I Wish I Could.......

I wish I could...................................put my children in a bubble and protect them from all harm. Forever. I wish there was a guarantee that if you do the best you can, teach them right from wrong, take them to church, rock them as babies, read out loud to them when they are small, that everything will be okay. Better than okay. Terrific! I wish that if you taught them to be kind to animals and all of God's creatures, to look both ways before crossing the street, to treat people the way you want to be treated, to speak words of kindness, to be helpful, to be respectful to their elders, and to clean up after themselves, that life would be incredible! I wish I could be guaranteed that they would be successful in life, in every area. I want them to have an excellent education, to obtain a great job, to live in a nice neighborhood, to marry someone who truly loves them for who they are, not who they WANT them to be. I want them to make beautiful babies, and to be happy and healthy and to be thankful for ALL Things. I want them to have the right kind of friends and TO BE the right kind of friend, to those who come in their lives.
I guess you could say, I want what we all want as parents: THE VERY BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN.
But, (you had to know it was coming) we do not have a guarantee. They come to us with NO DIRECTIONS attached. We live and we learn how and what to do, as we are doing it. It is truly, on the job training. We pray and we do the best we can, and we make mistakes along the way, and life goes on. We wake up one day, and that tiny little baby we brought home from the hospital that was 8 lbs. and 20 in. long is now 6'2 and 170 lbs. (The other little darling is 9 yrs. old and she is 65 lbs.)
When did that happen??? It happened while we were living life. While we were laughing and loving and crying and driving carpools. People say: "you better enjoy every minute of it! You will miss the chaos when it is gone!" So this is my prayer:

"Lord help me live today to the fullest. Help me parent this child in the way you would have me to. Help him make good decisions. Help him know that he has a good foundation on which to build on and parents who love him. Help him know Lord, that nothing is impossible with you. Be his protector. Go out before him and show him the way. Give him wisdom, direction and guidance. Thank you Lord, that even though I do not know what the future holds, you do, and you have a plan and a purpose for our lives. Above all else Lord, I pray for him to have a heart for you. I know that if he has a heart for you, everything else will be okay. That is my guarantee!"

Mrs. Catherine

My Mother's office recently had a retirement party for Mrs. Catherine Hamill. She was an incredible woman. Few like her have graced this earth. She was beautiful, inside and out. I have many memories of her, from when I was a small child. Her hair and her lipstick were always in place! She was always dressed perfectly and smelt so good! Whenever I would go to my Mother's office, she always had a big hug for me and some sort of treat. She would ask ME about things that were important TO ME. (my school, my friends, my new puppy) She and her husband never had any children of their own. (They were content loving on everyone else's ) I have incredible memories of her helping my Mother at my wedding reception with all the food! My Mother insisted on doing the food herself and Mrs. Catherine was her right hand! This is a poem that she gave everyone who attended her Retirement reception as a little "Thank You." I think it sums up the way she has lived (and continues to live) her life. We all should learn a little something from it.


Promise Yourself


Promise yourself to be so strong
That nothing can disturb your peace of mind
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
To every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel
That there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything
And make your optimism come true.
To think only the best,
To work only for the best,
And expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
As you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past
And press on to the greater achievements of the future
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
And give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time
to the improvement of yourself
That you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry,
Too noble for anger, too strong for fear
And too happy to permit the presence of trouble.


Author Unknown

Today was Monday all day long........

Well wouldn't you know it? I got a phone call to sub at Anna's school. Normally, does anything EVER happen NORMAL around here?!? that would be great, except.......Dalton has been gone since Friday night, Tom left right after church on Sunday afternoon and my back was killing me. I. Mean. Killling. Me. But, not wanting to let that opportunity pass me by...I did it. They were Hillarious!!!! I went from class to class because the Insurance man was there trying to get everyone to up the anty on their insurance. I watched the classroom for the teacher while she went to check on her school benefits. Oh the Joy! The Kindergarten class was so adorable on their nap mats with their lullaby CD playing. The First graders loved reading the book, "Ruby the Copycat!" and they loved telling me who they like to copy! (for the record- it was mostly their big brothers and sisters) The second graders were reading and having center time and some were writing their spelling words. Can I just say they were one of the busiest bunches I saw all day long. They really know how to "Get 'er done!" The third and fourth graders were working on social studies and math, and covered quite a lot of territory today! I was impressed at their level of enthusiasm for learning. I did not see the fifth graders, but let me assure you- THEY ARE THE TOP DOGS ON CAMPUS- in case any of you were wondering... and we will NEVER be as cool as they are.....I am sure they were doing something very important. I came home to find that my first appointment for physical therapy is tomorrow at 10:30 and I could not be happier. I will sleep good tonight.
Oh- and Dalton got home at 2:50 a.m. and I woke him for school at 6 a.m. for school. He got home at 3:30 p.m. and has been asleep ever since. He will eat the whole house when he wakes up. He sure does love Music City Legends.

The Doctor said...

Okay- here is what I found out. The Ortho Doc. confirmed what the MRI showed. I have Degenerative Disc Disease and a bulging disc. The good news is 70 % of the people with this problem are greatly helped by physical therapy and meds. (anti-inflammatory drugs-not narcotics!) So- I guess I am going to have to exercise after all! Those of you who know me well know how much I LOVE to exercise!
I have been VERY emotional about this whole thing. You cannot enjoy the life God has given you if you are in constant pain. You find yourself thinking of it all the time because it is always there. I look forward to finding some relief from this, this thing that holds me down. Thank you for your prayers, phone calls and encouragement. It TRULY means more than you will ever know.

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us ENCOURAGE
one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

Today was not a good day.
My back has been bothering me for some time now and I finally decided enough was enough. I went to the Dr. who sent me for an MRI. They called with my results this afternoon. I have Degenerative Disc Disease. It is in my L4 and L5 and I am to see an Orthopedic Dr. at Summit Hospital tomorrow.
This is not what I expected. I am sad and angry and mad. I am 37 and I want to scream, "I am not supposed to be in this much pain!" I want to shout, "IT'S NOT FAIR!!!" Then I remember, life is not a fair. The county fair comes but once a year and there are rides and popcorn, cotton candy and Ferris wheels! If you are waiting for life to be fair.....keep on waiting', cause it ain't ever gonna be.
We all have difficulties in life, and I have to now take a dose of my own medicine. You see, it is easy to tell someone else these things, but much more difficult to swallow them yourself! Remember when your Mama told you to "choose your words carefully, you just might have to eat them!" Well, it is my turn. I must now tell myself, "Shannon, the Lord Jesus himself made you and he didn't make any mistakes. He has a plan and a purpose for your life and if this is something you are to go through, then so be it. It may be so that you can encourage someone else when they suffer with this very same disease. It may be so that you can learn to "give thanks in ALL things." Yes, even this. It may be so that he can reveal himself to you in a new way, and show you that"his grace is sufficient for you, for his power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 It may be so that he can work a miracle and heal you and then you can use it as part of your testimony. We do not have a testimony without going through some tests! He DOES NOT WASTE ANY PAIN. He will use this for his glory.
I do not know the Lord's plan, but I DO know this. He has not failed me yet. He is with me in this storm. "The Lord stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven." Psalm 107:29-30

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all of his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases." Psalm 103:2-3

First Day of School!

Do you remember your first day of school? Each year, the excitement builds as you pick out the new shoes and clothes, the new school supplies, the backpack, the new lunchbox! (I still remember my two favorite lunchboxes! Holly Hobby and the little red one from Tupperware!) You wonder whose class you will be in and what friends you will see from last year. There is nothing quite like the smell of a box of new crayons or freshly sharpened pencils. The bright, white notebook paper begs you to write upon it, all the while you sit and wonder who you will sit beside for lunch or who you will play with at recess. Yep. Those were the days. Or were they? Some days were good, others, not so much. Some days, you were the "Star Student," other days you felt as if you disappeared (or wished you could) into thin air. I find myself praying so hard during the school day for my children. I pray that they will MAKE the right kind of friends and BE the right kind of friend. I pray for their safety. I pray for a positive learning environment. I pray for their protection. I pray for their teachers. I pray that they find favor with both their peers and their teachers and all of those that God has placed in authority over them. I pray for their minds to be open to learning all that God has for them. I pray that they would be kind and sensitive to others, remembering that we get what we give. I pray for Godly Teachers and role models in their lives because these people are with them a large majority of their day.

Yes- as we begin another school year, I am reminded that we have them at home for such a short time. They really do grow up fast! Here are pics I took on the first day of school! Dalton going into 10th and Anna into 4th!

Just what I always wanted......

My favorite time of the day...bedtime. Without a doubt. Everyone is clean and fresh and sleepy and mostly sweet. I cannot help but think to myself.....as the people I love most in the whole wide world get ready to turn in for the night, this is exactly what I have always wanted. These children, this husband, this marraige, this family, this home, this life. I AM doing exactly what I always wanted to do. Even on the hard days. Even when life is hard, and things don't go well, and people aren't always kind. God is good and we are blessed. I am so thankful.