end of the year...

okay so my "blogging" didn't really go as expected this year...I really thought I had a whole lot more to say than what I have said in the past year on this blog.  But, as I reflect on the past year....wow!  We are so blessed.
This time last year, we had no idea where we would even be living after our house sold.  As it turned out, God's plan was so fabulous!  We moved into the cabin, we had prayed for, and now after 9 months of cabin life...we absolutely love it!  This is home. for the first time in the 10+ years of living in Tennessee, we are finally home.

Thank you Jesus for the blessings you have given us this year! 

i hate to complain but....

i am kinda in a bad mood about several things and have stewed about them and just can't seem to "go on" to the next thing...so I am going to vent:

#1  loyalty is important and when "friends" or at least people you thought were "friends" aren't loyal then it changes your perspective on the human race.

#2  Passion, backbone, standing up for what is right, whatever you want to call it....there is a severe shortage.

#3  People who say they will do something and then just don't.  No response, no explanation, nothing...I would much rather you tell me that you aren't going to do something as opposed to acting like you will do something and then just not....nothing....zero.

#4 People who just don't tell the truth....

#5  and along that same thought....people who talk out of both sides of their mouths.  People who say what they think you want to hear...or what seems to be appropriate at the moment!

I can't say I feel better but at least you know my View from the Robin's nest!

the older I get...

...the more I see the power of prayer.  I just wished I had realized earlier.  From the earliest prayers I remember saying..."now I lay me,"  "God is great, God is good." "Our Father, who art in heaven", to the conversations I now have with my heavenly Father, prayers are our major communication link to God.  Last week, I was asked to pray over a new baby and I have never been so blessed by being asked to do this.  What a privilege!!!!!! I encourage you each to look at your prayer life.  I used to think the Bible verse that said to "pray without ceasing" was just a silly verse and that is really not what you were supposed to do...oh silly me...take it literally...Pray without ceasing.  It is amazing!

blessed

there are days when we just wished we had never gotten out of bed...
for some reason, I have had a few like that lately.  not sure why, because when i look
at my life....i am so blessed. 
it is very easy to get caught up in the everyday mundane rut and overlook all of the blessings
we take for granted every single day.  the little blessings like:
hot water,
air conditioning,
a soft pillow,
electricity,
diet coke,
ice.
those are just the little things...what about the big blessings like:
food,
shelter,
transportation,
freedom,
a job,
a family,
friends,
my dog..
WOW!
now i just need to keep my perspective in focus and stay away from the "world view" and keep my "MeriRobin'sEyes" focused on Christ and see what He would have me to see each day.
And as you pray today, don't forget to thank God for all of your little and big blessings.

faith and blessings....

remember back about a month ago, i wrote about a log cabin I had been dreaming about? 
remember when I checked into this being our next address and it was a "no go" result?

well, I kept praying...

this little cabin in the woods will be our new address beginning the weekend of March 26, 2011!!!

I am so excited that this IS the place God planned for us ... I have finally learned a little something about faith...and trust in His will for our lives. We are blessed and I can't wait to see what He has for the next chapter and I am working on a "name" for the upcoming chapters!
He knows the plans He has for us!  Trust Him!

keep praying.....

wellllllllllllll...just out of the blue on Friday, I decided to call the "log cabin" people back.  Even though they initially said, "no dogs" this time and then we heard it had been rented.  However, it still was showing up on the real tracs rental list so I took a chance and called.  Whoever was going to rent it didn't work out and yes it is still available and they will consider my sweet "gracie".  So Saturday morn we got to go look at my "dream" cabin!  As expected, I loved it!  and after reviewing all of the pros and cons...the pros won!  we are planning on signing the lease on tuesday and will move in at the end of March.  I am so excited that I can just about pop!  Actually, i am "cautiously" about to pop!  lol
The "cons" include (1) no closet in the master bedroom, but it has a jacuzzi...so who needs a closet if you have a jacuzzi and (2) the washer and dryer are the one on top of the other kind...but it is otherwise perfect! 
but I named this post, "keep praying" because no matter how perfect this looks and feels, I just want to make sure I am walking in HIS will and not mine!  Life is changing and I want to follow God's will which is not what I have traditionally done.  So we will continue to "pray without ceasing"!  I hope you will too!

still praying...

once again we are waiting with cautious anticipation...the new closing date is set for the end of march!
so i guess its time to get out of this chair and start packing some boxes.  it would just be nice to be able to label which boxes go into storage and which ones go to the new address.  unfortunately, we just don't have the new address.  so we are praying and for any of our friends reading this blog we hope you are praying with us. 

on my soap box...

Today I had the opportunity to go to Summertown, Tennessee to a place known as "The Farm".  If you don't know about it...google it....

I was able to listen to a talk by a midwife named Ina May Gaskin who is one of the nation's leading midwives.  She has been involved in many, many home deliveries through the years and the experience she brings to the table is so amazing.  I say all that to get to the point of my soap box.  Her experiences, along with the mothers in Haiti, Africa,  and other 3rd world countries;   the mothers who delivered babies hundreds of years ago and all the way back to Adam and Eve...BREASTFEEDING HAS SUSTAINED MANKIND.  I don't think this a a revelation but based on my past 25 years experience, the "amazingness" of breastmilk obviously got lost in translation. 

Now let's look at the facts:
    the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a baby's life and continued through at least the first year of life.
    the World Health Organization recommends it through the 2nd year of life.
    the Surgeon General has made statements about the benefits at regular intervals for the past 25 years and just came out with the Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding urging health care providers (obstetricians, pediatricians, OB nurses, Pediatric nurses...etc...) to encourage and support breastfeeding.
and last but not least, Michelle Obama, Rep. Bachmann and Sarah Palin are all making supportive (?) comments about the importance.
With all of that said....here's what I think...
Number one--I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings so if I write something making you uncomfortable,  remember, if you choose or chose not to breastfeed then you are wasting your time reading this and if you care enough to read this then you probably have some kind of feelings about your choice. (my mom bottlefed me)!
Number two--If you couldn't breastfeed because of a breast anomaly or for one of the reasons listed on Joint Commissions reasons not to exclusively breastfeed then again, I am sorry for you and your circumstances.
Number three--The other reasons most women end up not breastfeeding fall into one or more of the following categories:  lack of education, lack of understanding of the importance,  lack of support, and an abundance of bad advice whether it comes from a grandma, a nurse, a dad, a doctor, a political figure or even a best friend.
Number four--I just wish the marketing of the importance of breastfeeding got as much publicity as putting babies on their backs to sleep, or the laws regulating the use of car seats.  Whoever was in charge of those campaigns did a fine job and I wish breastfeeding and the importance of breastmilk could be presented the same way.  Not to say those things aren't important because they are very important but definitely not more important than the benefits of breastmilk.  So if the health benefits of breastfeeding and the hazards of formula could be presented to parents  the same way the importance of "Back to Sleep" and "Car Seat Safety" are presented we would probably have alot more moms breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding is much easier than getting a baby up to a  five year old...in and out of those car seats!
And for those who are saying they don't want to breastfeed because it is just too time consuming or invasive or embarrassing or whatever other reason comes to mind then just go ahead and put your babies on their tummies to sleep and skip the car seat......

And for all of the doctors, nurses, lactation consultants, child birth educators, families and friends who are too "politically correct"  to encourage a mom to breastfeed because of feeling you might hurt someone's feelings or intrude, then please keep your comments to yourself when you look over and see a mom in a car with the windows rolled up, smoking a cigarette, and no one actually strapped in the car seats correctly with bottles of formula hanging out of the mouths of babes!  You might hurt their feelings or get too personal if you tell them those are not acceptable parenting skills. I rest my case....

i just have to laugh...

let me bring you up to date....
     it seemed like everything was in order.
     the inspector came, and found his "list" of things needing to be repaired...
     unfortunately, he found a leak in the attic. 
     (fyi--new roof 3 years ago)
     FINALLY, the roof company called me back and they are coming to check it Friday.
    the appraiser came...
    closing date set for March 9th.
    we still haven't found a place to move to...
    getting a little anxious but not anxious enough to do alot of packing.
    packed up a few things in the dining room...just not overly worried???
    a little out of character for me....
    text today from my realtor....the husband of the family buying our house lost his job today...
    I am so sorry for them.  we know what that is like. 
    bottom line...guess we aren't closing on March 9th.
    Still can't wait to see what God has in store for us!

pretty sure now....

got the call tonight from our realtor..."start packing..."
it looks like everything as far as the house selling is on track.
we will know for sure in the next few days.
I guess anything can happen...deals can always fall through but for now
I guess we need to plan on packing up our stuff and moving on....
moving on...that is the big unknown right now. 
sadly, the log cabin I dreamed about got rented...by someone else.
just about everything I have called about,
 rented or got sold the day I called so if you
need to rent or sell a home just let me know...
I might just have the touch. lol
we drove around this weekend and looked at several places/areas
and several different houses but none that are really going to work out.
either too much, too close the main road, too little, too big and of course
there is the dreaded, "NO DOGS"!
I guess tonight it really kinda hit me, plus as my dear friend calls my husband, "Blue Eyes"...
is out of town this week and I am a little more upset about the future of "homelessness" than I expected.
that being said, I know without a doubt that my Father already knows what he has in store for us...
I just didn't expect to be almost 51 years old and without a home...wow is all I can say.
just wow. 

praying...

about a month ago, I ran across a log cabin for rent in a perfect location.  however, when I called to inquire about it...I found out it was perfect except for one small thing...my sweet Gracie, would not be welcome there.  okay, so I said, "oh well"  we will find something else...

well, now the house is almost sold...and we have been looking for our new address but just haven't come across anything.  then for the past two nights I have been dreaming about this log cabin. I have no doubt that God already has our next address in his rolodex, and so if this is the right address, I just pray that the "no dogs" stipulation will be waived or we can work something out.  If the log cabin is not the place then I know He has something really amazing planned but for now this is my prayer...will you pray with me?  He is faithful.  I have no doubt!

looking for a new nest...

Wow...how different my eyes see the world today than the way they saw things 5, 10, 20, 30 years ago.

The things that mattered at other times really have little meaning at this point.
I have been so blessed to go to other places and see how others live.  The pictures here show where different families are living in Haiti after the earthquake.  As I drive around looking
for the next place we will call home I can't help but remember, think and pray for the families
I have come to know in Haiti.  And as I sit here with tears rolling down my face as I think of them, I pray that my life here is not full of pompous pride.  When I look at possible places to live, I find myself saying things like, " that bedroom is too small, no garden tub? not a very nice neighborhood, etc, etc...
I really have no idea where our next home will be, but I am just praying that God will totally direct me to that place and I will not look with  Meri Robin's Eyes but only through the eyes of Jesus....please pray with me not just for my eyes to see through the eyes of Jesus but that you will too.  Just think what an amazing place our world would be.....

anticipation

Anticipation!!!!  I am almost afraid to write these words but I can't stand it any longer...I think our house is actually going to sell.  Nothing is signed, sealed or delivered but I just think that within the next 30 - 45 days I won't be living in this house.  With that in mind comes the word--ANTICIPATION--
For the past several days I have been waking up with the song from The Sound of Music, that goes,
What will this day be like, I wonder... What will my future bring, I wonder....and so on....and so comes the anticipation.  I am really getting excited to see what my Father has in store for our family next!  And what is really cool--I have no doubt that whatever the future brings...it will be amazing!
Just as we are reminded in Matt 6...consider the lillies..look how lavishly they are dressed...and knowing that my saviour provides for all of their needs, I also can trust he will provide for mine!  I just can't wait to see what he is planning for us!

perspective...

I have some friends who are now serving in Cape Town, South Africa.  They are a young couple with 4 small children and they have been obedient to the call of our Lord to move their family to the other side of the world.  Everytime I think of them and miss them, I am astounded by their trust and faith.  In faith, they obeyed.  They also have a blog and on one of their recent posts they referred to the scriptures from Ephesians 3:20 and Phillipians 4: 19.  Both are so important to them on the path they are on today and as I read the same verses, I smile at the comfort they bring me today--our differences are innumberable but the perspectives are the same.  No matter where our walk is today we can TOTALLY rely on our Father ...because he is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us!  and then he goes even further to say He will meet ALL of my needs according to the riches of glory in Christ Jesus! 
So my prayer for you today is for you to know that no matter where you are...as a child of the kingdom, your Father, your Daddy, your Savior is so in love with you and wants the very best for you.  Be encouraged...He is with you no matter how far away you may feel.

not typical

Not typical is a fairly odd way to start a new post but I am walking through parts of life which are not typical for me.
  I typically don't start something and then don't follow through...
I typically return phone calls in a very timely fashion...
  I typically stay busy and if I find time to be quiet, I usually do something productive...
Well, it seems that I have been doing things which are "not typical" for me...

Just went we seem to get "settled" or at a place of calmness...God redirects our path...
Not in a bad way even though on many days changes and unexpected events can be perceived as being
"bad," but in the past 50 years...everytime the path gets redirected I am amazed at what God has in store for our lives!  He knows the plans He has for us.  How difficult it is to trust and have the everyday faith to get up each day totally trusting Him for everything.  (All of us with a few "control" issues have to pray extra for the strength to relinquish the control we really don't have ownership over anyhow...).  The control we think we have is just a coping mechanism for not totally trusting the One who gives us every breath we take.  How stupid we are!!!

Back on topic...
I started this blog and have neglected it...
  I apologize to all who have left messages and I have ignored...
and I am going to try to get out of this hole I feel like I am in and get back on track.
I pray for the strength to rely totally on His guidance and trust the plan He has for my life.