Bliss.

We now live where the seasons change
a little more than we are used to. 

So today my kids had their first official leaf fight. 

It was bliss watching them laugh 
as they threw things at each other.

Oh, to be a kid again. 

Our 2011 Life Word

My husband and I normally have a word for the coming year. 
As 2010 was ending and 2011 was beginning my husband was assured that our word for 2011 was #Favor. 


Little did we know what God had in store for us. 


Let me brag a little bit on my God. 
These things may not mean much to you personally, but God knows my heart and meets me right where I am.


#1 
We moved into an apartment when we moved to SC. There just wasn't enough time to find a home and close on it before we moved. I was kind of bummed about this. UNTIL my daughter has found friends in the complex and made instant connections. And I mean good friends. Most of them are Hindu. My daughter has invited them all to church with her. On Halloween week, one of her friends were allowed to go to church with her. Since then, this friend said she has been singing a song in her head all the time that she heard during our youth service. This same little girl told Autumn that she can't be a Christian right now (her parents, again, are devout Hindus) but when she is older she wants to be a Christian. WOW AUTUMN! She's fulfilling the great commission! 


#2 
The first few weeks we were here, there were times I wanted to grab my children and run back to Panama City. My Easton became a huge deal breaker for me. He has adjusted to the transition of moving very well. But the transition of unfamiliar people is a whole different story. Easton has a speech/learning development delay. Along with that comes some temperament issues, some OCD tendencies we don't always understand, and some irritability. If he doesn't know you, he doesn't not only ignore you, he will declare "NO" loudly while you are trying to talk to him. There are many other things he does that normal 4 years olds don't do. So, I wanted to high tail it back to a place of familiarity where everyone has been with Easton since birth ... They know him, his traits, the way he works, don't get offended, love him regardless, etc. 


Last Tuesday night I began to SPECIFICALLY pray for my boy. Not just "heal him", but specific. My prayer was much more detailed than this, but this was part of it: "God, help my boy to begin to speak with clarity. Help him to respond properly when people speak to him. Help his social skills to begin to develop normally". 


As I sit here through tears, can I tell you that last Wednesday night God came through FAST. As we walked through the youth room doors on his way to class, my son began to go "hey girl" and "hey dude" when he saw people as they were walking by. After church he walked into the youth room and was dancing during worship with the guys. He was running around with them and playing. The only time he started crying was when I made him leave to go home!! Wow. 


I was in awe of how easy my night was. If you have never been a parent to a learning delayed child, you might not know what I'm talking about. And although this "ease" took me by surprise, it wasn't until Thursday that I realized what had happened. I felt God just simply say "I heard you, baby". You see, He is my father and He delights in me! He heard my cries. 


#3 
We have been on a home search since June of this year. Long story short, we found a new home for $59,000 less than the amount it cost the builder to build it. Builders do subdivisions in phases here. The house we found was the last one for sale in the 4th phase and they could not move on to the 5th phase until this last house was sold. Coincidence that it went on the market the same week we went with a realtor? Coincidence that there was already a contract on the home and somehow it "didn't work out"! NO!!! We sign and move in to our new home Thanksgiving week. THANK YOU JESUS! 


#4 
Along with a new home comes a whole new set of concerns for my kids. Change of schools, moving away from friends. etc. Well, as we were visiting our new home last week, Autumn was sitting in the drive way. Along walks over a girl who looks Autumns age. She introduced herself and just happens to be the same age as Autumn, just happens to go to the school Autumn will be transferring to, and just happens to live directly across the street. Autumn has an instant friend who can't wait for her to move in!


I could go on, and on, and on. 
Seriously. It's all in my journal. 
From small things like finding Eastons favorite shoes clearanced out; to big things like our refrigerator being over half off the day we went to buy it. 


Autumn tells us when we talk about good things in our life "don't brag, Mom!" But I feel in this case, God deserves all the honor. 


Cause I'm here to tell you that it's nothing about Cory and I that is causing all these things to fall into place. It is totally the #Favor of God. 

"For you. Oh Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor you will surround him as a shield" Psalm 5:12


Do you have a "Life Word" that God has put in your spirit recently?