You Just Have To Get Out of the Boat

...well, today was a very emotional church service. In fact, there were moments when I could not stop the tears flowing from my eyes. All because Mrs. Caroline Barnett, wife of LA Dream Center pastor Matthew Barnett, was speaking today. She spoke of her story and connection with the Dream Center. She spoke of hungry children fed and of sexually abused children saved. All because of one person's desire to start this 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, 365 days a year church. She spoke of the moments when we ask "How could you let this happen, God!" God only desires a willing heart.
Over 2.1 billion Christians in the world and over 500  million churches. God has given us the tools, the gifts and talents, the sheer numbers and size and HIS PROMISE - we have everything we need to change the world. Why are WE allowing it to happen- why are WE not taking action- God only asks that we be willing. That we willingly bring our sacrifices to him and they will be more than enough for His will to be done. She spoke about Exodus 5 and 6, when those who brought their gifts and offerings WILLINGLY to the Lord-THERE WAS MORE THAN WAS NEEDED!
The God of Angel Armies has given us everything we need to act. 18.5 million (I believe that is the correct number) children in foster care-wouldn't take that many willing Christians to provide a loving home. 500 million children dying of starvation (almost 16,000 every day)-if each church would "adopt" 1 child to feed that number would be ZERO! Wouldn't be that hard.
Caroline also spoke about how we each have a "trigger". Our hearts are heavy over each injustice, but we each have a trigger that God has instilled in us where He wants us to act.

She spoke about so much more and I am so blessed for having heard her today. Click here to listen to her message: Caroline Barnett at Coastline and then click on her sermon "Willing to Walk on Water".

I got her book by the same name as her sermon, Willing to Walk on Water, and believe it is a must read. All the royalties and profits from the book go directly back to the Dream Center so go find it on Amazon!

You To Miss

Some people try to hide 

They try to move on 

Can't stand the pain of you gone 

But baby that's not me 

I'd never try to ease the ache that I feel 

The pain reminds me how real 

This love has come to be 

And I'm not running scared 

I will stay right where 

I gave you my word 

That I would be 

And I don't want to hurt 

But I know I have to feel 

I do it to be close to you 

Just to keep you real 

And I don't want to cry 

But tears are part of life 

They conquer the impossible 

And make you feel alive 

And I'm so glad, my love 

That I have you to miss 

Some people try to fake 

They don't feel this 

Can't stand to face the realness 

So they just run away 

But I want nothing more than you to hold me 

To intimately know me 

So I'll hurt along the way 

And I'm not running scared 

I will stay right where 

I gave you my word 

That I would be 

And I don't want to hurt 

But I know I have to feel 

I do it to be close to you 

Just to keep you real 

And I don't want to cry 

But tears are part of life 

They conquer the impossible 

And make you feel alive 

And I'm so glad, my love 

That I have you to miss 

And it could never hurt so bad that I would trade the love we have 

And it could never cut so deep that I would ever want to leave 

And I don't want to hurt 

But I know I have to feel 

I do it to be close to you 

Just to keep you real 

And I don't want to cry 

But tears are part of life 

They conquer the impossible 

And make you feel alive 

And I'm so glad, my love 

That I have you to miss 

I'm so glad, my love that I have you to miss 

And I'm glad my love that I have you to miss

So Thankful

As you know, if you've read some of my past posts, I have started fundraising to raise and save money for a Diabetic Alert Dog (something that could save my life). This is the only form of fundraising I am doing right now as I try and finish nursing school (only 6 1/2 months left!!!!). I have already had 3 very special women donate and help me raise almost $200! I could not be more appreciative!!! Honestly, words cannot express how grateful I am.

(If you would like to donate or learn more about what I am fundraising for, go to my website, Diabetic Alert Dog for Kelley. Please share with anyone you know who enjoy helping others, too! )

Also, my mom came into town yesterday to help me while my husband is deployed. I am so thankful to not have to wake up 1 1/2-2 hours early to get Ryder dressed and to day care before I go to school. He (and I) LOVE LOVE LOVE his day care,  but I am so happy that my mom is here and he can spend time with his Mena. We are then going to fly to Nebraska on July 3 for the 4th of July. Everyone (except Pat) will be there! It has been years since all of us have been in Nebraska at one time and about 4 or 5 since I have been at all. I am so excited for Ryder to see the horses and cows and other farm animals and to ride the tractors and see all the fields! I'm taking my good camera to get pictures -The Midwest is beautiful!
On July 7, I am flying back to SD for school on the 8th and will be leaving Ryder with his grandparents to go to Orlando, where I will fly to pick him up a few days later. As excited as I am for him and the rest of my family, I am absolutely terrified. I trust my parents. They are so good with him, but it's so far from me-and I'm his mommy. He is going to have a blast but I am going to miss him so much!!! I get close to having a panic attack just thinking about it. It's only a few days-we will both be ok!
I am just thankful to have family that loves him so much and want to love on him.

Life is pretty good right now :) Busy and hectic, but beautiful!

The 3 Who Shaped My World

Today is Father's Day and though I appreciate these 3 men EVERY DAY, today it's "official".

To my dad:
You showed me what it takes to be a real man. You were an example of hard work, integrity and ethics.
You showed me what unfailing, unconditional love was. You allowed God to work through you in my life and showed me a glimmer of how He feels about me. You led our family in faith and never backed down on what was important. I am forever thankful for the Godly man you are, the dad you are, the grandfather you are and for everything you have ever taught me.

To my father in law:
For raising my husband to be the man he is today. For the Godly example you gave to him. For teaching him Godly values. For loving Ryder so passionately. For the example of what it means to work hard and never give up. For the ministry you lead today, allowing God to reach others through you. For praying so hard for our family and loving us through it all. I am forever thankful for the man you raised.

This is one of my all time favorite pictures!

To Pat:
You work so hard everyday! You wake up on the other side of the world from us and go to work and you don't complain. You are showing Ryder what it means to take care of your family. I could not imagine a better father for my son and I am so thankful that God brought you into my life. We may have chose a "difficult path", but we proved the naysayers wrong. You love Ryder so passionately. I love watching you play and interact with him. Though you're not here physically, today, we feel your presence. You are so strong, mentally and physically, yet so gentle and kind. Everything I could have asked for. I am so thankful for the mornings you let me sleep in and you played with Ryder and for all the dirty diapers you changed (and even getting pooped on haha). For all the bottles you gave and spit up you wiped away. For all the tears you dried and boo boos you kissed. For the balls you've thrown and the blocks you've stacked and knocked over. For the walks you've gone on and the days spent on the playground. For the deployments you've gone on to take care of and provide for us.
I love you. Always & Forever

Diabetic Alert Dog

Well, I've decided to go ahead and start trying to raise funds to get a Diabetic Alert Dog. For those of you who do not know, I have had Type I Diabetes. I have gotten better control over my blood sugars in the past few years, but with tighter control, comes an increase in the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugars), especially in the middle of the night. Because I have had it for so long, I do not feel the symptoms of those low blood sugars until they are very low. It can be scary for me, my husband, my parents and anyone who has come to love me or my son. If I were to have a low sugar in the middle of the night and not wake up, I could have a seizure and I could die. There is no one next to me in bed who would know I was having a seizure or who could call 911. Ryder would be left without a mother for who knows how long until someone came to get him, crying, from his crib.
That is a very scary thing for me to think about. Not because of what would happen to me, but because of my baby boy.

Enter the Diabetic Alert Dog (D.A.D.). These are full service dogs that are able to smell the chemical changes in the handler's blood sugar and alert them when they go above or below the target range that they have been raised on. They can also be trained to bring glucose meters, glucose tablets or gel, open a refrigerator and grab a juice box and bring it to the handler if they are unable to do so. They can also be trained to use communicative devices to call for emergency services if there is not someone else in the house to alert to a low blood sugar. You can imagine the relief that could bring to my family and those around us.
Now, the dogs are usually ready by about 9 months (a wait period of about 7 months after a deposit is made) but that is dependent on fund raising. I do not have a lot of my own money (any of my own money), so the fund raising portion will take a little while for me to complete. Though we would like to have the added reassurance of having a DAD around while Pat is deployed, this is not the right time for us to have a dog. Our housing does not allow animals and I do not have time with school to take care of a puppy (regardless of how trained they are when they get to me). Money is also a concern. These puppies have an important job to do and they need to be taken care of, which I am not capable of at this moment, which is why we are starting the fundraising now so that when we get back to BAMA, we will be able to get settled (jobs, house, Ryder in day care, etc) and then have money to pay for the dog and give it the time it needs and deserves.

I know I have asked a lot of you already for prayers for my group Love From Home, which strives to send letters, cards or care packages to our military overseas, but I would like to ask one more favor of you. Please pray for me as I start this journey and that God would open doors for funding and for the puppy that we will, one day, be adopting as part of our family (and part of my health care team). If you have prayed and you feel God moving you to donate or to help with fund raising of some sort, there is a website you can go to. Any amount helps and I am beyond appreciative for any donation or prayer. A Diabetic Alert Dog For Kelley is where you can find more information about donating or send people to.

Couponing and Care Packages

So I've ordered myself a coupon binder to keep all of my coupons organized and to help get myself more serious about SAVING MONEY!!! I'm still a newbie at this and haven't gotten a ton of things yet (nothing for free yet, that's for sure) but I am slowly building my coupon collection and will be organizing it soon for my next shopping trip. I have to remind myself that I need to start small. I need to utilize coupons that will help me save money and if I don't need something, I don't need to buy it (whether or not it is 80% off haha).
If YOU have any couponing tips-PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE feel free to share them via comments. Lord know I appreciate them!
I'm off to bed now. Gotta continue to get rest - this "single" mama (only cuz husband is deployed, not a permanent thing) has been working out and I need to recover at night.



ALSO---If you know anyone who is deployed or in basic training or is somewhere doing training or workups, please send me their address or contact information. I have teamed up (via my group Love From Home) with my church, Coastline Church in Carlsbad, to send letters and cards as well as care packages to our men and women in uniform and we need addresses:) There is a contact form that you can fill out on the website and either send the contact information for a service member or volunteer to send a card or letter or care package. Thank you ahead of time for stopping by the website and sharing it with friends and family and for sending in addresses!!!!!!

My Life as a Navy Wife

This life, the one I live when my husband is deployed and I have to get up and do EVERYTHING, is the hardest thing I have ever done. Not knowing where he is or what he is doing or when I will be able to talk to him next (when and if I will see him again). It's tough. AND...we are on the other side of the country from our families. 

But I wouldn't trade it for the world. 2 months with Pat in a year (that's not how long his deployment is--not posting that online...just an "estimate") is better than 12 months with any other man. I know just how blessed I am to have a husband like I do. I love that our housing is paid for (and it covers most bills) and that my insurance is so great (lord knows that this T1 Diabetic needs insurance). And my favorite part is... GOING ON BASE haha. I feel like I'm in a secret club as I pull up and show my ID. I love the commissary and the NEX. I love the opportunity to travel and live in places we never would. I mean, come on! There is no way we could afford to like in California (or even really visit) if we weren't a military family. I have friends who live in Hawaii and Italy and Germany as well as many, many places in the continental US. I love all of the people I have met and the friends I have made. (There are always gonna be "problem people" where ever you live and, for the most part, I haven't really met anyone like that-though there are some cray-cray drivers out here haha).

I'm so proud that my husband has chosen such a respectable and admirable job. I am so proud of how strong he is and of how hard working he is, waking up every morning to go to a physically demanding job and he doesn't complain (much ;) ). Not only is he physically strong, but he is kind and gentle and loving and he takes care of me and Ryder.

I am so blessed to be a military (Navy) wife and, though I know we won't be one forever, I am absolutely loving it! (Honestly, I'm praying for a re-enlistment because of INSURANCE-JOB SECURITY-INSURANCE-EXTRA INCOME and there would be no deployments for a few years). It won't happen so I am cherishing every moment I am living here with people who I have come to cherish and hold near to my heart and will truly miss when we leave. 

I love you, Pat. Thank you so much for the life you have given me and the family you have given me. I am looking forward to many, many more years with you (where ever we end up ;) I will follow you).

God is Good...

All the the time! Prayers answered overnight and bills are gonna get paid. See what happens when you place your trust in God? ;)

Look At The Birds...

"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to Him than birds." Matthew 6:25-26

I am reading this over and over tonight. I have come to find out the more I trust in God, the more He delivers. However, I still go through trials and times of extreme stress and worry. Like tonight. (This is not a blog complaining about anything...Just letting you in on my worries right now so that in a few days, I can share how God got me through it).
As you all know, I am in school and not working so I'm not bringing in a paycheck. My husband is the one who takes care of us and provides and all of the money runs through his account first and he then transfers enough to me (determined by our budget) to get through 2 weeks at a time. This plan has been AWESOME... up until now. He was on land and I knew he would be getting back on the ship, heading to their next port, on the 30th or 31st of last month. There is 1 computer on the ship that he has access to and sometimes they don't have internet or phone access due to security reasons (I believe). Usually not a big deal as I can handle the time apart-I'm a military wife and I prepare --and I prepared for this. The reason it is a big deal now is that I haven't heard from hubby in a few days (so I'm thinking they're in a 'black out') and today is the 1st. One a pay check to pay check budget-that means the money ran out (ish) yesterday and we have bills coming up this week. Hubby did not prepare. (I will say I told him to create a scheduled transfer to happen at midnight tonight so we wouldn't have to worry about this exact scenario and he said "Oh, don't worry. I'll be able to do that from the boat."---I think I gave Satan an idea by saying it out loud haha-shoulda kept my mouth shut ;) ) Anyway...right now, I am sitting and waiting, unwilling to spend any extra gas or money on anything than I have to. Praying that I will hear from my husband 1) because I miss him and 2) because I need the monay!!! haha. (but seriously).
Though I am worried and slightly anxious, I am handing this to God. My worrying will not lift any "black out" (not sure what they actually call it) or cause him to be able to get to the computer faster. I am waiting in faithful anticipation expectation that God will provide for me, like He ALWAYS does.
No matter what happens, Satan will not get the best of me. I will praise Him. I have a roof over my head and food on the table (and scrubs in my closet haha) and I have exactly what I NEED.

I'll let you know what happens :)