For Better

For better and for worst. We said those words almost 11 years ago in the sand in Jamaica. I never dreamed we would walk down the path we have been on for the past 2 years. He has stood by me for now our fourth ankle surgery. He has learned how to do wound care, medication rotation, ice, elevation and he can even handle endless tears. He has pushed me when I wanted to give up. The day I fell will be a day I will always remember. The face I will remember will be his. He walked around the corner of the house and looked at my mangled foot and immediately dropped to his knees beside me. He has been there ever since. Sometimes on his knees caring for me or our kids. Sometimes on his knees praying for healing. Has it been hard? Yes. Has it put strains on our marriage? Yes. Has it made us crazy at times? Yes. Has God used it to change us? Yes. I am thankful for the yuck. I am thankful for the pain. I am thankful for the bumpy road on crutches and wheelchairs. I am thankful for the soul mate that said "I DO" and I am thankful for many more years of long walks with our four feet!

My Dirt Angels

My kids laugh at me when I pitch to them.  My husband really laughs.  I don't coach because I know all the rules.  I don't coach because I am an athletic mommy.  I don't coach because I want an award for community involvement.  I don't coach because I have nothing else to do with my free time.  This season my husband and I really spent a lot of time (usually late at night too wired to sleep after a late ballgame) discussing why do we both coach.  As a coach you hear and see a lot of ugly.  This year has stretched me more to my limits.  The physical demands of two kids playing has been exhausting.  You spend 4 to8 hours a week with these people each week.  You love on their children.  Invest in their lives.  Teach them how to swing a bat, run through a base, except defeat, win gracefully, have good sportsmanship, love them up when it isn't their night to shine and yet you are most of the time making some grown up mad.  It seems whatever you do is never good enough.  When you didn't send the runner.  When you sent the runner.  When you changed the line up.  When you didn't change the line up.  When you told Susie to stop picking flowers.  When you told Susie to pay attention only 46 times and not 47 times. When you call time out too many times.  When you are the "worst coach ever."

This season I can tell you I coached for 9.

I coached for 9 little girls that tune all that out and came to have fun.

I coached for 9 little girls that cheered for each other.

I coached for 9 little girls that gave hugs for free.

I coached for 9 little girls that aren't in the line up because their dream is to be a professional ball player.

I coached for 9 little girls who are learning to stand on their own two feet.

At a plate.

All alone.

In front of a crowd.

And all that stands between them and a base is a moving yellow ball.

I coached for the 9 little girls that hit that ball.

And ran.

I coached for the 9 little girls that stood on home plate and entered my heart.

I coached.

I love you my Dirt Angels!

The Fourth

What were you doing two years ago?

One of the reasons I keep a blog is to remind me of the time I spent raising two Little Roaches.  The mistakes I made, their friendships, their lives and mine all wrapped up in one.  Most of you that have read this blog know two years ago, God changed my life forever.  It has been a long recovery full of setbacks and accomplishments both large and small.  Over the past few months I knew the ankle was different.  I just knew with my Internet MD licence that I was experiencing arthritis.  I went in Monday and much to my surprise my Google search lied to me.  I am scheduled for drum roll please....surgery number 4 next week.  It appears I have some loose screws and my husband has been vindicated.  They will once again remove the hardware the resides in my bones and sew up a scar that has to be opened up again.  I am so thankful it is not arthritis and thankful this is something completely fixable.  I would love nothing more than for this to be the end of this ankle story but I don't get to decide those things.  I can't see the whole picture. I can't see past me.  So I am just thankful.  I was asking a friend at the ballpark last night what is the saying with the "fourth?"  You know, "third time is the charm."  She just looked at me and said, "Awe, nothing goes with the fourth time."  So here's to nothing. 

Please continue to pray for my friends on the right side of this blog.  

A Little Post Trip

We have been a home now from Belize several weeks.  I really thought in my heart I would never stop blogging about our trip and the stories and our time spent on mission with our children.  However, I have been almost speechless.  Wordless at times.  I will tell you Belize is not far from our everyday conversations and still holds a large portion of my heart. The pictures line my coffee table at home.  It is sad not to have a countdown to Belize on my kitchen chalkboard.
 I can still hear the children at the school singing if I close my eyes. A few Sunday's ago, I was in our kids worship service and our kids were singing a song we sang in Belize.  I made eye contact with my daughter and she was grinning ear to ear.  Both of us thinking of the last time we sang that song.  Then a few seconds later she ran to me sobbing, I want to go back to Belize mommy, I miss my friends.  She begged my friend to take her back when she returned on a medical trip.  I was barely able to get out my lesson that morning.  Through tears I had to share with 5 and 6 year olds why my heart was broken.
My kids came home from the trip thankful to be home and yet missing their friends they met.  I will not tell you they were perfect angels on the trip.  But they tried new foods, loved on children and gave of themselves to others.  They did not rush home and want to sale all their toys but they have a point of reference.  When they don't like what mommy cooks for dinner they have a reference of children that are hungry.  When the air stays broken in our home for over a week (which it did) it was our son that said "well at least it will get fixed our friends don't even have an air conditioner."  It was my daughter that drew this picture at school of her dream.  This trip will be a part of His story He will tell through their lives.  Only God knows how He will use this trip in their lives and as a part of their testimony.  I know that they have a reference and heart that was stretched.

As a mommy, I encourage you to let your children experience mission work here in their world.  Don't wait until they are "old" enough to "fully" grasp what they are seeing.  I did not fully grasp what I saw in front of me and I am thankful for the Grace of God who bears the weight of it all.
I added links to the side of my blog - please continue to pray for our friends as you feel the spirit leads you.  Their walk, their struggles, their pain is changing me.

Pray

Have you ever felt like your heart was so heavy for so many at one time?

Our family sat down for dinner tonight and listed out families to pray for...

Families

Children

Wives

Husbands

Babies

I ask for you to join me in prayer for several friends and family.

These are friends in my phone.

Friends that come to my rescue when I need major appliances installed or a tree limb cut down.

Friends that I have known since high school.

Friends that I have known since college.

Friends I work with.

The Skeldings: This is their caring bridge site. Meagen will give her bone marrow to her sister Emily tomorrow.  Emily is fighting leukemia.  Brian and Michele are the parents.  They have two more precious children at home.  Their faith is nothing short of amazing.  I am blessed to call them friends.  Specifically pray at 7 am and 12 noon tomorrow for transplant and infusion to be successful.

The Windhams - This is their facebook page.  Their baby was born at 24 weeks.  Pray for Jeffery, Amy, Marlee, Layla and their baby Halle Scott.

John and Karri Allen - This is their caring bridge site.  I work with Karri.  I love her more than ketchup.  She is Proverbs 31 woman.  She makes me want to be a bettter wife.

The Carrs: This is the site set up for their son who they have taken to Duke for a bone marrow treatment to save his life.  They are members of our local church.  I teach their daughter on Sunday mornings.

Melinda- my friend I met my first week in college going through the dreaded Rush.  I work with her and she lost her husband this past week.  She is a momma to a 5 year old and a 3 year old.

Even when I make my list and  see their needs I know God knows each one.

He is soveirgn.

He is not surprised.

He loves them more than me.

He is good.

He is just.

He is right here.

We are the body of the most High

We are the bride of a Savior

And we fall for the King of the kingdom

As we sing the songs of salvation

And we stand for those who cannot stand for themselves

And we love the loveless

And we go where Your light’s not shining

We are the body of Christ

We shine like a city on a hilltop

We boast in the Spirit living in us

And we march on a road leading to freedom

As we reach out our hands to the fallen

And we bring living water to the thirsty and

We live for the One who was and is and is to come
So our life counts for something greater than ourselves

We are the body of Christ

And our anthem will be a song of praise to the King

“He is worthy, He is worthy”
With one voice we will sing, “Where oh death is your sting”

He is mighty, He is mighty

© Brook Hills Music