Happy Sweet 16 Sawyer. My baby is 16 today!!! It's hard to believe, we have gone thru so much with Sawyer. He was very sick when he was born and almost did not make it, has dyslexia which makes learning so difficult for him, and he has ADHD, which makes it difficult for ALL of us to keep up with him!

When we first learned of Sawyer's learning disability, our questions went from why our son God, what did we do wrong, and now we often ask, where do we go from here God?

My life verse, Jer. 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that Ithink toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

With Sawyer being a Sophmore, I often wonder where God will take him after high school. I know our Heavenly Father has a plan for Sawyer, and if you know Sawyer, it has got to be big, he never does anything halfway. So, another lesson we are learning is patience. In time, God will show us His plan for Sawyer.

Sawyer, as you turn 16 today, at exactly 12:37, my prayer for you is,

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that Sawyer will give everything he attempts his best, that he will place your name on whatever he does, and that he will give you all the glory. Dear Father, I pray that Sawyer will see things as you do and be attracted to what pleases and glorifies you, and that he will stay away from things that displease you. Thank you Father for the gift of Sawyer and for everyday you give us with him.

In Your Heavenly Name I Pray,
AMEN

God is amazing! For those who jumped over to visit from Tammy's blog, thank you, and to those who have kept our family in prayer, God Bless You! I am so thankful for the friends God has sent thru this blog.

Oh my, Satan has tried my patience these past few months, he has tried to steal our daughter, and he has tried to make me think God was not the one in control.

God has taught me so much during this difficult time.

Only the power of God, thru prayer, can make a difference! "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God". 1 Cor. 10:31

May prayer has been that everything the Ashleigh and Sawyer do will be done to the Glory of God!!!

Ash has gone thru a rough time. Actually she got mixed up with some kids she met in college. Kids who did not have the same morals and values our kids grew up with. I think she is on the right track. It is so hard for kids today, Satan is always waiting to steal our kids if he gets the chance.
My prayer for Ashleigh is that God would give her "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" Isaiah 61:3

I love each of you and thank God for you. God Bless

Goodness, it's been forever since I've blogged! We just got back from a relaxing week at the Ozarks. Kind of our last "fling" before school starts and I go back to work.

Right now, our family is in a major storm! I know God has a plan, and however much we are hurting, he promises to hold us thru.

Our oldest daughter left home 2 days ago. (since we were out of town, we didn't know right away) It is so scarry not knowing who she is with or where she's at.

I've been thinking lots today about FAITH. We are in this storm, don't know where we're going, but praying our FAITH will see us thru.

I have no idea where this storm is taking our family God. Heavenly Father, I give Ashleigh over to you completely. Oh God, please don't let her get away. Satan, "I rebuke you, stay away from Ashleigh, you will not win this one because the "King" our Heavenly Father is on our side! God, please, keep tugging at her heart until she comes running back to you. Help Bryan and I to be the parents you want us to be. Please, give us a chance to talk with her and help us to know what to say to her. Father God, thank you for Ashleigh, just help her to see you thru us.

I love you and trust you completely with Ashleigh, even tho we do not know which way this storm will turn, I trust you.

Today in Church, God Spoke to Me, Yes, Me!!!

What an awesome God we serve! Today in church, our youth led the service. As they were all up front leading us in song I looked at Mal's Friends up there, and couldn't help but think, "Malorie should be up there too!" I kept thinking of what all she was missing out on.


NEXT SONG: How Great is Our God, I am trying to sing and at the same time choke back the tears. Then we sang the phrase, "HE conquered the grave".

THEN, JUST THEN, I heard His voice, "Natalie, Malorie is not missing out on a thing, she is right here, with her hands raised high, singing, and praising me, AS SHE STANDS RIGHT NEXT TO ME!"

Thank you Dear Heavenly Father, for always being there just when I think I can't go on.

Lamatations 3:23-24, "Great is His failthfulness, his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!"

Trusting in God's faithfulness day by day makes us confident in his great promises for the future.

Low Fat Smoothie

This is quick I sometimes fix it for me while I fix something else for the kids.

1 cup low fat yogurt (strawberry or raspberry)
2 dips of raspberry sherbet
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 packet splenda
1/2 cup frozen fruit (i use strawberry, raspberry, or blue berry)

mix in blender

Add 1 cup crushed ice
mix in blender again

Enjoy!!! sometimes I make enough for a couple and freeze one for a bedtime snack.

Our Personality Colors Our Attitude!!!

Our attitude colors our whole personality! What a lesson God taught me yesterday at the ball park.

We were in Manhatten, KS all weekend. Our high school boys baseball team won regionals last week which qualified us for the state tournament! My husband Bryan is the assistant coach, and Sawyer, our Fresh. plays for them

We won our first game Friday! We played Sat. afternoon, and lost 12 to 2. Very embarrassing. One of those games where whatever you do, nothing goes right! During that game, I kept noticing the fans for the other team.

Thay were very loud, laughing and really rubbing it in when our boys messed up. I kept thinking they are adults, and they are awful!


Oh Father God, forgive me if I've been the negative fan. I don't want to be that person negative to other fans or the players.

Game #3, we won in extra innings! DC Baseball earned 3rd Place at State!!!!

LESSON #1 After the game, right in the middle of the excitement, the starting pitcher's mom, for the other team, came up to me after the game, hugged me and said what a good game our boys played, and what good sports they were.

Wow, Central Heights Vikings, you have CLASS!!! You taught me a very needed lesson; I know when I have been on the losing end, I have not been the fan that makes a point to congratulate the winning team, and truly mean it.

After that loss, we turned around and had to play the very next game. Our boys decided they did not want their season to end with a loss. Somehow, they got it together, and with extra innings, we came out on top 6 to 5!

LESSON #2 During the game, I did notice the other teams crowd, (i don't usually notice, not sure why i did this weekend) we were up 4 to 0, and their crown continued to yell and cheer and be positive. Even though things weren't going well for them.

Proverbs 15:15 says, For the poor, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.

We cannot always choose what happens to us, but....we can choose our attitude toward each situation. The secret to a happy heart is filling our mind with thoughts that are true, pure, and lovely, with thoughts that dwell on the good things in life. This was Paul's secret as he faced imprisonment, and it can be ours as we face the struggles of daily living.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Please help me to remember to look at my attitude and what I choose to dwell on. I pray I can dwell on those things that are pure. I pray Lord, that my attitude will be the same as yours Father God. Help me to see things the way your eyes see them and hear the way you hear. I ask these things in not just the easy times, but in my struggles.

Phil. 2:5, Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had.

This I know for sure...

It is 2 days after what should have been Malorie's Sr. Graduation. I think I can now write about it now and maybe not fall apart!

This is what I know for sure:

Deuteronomy 31:8, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Since our Heavenly Father "knows" the plan He has for us, He has walked before us, and He will be with us in the tough times.

"I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in who I trust." Psm. 91:2

Psm. 141:8, "But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge..."

The seniors did a beautiful tribute to our Angel, Malorie. They donated a new score table for the gym, with "In Loving Memory of Malorie" on it. They had an awesome Sr. Video with several pictures of Mal in it! I love how her friends still remember her. Of course we cried, it was very bittersweet.

As much as I dreaded the day, I wouldn't have missed it. And...God was with us, every step of the way Sunday.

Dear Father,
Thank you for seeing us thru those very tough difficult times. Please give me the faith to trust you, even in those difficult times.

Lord, you are good, your love endures forever; your faithfulness continues through all generations. Psm. 100:5