This is my cry for this current phase in my life. Pressing forward to the goal, not looking behind just pressing onward. Accepting of the things I can't change and of the plans that God has for me. This is where I am right now. … [Read more...]
Praying For Haven Grace
In college I had some good friends who stuck by me in some extremely hard times. There was a time that was darker than dark for me and Lacy walked through it with me patiently and without judgement. I really do not think I would have made it through without her and I am beyond thankful to her. Three years ago Brandon and Lacy had a little girl named Haven Grace. She was born with heart issues and in august of this past year she received a new heart. Since then she has done really well, finally able to get rid of the feeding tube that she had for so long and just blossom as a little girl. … [Read more...]
Peace
Right now it's just a time when I know that there is so much that I have to do in the next few weeks. Christmas is coming up fast, the new house still isn't put together and I need to do some major maintenance on this blog. I know that some of the pages are showing up funky at times but I need a huge block of time to just sit down and work on it. On top of all that this week we made the decision to let a friend live with us for a few months while their family transitions to Houston. It's a great thing and we're really excited for them but she will be staying in our blank, beyond basic, box … [Read more...]
Why God Gave Mom’s Sundays
Sunday is a day of rest. It is the day that God knew mom's would need because He knows all our needs. Somehow God knew that in one week you might; 1. Exercise your vocal dexterity by saying 1,000 times to the same child, "you're being too loud." 2. Change an average of 5 diapers a day except for one days where they are teething (so multiply 5 times 10) or days when you have a brain freeze and don't change it until there's a murky looking puddle on your floor. 3. Sweep hourly. 4. Mop and then five minutes later discover the two year old's unplanned science experiment on the … [Read more...]
What God Thinks Of Thanksgiving
Have you ever thought about what God thinks of Thanksgiving? This week in America we are preparing to spend a day in thankfulness, or that's how it's supposed to go. Truly what the day is spent doing is watching sports, eating pie, and getting ready for the looming black friday shop-a-thon. Yes on that day we may write a list of what we're thankful for and share it around the table. Our kids might write things they're thankful for on construction paper turkey feathers. But on the day that we're supposed to be so thankful it turns into any other day, just on this day we have to wear our … [Read more...]
Reclaiming The Beauty
The hardest part of being a woman is the self doubt that we all hold at different times. Sometimes it's a simple glance in the mirror that reveals new gray hair, a new chin or maybe another little bulge and the depression comes rolling in. On days when you should be celebrating this glorious joy that all children of God are given we are wallowing in pity and self hatred. God created us to be beautiful. We are made in His image and His image is Glorious. So why then do we beat ourselves up on those days. You know the days. The one when everyone is prettier, more successful, and doing it … [Read more...]
Where have you been?
Where have I been? I made a quick jaunt up to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for my sister's bridal shower. In life plans just don't go sometimes as we plan and after our six hour drive up there, due to numerous kiddy stops, I almost came home early without even going to the shower. However some people stepped in and rallied around me to help me get to the shower and then quickly on my way home tonight. The thing that sticks out the most whenever I'm around family is how extremely different we all are. My family is not the type that you could look at and tell we belong together. Neither are we … [Read more...]
The Simpleness of Joy.
As adults we look for joy in silly places. Houses need to be perfect, jobs problem free, children behaving like angels, money piled in the bank along with friends and family waiting in the wings for you and maybe as adults we'll let that joy in. It's a problem that we adults have because we have let go of our childish ways. We cling to happiness that the world is dependent on, not the joy that God has instilled inside of us. Yet Christ has called us to have the hearts and faith of children. Give a child butterfly face paint, a newspaper hat, and grape snow cone and their joy … [Read more...]
Big News and The Hand of God
There's big news in the Byrd household. We are moving. Our house has sold and we have a contract to buy a new house. The past few weeks have been nail biting but exciting at the same time. Honestly the thing that has stood out the most the past few weeks is the hand of God on our lives. Many of you may remember back in the spring when a contract on our house fell though. We were devastated and I did question God about it. Since then there have been other offers and contracts that haven't worked out but I kept it to myself and just took each one as one more knock down on the totem … [Read more...]
Missing Colors
We expect vibrant beautiful colors we from the best sunset. It's happy ending to our happy life and our happy day. Sometimes though life doesn't give you colors. It's black and white with splotches of gray, no color or joy to be found that day. Don't let the colors of it drag you down because life, like sunset, is just as beautiful without the colors, without the expected joy... Plus if truth be told, we all know that after a sunset... there's always a sunrise. God never fails. He is faithful. … [Read more...]
Parenting
Sunday at church we went to the first week of a four week parenting class for parents of young children. We watched part of a video about parenting by Gary Thomas, a great author that I really admire. Then we were lead in a short discussion by one of our pastors, Matt Miller who has 5 kids ages 7 and down. Personally I left that class feeling revived and full of hope to be a better parent. Gary Thomas' approach to parenting isn't by telling you how to do it, it's by telling how and why you need to grow in Christ in order to be a better parent. Matt Miller opened up his heart and soul by … [Read more...]
Peace Like A River (Of Ice Cream)
There's a fine line some days between hope and desperation. I was waiting to say something but we had another offer on our house this week and thought we had a signed contract when we found out this afternoon that the other person never signed the revised contract and had actually decided not to go forward with it. After a day of teaching about peace at vacation bible school, my soul had anything but that. My hopes dropped like a brick and all I could do is believe that our attempt to sell our house without going into debt to do so would fail. This afternoon was dark for me. I fell … [Read more...]