The Runnaway Bunny

The Runaway Bunny is a book by Margaret Wise Brown. Years ago we bought this book for Grace or possibly Ella...so it's nearly 11 to 9 years old. I have read this book a BAZILLION times!!!! Recently I have had the repeated blessing of reading it to my youngest child yet again for like a BAZILLION times!!! Oh how I love to curl up with a kid of any size and age and read this book; along with the book Goodnight Moon also by Margaret W. Brown.
The Runaway Bunny is a story of a little Bunny who wants to run away! Duh! Hence the title...Right? When little bunny tells his mother he is going to run away, the mother says, " If you run away... I will run after you...For you are my little bunny." I do not get much past that first page before the tears start to roll...and roll and roll.....I never had a mother to come after me. I did however have a great grandmother and some super awesome teachers who I give tremendous credit for carrying me through some very long and dark days. I owe or rather I credit all of them with saving my very life. Trust me... I had a rough time during my childhood and into my teenage years. Yes I had a mother...but she made it a habit of abandoning me...and on more than one occasion would do so unannounced and leave me unattended...Yep just up and leave and never be heard from for months on end...With that said, fast forward...many years and here I am with 3 beautiful blessings of my own and I can not even fathom the idea of doing such a thing. Sure I have my bad days when I feel like...walking away...for in truth I do not get nearly enough rest or support as a MOM that perhaps I feel I am due. But with that said...again... I would never do such a thing, and so as I was reading this story on one particular night or perhaps it was an afternoon or maybe a morning...They all blend in around here.....I drew a conclusion or maybe I should say a parallelism between the relationship between this child and his mother and the relationship each and everyone of us has with God. Yes I said ALL of us...
The mother in this book...she climbed mountains, she swam streams, she walked tight ropes, she became a tree, she even became the wind in order to guide a rescue her wondering son. God sent his son to offer us a guiding hand....even to those who do not believe. When you look at that newborn and wonder where did that smell come from or how in this world is her skin so soft...God is there. When you succeed, when you fail, when you wonder around in the world...He is there. You can run nowhere that he is not...ocean yep that His handy work, your loss or gain He is there. In the storm, in the sunshine...over and under every rock. On your wedding day, during your business travels, while you screw off on FB!!! YES he's there too....you took him there and he is never going to leave you. He loves you too much. He will give you every opportunity to seek him as is in his plans. He is relentless and perseveres through all of your life. More than any mother...or any worldly father. HE is after all...your FATHER. He loves you!......Sooooooo...you know its coming......So...go get your BIBLE and seek him. Matthew 7: 7-8, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be open. You are loved and He is there...wherever and however you are right now in this moment and every other moment you are blessed with. Seek Him.....

Save The Broccoli ! ...Save the Broccoli!

I was just thinking....(no comment from the peanut gallery here)...sometimes normal is really cool! But that was not a very good title so I had to come up with something else! Hence...Save The Broccoli!!!...But that will make more since later! I promise it will.... It's been a long day for me...the alarm clock rang in at 5:45 this morning. I crawled out of bed dragging my blanket with me and realize my husband is in the recliner and has never gone to bed...and he has a pint sized toddler all curled up in his lap!... I ooh and awe for a moment and then I say, "Dear...Dear...DEAR!!! get out of my chair...and by the way your alarm clock just went off!" It was that kind of a morning and I was SLEEPY!!! Took one kid to school, took another to a therapy appointment, and called to check in on the hubby and the little man. Whom was my far giving Daddy a run for his money and was so looking the part for their activity at the time. Needless to say little man had peed himself and was running around in only a shirt and diaper. Got home unloaded the van, had lunch which was veggies and dip with raw almonds and chocolate chips! Oh hush ...that covered all the food groups didn't it? Then time for little fellas nap and schooling for Grace. Then off to school to pick-up Ellabell and attend her schools Spring Fling event (also from henceforth called: Empty Out You Wallet Day event). Got home attempted to begin dishes and laundry...only to collapse and call the hubby to beg him to please bring home something to eat. I had prepared 44 meals straight (yes I know I am awesome)...and I DID NOT want to cook. So Chicken bowls w/ rice and grilled zucchini it was!!YUMO!!! Sorry veggie lover friends... But that chicken was GOOD!!!...Then tossed the family outside...so I could continue to clean dishes and do the laundry. Pretty normal I'd say....RIGHT?... It was then that I realized...Oh NO It's calling for rain... and not just any rain...it's calling for a BIG RAIN...with lites and big booms and lats uh wahya!!! Toddler talk for a crap load of water....therefor...I went into Save The Broccoli mode!!!...Now; word to the wise or not so wise....should your wife ever turn to you and say..."Honey cut the bottoms off of these 8 plastic 2 liters and then cover each of my newly planted Broccoli plants up with them;"....just smile and do it!!! Just do it!!! I mean honestly its not that bizarre! (Is it?)...Then I returned yet again to wash dishes... It was in just that moment that I was looking out my back window and was blessed to see three of the happiest little faces all squealing with pure joy...as two of them rode the garden wagon down our bumpy muddy rocky back side-yard...while the other one pulled it along...for extra speed!!! I stopped what I was doing and continued to watch as they did this time and time again!...Then little man lost focus and got off the wagon only to run gleefully through the back yard that is a good 9 inches high in grass and dandelions. He then picks up a stick and begins to run zig zag through the yard diligently beating the snot out of each and every dandelion head, making fluffy flying seeds fly off in every direction. Next years supply of dandelions successfully assured to return!...And as I watched a tear fell from the corner of my eye and I thought to my self...."This is the best...and maybe ...just maybe I do not do every thing wrong."...Maybe my husband and I do not get everything right...but for sure we ARE BLESSED! And we sure did make 3 of the cutest rockinest awesomesaucinest children...who I hope grow up someday to know that they are loved an adored beyond measure by me and their daddy, and by their father and creator. Meanwhile normal walks back into the house and proudly announces, not only did I cover each broccoli plant once but twice in fact thanks to little knuckle head who ran through and knocked them all off the first time ...just for the fun of it....so your Broccoli are safe!!!....Thanks dear...you rock!!!!..And by the way....I love you! Hmmm? No I think perhaps normal is more than just cool...it is a blissful BLESSING! So pardon me while I go finish those dishes and ...obviously to blog!!!!

Where is God in a Crisis?

I know you have been there...we all have. And if it truly was a CRISIS, you may have wondered where is God now! Why would God do this? How could he allow this? How could he turn his back? Why would he turn his back? Why? Why? WHY? And then some may go further wondering if there really is a God. Yes you have screamed it ...so have I. So where is he? At the exact moment when you become aware that you ARE having a HS(holy shit) Balls moment..where is he? To answer that question you will have to decide...point blank...IS there a God! (And that is a whole nother blog post!!) But as for me... my answer is YES! So we'll just go with that!!!
Well then where is he during that unimaginable moment when utmost fear hits you like a ton of bricks on your head and heart? When you are having a miscarriage? When you are riding down some highway at 75 mph with you child in the back of an ambulance? When the most important person in the whole world says they DO NOT love you? Or worse when that most important person dies? When you realize what everyone is telling you is true and your child is sick with a chronic illness that is never going to go away?....Yeah...so now where is He?
Turn with me to Jeremiah 29:11; now read verses 10 to 15. One of my favorite sayings in my home is "He's the man with plan and I am just trying to stay on his agenda! Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Ok Ok so there are 2 things you must first decide; is there a God and is the Bible the word of God. Now turn to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching , rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for EVERY good work. So if you are really in then go...no wait...you are going to actually have to grapple with 1 more decision...Is the Lord...your Lord! And that my friends is...yep you guessed it ...a whole nother blog post...and of course a decision You have to make! Soooo? Are you in yet? Awesome; now turn back to Timothy. If God knows the plans he had for you then ...He has A PLAN!!!! Can you imagine a plan for all of us! You just went there didn't you? You were not suppose to do that!!! Ok so can you alter His plans...In my opinion and it is opinionated at best...yes you can! There seems to be biblical evidence of yes and no...much due to the fact that we do have freewill to make choices and do as we wish so to speak...And with that my answer to Where IS HE?...IS....He has already been there! He is in front of you! He already knew! He knew and he planned for that. He knew each and every thought you had and he planned all of your paths. All of them...which in my opinion would lead to believe there are many paths and it is up to us to follow and stay on the path. He is LOVE and NO he does not want you to hurt. But he does want you! Yep You! And he does have his ways! Are you still in Timothy?...Now read Jeremiah 29:12-14 again...We'd never pray if there was nothing to pray about ...would we????
Just for more thought...Wonder if the Blessings are in the sufferings...perhaps they come in rain drops, perhaps they come in a thousand sleepless nights, perhaps the come in joy and in those unimaginable moments of pain and sorrow...Perhaps his blessings are exactly that...blessings! If I had of known his plan for me and my life ahead of them occurring... I would have never known the sweetness of my unanswered prayers... Yes Yes Yes! He is there and you are in the palm of his hands!