a new record

Thanks to all who stopped by to read Carter's Story!! I set a new record yesterday of hits to my blog. I guess people like to read a great story!! I love this blogging thing . . . thanks Becky!!

Carter turns 2 . . . his birth story

I have been thinking about that day 2 years ago when my sweet toddler was born. He came into the world as most babies do, but it was a little . . . unconventional!!

I was so excited when we made the decision to have him at home! It fit into our new "homeopathic" approach to most of our other health issues. I was thrilled to have a Hunny that was supportive of such a decision. So, we found a midwife, took the classes, educated ourselves, and we were off!! There was no turning back!! I knew all along that I was not afraid of "what if's" if he was born at home, I was just afraid of the PAIN!!! My previous two births were in a traditional hospital setting with epidurals!!! I never felt any pain!!!

The day came! The midwife came to my house for my check-up and I was 6 days away from my due date!! I was just sure that I was going to be pregnant for 42+ weeks and here I was committed to having this baby at home . . . ok a "what if" did creep in!! At that appointment, Karin, the midwife assured me that all would be fine. She gave me a run down of the biology of the whole thing! I think that put me into relax mode!!!! I felt very assured!!

She checked my cervix and I was dialated 4cm and I hadn't had any contractions yet!! (I know some women are in hard labor for days and only dialate 2cm . . . thank God I didn't have this experience.) She thinned the membrane in the cervix, but she told me she didn't know if she did a very good job. I didn't expect much. A few hours later, I was having contractions. YEAH!!

Shannon came home from work and the midwife came back over. I labored at home!!!! It was AWESOME!! My sis came over to help out with the other kids. I could eat and drink whatever I wanted. I wasn't hooked to a machine! I walked the neighborhood while in labor!!! At 10:00PM she checked me and I was ready to push!! I got into the birthing tub and had a few VERY VERY PAINFUL contractions and then . . . the baby was here!!!

I have to admit that I didn't handle the pain as well as I told myself I would!! I didn't "focus" or think about God's awesome creation that He chose me to carry . . . none of that . . . I SCREAMED MY HEAD OFF!!!! IT HURT!!! I kept waiting for someone to tell me to push and then stop pushing, like they do in the hospital . . . but the only person that knew when a contraction was coming was ME . . . so I just kept pushing because it just kept hurting!!!!

When Carter arrived . . . I wasn't overwhelmed with emotion and crying because of the beauty of the moment. All I could think about was how much that hurt . . . I was glad it was over!!!!! The first thing I said was, "That hurt so bad!!"

On the good side, I got to sleep in my own bed that night. My big kids got to see carter come into the world . . . in their jammies!! Then my sister made eggs for everyone . . . at midnight or so. No one poked and prodded either of us. No one came in to bother me all night!! It was one of the most exciting experiences of my life!! I am proud of the fact that despite my fear of the pain, I persevered. God was with me through it all, and I hope I have the opportunity to do it again someday!!

Happy Birthday Carter!

Slow Down and READ the Word

I have been reading Ruth and I must say that there are times when I struggle to S L O W D O W N enough to read MORE than just what is simply written on the page!! I have recently been reading audreycaroline.blogspot.com. She posted about that very subject . . . Slowing down in order to hear what God has to say.

. . . So I was reading Ruth!! I was soaking it in too!! (I don't want to hurry through the book just to be able to say, "I read an entire book of the Bible!!") God provided for Ruth and Naomi in ways that seemed wayyy too coincidental. Ruth just happened to be gleaning in the field of one of her husband's family. Boaz just so happened to notice her. He showed her kindness and gentleness in ways that only God can.

When things seem crazy to me, I simply rest in the fact the HE provides everything I will ever need!! He shows up in ways I never expect.

CHAPTER 2
4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The LORD be with you!"
"The LORD bless you!" they called back.

5 Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, "Whose young woman is that?"

6 The foreman replied, "She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.' She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter."

8 So Boaz said to Ruth, "My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled."

10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?"

11 Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

13 "May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls."

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar."
When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. 15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, "Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don't embarrass her. 16 Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don't rebuke her."

17 So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. [a] 18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.

19 Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!"
Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz," she said.

20 "The LORD bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers."

21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "He even said to me, 'Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.' "

22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else's field you might be harmed."

23 So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Bloggity Bliss

I have really enjoyed this "blogging thing!" It is such a fun way to journal family happenings and special events! It brings people closer that live so far apart. Friends can stay in touch in ways that were never possible in the pre-cyberspace era! (I can barely remember those days!!)

One of my favorite parts is using the sitemeter link to see who is visiting my blog!! That is fun!! My average hits per day is up to 15!! That is pretty good for . . . a homeschooling, crunchy, kid lovin', house cleanin', imperfect, Jesus servin' Momma!!! People have visited my blog from all over the world and right here is good ol' Wesley Chapel!!

Thanks to all my visitors!! I am so happy that you have stopped by!! I would love to get a comment from you and become "blogging buddies!"

what we did on our mission trip

WOW! What a trip! Carley and I had such a great time of bonding, serving, praying, giving, and much more!

We flew into Rapid City, SD (a small town of only 60,000 people, but very touristy because of Mt. Rushmore) on Friday and after getting rental cars, and settling into our hotel for that night we went to dinner. It was a local joint with lots of interesting items on the menu, including "Rocky Mountain Oytsters." I chose to pass this time because I hear that this kind of "seafood" "will leave you hanging for a long time!"

The next morning we went to Mt Rushmore, did our grocery shopping at Walmart and Sams for our week ahead. Then we were off to Lower Brule! We had a 3 hour trip ahead. Thank goodness for the walkie talkies and the "I'm going to South Dakota and I'm going to take a A WORD, B WORD, C WORD, etc" game. It really passed the time! By the time we got to Lower Brule Indian Reservation, we were tired and hungry.


The missionaries greeted us and let us use their kitchen to make dinner at 11:30PM! The next morning was church. We went early to pray and believe God for great things. I helped out in kids church and it was a great time. The children were responsive and interested in what Rebecca, the missionary, shared. One of them brought a cat into the service. When someone would take him out, he would find his way back. I have never been in a service where animals were welcome!! LOL

*Let me interject that the church had a great kitchen and we cooked all meals there. We bought enough food to feed our 11 team members plus the missionaries, Randy and Rebecca for 6 days. At every meal we feed no less that 17 people. God multiplied the food because no one went hungry! In fact we probably gained weight b/c there was so much food!.



On Sunday afternoon, we canvased the local neighborhoods, knocking on doors and inviting children to our MEGA SPORTS CAMP! It was a long day because we switched time zones several times. We were beat.

On Monday, the day we had been waiting for, we got up early to distribute more flyers where we knew there would be lots of children. We prayed, prepared, and panicked . . . we didn't know what to expect! When 1:00 rolled around the children started filing in. We had 75 kids! That was the most they had ever had at any event in that community before. We were extatic, exhuberant, and by the days' end, exhausted. We really didn't have the manpower to handle that many! So we rearranged a few things and worked out a few kinks, and the rest of the week we averaged about 40 kids.

I was so tired after Monday's Sports Camp that I slept 12 hours!! It was emotionally draining! Being in another culture is mentally exhausting. (It was worth every minute!)


Oh, I don't think I told you, yet . . . I was a basketball coach at the MEGA SPORTS CAMP!!! If you know me you are rolling on the floor laughing right now! I am super athletically challeneged and God has a real sense of humor! He definatley had me "outside my comfort zone!!!" That is what you are supposed to do on Missions Trips, right . . . be flexible! Do what needs to be done!! I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was almost in tears! God was my strength because, He knows that is the only way I could have made it through that . . . sports camp!


Tuesday we went to the Tribal Office and got a great tour and had lots of questions. One day we went to the Wildlife center, where they have lots of animals that were once real and are now stuffed. They had so much info about the local wildlife! We also went to the local Popcorn Factory. It was in a little warehouse. The Tribe is one of the largest suppliers of popcorn in the world! They sell to Orville Reddenbacher, ship it all over the world, and all the proceeds go to the tribe. We also did a hike up some AMAZING hills. We saw a rattlesnake and a BIG, FAT wolf spider. (There was so much neat wildlife there that we don't have in FL!)


On Friday after all the Sports Camp events were over, we went to the POW WOW! The people wore their native clothes and did traditional dances. It was an AWESOME cultural experience. I took lots of pics and videos.

Then early Saturday morning we left Lower Brule and headed back to Rapid City. Another 3 hour trek. This time we stopped on the way at The Badlands National Park. It was one of the most beautiful sights to behold. God used His exclusive paintbrush that has colors that you can't find anywhere else on this planet. His majesty revealed!

Then it was a long stop at Wall Drug! The world's biggest Drug Store, where you can get cold water for FREE!!!!! (IT's an inside joke!!)

When we got back to Rapid City, we had made reservations at this lowly motel that seemed like such a good deal!! (only $54 per night! Thanks Angel!) The shock of the motel, made my mind spin . . . be FLEXIBLE, JAMIE!!


We went to a cowboy dinner show for our meal that night. Then we heard about the evening illumination and show at Mt Rushmore and so we went to experience that. Do you know how COLD it gets in SD when the sun goes down? Like 50!! We were freezing!

The day we went to eat breakfast for $.99 at the place where they filmed Dances with Wolves. That was cool! Then we walked around a little craft fair to pass our time.

Then it was time to go to the airport. We made it home at about midnight! I was just happy to give/get hugs and kisses to my family! I missed them like crazy!

More about what God did in me . . . later

What an AWESOME trip!!

We did so many amazing things and God worked in so many ways!! I have so much to share that I don't know where to start!!
. . . I should start with the laundry . . . so I'll write more later!! I can't wait to share!!

I'm in South Dakota

Hi all! We arrived safely and we are exploring like crazy!! This is a beautiful part of God's creation! We feel so blessed to be here! Today we will do some sight seeing at Mt Rushmore. Then we will drive 3 hours to the town in which we will be doing our VBS!! It will be an awesome time of serving God in practical ways! PLease continue to pray for our safety and our ministry!! (And you may want to whisper a prayer for the rest of the family left in FL. There is a lot to keep Shannon busy with to very active little boys!)

Help out a friend!

"Blessed with Olive Plants" son is in this group and raising funds!! Do what you can to help him out!!


Teen Bible Quiz Nationals competition

Breakfast Fundraiser


Victorious Life Church FIRST Teen Bible Quiz team trip to NATIONALS competition. Our competition takes place in Green Bay, Wisconsin! We need your help to get there!

Breakfast ($6)
Home fries, scrambled eggs and sausage or ham. New York Style!

When? Saturday, June 7th
8 to 10 am.

Call to place your order. Please tell your neighbors and family. We will deliver in the New Tampa area or call me if you like to pick up. Thanks so much! = ]

Monica
(813) 394 7456

Serving Christ Across Cultural Barriers

I am so excited to share that Carley and I will be going to SD to an Indian Reservation. We will be doing a Vacation Bible School for the local children. I am looking forward to seeing God bless my daughter in a special way. We have been preparing for this for quite some time and now we are ready for whatever the Lord has for us!! We leave on Friday and we will be gone for 10 days! We will be in Lower Brule, SD which has a population of 599 people. The closest Walmart is 1 hour away. We will be in a different culture serving people that are very different from ourselves. The Sioux Tribe is the primary group of indians. The reservation where we will be staying has 1300 people on it. Carley has been fascinated with Native Americans for a few years now and she is so excited to be able to minister to them in this way!! Please pray for us as we minister and as we leave behind part of our family. It will be different for all of us.

PRAISE: We sent out letters asking for support. Many of you so graciously donated to our cause and we raised ALL of the money we needed in order to make the trip!! Now that is God's blessing!! Thank you Jesus for making this trip possible! All the glory goes to YOU!!!

What I'm reading . . .

I am thrilled to be introduced to classical education. This is so much fun!! Can't wait to get started on Latin!! I already ordered the stuff and my munchkins are pumped!!

a selfish act

I was recently out to eat with a large group of people. The group was people from all different avenues and walks of life and we were all brought together by the sports team that our kids shared. I was mingling around the group, talking to all the moms. (I have little in common with most of them!!) I finally found a comfy spot next to a mom that had a six week old infant. I just love babies!!

Let me start by saying that I don't judge people who don't "do life" like I "do life!" If you are a "send your kids to school" mom, a "working" mom, a "work at home" mom, etc, I am fully accepting of that!! You have the freedom to choose what works best for your family. Sometimes these decisions are made without thinking past "the NOW!" "I have to work!" she may say. "I don't have the patience to homeschool!" she may say!! OR she might not say anything at all!! I have meet so many people that are on the defense and wish they would have just made the sacrifice. It happens all the time!!

. . . now back to my story. . . . this mom with the baby is a career mom!! She has her baby in daycare and she goes out and works all day!!! Well, this baby started crying. She gave him a bottle but that didn't soothe him. She told me he wanted to be nursed, but he is just going to have to get used to the bottle because at daycare they can't nurse him. So consequently he proceeded to cry . . . a lot!!

My heart was just broken!! Her baby wanted the soothing comfort that only she could give and she refused to comfort him. She is a modern woman and didn't want to be tied down by breast feeding. God designed woman to be nurturing and sensitive to the needs of her children. When she ignores that sense in order to satisfy her OWN needs, I think that God is sad!! It is simply a selfish act.

I was sad!!