CHRISTmas Every Day

On December 26th,  the day after we Celebrate our Lord's Birthday 

Everyone is exhausted.

It's as if the month of December has a switch that turns everyone's life on to
FAST FORWARD.

Life becomes busier, more hectic, more rushed, more chaotic.
Cramming events, activities, shopping, longer work hours, parties, family gathering, school and Church programs, making CHRISTmas crafts, mailing out cards and letters, holiday baking, surprising others and Helping those in need
ALL IN TO ONE MONTH.

WHY?

On This Day,
I Promise to treat                                         EVERY MONTH  like DECEMBER.

I Promise to do something special for someone EVERY MONTH.         

 I Promise to Help someone in Need EVERY MONTH.     

I Promise to buy one gift for next CHRISTmas EVERY MONTH.

I Promise to take my family to special events
EVERY MONTH.
I Promise to do Holiday Baking for my family and others
EVERY MONTH.
I Promise to take my family to Church Services at least once
EVERY MONTH.

I Promise to Spend Time with family and friends EVERY MONTH.

I Promise to send a "hand written" card or letter to a friend and family member EVERY MONTH.

And Most Important,
I Promise to
CELEBRATE
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
Each And Every Day.

Luke 2:8-14
⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Our Wish List

For those who are wanting to know how to help our family, here's our "Wish List".

If you know a Caregiver, Please Help him or her in any way you or your organization is able.
You will be as Blessed as they are.

Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Gifts From The Past

As I watched The Santa Claus 2 movie the other night, the part where Scott is giving all the teachers these really great gifts from their past, Toys they enjoyed as children, I thought of how wonderful it would be to do that for those who are in Nursing Homes and those who are bedridden at home.

I always try and find retro replica toys from the 60's and 70's for David for CHRISTmas and Birthday.
He spends hours playing with them.

What a Great project this would be for Church Groups, Sunday School Classes or Youth Groups  this Season.
What a Joy it will be
to bring such Joy to others.

  Hebrews 13:16
Do not forget to do good and to share for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

A Season Of Helping

I have been helping others for as long as I can remember.
My Mama and Daddy did for as long as I can remember.

It's like breathing.
I was brought up to believe It's just what you do.

I believe with every fiber of my being that we are placed on this earth for
TWO REASONS
and that is

1. To Give our Hearts to CHRIST and Serve HIM.

2. To Help Others

The sooner in life we realize this the sooner our lives begin to make since.
BUT
Be aware,
For that's also when the devil will begin to attack, trick and try to lure you away from the Amazing Plan God has for your life.
Young people, I know this from first hand experience. Don't fall for his tricks.

Stay focused on God.

Stay focused on your Ministry.
Yes, we All Have A Ministry.
It involves serving God and Helping others.

Stay Focused on your Mission.
God will lead you to those HE wants you to help and HE will also lead you to those who are to help you.

               Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

We Fall To Our Knees

"What we do with our knees gives evidence of what we believe in our hearts."

Each morning after Trammell and I have Bible Study I fall to my knees, take Trammell by the hand and we Pray.
We've done this his entire life.

This morning I pondered the significance of why we fall to our knees to Pray.  I began to look up Bible verses that talk about this.
Then I ran across this wonderful quote.

"What we do with our knees gives evidence of what we believe in our hearts."

We must have a humble heart.

We must humble ourselves before the LORD.

I Believe when I am falling to my knees to Pray that I am relinquishing Any and All power I may have or rather, Think I may have over my own life to our Father  in Heaven.
I am humbling myself before CHRIST and giving HIM Full Control over me and over all aspects of my life.
Not only that but I am showing Honor and Respect to HIM.

  I guess we should ask ourselves, why would we
NOT fall to our knees to Pray.

This week in our lives is a perfect example of
the Power Of Prayer.
Again we saw
Miracle after Miracle.

As we are Still dealing with our house Nightmare ,Trammell and I had to drive to Columbia Wednesday for me to testify.  We were gone for 12 & 1/2 hours.  We had to have nursing care for David during that time, which, of course we had No money for.
BUT
on Tuesday we received a phone call telling us that the Respite Voucher I had applied for months ago had been approved and that we could begin using the Nursing hours the very next day.
Talk about an ON TIME GOD.

Then on Wednesday as we sat in the Hearing it was truly like David and Goliath as the other side came with two Attorneys and four witnesses and there we were, just Trammell and me.
The only difference was WHO else we had with us. Our LORD.
HE was and is ALL we need.

After an almost 5 hour hearing the verdict came in and we were PRAISING GOD All the way home, even through 5:00 Traffic in Columbia.
God got us safely through THAT too.
HE continues to carry us Safely Through All Things and we Fall to our Knees and
Praise HIS HOLY NAME.

 Ephesians 3:14-16
 "When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,
the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit."

SLEEP

Our son Trammell saw a T-shirt online this week that read,
"I Love Sleep
It's like being dead
Without the Commitment"

FUNNY

He read it to me when he saw it because he knew I'd get a kick out of it.
Sleep is a REALLY Big deal to me because of the Lack of it in my life.
As a matter of fact during the  past few days I have been experiencing something that's happened to me once or two a years since our family's Journey began.  Where my body feels like it just wants to shut down. Where I am So Exhausted that my whole body aches.  I whin with every chore I do, every diaper I change.  All I want to do is lay down and SLEEP.
For the past two nights I've managed to get all my night time chores done, get David ready for the night and get in the bed by 8:00.  I am asleep before my head hits the pillow.
I vaguely remember Trammell coming in my room around 12:30 to tell me he checked on David and he's resetting my timer.  I've then been getting up between 2:30 and 3:30 to check on David and change his diaper. He's usually always wet around that time. I check him again around 4:30. Then I'm up to stay between  6 & 7.
These past two nights have been easy nights for me. Catching up on sleep but Trammell is now dragging from picking up the slack.

As any Caregivers knows first hand, you are ON DUTY 24/7/365.
One way to describe it for those who have never been a caregiver for anyone who's  bedridden, is, well, it's like the first few weeks and months when you bring a newborn home.  Yep, but instead of weeks or months, it years.

I started my new job Monday.
I was disappointed to see that I was only getting to work around 18 hours for the entire month. We are is such desperate need of funds just for necessities and with CHRISTmas coming I was in hopes I'd make enough extra to get Trammell and David a nice gift.
But maybe God is telling me they would rather have me here and healthy than to work myself to death.
I know HE Will Work All Things Out For HIS GLORY.
Not going to worry about a thing.

I want to ask that you all be in Prayer this week as Trammell and I have to drive to Columbia for me to testify in one of the cases involving our house Nightmare.
May our LORD'S GLORY Shine in this entire situation. May HIS Will be done. We Give It ALL Over to HIM.

   Isaiah 41:10
The Lord said, "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."

I Got The Job

We are Still PRAISING GOD. 
I got the job I had Applied for!

This will mean so much to our family. 
We Know
   that God will work out a way for us to have care for David when Trammell can't care for him and I am at work.

We Know
   that our Lord will give Trammell and me the strength and energy to do ALL of this.

We Know
   HE will continue to carry us through.
HE has carried us through
SO MUCH.

We Know
that this is another one of
HIS Amazing BLESSINGS.

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

The AWESOME Way GOD Works In Our Lives

Friday morning as I stood at the cash register at our local Sam's Store, trying to fight the lump in my throat and the tears begging to be released from my eyes, as I paid for our groceries, realizing as I swiped my debit card, that there would be no money left to pick up my much needed RXs for my thyroid
and my stomach and that our family would be left with only $19 to survive until the 3rd of next month, I could only Pray. 
This was so unlike me to be this emotional over something like this.  I am guessing after being so sick for the previous week I was just worn down.

Month after month, since our  Nightmare began our family has run out of funds about halfway through the month. 
But month after month God has continued to carry us through. We've seen MIRACLE  after MIRACLE unfold. HE has showered us with BLESSING after BLESSING. 
And this day was no exception.
Even though the day got worse for a while, by the end of the day not only did I have my RXs and $100 in our checking account BUT I received a call from the Promotion Company that sends people to give out samples and promote products in all the Sam's stores, asking me to come in for an interview.
An awesome thing was only minutes before the call I was thinking about the application I had filled out for them weeks earlier. I had never heard back.
I thought to myself I would look up the info, get their number and give them a call BUT before I could do that, they called me. 
Our God Is Truly
AN ON TIME GOD!!!

If I get this job, which the gentleman who called said he was almost 100% sure I would, this will mean so much for our family.
I'll have only a 5 minute drive to work.
Trammell will take over caring for David for the 24 hours a week I'll be working.
I know God will give me the strength and energy I need to do this.

PRAISING our LORD FOR HIS CONTINUED BLESSINGS.

            Isaiah 65:24
I will answer them before they even call to me.  While they are still talking about their needs,  I will go ahead and answer their prayers.

Quick  UPDATE -
PRAISING GOD!
I GOT THE JOB!

Abundant Blessings

    This week has been full of Blessings, as are most of our weeks.
    I was Blessed this week to be able to go to a Beauty Salon for the 2nd time in over 2 years.
    Amanda, a dear sweet friend of ours gave me a gift certificate for my birthday, for a wonderful place in Liberty, SC where I spent Thursday morning being pampered.  Another dear sweet friend, who by the way brought several meals over to our family this week, drove me over.
(We only have enough in our budget each month for one tank of gas, so making an extra trip that far was out of the question.)
    Then I was contacted by Tracy, a lady who had called AIMs telling them she had some adult diapers for someone who was in need of them.  They gave her our number. She had given us several cases before. This time she gave us 8 packs of diapers!!! What An Amazing Blessing!! We were down to 2 packs!
Our Lord is Truly
An One Time God!!!

    Then two dear Sweet Friends, Peggy and Ariel came over last night.  Peggy bought 2 pizzas and Trammell made Brownies. We had a wonderful time talking and laughing the evening away.            David really enjoyed his dinner and oh you should have seen his face when I gave him his brownie.  His eyes opened wide in childlike excitement as I placed his dessert plate in front of him.

    I believe of all the many Blessings this week, we are most excited about a phone call we received from the Peace Center in Greenville, SC telling us that Food Network Star, Alton Brown's people and the folks from the Peace Center had read Trammell's story and were so touched and impressed by him that they wanted to invite the two of us to come and see Alton's Live show at the Peace Center this coming Wednesday night. 
    Our seats are right down in the orchestra pit near the stage. Great Seats! PLUS Peggy and Ariel have volunteered to take care of David so that Trammell and I both can go.  PLUS I received birthday money from my sister Friday that will pay for the gas there and back!

     Yes, we were
Truly Blessed This Week.

We know without a doubt that EVERY BLESSING Comes From our LORD JESUS CHRIST and we are Truly Grateful.
     And So Excited to think about what HE has in store for us next week and all the weeks that follow.

2 Corinthians 9:8 ►
    And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

   

No Nap Time

First let me say that we are PRAISING GOD because all my test results were Normal!!
AND
Trammell's new doctor says he is not too concerned about the 7 lumps in his lymph nodes but he does want to run more tests in a month if they are still there.

NOW
Over the past few days a couple of friends have asked, when Trammell answered the phone because I was too busy to get to it, if I was taking a nap.  A NAP?
To one Trammell replied,
"A Nap!?" He laughed,
"Do you know my Mom?"

  Although I have gone almost 8 years now with Less than100 nights of SLEEP there is absolutely NO time during our whirlwind days for me to even think about taking a NAP.

  That's why I continue to encourage everyone who knows a Caregiver to PLEASE let them know someone out there cares enough to give them some relief. 
Never Assume that someone else is doing something to help.
   Remember, you could be in their shoes tomorrow.

Matthew 11:28
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Waiting

As I sit here at Greenville Radiology on this chilly Monday morning WAITING to go back for my test I am thinking about how this one test can change my entire life and the life of my family.
How we never know what the next minute will bring.  What the next phone call will bring. What the drive home will bring.
It is for those reasons we must put ALL our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, for when we hand EVERYTHING Over to HIM there's NO Need to worry.

2 Corinthians 12:10
Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks.  I just let Christ take over!  And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

Strength For The Journey

Do you know what Total  Exhaustion feels like?

Before our family's Journey began on December 25th, 2006, I only thought I knew what that phase ment.
I had no idea what my body and mind could withstand until this Journey began.
In these 7 years and 9 months, I have been awake,
"On Call" 24/7 every day and night except for 98 nights.
Each of those nights was a gift from someone, Most times Trammell, our Precious son, who took over the cared of David so that I could SLEEP through the night.
That leaves 2,728 NIGHTS that I have cared for him.  A few years of that I was up with him and Trammell right after Trammell was paralyzed and in a wheelchair.
It's All a Labor Of Love.
BUT
My body aches from exhaustion.  It's so hard to function because my mind is sometimes like a fog. And my memory is non-existent.
BUT
Still I carry on.
I know without a doubt that the ONLY Reason I am able to carry on is by
THE GRACE OF OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST.

There is No Other Way.

HE gives the strength to continue to crawl out of bed all during the night, every night to check on David, change his diapers, bed pads or shirt and calm him when he's scared and confused or having bad dreams.

HE gives me the strength for my feet to hit the floor running at 6:30 each morning and face another NON-STOP, NEVER A DULL MOMENT Day. Day after Day after,  Year after Year.

I, like so many others, dream of a time when life will be Calm,
Peaceful & Restful.

I dream of a time when I will get to lay down at the end of an exhausting day,  close my eyes and go to Sleep, knowing that I don't have to get up until morning.
But I know with all my heart that this Journey we are on is part of GOD'S Plan.
And GOD'S Plan is Always The Best Plan.
When we submit ourselves to GOD'S Plan, HE Will carry us through.
HE Will give us the strength and the courage we need to finish the race. And in those times when we fall and are so exhausted we can't get up
HE lifts us up and carries us in HIS Loving Arms until we are able to walk again.

      Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles;  they will run and not grow weary,  they will walk and not be faint.

THRIVE

There's a song by a group known as "Casting Crowns" entitled "THRIVE" that really speaks to my heart.
Every time I hear that song I feel as if God is speaking directly to me through the lyrics.
We were Not created merely to Survive. 
We were created to THRIVE!
So,
Starting this past week we have begun our new "family plan" called
        CREATED TO THRIVE

For almost 8 years now we have looked at our life as being in
            "Survival Mode"
But as of now we are looking at our lives in a different light.
   We Are Going To
                 "THRIVE"!
That's what God Created Us To Do.
No matter what this world throws at us our LORD CAN AND WILL Lift us up far beyond any of this.
HE HAS OVERCOME THIS WORLD.
HE has a Plan for us and
We will continue to Trust HIM Wholeheartedly.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

GOD'S TRAINING CLASS

IThis week has been filled with so many Blessings.
God continues to show us that no matter how bad things get HE is STILL HERE To Carry us through.
I Truly Believe that HE is Training us to Help Others in so many different ways.
We know so much more today than we did 8 years ago.
We know the REAL NEEDS of the disabled, the sick, the home bound and the elderly.
We know the REAL NEEDS of the Poor and the Needy. 
We know how easily a family can become homeless when hardship strikes, while doing everything in their power to keep their loved ones off the streets and out of shelters.
(No, we have not been homeless. There were a couple of times that we were close But GOD sent an Angel on earth to help us.
We have, however, been Blessed to help a couple of families who were.) 

During these almost 8 years we have learned how to REALLY Reach Out and Help Others in ways that we NEVER knew BEFORE we experienced these hardships first-hand.

We know with All our hearts that GOD has a Purpose and a Plan for Everything that happens in our lives.  We know It's HIS way of teaching us how to help others.

What is HE Teaching You in your present circumstances?

Ephesians 3:20
Now all glory to GOD, Who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Do You Know What's Scary?

Do you know what's scary?
    The fact that after our rent's been paid, the bills have been paid and our monthly grocery order has been picked up, I have $82 for diapers, milk and other needs and 3/4 of a tank of gas to get my family through til the first week of October.  
No, this is nothing new. 
It happens every month.

Do You Know What's Really Scary?
    The fact that I have to take our precious son for CT Scans Monday morning. And set up a date for him to have a Biopsy,  Knowing that the results of these tests could turn our world Upside Down again.

Do You Know What Would Be The Scariest Thing of all?
    If we were going through these things and ALL the other things we face daily without our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
    I can't begin to imagine how people who are going through these same things without our LORD to lead them, guide them and Carry Them through it, survive.

My Prayer is for those who are lost, hurting and struggling to find their way to The Lord. 
May someone cross their path today, who will  share with them the Love Of JESUS. 
Who will show them that someone cares for them.
Who will let them know that they Are Not Alone.

     2 Corinthians 12:10
Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks.  I just let Christ take over!  And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

www.bycefamily.weebly.com

NEEDING VOLUNTEERS TO HELP A LITTLE LADY

Today's blog is a plea for help.
Trammell is heading up a project for an elderly lady who lives in Fairplay, SC.  She desperately needs a wheelchair ramp but has no way to get one built.  We are in search of anyone who would like to VOLUNTEER a DAY or MATERIALS to this MERCY MISSION.
PLEASE pass this on to your Church Groups, Sunday School Classes, Youth Groups or anyone else you think may be willing to HELP.

Hebrews 13:16
Do not forget to do good and to share for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

A RENEWED STRENGTH

    I haven't written a blog since we moved back to the Upstate of South Carolina almost 3 months ago.

    So much has happened. 
Our life is a whirlwind of busy days and endless nights so add packing and unpacking to the mix and, well, you guessed it,
No Time Left For Blogging.

    We all know the devil just loves distraction.  
Distributions that keep us from the work God has Planned for us.  
    Our family has gone through so much and continues to go through more nightmares that anyone knows about, but we have always tried to stay the course and focus on the Journey God is leading us on and helping those HE places in our path.  
But sometimes we grow so weary that we lose sight of God's Plan and begin to become discouraged.
I think we have been to that place over the past few weeks.
    But we know WHO has the POWER to Renew our spirits.
WHO Can and Will pick us up, dust us off and lift us above these burdens. 
WHO Will Renew our Strength and Help us continue the work HE has Planned for us.  The very reason HE has us on this JOURNEY to begin with.
Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Remember.
God doesn't put us through things without a reason.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

We Can Make Our Plans, But

If you had ask me just a few months ago if I would ever move back home to the Upstate of South Carolina I would have told you No.
As a matter of fact I signed a 3 year lease on this Awesome Condo thinking we'd stay here and take our time as we searched for the perfect place to buy somewhere on the coast.

But as we all know our plans and GOD'S PLANS are not always the same.

It breaks my heart to be leaving this wonderful place but we always Pray for God to place us where HE wants us to be, doing what HE Wants us to do. 
HIS PLAN Is Always BEST.

We may not understand it now but we know HE Has A Plan.

Proverbs 16:9
We can make our plans,
but the LORD determines our steps.

SLEEP

I'm so tired.
I want a night of SLEEP so badly.

For seven years and four months I have longed for SLEEP.

My days fly by with endless chores, paperwork (mainly forms for trying to get help), diapers changes and more.
By the end of the day I'm Exhausted.
All I want to do is lay down and get a good night of SLEEP,
BUT
I know that's not an option.
I lay down, set my timer for 2 hours and try to fall to SLEEP.
I guess my body has gotten so use to no SLEEP that one of the most difficult things for me now is falling to SLEEP.
Trammell checks David one last time before he goes to SLEEP usually around 10:00 and then turns the timer on.
I jump up when it goes off and reset it after I check on David.

The nights seem endless.

It seems as if the timer is going off right when I'm finally falling back to SLEEP. 
I check David's diaper, PRAYING that it's dry.  Hoping that if it is wet that his shirt and bedpad are dry.
(There's nothing like trying to change a 165lb "two year old" in the middle of the night)
Hoping that if I have to change his diaper that he doesn't do what he usually does by wetting the new diaper five minutes after I put it on him.
(We do what we've come to call the "DOUBLE DIAPER CHECK")
Checking his diaper after we clean up from changing his diaper.  Six times out of ten he has wet the new one AND two times out of ten he will wet a third diaper five minutes after that. Don't ask me why.
(And yes, we have tried all the suggestions about giving him liquids, not giving him liquids after a certain time, what liquid to give him and what not to give him.  We've tried it all.)

I Really feel at times that I can't go on. 
I'm so tired. 
I get so downhearted. 
I just want someone to take care of me for a change.
BUT then I am reminded of my favorite Bible Verse,

Isaiah 40:31
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Starting tonight Trammell and I are beginning an experiment we've talked about before but this time we are really going to do it. 
I feel I really Need this.
I will try and fall to SLEEP by 9pm.
Trammell will check David at 10pm before he goes to SLEEP and set the timer for 3 hours.
I will get up at 1:00am to check David and then set the timer for 3 hours and put it near Trammell (he has a VERY HARD TIME hearing the timer go off). He will get up when it goes off at 4:00am and check David, reset the timer for 7:00am which is when we usually wake up anyway, and place it near me.
Praying this gives me more rest. 
Praying this gives me more SLEEP.
THANK YOU TRAMMELL For All You Do For Your Dad and me.

The Simple Things

With all the endless chores I or any Mom/ Caregiver has to do 24 hours a day 7 days a week, we have little time to do anything "Enjoyable".
Therefore we treasure every moment that's filled with Joy.

I find, more now than ever before,  how much I truly enjoy the simple things.

My favorite times of the day are early morning, before anyone else is awake, when I sit quietly, sipping on a cup of coffee or tea, reading devotionals.  Spending Time with The Lord.
This brings me Joy.

And at night, after everything is done, everyone is tucked in and I can sit in my little bed working on crafts for my class of 2 & 3 year olds for the upcoming Sunday Morning.
This Brings me Joy.

Spending a few moments sitting down to lunch with Trammell as we watch a recorded episode of "Restaurant Impossible". (Although sometimes it takes us two days to watch one episode)
This Brings me Joy.

Spending time with David, helping him with Art Time and seeing his face when we finish his craft.  Seeing his eyes light up with childlike excitement.
This Brings me Joy.

What Brings Joy To Your Heart?

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Valleys (Written on the 1st Day Of Spring 2014)

It's Thursday morning.
The first day of Spring.
I've been waiting on this day with such anticipation.
But here it is and where am I?
In the bed so sick I can hardly craw to check David's diaper.
Trammell and I both.

With ALL that is going on in our life at this time we are in one of the lowest valleys we have traveled through during this 7 year, 3 month journey.

We know,  without a doubt that GOD is working on a HUGH Plan.
We know that the devil is really picking on us because he's soooo afraid of the AWESOME PLAN GOD has in store for our family.
BUT
With SPRING comes the promise of New Life. 
And so we wait, with Great anticipation for our
NEW LIFE.

1 Corinthians 16:13,14
Be on guard.
Stand firm in the faith.
Be courageous.
Be strong.
And do everything with love.

Roller-Coaster Life

There is one thing for sure,
I can never say our life is boring.

As my Daddy used to say,
"If it's not one thing,
it's 25 others!"

I never "Really" knew what that ment until a few short years ago.

We have A LOT going on in our lives.
Some bad
but most GOOD!

For every bad thing that has happened
something SO MUCH BETTER
has come from it.

This week has been a week of  REALLY BAD stuff.
BUT It's Also been a week of
REALLY REALLY GREAT STUFF!

I know without at doubt that
GOD IS Working on an
AWESOME PLAN.
I also feel in my heart that within a few days HE will begin to show us what
HE'S been working on.

I have NO FEAR of our Future.
I have NO WORRIES.
I TRUST Wholeheartedly in HIM.
HE has a Plan for us.
We will wait, Trusting in HIM,
for HIS Light to show us the way.

You won't see a frown on this face.
You won't see tears in these eyes over what we are going through.
For my JOY comes from THE LORD!
I SMILE for HIM.
I SMILE because of HIM.

I KNOW HE'S GOT THIS!

Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield ; my heart trusts in him,
And he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise Him.

Something To Look Forward To

It's COLD!

We Are Sick.

BUT
I'm not going to focus on the
Here and Now.

Instead I'll think about the Wonderful trip Trammell & I just had. 
The Honor of being on two TV shows and being allowed to share our story and what the GRACE OF GOD Can Carry You Through, with Thousands of people.
AND
Getting to spend time with Many Dear Friends and Family.

It was disappointing that the closing was canceled. THE HOUSE  is still sitting there with no insurance
(His insurance company sent us a letter stating as of December 26th,2013, it was canceled)
and the guy hasn't sent us a payment since December 5th of 2013. 
And now it's been taken off the market.
BUT
We are Praising God that we now have a ProBono Attorney who is beginning the Foreclosures Process.
This will be a long Process and we are going to HAVE to find a REALLY Cheap place to move because the money we had been receiving from the house paid for our groceries, David's diapers, Doctor's visits, the 4 hours of nursing care a week PLUS paid the utilities for a family in need in Greenville, SC that our ministry has been helping,  for diapers, pads and other needs for a little lady caring for her bedridden husband, also in the Upstate,  for gift cards for gas & food for others.
This is 3 months now we have gone without this income.
BUT
We are Praising GOD because through Miracle after Miracle HE has supplied our EVERY NEED!
OUR HEARTS GO OUT
to those families we are no longer able to help.
One family is now 2 months behind on their power bill, water bill,  house payment And the insurance is due on the van we were able to purchase for them last fall (through the donation of an Angel).
WE KNOW
Without a doubt that GOD has a plan. We Know HE has it ALL Under Control.
WE PRAISE HIM
in the midst of this storm
Just as we
PRAISE HIM in
the warmth of the SUN.
WE KNOW
Spring in coming.
WE KNOW
Warm Weather is Almost Here.
WE FEEL
The warmth and Comfort
Of The Arms of
"THE SON"
around us.

We know that ALL THESE THINGS
Are training.
Training to make us Stronger so that we may be able to help others whom GOD will allow to cross our path in the future.

2 Corinthians 12:10
Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks.
I just let CHRIST take over!
And so the weaker I get,
the stronger I become.

Disappointments & Life Lessons

We are so looking forward to the 6th of March, believing that part of our 7 year nightmare would finally  be over and we Would Finally be paid for our home BUT as it looks, that's not going to happen.
Have no idea what's happening.
Disappointing?
Yes.
BUT - This just means GOD is working on a Plan and will reveal it in HIS Time.
HE is also teaching us to
WAIT PATIENTLY
And TRUST In HIM.

In December we were told that our family would be receiving 40 hours a week in nursing care for David for the year of 2014. 
We were So Excited. We can hardly remember what that kind of Freedom feels like. 
It was wonderful to dream about the coming year.
BUT
We are broken hearted to find out that the funds needed to make this happen were not donated.
BUT
That just means GOD is working on Something Different for our year.
Teaching us to
TRUST And BELIEVE.

I could go on and on with plans that were made only to fall through.
Promises made only to be broken.
Help Promised that never came.
BUT
In each and every case
GOD ALWAYS
Turned our Disappointments
into Rejoicing.
HE ALWAYS
Had a BETTER PLAN.
And
HE ALWAYS WILL
for our family
and for you and your family.

Never give up
and Never Stop Looking Up
for what may seem like a disappointment now
will bring Rejoicing
and Glory to HIM later.

Praise HIM In ALL Circumstances.
Remember,
HIS PLAN Is Always BEST.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually,
Give Thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is GOD's will for you in CHRIST JESUS.

Family Time

This weekend Trammell and I were Blessed in so many ways.

We were able to take a Road Trip to the Upstate of South Carolina where we spent time with friends and loved one we rarely get to see.

We met so many wonderful people.

We celebrated the wedding of my sister Glenda and her new husband Jerry.

And
we enjoyed two full nights of sleep!

We are So Very Thankful to my sister for putting us up in our Wonderful Hotel. 
For a Dear Friend for giving us gas and food money.
And for Waccamaw Family Caregivers Council for paying for our nurse to stay here with David for 2 nights and 3 days.

This trip would not have been possible if not for these Amazing people.

Feeling So Blessed

Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

S L E E P

These days one of the most precious things I can receive is SLEEP. 
I have now gotten 87 nights of sleep in 7 years and 2 months.

This weeks has been especially rough.  Each night when I get up to check David around 12:30 or 1:00 I can't fall back to sleep. (So many nights I'm STILL awake when the timer goes off 2 hours later.)
But
All this week I've been awake from around 1am til after 5.  Tossing and turning.  Jumping up every time David rolls around or moans.
Last night was so exhausting as I woke up around 12:30 to the sound of David crying.  This is very rare for him. It's rare for him to show emotions. He'll smile when I say "Smile so Mama can take a picture" but that's about it.  When he's going through the "older stage" he shows anger and get mean but no "happy" or sad emotions.
I think he must have been having a bad dream to cause him to actually cry.
Either way, it broke my heart.  I jumped up to check on him. Changed his diaper and got him some water. (He doesn't know how to let us know when he's thirsty. I asked him and he shook his head yes.)
After I tucked him back in and laid back down he became even more  restless.
I got back up and asked him if he had to go potty. He shook his head yes. So for the next hour he sat on the potty, shaking his head no each time I asked if he was ready to get up.  By the time I got him ready for bed again and crawled back into my bed it was after 4:00am.  I think I must have fallen back to sleep around 4:30 or so.

The next thing I knew it was 8am!
I had slept right through the timer that had gone off at 6am. 
Thank the Lord he was still dry.
I ran and did my morning chores and then rewarded myself with a Nice Hot Cup of Coffee!!! :)
Ready for another busy, none-stop day.

Excited today for Trammell.  A friend of his from Church (Barefoot Church) just picked him up so he can go turn a refrigerator box into a "SPACE SHIP"!
Getting ready for the next THEME in the children's department.  FUN!

Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Distractions

In our daily lives we have SO Many distractions.

And the devil just loves distractions.

Even as Trammell and I sit down each morning for Bible Study and Prayer Time, we hear the sounds of our phones as emails or Facebook messages come through.
It's a challenge just to stop ourselves from picking them up to check.

So I've started turning the sound off on my phone during that time.

I've also started turning the sound off from 8:30pm until 7:00am so I won't be tempted to pick it up during the night.
STILL working on THAT Temptation because of being up so much during the night taking care of David, it's so easy to grab my phone, as I lay back down, and begin checking on things, sending out emails, getting work done while everything's so quiet,
When I Should Be Trying To Get Back To SLEEP.  Therefore when the timer goes off in two hours to check his diaper again, I'm Still awake from the last time I checked him.
Yes, I'm Still working on that one.

The fact is there are far Too Many Distractions as we try and Should focus 100% of our attention on GOD and what he placed us here
for to begin with.

We must STOP wasting our precious time on things that do not matter in this world.

We Must
FOCUS
FOCUS
FOCUS On GOD.
On HIS Plan for our lives.
On HIS To Do List.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

GOD ALWAYS Supplies ALL Of Our Needs

There were 3 concerns.
The 3 things I am concerned about each month although I know in my heart I should Never worry about anything for GOD Is In Control,
Are
Food for my family.
Diapers for David.
&
Nursing Care For David so Trammell and I are able to go to Church and run errands.

My heart was heavy as I worked on our February budget knowing we would not have funds for any of these things this month, not to mention funds to help the families in need that we help each month.

Well Let Me Tell You About My Precious Lord and How HE Supplies EVERY NEED!

Before February even got here we received a call from The Waccamaw Regional Family Caregiver's Council telling us they were sending us a $1000 Respite Voucher for nursing care for David that we can use through June.  PRAISE GOD!!!!

Then I called a friend of ours in Conway who sometimes has diapers and other supplies that are given to her to pass on to us.
She had just received a large donation of supplies which we are now going to be able to pick up next week now that we will be able to get a nurse with our Respite  Voucher.  PRAISE GOD!!!!

THEN Today we were surprised with a ton of Groceries donated to us by a dear friend and a group of our neighbors here at the Condos.
PRAISE GOD!!!!!!

HE never let's us go without.
HE supplies EVERY NEED.
We Are Humbled.
We PRAISE HIM With Every Breath HE Gives us.

Matthew 21:22
And all things,  whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

In The Blink Of An Eye

I want nothing more than to
Serve God,
To do what HE placed me here to do,
To care for my family
and
To bring help and hope to those families who are going through what our family is going through.
I want to bring Hope. 
I want to show them the Love of CHRIST.
I want to let them know that they are NOT Forgotten
and that someone Cares.

Anyone can have their world turned upside down at any second.

Anyone can become a full time Caregiver tomorrow.

Anyone can Need a full time Caregiver today.

We never know what the next moment will bring.

One of David's favorite things to say, back before ALL this happened was,

         "WHAT COULD HAPPEN?"

Sadly,  that's how most people feel.
They never think it will happen to them, to their family,  to their perfect world.
       But It happens every day.

What can we do but Turn to God and realize He is not punishing us.
HE is Teaching us. 
HE is taking us on a journey that can touch and change lives. 
HE is training us in ways that we my Serve HIM by HELPING Others who will go through the same thing we are going through.

Never forget that nothing is without purpose.

All things happen for a reason.

GOD has a PLAN In ALL THINGS.
And HIS PLAN is Always Best.

HE WILL Give You The Strength You Need To Not Only Survive Your Journey But To Thrive Along The Way.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their Strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,  they will walk and not be faint.

GOD'S GOT THIS

Well, So far, 2014 has been 18 days and nights of the devil trying his best to beat us up.
BUT
The Wonderful News is we know WHO Wins the battles
and we know
WHO Will Reign Victoriously.
Our LORD
Our GOD
Our SAVIOUR
There is NO Need To Fear.
There is NO Need To Fret.
There is NO Need To Worry.
For we know
GOD'S GOT THIS!

Mark 4:40
Jesus said to them, "Why are you afraid?  Have you no faith?"

Are We WELL Yet?

Since December 26th our family has had an "Unwelcomed Bug" living in our home.
Weeks of Coughing, Sneezing, Runny Noses, Headaches, Stopped Up Heads, Upset Tummys, Aching, Coughing and MORE Coughing have left us Miserable and Just Plain Worn Out.
BUT I believe we are beginning to crawl out from under the covers.

I even ventured out the front door yesterday to check the mail and take the garbage out. 
Today I will have to venture even farther as I go on a "Milk Run" seeing that we are down to
a 1/2 gal. And we are OUT of
cold/flu medicine.  Neither of which we can do without.

I know without a doubt that GOD has a reason and a purpose for these past weeks of illness. 
And in due time we will see. 

There is a reason for everything that happens in our lives, no matter how huge or how small, 
there is a purpose for it All.

Reflection time is one reason, I am sure. 

As you know, when you're sick,  night time is always worse. 
In our case it's even worse because no matter how bad we feel, Trammell and I STILL have to be up every 2 to 3 hours caring for David.  Changing his diapers, his clothes, bedpads or sheets ... It's never ending. It's 24/7/365.
It makes being sick that much more of a nightmare.

So many times, sick or well, even though I am soooo completely  worn out,  I can NOT fall back to sleep.  
This has become my Reflection time.  My time to Pray.  My time to listen to what my Lord is saying to me.  My Quiet Time.

I Praise HIM For That Time,
no matter how I'm feeling.

2 Corinthians 12:10
Now I take limitations in stride,
and with good cheer, 
these limitations that cut me down to size
- abuse, accidents, opposition,
bad breaks.
I just let CHRIST take over! 
And so the weaker I get,
the stronger I become.

SICK of being SICK

Trammell, David & I are all enjoying a mandatory (Bedridden) vacation due to "The Flu".
Trammell has now been sick for 10 days and has lost a total of 11 pounds,  bringing his weight down to an unhealthy 147.

Today is David's first day with this horrible stuff.   Praying he doesn't suffer as we have.

It's my 7th day.  I've only lost 6 pounds.  I was really hoping for more. LOL

I am Praying that next week's post will find us All Healthy and full of energy.
Please Remember our family in your Prayers.