Family!

So the blogging has been put on hold this last week due to several family coming into town.  I know I have left my readers sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for the next blog:)  My apologies for those awaiting.  So, I have more family coming in to town tonight and tomorrow.   On Saturday, I have a fun day of handing out flyers to the community about Cornerstone's upcoming event, Marketplace.  Still family in town into early next week.  Kids to camp on Sunday.  Then a possible trip to Texas to see more family for a few days.  Whew!  Such a busy few weeks!  I have started a new blog entry that I'm working on in between everything else and hope to share that with you soon.  It's about trust.  Why not trust?  So, be looking for that.  Until then, say a prayer for me.  I've been feeling unusually tired this last few weeks.  Going to call and set an appointment with the doctor today and hopefully figure out what's going on.  Hoping it's just my vitamin D levels low or something easily cared for like that.  Be blessed friends and thanks for checking in with me:)

Father's Day for the Ketchams

In retrospect to yesterday's Father's Day adventures I say...."It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times..."  Come on, now, let's just be honest.  The pressure of the day to be a perfect day for dad tends to become too much when reality of our imperfect lives make the day, well, let's just say, different than expected or anticipated.  I don't have anything against days set aside to honor the ones we love the most, but I find myself discouraged and feeling like something is wrong with me because I'm just not feeling everyone's Face book posts of the awesomeness of the holiday at hand.  In reality, I'm sitting around thinking how disappointed my family member must be (or how disappointed I am) because, quite frankly I just want to do what I do every Sunday after church, and that is sleep!  Even on Mother's Day!  Imagine that!  Sleep!

The reality of our day was that my husband did get to spend the morning solving the everyday dilemmas of a Sunday morning at church.  Less than pleasant?  Maybe.  But we, as a family, happen to find great contentment EVERY SUNDAY in being with one purpose to fulfill the call of Children's Ministry that God has placed on our lives.  Then, after church, we were able to spend time at our oldest daughter's house.  My husband enjoyed time with the kids for a few hours (ok, so my nap was going to have to wait a little while).   As the day progressed, we experienced less than desirable events that will go down in the history books as "Lessons Learned As A Parent", but it's all a part of this journey we're on called parenting.  At least, right in the middle of it, I trust God that he's got it under control.  And, it's all part of God's plan to grow us into what He wants us to be.  I'll learn to be content with right where I'm at:  between totally imperfect and crazy to boot!  I also waited until after my nap AND a good night's rest to write a post on this (because who wants another perfectly painted, distorted picture that leaves someone desiring to have a day just like me).

Courage to be Honest with Me

Luke 12: 6-7  " Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?  Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."


Courage is defined as "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without FEAR."  I've been thinking about fear a lot this week.  Fear comes in many forms.  Fear can be a result of our human brain's assessment of an experience according to an accumulation of past experiences, feelings, and understanding of the situation.  What has interested me this week is our interpretation of circumstances that result in fear.  What got us to the conclusion that we need to fear?  All of us have difficult circumstances that arise throughout our lives.  Everyone has, at one time or other,  had those people that have let them down, left their lives, or hurt their naïve hearts and scarred the image of a perfect world.  After all, we live in a sin-filled world, full of those that need forgiveness.  We cannot get away from that. The Word of God says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."


So, when does fear take its grip?  When do we start to believe our assessment of our situations and decline to take flight because of fear?  I have had the experience of finding fearless love for children that had a disadvantage early on in their lives.  For them, they learned fear of abandonment, fear of physical abuse, and fear of this world without a loving, nurturing hand from their beginning.  For them, the learned behavior of fear has become a primal instinct for survival.  Years later, the repercussions of those early years have stayed with them and affect their lives at every turn.  Sometimes the fear is crippling to their growth as a healthy individual, especially when it comes to relationships.  It is not easy to overcome the desire to control, manipulate, or quit things that are difficult or hard for them.


So where does that leave me?  Although I was not an abused or neglected child, I still sometimes experience lack of "quality of mind" that enables me to face difficulty, danger, and pain.  I have noticed this week the subtle waves of insecure thoughts that cross my mind, even in the most unforeseen places of my busy days.  Self doubt creeps in, reminding me of my past failures and how I will fail again.  Hesitation cripples me as I think, "Am I going to mess up?  Are they going to accept me? What if I am wrong?"  And so, I can choose to accept these lies that I'm a failure and it's never going to work, or I can be honest with where those fearful thoughts are coming from.  I can choose to acknowledge where those thoughts are from and choose to use a new pattern of courage and not of fear.  I can pray as Elijah did in 2 Kings 6:17, that God would open my eyes so that I might see the unseen, and know that God's got this!  He knows my name and everything about me.  The fears I have are just wrong signals from my human mind.  I have a big God that has His army encamped around me and has GOOD plans for me, BIG plans for me!  I will have courage to move ahead, knowing Christ is in control!  And I will not fear what God has planned for me.

Hallelujah!  At 10:41 at night, I have figured out how to change my Title....I want to thank all the little people. HeHe

A Bit of Frustration

As with most things, starting something new can be a bit frustrating!  If you happen to be keeping track, I'm about 4 hours into my "new season" of blogging.  I might of stopped in between to take a small, child-disturbed nap, switched laundry loads, prepared a quick, healthy dinner, loaded the dishwasher, directed a kid to bedtime routines, braided one kid's hair, and cleaned up dog throw up (of which I'm not happy about!), and proceeded to switch laundry again due to said dog mess, BUT I'm already experiencing perfectionist complications! You see, I thought I was to put in the title of the blog I was writing.  Instead, it posted as my blog page Title!  For the love of everything orderly, HOW DO I CHANGE IT????  I've tried every button I can see to push and none leads me to that Title spot!!!!!!!  I do believe those trials and testing moments have already begun.  Will this be a post that says, ".....to be continued.."  That is the question!

A New Season

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."  Ecclesiastes 3:1

Every season begins somewhere. Sometimes the season begins slowly, after much thought and preparation.    Other times, seasons begin abruptly, where immediate action has to fill the holes until there's time to think.  Different seasons can create happiness and joy, or sometimes leaves us unprepared, scared, confused, or maybe devastated. Either way, we are catapulted into a new realm that will most assuredly test and grow us, shaping us more and more into that person that God has created us to be.  There will be new tests and challenges to face.  Some seasons will last years, and some will pass so quickly, we wonder where the time has gone! Each season we are given presents itself with questions;  "What am I going to do with these moments I've been given?  Where is my attitude toward the challenge before me?  What am I contributing to eternity through my actions in this season?"  I pray that with each season given to me, that I will consider it all joy, be in the moment, and have my rest and renewal always in my Heavenly Father.  Today, a new season begins for me, a journey in written form...may my Father God be glorified in this season also.