1 Thess. 5:16-18

About a year and half ago, Bro John was giving a sermon (as he usually does on Sunday mornings) and he used a verse I had read many times over but for some reason this time when he read it was like suddenly yellow light bulbs were circling around this verse and angels were singing on the page.  It instantly became my life verse. 


'Be joyful always. Pray without ceasing. Be thankful for all circumstances in your life, for they are God's will for you.'  1 Thess. 5:16-18. 


When I read it, I was like DUH!!!  I mean how much simpler can it get???
1) Be JOYFUL, All the time! 
*Joy is one of my favorite words. When a person has true JOY in their heart, it just shines, its contagious, its not just being happy, its being radiant! JOY is a word that I want my children to use to describe me....(I gotta get to working on that!)   Joy is one of my favorite words!! 


For the record, Stellar is another favorite word!


2) PRAY endlessly!  I admit, my prayer life is a WIP-Work In Progress. I am what I call a shooting star prayer.  I say itty-bitty prayers almost all day.  When I see Chick-fil-A I am instantly reminded of Witten and his love for food, so I'll ask for protection over W while he's away from me.  You get the idea??  But I admit, I am terrible at slowing down enough to really pray.  I try to every morning and at night, but I do have to battle my ADHD during it. 


3) Just be THANKFUL for every event that takes place in your life.  Right now, I'm struggling with contentment with my job.  It is so great for me. I get to work with THE cutest boy in town plus I have the most flexible boss a girl could ask for. But I miss my friends, the kids I worked with, the great parents I got to know and love.  I miss seeing God at work in little kids hearts! But I am just thankful to have a job, a job that is such a huge part of my family.  I am learning new things everyday.  And for that, I have been humbled (Which needed to take place)   But my new job and life IS God's will for me and my family.  We were seeking His will when we were praying for this change in our lives and I am following His path.   And for that, I am grateful! That He would even love me enough to care, to show me the path to follow.  
Today I was driving down the road trying to organize 3 kids at 3 different schools.  I just said Out loud "Lord, take me back to my normalcy!"  And He replied with "This IS your new normalcy. Deal with Tracey!"    


Oh My Gluesticks!!  You're so right!! This IS my new normalcy!!  Ok, I'll deal with it. 
And so I am trying to deal.... trying to grasp how I will pick up E, drive to town to get W, just to turn around and drive right back to Benton to get home before B gets off the school bus!  
Whew!! I'm exhausted already!!  But I'm gonna deal with it, because my babies need me to! 


Thank you Lord, for your unconditional love. A love that is so undeserving.  When I fail you, you are still there, walking with me, guiding me and comforting me.  I find rest and peace knowing that you are in control.  And in that, I can have true JOY in my heart!!


Peace Out Hommies!

All of you know that Chris and I are building our first house! We are having so much fun with this! It is going up so quick and its exceeding my expectations! It truly is our dream home! I am so blessed to have a husband who works so hard so that we may raise our trio in this house!! God has definitely blessed us beyond measures!!  

So come on in, take your shoes off and stay awhile!

This is how it started! just a bunch of dirt, which is how Witten wished it had stayed!

And then theres was some concrete!

And this little piggie built a house with sticks!

a few days later, we had a roof!

This is the kitchen standing by the stairs!

 

we have dog houses, the technical term is dormers.

the kitchen from the living room

my future new workout!

the breakfast area!

I'll post more pics when you can actually tell what they are!!

Thanks for sharing this experience with us.

PS- to my dead beat nanny- Jac, youre welcome!!

Peace Out Hommies

Brocks Baptism

March 7, 2001 was the darkest day of my life. I found out I was pregnant, not just pregnant, but ALOT pregnant, 25.5 weeks to be exact (that story is for another post, another day)

 When I think back on that day, I know that God is the only thing that got me through it. 

Even now when I talk about that day, and the following weeks after it, I always think about the footprints poem. I know that looking back that time in my life, there will only be one set of footprints in the sand, because God was definitely carrying me through life. 

I hated everything, everyone, myself, except God.  I knew what He was doing. He was trying to get my attention. He wanted me to quit living the life I was and focus on Him. I always felt the Holy Spirit tugging on my heart, but I was really good at shoving it away.  I just always told Him, when I get a family, I'll get back to focusing on you again, so thats just what He did, He gave me a family! And I'm so thankful that God did! 

All of that to say this....

That terrible, awful, no good bad day was redeemed ten-fold this morning.

Johnathan Brock Van Hoy was written into the Book of Life on June 18,2010. 

This morning, August 15,2010, Brock was baptized.  He washed and made new by the blood of Jesus Christ! It was the most incredible experience. I'm so proud of the boy Brock is. 

I truly believe that the Holy Spirit called Brock to give his life to Christ. And he obeyed. Without hesitation. 

What an amazing example he is of Christ's love for all of us! 

 

AMEN!

Peace Out Hommies!

Eat, Pray, Love.....yup! Im good at all 3 of them.

Last night, I went on a date with Jaynuh (Lauren, my assistant at MDO) We went to eat at Cantina Laredo. Then went to see Eat, Pray, Love.  It was GReat!!  I really enjoyed the movie. I have read some of the book but have not finished it.  

You moms of LOTS OF KIDS understand that between school, cooking supper, running bath water, ironing clothes, folding more clothes, and Facebooking of course, there is little time to read books. 

When I was watching the movie, I couldnt help but thinking about my own life. In the movie, the main character, Liz, struggles with balance in her life. She searches for God throughout the movie and how to balance herself and a relationship with a man. Her main struggle with love is that she loses herself when she's in a relationship.  

'Loses herself"

Thats what hit me like a brick. 

Mainly, because thats something I tend to struggle with myself. Always questioning where that girl went that would cruise in her red T-Top camaro listening to the Dixie Chicks. I tend to be disappointed that I cant always be that 17 year old girl with no cares in the world. 

But what I decided last night, is that, I dont want to be that girl anymore. I love that I have 3 of the most beautiful children God could ever give a person. And the husband He gave me.....WHEW! Talk about lose myself in a man.....but I LOVE that I'm lost in him. Because Chris strengthens me. He calms me, He loves me.  I depend on Chris for things that I know I could do on my own, but I dont want to, I want CV to do these things for me (Like change a light bulb or untangle my necklaces)

But its also the same for him.  There are things I know he could do himself, but instead he wants me to do for him. (Like find that black hat that he loves to wear that is sitting on his nightstand in the plain daylight but for some reason I'm the only one who can see it)

I love my huband. I always have, from the day I met him.  I knew he was wonderful, but I had no idea the kind of man that God would form him to be.  And I'm so grateful that Chris and I worked hard and long at our marriage. Not just for our kids, but for each other. I think we better each other.

And it definitely helps that he's WAY HOT!!!

Peace Out Hommies

Dear Baby Jesus!

Dear Jesus-

Thank you God for da motahome

da pool,

da fidge-a-gata.

Thank you God for da boat,

for da four-whee-dah

for da golf cart.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

-Witten Macabe  8-1-10

Nightime prayers!

He covers all the important things in life!

Peace Out Hommies!