Update

Today Bryan and I went to Beverly Farm and checked out the facility.  My sister Terri with us.  It was good to see her and have someone else go with us to check it out.  She enjoyed it and saw some ideas to use at her church with the special needs room.  It is a really nice facility that is spacious and beautiful.  We will be going back to get a more specialized tour.  They have a really nice activity building and activities in their homes as well.  We will be looking at others as well.  We have to make sure and find what is right for Steven.  But, we also have to make sure that Bryan and I can find a place to live and work.  Bryan and I have made up our minds that we will be close enough to Steven to get him on the weekends and not just a few times a year.  Not that we will get him every weekend, but we want to see him, even if just at the facility.  Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts.  It is greatly appreciated. 

Take care and God Bless,
Sherri

Wisdom for the future

Proverbs 24:14  NIV

¹⁴ Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:
If you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.



Tomorrow I hope to gain wisdom.  I will be going over to ICA for the parent support group.  We are going to visit Beverly Farms.  It is a residential home for developmentally disabled adults.  It is the place that more than one person has suggested for Steven.  I know that not all homes will even consider Steven with the behaviors he has.  This place looks like it would be good for him.  Bryan won't be able to go with me, but I figure this would be a good first step.  We have to learn about where Steven will live when he leaves home in order to make a good decision for him.  His future is to important to go into it without much thought.  This is so strange to be making these decisions.  Just a couple of years ago the decisions seemed so far away.  Now it is right there.  It should be a good day and I look forward to seeing everyone and seeing the facility.  Here's to be more prepared for the future.

Take Care and God Bless,
Sherri

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

Psalm 19:1-6 NIV

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
³ They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
⁵ It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.



It is a beautiful day out there!!!!  I don't know if it is because the sun is shining so bright with no real clouds and the rain is long gone, but I love the sky today.  It is just so blue and wide open and everything is brilliant in it's light.  I am loving my life right now.  I have an awesome husband and son.  A wonderful, loving family.  Great friends who put up with me.  I definitely can't forget the awesome, wonderful and loving God above me.  Bryan is always making sure I know I am beautiful and takes great care of us.  Steven is so loving and gives the best hugs in the world.  He can have his bad days, but I love him no less.  Today he is doing pretty good.  My family is always there whether, I know it or not, they are looking out for me.  I am the baby, so they kinda have to.  :p  The friends I have rock and I am so blessed to have them in my life.  I know I have said this before, but I love being up at The Master's Hands all the time and am truly blessed by the place.  Some of you may be tired of hearing that, all I have to say is this.  Get over it, it WILL be said again!  I can't help but shout about the blessings God has given me and how much He loves me.  I do believe this is the happiest I have ever been.  I fought anxiety bad for a couple of weeks, but I have come out happier and less stressed than before.  Do you get what I am saying here.  I AM HAPPY!!!!  I pray you find your happy like I have and I love you all!

Take care and God bless,
Sherri

It might be above McD, but it is a beautiful sky!  Of course I think this is Steven's favorite place to be other than Hidden Treasures.

Why we pray

I read an article earlier today asking why Christians pray.  Here is my answer in form of several passages.  All are from the NIV.

Matthew 7:7-12

Ask, Seek, Knock

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

James 5:16

¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

 

James 1:2-8

Trials and Temptations

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Colossians 4:2-6

Further Instructions

² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Philippians 4:4-7

Final Exhortations

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Luke 18:1-8

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ² He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”


We must make sure our motives are pure in heart.

James 4:3

³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

 

 

 

 

That I think explains about it all.  Please feel free to add more in the comments or let me know if you disagree.

 

Take Care and God Bless,

Sherri

 

 

 

Jesus hold my hand

Verse 3 of Jesus Hold My Hand by Albert E Brumley

When I wander thru the valley dim toward the setting of the sun,
Lead me safely to a land of rest if I a crown of life have won;
I have put my faith in Thee, dear Lord, that I may reach the golden strand,
There's no other Friend on whom I can depend, Blessed Jesus, hold my hand.



It has been quite a week.  Not real bad, but just different and trying at times.   We had a decent day on Monday and then on Tuesday had Steven's doctor's appointment.  I don't know why he hates going to the psychiatrist.  It's not like he gives him a shot or anything.  He talks to us and weighs Steven.  That's it.  I don't know if he worries more will happen or what, but he makes a huge to do over it every time.  Of course, he also thinks he should be able to bring the toys home with him, so that doesn't help when it is time to leave.  But, we made it through to Wednesday.  His driver was off Wednesday and I didn't know how that would go, but they had him record some stuff and Steven listened to it and was happy.  Wednesday night I had an aha moment.  I was praying for God to help me make it to where I had better control of my life.  They it hit me.  Nope, I need God to get in control and not me.  I think I need to do another 30 days of living.  I seem to focus better on giving it to God.  Maybe I should do it as 365 days of living.  But, I doubt you all want to hear me that much.  No school on Thursday or Friday, so Master's Hands for me.  I don't know what his furry little problem was on Thursday but he was noisy and bouncy. Bryan didn't get good sleep and had to drive again that night.  Of course Bryan didn't make it home on Friday morning so Steven was quiet.  Friday was pretty good.  I got some housework done and Steven seemed happy.  He played in his pool for the first time this year and watched his Los Lonely Boys video a lot.  So far Saturday has been good.  I went to the Master's Hands some this morning and did some shopping.  Bryan doesn't have a load today, so we are just chillin at home.  Hoping you all had a good week and had time to spend with your family.


Take Care and God Bless,
Sherri

This guy was gone when Steven was in his pool last night.

I MISS MY MOMMY!!!!!!

Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”[a]

Footnotes:

a. Ephesians 6:3 Deut. 5:16

 

Some who know my mom may find it funny that I use a Bible verse in a blog about her.  I know mom didn’t go to church, but I do believe she believed in God and may have even had her own relationship with Him.  I know mom didn’t go to church because of the hypocrites that go.  That is the whole reason she didn’t go.  She did attend some mother/daughter banquets with me at church.  Mom always supported me in my faith and my decision to go to church.  She even gave advice (sometimes unwanted) about where I should go to church and about problems I might be having there.  Mom definitely knew how important it was to me and was there for me.  I did learn a lot of Biblical principles from mom as well.  I learned to treat people with respect and love.  I learned to help those in need and to not judge people by the way they look or live.  I also learned to not let myself be walked on.  I also learned a love for animals and plants from mom.  I don’t know how many animals mom helped and some even took in.  Between the cats that were in the parking lot at Big John’s and Hux we had several that came to live with us.  She never kept the dogs, but she made sure they were taken care of.  I also learned to love flowers and gardening from her.  I loved to help her with it all.  Too bad I didn’t get her green thumb to go with my love.  With Mother’s Day being this past Sunday I miss her more than usual.   All in all, my mom may not have gone to church but she has been a huge part of the Christian woman I have become.  She was a loving mother that was there for me when I needed it.  Like I said, sometimes she was there with the advice and I didn’t really want it.  But, that was mom she said what she thought.  I also got that from her.  It is a blessing but also a curse as well.  Thank you God for making her my mom.   I will forever love and miss you mom!!!

 

Take care and God bless,

Sherri

 

 

So why does it matter to me

Luke 10:25-37 NIV

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Footnotes:

1. Luke 10:27 Deut. 6:5
2. Luke 10:27 Lev. 19:18
3. Luke 10:35 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see Matt. 20:2).

So why does it matter to me that the Boston bombing suspect was finally buried.  Why does it matter to me that the Ambercrombie CEO hates us curvy women.  Why does it matter to me that 2 men got released from the Cleveland kidnapping case.  Why does it matter to me that a survivor was found in the garment factory in Bangladesh after 16 days.  So why does it that matter to me that Dennis Rodman is friends with Kim Jong Un.  So why does it matter to me when celebrities are injured or pass away.  Actually it is simple.  I am a human.  I used to not care as much, but I have come to have compassion on people.  I can hurt and cry over people I have never met before.  I am not trying to make you picture a hippie sitting here, but the world and all the people in it matter to me.  I can understand when it relates to me even in an indirect way.  Such as the Ambercrombie thing as I am one of the women he doesn't like and Henry Garza recuperating from a fall off of a stage as Los Lonely Boys are the only group that all 3 of us in this house actually agree on liking.  But I didn't know anyone at the marathon and I sure didn't know the suspect.  I have never been to Bangladesh and probably never will be.  I don't know anyone involved from Ohio.  Dennis Rodman means nothing to me and I have no celebrities that are friends.  Because they are my neighbors.  Even though I don't have contact, they are presented before me in the news.  How can I turn from them and not pray for them.  I don't have to know everyone I pray for but I have to pray for everyone.  Do I say everyone by name, no but God knows my heart and knows their names and their plights.  I have been trying to keep a journal of sorts when I sit down to pray.  I have been writing down names or situations and it has seemed to help me remember more of the people I want to pray for.  Whether it is family or friends.  Whether it is someone I was blessed to meet at The Master's Hands or someone I will only read about.  They matter to God and so they need to matter to me.


Take care and God Bless I pray that God keeps you and comforts you.
Sherri

A picture of the place that has come to mean so much to me.  The people that volunteer there and that come in are wonderful and such a blessing to me.

Going into the whole world

Mark 16:15  NIV

¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."


I am amazed at the amount of people I am reaching with blogging.  I am literally reaching out to the world.  I have people that read from Russia, Germany, France, South Korea and many other countries.  I am truly honored and blessed to be reaching these people that before the internet, I probably would have never been able to reach.  The internet has so many bad connotations attached to it, we forget the good.  I am trying my best to be positive this year and not let negativity get me down.  I am also honored and blessed to reach the ones face to face also while working at The Master's Hands in Olney.  I am meeting so many new people that I wouldn't have met otherwise.  I love the smiles and the hugs we get from the people that come in.  I thank God for giving me the opportunity to help out up there and for me to be helped by there.  I am also thankful for the apps that let me stream different radio stations.  I am sitting here listening to my cousin Danny on 104.7 the Fish in Atlanta while in Calhoun, IL.  Before, I wouldn't have had the chance to do so.  I want to challenge everyone who reads this blog to use the internet for good before you log off.  Use it to say a kind word to someone who is down.  Use it to share your favorite Bible verse.  Use it to make people aware of a need or cause.  Use it for the glory of God! 

Take care and God Bless,
Sherri

For those who can't get to Ballwin, Missouri to visit Castlewood State Park.

Let sleeping boys (& cats) lie

Psalm 4:8 NIV

⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.


It is so very quiet in my house right now.  Steven is napping on my bed with Callie at his feet.  Bryan is piled up on the couch sleeping with George snuggled up by him.  I could be getting housework done, but at the risk of waking everyone up.  All would be grumpy.  I will take this time to reflect on my wonderful week.  Steven had mostly good days and seems to be fine with not camping in May since I told him we will go somewhere in June.  Bryan is getting good loads at work and sleeping decent when he gets home.  He had a gig last night and one tonight, hence him taking a nap.  Trust me George prefers the napping.  I had a great week helping out at the Master's Hands.  I had the really rough day on Wednesday, but I went up there and Bev put me to work and got my mind off of the depression and anxiety.  Walked with Lori on Thursday, which helped as well.  I love my life right now, it really is rewarding.  I haven't been this content in a long time.  God is good and gives us what we need when we need it.  I just gotta learn to let go and give it to God.  That has so much to do with it.  I am not in control freak mode.  It is so much easier now that I am out of it.

Take care and God bless,
Sherri

Where did they put the off switch

Genesis 3:16 NIV

To the woman he said, "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."


I blame Eve for everything I go through!!!  If she wouldn't have eaten that stupid fruit, life would be so much easier.  I would have loved to have gone through childbirth without the pain.  I would have loved to have Steven a "normal" child.  I would love to not be in pain because Steven was mad last night and this morning and made to let me know about it.  IT ALL EVE'S FAULT.

Ok, my hissy fit is over.  Please do keep Steven in prayer though as he is not a happy boy right now.  I was talking to someone this morning and told them that Steven had a rough night and morning.  They asked if the weather affected him.  I said no, but the change in the month does.  They gave me a confused look.  I explained that when it becomes a new month Steven's desire to go camping gets greater.  We have a dry erase calendar we use to help Steven know what is happening.  We redid the calendar this morning and I put up my markers.  He pulled one back out and tried to hand it to me while saying camping.  I told him no, I don't know that we will camp in May.  I actually thought I would get hit for that, but he let me put the marker up and move on.  This has been the worst bedtime and morning since the district took back over driving him.  Which started in April.  Praying he gets it out of his system soon. 

Of course, with all that said, I can't imagine my life any different.  My son is such a joy to be around until he gets really mad.  I love getting his hugs and him saying that he loves me.  I love seeing that beautiful smile of his.  I love my boy PERIOD! 

I have been fighting my anxiety and depression the past several days as well.  I have to make sure and keep my self moving as to not fall back into the pit of depression.  My mind was so empty this morning, I couln't even give Bryan an answer of if I wanted to go out for breakfast or not.  I didn't want to get up today, but I went up to the Master's Hands and ended up at the Newton location.  I know even giving in one day to staying in bed could be detremental.  It is so important to be around people, just in small groups. 

Take care and God bless,
Sherri

The calendar