I’m praising the Lord with our long time friends after news that their adopted baby from Haiti will be granted refugee status and come home…SOON!

Kevin & Catherine started this journey a little over 2 years ago. I remember being in Florida while shooting Like Dandelion Dust staying with Catherine and talking of “their Haiti baby.” It would be months later that they were matched with a sweet boy, Benicio (Benjamin).

They knew the journey would be long to bring Benjamin home. They continued to send us updates and pictures. WE became so attached to this little boy in Haiti!!! Imagine how we all felt when we first heard about the earthquake! Catherine was quick to communicate that God’s Little Angels suffered broken dishes, spilled dinner and scared children and nannies, but no loss of life. I immediately became glued to their websites.

I don’t know all of the technical speak on this subject, but I do know the point. Baby Benjamin IS coming home. Period. Not much more that I *need* to know. The government realizes these babies that have been matched with their forever families need to be home with them. Unfortunately, there isn’t much help from the US government standpoint as far as getting them home. Our friend, Kevin, and his brother (and I’m sure many many others) are presently trying to work on the logistics of getting these children to the US.

Personally, I feel a tremendous amount of urgency after this mornings “aftershock” at 6.1!!

I just talked to Catherine while getting permission to use Benjamin’s picture on my blog and she said things are really in motion. She is busy preparing her home for a toddler, moving chemicals, setting up the room….it was exciting to hear her voice. Praising God all the way!

She wanted me to remind you all that they are getting these children out of Haiti but the orphanage is still in need of help. There are children waiting to get in after destruction of another orphanage and, I’m sure, because of the loss of life. When you donate on the orphanage website, you are giving directly to them. No one else touches that money. They support the children first, and then the community in outreach. (As you can see on Dixie’s blog they are preparing food packets for their neighbors from the relief supplies they just received.)

Benjamin is 1 year and 9 months old. He’s only about 21 lbs, so he’s a bit behind. I’m presently looking for all clothes that I have that may fit him to send…and tomorrow I plan to take Kai to pick out a few fun things.

Oh my — Debbie just sent this to me…. What it means to these adoptive parents waiting here in the US….watch this and see ……. Oh we thank you Lord!! I can’t wait to update you.

Kai’s “quiet time” is ending and I want to get this published…. please just pray. prayers of thankfulness for God’s protection, for provision, for healing….

Just pray.

I am so blessed to have an awesome Church. I’ve had many “struck down” moments in my church.   Anyway, today was one of those days where I was so struck that it’s all I’ve thought about all day. We’ve recently been blessed with a new leader in our worship team (and I’ve been blessed with a new sushi loving friend), Meagan. Today, she had friend, J, and his wife visiting our church. J and M blessed us with a special song that left me weak in my knees.

How He Loves : David Crowder Band (click that link to hear the song & see lyrics!)

I came straight home and downloaded the song and its been running through my head all day. Yall, how beautiful is our Savior’s love for us??

Becoming a parent completely changed my personal relationship with the Lord. I could never quite grasp the “fathers love” concept until I had my own child. Well, I understood it, but it didn’t resonate quite like it does today. I would never be able to turn from my child. I am always forgiving of their (well, currently just SBs) wrongs. I correct them out of love. I will always love them….always……how much more does the Lord do this for me!!

And, how do I treat my heavenly Father in return? How many times has he forgiven me and I continue to fall? How many times do I neglect talking to him intimately? How many time do I really not feel like going to fellowship in house?? How much worse do we treat our heavenly Father?? How would that hurt me if my dear babies who I love so much treated me that way??

Brings me to tears. We so take for granted the relationship that the Lord has given us. Especially in this season of our dear Saviors birth we should be reminded of WHY he came ….BECAUSE HE LOVES US!!!!

Started out with a good warm up with soccer balls.  Part of this included throwing a ball against a wall and catching it.  Yeah, I really know why I wasn’t in sports. I couldn’t catch my own ball for anything.  I tried blaming it on my gloves, but after I took them off I still couldn’t catch the darn thing!

Next we headed to picnic tables for step-ups.  Ugh. Step-ups.  I had visions of training at Larry North all over again!  (Ahem ,yeah, that was 4.5 years ago – so what!) So lots of step-ups in different variations….after counting the sets and all we did I think we did about 100.  Also some tricep and core work in there.

During this, my stomach pain returned….I guess I need to flashback a bit.  A reason I did post anything last night was that sometime during the morning yesterday (Monday) I started having major abdominal pain.  I kept checking the calendar, period? ovulating?  nothing.  Very similar to the pain I was experiencing in North Carolina in October.  When I had the pain there it lasted about two weeks I kept saying that I’d go to the dr but never did.

Yall, I can handle my pain.  For pete sake, I had an unmedicated birth! But I had this too long!  I had to lay on the floor to take care of the kids yesterday…that doesn’t fly!  I hate taking medication, but I would do anything to make this pain stop.  But stopping pain isn’t the answer, what is causing the pain is what I want to know.

Okay, back to this morning, I hadn’t had the pain when I woke up and it had gradually started during the step-ups…but I wasn’t going to wuss out.  As I said before, I pushed that baby out in under three hours without drugs, I can push through this workout.  But, I realized once the next activity was about to start, I needed to stop.  Ugh.  Such a pride thing.  I wanted to prove I could do this but my body HURT! So, after thirty minutes I bolted.

I came home, woke EP up, he laid hands on me and we prayed…it was time for answers.  We discussed which Dr. to call: GYN – since it was pelvic; Family – since it could be anything; ER – since we all know thats where they send you when they can’t determine anything else??  I made an appointment with my family Dr at 11:30 and then headed to my moms, stopping at the bank first. While at the bank drive through, I couldn’t take anymore. Crying, I called EP and said lets go to the ER.

I never understand when people immediately run to the ER. We have never been like that in my family. We always wait for our usual Dr and see him….but now I get it, sometime you just need to be seen.

First, I’m tested for kidney stones, negative.  Then, they check vitals and tell me I’m dehydrated.  Uh, really?  If you know me at all, you know I’m never far from a water bottle. But, I admit, i had sticky mouth and everything, so I didn’t fight it.  Bam, IV.

Saw the Dr  He did a lot of feeling around.  ”Knocking” on my body.  Nothing.  He says I need a CAT Scan.  Now, I’m just going to be very honest here and say that is the last thing I wanted to do.  I have an HSA (Health Saving Account) / High Deductible account because we are so healthy…but this is where it bites you.  (I’m going to blog on a financial revelation regarding this next).

CAT Scan reveals 3 stones in my left kidney (all pain is left side) but the dr says stones IN the kidney aren’t the painful part, its when they move down.  Then he says that my left ovary was significantly smaller than the right and surrounded by some fluid, so a possible rupture of an ovarian cyst.  I’ve had cysts before, very likely.  The cyst totally bore witness with EP…as we discussed it the general consensus was it probably grew in NC and ruptured due to the sudden impact of the new workout.  I was sent home with a RX for vicodin and told the stones may or may not cause me pain in the future.

Honestly, I’m glad I went and even though I realllllllly didn’t want a scan, I’m happy to know that all of my organs are working perfectly and in order. There is a peace in that right?  I’m happy that, even though I hate drugs, there is something to help me through this pain while it lasts.   So I guess I’ll chill out the next few days…. sigh.

One thing I have found in reading my Bible is you really should check out several versions.  I typically read the New King James version in church and study, but more often than not, the New Living Translation helps me at home when just reading in general.

This morning I read the following and thought, “that is perfect for the first scripture in my blog.” It’s long so I’m bolding the portion I’m committing to memory (however, I’ll attempt the whole thing!).

Galations 4:21-24 (NLT): Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, ²² throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. ²³ Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. ²⁴ Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

I want to put on my new nature and take on that of Christ!! I want my thoughts and attitude to reflect my Savior!

Bless you!!

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This Thanksgiving I was dealt a very large reminder of being thankful for my health and family.

Last Friday, I had a wonderful girl day.  My friend L and I went to see New Moon, had a fabulous lunch and did a tiny bit of browsing on Main Street.  We laughed, chatted, and enjoyed every second before having to return to our everyday lives with kids and husbands.  I love those days.  But this day ended up horribly wrong and left me longing for my husband…and wanting to hug my friend.

L’s husband, J, woke up that morning just fine, but while getting dressed for the day suddenly had this horrible pain in his back.  Like our generation always does, L & J googled the symptoms and were pretty sure it was only kidney stones. He had some other things to finish that day so he pressed through the pain.  After we got out of the movie, L got a call from her husband saying he was still in some pain and going to run to an urgent care in the area.  After our lunch she he said he was going back for x-rays to confirm kidney stones.  L & I shared a small laugh about men and pain and I wished her well nursing her husband through the weekend as we all know how terribly painful kidney stones are.  We hugged and parted ways around 3pm.

I get a text later in the evening (maybe around 7) that is was not kidney stones, it was a bleeding abdominal mass and that he needed surgery.  What?  Are you serious?  Immediately I was struck with guilt over joking so lightly!  Who would have ever known??  Even J didn’t realize it was something worse…I mean come on, we are young and healthy!! What was going on??

L blogged about it here.  I won’t even try to rewrite what she has said. But what a reminder of being thankful for health!

My dear friend who I was laughing and joking with was faced with possibly losing her husband just hours later. I couldn’t imagine. I prayed for hours for his recovery…..for her strength…for my own family and health.  Be thankful.