sweet Layla Grace...

i had asked for prayers for this sweet girl last week... Jesus has healed beautiful Layla as she entered Heaven's gates.... please continue to pray for comfort & peace for her mommy & daddy and big sisters, Jenna & Claire

Jesus loves the little children...

what makes for a life well spent? is it the accumlation of wealth and homes and cars... stuff? it is a 1000 people or "friends" on facebook or followers on twitter? is it defined by getting what you want, when you want it, without much inconvenience? is it being the greatest basketball player who ever lived? the smartest IT designer with the biggest company?

or is it about sacrifice, living beyond the walls of our own desires, being used for purposes bigger than ourselves... allowing God's will to permeate our selfish plans, no matter how uncomfortable we may be... loving others like Jesus even when we'd rather turn away...

could you praise God, walk faithfully, putting all your hope in His greater plan in the midst of: your marriage falling apart, getting laid off at work, not having enough money to pay the bills much less buy enough food for the week, becoming sick with no cure in sight, a rebellious teenager, a dying parent, friends that have betrayed you?

my heart's desire is to say "yes", that even through all of those situations i will still love, still trust, still praise the Lord because my life is God's not mine... i asked Him to come in and take all of me.

i know that a life well spent (in my humble opinion) is one surrendered to Christ, and no matter what comes my way, if i am walking right next to Him that regardless of what i see, i know that i am safe. i want to be a witness to His glory when i struggle with sickness, i want to shout His praise when i am betrayed, i will speak of His goodness when the money runs out....

...could i have strength in the face of one of my children dying?

i spend a lot of prayer time each day/week holding up sick children & families before the Lord pleading for healing & comfort, miracles & peace. their lives reach out to me and i am struck by the strength of these babies who need a physical miracle of healing, and i am in awe of the moms & dads & brothers & sisters who are in the midst of dealing with their babe's fight and the courage they display.

i have asked before "God, how can this be a life well spent? this sweet child is only 2 (or whatever the age of the kiddo might be, 18 for that matter) and look how they are suffering! Jesus, they can't leave yet, you just put them here.." and i know if i'm feeling that and this isn't even my babe then how much more are their parents screaming inside?! hence why i pray... because i know God hears me

"Lord i know you want our surrender and committment to follow, but this one is too young... why allow this?" , i have asked this as well...

and while i have felt like just a few years or even months on this earth are not enough for these kids, God knows and He has great, enormous purpose for the little, beautiful lives... i have been taught courage, perservance, love, compassion, patience and faith from these amazing souls, i have watched them laugh and smile in their pain, i have learned about real joy... i have grown closer to Christ through my tears as i pray for them, i have seen the Word come to life in my heart like never before simply because i chose to let these families into my heart & soul and as their sister in Christ i have walked beside them in an attempt to hold them up when they might be weak... and i have seen miracles of earthly healing and Heavenly healing and i am so grateful for this call to pray for those in need

the lives of Jaymun, Stellan, Noah, Layla, Coleman, Audrey, Abbey, Gavin, Lucas and thousands more, are beautiful & gorgeous lives that have been so blessed and annointed by the Lord, who have allowed all of us a glimpse into what a life well spent can look like. their spirit of trust and love and grace.... well i have no words to adequently describe how they have fully lived for Christ's glory!!

while i still struggle and grieve for these babes (and for many adults who are going through a trial or sickness) as some of them have left us to join their loving Jesus, i am trusting and believing God, that His glory will be revealed through their struggle...

please continue to pray for those who are fighting: Layla (she is headed home to Jesus so soon, pray for her physical comfort & peace, that she wouldn't feel pain or fear but hear the loving voice of Jesus), Abbey, Gavin.... rejoice in the miracle of healing for Stellan! and praise God for those who were healed at the gates of Heaven like Coleman , Noah, Lucas and sweet Jaymun, and pray for their families who are daily missing them...

i don't want to get to Heaven some day knowing i could have done better for Christ's sake.... i want to have lived a life well spent, giving everything i had in me, using all the resources God placed in me.... i want to be like Jesus, don't you?

Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when thedisciples saw it, the rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." John 18.15-17

my random thoughts....

how shameful that now at home full-time i can't even find the time to post my ponderings and the activities of this Blessed household... so let me give you a rundown of my random thoughts for the last week:

i have been busy organizing my home (constantly) just in case a realtor calls without warning to show the house (which happens frequently), and while i am not trying to be a whiner (honest!) it is simply exhausting to keep the laundry down to one small-ish pile and the floor gleaming! but oh how blessed to have this home that God has provided out of His vast amounts of grace, thankful that i have a home to clean, a place to rest our head...

it is a work in progress (literally..) to find a routine that is conducive to working at home... if any of you wonderful friends have ideas for me about how to be more productive & organized, i will happily take some advice here!! big 'K' and i were out all last friday meeting with clients, talking about MLM to businesses that will benefit from reaching moms here in Fly Over Country, we had a fun lunch at the pizza place together, and while we worked late into the afternoon it was incredible to have 'K' with me (and the big kiddos were at school, just in case you were wondering :) )

i went to a really fun pampered chef party last week, i bought the coolest bamboo spoons... i know i'm nerd but i so love to cook and so i'll find happiness in the small things!! i am going to have my own party soon, probably before we move since our new home will most likely not host huge groups (but maybe it will... i shouldn't put limits on what God can provide for us, huh?)

we are still waiting (working on patiently waiting) for our home to sell... lots of buyers through to see it, and very good feedback, however nothing yet. i won't lie to you, i've had moments of worry, irritation, grumbling, faith & trust; regardless i know that i know that i know God has brought us to this place in our walk with Him and He doesn't just walk off and leave me hanging! our home will sell in His time, we are praying and seeking Him through all this, i will rejoice & serve Him no matter what, and can't wait to see His provision! (if you would like to add us to your prayer list regarding our home selling, i would be so super thankful!!)

praying a lot for little Layla Grace... my heart is broken for them, asking God to work a supernatural miracle for this sweet girl. remember them today when you praying...

'P' has been doing fantabulous in school (not that he's ever done badly, just to clarify) and really enjoying his homeroom this year. he's in the school spelling bee tomorrow morning so that's exciting... he played on two basketball teams this year, one already ended and this next week is the last week for the timberwolves (tear... sniffle). these boys have been playing competitively for a long time and since they are headed to junior high next year this will be their last games together. we had a great season and have been very blessed to be apart of this group of boys & parents. however 'P' was asked to join another competitive team for the spring and summer, so that will be a great experience and excited to see him develop his skills even more... i so love being this kid's mom!!

my lil' Lou-Woo girlie is totally rockin' it in regards to school!! she is wicked smart and an incredible reader, and she is just blowing it up. straight A's (she's always had A's, but again just clarifying:) ) and even an A+!! so proud, but you can't tell at all can you?! hee hee... she played on a basketball team this winter as well, and she improved so much from last year. she was a much better shooter and she handled the ball great! while this isn't her sport of choice, not that any is, she did a wonderful job and it was good exercise if nothing else :) Girlie isn't playing the piano right now, we're on hiatus, but it will be making a reappearance soon much to her dislike. we're trying to find a hobby or interest that she'd like to pursue & develop, other that perfecting her caring for babydoll skills :) she is the love of my heart... my little mini-me :)

here's 'K' dancing with bubba's robot (which he so loves more than all the popsicles in the world!! and that's saying a lot 'cause he loves "sicles"!)... yes he is still in his jammies, which consisted of the shirt he fell asleep in the evening before & his batman underwear... cute!! this picture will reappear later on in the teenage years as a potential source of embarassment i'm sure :)

...i am fairly certain that my eyeballs are going to pop right of my head due the amount of sinus pressure i am experiencing

...wishing there were more hours in the day to get my to-do list completed

...is winter ever going to be over?! i promise if i see one more forcast with snow or freezing rain in it, well... i might officially lose it!!

what else?.... hhhhmmmmm..... i'm racking my brain for anything else of importance i can share......

oh! 'K' decided to climb 'P's book shelves the other day.... and let's just say they might have fallen down on him. thankfully there were no injuries from the crash and i needed something new to clean up right then, so it all worked out.... except he then went downstairs and found the cinnamon & sugar shaker and proceeded to sprinkle the entire kitchen, dining room & living room with it... nice, huh?! who is supposed to be watching this kid?! geez.. but i wouldn't want to be anywhere else and i love him all the way to the rainbow & back!!

i think that's all, i do cross my heart that i'm going to complete my nutrition post this week as well as a post on how we prepared our house for sale & ways we saved money; maybe this will give you some inspiration:)

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4.16-17

WOW!!!!

And so, our lives are meant to be listened to, because it is God who is speaking into and out of and through the symphony of the years, and the masterpiece of a lifetime." ~Michael Card

i love looking back and standing in awe of all of God's fingerprints covering my days & weeks, and all the moments inbetween...

i promised you last week that i would give you giant praise reports about the ways that God has been smudging up the windows of my life with His miracle-working hands

so as not to disappoint.........

without further delay........

are you tired of waiting yet?

is your patience wearing thin?

okay, okay, okay.....

...well.... today is my 2nd official day as a stay-at-home mama!! that's right, baby!! are you jumping up and down as you read this?!! i'm doing cartwheels (okay, not really... but you get the gist of my excitement) as i write this!! it feels amazing to say, so i'm gonna say it again: i no longer have to get up each day (monday-friday) and hurry my babes around, just to drop them with another mom who can do drop-off for school or drop the babe at the nanny's house, worry that i'll be late for a sales meeting if one of the big kiddos misses the bus, use vacation days when the kids have a snow day, or stress about missing too much work if someone wakes with a fever... nope!!! i no longer juggle a career in the midst of being super-mama to my Posse of Kiddos and Mrs.Amazing to my Man!

wow!! have you been around here long enough to know my heart's desires? that for so long i have yearned to be home 100% of the time, without distractions of budgets & sales quota...

mid-december i was having meetings with management at my former (yea!!) workplace about their need for me to be more "engaged".... and without boring you to pieces with details, my Man and i began pressing in deeper with God and His plans for our family, spending time fasting and seeking the Lord and our desire to have Him provide for us, however He wanted to do that.

what we did know was i was supposed to be at home with our kids and not send them to some after-school program or more time at the nanny's; this was a walk of faith and we didn't know what to expect but we know God is good and does good, agree?

without warning God brought us not just one option or even two options but a whole handful of opportunities to work from home, on my time according to what is best for our family!!

hello?!?!! the Lord does not disappoint... even at times in my life when i have felt doubt or disappointment, He has never left me or let me down!

i sought God, we knew His will, we waited on His timing (which quite frankly is just as important to knowing God's will, in my experience), continued fasting & praying & believing the provision would come.... and look! God brought me more than i asked for, bigger and better than i expected to get.... not because i'm some great saint without imperfections, not hardly ma'am, but Jesus is faithful to His word that if i seek him i will find Him!!

i am a stay-at-home mama, the VP of the household, the home-based sales consultant, the head chef, chief laundry expert, child chauffer, God-praising, sinner saved by grace, work-in-progress wife, daughter of the Most High King....

i'm blessed of the Lord!! thankful for this miracle, this answered prayer... truly excited about what's to come (a sold home soon!!! i pray...) because when we serve the Lord of All Creation, the best isn't behind us

but is yet to happen!!!

it's gonna be great!

so our home is completely refreshed and updated... people have come and seen the freshly painted walls, plush carpet in shades of woven baskets, and new slate tiles. hopefully they've overlooked the dust that keeps coming back to blanket my tv and shelves, it really doesn't matter how many times i wipe it just keeps returning uninvited.

and how do fingerprints magically reproduce on the fireplace doors and coffee tables? honestly?!!




and i know that i just cleaned those blasted stainless steel appliances!! please potential home buyers, just ignore my babe's sticky finger residue.... i swear that i'll clean it before you move in!!

and we have taken the tahoe filled with excited kiddos to adventure out to peek inside of homes, as well. i have been diligently praying & fasting for God to give us a sense of 'home' when we see the house that He has prepared just for us. i haven't had that yet, so our new home is still out there.

i find it amazing to know that God is working this all out, in the perfect time in order to put us in the place that He has specially chosen... no detail has escaped His notice. WOW!!





while i have had moments since we listed (it's only been 10 days but it feels like sooo much longer) of discouragement, i also have felt Jesus very close just holding my hand and leading down this road... i am so thankful for all those that have emailed, commented, called and offered their words of love and are lifting up prayers on our behalf. the Lord responds and is moved to work in our hearts and situations when we press into Him... i am truly grateful to know that others are joining us on this journey into a brand new chapter of life.





additionally, i have so many exciting happenings to share with you, to remind you that when you pray God moves... but i can't tell you just yet, sorry. but it is totally worth it to keep checking in on us and i promise that you will be encouraged and your faith will be built when you hear about the other areas God is providing in our life.



i would be ever so privileged to pray for your situation, or i would love love love to hear about a recent praise report in your life.... give God all the glory, right?!! leave a comment or email me ( floodedbygrace@gmail.com )



"because He bends down to listen, i will pray as long as i have breath" Psalm 116.2 (nlt) WOW!!