how far the east is from the west

I've been listening to our contemporary christian station A LOT since we moved. below are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs. songs like this are my number one on my thankful list this week. they are a daily reminder that I'm never too far from my Father and His love.



CASTING CROWNS LYRICS - East To West: "Here I am, Lord, and I'm drowning in your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don't want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight
I know You've cast my sin as far as the east is from the west
And I stand before You now as though I've never sinned
But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west
'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other

I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way

I know You've washed me white, turned my darkness into light
I need Your peace to get me through, to get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals
I'm not holding on to You, but You're holding on to me
You're holding on to me

Jesus, You know just how far the east is from the west
I don't have to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
One scarred hand to the other
From one scarred hand to the other"


2. friends- I'm so thankful for my friends who offer me encouragement and guidance when i feel lost and confused

3. my hubby- he has been so understanding and caring. he knows me and still loves me, may not sound like much, but he has seen the demons that haunt me and he holds me and loves me anyway.

4. my past-yep it made me who i am, like me or not. I'm happy with who i have become and each test has brought me to where God has put me. for the first time in a long time i don't feel crazy and that is a good thing.

5. my present- i am happy with my life and who i am. it has taken me most of my life to reach this point, and here i am content with who i am

6. my future- sometimes it scares the heebus jeebus out of me. then i take a deep breath and say a long prayer and i discover that I'm not afraid at all

7. my faith- it has cost me friends and family, but i wasn't promised an easy walk. i was promised joy, peace, and salvation.

8. dates- i had a date with my hubby and a date with some friends this past weekend. both were very needed in there own ways.

9. cleaning house- both the literal cleaning of the home and the kind where people who are toxic are removed. both are needed sometimes more often than we like.

10. crafting- I've been working hard on several projects lately, and it feels good to be busy.

i hope this memorial weekend is wonderful for you. take a moment to say thanks to those who are away from home fighting for us, and for those they left at home.

the honest cries of breaking hearts are better than a halleluia

things are very busy here in the kingdom. we have been busy clearning brush, so that we can get electric out to the property. after that we can get the house. it's getting very hot here, we've already had a few near 100 days. it's been forever since i've done a thankful list, but lately i have been so thankful for all i do have.
I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. hard work- it feels good to be able to use my hands to get things done.

2. the results of the hard work- above is the property where the house will sit. it has taken a lot of work on our parts. we've been using a lawnmower, chain saw, machete, and tree loppers.

3. family time- we've been clinging together as a tight group lately to get the work done, and when we get to let off some steam and play it really helps.

4. long walks on the beach- above is a picture of us walking on the pier at port lavaca

5. flowers- we planted some pots of flowers this year because we weren't sure where we ulitmately would be.

6. friends- it is so amazing how we draw together when one of us has a problem. my friends are amazing

7. crafting- i have been crazy busy working on projects for friends, family, and swaps.

8. new experiences- above is the kids in corpus. q was a bit confused by the waves at first.

9. being loved- there is no better feeling that to love a be loved in return. there is a lot of love in my life.

10. family- i have a great family. just look at that smile, that makes all better.

i hope that things are going great for everyone who reads this. we have big plans this weekend. the princess has a skate birthday party to attend and i'm meeting friends at knitting nest for a book signing. things are looking up and looking great.

tell the world i'm coming home

sorry for the lack of blog. things have been.... well things are finally starting to look up. we have relocated to where my hubby grew up, where he has always called home. in fact the day after my last blog he got the call that the territory near his old stomping grounds was open and was his if he wanted it. well, here we are.

the internet here is slow at best, so mostly i don't use it. i keep up via my phone for most things facebook and blog. however, i can't seem to do a decent blog from it. this is going to be quick, mostly i was curious to see how long this would take, so that i could plan accordingly.

this is a picture from the renfest that is just down the road from us. the kids had a super time.

yeah, i can't believe how big she's getting either. she gets prettier by the day

they are all getting bigger by the day. this was at a park in college station.

i hope to be able to update more often, but life is busy and time is short. hope to start back to my thursday posts this week. thanks for reading

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades

this is from one of my favorite songs we sing during worship at church. i had every intention of blogging sooner, but we were without Internet for two weeks and then..... well suffice it to say life happens. yesterday i went into surgery to remove an ectopic pregnancy, so now I'm trying to recover. while in surgery the doctor realized that the fallopian tube had already ruptured, two weeks ago is her guess of when it happened. so in the face of losing a life that i was carrying in my body, i could have lost mine. that was not God's plan yet, for He spared my life. the doctor assured finch, i was still in recovery, that we should have no problem having another lil finch if we still chose to. i have been so blessed with prayers and well wishes from my dear and wonderful friends. during my short stay at the hospital peaches came to see me and brought me chocolate, a beautiful magazine, and an apron book. how awesome is that. pattylicious came to the hospital to see me too, and she brought me the prettiest sparkly daisies. i am truly blessed with a wonderful group of friends. i am so thankful for all the love and prayers that have been showered on me and my family as we waited to see what would be.

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. prayers- the ability to communicate with the Lord, this has been my saving grace the past two weeks.

2. God- without him i wouldn't be here.

3. life- i know that medically speaking i shouldn't have made it, but i am here by God's will and i am soooo thankful for that

4. good doctors- my ob/gyn twice has given advice that has let me live a full life.

5. friends- my sweet friend kayla kept the kids for me during the days that i spent at the dr trying to figure out what was wrong with me. my dear friend firecracker came and stayed the night with the kids, so that finch could be with me in the hospital. all my other friends that offered up prayers and gave kind words when things seemed so dark, they reminded me of the Light.

6. my hubby- he is taking excellent care of me.

7. my sweet kids- monkey has been cooking dinner for us, so that i can be off my feet. the princess has been fetching me cups of water. the poor lil q just wants to be held and loved.

8. pain meds- i usually don't use the pain meds that I'm given, but oh my am i glad i got the prescription filled this time. wow i hurt.

9. compassion- the nursing staff decided to prep me in my room for surgery because there were lots of babies in pre-op and they didn't want me to be sad. they gave hugs and prayers to help comfort me. what a great group of ladies.

10. my recliner- i can relax in the living room with the fam instead of being in bed by myself.

I've seen so much cruelty in my life and it is too easy to get caught up in the cruelty that the world dishes out. it is easy to forget how many truly kind people there are in this world. thank you to each and everyone of you.

how many kings have stepped down from their thrones?

what a busy week we have had. i would love to say that the time has flown, but that would be a lie. this week has crawled by at slower than a slug's pace. this morning princess and i made some reindeer dust to give to all her friends in prek. they have their Christmas party this afternoon and she was very excited about having something for everyone. Doppler Dave says that we have a chance for a couple inches of snow tonight and into tomorrow morning. that's always very exciting for the kiddos. monkey has her party at school tomorrow afternoon and i am supplying the puppy chow and rice crispy treats as requested by her. had to get lil man another pair of shoes, he keeps losing one of each pair. i have tons to do, so on to the thankfuls

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. good music- i joined a swap group on ravelry called the odd ducks, and one of the sweet ducks saw that i love better than ezra. she sent me 2 cds. i was so excited that i jumped up and down and did the lil happy dance.

2. surprise packages- i was expecting one box last Saturday from a winter dishcloth swap i was in, but to my surprise and excitement there were 3. 1 package had the above mentioned cds and the other was a loaf of shelly's famous chocolate chip Amish friendship bread. it was sooooo good.

3. netflix- the hubby has been gone all week, so I've been enjoying watching movies instantly while i crochet presents.

4. early bedtime- for me. i require sleep, lots of it, or i just don't function well. this week has been great I've been in bed by no later than 10:15 every night.

5. the ability to be a friend- i don't often brag on myself, but i will this time. i think I'm a pretty awesome friend to have. i don't make friends easily, so i try to hold on to those that i have with all my might. i got to spend a wonderful day with a good friend from high school and it was great to catch up and cook together.

6. my friends- now this group of ladies is just amazing. they are truly God's gift to me in my times of need. it has been a rough 3 weeks and they have been awesome

7. prayer- the power of prayer is soooo amazing.

8. cooking- i love to cook and bake and make things for people.

9. giving- it is the time of year when gift giving is the norm, and i wonder why more people aren't giving the rest of the year. i don't necessarily mean money. my friend peaches gave me the prettiest coupon holder for no other reason than she can. she is an amazing woman that i am thrilled to know.

10. ravelry- seriously addicting, but the ladies i have met are AWESOME.

i am thankful for God who sent Jesus to earth, so that one day i might be saved. i hope the rest of the season is a blessing to you.

i'll be home for christmas

i know it's been forever since i have been around in the blogosphere. i've been debating getting rid of this lil drivel, but instead i think i will steal an idea from another blog. i hope to be able to take a picture a day of the kids and blog those. we have been very busy here in happy. my sweet monkey turned 11 and is becoming quite the lady. she's a little over 5 foot now and is looking less like a kid everyday. sweet princess is getting bigger by the day as well, and is definitely her own person. halloween was lots of fun here. monkey wanted to be artemis and the princess wanted to be a vampire fairy. yeah, the joys of having an older sister.

this is them at the festival our church held, they had a great time.

a close up of artemis, isn't she pretty

lil man went as the healthiest skeleton ever.

we have a family membership to the discovery center, and have been enjoying it.

monkey was highly curious about the bed of nails bit.

so was the princess


the discovery center has a kinderstudio for kids 5 and under. lil man had a great time


monkey showing off her killer roping skills.

we have had a great fall so far, and the winter is shaping up to be awesome as well. we are traveling this year for christmas, this will be the first time in the 12 years we have been married. i know 12 years of marriage. this fall has brought some very sweet babies into this world. a beautiful set of twin boys to my friend ro and sweet scout to vanilla frog. i have been busy crocheting stockings for the family and some presents too. i hope that all is well for everyone in the blogosphere. work has been good, stressful but good. did you know that mail is measured in inches. think about that for a second.... think how many letters it takes to make up 75 inches of mail. yeah, this time of year is very busy. i need to work on some crochet, so i bid you bye for now. i do hope to be back soon, but the trip south will take me away from the internet.

every new boy that she meets doesn't know the real surprise

I'm just going to jump into my thankfuls this week.


I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. the crafts i do- i am thankful that God has given me a healthy way to unwind.

2. dancing with my hubby- we haven't gone out dancing in a long time, but from time to time he will spin me around our house. it's times like that when i can't believe it's been 12 years of us together.

3. crafty people- i don't mean the con artists of the world, I'm talking about the people who can take simple yarn or towels or food and make them into works of art. you people inspire me to do more and be more than i am today.

4. laughter- i went to a celebration of a life ended too soon this past weekend, and there were tears shed for a woman who touched so many lives. in the midst we found ourselves laughing about things she had said or done that touched us all.

5. innocence- the kind that when lost just can't be regained. the kind that makes every person a friend.

6. sweet songs- i love the sound of children singing. i sometimes wonder if it is the closest to angels we hear on earth.

7. friends- the picture below is the lovely gifty that my friend peaches sent me. isn't it beautiful. she is one of the most amazing people i have met. proof that you are who you choose to be, and being kind is a good thing.

8. my mail- i was not aware of all that was required to get that simple stamp or gift to where it needs to be. postal employees i salute you.

9. prayer- there have been lots going up lately, and there have been lots answered. a kind wall post when i needed encouragement. the news that a dear friend is feeling better one day at a time. the blog post that God sometimes speaks to us when we least expect it.

10. cool weather- we have been getting in the 40's for lows and there is rumor of 30's next week. i love this time of year.

so I'm curious, those of you who still read- do you take time during your busy/crazy week to be thankful. do you find yourself being thankful for the little things that you so often take for granted? i live in a tiny town that somewhat prides itself on its old fashioned way of life. i know small town living isn't for everyone, but who doesn't love watching andy griffith. did you ever dream of living in mayberry? i live there. in a town where people wave to each other, and mind everyone's business. I've known this about my lil town for the entire 6 years we have lived here, but never did i realize how far that stretches til i started training at the post office. people come by to ask how the postmaster is doing and when she'll be back. they stop to chat and ask how my training is going or to let me know that it's OK if i make a few mistakes when learning the job. this week has been long. the hubby has been traveling all week, so we haven't seen much of him. I've trained almost everyday this week, i missed Wednesday training because monkey was under the weather. just when i thought "oh yeah, i have this mail thing down" no, no, not even close. so far all i had trained on was putting the mail in the proper places, little did i realize how much goes on in the afternoon at the post office. WOW is all i can say. today was insane busy. i don't know if I'm cut out for this. i am thankful for those who still read and those who have moved on. take a minute this weekend and say thank you for something or someone that sometimes you forget to. I'm off to finish a surprise for someone who has been a beacon of hope for me for years. take care and God bless