They Are...

It's been a week to say the least. With lots of juggling of schedules, running to & fro, accomplishing this task & completing that one & making sure at least one of the three pair of jean capris are washed, dried, folded & ready to be worn... ♥

MaKayla is transitioning well into the new adventure that God continues to orchestrate.
Mal is finding it difficult to adjust to life with braces.
Kyle is enjoying evening visits to do bullie chores. (Yes, they're adorable)
And me...I am holding down the fort making sure everyone is fed, clothed & cared for...
And happy... :)

#1346 ~ hands that love me gently

& create music of praise

MaKayla is loving her new employment opportunity however I don't think she's looking at it much like a job yet more like an assignment from God in this journey of life He has called her to walk. Her focus isn't the paycheck or how many hours she can get in but more like, "What can I learn? Who can I bless? How efficient can I be?" This girl of mine loves a good challenge, loves to work hard & loves to stay busy at whatever task her hands are asked to do. ♥ She loves to meet new people & isn't afraid to allow new foods to awaken her palette. (Ya know, she's one of those "socially deficit" homeschooled kids who simply isn't "equipped" to function in "the real world"... Sorry, just had to add that... I won't mention it again...pinky promise...) All sarcasm aside, MaKayla is doing great & has learned the past few days what it's like to wake at 5:30 a.m. in order to be around & out of the house by 6:30 a.m. She's learned what it's like to juggle two jobs at once & to fully appreciate an early bedtime. She's learned how to make smoothies, lattes & some other delectably rich iced drink that contains coffee & whipped cream (how can you go wrong with such a combination...). I love to get her texts saying, "Headed your way..." & I look forward to seeing her face, hearing her voice & listening to the events of her busy day. ♥ It's obvious how God is stretching her & what a beautiful portrait that is to this momma. ♥

#1348 ~ unexpected love notes...

Wednesday was a BIG day for Mal...

Ortho spacers were removed & brackets/wires/bands were put in place. After a LONG two-hour appointment she now has her new "mouth jewelry" that will accessorize her smile for the next two years. To be honest, she's not thrilled... MaKayla was such a diva that the drama of braces was just what she needed to make it exciting. She loved the idea of changing band colors every little whip stitch depending on the holiday or the vast array of choices in her wardrobe; Mal, not so much. She's as far from a diva as they come which makes the reality of wearing such awkwardness for two.whole.years. daunting... Finally last night I just asked her, "Do you want me to get an appointment to have them removed..."

This precious one of mine isn't concerned with self-image & how others view her 

(just one sliver of her heart that I deeply love) ♥

so seeing the "benefit" of having straight teeth in the end isn't really an incentive. 

We're doing this sheerly for "need" purposes. 

#1347 ~ braces in place

As I sat & processed last night, listening to the emotional content that dwells within those I love most (all three of them), my heart was burdened & heavy. It all boiled down to a few things that are undeniable...

Change is uncomfortable. 

Transitions are hard. 

Adjustments are painful.

And for many people, the best philosophy is to suck it up & move on. It's life.

Why is that?

Is it because they don't feel like they are adequately equipped to help the person/situation?

Is it because they are so consumed with their own life/agenda/issues that they simply don't want to take the time & energy?

Is it because they are scared to put themselves out there?

Is it because they don't care?

Regardless of the "why", I just don't see it that way.

When someone is hurting, you listen.

When someone is struggling, you encourage.

When someone is broken, you become the glue.

After taking Kyle to catch a ride to work this morning (yes, this is a week we could desperately use a third vehicle) I cried out to God. I prayed that He would show me how to help...how to heal...how to restore...how to encourage...how to assure...how to affirm...how to be HIS hands & feet... So many times we get this perverted deception that we are in the here-and-now for self & when we think this way, self is all we see. Self is all we think. Self is all we serve.

We were made for so much more...

I know I'm not God & I know I can not fix hearts. I know this to be the absolute truth yet what I also know is that He created us to be Him in the flesh. To touch people. To invest in people. To give ALL we have in order to restore another person's spirit & to give hope.

He did.

I don't care if I have to use every ounce of strength I have, I will never cease to do all I can to be His arms of comfort, His voice of assurance, His presence of peace, His touch of love. I will give all I have to be the glue to put those broken pieces together all the while pointing those I love to the One who forgives all our sins & heals all our diseases. I will invest every fiber of my being into making sure those He entrusted to me are nurtured, cared for & loved (mentally, physically, spiritually & emotionally) to the best of the abilities that He has given to me. ♥

They are my life.

They are my love.

They are my purpose.

For when hurt, struggle & brokenness is ignored, Satan takes those things & grossly turns them into insecurity, anger, depression, resentment...infectious wounds...debilitating strongholds. That's something I'm not turning my back on... That's a chance that's too risky to take...

It's taken me a long while to learn this...

Seven years to be exact... 

And every day I learn a little more...

It's nothing in & of myself for I am flesh. 

It's all about grace. ♥

It's all about a Savior. ♥

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    may I never forget the good things he does for me.
 He forgives all my sins
    and heals all my diseases.
 He redeems me from death
    and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
 He fills my life with good things.
    My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

~Psalm 103:1-5

It's A God Season...

It's a dreary morning here yet the sun is trying with all it's might to crowd those clouds out & make itself known. The past few days have been unseasonably cool & rainy so that coupled with Mal having some dental work done, leaving her mouth sore, soup has been on the menu. :) Soup is a mainstay in the fall & winter months here in the O'Riley home.

Disclaimer: Tough post...you may wish to stop reading here... ;)
*You may become offended... It is not at all my intent.
*Or feel like I am judging... I'm not.
*You may very much dislike me when you are finished... Please still like me.
**There. I said it. If you continue reading, you chose to do so & I pray you will still call me "friend" by the time you are finished. ♥

It's been a different week for me...
for Kyle...
for MaKayla...
for Mal...
for our entire family...

Lots of changes...
Lots of transitions...
Lots of exchanging of roles...

New schedules...
New situations...
New ways of learning to trust God...

I won't lie or deny the fact that our family is "different"...
And...
When some people look at us & how Kyle & I have felt God calling us to raise up MaKayla & Mal, they would translate that word "different" for:
*weird...
*abnormal...
*ridiculous...
*dysfunctional...
*behind times...
*eccentric...
*sheltering...
*odd...
And most likely downright STRANGE...
And to be honest, I would guess that they are probably correct to a degree in every one of those areas... :) It's no secret & something we are very used to. There have been times in life that it bothered me & birthed a sense of insecurity within my spirit but as the girls have gotten older & the Lord has allowed me to see the result/fruit/benefit of how He was/is calling us to live, I. Am. Thankful. ♥ These years we have been given to shape, train, nurture & disciple our children are only ours for a short season & when those years are gone, they're gone. That doesn't mean we will no longer have an influence on them yet it does mean that what we have done in the time we have been given shapes them into who they will be, how they will live, the choices they will make, the wives/mommas they will become, the character they will display, the Jesus they will trust in...

You see, how we have raised our children, is not how we ourselves were raised.
Neither of us were homeschooled.
Neither of us were encouraged to abstain from "dating".
Neither of us were directed to wholly seek God for life-direction.
Neither of us were guided to wait on God until He clearly showed us the way & opened the doors He wanted us to walk through.

I was raised in a Christian home where my dad worked hard to provide & my momma chose childcare as her career so that she could be present... Present to wake Troy, Marci & I in the morning. Present to be there to send us off to school. Present to be there every evening when we arrived home. Many days with freshly baked cookies & a satisfying supper to nurture our growing bodies. ♥

Kyle as well was raised in a home that attended church yet neither of us knew the true essence of what the Christ-like life really meant. To be fully surrendered. Submitted. Committed. Yielded. It wasn't until MaKayla was born that we genuinely allowed God to be Lord of our lives... At that point, He grabbed a hold & our hearts began to change. Little-by-little, the bend of our spirits were turned toward Him & what was once a religion soon became a relationship.

We gave up the drinking habit.
Independence was surrendered.
Friends changed.

Our lifestyle was transformed.

As MaKayla began to grow from a baby to a toddler...
From a toddler to a little girl...
From a little girl to a preschooler...
The Lord began to stir within Kyle's heart...

Initially I was opposed to homeschooling but he insisted...
I submitted... (He always wins...as it should be. ♥)

This kind of living was foreign yet step-by-step God tweaked our path to line up with His. And through the years He has gently & faithfully continued to change us, shape us & transform us. I humbly admit that we have had no part other than to listen, receive & walk where He leads. Plain & simple we are creatures of flesh & our hearts are inclined to follow the desires of self... We are tempted to do our own thing & go our own way... And living the "different" life hasn't always been the "easy" life as some would like to believe...
For us...
For our girls...

It's meant:
*very few friends...
*limited extra-curricular activities...
*no dances...
*no boyfriends...
*no homecomings...
*no proms...
*no grade cards or invitations to the National Honor Society...
*no school-based clubs...
*no R-rated movies...
*no secular music...
*modest/selective dress...
*moments of loneliness & exclusion
*the list is endless...

I don't mention these things for sympathy for we are not sorry or sad yet what I wish more people understood is that we don't live by these standards because they are what we deem as right or correct or desirable...

Remember that "bend of our spirits being turned toward God" mentioned a few paragraphs up?

That's why... 

And although the "different" life isn't always the "easy" life...
I am reminded that the "different" life for Jesus wasn't the "easy" life either...
Far from it...
And I think that many times we as Christians think we have our own rights...
To do what we want...
To act as we wish...
To choose as we desire...
To live as though our lives are our own...
Yet Jesus always lived the will of the Father. (John 5:19, 30)

It was never about Him...

But always about the One who sent Him.

As MaKayla & I visited last night & this morning regarding the transitions taking place in her life (and subsequently our entire family), she said, "I know some people don't understand why I am excited or why it is such a big deal or why it is such a change. I know they think, 'My kids have been doing this since they began to drive or once they finished high school or... What's all the hype?'" Honestly, the same thinking has crossed my mind.

Most people are aware that MaKayla graduated in 2012 & felt God leading her to stay at home...
To learn...
To grow...
To wait for direction...
She has been diligent, prayerful & attentive in the wait.

For that I am thankful.

She has been a living lesson for me. ♥

A few weeks back, sitting at the kitchen table with many tears streaming down our cheeks, she & I had a long talk about where she was at in life & where she felt God was leading her. She knew He was stirring... Preparing...Arranging...

We talked about many possibilities & I shared with her about a job listing that I had recently noticed.
*Great hours.
*Christian environment.
*God-fearing boss.
She called & both positions had been filled...
I apologized for not telling her about it sooner yet in the abundance of grace that she always extends, she said, "Don't feel bad, Mom. If you had mentioned it before, I wouldn't have even considered it, as just in the past few days have I felt God moving within me regarding something new. He knows what He's doing & if that was His will, He would have opened the door." ♥

All day Tuesday the thoughts of this particular job kept coming to mind & rather than entertain them, I would immediately turn those thoughts over to God & pray for His divine will & direction (a concept He imparted on my heart while studying/teaching on the armor of God last year). Tuesday afternoon MaKayla's cell phone rang & as she took the call to a different room, Mal & I instantly knew... After thinking it over, doing some research on MaKayla & visiting with one of our closest friends, Carolyn reconsidered & wanted MaKayla to consider taking a job.

Yes, most kids get their first "job" when they are 16.
Kyle & I did.
Yes, most kids leave home as soon as they graduate.
Kyle & I did.
Yes, most kids are in the "real world" in their early teens.
(I hated the use of those words together when I was a teenager & I still don't like it much. I mean, what is the "real world"?!? Isn't it different to everyone? When someone uses that phrase to make you feel like you have NO idea, it's somewhat belittling & a whole lot irritating.)
We were, too.

But God has led us differently...

So at the beautiful age of 19, MaKayla has started her first "out-in-the-public" vocation. It's a vocation dealing with people rather than with momma & baby bullies. :) It's a vocation learning concepts that I simply can't teach her here at home. It's a vocation allowing her to put to use all that God has compelled us to instill in her from the time He started changing our hearts. It's a vocation where she must learn to work with others & have a heart that is teachable. It's a vocation where she is realizing what it means to take correction with grace & humility. It's a vocation where she is finding what it looks like to live Jesus to those who maybe don't seem all that deserving.

It's not just a vocation, it's a direct call from God. 

An open door. 

A divine opportunity.

It's been a week of adjustments for all of us...

Good adjustments...

God adjustments...

MaKayla is loving the challenge & she is thrilled to work in an atmosphere where she can exercise her OCD. (For those of you who know her very well, know how important this element is.) She greatly enjoys those she works with & is thankful to be in an environment where God is honored. She is meeting new people, learning new things & developing new degrees of character. Her taste buds are being stretched (which she loves) & she is thrilled to have access to sugary eats (bad, bad, bad). 

I am grateful for those who have helped to build the reality of hard work into every fiber of her being.

All those days of wood cutting, wood hauling & wood stacking with Grandpa...

All the instances of cleaning/scrubbing soiled dog pens & nursing sick puppies back to health for Jon...

Those moments are paying off...

My heart is blessed that MaKayla has chosen to "wait"...

And although it may seem trivial & minimal to most, this new season of life is of great significance to us.

It's a stepping stone.

A building block.

A testimony of faith.

It's a season we've been praying for & trusting God to bring to pass.

As I've prayed with her through tears every morning before she has left home, God reminds me of His faithfulness as we stand on faith & wait on Him. 

It's a different season but it's a God season... ♥

“I am the Lord; that is my name!
    I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.
See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare;
before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

Isaiah 42:8-9

Returning "Home"...

It's an early Tuesday morning...
One load of laundry is on the line with another one in the washing machine.
The chickens are fed.
Meat for supper has been chosen & laid out for thawing.
The coffee Kyle made before he left for work is W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L... ♥

# 1317 ~ Afternoons with Marci...

#1318 ~ Bri hugs...

#1320 ~ Tucker kisses...

With the rising cost of living & a renewed perspective on responsible financial choices, I have been looking for ways to cut monthly expenses. Since laundry is more of a hobby than a household chore, I find myself doing it more often than necessary. So... I have been trying to discipline myself & since I haven't washed clothes since last Thursday, today will be a full day of washing, hanging (on the clothes line), folding & dispersing...clothing & bedding. Something I looked forward to the moment I woke up. :)

#1323 ~ Familiar faces on 8 North...

Life has been incredibly busy for the past few weeks with things to do & places to go. Appointments to keep & commitments to fulfill. As a rule, we are homebodies so the constant state of running, going & doing has been a bit wearing & we are very ready for things to slow down.

#1329 ~ Laying in the arms of the one I love most... ♥

A few highlights over the past few weeks...

♥ Our first egg...

♥ A belated birthday celebration for Hunter...

♥ A week ago Sunday we were so very blessed to be able to travel to a local town to take in the musical 'Oklahoma'. Mal's vocal coach (who has become a treasured mentor & friend) played the lead role which made the production extra special. ♥ The show was absolutely fantastic leaving us wishing we could watch it again & again & again. Near the very end Heidi spotted our family & waved warmly at Mal...♥ & since no photography was allowed, I was only able to take pictures following the show... Kyle & I have seen Mallary make GREAT strides (in more ways than one) since she has been spending time with this beautiful woman... ♥

♥ Bri came home for a brief visit so of course that made for some extra trips to my hometown... It was so good to see her & to have the opportunity to spend time with Marci & her family. ♥

♥ Although no pictures, August 6th marked the five year anniversary of Kyle's colectomy/ileostomy resection. It was no coincidence that we made a road trip to Des Moines that evening to see a good friend from church who was recovering from a traumatic farming/mowing accident in the same hospital where Kyle had his surgeries. It was surreal... We've kept in touch with a few of the nurses that we truly grew to love so we made a trip to 8 North to see if Ashley was working & she was... ♥ Blessing upon blessing.

♥ Our annual Farrens family outing to the Iowa State Fair which included Darrel & Amber (Troy's oldest daughter) exchanging vows...

Sinful pitstop at Cold Stone... ♥

♥ And to top off our busy few weeks, Sunday evening Kyle, MaKayla & Mal were asked to share in praise & worship at the church where Kyle began his worship leading journey & where my dad continues to pastor at. With the responsibilities the three of them carry at our own church, we don't make it back to visit as often as we like, therefore returning "home" with the opportunity to share was a rich & priceless blessing. Seeing people who helped to shape our children... Being welcomed by hearts who loved us even when we were unlovable... Reconnecting with those whom we shared spiritual growth & life-changing situations for 14 years... Worshiping with ones whom are treasured & priceless friends... Dwelling with family...spiritual & physical... ♥ Mainstays in our lives... ♥ It was such a blessing for me to sit & witness Kyle & the girls using the gifts that God has so richly lavished upon them to draw souls closer to Christ... ♥

Ted & Betty ~ ♥

Mike & Sherri ~ ♥
Sherri is the one who instilled a love for fashion in MaKayla... ♥

Daryl & Penny ~ ♥

Uncle Mark & Aunt Marci ~ ♥

Uncle Troy ~ ♥

Sunday evening was a real opportunity for our family to see how rich & blessed we are...
To see where God has brought us...
And to realize that every step we take in life, God has a reason & a purpose for...

#1326 ~ Days that seem impossible...

Many of those steps He calls us to take we may not fully understand...
Yet He tells us to trust in Him regardless of the depth of understanding...
For He does & that is all that matters... ♥

#1339 ~ The unexplainable sacrifice of Christ...

Yesterday I met with my great friend Nan, who is also family, to help me solidify Mal's curriculum for the upcoming school year. When we lived in Iowa she was our supervising teacher through the local school's homeschool assistance program & although that stipulation is no longer relevant, I love the reality of accountability. Nan has been a tremendous blessing & has many times been the encouragement & voice of reason I have needed to keep me going. Along with laundry, my goal for today is to make final decisions on books that need to be ordered.

A few final pictures from our past few weeks...

Bri-Bri & Tuck... ♥

Little feet pattering through our home... ♥

Coffee with my love... ♥

Grandpa & his grandsons... ♥

Double-yoked egg...♥
Straight from the coop...

New suit for Bri to see... ♥

Happy Tuesday & much love... ♥

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.

For He has clothed me with garments of salvation 

and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.

Isaiah 61:10