What Women Think .....

I had you there for a second right? Seriously, I have no clue what I am thinking half the time.

See, I digress.


After watching Moms' Night Out with the girls yesterday I had had a couple of thoughts running around my head. So, yes I am gracing you with my presence in blog world today.

I tell you, I could relate so much to Ally in the movie. I have sat in front of this computer so many times thinking to myself. "What am I going to blog about? No one is going to read it anyway." and so on.
If you haven't seen the movie yet, GO NOW! I was so proud to sit through a well made, entertaining Christian themed movie. What topped it off were my amazing friends that I got to hang out with.

So, a couple of things I brought from it.

• We women are incredibly hard on ourselves. We think we should be Wonder Woman or something because we are suppose to have it all together and be "with it" at all times. Yeah, right! Girls, that is not going to happen. We all have our moments, and we all want to run away and hide, and that is OK, we are allowed to have feelings. Just because we are caring for tiny humans, who grow up to be as big as we are, doesn't make us any less human.

• We women need to stick together. We are women and we do tend to be a little catty and judgmental, for some reason God chose to make us that way. My theory is that it is a self defense mechanism, but that is just my thinking. Ladies, stop it and stop it now!! We need to stick together. So what if one of the girls can't breast feed(huge pet peeve of mine). So what if one of the girls can't sew or doesn't like to sew. So what if she chooses to work or HAS to work to help provide for the family( this is another soap box I could hop on very quickly) So what if she is a single Mother. We need to be more supportive and loving of each other and quit trying to rip each other apart!

• We are all God's Masterpieces, as she says in the movie. We are wonderfully and fearfully made by the Lord almighty himself. We are each our own unique person and that is the coolest thing ever to me! He made us in all shapes, sizes, colors, nationalities. So what if we don't look like the supermodel that we use to. So what if we are carrying a few extra pounds after the baby. So what if we have a few more grey hairs than we use to. (Ok, that last one is still a little difficult for me to deal with.) We are all beautiful in His eyes and He loves us. No matter what! He loves us! If we can wrap our heads around that and just hang on to it! We just need to be comfortable and healthy in our own skin and quit looking at everyone else.

We are always right where we need to be, nestled safely in the Father's arms! Remember that on the days where you just want to run away from home. On the days where you seem like you are running 100 miles and hour and going no where, on the days where your child/children and fighting you on every little thing. We all have an oar in this boat and we are all paddling in the same lake. 

Now, go, Mommy On and savor every moment!! 

Be Blessed y'all! 

Wonderful Week of Prayer!!!

Wow, God is so faithful!! When we call on Him, He hears us. When He hears us He answers. We may not always get the answer we wanted at the time we ask. However,  if we continue to seek him, the answer will come in one form or another in time. The answer may be yes it may be no, or it may even be not now.
God really read my mail this week during prayer time. I am so thankful that I have been able to be stretched and pushed out of my comfort zone for the last couple of years. Has it been pleasant?? NO. It has been beneficial though. I think I may have blogged this before but I am glad I can see the plan that God had for this crazy 5 yr adventure halfway across the world and back. 
I can see the things that I need to change and have either changed my thinking or am still working on it. 
I had my little freak out moment about the changes and challenges for this year, but God has encouraged me to pray more specifically.
I will definitely miss Okinawa and my church family, but I am really excited about this new chapter that is about to be written in our lives. God is so good!
Be blessed my friends!

A New Year

 


As we watched Facing the Giants the other night as a family, I began to reflect on the message within the storyline of the movie.
My favorite line that night had to be "If you walk around like you are already defeated before you ever play the game then of course you are going to loose." (paraphrased)
The more I have thought on this the past couple of days the more those words kept coming back to me. 
Doesn't God want us to walk in victory instead of defeat? I think so. We know that trials, bumps in the road, unraveled plans, whatever you want to call them will all come at some point or another in our lives. And yes, sometimes even more than one at a time.
This verse spoke volumes to me today as I read it. In fact I have been seeing similar posts all over facebook over the last week or two. I know that this coming year will be full of changes, opportunities and challenges. I just pray I can keep my perspective during it all and remember who has laid the path before me and who is in control. I know I have said this before but I am thankful for the stretching, pushing and prodding that the Lord has done in my life over the last couple of years especially. I have learned a lot about myself and about my abilities and about not keeping God in a box. 
I am so nervous about the future but God reminded me ever so gently today that He's got this and that I need to keep an open mind. 
For those of you who know me, know that isn't always easy for the "planner" in me. However, she has gotten a little more easy going over the last few years. 
I wish you all the very best for 2014!!


 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

This year was full of adventure and fun!! 

We spent some time exploring the island, Kokosai Street, 

Kokosai St

Kokosai St

Kokosai St

Okinawa World

Okinawa World and the caverns, 

Look Jacob is a Shisa!!

Yep that is a real snake! Apparently a lucky one!

Forest Adventure zip lining,

Zip Lining!

Naval Underground

as well as the Naval Underground.

acting silly at the Aquarium park

We also visited the Aquarium again this year.







The kids were both very involved in church activities as well as sports. 

Jacob played two seasons of baseball on two different teams. 

Kadena Rays Youth Baseball

Kadena Rays Baseball

MCCS Youth Baseball

MCCS Cardinals

He also went with the Youth to help with a clean up day at a local Japanese Christian school.

Youth helping at Okinawa World Missions

Christina played a season of soccer. 

Kadena Hornets Soccer

Soccer season Fall 2013

She had her first piano recital and did really well! I was so proud. She really picked it up quickly.

Ms. Kaitlyn

First Piano Recital

Raced a car in the 2013 Neighborhood 500 Pinewood Derby and lead the GM Pledge.

Saying the Pledge at the Pinewood Derby

Pinewood Derby car

Christina also participated in the Kadena Elementary Talent show.

KES' Talent Show

KES has Got Talent

Honor Roll

Of course she made the Honor Roll!

Honor Roll

BFF's

 More fun activities at church. Mother's Day Hula, 

Mother's Day Hula

Easter Picnic

 NAGC Easter Picnic 








Girls Ministries Sleepover at the Church.

Girls Ministries Sleepover

Several School field trips. To a local Okinawan School.

School Field Trip

                          Macaroni Grill

Girls on a school field trip

State project.

TN state project

It is so hard to believe that Jacob is an 8th grader and Christina is in 5th!!

8th Grade

5th Grade

 Christina is in 5th!
They have both done so well in school I am so very proud of all the hard work they put in. (most of the time)












It is even more unbelievable that I will have a high schooler and a middle schooler next school year!!

We are gearing up for another upcoming year of change! After the first of the year we will begin planing our upcoming move back to the good old USA!
We are so excited to finally make the move we have been working on for the last 15 yrs getting to East Tennessee!
It is so amazing to see how God has worked through this crazy 5 year journey. I am so grateful and blessed that the lessons are becoming more and more evident every day. It is really amazing to see how God stripped what I thought was important to me away in order to change my priorities and way of thinking. I am so grateful to have been able to spend the time with my kids as they have matured and grown. I have been so blessed to see them mature and grow here in Okinawa. They are both very strong leaders and love the Lord. It has been amazing to see how we have all learned to rely more on one another as well. We have been so blessed here in Okinawa with great friends and an amazing church family who has loved on us and who genuinely cares for us. THAT is going to be the hardest thing to leave! God has His reasons and timing right! So, on to the next season!

We pray you all have a wonderful and Merry Christmas and a very blessed 2014!

Much love,
Keith, Alicia, Jacob and Christina

Well the time has come!

After a whirlwind 5 years as a military family our journey is taking us back home. Back to east Tennessee where we have tried to move for the last 15 years! 
I am so thankful for this journey and the lessons I have learned along the way. God is always so faithful in his plan for our lives. 

I heard this last week on KLOVE.

What a great analogy of what God can do for us.

ENJOY!

 

 

60 Pounds of Burden

By Delight in Truth

This is Shrek the sheep.
He became famous several years ago when he was found after hiding out in caves for six years. Of course, during this time his fleece grew without anyone there to shorn (shave) it. When he was finally found and shaved, his fleece weighed an amazing sixty pounds. Most sheep have a fleece weighing just under ten pounds, with the exception usually reaching fifteen pounds, maximum. For six years, Shrek carried six times the regular weight of his fleece. Simply because he was away from his shepherd.
This reminds me of John 10 when Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd, and His followers are His sheep. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I think Shrek is much like a person who knows Jesus Christ but has wandered. If we avoid Christ’s constant refining of our character, we’re going to accumulate extra weight in this world—a weight we don’t have to bear.
When Shrek was found, a professional sheep shearer took care of Shrek’s fleece in twenty-eight minutes. Shrek’s sixty pound fleece was finally removed. All it took was coming home to his shepherd.
I believe Christ can lift the burdens we carry, if only we stop hiding. He can shave off our ‘fleece’—that is, our self-imposed burdens brought about by wandering from our Good Shepherd.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

This is perfect.

Really need to get back to bloggin!

I say this all the time, LOL!!
I can't believe summer is almost over, or that I am working again!!
The job is completely out of my element, but I think I will love it. I have a lot to learn, still. I have to keep telling myself that if I feel confident enough to run and dental practice I should be able to manage being a church secretary!! RIGHT????
School will be starting back in 21 days. I know the kids are excited. I feel kind of bad that I have kind of ruined the end of their summer though.
OH well, they will live right??  Jacob is busy with baseball, and Christina will start soccer next month.
One more year and we are off of Okinawa and back to the US. I know God is preparing the way. I just have to be patient and not push it. 
Have a blessed day!

good bye Spring Break 2013

Well as spring break 2013 comes to a close I have to say this has been a very good week! It must have been because Keith got to spend time off with the kids for once. :) We didn't get to explore the island as much as I had wanted but we did get quite a bit accomplished. We started off lazing around. The kids had physical appointments.  Christina got her ID Wednesday. We spent Thursday traipsing around Okinawa World, Naval Underground, the outlet mall and even a farmers market. I am not exactly ready for the kids to go back to school in the morning but I am however ready to get back into our routine. Just 2 short months and school will be out for the summer. I am going to have to keep busy with the kids. :)

Busy, busy me :)

Well last week was a busy week and so was the weekend. This week is shaping up to not be so bad. :)
The weekend was truly amazing though. Friday was the women's monthly meeting and it was incredible. We had lots of new faces, yay! I have a strange feeling that I wont be asked to head a table again anytime soon though. I totally blew it! :(
Saturday we went to work at a local bilingual school. We have a couple of people from church who work there. This school was one of the first on island and was built by a missionary group. A lot of the students come from homes where the parents want them to  go to college in the US. Little do they know that a lot of the students who graduate from there end up in ministry of some sort. Watching the older students from the school was just amazing. Our youth interacted with them well. It is pretty awesome to see that teen angst is universal! The kids took a break from working and even went out to play soccer. They were so fun to watch. So we cleaned, painted, rearranged, and even made signs. I really hope we get to go back over and help them out soon! I think it is the coolest thing that we have a mission field right out our front door. 
Yesterday was a great Sunday except for the fact that I felt bad. 
So this week seems a bit low key, which is good. I have got to get myself motivated to get to work on straightening out this office! UGH
Have a blessed week everyone!!

New Pope

It was quite interesting watching the Pope be, installed, would you call it, this morning. I had never paid much attention to it before. He seems like a great choice for the Catholic church, just from what he said is his speech and what the commentators on the news station said as well. Even though, we see things differently, and worship very differently, I really do hope that this Pope is a Pope of the people like they are saying. I hope he can bring unity into the Catholic church. They are a hurting people and God does love them.
My observation as I watched though, was kind of an ah-ha moment. It is no wonder that so many of the Priests have failed and fallen. They are placed on too high of a pedestal. One can only hold to that high of an expectation for so long. It hadn't really clicked with me how legalistic Catholics are until now either. I am not knocking my Catholic friends by any means, but when you think legalism you mostly think if the United Pentecostal or Apostolic denominations. 
Anywho, that is my bright observation for the day. 
Again, please, this blog entry was not designed to offend anyone. Just the ramblings off of my ADD brain! :)

slipping!

Thank you Lord for giving me strength! Even when I don't do the things I know I should.
I feel the wagon catching up with me today after some of my poor food choices this week. UGH Gotta get back to paying attention again! I got this! :)

What a start to this new journey

Let me preface this by saying that I do realize why the people on The Biggest Loser cry now. 
Wow, God really did more in me over the last 5 weeks than I realized. 
Five weeks ago I started a class, not really given a choice because my case manager signed me up.  None the less I went in with an open and receptive mind. 
It is kind of a Weight Watchers type thing through the Health and Wellness Center here on base. You go in, weigh, measure your waist the first week. After that you weigh in once a week and through out the nutritionist talks about healthy eating habits, focusing on teaching you how to read food labels and determine mostly your sugar and fat intake, how many calories you should be eating and helping you use a pretty cool online tool to track your food, my fitness pal. She also took us through workouts at the end of each session. Yeah, they have all that here for us dependents, wow, who knew? There were a few of us who actually made it though the class completely. In fact, it was kind of cool because there were two of us stay at home Mom's a couple of active duty and a couple of civilian workers. 
The exercising was tough at first because I was so out of shape. In fact, I feel like I still am! Luckily, I had started, what I am calling Hubby boot camp, at the same time. So, I am back in the gym lifting and doing cardio. Yes, I hate the gym, but I love the way I feel afterwards, even when I am in pain like today. 
I am excited about this journey this time because I really want to do it for myself more than anyone else this time. I am so glad that I was finally able to purge some things from my life and schedule to finally focus on myself. God knew I needed this so He made some of the necessary changes for me. Even if part of that process had to be me getting placed on the diabetes medication. My goal is to get my body working properly so that I shouldn't have to take the meds. If I can't then so be it. I have done all that I should have to combat my disease.
I am proud to say that I reached my initial goal with the class. 10 lbs down and one inch gone from the waist!
I just want all of my friends to know that the only limits you have are the ones that you place on yourself. Yes, I still make excuses, and grumble all the way to the stinky hot gym every morning, but in the long run, I know the goals I have set for myself are in reach. I just have to remember to take a step at a time and that I am stronger that I think I am. Which is really hard for someone who is use to jumping into the deep end of the pool.
God is good!

Pursue God ....

"And He said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob [supplanter], but Israel [contender with God]; for you have contended and have power with God and with men and have prevailed." ~ Genesis 32:28 (Amplified Bible)

This verse was part of a devotional reading today. It can mean so many things to so many different people, but today it says to me, pursue God. If there is something that you want God to do in your life, go after Him until He blesses you!

I know I do!! After spending the last 13 yrs or so running from God, it feels so good to be running back toward him!! The feeling of all of the barriers being knocked down is amazing!!

Words

I hate not having the right words to say to someone sometimes. Especially someone who is hurting and sad.

Another Thing....

Now I remember what the something else was that I wanted to add to my last blog entry.
God has really worked on my level of contentment over the last few years. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with having stuff or wanting more out of life. It is the point at which all of that starts to take over your life that becomes the problem. Having a decent career a modest sized house and two cars in the garage is great. I had that. Deep down there was also that constant craving for more, more money, more cool gadgets, more tv channels, more prestige, you get the point.
This military lifestyle has taught me that even though, I may not have the the number of bedrooms or bathrooms that I want, or the amount of storage that I think I need, I can be content in where I am at this moment in time. Unfortunately it may take me a while to get there but trust me, I have gotten so much better.
The one commodity that I could have never gotten back is this time with my family. More precious than any thing else. I am so grateful that God has given me this opportunity to grow and stretch in Him.

The things that pop into my head during a sermon.....

I know I should be concentrating on what Pastor is preaching but sometimes my ADD takes over and I rabbit trail in my head while he's talking. (Sorry Pastor Wes) Those of you who know me well know my thought process!

So, I was thinking over the last four years and this adventure. Lately, God has brought to my attention a few of the things that he has been teaching me during this time. Today I was reminded of the fact that even though I had attended a big church in a big city, I was a snob. I only hung out with the people that I went to church with. I also had a tendency to be critical. 

God has blessed my life with so many different people over the last few years. That is the cool thing about being a military family. You get to meet people from all walks of life, ethnicities, back grounds and countries. In doing so, I have been stretched beyond my comfort zone. Not that that is bad thing mind you! I know I am a better person for it.
I just hope I have touched those lives as much as they have touched mine! 

Welcome 2013

Happy New Year!!!
I had a pretty uneventful day. Finished it off with church. :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Wow, I can not believe that 2012 is almost over! I can not believe that we have officially marked off one full year here on Okinawa either. As we were asked to give testimonies around the room about what God had done for us this year this morning at prayer, I was mesmerized by them. It was really amazing to hear what God has been doing in, through and around everyone at our church.

This year has really had it's ups and downs for us as a family. The awesome thing is that we serve a big God who is ready and willing to do anything we ask of Him. I know I have been personally smashed, shoved and stretched. I started out completely numb when we got here then progressed through the anger, depression and a myriad of other emotions. Trust me, not everyone is cut out for this military life and I am still wondering what the heck were were thinking doing this at our age, lol. My mil spouse friends who have been doing this for years are officially my heroes! I still don't know how they do it. The not knowing every two years or so where you will be, moving the kids around, getting the house ready to be packed, unpacking everything and getting it settled, etc. 
Keith and I were talking the other day and discussing our "purpose" for being here. Nothing has turned out quite like we had planned or envisioned. Oh and did I mention we still have another two years here on the island? Thankfully, everything turned out how God planned it! :) God has really blessed me with an amazing group of friends and acquaintances.  We have great neighbors here in our little "cove"/street/hill/neck-o-the-woods, whatever you want to call it. We have a wonderful church family full of great people who will give you the shirt off their back if you need it and Pastors who jump at the chance to love on us.
I am thankful for growing pains. Even though, God has pushed me out of my comfort zone, I know I will come out better for it in the end. I am thankful that God is our Jehovah-Jireh, our faithful provider. When I think that there will never be an end to this debt that has to be paid off, God shows up and says here is a bigger number in your check book! 
Part of me is terrified about what 2013 is going to bring as this will be another year of big decisions in our lives, but at the same time I am a little excited. I know God has big plans, I just hope I am open and receptive to what the year brings. 
In the mean time, like Pastor Chris said this morning, I am going to get off my rear and be an active duty Christian instead of the reservist!
May you all have a happy and blessed 2013.

Asking

This morning during prayer Ms. Carol, was talking about God knowing the desires of our hearts and wanting to bless us with them.
Why as Christian people are we afraid to ask for specific things? At least I know I am. Is it because we may get the answer we are looking for then actually have to act on that thing? Is it because He may have a different plan for us and we may not like the answer we receive? So many times we think we want something but we are not sure we really want it, or are terrified to move forward with something. Thankfully God knows whether or not it is for our benefit or not and the timing in which it should happen.
I am thankful for a loving God who knows the desires of our heart and wants to give them to us. Even the little things.

Thanksgiving

I have So much to be thankful for. I can not believe we have been here in Okinawa a year already. Time sure does fly. God is good because even as much as I miss home I am finding more and more things that I like about this island.