Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Brazil

Our Youth Group recently took a mission trip to Brazil. The following are two videos I made for them from their pics. The first is one I made for the offering and the second between services.






Saturday, July 25, 2009

As July is coming to a close....

Below: Tyler and Coby


I can't believe July is soon going to be a part of history. With kids going to camp, Vacation Bible Schools, pool parties, weekend trips, medical appointments and so on and so forth, I feel like a valet instead of a mom enjoying summer vacation. I have about two thirds of the house summer cleaned and hope to work on some this week. We plan on going to a local amusement park on Friday if the weather is good.
August begins with a check-up at the oncologist. I don't know what he plans to do. I don't think he does either. We had discussed a possible ct scan. As much as I am not looking forward to still more needles, I think it would help my peace of mind....especially since I haven't been feeling well although I think it's viral. I have a few things I want to discuss with him and I guess I should start writing my questions down awhile. Cancer just has me going so many places I never imagined I would have to go to and it can get one down thinking about it. I've been trying to give it to God to carry for me but it can be hard to do that sometimes. Personal journaling has been helping my anxiety/depression and that's a good thing. I am looking forward to returning to work and getting my mind off my problems for four hours a day. I'm sure my evenings will be busy with soccer and band practices.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Mid-summer Meanderings

The past couple of days have been better. Felt it a little this morning but I put on some praise music...... Mary Mary always cheers me up.
Lexi has been going to a local VBS this week while Tyler is at camp. Next week we may send them to the VBS at my sister's church. They usually like that one. Nicole has been busy with Youth Worship team, her high school band and sportstacking. They recently went to a local nursing home to perform for the residents.
Norm and I had been taking a two mile walk in the evenings. We both need the exercise and it's a nice way to spend time together. Tonight, however, Norm got a fire call so I decided to take Coby. He wasn't used to going two miles so he was actually tired out till we got home. I let him wade in the creek a little first which he loved. When we got home, instead of flying around like a mad dog, he flopped on the floor, but he had a happy contented smile on his face.
Most of our summer has been absolutely beautiful but tomorrow they are calling for the humidity to kick back in so I went around tonight shutting windows and turning on the A/C's.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Fighting the emotional mire

Lately negative emotions have been an issue with me. I can't really point to one thing in particular, maybe not even two things, or even three or four. It's just been a compilation of just so many things that have been piling up inside me and, being the extreme introverted soul that I am, it tends to come out in both physical and emotional ways. It sort of came to a head yesterday when, before church, a close friend of my husband and I who has been dealing with his own battle of recurrent cancer sat down next to me to chat and even though not much was said, I had this feeling he knew exactly what I was feeling. Then the worship leader stood up and spoke and it just touched me in such a deep way followed by an awesome sermon by an associate pastor. I knew that I needed to enlist help to fight this and get through it. I knew I needed God to help me work through this and friends prayers to support me. I had another issue to work out before I could proceed but I got through that and beginning to sort through my feelings and insecurities. Unfortunately cancer robs you of feeling of security and makes you face the reality of how severely lacking of control over your own life. That has been presenting itself in increased panic attacks. I know in my head that God is in control but lately the total lack of control has totally rocked my world....and this is another issue I need to work out with Him.
From The Message:
No one can control the wind or lock it in a box. No one has any say-so regarding the day of death. No one can stop a battle in its tracks. No one who does evil can be saved by evil.
Matthew 10:28"... There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.
God is in charge of human life, watching and examining us inside and out.
God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I'm alert to God's ways; I don't take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Busy summer

I can't believe how much there is to do this summer. I'm not sure if I will get everything done I hoped to or not! Lexi has summer school until the end of the month. I was calling it camp for awhile but she figured it out. She doesn't seem to have a problem with it. I had to curb Tyler so he doesn't pick on her though.

Today I have a couple of appointments and then I guess later this week I have to pack Tyler for camp. I'm surprised he hasn't insited on starting that yet. He goes on Sunday.

Ty got his braces in last week. He made them red,white and blue.

Nicole got back from New York with her grandparents. I was just looking at her pics and it looks like she had lots of fun!
Below are pics from this past weekend with Independance Day celebrations