The Boy Wonder

Today marks the 23rd birthday of our friend David Camp.  We lost him almost two years ago in a tragic car accident. Being our Pastor's youngest son, I see a lot of the families celebration mingled with grief play out  on facebook.

He was a funny young man, who met no strangers and was never judged anyone by class. He made a huge impact on everyone in his life and we still see examples of  his legacy through the lived he touched. Like too many things in this life, we'll never understand, in our human minds or hearts, why his life was cut so short. I  have the comfort in knowing my dear friend is in non stop celebration in the presence of our Lord!

Happy Birthday Dave!

Eggspert?

Hardly.  I am definitely flying by the seat of my pants on this one.  I read about and constructed a homemade incubator, gathered fertile eggs from my friend, Irene's, barn.  I have lovingly cared for the eggs hoping  all will make it, but I will be satisfied to get at least one chick for Jesse.  I have learned a lot and if these don't hatch I will see about getting another clutch and try again.

Rebel

Never in a million years would I have believed I could like Rap.  This is one of Wyatt's favorites and unbelievably I like it too....

 

Rebel 

Lecrae

 Hear the Song

Yeah. Just wanna die with a beat.  

Swim around in it. 

Let's rebel  

I'm in Rebellion (To all my rebels out there.) I'm in Rebellion (Rebelling against the culture. Being transformed.) I'm in Rebellion (Ya'll conformed to the ways of the world. Or this age.)  

I'm in Rebellion  

(Welcome to the revolution.)
Jesus was a rebel, a renegade, outlaw A sanctified troublemaker, but He never sinned, naw  

And He lived His life by a different set of Rules 

The culture ain't approve So you know they had to bruise 'em  

That's the way they do Man, they swear they so gangsta but everyone's the same  

Everybody do the same stuff Tattoos, piercing Smokin' up and drinking  

Money and sex plus them extravagant weekends  

Man if that's the high life I'll puff past that  

You live evaporated like your missing a gas cap I guess I'm passed that I am in rebellion I'd rather have a dollar in my pocket than a mill-ion 

I'm scared to worship money, and my wants over Elyon I'll remain a rebel while the rest of them just carry on This is what I live fo This is the hill I'm buried on  

If Jesus is the Truth That means one of us is VERY wrong Think about it.
I'm in Rebellion  

(I know in our day rebel means sinner.) 

I'm in Rebellion  

(But everyone is sinning, so it is no longer rebellious to sin.) 

I'm in Rebellion (Jesus was a rebel that was a counter culture.) 

I'm in Rebellion
No glory in me Glory to the King on the throne (Jesus)  

You either love Him or leave Him alone but you can't do both  

Yeah, I know you heard that once in a song I pray you hear 10 mo fo ya gone  

Hey listen up, holmes Stage is the corner Crowd is the streets  

And I rap the bread of life cause they dyin' to eat  

I'm a rebel you know the kind that die in the street Cause you refuse to conform, won't eat the kings meat yeah Christ rebelled by shunning the cultured  

He eat with sinners Givin' Pharasies ulcers He never got married, He was broke plus homeless Yeah that's the God I role wit ya boy gotta wife and no I neva cheated I'm prayin' for humility whenever I get heated Forget about the drugs Rebel against pornography This ain't how it oughta be, homie This is how it's gotta be A Rebel
I'm in Rebellion  

(You're just a conformist Drunken, Naked, Driving around a loud motorcycle, Smoking cigarettes, Breaking commandments, Getting pregnant outa wedlock, Everyone's done that, It's so tiring, If you really wanna be a rebel, Read your bible, Because no on'es doing that, That's rebellion. That's the only rebellion left.)

Copied from MetroLyrics.com

Staying Together

A very close friend has filed for divorce. Like me, she married young.  I have been pondering if that is a common reason for a failed marriage?  Researches are saying that the human brain is not fully matured until the mid twenties...according to this, Doug and I were married before our brains had reached full maturity (explains a lot).  I know when someone is so young there are major personal changes that will occur in the first decade of marriage.  Of course everyone, no matter the age, changes throughout life, but I believe it is not as much as a drastic change as in the early years of adulthood.  I also believe that being wed to someone significantly older adds to the challenge .  When one person is fully mature and the other is not, well it seems that they would naturally take "command of the ship." Maybe even in a sense a nurturer to the younger partner.
Reading these statistics makes me realize that Doug and I are one of the exceptions to the rules.  One of the reasons may be that Doug was only 21 on our wedding day.  We pretty much grew up together.  It also helps that he is such and easy going person, even though there are times he has had the final say in certain decisions he has never tried to "own" me or dictate our life.  We have had our rough patches and there was a time, before AJ, that it seemed we would not make it. Thankfully we did. I contribute most of the success to him. He never gave up on me even when I gave him every reason to.  He is a great example of unconditional love.

Winter's End

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”
― C.S. Lewis

I am very open when it comes to my life and struggles.  In my willingness to share, I have found many women who has either gone through a portion of my experience or they are going through a time very similar. Like me,  they find comfort in knowing that depression, anxiety and the God forsaken hormones are pretty common among women in or near perimenopause and the younger ones suffering from postpartum depression.  Here in the Northern states PPD seems to be common among the women giving birth in the winter months.  The cold, darkness and being, for the most part housebound adds stress and loneliness.  At a time in our lives that should be blessed and cherished, struggling with depression adds guilt into the ratio.
For me, unfortunately, I can relate to both.  I didn't have symptoms of PPD with my older children, but with Jesse it was overwhelming.  And lucky me, I had a baby as I entered perimenopause years..
I thought I had gone mad.  I was out of control of my emotions, joy was nonexistent and I was only in survival mode. Constantly trying to figure out what was wrong with me and searching for anything to relieve the pain I was in even if it was for only a little while.Unlike physical pain it can be hard to assess and help given.  Like physical pain, after a given amount of time someone will go to extremes to get relief.  I believe the hardest part is that no one can really understand unless they walk through it themselves. The point of this post is that there is always hope. Be patient, take care of yourself, seek medical help and/ or counseling.  Even if your faith feels nonexistent, don't give up...God has not given up on you. If you have someone in your life with any form of depression, be supportive.  They are not trying to be selfish or a pain in your ass.  Even if it seems that way, remember they are trying to gain control on a slippery slope.  

After a three year winter, it feels like spring has finally arrived. My days feel brighter, warmer and new signs of life are budding.  I am extremely grateful for my God for keeping his promises even when I didn't and for a support system that did their best to love me unconditionally.  I have not arrived, but I am on the way.

Life Lesson: Thongs

Thongs have one thing in common with contact lenses. In the first week time worn should be limited to 2 hours and build from there...never, never try to accomplish an 8 hour day in the breaking in period....

Rise

Fawks the Phoenix on "burning day" reborn from the ashes

"Rise"
Shawn McDonald

Yes I will rise
Out of these ashes rise
From this trouble I have found
And this rubble on the ground
I will rise
Cause He Who is in me
Is greater than I will ever be
And I will rise

Sometimes my heart is on the ground
And hope is nowhere to be found
Love is a figment I once knew
And yet I hold on to what I know is true

Yes I will rise
Out of these ashes rise
From this trouble I have found
And this rubble on the ground
I will rise
Cause He Who is in me
Is greater than I will ever be
And I will rise

Well I keep on coming to this place
That I don't know quite how to face
So I lay down my life in hopes to die
That somehow I might rise

Yes I will rise
Out of these ashes rise
From this trouble I have found
And this rubble on the ground
I will rise
Cause He Who is in me
Is greater than I will ever be
And I will rise