Treasured Gift, Sweet Reward

She turns fifteen today... How can that even be?? It was just yesterday that she was dressing up like Laura Ingalls Wilder and wanting to wear bonnets everywhere? I am positive that it was yesterday that she was sitting in the grass creating the most beautiful jewelry for me out of clover flowers. 

She is joy, she is laughter, she is my heart. 

Psalms 127:3

 Children are a gift from the LORD;
      they are a reward from him.

March 9, 1997 I was given this most precious gift from my Heavenly Father!  My Heavenly Father knew my desire... A GIRL.... head full of dark black hair, my Heavenly Father knew my desire...BIG BOWS... and she had the hair for them. ☺ 

She is one of the most precious gifts that my Father has entrusted to me... Oh, I know that ultimately she belongs to HIM ~ but I am so thankful that He has allowed her daddy and I to be a part of the amazing and wonderful story of her sweet life. She has brought such a sweetness to our lives. 

Happy fifteenth birthday Caroline Kristine... You are a joy. You are a treasure of great value. What a privilege to be a part of your life's journey and watch you become... Become~ whatever it is that your heart desires, whatever it is that your Heavenly Father woos your heart to. Always remember~ You are fearfully and wonderfully made...

Psalms 127:3

                                                                 

¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works

¹⁷ How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!

Caroline, as Psalms 127:3 states... you  are a gift of such worth.... truly a  REWARD from our Heavenly Father...

We love you. Happy Birthday.

You're Gonna Miss This

I was  hitting ground balls today, my sweet husband was the first baseman,  Caroline was on second, Zachary was at short stop, and Annie-Lauren was our third baseman. We were all out there together, because Zachary needed to practice fielding ground balls. 

 (Zachary's baseball commitment is a family affair ☺)

I am good at  multitasking , so as I was hitting balls, I had also started making my unending list of everything that needed to be done before the next day. Lunches to make, laundry to do, homework to check, prepare for my week at work.... the list was going on and on in my head and here I was out in the middle of a baseball field hitting baseballs. Then I thought of the lyrics from a

Trace Adkins song...

"You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"

I know you know it.

(Unless you are like my husband and HATE country music... he had the good fortune of marrying  someone who LOVES country music☺)


As I stopped and took a "a good look around" the thought came to me... "Lisa, how many more days do you think you have left like this perfect day?"  They are growing so fast. "You're gonna miss this,You're gonna want this back"I put away my list in my mind ,  made a conscious decision to be present right now in this precious moment, and I hit another ground ball.

I am learning to~

"take a good look around... because these are some good times" Sometimes I forget that, but today I did not. ♥

When A Big Storm is Coming

Yesterday as I was bringing Annie-Lauren to ballet class, she did not share one word.. so uncharacteristic of her. She is filled with words.... all racing and fighting to get out, sometimes all at the same time...  I pulled up, and just before she jumped out of the car, the words came, quickly and confidently...

 " Mom when I am big and  live in my own house and a big storm is coming, Daddy is always going to come and board up my windows... cause that's what Daddies do."

I laughed and replied... " OK, of course Annie-Lauren"  She jumped out of the car and skipped into the building. The words today were not racing or fighting  to get out ,they just were swimming around in her sweet little head...Today she was pondering  deep thoughts about her future and knew that in the event of a "big storm" her Daddy would be there.  It is what she knows. He has  been there for her in the past and she knows his character.

"That is what Daddies do." 

Her statement, made with such confidence... As I drove off  I couldn't help think  how true her words were. There have been "Big Storms" that I have walked through, but my  Heavenly Father has been faithful to show up. That is his Character... It is what "He Does.."

Deuteronomy 31:6⁶ Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you

Sometimes the "Big Storm" has dissipated in the presence of my Heavenly Father...while there has been other times when my Heavenly Father has showed up with hammer and nails and assisted me in boarding up my windows... For he knew that this was going to be a storm I would have to ride out, but not alone.

He has REMAINED... faithful to the end. In the midst of the storm he has watched me cry, He has listened as I ask WHY?? (sometimes without getting an answer or a  reason why, just trusting that my Father knows what is best.) He has also had a front row seat as I have held my breath and pitched a royal fit. (not my finest moments.) Then there have been times when HE has been  able to watch as I have  learned to praise Him in the midst of the storm and become thankful for the storm.

The Storms Have come... but, Oh, how My Father has been so faithful... He has never forsaken me. He has been there until the very end and when the sun begins to peek out from behind the clouds (it always does ) My Father has been there to remove the boards from  the windows of my heart and life, and guide me as I begin to pick up the debris.   He has helped me to press on.

So,  I, like Annie-Lauren can say with confidence...If and when the "Big Storm" comes... "My Daddy is going to come and board up my windows"  He will be there. "That is what Daddies do." It is what I know. He has  been there for me in the past and I know his character.  I know HIM.  He will be with me, the rivers will not drown me, and the flames will not consume me.

Isaiah 43:2

 ² When you go through deep waters,
      I will be with you.
   When you go through rivers of difficulty,
      you will not drown.
   When you walk through the fire of oppression,
      you will not be burned up;
      the flames will not consume you.

Packing Light for 2012

Last year I took a trip to San Francisco, and  the fact that I was going to have to pay $25.00 per suitcase and also pay extra for each pound over 50 pounds that my suitcase weighed, made me put great thought into what was necessary for my trip. I also knew that there would be some extraordinary treasure that I would just have to bring home, and in order to bring it home with me, it would have to fit in my suitcase. I strategically packed, making sure that I was prepared for the trip, but also had enough room for unexpected treasures. 

As the year 2012 begins, I have been prayerfully packing my "suitcase," asking myself the question, "Is this necessary for the trip?" If the answer has been no, then I have been removing it. I have carried some of these things around with me for a while, and the extra weight has been costly. So I am making the decision to pack light for 2012, in hopes that the unexpected treasures I find along the way will have more than enough room to fit in my suitcase.  So as the 2011 year ends, I am prayerfully and strategically packing  what is necessary for the trip ahead. Letting go of the unnecessary and making room for all the treasures that life has to offer.  Maybe you are like me and need to take some things out of your suitcase and let them go. Maybe it is time to pack light.☺I am getting ready for

"the new thing"

that My Heavenly Father has in store for 2012. I refuse to carry and pay for the extra weight that I have I been lugging around in my suitcase.


                                         

 ¹⁸ The Lord says, "Forget what happened before,
       and do not think about the past.
 ¹⁹ Look at the new thing I am going to do.
       It is already happening. Don't you see it?
    I will make a road in the desert
       and rivers in the dry land.

Isaiah 43:18-19

    

Seize the Day.. Especially Birthdays!!

Seize the day, seize whatever you can
'Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand
Seize the day, pray for grace from God's hand
Then nothing will stand in your way
Seize the day

Her motto... I think she was born knowing how to "Seize the Day"



She LOVES life and all it has to offer!!

Today  is Annie-Lauren's birthday. She celebrated by having her first slumber party. :) She enjoyed and savored every moment, but that is not anything new for Annie-Lauren. She loves life and all the people in her life. 

Happy Birthday Annie-Lauren! I Love You and everything about you.

I love how you talk extremely loud!!! So much so, that I have had your hearing checked more than once.

I love how you love people and greet everyone with the best hugs.

I love how you love to sing and dance. You are my favorite STAR.

I  love how you giggle while you read books...

I love how you make me laugh... sometimes even when I am trying to correct you. ☺

I love how hard your try to get an A+ in conduct and faithfully get a B... because your LOVE  for talking out weighs your desire for the A+ in conduct ☺ 

I love how you love family. (even your brother )

I love that you are not afraid of anything!

I love how you always see the glass half full.

I love that you embrace life and bring JOY wherever you go.

I love you and love watching you Seize the Day...

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!



Happy 9th Birthday

Who is Teaching Who?

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak,

but their echoes are truly endless.” Mother Teresa

Websters dictionary defines encourage as " to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope"

 Friday while completing a writing assignment with the 20 little scholars that sit in my classroom, I received encouragement... It came from such an unlikely source, from the little one that most needs the encouragement. He sometimes is hard to understand because of his speech deficit and he is academically not where I wish he was. So I push and push and push some more... wanting him to make giant academic gains, wanting him to quit playing with his pencils and singing  while I am trying to get him to understand the importance of reading... Sigh. 

It is my job to get him where he needs to be before the end of the year, so I push. Sometimes to the point of his frustration and mine.

On this day the twenty little scholars had completed their task and I was  helping them glue their writing products onto their brightly colored construction paper frames... the clock was ticking, the day was ending, and we needed to complete this task.

 As I went from desk to desk, gluing and giving directions... I got to his desk, the one who needs someone to give him some courage and hope, and he looked up at me, smiled, and whispered...

 " Ms. Cwement, you ora a goo goower" 

I asked him to repeat it twice, unsure of what he had said... then on the second time of hearing " Ms. Cwement, you ora a goo goower" I completely understood him. (Ms. Clement, you are a good gluer)  

"Thank you, I have been gluing for a long time"  was my reply...

I left school Friday afternoon and " Ms. Cwement, you ora goo goower"  continued to replay in my mind.  Sweet little words. 

He who needs encouragement (to be given courage and hope)  from his teacher , was encouraging her... I think I will add some words of courage and hope with the push that I have been giving. 

I am the teacher. I am the one who is supposed to  give the new knowledge... , but each passing week these sweet little ones teach me more about life, patience, laughter, and what is important..

On this day the lesson was about encouragement and the sweet little boy who taught  the lesson is the one who so needs to be inspired with hope and courage.  Father, help my words give him courage and hope.

The lesson has made me want to speak more words of courage and hope to the people my Heavenly Father puts in my path... Simple words...that have "endless echoes."

So I am going to make a conscious effort to look for the people that come in my path... I never know when someone might need to hear "you ora a goo goower"

Celebrate Fall



Fall can officially begin…. We have had our "Welcome Fall celebration."☺  This past Sunday, after church, we came home and got ready to celebrate.  Every year, as a family, we make caramel and chocolate apples, and carve pumpkins. I am usually in charge of the apple making, but with each passing year Caroline seems to be taking over and I am more of the helper. Getano is in charge of the pumpkin carving.  It is something the entire family looks forward to and enjoys. As soon as October is here Annie-Lauren starts asking, "When do  we celebrate ?" She is always up for any type of celebration. ☺

Years ago I spoke to a much wiser and older woman than myself, and asked her this question… “What did you do to create traditions and memories for your children? " Her reply to me was simply- “You do the same things every year and when your children are older and not at home they will still remember, and in many cases come home for the traditional celebration or wish they could come home...”   

I remember thinking that is easy enough, I can do that… So I started trying to come up with our family traditions and create memories for my children. My hope is that when they are on their own, and a cool crisp morning ushers in the fall season, that one of the first things that will come to their minds is our “Fall Celebrations” and that it will bring  warm feelings and fond memories  to their hearts… ♥

It does not take a lot… just a little time and planning to create memories that will last a lifetime. I know these moments and memories will forever be etched on my heart.

A few pictures from our celebration….



The Before



  

The After



Let the carving begin



The Finished pumpkins.... Zachary's LSU, Annie-Lauren's flowers and Caroline's birds.