Let Go

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

We are strange (and I'm not just speaking for myself [smiles]). We want to hang on to everything. We say some have control issues, when in fact, we all do (yes, all of us). I can't tell you how many times I've read Proverbs 3:5-6. I can tell you that it's an inspirational verse full of instruction and promise, yet often enough we choose to simply view it as simply an "inspirational verse" without application. I am so very guilty of this. Why do we have such trouble recognizing the need to simply let go? And when we recognize it, why is it so hard to accomplish? It's hard because we think we know what's best for us. The reality is like the game and we don't have a CLUE!

Not long ago, I found a letter that my dad wrote to me back in 2002, two years before he passed away. His words touched my heart six years ago, but the other day they touched my soul. "Candace, if you want a dress, you go to the dress store. If you want true happiness you go to Him and you let go," he wrote. I have to remind myself to just let go and let Him have control.

My dad's words were simple yet the truth they hold is abundant. If you want true happiness you go where you will find it--God--and when you get there, let go and "He shall direct your paths." If you think you are truly happy try "letting go," trust in the Lord with all your heart, and I promise your definition of happiness will change. While I have to often remind myself to let go, the direction He takes me and the joy He brings is more than worth it.
Lord, please remind me to always "let go."

Now your turn. Try it. You won't be disappointed.

One of those...

Yes, I could have been watching the Ohio debate last night...

..but instead, I chose this-- Live and in person!

In order love to hockey, I must define why I love it. Hockey is simply a poetic mixture of speed, grace, and my favorite part, brute physical contact. It truly is a team sport where success can only be achieved when each member of the team works together to accomplish that common goal -no pun intended. Back to the brute physical contact... I do so very much love it. While I've always enjoyed watching boxing, hockey brings a whole new meaning to the realm of physical contact sports. Yes, last night I became one of those hockey fans.

Discovery Channel-2911 Version

Have you ever seen the show, "Dirty Jobs?"
No? Yes? Well, they were filming this weekend at 2911.
NOT after much thought, I've decided that one of the dirtiest jobs ever is simply being a mother. Never in my life have I been pooped, peed, snotted and thrown up on as much as I have until I became a "Mommy." You know what I'm talking about. When your child has that pitiful look of uncertainty followed by the projected Niagara Falls of vomit. YES! It is gross! I agree!
Move over Mike Rowe.
Moms have a new "Dirty Job" for your show.

Her Name was...IS Ruth.

There was a brief intermission and I had to pee. We'd already taken a break earlier allowing me to catch a glimpse of the lengthy bathroom line. It was no different this intermission. Let's face it, women are slow pee-ers and I was at a women's conference. Quickly, I made a U-turn and headed to the book table. I could (would) hold it. It was there that I saw Ruth. Out of all the sponsorship packets I'm still unsure why I was drawn to Ruth's, but I was. Sponsoring a child in another country has always intrigued me. It just seemed like it would be such a rewarding experience, for the sponsor and the child, but making that comittment was something I knew I couldn't do without first discussing it with G. I placed Ruth's sponsorship packet back on the table.

Back in the auditorium I took my seat. I was flipping through some of the reading material that had been passed out and I overheard one of the women sitting on the row in front of me say to her friend, "Her name is Ruth. Isn't she beautiful?" I caught of glimpse of Ruth's sponsorship packet she was holding in her hand. Now what did she think she was she doing with my Ruth? I caught myself feeling a little dissapointed but really that was silly of me.

The boyfriend (yes, the hubby who I refer to as the boyfriend just to irritate him (grin) ) and I mulled it over for a couple days and decided that sponsoring a child was something we felt compelled to do through Compassion International. Now, it was time to pick a child. How in the world do you just pick one? What country? Boy or Girl? Age? I kept thinking about Ruth.

The boyfriend encouraged me to call Proverbs 31 Ministries Monday morning. Lysa Terkeurst, the President of Proverbs 31 Ministries, had been the speaker that weekend at the conference (which was amazing by the way). It was Lysa's book table where I first saw Ruth. While I knew the women in front of me had Ruth's packet last and I was sure one of them had sponsored her, I had to be certain. Ruth continously kept entering my mind.

Monday morning, I called Proverbs 31. To make a long story short, my call was returned and Holly, Lysa's assistant, left me this voicemail: "Candace, I finally found the packets, opened the box, and Ruth's packet was right there on top! She was never sponsored!" Maybe the lady in front of my row had subconsciously heard my territorial growl and decided Ruth just wasn't for her. Either way, we feel God brought Ruth into our lives for a reason.
Meet Ruth--Ruth Ewuah. She lives in Ghana, Africa and she is beautiful.
Getting to know more and more about Ruth has been humbling, moving and even sobering for us. What a great experience, and it has only just begun. One lesson I've learned so far... If you feel God nudging you to do something, He just may be. It doesn't have to be child sponsorship by any means, but I wanted to share with you my experience, our experience, of God's nudge.

"Mommy"-infinity

A: "Mommy...mommy?...mommy...MOMMY?...MOMMMMYYY"
Me: (Ignoring)
A: "Mommy...mommy...mommy!?...MOOOOOMMMMYYY"
Me: "Av, you see that I am on the phone and you are being very rude!"
A: "I not rude."
(Pause----Wait for it. Wait for it. Ahhhh...a WHOLE 10 seconds of precious, precious, rare-almost-extinct, silence-which almost makes me dance in the streets naked with excitement...Almost.)
A: "Mommy...mommy!...mommy? Mommy?"
Me: (Ignoring)
A: "Mommy."
Me: "AV! Did you hear what I said!?"
A: "Yes."
Me: "Well, you must not have. Put your listening ears on. Mommy is on the phone!"
A: "Hey, mommy...Mommy!?...mommy?...mommy...
Me: (Furious, gritting teeth, ignoring)
A: "Mommy...mommy..."
Me: "Av. You are being rude. Wait your turn and I will be off the phone in a minute. Do NOT say one more word! It is NOT your turn."
A: (Processing)
A: "Mommy."
Me: "WWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAATTTT? WHAT is it Av?"
A: "You on da phone, Mommy??"

May God grant me patience today, or a valum for every time I blink.
Amen.

Amazing Love

Can you even fathom the idea of having to watch your child, your loved one, be ridiculed, beaten, and tortured, only with the end result being nailed to a cross and lifted in the air? Can you imagine standing by (would you have stood by like Mary and watched till the end?) not being able to do anything to stop the hurt and the hatred? I can't. I would imagine part of me would die as well. I would imagine that as a mother part of Mary was also crucified that day. The torment of her only child pierced her heart like the sword pierced Jesus' side.
All that suffering... all that pain... it was all for us yet some still deny Him even though He offers eternal life. It's astonishing. A day will come however, when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 14:11). I hope this video tugs on your heart like it did mine.

Can't Buy Me Love

<-----Unless it looks like this. Doesn't he melt your heart? Of course he does! If he doesn't, check your pulse. Meet Duncan. He's one fuzzy pound of drippin' love. Duncan also fell absolutely in love with us while we were in Washington Saturday and simply had to tell his family, "Good-bye." Our family was too irresistable. What can I say? To a pound of fur with these precious eyes we too seem like we're drippin' with love... (This is where you say to yourself, "You ARE drippin' with love.")

GIVE-They do.

I experienced something Saturday morning (no, not a new cartoon) that everyone should. This month's community outreach at our church is Give 2 the Troops. I had never heard about G2tT until about a year ago.
Read what it is (Come on, do it):
Give2TheTroops is a non-profit organization that began in December 2002 and became incorporated in the State of Connecticut on June 30, 2004. Shortly thereafter, they opened branches in other states. The goal of G2tT is to show troops that communities in every state support and appreciate them. Since December 2002, they have supported approximately ONE MILLION deployed U.S. troops with loving care packages and letters from all over the nation.
Before you can pack a care package, you have to individually bag almost every item. Bar soap requires double-bagging and if it's Irish Spring you better pull a third bag because of the fragrance (I knew I always hated Irish Spring-no offense to the Irish, of course). We bagged and sorted everything from candy, to shampoo, to Ramen Noodles, to toothpaste, to socks, to deoderant, to playing cards, etc. Afterwards, we put together care packages. This was the really fun part. All boxes get the general items, but then you are given a soldier request form. The form contains a soldier's name, their living acommodations (most are poor), and their request(s). My soldier, David, was requesting toiletries and calling cards. Sorry, David, we were out of calling cards. You were added to the list to receive one, but boy, you will be the cleanest and most well-groomed solider in Iraq! David will receive toilet paper, Visine, socks, nasal spray, candy, band aids, deoderant, toothpaste, candy, toothbrush, chapstick, dental floss, shampoo, candy, magazines (hope he likes NC Wildlife-I heard it rocks), books (including a Bathroom Companion Reader--something every man likes), a devotion book, a Bible, candy, shaving cream, a box of envelopes, stationary, playing cards, batteries, Q-tips, cotton balls, razors, candy, hand sanitizer, foot powder, candy, conditioner, lotion, etc. There's too much that goes into these boxes to continue listing, but just know it's amazing. Our soldiers are amazing.
Lastly, the boxes are topped off with homemade cards (yes, people come in, volunteer, sit, and make cards the entire time there), a letter from G2tT, and a short note from the person that packed the box. My short note to David doesn't do justice for the thanks I feel, but hopefully he'll get the idea.
2 things I learned Saturday:

• Troops need to know that we support and appreciate the sacrifices they make for us, our families, and our future.
• It's about giving back to those who give their all...and it only took 2 hours on a Saturday.

While G. and I have donated items to G2tT before, it's the first time I had donated my time. I will do it again. Please take 2 minutes and visit http://www.give2thetroops.org/ , and if you can't donate time to your local G2tT branch, check out the list of the items needed (you'll be amazed how many you have in your home that you don't use, I sure was) and donate them!

She Thanked Him for Chicken Nuggets

After a long awaited Valentine's Day party, tons of excitement, and mounds of cards, stickers, stamps, tatoos and candy, Av. finally fizzled out last night like a July 4th sparkler at its end. Although she doesn't understand the full meaning of Valentine's Day (What two and a half year old would or even needs to?), she was thrilled that this "Love" holiday appeared out of nowhere (in her mind) bestowing upon her a new heart-covered shirt, a party, candy, and a reason to stuff cards for her classmates into paper and glitter-covered shoe boxes.
It was time for Av. to crawl in her big girl bed and say her prayers. I challenged her to really stop, think, and thank God for the things she loves. She thanked Him for chicken nuggets.
The sincerity of her prayer was precious; the innocence even more so. I started thinking... At what point in the transition from being an infant, a toddler, a young child, and then to a teenager/young adult, do we lose that innocence? "For we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23. I think because we are all sinners by nature, we will inevitably become sinners by choice as soon as we are able to do so. Once this happens, that precious innocence that we see so often in our children becomes lost. Innocence is so very precious because this world doesn't contain a drop of it until a child is born. All this leads me to thank God for something I truly love-His grace! "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith . . ." Ephesians 2:8. God sacrificed His only Son to get you, and me, into heaven. Grace simply refers to the kindness of God toward the undeserving, and boy am I undeserving.

I look forward to the day when Av. understands Valentine's Day, but more importantly when she will be able to truly understand God's love and His grace. Until then, I suppose she will thank Him for her chicken nuggets...

Valentine's Update!

An addendum to the previous posting.
My boyfriend officially redeemed himself! Yes, you heard it here first. He totally received Valentine's Day Redemption (you didn't know there was such, did you?) and his brownie point system just recouped from the negative.
I went to our office lobby to get some water and noticed out the window that my car was gone. After a brief moment of panic, I so knew my boyfriend had been by (yes, boyfriend=hubby!). So, I got my car keys and went to take a look. Lo' and Behold! I could see the floor boards of "Lightning," my Ford Escape! While some of you wouldn't deem this act of love Valentine's Day-ish, you sure would if you had seen the inside of Lightning. Poor Lightning. Poor boyfriend.
Thank you, boyfriend! I love you! Happy Valentine's Day!

Birthday with a Purpose

So, Wikipedia's (I do love Wikipedia) definition for Valentine's Day is this:Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14. In North America and Europe, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery.

[shouts loudly] Would someone mind forwarding this definition to my husband? Just kidding. Sort of... The day is NOT over just yet though (meaning he still has time to redeem himself...)!

Not only is today Valentine's Day though, but it's also CHD Awareness Day! Last year, I ordered a large quantity of CHD Awareness brochures and sent them out to friends and family with V-Day cards. I seemed all organized and on top of things-like. Needless to say, you won't be receiving a brochure this year, or a card, and if you do, the postal service has some tightening up to do. Instead, I've opted to post something on here-on my blog, a blog with a purpose-about CHD Awareness Day. Yes, BLOG. Everyone, please meet the new addition to the family-"Unscripted Morsels from 2911." I'm unsure of its sex though (sold hold off on the baby showers), and I haven't told the Baby Daddy yet, but it is my new love. Today, Valentine's Day, is officially Blog's birthday. Now, some of you may be wondering, "Where's 2911?" If you know me well enough, then you should already know this. If you have no clue, then maybe you should move along. As the subtitle goes, I reserve the right to ramble. My mind is constantly wandering, therefore, I do a lot of rambling. So?

Back to the point... Today is CHD Awareness Day. There are so many individuals that truly do not know what a CHD even is. While I've always known, I never realized how common these heart defects are in children, that is until I had a child with one.

Avery's CHD is called Tetralogy of Fallot. Tetralogy doesn't and won't define who Av. is, however, it will and has already made her one strong and brave little girl. God has truly blessed us and while I thank Him every day that Av's case was isolated and we had no other complications, I thank Him even more for the journey He has taken us on and the lessons He's taught us along the way.

Because CHD is something that affects so very many of our children I feel that awareness needs to be shared...and if you're reading this, I've done my part.

Happy Valentine's Day and CHD Awareness Day!