Hi, Everyone! I just was talking with a dear friend of mine. She’s having some upcoming neck surgery. She posted on a website to family and friends. 

My friend Judy said: “Greetings Friends and Family. Just posting a note to let all y’all know that I will be having neck surgery on Wednesday.Got injured at work some months ago and now that my tests, labs, paperwork are completed and approved. I’ve finally got the green light to get’er done. I’ve got several disks in my neck impinging on my spinal cord. I will be having a lumbar fusion to correct and protect my next from further injury. I’ll be in the hospital a few days (no visitors please; the surgeon will be going in the side of the throat, so I won’t feel like talking) But your prayers and well wishes are appreciated. Thanks!” 

I said “I’ll be there visiting you, you won’t see me but you’ll know I’m there in spirit praying for you, giving hugs and encouragement when needed. I will be making you laugh ~ ok smile because of something funny just because you’re special!! Love ya my dear sweet friend. I myself am having back surgery Friday then again next Thursday. They’re breaking it up to make certain what they’re doing will work for me considering my bone disease. Ahh, there’s my Bluetooth keyboard... it deserted me mid thought ~ how dare it do that!! Know that I will be praying for you! 

Judy then responded back “Wow! You take those punches like a champ! I hope I can keep my spirits up like you. You’re an amazing woman, Leah! 

I wrote back Thank you, Judy!! Let’s take the punches together!! Let’s show the enemy who’s boss~ we will do this together!! You’re an amazing woman too, Judy!! Taking the punches isn’t always easy, but we have to take a stand and we ca get those punches and conquer!

I wrote this because I was blessed by her response, but more importantly I wanted her to know that I would be there with her in spirit lifting her in prayer that I would stand in the gap for her. Friends are treasures. We need to care for our friends. I am thankful for the ones that God has placed in my life.

Have a great day Moms!!

Good Afternoon, Everyone!! Hope you're having a blessed Saturday. It's been a busy day for us here. My husband has been busy, hard working to do things for himself and for our family. I love him so much!! Our son has been busy doing things he likes as well as helping around the house. He's been helping me with tasks as well. I love him, he is one of the best gifts from God. I have been trying to do things on the computer for my husband. I am hoping that I am doing what he's looking for. I also have been looking at my next books to review. I hope to have a good one to write about. 

Upcoming news, our Mom's Connect Group will be doing the book "From Grouchy to Great: Finding Joy In The Journey Of Motherhood" by Ruth Schwenk. A description I will share with you about the book. All of us moms, struggle to keep it all together sometimes. The battle for Jesus to reign in our hearts and through our emotions is a fight we all face every day. The good news is that we don't have to battle alone. This is a resource filled with real life stories to strengthen and encourage you that the battle can be won by God's grace and wisdom. I hope this helps. 

I must say that these last weeks have been challenging with pain from my injury back in April. I have been keeping my attitude in check with God's grace. I have been going to the throne when I feel defeated or that I can't control it anymore. He's been there to lift me, hold me, wipe my tears - I mean in taking me from a tear stained face to a face glowing with a smile and feeling that I can do this!! I love how our Lord does this. There are so many things He does for us in our lives that we see and don't see. We may take things for granted, but we need to slow down and thank Him for what He does even if we don't see it. His love for us is unconditional, never ending. Go to the throne! I saw this quote today and decided to make a picture with it. I will share it with you. 

May you have a wonderful weekend. Will be thinking of you all as your children start or have started school and we get adjusted to the new schedules. 

Have a great day Moms!!

Good Morning, Everyone!! Hope you're having a good start to your days. I have been in the Word this morning. I spent some time reading from my devotional by Joni Eareckson Tada, A Spectacle of Glory. The one this morning really touched me on so many levels. I mean seriously, how often do we allow distractions to interrupt us and keep us from doing the things we ought to be doing. This here is the devotional...

July 5  Psalm 25:15

It's difficult enough trying to grab a quiet few minutes with God and His Word. But sometimes it feels like you're running through an obstacle course of distractions to get there. You head toward your Bible or the Bible app on your iPad, but find yourself checking Facebook first. Or the headlines. Or the latest sports scores. Or something totally unrelated to anything! Or maybe you think a cup of coffee will help your concentration, which leads to a snack ---and before you know it, the time has flown and you have to move into your day without seeking the Lord.

  Life has always been full of distractions. But we truly need to connect with the Lord and His Word every day. That's why today's Scripture gives such an effective reminder when distractions keep sidetracking us. "My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare." If we keep our eyes on Him, He won't allow us to become tripped up or entangled in trivialities.

Amen, Lord! I have spent too much time filling my mind with worthless distractions and the empty ways of this temporary world. Turn my heart! Draw my attention. Rule my heart. I need to spend time in Your presence, feeling Your nearness and listening to Your voice. 

There's so much in there to chew on today.   I know this will keep my focus on His Word.  Thanks for stopping by today!!! 

Have a great day Moms!!

Hi, Everyone!!! Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday! I have been having a great Sunday with my family and church family. It felt great getting out with the family. That was one thing that I had decided when I was down with the injury. I decided when we get out other than doctor appointments; family outing will be to church. We did just that. The surprise welcome that we received was overwhelming and we were so blessed. The love we felt from our church family was amazing!! 

We felt the love. I was so happy to see the ones that came to me, but so blessed to see the ones that came around my husband. I know he was so moved by the love that everyone showed us in those few minutes. My husband said we are "home"; we found our home church. I was so pleased to hear those words from him. I know when the ladies were coming to our home to help me while I was recovering I told them I need to go "home." I was referring to "home" = church. I missed my church family and being fed in the Word. I know I can read the Bible on my own which I do. I also listen to my brother who is a Wonderful Pastor in Maine and to my Pastor at our church. It's just not the same as being there. I have seen changes in my family just in the years we've attended there. The friendships we each have made.  I know we are so blessed with our church.

Have a great day Moms!!

I know I am posting a lot on here lately, but when things come to mind that is important to me I just want to put them here so I can save them. I have a journal too as well, but I wanted to share them with you too. 

I had a few moments to talk with my son. I love the after school talks. The quiet talks when his Father has gone upstairs to his office for a bit. My husband says that, but our son and I both know what that means. You ask what does it mean? It means, "upstairs for the night see ya tomorrow"; that's what it means. Now back to the talks. Our son and I had a few moments to talk; we talked about school, friends, God, the Bible. I then mentioned something that he'd always ask me. He'd ask "Mama, what do you do to fall asleep? I can't fall asleep." I would answer I simply first pray to the Lord and spend some time with Him before bed. I then when I am finished will continue to talk with the Lord about things until I fall asleep asking Him to help relax me that I may get rest and be ready for what He has planned for me.  He would when he was younger say, but I don't know how. I would ask him to then pray with me. He would and he'd do great. I would then say ok, now just keep talking to Him and ask him to relax you and help you to sleep. I would usually hear a quiet ok, Mama. I would then walk out of his room and go to our room.  In our talk, I asked him so what's going on? Anything bothering you? No, Mama nothing bothering me, but I am working on this coding project for school. I was in our recliner in the living room because of an injury and he was on our sofa. It was getting late; he looked over and noticed I wasn't falling asleep. What's wrong Mama, are you ok? I answered reluctantly knowing how he responds. I said no, not really. I am hurting and I can't fall asleep. He said, "Mama, here, do what you taught me. After praying to God, just talk to Him. Ask Him to relax you, Mama, ask Him to take the pain away and let you fall asleep. That's what I do when I can't fall asleep; I pray then talk to God." Not often do we like when our kids put our words back in our faces, but with him, this rarely happens. I was so blessed and touched when he said these words back to me. He brought tears of joy to my heart. I love him so much!! You could say it was a God moment. God showed me how much my words touched our son's life.

Right now between my posting this and thinking what to write next he's sitting on the couch playing a game. Mama, Mama look at the screen. I look up and look at the screen. I then hear, "Mama, are you looking?? Do you see the screen I tell him what I am looking at (Mario with a bouncing key behind him)? He then is surprised, "how are you typing and looking at the tv at the same time. I tell him because I know where the keys are and I learn the feel; when I make a mistake I know. Hehe, the things we Moms can get away with. 

Have a great day Moms!!

Good Morning! I pray that you have a wonderful day today! This morning is a happy day but at the same time a bittersweet day. I say this because it is the last day of school then summer begins for us. You may think how ungrateful are you Mom for saying that about the last day of school. I know just how much our son loves school; he loves his routine. When the routine changes, when the routine ends, it takes him time to get adjusted and that can be difficult and take some time. He went out the door with a sullen look on his face. I know this is going to be a long day for him. He tried to sound chipper as he does saying his last words out the door, "Mama, I love you. I'll see you when I get home." I hurt for him because I know how much he loves school and the routine. I have been planning for this day for a while. Throughout the year I look for things to do during the summer. I plan these and make sure I have the supplies for the things we can do together. I will ask him at times what would you like to do during the summer? Have you thought about this at all? Sometimes he will surprise me with answers; other times he won't have anything to share. Those are the times I dig a little deeper to find something that he'd never think of and do that together.  

I do hope that we can get to camp sometime this summer. Camp, as we both say, is heaven on earth. We love getting up there. The St. Lawrence River is majestic! We love to get out there! Time to get on with the day........

Have a great day Moms!!

Good Evening! Hope you all have had a wonderful day.  I titled this "Grateful for my Family" because I am. I know simple right, but it goes so much deeper than that.  I recently went through an injury that had me laid up these last three months; it was a difficult journey. I not long into it started sensing things with my husband. I didn't know what to think. I would mention it to one of the beautiful ladies that came out to help me. They really touched my life, my husband's life, and our son's life in so many ways, on so many levels. I said I didn't know what to think about what I was sensing, feeling from my husband. I must say that God moved in such a way with him to touch me to my core. I say that because he made himself so vulnerable. I mean I could have hurt him so big, I mean big if I was that kind of woman. Thankful that God made me not that kind of woman, but a woman of great patience. I listened to his words that he shared with me, he said he had to disconnect himself from me, separate himself from what is going on around him, separate himself from watching me struggle to walk. He said that it crushed him, it hurt him deeply to see me that way. I was humbled by his words because they spoke to me so deeply. I cried my heart out to him even through my pain. I told him I loved him so much already, but I love him even more. We are even closer now that I am starting to come around from my injury.

I am not going to end the post here just quite yet. I must also include our son. I am so thankful for him. God really had me wait a long time for him. God knew the desire of my heart; that I wanted a child. God knew also that in 6th grade when we were asked to write a paper about what we thought our future families would be when we grew up and were married. I wrote in there that I wanted children, but I also asked God for a special needs child that I could love and nurture the way He would have me to do. I prayed that He'd give me the heart of a Mother for a special needs child. I prayed and watched, heard others and friends having babies around me. I remember saying "that should have been me;" I had shed so many tears in this time of waiting on God's timing. His wonderful timing that we are sometimes too quick to try to speed things up, but God still makes us wait. The time for me was fifteen years. I know that may seem like a super long time, but I am glad that God had me wait that long. He was making me be the mother I am today. Our son is such a wonderful young man. He is my special needs child that I prayed for and also shares the same bone disease with me; Osteogenesis Imperfecta. This is a speck in our lives it's not a part of us. You say, yes, yes it is. Hear me out, I said a speck in our lives because that's what it is. It's not a "part" of us meaning that when we meet someone we don't walk up and introduce ourselves and add on there "I have Osteogenesis,......"  We just don't do that and I have taught him that it is a piece of him that it doesn't identify him. Yes, his friends and others know he has it because they've been there with us through the infusions that we have to receive. I have received so many compliments from teachers, friends, family, and others about him. In fact, one teacher bragged on him because of his stepping up to ask if he could do his class project on his bone disease. She thought this was very big of him because he could have been ridiculed by classmates, put down, bullied, and others could be nice and accepting. I have to say that all his classmates have accepted him and they treat him like their other friends and will brag on him to me as well. She said he was very informed about the disease. He wasn't afraid to share about it; he explained about the anger that we deal with because of the continuous breaks with the bones. He even included in his project about my diagnosis after his. Mine being diagnosed as an adult; the teacher said you could hear a pin drop with the class. They waited eagerly for his next word. Then he told them how many fractures I've had. The sound they made, made the teacher laugh. He then told them how when he broke his elbow that after he fell and said "OW! My ARM!........Is my camera ok?" We got a good laugh when it happened. I told him we needed to get his arm fixed and we will find the camera. Our son is such a blessing. He and I have much time together and we enjoy one another. Yes, there are times when he may not be on his best behavior as is expected with children. I have a phrase that now I cannot finish without him interrupting. I have told him when he does he must tell me what it is. We then discuss his behavior and he then writes scripture out based on the behavior. I then have him write a prayer to God also about his behavior.  The phrase that I use with him during these times is the following, "When you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences!" I haven't had to use it a lot, but it really hit deep with him the first time I used it that it didn't need to be used much.  I now can get "When.....(that's it) and it's "Mama, no, please, please don't finish it. I would reply, "Ok, I need you to tell me what my phrase is and what it means." Well, I have gone on for a bit. Go spend some time with your families. Thanks for stopping, feel free to leave a comment. 

Have a great day Moms!!