URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

Thanks for all your emails and prayers for Nicole's family... Allen, Skylar...

Within a day after Nicole's death and friend emailed me about a gal who lives not far from her named Corey who delivered a baby on the same day, I believe as Nicole.

Corey had major complications in child birth as well... She had to have 60 units of blood... had two strokes and is in a coma. They do not expect her to live. If she does, they say she will be severely mentally impaired.

The baby, her THIRD child, a little girl, is also in NICU and has already had heart surgery.

PLEASE lift COREY up in prayer. She is a believer. Her husband's name is Scott. He does not know the LORD as his Savior. Please pray GOD will reveal himself to Scott and heal Corey and the baby.

Thank you for praying for this family... for this Mommy.

A Heart Torn in Two

How can a heart be so full of joy and grieving at the same time?

Last Wednesday, two little girls were born into this world. My friend, Amy, delivered Hannah Grace. I am so excited for Amy and her husband. They are church planters in Minnesota. She was Weston's 6th grade teacher... and she was his favorite teacher. ( my favorite teacher of his as well.)

CONGRATULATIONS, AMY and Tim! We love you and can't wait to hold Hannah Grace.

Also, last Wednesday, Skylar Nicole was born. In the birthing process, her mother, Nicole had some complications and went home to be with Jesus.

Today, Nicole's funeral is taking place at Freedom Christian Assembly of God, the church we attended before we went to help with my brother-in-law's church plant in Royal Oak.

Nicole was only 24 years old. Sklyar, her first baby.

Skylar is healthy and beautiful. I know she will grow up knowing how wonderful her mother was. All who loved and knew Nicole will see to that.

Though I did not personally have a relationship with Nicole, many of my younger friends were close to her. However, I feel very connected to her and her family as I almost lost my life giving birth to Weston. My family didn't know if I was going to live or not. I lived. Nicole did not.

It is a mystery to me, why things happen the way they do. Why one so young dies and another lives.

Tragedy and Celebration. Both a part of this thing we live called life.

Today, I rejoice with Amy and I grieve with Allen and Skylar. It is a very strange, awkward feeling. Tears of joy... and tears of grief... all at the same time.

This is a time of complete, blind TRUST in the ONE who created us. A time we have to look to HIM and say, "LORD, your ways are higher than our ways. Though I don't understand, I will still trust YOU, love YOU, and serve YOU."

Please pray today and in the days to come for Nicole's husband, Allen, her mom and dad, and the rest of the family.

Windex Testimonials

My new Bloggy sister over at Elizabeth Embracing Life left me this comment:

"I tried this [ Windex, the Best Carpet Cleaner Ever ] over the weekend and it worked wonders. I had vomit from over a year ago right outside my sons bedroom door. I had tried many different remedies without any success. The stains are GONE!!

I also had tea on my staircase that refused to go away, and you guessed it, gone too. Along with various spots here and there. Oh and purple paint spots that have looked like blueberry spots since last summer.

Can you tell I am really excited about this!!

Oh and the day I was spot cleaning I spilled salsa on my white bright shirt...yep it whipped crystal white in seconds...need I go on sister?!!!"

My friend Sandie asked if it would take away AGE SPOTS! I am leaving that experiment up to her! I will report if she looks younger... or just cleaner and more sparkling!

Sandie also left this recipe for a mixture if you’re out of windex: Equal parts of ammonia, vinegar and water.

She continues: "I believe that’s what Windex is made of anyway and costs less. I had one of the kids spill grape juice all over a light colored couch just before company was coming and was able to get grape juice stains out with that! Didn't know it worked for carpet and clothing, too!"

Please feel free to leave me any of your cleaning tips. I need all the help I can get!

Happy Spring Cleaning!

Best Carpet Cleaner, EVER!!!

I had some spots on my carpet thanks to the "contractor from the hot, fiery place".

I remembered some advice from our friend ROB who had worked at Home Depot. In his Carpet Training, they told them to use WINDEX to remove spots. He said he and Betsy use it, and it works great.

I thought, WOW... did the Home Depot guys discover that watching MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING?

So... I got out the trusty, blue WINDEX.. and WALLAH! SPOTS WERE GONE!

One day, in my ever so graceful ways, I dropped a pint... hear me, PINT... size container of this soy sauce based glaze from China King. It created a HUGGGGEEEEE spot on my relatively NEW carpet... about the size of a... well... I don't know... it was everywhere!

While chuckling at my poise and elegance, my hubby, with his loving and encouraging man confidence, said, "Honey, You will never get that out of the carpet."

Not to be deterred... I pulled out the Windex...(I like the Windex with Vinegar...but you can use ANY kind... even off brands.) and started spraying and blotting, spraying and blotting...

...as much as my impatience would allow... then periodically throughout the next couple of days... repeated the process.

Within a few days, there we NO TRACES left of that Soy Sauce Glaze! GONE! POOF! To be seen NO MORE!

I was so excited that it worked... even MORE elated to be able to say those words I rarely get to say to hubby (because 95% of the time he IS right...) "SEE.. .I was RIGHT! I did get it out of the carpet."

So, in the words of Gus Portokalos and Rob King: "PUT SOME WINDEX ON IT!"

Though My Sins Be as Scarlet

Last evening we were driving to the Good Friday service where my hubby was speaking. The whole way there we were complaining about the SNOW... yes... 7.5 inches of SNOW falling on Good Friday... also the FIRST day of SPRING! ...seeing many drivers in the DITCH along the way.

After one hour and 45 minutes (normally a one hour drive) we arrived at the church... many arrived late because of the road conditions.

The service began. Worship was awesome... led by our great friend and Church Planter, Norflette Shumake. My husband began speaking about our JESUS... his sacrifice... his blood covering our sins... his LOVE for us... for ME...

And the verse came to my mind from Isaiah 1: 18 "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

And I thought, "GOD... how apropos that YOU would bring the SNOW today... on the day we focus on the Cross where your son gave his life for ME... to take my heart... stained, dirty with sin... forgive me... sanctify me... and make my heart as WHITE AS SNOW!"

As we drove home through the winding back roads leading to our home I looked at the trees, the ground, the roads...

All the dirt and muck and mud that had been present earlier in the day were now covered with a breathtaking blanket of clean, white, pure, untouched snow.

What an overwhelming, beautiful picture of the love and forgiveness of our sweet Jesus.

If you need the cleansing power of JESUS to cover you with his blanket of love and forgiveness... HE is ready ... and waiting...full of love. All you have to do is ASK him. If you are a believer and there is something you have been holding on to... something you need to leave at the cross... don't wait one more minute.

Be white as SNOW today.

Pure.

Clean.

Forgiven.

Celebrate his LOVE, his SACRIFICE, his RESURRECTION!

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do...

Well, this last week has been a week of readjusting ...from reveling in being crowned the "Vacation Queen" ...soaking in the rejuvenating sun and warmth of Florida...

...only to be catapulted back into the reality of my glamorous life as
"The Lysol Queen of the Porcelain Throne."
I just have to keep reminding myself of the scripture in Ecclesiastes 9:10:
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..."

Do I look spiritual????

OR...do I resemble the next part of the verse.... "for in the grave, where you are going..." I wonder if that is where the expression "work yourself into an early grave" comes from????

I am now in spiritual quandary...

Should I continue putting my hand to the "plunger"...or put on my swim suit and relax on the couch where the afternoon sunshine penetrates through my large picture window...and pretend I am in some warm, tropical corner of God's creation!?

WWJD?

Teenager in the House! Happy 13th Birthday, Brianna!

Today we conclude our 10 day Birthday Mania with Brianna. She is now a TEENAGER! I can’t believe it. How time flies.

She wanted to celebrate in Florida with Gram and Gramps at their time share. So we thought about it…the first of March…Michigan…cold and snowy…OR the first of March…Florida…warm and SUNNY!!!! OK! We think we can arrange that.

So today we are celebrating Brianna’s entry into the teen years in the pool…soaking up the sun…celebrating…eating the cake she made herself. (grandma helped her decorate it.)... and enjoying one another.

13 years ago, Brianna came into our lives weighing 10 lbs.12 oz…and they took her 8 days early! She was a beautiful baby with a ton of black hair... and she was an answer to prayer. We waited to try and have another baby because of my near death experience having Weston. When we felt it was time, we thought it would be easy. After 2.5 years, we had given up hope…BUT GOD came through and we were elated.

Brianna, you truly are a blessing in our lives. Your humor .... your love for Jesus ... your FUN spirit...

love for our church ... knowing already that the Lord has called you to Children’s Ministry ...

your love for cooking,

your love and compassion for children, (now I have competition whenever is a baby is around)...your organizational skills, (being my assistant at my speaking engagements and keeping me and all my stuff together) your creativity, the way you make every one in our family feel so special…all culminate to bring so much love and joy into our home.

Thanks for letting me tell your ‘ stories’ when I speak, or on this blog…however now that your entrepreneurial skills are developing and I am now CHARGED a FEE whenever I tell them….. well...I will still tell them!!!

We are looking forward to these teen years with you. We are excited to see what the future holds for you and how God develops you in these next 7 years of teen-hood. We know it is going to be an exciting adventure!

We love you SOOOO much! Thanks for being such a great daughter... and you can take over the kitchen at anytime!

P.S.... This morning, you set our alarm and Grandpa and Grandma's alarm for 5:45 am to awaken for your BD... while you slept until 8:30... JUST REMEMBER....my birthday is in three weeks!!!!!!!