Valley Family Life

The first two weeks are always the hardest for me. Being a veteran military wife doesn't mean deployment ever gets easier. The first two weeks always seem to push me into a place that I have forgotten about, a place that feels alone, dark, desparate, and inescapable. Thankfully... time does not stant still!!

As each day passes into the next, blessing appear in the least of expected places. Kids remembering to do their own laundry, an email, an understanding smile, it all adds up, it all makes a difference.

I am edging myself forward, thanking God that I prepared freezer meals in preparation for this time. My brain can only process one thing at a time and dinner time has always suffered in the past. Now I can wake up confident that I will have meals for my family, without the help of a drive through!!

One thing more... my husband is not deployed to a battle front, a combat zone, another country, or anything that is in the nightly news. My husband is in training. A word of advice to anyone listening.

Gone is gone!! To school or the war zone, he is not home. It is still hard, and it is still worth it!!

I have this habit of finding things that I "Love" but don't "Need"....

Anyone else?

I mean really, how many more cups to do I need? I guess the answer depends on what color, size, pattern, and shapre? RIGHT? LOL

You can't get any cuter than this "FireKing" cup!! I want a pink one!

Having an outlet is good and healthy, just keep yourself in check! If your habit starts to become a financial, emotional, or family burden... you might need an intervention!!

Warrior On!

Procrastination is just another word for perfectionist! Looking at a project as a whole can be frustrating and down right intimidating. We tend to get excited, make plans, but when it comes to implementing the plan we fall short, get overwhelmed, and sit back down on the couch to "dream' of yet another project that won't get started any time soon.

So what do you do?

Parenting is no different! We see issues and behaviors in our kids, in ourselves, and start feeling that the problem is so big, so out of control, we might as well just "let it pass". Well, I'm sorry to be the one to break the bad news, but behaviors and issues don't just "pass". Those behaviors/issues are just symptoms of what is really going on in the heart. If we, as parents, ignore what we are seeing and "let it pass" we are missing an opportunity to speak into the life of our family!! We are missing it!!!

jill Briscoe, in her book Fight For The Family, talks about Nehemiah and how he travels home to repair the broken walls of his city, upon arriving, he surveys, assesses, and examines the cracks. she then goes on to say, "There needed to be something for every memeber of the family to do. He (Nehemiah) would encourage everyone to build up the wall in front of their own house (Nehemiah 3:23)"

As parents, we are not responsible to "repair the foundation' by ourselves, each member is responsible for their part, but as parents (this is where it gets excititng) we get to invite each memeber to be invovled in teh restoration!!

We must start where we are with what we have!! - Jill Briscoe

Dont' wait till tomorrow, when you think your situation will be better, pick up a brick today and start rebuilding with what you have!

You were chosen, God Knows your Name, You are where you are supposed to be!!

Warrior On!

Still Sick... Still Tired, but content!! I am learning to look beyound my physical limitations and be satisfied knowing that I am where I am supposed to be! My husband and I went out riding (motorcycle, not horse) today, as we drove out in the country I was reminded of God's "biggness". There is so much of his plan that I cannot see. I just get to experience the life I say "yes" to.

God is working all around.... have you said "yes" today? Don't recreate the wheel, join him where he is already working!!

Warrior On!

I have been sick for way to long!!! I am so tired of being sick and sick and tired of being tired!!! Tired of hearing myself sniff, cough, choke, and whine!! As I sit here tonight and lament about my inability to taste and smell I looked around.... My daughter has fashioned a home made fishing pole and is trying to "catch" the puppy. My youngest son has made a lego movie by capturing still shots on my iphone, my oldest son just got done playing chess with the two younger ones and has now returned to his room for some much needed quiet time, and my husband is baking me a chocolate cake! Oh LORD, please let me be able to taste it!! You did say "Taste and See that the LORD is good!" Oh LORD, I want to taste it!!

I am amazed at my family, so normal, and yet, so very special, all becuase they are mine. Even in the midst of some very difficult moments these past few weeks, I can still see God working in my life, in the lives of my children, and husband.

My expectation does come from him alone, in him I will wait!

Warrior On!

I love my family....  I love my job...... and I love the sunshine!!

As I was putting horses away tonight, I looked out over the field and saw the mountains in all their majesty and realized how incredibly lucky I am.... we are!!

God is good, all the time... in everything!!

Warrior On!

Wow... what a great an amazing weekend!! I have been truly blessed by the ladies that atteneded the Adoptive Mom's Retreat this last weekend at Black Lake Bible camp in Olympia WA. What a great time of sharing, healing, and empowerment!! Thanks ladies... I have been changed by your love and passion for childeren and the Lord.

Warrior On!

Jeri

We are adding a second horse to our horse family!  I am very excited, but am surprised at house exhausting it is... looking for a 1200 lb animal that won't squish, kick, bit, or buck!!  Really now...  where have all the good ones gone!

Our current horse, Mama Lacy, is amazing!  She is gentle and calm, and just loves to be near you!  I don't think I have ever been treated with such sincerity!!  I just love her!

The Therapeutic Riding Program is coming along nicely and I am so excited about offering it.  Last year this was just a though, a topic of conversation, and now it is finally here.  It is amazing what God can do with only a dream and a willing heart!

My first clients, mother and son, were amazing, are teaching me so much.  The relationship, however broken, can be healed by mutual affection and a longing for reconciliation.  Without words, their hearts are stripping off the years of pain and suffering,  reaching out to one another, and for the first time in a long time, gazing into one another;s eyes, all while leaning on the belly of a horse...... God is good!!

I think horses are amazing.  If you let them, and treat them with respect, they will take you to a place that is hidden and hurting, raw and withdrawn, they will take you inside the heart of a child.

I haven't posted in so long, I feel like I am catching up with an old friend!!  Hello Friend!!

What makes a child hate themseves?   Have you read the news lately?  Children are killing themselves because of what people are "saying"!!!  Grandma was wrong on this one,  sticks and stones may break bones, but words can kill!

Know who your enemy is, children are not the enemy, it is the voice of the "enemy of our soul" that is robbing our children of desired and valuable life!

Are precious children are "hearing" and internalizing the voice of the enemy. 

MAKE YOUR VOICE LOUDER AND CLEARER THAN THE VOICE OF THE ENEMY!!

I pray for my children every morning, before they leave the santuary of my home, before they leave the spiritual covering of our family.  I pray the "spiritual armor" covering my children.

Words can cause shame friends,  when we use our words to hurt, "your stupid, you are lazy, you wil never get it right, when we use words like ALWAYS, NEVER, BUT, EVEN THOUGH, we are trapping our childen into a shame spiral.  Our words need to be thinking words, not fighting words.

Fighting words, "If you don't get your room cleaned up you are not going to watch tv with the family" (shaming a child into cleaning their room to be waned into the family)

Thinking words, "I can see you need a little more time in your room, feel free to join the family when your room is clean. (giving the power/choice over to the child, unconditionaly welcoming the child when they are ready)

Shame can kill.... words can kill!

God uses guilt to make us feel bad for what we have done, to change and shape our character, to make us want to be better.

The Enemy uses shame to make us feel bad about who we are.......  this can kill!!

So mom and dad, watch your children, listen to them, are they acting, speaking, engaging in "self defeating talk"?  Is it processing or self harming?

Warrior On!

Is there ever enough time? 

Time between hurts.....

Time between memories....

Time between bad decisions or not making a decision at all....

They say that time or distance makes the heart grow fonder..... or forget..... does it?

Is there ever such a thing as the correct time?

Making time?

You can't stop time, you can't borrow time... so what then....

I hear things like 'Wait, give it time"

True, my emotions may soften, I may make think more clearly, logically, but does time change anything?

Even now, having pondered and waited, has it really been long enough?

For some, the answer may be never, but then again, maybe time is on their side.

Whatever that means.....

We wait.... time doesn't stand still

We wait... the seasons change

We wait... the earth still spins, the sun goes down, the moon still rises, there is nothing new under the sun

Yet we wait, for the unknown..... why....

We wait for the hope of the unknown, for what we do not see.....

We hope for Faith and Hope in a better tomorrow.

We wait.