Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal by Michael Kelley

I know Michael Kelley...mainly through my children.  I also follow his blog.  So when I found out he'd written another book, I pre-ordered three of them months ago...and they came in this week.  I began the book yesterday and couldn't put it down.  I just now finished it and had to write a review while it was fresh on my mind.

I remember when Michael & Jana Kelley found out their two-year-old son, Joshua, had leukemia.  I immediately called our good friends, Johnny & Brenda Rusten, and asked them to contact the Kelley's.  The Rusten's daughter, Lauren, had leukemia when she was around 4-years-old.  I knew that the Rusten's could encourage the Kelley's after having walked that path themselves.  In fact, Lauren was married this past month.  What a beautiful girl with an incredible story.  But I digress...

I began reading Michael's story of their family's journey through Joshua's cancer.  By page 32, I was crying...and not over Joshua's story (although it will move you to tears)...but because of Michael's insight that seemed to squeeze my heart.  (At this point, I also realized I couldn't read this book without a highlighter--I needed to mark the things Michael was saying that were so profound.  And I don't mark my books.)  I would say this book is about Michael's search for truth through this cancer journey and a faith redefined.  He tells Joshua's journey (or his own) with cancer, includes his honest response, and then his search through scripture which spoke to that part of the journey.

I highly encourage you to read this book.  It's not just about cancer.  It's about life, faith, truth, and God.  It's Michael's experience.  It's my experience and your experience.   And it's profound.  Michael has a way of examining scripture and bringing truth to light in a way you may never have considered before.  Which is why I was crying by page 32.  It's truth that pierces and examines.  And you'll just find his candid honesty very refreshing.  Buy the book---it will be one you'll want to mark and keep.  Buy two--because you'll want to give one away!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!!

 Find the trailer here.

Buzz Lightyear

Buzz Lightyear.  It all started many years ago when Amy was potty training Isaac.  For incentive, Amy would allow Isaac to call Buzz Lightyear if Isaac would potty.  So...Amy would call ME and tell me that Isaac wanted to talk to Buzz.  I would deepen my voice and talk to him and would always end with "TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!"  As a little guy, it wasn't hard to convince Isaac he was talking to Buzz.  But he got older and still wanted to call Buzz occasionally.  He'd ask to speak to Woody, Jesse, Bulleye--the whole gang.  I was terrible at the other voices--especially if it was in the same conversation.  So...many times, he'd hear that Jesse was out riding Bullseye or some such tale.  Well, it didn't stop with Isaac.  Josiah came along and he also wanted to call Buzz.  I always told Amy that "some day" when they found out who Buzz was, they were going to be so disappointed that it was their grandma!  
About a week before I went to stay with the kids this last time, Jay called and told me that Isaac wanted to talk to Buzz.  So we chatted.  I, of course, remembered many personal things about him---and you could tell there was just a little bit in Ike wanting to "believe."
One night, we were all sitting at the table and Amy leaned over and whispered, "Talk like Buzz."  I looked at her incredulously and wondered why!  But she told me to do it.  So I looked at the boys and said, "TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!"  I wish you could have seen their expressions.  They were truly stunned.  And Isaac said, "Our GRANDMOTHER????"  It was so funny!!  Amy & I were rolling in the floor laughing.
For the rest of the week, Isaac would look at me occasionally and say, "I can't believe Buzz was my grandma!"  

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!  

It was a good run.

We're READY!!

We're ready.  In fact, we've spent a whole week getting ready. 

We made a sign to welcome Hadassah home and since it was Valentine's...

we went with the heart theme.

And because we already love her.

I can't even begin to describe the anxiousness on the part of these three kids.  (I had to go back and add the first 3 photos.  I decided this last photo of the 3 kids didn't describe their anxiousness enough.  They would hardly stand still long enough for me to get their photo--a bunch of little blurry hams.  You'll notice Isaac finally got in-between the 2 biggest hams to help calm them down.)

Josiah (left) was at home with Jay & Amy as they did the whole adoption paperwork process...and he was very aware.  He kept us all praying specific prayers throughout this past year.

Isaac (center) is the big brother.  And he takes his job very seriously.  He can't wait to see all the little tricks that Hadassah can already do.

Olivia (right) is the big sister.  And she told me today that she wants to keep Hadassah forever--to be her special baby--without the boys.  (Meaning--her own special playmate!)  She can't wait to see her new baby sister...but she's also anxious to see mom & dad.  A week is a long time for a little girl.

These notes may make you tear up!

   When Isaac showed me this, he said, "This is going to be the most awesome day E-V-E-R!!!

Josiah's note (with nothing changed):  

"bear Hadassah (he's a lefty and gets some letters backwards still)

I am Glade that you are here.  We are Gowing to hav Great tim."  And he means it with all his heart.

And this is Olivia's drawing of her family.  Mom was on the front of the card and from left to right are:

Baby Hadassah (in the circles), Dad, Olivia with a hat, Josiah & Isaac.  (She calls these eyes her spider eyes! ha!)

I waited to post this tonight after I knew Jay & Amy were on the long overseas flight and wouldn't have a chance to see it.  

Please be praying for us...the boys have gotten the cough I had and feel pretty lousy.  Thanks to a doctor I know, we got some meds for them.  (Praise God!!  Because I had no idea where to take them in Dallas!  And praise God that their pastor is picking Jay & Amy up at DFW--I know I'd get lost!)  So we're hoping everyone wakes up  feeling so much better!!

We plan on getting up in the morning and getting things DONE around here--breakfast, school, last-minute clean-ups--so that we are READY when Hadassah comes home!!  I have a feeling things may be a little chaotic and unfocused.  

Or maybe...we'll be very focused on this 

most awesome day E-V-E-R!!!

Prayers for Hadassah

Would you join me in praying for Hadassah as she comes home?

Pray that:

1. Hadassah's spirit experiences "the Spirit of adoption" with Mom & Dad.  That she will feel safe and secure with them and know she belongs to them.
2. Hadassah won't be overwhelmed with everything new taking place.
3. She and her nannies will have a sweet departure from one another.
4. Hadassah won't be overstimulated as she goes through airports and sees so many faces and new things.
5. Hadassah will get great sleep on the airplane...as will her mom & dad.
6. Hadassah responds well to her brothers and sister at their first meeting.
7. There is minimal jet lag for Dad, Mom & Hadassah.
8. This family falls in love and bonds quickly and settles into their new routine.

The Wright Kids & Me

I have to admit...my time with the Wright kids got off to a rocky start.  I came with a tickle in my chest that became a cough by Friday morning.  It became full-blown "something" by Saturday.  I'd planned on taking the kids to church today but woke up admitting I just didn't feel good.  Friday was also a hard day for Mr. Josiah.  Amy had warned me that she thinks he's become gluten intolerant.  That was proven out by Friday night after all the bread he'd eaten.  He came in and laid down (first clue!) and told me that his tummy was "worried."  (I love his term!)  So we just chilled for the evening and tried to make his tummy better.  I was afraid it was more than that by bedtime because he seemed to have a fever and chills.

Josiah with a worried tummy.

But...this was Josiah by Saturday morning.  He was washing the morning dishes in his undies (he'll hate me some day!) appropriately singing "Bare Necessities."  HA!

This is the Queen Chef.  She was in her dress-up clothes cooking.  Olivia plays so well by herself.  She'd gotten a new cookbook with measuring spoons and was getting after it!

We decided to make a big sign welcoming Hadassah home and make Valentines to put all over it.  So tonight, we made the first of those.  Isaac is quite an artist.

He's also quite an acrobat.  I heard a loud THUMP tonight after I'd put them to bed and he'd fallen out of his top bunk---right on the top of his head.  Oh. my. goodness.  I hope we all survive.  Thank goodness for guardian angels!!

Because we didn't go to church this morning, we had a special treat.  Mumzie called us and told us we could watch Baby Dax's dedication on their church's website with live streaming.  It was precious!!  All of us gathered around my new iPhone and watched the entire thing.  Dax was sporting his yellow vest and was very handsome.  We loved getting to be a part of his dedication that way.

Yes, I left Borger without my phone.  I realized it at breakfast in Amarillo.  And I panicked.  Andy took me to Sam's to get a new iPhone (he's been bugging me to get it since Christmas) after I realized I'd be up a creek without a paddle, so to speak.  My kids don't have a landline, so I HAD to have a cell phone with me, in case of an emergency--or just to be able to communicate!  When I realized a throw-away phone would be quite an investment, I just chose to upgrade what I had.  So...I now have a new phone minus lots of phone numbers.  I'll get there, though.

After seeing a friend's post on Facebook, I looked out my window and saw it---it's SNOWING in DALLAS!!  Yee-haw!!  A part of me wants to wake the kids up to see it, but the wise adult part says "no."  They'd never get back to sleep!!

I'm feeling like I may actually wake up in the morning feeling normal.  Please pray with me that none of the kids gets this---I sure don't want to pass it through this family with a new baby coming home!

THURSDAY MORNING!!!

We're counting down the days til Hadassah comes home!

A Sure Plan

In Sunday School, we've been studying Romans 8.  This past Sunday, Bill Smith (our S.S. teacher) read this:  "What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]  He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?"


What I'm about to say is nothing new.  We know God can do anything.  But that night, as I put my head on my pillow, I had a revelation.  It occurred to me that God was SO SURE of HIS PLAN that He was willing to send His son to die for us.


Think about your circumstances--whatever you're going through right now.  God was so sure of HIS GOOD PLAN for you...that He sent Jesus to die for you.


I fell asleep that night confident that He was at work to make His GOOD PLAN happen for me.  It's going to happen.  It's a sure thing.  We can either come in agreement for it here--or there.  But it's going to happen.  And He's SURE of it!  The thought built my faith and confidence in God.

The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir

I have read The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir.  In fact, this was my first eBook to review on my new Kindle Fire.  So I'd like to address that aspect of this book first.  I was disappointed in the layout of this eBook.  There were words which were run together or big spaces in the words.  There were gaps with symbols which were foreign to me.  It wasn't impossible to read...it was just annoying.  I expected the same layout as a printed book.
The story is very believable.  I loved the character of Ray Quinn.  He was what you'd expect out of a former policeman who has become a private investigator.  Ray was injured as a police officer and deals with his intense pain through a bottle of Jim Beam.  (He preferred drinking over prescription medicines which left him unable to function.)   Ray is training a younger version of himself named Crevis. Ray left the police department in good standing and with the authority to make use of some of their information and to participate in their investigations--which helps him as he tries to find the murderer of an undercover policeman who they believe became corrupt.  The investigation takes you into offices of a germaphobic CEO, drug addicts and biker gangs--all of which are very believeable.

This was the second book in this series.  You finally come to realize that Pam is the sister of the pastor who was killed in the first book--and also where Ray was injured and put out of commission.  Pam is the Christian who gently tries to persuade Ray to come to Christ.  She's so grateful that Ray found her brother's murderer that she helps whenever and however she can.  She's teaching Crevis so he can pass his exam and become a police officer.

I enjoyed reading this book.  And I won't even hint at the ending because you're kept guessing!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Hi, my name is Becky and I'm a Facebook Junky

I tried getting on Facebook this past week.  Some of you may have seen a few of my posts or comments.  It didn't go very well---I wanted to spend more time on there than I should.  So I've decided to stay away for awhile and see if I can take it down another notch.

I love being on there for contact with old friends.  I love being on there to see what cute pictures my kids post.  And I love being on there to see the prayer needs and answered prayers of others.  I have a friend who's been fighting cancer and is in remission now.  I saw her Friday night and she was telling me how wonderful it's been to get on Facebook and let everyone know she was going for a chemo session--and knowing they would pray.  She felt those prayers.  I love that!  And I love being on there for reasons like that.

But I guess I don't know how to be on there yet and not let it take over my life.  That's pathetic, isn't it?  A grandma addicted to Facebook.

The good news is that I'm very engaged in people around me.  And I'm very engaged with God.  I love that.

Love Covers

I Peter 4:8

"Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins."

Love covers.  Think of a bed and how a bedspread covers the bed.  Or think of a person fully dressed.  The clothing covers their bodies.  That's what our love should do.  Our love should cover one another's sins.  Not to hide their sins and allow secrets to grow into more sin, but to cover their sins instead of exposing it to the world.  (God clearly instructs us to help a brother out of sin--but we start privately.)  If we truly love someone, we'll cover them.     


If we don't love, we expose.  We tell friends and family what this person has done.  It becomes a juicy piece of gossip for me to spread.  


Am I loving you by covering you?  Or am I exposing you?  


It makes me think of the story of Noah.  In Genesis 9, it tells the story of how Noah became drunk and lay in his tent naked.  He was uncovered.  Ham, his son, saw his nakedness and went outside and told his brothers.  (I can hear him laughing about it!)  He "exposed" his father.  Those 2 brothers went into the tent backwards and "covered" the nakedness of their father.  When Noah awoke, he cursed Ham's descendants and blessed the other two brother's descendants.


This verse isn't a suggestion.  It's a command.  Love each other in this way.  Cover each other.

Valentine Memories

Please go read my friend, Tamra's, blog. 

 It's a PERFECT idea for Valentine's Day/Week/Month!