"All we need is Love..."

Wow, I'm sitting here in the Spotted Cow, just beside my self right now.  There's a gal that works here that I've made friends with and we were just chatting catching up on our lives and she shared with me about a local 14 year-old boy jumping off the I-5 bridge to his death.  


The young man went to her eldest son's school and it has been pretty shocking and close to home for her.   I found the article on the local news page and read through it, not much info.  But I am just struck by this.  


What would cause a young boy (yeah, he's 14, but he's someone's boy and I can't help but think of my Aidan, he was someone's Aidan).  Or was he?  My friend said he was a foster child and was troubled.  This just breaks my heart!  


Being a mom now, I feel like my heart is more out there than its ever been.  I'm more in touch with emotion of all sorts.    What would cause someone to take their life?  To take it like this?  To take it so young?  Ah, just writing this makes me want to cry.    


Children are absolutely amazing to me; they're smart, witty, innocent, precious, loving, unprejudiced, simple - they just want love and affection, time, attention.  They are so impressionable for the good and the bad.  What did this young man see?  What did he grow up feeling?  Hearing?  I can only imagine.  


The horrors that some children face just rips at my heart.  And again, I can't help but see my Aidan or my Eden and think about them and how they would be devastated by such things - drugs, violence, abuse of all sorts, no one wanting them, no one at home when they get home because they are too busy out "living the dream" or working hard for "the dream",  or maybe they don't even having a home...   


I can't help but think of the words in a song, "all we need is love".  Truly, its so simple, all we need, all children, adults, the elderly, need is Love - to know the Father's love for them.  To know they are Loved and to know they are wanted and they are special and significant.  


Jesus said, "let the little children come unto me".  Does my life say, "you are welcome here?"  Does my life speak love and significance to others?  There's a quote by Mother Teresa that I love.  It says, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”  


This all just makes me want to hug and love on all the children I see.  Of course I can't necessarily do that but my eyes and my spirit can.  My words sure can.  And if I can, I will...

Cherish the Moments...

I went to a beautiful Memorial, rather a celebration, tonight.  We got to be a part of witnessing the legacy of an amazing woman, Grandma Georgia B.   It is times like these where you are reminded to cherish the moments, no matter what they are...how easy it is to write this, but in those "day in, day out" moments it can sometimes be such a challenge.  But I am inspired tonight that tomorrow is a new day with a fresh start and I want to enjoy every moment with everyone I love dearly - TO THE FULLEST! 

My heart is so full tonight thinking of the treasures that I have in my life.  People and little people that I do not deserve.  I did nothing for them but God gave them to me.  Thank You!  May I steward them well...

Some moments I love and some I am learning to cherish and enjoy.  Moments like holding my 2 year old boy in my arms at night as I rock him and hear him say "rock-a-bye baby mom?", remembering that not too long ago he was a "tiny" in my arms. How did the time go bye so fast?!  Times like watching your baby girl laugh and giggle as daddy changes her and tickles her, I love these moments.  Or watching her take her first wobbly steps.  This is Heaven here on the Earth!  There is nothing like it!  Or the times when you watch your children discover "Christmas" for the first time, "look at all those Christmas!" meaning, Christmas lights on the houses and trees - everything is "Christmas".  Or, even moments like we had just the other night.  Both kiddos are in the tub and Dustin goes to check on them only to find that one of them, the 2 year old, left some "presents" for them to play in!!!  Oh my gosh, ick!!!  How long were they sitting in it?  Your mind races with questions.  But they didn't complain one bit...I can't think too hard about it otherwise it makes me sick to my stomach...babies, they are so resilient!  

As I am cleaning the tub and trying to hold it together and not lose it all in the tub, the thought of "one day this will be a great memory" runs through my mind - BUT, right now this is pretty gross!  Or, there are the times when both of your children are sick and up in the night with snotty noses, you go from one room comforting a baby to the next and start it all over again...and all you can do is rock them and cuddle them...its so tempting to be frustrated and tired, but then you look at their little faces and it all melts away and you are relegated to nothing but sheer wonder and love... 

I want to enjoy all these moments.  I'll never have them again...precious are these moments...treasures <3

Yes, I am BEYOND blessed.  My cup runneth over!  I am the richest woman in all the world!!!  I could go on and on!  And I want to CHERISH EVERY MOMENT!!!

Tis' the Season!

To be jolly...
What a whirl wind life can be.  So much happens, so fast!  Our sun turned 2 years old in September, this is him enjoying a day out with the boys playing in the snow...

Our 2 year Old, Aidan, "going down the hill!"

 we found out we are expecting baby #3 in October...

Baby #3 on the way!

Baby girl enjoying her first visit to the Pumpkin patch...

1st Pumpkin Patch Visit

Family day at the P patch - they loved it

  and our baby girl just turned 1 year old last we...

Our baby girl, who is now 1 year old!

2010 Family Christmas pics - oh the joys...

This is us :o)

More formal us - Merry Christmas 2010!

Cutting the Christmas trees

Helping daddy

Me and the Baby Girl

These are just a few of our "favorite things" that have happened in our life lately.  Oh and we finally had a little get away, just Dustin and I a couple weeks ago - Pismo Beach, CA is lovely this time of year :o)

Its times like these where I can't help but think of the movie, It's a Wonderful Life - I have a wonderful life and I am so incredibly grateful for everyone in my life - I am a VERY rich woman!  I have so many wonderful treasures in my life I don't deserve, but I am thankful.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

On to August!

The Church where D & team ministered

Workin' out the Stomp!

Wow, August was crazy and awesome!  Among the everyday things we do we got to do quite a bit of traveling.  At the beginning of the month Dustin went with Pastor Norm and a team to minister at a Focus on the Family conference in Costa Rica (such a privilege) on the topic of Generational Transfer.  It was incredible for him to be a part of this team that so embodied the message.  They had a representative of each generation and God did great things!  What an incredible feeling to know that you are being used by God to bring a greater degree of real unity not only in the generations but also in the church body all over the world!

While he was in C.R., the kids and I travelled with my parents to San Diego, CA to visit family and help the time apart pass quicker.  My mom's sister and family hadn't met our baby girl yet so it was so fun getting to introduce them to her and play in the sun splashing around in the pool!  We had a refreshing time together.

We were all home for about a week then were off for another week at our annual church Family Camp - it was off the charts!  We heard a message on breaking barriers in our life and freely living the message of Jesus Christ!  God is doing incredible things in His church and I'm so glad to be alive today!

So needless to say, with everything else we normally do in a month, these added travels made for a busy month.  Here are some pics from C.R. and also F.C. (I'll have to post pics from our time in San Diego later when I find them).  Enjoy:

The C.R. Team

Pastor Norm with Pastor Ronald translating an the awesome message of generational transfer!

A young person D got to pray for and minister to

D's good friend Joel and his girlfriend

The guys enjoying some...cantaloupe?! 

Zoomin' around with Aunt Linda and the kiddos

Eenie girl with her papa Kevin

Eenie with Uncle Dennis and Jaren

Tickle fest with the Uncle's

SUCH a doll!

In love with these two...

Daddy & team winning the b-ball championship :o)

What a babe!  Is this the life or what?!

Running, running...we'll start with June :o)

Its been a long time since I've written...we've been running hard and fast these last several months!  We've been traveling, teaching, speaking, vacationing, camping and its been incredible.  I'll have to write about the latest activities and get caught up with tons of pictures so please don't mind if this is a longer post...I hope you enjoy!

So, starting back at the end of June, we took our first vacation of the year (it was much needed and thoroughly enjoyed).  We spent two weeks on the Oregon Coast and had a blast.  Our first week was just Dustin, the kids and I in Seaside, OR and our second week was with my family at Rockaway beach.  The weather was typical for a coastal vacation in the early summer, mostly overcast with a few days of cool, but sunny, clear blue skies.  Aww, there's nothing like the beach!  I'm originally from California, the Monterey Bay to be exact, so this was a treat for me - I miss the beach (and I know, Seattle has "beaches" but its just not the same).  We had a great time playing, relaxing, reconnecting...I'll let the pics do some of the talking...

Playing with Papa @ our beach house in Rockaway, OR

The beautiful kitchen - loved this place!

so fun watching these two play together <3

The family @ the Museum of Flight in Tillamook, OR

Beautiful family and Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, OR

My stud brother Michael

My favorite thing about vacation...QT with our babes!

Next to my love relationship with my Heavenly Father, there's nothing more important to me than my family...everything begins here and if I don't have the hearts of my husband and babes than I have nothing. I am passionate about resting!  We must always take time out to just rest - resting in the Lord and hearing Him and resting our bodies and our families.  I am so grateful for the time we had.  I am grateful for the time I was able to have just sitting in God's presence, I so needed to hear him speak to me.  I needed to hear Him tell me to be like Joshua who was very strong and very courageous - he did not shrink back from anything, no matter what!

Yes, June was a good month :o)

To Sleep or Not to Sleep...

Well, my little girl is now 6 months and 2 weeks old.  Time goes by so fast!  And my son is a full blown toddler, 21 months to be exact.  They are both so dang cute!  Both so beautiful, so full of life and energy, it drives me crazy!  Each of them are in their own routine, which is beginning to line up in certain ways.  Eden is now eating at breakfast, lunch and dinner time with the family and has a "snack" feeding before bed, and doing great.  She LOVES her cereal, fruits and veggies!


We recently had her 6 month check up and she did wonderful, shots and all.  But I was talking to my pediatrician (who I absolutely love) about her nighttime sleep because she was only sleeping 7-8 hours and would often wake up unwrapped, arms flailing everywhere, around 3:45 in the morning and that's just not right!  What he told me was great, "maybe she's telling you something mom".  It's time to stop wrapping her and let her begin to sleep on her own without the wrap.  So I tried it and sure enough, with some warm jammies, classical music, her giraffe and cozy blanket she's sleeping much better through the night - 11 hours straight - I knew she could do it!  


I was sitting here this morning quietly listening to the birds, I so love early summer mornings, but realized that babies are such responders.  They so respond to us as parents, whatever it is, its incredible.  But Eden woke herself (and me) at 3:45am and I had a choice to make when I went in to check on her.   I could either go in and feed her to keep from waking the others up or I could go in with resolve and resettle her (I pat her back, turned on her music and ocean sounds, gave her the binky, re-covered her in her blanket) and leave her to go back to bed so she learns that 3:45am is NOT breakfast time.  She fussed for a little bit, even cried a bit, but you know what, she fell back asleep and no one else was awakened.  I was pleasantly surprised.  All my concerns about waking the others up, will she go back to bed, totally answered.  She responded!  


Fighting for sleep and babies finding their way into family routine is a wonderful and worthwhile thing - I choose...TO SLEEP :o)

Rocked

Well, I'm not really sure where to begin.  I've recently read and watched some things that have rocked me: an article from the Economist called 'Gendercide' (this article is about the selective murdering of baby girls that takes place every day around the world but particularly in Asia for the sheer fact that they are no good financially to the family they've been born to) and the recent film, Precious (an Indie film about the struggles of a young black girl growing up in the inner city of Harlem in the late 1980's).  These are two VERY raw things that I encourage you to read and watch only if you want to grow in having a burden for the things that I believe are on God's heart.  I struggled with both of them and whether I would write about them.  I found myself asking "what good does it do to know some of what's going on but not be able to make a difference in those situations?"  Just because I know something doesn't mean I've done something to change it.  

As I was thinking about all this, I was realizing its ok to struggle, we need to struggle through things, to be uncomfortable, to be burdened.  Its through the struggle that a passion gets birthed, its through the struggle that intercession flows, from a deep and real heart cry to see things change for the better.  Part of my struggle was for the church - we need to know what's going on, and I believe we are waking up more and more to the cries all around us.  

I want to live rocked.  I want to pray out of being rocked.  I want to love out of being rocked - by the real things, by the Real One.  If you're like me, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to make a difference when there's so much need but we can't undervalue and underestimate the power of our passionate, true prayers.  And we can't underestimate the power of loving in our every day lives.  As Mother Teresa said, "Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."  May we love with out getting tired!