Dreams . . .

Have you ever had a dream so real and vivid and horrible that you woke up and wanted to hug your family tight to you? You knew it was a dream but it felt so real, it took a while to convince yourself that it was truly a dream? I had that last night. I dreamed that my beautiful little daughter was stolen from us. I don't know quite how she was stolen but she was. This horrible person did all kinds of horrible things to her. I knew every detail of the horrible things that were done to her because it was as if I were in her subconscious experiencing these things as well. We finally found her in a seafood restaurant and unfortunately the faceless bad guy got away. We took our daughter home, cleaned her up, washed her hair, held her and rocked her. She was listless and closed up. She didn't say much, she didn't need to, I already knew what had happened to her. I just held her. After awhile I started teaching her my Sunday School lesson from yesterday. I've been teaching through Mrs. Terri Chappell's Books, The Choice is Yours (Click Here for the Link). It is a book about the choices we make and how they affect us. Yesterday's choice was, "Choose to Be Strong". IT was talking how trials and temptations God allows into our life. It is Father Filtered and because of this we need to trust that if He allowed it, or even sometimes originated it then He is going to use it for our good and we need to choose God's strength not our own. Yesterday it was easy to stand up and tell the ladies that. I care for and love each of them and it was easy to tell them to choose God's strength . . . in my dream as I held my daughter I broke down and actually woke up sweating. It was hard telling my daughter that. I felt deeply as I told her that. It made it extremely personal and because of that very dynamic. I know God doesn't speak to us through dreams anymore but I do know He allowed that in my life to teach me something. One thing is when I speak in class next Sunday I'll be looking at them and thinking of them as my daughters and I KNOW that's going to change my passion and the way I tell them, it won't be a Sunday School Lesson I share, it will be a message I want to impact and hopefully use to shape their life! And another thing is I hope that when the time comes and my daughter does experience some great trial, I hope that I will be able to tell her to stand strong in the Lord. To take her burdens to the Lord because HE knows and not just that, He cares!

Saturdays in Hotels

I know we as a married couple need dates and I love my husband, I really do. I was looking at him in the car last night and I should have said it, but I thought, "Goodness I'm lucky. He is handsome, strong, godly, wise, and wonderful!" He could have had any girl at college I know, my roommate liked him and wanted to date him with the intent of considering him a marraige candidate and she would have been perfect for him, but instead he chose me! I don't know why, (he may have been delirious or on crack :o) but he did and now he's stuck with me. :oP. Seriously, I love him and I don't deserve him, but I'm sure glad I've got him. These past few days I have laughed with him, I have been myself, I have not had to worry about getting onto children or their emotional needs, I have been a kid at college in love with my man and find myself married to him. This has been the best gift I received this Christmas season. Husbands, Wives, whoever reads this blog, go on a date with your husband. Do an overnight thing. Trust someone to take your kids and then just enjoy your spouse. Laugh with them. Flirt with them. Kiss them long and hard. Watch tv together and get annoyed at how stupid the world is becoming. Rant and rave against idiots who don't want guns. Eat chocolate in bed together and don't care about the crumbs! Go out to eat together and look longingly in each others eyes. Find out something new about your spouse. Act like you're dating but realize you're married. ;o) Enjoy each other! Take time away from your kids. Your kids WILL survive, they may even like it and your marriage to their mommy or daddy will be better for it thus giving a great gift to your child as well! I told my husband that since my in-laws were so close I think we ought to do a all nighter a couple times a year! It has been the best time! You don't have to spend a lot of money either! Just enjoy each other! You won't regret it!

Merry Christmas

This year we find ourselves in Muncie, Indiana. I plan on dying here, just so you know! Last year this time I had my brother with me. We didn't even know Muncie, Indiana existed. We were plugging along and enjoying family and friends. We were planning our Candlelight service and looking forward to church. Last year Christmas was on Sunday. We still had a service, a short morning service. The church people did something most special. I think it was the most thoughtful thing they did the entire time we were there! They brought in presents and covered the front two pews with them for us. It was very special. We took home our presents and opened and opened and opened! I honestly don't remember what I got, I just know how special they made me feel.
This year, we are at Jackson Park Baptist Church. I feel home. We planned and executed our Candlelight service. The kids sang, Grace Has a Face and another dear man in our church sang O Holy Night. (He really ought to make a single, I'm sure he make a million!) Another lady sang, What Child is This (without practice and you would never KNOW it! I am cease to be amazed about her willingness to serve God and with such a sweet spirit!) This Christmas I am realizing afresh and anew that the best presents don't come wrapped. They are times with family laughing over a movie as you watch your children react to something you grew up watching. They are eating pb fudge from a lady in the church who accused you of trying to poison her because she tried to eat the fake ornamental cupcake jar that looked real! It is going to church and knowing you are loved and accepted with all your faults. It is being around people that aren't constantly critical but just love the Lord as you do and are just trying to serve Him to the best of your ability. It is listening to your kindergartener read! It is sitting on the bed explaining to your son how to be saved and watching as he bows his head and prays and asks God to save him! It is having a family over from the church to finish elfing them so you can reveal all that the church people did for them! Elfing is just giving someone gifts for several days before Christmas! The church people OUTdid themselves! Christmas is very special for us and it is even better being here in Muncie, IN, the best place IN THE WORLD!!!!!