It Is Coming.....OH MY!!!

The year 2011 is coming to an end and 2012 is getting ready to start. Of course there is a big hype about Dec 21, 2012 being the end of the world... Here is what I think... It is the millennium all over again!!!


I don't think zombies are going to try and eat us, I don't think California is going to break off into the ocean, I don't think Jesus is coming back on that day, and I don't think the apocalypse is gonna happen on that day. I do think... Jesus will come back some day and the world will end one day.


A lot of being put on the Mayan calendar predicting the "end of the world". However, the Mayan's actually just predicted something bad happening but the world would continue. The Mayan's think the world will always continue but something big will happen on Dec. 21, 2012. Personally I don't put much faith in the Mayan's because even the Bible says NO ONE will know the day Jesus is coming back.


So, I welcome 2012 and I look forward to another year on earth to watch my son grow up. If the world does end of Dec. 21, 2012... well... I will be happy to see my God. :)

The Physical Body Lost BUT The Spiritual Body Won

On Dec. 23rd at 5:25pm the world lost someone very special. We lost a woman of God, a wife, a wonderful mother, and an all around beautiful person. Her name is/was Lisa Hays. She was my preacher's wife and she lost her battle with lung cancer. Through out her struggles her faith stayed strong and so did the faith of her family. She did not complain or ask "why me God" but just fought with all she had. Every time I see Zebra print I will be reminded of Lisa and her faith. The following is why (it was written by her daughter Corrie).



"A year ago in October, we underwent our first biopsy. Mom had several swollen lymphnodes, but also a good sized tumor in her right lung. Instead of biopsying both, the surgeon, hoping to save us some time and stress, just ...biopsied the lymphnodes. They came back negative, and we all breathed a sigh of relief. He, in his awesome Swiss accent, told us "The possibility that the tumor is cancerous but the lympnodes are not is like finding a zebra in Alaska". However, just to be safe, our surgeon went back in a few days later, using a guided biopsy, going straight to the tumor itself. Her right lung collapsed, and they found the cancer. So, since the lymphnodes were just granulomas (there's a good explanation of that on Wikipedia if you're curious), but the tumor was cancerous (Stage IIIb, I might add), Mom became "the Zebra". It's kind of her mascot throughout all of this, and she always says that "she's surviving in a wilderness that is not her home". Keep surviving, Mom; you're doing one heck of a job.--Corrie"

Lisa's journey was documented on facebook through "Lunch for Lisa". It was a page dedicated to prayer and fasting for Lisa. People who did not even know Lisa started to "like" the page and started making comments. They also started to pray for her and her family. I witnessed with my own eyes someone who had never meet Lisa pray for her and even speak with her through facebook. The page would give everyone details on what was going on. We knew about the cancer found in her lungs, the pneumonia taking over, the hemorrhaging, the blood transfusions, the plasma, the ventilator, oxygen levels, hemoglobin levels, and through this page we knew when she was going to be taken off the ventilator.

Lisa battled with lung cancer even though she never smoked a day in her life. I would see her most evenings out walking with her husband, so I know she was also getting exercise. Lisa was just a healthy woman. A women we liked walking, singing, and spending time with her family. If people didn't know Lisa they had the opportunity to get to know her through "Lunch for Lisa" and learn how wonderful she was.

Although we will mourn we will also rejoice. God had a plan and purpose for Lisa and she filled that purpose so now it is time for her to go home. Home where she will never feel pain, home where she will never have difficulty breathing, a home where she can sing to the Lord, a home where children will welcome her with open arms, and a home where there is no pain or suffering. Our God is a mighty all knowing God.

The physical body (shell) was worn down and no longer useful. Therefore, God took Lisa and I am sure she is enjoying her spiritual body in heaven. Tears have been shed and will continue to be shed. We are happy the suffering is gone but we are sad for our lose. I think when God's purpose is filled then our life here on earth comes to an end. It doesn't make it easier to deal with though. It is human nature to not want death for anyone because we are selfish. Not selfish in a really bad way, but we just want our loved ones close, and I do not see anything wrong with that. In Lisa's case...she will be missed. Tears will flow, hugs will be given, condolences given, flowers, prayers, love, and we will rejoice, because we will see her again someday!!

Tis the Season

Holy shananagins!! Four days straight of family Christmas stuff!! My 4 year old son has so many toys from everyone else! We only get him three gifts every year because "Jesus only got 3 for his birthday" :)

So, this year it is Buzz, Woody/Bullseye, and this giant marble race. Of course my husband could not wait to open the marble race so he could play with it, so my son got it tonight before I left for work. As I was leaving they were still putting it together, but most of it was done. I texted my husband to see if my son liked his new gift and his response "good". Gee thanks for the detailed information babe.... Here they are before I left!

So, after I get off work at 2am I have to put the other two presents under the tree and stuff the stockings. Yes... I am sorry... there is no Santa... or he doesn't come to my house and makes me spend my own money on presents! Thankfully we only have our own Christmas tomorrow then the in-laws are bringing over more presents for my son. He is certainly spoiled rotten!!!!!

I am ready for the craziness of Christmas to be OVER!! It is crazy how ever year it becomes less about family and more about presents... I really enjoy the family time but when everything is scheduled for the same day we only have about 1 hour with each part of the family, then it is on to the next one. For me, everything is cut a bit shorter because I work evenings. But hey someone has to answer 9-1-1 on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.. :p

Life Isn't Over Until We Stop Breathing

Every day we wake up we are living. Schedules continue every day. Wake up, get the kid ready for school, go to work, get home, go to bed, do it all again... Welcome to life as most of us know it. Of course we try to break out of the mundane on occasion by taking vacations or just relaxing. For me every day is different.

The calls I get at work are never the same ones I recieved the day before. The things my son says are never the same as what he said the day before. Little changes in the days are a reminder that we are still living. Time seems to speed past. We are not statues watching the world go by, we are the people making the world go. Every one has their own purpose in this world. Life is not over until we stop breathing.

Part of Genesis Book One :)

Adam 130 fathered Seth; Seth 105 fathered Enosh, Enosh 90 fathered Kenan; Kenan 70 fathered Mahalalel; Mahalalel 65 fathered Jared; Jared 162 fathered Enoch; Enoch 65 fathered Methuselah; Methuselah 187 fathered Lamech; Lamech 182 fathered Noah!

Wow, these men seem to be extremely old in our terms. Adam lived to be 930 years, before he died. I wonder how their years were counted though. Now, if someone reaches the age of 100 years it is a huge triumph. So, were God’s people just living longer, or where the years measured different than we measure them today?? In Genesis 6:1 the Lord said “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” I think here God is saying He shortened our life span here on earth. However, I am not so sure because after God said this it talks about Noah being 950 years.

SO, Abram slept with his wife’s slave, got her pregnant, then when his wife gave him a son, the slave was dismissed along with their son. The Bible is pretty frustrating sometimes! I know that God still looked out for the son whose mother was the slave. I guess I can see why there is bigamy…Jacob had two wives, and also had children by two servants!

So, I stopped after finishing Genesis 39. I think that was enough name overload for one evening! Wow that is a lot of family, and a lot of names!!!!

The B-I-B-L-E...thats the book for me....is it???

Okay, lately during church my pastor has been refering to stories in the Bible, apparently we should all know. Well, since I grew up in church, and attended sunday school, youth group, and all that jazz I heard most of the stories. Lately however, I began to ask myself...do you really KNOW the stories??

I know scriptures, and once in order to get my church camp paid for I memorized the Sermon on the Mount. When I go to church on Sundays I read along in the Bible with whatever we are reading. I want to try something different though. I want to read the whole Bible. When listening to KLove the other day, one of the artists said, it is about reading it, not about finishing it.

So, that is why I deiceded I would read the whole new testament by the end of the year. I know 9 months seems like a long time to read 27 books of the Bible. But you see I not only want to read them, I want to understand them, AND apply them to my life. It is one thing to read the words and it is another to apply them and understand them.

So, I challenge myself :) Of course I will keep you all updates as I go. Now, do not get me wrong, I read my Bible, but I usually know what I am looking for, so I just get straight to the point. The Bible is a huge source of information and I plan to tap into that!

Reflections on Haiti

We when made it through custums and were walking to our ride to the mission I was overwhelmed. It was a shock to see so many Haitian's trying to get money or yelling from a fence. When we boarded the bus there was a Haitian man on the other side of the fence who kept yelling at me. "Misses, I love you, you are beautiful" lol. We then left the airport and started driving through Port-au-Prince to the mission, I was looking out the window thinking...what have I got myself into. There were children running up to the bus asking for money. I badly wanted to hand them a dollar but was reminded by our team leader it would not be a good idea because then they would all start coming at the bus. So, i simply told them no, smiled and waved.

I was surprised of how great the mission was. We were showed to our room, which had air conditioning and real mattresses! I was pretty stoked about that! At this point, I was thinking, Haiti does not seem to bad. So, we had dinner then off to bed for church in the morning. Sunday morning we entered the church and it was packed full of people. They started singing songs I did not know, and did not understand. However, my body responded to the music and I could not help but to sway with the incredible music, and knew God was in this place. I also got to sing for the congregation at the church and it was so amazing to just let my voice go. Many times I find myself making sure the pitch is just right, the words are what they are supposed to be, and so on. But this time I just did what I felt. On the second verse I sang the wrong words but I never stopped. I just belted out the words I felt in my heart and let my voice carry throughout the church. I felt marvelous after finishing.

Monday was day one of clinics and I was not sure what I would do. I am not medically trained, so I would be no help in surgeries, because of the language barrier I would be no help trying to find out what patients needed...so for the first couple hours I just stood around thinking...now what??? But then Kelly was sterilizing tools  inbetween surgeries and I was like, oh I can do that. So, Kelly gave me some brief information on what I needed to do, so I began. Little did I know this would become my job in the clinic, but I loved it. You would thinking cleaning tools with blood on them would not be my thing, but there I was, just cleaning right along!

The next day, I asked Dr. Fogarty if I could watch her deliver a baby. She said, sure come on. Wow! What an amazing thing to watch. I got to watch twins born and I got to hold twin number one while twin number two was making her way into the world feet first. It was heartbreaking to me that they mother did not want to hold the babies. I tried to give her twin number one after twin two came out but she simply waved me off. There were no smiles from the mother, as one would expect. She never took the children into her arms until she was in the recovery room and had to nurse them. My heart was breaking for this two young infants we just began there life, and already were not greeted with a smile and hugs from the mother. They did however get many hugs and smiles from the team.

So, VBS was next were we walked into a concrete building were kids were cram packed into rooms. It was great to see their little faces light up as we walked in. Each child got toothpaste, tooth brush, floss, crayons, coloring pages, and some other things! They were grateful for those little things, we often take for granted. I got to thinking about my little man at home who has boxes of crayons, markers, and coloring books. I am not sad that my child has "so much" but happy that I can give that to him.

Thursday was another day of clinic but I did not watch many surgeries because I was talking with Johnny. He was one of the interpreters. Johnny gave me some insight about marriage. My husband and I have been having some rough times, and I thought i was just done with it all. I had divorce papers drawn up with division of property and custody arrangements already made out. But after talking with johnny I realized something...I was giving up too easy. In America it is so common for people to just give up on their marriage and get a divorce. But i didn't want to become that statistic, or that person who just gave up. Johnny told me, he would marry his friend,  then they would become his lover, and he would marry for life. He told me if his wife left he would follow her wherever she went. Married people have to work through there differences, not just give up on them. Thanks Johnny!!!!

Haiti taught me about another culture, about Haitian people, but most important it taught me about myself. I have always had a love for God, and known He was the reason. My relationship with God has always been good and I know it will always be. But I was beginning to lose myself a little. I became a woman who went to work, took care of house, had a three year old, and was a wife. But those things were just descriptions, they did not define who I was. Haiti gave me a chance to find me. I am....a mother, a wife, a friend of God, a woman who has the heart to give all she can, someone who is stronger than she knew, and many more things. You see, Haiti taught me about me. Our team helped many people, and we gave kids some hygience items, and we touched hearts. But nothing has ever touched my heart like the Haitian people.

When we first got there, many of the team who went the first time said they were glad to be back home. At the time I thought they were just a little silly....but boy was I wrong. I am here in home number one in Kansas but my home number two is in Haiti and I hope to go back soon!