Philippians 1:6

"being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

I am so thankful for this verse. So short. So simple.

So full of His promise.

No matter the age-two, 12, 37, 56, 95...you accept Jesus, He has started a good work in you and He is going to carry out that good work.

I was 14 when I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I was on a school bus with a bunch of other kids my age that I had just recently met. A youth group. Soon to be my favorite group of people for the next fours and then some.

We were on our way home from David's Hangar, a place for youth. I don't remember what we did there, I only remember the trip home.

I know that in those few short weeks since I'd started going to church, I felt a peace I had never known before. And that evening I decided that maybe, just maybe it was from this church stuff. So, sitting there, in a seat by myself (i think David Pillers was behind me and Linds across from me) I quietly prayed that Jesus would save me.

And He did.

In the last 15 years I have not once worked for my salvation. I have done just the opposite so many times. I have failed Him, but He's never failed me. I spent a few years running. I did everything I could to forget the Jesus Who loved me. I avoided church, I spoke less with my Christian friends and made new friends. Friends that didn't know Jesus and if they did (like myself) they were running too.

I will spare you details (for now) but basically, Philippians 1:6 is how I see my life. He started a good work in me and though I tried my darndest to make Him love me less and let me go, He kept His promise.

And now the real reason for this post.

Monday evening we stopped in Post Falls for dinner at a rest area and to let the girls play for a bit.

By the time we left it was time to set up beds and get the girls bunked down for the night.

Sugar asked if we could read from her Bible.

She picks which book of the bible she wants to read from by the pictures. She's flipping through and sees Jesus carrying the Cross up a hill.

'Mama, I want to read this one.'

She's looking at the picture. A very simple picture. A Man, a cross and a crown of thorns. There's no blood, no sweat, no crowds yelling, spitting or mocking.

But the picture touches her heart.

Pointing to the crown of thorns, she asks, 'Does that hurt Him? Does that hurt Jesus?'

I tell her yes, it hurts Him very bad and makes Him bleed.

'Is that cross heavy for Him?'

I am amazed at what she thinks about.

'Yes, that cross is heavy.'

'Well then, maybe Daddy can carry it for him!'

Oh, sweet girl.

We spend the next few minutes talking about why Jesus died. To save us from our sins, He died so we could go to Heaven and live with Him forever.

'Yeah! Forever!' she says so excitedly.

She tells me, 'God is in our hearts, right Mama?'

'Well, after we ask Him into our hearts, yes.'

'Okay, I will! I want to!'

And so, in the sleeper of a 1997 Peterbilt, I prayed with my sweet almost four year old and she asked Jesus into her heart.

'Can I tell Daddy?' and she jumps up and tells Josh how Jesus died on a cross but He's alive and in our hearts.

And I think my heart has never been more full.

She's not yet four. She has a whole lotta life waiting for her. Temptations of this world. Sometimes it's so easy to turn your back on the Truth. But I cling to not only Philippians 1:6 but Proverbs 22:6 as well.

'Train up a child in the way he (or she) should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.'

We're raising her to know Jesus. But there will come a day when she'll need to find a faith outside of ours. A faith in Jesus all her own.

And Monday night was just her beginning.



-- Post From My iPhone

Resigned

I've said it before.

Growing up all ever wanted was to be a wife and mama.

When I had Sugar all was right in my world. Beyond thrilled to be a mama.

I'd been a wife for seven years and now the second part of my dream had come true.

Very early on we could see that lil Sugar was Miss Independent. She slept in her crib, through the night at just five weeks old. She preferred to go to bed while still awake and fall asleep on her own.

No rocking, please.

Another thing we noticed early on, and anyone who has seen the two of them together could tell you-Sugar has a very special relationship with her daddy.

I don't have the words to express how thankful, how blessed I am, to see that.

Are you sensing a 'but....' comin' on?

=)

But it's hard. So early on I have felt she doesn't need me. And lately, I have felt she doesn't even WANT me. Her attitude, tone of voice and the looks...

I feel resentment from her.

Yet the girl loves on her daddy.

I don't know what to do.

My heart aches. A couple of weeks ago we were driving (what's new, right?) and she just had such attitude with me. I didn't know what to do. I sat her in my lap, held her and the tears came in torrents.

Silent tears.

But if the breaking of my heart were audible, it'd be deafening.

I guess the reason I share this very private pain, that's no longer very private, is because I need prayer and wisdom.

It's a daily, no-hourly thing to hear the enemy whisper in my ear that I am a failure as a mother, should never have been a mother, and that, in fact-Sugar does NOT need me and would be better off without me.

But this pain and these thoughts are starting to be too much.









-- Post From My iPhone

When the Flips Were a Flop

Last week we unloaded some pipe in Pocatello, ID. I googled the nearest Starbucks to my location and found that it was only a mile away.

Spice was sleeping and Josh was unloading, so I thought it'd be some good Mama/Sugar time, along with good exercise.

The morning was beautiful and we set out on our walk.

Both of us wearing flip flops.

Neither of us realizing that wasn't such a hot idea.

Within five minutes Sugar wants to be "helded" because her feet were tired.

I helded her because there will come a day, all too soon, where she does not want to be helded anymore.

We continued for awhile like that until my back couldn't take it anymore and then down she went to walk beside me.

She complained about her feet hurting so I told her she could take her flips off. This was okay until we had to cross a busy highway. Then back on the shoes went.

My flips had rubbed an ugly blister on my right foot, so after we got our coffee and left the store, I took my flips off too.

Oh, mercy!

We fueled up that evening and were awarded a free shower and one free dinner. You spend 600 bucks on fuel and waa laa!

After my shower my blister was raw and extremely painful. I had no other shoes with me last week. It's after Feb. 1st, all I wear until the first snow is flips.



Josh offered to trade me shoes until we got back to the truck. He's sweet like that. He looked ridiculous and hilarious. But it was just to the truck, right?

Um, no.

We got side tracked with free dinner and wound up in a restaurant full of other truckers.

Truckers that weren't wearing their wives' flip flops.

Josh is such a good sport. He didn't care.

This week I have a pair of tennies in case I need to make another long trek for my coffee.

Or an outhouse.


-- Post From My iPhone

Dear Mr. Weekend

It was nice to see you even if it was for such a short time.

We met so early on Friday morning that I thought our weekend was going to be GREAT. Ohhh how I didn't realize what was in store.

Friday night we (you Mr. Weekend and my dear hubs) were to go on a date but the children prevented such fun and we had to stay home and cook. Friday night also provided some not so quiet time with my mother. Only she can make me laugh that hard.

We got up early, Mr. Weekend, as we had many things to get accomplished before BFF's shindig at noon.

We raced around like chickens with our heads cut off. Me, making one dozen breakfast burritos. A half dozen egg mcmuffin sandwiches, and a bajillion french toast sticks to put in the freezer. While the hubs was playing with and answering questions of the children (5 of them) and fixing sprinkler pipes.

The joys of home ownership.

After free lunch and booze, I mean...a 6th birthday party, we were headed home to see you, Mr. Weekend, only to find that the trailers holding our 60,000 lb load of lumber had sunk into the ground.

Oh, Mr. Weekend, if you could have been there for those three hours in the hot sun while my amazing in-laws spent their afternoon giving of themselves (as usual) and how my children sat in my van while it idled for those three hours, playing and having fun. While my husband and his dad worked jacks this way and that way, with smiles on their faces as sweat poured off their heads.

After those three hours of intense labor, we got the trailers out.

And we headed home with thankful hearts. Thankful to God that we were able to fix the problem without damage, thankful for my in-laws who, without fail, are there to help at the drop of a hat.

Mr. Weekend, I want to be like them when (if) I grow up.

We went home to cook more meals, fix more pipes, play with more children. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Today is Sunday, your last day here, Mr. Weekend, and I'm sad to see you go. Time at home is insane and so short but I enjoy it. We went to church this morning and loved every minute there. We came home to get the truck cleaned up, laundry complete, another meal made, kitchen cleaned, baby pool filled and played in before we headed back to church for a concert.

And now, Mr. Weekend it's 10:30 and my children are snoring in the sleeper, my husband is filling the truck with diesel and we have to make a service call to fix one of the tires on the trailer that has cords showing through the tread.

We have a five hour drive tonight that will likely take us seven with the service call.

Goodnight, Mr. Weekend, see you in five days!





-- Post From My iPhone

Ahem

I realize I am a poor blogger lately. Sorry. It's not easy to blog from my phone and when I'm home, I have zero time to use my computer.

Just wanted to let you know we've been to WA, OR, ID and this morning we were in UT. We have driven over 2000 miles so far this week.

I have zero funny stories. For which, I am thankful.

Josh and I both woke on Wednesday morning to awful head colds. Obviously we've been making out with the same person since we both have it.

I'm not a fan of being sick and my husband is an awful sick person. It's horrible to watch someone who is normally so go-go-go be kinda blah. And he just doesn't know how to deal.

I am glad that, so far, the girls have remained healthy.

We should be home early tomorrow. Yay!

Okay. That's it. Post over.

I am so boring.




-- Post From My iPhone

No other use

I just finished changing Spice's stinky diaper.

I grab a plastic bag to put it into.

Sugar sees me with the plastic bag.

"Are you going potty?"

I don't think any of us will look at plastic bags the same.

(if you don't know what I'm referring to, scroll down to the TMI post)

(um, or don't)


-- Post From My iPhone

Catching Up

I could scream.

I just finished a really long post complete with pictures and everything and lost connection and nothing saved.

Insert cuss words.

Sorry for the sporadic posting. Drives me crazy when bloggers do that and now I have become that person.

Please forgive me.

It's Thursday night at 10:45 pm. We are stopped at a rest area in Battle Ground. Husband says we're in WA but I am so disoriented I have no clue. I just used the restroom and on my way back to the truck I slipped in some mud.

At least I'm hoping it was mud.

And at a rest area, is it just me or is this sign outta place:







Do they expect everyone to carry plastic bags with them at all times?

Moving on...

Yesterday was my first day back in the truck in over a week. Josh had dropped Spice and me at home last Monday so I could get stuff ready for our beach vacation. We were to leave Thursday afternoon but that was not to be.

By 10 am Josh and Sugar were broke down on one the busiest and deadliest highways in Washington.

3 hours from home.

His boss came with another truck and trailer to haul him back, he called me to pick him up and we didn't get home until 1:30 am on Friday.

We were slow in getting to the beach and it felt good. Normally we are so destination bound that we forget to just enjoy the getting there. It was a nice change of pace.

We stopped for lunch at a place that had a monkey inside. No, really. Look.





We got to the beach and had awesome weather on Friday. I thought Spice would hate the sand, I was wrong.








She liked it so much she ate it.

And Sugar loves the beach as well.





For lunch on Saturday we ate at The Pelican. Spice gnawed on some lemon and seemed to enjoy it. No sour face from the sour puss.




On our way home we stopped at Multnomah Falls.










The next day lil Spice turned ONE! She deserves a proper birthday post, so I will wait til we have party pictures for that. Here are a couple from her birthday morning opening a gift from her aunt.








And I thought she'd be thrilled at a forward facing carseat but I was wrong about that, too.




"eh, whatever."

And now I leave you with a treat from tonight.

I was about to make dinner a la McDonald's and happened upon this gentleman who was so excited about cozyin' up for a movie that he wore his jammy pants to McDonald's to rent one.






You're welcome.

-- Post From My iPhone

Flipped Out

Or did I flop out?

Either way, I'm a flake.

And I apologize to bloggy friends, Linda and Michelle for not posting this back on the 22nd like I was supposed to.

Linda hosted a flip-flop frenzy. She asked if any girlies wanted to join her in sending and receiving some fun snail mail of flip flops.

Um, heck yes!

A few of us agreed and she paired us up with another bloggy girl.

I received not just one pair of flips from Michelle but TWO! And polish!!

Here I am sporting the brown pair, I think Spice was eating the orange pair.



Are you enamored with my cankles? Or the hairy legs? Oh, both!? =)

So, if you don't know who Linda is, head over to www.growinwithit.blogspot.com

And you can find Michelle at www.raisinglittlewomen.com

Thank you, Linda, for hosting and thank you, Michelle for adding two pairs of flips to my collection!

*i can't make links from my iPhone*

-- Post From My iPhone