Thoughts on approval....

Good morning everyone! I'm in the midst of a crazy busy morning... what a WEEKEND we had! My little brother is leaving for basic training tomorrow. Saturday we had a HUGE going away party. Sunday we met for an intimate family dinner. It was a physically demanding and emotionally draining weekend. PLEASE do me a favor and keep my brother in your prayers....

So anywhoos back to this blog... This weekend was BUSY and this morning I have a TON to do. I quickly opened my Internet Explorer but before I could type in the address of my work's remote login site, an article about Tim Tebow caught my eye. I refuse to link to it because the situation irks me. But apparently over the weekend Tim Tebow attended a Yankees game (in Yankee fan attire) and when they showed his picture on the jumbotron, he was booed by the New York audience. [PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD ARE SO RUDE!  Tim Tebow IS a person you know! GRRRRRRR!] 

Anyways my heart cringed and my eyes got a little wet at the thought of it. You know this is just really a young guy, barely more than a kid, who is just trying to play football and be a good example in the process. The thought popped into my head that maybe it didn't even phase him. You know he has GOT to know that God's approval is WAY more important than man's and that God SURE is not booing him.  But then I thought more and realized, disapproval HURTS. No matter what.... No matter when... it hurts. It doesn't matter if we are surer than SURE that we are on the path that God has put our feet on or not... It hurts to feel the sting of other people's disapproval.

We homeschool our children not because it is an easy choice or because it is ALWAYS fun or because we're some sort of conspiracy nuts... We homeschool our children because we feel CALLED by God to make that choice for their education. We homeschool our children because we believe that God wants us to. We pray every, single, solitary year and ask God, "Where do you want these children to be educated?" And for the past few years, He has answered, "At home."  Yet STILL... in spite of the conviction and calling we SOLIDLY believe in, it hurts when people make snide remarks, try to convince us we're not doing right by our children, or simply look down their noses at us like they think we're stupid for homeschooling.

I'm sure it wasn't fun for Noah standing out in the dessert building an ark. I'm sure Moses didn't ENJOY leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea and into the dessert. I'm sure Jesus didn't enjoy the walk to the cross (the Bible says he cried out, "Lord, take this cup from me!"). I'm sure Tim Tebow didn't enjoy being booed this weekend. But in the discomfort of disapproval Noah, Moses, Tim and John & I have the comfort and sureness of knowing that we are following our God's instructions to us. Those instructions do NOT have to make sense to ANYONE else. Sure it helps to have the support of a few valued people. It helps that my sister homeschools too... that my mom continually says, "I'm so glad my grandbabies go to school at home." I would bet my FAVORITE coffee mug that Tim Tebow had some help after being booed. I bet he called Mom and she said, "Tim, don't worry about man's approval." But the help and support, the sureness of your conviction, they don't completely erase the sting of disapproval.

I guess I'm near the end of this blog and I'm not really sure what the lesson is supposed to be??? Maybe several things:

1. choose wisely when you're going to be negative to/about someone... booing, snide remarks, judgmental comments... you could be used as a tool of the devil, discouraging someone who is on the path God set them on!

2. if you're being booed... eyes up! refocus and see what God is saying... seek the approval of God not man... lick your wounds... run to your support system.... but ultimately remind yourself Whose approval matters the most.

3. (shameless plug) remember to pray for Seth Thomas Haugh (leaving for basic training tomorrow) our hearts will be missing a piece until he returns so we would really appreciate your prayers.

The ups and downs of life....

Wow! It has been sooooooo long since I have blogged regularly. I'm sorry but I really don't even have the time to explain "where I've been." There is a thought pressing on my heart, and I want to quickly get it out before the dull roar upstairs erupts into complete chaos.

Yesterday was a day filled with MANY extreme emotions. The saga actually started at 7 p.m. the night before. Elijah had been a little mopey and off all day and at 7 p.m. we realized he had started spiking a fever. Just a few short hours later the vomiting began. I spent the night waking with him every few hours so he could vomit and awoke in the morning with a SPLITTING headache, chills and nausea. Unsure if I too was getting a stomach bug or if I was just wiped out from playing nurse to a child with a stomach bug all night, I lay in bed contemplating my next move. Before I got very far, Jeremiah wandered in with a raging fever.  Oy! His vomiting started shortly after that and I made the choice to just push through as I had a BIG day in front of me and no time to be sick.

I got up and raced to the grocery store for puke supplies: sprite, jello, soda crackers, white bread and bananas. Then I breezed back into my germ infested abode to get ready for the big game. (In case you aren't my Facebook friend and haven't heard me blabbing ALL OVER Facebook about the AMAZING Heritage Christian Girls' B-ball team, yesterday they played in the State Semifinals at the Kohl Center in Madison.) I jetted off to the school to practice, hopped on a school bus filled with middle schoolers and cheerleaders and finally arrived to watch history take place as the Heritage Christian Patriots WON and secured a spot in the Finals tomorrow!!!!

Our time at the Kohl Center was not all fun and games. That place has SO many nit picky, obscure, and over-the-top rules (I know WHY... because of fans in years past who got out of control but that doesn't make trying to adhere to them any easier). I was a BUNDLE of nerves trying to watch our p's and q's and make sure my girls didn't step foot on the floor except for at a time out, bring anything illegal into the arena, and stood in the exact right spots. It was CRAZY!

When I finally got home, I wanted to just crash on the couch and RELAX. I picked up my phone and through Facebook I learned that my friend's husband had passed away from a cancer he had been fighting for a year. My heart just TORE into shreds and the tears came.

To end the night, we watched Beauty and the Beast on Disney channel. I sat there watching the wonder and awe on my little girl's face as she watched this enchanting movie for the first time and thought, "This is a PRICELESS moment."

To some the recounting of this day and it's schizophrenic emotions may seem just pure chaos, but to me, the day pulled my thoughts to my God.  Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? Job 2:10


Life is full of ups and downs. Not every single day is filled with this many peaks and valleys, BUT this day reminded me that in the ups and the downs:

*God is still in control
*God is worthy to be praised
*God has lessons for me to learn

Through the highs and lows yesterday.... through STENCH of the puking... through the EXCITING win... through the STRESS of the Kohl Center rules... through the DESPAIR of my friends loss... through the WONDER of a child's first Disney movie....  He was there... He was in control... He was good and right and just and true and AMAZING... and He taught me.... that I am fallible but I am also a pretty good mom and coach... that wins are fun especially when all the glory goes to Him... that death SUCKS but there is joy in eternal life... that I am BLESSED and living what I consider to be a CHARMED life....

[I have to quickly get to the end of this because the roar developed into chaos and now 4 children are sitting at their desks, next to mine with their hands folded and waiting not too patiently for me to finish.]

God bless you all today. Through this day's ups and downs may you remember He is in control, may you take time to PRAISE Him, and may you listen to the lessons he is trying to teach you.

I *heart* the body of Christ!

I have been meaning to blog about this for several days, but I have been a little bit busy with mi vida loca.

I <3 the body of Christ! I <3 that whenever one of us is down and out, the others rise up to support the failing member. I <3 the OUTPOURING of support we received ONCE AGAIN last week:  people praying for us, verses being text to my phone at JUST the right moment, YUMMY casseroles and lasagnas arriving to nourish our physical bodies, words of encouragement sent from FAR away...

I think that the body of Christ is the MOST beautiful and amazing thing in this world and I just <3 being a part of this family of Christ.

Thank you one and all! Your continued support and love is more valuable to us than you will EVER know!

Sunday Update....

John is home!!!  I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but it is always such a WHIRLWIND at end. Thursday just after lunch they discharged him. We have an appointment with our neurosurgeon tomorrow morning and are HOPEFUL we will be able to convince him to allow John to return to work on Tuesday (prayer request #1) as he will be using the last of his currently accrued vacation hours tomorrow.

Other than some sluggishness in his right leg which makes him walk a little slower (prayer request #2), he is feeling fine. The new med combination has not left him dizzy at all. So in a roundabout way it is VERY good that he ended up in the hospital this week... as it seems to have led to a tweaking of his meds which will leave him feeling MUCH better on a daily basis.

The children are especially glad to have him home and all but Noah have rapidly bounced back from their worries and fear. Noah still is a bit clingy to John and I see the worry in his eyes (prayer request #3). The problem is he is old enough to know that this is all a bit scary.

As always thank you for your continued prayer support.  We are about to leave for church. Finally, starting the journey of finding a new church (it's been over a month that we've lived here! we have to get going on this). Hopeful one of these closer ones we are trying first will be "it."

May you have a blessed Sunday...

This morning...

This morning is a GOOD morning... I will BELIEVE that even if I have to WILL it into being good!

John -- is out of the ICU and on a regular floor. We are HOPING and PRAYING they will send him home today. He is feeling fine; however, he still does not have much use of his right arm & leg. The tests AGAIN revealed no seizure activity, but that is what they are treating him for... they are going to tweak his medication and hope to find a combination that prevents the seizures without making him dizzy.

Jami -- living on very little sleep right now and COMPLETELY unable to cancel any cheerleading practices as this Saturday is the debut of our competition routine at Saber Showcase. I'm also VERY weary from trying to help my children through this most recent turn of events. In the past, their fears haven't been much of a factor. I don't know if they are getting older now or if they are just have a better history to remember what all of this means and will likely bring about in their lives, but they are having a hard time.

Noah -- struggling A LOT with this recent event. Please pray for him and for us to have the words to minister peace to his troubled soul.

Jeremiah -- doing pretty well... my little prayer warrior... he is SUCH an angle from above!

Elijah -- normally not very phased by all this hospital hoopla is also showing signs of wear and tear.... I can see in his eyes and hear in his questions that this is getting a little scary for him too.

Hannah -- NOT doing well... her daddy is her light and she is having a hard time this go round... the other night the boys were wearing John's necklaces and every time she saw one she burst into tears crying, "I want daddy." We had to tuck the necklaces away for the night to avoid more drama.

Thank you so much for your continued prayer support. Hopefully tomorrow when I post, John will be sleeping in his own bed!