Unlike most stay at home moms, I am not a fan of DIY projects. Mostly because I am not creative when it comes to things such as decorating, designing, crafting, cooking…you get the idea. I cannot foresee the finished product. I lack vision.

But on this rare occasion, I decided I would try something I saw on Pinterest. My husband and I recently bought the house we had been renting, and I was excited to update the guest bathroom and make it my own. I knew I couldn’t do anything fancy (reality of a one income family), but I saw something on Pinterest that looked fancy, easy and didn’t cost much….so I went for it.

You can see in the pictures above that it is still a work in progress. Mostly because when you open the cabinets, you can see that I’ve painted only the outside…The inside is still the same old, builder-grade finish. Looking at the half completed cabinets reminds me of how we sometimes present ourselves to the world. Everything on the outside looks good…looks put together. When in reality what is on the inside is something completely different…something unfinished and unrefined.

Am I the only one guilty of this? We live in a world where society expects us to present the side of ourselves that is “finished”… ladies, you know what I am talking about, right? Before I had kids, I was in great shape, I dressed my best at all times, and I wanted everyone to think that I didn’t care what they thought. Silly huh?

Now don’t misunderstand. There’s nothing wrong with being in shape, dressing nice and being confident. (In fact, I need to start working out again…I can only use the “just-had-a-baby-card” for so long). The problem occurs when those qualities don’t match what is on the inside…I’m talking about a heart issue. If our hearts are full of greed, envy and pride… if our hearts are being crushed by the insecurities that plague us… if our hearts are continually crying out in despair…then we are no different than my fancy new cabinets that look great on the outside, but are mediocre & lacking on the inside.

God wants more for our lives. He wants us to be children of integrity. He wants to finish and mold us on the inside. Are you going through a rough season in your life? Do you feel as though your can barely make it through the day? A wise friend recently posted to my Facebook that “We feel the strength of our anchor when we feel the power of the storm.” Who (or what) is your anchor?

Gideon’s diagnosis did not cripple me like I thought it would; although I know we have a long road and many hurdles ahead of us. I’ve never felt more love, support and strength in my entire life. I think that has to do with how I have chosen to allow God to work out my circumstances, and also to shape my view of Him. Rather than turning from Him in hard times, I’m doing my best to lean into Him…to let Him redeem every circumstance. For many years now He’s been refining what’s inside. I’m not finished yet; but I am “confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Where are you right now? Are you like my cabinets?… Finished on the outside, but lacking on the inside? Or are you choosing to trust and allow God to refine and refinish you…the way you were meant to be? (1 Peter 1:7) I hope you are trusting the Carpenter…Because if we’re honest with ourselves, we always are (and always will be) a work in progress.

Have a happy Monday!

Everyone’s got a great story about how they met. Some claim “love at first sight.” That’s not us. We met on a blind date…one that neither of us really agreed to. And what followed wasn’t love, it was lust.

July 1st we celebrated our two year wedding anniversary. We have a daughter who is almost four. If you passed the 2nd grade, it doesn’t take much to figure out that our daughter was born before we got married. The interesting part of our story is that we didn’t continue dating (or even talking) while I was pregnant. And after our daughter was born, what followed was fighting, distrust, and lawyers.

I feel called to share our story of how my husband and I met, had a baby, fought dirty, and finally gave the situation to Christ. It’s too long to write about (17 pages to be exact). But if you have 20 minutes, I’d like to invite you to follow the link below to our video testimony. We shared our story at a marriage program called Re-Engage this past April. (Just 3 months after Gideon was born).

I’m not proud of our past. Mostly because the way we handled things was immature, selfish, and wrong. What I am proud of is how we (finally) allowed God to take control of the situation. We put our trust in Him to work out the details that we so desperately wanted to control ourselves.

Much like the story of Jesus, ours is a story of redemption…a story of second chances…a story of forgiveness. I hope you’ll find time to watch. It’s because of our story that we can face anything united as one. We can face the future with all it’s uncertainties and declare to the world, “We will not be shaken.”

Statistics show that most marriages don’t last when a child is terminal. I speak for both my husband and I when I say that we are not worried. The statistics have never been in our favor anyways. For example, my husband was married once before- Strike 1. Also we had a child before we were married- Strike 2. And finally, we lived together before we were married. Strike 3. We are not proud of (nor do we suggest) these things, we are just aware that each one of these events leads to a higher divorce rate.

All that being said, we are not blind to the fact that Satan prowls around looking to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8). That’s why we choose to know Jesus. We don’t just know about Jesus, we intimately know Him. Also we pray together. And not just at the dinner table. We pray together before we make big decisions, we pray together when one of us is troubled or hurting, we pray together just to thank God for what he’s done for us… we pray together.

So here’s our story. We hope you find it encouraging. We hope you find it helpful. But most of all, we hope you find the Author behind the story.

https://vimeo.com/65570505

(This link may not pull up on your phone. You may have to watch it on your computer. Also, we spoke too softly, so turn your volume WAY up.)

Thanks for watching.

When I was 12 years old my sister Traci was paralyzed in a car wreck. Talk about having your world turned upside down. As a parent now, I can understand the fears & hopelessness that my parents must have felt when the doctor said, “She’ll never walk again.” There’s something that makes us physically ill when we can’t fix what’s wrong with our children.

All I remember from 1997 is going to visit my sister; whether it was for the 6 weeks she spent in ICU or the 4 months she was at Baylor Rehab- we were always there with her and I was glad. Even at the age of 12, I knew she was lucky. Most people we met in ICU lost their loved ones. On Easter weekend the doctors told us Traci wouldn’t make it through the night, but she did- and we praised God! When she went to Rehab, we met a family who had a loved one who couldn’t even move his arms. He was learning how to use a chair powered by air from his mouth. My sister could do more than he could.

It could always be worse. I learned that at a young age; and not because everyone told me… although many people did. I remember distinctly coming to that conclusion all on my own. When you cry with other families who’ve lost loved ones…when you see the despair of a person who can no longer do anything for himself… it’s easy to draw that conclusion.

Saying it is one thing. Learning to believe it is another. We all feel sorry for ourselves from time to time. And there’s nothing wrong with that! The problem occurs, when we stay in that state of mind. If I’ve learned anything from my first week of blogging, it’s that the situation can always be worse.

I’m beyond grateful for the people I’ve encountered; who have so lovingly shared their stories with me regarding their situations. Without breaking anyone’s confidence, let me share a few reasons I’m grateful..

1. My son is still alive- So many families have laid their sweet, God given children to rest. My heart breaks for you. My prayers go out to you. And for every mother, who so desperately wishes to conceive, but for whatever reason hasn’t, my heart and prayers are with you as well. “He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3
2. My son is able to swallow and breathe on his own- Many babies with peroxisomal genetic disorders cannot do those things. If that’s your baby, I’m praying you feel the presence of God because I don’t how I would handle that. God, give those moms & dads strength and endurance, they are SO tired!! “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1
3. My husband, family & friends are here to help- If you are going through something like this on your own, I am weeping for you! Please, search the web and find an organization to support you!! For me, it’s been the Global Foundation of Peroxisomal Disorders (GFPD).  http://www.thegfpd.org/  I’m not sure what journey you’re on, but there is support out there for you! FIND it! If you can’t, ask me and I’ll find it for you! You were NOT meant to walk in this alone! “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2

I could go on and on. I’m thankful for so many things. I know it could always be worse. I believe God used my sister’s accident 16 years ago, so I could be prepared for this season of my life. What has God been preparing you for? Do you know your life has a purpose? The pain you’ve experienced was not caused by God. We live in a fallen world with free will. And while God may have allowed some horrible things to come into your life, He can use those things to bring about good!! Will you let Him? Romans 8:28 is what we call our “family verse.”

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Ultimately, Gideon’s prognosis sucks.  I wouldn’t wish a terminal diagnosis on my worst enemy. All that said, I still trust God will work it for good- and I can see that He already is!!

God wants someone to hear our son’s story. Maybe that’s you. In the book of Judges, there’s a man named Gideon. God used him to bring his people back to heart of God. Is God using my little warrior’s situation to do the same? I think so. We are trusting God with this because we know it will get worse. And when it does, we will remember 1 Peter 1:7 – These trials have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Lord, may these trials prove our faith genuine. Amen.