People Will Talk

I cried buckets of tears today on a tough and emotional ride. If you know me at all, you would know I do NOT like roller coasters. But, life isn't an easy ride for most of us. We go through periods of sadness, confusion, loss, pain, anger, and guilt, to name a few.

If I could wave a wand and make everyone joyful and content I would!! But in a world of sin where we are not perfect and this magical wand doesn't exist...we face many trials. Daily.
Every day we have decisions to make.
Because of this, it is of utmost important to start our day with God and end our day with Him.
If we can, and I know we can, it is wise to pray throughout the whole day, before any decision, and to search our hearts before speaking.

Sometimes we don't realize or we forget that every day is a spiritual BATTLE and the closer we get to God's will, the more the enemy gets mad and strikes harder.

Kindness and humility towards those that hurt us (unknowingly at times) go a long way, especially towards those that don't seem to deserve it.

Today, in the midst of my heartache and feeling alone when I felt my husband should have been more attentive to me, I found myself wondering, "What is the point of marriage if my spouse sees my brokenness and turns away?"

A very important thing to remember in marriage is that our spouse isn't our Savior. No one can take God's place. Yeshua paid the heavy price; the ultimate sacrifice of love. Our spouse could never do for us what God does for us even if they wanted to!!

In my own sadness and confusion, I did not realize that my husband was hurting as well, for very different reasons. The moment he dealt with his own heart issues, he was able to show love, patience, kindness, understanding, and encourage me in a strong and collected manner.  He took his time to do the right thing the right way.

After a lengthy conversation, he read me an Irish poem he had written in his journal a while back and then prayed with me.

I want to share the poem he read by Mary E. Harris, who was born in Kentucky in 1839. It is said that she wrote this poem in 1866, age the age of 27. 

"People Will Talk"

You may get through the world, but ’twill be very slow,

If you listen to all that is said as you go;

You’ll be worried and freeted and kept in a stew,

For meddlesome tongues will have something to do;

For People Will Talk.

If quiet and modest, you’ll have it presumed

That your humble position is only assumed;

You’re a wolf in sheep’s clothings, or else you’re a fool,

But don’t get excited, keep perfectly cool;

For People Will Talk.

If generous and noble, they’ll vent out their spleen.

You’ll hear some loud hints that you’re selfish and mean.

If upright and honest and fair as the day,

They’ll call you a rogue in a sly, sneaking way!

For People Will Talk.

And then if you show any boldness of heart,

Or a slight inclination to take your own part,

They will call you an upstart, conceitied, and vain;

But keep straight ahead, don’t stop and explain;

For People Will Talk.

If threadbare your dress, or old-fashioned your hat,

Some one will surely take notice of that,

And hint rather strong that you can’t pay your way;

But don’t get excited whatever they say,

For People Will Talk.

If you dress in the fashion, don’t think to escape,

For they criticize then if a different shape;

You’re ahead of your means, or your tailor’s unpaid

But mind your own business, don’t mind what is said;

For People Will Talk.

Now, the best way to do is to do as your please,

For your mind, if you have one, will then be at ease.

Of course you will meet with all sorts of abuse,

But don’t think to stop it, it is of no use,

For People Will Talk.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome!!

In this blog site you will find encouragement for the Christian life, DIY projects, and my work which  you may custom order. I hope it blesses your life!

Just use the links with the drop down menus to find what you are looking for or to browse around.
Feel free to contact me; I'd love to hear from you!

Here is a bit about me....

...My name is Noemi Sadler. I was born in the tiny town of Liberal, KS. There is much history for me there, both good and sad! Such is life. ;)

We currently reside in Colorado!

I am married to this crazy awesome man, Jeff Sadler.
He is a singer/songwriter/composer/worship leader and more!

You can find out more about our music here:
Building On Stone
~~Stay tuned for more as recording tends to fall lower on the priority list than we would like!~~

He also has some great blogs that you can find and recommend via these links:
     On the Rise
     {Great biblical information and personal lessons learned in life.}
     A City Unforsaken
     {A collection of biblical research and how it relates to us now.}
     Fluid Transit
     {Very helpful information if you use or plan to use light rail transportation and specifically in Denver, CO}
     Ballistic Linguistics
     {For the word nerds out there!}
     The Man's Soul: Taking it Back
     {A blog geared for men.}

Jeff and I are blessed to be raising and homeschooling four unique and incredible little people!
You will surely get to know more about them through my posts. ^_^

You are also welcome to follow my crafting FB page here:
Heart Echoes by Mimi

Come join us in this adventure as we hope to be able to relate to those around us and shower them with God's love and promises!

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21

Our life here on Earth is only temporary...we have much to look forward to!

More than Rubies

My heart aches, lost in the hustle and bustle of the day,
Surrounded by mundane tasks and I can't seem to get away.

Hidden gems are wanting and waiting to be found,
But their lack of self-worth doesn't fail to astound.

We have made them  believe they are this way, beauty wasted away.

Lord, I confess that I sometimes forget I have purpose
And even though I am a mess,
You choose to refine me.

Every day is a battle, the enemy is
watching and ready,
But on my faithful Savior I hold my gaze steady.

Worth far more than rubies,
We are living stones.
Use us to build Your kingdom.

Love Life

Some fellow Christians have forgotten the lyrics to a song we grew up with or have at least heard:

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.
Red, brown, yellow, black, and white
They are precious in his sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world!
(Your version might not include the brown that I once heard a teacher add in and I have kept it in ever since!)

What it is NOT:
Jesus hates some of the people, in every corner of the world
Blacks and Muslims, Mexicans
They are worthless in his hands
Jesus hates some of the people that he made.

I remember the silly "War on Christmas". As I have seen others say: Don't worry so much about putting Christ back in Christmas as in putting Christ back in Christian!! So true! I never once felt wrong about saying Happy Holidays as it literally means Happy Holy-days, encompassing many beautiful traditions around the same time relating to Christ. I did, however, have to remind myself to be careful what I said around "Christians" so as not to offend them. How ironic. 

We should extend the grace and mercy God has shown us on to our neighbors.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, when a man finds himself robbed, beat up, and half dead on the side of the road; those, who could have and should have helped him, chose to pass him by. A Samaritan, however, not only stops to lend a hand but really goes out of his way to do all he can for the man in need. And if the man in need is as we understand a Jew...Samaritans were their enemies!
(This parable is found in Luke 10:25-37)

Don't be surprised if in a time of need, the very type of person we look down on is the one who helps us up.

Satan would love to see us blinded by hate and fear.

Jesus wants us to be the light of the world and love our neighbor so that they can come to Him by seeing a reflection of who He is...in us. 

If we hate ourselves or hate our life, we will reflect it in how we treat others. We should start each day with working inside ourselves - in our own lives, learning how to love ourselves and understand God's love in a true way. Then, we can start seeing the world in a different way, through His eyes, desiring to help and love the hurting people around us instead of allowing ourselves to be divided.

"...Perfect love casts out fear..." 1 John 4:18

Jesus came to save the world, not destroy it. 
Jesus loves His people. 
Red, brown, yellow, black, white, and everything mixed and in between. He died for ALL of us.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,"  Revelation 5:9

Sadler Chore Charts

Hello, friends!!

Here is a quick tutorial on the chore charts our family uses for the children. This is upon request. I wasn't planning on doing a tutorial so I didn't take any photos along the way but, I hope this helps!!! 

What you need:
-Manila Folder
-Wooden Skewers
-Duct Tape
-Colored Straws
-Something to cut with
-Ruler
-Markers
-Pencil (not pictured, you know what it looks like!)

Step 1: Using a ruler and pencil, draw an outline for your window and cut it out! Leave space to cover the skewer ends and to write in.

Step 2: Pencil in chore spaces to the left. Use ruler as a guide to evenly space them out. 

Step 3: Break off part of the skewers so they fit in the window with extra space left at the ends to tape down

(No photo, boo-hoo!!)







Step 4: Cut the straws into 1 in. pieces. (Big/small enough to be able to be slid one way or the other.) If a chore needs to be done more than once per day, you may cut up the corresponding amount of little markers, just remember there needs to be space to slide them over!














Step 5: Put those colors to use and write in the chores and child's name! Add some encouragement, something personal, from YOU!

Step 6: Tape down the skewers so that they are centered under the flap on the left side of the window. Slide in your cut up marker. One or as many times as they need to do that chore per day. Tape the skewers down on the right side.



















Step 7: Last, but not least, tape down the edges! You can roll tape and place it under the edges if you don't want tape to show. You can also tape around the outside and show off the tape design! It's up to you! :)

And that is IT!!!!

I like to try and keep it simple and effective...the extra doodling...well, I can't help that!! ;)

 Enjoy the chore chart!!! Let me know if you make one and if you have any questions! 

-Mimi 

Speak Life!

2 Timothy 4:3,4 

3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.…

Too many churches are only telling the congregation what their "itching ears" want to hear and this saddens my heart to such a deep level!! Churches are being run like business, pleasing the customers and taking in their money. 

I have a stack of sticky notes with encouraging quotes that I love. One of my favorites reads, "For God so loved the world that he didn't send a committee". If God is leading your every move, you do not need a committee to approve every small detail. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will know when to speak and when to take action, and sometimes it goes against what you would normally think is a good idea. But, God has a message for His people, and if He moves in you to speak, and you do not, you will have to answer to God. We are not talking about a business here; we are talking about precious souls. 

Any time you work in the ministry, you put in many, many hours - of which their "value" goes unpaid monetarily. But, when your heart is in the right place and it is your passion to serve the Lord in this way, it matters not. Because again, church is not a business. Every day you have the opportunity to speak God's word and let God's love be seen in you. When God moves in your heart to speak, do it! It is an amazing feeling to look out into a congregation full of people worshiping God, laying it all before Him, and simply praising God. Many times, I have been moved to tears at the wonderful sight. All those hours of hard work were not in vain. It is a reminder that when we put in the hard work and then let God move, He does! 

Church shouldn't simply be a feel-good kind of place. Church is much more. It is not simply a building. We all make up the body of Christ. We are all important and in the end, our judge is God alone. We may hold a high position in church, be a volunteer, or simply attend services, but God sees in us what no one else does. He sees all of it. God calls us to hold each other accountable and to speak to each other with Godly truth, and the truth, my friends, is that this world is full of evil and deceit. 

Ephesians 4:25

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
Ephesians 4:25

It is not all joy and peace. The moment of perfect peace in God is yet to come. Remember, we are not of this world! God gives us the tools we need to make it in this world, though. He will not forsake His people. 

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:13

Anyone involved in ministry has the responsibility of not only being loving and caring for all of humankind, but of warning and reminding people of the dangers of this world and the evil around us and to come. We are responsible for equipping others with God's word, faith, and hope. If you truly love someone, would you not tell them of danger ahead? Or would you tell them all you see is peace. 
Would you tell them that their naturally sinful ways are okay and they have no need to repent? Where is the conviction in all this?

Would you tell those you care about to simply repeat after your words and that will bring about peace and forgiveness if you knew this was not true? Would you tell them to come back next week and do it again as if this is the only way? No! If you knew better, you wouldn't...not without a horrible sense of guilt. God doesn't want us to teach others to simply repeat. Then, what would they do without you?

Just as we do to our children whom we love, teach them! Teach them how to pray and lead by example! Teach them to be able to fend for themselves, to read the Bible for themselves and seek out answers. Teach them to be prepared. Teach them where to run to when they are in danger. Remind them to have faith and in all circumstances, to be thankful. Remind them that you are not perfect, yet God loves us and accepts us all if we choose to lay it all before Him. Remind them that you are no better than they are. Remind them of our sinful nature and the importance of repentance. Remind them that God can use anyone who is willing to be a vessel.

My friends, I write all this with a lot of loving concern. Do not be blinded and led astray. You are stronger than you think. You are capable of more than you think. Search for God and you will find Him. Read, pray, and search for Him. Search for truth!

      Psalm 105:1-7

1Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

make known among the nations what he has done.

2Sing to him, sing praise to him;

tell of all his wonderful acts.

3Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

4Look to the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.

5Remember the wonders he has done,

his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

6you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,

his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.

7He is the Lord our God;

his judgments are in all the earth.

Uncommon

     Last weekend, our family went to a church retreat in Westminster Woods. It was our first time there and the theme was finding your superpower and how you may be able to share your talents at church. Of course, Jeff's talent was "Creative Ability" and mine was a tie between "Creative Ability" and "Faith". 

     Most of the time, I am big on faith. I have had to be. The unexpected hits and I still push on. I may not know why things happen or how we will get through at the moment but in time God reveals his purpose. Sometimes though, I forget.

Lately, some inevitable truths about my husband had really been testing my faith.            Questions, doubts and fears filled my head and my heart. I always say that if the Devil is not messing with you and trying to tear you down, you are where he wants you. If how you live causes him to have to put effort into misguiding, hurting and deceiving you, you are doing something right! 

     Back to my marriage: we cannot mold people into who we want them to be. That is God's job. God knows when and how he breaks, molds, and puts us through the fire. So I asked God to help me understand my husband a little better and to put my heart at ease. Okay, I begged! Just a little better understanding is all I wanted.  

     In Acts 10 there is a story about a vision that Peter had.

The Bible says that he became hungry and fell into a trance. He saw heaven open and a vessel descend with wild beasts, creeping things, and fowls of the sky. Then he heard a voice say telling him to rise, kill and eat. But Peter refused to eat what was common or unclean.

"And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." Acts 10:15 

     This happened three times and afterwards, Peter was unsure of what this even meant. Four days earlier, Cornelius, a centurion from Caesarea, a devout man that feared and prayed to God, had been visited by an angel who had him send for Peter. 

Acts 10:19 says, "While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them."

     What I love is that after he arrived in Caesarea, Peter told them how it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with foreigners but God had showed him not call any man common or unclean. He was more than okay being there and speaking to Cornelius and the group of friends and family that he had gathered. 

     Now, the story goes on, but this is what spoke to me the most. Peter had to have faith. He didn't understand the vision but, when he heard the Spirit, he obeyed without doubting. At the right time, when he needed to understand, the vision was clear to him. 

     There is nothing common about my husband! God has cleansed him and God is molding him to be who he was created to be, not to be everything I would want. God reminded me that I am in no position to judge and I too am still a work in progress. Most importantly though, he reminded me to have faith. I have looked at my husband and thought of all the morals and values I was raised by. I try to compare him and I have wanted him to measure up to man-made standards. God reminds me that he is His project, not mine. He tells me to let go. Stop worrying and remember to have faith. 

     This goes for everyone around us. Our neighbors, our family, our church, our whole world is made up of  people that God is working with. It is not our job to tell anyone how to live, what to do, or what to think. It is our job to be accepting and show God's love and mercy. We are to open our minds and our hearts and be welcoming rather than judgmental. We should strive to show the best we can be, to show how God has worked in us, so that others may have faith enough to let Him in. We are living examples of what God can do. We should be open books with no shame of our failures or mistakes. We should never pretend to be perfect and try to fix others. What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

In case you're wondering:
The story goes on to
tell us that Peter shared with them that he now understood that God shows no favoritism. In every nation, anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. He tells them of Jesus of Nazareth and as he was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon them. He goes on to order that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and afterwards they invite Peter to stay for a few days. It is a wonderful story in the Bible found in Acts chapter 10.

Peace Amongst the Day

This morning as I was having my quiet time with God, I spent almost half of it simply talking to Him. I had PLENTY to pour out to Him. Although I know what my basic priorities are; they had recently been getting a little jumbled up. They are:

*  God

• My Husband
• My Children
• Our Home                

Some days, I haven’t had any time for God. I’ve been way too busy. My time with God those days consisted of praying for our meals, and this is usually done by the kids. “Father God, thank you for my mommy, my baby sister, and me. We are so beautiful. And thank you for my brother and my dad because they are so handsome. Thank you for the water...because it’s so good...and the birds, they are so beautiful...and the rain that you made...and the fruit...” “Eva...the food...” “Oh yeah, and bless the food. AAAAA-MEN!!!” (Picture a big cheesy smile from our 3 year old.)

Other days I have needed to homeschool a lot, cook and clean, and therefore have had no time for my husband and his needs...he’s a big boy, right? Other times, I have found myself asking the kids to just go play please, Mommy is busy. Ugh. I am NOT proud of myself! And what does this all add up to? Stress. A stressed mama isn’t a happy mama. And everyone knows...If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!!”

The wonderful thing about any human though, is that we can always improve ourselves. We can always work hard and diligently to become better at pretty much anything we set our minds to. When you plan out your day putting God first and being realistic (and DO allow for things to be switched around if needed!) it brings peace to your home. You find that there IS enough time in the day. If you have any debilitating/chronic illness that somedays makes it hard to crawl out of bed, (if you are blessed enough to get to stay at home or work from home) you can allow yourself the rest your body needs. I have a PJ day with the kids and do the best I can that day! You find that there IS enough time to homeschool, to study, to clean, to cook, to organize, to budget, run errands, and many, many of those important things, AND then still have intimate time with your husband at night!! (The best way to end a long day!) 

We have to love and accept ourselves the way God made us, acknowledge and embrace the kind of heart he gave us, and do our very best with what He has blessed us and entrusted us with. 

And let’s get a few questions out of the way: Am I saying it is easy? (Hahahaha!) That I have a simple solution to being that mother who has it all together? (She doesn’t exist.)Do I think I am any better or that my family is put together better than someone else’s? Most certainly not, I’m sorry but, no, and NEVER!!

After my long prayer and venting to God, who by the way is the BEST listener, He allowed me to “stumble upon” an amazing Psalm that provided more encouragement for me today than I could have ever imagined I would have needed...today. God is ALWAYS on time.

Most of us do not say the most encouraging words when we are angry. A stressed mama can get angry very easily sometimes. Mostly it is because we are angry with ourselves, no one else.

Psalm 34 starts like this:

“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” (v. 1)

How then can there be room for malice and angry words?

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me, he delivered me from ALL my fears.” (v. 4)

Nothing good comes from fear. It is negative and the root of many evil things said and done.

“Those who look to him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame.” (v. 5)

I don’t know about you but I want to be radiant!

“This poor man called,” (in this case it is David) “...and the Lord heard him, he saved him out of all of his troubles.” (v. 6)

If you call on God, He will hear you; therefore, do not worry. Worry is a waste of time. Worry never helped accomplish or solve anything. You may feel like He isn’t answering or at least not giving you the answer you want when you want. Do not worry. He knows the big picture, you do not. You are wonderfully made, let the artist and creator keep working.

“...blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” (v. 8)

“Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing ” (v. 9 & 10)

Seek the Lord. Listen and seek peace. Are they not the same thing?

My marriage, my life, and my kids are in God’s hands. At times it feels as if I have nothing else to hang on to but God’s promises...but, what better thing to hang on to?

God created me with a strong desire to continually learn, so I offer all I am to Him. 

“Here I am God! Open my eyes, my mind, and my heart to things I never knew. Then help me turn around and teach my kids. Help me speak to and reach their hearts. Help me share with all those around me every good thing I know,” say I unto the Lord. 

“Come, my children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (v. 11-14)  

“Lord, fill my heart with so much love, understanding, forgiveness, and peace that there is NO ROOM for anything evil, hurtful, and not of You,” I cry out to You Lord, knowing that...

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.” (v. 15)

A simple prayer:

Guide us.

Teach us.

Heal us.

Let love abundant!

 -A Sadler Mom 

Pieces of Me

Days are just flying right by me, it becomes hard to keep up! To make things better, lately I have felt sort of...tossed around. Trying to find my place and being my best at it hasn’t been easy. Of course, I know who I am. I know what my family needs from me and I believe I do my best at that. But, you know what I mean. 

What can I do that is extraordinary? I am giving everything pieces of me and I really need to fully delve into something specific. I love everything I am a part of and I wish God would just nudge me a little towards a certain direction. But, that would be too easy. Choices are something I struggle with. I am an analyzer and honestly...sometimes I over-analyze. My mind gets filled with what-ifs and I want to accommodate the needs of all involved while trying to prevent any problems that could arise from my choices. Okay, I know: That is impossible. What’s worse is that afterwards I usually end up thinking, “I should have...”. I can be hard on myself. 

Thank You, God, for my husband!! He reassures me and encourages me. He reminds me to paint a truer and prettier picture because the way I depict it is usually the worst it could possibly be and untrue. I am promising myself, with my readers as my witnesses, that I am going to pray hard and find something to really put my energy into. I am going to try my hardest and if it fails, at least I stopped dipping my toe in and jumped in! There are many more streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans to try out! 

I look forward to sharing what I try. I would love to conquer it and move on! This mommy to one 5 year old, one 3 year old, a 2 month old, who stays at home, chooses to homeschool those wonderful children, and has been “labeled” as a sufferer of anxiety, asthma, endometriosis and having GI issues has one mighty God! I will be still and listen. I will say “Yes!” and be obedient for He sees the bigger and prettier picture! I will not shy away but instead courageous and bold. 

I will stop just giving pieces of me everywhere. This passion of helping, using my hands, my voice, my mind and all I have ever learned...this passion to ALWAYS continue learning new things has to be funneled and become something greater and with more purpose than my current “sprinkles of Mimi.” Now, excuse me while I go talk to Jesus. I hope to write again in a more fulfilled and lighter spirit very soon! 

My rainbow

My first post in a blog in...forever. And although I don't write it all down, I have a lot in my mind and heart to share. My mind is always running fast. Too fast to speak it sometimes and too fast to write it all down. I love the human mind. I love MY mind. And it scares me. It even gives me anxiety sometimes. And then sometimes it completely surprises me. My mind jumps from one thing to another until it reaches a brief stopping point where it all makes PERFECT sense....
...and that of course leads me to...a wonderful array of things, all at once, creating a beautiful rainbow in my mind...and so we are off again!

What I love about writing is that I can say what I choose to from the things on my mind and...if no one ever reads it, it's okay. I write for me. And sometimes...I write for my kids. My favorite part is looking back, because even though we think we will "never forget this moment" or "this image is burned into my head" it may be true, but we are not always so good at retrieving that information.

Many things have happened in my life that affect how I am, but who I am is because I was specifically created by a wonderfully powerful God to serve a purpose.

That being said, and as I am writing this primarily for me...when I look back and read this blog, I want to remember that this is how you would've found me when I started this blog :

*24 years old, I believe. Except for my 18th and 21st birthday, I have never paid too much attention to how old I am. Sometimes I feel older than that...aged quicker than I should be...and sometimes I feel 2.

*Pregnant!!! According to the app on my phone, I am 30 weeks today and my precious baby is the size of a...large cabbage. That is not exactly how I want to think of my baby. I start wondering how big her head will be when the time to officially evict her from my womb comes...but before my mind runs off again...how I feel is 50 weeks pregnant and since we recently moved to Wichita, KS and are not settled in yet, anxiety is driving me to the brink of insanity.

*Blessed, although all my life I have been blessed in one way or another. These things I can list although I am sure I will miss plenty.
          -All basic needs are met...you know, the usual "roof over my head" and "food
           on my plate." God hasn't failed to provide in one way or another and my
           faith is even stronger because of it.
         -I find myself married...as a little girl, I always dreamed of this! And even
          though we are not physically settled in to a new place in this city, my heart is
          in every way settled. This is the man I will still be discovering more of life
          with until I take my very last breath. He was made in every way perfect for
          me, he in fact IS that beautiful dream I had as a little girl. As a woman...the
          things about him and our relationship that I have questioned have turned out  
          to be learning and growing experiences...and that IS what I love to do...grow
          and learn. There is no doubt God made us for each other! It doesn't
          hurt that he is so handsome either...every beautiful freckle carefully placed by
          God...hair so soft that you would think he spends a lot of time conditioning
          it (and he spends NO time doing so, I'm jealous!!!)...my husband has big
          beautiful eyes that even when he is upset I can see right into them. I see
          his frustration, and past that, his concern, and even deeper, I simply find
          love for his family. I love his strong arms that hold me tight..he is a great cook...
          there are so many things that I could go on
          forever! I am looking at him and smiling...he has no idea why.
        -Marriage gave me a whole new family. My father in-law is the best father
         figure in my life so far, a piece I always felt was missing, but I know there
         is a time for everything. My mother in-law is amazing. She speaks her mind
         and I am grateful I have never felt offended...as a matter of fact, I gladly
         welcome her ideas. I know I can run to her if I ever
         need to. Though life hasn't allowed much time for it yet, I have a new sister to
         grow with. She has been there when both my husband and I needed
         her. She has a beautiful and smart daughter that I am blessed to have as my niece!
         I love being an aunt! I have two more grandmas, Grandma Lucy is so sweet and loving,
         and Grandma Benson is so funny and witty. An amazing new family that has  
         influenced who my husband is beautifully.
       -I am officially homeschooling for the first time! A dream I have had for several
         years. A child has no better teacher than his/her own parents!
      -Because I am pregnant, endometriosis isn't troubling me at the moment...I hope
       it never comes back!

*Happy. Truly happy and content!

*Secure. I have handed over the title of 'head of household.' Now I am the next in line, as God meant for it to be. I LOVE being my husbands biggest fan and supporter. I love that the final decision is his, he provides, and he will aways seek more of God.

*Tired...this is but a tiny sliver of what is on my mind today. My husband has made dinner tonight and it smells delicious! I will have dinner and I am grateful to have my husband's strong arms to curl into when I am done. Our entertainment tonight as usual: the kids!