"I dream God"

So I am making an effort to raise Jacob to know God.  Someone I knew existed when I was growing up but to say I "knew" Him, I didn't.  We pray before (almost) every meal, read "God's story" every night and talk about God daily.  It really is a lot easier than I thought to teach him about God and to trust God.  For example, he will ask, "why do we have two hands?" yep that was the question this morning.  To which I can easily say, "I don't know, because God thought we needed two hands to go with our two arms."  Anytime I don't have an answer it is goes back to, "because God did...."  Or if he is scared of something, spaceships lately, I can tell him that God will protect him.  Or about monsters not existing because God didn't make them, he made animals, trees, people, etc, but not monsters.  Now I wasn't sure how much of all this was sinking in until today.  The nursery school teacher told me that in response to talking about praying Jacob told her, "God talks in my sleep."  So then when we got home I asked him about God, and yep, God talks to him in his dreams and tells him to not be scared.  So already he is getting the concept that God will protect him when he asks for help.  Now will God be around to protect him from everything, nope.  That he will learn later on, that when bad things happen, God still is there to lean on in the bad; to vent to and to love us during that bad. 

Social media

So I'm an anti-social media person.  I'm not on flutter, myarea, or facecrack.  I blog and that's even pretty seldom lately it seems.  Oh and I didn't want to use the exact names so that they wouldn't automatically link to those pages.  Anyhoo.... I chose to go off the crack last spring/summer because it drove me nuts to see so many status updates for the same people over and over in one day.  It drove me even more nuts that I knew how many times a day they were updating their status; meaning I was on it way too much.  So I went off.  This was the second time I went off the crack.  I had gone off a year or so ago for the summer but this time it has been over 6 months that I've been off.  I will admit that I did sneak on every once in a while; maybe once a month.  This time I've snuck on a few times; usually for a purpose though.  I had a couple friends that were pregnant and I hadn't heard anything so I snuck on to check to see if they had posted anything.  I don't have anything against these websites; more I have issues with the way they have deteriorated the meaning of relationships.  You don't have to actually talk to anyone; just type.  I'm resorting back to old fashioned face to face or phone; but I do still text.  I don't think I will ever give up texting; I don't text and drive anymore so that is moving forward! 
So today the new fellow asked me if I was on facebook and I said no, so you will never guess what he did....walked away and didn't say another word to me! 




Just kidding.  I had you didn't I?  No, he did the traditional asking for my number, then I got his from him.  We are travelling together tomorrow night to our small group. 
So I don't know what the point of this post really was; to rant about social media, to explain and justify myself for not being on it, or to give a small update on the man situation.  Whatever you think it was hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned for more.....

My little Man already

This past week was my birthday.  In the morning I said to Jake; "it's mom's birthday."  To which he quickly said, "Happy Birthday, where we go for your birthday?"  I told him that maybe on the weekend we would go for supper.  He said, "No I don't think so."  I asked what he wanted to do for my birthday and his response was, "Maybe flowers I think."  So that is exactly what he got me.  He went with Grandma and picked out each flower himself!!  Best Birthday Ever!!

The Christmas Season

I  haven't posted in forever it seems!  I can't seem to find the time lately but I did take pictures so here are some to share.

Decorating our Christmas Tree.  Jake was fully into it this year; he decorated from start to finish!

Next was the gingerbread house and same thing; he was right into it from start to finish!

This was his gingerbread house that he made at school and decorated there.

Had to have a bit of dancing time with Gertie.

This was the church Christmas dinner.  All the kids went to the front and listened to a story.  As you can tell he is really interested.  However I have to say my boy knows the Christmas story from start to finish.  Last year he received a sticker collage of the nativity story from some friends.  This year I ordered another one and each morning we would do a sticker and he can tell you the whole story of the birth of Jesus; even who was in the barn with Jesus!  I definitely recommend it rather than a chocolate advent calendar.  Here is the link to the site I bought them from.  http://muralmosaic.com/giftshop/nativity.html

This was at the Christmas church dinner.  I love this picture of him and I.

    

This is he and Savannah.  Savannah and Jacob have seen each other almost every day since May 2010.  I watched Savannah when her mom went back to work and then they now go to the same sitters.  They are really good little buddies and it is so cute to see them play and chatter away to each other.  This year I started to begin a new tradition.  Jacob gets flowers for all the ladies in his life.  So on December 23rd we went to the flower shop and picked out flowers for everyone.  He picked them all out himself and he got bouquets for Savannah and her mom; his girl cousins, his aunts, and grandma.  I did this because I want him to learn that boys/men do special things for girls/women.

                   

More story.

This is his school Christmas concert.  He was a shephard.

Christmas Eve; opening PJ's.

Christmas morning.  As you can tell the Jammies fit and he got a pedal tractor.

Stocking time!

Grandpa had to help him with some of the toys.

Madison in the coveralls we got her and the sweater I knit her.  This year I knit all the kids sweaters.  Kind of a Christmas tradition for me to make them something and I am usually working on the gifts right up until it's almost time to open presents.  I as per usual was wrapping them Christmas morning.  I tell myself I work better under pressure but really I'm just a procrastinator.

Randon in his sweater.

Jaybird in her pretty pink dress and she had sparkle hightop runners that just happened to be in the same color; it was too cute!

The siblings. 

The bird I cooked.  First time I have done Christmas dinner.  I actually brined the bird for 2 days prior.  My family tends to like things the same and nothing out of the ordinary so I didn't tell them I did this until they had all eaten some of it and the result was no one could tell the difference!

Uncle Casey and Randon pondering......

Uncle Casey wrestling with Aunty Lisa and the kids getting in on the fun!

Randon climbing in for some fun.  See Jay in her shoes!

He Does Exist

So I believe in God.  Have always believed that God exists.  I don't know why I have always had that belief but I have.  To believe in nothing is a foreign concept to me.  Having a relationship with God though is different than just believing that there's some big guy out there.  I've had a relationship with God since I was 22 I can honestly say.  It is like any relationship with a human, sometimes there are periods when you are really close and then there are times when you are distant.  Like any relationship there are struggles.  This past year was definitely a struggle.  I was down right angry and defiant.  I was mad at God.  Mad that whenever I think things are about to turn out the rug is pulled out from under me.  I knew though that I didn't like being in this place with God.  I didn't like being mad at him.  I didn't like feeling like I had to still love him and be obedient, I wanted to love him and be obedient.  The fact that I didn't wasn't the issue, the fact that I wanted to and couldn't was my struggle.  So I did the one thing that I have always known I should do and haven't.  I started tithing.  Now by tithing I'll explain.  I've started to give more money yes, but I've also found myself praying more for other people, doing acts of kindness for others, giving in all of my other areas of my life, not just money.  Now to explain the money thing because this is what I think most people struggle with the idea of it I'll explain.  God says in the bible to test him; give him what is his (10%) and he will bless you tenfold.  Well the first week I joked with my cousin, "I'm going to buy me a husband".  I wanted God to bless me tenfold in the area of a husband.  However I did actually journal that I would take whatever blessing he felt I needed whether it be: my friend being cured of breast cancer who had recently been diagnosed, my brother and sister-in-law expecting again, my dad finding a job, or a man being put in front of me.  Whatever it would be I would gladly accept the blessing.  So I gave and waited. 
Well a week or so later my friend went back to the doctor to see what treatment options she should undergo.  How about pills.....why?  Because she is cancer free and the pills are a precaution!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  How's that for a blessing!
So I continued to tithe.  Each week feeling more and more blessed and excited to give because in turn I was excited to see what would happen.
So about the time I started tithing though a single man started coming to our church.  He always sat on the other side of the church with people I know but don't really know that well.  So this past Saturday night my friend encouraged me to introduce myself.  I didn't feel it was the time.  So I prayed that night and got my money ready to give.  I prayed to God that if I was to meet this man could he just make it blatantly obvious to me; could he just circumvent the circumstance so that we would meet.  So I go to church that morning and am singing away and who sits smack down right in front of me?!  I almost burst out laughing.  Okay God I get it.  I will introduce myself.  My friends husband leaned over and asked me, "been praying much?" to which I happily answered, "yep".  So at the end of service I introduced myself to the man and had a brief chat.  I'm turning it over to God to lead the relationship.  You see this past summer my pastor asked me, "Jody do you believe that God can give you a Christian husband?"  I said, "Do I believe that God is going to plunk a man down in front of me in church and say 'here you go' Nope."  Well I don't know if this is the man that I will marry but what if it is.  That would be an AMAZING testimony that GOD DOES EXIST. 
So if you read my blog and don't believe I hope that my little story makes you at least wonder if he is real and wonder how he could also bless you.  My biggest blessing to receive would be that everyone I know, knows God like I do because honestly the reason why I can be happy most of the time and see the positive is because I believe that God does exist.

Joe and Mary

I recently seem to have friends that have friends that are going through a separation and then of course the next step is divorce. Should it be? Not in my mind, the next step should be working together to figure how you get back what you had to want to be married to each other in the first place.

I don't believe that divorce should be as easy as it is.  People buy a car and make a commitment to make payments for a number of years and there are some people that are more committed to making the payments on that vehicle than they are to work on a marriage. 

A while ago I met an elderly couple through my work.  I'm going to call them Joe and Mary.  Joe and Marry have been married for a number of years.  Mary now has Alzheimer's.  Joe looks after all of Mary's needs.  She no longer has dementia, the precursor to Alzheimer's where she's forgetful and sometimes miserable.  Now she is at the stage where she has regressed to the point of being an infant now.  Total care.  She is in a wheel chair, she no longer communicates through words but instead grunts every once in awhile. 

The first time I met them  I met them in an office.   Joe drove up in an old Chev single cab truck.  From the back he got Mary's wheelchair, he carefully carried her out of the truck and into the wheelchair.  He came into the office, making sure he told her everything they were doing and ensuring he didn't get her feet knocked around on any doors or corners.  When they were in the meeting room she made some sound and Joe quickly rubbed her arm and said, "It's okay love we won't be long." 

When we were done meeting he just as carefully wheeled her out and just as carefully lifted her into the truck again.

This week I went to their home to meet again.  They live in an ancient farm house that was very drafty so they both were wearing layers of clothing and a hat.  Mary was dressed in her Sunday best it looked like.  Again he talked to her just as lovingly and when she reached out for his hand he took it and caressed the top of her hand while we talked. 

Now this couple makes me smile with a tear in my eye.  The love that Joe has for Mary when Mary is no longer Mary and really Mary can no longer reciprocate the love that Joe has for her.  To love a person this much is what I think marriage is about.  For Better or Worse.  This is definitely the worst and Joe is in the worse and through that time he still loves Mary. 

I want this type of marriage.  The type where when the worst comes we know we will still love each other and get through it. 

I have another story similar but different to this one and maybe another time I will share it.  So for anyone that reads this blog and is married, when you think your marriage is at it's worst, is it as bad and Joe and Mary's and what are you going to do about it?

I'm still little Right?

This is Jacob's first school picture.  He really is usually not that great at taking pictures, he usually hides, does the jello and disappears.  I call the jello move that move when you try and pick a kid up and they turn into jello and you can't get a grip on them they just keep sliding out of your hands.  That's Jacob when the camera comes out.  Well, when my camera comes out anyways.  So I think this picture turned out quite well!
Almost daily I hear the comment,  "Boy he's sure getting big."  Then a little voice "I'm still little?"  Yes Jacob your still little, your my little boy.  I think he's starting to get a complex about being big because he hears it so often, so much so that I want to tell people, STOP SAYING THAT!  I want him to stay little forever. 
This past weekend I saw my nephew who is definitely little, he's just 20lbs or so and 2-1/2yrs old.  He was wearing the coat that Jacob had when I got him.  It made me think, awe you were once that little.  Your still little, little enough for me to rock you when I sing to you before bed.  Little enough for me to hold you while we are singing at church, and little enough to give me hugs and kisses whenever we say goodbye.  I hope you always stay little.