I held him LONGER

Tonight, I enjoyed Jacob. I hugged him closer. I read more books at bedtime. I looked at the color of his eyes so I knew every single shade in them. I smelled in his scent. I held his tiny hand. I giggled at his chewed finger nails. I didn't tell him no when he asked for chocolate milk before bed. I pulled out my favorite sappy children's book I Love You So ... by Marianne Richmond.
Even though Jacob protested the reading of it ... I read it anyway. I wanted him to know, actually I needed him to know, how much I love him tonight. Especially, tonight!
I tucked him slowly into his own bed. I once again told him how much he means to me. I kissed him on his head and as I walked out the door I looked back. I need to remember these moments. I need to store these moments in my heart. I need to remember them when days are tough and long. I need to remember them when I forget what a miracle he is. Miracles happen all around us everyday. Tonight, I held my son longer.

And ... as my child sleeps in his own bed. There is another boy, Stellan, who is fighting in a hospital bed. His mother, MckMama, by his side praying for him, crying for him, being strong for him, and loving him. She has already fought so many battles for him. She has prayed many, many hours for him since the days he was still growing in her womb. She is a momma who knows that miracles can happen, that DO happen. Tonight, before I tuck myself into bed, I will pray. I will lay myself on the ground before the Lord and humble myself for this little boy.

Will you do the same? Will you pray for him as well?

I am a believer. I believe in a God who performs many miracles. I believe in a God who knows the plans for this child, His child.

I will pray for this family. I will pray that the Lord keeps them strong. I will pray that the Lord will show them His will. I will pray the Lord will hold Stellan's heart and fix it.

MckMama, Prince Charming, and the whole MckFamily tonight I will pray for you. Our God is the same today as He is tomorrow. He is unfailing, unyeilding, and forever faithful to us.

Walk in His Strength,

Mindy

Welcome to the Party

In the words of Gretchen Wilson ... I'M HERE FOR THE PARTY! AND I'M NOT LEAVING TILL THE THROW ME OUT!

There is an Ultimate Blog Party going on hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom.

If you normally stop by my blog to check out what is going on in my life, welcome back. If you are stopping by from the Ultimate Blog party, Welcome!

For those who don't know me ...

My name is Mindy.
I am a 27 year old single mom of a 6 year old son Jacob.
I am a Christian.
I am a blog addict.
I ramble on about my day to day nothings.
I find my son hilarious.
I am dating an amazing man Dan who also has a 6 year old son Christian.
Jacob and Christian have become best friends.
I love to read.
I love pajama pants.
I love baking.

Please take the time to look around and enjoy yourself.

In association with the Ultimate Blog Party they have prize giveaways. So after looking through the super duper long list I have compiled a list of my favorites.
So here goes ... 2, 19, 29, 41, 50, 58, 86, 89, 115, 118, 119, Intl 1, Intl 3, Intl 36, Intl, 55, and USC 28.

Go to the Ultimate Blog Party and look around there too.

Happy Sunday everyone.

Mindy

Profoundly Seth

*** Update - I just watched the video on the profoundly seth blog. You have to watch the video. You will fall in love with this family just like I did.


Happy Saturday Night!

Since Jacob and I are feeling a little bit better and I have had a chance to catch up on some very necessary blog reading I wanted to let you know about a prize giveway.

From now until March 28th you can go to the Profoundly Seth blog and take part in an amazing prize package giveway that all the proceeds go to two even more amazing charities, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and Rhyan's Hope. All you have to do is go click here or on the Profound Pictures Prize Package link on the side bar of my blog and enter. You can enter in two different ways. The first way, is just like I am doing. Post the giveaway button and write a blog entry about it and/or go to the Profoundly Seth blog and donate a suggested amount of $10 to the charaties.

That's it. That is all you have to do.

Go look around, read about Seth, his sister and brothers, and their parents El and John. This is a great blog if you are looking for faith, healing, and answered prayers.

Congrats to Seth for being approved for coclear impants. God answers prayers and he certianly answered yours.

Walk In His Strength,

Mindy

Going to the Doctor

Since I didn't get a chance to post yesterday I wanted to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day (sorry that it is a little belated)



Well, Jacob is still sick. Yesterday he slept from 4 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. (FYI - he was put in a car twice and taken out of a car twice without waking up) He woke up this morning in a great mood and he said he was feeling a little better. So I took him to my cousin Tanya's house. She said that after I left he went back to sleep and then woke up feeling awful. So, Jacob didn't go to school today. We have a doctor's appointment at 7:15 tonight so after we get home from the doctor I will let you know what the verdict is. I just hope it isn't a virus because then they don't prescribe medicine.

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

No Not Me ... I would never ever spend the most beautiful day we have had in a long time inside the house organizing my son's closet. Not me ... I made sure I had all the closets organized while the weather was horrible.

No Not Me ... I would never ever toss the "non-approved" stuffed animals in the donate pile just because I don't like stuffed animals ... I would never get rid of something my son said he wanted to keep.

No Not Me ... I would never ever be sooooo tired that I would bring a cup filled with Pedialite to bed with me, I would never ever forget to put it on the night stand, and then I would never ever roll over and dump it on myself.

Well that was my Not Me! Monday. Don't forget to go over to MckMama's blog and join in on all the fun.

Little Man is sick again

This is what my house looks like right now. Little man has a fever and is basically sleeping most of the day. It started yesterday and it is still with us full force. Today will be full of naps, Motrin, Pedialite, and cool baths.

Obviously, fear is not a factor for you!

Do you remember that show? Fear Factor. Come on, you have got to remember? They would make the contestants eat bugs, cow eyes, and pig intestines? They always had to jump off something or do something dangerous in the rain. Remember now?

Truth be told, I would never be able to compete in any of those contests!



I am a fearful person. I am afraid of birds. Oh yeah, those pretty birds that everyone else but me seems to enjoy. I could never place a bird feeder in my yard. No way, birds are not invited to my house.

I am afraid of change. The bank I am currently banking with is far from where I live yet I am terrified to change it. There is a Chase bank within walking distance of my home but I am afraid what will happen when I move my money from one account to another. Will I forget about a check that hasn't cleared yet? Will I be fined for closing an account? Will I forget that I changed banks and try to deposit money there? I don't know. They all seem very illogical now that I am writing them down.

Most days, I just allow what ever is going to happen, happen. I don't try to change things. I don't try to disrupt the flow. I just pray that most days things will go my way.

As of recently, God has been trying to get me out of my comfort zone. He is telling me to take a leap of faith. He is encouraging me to trust Him to take care of me.



So, here I am standing at the edge of the cliff.

Do I jump? Do I take the leap of faith that God has been nudging me to do? What is a fearful person like myself to do?

I really want to follow what God wants me to do. We all know that His plans are way better than any plan we could come up with for ourselves. But when it comes down to it, it is scary.

So the other day I dove into God's word to look and see what He has to say about fear. This is what I found ...

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

I want that perfect love with my God. I want to trust him with all my being.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

This verse definitely helps take away the fear I am holding on to.

Psalm 56:11

in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

Exactly, I have nothing to fear because I know where I am going in the end.

Matthew 10:29-31
Aren't two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.

Amen to that.

God needs me to trust Him. He needs me to fix my eyes upon Him.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil;

For you are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

Please pray with me as I take my leap of faith in order to follow the path of righteousness for my Lord. Pray that I will not be afraid but that I will take comfort in Him. Pray that though I cannot see what the Lord has in store for me my fear in the unknown will subside and my trust in the Lord will flurish.

If anyone has a prayer request that they would like me to pray about please let me know. If you do not want to share the details of your struggles that is fine but I will lift you up to the Lord.

Also, Lynnette Kraft is asking for prayers. Please head over to her blog and lift her up to the Lord as well. Great things happen when groups of people pray.

90 Day Challenge

I attend Harvest Bible Chapel in Naperville, IL. One of the many things I love about attending this church is that they encourage 90 day challenges. A 90 day challenge is where you read pre-selected scripture everyday until the 90 days are completed. I love this concept because I never know what to read. Am I supposed to just open the Bible, run my finger along the page, then stop abruptly and then start there? I don't think so. So, the 90 day challenge makes it easy for me to get lost in God's word everyday without guessing what to read.

Our current 90 day challenge is called Game On.

If you would like to join in at our church's 90 day challenge click here for the adult version or click here for the student version.

Walk in His Strenth

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome back for another Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. Please go visit her blog to check out what else everyone is or is not doing. www.mycharmingkids.net

No not me - I would never ever post my Not Me! Monday! at work. I mean come on I have very important things to take care of at work and would never ever have time to do this.

No not me - I would never ever tell my son that poop, butt, and fart are not acceptable words to say. My darling son knows better than that.
After that totally fictional conversation he didn't respond with, "Can I say diarrhea?" Is that a potty word? I think yes it is a potty word and no you cannot say that. I never ever have to remind him that potty talk is gross and no one wants to hear it.

No not me - I would never ever have to remind that same darling son that I don't want to hear what he has to say when he is tattling on someone. (Tattling from last week none the less) He kept telling me that he had to tell me so I told him to swallow his words to help him forget his tattle. He gulped back the words but immediately after he didn't respond by informing me that he may have swallowed the tattling words but he still remembers.

No not me - I would never ever stay up until 12:30 last night doing laundry. On top of that I would never ever just stack up the laundry on the floor and now those piles are teetering against the wall. I am pretty sure the cat will have knocked them over by the time I get home.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my Not Me! Monday. Go check out MckMama's blog and join in on all the fun.

Book Review (Living Simply by Joanne Heim)

As many of you know I love to read. As of today I am reading about 12 books. I know, I know, I should just read one book at time but hey this works for me. A few of the blogs I read daily are written by authors. Many of the books that are currently on my reading wish list are written by the women who's blogs I read. I came across The Simple Wife blog a few months ago and fell in love with the simple way she leads her life. She seems to have something I don't. Peace. So when I was reading about the books she has written I knew I had to read Living Simply. So I ordered it off Amazon for $11.19 and waiting anxiously to receive it in the mail.

I finished it last night and let me tell you I am sad. I wish this book could have continued FOREVER! What an amazing book! I was sad that it ended. I wanted more great ideas on how to enjoy the moment, enjoy my son, and how to start traditions within in my own small family. I LOVED THIS BOOK! Everyone should read this. My book already looks trashed; the spine is all bent, almost every page has underlining, stars, asterisks, circles, and folded corners. Joanne breaks down all the aspects of your life into a neat chapter and details what we should be doing according to God's word.

Joanne doesn't sugar coat the reality of living. She admits that somethings are not easy and that achieving a simple life doesn't just happen over night.

The one thing that totally hooked me is when she was describing her life when she lived in England. My family is from England and I still have a great aunt and uncle that live there. When we were little we used to visit all the time. So everything she was describing brought me back to many of the special memories I have with my family.

I absolutely loved her section on traditions and holidays. This past Christmas, with money being as tight as it was, I knew my family needed a change. I knew I didn't want the day to be about the presents but the reason we were celebrating. Joanne has shown me that you can celebrate the reason for the holiday and take the importance off the presents. I loved her story about Easter and the book Benjamin's Box. I actually am thinking about starting that tradition in my house.

I have learned so much about how God wants us to live our lives, teach our children, and set up our households. I am longing to live that kind of life. (To be honest, I want to be best friends with Joanne and her family.)

Some of my favorite parts are ...

When I think of a simple life, I think of a life that is less complicated, roomier, filled with the meaningful rather than the urgent. I think of a life centered around people rather than things. I think of a life that's focused rather than scattered, grounded and stable rather than pulled in too many different directions at once. I think of knowing what God wants me to do - being sure of it - and doing it. (pg 37)

Sometimes giving up things - saying no to things that we like, we think are fun, and we want - means we gain much more in the long run. We must make wise choices about the things on which we spend our time, money, energy, and emotions. (pg 62)

As a mother, I want to build a strong family - but I don't want to be the family all on my own. (pg 84)

Along with bedtime, mealtime is a time for teaching my children to pray. It's an obvious place to pause and give thanks for the food on the table. (pg 139)

Celebrations don't have to be overwhelming. By viewing them as opportunities to tell the stories of our families, we can relax from the pressure to do it bigger and better each year. As a result, celebrations can become cherished times for your family to remember those traditions, memories, and event that make your family special and unique. (pg 166)

Ok, now that you have had a little taste of what this book is about go - go run out and buy it right now. Or you can order it online and have it overnighted. It is totally worth it.

Go visit Joanne at her blog http://thesimplewife.typepad.com/the_simple_wife/

Guilty as Charged

The other day I was laughing with one of the young guys at work about all the things I tell Jacob. Now, to set the record straight I do not believe these are lies. I think they are miracles that may not really be true but they work for me. While he was reminding me of all my "miracles" I figured I should share them with you and see what you think.

My darling son believes that raisins make him sleepy.
I know this sounds crazy but it works. I am pretty sure one night after struggling with him for over an hour to get into bed and after giving him water (cause aren't all little kids sooo thirsty at bed time) I ran out of things to keep him in bed. So I may have possibly told him that if he eats a tiny handful of raisins he will become sleepy and go to sleep. He tried it and it worked. Now it is actually a part of our bed time ritual.

Chocolate milk is really plain old white milk.
To set the record straight he doesn't believe this anymore because someone actually gave him chocolate in his "chocolate" milk. But for a long time I got away with just giving him white milk. It was easier this way. If we went to a friends house and they didn't have chocolate he would still drink milk. I never had to run to the store to pick up chocolate milk mix. To be honest, I wish he still believed this.

Special Lotion is really Johnson & Johnson Night Time Lotion
After bath time I lather Jacob in what he thinks is special lotion but it really lotion filled with chamomile and lavender to make him tired. It totally works. And he sleeps and smells like a baby.

Monster Spray is really Sleepy Time Linen Spray
Ok maybe I may have a theme going here. But after Jacob and I moved into our own house he started getting scared being in his own room. He always wanted to be in my bed with me. Since my mom works at Bath & Body Works I had her pick me up some Sleepy Time Linen Spray. I told him it was to keep the scary monsters away. And once again it works!

That is all I can think of right now. I am sure that there are more guilty "miracles" that I use on a daily basis that seem normal to me.

Do you have any guilty "miracles" that you use in your home? If you do, please let me know.

Oh I forgot

I am participating in a Getting to know you blog. I have been a follower of Lynette Kraft - Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground blog for a little bit now. She is an author, a believer, the mother of 9 children (3 that are in Heaven), and an inspiration. She decided to Get To Know her followers. If you want to read her story and get inspired link to her below.

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

And away we go ...

* On Thursday, with all the Chicago rain, I definitely did not drive into what I thought was a puddle and end up 3 feet deep in water and total my car. I am an excellent driver. I would never think if I drove slowly enough I could make it through ... No way not me!

* I would never ever go to the doctor with throw up on my pants, unbrushed teeth, and crazy hair just because my grandma said that an upset stomach and throwing up could mean appendicitis and immediately rushed Jacob to the doctor ... No not me!

* I would never wouldn't even dare consider punching out my HR person because she told me I don't get bereavement pay because a great grandmother is not considered family but a mother in law is (which she informed me that I wouldn't know because I am not married). I am way more level headed than that.

* I also wouldn't dare consider quitting because a company who doesn't consider a great grandmother family isn't worth working at.

* Lastly, I wouldn't ever let my son play 2 hours of video games because I wanted to be undisturbed while watching The Bachelor. I would absolutely put him first and get him into bed and read him a story rather than watching The Bachelor.

Thank you for joining me on another Not Me! Monday ... come back next week and see what I didn't or wouldn't dare do.

Mindy