Whine or Worship

Today on the way home from my "Black Friday" shopping experience, I heard a little message on gratitude.
The lady said, "You have two choices in life, either whine or worship."

I immediately applied that to my life...in the past year, I've done a lot of whining...

...I've whined and wondered where God has been in the midst of Amaya's surgeries.
...I've whined and wondered where God was in the midst of Chad's job search.
...I've whined and wondered where God was when I had Makiyah and every day seemed like it was so hard b/c he didn't react the same way to "sleep training" that Amaya had.
...I've whined and wondered why I didn't have any close friends.
...I've whined and wondered why Chad didn't love me "in a better way."

Can you hear all the whining?  waaa waaa...

The past few weeks, I've made a conscious choice to be a worshipper...I'm gonna worship because whining keeps me in the same place.

...I'm worshipping because I know that Chad loves me and takes care of me.
...I'm worshipping because I do have great friends here in Bloomington and around the world (Siberia for one..my little T plug).
...I'm worshipping because God has created all babies differently and Makiyah is "one-of-a-kind."
...I'm worshipping because God opened the door at the "right" time for Chad to get his job - one that he loves.
...I'm worshipping because God was still God in the midst of all of Amaya's surgeries and she is now completely done with the need for any surgery.
...I'm worshipping because God asks me to worship simply because He is good!!

Thank you Jesus for a wonderful Thanksgiving and time with family!!  It wasn't quite what I expected but it was still a great time with family!!

A new Baby Girl

Today I thank you Jesus for a new baby girl: Julia Noelle Weaver!

I thank you that she is healthy.
I thank you that she has fully developed lungs.
I thank you that she has a healthy cry.
I thank you that she is a girl.
I thank you that LL's recovery is swift.
I thank you for a complication free birth.
I thank you for the precious gift of life.
I thank you for answered prayers.
I thank you that her brothers will transition well to having a new baby in the house.

Yesterday, I got the message that my brother, Marty and LL had their baby. I knew it could happen at anytime but I didn't know it was happening yesterday.  IT WAS A GIRL!! I am so happy for them.  I know LL has wanted a girl and I prayed that one day they would have a girl.  When I got the txt, I started shouting and doing a little dance and Mak started crying...OOPS! I've been buying stuff for what I was hoping was a little girl.  They had done an ultrasound but she had hidden her goods (good girl). =)  Hopefully I'll get to see her on the way home from Shipshe on Satuday!  

Weaver Family Count
Boys: 13
Girls: 6

Today I thank You, Jesus

for....

1. My health!
2. My kiddos - Amaya  and Mak!
3. My husband and the love he has for me!
4. My family both here in Bloomington and in Shipshewana and surrounding areas!
5. Sustaining me in times of hardship!
6. Changing my outlook on life!
7. Always loving me!
8. Always remaining faithful!
9. The ability to have bonfires just about anytime we want to.
10. My garden and the produce I get from it!

Picture of our backyard...just a fun pic that I pulled from Memorial Day of '06.  We played some "field day" games.  LOL...hilarious!

Severly Tested

Last night this baby severely tested me.  Yesterday I told Chad that I am so thankful that Makiyah sleeps through the night now.  So what does he do?  He was awake from 3:24 to 6:10 this morning....argh.  I am a sleepy mommy this morning.

So here is my list of thankfulness

1. Jesus I thank you that Makiyah sleeps through the night and that his sleeping habits are getting better!

2. Jesus I thank you for a husband that gives me the time away from the house when I need a break!

3. Jesus I thank you for this new day!

4. Jesus I thank you for the little things in your word that cause my faith to grow and revelation to come to me!

5. Jesus I thank you for the house that you have given Chad and I!

6. Jesus I thank you for the land that surrounds our house!

7. Jesus I thank you for the ability to pay our bills on time!

8. Jesus I thank you for making us tithers and givers!

9. Jesus I thank you for the promises of Malachi 10 in regards to giving and tithing!!

10.  Jesus I thank you for you - for dying on the cross for me and never changing the amount of love you have towards me.

Being Thankful

Today I made a pact (in my head)...I am going to post every day until Thanksgiving with my top 10 list of what I am thankful for.  Today's message at church was about being thankful and I realized that I need to be more thankful.  I need to remember what God has done for me and my family!

Today's thanksgiving will be in remembrance of some things that God has done for Chad and I.

1. I am thankful that God supplied a 2 week honeymoon with exactly what we wanted!
story: Soon after we got engaged Chad and I discussed our honeymoon. We decided that we wanted to be in the mountains and on the beach and if at all possible we wanted it to be 2 weeks long.  How we were going to do this was a mystery to me. A week after this conversation a dear friend came up to us and said, "I would like to give you my beach condo for a week."  About a week after that another dear friend came up to us and said, "I would like to give you my timeshare - it's good for a week." In the midst of this discussion, a family member said, I would like to give you $1000 towards your honeymoon.  All that happened within about two weeks after our initial conversation. That had never happened to me EVER! We went to the beach, the mountains and finished in Washington DC.  It was actually a little longer than 2 weeks!

Picture from our honeymoon 

2. I am thankful that God supplied a full-time job for me about 8 months after I graduated from IU. 

3. I am thankful that God answered our prayers for a healthy first child (I was praying for a girl).  Amaya was born in April of 07.

4. I am thankful that God has blessed us with several vacations that we didn't have to pay full-price for.

5. I am thankful that God answered our prayers for a healthy second baby (I prayed for a boy).  Makiyah (Mak) was born in January of 09. 

6. I am thankful that God answered my prayers for red hair (I honestly don't know where it comes from other than God answered our prayers).

7. I am thankful that God speaks to us and let's us know that He loves us.  (When we were praying for Makiyah we wanted a nickname and we asked God to show us one.  He showed both of us a picture of a sky...so Makiyah became "baby sky" until he was born.

8. I am thankful that God sustained us through several months of being unemployed except for a couple part-time jobs.
 

9. I am thankful that God opened the door for a wonderful full-time job that Chad loves while at the same time continuing to some degree his work at the church.

10.  I am thankful that God provided for almost $30,000 of medical bills since last November.

I have a loving and compassionate God! Thank you Jesus!

Not Me Monday

 This is my first time of doing this "not me" Monday post.  What the heck...why not try it...I find it hilarous!
The past few weeks it was not me that has been watching Days of Our Lives because I got hooked on the "baby switch" story. It was not me that watched it online when I missed an episode.  It was not me that gave my husband updates - just in case he wanted to know.  It is definitely not me that is taping it right now because I would have missed a few minutes while putting Amaya to bed. It was not me last night that had to give Amaya a shower 15 min before leaving for church because it was not me who allowed her to have a huge sucker getting it all over her hair and clothes.  Nope definitely not me. It was not me who saw Mak playing in the toilet while giving Amaya a shower (it was clean) thankfully!  It was not me who YELLED at Chad to come get Mak  - I would definitely not do that.
It was not me who showed up 20 minutes late to a Children's ministry meeting. Not me cause I'm always on time. It's not me who is known for being tardy...that's not me..you must be talking about someone else. It's not me who has stacks and stack of laundry - all clean - in the bathroom and a load in the washer. It's not me who should be doing that right at this moment.  It's not me who is using my free time to blog a bit.  I would never do that...not me! and...it's definitely not me that threatens Amaya with spanking for peeing in her pants...I would NEVER do that.  I would never allow something like that to happen in my house.  It's not me who says "Be Quiet" to Mak when he keeps crying while I'm trying to watch something on TV...definitely not me!  It's not me that made fun of my husband last night for saying something (not funny).  I wouldn't laugh at my husband and make him feel bad...certainly not me!!and it's not me who would post an interesting picture of my daughter on my blog...

Trick or Treat with City

I've been wanting to post some pics of Amaya and Mak in their costumes.  So here ya go. Mak was a little frog and Amaya a lady bug.  We had fun at the event hosted by our church.

A Recipe and A Revelation

RECIPE
Last night I made one of the best Fish meals I've made in a long time.  I don't make fish very often since I don't have many good tried and true recipes. I served it with a side of asparagus. I got my most recent issue of Taste of Home's Simple and Delicious and I decided to try a recipe out of it.  It was "simple and delicious."  For any new and seasoned cooks, I recommend both of these magazines: Taste of Home or Taste of Home Simple and Delicious.  I've had a subscription for several years now and I love it. I told Chad I might not renew one of them so I can get another magazine but just thinking about that makes me kinda sad...not sure if I can do it. =)

Crumb-Topped Baked Fish (My variations in parentheses)

4 Haddock or Cod Fillets (I used Tilapia - I got these at Wal-mart, they were individually frozen)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c. shredded chedder cheese (I used Parmesan Cheese)
1/4 c. melted butter
1 T minced fresh parsley (I used 1 t. dried parsley)
1/2 t. dried marjoram
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. dried rosemary, crushed

Place fillets on a greased baking sheet (I used a Pampered Chef stone); season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients; pat onto fillets (just the top).  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes (I did 20 min b/c the stone takes longer to heat) or until fish flakes easily with fork. 
Makes 4 servings.


Asparagus (Found at Simply Recipes)

1 bunch of asparagus
2 T the most exquisite Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used what I had)
2 T fresh grated Parmesan (I used the bagged kind b/c I used all my fresh with the fish recipe)
1 t. lemon zest - freshly grated lemon rind (I used lemon juice since I had no lemons)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing at a slight angle (I left mine whole).

Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon rind. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.
I didn't follow all of the above boiling directions. Below is what I did. 
(Fill a big pot halfway water. Once it's boiling, put the asparagus into the water for 3 min.)

This meal gets a ***** rating from me.  This was YUMMY!!!

REVELATION (this is from an email I sent to my life group today)

On Sunday Pastor Kim, asked us to pray, "God give me the courage to allow you to get in ALL parts of me." This really spoke to me.  Have I given all parts of my heart to Him?  Have I given Him the those deep, hidden areas of hurt, bitterness or whatever it may be.  Sometimes we don't even know until it's revealed to us through the word and a specific message that God has for us.  I pray that today, you have the courage to allow God to get in an area that you have kept from Him.

A few days ago, I was reading in II Peter 5 and I read these scriptures for it seems like the "first" time.  I've read it a lot more than that but my eyes were opened anew to it.

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,  / casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." II Peter 5:6-7

I had always read these two scripture separately.  They are on two different pages in my Bible and I don't think I've ever read them together.  (Crazy!) I've never attributed my humility with casting my care upon Him.  I've prayed for God to make and keep me humble but have been keeping things that "I need" to take care of.  That's definitely something in my "chest of drawers" that has been hidden - it's in one of those lower drawers...that ones that don't get opened much. I pray that through this Braveheart Series (this is our October topic at City Church), our true hearts are revealed and in turn made stronger as we turn and give our all to Jesus!
 

Some of our recent happenings

Today, I took some pictures of one of Amaya's favorite activities. I got the idea for this in the Montessori

Catalog I get.  It has some fun activities - that I have to buy of course - but who needs to buy anything when a few baby jars and pyrex measuring cup will do just fine.   (Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I'm going to purchase a few things when I start "pre-schooling" Amaya. Right now though, I can improvise.)

After I attending the IU game in Wednesday night, I had some popcorn left which I mistakenly left on the toy box.  Nothing is safe anywhere in this house at the moment with a super busy 9 1/2 month old boy.

Yesterday after church, I wanted to get some pictures of Amaya and Mak while playing outside.  Amaya was a willing participant but Mak not so much.  I'll have to post more pics soon.  She was so cute.  At one point, she had a big stick in her hand and was heading down the driveway to "school."  This totally corresponds with her, "I'm six" statement whenever you ask her how old she is.  (haha)

A Year Ago Today

Exactly one year ago today, I was calling the doctor at about this exact time because Amaya had this HUGE abscess on her neck that kept getting bigger and more infected as time went on. 

At 11:30 was our Dr. appointment and from there we were sent directly to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis to wait for HOURS!  We had fed Amaya some snacks at the Dr. office and because of that she had to wait 6-8 hours for her surgery.  They called it emergency surgery but waiting 6-8 hours didn't quite seem like an emergency.  She did really well for not having anything to eat and drink for that entire time.

What an awful day that was - one year ago today.

Thankfully today she is healed, healthy and whole! We have been released from Riley and don't have anymore check-ups in the future.  I am thankful for the Doctors that we saw while we were there: Dr. Engum did most of the procedures and I can't think of the other doctor who did her last surgery close to her ear. I am thankful for God sustaining us in the most difficult time I have ever been through! God's grace and mercy and LOVE are amazing!

In case you're just joining and were wondering what happened....here is a link to some of what we experienced over the past year: Previous Post on Amaya's Riley Experience

In Response to Seasons of Friendship

My good friend Samaria recently did a blog post: Seasons of Friendship.  As I was commenting on her blog post I realized that I should just do a response to her blog post.  I had a lot that I wanted to say in her comments section (almost more than what she had written). LOL

Here is what I wrote in response to her blog post:
So first, I had this whole paragraph written and my computer shut down. So frustrating cause I put a lot of thought into it. =) Anyway, I agree with you on your evaluation of friendships. At this point in life, you want friendships that will stick. It's easier to believe in the good of the other person because you think they are more mature. Sometimes this is true and sometimes this is not. I think of our friendship and I know that we've survived some rough times. I'm thankful that we've rekindled the fire of our relationship (even if just more recently). Life brings so many changes: dating, marriage, children and in the midst of all that, you face life's issues - some that are extremely hard. A true friend will ebb and flow with you through those times. A true friend will give and respect the space needed. A true friend will be there to embrace you when the time is right. Friendship is definitely not cookie cutter. (Ok ok...I'm thinking I should blog a response to this so that I don't write more than you...haha) I have so many thoughts on this. GREAT BLOG POST!  

When I read Samaria's post, I was reminded how at the beginning of the year, I was praying a lot for friendships that "stuck." Friends that I could trust no matter what I was going through.  There are times in life that we need alone time. There are times I need friends more than ever. There are also times I need friends to give me space.  Sometimes I need a friend when my kids are "acting up".   Sometimes I need a friend to give me space when my kids are acting up.  Sometimes I need a friend to sit with me and just talk about nothing and not expect anything in return after I have a baby. Sometimes I need a friend to stay home and give me the space needed right after I have a baby.  Like I said in response to Samaria's post: "friendship is not cookie cutter," there is no formula.

As I'm writing this, I am realizing how much I need friends to give love and respect my need for space.  I have this God given desire to sometimes be alone at times, to sometimes be with one other person and to sometimes be with a whole group of people. Like I wrote earlier, at this point in life, I need friends that understand and respect this and in spite of their agreement or disagreement with that statement, can still love me.   One thing I have learned from friends is that I cannot depend on them for my happiness.  That has to come from God alone. God alone is what can give me that eternal joy...not matter what happens in my friendships.   

Proverbs has many great verses about friendships.  A few that really stick with me:

Proverbs 27:17
"As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." 

Proverbs 27: 5-6
"Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend."

As I read the second one, I think about how a faithful friend will "rebuke" when needed and will be there to help you pick up the pieces.  There are so many good verses about friends and God knew we would need His word to lean on through life! Thank goodness for His word that never changes!