I apologize up front that there are no pictures of this wonderful dish. My boys devoured it up before I even thought about getting out my camera. Oh well! I love when they fully enjoy what I cook for them.
What You Need:
3-6 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 bottle hickory barbecue sauce
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 small can mandarin oranges, mostly drained
1 bag frozen peppers and onions mixture
1/4-1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2-1 c. dark brown sugar
salt and pepper
What You Do:
Mix barbecue sauce, crushed pineapple, pineapple chunks, oranges, peppers, onions, ginger and sugar. Pour a think layer into bottom of crock pot. Generously salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast. Place on top of barbecue sauce layer. Pour the rest of the barbecue mixture over the chicken. Cook in crock pot on Low for about 4-5 hours. (Cooking time will vary depending on your crock pot.)
Shred or cut chicken into chunks. Stir chicken and sauce together. Serve over your choice of rice. We used teriyaki rice.
Blessings,
Cindy
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Beef Tamale Bake
What you need:
BASE:
1 box corn muffin mix
1 can cream style corn
1 can mexi-corn
1/3 c. milk
1/3 c. Mexican Shredded Cheese (I used Kraft's with Philly Cream Cheese in it.)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Sour cream, optional for topping
TOPPINGS:
1 jar enchilada sauce
1-3 pounds of ground beef (I used 2 lbs, but you could easily adapt for more or less), browned with 1 chopped onion, salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander
1 c. Mexican Shredded Cheese
What to do:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the ingredients for the base. Pour into a greased 9x13 oven-safe dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes until set. Remove from oven and poke holes all over with a fork.
Pour enchilada sauce over base and spread around to make sure some goes into the holes you made. Add ground beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 20 more minutes.
It was a huge hit with my husband, Doug! He told me several times how great it was. I also thought it was quite delicious.
Enjoy! Let me know if you try it.
Blessings,
Cindy
Monday, January 16, 2012
Cody (Part 3)
If you haven't read Part 1 go here first. Part 2 is here.
As you can tell from the previous posts, God has definitely had His hand on Cody even before birth! Truly, God had chosen Cody even before the foundations of the earth to use for His glory! You would think that the stories previously told would be enough. But God had other plans for Cody and still does!
About a year ago, Cody came to me after youth group one Wednesday night and told me that he had been saved. This was a little bit of a shock for me because I truly had believed he had been saved as a young child. Looking back I realize that was just a Momma wanting to believe her son was saved. (There's a story here about our other boys, too. That will have to wait for another time.) He poured out his heart to me. God was speaking to Cody in big ways, yet quiet ways. This time, it wasn't a wish or a hope. This time Cody was a different young man! He changed who he spent most of his time with. He changed his attitude. He changed how he approached situations. Well, let's be real here...God changed these things in Cody! Cody was living to serve his Savior!
During the summer of last year, our church held its annual Jeru missions focus where we do different types of community projects and block parties...missions right in our backyard! I happened to be in school training during that week. I knew all 3 boys were working on Jeru projects. They were all passionate about participating. As I sat in a training class at my school, my phone buzzed. I looked and saw that it was Doug and knew that he wouldn't call unless something was wrong. His voice sounded shaky. He went on to tell me that Cody had been hit across the face with a shovel during some landscaping work. Okay...pause here. A shovel across the face...I don't know about the images that popped into your mind, but the images I saw that day in my head were horrific!
Doug told me that Cody was on his way to the ER with the youth minister. I told him I'd be right there. Oh wait...my car was at my dear friend's house where Brooke was babysitting for the most amazing baby ever! (I'm a little partial to the sweet boy!) Jayne (mom of the sweetest baby) came out to check on me and we both left in a hurry to take me to get my car. We prayed on the way. I prayed all the way to the ER.
The shovel had gone right across Cody's nose...right between his eyes! However, it was a cut that only needed a few stitches. His nose was not broken. His eyes were fine! He didn't have a concusion! Once again, God had protected him. That is just exactly the message Cody shared! (After a little teasing of his cousin/friend who had whopped him across the face with the shovel.) Cody went right back to the missions projects as soon as he left the ER.
Enough? You would think! However, just a few weeks ago, God once again displayed his mighty power in Cody's life. We were home on a cold night. Cody was in our bedroom with us talking about how bored he was. (Famous last words.) Doug suggested to Cody to go out and start burning the brush pile where Doug had been cleaning out our creek. Within minutes...
As you can tell from the previous posts, God has definitely had His hand on Cody even before birth! Truly, God had chosen Cody even before the foundations of the earth to use for His glory! You would think that the stories previously told would be enough. But God had other plans for Cody and still does!
About a year ago, Cody came to me after youth group one Wednesday night and told me that he had been saved. This was a little bit of a shock for me because I truly had believed he had been saved as a young child. Looking back I realize that was just a Momma wanting to believe her son was saved. (There's a story here about our other boys, too. That will have to wait for another time.) He poured out his heart to me. God was speaking to Cody in big ways, yet quiet ways. This time, it wasn't a wish or a hope. This time Cody was a different young man! He changed who he spent most of his time with. He changed his attitude. He changed how he approached situations. Well, let's be real here...God changed these things in Cody! Cody was living to serve his Savior!
During the summer of last year, our church held its annual Jeru missions focus where we do different types of community projects and block parties...missions right in our backyard! I happened to be in school training during that week. I knew all 3 boys were working on Jeru projects. They were all passionate about participating. As I sat in a training class at my school, my phone buzzed. I looked and saw that it was Doug and knew that he wouldn't call unless something was wrong. His voice sounded shaky. He went on to tell me that Cody had been hit across the face with a shovel during some landscaping work. Okay...pause here. A shovel across the face...I don't know about the images that popped into your mind, but the images I saw that day in my head were horrific!
Doug told me that Cody was on his way to the ER with the youth minister. I told him I'd be right there. Oh wait...my car was at my dear friend's house where Brooke was babysitting for the most amazing baby ever! (I'm a little partial to the sweet boy!) Jayne (mom of the sweetest baby) came out to check on me and we both left in a hurry to take me to get my car. We prayed on the way. I prayed all the way to the ER.
The shovel had gone right across Cody's nose...right between his eyes! However, it was a cut that only needed a few stitches. His nose was not broken. His eyes were fine! He didn't have a concusion! Once again, God had protected him. That is just exactly the message Cody shared! (After a little teasing of his cousin/friend who had whopped him across the face with the shovel.) Cody went right back to the missions projects as soon as he left the ER.
Enough? You would think! However, just a few weeks ago, God once again displayed his mighty power in Cody's life. We were home on a cold night. Cody was in our bedroom with us talking about how bored he was. (Famous last words.) Doug suggested to Cody to go out and start burning the brush pile where Doug had been cleaning out our creek. Within minutes...
BOOM!
The explosion we heard was so loud it sounded like someone standing in the room with us and shooting a gun. Our house shook from that boom! I yelled to Dougie that it had to be Cody! I ran from my bedroom to our kitchen and Cody was already (within seconds) walking in through the back door. Understand, our back door was quite some distance from where the fire was. He was dazed and weak! I got him on the ground to keep him from fainting. Took his coat off him to see how badly burned he was. His hair was black from being singed, as were his eyebrows and the rest of his facial hair. His hand was badly burned and we could already see where blisters were forming. When he coughed, we could smell smoke and...gasoline! Yep...he had accidentally used gas instead of kerosene.
He kept saying he would be fine. He wanted to take a shower to get the burned hair off of him. The smell of gas coming out when he coughed was most concerning to me along with his hand. When he got out of the shower, his hand was hurting pretty bad and the corner of his eye was tender. The smell of the burned hair and flesh still hung heavy in the air. We headed for the ER.
When we arrived at the hospital, they immediately took him back to assess the burns and any other injuries. Miraculously, let me repeat that...MIRACULOUSLY Cody's lungs were completely clear! COMPLETELY CLEAR! The burn around his eye was already feeling better. However, his hand was hurting horribly. They dressed the burn, gave him something for pain, and cleared him of all other injuries! Praise the Lord!
Yet again, God had protected Cody from what could have meant severe burns all over his body or even his death! By the very next day, Cody's hand was already healing. He didn't need pain medicine after that morning.
Last summer God called Cody to full-time ministry! While he is unsure of the exacts of it all, he is sure God has a plan for him to reach people with the Gospel! I don't know what God's plans are. But one thing I know for sure...
(One of Cody's senior pictures...taken by the VERY talented Rebekah Travis)
God has had his hand on Cody since before time. He has protected him over and over from injury and death. I'm looking forward to seeing all that God has in store for our Baby B--Cody!
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14
Blessings,
Cindy
Friday, January 13, 2012
Our MIracle Son (One of them anyway) Part 2
If you haven't read part 1, please go here first to read about the miraculous beginning of Cody's life.
Cody was an energetic, loving toddler! He adored the Lion King and Spider Man. He carried a little Simba action figure with him everywhere he went. EVERYWHERE! When he liked something you knew it! When he didn't like something, you knew that, too! He hated getting his hair cut and having his nails clipped. He would scream to the top of his lungs, "IT HURTS!!! MOMMY, IT HURTS!" No amount of consoling would change his feelings on the matter, either. He was a passionate child.
Fast forward to the spring semester of first grade. At this time, Blake and Cody were 6. (Dale was 5. That means Brooke was 8.) Needless to say, our house was always buzzing.
We live out in the country on ten acres with a wonderful creek that meanders around our property. There are lots of trees! There are many things for young boys to get into. Our boys were climbing trees by the time they could walk...or at least it seemed that way.
It was the week of Spring Break. At the time, I worked for a private preschool that was on the same schedule as the public schools. We were all home for Spring Break. This particular day (the Monday of break) was a beautiful day...perfect temperature, sun shining. It was a great day for the kids to be outside playing. The boys often roamed around behind our house while we would go in and out to check on them.
Late that afternoon, one of the boys (I don't remember if it was Blake or Dale) came running into the house and said that Cody had fallen out of a tree. We raced out the back door and Cody was limping toward the back deck. Just the relief that he was up and walking flooded over us. However, when we got him in the house he couldn't breathe and was crying because he was hurting. He couldn't tell us exactly how he was hurting. He knew his foot hurt, but he basically was hurting all over.
My parents rushed up to our house. I was trying to soothe Cody and at the same time telling Doug that we needed to go to the hospital. Doug (being the man that he is) said something like, "Oh, he'll be alright! After all, he walked to the house." Doug went outside to see where he fell. When he came back in he told us that Cody had fallen 12 feet out of the tree and another 6 feet into the creekbed. My tiny little boy had fallen 18 feet! My mother and I had decided we would go to the hospital with or without Doug. It ended up that Doug and I took him to Kosair hospital and my parents stayed with our other children.
The staff at Kosair immediately took him to a trauma room. They ran x-ray after x-ray after x-ray. He had broken his foot right at the growth plate. He would have to put no weight on it for some time. At that point, we were once again relieved and thankful that his injury, while serious, was so much less than it could have been. The doctors decided that Cody should stay overnight for observation.
That night, Cody would cry out in extreme pain everytime he moved. Something wasn't right and this Momma knew it! It really makes no sense that I thought something else was wrong when the doctors were saying there wasn't anything else. After all, Cody was going to hurt; he had fallen hard and a long distance. The only explanation is that God prompted me to know something more was wrong. I pestered and complained to the attending physician until he finally relented and said they would do a scan of Cody's spine from top to bottom. He said to me, "I'm only doing this to prove to you that nothing is wrong." I said, "Great! I hope you are right!" Grrrr! That still gets under my skin when I think about it. Anyway, I digress.
Becky, my sister had come to visit Cody and told Doug and me to go get something to eat. We went downstairs to McD's and came right back to Cody's room. We weren't gone 20 minutes. Becky met us at the door and told us that the doctor had come in and told her that Cody had to lay flat on his back and couldn't move. The scan showed that he had broken his back. I can't even type this without crying. A broken back?! What would that mean? What will they need to do? How can we control his pain? If he moves, will he end up being paralyzed? Oh so many questions.
Of course, we were praying through all this, but the urgency became even more intense. Cody had to lay flat on his back for several days in that hospital bed until they could make a custom turtle-style back brace. He had so many prayer warriors interceding for him.
We spent a full week at Kosair's. Cody would come home in the back brace, wheelchair, and a walker. He could not get up at all without the brace. He could not put any weight on his foot so he had to be in the wheelchair. The walker was for moving small distances around the house. We moved his bed into the living room to care for him 24/7. Cody finished his first grade year home-bound. He spent from April through the end of July in the brace and the wheelchair.
It wasn't until we were past the initial shock of his injuries that we realized how God had protected him the day he fell from the tree. Cody probably didn't weigh 35 pounds at the time. (Our boys have always been tiny. That is until they started getting taller and taller.) He fell 18 feet into a rocky creekbed hitting branches on his way down. He walked to the house on a broken foot and with a broken back. BUT GOD protected him! Cody could have just as easily been killed that day. Beyond the initial fall, Cody could have been paralyzed because of a delay in the diagnosis of the broken back. BUT GOD had other plans for Cody.
Cody was an energetic, loving toddler! He adored the Lion King and Spider Man. He carried a little Simba action figure with him everywhere he went. EVERYWHERE! When he liked something you knew it! When he didn't like something, you knew that, too! He hated getting his hair cut and having his nails clipped. He would scream to the top of his lungs, "IT HURTS!!! MOMMY, IT HURTS!" No amount of consoling would change his feelings on the matter, either. He was a passionate child.
Fast forward to the spring semester of first grade. At this time, Blake and Cody were 6. (Dale was 5. That means Brooke was 8.) Needless to say, our house was always buzzing.
We live out in the country on ten acres with a wonderful creek that meanders around our property. There are lots of trees! There are many things for young boys to get into. Our boys were climbing trees by the time they could walk...or at least it seemed that way.
It was the week of Spring Break. At the time, I worked for a private preschool that was on the same schedule as the public schools. We were all home for Spring Break. This particular day (the Monday of break) was a beautiful day...perfect temperature, sun shining. It was a great day for the kids to be outside playing. The boys often roamed around behind our house while we would go in and out to check on them.
Late that afternoon, one of the boys (I don't remember if it was Blake or Dale) came running into the house and said that Cody had fallen out of a tree. We raced out the back door and Cody was limping toward the back deck. Just the relief that he was up and walking flooded over us. However, when we got him in the house he couldn't breathe and was crying because he was hurting. He couldn't tell us exactly how he was hurting. He knew his foot hurt, but he basically was hurting all over.
My parents rushed up to our house. I was trying to soothe Cody and at the same time telling Doug that we needed to go to the hospital. Doug (being the man that he is) said something like, "Oh, he'll be alright! After all, he walked to the house." Doug went outside to see where he fell. When he came back in he told us that Cody had fallen 12 feet out of the tree and another 6 feet into the creekbed. My tiny little boy had fallen 18 feet! My mother and I had decided we would go to the hospital with or without Doug. It ended up that Doug and I took him to Kosair hospital and my parents stayed with our other children.
The staff at Kosair immediately took him to a trauma room. They ran x-ray after x-ray after x-ray. He had broken his foot right at the growth plate. He would have to put no weight on it for some time. At that point, we were once again relieved and thankful that his injury, while serious, was so much less than it could have been. The doctors decided that Cody should stay overnight for observation.
That night, Cody would cry out in extreme pain everytime he moved. Something wasn't right and this Momma knew it! It really makes no sense that I thought something else was wrong when the doctors were saying there wasn't anything else. After all, Cody was going to hurt; he had fallen hard and a long distance. The only explanation is that God prompted me to know something more was wrong. I pestered and complained to the attending physician until he finally relented and said they would do a scan of Cody's spine from top to bottom. He said to me, "I'm only doing this to prove to you that nothing is wrong." I said, "Great! I hope you are right!" Grrrr! That still gets under my skin when I think about it. Anyway, I digress.
Becky, my sister had come to visit Cody and told Doug and me to go get something to eat. We went downstairs to McD's and came right back to Cody's room. We weren't gone 20 minutes. Becky met us at the door and told us that the doctor had come in and told her that Cody had to lay flat on his back and couldn't move. The scan showed that he had broken his back. I can't even type this without crying. A broken back?! What would that mean? What will they need to do? How can we control his pain? If he moves, will he end up being paralyzed? Oh so many questions.
Of course, we were praying through all this, but the urgency became even more intense. Cody had to lay flat on his back for several days in that hospital bed until they could make a custom turtle-style back brace. He had so many prayer warriors interceding for him.
We spent a full week at Kosair's. Cody would come home in the back brace, wheelchair, and a walker. He could not get up at all without the brace. He could not put any weight on his foot so he had to be in the wheelchair. The walker was for moving small distances around the house. We moved his bed into the living room to care for him 24/7. Cody finished his first grade year home-bound. He spent from April through the end of July in the brace and the wheelchair.
It wasn't until we were past the initial shock of his injuries that we realized how God had protected him the day he fell from the tree. Cody probably didn't weigh 35 pounds at the time. (Our boys have always been tiny. That is until they started getting taller and taller.) He fell 18 feet into a rocky creekbed hitting branches on his way down. He walked to the house on a broken foot and with a broken back. BUT GOD protected him! Cody could have just as easily been killed that day. Beyond the initial fall, Cody could have been paralyzed because of a delay in the diagnosis of the broken back. BUT GOD had other plans for Cody.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
To guard you in all your ways.
Psalm 91:11
Part 3--coming soon.
Blessings,
Cindy
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Our Miracle Son (one of them anyway)--Part 1
The events of this past week have found me pondering on the life of our 'middle' son. Really, Cody shares the first son position with his twin brother. It just happens that Cody was born 2 minutes after Blake, thus the middle son title. As I thought about Cody's life...from the time in my womb until now at almost 18 years old, I realized more than ever that God's hand has been upon him in mighty ways and know that God has wonderful plans for his future. Let's back up to the winter of 1993 or a little before.
I had always wanted twins and had prayed and prayed that God would bless me with twins! When I was pregnant with our daughter in the winter of 1991-92, my sister was also pregnant. I knew I was having 1 precious baby and I was so thankful! Then, my sister found out that she was having twins! While it didn't decrease my thankfulness for our baby on the way, I must admit that my heart sank! I thought some not-so-nice thoughts. After all, I HAD PRAYED FOR TWINS! I wanted twins. I really thought she got pregnant just because I was pregnant! (Yes--I'm the spoiled baby of our family!) Oh my, the battle that waged within me about the twins! Once our beautiful babies were born, I helped daily with Alex and Austin, while we also cared for Brooke. Those were some difficult but amazing days!
Fast forward two years to the winter of 1993...November to be exact so really the fall, I suppose. I had recently found out that I was pregant again! What a blessing! We always knew we wanted a large family. Doug and I were so excited! So much was going on in our lives at the time. We had bought land several years earlier and the time had come to start building our house. The night before the foundation was to be dug, I started bleeding. I was devastated even before knowing what was causing it. I worried and fretted all night. I called the doctor and he told me to wait until the morning and see what happened and then go straight to his office. We already had plans for Dougie and a family friend to start digging for the foundation, so he couldn't go with me. A dear friend from church said she would go with me. We waited and she was such an encouragement and comfort. At this point, I was only a few weeks pregnant. (I always knew almost at conception. I was blessed with morning, mid-morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night, and even middle of the night sickness!)
The doctor had decided to go ahead and do an ultrasound to see what was going on. The technician doing the ultrasound was so sweet. She started the procedure and turned the screen to look at it closely. This scared me to death! Then, she looked at me with a perplexed expression. She turned the screen to me and asked..."Is there a history of multiple births in your or your husband's family?" By this time, my friend's eyes were as big as saucers! I said, "Actually, yes. My sister just had twins about 1 1/2 years ago." The technician went on to point out two teeny tiny blips on the screen. I was so early on that all that was visible were two amazing beautiful, awe-inspiring, blips on the screen. There were TWO heartbeats! I WAS EXPECTING TWINS!
We rushed to the property where Doug was working and shared the news! He turned as pale as a person can turn. I thought he might pass out! Then, the digging of the foundation stopped! We needed to add more room. :) Isn't God's timing perfect?!
Fast forward a few months into the pregnancy. Expecting twins in 1994 meant that I was privileged to have multiple ultrasounds unlike with Brooke when I had only 1. During an ultrasound appointment, the technician abruptly left the room. When she came back, she had a doctor with her. Once again, my heart sank! The doctor explained to me that Baby B (Cody) had something wrong with one of his kidneys. He explained that I needed to follow-up with my OB/GYN and also consult with our pediatrician. He then went on to strongly suggest that after those consultations, we come back to the hospital to have selective reduction counseling because of all that the kidney 'malformation' could mean.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOU WANT ME TO CHOOSE TO REDUCE MY TWINS TO ONE? YOU WANT ME TO CHOOSE TO END THE LIFE OF THIS BABY THAT I HAD PRAYED ABOUT FOR SO LONG?
Well, I did talk to my OB/GYN and told him point blank that the only choice to be made is leaving this baby in my God's hands and trusting that God has a plan for him! Thankfully, my doctor completely agreed!
We continued through the pregnancy, having ultrasound after ultrasound. Each time, the kidney problem seemed to either stay the same or be a little worse. Doug and I took the concern to our church family at the time. Our church family prayed over my sons, even while I was pregnant. When Blake and Cody were born, they immediately started doing tests on Cody's kidneys and other things, as well. Both babies seemed perfectly healthy, except Cody's kidney still wasn't quite developed the way they said it should be. All those "birth defects" the doctors were concerned about...NONE!
Again, we took our concerns to our church family. This time, the church prayed over Cody. I still get chills when I remember that day. God's power that flowed through those believers was overwhelming! At Cody's next check-up, his kidney showed no signs of any malformation!
These were the first things God did for Cody. Psalms 139:13 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb." God was at work in the life of Cody even before time began. God also had big plans for Cody as he grew.
Part 2 coming soon.
I had always wanted twins and had prayed and prayed that God would bless me with twins! When I was pregnant with our daughter in the winter of 1991-92, my sister was also pregnant. I knew I was having 1 precious baby and I was so thankful! Then, my sister found out that she was having twins! While it didn't decrease my thankfulness for our baby on the way, I must admit that my heart sank! I thought some not-so-nice thoughts. After all, I HAD PRAYED FOR TWINS! I wanted twins. I really thought she got pregnant just because I was pregnant! (Yes--I'm the spoiled baby of our family!) Oh my, the battle that waged within me about the twins! Once our beautiful babies were born, I helped daily with Alex and Austin, while we also cared for Brooke. Those were some difficult but amazing days!
Fast forward two years to the winter of 1993...November to be exact so really the fall, I suppose. I had recently found out that I was pregant again! What a blessing! We always knew we wanted a large family. Doug and I were so excited! So much was going on in our lives at the time. We had bought land several years earlier and the time had come to start building our house. The night before the foundation was to be dug, I started bleeding. I was devastated even before knowing what was causing it. I worried and fretted all night. I called the doctor and he told me to wait until the morning and see what happened and then go straight to his office. We already had plans for Dougie and a family friend to start digging for the foundation, so he couldn't go with me. A dear friend from church said she would go with me. We waited and she was such an encouragement and comfort. At this point, I was only a few weeks pregnant. (I always knew almost at conception. I was blessed with morning, mid-morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night, and even middle of the night sickness!)
The doctor had decided to go ahead and do an ultrasound to see what was going on. The technician doing the ultrasound was so sweet. She started the procedure and turned the screen to look at it closely. This scared me to death! Then, she looked at me with a perplexed expression. She turned the screen to me and asked..."Is there a history of multiple births in your or your husband's family?" By this time, my friend's eyes were as big as saucers! I said, "Actually, yes. My sister just had twins about 1 1/2 years ago." The technician went on to point out two teeny tiny blips on the screen. I was so early on that all that was visible were two amazing beautiful, awe-inspiring, blips on the screen. There were TWO heartbeats! I WAS EXPECTING TWINS!
We rushed to the property where Doug was working and shared the news! He turned as pale as a person can turn. I thought he might pass out! Then, the digging of the foundation stopped! We needed to add more room. :) Isn't God's timing perfect?!
Fast forward a few months into the pregnancy. Expecting twins in 1994 meant that I was privileged to have multiple ultrasounds unlike with Brooke when I had only 1. During an ultrasound appointment, the technician abruptly left the room. When she came back, she had a doctor with her. Once again, my heart sank! The doctor explained to me that Baby B (Cody) had something wrong with one of his kidneys. He explained that I needed to follow-up with my OB/GYN and also consult with our pediatrician. He then went on to strongly suggest that after those consultations, we come back to the hospital to have selective reduction counseling because of all that the kidney 'malformation' could mean.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOU WANT ME TO CHOOSE TO REDUCE MY TWINS TO ONE? YOU WANT ME TO CHOOSE TO END THE LIFE OF THIS BABY THAT I HAD PRAYED ABOUT FOR SO LONG?
(Ultrasound later in pregnancy...2 heads)
Well, I did talk to my OB/GYN and told him point blank that the only choice to be made is leaving this baby in my God's hands and trusting that God has a plan for him! Thankfully, my doctor completely agreed!
We continued through the pregnancy, having ultrasound after ultrasound. Each time, the kidney problem seemed to either stay the same or be a little worse. Doug and I took the concern to our church family at the time. Our church family prayed over my sons, even while I was pregnant. When Blake and Cody were born, they immediately started doing tests on Cody's kidneys and other things, as well. Both babies seemed perfectly healthy, except Cody's kidney still wasn't quite developed the way they said it should be. All those "birth defects" the doctors were concerned about...NONE!
(Cody on left; Blake on right)
Again, we took our concerns to our church family. This time, the church prayed over Cody. I still get chills when I remember that day. God's power that flowed through those believers was overwhelming! At Cody's next check-up, his kidney showed no signs of any malformation!
These were the first things God did for Cody. Psalms 139:13 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb." God was at work in the life of Cody even before time began. God also had big plans for Cody as he grew.
Part 2 coming soon.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Strong?
Over the last 2 weeks, in the midst of the hectic life around me during this time of the year, I've had the time to relax by browsing on Pinterest or by catching up with people via facebook. As we near the new year, I'm noticing a shift in posts and in conversations. While this shift to new things and resolutions can be a good thing, I have been broken by some of what I've read.
Things like...
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
While we are commanded over and over again throughout the Bible to "Be strong.", that strength always comes from the Lord. I'm so thankful that He is my portion and my strength, and that although He calls me to be strong...to hold on...to have courage, He ALWAYS supplies the strength for me to do those things.
A current song on Christian radio is a great reminder of the truth that we don't have to be strong enough. God is strong enough for both of us! Strong Enough by Matthew West
Blessings,
Cindy
Things like...
You were given this in life because you are
strong enough to handle it.
Live strong in 2012.
God will never give me something I can't handle.
None of those things are wrong...exactly. But each one of them and many more like them lack one truth. You see the emphasis in these things is on the Me/Myself/I. The focus is on what I can do or what YOU can do.
Have you ever stopped to think about this? I have been...lately especially! Our family, church family, and friends have all endured many hardships over the last year.
- We've seen loved ones die suddenly.
- We've experienced dire financial circumstances.
- We've watched dear friends pack up and move away knowing we will most likely never see them again in this life.
- We've watched children make devastating choices.
- We've watched children make amazing choices...but those choices will affect our family's life forever.
- We've dealt with illness, injuries, and the pain that comes from those.
- We've experienced unfairness at work or at school.
- We've walked with our children through unimaginable heartbreak.
Really, I could go on and on! This morning while catching up on facebook, God kept impressing on me the FACT that I cannot ever be strong enough. Many of things my personal family has been through this year and in years past would have left us paralyzed if we had had to be strong enough to deal with them.
PRAISE GOD we didn't have to be strong enough!
You see God tells us in His Word over and over that HE IS OUR STRENGTH!
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
While we are commanded over and over again throughout the Bible to "Be strong.", that strength always comes from the Lord. I'm so thankful that He is my portion and my strength, and that although He calls me to be strong...to hold on...to have courage, He ALWAYS supplies the strength for me to do those things.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
A current song on Christian radio is a great reminder of the truth that we don't have to be strong enough. God is strong enough for both of us! Strong Enough by Matthew West
Blessings,
Cindy
Saturday, December 10, 2011
It's Beginning to FEEL Like Christmas
I did it! I finished all our Christmas shopping in just 2 days. I must say that a couple of weeks ago, I was completely stressed about Christmas. The thought of trying to scrape money together to fill our living room with presents for our 4 children stressed me! I found myself dwelling on how we always had done Christmas in the past and how daunting the task ahead of me was for this year. After all, we have Brooke in college, Blake and Cody are seniors, and Dale just turned 16. The money we put out monthly for tuition, school expenses, insurance, food, and so much more is far more than we can "afford" and we usually have more month than money. So to add Christmas presents to that was enough to produce a migraine!
Then, one evening as I was stressing and browsing Pinterest, I ran across a saying for Christmas giving...
The idea is that each child receives four...YES THAT'S ALL...FOUR gifts. They can ask for whatever they choose in each category, but they will receive...
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17
Blessings,
Cindy
Then, one evening as I was stressing and browsing Pinterest, I ran across a saying for Christmas giving...
The idea is that each child receives four...YES THAT'S ALL...FOUR gifts. They can ask for whatever they choose in each category, but they will receive...
Something they want.
Something they need.
Something to wear.
Something to read (or listen to).
We sat down with our kids and talked about Christmas and how we needed it to look different this year for several reasons. The first is that Christmas is about the ONE true gift that God gave us when He sent Jesus to be born as a baby in Bethlehem. God has blessed everyone in our family with the gift of salvation. THAT is what Christmas needs to be about. We also explained that money is tight (they already knew that) and we found this new way of planning for Christmas that we hoped they would appreciate. Being the wonderful children that they are, they were all for it! They each made a list in the four categories. What a blessing to get their lists and not feel the pressure of the world to provide them with hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of stuff that in the end will mean nothing.
So two nights ago, Doug and I set out with lists in hand. How great it felt to be able to shop stress free. How awesome to realize our children all asked for things that will help them grow in their walk with Christ. How amazing for God to take us to just the right stores and show us just the right deals! Truly, I've prayed in the past for money to be able to buy more and more. (By the way, His answer to those prayers was usually "no".) This time around I found myself praying for God to lead me to items that would please my children AND would get us the most for our money. I found myself excited once again about this Christmas! We didn't finish shopping Thursday, so I went out this morning to finish. I was able to find perfect gifts for our kids and for our parents. It feels wonderful to be able to say I'm finished! Whew! I'm so thankful I won't need to go out into those crowds again!
As I sat down to relax a few minutes after returning from town this afternoon, I felt a peace about Christmas that I don't know if I've ever felt before. God is so good! I'm so thankful for His intervention through, of all things, Pinterest! Now, we will all have this blessed season to enjoy each other without the pressures of MORE MORE MORE.
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17
Blessings,
Cindy
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