Enhancing...

Occasionally inserts will be placed in the bulletins at church and I greatly enjoy reading over them. The theme or subject on this past insert was about love due to Valentine's Day and one of the articles it contained truly spoke to my heart. It was written about a man who was having marital issues and had visited a marriage counselor. The man conveyed to the counselor that he just didn't have feelings for his wife anymore and therefore couldn't find it within himself to love her and deemed the marriage a complete loss. Sound like our society today?

The counselor shared this:

True love, the kind of love that keeps a couple together for a lifetime, is not a feeling but an attitude. It says, With the help of God, I'm going to do everything I can to enhance the life of my spouse. He went on to say that warm, romantic feelings are the result of love, not the essence of love.

Although Kyle and I have an awesome marriage, I thought alot about what I had read. I processed and meditated on the reality and truth of the advice given and the Lord enlightened me that I am not only Kyle's help meet but I as well am here to enhance his life. Wow, was that powerful for me!


I'm not here just to love him, care for him, help him, pray for him, encourage him...


I'm not here just to cook his meals, wash his clothes, clean the house, raise our children...


I'm not here just to be his best friend, lover, wife and cheerleader...


I'm here to enhance his life...

all the above and so much more...


To increase him, as price, value, beauty and pleasure...


That means to continually look beyond myself, my desires, my needs, my wants in order to increase him in price, value, beauty and pleasure.


The article went on to say that in the book of Titus (a portion of Scripture that my eyes have fallen on numerous times lately), us "older" women are instructed to teach the younger women to love their husbands.


There is no greater calling the Lord has placed on my life than to enhance the life of My Man and to increase him with my every word, action, thought and attitude.

What a blessed calling!

What an exciting career!

What a beautiful life!

What a rich woman I am!

(Can you tell that I love what I am called to do?) :o)

Absolutely Not...

Amazing...the computer/internet decided to cooperate again...

God is good!

What does approximately:

16 cake mixes

48 eggs

7 cups vegetable oil

8 cups Crisco

4-2lb. bags powdered sugar

4 tsp. clear imitation vanilla

and

3 cups of water

create?

This...

and...

this...

for...

these whom we love so much...

I'm glad that Meg asked

and

I'm glad that I could do it

but...

Am I in the business???

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!

Life...

Our computer is somewhat working... Somewhat being the key word... Kyle is quite perplexed at its condition and after numerous phone calls to tech support, computer gurus at work and Christian acquaintances that are computer smart, we still have yet to figure out what is causing this technical device to throw what seems to be undisciplinable fits. We've spent money on something that was supposed to "fix" anything that could be causing the unruliness but to no avail it didn't work. :o( After diagnostic testing, we are certain that it doesn't have a virus or malware (whatever that is) but Kyle has arrived at the point where he is wondering if the Lord is indicating that we are to do away with the internet all together... I can't say that I am opposed to the idea but it would take some time to get used to the fact that I could no longer quickly, easily and inexpensively communicate with the outside world across the cyber waves. For some reason it throws error messages, won't let me post pictures, change fonts or adjust colors on blogger, requires that we "refresh" the browser often and completely morphs images that come across the screen. Oh well, the Lord has been speaking to us more and more about simplifying so maybe this is one of those areas that He is desiring for us to reevaluate.

MaKayla has been down for the past few days with what seems to be either a bad case of allergies or something that has emerged into bronchitis and is on its way to pneumonia. This week has been a very relaxed week for us girls and it has been good. She herself (MaKayla) has done alot of resting while she, Mal and I collectively have been investing a great deal of time reading, reflecting and refreshing as to who we are as women (younger and older) in Christ. We've been reading out of 'Beautiful Girlhood', 'Joyfully at Home', 'The Little Medicine Carrier' and 'The Bible' besides the independent books that both girls are in the midst of. God is bringing about a great deal of change in our lives as individuals, in our family as a whole and in our home. He is compelling Kyle to evaluate and define the vision of our family... For so long we have "just done life" without giving thought to where we are headed and where we will arrive... He himself as far as reading goes, is finishing up 'Anchor Man' and 'Radical' and is on the brink of beginning 'Family Driven Faith' and 'What He Must Be', all intermingled with God's Word. Our home seems to be going through a season of metamorphosis and although at times it is painful and unenjoyable, it is exciting.

May the blessings of the Lord be in abundance to each of you!

...Guess what??? All of a sudden this lovely piece of equipment has decided to let me post pictures, change the color and font of this post however, I think I'll just stick to the theme of simplicity...

We as a family have had a great deal going on this past week. It's been a great week but a busy week.

Unfortunately we are having some MAJOR computer issues and therefore are limited on what we can and can't do on-line thus the absence of posts. Prayerfully things will be fixed...soon...

We pray that each of you had a fantastic, love-filled Valentine's Day with those who are closest to your heart!

Kyle, Mendi, MaKayla and Mal

The Gate...

I don't think that anyone prepared me for the reality that spiritually training a teenager is hard...

Most specifically when you as a parent are training them to follow hard after God...

Especially when what you are teaching them and training them goes completely against the grain of culture or normalcy (in peers and adults alike)...

You think things are going relatively smooth and then tough questions begin emerging...

Questions you never dreamed were floating through their mind...

Questions you didn't figure would ever be a part of your child's thinking...

Questions you were sure were answered because of how they have been raised and as a result of what they have been taught...

And then one day...

God is very vividly showing me that following hard after Him isn't easy. It isn't easy for me as an adult therefore it most certainly isn't easy for my child as a teenager...

He is showing me that I should NEVER take for granted that our children believe as truth what they have been taught...even when we as a family live it...day in and day out...

At some point they have to discover what that truth is for themselves...

He is showing me more and more the truth of: "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13~14

Jesus commands us to enter through the narrow gate...

I'm thankful that these questions come when those God has entrusted us to raise, nurture, teach and love are still under the umbrella of our protection. I'm thankful that I have a God who fills my heart with compassion for this one that I love beyond words. I'm thankful that although I don't have all the answers, He does. I'm thankful that He promises that His Word will not return void. I'm thankful that I am here at home and she is here at home where we can visit openly about these things. I'm thankful that I have been enlightened of these questions and concerns so that together Kyle and I can address them and nurture her through them.

It's hard being a teenager...

It's hard when you feel like a loner...

It's hard when you are seen as an outcast...
*in what you wear...
*in what you watch...
*in what you listen to...
*in what your future plans look like...
*in your moral choices...
*in your convictions...

The gate is small...

The gate is narrow...

We have to chose whether we will follow man or follow God...

Jesus doesn't promises us in His Word that following Him would be easy...

Yet He promises that His grace is sufficient...

He understands that following Him comes at a great cost...

Yet He says that His way is the only fruitful, fulfilling and satisfying way...

We press on...

Flashback Friday...Never Again...

I decided it only fitting to do our Flashback Friday of Fletcher today.

It has been a most painful week for our family.

Each day we think missing him will get easier...but it doesn't.

Each day we think we will we get up and the sadness will be less...but it isn't.

Each day we think that the lack of his presence will be less noticeable...but it's still profound.

My birthday came and went and I really didn't care much...

Kyle walks into an empty, lonely living room each morning...his first fresh air of the day partner no longer accompanies him.

The one who always accompanied MaKayla to the mailbox is sadly absent.

Mallary's constant outside friend no longer tags alongside of her.

Fletch no longer nudges our elbows with his nose when he wanted a pat on the head, a visit outside, a taste of whatever it was that we were eating or just acknowledgment of, "I am here, love me!"

We fail to hear the "warning call" when a stranger pulls into our drive or knocks at our door.

He won't be there waiting to jump in when Kyle's truck is sitting in the driveway.

His paws no longer print the breezeway floor.

The treats under the sink bought specifically for him will go uneaten.

Even Megan noticed the absence of his greeting yesterday when she approached the door of our home.

Kyle's "Fletcher songs" that he would always sing to his "male companion" are now unnecessary.

I've always been critical of those who mourn the loss of a pet, I mean seriously, it's an animal...

Never again will I laugh at, chide or make fun of one who grieves that friend, companion, protector...

And now...I must force myself to make the trek to the burn barrel for the first time...

...alone...

We're sad...
Life is painful...
Our hearts are lonely...

It's a difficult Flashback Friday...

We Love You Fletch!!

Today has been a very hard day for our family as we have had to say goodbye to our beloved Fletcher. He has still been declining, not eating or drinking and losing weight and today he got sick again, so Mendi called and we took him back to the Dr. and decided to open him up and have the Dr. do exploratory surgery to see what was going on.

The Dr. called and with much sadness we learned that Fletcher had cancer of the spleen and liver. We all hated to hear the news but somewhat assumed something like this was the problem. Please pray that God would give us peace and comfort. It's hard to lose him when he has been a part of our family for so long.

I am so grateful for the love the girls have given him while I've had to be at work and especially Mendi as she has spent many hours comforting him and trying to get him to eat and drink. She truly loves and gives each and everyone of us all that she has and I am so blessed by her life.

I love you babe! Thank you for loving Fletcher!