Obtaining Mercy

Give to Get

So...somebody dropped off a box of food at our house.

I know! We were surprised, humbled and grateful.

It had 18 different things in it - from frozen chicken breasts to blueberry muffin mix.

Our God is just amazing, isn't He?!!

 

Then, we were faced with a quandry.  We are committed to sticking to our new diet plan this summer.  Several things in the box were things that are not on our list of things we can eat.  Should we eat them anyway?  After all, the Lord pretty much did the grocery shopping for us on this one!

We thought for just a bit, pulled out the things we could eat (several packages of frozen veggies!), and then sent the rest of the box on to someone else who needed it.

So we were blessed.  And then we got to bless someone else!!!

It is hard to beat the feelings of gratitude that well up in our hearts at times like this.

 

Interestingly enough, I had planned to blog about giving today.  You see, one of the ways that we are saving and stretching our money is to give some of it away.  I know it sounds crazy, but it is an amazing principle that works on so many levels.

Even the world is learning how this Scriptural principle works.  The wealthiest people in our country are often spotlighted for their charitable giving.  They have stumbled onto the truth that when we give, we are blessed.

So each week that Doug works, we will be giving a portion of our income to the charity of our choice, our local church.  We will also be giving a small weekly gift to the missions project in our church.  Then monthly, we give a very small gift to support our favorite Christian radio station, Gospel 90.3, which is also a ministry of our church.

And...just in case you are wondering, we do not give to our church because our pastors harp about needing money week after week.  They don't.  We give to our local church for two reasons:

• We know how our money is being used because we are right here.  We see the ministry.
• We are practicing a Biblical principle that will bless our home and family far beyond the dollars that leave our bank account.

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." ~Luke 6:38

 

Giving some of the blessings away,

Alesha

 

It's Going Swimmingly

With the tropical disturbance in the Gulf, we are getting a LOT of rain every day.  It feels like we need to "swim" about the yard to check on the garden and out to the mailbox and across town with the rivers of water rolling down the street.

Speaking of the mailbox, yesterday I was tickled to find the first of two books that I ordered last week.  I'm sure you're wondering why in the world I am ordering books when Doug is out of work.  So, I will tell you! ;)

I order all of Isaac's diapers and wipes from Overstock.  Each year, I renew my membership in their "Club O".  For me, it is an excellent deal.  Let me explain. 

The first year, I was automatically enrolled in Club O for free.  That was great.  I earned a certain percentage of O Rewards, which you can spend on their site.  The second year, I hesitated to pay the full amount of the enrollment; but then they offered it for $10 off.  Now THAT was a deal!  I've since discovered that they offer the $10 off every year.  I just wait until then to renew.

In 3 years time, I have received over $300 worth of merchandise with those O Rewards!  And guess what I paid for my Club O renewal last year!  $9.95!!!  Over $100 of merchandise a year for $9.95.

Now I realize that not everyone buys $150 of diapers and wipes every month like we do, and so for you, this might not be worth the money.  For us, though, it works great.

• Last week, I realized I had over $15 in rewards waiting, so I ordered 2 books that I'd been wanting to read.  For them both, including shipping, I paid $1.68.
• Today, I found a 10% off coupon for a food order that I was making online.  It saved me almost $5 AND I got free shipping!!!
• I did quite a bit of surfing on the internet this morning, looking for raw cashews.  I finally found them here in Florida for just over $6 a pound.  We got the large pieces, and that saved quite a bit of money.  I will use these cashews to make sweet dishes on the Hallelujah Diet, and so I don't mind one bit if the nuts are whole or not.
• We picked 5 small tomatoes from our garden today - 3 red and 2 yellow pears...yummy!

Well, Isaac didn't sleep last night.  That's the 2nd time this week that he has done that.  We are trying to track down the culprit causing his insomnia.  We are suspecting that it might be a tummy issue.  Anyway, I am thinking very seriously about taking a nap, so I am going to end this for today.

Looking forward to tomorrow's surprises,

Alesha

A Day to Celebrate!

 

Happy Birthday to the world's greatest Mama!!!

 

Thank you for loving me.

Thank you for teaching me about Jesus.

Thank you for giving me home full of love and peace and fun.

Thank you for being YOU.

I love you,

Alesha

Isaac's Funny Little Schedule

Hey y'all.  We've had a good week here at our house.  With the exception of continuing allergy issues, we are all doing well.

Isaac has developed this really odd schedule, and I thought I'd share it with you.  Keep in mind this is a child who has multiple special needs and is not supposed to be aware of things, you know.  Heh!

We put Ike to bed between 8:30-9:00.  He listens to his "Hallelujah" (Gaither video) for about an hour and falls asleep. 

Then somewhere between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. he wakes up.

Then he goes back to sleep around 7 a.m. and sleeps until Noon.

Isn't that peculiar?

So why is he waking up and staying awake???

Because DADDY is home!  Daddy comes to check on him.  Daddy sits in his room for a while.  Daddy changes him if he's wet.  Daddy gives him his juice and meds at 5:30.

And why does he go back to sleep after 7???

Because Daddy comes in and says, "I'm going to work now.  Be a good boy for Mommy and Mrs. Julie today."

And out he goes like a light!

Isn't that something???

This poor, little unaware, handicapped, developementally delayed child that knows nothing, and is incapable of making decisions or understanding the concept of time wakes up to spend time with his Daddy.  And sleeps the sleep of the dead when Daddy is not here.

Julie and I can talk.  The dogs can bark.  Julie can vacuum, clean the bathroom...he snoozes through all of it...because he doesn't want to spend his waking hours with us.  He'd rather spend them with dear ol' Dad!

I love that he loves his Daddy and is so attached to him.  I love that he knows who he wants to spend time with.  I love that he can alter his schedule to suit his own needs and desires.

God has been so good to us, and I am so thankful that He is allowing our boy to grow and mature.

 

Psalm 139:14 "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

 

It also makes me wonder how excited I am to spend time with my Heavenly Father.

Do I wake up early to be in His presence?  Am I willing to give up sleep to talk with Him?  Will I alter my entire schedule just to sit with Him for a while each morning?

Yes, I think there is much to learn from my child in this area.  I think I should probably pay close attention to see what else he can teach me about myself, about life and about God.

I used to think the following verse applied to simple salvation, but maybe there is more to it than that.  I will be meditating on this for a bit, I think.

 

Matthew 18:2-3 "And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

 

Praying you have a blessed weekend,

Alesha

A Song of Praise

 

We are all doing better - Yay!  Doug's energy is returning.  Isaac was very vocal last night, singing with the radio and fussing when he dropped his toys, so I'm thinking he's feeling better too! ;)  I am also feeling a little bit better, and think I might just live through this.  When I do, I think I deserve a t-shirt:  "I Survived the Flu 2012!", don't you?!! :)

 

 

I have a song swirling around in my head this morning.  My sweet friend sang it at church last night, and as I watched the service via the internet, I was so touched by the truth of the song, as if it were the first time I was hearing it.  I thought it might be a blessing to you too. :) 

This is the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, the first group I ever heard sing the song.  Damaris Carbaugh is the soloist.

 

 

 

Dwelling on His faithfulness today,

Alesha

Catching Up

So what have we been doing for the past 2 weeks?

We've been working on bulletin boards, of course!  What else would a teacher be doing during the final few days of summer??? ;)

Doug had some big plans for his new room, and we worked hard to pull all the pieces together for that (quite literally!).  He has 2 boards 8x4, and one 4x4...so you can see that we had a lot of space to fill.

Here's the small board:

(Math: The only place a kid buys 60 watermelons and nobody asks "Why?")

And the larger ones:

(John Wooden's Pyramid of Success.  Doug will add the "blocks" to the pyramid throughout the year, along with the corresponding "Building materials" explanation to the right.)

(Heaven's GPS.  This was a great idea that Doug had to make the Plan of Salvation a setting on the GPS.  You can see his "map" and his many instructions, along with detours and road blocks.  We are praying that his students come to understand the concept and come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, if they don't already know Him when the school year starts.)

 

Isaac and I are settling back into our routine with Julie, Ike's caregiver.  I am hoping to add some new activities to my schedule this year...just what that will be, remains to be seen.  I would love to start voice lessons, as well as volunteer somewhere each week.  I'd also like to settle on whether I want to write a book or not.  I love to write, but do I really have a book "in me"???  I just don't know yet.

 

I have a HUGE coupon that is active in my Etsy shop right now.  Use   25OFF   to receive 25% off any purchase from Alesha Kay Jewelry.   I added a few new things to the shop just today. 

 

My aunt Helen, my mom's sister, passed away early this week.  We will be attending her funeral tomorrow.  Yesterday would have been her birthday, had she lived; but my mom was happy to think about her spending her birthday in Heaven with the Lord.  I am so thankful that she is at home with Him now, healthy and happy and whole.

 

God has been so good to us throughout this summer.  It has been very difficult financially, but He has met our every need.  It has been a summer of spiritual growth and I am thankful for that...even though it was quite painful at times.  I'd rather walk through the hard times WITH the Lord, than to have no troubles, but not know Him. 

What do people do when they don't know Jesus?  It's a sad thing indeed, when you think about it, isn't it?  That's why it's so important that we live our lives to show them how different it can be to know a Saviour like our Lord Jesus Christ!  Our walk should show them what our talk tells them.

 

Philippians 2:15-16a "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
 Holding forth the word of life..."

 

Blessings to you and yours as you shine as lights for the Lord!

Alesha

Twenty-Four Years Ago

...on July 15, 1988,

 

Two crazy kids...

 

 

said "I do."

 

And my life has never been the same!

 

Oh, how I love this man!!!

Happy Anniversary to Doug - my amazing husband and very best friend.

Looking forward to the rest of our adventure together,

Alesha

A Garden Photo Update

 

I've been listening to an audio version of The Secret Garden; and every time I go outside to check on my plants, I hear the following refrain (by the mean children who teased little Mary):

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And marigolds all in a row"

I love the way good literature seeps into your psyche, and colors your thoughts with lovely rhymes and prose and wonderful little quotes to fit some of life's more interesting moments!

So, in case you've been wondering how my garden is growning, I thought I'd let you see!!!

We moved all the plants out of doors, and that is working really well for us.  Doug was so innovative to find another "trellis" for the cucumbers when they grew taller than the one we had provided for them.

He sunk a discarded chain link gate into the ground near the house and the cucumbers had twined around by the next morning!

It was pouring when I took this picture, so sorry for the "fuzziness".

 

And here's how every little thing is growing:

Tiny, tiny baby yellow heirloom tomato plant

 

So big now, and still growing...new blossoms every day, but no tomato yet.

 

Yellow Pear Tomato

 

Pretty little tomatoes, growing nicely!

 

Pickling Cucumber

 

This will be cucumber #3 for this plant, and it has many more growing.

 

Here's the first one we picked.  It was delicious!

 

Crazy 8 Cucumber (because the cukes are supposed to reach 8 inches long.)

 

This guy is about 6.5 inches.  It is killing us to leave him out there!

 

As you can see, everything is growing very well; and we are so thankful for that! 

Other than our garden, we are all doing well.  Doug and Isaac have been to therapy twice in the new vehicle and we are so thankful for it.  Every time we drive it, we find something new to love! 

On Friday, I went for my first solo drive.  It was so easy, all the buttons, knobs and gizmos are in convenient places.  I usually hate to drive in the rain, but Tranny even made that a fun adventure. :)

 

Praying you all have a blessed weekend,

HopeFULLy,

Alesha

When God Answers, He Answers BIG!

We went to the car dealership, signed papers and came home with this vehicle - free and clear.  I have no idea who all was involved or what deals were made...I'm absolutely sure it was all legal and Christ-honoring, though!!! :)

This is a 2012 Ford Transit Connect.  It is brand new, as you can see by the odometer.  Right now, it seats Isaac beautifully, as well as stores his chair completely upright in the back.  Our little ramp fit right across the back for storage, as well.

We are in the process of applying for a grant that will hopefully allow us to have it modified with a ramp/lift for when Isaac gets bigger.  That will cost between $16,000-$20,000, and we will be without the vehicle for a month as it is shipped to Indiana for the conversion.  It will be a while before that happens, obviously.

So, I leave you with pictures and verses of praise and amazement.

"Our God is so great, so strong and so mighty...there's nothing my God cannot do!!!"

~~~~~

Isaiah 48:6 "Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them."

 

 

 

Job 42:2-3 "I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not."

 

 

 

 

Psalm 84:11 "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

 

 

(of course, we had to try out the Sync program and call Doug's mom in Ohio to tell her the good news!!!)

 

 

And THIS...

...this makes it worth the wait.

I am so full of gratitude and we are overflowing with thanksgiving!

Our God is worthy to be praised.

Please join us tonight by leaving a comment in honor of His mighty work on our behalf!

AND tomorrow is Isaac's 12th birthday...could the timing have been any better?????

HopeFULLy,

Alesha

Finding a Van for Isaac - It Takes a Family, Not a Village

 

We are in the process of trying to find a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for our family.  Our truck died on May 8th, and we have been without a vehicle since then.

I know intellectually that family is incredibly important, but to see family spring into action on our behalf has really been amazing!

 

• My mechanically-inclined brother, who has done the physical labor on our truck the past several times that it needed work, and who had the wisdom to say (as did Bones on StarTrek) "It's dead, Jim!" when our truck blew it's head gasket last Tuesday.
  
• My fiscally-responsible brother and sister-in-love who unselfishly pick me up for choir practice each week, and bring me home from church on Sunday and Wednesday nights, who pick up groceries when we need them, or prescriptions when we have no way to get them, and who support me emotionally when I feel the need to let off steam, by simply listening or by taking me to the beach for a day (and thereby rescuing my sanity.)
• My extended family who are praying and watching for deals and encouraging us that God will meet our need.
• My brilliant husband who can tell you which car/truck/van has the best and poorest Consumer Report ratings for the past 15 years, and who is humble enough to accept rides back and forth to work but is independent enough to walk to the drugstore and grocery store when we needed something.
• My sweet mother- and grandmother-in-laws who give advice and encouragment to Doug each week and who help us pray for answers.
  
• My servant-hearted cousins who are willing to do anything at all for us from toting a wheelchair, to physically helping Isaac in and out of his wheelchair, and who act out the belief that "Pity is a benign form of abuse, " and therefore do not pity Isaac, but accept him just as he is and help him to be a true part of their junior church ministry every Sunday.
  
• My dad who has worked unfailingly to help us find a vehicle, who has loaned his vehicle for runs to the bank and the grocery store, who drives alone to church in his work truck so that the rest of us can fit in the "nice" vehicle, who believes in a fair price and a good work ethic, who has friends all over town because of his own work ethic, and who has blessed his family for many generations to come by following Christ's example and keeping a good Christian testimony.
• My mom who has taught all of us by her incredible example that PRAYER WORKS, and who is continuing to live out that truth by praying a MIRACLE down for us!!!

 

All these combine to make this time of waiting, bearable. 

As we sink our faith deeper into the mind of Christ, and trust Him to meet this incredible need, we are propped up and encouraged by these in our family who have come along beside us.

Of course, we have sweet friends who minister to us, too, giving us ideas and telling us about vehicles they've seen, and encouraging us with reminders of Who God is, and that He promises to meet every need.  These are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and so, by that definition, are FAMILY, as well!

 

The world has swallowed the lie that it takes a government, a society, a village of people to raise a child.  This is wrong and unScriptural.  It takes individuals who are committed to the success of the child and to the spiritual growth of the child, to properly raise that child to be a Child of the King.

In Isaac's situation, he is "safe" in the Lord, because he does not have the understanding to make a personal decision for Christ. 

So, in his case, we are not coming together to teach him about Jesus and salvation in a mental and spiritual way; but rather we are coming together to teach him how Jesus IS by meeting his physical and emotional needs.

 

I John 3:16-18 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

 

My family is loving Isaac, and loving us, "in deed and in truth."

That is very humbling and encouraging and is - quite honestly - just blessing my socks off!!!

Thank you, Lord, for my family!

 

 

HopeFULLy,

Alesha