"Keepin it Real"

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (New International Version)
8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.






I'm drawn to the blogs that are just "keepin it real". So today...here's to "keepin it real"!



I'm just plain frustrated. *Been in the office too much*

2 Corinthians 4:15 (New International Version)
15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.


Feelin a bit beat up. *Can't quite see any relief in sight*
**Thankfully we don't walk by sight**

2 Corinthians 5:6-7 (New International Version)
6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight.

Tired. Weary. ** Too many late nights for this girl** Just a summer time thing...I mean who wants to eat dinner when the sun is still shinin ...and then after you eat at 9pm who wants to go to bed on a full stomach...not the people in this house apparently...hehe.



Heavy. **There is so much...just so much...I can barely think of a few people that I know that are not going through something stinkin hard right now....STINKIN HARD. I mean big grown-up hard stuff.**


2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (New International Version)
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Ps...Please do not view this as complaining....I am truly so very thankful....just a bit of "keepin it real."

Pss....This is how I view it.....my 2 year old is challenging me to the hilt right now....even in the very midst of the most extreme tantrum....(and he is the master of the tantrum)....I just wouldn't trade him for ANYTHING NOT ANYTHING.... AND I AM SO THANKFUL FOR HIM AND HIS LIFE AND WHAT HE TEACHES ME....(which is mostly patience at this point) so "keepin it real" for me is just acknowledging that there are some BIG challenges..........but I am truly thankful because with each thing I mentioned it means something soooo much better.

Answered Prayer

I have been getting into this whole Memorial Box Monday fun with a blog that I read, and it is a way to remember and share the things that God has done in our lives.

This is a repeated story that I blogged about awhile back, and as I read the Memorial Box Monday story that Linny( the bloggy friend that has started this whole MBM fun) from http://www.aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/ I just had to repeat it. Her story was of one of her kids being protected by God, and I just couldn't resist but again tell the story of Reece just this last June.......The whole night was just a crazy time and the Lord intervened many times on our behalf....if you are interested in the whole night just click here: http://brewerbunchhappenings.blogspot.com/2010/06/choices.html

The part that I wanted to retell about was that we had taken Reece our 2 1/2 yr. old son to the emergency room because he was having a horrible time breathing. He had just started to get sick that very day, and by bed time he was struggling to take every breath. So at 1030pm and night we headed into Redmond into the emergency room. We spent several hours there and Reece got 2 breathing treatments, and chest x-rays, and was on oxygen. The doctor came in and told us at about 1am that Reece had viral pneumonia and would be needing to be admitted. He left the room to do the paperwork to admit Reece and Charlie and I began to just pray...we were scared....scared for our baby, scared for the bills this would incur....scared for the fact that this must be worse than we thought....and then the Dr. came back and told us we could not be admitted to Redmond Hospital which is where we were and we would need to be TRANSPORTED via ambulance to Bend which is a 30 min. drive to a hospital with a pediatric unit. We expressed deep concern...concern about how much it would cost to transport our guy via ambulance, and WHY...I mean what could happen in that amount of time....of us driving him in our own car to Bend. So, he told us he would agree to let us go on our own if Reece's oxygen levels stayed 91% or higher without oxygen....ugh....it had not been able to stay that high all night. So we just prayed some more....then the nurse came in with all the paperwork to have us get admitted to Bend, and as he was looking at the reading on the oxygen monitor...it was teetering between 89% - 92%...he said he couldn't let us be released unless it was above 91%...it did reach 91% and I quickly took the little monitor off of his little finger. We headed out the door with instructions to head directly to Bend; they were waiting for us there.

We prayed on the way to Bend.....we prayed that when we got to Bend that Reece was better, we prayed that Reece would not have to spend the night in the Hospital, we prayed that we would see God's Hand in this, and that He would heal our babe. So we got to Bend we were admitted to Room 512 on the pediatric floor...this was all very scary!!! So, we tell the nurse...we don't think we need to be here, we prayed for this kid all the way here and he seems better to us...I think she thought we were a bit crazy...but she was EXTREMELY nice. So, she said we will do a good check on him and take all his vitals and consult with the Dr. who is now in charge of his case, and this Dr. had been in communication with the Redmond ER Dr. So the nurse checks him out and his oxygen level was up to 95% with no added oxygen for the last hour.....huh....then she checked his pulse...that had come WAY down from when we left Redmond,....huh...she really spent her time with him and was very thorough so she says that she would agree with us...this kid is better and she would let the Dr. know, and she wouldn't enter anything into the computer yet....so we wouldn't be charged a dime on what had been done so far.

In comes the sweetest Dr. ever....she did a VERY thorough check for herself, and she too agreed Reece was well enough to go home and he had made much improvement from the reports she was getting from Redmond....so, this sweet Dr. personally walked us down to the ER, set us up with a respiratory therapist to show us how to do an inhaler with Reece at home, and gave us some medicine...this process took about 30 minutes and the Dr. just walked us through it all, she told us she was headed home actually, and just wanted to make sure we got everything we needed and were on our way HOME as well. She told us she was not going to charge us for anything that she did................WHAT???? Never heard of that one. So we walk out of the hospital with medicines in hand, baby doing VERY well, and knowing that the Lord had intervened BIG-TIME...on our behalf!!! We pray to a living God who answers prayer...DO I HEAR A BIG AMEN??

The Could Have Been Fire!

I'm feeling a bit on the jumpy side today....let me just take you through the reasons why....

1030pm last night....I crawl into bed exhausted and say to my hubby...,"We have got to figure out a way to get more sleep in this house." He responds with a grunt...

335am Hubby rolls over and says, "Does Kole have work today?" To which I reply, "yes" and as I say yes I realize I have not heard Kole rattling around like I usually do...because he gets up at 330am to head off to work...so I get out of bed and yep he's up...just being considerate today, and being extra quite so as not to wake the family...what a nice boy.

338am I crawl back into bed and fall instantly asleep...thinking about how nice it is that after a month of this Kole has finally mastered the art of quiet...

400am ....The fire alarms go off...not chirping...not a warning full blown all through the house blaring fire alarms.

I come blowing out of the bedroom to the smell of bacon...Kole is standing in the kitchen looking sheepish...I come upstairs and meet Charsie halfway who has Reece on her hip, and Kennedy in step right behind her and yelling at Luke to get out there is a fire in the house. I tell them, "False alarm...Kole was just cooking." So they head back to bed, I then go to Lashae's room and tell Catrina everything is ok..she says that she heard me and she was just about to save her fiddle and head out when she heard it was just Kole's cooking.

I then peek my head outside because Lashae, Sydney and Leslie slept outside on the deck, and I WAKE THEM UP, to tell them that everything is ok..

I come back down the stairs...fire alarms still blaring by the way....and ask Kole what the heck happened...he says I was in a hurry, so I had everything on HIGH...mind you he is telling me this as he is still cooking and dishing himself up!!

So Charlie opens windows and firealarms finally stop, and we head back to bed...and I just had to ask Charlie what took so long for him to get out there and see what was going on...to which he replies...I didn't want the news crew to show up and have me in these stupid shorts..........SUPER!!!! SO YOU WERE CHANGING YOUR CLOTHES WHILE I WAS SAVING THE 10 INNOCENT LIVES IN OUR HOME TONIGHT, BUT AT LEAST YOU LOOK GOOD HONEY!!!

So...off to sleep I go for about 10 min., and guess what, time to get up for the day!!! Gotta love it...just gotta love it.

Missionary Heros!

I am so excited about something I learned yesterday....just because it is a fun little fact that I did not know....but, first I must preface it with a little history.....







This year....Lashae's senior year in high school, she announced to us that she would like to be a missionary. Well, I had a lot of preconceived ideas and opinions about what a missionary was like and what their life entailed....let's just say I was WAY off. But, what I did do correctly was I began to read read read about missionaries....about their lives.....read autobiographies....and learned what I could about the life of a missionary. I began to fall in love with these people and the lives that they led...not because they were glamerous by all means, but because of their faith, and the things the Lord did because of their faithfulness to go and spread the gospel and help people.







I soon had a favorite...even though I have yet to read about one that wasn't totally amazing...but, my favorite became George Muller. This man was stinkin amazing, and he is my hero in the missionary world. He lived such a life of faith and service and trusting in the Lord. He did not ever ask for money....he would have a need and would pray to the only true provider and God would come through every single time in all sorts of different ways. He helped literally thousands of orphans, he housed them, fed them, clothed them, and gave them a great education, and most importantly taught them about Jesus Christ.







Anyway, where I'm going with all this.....is yesterday, I was reading another book about him and I came to learn that his, George Muller's, missionary hero, the guy that he learned so much about and loved his ministry and wanted to do things a lot the same as..............none other than......A.H. Franke............yep, that my friends, Franke, is my maiden name.............spelled EXACTLY the same way. So this guy had an orphanage in the 1800's called Franke Orphanage, and I just thought that was a pretty darn cool thing to learn.







Funny how I have no idea if there is ANY relation what-so-ever, but it made me feel like there was and that somehow things just seem to come full-circle eventually. So press on Lashae be an amazing missionary....help thousands of orphans....it's in our blood girl!

Happy Birthday Luke "9"

Happy Birthday Lukee!!! Luke is 9 years old today!! Luke adds LIFE to whatever he is involved in. Luke is a live wire and he is oozing with energy. Luke is interesting...he can play for hours with a lego, or a "guy" (which is an action figure), he loves playing with action figures. He has an amazing imagination, I know that when he is playing with his action figures he has a whole big battle going on. When he is playing this he is never talking, but he uses the most amazing sound effects. It really is something to listen to.

When Luke was younger he was 100% convinced that he was Spiderman. I mean the real deal. He even introduced himself as Luke Franke Spiderman Brewer at preschool on the first day...I thought I would die. He also would wear his Spiderman costume EVERYDAY, and when I would put my foot down and not allow it...he would sneak it under his clothes I even caught him as we were standing in the check-out line in Costco showing everyone whom he could quietly get their attention....HIS COSTUME!!! That way they knew if there was a problem Spiderman was on the scene.

Luke is lively and very wrapped up in his own imagination, and therefore sometimes he flies under the radar...he can just be playing away for LONG periods of time, and he's never been one to care much about food....so there has been occasion where he has missed meal time...like if we are on the "fend for yourself" program....well, Luke gets missed in that program, and is nearly famished and in a panic by the time he surfaces from his big imaginary battle, and I ask who fed Luke....we soon find out NOBODY!!! So we feed him, charge him back up and off he goes. He even said one day last summer when this had happened a few lunches in a row...He says, "Nobody feeds me around here and I'm the skinniest one of all." That is so true, he is just skin and bones and when he gets hungry it is desperate because he has no reserves in that body of his.

Luke is a good friend...his cousins and friends just love him. He is always up for a good time and is just gets excited about anything that involves his cousins and friends.

Luke is FUNNY!! I mean FUNNY!!! He doesn't even have to try....he just says the funniest things...he is definitely family entertainment.

Luke is a blast. He is always up to whatever is proposed to him. He just wants to be a part of it whatever it is....if there is fun to be had....he wants in!

Luke has such a tender heart. He is very compassionate to others. He has a special bond with his sisters...Lashae because she took care of him a TON when he was a baby and toddler, and Charsie because she looks out for Luke a lot....she gets pretty bossy with him, but he needs it and he responds to her very well.

Luke has been asking us for awhile now if he can get "bath-tized" (this is how he says it), we have just not gotten on it fast enough for him so he told his teachers at VBS this week that he would like to be "bath-tized", so we got a call from the pastor. He will be getting baptized in the next couple of weeks. We are just so proud of him and extra proud for his persistence. He is very adamant about this decision, even if he doesn't say it quite right, he knows what it means.

He brings so much life, energy, and laughter to this family and we thank God for him, he is a HUGE blessing in a skinny little package.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (New International Version)
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. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

The For Sale signs are out!! We are selling our house!!! We have no idea what the future holds for us.....we go back and forth between just wanting a big crazy change in our lives or holding on to what we have here. We have lived in this area our whole married lives. We have the most amazing friends a family could ever ask for. I'm talking people that KNOW us and we KNOW! They know our dirt and still love us, we laugh and cry together, we have celebrated big things, we have mourned sad things.

We have always lived within 5 miles of both sets of parents. We are connected in everyway possible. We love our community, and our church. We know just about everybody and their dogs. We have been blessed beyond what we could ever even imagine for ourselves. We have history...we have roots...that run DEEP!!!

We are not able to make ends meet in our current situation. And we know that it is tough everywhere, so we don't have any place or situation we are honed in on at the moment. I can tell you we are praying that the Lord just shows us and guides us and opens some doors for us....whether that be to stay right where we are at and He will help us make those ends meet, or if that is to move down the road a mile or 2, or if He is going to boot us out of this "comfortable nest" we have been in for 20 years and have an adventure for us. To be honest any option has it's pros and cons....so we are totally open.

We are just leaning on Him and taking one day at a time. We are praying without ceasing....Lord show us....provide for us....use us.....help us.....

Proverbs 3:5-6 (New International Version)

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. [a]

For now all I know is we are trying to sell. We know for sure there will be a change for us in the next few months...we just have NO idea what those changes may entail.

I have been asked several times...what are you doing...what do you want....and honestly I can say...this answer changes by the day, sometimes by the hour. So for now we are doing what we are doing, we are just putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward, we are dealing with things as best as we can as they come up. Charlie is working, Praise God for this, and I am home doing what I do, but we are in a transition....TO WHAT I have no idea. It is stretching me, and I am just having to throw my hands in the air and saying to the Lord....I'm out of ideas.....so here ya go....just show us....

1 Peter 5:6-10 (New International Version)
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

We are putty in His mighty hands. When I remember this and really believe it, I have such peace, for I know who holds the future, and I know that He cares for me and my entire family.

Isaiah 64:8 (New International Version)

8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

We are excited to see what is in store for the Brewer Bunch! We can never say life is boring, and I am so glad. Bored has always been a bad word around here anyway.

Happy Birthday Charsie "13"

Happy Birthday Charsie Lee Brewer!!!! Charsie is my sweetest baby!!!! From day one this kid was the sweetest most sensitive child. Charsie has always just looked at everything through those big beautiful clear blue eyes of hers......with such purity.

Charsie is the "animal whisperer". She has such a way with animals....they LOVE her and she LOVES them. She is the best animal owner I've ever known. She cares for their every need.

Charsie is a little sister to 2 and an older sister to 2. She is BEAUTIFUL in both roles. She is a true middle child and can fit in to any situation.

Charsie has a true gift of writing. She also has a gift in making cards for people and saying such great things in each card....she puts so much thought into what she writes to each person. She also has a super sense of humor. She does not speak up with side of her very often, but when she does look out....she will have you rolling.

I call Charsie my "wife" because she absolutely keeps me on track, and is my main helper. She just guides me through each day...with such a sweetness....never getting upset or impatient....if she has to remind me 50 times of the same thing in one day....she will, with no attitude what so ever.

Charsie is absolutely a sweet spirit....she loves the Lord and it walking with Him.....she loves others unconditionally.....and she loves ALL of God's creation. She is so appreciative of nature.

Have a very Happy Birthday...my sweet girl. Keep being who you are and doing what you do....You have it just right!!!

Francis Chan - Balance Beam

This is the best video ever!! It is only 3 minutes...it is a must watch!!!! Let's let go of the balance beam people and do some crazy routine before the Lord...just because we love Him so crazy much.

Happy Birthday Lashae "18"!!!

Happy Birthday Bissy!!! This is my 18 yr. old baby. My heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest the minute I laid eyes on her 18 years ago, and it still feels like that today.

This is my firstborn who has taught me so very much. She is a teacher by nature, just by being who she is! She has taught me how to be a mom, and how to love and accept more freely. She is TRYING to teach me how to be in the moment and just embrace what is in front of you, she does these things so well.

Lashae is so in love with Jesus, she just radiates with His LIGHT!

When she was just 3 years old I had taken her to the Dr. and when the Dr. listened to her heart she asked him, "Did you hear Jesus in there?" Well baby we can hear Him loud and clear in your heart and it is the most beautiful sound in the world.

Keep shinin bright and making that beautiful sound my baby girl!!!

I Must Testify

Psalm 50:7-15 (New Living Translation)
7 “O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! 8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. 9 But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. 10 For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it. 13 Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats? 14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. 15 Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

This is a post to testify of just how the Lord takes such good care of us:

So Charlie got a call on Sunday evening from a man that was interested in our cattle, he wants them all, except for the bull. Charlie and him agreed on a price, and Charlie got off the phone and we were so thankful. It was just good timing. So then this morning Charlie is listening to the messages on his phone and he just starts chuckling...it was the cattle buyer and he says, "Hey, I've been talking to some guys and I will be able to get more for those cattle when I sell the calves so I will pay $50.00 more a head." Ok....I just have to say THAT is the Lord...who does that??? Once a price is agreed upon, who calls back and says they want to pay more? Well, I think this must be a pretty outstanding guy, but mostly I am thankful to our Lord who just does stuff like that just because He is good and he owns all the cattle on a thousand hills. We are truly thankful and amazed!

Oh, and the verse that Charlie sent this morning before he listened to any of his messages was this:

Ephesians 3:20-21 (New Living Translation)
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. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

How appropriate for today!!!

Still on the Rainbow Kick

I posted about the very pretty rainbow, and I definitely loved it, but it just seemed sweet and a "nice rainbow", but for some reason, I just kept thinking about it and asking the Lord what He was saying to us. I have seen many rainbows, and never thought too much about it, so was I just putting way too much thought into this one particular rainbow, was I trying to get more out of it than was there....well, this morning I was reading in Genesis, ( again no coincidence...just God using HIS living Word to SPEAK TO ME). So I was reading the story of Noah and guess what...the whole rainbow thing, and I've read it before, but I was just reading along and it's like the words just jumped off the page...God was speaking directly to me.

Genesis 8:1 (New International Version)
Genesis 8
1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.


The word REMEMBERED just jumped out at me. I know God has never for one day forgotten me, but sometimes it feels like it; and He sent a rainbow to my bedroom window and then 3 days later confirmed it in His Word that He REMEMBERED me!!

Genesis 9:16 (New Living Translation)
16 When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.”

I have a new breath of fresh air today. God took His time and His Word to show me physically and then confirm in His Word that He REMEMBERS me. I know that things are not great in some areas of our lives right now, but He is taking the time to speak to me and tell me that He has not forgotten ME and now I KNOW, because He reminded me, that it is all in His hands and He is so faithful, and I will just rest and wait for Him to show up and send a wind and recede the waters on our behalf.

WHOO HOO!!!! I'm so GLAD!!!! He does this for all of us, but some of us...that would be me...need a little extra coddling because I am so weak and slow, and forgetful myself. I'm so glad my God does NOT forget!!!

He Loves Us!!!

This is what I looked out my window and saw very early on Friday morning. I had skipped out on a run and was sitting in bed drinking coffee with Charlie and looking out our bedroom window we saw the most beautiful rainbow. I ran to get my camera, and realized it was a full rainbow. So the pictures do not do it justice, but it was so vivid and full, and a double on one end. Anyway, I just feel like the Lord was reminding us that He loves us and He placed a rainbow right outside our window to show us.

Running With Endurance

Hebrews 12:1 (New Living Translation)
Hebrews 12
God’s Discipline Proves His Love 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

I like running...I like running with a goal...if I don't have a race I'm working towards I get lazy. I may not be very fast but I do have endurance and I do enjoy all that comes with running.

So........here's the deal, life right now just feels like a race and really it's been a race all along. I just feel like I'm on a VERY UPHILL COURSE, and I've been running this particular part a long time. Things are very tough in a lot of areas for me and for others running this race called life. We have been to the medical tent lately with some severe injuries, we are seeing people around us hit the wall and bonk big time, we are weak, we are delirious, but we are still in the race, and actually loving it. We are sooo thankful to be in the race, and we are on the last stretch in some respects....although we have many races coming up, and we will continue to endure and train and run. And the races ahead I'm sure are harder even yet.

Here's the thing I think.....I only feel like I've ran my best when I'm done with a race and I have no gas left in my tank. Even if I'm slow and I may be dead last, but if I put in my all and did my very best, then I'm happy with my race.

So in this time in my life, I'm going to put it all out there, I'm digging in deep. I'm getting excited because the course is going to change soon, not easier per say, just change and I'm ready for some new scenery a new hill to climb. I love running this race this race called life, I love that every hard part makes us stronger and closer to our MAKER. I know that he is giving me the very breath and energy I need for this race and any upcoming races. I sometimes just want to quit this race...but then I take a drink of water, take another shotblock, and feel energized to continue.

We've been hit pretty hard the last 9 months with a lot of trouble and hard times. But, the ironic thing is...and it's no irony to God.....it's also been the best 9 months ever. I've cried harder and shed more tears....tears of sorrow and tears of JOY in the last 9 months than I have in my whole life. We have had some beatings and far more BLESSINGS than I can even count.

At the prayer meeting last night Charlie thanked God for these hard times that have drawn us closer to Him, and asked that when things get better that we never change back, that we stay as close to God as we are right now and keep drawing nearer even when the "race" gets easier. I never thought I would hear that come out of his mouth, and I never thought I would agree to such a statement. But with ALL sincerity I said, "yes Lord".

This prayer was said after a pretty bad blow yesterday....it's been no secret that we are in over our heads financially, and in the last 6 weeks it seems it just won't let up....But here's the good news we are still on our feet we are still running and we are seriously blessed beyond our wildest imaginations. In these hardest of times we have lived life fuller and funner and deeper than we ever have.

John 16:33 (New International Version)
33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."