Being Thankful

Well tonite was my night to do grocery shopping so on my way I stopped at the post office.
My goal was to be home at 7:30....that is when I arrived at PO. An older lady started chatting with me and it soon turned into a half hour. She was telling me how lonely she is as she lost her husband of 55 years almost 4 years ago now. She looked right at me and said this:
"When your spouse dies, it's like someone takes a chainsaw and cuts you in half....it's like a part of you is gone forever." She literally demonstrated with her hand, drawing a line, down my body. It's not as weird as it sounds. She was very soft spoken, so it really just hit home.

We finally made it out to the parking lot and she proceeded to introduce me to her dog sitting in the car. And I about cried again....The dog was panting very hard, is blind and now deaf. It is 16 years old and she told me he is about to die too. She said she is just not ready to let him go because he also has been such a faithful companion.

I honestly cannot imgaine...I go over and over this in my head the last couple months. What would I do if God took someone I dearly love? How would I react and deal with the loss? Could I still praise Him and shine thru it all like others I know? Last week in the grocery store I saw a woman who just recently lost her husband. I gave her a hug and told her I was praying and she just held on and said, "I just miss my husband so very much." I just read a blog last night about one of the singers of Sealah. They just lost their 4th little girl a couple mths ago, but the mother is still chosing to praise God.

When I got home tonite, I just held Jason close and I think this:
Life is so very, very short. We need to make every minute count. Hold our loved ones closer...
spend more time with our kids playing one on one. Forget the material stuff and draw near to the people in our lives. Pray for the widows/widowers and the parents who have lost their child. And most of all....Focus on God.

The Moon and the Sun

When I was a child, I was disappointed to discover that the moon was just a giant rock that didn't even have it's own light. It seemed so large in the dark sky that there had to be more to it than that. It dawned on me tonight that there really might be more to it than that. The moon reflects the sun's light. Perhaps God placed it there in it's reflective capacity to remind us that even in the dark of night the sun is still shining.When that darkness pulls at you look around and see what God has put forth to remind us of hope -- the mood, the new buds on a tree, whatever it is. God gives us daily reminders of his love and care.

~Amy L Brooke

Believing and Faith

Pastor's sermon today was for me...In a nutshell:

"How are you living your life?
Believing that God loves you for who you are?
That you are good enough?
That Jesus died on the cross for all your sins?
Not part of them...all of them?
Do you believe that God heals?
Do you have the faith to believe it?
Do you believe nothing is impossible for Him?
Which means there is nothing in your life He can't do?
Or are you living life saying, My God is big and He can do all things...
But my faith isn't quite deep enough to believe that He can heal me completley...."

I'm so utterly convicted...how much of my life I've wasted believing but not having enough faith
to believe completley the true depth of how my Father loves me and adores me. How many
times I've missed the true meaning of...."By His stripes, I AM HEALED."

Heavenly Father...tonite I come before You with tears, bowed head, bent knees, and lifted hands. Thank You that Your love is once again washing me clean....clearing my head...soothing my heart...and speaking directly. Thank You for sending Your only son Jesus to die on the cross for all of my sins and not just some of them. Thank You that I am worthy to be called a daughter of Yours. Father, thank You for all that You have blessed me with...I am so humbled and grateful. May my life song sing to You. In Jesus' Name...Amen.

Now I'm It!

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
1. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
2. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
3. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Q. What were you doing 5 years ago today?
1. Living at home with my parents and brothers
2. working at Crossroads Medical Associates.
3.Enjoying single life to it's fullest ;)
4. Hanging out with the pit crew of Unzicker Racing Team and learning parts of the race cars all summer long. Alot of late, fun nights standing up close to the track getting hit by dirt clods and cheering the team on.
5. Doing ALOT of camping and fishing with friends.

Q. 5 things on your to do list today
1- Go to Isaac's basketball tournament
2- Shop for a new swimsuit
3- Drink my coffee
4- Hava quiet time
5- Do some laundry

Q. 5 snacks you enjoy
1- Chocolate covered donuts...ditto Jody!
2- Oatmeal Creme pies
3- popcorn
4- desserts
5- puppy chow

Q. 5 things you would do if you were a billionare
1- Give to more charities, orphanges, etc
2- Pay off debt
3- Adopt kids
4- Build a new house
5- be thankful for it!!!

Q. 5 jobs you have had
1- Marchelloni's Pizza
2- RB Swine
3- Fairbury Medical Associates
4- Crossroads Medical Associates
5- Iroquois Memorial Hospital

Q. 5 people you want to tag
1- Sally
2- Mandy
3- Jennifer
4- Kim
5- Marie

Basketball Fun

We had a long but fun day today at my brother Isaac's basketball tournament.
Here is Gabe with Isaac's girl, Chelsey. Isaac isn't the only one in love with her.
He's getting ready to give her a kiss here.

And here, the mister is holding her hand!!! How do little boys learn to do this so young???
I have never ever seen him do this with anyone...I had to get a picture. Our little boy is growing up so fast and changing every day....seems like faster since he turned 2.

Most all my pictures were dark in the gym...what a bummer...Isaac is in navy blue under the basket.

Here is Isaac starting....it seemed alot of the other players were intimidated by him today with his height ;)

I always love to see this...a good team leaning in for wisdom.

Isaac taking a 3 pointer shot.

I didn't have my camera for the shot, but shortly before I captured this one...when the team came up and sat down in between games, Gabe headed over to sit by Uncle Isaac right away. It was so cute, he was so excited to be by all the "big guys." And he loves watching them play ball.

Jason and I are secretly hoping he will love it just as much as the rest of the family does.

He did really well entertaining himself AND others....he got woken up out of a deep sleep this morning at 8 then went all day long until 745 tonite, he konked out cold in the car ride home. This means he had no nap and this kid always takes almost a 3 hour nap every day! I was so proud of him even though he got a little grouchy at the end.

And Little Miss Ellie did amazing too....she was held all day long...she played hard too and took still took naps off and on.

Chelsey...thank you sooooo much for all your help today with the kids...you are the best

and I love you oh so very muchly ;) God has been good to give us the gift of you!

Isaac...Great games today...I'm so proud of you for playing hard and stickin' it out even

when you don't get treated fairly. The team is blessed and better because you are on it.

Keep shining, keep smiling, and keep sharing Jesus with them.....they need you more than you'll ever know. We're looking forward to an awesome season with the Hawks!!

"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)

Hava great weekend....Laura

Countrified Hubby

Well dear friends....the day has come....
My dear hubby has officially become countrified. BECAUSE: He has boughten his first piece of bluegrass music!!!!!! Which means it's almost country!!! I never ever ever in my long legged life thought I'd see the day that Mr. Jason Strough: MusicMan, would actually sit and listen to anything that even remotely sounded country. But he has. And it's the best story ever....He came to me and says this:
"Hey, honey, I think I have some music you would actually like. It's a neat group that is really talented called The Isaacs. You should listen to it. " (And I'm thinking, okay, we don't always agree on music, so really, could I really like it?) He also proceeds to take me to the computer and listen to the itunes he downloaded. I then proceed to look them up on YouTube and wow.....once again, I'm amazed and have a jillion goosebumps at this God given talent. Check them out....their voices are incredible. And to God be the glory...they are using them to praise Him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vaar6Ij55ig
I think I'm falling more in love with my hubby....and who knows...by this time next year he might be actually wearing boots!!! Yeehaa!

Stronger Warriors

So this afternoon I settled down with my blueberry scone (thanks mom!) and almond kiss coffee (thanks serendipity!) totally expecting a good time with God. Which it was...but He gave me a good kick in da rear too. He has been calling me to "step up" into the woman He is creating me to be and press in closer.....and in the process I have been rebelling, draggin my feet, and creating havoc in my own heart and those around me. Praise God for my dear hubby....even though He's far from perfect and can irritate me (because all men eventually do at some time or other, i'm convinced) he has truly covered me in prayer and surrounded me with it....been patient most of the time with me....and last night I finally had a break thru. I tend to build walls up around my heart when others hurt me and fling hurt back. (not good, very unGodly and Christlike) Then I go into a shell of self condemnation and wait for God to pull me back out. And He does...always. He is an amazing Father that never gives up on me. And He has given me the amazing gift of Jason....who helps me tear the walls back down and build the right kind of walls: those that keep the enemy out. We do this by getting back into the Word again, praying together, crying together and putting God back into the center. And slowly...I begin to believe God's Word again, that no matter what, His love doesn't change for me when I get down and out.
Satan had me to the point where I absolutley could not....no matter what....pray anymore. He told me the lie that I wasn't good enough, that my sins were horrible and unforgivable and I let him surround me with darkness. But praise be to God....He is bigger. His ways are better, huger, safer, and His light shines and darkness must flee. Thru lotsa tears and lotsa snotty kleenexes last night....Jason helped draw me back out....and helped me pray again. And we beat the devil up and kicked him out of our house. It was a hard workout...but totally worth it. So today, we rise up again by the grace of God...renewed on eagle's wings and sheltered in His love....and begin the race again. We fight the good fight and we accept kick in da rears...because this is what makes us stronger warriors.

I share this testimony with you for this reason:
1-To give God the glory...He is all powerful and a mighty Healer.
2- To encourage you to keep fighting the good fight.
3- To listen to those in your life who speak Truth to you even when you have a hard time believing it or don't really want to listen and accept.
4- Because God is too good to not share His goodness.

Love n Hugs...Laura