Ahhhh…school…life…soccer…family…

What a great memory!  The girls and Garrett with my youngest brother Andrew.  Life used to be so simple.  We talked about nap time, snacks and diapers.  Now life is getting ready for college and complex life!  Ha!

It’s hard to believe that Garrett is a senior already.  It’s been a crazy month of – turn this in, do this, pay for this ect.  It makes it harder because I don’t trust my memory – it’s not 100% so I’m always praying, asking Scott, my mother-in-law and my notes will get us to where we need to be.  He’s been busy working at Chick-fil-a and keeping up with what goes on at school.  He loves being at church and everyone who is in the ministry with him.  Hard to believe he will be heading to college next year!  Still waiting to finalize that.  We are celebrating Homecoming this week and in the second picture….Garrett is set up as Mr. Rogers…was supposed to be someone you enjoyed as a kid.

Abbey and Ashton are busy as 10th graders.  They love life!  They have been busy with their high school and club team.  Course I am coaching both of them, but I love them and the girls on their team.  We are planning to head to St.Louis in a few weeks for a tourney.  There has been so much rain it’s been crazy to practice and play.  It’s been really hard!

The girls are always super busy with friends and creating memories.  It’s a new day everyday.  We are thankful they have good friends and spend time with them.  They are doing good in classes and just love spending time worshiping the Lord – especially in the car…even when they are driving.

Nathan is in 3rd grade and just growing so much.

He had no desire to try any other sports but, he’s loving tennis so we are glad about that.  He goes twice a week and enjoys the kids and the sport.  So that’s great.  News to us, he competed in the spelling bee and ended up finishing 1st in 3rd grade.  He’s not someone who usually likes to be in front of people even though he’s a great little explainer and actor.  He loves to sing too!  He was embarrassed to say he won. So now he competes again in a month.  He was asked to carry the game ball out for Homecoming this Friday.  He will walk out with last year’s queen, a girl with special needs.  Course, he wasn’t super excited about it either!  We also celebrated his 9th birthday party and my parents were here for the weekend so they got to go to the party too.  He took the day off and enjoyed time with Scott and his mom Ann.

 

This fall has been crazy for me.  I’ve probably been more tired than I normally am which stinks.  But, I finally feel like maybe I’m not as tired as I was.  I was very regular at the beginning about sleeping and taking naps.  Once school started I had to change when and how I did things.  I tried to stay a head and not allow myself to be super tired.  What I have figured out is that after chemo and radiation I felt good and then I got really tired.  I got myself to take a nap everyday during my lunch to help my body out.  It helped some.  What has been great the last couple days, I haven’t taken a nap.  Yesterday I felt great.  Just really praying for the Lord to provide the energy and focus I need.  School has occupied some of my thinking and I really needed to go back to the Lord and ask him to help me to stay focused on Him.

It’s harder during the school year to spend as much time with the Lord as I did during the summer.  I miss that time.  But, I also get to love on and challenge these teens.  Just really pray for me to share with the kids and be more and to be focused on what the Lord has for me.  That’s my desire.

I was blessed by a student who wrote me a sweet card and got me this coffee mug and lotion.  I coached her in soccer when she was little and she has been in my film class.  It made me smile.  Really made me happy.

I’m about used to my hair ha!  The wig has been hard to get used to and my hair is starting to grow back a bit.  When I take my wig off it’s funny to see how my hair is underneath.  I usually wear it Sunday-Friday and then I take it off and wash it.  I’m more used to seeing myself with the wig than without it.  My head gets colder too without it!  HA!

 

One of our favorite pizza places is Larry’s pizza.  We have enjoyed pizza there for years!  We’ve done bday parties and team parties forever there.  Mr. Larry has been such a blessing to us and makes sure we get pizza from him.  Him and his family have been in our lives for soccer and other things and I have been blessed by him and everyone else in his family.  I am so thankful for how they choose to help us and bring us joy.  Thanks Guys!  Please tell them thank you for us!

 

The Lord has been so good to me.  I’m going to admit, it’s been hard not having the time I love having with Him.  Yet, when we choose to spend time with him and choose to praise Him, he will come and love us and teach us.  My memory and my focus has been crazy and I can tell my brain isn’t focused like it used to be.  When I read the Word, sometimes I don’t remember what I read and sometimes I can’t understand what I’m reading.  That’s been hard for me because I look to the Lord and really want Him to teach me and show me his Truths.  I’ve found myself more like a child lately.  I need to focus on simple Truths and what matters, not necessarily what will grow me or what I can teach.  It’s different, but simple is what Truth is.  Jesus came to show us love, by choosing to die for me.  I deserve death, yet, if I choose to believe and accept what He has done for me, then all the things I’ve done that make me deserve death are taken away from me and Jesus takes my sin and takes them on the cross.

I was in class this morning and one of the kids in my class said a cuss word.  I called him up to my desk and asked him about it.  I have a different attitude and way that I deal with these things.  I told him he needed to do 50 pushups.  He didn’t want to.  He hurt his knee and he couldn’t do it.  I kept telling him he had to pay for what he did.  He was trying to blame another kid, so I had that kid come up.  This kid was like, I didn’t do anything.  It wasn’t me, not my fault.(It was the first kid not his friend.)  So I looked at this other kid who wasn’t even involved with the group and I asked him if he would do the 50 pushups for this kid. (now he is a football player) I said we need someone to pay for this.  The kid looked at me and the kid and said he would do the the pushups.  I asked the kid who said the word if he would let the kid do them.  He was very happy to not do them.  So after a little bit more conversation, the kid who wasn’t apart of any of it did the 50 pushups to pay for the mistake that was done and pay for it.

As I was talking to these kids.  The story of what Jesus did stood out to me.  Jesus chose to save me and die for me.  I am guilty and I don’t deserve his love or forgiveness.  Yet, he gave it to me and took the pain for me.  I’m going through hard things.  I am.  Yet, Jesus chose to DIE for me.  To be beaten so that I could be with him forever.  He has changed my life today and for eternity.  I was thankful for this simple yet foundational reminder this week.  I get so caught going forward so much and wanting to know more, I forget to spend time just being thankful and focused on what the Lord chose to do for me and for those who choose to believe what Jesus has done for those who love and believe Him!  It’s important for me to celebrate and focus on the HOPE of Christ and be filled with his joy and peace.  Pray that this is where I CHOOSE to spend my time and to share this others!

“May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

ROMANS 15:13

Thank you for the love and prayers!  Want to thank the families who are still bringing us food and come to talk to us.  Nikki Funk has been such a blessing making sure we are where we are supposed to be.  Was blessed the other day to get to talk with Darla Self and just laugh a bit together.  All these moments bless my heart and make me smile.  Thank you!!!!!

Love you,

HOPE WARRIOR