I'm still here

MIA:  Yes, that’s been me.  I thought for sure I would have blogged
more than I have, but alas life has happened and continues to happen.
Sometimes I just want to plop down
And say stop the world, I wanna get off!!!

Seriously though, I’ve been working hard and sewing a lot as well.  I
finally finished my
Nieces baby quilt and matching burp cloths.  I’ll have to take pics.
and post later.  I will
Begin my soon to be newest nephews crib set with matching burp cloths.
His parents requested Texas Longhorn theme.  So the quilt will be Texas
Longhorns and the rest of the set will just be their colors.  I’m
trying to improve my skills on the items I’m planning to sell in my
Etsy shop.  I’ll keep you posted.  As of now, I’m still in the
planning stages, but my dream/desire is to be able to sew full time and
return home with my children.  We’ll see what God has to say!!!

My family is well, moving forward in the grieving of my mother.  Some
days are harder than others, but we’re moving along.  It’s still
surreal to us that she is really gone.  We all sort of wait with
anticipation for her to walk through the door or call.  We found a video
of her on one of our cameras, it brought me to tears.  To not only hear
her voice, but to see her moving around and talking.  Man, that was
hard.  We’ve got tons of family videos we’ve not gone through yet,
but I’m sure when we look at them it will be a rough day as well.
That’s another day to worry about unto itself.

I’m cherishing this moment I am in right now with God.  I’m not
where I want to be this is true, but I’m at a place of peace and
confidence with Him.  I don’t know all that He is doing, but I know
that He is in control and He’ll work all things out for my good…even
if I have to go through the hard times to get to the good. 

In the meantime, Keep Lifting Him up!!! I am…

Single yet again but not alone

You can't make anyone love you and you can't make anyone stay. Earlier in my marriage I thought I could only to hear my mom say those words to me.
I've been asking the Lord did I do what He asked of me and I am able to walk away with a yes!
You can't soften someones heart towards you if they are bound and determined to keep it hardened and unforgiving of things in the past.
I'm at peace. I'm ok. It is well with my soul.
My children are fine as well.
We pick up where we left off and know that God is with us, for us, covering us, and loving us.
In the end God will get the glory, He will be glorified no matter what the circumstances look like.


- iTasha

The Newest Member of Our Family

In our family, I am the only one that has had girls.  My sisters have had boys and I also have one son.  So out of the children and grandchildren, there are a total of 5 girls and 5 boys.  I've always wanted a niece, but my sisters don't seem to know how to make those ;-).

Well, my nephew now has a baby girl born Monday evening.  Her name is Sheridan and she weighed 6lbs.  I haven't gotten the chance to go see her yet.  I'm so excited and can't wait.  She's the spitting image of her father.  I remember so vividly what he looked like as a baby and from all the pictures I've seen, she looks like his twin.

He's a very proud daddy and already very protective.

2 Months

The past 72 hours have been pretty tough for me and I couldn't figure out why at first.  Then it dawned on me that the date was drawing near when my mother went home to be with the Lord. Today is not so bad.  I miss her terribly and there have been times when I've picked up the phone to call her and share something with her or I've looked out the window and longed to go see her...suddenly realizing I cannot.
Those are hard moments for me.
Her name was Ruby.  She was far above rubies to me.  I can only imagine the things she's doing now and I know that there will come a time when I will get to see her again.
She's still alive, just at a different address and one day we'll share the same address.

I love you mom and miss you more than words can ever express.

If your mom is still alive, call her and just tell her simply that you love her.

How do you do it?

I posed a question to a couple of my friends but got to thinking; I would really love, love, love to hear how some of you do it as well.
What is IT you ask?
1. How does your family decide what will be read and studied for family devotions?

2. How do you decide what you yourself will read and study during your own individual quiet time?

3. Do you require your children to have their own personal quiet time with the Lord?

4. What does quiet time look like for you, what "tools" do you need?

5. What does family devotions look like for your family? Do family members take turns reading passages? Are you memorizing scriptures together?

Ok I think that's enough questions (for now). Chime in, share, I'm sure I'm not the only one curious!

- iTasha

Struggles

Sometimes I feel like there is so much on my plate.  I seriously would like to give some of it back.  In a two month time period, my entire world has been rocked and there seems to be no letting up.

I feel like my WALK is challenged on every end, at every moment.  I daily feel the weight of this world and life on my shoulders.  I'm constantly reminded that I cannot carry this load on my own.
To many, I may sound like I'm giving up, taking the easy way, the broad path.  I assure you, I am not.  Some may say I am leaving my children out to take on the wolves themselves.  Again, I am not.
What I am doing, however, is taking a step back and regrouping and retraining my own focus on the Lord. How can I be an example if my walk is shaky?
I'm also putting something back in my husbands lap...the spiritual welfare of our family.  This load was NEVER meant for the woman to carry.  The burden was to solely be the mans, with the woman coming along side him.  I feel that as long as I carry the load, my husband will continue to allow me to do just that.
I can still assign certain books to be read and scriptures to meditate on for school and the children's daily quiet time, but family devotions will be up to my husband.
I know it may sound foolish to some, but none walk in my shoes.  If I continue to be a crutch to him, he will continue to use me to hobble on.  I don't want that for him, me, or our children.  We've all got to see him gain his strength and his own momentum in his spiritual life.

Please join with me in prayer and fasting if you feel led, that God will move in his heart, that he would have a hunger and thirst for the things of God.  That he would become so dissatisfied with anything less. That God would speak to him about the spiritual state of his life as well as our family.

Please also lift me up, as this is VERY scary for me.  I've been the head of my home for 4 years and to begin to let things go is not easy.

Thank You!!!

I just wanted to take this time and say thank you to those that read my blog and take the time to comment. Your kind words and especially your prayers are appreciated greatly!!!

This New Year holds many new things for me. I'm working on the restoration of my marriage/family, working out my faith, and improving my sewing skills.

My heart is heavy but my hopes are high. I know He is with me! His plans for me are greater than I can imagine.


- iTasha