Thanksgiving

So Thanksgiving is in 2 days. I'm so scatter brained right now that it takes a lot for me to focus. To sit and really think. I always call and ask Layne to help me sort through things in my head and emotions because I have a hard time balancing. Balancing life.

Layne and Jon have been posting and updating on a 13 year old boy Marcelino. He is suffering immensely right now and I can't even imagine what it is like to be in Layne and Jon's shoes and to be witnessing this pain and heartache in such a real way. I cry every single time I read one of their posts. I can't help but want to immediately sell everything we have here, pack up and move to live with them. They are doing such an incredibly hard thing yet incredibly beautiful by loving these people through some of the hardest and most painful times of their lives and ushering them into heaven with prayers and tears and most importantly the love of Jesus. They are physically being the hands and feet of Jesus to these brave and precious people. Oh how I want to just go...

And then I see my parents. I see them doing the same thing but here. I see them serving those who need the love of Jesus just the same as those in Africa. I see them going to Driscoll children's hospital and shining the light of Christ to everyone they speak to. I see them investing in people's lives and being strong enough to hang in there when it seems as though nothing is changing. Still serving and loving and going beyond themselves. Putting others first. I want to serve...

This Sunday we heard from a man that my dad grew up with. He played professional baseball and gave that up to take his family and be missionaries in Africa. He said something that really hit home. He said, " God isn't going to send you off to another part of the world if you aren't already doing something right where you are at here." There are so many things I need to work on. Areas I need some major pruning. I want to be faithful and diligent to serve right where I am at and to stop wishing to be somewhere else. People are hurting and dying all around us. I thank the Lord for people like Jon and Layne who are answering a call on their lives to serve in Africa. I just know that I want to be faithful right now. No matter where I am at. I want Jesus to look down and say "well done." I want to radiate Him through every part of my life. I have so much stuff and self in the way that I need him to help me remove it. But I'm going to keep praying. Keep pressing in. There is SO much more to life than the here and now. So much more than vacations and lifestyles. I want to change...

Lord Jesus I ask you to prune what needs to be pruned. To take away and refine the ugliness of self and sin that are so in control and to replace it with your love. Your light. Your truth. Change me Lord. Don't ever stop sending things in my life to change me. You are what life is all about. Help me to keep You as my FOCUS.

So this Thanksgiving I am going to try to do what is hard for this scatter brained mom to do. I'm going to focus. I am going to spend time praising and thanking the Lord for the blessings in my life that I so don't deserve. I am going to pray and interecede for those who can't. Those who are serving selflessly. I want to truly be

THANKFUL.

So it seems silly posting some of these pics right after writing that but I can't figure out how to copy and separate the two. So here are some pics of what we have been up to.
:)

I got this flapper style band for new york. I thought it would be fun :)

The flapper style I think is so FUN!

I painted her nails and toes. She was very happy about it and it's the most still she has ever sat! I was impressed!

One of my closest friends and her husband opened up a new ice cream place called Camille's. She has a sweet little one year old that needed a shirt and bow for opening night! I had a blast making this! And if you are in Corpus ever. Go check it out. It's some YUMMINESS!

My little hams. :) Our turkey's I should say ;)