This Too Shall Pass

This has been another week of complete ups and downs, ins and outs, lies and truths, progress and failures, surprises and boredoom at how everything changes but stays the same!!!! My heart has been torn at several events and soared at other happenings.

Today, however, I had the pleasure and pride of seeing three of my sons participate in a Memorial Day Ceremony with their Boy Svout Troop. One of the speakers talked about a young Marine from the area who died in Afghanistan in December 2010, a few days short of his 20th birthday. I wondered how his family spent this Memorial Day. Certainly their grief must still be fresh. Some of the Boy Scouts holding the flags today are only 3 or 4 years younger than this brave Marne. It gives perspective to the trivial things that I find myself in a dither over too many times each day! My sons and their friends may be called to give the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.

Thank you,Lord for all of those who shield us from harm and from those who want to destroy ourway of life. Thank you for sacrificing Your life for us!Thank you for "directing your path," Proverbs 3:3-5, even when I can't see straight through the twists and turns of this life! Lastly, I lift Jose's family in prayer to you. Comfort them and them know that a grateful nation says "Thank You" for their son's sacrifice.

A Major Milestone

The last few weeks (after the prom night from hell and its aftermath) have definitely been out of the ordinary. Rather than gripe about all of it, I'll just note (okay, SHOUT with glee!!!) that yesterday afternoon my daughter Marie graduated from high school. Our local homeschool group help our first-ever graduation ceremony. The statewide homeschool organization holds a ceremony in Orlando but my daughter told me months ago that she didn't want to do that. When our local group sent an email asking who would be interested in a local graduation ceremony, of course we were thrilled! I had wondered how we would celebrate her "official" graduation if we didn't make the trip to Orlando. God presented this opportunity for us to be a part of yesterday's ceremony and I am so thankful for it. Here's a picture of my daughter, my dh and myself,my mom, one of my sons, and my nephew after the service.

Hurting for My Child

In my earlier post from today, I alluded to things that had happened over the last week that were challenging, to say the least!

The picture of my daughter in her prom just is beautiful. On her sweet face I see such hope and expectation. When this picture was taken, however, her boyfriend was already nearly an hour late picking her up. All day long there had been some major drama lurking around. He hadn't slept for several days due to drinking a large quantity of energy drinks. There was some other "substances" that came into play as well......not giving all the details to protect privacy. Her boyfriend fell asleep at his home a few hours before he was supposed to pick up my daughter. His mother couldn't get him up, so she let him sleep. My daughter decided to take matters into her own hands and drove to his house. She woke him up and they left for the prom shortly after that. Since my daughter had been so upset and worried all day about him, she wanted to leave the prom early as she was exhausted. Things were fine until they were about halfway home. Her boyfriend began talking crazy, driving like a maniac, and making rants about spiritual warfare. They eventually made it to our house. Since dd had left our van at his house, dh drove the boyfriend home. The rantings continued all the way to his parents' house. I was home with our daughter who was nearly hysterical. There's a lot more than I am telling here. Please keep this young man in prayer.

One of my sons' friend's mom found something "untoward" in her home earlier in the week after my son and another boy visited several days ago. Of course I confronted my son and I want to believe the best about him but not be stupid or in denial. How I wish these things would not touch my children!

It hurts when my children are hurt or do wrong, even if in my daughter's case she did nothing wrong. I'm crying as I write this because it hurts so much! I want to go back to ten years ago when we made a trip to the local Christian bookstore in their pajamas to pick up the latest Veggie Tales video and watch it before going to bed! That is not going to happen, so I better buck up and become the mother God intended me to me. Jesus' own mother had her heart pierced many times, likewise the rest of us moms will face this,too!

Happy Belated Mother's Day!

Our family spent the morning at church, then onto lunch at a little local restaurant. Afterwards, we spent about an hour with my mom who went to brunch with my youngest sister and her son. Later in the afternoon I had a few hours of quiet! My husband brought some fried chicken for the children so I didn't have to cook yesterday! Now that's a blessing!

So much has happened since my last post, much of it unsettling. But I wanted to put up a picture of my lovely daughter Marie in her prom gown I discussed last week. Once again, I am drawn to the Lord who holds all of us in His hands!!! I especially thank him for all of my children - Marie, George, Jack, Thomas, Jamie, and Barbara!

Prom Time Preview!

Today I'm feeling very blessed for a number of reasons! The source of my happiness today is that my 18 year old daughter and I visited Becca's Closet to find a prom dress for her. My daughter and her boyfriend decided just 3 weeks ago to attend to the local (well, 1 county away) homeschool bash that's happening next Friday . With all of the other graduation expenses and lack of time, it looked like she was going to have to wear a dress that her boyfriend's sister had previously worn. I found out about Becca's Closet by doing an internet search. Becca was a young woman who collected previously worn prom dresses and distributed the dresses to girls who could use them. Tragically, Becca died in a car accident at age 16. Becca's family and friends have kept her legacy alive operating Becca's Closet in her place.

Truly I feel blessed by not having to shell out at least $100 for a dress for my daughter. God turned someone else's tragedy into blessings for many families. I'm not sure that I could do something like that had I lost a child, but Praise the Lord for Becca's family and friends who carry out Becca's mission. My daughter's dress is gorgeous. I'm not sure that we would have found something so lovely had we gone shopping for it!

Here's the web address for Becca's Closet if you would like to read more about this wonderful organization. www.beccascloset.org