Be Still and Know That I am God

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalm 46:10

I've been seeing this verse everywhere lately. It seems as though the Lord may be trying to tell me something. Sometimes when you're dealt a bad deck of cards, it feels like your good deck of cards will never show up. This is when your faith is being tested.

At times, life gets in the way and you find yourself disconnected from the Lord. But don't lose hope.He is still there. You just need to be still. Such a hard concept for us humans to grasp...such a hard concept for me to grasp...

So when I woke up with back pain so excruciating I could barely walk, I HAD to literally be still. I was humbled by my husband doing everything for me. All I could do was sit and rest...and I felt so guilty for it. I'd pray to the Lord, "Heal me quickly Lord so I can help my family." But that's not what He wanted. He wanted me to be still. 

And then when my back healed, I found myself up all night with my first migraine. I sat in the recliner at 3 am praying, " Lord take this from me." Was He keeping me up so I would listen to Him?

Sometimes I think we get so busy with LIVING, that we forget to stop and enjoy LIFE. We run ourselves into the ground trying to do too many things at one time. So when the opportunity came to spend a week at the beach, I gladly took it. It wasn't necessarily restful, (when is vacation ever restful with little ones?) but it was peaceful. A few mornings I would take the time to walk on the beach alone. Most people walked in pairs...but so was I. I was walking with The Lord. The sun would be rising and the sky would be a beautiful shade of pink. And I would take that time to breathe deeply and thank God for His blessings.

 

One evening, The Hubs and I took the kids on a short beach walk. We took some beautiful pictures with the sun setting. And I realized my blessings are right before my eyes. My husband, my kids, time with my God...all a blessing. God never said hard times wouldn't come, but He did make one request...during those crippling times, BE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD. He will go through it with you. He will walk with you each step of the way.

You know how the old saying goes, "When it rains, it pours." Well I'll add to that, "If you weather the storm, you will always find JOY IN THE RAIN."

Walking with the Lord in the morning. Good for the heart and soul

 

Because sometimes it's seeing pictures like these that remind me of what living is all about...

Fishing at Sunset

Papow and Mamow enjoying precious moments with two of their grand babies.

Baby Boy thinks he's papow.

The Pirate Dinner Voyage

 Our Family of Five

Spending Precious Moments with All Three Babies

Tiny Blessing isn't so tiny anymore. 27 weeks with my third beautiful baby.

I Love You to the Moon and Back

 

"Mommy?" Her little voice whispered to me from the foot of the bed. 

"Yes, Baby Girl," I said half asleep.

I heard little feet scuff across the carpet toward the bed...

"Mommy, it's time to put on my school clothes."

I opened my eyes and saw nothing but darkness and a teeny bit of light escaping through the curtains. "Dear Lord, what time is it?" I thought. 

Glancing at my phone, I noticed that it was just 6:30 AM. She didn't need to be at school until 9:15.  This girl was raring to go.

Her blond hair had fallen in front of her face but I could still see her squenching up that little nose at me. "It's TIME to put on my school clothes."

Seeing her persistence and anticipation for school made my heart smile. "Ok, let's eat breakfast first."

She ate her favorite that morning-cheesy scrambled eggs and strawberry milk. She  even asked for seconds-which was odd for my little lady. The excitement just oozed from her. In no time at all, she was ready to run back upstairs and put on her  school clothes. I hobbled along because I had pulled my lower back muscles again and the pain was radiating through my hips. By the time I had made it up the stairs she had already picked out her outfit and was putting it on. 

"Mommy, will you help me brush my teeth?"

"Sure baby. Usually I ask her to start brushing and I finish, but I didn't want to fight with her. This was her first day and I wanted it to be just perfect. She asked for a headband (her new favorite hair accessory) and washed her own face. 

In my mind, I felt the fleeting sadness that she was too little to be growing up so quickly. I pushed the feeling aside and went downstairs to pack her backpack and snack. At last, I could sit on the couch and rest my back for awhile until carpool arrived. She opened the hall closet and I heard her rustling through her shoes. Closing the door she proudly walked over to me and I noticed something very peculiar. Baby Girl, headband extraordinaire, dressy little princess had picked the oddest pair of shoes possible-water shoes. Like the shoes she wears in the creek or the ocean. I thought, "Now I really can't let her go to school looking like that. But if I squash her choice in shoes it could hurt her. Heck! Let her go like that! If a monsoon hits, atleast she'll be prepared." So I said not a word.

"Let's go take your picture, Baby Girl."

"Ok, here mommy. I'll give you my hands and help you up."

My heart jumped into my throat. I could just cry talking about it. As much as I had tried to put on a brave strong face, my little girl still recognized that Mommy's back was hurt. She had witnessed The Hubs helping me up for the past two days and she was trying her best to replicate what she saw. But more than just replicating, she was showing empathy! Three years old! My little girl was growing in her sense of empathy for others. What a huge milestone!

My heart swelled with pride and joy. "Thank you Baby Girl. But I think I can manage."

She took some of the spunkiest pictures ever. I liken her to Pippy Longstocking-when she's looking for her spunk. Baby Girl exuded the most confident smile I've ever seen in a three year old. Her bruisy legs reminded me of Iggy on Fried Green Tomatoes. I was never more proud or thankful for her than in that moment...

 

Baby Girl,

Three years old! I still can't get over how much you've changed since the first year you started school. Not only physically have you grown but emotionally and socially. You empathize with others. You're gentle around younger children. You are beyond verbal! Sometimes so much so, I mistakingly think you are older than what you are. You are so much fun!!! You love to dance and twirl and even sing along with me to the radio. You are such a helper to me!!! You clean your own room (with my guided help) and you bring your plate to the counter when finished with a meal. You are a self starter, putting on your own clothes and going to the bathroom by yourself. 

Daddy and I are so proud of you and want you to know that there is nothing you could ever do, to make us stop loving you. I blink my eyes and you've grown. It shows me that I need to appreciate your littleness for as long as I can. Grow up strong, brave and confident little one. I will close with what you said to me the other day...

"Mommy, do you know how much I love you?"

"Hmmm, how much?"

"I love you to the moon and back."

Well Baby Girl, I love you to the moon and back again ten times over...

September 2013

September 2014

She filled up her praise jar with good behavior choices...

 

So she got her first pedicure as a reward : )

Looking at the purple water...

 

Trying to sit really still...

All the cuteness in the world wrapped up into one little girl...