Easter

We had the most Amazing Easter! 

One of those 'Precious Memories' kind of Easters...

Last week, we planned to have DATE NIGHT - with the Boys... Separately!

We had the boys list some fun activities and we put those on slips of paper and drew them out.  We also drew WHO each boy was going to go with and WHEN they were going to go!  With Sarah-Bethany, it's not always easy to find a babysitter... so we just arranged them on different nights!

So Thursday night was Dad and Negash's Night.  Negash drew Chuck E. Cheese!  Meanwhile, Caleb, Sarah-Bethany and I all stayed home and watched 'Wreck It Ralph'.

 I don't know where in the WORLD it comes from... but Negash is obsessed with RINGS!  So with all the tickets Dad and he won... he wanted Bling Rings!  LOL!  He's such a mess!

Then Friday night was our turn!  Caleb drew Incredible Pizza!  We had a BLAST at Laser Tag and all the other fun games!  Sweet time together!

THEN....  Sunday... RESURRECTION SUNDAY...  Chris got the Awesome and Amazing Priveledge of Baptizing Negash on Easter Sunday!  What a Beautiful Picture of what Jesus died for!

So Thrilled that BOTH my boys now have their names in the Book of Life!  There just isn't any greater feeling for a Mother... but to know her children are Children of the MOST HIGH GOD!  #AmazingGrace

And Sweet "Miss Bet" was SO ADORABLE in her little Easter Dress!  She was so sweet and loving to all that came! She just loved on everyone!!  She is such an Amazing Baby!

Precious Cousins!  These 3 just LOVE to play with each other!  My boys just LIGHT UP when they know Sweet Brooklyn is coming to visit!

My Precious HANDSOME (and Skinny!) Daddy and Ms. Floy came to our Easter Service to celebrate Negash's baptism.  We are so blessed by them both!  My awesome Brother came down from St. Louis (with Brooklyn) too!  My heart was so full!! 

Because He Lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!

We sang this song today at Bible study...  as the pianist pounded away at the notes of the intro before we started singing... I smiled... remembering sitting with Momma on the piano bench as she'd play this song.  We'd sing it together... always having to slow down for a second on the difficult chords.  She's a perfectionist... so it had to be right... even if we had to sing the same word a few more times!  I, on the other hand, being NOT THE PERFECTIONIST would have just left that chord out and carried on with the right hand alone! :)  It made me laugh a little as I remembered playing with her and singing... I don't sing well, but Mom didn't care... she didn't sing well... but I didn't care!  We'd just sing awful and play... she'd always accuse me of picking all the songs with 4 flats!!

So... I was smiling...  then as we continued to sing the song... I remembered that we sang this one at her funeral.  little tear.  So I "sat out" a verse... trying to think of the GLORY of knowing her reality, and my future with Jesus. 

Until we got to this verse......

And then one day I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives.

Ugh... 

bigger tear...  had to sit out this verse completely and the chorus after... thankful we always pray next so I can wipe the corners of my eyes with my shirt...

I have a big problem with the word "AND" in that last phrase of that verse...  Because I know my Momma *KNEW* He lives BEFORE she saw the Lights of Glory.  She didn't need the AND... 

...

Reflecting on this today made me remember that I haven't blogged about this past month...  So... this may be a little long... but hey... you're sort of a captive audience if you're still reading! :D

I always start getting a bit... reflective... right after Valentine's day.  This year was harder.....  My sweet Daddy was scheduled for Prostate Cancer Surgery on February 22nd..........  really, Lord!!  Really??!?!  Why of ALL 365 days in a year must he have to have surgery for CANCER of all things ON THAT DAY??????  

UGH........  A Punch in the Gut

February 22nd is the anniversary of my diagnosis of cancer 14 years ago.....  it has always been a day met with a little sadness and a lot of thankfulness... but it's still a tough day.

NOW DAD...  Not only is he having surgery for CANCER on the same day that I was diagnosed with CANCER but also only 4 days before my Mom died of CANCER!!

I didn't tell Daddy about the significance of that date until AFTER his surgery... but I prayed to the Lord... "PLEASE LORD, NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN TODAY....... PLEASE!!!"

And in TRUE FORM of my Loving Jesus........ nothing bad did happen.  In fact, he breezed through his surgery and recovery in an AMAZING way!  #relief

I am So Thankful for a Lord and Savior who KNOWS MY HEART, CARES for my worries, and HEARS my prayers!  He Lives......

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!

Crazy Good!

Shoooo Weee has He been Busy!!  The Lord has knocked our SOCKS off in the last 2 weeks!  FOR REAL!  Let me give you a little time line...

March 7th - Our 16 year anniversary!  Had another house showing. I was a little frustrated that I didn't get the floors as cleaned as I like and I didn't get the dusting done because I ran out of time.  *But* we get a call that night from our real estate agent and the people who had come to visit were asking if we could be moved out by the end of the month!!  That was so great positive news!  We said "SURE....  No problem!!" :)

March 8th - AN OFFER!  A really low offer... but an Offer!

March 9th - At Dad's helping him clean out his house and get ready for a yard sale. Chris did all the back and forth through offers and counter-offers... and WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!!!  The people at the Mexican Restaurant were a bit nervous at our dancing! :)

Yee Haw!! :D  ... and now... lots of work and planning!  Crazy Good! :)

March 12th - VISAs ARE APPROVED!!  That's pretty Amazing!! :D  Now the paperwork goes to Atlanta and they will inform us when we are to mail our passports to insert the papers inside!!  May still take a few weeks to get all that done! 

March 13th - The Big List was emailed out to sell all of our furniture and big items!  Everything sold in 6 hours!!  God is SO Good!

March 16th & 17th - Bye Bye stuff!  Hello Apartment!  The boys were so excited about the new apartment!  Negash did 'Snow Angels' on the carpet saying "I LOVE this kind of floor!" Our house had only hardwoods!  They LOVE all the extra space (with no furniture!)  

March 19th - Happy Birthday to me! :) Sitting in the car at the boys' soccer practice... got a call from a friend in Southaven.  They wanted the Honda and came THAT NIGHT and bought it!  Down to one car...  :)

So... here we are... sleeping on air mattresses, dining on a card table, trying to figure out schedules with one car, cleaning, packing, throwing away, prioritizing, address changing, planning, scheduling...  and KNEELING before an Awesome, Loving Savior who is Living - Willing - and ABLE to accomplish all of this... and SO MUCH MORE!  Thank you Jesus!

Life Abundantly!

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  (NIV)   Other versions have: I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Order.  The more I study the Bible... the more I note how important ORDER is.

I had NEVER seen the progress of Steal and Kill and Destroy up front and in my face until fall of 2007.  We were in Brasilia.  There was a major crisis that happened.  Regardless of the particulars of the crisis...  I had never seen the way Satan can get a very small toe hole in and start eating away like a Rabid Cancer until all was destroyed.  Was I just naive to have never really seen it before... or was it more because I was SO CLOSE to the destruction in a way I had never been before?

Since that time... I have seen it several more times... in others lives or events and even in my own life.  Thankfully multiple times I have seen the Cancer stopped...  before it took ALL!  And in other times... it wasn't stopped at all...  and for those involved there was full destruction.  And it never starts that way.........  Nothing quite captures this picture for me like the "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns.  It's a slow fade when black and white turns to gray.  People never crumble in a day... 

But back to those words....  Steal and Kill and Destroy.  Why not steal,kill, and destroy??  Why the emphasis on steal AND kill AND destroy?  I don't think this is just a translation thing...  I think the Lord was wanting us to see this as NOT ONLY Sequential... but also INDEPENDENT.   Satan can just jump ahead to DESTROY... but more often, I think... he uses the progression.

Just as my pastor says "Satan works what works!"  The Slow Fade works!

BUT... look after that...  "I have come so that they may have LIFE and have it to the Full (or more Abundantly!)."

Why not...  I have come to return, heal, and restore??    Or closer... Psalm 103 (my favorite) says: v3-5  Forgives, Heals, Redeems, Crowns, and Satisfies.

That's a pretty incredible word list!!!

You know... even those words just don't cut it.......  He came to give us HIMSELF!!!!  Nothing can be better than that!!!!  He is LIFE... He is the ANTI-CANCER!

No Other words could be any sweeter... and no other words could provide that depth of COMFORT!

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I just can't leave this post without this:

**DO NOT BELIEVE THE LIE THAT IT CAN'T HAPPEN TO YOU!!  Don't believe that you are immune from destruction... because the one of this world is PLOTTING against you!  And he's crafty.

BUT we know WHO wins!