Papa Turk

Today I had a doctor's appointment.

My dad watched Julian...

Their relationship is so cute...

I was gone much longer than I had anticipated & truthfully got a little worried about the "boys"...hee

When I got home, dad was surrounded with toys and Julian having the best time...so much so that he even fell asleep with "Papa Turk"...

Thanks dad...Love you!

Mommy Grace

The current book I am reading is called Mommy Grace...below is the first paragraph of the book...

" My newborn son lay sleeping in my arms. The overwhelming responsibility of the new little life weighed heavily on me. What if I failed to be all that he needed in a mother? Would his emotional well-being suffer if I gave him too much attention? Too little attention? Would his physical health suffer if I didn't nurse him long enough? or if I ate the wrong foods? Would his spirituality suffer if I didn't have the answers to his questions? would I mess up his whole life just by not being a good enough mother? "...Dr. Shelia Schuller Coleman, Mommy Grace

Wow!...yeah...I am liking this book.

Had bit of a frustrating week at Julian's 18 month appointment, as far as what he should or shouldn't be doing right now. Doctor's have an incredible way of heaping guilt onto people...& for moms, we are already fighting guilt every day (at least I am)

Praise GOD for HIS Word, that HE gave me that morning...

Psalm 90 (New Living Translation)
1 Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!
2 Before the mountains were born,before you gave birth to the earth and the world,from beginning to end, you are God.
3 You turn people back to dust, saying,"Return to dust, you mortals!"
4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,as brief as a few night hours.
5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes,but by evening it is dry and withered.
7 We wither beneath your anger;we are overwhelmed by your fury.
8 You spread out our sins before you-our secret sins-and you see them all.
9 We live our lives beneath your wrath,ending our years with a groan.
10 Seventy years are given to us!Some even live to eighty.But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;soon they disappear, and we fly away.
11 Who can comprehend the power of your anger?Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.
12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life,so that we may grow in wisdom.
13 O Lord, come back to us!How long will you delay?Take pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!Replace the evil years with good.
16 Let us, your servants, see you work again;let our children see your glory.
17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.Yes, make our efforts successful!

And that is my prayer...GOD, LET OUR CHILDREN SEE YOUR GLORY!

Tears....

Well...as I have begun to blog again...I thought I would re-read some of my older ones.
It was fun to see all of the cool things God has done in my life (I was able to sing on a Worship CD in 2005!! very blessed to share that moment with such dear friends. And it was just featured on WMUZ this past Saturday...so good to hear everyone) went to Australia 2006 with Kristi, Jim, Paul & Jerree, went to see Beth Moore with Kristi several times, went to Missouri all by myself (like a big girl), the people I had great times with (my brother & sister in law, Aaron, Kristi, & so many others), and people that I had to say good bye too (Grandma Tina & Ed Horn)...

but the one thing that almost all of the blogs had in common was a phrase...

..."and the tears keep streaming down my face"...

GEEZ..what a buz kill...LOL...:)

So I am gonna do my best to not use that phrase this PART II of my season of blogging...
at least I'm gonna try...

Be well!

Easter Morning...

I have been wanting to write about my son's love for Worship and for God...the morning of Easter Sunday...had to be one of the coolest stories ...

I have shared stories with my dear friends since he was about 5 months old...but never documented it...(Jennifer & Steve Cant have been with us at a worship service at church to witness his love of music & worship...) hee

Julian is now 19 months old...and I will finally share these cool God moments with all of you...

I must back up and say...that when I found out I was pregnant I began to pray for this baby. I prayed for protection, health (all of the things new parents pray for)...but I also
began to pray for some specific things...Most importantly that this baby would recognize the voice of God. Even in my tummy...that this baby would know God's voice even beyond mine.
I knew that I would fail this baby throughout his/her life...There was an email that inspired me to pray that for this baby... called The Smell of Rain...

I also prayed that this baby would love JESUS, love worship and would be a leader for the Kingdom of God.

NOW...God blessed me with a beautiful baby boy. However, he is the most strong willed, hot tempered, spirited, busy baby boy...I think I have ever witnessed.
( I actually had to wrestle with God that He didn't give me an easy going, melancholy baby....but that's a whole other blog) ha ha

But what did I pray for ??? I prayed for a leader...!!! (strong willed, spirited...yeah...I know...I did it to myself, right ? :)

Fast forward to about 5 months...I purchased the Hillsong KIDS DVD-Tell the World...I purchased it just to have kids singing worship music and for Julian to hear that...
**these are the days I miss my brother. We would sit around singing for hours. Just like we did growing up with our parents...I know that's where we got our love for music and for God.
I am even willing to start paying someone to come over to my house to play the guitar in front of Julian...:) ...We so appreciate our time with Aaron "True Dawg" Swanger...and how you pour your heart, soul, music and love for Jesus into Julian...love you bro!

Okay...back to the Hillsong DVD...

Once I began to play the DVD...it was just kind of background music.

However, there was 1 particular song that ALWAYS changed Julian's behavior. He would instantly stop whatever he was doing, close his eyes and smile...it was the coolest thing...it wasn't "just" music...

The song actually helped with his tummy time and sitting up...(some felt that it was just a coincidence)...then in his walker...as he would be busy, busy, busy...when the song would come on, he would stop, close his eyes, smile...and raised his hands...(Carrie B was the first to witness this)...tears...I still remember that so vividly...

I could be anywhere and start to sing the song and he would raise his hands. It became almost a novelty...and I didn't want it to be that way. I wanted him to realize (yes, even as a baby) how sacred this time was...

He is now picking out which DVD's to watch...he hasn't 'wanted' to watch Hillsong KIDS for quite a while... He is into The Wiggles and Mickey Mouse now...

BUT EASTER MORNING...( and I missed this because Steve & I had to go to different services because Julian had been so sick)...

Easter Morning...Julian had his milk and watched Mickey Mouse with Daddy...and then ran over to his DVD's...almost franticly searching for a specific one...finally he found it...HILLSONG KIDS...

Steve couldn't get the DVD in fast enough...then Julian takes the remote out of his hand and begins to fast forward the dvd to get to a specific song...

the song...

GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD...the 1 song that ALWAYS stood out for him...below are the lyrics..

God so loved the world
That He gave
God so loved the world
That he gave his only son

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain

He's risen from the dead
He is risen
He's high and lifted up
Heaven and earth adore


He had Steve repeat it over and over and over...he danced, he jumped up and down and lifted his hands...the way WE as ADULTS should celebrate Easter...He is RISEN...(coincidence??? I think not) of all the days...?? Easter Sunday!!! I love it!!

God truly speaks to us...even to our children...and HE LOVES US...and HE IS Risen!!! We should be rejoicing!!!! attached is the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCX6uz19hAk