. So this may not be the place she wants to serve long term but it's a great first step. Side note: most people don't wear suits to our church.

Emma on the other hand is in her happy place, on stage with her cello in hand playing worship music. She has found joy in volunteering at church both with the worship band and toddler room.

This makes my heart overflow!

The girls made fun of me for taking this picture but truly, I love having my girls (plus 2) sitting in church with us. My number one goal as a parent is to I introduce a life with Christ to our girls. Then teach them how to engage with Christ, to know Him personally and put Him in the center of their lives. We encourage the girls to bring friends to church, attend fun activities and ask lots of questions. I grew up in a time when kids went to church because their parents told them to. There was very little dialog about the whys and what ifs of my faith and heaven forbid having fun at church was not even a concept. The result is a generation of people who don't personally know Christ, who attend when it is convenient and live their lives just like everyone else. I do believe whether I am an adult or a child there should be something about me that seems different, and that difference is Christ.

As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.

1Peter 1:24:25 NLT

Everyone Gets a Medal

Oh My Word! This drives me crazy!! 

At age two it is okay to tell your sweet toddler that they did a great job coloring even though they scribbled all over the page and that they ran the fastest even though you were crawling on your hands and knees and still crossed the finish line first. What is NOT okay is telling your 3rd grader that even though their softball team came in last place they deserve a trophy for showing up with their gloves on. 

-Not everyone gets an A!

-Not everyone gets the preferred job. (or any job)

-Not everyone gets the girl!

-Not everyone wins!

-Not everyone gets a medal!

Why do I even need to talk about this? It seems like common sense to me. Learning to deal with disappointment and failure is part of becoming a well adjusted person who will have something useful to offer society. 

Our church did Project 4:4 last year which meant we read through the chronological bible in a year. Not everyone completed the project but hopefully everyone learned a little more than what they knew in December 2011. I missed some days and even missed some weeks but did my best to catch up or listen to some of the video accelerators the pastors made to enhance the reading. So either you did it or you didn't, not a big deal either way. No one gets a fast pass to Heaven nor does anyone have to stand in the corner of shame. With that in mind, I was bugged when I overheard two women at church discussing the stickers that were handed out at church. Everyone was offered a sticker that said "I finished Project 4:4" 

Woman 1: I see you got a Project 4:4 sticker?

Woman 2: Yes I this was the first time I ever tried to read through the bible.

Woman 1: Don't you think this sets up an environment to make people feel bad if they didn't read it or finish it?

Woman 2: Maybe they should have made stickers that said "I participated in Project 4:4"

OH MY WORD!!  I had to walk away. I wanted to tell them, "In Jesus name, you are what is wrong with society these days!!!" 

I feel better now that I got that off my chest. 

Agree with me or don't.  It really does not matter. We can disagree and both go to heaven but if you have a child, please allow them to fail while they are still in the safety of your home. If you don't, they will fail when they are too big for you to fight their battles and it will not only hurt them but it will hurt others around them.

Blessings to each and every one of you!