Choose Your Own Adventure

Did you ever read the Choose Your Own Adventure books as a child? You know, the ones where you are reading a story and then you have the option to pick which adventure your main character will go on. I have been thinking lately about how things might have been. I think, what if Jolianne had not had a heart problem. I imagine our family living in Heartland in the beautiful house we had built and I would still be working at Oldcastle. Jolianne would be 9 months old. Crawling all around on the floor. She probably would have figured out how to say "Dada" and "Mama" and "Bubba" by now. We would have our friends and family over to visit. Life is good and I couldn't be happier. Then there is adventure number 2. The adventure that started when I was placed in the hospital. We would still be living in Wills Point. I would have quit my job at Oldcastle to stay home with little Jo Jo because she needs special care. By now Jo Jo would have had her last heart procedure and would be doing great. Everyone all together enjoying life and realizing just how precious each of our lives are. I know that is one of the better imaginations of what our life would be like but hey, this is my adventure so I will just go with it. Then there is adventure number 3. The adventure that started the day my sweet Jo Jo flew to Heaven. THE REAL STORY. The story of a family struggling to piece their lives back together. We are living in Wills Point, I am a stay at home mom with intentions to start school in the Fall to pursue a degree in Nursing. I have joined the Praise Team at church and I teach a Sunday School class twice a month. In this adventure life seems to be more than I can bear at times. There is a lot of crying and a lot of pain. There are days where I am doing fine and days where I miss my daughter so much I can hardly breathe. But in all of this chaos the most important thing about this adventure is that it includes a very personal relationship with my Savior. I know that things are not the way I had pictured them to be at this point, but I also know that I am a stronger person in this version of the story. I know that with God at my side I can do absolutely anything. I am so very blessed for everything I do have. At times when I get down about life being unfair I simply have to remember that although I am the main character in my book, God is the one that chooses where I will go. He is wise beyond anything that I can even comprehend. It is my duty to make myself available to Him so that He can use me however He sees fit. He does know the end of my story, each day that I wake up is a new page. Each evening is a testamony of my faith that He will take me where I need to go.

I hope that anyone reading this today that is struggling with "their story" will find comfort that your life is in God's very capable hands. He will never leave you, He will never forsake you. Make youself available to hear from Him. He speaks to us everyday. Are you listening??

Summer Begins

Ronnie and Ms. Clark

I am so proud to say that both of my boys passed for the year and will be advancing to the next grade. Andy with be in 8th grade and Ronnie will be in First. Summer officially starts tomorrow, June 7th. The kids are out of school and we are ready to get our Summer On!!!! Vacation Bible School starts tonight at 6:45. Jeremy and I are both participating in VBS this year. We are very excited. Jeremy is acting in the play they do at the beginning of VBS and I am a team leader. I take the kids to each activity. They did such an awesome job decorating our church as a Rain forest. Andy goes to Church camp tomorrow. He will be in Arkansas until Friday. This is the first time that he has ever gone to a spend the night camp. I am very excited for him. I hope that he has an amazing time and makes a lot of new friends. Andy is a part of such an amazing youth group. I am so glad that he enjoys going to church. I hope that Andy takes some good pictures while he is away. I am going to get him a disposable camera so that he can take lots of good pictures. Well I better get going, we have to leave in a few minutes to get to the church on time. I hope that everyone is doing well.