Hope Amidst Despair

The following passage has been in my Bible for years. One of my friends lost her cousin this past Wednesday to suicide and in an effort to find something from the Bible to share with her on this difficult subject, trying to give her some hope, I found this again. I felt it was worth sharing here.

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By Beth Hays

(Elijah) sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough Lord." he said, "Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors."
~1 Kings 19:4

When I was thirteen years old I lost my best friend to suicide. I was beyond devastated. The one person I really loved had chosen to end his life. I felt a whirlwind of emotions. I couldn't understand how he could have left me. I didn't understand whe he would WANT to die.

I found out less than a year later. I became suicidal. I felt so alone and unwanted. Why should I fight through the pain to live if I was unwanted? I was extremely close to ending it all when I found my faith. I was introduced to Jesus and He quickly became my best friend.

As I have grown I have learned that everyone feels the temptation to end it all. Far too many act on those temptations. But, as in my case, sometimes it is the catalyst for wonderful things. Elijah, a wonderful prophet who is known for his amazing faith and deeds even wanted to die. Had he acted on those desires we know that he would not have seen the wonderful glory he did when he went to heaven on a pillar of fire. But, he didn't.

The good news: You don't have to either.

God is ready and willing to help lift you out of the pit of despair and depression. He is ready to hold your hand as you stand back up. Until you can do that on your own, He is ready and willing to carry you. You have people around you who DO love you. You have Christian brothers and sisters who pray for you. Lean on those who love you...especially on God. If you can't see those people in your life, or if you need direction on where to look in the Bible, or simply need a friend, feel free to contact me.
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I was suicidal once and God lifted me out of my pit of despair, and He used some amazing people to do so. If you're in that pit you're not alone. If you need immediate help please contact the following:
http://www.hopeline.com/
1-800-SUICIDE

Back So Soon?

I know two new posts within 12 hours! I'm just as shocked as you. But I got an unexpected day off and am procrastinating, not wanting to clean the bathroom or do the dishes or anything else constructive at the moment.

This is Easter weekend and I am reminded again how great is our GOD. I have and always had trouble witnessing to others because I'm always scared I won't say the right thing or will fumble over the words or won't know the verses, or any other number of things that keeps me from doing it. I find it fairly easy to witness through my actions daily, just not my words. Please pray for me to conquer my fears. Even here it is hard for me.

Speaking of Easter weekend I was really looking forward to going to Charlotte to see my parents and sister but Stephen told our neighbors we would feed their dog so they could go camping at the beach (I think) today and tomorrow. I guess I probably should have told Stephen that I really wanted to see my family this weekend. Plus, my neighbor did kinda put him on the spot. Stephen was grilling hot dogs Wednesday night when he came up on our deck and asked him. Nothing wrong with that but Stephen didn't ask me.

Also, Stephen said earlier this week Tommy Bobo came by while he was at work and wanted to check on us since we hadn't made it to Sunday School in a month, and Stephen told him we would be there this Sunday. To be totally honest, I don't really know why we have skipped church for so long. We went to Charlotte one weekend about a month ago and since then we have just been too lazy to get up and go on Sunday mornings. We had this problem too when we first started dating and we were both up in Raleigh in college and then again when we were married and didn't have a church home yet. We thought that after joining our church back in June (finally, after looking for a little over two years) we would start going and it would become habit for us again, as it was when we were both living at home with our parents. So, please pray for us to go to church this Sunday and keep going week after week after week.

In other news, my second cousin posted an update on her twins. If you have some time you should read Ian's story. He was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a heart condition diagnosed in utero and he is now completely healed, after is repair surgery on February 13th. He is off all meds and he and his twin sister Bonner are doing great! I can't believe how big they are getting, and they share their birthday with my big brother, July 22.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/bloodworthbabies

A Bright White Microwave, Shiny Red Toenails, Babies and Coupons

I thought about it this morning and decided this post deserved a new improved title (instead of So Far This Week...) so there you go!

It's about time for an update! This weekend my brother-in-law was in town and he and Stephen and their dad installed our new over-the-range microwave for us. This is wonderful because we have limited counterspace as it is and for the past three years almost (year and a half in the apartment + year and a half in our house) there has been a very large microwave taking up a lot of it. This Saturday I also spent some money my mom sent me 'cause she loves me and got myself a much needed pedicure. I love sitting there and getting pampered and then at the end my feet and toes looks so pretty! I almost fell asleep this time I was soo relaxed. Pictures to come of my new microwave, free counterspace, and pretty toes.

We have lots of new things happening at work! I work in an infant classroom full time. We have two babies walking; B is 12 months old and N is almost 11 and they are both doing really well! Three of the others are taking steps but not walking; M is 14 months, L is 13 and P is 11. And we have a new baby crawling this week; A is 8 months old, and two sitting up really well last week and this week especially; H and F are both 7 months old. Yay for peer pressure in the infant room, especially if it gets those gross motor skills improving. However, it also influences them to push the infant swings across the room/turn the swings on, move the cribs around (they are evacuation cribs so they are on wheels), and climb on the table (we have a low table where they are fed).

Please say a little prayer for the babies that they finally get over these colds and things that are causing ear infections! We just had three diagnosed today and one yesterday, plus little C (6 months) has either had fluid or an ear infection since December! Ear infections make for some pretty unhappy babies!

This weekend we also had a really nice lunch Sunday with his parents, aunt and uncle, and brother-in-law and his girlfriend.

I saved $38.96 on groceries this week by shopping the specials and using coupons available online and in All You magazine. Probably more than that if you count the store specials not listed on the bottom of the receipt (Wal Mart doesn't list them but Lowes Foods does) and five more dollars after the single check rebate from Rite Aid. I also saved money by buying a baby gift and a couple of other things at Big Lots for a lot less than what I would have paid even at BJ's and Wal Mart (where the baby gift originally came from). This makes me so happy and it means that Stephen and I can do more fun things with our money we save! If you are not using coupons and shopping the store specials start now; you can't afford not to! http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ is a great source! I have others too, maybe I'll do an entry on saving money one of these days.

I think that's about it for now. If not this gets really long!

Random Picture Challenge

February 2008

or

17th Folder

33rd Picture

This is a a bison (I think) in Disney World's Animal Kingdom Safari Adventure ride. Stephen and I went to Disney for our honeymoon, almost three years ago!

If you want to participate go here:

Wordless Wednesday

Long week...

I didn't post last week but what can I say? I'm new at this. Actually, I had one of those livejournals in high school but that was a while ago. Wow where did the time go? I'm realizing that I am getting older FAST! That's kinda scary. I mean, I'll be 25 in a little over a month. And I know that in the the grand scheme of things that is NOT old, but when you work with a bunch of girls (ok, ladies) who are 20-21 twenty five seems rather old. I just remember turning 20/21 myself not long ago. Craziness!


Last Sunday night I had gotten my Not Me! Monday post all ready and then Stellan got sick. Really really sick. I have been in prayer all week for him and hope that you will join me.

I hope I didn't jinx the poor little guy. Not really though, because this is all part of God's plan. If you do read Stellan's story make sure you check out his name gallery. I was thinking of doing his name with links at work.

I general I've felt pretty crummy all last week and throught the beginning of this one. My IBS has been aggrivating me a lot and my body is sore in some annoying places. It is also the beginning of allergy season which means several months of sinus headaches, sniffling and coughing for me. No fun, but at least I'm around to suffer through it!

Random Picture Challenge

4 Little Men and Girly Twins' random picture challenge

This week:
Go to the third folder of pictures and post the first picture of something brown



Our deck during the snow we got in January

If you want to participate, go here

The Beginning of a Blog

One day, I was on Facebook and I saw that my friend Brian had joined the group Onesies for Preemies in the NICU. I have a very large very soft spot in my heart for babies so I decided to go check it out and saw that there was a link to the drive's website


On their blog was Kayleigh's button that I followed to her blog.

I was very excited to find out that she was fighting for life in the NICU in Charlotte since I am originally from the Queen City! I read quite a bit of her story the first time I found her blog, but that night I went to bed and didn't think about checking for updates for a while.

About a month later I thought about Kayleigh again and went to her blog where her dad had just posted that the new issue of Serious. Life Magazine was out.



I followed the link and read quite a bit of the magazine, including an article by MckMama and then followed another link to her blog


And since then, I've been hooked, following their blogs, plus, discovering and following new ones like Praying for Abby, whose dad Brent Riggs is actually the creator of Serious. Life Magazine.



And Harper's blog


And one I just started reading last week:




So I decided to try it out and start my own blog!