For these boys I prayed

Depending on where you are in the world, today or tomorrow is Blake and Cody's birthday.  If you don't know the story of how God blessed us with our family, it's one of my favorite to brag on the faithfulness of God!

This is a story that begins even before Dougie and I got married almost 24 years ago.  I had always wanted a lot of children.  When we got married, we waited for children so that I could finish my degree.  However, we both agreed that a large family would be great!  I prayed and prayed for God to give us many children.  I also prayed OFTEN for Him to give us twins!  Yes...I prayed for twins...regularly!

In the fall of 1991, we learned that God was blessing us with our first child.  We didn't know and didn't want to know if our blessing would be a boy or girl.  We were simply thankful to be given this amazing gift.  It wasn't twins, but we couldn't have been any more excited!  A couple of weeks later, my sister, Becky found out that she was expecting, too...

and...

wait for it...

she was having twins!

Have you ever had that moment when you let disappointment and jealousy over someone else getting what you prayed for rule your life?  Oh, I was happy for her!  And please don't misunderstand me...I was thrilled to be blessed with one baby!  However, I questioned God.  Why would he give HER twins when I was the one that longed for them?!  Why had he not answered my pleas?

Nine months later (well there about), Brooke was born on June 9.  Oh what a jewel!  She was (and still is) the prettiest baby ever.  She filled me with more joy than I could have imagined!  Nine days later, Becky had Austin and Alex.  Truly, all of them are miracles!  How can anyone look at a baby and not believe in miracles?!

At the time, we lived in a tiny apartment behind my parents and Becky and her family lived next door to them.  When the boys were able to come home, Becky and I spent our days at one or the other house taking care of three babies.  I still smile to think about all three of them lined up in the floor of our little living room or propped up in the recliner at her house so we could take MORE pictures!  Brooke was a big baby.  They were tiny!  It made for some great pictures!  Man...taking care of three babies was hard, exhausting work!

God never took away my desire to have twins.  However, let's just say that I didn't pray for twins quite as often! ;)

Fast forward to the fall of 1993.  It was November.  I had just found out about a week earlier that we were pregnant again.  We were so excited.  Lots of things were happening in our lives.  Brooke was a wonderful little toddler!  We were getting ready to build our house.  And now, another baby!

The morning Doug and a family friend was due to dig the foundation of our house, I woke up not feeling well at all.  Not only was I feeling worse than I had in the week before (my body has always told me almost immediately when I'm pregnant), but there were other signs and symptoms that something was wrong. 

I called my doctor, and he wanted me to come in for an ultrasound.  A close friend agreed to take me to the appointment.  As she drove, she prayed for me.  As she drove, I prayed.  Please God, don't take this baby from us! 

As I said, I was very early along.  The ultrasound tech had to do an internal ultrasound in order to see anything.  She kept the screen where I couldn't see it.  At one point, she looked very perplexed.  She looked at me and I could feel myself hold my breath.  I could tell she had seen something on the screen that she didn't expect.  But what?  Oh please God don't take this baby from us!

Then came her question...

"Is there a history of multiple births in your family?"

(A much later ultrasound.)

WHAT?  Did you say MULTIPLE?  Well, yes.  My sister has twins.  Doug's family is full of twins!  Yes, there is a history!

She turned the screen to me.  All that was on it were two itty bitty flashes.  She said, "You're having twins!"  WHAT?  Oh my!  Deep breath!  Really?  Are you sure?  She assured me that those itty bitty flashes were two little hearts!  Wow!  I was speechless!  Then...

OH MY WORD!  We have to change the house!  Wait...Dougie doesn't even know yet.  You know that's not really something I wanted to tell him on the phone. 

As we pulled into the lot where they were digging the foundation, I could see them already digging.  Dougie came over to the car.  I handed him pictures and told him we were going to have TWO BABIES!  (He turned a pale greenish color at first!)  The digging stopped.  The plans were changed.  And our life has never been the same!

Now, our twins, Blake and Cody, have just graduated from high school and are headed to college.  If you were wondering why I started the post with the statement "depending on where you are in the world", it's because currently Blake is serving in the Philippines at Gentile Hands orphanage being the hands and feet of our Lord.  That means for the first time ever, Blake and Cody will celebrate their 18th birthday tomorrow apart. 

It has caused me to think on lots of things.  But mostly, it has just been a reminder of God's faithfulness in our family's life.  I prayed for these boys long before they were ever born, but GOD knew His plans for them even before time began!  As I've prayed for them (as I pray for all four of our children) over the years, God has been gracious and merciful to them and to us.  He has protected them from things that should have killed them.  He has healed their bodies.  But most of all, He has saved their souls.  They are young men on fire for the Lord!  Blake has plans to serve somewhere in the foreign mission field.  Cody has plans to serve as a pastor.  While they have plans, the thing that speaks most to my heart is that they long to be obedient to the call God places on their lives.

For now, this momma that prayed so regularly for twins will continue to pray for our twins as they follow God's directions for their lives!

Happy Birthday, Blake and Cody!  I love you both!




Blessings,
Cindy

Cindy ♥ Doug, A Marraige Made in Heaven

I've been promising a post about marriage for sometime.  Since I've been thinking A LOT about Doug this week with him working out of town, I thought now would be a good time to go ahead with it.  First, let me say up front, I'm not an expert on marriage, but I am experienced. :)  Doug and I have been married for 22 years.  We have experienced the wonderful seasons where we were on top of the world taking in the views from the highest mountain peaks.  We have also experienced the lowest valleys we could have experienced in a marraige and still came out with the rings on our fingers and the promise in our hearts.  So while I'm not an expert and will never claim to be, I have lived a gamut of experiences in my married life.

♥ Our story ♥

I never tire of telling our love story for it truly is a story of a marriage made in heaven by our One True God.  Doug and I met at church when we were in early elementary school.  I was in first grade.  He was in second grade.  By fourth and fifth grade, we were 'going together' and holding hands under the hymnal or church Bible.  (I don't advocate that for children. :)  However, it truly was innocent.)  We were best of friends.  We talked all the time.  We liked spending time together.  Our sisters were friends.  Our parents were friends.  We went to the same church.  We went to the same school.  We lived down the road from each other.  We rode the same bus.  In other words, we were able to spend a lot of time together.  We knew each other.  If anyone asked me at the early age of 10 or 11 who I was going to marry, I could have instantly told them, "Dougie!"

In middle school, we would 'like' each other off and on.  However, being middle schoolers, we also liked other people, too.  We remained close friends, but we were becoming two very different people.  Then, one awful day in high school I learned that Dougie would be moving to Texas.  I was a freshman, and he was a sophomore at the time.  There was no warning.  They were moving, and there was nothing I could do.  That was a very sad day in my life.

I went on living, of course.  I liked other boys.  I know he liked and dated other girls.  Then, in December on my sixteenth birthday, I was at a BC basketball game with some friends.  One of my best friends came running down the bleachers toward me yelling, "Cindy...Dougie is here.  Doug is looking for you!"  I thought she was just messing with me.  After all, he had moved more than a year before.  Why would he be there? 

I looked up and THERE HE WAS...as handsome as ever...walking toward me.  I'm sure my heart stopped beating for just a moment.  I'm also sure there was a smile as big as Texas on my face.  What a wonderful birthday present!  Well, we dated for about a month and then, he just disappeared.  I tell him often that he was quite the jerk!  I was so hurt!  My heart was completely broken.  I questioned why God had brought him back into my life (which I truly believed then that he had and I still believe NOW that he had) just to rip him out of it.

Again, life went on.  I dated again.  This time with the determination that D.F. would never hurt me again.  I would give my love to someone else.  I enjoyed the rest of my junior year of high school and began my senior year.  I was working at what was then Otto Drugstore. 

One particular day in September I was working the cash register up front and got a phone call from my sister.  She was at Doug's sister's house.  She said that he wanted me to come there when I got off work.  I said, "NO!"  Later, he called.  He was persistent.  I told him that he had hurt me enough and that I would not come there to see him.  If he wanted to see me, he'd have to come to Shepherdsville.  I told him what time I was leaving work.  He was there waiting when I went to my car. :)  That was September 6, 1987.

We went on our first official date that day.  He wonders why I love Mr. Gatti's so much.  That is part of the reason, I would guess.  We sat at Mr. Gatti's for hours that day.  We talked.  He apologized profusely.  We talked some more.  It was that day, sitting in the party room of Mr. Gatti's all by ourselves, with Doug writing sweet stuff on a helium balloon, that I fell head over heals completely in love with him.  Oh, I already loved him, but that day sealed the deal. 

On March 15 of the next year, Doug proposed.  We had plans to wait 5 years to get married.  I would finish college.  He would finish trade school.  However, we knew we could not wait 5 years.  So, we set the date.  August 5, 1989.  I still laugh when I think about it.  We were just being silly thinking we would wait that long.  We had literally been waiting our whole lives for this.  In May, we went to my parents and told them we couldn't wait a year to be married.  After much discussion, it was decided the date would be changed to August 6 of the same year.  There was ONE stipulation.  I couldn't say the word wedding until high school graduation was over.  (I was graduating valedictorian.  My parents were not going to allow anything to get in the way of me finishing what I had started.  I am very thankful for that.)   I graduated in May, and we planned the wedding in less than 2 months.

As I think back over the story of our life up to that point, I smile...I laugh...I even get a bit teary eyed at times.  When I think of how God orchestrated two separate families...two separate lives...so that Doug and I would be placed together for His glory and our good, it amazes me.  You see, none of that story is my doing or Doug's doing.  We couldn't have come up with such an outlandish on again/off again thing if we tried.  I mean, honestly...Doug's family up and moved to TEXAS and then, what I failed to mention above was that while he was visiting friends in Kentucky, his family decided to move back to Kentucky without telling him.  God had to have acted upon my heart to soften it to let Doug back into my life after being hurt.  As humans, we tend to build up scar tissue that isn't easily broken through when we're hurt by someone.  God had to place me on Doug's mind for him to decide he wanted to see me after more than a year of being away.  And to think it all started when we were small children. 

Our lives changed on August 6, 1988.  We were no longer just Cindy and Doug.  We became Mr. and Mrs.!  What a wonderful change!

My insights and thoughts on Christian Marraige:

1.  God has to be first in both of your lives.  This will be evident in so many ways.  Do you go to church together?  Do you pray together?  Do you study or discuss the Word together?  Are you committed to following God's will for your lives?  Are you raising your kids His way?

2.  My husband is second in my life.  I am second in his life.  This is a lesson we want our children to understand completely.  We want them to know that we love them...completely and unconditionally.  However, we want them to know that they cannot come between us a husband and wife.  Kids can be and will be manipulative if you let them be.  Don't allow them to move into the spot where your husband should be.

3.  When you get married, the focus should change from "I" to "WE".  When a couple consistently socializes separately instead of together, trouble is soon to follow.  To get to the point of marriage, what did you do?  You went out together.  Marriage shouldn't change that.  If anything, it should make it better.  The lowest time in our marriage is when we were both going out with friends instead of together.  We invited trouble into our lives by opening a door for Satan to step right into.  Why go to dinner with a friend on a Friday night and leave your spouse at home...especially on a regular basis?  Think about how often you are spending time with other people away from your spouse. 

4.  Friends of the opposite sex is a dangerous and slippery slope to walk.  I'm not talking mutual friends where you and your husband are friends with another couple.  I mean where the wife is friends with another man that her husband is not friends with or vice-versa.  We tend to think that we are super-human and can just be friends and that those friendships will never go where they shouldn't.  I'm here to tell you, friends, that you are lying to yourselves.  Once again, that opens a door for Satan to step right in.

5.  Work to make your marriage the best it can be.  What have you done for your husband today?  What have you done today that says "I love YOU" without using the words?

6.  Learn early to say, "I'm sorry for _____________.  Will you please forgive me?"

7.  Learn how to forgive even when it hurts.

8.  Play together.  Again, what did you do before you got married?  You had fun together.  Why stop?

9.  Hold hands.  :)

10.  View your marriage as a FOREVER promise.  Divorce is not an option.  God is an amazing God that can heal hurts, give peace, calm fears, and in the process SAVE marriages. 

I've often wondered why our story had so many twists and turns before we finally figured out we belonged together.  After 22 years of many highs and some very low lows, I think it's because God knew what we would experience and was preparing us for the times ahead.  He was preparing me for future heartache and for future healing.  He was preparing Dougie for how to be the wonderful godly husband he is today.  God was teaching us about forgiveness and persistence.  You see, God knew that without this we would have given up on our marriage ten years ago.  God knew what we needed, when we needed it.  I'm so thankful for God's provision and protection over our marriage.    How exciting it is to know that my marriage to Dougie is truly God-given, God-ordained, God-orchestrated...absolutely

♥ a marriage made in Heaven! ♥

Blessings,
Cindy

And she's off...

(I know I promised a blog on Christian marraige.  I will get to that.  It just happens that I didn't get to it before this MAJOR event in our family's life.  For now, this is what is on my mind; so this is what I need/want to write about.)

Last Friday, we moved Brooke to Campbellsville University.  All of us went to help her get settled.  I'm sure we were quite a sight as all six of us paraded into her apartment/dorm.  It was a day full of a wide spectrum of emotions for everyone in our family.  Most of all though, it was a day ordained by God in Brooke's life for her to transition into this new phase of her life.  I want to share the day with you through pictures.

Brooke and I spent the morning taking care of last minute business around Shepherdsville.  Then, she came home and finished cleaning her room.  This may just be the cleanest her room has been since she moved into this particular room.  (I didn't, however, take pictures of the dust she left behind.)

Getting a big hug from Daddy! 

There were a couple of times throughout the day that were more difficult than the rest of the day.  Leaving the house Friday morning was one of those times...for all of us.  While we were...and are...so excited for Brooke and what is to come for her, just the thought of how different our home will be without her here everyday was hard to take in.

I had the time of the trip there to gather my thoughts and get a hold of my emotions.  I spent the hour plus a few minutes mending Brooke's 'quiltie' that she has had since she was born.  It is literally worn out!  It was a great distraction for me.  I must admit that I am not a seamstress, though, and I did not get it completely mended by the time we arrived at Campbellsville University.

We spent the first hour at CU buying Brooke's books.  OUCH!  We were able to get all used books except for 2 or 3.  Still...OUCH!  Praise God for used books, though!  I can't imagine how much it would have been if we had to buy all new...and I did not even bother looking at the new prices.

Brooke was able to check in with her RA around 1.  Brooke and Gayla took care of all the business of moving into the dorm, while Blake, Cody, and Dale carried all of Brooke's stuff up to her room.  We worked for hours...about 6...arranging and rearranging and rearranging again.  Doug made a couple of trips to the store for things we forgot or didn't realize she would need.  [Just so you know...when you buy lamps, you really should consider buying light bulbs, too! :) ]  Brooke organized and decorated.  It was fun to watch her and help her.  It was such a blessing to have the whole family there working together to get everything accomplished for Brooke.  (There were stressful moments, too...but a blessing still!)

(Dale)

Once all was finished, Brooke's room looks great!  It's very Brooke!  She still wants to add some posters and such, but she can do that as she finds posters that suit her.

We had a few minutes to just relax before heading out to dinner and a little bit of shopping.  I am so thankful for how close our kids are.  Although they have their moments when they fight and fume, they truly enjoy each others' company.  I loved watching them cut up and have fun with each other!

Hard work leads to hungry boys!  We all headed to Pizza Hut for supper.  Again, it is just a wonderful blessing watching our kids love each other.

Then it was time...time to take Brooke back to her apartment/dorm/room (I'm still not sure what to call it) and head home.  UGH!  I was not ready for this.  I had done so well all day.  I could feel the prayers of all of my wonderful friends and family lifting us up.  But then, I could feel it. I was on the verge of not being able to hold it all together.  The boys all said their good-byes/see you laters and headed to the truck.  Doug and I stayed in the living room with Brooke.  Doug led us in a prayer.  It was a beautiful moment of the three of us snuggled together praying for God's peace and protection. 

God is so good and He is faithful!  While I have had times of tears over the last several days, I have also had wonderful peace about Brooke being at CU.  We firmly believe God has led Brooke to CU and has a plan and a purpose for her being there. Knowing that means that we will praise Him even when we're missing her.

I'm clinging to Philippians 4:6-7...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Cindy

Rain

Rain, rain, go away...

Come again another day...

As children, we were conditioned to think of rainy days as something to wish away.  Rain was something that got in the way of our plans.  It messed things up for us.  We carried this belief with us into adulthood, too.  While, on the surface, I suppose it is true...rain can mess up plans for a picnic and can slow down travel and can even bring with it devastating floods...rain brings so much more than the down side of things that pop up in our minds. 

Rain brings new life.  It revives wilted life.  It washes away dirt and grime.  It refreshes when things get hot. 

This morning, as I sat on the couch in the quiet of kids sleeping late preparing for my Bible study time, I heard it.  Heard what, you may ask.  The wonderful sound of a summer rain.  It was like an invitation from God calling me to come sit on the porch.  So I took all my materials and out I went.

After my Bible study, I stayed outside to just enjoy the rain.  It didn't take long for me to need to grab my camera.  As I snapped pictures, I began to really ponder rain...literally and figuratively.  A new friend, Teresa (someone I know God sent into my life that will be a close friend) mentioned a song the other day that I happen to love, too.  It's "Jesus, Bring the Rain" by Mercy Me.  While I was snapping away, that song came to my mind as did "Praise you in the Storm" by Casting Crowns. 

Over the last few weeks, months, and even year(s), our family has had its share of rain and even storms in our life.  Praise God for the rain!  God has used that rain to wash us, revive us, refresh us!  It's not easy to praise God when it's raining in our lives, but it is always RIGHT to praise God.

The last verse of Mercy Me's "Jesus, Bring the Rain" says:

I am Yours regardless of

The dark clouds that may loom above

Because You are much greater than my pain

You who made a way for me

By suffering Your destiny

So tell me what's a little rain

When we consider what Christ did for us and continues to do for us, the only correct response to every single thing in our life is PRAISE.  Instead, I know for me the first thing that I do when a little rain sprinkles down in my life is WORRY.  However, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6: 25-34 to not worry.  To sum it up, it basically says that if God takes care of the birds and the flowers, won't He take care of us so much more than them?  Worrying accomplishes no good.  While praising God is always correct!

Psalm 34:1 "I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."

So, let's pray for, help and encourage each other through the rains and storms of life.  Instead of joining in on the 'woe is me' parties, let's look for the rays of sunshine peaking through and if they can't be found just yet, let's praise God for what the rain will bring. 

Proverbs 10:25 tells us "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever."

Blessings,

Cindy

Vanilla Blackberry Cake...It was a hit!

We've had an abundance of fresh blackberries this year!  They are wild blackberries.  We're hoping in the next year or so our seedless blackberries will take off and be plentiful, as well!  Doug doesn't care if they are the wild variety or not.  To him, all blackberries are delicious!  Blackberry cobbler is one of his favorite desserts.  I've made several of those already this year.  In hopes of finding something new and different to do with the blackberries, I started searching today.  I didn't find a recipe that sounded like THE recipe so I took ideas from several different places and made my own.  It turned out to be a hit at our house!  The batter turns out quite thick, but the cake is light and tasty!  Enjoy.

Vanilla Blackberry Cake

Preheat Oven to 350

Filling Ingredients:

2 c. fresh blackberries

1 c. sugar

Mix sugar in with blackberries and set aside while you prepare the cake batter.

Batter Ingredients:

1 c. real butter

1 ½ c. white sugar

8 egg yolks

¾ c. milk

¼ c. heavy cream

2 -3 tsp. vanilla

2 c. self-rising flour

3 Tbs. cornstarch

Grease bundt pan. Sift together flour and cornstarch and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Then, beat in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk and cream, mixing until incorporated.

Pour half of the batter into the bundt pan. Spoon blackberries onto that batter. Then, cover the blackberries with the remaining batter. Bake at 350 approximately 1 hour. (Adjust time based on your pan and oven. I used stoneware and it took right at an hour to cook.) Cool about 10 minutes and then turn onto a cake server. The blackberries will then be on the top of the cake. 

To add to the look of the presentation, I garnished the serving plate with a few blackberries and filled the hole of the cake with more blackberries.

 

I'm sure the cake would be great with other fruits, too.  Let me know if you try it with something besides blackberries.

 

Blessings,

Cindy