Praise Him in ALL things at ALL times

Warrior Valor - brave and couragious

Laying in bed with my sick boy,, Valor,  ( healed of The Lord) and ready for our nap. When the song "break every chain" came on, he slowly slides out of bed and starts dancing and praises the Lord the best he could. After bout 30 seconds, he tiredly gets back in bed. This is one of Those times that I'm reminded of how much we can learn from children. Im honored to learn from my son, even though he's unaware he is teaching me. Gods praise will continually be upon my lips and I will praise Him at ALL times in ALL things. He is faithful and true.

I thank God for my sons, Valor and Noble. They are Gods good and perfect gifts to our family. God is faithful to have given me my hearts' desire...children, a husband, family.  Jesus. You are faithful and true. Heres to living in the Land of the Princes! :-)

Your heart is as gorgeous as your smile!

Dearest Kara... Im writing you this letter to honor you. I wish I could kiss your cheek and see your radiant smile as I write these words to you. Someday I will. Maybe God will show you this letter. We dont really know what goes on in Heaven in full detail until we get there. I do know several things. You are not in pain and you never will be. You will never shed another tear. You are having a blast. You have seen Jesus face to face and have felt more love in that one moment than you have felt in all your life. I know that you are exploring Heaven and you are on a great adventure there. I know you were greeted by other family members and friends that went ahead of you. I know that you are singing, dancing and rejoicing. You are seeing and hearing real, live, breathing angels sing "worthy is the lamb". You have never been so fascinated! You are seeing people from the Bible that most of us have only read about. I wonder if you have met King David yet? Or Mary? or Ruth? Or maybe Mawmaw has taken you to visit Queen Esther or Jesus is giving you a grand tour even right now? I'm sure it takes all of eternity to discover every supernatural, fascinating detail of Heaven. I know you are worshipping God and He is adoring you. You are in perfect peace. You are full of the knowledge of God, lacking nothing now. You are complete, and completely yourself. You have become perfect just as He is perfect. You are in awe of His glory and He is in awe of you. You are surrounded by His pure beauty and the gorgeousness of heaven. (Is gorgeousness a word?):-) Im sure angels have gathered to hear you sing to Jesus and they have joined in with their heavenly harmonies. I see in my heart that you are full of giggles, awe and wonder and have perfect,unspeakable joy. I cant help but to think that you have met and are playing with tjs' and my little angels, "Jewel and "Liv" that mawmaw is taking care of until we get there. This makes me happy that Aunt Kara is loving on them. I just know, in my heart, that Mammaw and other family members had the priveledge, along with Jesus, to show you your new breathtakingly, awe inspiring, "blow you mind" custom made mansion filled with all your hearts' desires. I bet it sits on the most lovely hill your eyes have ever seen, overlooking the Land of Glory. I cant imagine your view!!!! I bet its next door to mammaw and yall share a Rose garden with every color rose imaginable...even colors that earth has never seen. I bet when you walk oustide its aroma makes you and Mawmaw giggle. I know I may be crazy to say the following, but I also would like to think that Jesus surprised you when you looked in your back yard and there was a pool! None like you have ever dared to dream about! Maybe it's pure crystal water rests on rich, smooth saphire and turquoise. Perhaps its trimmed in thousands of polished, smooth diamonds of perfect clarity! Yes, Kara...its full of bling bling,just like all of Heaven,and just the way you like it. :-) Perhaps there is a rushing waterfall that pours into it, with pink butterflies that have rubies, diamonds and tanzonite gems in thier wings flying through it. Heaven is so much more than we can imagine!!!!!!! I know you are celebrating the rewards you have earned during your life. I know you are thrilled, honored, thankful, and in awe of the crowns you earned. I'm sure there are endless treasures that King Jesus has for you. Jesus tells each of us to store our treasures in Heaven, not on earth, where moth can not destroy it,man can not steal it, and we will never loose it. You have done this Kara! You surely have tons of rewards, crowns and priceless treasures to partake of that are yours and no one and nothing can take them away from you. They are yours to enjoy for an eternity! I know you are rejoicing in the rewards and crowns that Mawmaw earned as well with other family and friends that are with you in Paradise. The truth is...I dont know everything you are doing in heaven except that you have never been so happy, and have never experienced so much love, peace and joy. You have come into the fullness of who YOU are, because now you are like Jesus lacking nothing. You have seen the fullness God. You have touched Him with your own hands. He has kissed your cheek and you have felt the warmth his lips. I, along with most people, dont understand death and we dont understand heaven because we have not been there. I know that the Bible says "precious in the sight of God is the death of a faithful one" I know I dont view death and life the way Jesus does. His ways are much higher than mine. So in times when I dont understand and this is one of them...I have to choose to trust God. You are His child and He is your Father and he has and will continue to care for you. I know that there are many promises you have waited for your whole life that you have now inheritaed. One promise you have is eternal life. You have this promise because you have Jesus in your heart and I pray that all your family knows Jesus so that they can share eternal life with you and our Savior. All these things are diffucilt to write becuase I dont understand so many things. I have not seen Gods face as you have. I have not heard his audible voice call my name and I have not felt His strong arm embrace me. I have not seen the gloroius city where there is no more pain and no more tears. I do know, even though I dont understand it, that if myself or anyone else cuaght just a glimps of what you have seen we would all beg to go there now. Kara you are loved, and you will be missed more than words could ever say. You are the nicect, most caring, most giving, loving, generous, beautiful person I have ever met. You have changed my life in the little time that I knew you. All your kind deeds that we all could write a novel about have been noticed and are now being rewarded by God Himself. You always lit up the room you were in and I know Heaven just got a little brighter with your smile. I wont be surpised one bit, if when I get to Heaven, Jesus has your smile...or rather you have His. :-) Your family will miss you very much. It will be hard. Your family will grieve in a way that they didnt know was possible. However God has promised your family many things too. He has promised to never leave them. He has promised to comfort them. He has promised to bring them peace. He has promised to never forsake them, to always love them and take care of them. He has promised to be a ever present help in time of trouble. He has promised to be a shield unto them and cover them with grace, strength and love. He has promised to carry them forever as a shepherd carries his sheep into saftey. He has promised to be a good shepherd and a good Father. He has promised to be their provider, thier healer, thier friend. Jesus has promised that He will stick closer than a brother and that your family can cast all thier cares on Him for He cares for them. God says that mourning last for a night but joy comes in the morning. God promises to restore joy and peace and rest to your family. Things wont be the same but we have Gods promise that He is the same today, yesterday and forever. Kara, your legacy still lives on through your husband, your children, your parents, your sisters, your inlaws, your nephews, your nieces, your entire family and friends. The seeds you planted so well, so faithfully, so tenderly and so lovingly still grow in the hearts that you planted them in. God is faithful to see that those seeds will grow into full bloom and produce fruit in and out of season. Heres to..not the end of your destiny...but the beginning. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. In His presnce is fullness of joy and pleasures forever more. No eye has seen and no ear has heard the wonderful things He has in store for you, Kara, because you love him. I will see you again and when I do, I might give you a hug that lasts 100 years! :-) Afterall, whats a 100 years when we will have eternity together! Love you always and forever, Tara

My lil' princes will outgrow this land someday.....

Being a mother means warming up your same cup of coffee at least 4 times before you actually get to drink it because the kids need you. However ,I have decided that I want Noble to stay 12 weeks and Valor to stay 2 1/2 forever. I really love these ages! Valor remains my comic relief most of the day and Noble's smile, cuddling, and chuckles make my heart come alive. Both boys have absolutely stolen my heart. Valor has had a fun day. He told me Bob the Builder was here and I looked out the window and sure enough there was a man who looked like Bob the Builder working on a tree in our backyard. Valor has watched him most of the day. :-) Noble is starting to sleep 9 -10 hours a night and that is heavenly. He is such a joy....such a good, easy, sweet, loving, wonderful baby. Valor is such a good, loving, toddler and I adore him. I thank Jesus for Nobe and Valor. I'm just now truly getting the hang of two children. I'm finally taking risks by attending more than one activity a day. Not everyday. We actually rarely go anywhere except to Church and mammys. :-) I'v taken them to Walmart once and quickly realized by the time you get both kids in a cart...there is no more room for groceries! I had to rethink my trip and only get about 10 little things when in fact I needed about 100 things! :-) Everyday is a challenge to have patience, energy, get priorities straight, be a good mother and good wife, do my chores, play with children, spend time with God, be creative and raise my little disciples that God has given me. I am just now learning to take better care of myself and its not selfish for doing so! I have also started a new Mary Kay business....so life is hetic but fun right now (most days). Its a challenge but having a family is my dream come true. Staying home with my kiddos is huge dream God fullfilled for me. There is no place Id rather be than here with my kids and here in His love. Valor wakes up every morning and asks for his Daw (this is what he calls TJ) and then will say Daw is at work, working hard. He says he works hard for toys. :-) I love Valor and Noble and Tj. I love this land where my princes live. I get sad to think that someday my lil' boys will outgrow this land of princes. I cant imagine my life with out bubbles on the front porch, sidewalk chalk everywhere,a living room in which I dont trip over toys, a dining room that has exploded into a toy room, no more mickey mouse cartoons, cribs, little feet running down the hall to jump in bed with me, and no more "mama i need this or mama i need that". They will outgrow the silly songs I make up and the sword and water gun fights will eventually end. They will not always light up when i walk in the room,and they wont always run with all their guts to come give me a hug and kiss.The gobbling of thier cheeks will surely take its toll on them and they will ask me to stop doing that. I look in the back yard and see a swing, a little pool, and dump trucks, sticks, balls and slide. I cant stand the thought of my lil' boys outgrowing those things. They have brought me joy beyond my wildest imagination. However I'm reminded of all the things they will do for God and humanity and I almost cant wait to see that either! I watch our pastors enjoy their sons being used in their calling and giftings and it makes me long for the day when TJ and I can sit on the front row and smile,laugh, and praise God because our lil' princes are now doing big things for God. They may outgrow this land of princes but they will never exhaust or outgrow all the wonderful dreams and plans that God has for them. But until then....I'm going to enjoy my little boys that God has given me. Some days I want to cry because I'm tired and lack energy. Some days I want to pull out my hair. Some days my attitudde just stinks and the whole family pays for it. I regret those days. Some days I want to run away just to have some quiet time to think..to actually finish a thought without any interruptions. But most days, I'm living my dreams. I'm happy to be just where I am. In the middle of beautiful noise, snotty noses, sweet little giggles, precious toddler conversations and baby coos, wild chaos, peace, joy, tears, love, frustration, tiredness, zeal, repetition, security, happiness..all of which are a part of my sometimes fabulous and sometimes mundane life. My family and I are the hands of God and there is no better place to be!!!! Thank you God for my family that you have given to me. It is my dream come true. Give me the joy, energy, peace, sanity, creativity, strength and love to raise my little disciples into great men of God and to love my husband well. Thank you for my princes....may I take excellent care of them while they are in this land of mine.

Lifting my burdens .m4v