October.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

October is also the month we celebrate the birth of my mother.

Six months ago, those two statements had nothing to do with each other, other than having the word "October" in them. But in May of this year, after a routine mammogram, my mother was told she had a mass in her breast. And after her biopsy, it was confirmed: cancer.

Such a scary word, isn't it? Cancer. I have had two grandfathers, a stepfather-in-law, and several church family members lose their earthly lives to cancer. It is a devastating disease. So naturally, when my mother called to tell me her mass was, in fact, the "c-word", I should have been scared. Mortified. Shocked. Angry. But you know what? My mother wasn't those things. She was calm. Peaceful. Even somewhat matter-of-fact. As if she were telling me this was just another speed bump in life, like changing jobs or a car breaking down. She is a strong woman. No...that isn't true: she is a weak woman, who fully relies on the strength of her God. You see, humans cannot overcome cancer. Therefore, humans have no hope when they are told they have cancer. But my mother knows that God controls her life, and God has already conquered cancer. If her cancer is healed here on earth: Praise God; she's got a few more years with us here! If her cancer consumes her body & takes away her earthly life: Praise God; she's got a new body that will never see disease again! Either way - Praise God; he is the ultimate Healer!

Mom's cancer was removed. She had a partial mastectomy in May. The cancer was actually pretty tiny. So her story had a happy ending. Not everyone's battle with cancer ends the same way. This month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let's not just think about how we can detect & treat breast cancer, but all cancers. And let's remember those who lost their earthly bodies to this terrible disease, and the families who deal with this on a daily basis.

{ So many women are a walking case for early detection, and so is my mom! Her cancer was detected very early, by a routine mammogram. Ladies: get your mammograms! }

{ my mom with my daughter & my brother's daughter, on our family vacation in June 2012 }

#firstworldpains

It kind of hit me today.

{ I am NEVER this shocked when my wallet is empty. ;-) }

We don't have the money to replace our dryer that died today.

We had to pay a hefty fee to fix our home A/C this summer.

We don't have the money to replace the sprayer at our kitchen sink that leaks.

We paid for 2 E.R. visits during the summer, one of which included an ambulance ride.

We don't have the money to replace the recessed light above our bathtub.

We just paid $75 for antibiotics for our daughter.

We had to put our car in the shop about a month ago.

We don't have the money to get our lawnmower fixed.

We had to buy the more expensive meds for our dog since his regular brand isn't currently being produced.

We don't have the money to decorate another nursery.

I don't even have the money to get my hair cut!

But you know what? We have a nice house. We have two vehicles that {currently} run. Every month, we are able to pay our bills. My air conditioner is running right now. Our washing machine works, and our dishwasher works. We are able to buy groceries each week. We have a computer, a printer, a TV, and two gaming consoles. Every night, we sleep in a cozy bed and get a good night's sleep. Our home is protected by a burglar alarm system. We have furniture to sit on in every room of our house. Both of our toilets work, and all of our faucets work. We are incredibly blessed to have our adoption fund almost complete. I have a coffee maker that I program to make my coffee at 6:30 each morning. We have clothes to wear. And THIS list goes on & on. The list above pretty much stops where I ended it. But our blessings continue, despite my nagging, whining, & complaining.

God is good. All the time.

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ~Matthew 6:27-29

remembering.

In 1996, I was blessed to be a part of a mission trip to New England, and we took a day trip to NYC.

We were able to go to the top of the World Trade Center on that day.

I am so glad we took these pictures to document that trip.

Today, we remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001. Lives lost because of an act of evil, and lives lost because of bravery that came about as a result of that evil. I remember the day vividly; the confusion, the fear, the chaos in our country. And the resulting camaraderie, bravery, and patriotism. It was an amazing thing to experience, and I will not ever forget it.

Do you remember? Will you remember today?

"The Lord Most High is your fortress. Run to him for safety, 

and no terrible disasters will strike you or your home." 

~Psalm 91:9-10

Pinterest idea: DONE.

I pin a LOT of ideas on Pinterest. [ If you don't believe me, go check me out: http://pinterest.com/lauragoins/ ] So whenever I actually accomplish a task or idea I've pinned, I feel like I should shout it from the rooftops. "HEY!! I actually DID this!!"

Yesterday, I saw this pin:

[ source ]

I didn't intend to go out & do it the NEXT DAY. But I found myself in Target, and I saw those placemats, and I just happened to notice the clearance price:

I couldn't resist, since they were on clearance. So I brought a few home & got to work. This is my fridge before. ICK.

 [ Yes, I have 2 pitchers of tea. I like tea. Leave me alone. ]

[ Milk crust. I hate milk crust. ]

I didn't want the mats sliding around, so I used this adhesive stuff to make them grippy on the bottom. This isn't great glue; it doesn't hold well & using the dispenser will nearly make you lose your religion. But it provided a bit of grip for my mats, so I'm thankful I held onto this useless piece of crap stuff.

And here is the made-over fridge! Tada!! The mats don't reach all the way to the back, but I don't care. The back of the fridge is no-man's land anyway. Scary stuff goes on back there.


Now that my fridge is prettier, maybe I will actually keep it tidy from now on! HA. ;-)

8.28

Normally on our anniversary, I post about how much I love my husband.

And how awesome he is.

And how amazing it is that God brought us to each other, and has woven our lives together.

And how he is an incredible husband, a wonderful father, and an example for everyone, especially me & Natalie.

All of those things are true. And I could sing of my husband's praise for a long time.

But this year, I'm doing something different.




I'm showing you a little decorating project I did.

Ha!

I wanted something personal & meaningful in the space above our bed. We don't have a headboard, and I keep changing my mind about what I want to do with that space. I see lots of super awesome ideas on Pinterest, but of course this project is pretty close to the bottom of our "to do" list around the house, so this area gets neglected. Anyway, for something quick & easy, I decided to incorporate our favorite verse - Romans 8:28. If you know us, you know how much this verse means to us. If you don't know us, well...read around on my blog some & you'll see. :-)

Anyway, here is the finished product! Thanks for reading!

Oh, and...happy 8th anniversary, Baron!! :-)

 

Want the scripture art for yourself? Click on the image below to download it for free!