THE OLD GRAY MARE, SHE AIN'T WHAT SHE USED TO BE!!!

My husband embracing life!!!
Kitty Hawk 07 when I went to the beach 9 months pregnant...

The old gray mare

My 20th high school reunion

Expecting #12 renewing my 20th wedding vows!!!

As I lay prostrate on the couch at 7pm my husband and I laughed at the many years ago, 15 to be exact, when I was pregnant with my fourth child, my first summer pregnancy.

My husband said, boy were you "hot" back then...tan, in great shape, and mowing the lawn. Now 15 years later, I am 41 and expecting my 12Th child. I can barely walk and I am far from "hot", except my body temperature.

I can't help but be grateful for this pregnancy. I have lots of friends and relatives who are either infertile, are dealing with secondary infertility, or would love to have another child. I don't really feel old, and many people I know, go through great lengths to have a child.

So I will keep being happy with my pregnancy's and thank God I am so healthy and my husband is so great!!!

This old grey mare is better than she used to be!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

A VERY SCARY THOUGHT...

Years ago, (18 to be precise) we had our second child, he was a boy and we had a daughter 14 months older. We owned a Christian Bookstore with amazing customers, Catholic as well as many other denominations. After we announced the news of our son, we were disturbed at the large amount of people (God loving people) who commented on the fact that we had "the perfect family!!!" A girl and a boy!!! Well sure if that was what God intended for us, but the idea of being open to life was just crushed!!! I said to customers when I really got annoyed, "yes, now I can have ten boys and not worry about ever getting a daughter, or vise versa". Yes, I can be sardonic too!!!

The other day my husband said to me, "you know if we would of listened to all those people, we would have no children at home right now"...was he trying to rub it in or was it a scary thought? Our two oldest have been out of the house since the beginning of the year, and it has been very difficult to deal with. I never thought I would have "empty nest" with nine other darlings around!!! Then he started to elaborate...we wouldn't be friends with ..., or ..., or know these people, and we wouldn't have ...It was a horrible feeling!!! I wouldn't have the life I love or the friends I enjoy and we would be lonely and bored out of our minds!!!

So Lord, Thank you once again for our large,crazy, and wonderful kids!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND...hmmm...

My wonderful husband gave me a kiss this morning...then he said, "I feel like I am kissing a fourteen year old", hmmm, I thought...my pride & vanity thought good thoughts...cause I am so young, so pure, ...so I had to ask..."why?" He looked at me with his sardonic smile and said "because of your complexion." You see I have had a weird bout with zits on my chin and forehead...I thought I paid my dues in my teens...well, it is coming back. Is this part of my mid life crisis? Maybe my body is just in shock at not being pregnant...this is almost a record for me, I have only gone once this long without being pregnant in 20 years...not happy about it either...OK, I know I am blessed and I will keep quiet and say:

THY WILL BE DONE!!!+JMJ+

MID LIFE CRISIS...

I think this is one of my favorites!!! I two have been kinda having a mid life crisis...My son went away to school, my oldest turned 18 and is moving to school, and I turned 40!!! My oldest already informed me that she is not ready to deal with me having one...so to knock it off...I wonder where she learned such charitable kind words...Opps...



Enjoy Rachel's article...



I will admit I take a great deal of comfort in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Granted the pop song of the sixties by The Byrds, “Turn, Turn, Turn”, has diminished the power of these verses so a re-read of the actual verses from Scripture might be beneficial.

Within these words I am reassured that everything will come about in season - planting and harvesting, tears and laughter, a time for silence and a time for speaking. The Scripture even speaks of time for love and a time for war. Everything. Really, everything? No, not everything. Verse 14 instructs us more clearly, “I know that whatever God does endures forever…” I wish I had remembered this a few weeks ago.

I turned 45 this year and as is required at these important milestones in life, I took a good look at my life and took stock of what has come and gone. Unfortunately, I began this venture without proper preparation and saw only what I had missed due to my young marriage, large family and crazy choices (also known as homeschooling). My life was not at all, what I had planned when I ventured forth from my hometown. I have achieved nothing that I had my wish list as a senior in high school. My spiral went down and before I knew it, I was in the midst of a full-blown mid-life crisis. I needed to do something about this. Get a tattoo, buy a motorcycle or at least be an upstanding woman and get myself a real job!
Isn’t that the essence of a mid-life crisis? You take a good look at your life and seeing all the holes and what is missing and decide that no matter the cost, the expense or the embarrassment to self or family you will get what’s coming to you? Hollywood and made-for-TV movies will give you this impression. Sadly, for some it is true to life with 20+ year marriages dissolved and jobs abandoned as another 40-something tries to find themselves.

Lucky for me, I had neither the income nor gumption to do anything bizarre so I was left to take another look at my life, this time with a plea to God, “What am I ‘really’ missing?” This short prayer was the preparation I needed and had lacked before.

As I took a new look at my life with God’s help I could admit there is much I haven’t done, but much more has happened in my life than I could have ever expected; including the 11 children (and all that comes with that) and the homeschooling. Through God’s graciousness, I have also had a turn at a modest writing career, travels abroad and the joy and privilege of watching over and fostering several young vocations in my children. My seasons with God have been quite fruitful and full of blessings both large and small.

Moreover, I had fresh excitement and hope for the seasons yet to come. With that in mind, I have begun a new wish list, making sure to contemplatie God’s will for me and my family. My list includes the truly important things such as a stronger marriage, the patience and strength to parent healthy and holy children on through adulthood but I have also included some trivial things such as more travel and a best-selling novel to write. I realize I may never have a season as a renowned novelist or travel beyond the United States but it will remain on my list. As I turn, turn, turn through the rest of my life I am reassured by looking at what has gone past that God knows both what I want and what I truly need. My life as stolen from lyrics from another 60’s pop song this time by the Rolling Stones – You can’t always get what you want…you get what you need.

However, I won’t let that song go to my head – I’ll stick with contemplating Scripture. When I took a truly honest assessment of my life and how wonderful my life has been I needed to repent for my ingratitude. God has given me many surprises over the past 45 years, I look forward to the surprises He has in store for the next 45. “No eye has seen, no ear heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9)