Category Archives: Story Time

When Faith Seems to be Just a ‘Word’

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 3 January, 2014 None comments

When Faith Seems to be Just a ‘Word’

Sometimes I realize my prayers can start to sound the same. Words flowing from my mouth wondering if Jesus is interceding on my behalf. Sometimes I wonder “if I simply prayed differently, used more powerful words, spoke the right things, than maybe, just maybe my prayers would be answered sooner than they are.”

Waiting can be devastating if you allow it to be. Waiting is the place where God transforms lives. Waiting brings character and perseverance.

As I woke last night startled from a dream and hearing my little man tossing and turning, I hurried to check on him. I placed his blankets over him to help bring the warmth back in. As I laid my head back on my pillow I tossed and turned for quite some time. I rested my hand on my husband as I often do when I awake in the middle of the night and began to pray out loud. As my quite words softly came from my lips, I began to question whether Christ was going to answer my prayers. I have been praying the same prayers for over a year now waiting anxiously for this miracle to take place. Here we are entering 2014 and I’m still pleading and wrestling with the Lord for some relief to set in.

When I woke up this morning I began to replay the concerns I had pondered at 4 in the morning. I began to realize first and foremost, the middle of the night is never a good time to let your thoughts wander. Taking them captive as the enemy knows our weaknesses and is quick to let lies seep in is my goal for this reoccurring late night prayer session. The second thing I realized was Christ was and is for His children. I am his child and he promised to protect me and deliver me. How that looks, may be completely different than I could ever dream up; in fact it is 9 times out of 10. The third thing I realized was waiting patiently is a continual battle of exercising my hearts beliefs. When things come easy I quickly push Christ to the side of every activity in my day. The truth of the morning was “Christ hears ME! He will answer! Wait in expectation!”

Praying doesn’t have to have the proper words, depth of knowledge and scripture to make your prayers be answered more quickly. Though we like to think if we changed something that maybe then God would respond. These are lies we have to wrestle with as we speak truth that Christ only wants a humble heart, relaying our deepest fears and desires allowing Him to than transform us. He simply wants us to pray and read His Word. There is no magical formula!

This afternoon I was headed to Costco with my little son playing and laughing in the backseat. The song “Blessings” came on the radio by Laura Story. It can always bring immense power to my heart as I begin to feel that “okay maybe God really is listening” giving me an ounce of hope knowing we will still struggle. If you haven’t listened to the song, please do so now.

A true test of my patience was a phone conversation with my husband this afternoon that started off great. It quickly transpired into an accusing conversation rather than a selfless conversation. My anger quickly started to boil as I felt misjudged. I quickly hung up the phone and replayed this song as it was currently up on my computer screen…it really couldn’t have been more perfect timing. “What if my greatest disappoints or the aching of this life, is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy. What if trials of this life, the rain, the storms, the hardest nights are Your mercies in disguise.” These words convicted me to my soul. This life isn’t about me nor about my husband. We will mistreat one another, we will justify our actions, we will defend ourselves to the deepest part of our core, but why? We want vindication. We want to be right. It’s simply all about SELF. I’m realizing more and more how marriage has really put a tight reign on my tongue. There are many things I used to say when I first started with my husband, now-a-days, my tongue has a leash and I’m only grateful for this. I have to realize if I fight for vindication or to demean my husband, there is a HUGE problem and my pride needs to be laid down before the feet of Jesus and before my husband. My anger and disappointments need to be held in the hands of Jesus as well. He feels the pain and humiliation we go through. He understands our heart.

Today, I want to remind you all that sometimes we are in a period of silence. We believe God is ignoring us, forgot about us or doesn’t care. This deep lie is a test of our faith. None of us deserve the gift Christ has given us, we are all the prodigal child needing constant reminding that we always walk, run and flee from Christ now and again yet he is there waiting to grow our hearts desire for him. Sometimes our perspective is off. God not answering my prayer when and how I think he should is probably the exact reason I am still in the trial. He is more concerned with my heart rather than the issue. He wants to teach me things about myself I would have never learned having not gone through this trial.

Moment of Truth: Change your perspective from what you think God is doing or not doing, to what we know he is doing. And that is healing our hearts to be more Christ filled rather than self filled.

I heard it once said, that we as believers of Christ are either going into a trial, in the middle of a trial, or coming out of a trial. Oh how this is so very true. Embrace the cycle of life knowing one day this world God has already conquered will soon be justified.

Thought of the Day

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 1 January, 2014 None comments

When worldly values and worldly fear drives us, we tend to make bad decisions. Our choices define the depths of who we are; are we driven by material matters or spiritual matters? Are our choices driven by fear or faith?

The tongue speaks the hearts desires, but the heart lives out the truth… most the times these two are not aligned properly.

Moment of Truth

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 27 December, 2013 None comments

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.
– Helen Keller

Thought to Ponder

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 26 December, 2013 None comments

“Being happy isn’t looking for perfection but looking past imperfection”

I heard this today and it really struck me how we can easily let the little things be “big” things. Habits, routine and self talk can tend to lead you down the path of destruction if you aren’t willing to reevaluate your current state.

Christmas can be a blessing or a curse for everyone. Within our own family both the brothers have an extremely difficult time remembering family and tragedy that has occurred through the years.

The day after christmas can be a massive let down for many reasons. I ask that you look within yourself and motivate yourself to pursue truth today and not look for perfection in those around you but to love them right where they are.

It All Began In A Manger….

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 24 December, 2013 None comments

Christmas Eve began this morning with all the children jumping for joy. “The presents are coming, the presents are coming,” shout the three little children with the wee little toddler scrambling behind. The excitement filled their little tiny minds while they couldn’t wait to see what was to be had below the tree. Could it be, the little gifts I had longed for would fill me with such glee, expresses the confident 8 year old. The four little boys toddled around waiting anxiously for the unwrapped gifts below the tree. As the long day passed, they waited with immense patience checking off their list:

1. Christmas Eve dinner @ 4pm

2. Christmas Eve service at church @ 6:30pm

3. Rush home and pass out gifts, eat snacks and unwrap @ 8pm

The tearing of the Christmas paper began to fill the house with four little boys hovering over each pile of gifts.

This year we decided to not put such an emphasis on gifts for us adults as we want to remember the real meaning of Christmas. “Gifts and stockings are okay, but Jesus is the real reason we have Christmas Day.” As a family we decided we would do more meaningful, thought felt gifts and that is exactly what we did.

We have gifts on Christmas Eve and Santa of course brings the stockings on Christmas morning. Teaching the young, inquiring minds that gifts and stockings are okay is not always an easy distinction for the almost teenager, 8 year old dreamer, and the 5 and 18 month old wigglers. Their priorities are tagged with telling all their friends when they return to school about all the technelogically savy gifts they received. But to their grandparents, it’s more imporant that they pass down a legacy of faith seperating the joy of giving with Christ’s birth. The important disctinction they long to pass from generation to generation has been well established.

My father has always read the Christmas story before we opened gifts to remind us why we have been blessed to give and receive. This Christmas my dad read a snippet of by Max Lucado and this is what is wrote:

It Began in a Manger (Christmas)

by Max Lucado • March 22

Curious, this royal throne room. No tapestries covering the windows. No velvet garments on the courtesans. And, instead of a golden scepter, the king holds a crudely whittled olive-wood rattle.

Curious, the sounds in the court. Cows munching, hooves crunching, a mother humming, a babe nursing.

It could have begun anywhere, the story of the king. But, curiously, it began in a manger. Step into the doorway, peek through the window.

He is here!

The Arrival

The noise and the bustle began earlier than usual in the village. As night gave way to dawn, people were already on the streets. Vendors were positioning themselves on the corners of the most heavily traveled avenues. Store owners were unlocking the doors to their shops. Children were awakened by the excited barking of the street dogs and the complaints of donkeys pulling carts.

The owner of the inn had awakened earlier than most in the town. After all, the inn was full, all the beds taken. Every available mat or blanket had been put to use. Soon all the customers would be stirring and there would be a lot of work to do.

One’s imagination is kindled thinking about the conversation of the innkeeper and his family at the breakfast table. Did anyone mention the arrival of the young couple the night before? Did anyone comment on the pregnancy of the girl on the donkey? Perhaps. Perhaps someone raised the subject. But, at best, it was raised, not discussed. There was nothing that novel about them. They were, possibly, one of several families turned away that night.

Besides, who had time to talk about them when there was so much excitement in the air? Augustus did the economy of Bethlehem a favor when he decreed that a census should be taken. Who could remember when such commerce had hit the village?

No, it is doubtful that anyone mentioned the couple’s arrival or wondered about the condition of the girl. They were too busy. The day was upon them. The day’s bread had to be made. The morning’s chores had to be done. There was too much to do to imagine that the impossible had occurred.

God had entered the world as a baby.

Yet, were someone to chance upon the sheep stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem that morning, what a peculiar scene they would behold.

The stable stinks like all stables do. The stench of urine, dung, and sheep reeks pungently in the air. The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling and a mouse scurries across the dirt floor.

A more lowly place of birth could not exist.

Off to one side sit a group of shepherds. They sit silently on the floor, perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, no doubt in amazement. Their night watch had been interrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels. God goes to those who have time to hear him—so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds.

Near the young mother sits the weary father. If anyone is dozing, he is. He can’t remember the last time he sat down. And now that the excitement has subsided a bit, now that Mary and the baby are comfortable, he leans against the wall of the stable and feels his eyes grow heavy. He still hasn’t figured it all out. The mystery of the event still puzzles him. But he hasn’t the energy to wrestle with the questions. What’s important is that the baby is fine and that Mary is safe. As sleep comes, he remembers the name the angel told him to use . . . Jesus. “We will call him Jesus.”

Wide awake is Mary. My, how young she looks! Her head rests on the soft leather of Joseph’s saddle. The pain has been eclipsed by wonder. She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can’t take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel,
“His kingdom will never end.”

He looks anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.

Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.

She touches the face of the infant-God. How long was your journey!

This baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds.

Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.

Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking.

Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?

While my dad finished this story I was sipping my tea in awe of what it would possibly be like in Mary’s shoes. What would it feel like to have a King as your son? Teaching the Creator of the world right from wrong as a young toddler. Holding his hands, knowing they created you yet giving birth to the Son of Man. These questions struck me to the core. The entirety of the story of Christ baffles my mind. “Why? For me? How come?” The unanswered questions reinstate in my ignorant mind that Christ did come as a babe in a lowly manger, suffered persecutation for claiming to be the Risen Son of Man, and dying a painful death suffering ALL the sins of the world upon his lifeless body. Yet he conquored death, saved humanity and gave the free gift of salvation for those who want it…….

What a powerful God we have!

Enjoy your gifts this Christmas and remind yourself this Eve before christmas morning, the journey of Mary and Joseph took on a donkey to bear a child in a stable. The questions and uncertainity they held must have been a story worth hearing….

Merry Christmas!!!

Chaos of Christmas

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 22 December, 2013 None comments

Life has been overly challenging these past few weeks leading up to Christmas. For some reason every little thing on my “to do” list has been taking away from my son and husband. The craziness of life has a way of utter distraction, taking our focus off what’s important while trying to prepare for the ‘important.’

I’ve realized today how my perspective has been completely wrong. The point of the holidays are to spend with family and remembering what Christ has done for me. Yet through all the preparations I forget to sit at the feet of Jesus. I’ve become my own Martha; preparing meals and decorating our household. Mary on the otherhand realized what truly mattered most and that she wouldn’t always have the opportunity to spend at the feet of Jesus. Christ came to serve, not to be served. Jesus wanted Martha to set aside ‘preparing’ the meal so that she could sit at the feet of Christ and reflect on what mattered most at the present time.

Moment of truth: Take time away from the chaos of ‘preparing’ to spend time with your family. Taking time to be truly present and not just physically present. Engage and have that special time with your kids and spouse. Reflect on what the birth of Christ means to you. How can you better honor Christ in all His glory this Christmas?

Luke 10:38-42

Pregnancy Joys, Miscarriage Woes

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 20 December, 2013 None comments

It seems so natural to think about all the baby joys of pregnancy and laugh (maybe months later) at the thought of morning sickness. However, it seems that many people also struggle with the woes of tragedy in a pregnancy as well. I’ve known too many people in the last 6 months who have not only been pregnant and delivered healthy little ones but also those who’ve experienced tragedy. It breaks my heart as I see the hurt and pain they experience while waiting anxiously for their precious bundle. When that dream isn’t fulfilled my heart aches for them. I also have a couple friends who have even struggled to become pregnant while they see people like myself who had a “surprise” pregnancy. Watching “surprise” pregnancies do not help them with the feelings they experience within their own trials.

Trust! We have to trust that the Lord has a plan for all our precious babies out there; the ones that are born and the ones He takes home very early.

If you’ve read my pregnancy story you will understand that my pregnancy was super easy, but delivery was my nightmare come true. Here I am today, two blood transfusions later and I have a healthy little boy who is about to turn 18 months old and I myself am healthy again, so I think. I went in a couple days ago for my annual check up, refill my prescription and to get a flu shot. Unfortunately I experienced quite the surprise on Sunday before my appointment. I found out I had a miscarriage. The utter shock of emotions pulsing through my body was unexplainable. Tears of sadness flooded my eyes as my husband and I questioned what had just happened. The traumatic experience was definitely something I will never forget. Walking through the hallway at the Hospital after the news pierced my heart, I quietly look up at my husband and utter the words. We both walked stoically through the remainder of the white, cold hospital hallway to our car.

Not quite sure how to respond to the news as Sunday was very traumatic for our family and by Wednesday I was unsure what emotion to express as my assumptions had been affirmed. Since I believe life happens at conception, than the reality is I lost a precious child that would have been a brother or sister to Cooper. Knowing my baby was unable make it through a healthy pregnancy and is now in the lap of our Heavenly Father, comforted my soul.

The outcome hasn’t changed, I’m still very sad about our circumstances as my emotions are trying to paddle quickly to reality. Though I didn’t cry when the news was confirmed, is was not because I didn’t care but simply because the loaded sentence spoken to me, held life and death all in one short sentence. The power behind a miscarriage is much stronger than I had realized until now. I’ve known a few people who have gone through this tragedy but having gone through it myself, puts a huge perspective on the feelings that flooded my soul in this one short word. The questions, sadness, shock and cold feelings that are experienced became much more than words but a reality that I am no longer pregnant; I lost a child.

Being a mom and hearing the words of losing a child is unfathomable. I grasp my son in utter love and protection, wishing no harm to ever come upon him. I want to protect his soul even more than I had previously; if that is at all possible. Being a mother has placed a love inside me that I simply couldn’t obtain without having my son. You never know the depths of love you can hold for a child until you cradle them in your arms. The deep protection and fear you hold to guard their tiny heart is unimaginable. I’m blessed and thankful to experience these feelings. Having known what I am missing is more challenging but on the same hand brings complete love pouring on my son as I am blessed to have him.

Now had I been able to plan my own story for my life it would have played out a bit different: I would meet the man of my dreams, fall in love, get married, begin my beautiful family and live happily ever after. The end!

Seems so simple and proper. Although this wasn’t my reality, it was a dream of mine since I was very young. The real life story played out as this: I got pregnant with a man I barely knew, rushed dating him to get to the nitty gritty of whether we loved one another or not. We fell in love in the process of my pregnancy, got married, and had Cooper John.

HOLD IT…..this isn’t the story I had wrote for my life, this wasn’t how it was supposed to play out. It was extremely difficult being pregnant and learning who my spouse was all at the same time. Logically my story seems to be the better of the two plans. We didn’t know one another so why didn’t I miscarry back then? Why now?

Hindsight is always 20/20. Had I not had Cooper when I did, I would be an entirely different person and in an entirely different place in life. As I recount what actually has played out in my life, Cooper was beyond a blessing and actually healed my own soul in many ways I would not have experienced without having him in the timeframe of which we conceived. As hard as it has been to get pregnant out of wedlock, I must say I would NEVER go back and change the scenario as God has faithfully allowed my life to take the course in which it has. Through that, I’ve come to Christ, which has changed my lifestyle one hundred percent, I’ve been blessed with my adorable son, my now husband, and a life I would not hold had things happened any differently. I needed to become pregnant 2 years ago with Cooper for me to understand I have been blessed immensely. Timing was everything. Cooper was meant to come two years ago, not today.

With that in mind, we all wish our cards would play out differently to avoid heartache and tragedy, but I believe most circumstances in life bring us back to a dependence on Christ. Just as my story played out entirely different than I saw fit, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it. Now, I’m not saying that going through these things has been easy. Most of them have been beyond joyful, thankful, protected, and faithful circumstances even the tough ones; there’s still something to be thankful for in the midst of pain. I have peace and am thankful and confident knowing life brings immense trials but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

The bigger picture here is that there is ALWAYS a reason our story takes paths we never expected or wished we would travel. But God allows them in our life to keep us humble and to learn more about ourselves and His faithfulness. Sometimes we will gain a perspective as to why particular tragedies occur but often we don’t. I may never know why I had this miscarriage and that is okay. What I do know, is that God is faithful and will use it in my life in one aspect or another. I also know that God has blessed me with my already born child and my role as a mother is to guard and protect his heart. I’ve been given Cooper to take care of him and love him; this has to be my focus and my place of rest.

I heard it once said “cracks in the heart allow the light to shine through.” Most of life requires some heartache to see the light in the midst of the trial. Heartache brings perspective and allows the focus to be reassembled.

Thankful for my little bundle of complete joy. I love you Cooper John!!!

Moment of Truth: Rest in peace knowing you do not have to know all the answers. Trust that God loves you and is taking care of you. Rest in His peace and stop searching for answers that don’t fit the bigger picture.

Christmas Extravaganza

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 19 December, 2013 None comments

Christmas decorating, shopping, chopping down Christmas tree and Seattle bliss…

I wanted to share a few pictures with ya’ll as the Christmas Extravaganza has been in full bloom lately.

Starbucks is always in line with our walking….

Downtown Seattle

Big boy wanting to walk the streets of Seattle rather than “stroll” the seats in stroller.. :)

Stud Muffin

Christmas Tree lighting in Pikes Place

Wish list???

He did incredible at dinner…

…maybe because he could NOT stop looking at the beautiful girl a couple years old across the way…??

Pretty clean cut I must say…thanks to the hubby!

Independent little man enjoyed our festive weekend.

Loving my Poinsettias

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 18 December, 2013 None comments

I love plants more now that I can keep most of them alive. :)

Vertigo????

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 12 December, 2013 None comments

My life was spinning out of control, literaly. Waking up at 6:30 in the morning only to fall out of bed realizing the strong force thrashing my body quickly to the floor was vertigo. Vertigo? This small word holds such large weight. I’ve experienced this force only but a couple times in the last few weeks and just once more preceding these episodes.

Falling to the floor, knees giving out as if I am paralyzed, leaving my lifeless body utterly helpless. I manage to pull myself back into bed, room spinning frantically while I’m trying understand why I’m waking up with some neurological damage. Other than something being completely wrong, why else would I wake up with vertigo?

I laid in bed for two hours trying to shake the spinning only to feel sick to my stomach with a raging headache. Finally I dragged myself to couch to call my husband and let him know I was spinning recklessly unsure how to get my son from bed as I didn’t want to drop him. The unknown cause and waking up with such frustration was driving me crazy. It’s the WORST feeling to constantly be spinning and not being able to catch your balance. A few tears slipped by as I forced myself up to make coffee, get my son and have a “normal” morning. This didn’t happen as much as I wanted it to.

Story time at our library was this morning and I wanted to take Cooper so bad, but I knew it wasn’t safe for me to drive. The moment I turn, sit, stand or lay triggers immense amount of dizziness. If I am subtle to make any movement I can manage my way around. I contacted my girlfriend about story time and threw in that I was experiencing mass vertigo. SHE SAVED THE DAY!!!!

To my rescue she comes. She brought her little girl while the kids stood above me and she rolled me from side to side. It was incredible, I was a little unsure that she could fix my vertigo but I was desperate. She literally cured me. Sounds crazy, but I was thrilled. She explained her vertigo lasted 6 weeks before the doctor could get her in. They proceeded to tell her that when you wake up with it, crystals in your ear have been jostled out of place and need to be placed back in. By rolling in a particular manner on the couch with your head hung low, it works. To hear that I didn’t have neurological damage allowed my soul to spin with complete excitement. Viola!!! Three rolls later and I was basically cured! I was so happy, I could change Cooper’s diaper, bathe him, make breakfast, lay him down for nap, and shower myself. It was incredible. I probably looked hideous and it must have been quite the scene to see my spinning body and the two kids standing above me looking down as if I was a clown and thoroughly entertaining them.

If you have ever experienced vertigo you understand this craziness. The utter frustration of feeling incapable to care for yourself and your child is a terrible feeling. Ugg, I never wish vertigo on anyone!!!! But…I hold the key to curing this if I ever wake up with it again. :)