So Blessed!

My family is so blessed to be apart of an amazing Church Family! If it weren't for the strength and love from our Church Family, we could not have endured all of the trials and tribulations we have been through in the past three years. This week I was so surprised when my grandmother called me in tears because the head of the Children's Ministry wrote the most beautiful article in this week's News Letter. The timing of her call was PERFECT. I was about to totally lose my cool with Cliff and Harper. We were leaving the grocery store and Cliff was HORRIBLE.

Picture this: Harper will not sit down in the buggy (even though I tightened the straps as tight as they would go) so I had to hold onto her while pushing the buggy around. She did not want me to hold onto her so she was screeching like a wild monkey and swatting at my hand. Cliff was in the front of the buggy opening E.V.E.R.Y. single item I placed in the cart. He dumped strawberries out everywhere and when I tried to talk to him about his inappropriate behavior he yelled "Ouch! Don't hurt me!" (I was not even touching him....). So I was "that" mother who could not control the two wild beasts in my cart...

Then came the phone call from Nonnie and my whole attitude was changed. She could not read me the article because she was so choked up (we are a bunch cry babies in our family) but she told me it was beautiful and I had to go home and read it. From the second I heard Nonnie's voice and the few words she could get out, my attitude changed and I was no longer that frazzled i-am-about-to-lose-my-mind mother anymore. Isn't it so awesome how God can change your outlook on a whole day in one second?!

Then I went home, unloaded the groceries, put the babies down for their naps and sat down at the computer and read this article by Mimi Brookshire:

Good News & Great Ideas for Spiritual Living

By Mimi Brookshire

Determination

and our part in

God’s big story

The Children’s Ministry at Shandon is filled with some of the most

awesome “

fun watching each one of them as they grow up, envisioning what

God has planned for their future. In Children’s Ministry, we love to

share with the children stories of great Bible heroes and how God

used them. It provides us with an opportunity to help our children

understand that God has an incredible purpose for each of them,

too. Everyone of them is a part of God’s Big Story.

During the month of January, we studied determination and what

God’s Word teaches us about it. The children learned the value of

finishing the difficult tasks they started. God has given us some

great examples of this in the Bible. We have talked about the

plagues, the 40 years in the desert, Israel’s history, Paul’s sufferings,

and Paul’s advice to Timothy. As we discussed the Bible stories, we

asked the children to share with us what is going on in their own

lives that requires determination. We delved into a great verse, ”

us keep on running the race marked out for us,

kids shared their determination plan for being successful in school,

listening to their moms and dads, getting along with their siblings,

reading better, working through family problems, improving

basketball skills, and many things that seem so grown up for little

people.

Our Shandon kiddos are such an inspiration. Some have big things

that require determination and others have smaller things in their

lives to work on. As we studied determination in the month of

January, one of my three-year-old Shandon friends stood out in

my mind each week. He is working on big things in his life. He has

a medical issue that has not allowed him to walk until now. A few

months ago, God provided a way for him to have a special surgery

so that he could walk. He has endured an unimaginable amount

of therapy and practice. He has much more intense therapy and

practice to go, but his determination is truly amazing. During hard

times, he remains determined because he wants to walk like his

friends. In my opinion, the most impressive thing about my little

three-year-old friend is his attitude. Even at three, he prays and asks

God to help him stay determined. He thanks his friends for praying

for him. He smiles and shows such kindness and enthusiasm for life.

This child is a typical three-year old who shows determination as

only seen in someone who trusts God. He is following the example

of those unbelievable Bible heroes we talked about in Sunday

school. I cannot wait to see the plan God has for his life, because I

know it is going to be something special.

As usual, the kiddos of Shandon have taught me incredible lessons.

When I miss days in my Bible reading... I can be determined to

start again, even if it is hard. When I think I can’t work through sin

in my life... I can be determined and trust God to help me. When

I stay determined... God grows me. When I am determined... the

blessings are greater than I ever expected. When I have a God

attitude... I can do it! Stay determined in 2011 to be who God wants you to be!

kiddos.” They never cease to amaze me! I have so muchLet” Hebrews 12:1. The
 

Wow!

I wiped the tears that were running down my cheeks then I prayed that God would help me be a better mother to these little ones that He blessed Ross and I with. I woke Cliff up and apologized for not having enough patience with him today and held him tight. He is a miracle and I need to remember that even when he is acting like a wild animal! This article is just what I needed to read. Thank you Mimi for all that you do and have done to accommodate Cliff. Thank you for touching the lives of each and every child who is apart of our wonderful Church. You are setting the foundation for them to live their lives in according to God's word and grow to be Godly people. Thank each and every person who has and continues to pray for Cliff and our family. The love and support from each of you is unbelievable and means more to us than words could ever express. We are so very blessed. God is so wonderful and works in our lives in so many ways.