Praise The Lord

The Lord's faithfulness is great!

After two plus years of struggling and striving to make sure B is growing strong and healthy we got great news yesterday! He is now officially in the 25th percentile for growth! We've had progress for quite some time now but yesterday's news came as a huge relief to me personally.

See, this is the thing, I've literally busted all out trying to help B get all the best nutrition he can. Researching different foods, reading about kinds of fat, learning cheaper ways to eat these nutrient packed foods, and always keeping a checklist of his calorie intake in the back of my head.

However, the most important thing was prayer. B was never expected to be this high on the percentile chart and never "supposed" to fully potty train before the age of five due to gastrointestinal issues. I am confident the Lord is healing our Little Man. There is your proof. If you ever doubt what the Lord can do just hug B next time you see him and remember.

Trusting the Lord for great and wonderful things in our family's future.

Redefining Our Definition Of Peace

I know all women have days where their expectations are not met. We don't finish our to do list. Our kids dirty the house quicker than we can clean it. Bills need paid at the end of the day. Illness puts our plans on hold. Work is demanding and your weekends are too short. 

Sometimes we handle this with grace and ease. Other times we crumble in defeat. Here's encouragement for the days we feel defeated and discouraged:

"Contrary to [what the media tells us], peace doesn't come in a package of bubble bath. It's not found in a tub or even behind a closed door. Peace comes when we fix our minds on God and on his stability in our chaotic days. No matter who is tromping a mess across our floors or standing impatiently at our doors, the unchangeable God is in charge of our days. Knowing that for a fact is peace." - Mom's Devotional Bible

"You will keep perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust. Feet trample it down-the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor. The path of righteousness is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth."

Isaiah 26:3-7

Lent

Things I've considered giving up for the season of Lent...

-junk food, more specifically only eating whole foods, drinking only herbal tea and water

-spending extra money, only spending on food, passing on any item that is a "want"

-saying anything even remotely negative about my hubby, who really, truly is quite wonderful 

-running, I don't think that one counts though

-not meal planning, meaning I would diligently meal plan for the next 4o days

-not being a good steward of my time, forcing myself to better plan every day, even the ones when I stay home all day

What are your thoughts?

I Took The Winter Off!

Eeek! Our Winter is over! I can hardly believe it! We had great family time and made precious memories. 

A is quite the Daddy's Girl. She loved helping Daddy look for deer and playing Mom. This week she folded an entire load of laundry all by herself! 

B learned to walk this Winter and he has new words everyday! Yesterday was "open" and "off". He's doing very well health wise which is so refreshing.

Daniel and I got away by ourselves twice this Winter! Once for a long weekend marriage retreat and once for a week long, all expenses paid Caribbean Cruise! Thanks Potomac :) 

We finished up at the Baptist church Daniel had been leading at and are now attending a non-denominational church. We've been there since the first of the year. We're quickly falling in love with the church and the people there. 

As always the Lord has been, is, and will be faithful! 

Here's to the end of Winter and the sweet memories we have left to remember it by!

October One

I can hardly believe it's October first! I'm sure lots of people are feeling the same way.

What does Fall hold for you this year? What is your favorite event in Fall? 

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I'm looking forward to it with a little excitement actually. I'm awaiting cooler days, Daniel having more time at home, Fall colors on the trees, Christmas, and hopefully some traveling.

Soon, Daniel will take a break from pools and be able to focus on ministry for the Winter. I enjoy having him around the house and so do the kiddos. In fact I think even the dog likes it better when Daniel is home. I'm so blessed with an awesome man.

I do have to admit that prior planning is not one of my strong points. I have good intentions but get easily side tracked. I'm happy to announce that I've managed to find a couple Christmas presents. They were on sale of course!  Hopefully, I'll stay the course and be done long before December five and twenty. I'll have to keep you updated on my progress. Later I'm going to be sharing with you how we here at The McLaughlin House "deal" with Christmas presents and traditions. We got the idea from some good friends of ours, The Brown's. 

Here's to the beginning of the end of the year! May it be filled with abundant blessings.

Retreat!

All of our days are important but this week holds an awesome (first time) opportunity for Daniel. He will be traveling with a church to to lead worship for them on a retreat! We have met with some of the leaders from this church and are encouraged by the way they are approaching ministry. We were very honored when they asked Daniel to be a part of this retreat. It will be a small, intimate setting (sometimes by a campfire) which I firmly believe is one of Daniel's strongest points. I look forward to the ways that God will speak to people this weekend through Daniel's gift of music. It's my prayer that the music will be a blessing to them, enabling them to truly worship God in a personal way.

This leads me to another thought. You see this weekend wouldn't be possible if Daniel and I weren't completely certain and convicted of Daniel's giftedness. I want to encourage all of you to discover the ways God has gifted you. I think that as a Momma to young children it's often easy for me to forget that God has gifted me beyond being able to change a diaper and make dinner. However, the demands of being a wife and mother don't negate my command from God to use my gifts to His glory. 

If you haven't had a chance yet you should check out Daniel's website too!  His site by the way is a huge blessing from our friend at Steinruck Designs. As far as I'm concerned they make the hottest web designs out there!

How Have I Struggled?

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Corinthians 4:8-10

This morning my devotional included the fully loaded question of "How have I struggled?"

Honestly, I think I would rather have skipped this question. Seriously! This was a lot to process, nevermind at 6:30 in the morning! I would have preferred to answer with the obvious or vague responses like financially, to be a good mom, etc... But I persevered and came up with a rather lengthy, emotional list of struggles. Everything from medical/health issues in my family to being a good steward of my time.

Don't be discouraged as you think of your own struggles! And I do encourage you to actually write out your list. There was a point behind this potent question. 

"Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."

M. Scott Peck

My struggles are small compared to the God I serve who waits for me in glory. 

In the meantime He uses the struggles to shape and mold me into His image. The continual refining fire. 

God also uses these struggles to remind me how powerful He is. He blesses my family and me through our struggles. Many times He has blessed us in the midst of struggle. We then acknowledge how good He is to provide for our every need.

My struggles are also used to encourage others as I share my testimony with those I meet. 

Just recently I've met Mom's who are dealing with children who have the same health issues as my little B. I'm able to share research, doctor recommendations, and most of all encouragement with them.

If I had never endured the struggles I have, I wouldn't be the person I am. 

Now that is a reason to rejoice in struggles!

 

Big Boxes Of Blessings

So, in case you're wondering what's in these cases it's EleCare! The formula that B is on for his sensitive, allergy prone, sweet, little body. The best blessing to come our way recently was coverage of his formula from the manufacturer. After being denied by our insurance we appealed to the maker for financial assistance. As this runs us at least $100 per week this was a huge, huge blessing. Thank you! What you see in this one shipment would have run us $1200.