Anissa is coming HOME!!

photo courtesy Mishelle Lane

I'm SOOOO excited! Prayers have been answered, and are continuing to be sent up all over the place! She is a SURVIVOR!

OK, for those who don't know what in the world I'm talking about, my bloggy friend Anissa Mayhew (who I did meet in person at Blissdom '09) had not one but two strokes in November. It was not her first stroke, either. So this was an extremely serious and grave situation for a 30 something year old wife and mom of three. Add to the mix the fact that her youngest child, Peyton, is in remission from childhood lukemia, and you will start to see how unbelievable this was. No one could truly say for sure whether she would recover fully, and if she would, when for a quite a while. But like I said, she is a FIGHTER and a SURVIVOR! She has been in a rehab facility for several weeks now as her body reawakens and she relearned control and regained her strength. But today, folks, TODAY she is coming home to her family! Praise be to God!

She and her husband Peter have been such a source of inspiration and strength through this entire ordeal. She will have to go to outpatient therapies for a while, and here's where the rough part comes in: these visits will cost a $100 copay each day. So here's what Peter is asking, and I'll ask on his behalf as well: he needs 400 people to donate $10 to help fund this. Do you have it in your heart and in your bank account to help out this family who has suffered so much? Do you have $10 to give toward this incredible woman getting her life back, and giving God all the glory while she does? If you do, then click on the button here and make a donation to the Mayhew family. I know that God will repay this to you multiple times in the blessings you will receive!

Ash Wednesday

Photo courtesy WELS.net

Today begins Lent. I can hardly believe it! But it does give me some hope that Spring is out there in the realm of possibility. Being that we have used up 3 days of our Spring Break this week in snow days, the promise of sunshine and birds singing is one that I am clinging to!

I ran over in my (not sleepy) mind last night what I could feasibly give up for Lent this year. I say feasibly because I have reduced my vices considerably since finding out that we were expecting another baby. I'm now down to one caffeinated drink a day on most days, and really don't have as much desire for chocolate as I usually do. I'm drinking water til I float because I crave it. I'm not drinking or smoking, cause I...well....I just don't! I'm not quite willing to give up fast food, even though we have been cutting back since the beginning of the year for financial and health reasons. So the things I kept returning to were 1)a negativity fast, which I tried last year and honestly failed at pretty miserably, and 2)giving up some of my beloved snooze button minutes of sleep in order to spend that time focusing on Bible reading.

Well. Given that my insomniac tendencies are not helped much by adding multiple trips to the bathroom every night, plus the fact that I can't take my sleeping pills when needed, I am thinking trying to give up anything related to sleep is just not in my best interest! And honestly, I've joked (kinda) that what I'd really like to give up for Lent is being pregnant! But it doesn't look like that is going to happen either.

Today I logged into facebook and asked my friends what they are giving up for Lent. I was hoping for some inspiration. I found some...when my friend Lisa said that she is giving up negative comments! I thought,"There's your sign, Christi!" So I searched through my gmail archives for the 40 Days from Negativity emails that I had saved from last year. If you are interested in trying this out, check out this website: 40 Days from Negativity

I am also giving up some things that are honestly between me and the Lord, and am going to try to add in more Bible reading and devotional time. I've been working on that more the past few days anyway, and every time I do better, I wonder why in the world do I let myself get OUT of the habit of giving God time in my day?? I feel so much more focused, centered, and just better when I do!

I NEED to reduce my negativity, and it truly will be a stretch and a sacrifice this year to do so. I have fussed and fussed about this pregnancy, and I need to stop. I need to remember that this is a God-ordained blessing that will add to my life instead of taking away. Yes, there will be changes that I will have to make, but I know that he will be worth every minute of them. God knows my needs more than I can ever begin to imagine, and He saw that we needed to add this little one to our family. So focusing over the next 40 days on the positive aspects of life, including my sweet unborn child, will definitely be a good thing!

So....what are your plans for Lent? If you haven't made any yet, it isn't too late! It's NEVER too late to give more of yourself to God!

Will you visit this please?

I rarely do this, but I feel the need to ask you to visit my blog where I post my Bible studies today. I NEEDED to get this out....what the Lord led from my heart today....and would love to have any kind of response to it. So if you don't care to give a little clicky here I'd really appreciate it! Now if you feel led to read further or follow that blog as well, that's fine, too, but definitely not expected!

And by the way, Happy Valentine's Day!! I love YOU, dear readers! And you know who else loves you, no matter what?? GOD does! Every day of every year! Trust me on this one!

So I'm NOT at Blissdom....

but I can still network! The wonderful Household Diva has set up a Blizzard Bloghop for those of us who are at home for whatever reason! I'm psyched, cause I was feeling pretty lonely thinking about NOT getting to see all the great ladies I met last year at Blissdom! But since we're expecting a baby in April, I knew that I didn't need to spend the money to go this year....and since I have a cold, that probably worked out for the best! I would have hated being miserable in Nashville!

So how about an introduction!

I'm the almost 37 (birthday is Sunday!) year old wife to Chris and mama to Isaac (8.5) and Adam (6), and soon to be mama to Robbie! I am a teacher by profession, and am over half-way through my first year as a Reading Specialist at two schools in our rural county. I'm finishing up my Master's degree in Reading...almost done....one class this semester and two over the summer! I am a proud Christian, and we are very active in our local church. I am also active in the online ministry Worldprayr, and actually have a devotion up over there today! I'd love to have you read it!

Hmm...what else?? Right now my favorite hobby is sleeping, and my least favorite is going to the bathroom constantly, it seems! LOL I am blessed to have my family and my husband's family (most of 'em) living close by, so we spend quite a bit of time with them as well. I love to read, and all my boys (including hubby) are taking Tae Kwon Do, so I spend some time carting kids back and forth from that, too. I sing in our church choir and love to dance, though I rarely get the chance anymore.

So there is a basic introduction! Browse around here, comment, and I'll be sure to visit you back! I'll admit I've been a blogging slacker since finding out we were expecting, but really WANT to do better! Thanks for stopping by, and may God bless you richly!