Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Happy Birthday! JP and TP

 Taylor -- Well -- you are married now.    So, ONE , birthday blog......

I really wanted to write JP his own blog a few weeks ago but that never happened.







 Then today -- is your birthday and I had thought all day of your birthday blog and was prepared to begin to type when, your dad decided to volunteer "us" to babysit so you could go out on a date with your man.   And that took any extra time of my very little extra time.

  And please don't misunderstand me,  I LOVE the fact that your dad volunteered "us".  As he helped but I truly loved every moment!    Then I get to give her 'back". 


However, even as I type this I am getting about 14 text messages from you cause she is STILL awake!   The joys of motherhood - each birthday from this point on will be different! 

Happy birthday Jake:  

Lord, I thank you for this man that has come into our lives and has taken the wheel to provide and cherish our first born.  He doesn't come with closed fists or a heart that is cold, but he comes with hands extended upward towards you and palms ready to receive.  And his heart -- is after Your heart and character Lord, bless him on his 30th birthday!

Here are 30 things or revlations that have come to my brain in the 2  almost 3 years that I have known you. 

1.  Thanks for you 'bonding' with BP.  It is kind of scary how you both sort of react to the same stuff.
2.  Thanks for being a 'big brother' to HELP and always making sure that rough housing usually happens at several different moments at each visit.
3.  Thank you for being open to my prayers, my suggestions, and my very force full but sweet  ways at times. 
4.  I am thankful for the athletic spirit you bring into our family.
5.  I am thankful for how you make Taylor happy.
6.  I am very proud of your recent 'new job' with the youth at Westside.
7.  I am delighted that you make adorable girl babies. 
8.  I am grateful for our first grand girl -- Ava Lynne and I am proud of how you have been working through a difficult situation and believing that it will continue to get better.
9.  I admire how you must hold your tongue at times because you are living with a house full of women.
10. I pray for you when I know you are hurting because the co-parenting  or living with women has hit a snag.
11.  I am proud of you for standing up and fighting for Ava no matter what the cost.
12.  I am proud that you recognize the need for YOU in Ava's life and how you reaffirm her.   And how you will do this for SJ as well.  
13. .  I am thankful you listen to Ava and tell her what a beautiful girl she is and how she will continue to be. And you will do this for SJ as well.
14.  I am thankful you initiate prayer with Ava all the time.  And I know you will do this with SJ too!
15.  I LOVE how I caught you praying with Ava and for Sawyer as she was about to meet her new sister.
16.  I adore how you pray over your wife and calm her.
17.  I find it rather funny that no matter how tired you are, you will do what Taylor wants or help her change her mind.  ( now why did that not work with Gunner?)
18.  I believe you will touch many lives through all the areas of your life.
19.  I believe you are the perfect dad for both Ava Lynne and Sawyer Jane.
20. I believe that as you continue to tithe and seek God's directions, your finances and other present troubles will be provided for and taken care of through God. 
21. I LOVE how you love dogs and you connect and train  them.
22.   I love how you discipline dogs -- opps, wait -- NO I don't.  Just saying.
23.  I love how you call me Chelly.
24.  I love how you have that strawberry blond hair!
25.  I admired how you supported and took care of Taylor during labor and delivery.
26.  I love how Taylor's friends have become your friends.
27.  I love to hear you laugh.
28.  I love to hang with you and so enjoyed our trip to Colorado and pray we will DO that again very soon.
29.  I adore how you are always showing affection to my first born.
30.  And lastly.... I love that you read your bible and WANT to be a better husband, father, and believer that uses the Word of God as your standard.

Happy Birthday Jacob Padrick -- may I be around to see 30 more!!!


And now Taylor --

27 hugh....?

I could list 27 things.   I could go back combine the blogs I wrote for your 20th and your 25th...  I could rewrite your birth story - oh wait, I think we have BEAT that one like a dead horse.  You were born.  Amen.

But what I want to express the most right now -- is HOW meaningful these past few weeks have been.  You needed me 27 years ago to feed, burp, and bathe you -- and now....in these past four weeks -- I feel like I am doing it all over.

I am feeding you -- with insight and what I know about being a mom.
I am burping you --  as some stuff did not work and it came back out.
I am bathing you -- washing you over and over with prayers and reminders that YOU will succeed at this new adventure and your will survive.

And I am holding you -- the snuggle is real.  You posted that you did not realize HOW much you loved and needed me until SJ was born.  I have watched you for almost 2 years now be a mother to Ava and you excelled.  And now -- the reality of a 24/7 MOM has hit.  

You struggled at first.  It is what it is....but it was a real struggle.  It was just a learning curve and as your husband told you today -- it seems you have turned a corner.

My postpartum left me at about 5 weeks when I went back to work.  SJ is almost 5 weeks and you have begun that routine of 'work' again and slowly you are allowing the Holy Spirit to show you that YOU can be a good mom.    I pray that your postpartum is on its way OUT - in the name of Jesus.

I am so very proud of you Taylor.  As God continues to teach you -- please share and teach others.  I realize you are not teaching students -- but you are teaching many others.  And it just warms my heart that you love those girls with all of your heart.  It is possible to love two -- just like you love the one.

You are an excellent mommy and I pray that as SJ continues to grow and gets more settled into her schedule the nights won't be sleepless and I pray the frustrations won't be too many -- but most of all, I pray that as you enjoy EACH day with SJ and Ava ....that God will be given all the glory.  Both of them are your gifts from God.  Like you and HP were my gift.

Ava made you a bonus mom.  SJ made you a 24/7 mom - a birth mom.  Both girls will learn from you -- both love you and both will look to you one day -- as you have been looking to me.  I pray I am around to see it, but if I am not -- know that ...I prophesied it here --

They will walk and call you blessed -- you are a Proverbs 31 woman.  You are no longer my little girl but you will always be my first born.  I love you - and Happy birthday Taylor!!

"ma"  


He is the ultimate multi-tasker! God!

In the past month or so I have found myself repeating over and over -- God is the ultimate:
multi-tasker

I sit amazed on HOW  He creates and HOW  He orchestrates -- one finds it VERY hard to argue with what God can do.

---------If we allow Him.

Just take the experience of giving birth.  I myself have done it twice.  Others, several times, and still others more than that.   That ENTIRE experience is a miracle.  Just from being in the delivery room with my daughter -- 4 weeks ago, I learned SO much of how God created and designed that little life  ( the size of a small watermelon ) to be PUSHED through a hole the size of a  pear!  Amazing.

Even as they placed little SJ on Taylor's chest and began to wipe her off -- we noticed that she was not moving her right arm.   The midwife wasn't concerned, she just stated that sometimes it takes a little time for all the parts to get moving.

 As they began to clean her up,  put those drops in her eyes and wipe off all the placenta, I watched how that little one began to explore the new surroundings with her hands and her mouth.  How God designed that.  As Taylor began to breast feed, how the little one knew to turn her head and root.  All these little  that God designed and all FIT together.
almost 5 weeks!

A year ago, God orchestrated a final prayer walk around a little red cottage because He knew that fast forward one year, there would be a 2 year old that would be walking back and forth from her Miss Kerry's cottage/house to her Mimi's cottage.  This two year old could have lovin from one grandmother and then head next door to get more from the other.  God knew how spirited she would be and blessed her with grandmothers with patience and endless love to hold onto her when she looks right at you and says, "no!".   She could also play each of them-- off each other-- and manage to get double "gummies" and treats between the two homes!

Presently, I am 5 weeks out from a women's event that will transpire over a weekend.  God knew some ten years ago that my hunger for Him would finally come.  God knew seven years ago that a women's encounter weekend would be what I needed to meet Him face to face.  I began to fall in love with Him- God  and  I allowed Him to heal me.

As  time went on, God orchestrated a yearning to continue this type of encounter to help others and all that time -- he was preparing other women in their walk to help lead.   It is a pure JOY as the leadership team and I meet and begin to see HOW God has orchestrated lessons and tests within their lives to help others recognize their chains and want their freedom from bondage!

 God is the one that orchestrates these events and  even back before the holiday, He laid out the floor plan for HOW  this next women's encounter was to be laid out.  I knew the holiday was around the corner and that is always a busy time, but I also knew my daughter would be giving birth.  I had a quick refresher course of HOW babies interrupt our routines and TAKE over our lives.   I had NO idea  or plans to the  amount of time that would be occupied.  But God did -- He orchestrated and provided and was faithful.

 Back before the holiday, God laid out several visions and details .  I didn't question the 'earliness of the preparedness' -- I just prayed and sought counsel to make sure my ideas and lists were of God and not my need to get everything organized before chaos set in.    But now -- on this end of it --and on this side of the past 3 months -- God moved and provided and was faithful to put everything in place.


 Because God is the perfect conductor and multi-task master.

 In my 'wisdom', as I watch my husband mentor and minister to the men in his circle -- I get the awareness that I need to help him.  Here again, I stress -- "I get the awareness".    But in reality, its me who sees that he could be doing more or being more bolder.  And that is wrong of me.  However,   it  always seems easier to notice stuff in our spouses compared to seeing what we need to fix first in ourselves.    I am not being prompted by God, it is my own ego that wants to help him and orchestrate something to happen -- but it is always for his good and the good of the one it effects.   

But then---just today --- I got  a glimpse of HOW God orchestrated something and I  see the GLORY of God shine as my husband shares the testimony of one he prayed for.  God knew...God is there....God is the ultimate conductor in this life and He continually masters or excels at various different tasks - all that are very important.  He placed my man in front of another man to counsel.  God did that -- not me.  God again, lets nothing go to waste.

A random meeting -- is never random if we are believers.  It is God. 


2 Timothy 1. 13-14  says:

Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.  

God indeed multi-tasks.
God indeed orchestrates.  

God is good.

He is a good good Father.  And in the quiet and even in the louder moments when I quiet myself and keep still -- many of these examples pop up in front of me and I marvel at the amazing love of God.




The Holy Spirit can be that voice that helps us grow closer to Jesus!  The Holy Spirit within me is another great conductor of our lives.  


Even as I close this and pray -- 


There is a situation heavy on my heart.  Prayers being said for a family as a season of struggle has them on their knees.  I can intercede and encourage and yet God - as He is the ultimate multi-tasker - He has placed the right person in my path to help me intercede for them.  As they have 'walked' in those shoes and have some insight.  God has healed them and now, she can encourage me to help me encourage another.    Some may call that 'paying it forward', I call it God.    Only God can do that.


And even as I wrap up this blog, I got a text message from a sweet godly women that must, for the 47x time ....forgive her husband.  I may be presently MAD at him for this moment, but the Holy Spirit speaks to me and reminds me -- He created her for him.  God is RIGHT there.  He was or is not surprise.  He will have the help she needs and the encouragement she needs to walk as Jesus would want her to.


Lord, this eve -- I just pray for the one reading this that does not believe God can multi-task because they presently don't FEEL God moving anywhere around them -- God - move.  Touch.  Speak to them in a supernatural way.  May they see and feel your presence rather quickly.

And Lord, for the blessings I see over and over because you are the KING of multi-tasking -- cause YOU are Lord - I give you all the praise and honor and glory.  It is You Lord - just You.  May this blog bring one some peace and the courage to seek You so she may see and experience your multi-tasking skills.  IN Jesus Name -- Amen