This "Mom on a Mission" is going to look more like "Mom in the Bleachers" this year.

 I have spent my share of hours and years in the stands...and it is one of my greatest pleasures as a mom, but this year, I will have a bleacher butt like never before.

Our middle school boys are playing football and Esther is playing volleyball all in one season on different teams.

The boys will be on different football teams, as they are in different grades. 

Last year they were on the same football, basketball, and  baseball teams, even though they are in different grades, which I can tell you was good for them and good for my bleacher butt time.

Mik had played with a group of boys all summer and then early on in the first weeks of football, and then one lovely Fall day there was person with a "concern" about Mik playing up with the older boys.  I wanted to cry frankly...not only because of my "time", but I know my kid's history....I know his story and every time in his young life, he kinda gets situated and feeling like he is settled and accepted into a group or team he gets the rug pulled out from under him.

  It broke my heart for him initially.  I wanted to go yelling at everyone and tell them that they have no idea what this kid's life has been like and if they could just give him ONE break in life....that would be AWESOME. 

 Let's just say the mother bear came out in me.  Of course....Charlie came at it from a much healthier perspective and he explained to me that this was going to be beneficial to Mik and it was a real positive and he had pumped Mik up and let him know all the positives to the situation.  UGH....OK....I had to cool my fool head off and do a few deep breathing exercises in preparation for the upcoming season.

I have accepted it, and even see the benefits to it now, though I still want to yell at people a little. 

 I have learned from my very wise man, that we can make a positive out of everything, and I have learned from Mik to not hold a grudge. 

 This kid has every reason in the "worldly ways" to be angry and bitter about some of the decisions adults have made that have effected his life, and yet he has one of the most tender hearts I've ever known. 

He holds no grudges or bitterness.

  He is NOT perfect and he has "stuff" like every human being on this fallen planet, but he is tender, and he is thankful and happy to just be a part of anything. 

 He doesn't walk around in fear that it's all going to crumble, even though it has so many times for him, he just dives in 100% and is ALL.  I am super proud of him.

Mik is number 10

So I'm taking my bleacher butt and my loud yelling voice to his first game today while Charlie and Reece go the total opposite direction to watch Luke play at the very same time, just a different town.  I am going to use all my yelling energy to cheer for my boy, and then next week Charlie will go to Mik's game and I will go to Luke's game and somewhere in between we will hit a volleyball game or a thousand.

I'm thankful for kids and sports and their healthy active bodies God blessed these kids with, and all the opportunities to play.

Engaged To Be Married

Jesse and Charsie are engaged to be married!

 I love these 2 and I love these 2 TOGETHER even more.

They compliment each other and are definitely the very best of friends.  

I have rarely seen 2 people that enjoy each other's company as much as they do. 

I am learning more about marriage than I ever knew before.  :)

I'm totally serious.  

I have dove into God's Word and listened to sermons and prayed like a mother.

I have asked the Lord to show me His will and to help me to get on board with His plan for my girl, not my plan, but His.

God gave us a very precious girl to raise and now he has brought a man into her life. 

 We, with much prayer and preparation are getting ready to celebrate and bless these two being joined in marriage.

I want what is best for Charsie and Jesse to grow in love with 

Jesus,

 because He is the one and only 

TRUE LOVE.

 In all my recent zeal of seeking and praying and listening and learning about marriage, 

I have learned and understand some truths, that are new to me,

 and some refreshers as well.

Bottom line:

Marriage is not about us! Ha!

Marriage is all about Jesus.

  Imagine THAT!!!! 

As Christians...EVERYTHING IS ABOUT HIM.

Our very lives are His and His alone, so it only makes sense that marriage between 2 of His own would be all about joining together

as one

 to be about

 THE ONE and ONLY!

Marriage is a  picture of relationship, a covenant of love and commitment, that is to be lived out to remind us, teach us, and show the world how Jesus followers, are the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our relationship with God is possible because of His sacrificial love and commitment to us.

Ephesians 5:25-28(ESV)

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.  28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

 God is a good Father and He gives good gifts.  

Marriage is one of those gifts that He gives us to be lived out and enjoyed for

 HIS GLORY!

   Jesus is the  Bridegroom and one day He is coming back for His Bride.

GLORY!

Revelation 19:6-9 (ESV)

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

    the Almighty reigns.

7 

Let us rejoice and exult

    and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

    and his Bride has made herself ready;

8 

it was granted her to clothe herself

    with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

So, on that note,

I'm excited for these two to get married and live out a beautiful picture of 

LOVE and COMMITMENT.

Whenever I think of marriage in terms of the world and finances and hardships and all the stresses and strains that come with life, and double trouble with married life, I can let fear grip my heart!

When I keep my eyes on Jesus, and His purpose and gift of marriage,

I get excited and want to cheer them on and give praise to the Lord.

They have the Father's love, protection, provision, and His guidance. 

 Those things are worth more than anything and everything the world could ever offer on it's very best day in the very best circumstances.

I see these 2 seeking the Lord together and individually and it blesses my heart; I know that they have all that they need to make it, and make it count

FOREVER AND EVER.

AMEN.

Charlie had the privilege of baptizing Jesse before we even knew him. 

 Jesse stepped up at church one evening to make a commitment to Jesus and be baptized. Only God knew that night, that it was Jesse's future father-in-law that was baptizing him.

God must have been smiling about that.

*Charlie says if he would have known then what he knows now, he would have held him under a little longer...just to make sure he really super baptized.

  haha.