MIRACLE

Okay....so I am learning by example and copying Vickie from a few posts ago.......

I am writing this post on Wednesday night, November 28th but will not post it until next week when I am scheduled to blog.  Now I understand why Vickie wrote her blog the day of Gideon's birth.  I just got home from a long day at the hospital.....and felt I would burst if I did not write something.

Today, we met our little MIRACLE; Cameron Lee Hicks.  (Our first grandchild.)  All babies are miracles, but Cameron is especially a miracle.  Almost exactly one year ago, our daughter had gone through a year of infertility and the "Specialists" told her that nothing had worked to correct her PCOS syndrome, so her chances of ever conceiving a child would be very expensive and slim to none.  They chose to give up and she went back to her midwife to be treated for the PCOS......and after sharing with her the words of the "Specialists", her midwife told her...........they are only doctors.........you and I know the GREAT PHYSICIAN......we are not going to give up....but continue to PRAY.  Anyway, without going into great detail.............she DID get pregnant and later because of the PCOS, developed gestational diabetes......etc.....so she was also having to see a High Risk Doctor.

However, against all odds, today, November 28, 2012, she delivered Cameron Lee Hicks at 8:26 a.m., by c-section because his shoulders were determined too large for her.  He weighed 8lbs. and was 21 inches long and has a head full of blond hair.

We PRAYED for Cameron before he was conceived.  We PRAYED for him before he was born......and we will continue to PRAY for our little MIRACLE.
Mom and baby are doing great.  Cameron's sugar has been good so far and since Cameron's birth, mom has been able to eat carbs without having the sugar problems.

God is soooo GOOD.........ALL THE TIME!!!  Praise God for our little MIRACLE.  No doubt, God has great plans for Cameron Lee Hicks and I look forward to watching God work in his life.

How can you NOT believe in God when you witness his miracles?
BTW....I am sharing Cameron's first day picture..........and I must confess up front, I will probably share lots of pictures in the future............I am one proud Mimi!!!  Just call it Mimi insanity.....and skip past the photos if you like.  Smile.

Christmas Lists

I broke down last night and started writing my Christmas lists. No, these aren't the kind my daughters are writing, bullet pointing every item they hope to receive. These lists aren't about wishing at all, except for a strong desire to cross off items when they are completed.

I have lists for who I need to buy presents for and what I have bought them.

I have lists for what I need to do before the get-together I am hosting on Sunday.

I have lists for both Krogers and Walmart. (How crazy am I to try both in one day!)

I have lists of important dates so I won't hurt any one's feelings and that I will be where I am supposed to be with what I am supposed to have at the right time.

I am trying to be on top of things and organized, but . . . I know all too well that even though I may order my steps, it is our loving Father who directs them. It doesn't matter how with it I am, it is all in His hands. I am not promised tomorrow and neither are you dear Sister.

So, my goal in all my lists is to remember. Yes, I need to remember everything listed, but I also want my lists to remind me that He never forgets, His love is steadfast and He has the right to intervene at any time.

In my weakness, He is made evident. I need lists. He does not.

And whether I complete everything on each list or nothing on any of them, Christmas is still Christmas. God is still God and He sent me Jesus. Thank you Lord!

"Yuletide Ledge"

Both my  girlies ready for church on Christmas Sunday 2011

As I mentioned in my last post, I started decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving this year. This has been a good thing for several reasons:

1. It has put things in a great perspective for me and I am truly already celebrating these "Holy Days."
2. I haven't felt rushed or stressed out trying to get it all done. Maybe I have too much Christmas "stuff" but, doing it in phases has made the whole process much more fun and I have even been able to enjoy the work.
3. This year, putting up the tree, stringing the lights and hanging the stocking have been a "get to" instead of a "have to."

Honestly, this really has been a blessing in disguise. I would like to say that I had been intentional to do this, but when I looked at the calendar and realized how quickly my early December days were filling up, I realized that I didn't have much of a choice. If it was going to get done, it had to happen now.

While I am confessing, I will ask for your prayers too. With everything that has to be done, the gift buying, the cooking baking, the party going, you know how easy it is to quickly become overwhelmed and miss the true reason for our season altogether. There are finances to manage and family "situations" to consider as well as ministry opportunities and obligations. I can see the "Yuletide Ledge" looming with its slippery slope of temptation leading to a downward spiral of becoming overwhelmed and missing the blessings of this season.

Are you there too?

I will commit to pray for you, but I also want to ask "How do you keep Christ your focus during the bustle of the season?" I am always on the look out for practical advice on how to keep Him first.

Decorating early and in phases has already helped me. I think that this practice will definitely become a new tradition, a new tradition with the purpose of helping me keep Christ in my Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

My youngest showing us a piece from her nativity last year. 

I used to be of the camp that looked down my nose at the big box department stores barely sweeping the Halloween costumes out of the way to make room for tinsel, ribbons, lights and bows. I used to refuse to listen to the first refrain of the first Christmas carol until the day after Thanksgiving. Why rush it?

The last couple of years God has really been softening my heart.

The greeting "Happy Holidays!" has been given a bad rap. It has become synonymous with somehow trying to take Christ out of Christmas. And, sadly yes, that is many people's intent with using the phrase. BUT! I want to take it back!

This year I want to start being thankful for the incarnation at Thanksgiving. I want to start celebrating God's goodness in sending Emmanuel last weekend! I want the feelings and tidings of Christmas to flow all through the weeks of Advent into the promises of a new year.

I want to wish you a "Happy Holidays!" with Christ interwoven into each day of this season.

For the first time ever, I began decorating for the season before Thanksgiving. Yes, I packed the ceramic pumpkins and replaced them with my nativity scenes. Instead of three separate holidays, I am choosing to blend them together and celebrate God's blessings in one season.

Didn't the feasts and celebrations in the Bible last weeks? Why can't our celebration of God sending Himself to earth be just as long?

It isn't just about one day. We will end up celebrating Christmas over multiple gatherings and festivities and locations and miles anyway. In my heart, I have already begun.

After all, the word "holiday" comes from its original meaning, "holy day." Add the plural "s" and there we have have Holy Days. 

Ladies, I am wishing you a season of Happy Holy Days!

Happy Holidays!

Attitude of Gratitude

It is the day after Thanksgiving…..Thanksgiving 2012, as they say, is “in the books”.  The day is over.  The kitchen is cleaned up.  The newspapers that were strewn all over the floor are in the garbage…the coupons are saved and ready for shopping.  The refrigerator is full of leftovers and my tummy is full too!  It is the morning after and I am still in my jammies….the same jammies I was in ALL DAY on Thanksgiving!!  Seriously!  I stayed in my jammies all day!!  A dream come true!!

Reflecting on the season of thankfulness….I am reminded that being thankful is NEVER over.  Having an attitude of gratitude must be foundational to our lives.  We all know that.  This is nothing new….we KNOW we are to be thankful always!  After all Thessalonians says, “In everything give thanks.” 

I love hearing/reading/writing the things that people/I are/am thankful for.  Typically those lists that we are thankful for includes the “good stuff” like family, God, friends, homes, freedom, etc.  But what about the hard stuff?  Are we thankful “in” them?  Do they ever appear on our lists?

This journey of life takes us along beautiful green drives and mountain top extravaganzas and ocean beach sunsets that take our breath away.  It is easy to be thankful and awed at the power of our God during those “paths” of life we travel.

But what about the paths in this journey of life where we have to make a U-turn or there is a detour?  What about the rocky roads that cause damage?  What about the long dark tunnels where we wonder if there will ever be any light?  What about the speed bumps that we refuse to slow down and go over without causing damage but we rev up our proverbial engines and forge ahead and the speed bump causes damage instead of slowing us down?

What do we do when the road of life takes us to places that are not beautiful or scenic or pleasant?  What if your Thanksgiving day was not great?  What if it was depressing for you or full of conflict?  Is our attitude of gratitude evident?  We must still give thanks in those places as well. 

Why not pick up that list you are thankful for and add to it the things you are thankful for in the hard times?  Ponder, think, focus on what you can be thankful for when times are tough.  Put it on paper.  Look at it.  Be transformed by it!!  Be thankful!  "Having a foundation of gratitude is a foundation that circumstances can not shake."

I am thankful for you!

Mohawk Man

Have you ever had a conversation similar to this with your husband before? 

Me:  Honey, I think there is something wrong with my car.
Him:  What’s it doing?
Me:  I don’t know…..it just doesn’t sound right.
Him:  What does it sound like?
Me:  I don’t know….it is making a funny noise.
Him:  What kind of funny noise?
Me:  I don’t know how to describe it.
Him:  I will drive it around the block and see if I can hear it.
Him:  I drove it and didn’t hear anything wrong.

Well, my husband and I had that very conversation a few weeks ago.  Fast forward a few weeks to last week.  I am driving to Illinois to speak to the pastor’s wives at their state convention.  (By the way, I’d LOVE to hear how the TBC minister’s wives lunch went!!).  I get through Indianapolis and head west toward Illinois…..then, of course, I have to stop to go potty (I had lunch at McAlister’s and if you have ever had their tea….you understand why I needed to stop and go potty!  Their tea is amazing and HUGE and I had multiple refills!!)

Anyway…..I exit and all of a sudden my car will not “go”!!  It is running.  I am pushing the gas pedal and it won't go.  Something is wrong!  Cars are piling up behind me…..I am doing this “lurching forward” motion with my body trying to get the car to move….it is coasting….but no thanks to my “lurching”.  I guess I thought it would let the angry drivers behind me know that at least I was trying to get my car to go!!

I coast into a rocky parking lot with lots and lots of damaged cars all over the place.  Tons of them.  There was a white building with three garage type doors….all closed.  I get out of the car.  Walk to the building to see if anyone was “home”.  Finding an unlocked door, I hesitantly open it and call out “Anyone home”?  “Home”?  Really?  Dana, did it look like a home??

Anyway…..inside this building were several cars (all in various stages of disrepair), tools, grease, and very loud music.  Out from behind one of the cars comes the tallest, largest, baldest, tattoo bearingist, nose ring wearingist, man with a Mohawk unlike I have ever seen before.  He graciously walks with me to my car which is in the middle of his lot, opens the hood, pulls out the oil stick, wipes his fingers along it, smells it, (WHO does that with his fingers??  I always see people doing it with a greasy rag but NEVER a finger!  Mohawk man is a MAN!!)  He says it is my transmission and he can fix my car!!

Great!  “Can you fix it in the next 45 minutes so I can get on the road to Illinois?  AND can I use your bathroom?”  “No and Yes”.  To make a really long story not so long…..I leave my car with Mohawk man in the middle of who-knows-where, rent a car, continue to Illinois and spend some beautiful, encouraging time with pastor’s wives in Illinois. 

It occurred to me as I drove away that I just might have left my car at a chop shop and when I return it will be in a million pieces and sold.  AND I was going out be out a lot of money renting a car and getting a transmission fixed....AND I wanted to tell my husband "I told you my car was acting up!!" 

Some of you will understand what I mean when I say, "Those were a bunch of rocks I was about to pick up and put them in my proverbial wagon!!"

But I honestly thought to myself, "I am the most blessed woman!!"  Here my car breaks down AFTER I was off of the busy Indianapolis interstate traffic.  It broke down AFTER I got off the Interstate heading west.  It coasted into Mohawk man’s place of business who could fix it (granted, it would take 6 days and a TON of money!!).  I was able to rent a car and make it to Illinois in time!!  I will NOT put those rocks in my wagon!!

I felt His presence and His hand upon me and I am in awe that He watches over me!!  Psalm 91:11 “For He orders His angels to protect you wherever you go” NLT

I am thankful for Mohawk man.  I am thankful for a God who knows my every need.  I am thankful for you!

God's Gifts

If you are a Facebook person, you probably have seent he blessing post by individuals.  We do have so much to be thankful for.  With Thanksgiving around the corner, I have become reflective on the blessings and gifts God has bestowed on me.  Of course, I am very thankful for an endless supply of chocolate that is given to me from my fellow chocoholics in my church family.  Oh but girlfriends, there are so many more gifts God has given to me.

Salvation:  Where would any of us be with out this gift?  It is free and can never be taken away.

Family:  This is one of my greatest gifts.  My family is very precious to me.  In the past I believe I have often taken them for granted, however, this year has made me fully understand to never take anyone for granted.  My mom will not be with us this holiday season because the Lord called her home.  Her homemade chocolate pies and made from scratch Italian Cream Cake will be missed.  My sons and their families will be scattered to the four corners of the world.  One son will celebrate the holiday with other deployed soldiers.  I do get to spend the holiday with my father who is still recovering from a serious illness.  I have a husband who loves the Lord with all his heart.  The new addition to our family-Gideon- is our bright spot.  This sweet little boy has put a smile on my face and tons of love in my heart.  I live each day to get photos and videos by text or the internet.  In addition, Skype keeps us current on Gideon's daily feats. 

Friends:  Each friend I have is a gift of God.  They have walked into my life and helped me to learn new lessons from the Father.  Some of these people were the last person I would have ever thought would be a friend let alone a best friend.  However, God knew they had a unique quality that would make me a better person.

Our Calling:  You make be shaking your head at this idea, however, it is truly a gift.  Think about it for a moment.  The God of the Universe, Creator of All, King of Kings called us-mere, messed up, sinful humans-out special to tell the world of His salvation and love.  How humbling!

Our Church Family:  My husband and I are blessed with one of the sweetest, loving church families ever.  They have opened their arms and hearts and welcomed us.  We love these people dearly and only pray that God allows us many years together.

So girlfriends, I ask you today what are some of God's gifts to you this year? 

(Please forgive me but I had to share a photo of Gideon per the request of one of our sisters).

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!