Prayers for Rachel

Dear Faithful Prayer Warriors,

Thank you for your faithful prayers on behalf of our precious daughter. I hope you know how much that blesses us. We know that you have been praying but not fully understanding what you were praying for. Many of you know that Rachel has been suffering from migraine-like headaches since Christmas day; she has not had a day without headaches. I'll try to explain: We received her diagnosis on January 3, that she has a very rare brain malformation called Arnold Chiari I. The doctors believe that she has had this since she was born but for some reason the symptoms are just now becoming an issue. This was the cause for her hospitalization in February.

A Chiari Malformation means that the cerebella tonsils have moved out of the brain and are crowding the spinal cord. There is a lot of misinformation about chiari on the internet, our neurosurgeon very graciously explained that this is just how Rachel was made; it wasn't caused by genetics, or problems or exposures to harmful things during pregnancy. God made her this way for a reason...and I might add for His good purpose.

We feel blessed to have an incredible pediatric neurologist and pediatric neurosurgeon who take very good care of our daughter. Three weeks ago we traveled back for follow up brain scans and appointments with her doctors. After seeing the pediatric neurologist and pediatric neurosurgeon our family was sent home to pray through some tough decisions. We have prayerfully reached a decision that we want you to know about. Oh, it has been a decision that we didn't want to make, but we know that it is absolutely necessary. Rachel will have decompression brain surgery on Tuesday, December 15th (that was the plan originally but symptoms increased and her surgery was actually November 24th) unless the Great Physician intervenes between now and then. {My hands are shaking as I type this as this is a hard thing to wrap my heart and mind around}.

The anticipated surgery will involve making more room in her brain which will involve enlarging the opening of the posterior fossa of the skull and shaving off the backside of her c-1 vertebrae, if everything goes according to plan.This has certainly been the most agonizing and difficult decision we have ever made but amazingly His peace that passes all understanding is certainly surrounding our hearts and minds and we are thankful. We covet your prayers for our daughter. We know that she is really His child and He knows what is best for her and somehow He loves her even more than we do~which much be more than this heart of mine can begin to comprehend.

Specifically, we are pleading with the Lord to heal her completely so that surgery will not be necessary. But, if His will involves surgery, that His mighty hand would guide Dr. Roberts, that there would be absolutely no complications or problems, no spinal fluid leaks, no infections, for a full and speedy recovery time, that Rachel will continue to have full confidence and assurance in the One who knows her by name and takes great delight in her precious life, that the Lord's name would be known in this process, that her choking would be completely alleviated, and that she would be completely healed of her headaches (even though the doctor told us not to expect Rachel to be headache free after the surgery-we are believing God for this). Thank you for loving us and for your prayers. We are so blessed by you. Please, feel free to grab the Praying for Rachel button on my sidebar.

Back to School Day

My Classroom Makeover!

Welcome! I am so thrilled that you stopped by my little corner of the world. I can't wait to share this project with you!I have been working on decorating my first "official" classroom. I have a nice large classroom to decorate.

The 4 windows are all 85 1/2" long, which takes a lot of fabric. After reading several blogs, I knew burlap is the way to go!

Since I hot glue, I asked my mom to help me with the curtains. We giggled and laughed and just had the best time making the curtains.

Here are my goodwill finds:

A little spray paint, burlap, and some left over trim:


I needed a new clipboard too:

I used spray glue to adhere it to the board and hot glue too:

I found these at Michaels ~ perfect for a computer classroom.

I added a little spray paint and some lettering:

Okay, are you ready to see my room?

Here are the before shots:

And....drum roll please....the finished (well almost) classroom:

I painted a few of my favorite quotes on the wall.

This one says, "This is your life ~ are you who you want to be?" (by Switchfoot)

A new bulletin board covered in matching burlap and animal print fabric:

And the last quote says, "Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all." JFK

(Please, excuse the ugly green square. That should be painted soon.)

And my re-purposed Goodwill finds. I used chalkboard paint in the middle of the silver tray, as so many of you have done. I plan to write my name in it.

And a quick burlap pillow to match (don't tell my mom~I hot glued it!):

The little computer like keys (I added magnets to the back):

And the curtains, that I just adore! Thanks Mom!!!!

My home away from home, just fills me with all kinds of joy!

Take Heart in the Waiting

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Psalm 27:14

Waiting is hard, isn't it? In our waiting stages of life we may feel a little weak, like we have to do something, make a decision, or fix it ourselves. Have you ever been there? Hello, my name is Kristi and I call patience the "p" word and I find myself in this state all of the time!

I love how in the absolute wisdom of the Lord, He encourages us to wait for Him, but while we wait we don't have to feel helpless or weak or even impatient (yikes!).

His Word tells us that He wants us to "be strong and take heart" in our waiting times. I've known the Lord long enough to know that He will come to our rescue, He will come to our defense, He will bring the answer, He will...He will...He will. He is all sufficient! He can do immeasurably above all that we ask, or dream, or hope. He has proved His faithfulness over and over again in my life and in the life of my family, and He will always do what He says He will do!

Don't grow weary in your waiting.

I needed that reminder today.

Please visit, here for more Word Filled Wednesday inspiration.

Seriously...Space Bags Work!

Have you seen all of the Spacebag commercials? Yeah, me too. I've debated about buying them almost as much as I have debated trying the Bumpits (has anyone tried these).

Target had them on sale, so I decided to give them a try.

In my process of cleaning out every drawer, I decided to tackle the Linen Closet.

Here is a small stack of special baby blankets that belonged to the girls and I:

The thought of protecting these blankets with a Spacebag was intriguing. Here is the before:


And the after:
It took a little bit of maneuvering, but it really worked!

And it was fun too! Hmm, where else can I use these little bags of goodness?

My Surprise Bouquet of Sunflowers

While the Lord and I worked it out, or worked on my heart, in the yard Saturday,

He surprised me with these:

This Kansas girl adores happy sunflowers!

I've never cut the sunflowers that are growing in my vegetable garden because I enjoy seeing them whenever I am outside.

While I have been praying over issues and working on back to school things, I have found myself inside more than usual. It's like the good Lord knew all of this and somehow purposed for one of the big sunflower stalks to snap with the heaviness of all of the sunflowers.

I couldn't just let them lie there on the rocks of the garden, so I grabbed my gardening scissors and clipped every one off of the stalk.

Aren't they beautiful? I now have a large vase of them in my kitchen and they brighten my day every time that I see them. My granny use to call me her little sunshine....and these little flowers of sunshine were just what this heart of mine needed. God is awesome!


After we worked in the yard together, the sky began to look like this:








I couldn't help but grab my camera and awe in the majesty of the Lord and His brilliant creations. He never stops declaring His love for us and He uses whatever He chooses just to show us His amazing love. Are you missing that love today? All you have to do is look up and wait patiently; your Savior delights in telling you that you are dearly loved!

Lead me to the Rock...once again!

There is no other refuge quite like His. He is our hiding place, our Strong Tower, our Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, God with us. Feeling overwhelmed? Go to the Rock and find strength, comfort, peace, and joy. He has all that you need.

I posted this picture last year, December 3rd, to be exact.

I think I was right in the middle of my last fall finals and experiencing the enormity of having to write so many papers....5 English classes in one semester....and once again God proved that He is enough!

I have always loved this verse. Little did I know back in December while I was creating that Word Filled Wednesday graphic, that I would be clinging with every fiber of my being to that verse once again....only 8 months later.

While my family is not quite ready to share the decisions that we are facing, I can share with you that our hearts are definitely overwhelmed by the decisions that have to be made.

But, at the same time, we know without a doubt that God will bless us with His wisdom and His guidance and His peace in the matter.

I have to admit, yesterday I was having a hard day processing it all in my mind. I just needed to get out and work in the yard while my mind sorted things out. Together the Lord and I, through many tears, mowed and mowed. There is something about being out in the yard and having the Lord all to myself, that just makes this girl feel a little better.

The entire time the Lord faithfully whispered His love for our family in my ears. I saw a sparrow walking around in the freshly cut grass and He reminded me, "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.Luke 12:7.

He once again reminded me my daughters truly belong to Him....oh I am so blessed to be their Momma, but the reality is that they belong to Him. I didn't know that I could love someone as much as I love these two girls. I would do anything for them; my love for them cannot be described in words. Amazingly, He loves them even more than I do....that is a lot to fathom isn't it?

Last night, my father-in-law loaned me Max Lucado's newest book, Fearless, to read a particular chapter. Little did he know that the Lord had already been speaking to me about the same subject just the afternoon before....how like God. It was such a blessing to me and maybe it will be to you too:

(I'll just share a small portion of the chapter) In the story of Jairus, "He begged Jesus to come to his house (Luke 8:41). The father wasn't content with long-distance assistance; he wanted Christ beneath his roof, walking through his rooms, standing at the bedside of his daughter. He wanted the presence of Christ to permeate his house (and I would add our decisions)....God has a heart for hurting parents. Should we be surprised? After all, God Himself is a father. What parental emotion has He not felt?...So with Jesus, God will surely give us all things (Romans 8:32). "All things" must include courage and hope."

It's time for this heart of mine to choose courage and hope in this situation over fear and all of the what ifs; to choose His power and strength instead of my own; to remember that nothing is too difficult for Him and that with Him all things are possible.

And once again, I will find that He is enough!

O Summer, Where Have You Gone?

I am still in denial that this is already August and that school is just around the corner, which means summer is almost over. {sigh!} Where did it go?

Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to stepping into my first official classroom and I am excited about the students that I will have the blessing of teaching this year. But, it always seems that there are To-do lists a mile long before school begins, doesn't it?

Thank you for all of your prayers while we visited with the neurosurgeon and neurologist. Rachel felt very comfortable through it all. I was in awe that God lovingly helped her go to sleep during the very loud and long MRI. The technician was incredible. She asked Rachel what music she liked to listen to and Rachel replied, "Contemporary Christian." The tech replied that she would try to get KLTY on the radio but it often did not work in the MRI room. Amazingly, God blessed us with a perfect connection to the station.

Our family enjoys Air-1 too and we have been so blessed with their posted verses for the day. If you missed them, here they are:


Air-1 Verse of the Day Archive
13 August Verse of the Day:
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7 NLT

12 August Verse of the Day:
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Philippians 4:6 NLT

11 August Verse of the Day:
Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
John 14:1 NLT

10 August Verse of the Day:
For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT

9 August Verse of the Day:
For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
Psalm 38:15 NLT

8 August Verse of the Day:
I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.
Psalm 3:4 NLT

I love the timeliness of God. Just when we need a little encouragement, He comes through in a mighty way over and over again. It's nice to remember that we are not in any situation alone but that He is with us and wherever we find ourselves, He always has our best interest in mind and He does work all things together for His good purpose.

My Streams in the Desert devotion today reminded me that no matter what comes our way, it must go through the Lord first. The devotion continues, "Isn't it glorious to know that no matter how unjust something may be, even when it seems to come from satan himself, by the time it reaches us it is God's will for us and will ultimately work to our good?...We live fascinating lives if we are living in the center of God's will" And isn't that where we all desire to be....in the very center of His will for our lives.

Joyfully,
Kristi

MRI Today

Update: thank you for your prayers, Rachel slept through the lengthy MRI. We are waiting for the results now.

Good Morning from Ft. Worth!

The internet connection keeps going in and out so I will be brief.

Please, pray for Rachel this morning as she has her MRI and CT scans.

We are praying for the peace that passes all understanding and great results and wisdom for the doctors. I better go. Thanks for praying with us.

Our Thrifty Finds

I have enjoyed hopping around blog land lately and seeing all of the thrifty finds that everyone seems to be discovering at estate sales and even Goodwill.

The girls and I decided to hop on the thrifty nifty wagon and search for treasures of our own.

Rachel and I went to Goodwill and instead of dropping off some items that we no longer needed, we actually went in the store.

Here is what I found for $3.99:

A lamp (only the shade is pictured because I already started working on the base) and a silver tray. I have my classroom in mind...but you will have to check back later to see what became of these treasures. Funny story, I didn't realize that our Goodwill doesn't accept debit cards....I had to borrow the $3.99 from Rachel....oiy!

Then, Hannah and I went to her first estate sale. She was so funny! She didn't realize that we could actually go in someone's house and browse for treasures. She was a little nervous at first but then she really got into looking around....except for the bathrooms, she refused to go in someone's bathroom. I don't blame her; there was someone's long lost hair piece sitting by the sink. Needless to say, we passed on hunting for thrifty finds in the bathroom.

Hannah did find something at the estate sale:

Can you see that old typewriter? She wasn't sure what it was whenever she saw it. I had to laugh as I explained to her that this was our form of a keyboard when I was her age.

She was excited so we brought the 30 pound keyboard home with her promise that she would never type on her laptop again....typewriting is the way to go...."I like old things," she said.

Here are her 2 modes of writing:

her new/old keyboard and her handy dandy, tiny laptop. I didn't think she would actually take the time to write a letter on the typewriter, but she proved me wrong. She soon discovered that you can't cut and paste or even delete, but she thinks it gives her writing more character....so she typed me a lengthy note...that will make its way into a scrapbook. I am glad that she found such a neat blast from the past.

This thrifty shopping thing is really a lot of fun when you have fun girls to shop with!

For more thrifty finds, please visit Rhoda for more.

Joyfully,

Kristi

Leaving No Stone....Er Drawer... Unturned

A day in the life of a crazy woman....welcome~

This is me-I'm having a bad hair day, can you tell?

My temper is a bit on the prickly/pointed side much like this little fellow below:

I found him hiding in my garden yesterday amid the tomato plants

and the baby watermelon (delight!)


and the cherry tomatoes....finally some tomatoes


and this beautiful flower:




...that looks nothing like me today! See how calm and content it looks?
Yes, nothing like me today.



I represent that idiom (I didn't say idiot...read carefully) of leaving no stone unturned.
You see today, I am finding myself frantically looking for a very important document in our what I thought was well organized home....um not so much apparently.



I have been looking for this item since yesterday afternoon. Mr. Incredible came home to find me in my lovely panic stricken mode and lovingly asked me if I looked like I did all day long....watch out for the flying sauce pan! Yes, sweetheart I know that I am a feast for the eyes today, but I can't be bothered with vanity when I am searching for my lost item~I think I said....sweetly...well maybe not so much on the sweetly part.



Yesterday was one of THOSE days....
"Growing character days" is what my mom calls it.
I think I retorted that I wasn't interested in growing character today I just wanted to find my lost item and get this church home thing settled because my spirit is not settled and on top of all of this, we may be adding an entirely new class to my schedule that will begin in 3 weeks
(which by the way I am really excited about but my type A personality is screaming that I have to get my lesson plans just right and above all learn this new program).



And I think she chuckled a little (but it was out love I assure you because she is an amazing Daughter of the King and I'm confident that she has been through something similar and she doesn't want to see this child of hers setting herself up for a Holy spanking from the Lord, do you know what I am talking about).



I think I am setting myself up for more character building and it might just be called Grace or the "P" word (patience) or something. How interesting that I am running around like that horned toad who looks confident on the outside but obviously doesn't want to be disturbed by anyone....look at his outside covering.



That must be how I am presenting myself to the Lord....oiy! My stubbornness is saying that I am going to find it....we will find where we are suppose to worship and serve....and I will get my lesson plans in perfect order for the semester before it even begins....I will, I will, I will.



I think there is a pattern here....too much of I will and less of Him.
I think of Paul right now, as the tears well up in my eyes, the kind of tears that seem to have been collecting in my soul for the past few weeks, when he truthfully explains, "For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate" (Romans 7:15).



I know better than to try to do all of this on my own and in my own power, but my impatience gets the best of me and I try to do it in my own strength and in my own timing.
And what does this attitude and behavior accomplish? Absolutely nothing, except make me look like the horned toad....tough and prickly on the outside to everyone around me....just the look I don't want!



I'm so thankful that God looks past the outer exterior of my life and sees His child who really does want to be more like Jesus everyday, okay most days. He sees past my casual attempt at a quiet time because I want to avoid the Refiner's fire that needs to burn away my pride and my do it-on-my-own attitude. Somehow He sees the real me...and He loves me anyway. Oh, there is no one like Him. He waits patiently for me to pour it out and give it up, even for the 1,000th time, and He loves me anyway....He even longs for me to finally surrender me and asked to be filled completely with Him once more....and He always, always does.



Yes, I am still looking for that document, which I am convinced is not here, but I will do it with a joyful heart once again because I won't be doing it in my own strength or on my own. And this child will finally see that it wasn't about the missing document after all. My Faithful Father and I will be looking through every drawer and nook and cranny of my heart....together He and I will leave no stone unturned....and that's just the way He likes it, isn't it?

Joyfully,

Kristi

It's White It's Black....Yeah...Yeah...Yeah

Finally! I am posting pictures of my front door makeover. And thanks to all of you wonderful decorators, I made a decision to go from a white door to black. (It's white, it's black...yeah yeah yeah....remember MJ's song?)

Here is my door before:

And after a little black paint:

I really, really like it!

I needed a little something to go with the front door makeover so I remembered these ice-cream/soda shop chairs that I was blessed to receive from Mr. Incredible's Mimi. Perfect!


Here they are in their natural, rustic state:



I thought of all of you spray painters extraordinaire and grabbed my can of black spray paint. While I waited for them to dry, I put together a wreath for my front door. I seem to be the only house on our street with a wreath. Do you have a wreath on your front door?

Anyway, I bought this wreath at Hobby Lobby; it was 50% off:



I like it, but it just needs a little something extra, don't you think?

I pulled out my handy dandy hot glue gun...oh how I heart you:

....and a few feathers and black and white gingham ribbon:

I just added a little hot glue to the feather stems (that sounds funny...feather stems) and put them in place. I made a little bow and wired that in too:

I added a new welcome mat (from Target):

Added the chairs and some potted red geraniums (thank you mom):

And walla.... I love it!
The plants on my front porch have never been so well watered. I just love going outside my front door now. I had to add our Baylor stone piece to the mix because the majority of our neighbors are Texas Tech fanatics. Sic 'em bears!

I almost forgot, I spray painted the lanterns black too and I didn't shock myself or get paint on the brick or anything. I call that a great day and a great project!

Joyfully,

Kristi