Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Grace Under Fire...

You know, there are a lot of situations in life that this phrase can apply to.
Today, however, I have been presented with 3 different stories that are just so heart-breaking I can't help but wonder how the family members can go on.
Today, I heard two stories of public servants (one, an off-duty fireman; the second, an on-duty police officer) killed, leaving behind family members just a few days before Christmas.
The third story, I'll link to below, actually occurred a couple of years ago but somehow I never heard this little boy's story before.
I can't help but ask myself?
What would I do? What would I do if my husband never made it home from work tomorrow? What I would do if my husband and one of my children were in a severe accident- he died and my child is clinging to life in ICU? What would I do, if at 13 months old, my child was diagnosed with a terminal disease and not expected to make it until Christmas or his second birthday?
I'd like to think I could handle the situation with grace.  I'd like to think I would Thank God for the wonderful time and memories I'd been given with them.  I'd like to think that despite the initial sadness, I would know there is a greater purpose to it all.
But that's what I'd like to think...
In reality, I think it would be so easy to succumb to your own sadness.  As a mother, I think losing a child could cause a heartache deep enough to kill me if I let it.
It's in times like these, that I stop and pray for these families.  Whether a recent occurrence, or one from two years ago, I imagine the ache of missing a loved one never completely disappears.  It would have to be a combination of God's love, His grace, the prayers of other believers, and my Faith in Him for me to come through such a trial.
Here are some verses I think would be comforting...
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Colossians 2:2
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Ephesians 1:11
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:



How about you?
What verses would comfort you, bring you peace, and help you cope with a hard situation?


Here is little Dax's story:

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Chew on this!




Ok, so I'm not much on short posts.  I tend to be a little long-winded  wordy (even though I always scored well on writing tests in school, I often got points off for being "verbose.").
So, what? You thought I didn't know this about myself? Come on!
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to write about my least favorite meal as a child.
Let me start by saying, there wasn't a meal EVER served in my Mama's house that I didn't complain about (at least partially).  Not because I was picky; I was no where close to "picky" compared with kids of today.
My biggest issue? Whatever meat Mom was serving.  I couldn't chew it. Seriously.
I went through most of my life NOT eating steak because I "couldn't chew it!"
So Mom use to make a lot of the same things for dinner.  Not like every Tuesday was brussel sprouts and chopped steaks, but the same repertoire of things.  My least favorite?
Fried pork chops and applesauce!
I know, I know! What kid doesn't like fried pork chops? ME! Wanna guess why?
I. COULDN'T. CHEW. IT! 
You got it!
In Mom's defense, everyone was super cautious back then about pork, especially.  The food industry had everyone scared about bacteria, making people sick, not cooking pork well enough, etc., etc.
Now we know you can actually stop cooking pork at 150 degrees with no risk of illness whatsoever.
Wish Mom had known it back then!
Pork chops sounds kinda good! Anyone else hungry?