I Will Praise You In This Storm

I promise that someday soon this blog won't just be random ramblings when I'm working through a hard time.

I keep praying that I'll be able to use it for something more... but maybe, this is exactly what I need to use this blog for right now -- to work through the hard times. Maybe my ramblings will be used to show someone who randomly stumbles upon this blog during their own hard time that "my help comes from the Lord" and no matter how difficult my circumstances, I know that if I turn to Him He WILL be there and I will get through whatever it is...  sometimes He doesn't take away the pain, tears, or battle we are facing. Maybe it will encourage someone to know that sometimes the best thing He can do is walk through it with us, and when we are too weak to walk it is then that He carries us.

Today, after listening to me pour my heart out about my circumstances one of my very best friends posted a link to a song on my wall. No words were needed... just that simple link, and it was spot on. I don't have the option to pull the covers over my head and cry. The circumstances are not just going to go away. My daughter needs me to be strong. My husband needs me to be strong. I have to just find a way to keep keeping on.

Where does my strength come from?  It comes from the Lord because He will never leave my side. He helps me handle anything I am given.

So God, I'm choosing to praise YOU in this storm because you are who you say you are. Though my heart is torn, I will praise YOU in this storm...

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

It's A Beautiful Ride...

Graphic I made and had as a banner on one of my very first blogs almost 10 years ago!

There's a country song that pretty much describes how the first half of this deployment has been. Obviously, I've been less than active in the blogging community and while I would like to say I'm sorry - I'm not really.

You see, sometimes life is just plain hard. This solo-parenting while my husband is deployed thing?  It's HARD. Harder than I ever really thought it would be to tell you the truth.  Maintaining a thriving marriage while living thousands of miles apart with crappy communication and very little time for each other?  HARDER.  I miss my husband so much that it hurts sometimes and it's not just that I want him home, but being apart right now it feels like we are living totally different lives and I hate that! I hate even more that there is nothing I can do about it, except learn from it and do it the best I can with a smile on my face as much as I can.

I've learned that sometimes I have to say no to outside things and events, even when I really don't want to. Staying busy is a great way to pass the days during a deployment and while I definitely advocate it, I've begun to realize that there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with saying "I can't handle one more thing on my plate right now!!"

So that's what I've done... I've taken a step back and I don't regret it for one second.  As the song says, "the struggles make you stronger and the changes make you wise."  In a few months when this deployment finally comes in an end I know that I will be able to look back and see myself as stronger and wise because of the choices I've made to just step back and sit on the sidelines for awhile.

Don't let me fool you - we've stayed plenty busy, but I've stopped stressing out if I can't make it to every single event I'm invited to or if some days we end up just hanging out in our pajamas all day as we nurse, play, nap and just enjoy the special bond between us as mother and daughter. Sometimes the laundry piles up, and I eat off paper plates so I don't have to wash more dishes.  Those petty things do NOT matter. The moments are not going to last forever and my baby is growing up so quickly...  I just want to cherish every second.

There is nothing that can turn my day around faster than a hug and kiss from my sweet girl, a content glance as she looks up at me and gently pats me arm while she nurses, or hearing her little voice sing out "mama, mama". I love being a mama so much and am so blessed with the most amazing little girl!

Life ain't always beautiful, but it is such a beautiful ride!  There is so much more than I could say, and I do hope to come back to blogging more often in the next few weeks (because believe me, I have SO MUCH to talk about - it's been a BUSY summer!!)...  but that sweet little voice is calling out for me right now so I'm going to go scoop her up, get us ready for bed and snuggle in for some sweet special moments that are much more important to soak up that browsing Pinterest or Facebook etc.

If you're going through a deployment or not, life can be hard...  when the harder moments come, look around and take stock of all the beautiful things in your life and focus on those things for a few moments. Let those beautiful things refresh you so that you have the strength to get through the hard things. As hard as it is to solo-parent right now, I wouldn't change a single thing if given the chance. I am so blessed and so thankful for the life that I'm living... I'm learning to embrace the moments and trust that God will make sure that my hard times don't last forever.

If you're comfortable sharing, I'd love to hear about the beautiful things in your life that keep you going during the hard times!  Just leave a comment below and if you choose to blog about it, leave the link so I can visit your blog!

If you've never heard the song I'm referring to you can watch it via You Tube HERE

No,life aint always beautiful
Tears will fall sometimes
Life aint always beautiful
But it's a beautiful ride

Life aint always beautiful
Some days I miss your smile
I get tired of walkin' all these lonely miles

And I wish for just one minute
I could see your pretty face
Guess I can dream, but life don't work that way


But the struggles makes me stronger
And the changes make me wise
And happiness has its own way of takin' its sweet time

It's A Beautiful Ride...

Graphic I made and had as a banner on one of my very first blogs almost 10 years ago!

There's a country song that pretty much describes how the first half of this deployment has been. Obviously, I've been less than active in the blogging community and while I would like to say I'm sorry - I'm not really.

You see, sometimes life is just plain hard. This solo-parenting while my husband is deployed thing?  It's HARD. Harder than I ever really thought it would be to tell you the truth.  Maintaining a thriving marriage while living thousands of miles apart with crappy communication and very little time for each other?  HARDER.  I miss my husband so much that it hurts sometimes and it's not just that I want him home, but being apart right now it feels like we are living totally different lives and I hate that! I hate even more that there is nothing I can do about it, except learn from it and do it the best I can with a smile on my face as much as I can.

I've learned that sometimes I have to say no to outside things and events, even when I really don't want to. Staying busy is a great way to pass the days during a deployment and while I definitely advocate it, I've begun to realize that there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with saying "I can't handle one more thing on my plate right now!!"

So that's what I've done... I've taken a step back and I don't regret it for one second.  As the song says, "the struggles make you stronger and the changes make you wise."  In a few months when this deployment finally comes in an end I know that I will be able to look back and see myself as stronger and wise because of the choices I've made to just step back and sit on the sidelines for awhile.

Don't let me fool you - we've stayed plenty busy, but I've stopped stressing out if I can't make it to every single event I'm invited to or if some days we end up just hanging out in our pajamas all day as we nurse, play, nap and just enjoy the special bond between us as mother and daughter. Sometimes the laundry piles up, and I eat off paper plates so I don't have to wash more dishes.  Those petty things do NOT matter. The moments are not going to last forever and my baby is growing up so quickly...  I just want to cherish every second.

There is nothing that can turn my day around faster than a hug and kiss from my sweet girl, a content glance as she looks up at me and gently pats me arm while she nurses, or hearing her little voice sing out "mama, mama". I love being a mama so much and am so blessed with the most amazing little girl!

Life ain't always beautiful, but it is such a beautiful ride!  There is so much more than I could say, and I do hope to come back to blogging more often in the next few weeks (because believe me, I have SO MUCH to talk about - it's been a BUSY summer!!)...  but that sweet little voice is calling out for me right now so I'm going to go scoop her up, get us ready for bed and snuggle in for some sweet special moments that are much more important to soak up that browsing Pinterest or Facebook etc.

If you're going through a deployment or not, life can be hard...  when the harder moments come, look around and take stock of all the beautiful things in your life and focus on those things for a few moments. Let those beautiful things refresh you so that you have the strength to get through the hard things. As hard as it is to solo-parent right now, I wouldn't change a single thing if given the chance. I am so blessed and so thankful for the life that I'm living... I'm learning to embrace the moments and trust that God will make sure that my hard times don't last forever.

If you're comfortable sharing, I'd love to hear about the beautiful things in your life that keep you going during the hard times!  Just leave a comment below and if you choose to blog about it, leave the link so I can visit your blog!

If you've never heard the song I'm referring to you can watch it via You Tube HERE

No,life aint always beautiful
Tears will fall sometimes
Life aint always beautiful
But it's a beautiful ride

Life aint always beautiful
Some days I miss your smile
I get tired of walkin' all these lonely miles

And I wish for just one minute
I could see your pretty face
Guess I can dream, but life don't work that way


But the struggles makes me stronger
And the changes make me wise
And happiness has its own way of takin' its sweet time

this is the stuff

Have you heard that catchy song by Francesca Battistelli?  

You know, how it goes... 

"Lost my keys in the great unknown, and call me please 'cause I can't find my phone." 

My husband teased me quite a bit when that song came out because it seems like my keys and phone are always missing when I need them not to be.  Don't even get me started on the sunglasses -- I now own 2 pair and keep them stashed strategically throughout the house/car so I don't have to spend precious moments looking for them when I'm running late and trying to get out the door.  

Just in case you've never heard the song, take a listen!

What stuff is getting to me lately?

4 trips to the ER in one week's time.  Having to cancel plans with friends... again.

6 errand stops in 4 hours time with a tired little one. Forgetting trash day.

A house that's never as clean as I'd like it. My brand new phone re-booting every 20 minutes.

Missed phone calls from my deployed husband. Running out of Diet Pepsi just as the baby falls asleep.

This is the stuff that drives me crazy.

It might not be what I choose... but this is the stuff He's using.

In the middle of my little mess, I CANT forget how big I am blessed.

I have an amazing husband, the sweetest baby girl, fantastic friends, a loving family... and a God that is bigger than everything going on in my life!  I am SO blessed!

What little stuff going on in your life is driving you crazy?

I hope you'll stop and take a moment to look at your life and realize just how big YOU are blessed, in the midst of this crazy mess we call life!

this is the stuff

Have you heard that catchy song by Francesca Battistelli?  

You know, how it goes... 

"Lost my keys in the great unknown, and call me please 'cause I can't find my phone." 

My husband teased me quite a bit when that song came out because it seems like my keys and phone are always missing when I need them not to be.  Don't even get me started on the sunglasses -- I now own 2 pair and keep them stashed strategically throughout the house/car so I don't have to spend precious moments looking for them when I'm running late and trying to get out the door.  

Just in case you've never heard the song, take a listen!

What stuff is getting to me lately?

4 trips to the ER in one week's time.  Having to cancel plans with friends... again.

6 errand stops in 4 hours time with a tired little one. Forgetting trash day.

A house that's never as clean as I'd like it. My brand new phone re-booting every 20 minutes.

Missed phone calls from my deployed husband. Running out of Diet Pepsi just as the baby falls asleep.

This is the stuff that drives me crazy.

It might not be what I choose... but this is the stuff He's using.

In the middle of my little mess, I CANT forget how big I am blessed.

I have an amazing husband, the sweetest baby girl, fantastic friends, a loving family... and a God that is bigger than everything going on in my life!  I am SO blessed!

What little stuff going on in your life is driving you crazy?

I hope you'll stop and take a moment to look at your life and realize just how big YOU are blessed, in the midst of this crazy mess we call life!

together

Can you hold me together? Can your love reach down this far?

Can you hold me together? 'Cause without you holding my heart, I'm falling apart.
I'm falling apart.

And love will hold us together, make us a shelter to weather the storm.

'Cause even the dark you can still see the light. It's gonna be alright. 

It's gonna be alright.

Anyone can feel the ache, you think it's more than you can take.

But you are stronger, stronger than you know.
Don't you give up now, the sun will soon be shining.

You gotta face the clouds to find the silver lining.

I've seen dreams that move the mountains.
Hope that doesn't ever end, even when the sky is falling.
And I've seen miracles just happen.
Silent prayers get answered.

Broken hearts become brand new.

That's what faith can do.

When the world says you can't, it'll tell you that you can.
That's what faith can do.

Serious illness. Financial stress. Scary Pregnancy/Delivery. Deployments.
Whatever life throws our way...


Our God is greater, our God is stronger.
Our God is healer, awesome and power.
And if our God is for us, then who can ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against us?

He gave us each other.
When we are weak, He will make us strong.

Together we can get through anything.
I love you, Sarge.

** Thank you KLove morning show (with Mandisa in for Lisa) for playing the perfect soundtrack at just the right time.  Lyrics from Royal Tailor, Matt Maher, Kutless, and Chris Tomlin.

together

Can you hold me together? Can your love reach down this far?

Can you hold me together? 'Cause without you holding my heart, I'm falling apart.
I'm falling apart.

And love will hold us together, make us a shelter to weather the storm.

'Cause even the dark you can still see the light. It's gonna be alright. 

It's gonna be alright.

Anyone can feel the ache, you think it's more than you can take.

But you are stronger, stronger than you know.
Don't you give up now, the sun will soon be shining.

You gotta face the clouds to find the silver lining.

I've seen dreams that move the mountains.
Hope that doesn't ever end, even when the sky is falling.
And I've seen miracles just happen.
Silent prayers get answered.

Broken hearts become brand new.

That's what faith can do.

When the world says you can't, it'll tell you that you can.
That's what faith can do.

Serious illness. Financial stress. Scary Pregnancy/Delivery. Deployments.
Whatever life throws our way...


Our God is greater, our God is stronger.
Our God is healer, awesome and power.
And if our God is for us, then who can ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against us?

He gave us each other.
When we are weak, He will make us strong.

Together we can get through anything.
I love you, Sarge.

** Thank you KLove morning show (with Mandisa in for Lisa) for playing the perfect soundtrack at just the right time.  Lyrics from Royal Tailor, Matt Maher, Kutless, and Chris Tomlin.