Butterflies and Bean Blossoms!

We have butterflies! It happened yesterday while we were away! Our crysilides birthed their butterflies...three at first, and then two more last night. One hundred percent success!

I Love Life!

I have gone back and forth about using this site. I think I shall continue it from my philosophical and spiritual thoughts. I need to articulate some of these things, but want to save my other blog for homeschooling and Cystic Fibrosis and nanny networking types of comments.

So, here I go! I love my life right now! I love being grandma to six beautiful kids, three of whom I am a nanny for. But all of them are special. I use code names for them online because, unfortunately, there are some not-so-well meaning people out there. I know this seems fairly safe, but they are not actually MY children legally...just grandchildren...so to be on the safe side, I shall use code here as well.

But today I am not revealing codes. Today I want to thank God for my life. Not just as a grandmother, although that is a huge part of who I am. I thank God for my husband. I really didn't think my life would be fun and healthy and happy again, after I faced the terrible no-no (in the Christian world) of divorce nine years ago.
I was riddled with shame and embarrassment even though I maintained the support of my church and entire denomination. Although there were seven ministers involved in the whole ordeal, I still felt hopeless and lost. And terribly ashamed. Then there were the friends who accepted the divorce but thought that I should stay single the rest of my life. Funny thing, so did I. I went through the normal depression, loneliness, and financial challenges of dovorcees. Yet. through it all, I came to know the heart of God in a much deeper way than I had ever before.

I had been on staff at two different churches and held a ministerial license. So, this divorce stuff was a huge deal to me. I appreciate so much the support I got from my church. I still had a teenager at home when it all began...

Then I found myself totally alone...and comfortable with the thought of a new relationship! This came about through lots of prayer and soul-searching! And counsel. It was going to be hard to explain to friends that after 27 years of being married to the man they knew, I was in a new relationship. Some people assumed that my first husband and I would eventually get back together. They knew no facts. They only assumed they knew us. By this time, that was not even a possibility on his end.

Anyway, God shared many things with me through His Word, friends, sermons and speaking directly to my heart. After over three years of being alone, God sent a man from my own church into my life. If I had put on paper all the qualifications I wanted in a man, I might have missed him! But God knew who I needed! He promises to grant us the desires of our hearts AS WE DELIGHT IN HIM! So, when He truly became my delight, God prepared and changed my heart to fit HIS plan. Steve and I were married May 7, 2005 after dating almost two years! I am so totally happy!

I learned to rely on God as a single mom, and a single woman. I learned to lean on His provision and cast all my cares on Him. I learned who I am in HIM! I learned that I need only HIM...and then HE gave me the perfect someone. I am not so naive as to say Steve is perfect. But he is perfect for ME!

And then God, only eight months ago, moved us to another church. This was total change..including denominationally...but I am again in awe...

I love our church! I watched with intrigue recently as the worship team led us...a group made up of people from all walks of life, all ages, all cultures! There is a man from an African nation, several single parents, youth, and an lady in her eighties, representing all cultures and economic circumstances...tall, dressy, casual, plain, etc. There is a youth playing drums and another leading worship with his mother...and playing guitar. Another youth (girl) on another guitar. A bearded short man also with a guitar...an older gentleman playing sax...and a young girl too...and a middle-aged man on a trumpet, and a little younger one on a trombone! We were all worshipping together! We have people with "disabilities" teaching classes. We have older women and men ministering in various capacities, including cleaning the church and assisting with building projects, and manning the nursry. There are youth helping with children's ministry and many other things. Even though it is a larger church, we have made many friends and feel connected in fresh new ways.

I have gotten involved in children's ministry again. And I love it. I would have to say that God certainly knows what He is doing in my life! And I love it! It does have its challenges, but that is what keeps us going!