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

"My eyes are fixed on you"

Its 3:07, a.m., once again this week I find myself laying in bed thinking of this weekend. Sunday should be our Angel Malorie's Graduation. Tonight, we have 2 receptions to go to. One being her best friend, Jills.

While I am so thankful her friends and classmates have not forgotten her, all of the reminders of the things Mal is missing breaks my heart. I know that is just me being selfish, Mal is having the time of her life in Heaven, sometimes, I just miss her sooo much!

"My eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge-do not give me over to death." Psm 141:8 This is the verse I have found myself saying over and over this week.

O Sovereign Lord, I pray you will give me a peace this weekend. God, I want your Spirit to shine thru me, oh I so want to be like you. Heavenly Father, be with my husband, Bryan, Ashleigh, Sawyer, and me, we need you God, "in you, we take refuge."

At times, the fire gets hotter!

Tonite was the athletic banquet for our Seniors. My husband is the baseball coach, Sawyer, our freshman, played football, basketball, and baseball, and this would be our Angel, Malorie's Sr. Year. I thought I had prepared myself for this. Sawyer lettered in baseball, which really surprised him, only 3 freshman lettered so we were thrilled for him!
As I watched all of Mal's classmates go up for their awards, I did ok, actually, I was very proud of her friends and how much they have grown up.

But then, after the banquet, several of Malorie's friends wanted us to take their picture with them. Then the tears came. I couldn't do the picture, I had to get out of there before I fell apart! My wonderful husband covered for me and he was in the picture with them.

They are so sweet to always remember Mal. They had a Sr. poster made with all of the kids in their sports uniform, in each corner were pictures of Mal in her basketball and cheerleading uniforms and it said at the top; SENIORS REMEMBERING MAL.

All the way home I was talking to God, "when is it not gonna hurt so bad? I opened my laptop and up came a post from a lady I have met while blogging. Jenifer, I hope you don't mind me using your life verse. I read one of your blog entries on grief, it was such a blessing at just the perfect time Jenifer.

1 Peter 1:7, "These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold.

So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

Jenifer, like you said, we have definitely been thru the fire. I am much closer to God, my faith is stronger than ever, I think now more than ever, everything I do has a purpose;

"For HIS Glory!" Yes, sometimes the fire gets hotter, and, I have also learned that I can't take on this grief myself. I have to cry out to God, really cry out! And just like over the past 5 years, our Heavenly Father will carry us thru.

Malorie, I am forever greatful for the lessons you continue to teach us from Heaven. We love and miss you sweetheart.

The trials we face now are nothing compared to the joy when we are in Heaven! What a day, we can only "IMAGINE".

Jennifer, thanks again, you have truly been a blessing to me.

God's Gift to Me!

Mother's Day is just around the corner. Yesterday my daughter told her dad not to worry, she and her brother had Mother's Day all taken care of! With Ashleigh, you never know what that could mean. One year she bought me 4 pairs of house slippers, all alike only different colors. Once she picked out 4 bottles of lotion, don't know what she meant by that! And then there for awhile she was stuck on the one size fits all night gowns! I have loved everything she ever bought!

So, as I think about this Mother's Day, I want to thank my Heavenly Father for the 3 special gifts he gave me that made me a mom. Even though Malorie was only here 13 years, I am so thankful God shared her with us, even for a short time!

My prayer today, as a mom, is for Ashleigh and Sawyer to;

love the Lord with all their heart,

put Him above all else

to really "know" Him personally

walk in faith

trust in Him always

see miracles

and to just be safe and walk with the Lord daily.

Heavenly Father, thank you for sharing Ashleigh and Sawyer with me. Help me to be the mom you want me to be, teach me to be patient and to know that all things work for the good, and Lord, I want your spirit to shine thru me.

Our God always comes thru! Sunday our family was getting ready for church. Ashleigh, our oldest, is a soph. in college, was grumbling because finals were to begin for her Monday.

Of course she had tons of studying to do. She kept saying, " I really should just stay home and study!" I ignored her complaints and continued to say,"I'll pray you do well on your finals." She then reminded me she had to work that same nite from 4:00 to 11:30 so she would only have a few hours to study.
We all prayed in church God would show her what to study and be with her for her finals on Monday. She studied in the afternoon before work.

Proverbs 16:20 "Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord."

It's now 7:30p.m. and Ash is walking in the door. She says with a smile, "God does work things out, the lights went out at work, so they sent us all home!" "Thank you God" was the last we heard from her as she went to her room to study!

"I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart: I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you: I will sing praise to your name, O Most High." Psalm 9:1-2

Dear Father,
Thank you for showing Ashleigh that you knew she needed to study. Thank you for showing her that as she put you first Sun. morning, you would take care of her.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

Wow, sometimes I have to say this verse outloud to myself in order for me to remember that our Heavenly Father's ways may not be the same as mine! He can see much further down the road than we can.

I pray for both of our kids daily. But, lately, I have been thinking so much about Sawyer's future. Even though he is only 15, I often worry about what he will do after high school.

Sawyer has dsylexia and school has always been hard for him. He has to work twice as hard as most students, and still "just gets barely by".

In my mind, I have said, "God, it's not fair". My plan for him when he was born was for him to make good grades in school, go to college, and get a good job.

Well, college probably isn't in his future. Forever, I have prayed to God, make him better, please make school and learning easier for him. I have asked God Why he made Sawyer this way over and over.

I guess I have been in kind of a panic lately as I think about what he will do after high school. I have been praying for God to give me peace over this. As I was reading my Bible, the verse in Isaiah came to me. Then I went to read Jer. 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

So, again, God is telling me he has a plan for Sawyer, in fact, he had that plan for him even before he was born!

Sawyer has a good friend who is kind of homeless, he and his mom live with another family. This friend is not treated very well where he lives, and has very little. His birthday was last week. Sawyer came home and wanted to take money out of his own savings account to give to his friend for his birthday.

Ok, God, I think I finally get it! I would so much rather have a son with the compassion for others much more than straight A's! I know God will provide Sawyer.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I surrender Sawyer to you completely. Help me to trust your plan, and have faith, even though I do not know how his story will turn out. Thank you for entrusting him to his dad and I. Thank you for giving him such a giving spirit and for his fun sense of humor.

Love,
natalie